₦airaland Forum

The human body is the most complex systems that the creator has ever invented. There are thousands of systems that work together in synergy to help the human body function properly. The body’s primary function is to produce energy and help it run to survive in the world. At times, any one of the several systems might fail to function in the human body. The onset of a system failure is often associated with symptoms which if untreated leads to diseases. The symptoms can be treated both at home and with an expert’s help.


Out of several health issues, one of the common issues is urinary tract infection(UTI). How to get rid of a UTI is something that you must know! Now, to know about the remedies for UTI, one must know what is a UTI first. Knowing about the disease beforehand will help you tackle the symptoms right at its onset. This will ensure lesser suffering due to the illness.

What is Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?
How to Get Rid of a UTI


Urinary tract infections are infections that involve the urinary system of the human body. The infection spreads across the urinary bladder and the urethra. UTI is one of the common infections that the world’s population encounter. The most affected population with a UTI are females. There are a few reasons to the fact and is discussed further in the article. In 90% of the cases, the infection is caused due to the transfer of E. coli bacteria from the intestine to the urinary tract. The infection can occur at any part of the entire urinary system and might be a sudden occurrence. However, treating the same at the first go is a must to prevent infection spread to other systems. UTI symptoms in women are common and it occurs mostly during the pregnancy period. Besides that, UTI may occur due to several other reasons such as-

Shorter urethral length in women is a major cause of UTI. Also, a female urethra is closer to the sources of bacteria from the vagina and anus.
Major hygiene failures will lead to a UTI. Being clean, especially after you use a toilet is a must to prevent chances of UTI.
Sexual intercourse also might lead to UTI in women. The activity causes the microbes to travel from the vagina to the urethral opening. And, hygiene again will play a major role here.
Birth control measures at times might lead to a UTI. The spermicidal gels or creams may damage the skin for an instant, thus becoming a breeding ground for the surrounding microbes. Condoms which have a poor quality will again pose the same risk.
Catheter implantation due to medical reasons might also contribute in contracting a UTI.

The reasons are plenty, so how do you identify that you might have a UTI? To know how to get rid of a UTI, one must know the UTI symptoms. Medically the following are the typical symptoms of UTI-

The urine will be cloudy or you will be able to observe blood in it. Cloudy can also be related to the urine being turbid.
Passing urine number of times than usual.
A different smell or a foul smell will accompany the urine.
Burning sensation while passing urine will be evident. However, dehydration can also cause this symptom, but for a UTI, the burning sensation will be quite high.

How To Get Rid of a UTI With Home Remedies?
So, now how to get rid of a UTI? Rushing to a doctor will end up in antibiotics. These antibiotics on a prolonged use might activate the antibiotic resistance factor in the microbes. However, there are some wonderful home remedies for UTI. UTI home remedies will mainly focus on the prevention of its occurrence. All doctors in the world believe that prevention is better than cure. Scroll below to find a few of the natural answers on the question, how to get rid of a UTI?

1. Drink Water
Yes, the easiest of ways to prevent and cure UTI is to drink water. Drinking water profusely with a routine will flush all the harmful bacteria and associated microbes out of the system. It is like using the toilet flush to get the dirt out. If you are suffering from a UTI, then you must aim to drink at least half of your body weight equivalent water. The heavy water flow will trigger frequent urination and in turn, will force all the microbes out of the urinary tract. Home remedies for urine burning sensation are as easy as you just heard! We will know more about why water is good for you, how it helps you to stay healthy, simply click here to read on!

2. Have a Bit of Soda
Do not mistake it with the sugary soda! Here it is baking soda. Baking soda is alkaline in nature and can easily tackle the acidic urine. The neutralization reaction will also help relieve the burning sensation. Majorly, the changing pH, from acidic to alkaline will make it difficult for the microbes to survive. Mix a teaspoon of baking soda in 1 liter of drinking water. Keep drinking the same throughout the day and pee regularly.

3. Increase Vitamin C Consumption
Vitamin C rich foods will have a pH which is far beyond the microbe’s comfort. The urine will flush the invading bacteria and relieve from UTI. Vitamin C intake will also boost the immune system and prevent any chances of secondary infections. E.g. oranges, lemons and vitamin C fruit juices will do the best job.

4. Garlic
Including garlic in the diet will prevent the overall occurrence of UTI. Home remedies to treat a UTI comes easy with this hack. Garlic contains a nutrient called “allicin”. This nutrient has excellent antimicrobial properties and boosts the immune system. Garlic contents also overcome the multi- drug resistance capacity of microbes and prevent them from becoming unresponsive to remedies.

5. Cranberry Juice
Home remedies to treat UTI will never be so simple! Cranberry juice is readily available and is in everyone’s reach. The nutrients in the juice will prevent the infection causing microbes from adhering the urinary tract. The micro-anchors of the bacteria are damaged with the nutrients from cranberry juice.


How to get rid of a UTI? Well, now we have all the answers to it. The fact that prevention is better than cure will always hold good. Keeping up a good hygiene routine will prevent UTI the maximum.

Females are unfortunately more prone to the infection; hence, they should be always careful.


What to do if you have a urinary tract infection?


Prevent it at the first go!


If not possible then try the above home remedies.

Please help to share to your loved ones.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/treat-urinary-tract-infectionuti-with.html

SmartchoicesNG:
Whoever has made an agreement with them should honour it!

how do you mean by agreement?

Here’s a list of plugins I use on my blog and what I use them for. I'm hoping that a few of them will be useful for you too! Click through to see all the plugins!

I confess. I had no idea what blogger plugins were when I created my first site. I only knew I needed them.


Blogger plugins are software “snippets” that add additional functionality and features to your WordPress website. You need them too! They will make your blogging life so much easier and help you build an audience that much faster.


Here are some of the features you can add with plugins:

Contact forms
Search optimization
Social media share links
List-building pop-ups
and tons more…

There are literally tons and tons of blogger plugins to choose from. So how do you know which ones you really need?


Today I’m sharing some of the plugins I have installed on my blog. Some I use for SEO, some for social media, some are more administrative, and others are for email list building. These are grouped in order of priority (what to install first, what to install next), and I’m hoping that a few of these will be useful for your blog too.

INSTALL THESE BLOGGER PLUGINS FIRST:
WP-SpamShack
USE TO: BLOCK COMMENT SPAM
You get so excited when you see 25 comments on our dashboard, but then find that 95% of those are spam. Bleh, who has time for that? You don’t! Time to shut down spam comments before they happen.


Spam is such a huge issue for WordPress sites that each install actually comes with a spam filter plugin called Akismet. I’ve never used it, though, because the set up seemed like too much work. Plus, I’ve heard that the filtering can be too aggressive, meaning that it will block valid comments as spam so you won’t have a chance to see real, true reader comments.


WP-SpamShack is very effective and easy to use. Just activate it and you’re good to go. What can be easier than that?

Yoast SEO
USE TO: HELP SEARCH ENGINES FIND YOUR CONTENT
WordPress is by default a search engine-friendly platform. But you’ll need the help of Yoast SEO to optimize your site even more for search engines. I use it on every one of my posts. If you want to make it easy for people to find your work on Google, you need to use it too!


Yoast SEO will analyze your posts and give you a checklist for headings, content, post title, description, and images and even URLs to make sure that everything on your page is optimized for any keyword you choose. It does a whole bunch of other things too, like Facebook OpenGraph data and XML sitemap generator.

For more about the plugins i am using on my blog, kindly visit https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/12-blogger-plugins-that-will-skyrocket.html

This handout image received courtesy of Doctors Without Border (MSF) on January 17, 2017, shows people standing next to destruction after an air force jet accidentally bombarded a camp for those displaced by Boko Haram Islamists, in Rann, northeast Nigeria. At least 52 aid workers and civilians were killed on January 17, 2017, when an air force jet accidentally bombed a camp in northeast Nigeria instead of Boko Haram militants, medical charity MSF said.


Urge Military To Live Up To Expectation Arewa leaders have expressed shock and fear over the renewed attack by terrorists in the northeastern states, urging the Nigerian military not to relent in its effort to flush out remnants of the insurgents.


The northern leaders, under the umbrella of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), in a statement issued in Kaduna, said: “We learnt with shock, the multiple bomb explosions that occurred on Wednesday morning at Muna Garage in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, caused by suicide bombers, which killed eight persons and injured many, as confirmed by the state Police Command.


“The atrocities by the insurgents on innocent persons are most barbaric, callous and condemnable.“ACF is very much worried and concerned with the recent spate of bomb explosions in Maiduguri and other parts of the state especially, as it affects Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps.”


The statement signed by the Forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim, noted: “ACF affirms its belief in the capability of the military and other security agencies in the resolve to bring to an end this intractable insurgency in the Northeast region.


Besides, Ibrahim commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his condemnation of the inhuman and unnecessary shedding of human blood and destruction of property in a reckless manner in some part of the country.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/arewa-leaders-express-shock-fear-over.html

Ali Modu Sheriff. PHOTO: channelstv


The National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, said soon, he would set up a committee to work out modalities for the party’s national convention.


Sheriff made this known while briefing newsmen on Monday in Abuja on the recommendations of the party’s Reconciliation Committee, chaired by Gov. Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa.


He said that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party was already consulting with members and leaders of the party as part of process for constituting the convention committee.



The chairman said that he was also talking with lawmakers at the National Assembly and State Assemblies on the platform of the party as part of political solution recommended by the Dickson committee.


He added that he had commenced consultation with the Board of Trustees (BoT) through its Chairman, Sen. Walid Jibrin, who, he said, had promised to get back to him for a formal meeting with BoT members.


He said that by next week they would meet with the party’s national ex-officio members from the 36 states.


“Everywhere in our party, we are working across the board; everybody is working for the party to come back to its position in 1999.


“We are for peace and that does not mean that we are afraid of anybody; we will not be relenting.


“We need our party back in power and we will carry everybody that means well for PDP along.


“I assure you that PDP will not be destroyed; PDP is a creation of God and cannot be destroyed by anybody.


“We are on course and we will go as planned. For everybody that believes that it is not political solution, they are on their own,” he said.


Sheriff reiterated his determination not to contest the national chairmanship at the national convention, adding that his NWC members had the right to contest for any position of their choice.


On his presidential ambition for 2019, he said that it was a decision left for God.


“Every position I occupied in life, God made it possible. I am a firm believer in the will of God. I told you I will not run for the chairmanship position, the rest we leave to God.”


He, however, said that the party’s chairmanship position would definitely be for the Southern part of the country.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/ill-constitute-national-convention.html

Paying for a £5m divorce is no laughing matter: Rowan Atkinson, 62, dusts off his Mr Bean character for lucrative film ONLY released in China after leaving his wife of 24 years and moving in with his girlfriend, 33


Rowan Atkinson dusted off his world famous Mr Bean character today at the premiere of his latest film which is only released in China.


The comedian, 62, decided to revive the bumbling loner for the one-billion strong Chinese audience after a £5million divorce with his wife of 24 years, Sunetra in 2015.


The film titled Top Funny Comedian is expected to prove extremely lucrative after Mr Bean's Holiday released in 2007 grossed more than £2.4million in China alone.


Atkinson, worth an estimated £70million, took to the stage to perform his mute slapstick-style comedy which gloriously transcends languages.


He's back! Rowan Atkinson dusted off his world famous Mr Bean character today at the premiere of his latest film which is only released in China

Clad in his famous brown suit and red tie, Mr Bean was his typical animated self as he pulled a series of facial expressions and pulled out some props.


Top Funny Comedian The Movie is a spin-off of the popular Chinese variety show of the same name and sees the star - who is known as Mr Foolish Bean in Asia - as one of the leading characters in the role.


The film stars comedians Guo Degang and Yue Yunpeng as they venture from from Beijing to Macao.


As Guo speaks limited English and Rowan no mandarin, he revealed the pair were forced to communicate mainly through body language.


'Just with facial expressions and gestures we seemed to understand each other,' Guo said at a promotional event in Beijing.


'It was really an interesting experience, which proves that comedy can cross boundaries.'


Split: Top Funny Comedian The Movie is the first film Rowan has worked on since being granted a 'quickie divorce' from Sunatra Atkinson, 56, (left) and moving in with Louise Ford (right), 33

Hilarious: With his mute slapstick-style comedy transcending any language barriers, the 62-year-old comedian had the crowds in stitches as he addressed them.

Everything's coming up roses! Mr Bean seemed to be feeling flirtatious as he offered up a bouquet of roses on the stage


Top Funny Comedian The Movie is the first film Rowan has worked on since being granted a 'quickie divorce' from Sunatra Atkinson, 56, after he left her for a comedy actress half his age in 2015.


Their divorce was granted on the grounds of 'unreasonable behaviour'.


Rowan is currently dating comedy actress Louise. She has appeared in Channel 4's Misfits and starred alongside Inbetweeners actors Simon Bird and Joe Thomas in Sky’s Chickens.


Rowan and Sunetra were building an £11million home in Oxfordshire at the time of their split in 2014.

Cheers! Mr Bean toasted his new film with his co-stars and the premier in China

Handful: Rowan Atkinson reprising Mr Bean held a variety of props as he entertained on stage.

Following the split, Blackadder star moved into a £4million London cottage while Sunetra resided in a £21million mansion in the capital, bought for her by Rowan in 2014.


One of Britain’s most wealthy entertainers with a fortune of around £70million, Atkinson sold his rare McLaren F1 supercar for £8million months before his divorce was granted in 2015.


Atkinson first met his wife, the daughter of an Indian engineer from Ealing, West London, in the late Eighties, when she was working as a make-up artist for the BBC


He was previously in a relationship with Men Behaving Badly star Leslie Ash who he planted an avenue of rowan and ash trees for at his country home.


Miss Ford and Atkinson met in 2013 after appearing together in the West End as he starred in the comic play Quartermaine's Terms.


Confused? The star appeared to have no idea what items he was handling at the premiere

Back in action: Rowan Atkison was back to playing Mr Bean as he transformed into the iconic character for the premiere of his new film, Top Funny Comedian, in China on Sunday


The comedienne grew up in Bexleyheath, south-east London, before gaining an English degree at Southampton University.


After graduating, she won a place at RADA where she was in the same year and treaded the boards with now Hollywood actress Gemma Arterton.


This led to appearances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with the Royal Shakespeare Company and parts in television comedies.


More recently, Rowan has been keeping busy reprising his role as Rufus, the pushy and overly-devoted salesman, for the Comic Relief Love Actually special.


Whilst his role this time around has not been released, it looks like fans are in for a repeat of his iconic scene as he was pictured behind the till ready to throw himself into some gift-wrapping, as with his famous scene in the 2003 movie.


His initial turn in the franchise was one of the most iconic as he starred opposite the late Alan Rickman who played Harry, the husband of Emma Thompson's character Karen, who goes on to cheat on her.


Bouncing back: Rowan split from his wife of 24 years, Sunetra, in a costly settlement in 2015 but appeared to be making the money back with his new film.


As he plots his affair with his secretary, he goes to Rufus' department store to buy a necklace for his potential mistress although he is in the same building as his wife.


While trying to hurry the purchase along, he comes across Rowan's character who lavishly, arduously and hilariously goes through an elaborate wrapping process.


As he boxed up the necklace, he placed the item in a bag before scattering sequins, placing a cinnamon stick and tying a huge bow - in a process many fans will instantly recognise.


Throwback: Rowan has been keeping busy reprising his role as Rufus, the pushy and overly-devoted salesman, for the Comic Relief

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/paying-for-5m-divorce-is-no-laughing.html

The Federal Government has reiterated its determination to protect and reward whistleblowers who provide information that leads to the recovery of stolen funds or assets.


Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed who said this in a statement issued on Sunday, noted that the Federal Government will protect the identity of all whistle-blowers, whether in the public or the private sector, and also ensure that the information they provide is kept secret.


He said, “for those who may have suffered any backlash as a result of the information they provide, their cases will be reviewed and appropriate mitigating actions taken.”



Alhaji Mohammed said the assurance followed the presentations made to the Presidential Assets Recovery Committee by concerned citizens and groups about the safety of whistle-blowers.

“Whistleblowers have nothing to fear because the committee has put in place the necessary measures to safeguard those who give useful information. As a matter of fact, whistle-blowers have everything to gain and nothing to lose,” he said.


The Minister said any whistle-blower whose information leads to the recovery of up to 1 billion Naira will receive 5% of the amount; that the reward for any amount between 1 and 5 billion Naira will be 5% for the first 1 billion Naira and 4% of the remaining 4 billion Naira, and that any amount over 5 billion Naira will attract 2.5% reward.


“For example, if a whistle-blower provides information leading to the recovery of 10 billion Naira, he or she will receive 5% of the first 1billion Naira, 4% of the next 4 billion Naira and 2.5% of the remaining 5 billion Naira.


“What we have done by making this information public is to reassure potential whistle-blowers that the plan to reward is real.


“We are not just saying we will pay all whistle-blowers, but we are letting them know in advance what they are entitled to, once the information they provide leads to the recovery of looted funds,” he said.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/fg-promises-protection-reward-for.html

Tanzania on Saturday agreed to send 500 doctors to Kenya after a 100-day doctors’ strike that paralyzed health services in the neighbouring country.


President John Magufuli announced the decision after meeting a Kenyan delegation in Dar es Salaam headed by health minister Cleopa Mailu.


“The difficulties of Kenya are the difficulties of Tanzania. We agree to send you these 500 doctors to provide care to our brothers,” Magafuli said in a statement.



Some 5,000 doctors at Kenya’s public hospitals stopped working in December to demand better pay and conditions. The strike only ended on Tuesday.

“As you assure me that you will pay the required salaries to my doctors and give them housing, that they will work in good conditions, I have no problem,” Magufuli said.


There was no information as to when the doctors would be deployed or how long they would stay in Kenya.


But Tanzania’s health minister Umy Mwalimu said the doctors would be sent to Kenya “as soon as possible”.


Some Kenyan doctors are yet to return to work despite an agreement with the government, and medical workers are struggling to deal with the backlog of patients.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/tanzania-offers-500-doctors-to-ease.html

Police officers investigate at the house of the suspect of an attack at the Paris Orly’s airport, on March 18, 2017 in Garges-les-Gonesse.


A man who had been investigated for links to radical Islam was shot dead at Orly airport south of Paris on today after attacking a soldier on patrol and trying to grab her rifle.


The same man is suspected of having shot at police earlier in the day, leaving an officer with minor wounds after being pulled over while driving in a suburb north of the French capital.THOMAS SAMSON / AFP


Troops at Paris’ Orly airport on Saturday shot dead a man who tried to grab a female soldier’s weapon saying he was ready to die for Allah, triggering a major security alert that caused travel chaos.


The incident comes as France remains on high alert following a series of jihadist attacks that have claimed more than 230 lives since January 2015.


Prosecutors said they had opened an anti-terror investigation.



“Put your weapons down. I’m here to die for Allah. In any case people are going to die,” the man told three patrolling soldiers, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters late Saturday, giving an account of the attack.


A cousin of the attacker was also detained, as well as his father and brother, he added.


Flights were halted at Orly for several hours, with incoming flights diverted and thousands of passengers stranded at Paris’ second-largest airport, but normal service resumed mid-afternoon.


France goes to the polls on April 23 in the first round of a two-stage presidential election in which security is one of the main issues on voters’ minds.


Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux said the attacker, who he named as Ziyed Ben Belgacem, was “known to the police and intelligence services”.


He said the suspect was also linked to an attack on police just north of Paris earlier on Saturday in which an officer was slightly wounded.


At the airport, the 39-year-old man knocked the soldier to the ground and grabbed at her rifle, a senior military source said.


The two other soldiers with her then opened fire, killing him, the source said.
No-one else was injured in the incident.


According to an eyewitness who spoke to AFP, the man had at one point grabbed the female soldier by the neck.


“The man took a soldier hostage, he was holding her by the neck and he was threatening two other soldiers with the woman’s rifle,” said the man who was catching a flight to the Dominican Republic, who gave his name only as Dominique.


The incident took place at around 8:30 am (0730 GMT) in the south terminal. Around 3,000 people were evacuated from the building.


Franck Lecam, a traveller bound for Tel Aviv, told AFP he heard “three or four shots” as he was queueing to check in.


– Investigated for radicalism –
Addressing reporters at the airport, Le Roux said Ben Belgacem had tried “but not succeeded” in his bid to grab the soldier’s rifle.


He said the same man was also suspected of opening fire on police during a routine traffic inspection in the northern Paris suburb of Garges-les-Gonesse at around 7:00 am (0600 GMT). One officer suffered minor head injuries.


He was thought to have stolen a car and driven to Orly, Le Roux said.


Sources close to the investigation said Ben Belgacem had committed several armed robberies and was investigated for radicalisation in 2015, although he did not feature on the list of those thought to pose a high risk.


He lived in an apartment in Garges-les-Gonesse, which was searched by investigators later Saturday.
Air traffic to Orly was suspended and all incoming flights rerouted to Paris’ main Charles de Gaulle airport, north of the city.


Passengers in the western terminal were kept inside the building, which reopened at around 1200 GMT. Operations resumed soon afterwards at the southern terminal, where the incident occurred.


Elite police teams secured the airport and searched it for explosives but none were found.


– ‘France still a target’ –
The shooting took place on the second day of an official visit to Paris by Britain’s Prince William and his wife Kate, which was unaffected.


France remains under a state of emergency after a series of terror attacks, including the November 2015 massacre in Paris and a truck attack in Nice last July.


In mid-February, a machete-wielding Egyptian man attacked a soldier outside Paris’s Louvre museum before being shot and wounded.


The soldiers on patrol at Orly airport belong to Operation Sentinelle, a force of 7,000 troops deployed in the capital and other cities after the January 2015 attacks in Paris.


On Thursday, a letter bomb exploded at the Paris offices of the International Monetary Fund, injuring a secretary who suffered burns to her hands and face.


French President Francois Hollande called that incident an “attack”, saying it showed the country was “still targeted”.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/paris-airport-attacker-said-he-was.html

Protest against herdsmen’s killings rocks National Assembly

• Why I ordered suspects out of Benue, by Ortom
Hundreds of protesters yesterday stormed the National Assembly (NASS) complex in Abuja to draw the attention of the federal lawmakers to the renewed killings of persons by suspected herdsmen in some farming communities of Benue State. They were, however, denied entry by some 200 armed policemen.


Apparently miffed by the incident, the protesters challenged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, to rather deploy his men to halt the maiming at Tombo Mbalagh in Buruku Local Council of the state.


Led by the Movement Against Tiv Massacre (VATIM), the protesters registered their annoyance at the killing last weekend of 10 persons in the council area by herdsmen. The sad incident, they added, prompted Governor Samuel Ortom to issue a 48-hour ultimatum to security agencies in the state to fish out the culprits.



However, the governor has advanced reasons for the quit order he issued to armed herders in the state.

According to him, the decision was informed by the need “ to protect the lives and property” of the citizens just as he reiterated the directive to have the erring herdsmen arrested and prosecuted.


He told newsmen yesterday in Abuja after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa that a governor of a state must guard the people against internal and external aggression.


The killings are spreading to different parts of the country. A greater worry is that the Federal Government is virtually painting a picture of helplessness. If it fails to take drastic steps in halting these killings, victims would continue to express their anger through protests and self-defence.
The convener of the group, Irene Awunah, deploring the action of the police leadership, noted: “The IGP should please look towards sending a detachment of armed policemen to the villages where Fulani herdsmen are killing people in their native communities, instead of sending them after us.


“We are simply trying to draw the attention of the National Assembly to what is happening in our villages. The legislators were elected to make laws that would safeguard the peace and unity of Nigeria, among others. So, security personnel should be deployed where they are needed, our procession is peaceful.”


She said they were at the National Assembly to table their “cry” to the leadership and get answers from the Federal Government on the persistent attacks on Benue farming communities.


Though the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara were not available to address the irate group, they were eventually addressed by Senator George Thompson Sekibo (PDP, Rivers East), accompanied by Jeremiah Useni (Plateau South East) and Shaaba Lafiagi (Kwara North) after insisting earlier on being talked to by the two presiding officers of the National Assembly only. This came after they had shunned two members of the House, Diri Douye (Bayelsa) and Mojeed Alabi (Osun).


Sekibo told the protesters that no fewer than three motions on the attacks in the state and other parts of the country had been sponsored in the eighth Senate.


His words: “The Senate is standing by you. We shall do everything within the limits of the law to ensure these herdsmen are taken to particular areas where they can feed their cattle.”



The spokesman of VATIM, Tersoo Akula, warned that the people might resort to self-defence if steps were not taken to halt the killings.

Following the fresh onslaught, the House of Assembly is holding a public hearing on a proposed bill geared at checking the activities of herdsmen in the state. But analysts are, however, of the opinion that the establishment of ranches as obtained in other climes would effectively address the perennial problem.


Contacted, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command Public Relations Officer, Anjuguri Manza, said he was yet to be briefed on the deployment.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/protest-against-herdsmens-killings.html

As the nation contends with slumped economic fortunes that are mainly accruable from oil resources, it makes hefty sense to contemplate fresh ways to source revenues to sustain the operations of institutions. But increasing the cost of university education that would be borne by students and their parents as recently proposed by vice chancellors should not be one of these measures.


By proposing that tuition-free university education should be abolished, the vice chancellors under the aegis of the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities have only reopened an old debate. It is the right time for the debate because it throws up the imperative to prudently manage resources so that there would be enough to deploy in important areas of the nation amid the recession.


The economic crisis has rendered the government at both the federal and state levels incapable of paying workers and pensioners. Now, there have been lamentations about how the paucity of funds has become a major impediment to the actualisation of the great visions that different levels of government and their officials have for the people.



Yet it is a wrong time for the debate because the same economic crisis that has reduced the funds available for the government has also impoverished the citizens. Indeed, since the citizens are the more adversely affected, vice chancellors should not expect parents to get money to bear an additional cost of university education. Is it the parents who have been rendered jobless by the closure or relocation of their companies that would pay the tuition? Or is it the parents who receive N18,000 minimum wage that would pay it? Even with the universities operating the so-called tuition-free system now, is it all the citizens whose children are qualified for university education that can afford it?


The idea of stopping the tuition-free policy should be jettisoned simply because of the poor. Remember, most of these vice-chancellors and others who are canvassing the payment of fees in universities enjoyed tuition-free university education. But for this, most of them would not be where they are now. Those in the South West during the government of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo often recall with a high sense of gratitude how his free educational policy made it easy for them to go to school. Yes, the population of university students then was not as much as we have now.


But that era did not have as much resources as we command now.It is not because university education is free that standards are low. After all, we pride ourselves on having one of the best university systems in the world from the 1950s to 1970s that attracted students and scholars from different parts of the world. But this great university education was tuition-free. It was a time that university students were fed with sumptuous chicken-laden meals and other needs of theirs were met by the government.


Yet it produced great scientists, administrators and writers, including a Nobel laureate. So interest in learning is not exclusive to a generation, place or sex. Even now, despite the much-condemned fall in educational standards, there are students who are genuinely interested in learning. Or would the vice-chancellors agree that because there are some lectures who are not ready to do their work therefore all university teachers are bad? Or is it that since high fees are paid in private universities all the students there are doing well? Far from it. There are cases where parents have paid so much to send their children to private universities but only for them to fail to cope with their studies. Even when they are withdrawn to other private universities, they maintain this failure streak.


Worse still, some turn to crime and cultism. Just recently, there was the report of a student of a private university who has been sentenced to death for killing his colleague. Besides, have the policies of free education in countries like Norway, Austria, Germany, Finland and Sweden made their educational standards low?


We live in a nation where the citizens pay taxes but they live as though the government owed them no obligation – they provide their own water, roads, electricity, security, etc. For the majority of the citizens, they only can accept that a government exists because it provides education.


But if this service is removed, the citizens would only be more alienated. Besides, it borders on self-sabotage if the government discourages the education of its citizens by making its universities expensive. Many nations of the world that have recorded giant strides in technological development invest so much in education. But if it has become inevitable that through the abolition of the free-tuition system funds would be freed for the provision of infrastructure, then some conditions should be met first.


The government should allow the economy to improve in such a way that gainfully employed parents can pay the tuition of their children in the universities. The government should strengthen its open university education system, create more awareness about it and boost the confidence of the public in it. Part of the current inferiorisation of the open university system is seen in the fact that those with law degrees from it are not allowed to go to the law school. Yet there are legal luminaries who got their law degrees through this open university system.



It is good that the vice chancellors have thought of the need to help those who may not be able to afford the tuition. In this regard, the VCs have suggested that the Federal Government should set up an education bank. But this may not be a workable idea since an education bank would only make some people richer. The purpose for setting up the bank would be defeated through corruption. Those who genuinely need the money would not be given. Instead, it would go to the cronies and fronts of bureaucrats through a perverted quota system.


Again, the government has to sufficiently convince the citizens that available resources are well managed. How do we convince the citizens that the government cannot afford a tuition-free university education system when our public officials are living flamboyantly? The same government officials who would lament that resources are lean are the ones who are receiving billions as security votes every month. And at the end of their self-servicing tenures, they would continue with their huge pensions, houses, cars and medical allowances for themselves and their families.


Instead of looking up to the government that has a history of shirking its obligations to the citizens, the vice chancellors are the ones that would ensure that indigent students are still accommodated if the tuition-free university education system is abolished. One way to achieve this is through a work-study scheme. This was done by the late Prof. Jelili Omotola at the University of Lagos as the vice chancellor in the 1990s. Until all these measures are put in place, any attempt to increase the cost of university education for the citizens who are already impoverished by the official looting of the national treasury would only provoke their animus towards the government and its agents, including the vice chancellors.

source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/vcs-let-tuition-free-varsities-stay.html

The Yobe state government has earmarked N3.03 billion for the upgrade and rehabilitation of public schools, feeding and payment of West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSC) fees for its students.

Director of Press Affairs to the Governor, Abdullahi Bego who disclosed this said the sum would also cover special remedial programme for Yobe students in the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) as well as fees in various Nigeria-Tulip International Colleges (NTIC) in Mamudo, Kano, Kaduna, and Abuja among others.


While restating government’s commitment to education, Bego said of the sum, N1.3 billion would be used for the renovation of three government secondary schools; N408.9 billion for feeding of students in boarding schools during the last academic session and N188.9 billion is being spent in the current academic session.


He disclosed that government has made a 50 percent down payment to WAEC for the 2017 examination; a condition he said must be met for any state government to have its students participate in the examinations.

“Under our special arrangement with the University of Maiduguri, Yobe students undertake a remedial programme each year to enable them fully.


qualify for admission to various courses in the University. A total sum of N52.6 million was paid by the government for up to 5, 000 students to participate in this year’s remedial programme.”


Bego further disclosed that the state government paid N27.73 million for registration, examination fees and upkeep of Yobe students admitted under a special arrangement with Fountain University, Oshogbo.He assured stakeholders in the sector that the present administration would continue to give education the pride of place.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/yobe-earmarks-n303-billion-for-schools.html

Lincoln275:
Nigerian as a country has dt disease cos no vision at all

lo u re very funny

madridguy:
May God help us.

Disease second leading cause of blindness worldwide


No fewer than 1.8 million Nigerians of over 40 years age suffer from glaucoma with almost 360,000 of them blind in both eyes.


Glaucoma is a disease of the eye in which fluid pressure within the eye rises – if left untreated the patient may lose vision and even become blind.


The Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Head Glaucoma Services and Acting Head of Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine/Lagos University Teaching Hospital (CMUL/LUTH), Idi-Araba, Dr. Adeola Onakoya, said yesterday at a press briefing to mark the World Glaucoma Week, March 12 to 16, 2017, that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and in Nigeria with a prevalence of 16.7 per cent, second only to cataract.



Onakoya, at the event organized by Pfizer said glaucoma is the commonest cause of irreversible blindness worldwide and in Nigeria.

The ophthalmologist said glaucoma is a public health problem and currently 70 million people suffer from glaucoma worldwide, with 10 million blind.


She said it is anticipated that by 2020, sufferers would increase to 80 million and blindness from the disease would increase as well.


The eye specialist said blindness from glaucoma is 10 times higher in the developing world and the clinical course of the disease in blacks follows an aggressive course. She said there is increased prevalence amongst Africans, which increases with age in 0.5 to nine per cent of population over 40 years and increases to 15 per cent in population over 65 years. “With ageing, the population of sufferers will increase,” Onakoya said.


The ophthalmologist said only 50 per cent of the disease is diagnosed in developed countries and 85 per cent are undiagnosed in developing countries. She said patients in the developing countries usually present at an advance stage of the disease when there is irreversible visual loss.


Onakoya expressed regrets that awareness is very low, with only five per cent of Nigerian glaucoma population being aware.


She, however, said early detection and appropriate treatment of the disease seem to be the answer to the late presentation of sufferers and reduction of blindness from the disease. “Education on the natural history of the disease will also improve the compliance and adherence to treatment in the diagnosed patients,” Onakoya said.


The ophthalmologist said creation of awareness on the disease process and enlightenment programmes, backed up with case detection (through screening) would go a long way in reducing blindness.


She recommended that special attention should also be given to First Degree Relatives (FDR) of Glaucoma patients because of the heritability nature of the disease with the hope that the news can spread through word-of-mouth through at-risk groups.


Onakoya, however, warned that every Nigerian is at risk of the disease but this is higher in the population over 30 years, so special attention must be paid to include every Nigerian above the age of 30 years as the disease tends to present a decade earlier in Africans.


According to Onakoya, mass glaucoma screening and early treatment have been a cardinal aspect of the Rapid Response Initiative (RRI), one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s nationwide quick-win thrusts in healthcare.



She said in pursuance of the same vision, LUTH has outlined a robust programme to educate the public on glaucoma and also carry out case detection tests for willing members of the public. This, Onakoya said, will be done in conjunction with Glaucoma Patient Care Initiative in Nigeria, a registered glaucoma patients group and the ongoing RRI programme.

Onakoya the screening exercise will be conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 14 and 15, 2017 at the Guinness Eye Centre, LUTH. She said a public lecture to sensitise the populace and impart knowledge on the disease has been scheduled for Thursday, March 16, 2017 at National Sickle Cell Centre.


The ophthalmologist said LUTH should champion efforts to create awareness of glaucoma and the need for all Nigerians above the age of 30 to undergo regular screening for this common cause of blindness.

http://t.guardian.ng/news/1-8-million-nigerians-suffering-glaucoma/

A rendering for a +Cassia Domino project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Domino Towers
AFP Relaxnews

Manfred Thierry Mugler is the latest designer to bring his esthetic to the hotel world, in a new collection that will extend his fashion and perfume line into the world of luxury hotels, resorts and residences.

Mugler joins a long line of fashion designers to add hotelier to his portfolio, bridging the already narrow gap between the two worlds.

Other high-end fashion designers with similar projects include Karl Lagerfeld, whose first branded hotel is slated to open in Macau in 2018, and Giorgio Armani, who opened The Armani Hotel Dubai and The Armani Hotel Milano.

Le Bellechasse Saint-Germain in Paris is also designed entirely by Christian Lacroix.

One of the earliest pioneers of the trend, however, is the luxury house of Versace, which opened the Palazzo Versace on Australia's Gold Coast in 2000.

Meanwhile, Mugler Hotels, Resorts and Residences will feature mixed-use boutique hotels and residential properties, along with cultural and entertainment spaces that will be inspired by Mugler's experience in show business, where he has directed short films, designed costumes for musicals, concerts, operas, and the theater.

"I used fashion to express myself as much as I could. But at some point, it was not enough," Mugler said in a statement.

"Designing hotels, residential and entertainment projects is a natural extension of my interests."

The properties will be designed in partnership with French architect Jean-Paul Cassia and influenced by Mugler's signature mix of fantasy and imagination.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/french-designer-thierry-mugler-to.html

Ambrose Ali University denies cases of admission racketeering, sexual harassment

The authority of Ambrose Ali University (AAU) Ekpoma in Edo, says neither a case of sexual harassment nor admission racketeering exits in the institution.


Its Vice- Chancellor, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Ekpoma.


According to him, the AAU engages in a monthly prayer session for sound spiritual development and to eliminate cases of sexual harassment in the institution.


“There has not been any reported case of sexual harassment or admission racketeering in the institution.

“But if there has been any case, it has never been brought to the attention of the school authority.
“It is the vision of this administration to position the university to be the best state university and one of the best 10 universities in Nigeria.’’


He said that admission racketeering had become “an anathema in the AAU as the system put in place does not allow such act at all’’.


“We give admission to applicants on merit, and the system is so robust that no staff has the chance to play on the intelligence of any student seeking admission.


“But some of the few cases brought before the authority were promptly dealt with and the staffers involved were sanctioned,’’ he said.


Onimawo assured the staff and students as well as the host community of the institution’s determination to run an open and transparent administration.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/ambrose-ali-university-denies-cases-of.html

zekepio:
I got 8Bs and a C

you can still apply ok?

just wait for the processing to begin in mid june 2017

The Presidency has concluded plans to reorganise its N-Power programme for unemployed graduates by expunging names of those captured, but could not be verified.


This is coming on the heels of complaints by beneficiaries in some states over non-payment of their stipend. For instance, since the programme took off in Ogun State, some of the candidates have been complaining over non-payment and partial payment of their monthly stipends.


The aggrieved recipients, who demonstrated last week in Abeokuta, told The Guardian that they had not received their December and January stipend.


The Guardian investigation revealed that the affected candidates were not paid, because they failed to submit themselves for verification of their accounts, while some of them were also not paid for irregularities discovered in the documents they submitted.


In Cross River State, the beneficiaries have not been paid for January and March this year, although they have all been deployed to work in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the state.

Some of the beneficiaries told The Guardian that payment has not been regular; but that when it comes they get N30, 000. One of the beneficiaries who gave his name as John Ogar said, “the main challenge we are facing is this stipend they pay to us. The programme is good, but the Federal Government should try and make it tidy and smooth.”

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/fg-may-replace-unverified-n-power.html

zekepio:
gabonsky, I have replied your PM.
are you already a Usaper or you are also applying?

No i am not applying.....

Republican Presidential hopeful Ben Carson speaking during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2016 at National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Maryland, outside Washington. AFP PHOTO / SAUL LOEB.


President Donald Trump’s housing secretary provoked a firestorm Monday by saying slaves brought from Africa were “immigrants” who dreamed of success for their families in the United States.


Ben Carson, who is black, made the stunning remarks during an address to employees at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Washington.


“That’s what America is about: a land of dreams and opportunity,” said Carson, a retired neurosurgeon who grew up poor in a Detroit ghetto.



“There were other immigrants who came here in the bottom of slave ships, worked even longer, even harder for less,” he said.

“But they too had a dream that one day their sons, daughters, grandsons, granddaughters, great-grandsons, great granddaughters might pursue prosperity and happiness in this land.”


The comments provoked an instantaneous backlash.


“Immigrants” tweeted the NAACP, the nation’s largest civil rights organisation aimed at ending racial discrimination.


The remarks were condemned as “tragic, shocking and unacceptable” by the US office of the Anne Frank Center for Mutual Respect, a social justice group named after the Jewish girl whose diary, written before she was killed in the Holocaust, became a globally respected account of discrimination and hope.


“No, Secretary Carson. Slaves didn’t immigrate to America,” the group’s executive director Steven Goldstein wrote.


“This is as offensive a remark as it gets.”


The HUD department pushed back, saying on Twitter that the flurry of US media reports on Carson was “the most cynical interpretation” of his remarks.


“No one honestly believes he equates voluntary immigration with involuntary servitude,” the department added.


It was not the first such controversy for Carson, a former Trump rival for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016 and someone who routinely blasts political correctness.


He once said Joseph, the Biblical figure, built Egypt’s pyramids in order to store grain, and not as tombs for the pharaohs.


In 2013, he blasted the health care reforms of Trump’s presidential predecessor Barack Obama as “the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery.”

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/outrage-as-ben-carson-calls-slaves.html

zekepio:
the requirement of minimum 7As is too much na

how many As or Bs or Cs do you have in your SSCE?

Kenya medical students protest in solidarity with a doctor’s strike on January 19, 2017 in the capital Nairobi.<br />Thousands of Kenyan public sector doctors are currently engaged in the country’s longest-ever medical strike which has dragged on for the last month and a half, demanding a tripling of salaries and better working conditions. / AFP PHOTO / SIMON MAINA


Kenyan authorities said Wednesday they would hire foreign doctors to get public hospitals running again after talks failed to end a strike that has crippled healthcare for 94 days.

The government has threatened repeatedly to fire striking doctors and has even gone so far as to jail union officials in a bid to end the country’s longest-ever medical strike, but the doctors are digging their heels in.


Peter Munya, the chairman of the council of governors, said the government was “working on contingent measures to return the health sector to where it was by looking for services wherever they are available in the continent or outside the continent.”



“We decided that doctors who have failed to resume work should consider themselves sacked,” he added.

A furious President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday lambasted the some 5,000 doctors who have been striking for better pay and working conditions, accusing them of “blackmail”.


“We will not succumb to threats and intimidation. Do these doctors think we are that stupid? We have offered you better salaries than those in private hospitals!” he said at a joint press conference with Munya.

At the root of the doctors’ strike is a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) agreed between the government and the unions in 2013.


The document promises to triple salaries but also to improve often dire conditions in public hospitals — which striking doctors point to when accused of being greedy.


The government said the document was still being fine-tuned but doctors argue it is a legal deal which they want implemented immediately.


A Kenyan court which declared the strike illegal appointed church leaders to mediate after several other mediators failed. However even they failed to make headway after the union on Tuesday rejected a 50 percent salary increase and improved risk allowance.


The previous offer had been 40 percent.


– Poor working conditions –
Poor salaries and working conditions — such as a lack of vital drugs and equipment — have pushed Kenyan doctors to flee the public sector or go to other countries where there are better opportunities.

Kenya’s main doctors’ union, KMPDU, says the country has one doctor to 17,000 patients, while the World Health Organization recommends one to 1,000.


University lecturers also went on strike in January, a double blow to Kenyatta’s government just five months before general elections.


A series of corruption scandals — including in the health ministry — are fuelling the discontent, as is anger towards lawmakers who are among the best paid in the world and have voted themselves new benefits while claiming to be unable to meet doctors’ and lecturers’ demands.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/kenya-to-hire-foreign-doctors-as-strike.html

Former Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu, has expressed dismay over the deplorable standard of Nigerian net tenders. The former Stationery Stores captain also warned that if the situation was not arrested on time, the Super Eagles could be in danger of not finding goalkeepers good enough to meet the demands of international football.

Shorunmu told The Guardian yesterday that the basic factors affecting the development of goalkeepers in the country were poor foundation and the indifferent attitude of the players during their formative years.


He also said the current process of selecting goalkeepers does not meet the required standard, adding that goalkeepers with the right height, interest and reflexes were shortchanged for shorter players, some of who don’t have the basic attributes for the position.


Drawing from his active days, Shorunmu said most goalkeepers that exceled in the Super Eagles in the past including Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Wilfred Agbonavbare and Vincent Enyeama, among others, succeeded because they discovered their potential very early and started developing their skills to face the challenges of the game.

He urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the League Management Company (LMC) to organize vibrant youth development programmes for goalkeepers and coaches, saying the move would help to produce quality goalkeepers for the country.


“It is very difficult for a goalkeeper to succeed if he does not have the basic height and qualities to function. In Nigeria of today, goalkeeping is an all comers affair as most youth dive into it out of joblessness.


“The Super Eagles had quality goalkeepers like Alloy Agu, Peter Rufai, Vincent Enyeama, myself and a host of others in the past because the Nigerian league produced players, who were hungry from their formative years to succeed in the art. You should also understand that these days, people lay much emphasis on money because of poverty.


“The goalkeepers in the Nigerian league should be paid well to motivate the younger ones to work hard for success. Adequate facilities should also be provided for the goalkeepers to train to meet international standard,’’ he said.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/shorunmu-worried-about-poor-standard-of.html

Details of how the newly enacted Environmental Management and Protection Bill by the Lagos State Government will transform the lives of everyone working or living in Lagos has started to crystalise.


In addition to creating 27,500 new jobs, the new policy will fast track the process of metamorphosing Lagos State into a cleaner megacity by decisively tackling the problems of air and water pollution, preventing diseases and halting the deterioration of the environment to avert adverse effect on socio-economic activities.


The new policy has also made a very special provision for the thousands of Community Sanitation Workers (CSWs) who will be directly employed to work on the scheme by making their salaries tax free.


Additionally, the new environmental regime will provide numerous insurance benefits including Life, Health, Accident and Injury cover to the 27,500 CSWs who will also enjoy a pension scheme.

In a carefully articulated strategy to enhance the quality of lives of the sanitation workers who will be saddled with the task of keeping Lagos clean, an arrangement has been made to ensure that the sanitation workers will only work in their immediate communities, thereby eliminating transportation cost.


Admitting how precarious environmental sanitation issues have become in Lagos State, the state government said: “Lagos is at critical levels of pollution. We must change course because our children’s lives and future depend on it.


The state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State expressed optimism that the new law would result in historic environmental victories for a state which over the years has struggled with effective management of the 10,000 metric tonnes of waste it generates daily.


At the signing ceremony, Governor Ambode said, “I am delighted that our bill has been signed into law. Our major environmental laws are outdated and do not address our present-day challenges”.


Stressing the importance of the bill, Governor Ambode said “we exist in a world where the protection and preservation of public health and the environment have evolved and are primarily driven by data. We cannot compete if our laws are based on obsolete information.”


The governor commended the Lagos State House of Assembly for shelving their differences in the best overall interest of the state to align and pass the bill. “I know that the process of change may seem daunting at first but ultimately this shows that we can achieve a lot on our own and we can join with others for the common good of Lagos State. We have taken everyone along the value chain into consideration from the existing PSPs, to the cart pushers and the scavengers on the landfills.


Everyone will be accommodated under this new environmental scheme,” he said.

Soiurce: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/how-new-environmental-law-will-benefit.html

Are you new to the wonderful world of blogging?
Believe it or not, there was a time when I was in the same position as you. While I didn’t know much about blogging in my early days, it was always clear to me that this was one of the best ways to reach my target audience.

So, over time, I continued to perfect my blogging skills as a means of reaching my audience and growing my brand. Now, as you’ll see in the sidebar, my monthly reach is well over 300,000.

image05

But, here’s something to remember: blogging didn’t always come easy for me. This blog didn’t attract hundreds of thousands of visitors in its first month of existence. Instead, it took dedication and plenty of high-quality content to reach this level. And, even then, I’m still far from reaching my long term goals.

In this post, I’m going to provide actionable advice on things that first-time bloggers can do to create industry leading content. This is the type of content that can establish you as an authority in your space while putting your website in a position to achieve high search engine rankings in the future.

If you implement one or more of these strategies, I’m confident it will put you in a position to succeed. This advice may not change your outlook on blogging. But, in the long run, it will definitely help.

Download this checklist of 7 things first time bloggers can do to create industry leading content.



1. Research Your Industry
How can you create industry leading content, if you don’t know what your competitors are writing about?

The answer is simple: you can’t.
This is why I always tell new bloggers to take as much time as necessary to study their industry. Answer questions such as:

Who are you primary competitors?
What type of content have they created in the past?
What are their primary keywords?
How can you improve upon the content that your competitors have created?
How long will it take you to create a post that is head and shoulders above what is currently considered to be the best?

If you need help researching your industry, don’t waste any more time. Head straight for BuzzSumo and run a search. This tool is free, easy to use and full of features that will provide you with high level data.

Maybe you’re a fashion blogger and you’re interested in creating content on the topic of shoes. Upon running a search for this term, here’s what you’ll see:

image03

The second post is a great place to start. If this is the type of content that you’ll be producing, here’s an idea for a new topic: 200 of the Best Shoes from Pinterest.

In other words, take what you know is successful and make it better. Your post may not generate 400k+ shares, but at least you know that it’s something your target audience is interested in.

You no longer have to guess what type of content your audience wants to read. You can use BuzzSumo, among other tools, to answer this question.


2. Create a Content Calendar
What process will you implement to ensure that you remain on track, day in and day out? How will you know if you’re reaching your goals?

It doesn’t take a genius to create a content calendar. All it takes is somebody who is interested in staying organized and remaining on the right path.



If you’re new to blogging, it’s safe to assume that, at times, you’re all over the place. One day, you write a few blog posts. The next day, you focus on social media. Soon enough, you realize that you’re spread too thin and not making any real progress.

I strongly urge you to create a content calendar, as this is one of the best ways to ensure that you’re posting high quality content on a regular basis.

If you need help staying on track, use a tool, such as CoSchedule. The company describes its solution as follows:

“#1 Marketing Calendar for Everything You Need Organized.”
So, not only does it help, from a content organization point of view, but this tool can help keep many other areas of your business in line. For example, its social media scheduler will work hand in hand with your content calendar.

While there are many high powered solutions out there, don’t overlook the fact that a basic Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheet can do the exact same thing. What matters most is that you have a system in place for staying organized.

image06

3. Master the Skyscraper Technique
This has nothing to do with big buildings and everything to do with creating industry-leading content that attracts and engages your audience.

When it comes to content creation and SEO, Brian Dean of Backlinko is one of the top names in the industry.

He’s the guy behind the Skyscraper Technique, so I’m going to borrow his explanation:

image04
This is something every beginner can understand. It’s also something that works for bloggers in every industry.

The first step is the most important. This is when you scour the internet, making note of the best content in your space. As noted above, you can use BuzzSumo to speed up the process.

From there, you have one goal and one goal only: to improve upon the best content. This can mean many things, but in an overall sense, you should be focused on quality above all else.


When you create the best content, it’s only natural to be rewarded in several ways:

Higher search engine rankings.
Better engagement with your audience.
The chance to prove yourself as a thought leader.

Once your content is published, you have one last task: reach out to influencers who can amplify your content by sharing it with their audience.
Instead of using a scattergun approach, hoping to pick up some interest along the way, Dean shares the following advice:

Instead of emailing random people, you’re reaching out to site owners that have already linked out to similar content.

By doing this, you know that the person has an interest in what you’re sharing. And, since your content is now the best of the best, there’s a good chance that the person will want to share it with their audience. Easy enough, right?

If you master the Skyscraper Technique early in your blogging career, it’s something that will pay off for many years to come. Even if you fail, in regards to reaching out to the right people, you still end up with quality content that has a good chance of performing well in the search engines.


4. Create Killer Titles
If you don’t think headlines are important, I want you to stop what you’re doing and read this piece,published by Columbia University.

Now what do you think?

It’s easy to believe that headlines don’t matter. It’s easy to believe that the meat of your post is what readers are truly interested in. While this may be true, to a certain degree, chew on this: a large number of your readers may not make it to your post, if you don’t attract their attention with an intriguing title.

As you start blogging, you’ll soon find that creating unique, attractive titles is more difficult than it sounds. In fact, it can take an hour or more to settle on something that you’re happy with. This may sound like wasted time, but it’s the opposite.

I know that your time is valuable and that you can’t spend hours thinking about titles. That is why I suggest that you use Portent’s Content Idea Generator.

All you have to do is type in your keyword or keyword phrase. From there, the tool does the work for you, spitting out one idea after the next. A search for “red shoes” generated the following:

How Red Shoes Make You a Better Lover
Why Red Shoes are the New Black
Why Your Mom was Right About Red Shoes

You get the point. This tool helps you to create catchy titles that have a greater chance of keeping a reader on the page – and that’s exactly what you want.

image00

5. Get Feedback from Industry Influencers
As somebody who is new to blogging, you may not know the first thing about what your audience wants and how to give it to them.

Above, we discussed how you can learn more, by examining your competition. Even so, this is only going to get you so far.

That’s why I suggest that you reach out to a minimum of three industry influencers. Your goal in doing so is simple:

To receive professional advice on the type of content that your audience wants to read.
To connect with somebody who may be able to help you push your content in the future.
To pick the brain of somebody who is already achieving success in your space.

To a certain degree, this is a type of influencer outreach. You are getting in touch with industry influencers, in hopes of receiving feedback on your content, your content strategy and anything else that’s on your mind.

To speed up the process and improve your chance of success, use a tool, such as Pitchbox, to remain organized and cut through the clutter. The company describes its service as follows:

“Pitchbox automates the grunt work, so you can focus on what you do best: creating real, person-to-person connections with the people that you want to reach.”

image02

The most important part of this process is making a comprehensive list of influencers that you want to connect with. Since you aren’t likely to get in touch with every one, you need to start with a large enough list.

Any feedback, even if it’s not what you want to hear, is good feedback. You can learn from every influencer you connect with, so be sure to keep an open mind. Remember, it only takes one nugget of information to change your approach and put you in a better place moving forward.

6. Use the Hemingway App
It takes many months (or longer) to master the art of creating a high quality blog post.

Fortunately, there are some things that you can do along the way to speed up the process. One of my favorite tips is to take full advantage of the Hemingway App. If you don’t know what this is, maybe the description from its website will do the trick:

The app highlights long, complex sentences and common errors; if you see a yellow sentence, shorten or split it. If you see a red highlight, your sentence is so dense and complicated that your readers will get lost trying to follow its meandering, splitting logic — try editing this sentence to remove the red.

That may look like a lot to take in, but it’s actually quite simple.

In short, the only thing that you are doing is running your content through the editor. Upon completion, you’ll find everything that you need to know in the right sidebar. It’ll look something like this:

image01

A Grade 6 score means that your content is “good,” but there’s still plenty of room for improvement.

You can push your score higher, by reviewing the suggestions and making the necessary changes.

For example, if a sentence is hard to read, adjust the structure until it’s no longer highlighted by the app.

Yes, this adds a step to both the writing and editing process. Even so, it’s well worth the extra time.

When you use the Hemingway App, you’ll soon find an increase in the quality of your posts.


7. Write, Walk Away, and Write Again

If you know anything about my blog, it’s that I strive to create long form content that provides real value.

What you may not understand is just how long it takes to create this type of content. From settling on a topic to choosing a headline to building an outline to actually writing the post, there’s a lot that goes into writing a high quality blog post.

For this reason, coupled with the fact that I have many other responsibilities, I don’t hesitate to walk away from a post before it’s finished. In fact, this is something I have found to be extremely helpful.

Here’s why:

It gives you time to take a break from the content, resting your mind and reenergizing you, before finishing it off.
It provides the opportunity to clear your mind, which often leads to an idea that you did not previously consider.
Upon your return, you are likely to find things that you want to change, along with grammatical errors.

I know what you’re thinking: this advice is counterproductive.

Why would you walk away from a blog post before it’s 100% complete? Doesn’t this mean it will take longer to write?

Yes, this strategy means that it will take longer to write a single blog post. But, it also helps to boost the quality of your content, and, as we’ve discussed in the past, there’s nothing more important than that.

You should never feel that you have to sit in front of your computer until a piece of content is complete. If you feel the urge to walk away, do so without delay. You may even want to pull yourself out of your chair and work standing up, as this can benefit the final post in many ways.

Conclusion
If content marketing is on your mind, there are many trends that you can leverage in the near future.

But remember, it all comes down to the quality of your content and whether or not you are sharing a unique point of view with your audience.

With this advice, you’ll find yourself in position to create content that quickly establishes your blog as a credible industry resource.

Have you implemented any of these tips in the past? Do you have any others to add? Share your thoughts and strategies in the comment section below.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/7-things-first-time-bloggers-can-do-to.html

The anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria is getting “curiouser and curiouser” by the day as combined efforts of anti-corruption and intelligence agencies have in recent months yielded incredible spectacles of hundreds of billions recovered from serving and former public officials. While it is indeed gratifying to note that all the cases of recovered monies are being taken to court for adjudication, the development is, to say the least, outrageous at a time when the country is facing serious economic challenges. It has become crystal clear to all citizens of Nigeria, that the only trouble with their country is leadership. There is indeed nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian character, land or climate or water or air or anything else. Indeed, the country’s main problem has been the unwillingness or inability of its leaders to rise to the challenge of managing resources honestly to develop the country and enrich its citizens.


Nigeria’s leaders have consistently and progressively failed the nation in the areas of building strong institutions to fight corruption in the public sector. That is why it is still shameful that even after 18 years of democracy, some leaders past and present are still facing investigations into their alleged corrupt practices. The current Chairman of the joint session of the National Assembly, the President of the Senate and his deputy, the Speaker of the House of Representatives for instance, are still facing various corruption charges. While the President of the Senate is before the Code of Conduct Tribunal over allegation of corruption as governor of Kwara State, the Speaker is facing charges by his colleagues that the country’s 2016 budget had been corrupted. What is worse, in October last year, the country’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS) shocked the nation when it announced a raid on the official quarters of some justices of even the Supreme Court and disclosed that huge amounts of money were recovered from their premises.


The operations leading to the arrest of the judges were informed by allegations of corruption and other acts of professional misconduct by a few of the suspected judges, who were alleged to be living ostentatiously.



The DSS revealed then: “…we have been monitoring the expensive and luxurious lifestyle of some of the judges as well as complaints from the concerned members of the public over judgment obtained fraudulently and on the basis of amounts of money paid.”


The searches, the intelligence service further said, uncovered huge amounts of raw cash in various denominations as well as in local and foreign currencies. The judges, DSS also alleged, own several millions of Naira worth of real estate.


While citizens were still smarting from the traumatic implications of the raid on judges on February 9, this year, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced that it had recovered a whopping $9.8 million cash from a private safe in one of the houses belonging to Andrew Yakubu, former Group Managing Director of the country’s oil corporation.


The former boss of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), has since admitted ownership of the recovered money, claiming it came in tranches as gift to him.


As though 2017 would be a year of sordid revelations about primitive accumulation by people in power, another big haul was reported the other day when the DSS said it had arrested the former governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Suswam for alleged illegal possession of firearms, following the raid on an Abuja property.



Apart from some pistols, other items recovered from his residence, according to the DSS, included a Mini-Uzi with two magazines containing 10 rounds and four rounds respectively; 42 extra rounds of ammunition in a pack; one AK-47; 21 Certificates of Occupancy (C of Os) of plots of land and one offer of statutory right of occupancy; 23 luxury watches; and 45 keys to various cars. He, of course, is not yet proven as having done anything wrong.


These, certainly are not ordinary times in the annals of Nigeria’s search for transparency in public service. But without prejudice to the outcome of investigations or litigations over these recoveries, it is curious to find idle billions of Naira in the residence of former office holders.


Even as we lament the huge volume of money that these public officers possess and could not deposit properly in safe financial institutions, it is pertinent to question the country’s public service system that enables officers access to so much cash. How can an officer whose annual salary cannot be more than N5 million have access to N10 billion at the end of a two-year tenure in office? How can the wife of a former president declare publicly that she had deposited millions of dollars worth of gifts, received while her husband was in office? Also, a wife of another former president would report to the police in Nigeria that a house maid had made away with N90 million cash from her bedroom?


What on earth has been going on in Nigeria’s public offices? Why has it been so easy for leaders and managers to dip their hands into the public till in the country? It is a systemic problem which the current administration should deal with decisively so that safety of public funds will be guaranteed at all times. That, of course, should not foreclose diligent prosecution of cases already investigated. In the same vein, the Central Bank of Nigeria cannot be an innocent bystander in this regard. There should be thorough examination of how highly placed politically exposed people can have access to huge sums of foreign exchange in the country. All told, the Financial Intelligence Bill that has been curiously stalled in the federal legislature should be passed into law to assist in acquiring legal teeth to help financial intelligence and follow the money trail in the country. The most critical assignment before the present government is how to institutionalise the war on corruption through public sector finance reforms.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/reflections-on-recovered-billions.html

I know Chief Olusegun Mathew Aremu Obasanjo. He is Abeokuta most famous resident, Nigeria’s longest ruler, Africa’s pre-eminent elder statesman, farmer, soldier, author, agent-provocateur and international trouble-shooter. But it is not entirely correct to say I know Chief Obasanjo for he remains an intriguing enigma. Where does he get his drive, his relentless capacity to get things done and his indomitable spirit? Anyone who has been watching Obasanjo over the years, would notice his changed fashion taste. He is now more dapper in fashionably made three-piece agbada and occasional kaftan. The person responsible for this is Bola, his magnificent wife, who hover over him like a Guardian Angel.


Last Sunday, March 5, Obasanjo marks his official 80th birthday. He is 80 according to the records of the Nigerian Army, the successor institution he joined in 1958. But in reality, the nearest Obasanjo knows about his date of birth was that he was born on “Ifo market day!” Ifo is a town not far from Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.


In 1991, I had been invited to participate in the Farm House Dialogue organised by Obasanjo African Leadership Forum at the Otta Farm House of the general. Our topic was the role of traditional rulers in an emerging democracy. In attendance were several top Nigerians, including members of the traditional aristocracy including the Osile Oke-One Egba, Oba Dapo Tejuoso and the Isekhure of Benin. Professor Akin Mabogunje, the famous geographer was the chairman while Baba Obasanjo served as the moderator. I was the rapporteur. We closed late on the first day and after dinner we were ready to retire by 10 p.m. The second session was to resume the following morning at 8.30 a.m.



“Dare,” Obasanjo beckoned to me as I was about to go to my room. “Let’s meet at 7 a.m. to review your report!”


By 7 a.m., he was waiting for me. Luckily for me, I had the report ready, having worked on it most of the night.


Obasanjo was born into challenging circumstances and he knew early in life that if he was to make something different from the easy choices around him, then he had no other choice that to work, work and work. Though where just in March, I am sure he must have travelled to at least 10 countries in 2017 pursuing his post-retirement career as an international peacemaker, goodwill ambassador and advisors to governments and international institutions. There are few Nigerians who may be logging more miles in the air than Obasanjo, not even our Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sometimes ago, someone asked him with evident mischief: “Baba, when are you visiting us again in Nigeria?”


One continues to ask what has kept Obasanjo relevant in national and international affairs for half-a-century. He is a man of keen native intelligence and profound perspicacity. As a young officer, he had led his troops to the Adamawa hills where there was some uprising against the then Northern Regional government of Alhaji Ahmadu Bello. About four weeks into the operation, about 10 of his soldiers reported sick and they had to see the doctor. They all had the same type of gentleman disease. Obasanjo met the doctor.


“It seems certain that my men are all meeting the same woman,” he told the doctor. “We need to get this woman or else, she would disable the entire force!”


Soon the woman was brought. She denied she had any form of venereal disease, though she admitted that the soldiers were her customers. The woman was treated by the doctor along with the soldiers.
Later, he led the same set of troops to Shagamu during some local disturbances.


“In this place,” he told his troops. “Don’t touch anybody’s wife here. There is no injection against magun!”


What could be responsible for Obasanjo staying power? Luck? On January 13, 1966, Obasanjo had arrived in Kaduna after a military course in the United Kingdom. He decided to put up with his friend, Major Chukwuemeka Kaduna Nzeogwu, an instructor at the Nigerian Army. That night, the two friends shared the same bed. The following day, Nzeogwu left at dawn and he was not to return until the following morning with a bandaged hand. Unknown to Obasanjo, Nzeogwu had been busy leading Nigeria’s first military coup. He had also led the assault on the official residence of Ahmadu Bello, the powerful and much respected Premier of the Northern Region, killing him and one of his wives and bringing into a sorry end, the First Republic.



If Obasanjo had arrived a week earlier, he would have been told about the coup by his friend and may be would have become part of the plot. But it was still a dangerous thing to be associated with Nzeogwu, the assassin. Soon, some soldiers and civilians seeking to revenge the killing of Bello and some top military officers, were looking for Obasanjo to add him to the statistics of death. He went underground. The new ruler in the North, Colonel Hassan Usman Katsina, the first military governor of the defunct Northern Region, decided to send him to a safe place in Maiduguri. “That young man has a future in Nigeria,” Hassan Katsina said. He could not have been more prescience.


But that would not have occurred but for the happenstance in the Congo after the first prime-minister Patrice Lumumba was assassinated and Obasanjo and many Nigerian troops had served as peace-keepers under the United Nations flag. A group of Belgian nuns were captured by the rebels and their fate can only be imagined in the hands of those rough men. Obasanjo was sent by his commander to go and negotiate the nuns’ release. Instead of peace, the rebels captured him, drove him away in the booth of their car and when they got to their camp, decided to execute him.


But it was Obasanjo lucky day. One of the rebels would not agree to his execution. As an officer, he was entitled to a pack of cigarette per day. Obasanjo, a discipline teetotaler, would freely give away his stick of cigarettes, including to total strangers. One of those who have benefitted from that generosity was the rebel soldier who was now pleading his cause. Soon a superior rebel officer came to intervene and Obasanjo was freed. Happenstance had saved him.


But then Obasanjo is capable of making hard choices. In 1993, General Sani Abacha had toppled the regime of Chief Ernest Adegunle Shonekan, former corporate titan, who was the Head of the Interim National Government. In the fevered atmosphere of that era, General Oladipo Diya, Abacha’s deputy, had pronounced that “our stay will be brief!” For Abacha however, that was an elastic term which he wanted to interpret in his own way. Soon forces were coalescing to demand a definite date for the return of civil democratic rule. Leading the movement at the Constitutional Conference was General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who was Obasanjo deputy during his first incarnation as a military Head of State.


Events were to turn nasty when General Yar’Adua was arrested and charged with alleged coup plotting. Soon other serving and retired officers were corralled into the coup dragnet including the likes of Colonel Lawan Gwadabbe, Colonel Gabriel Ajayi and retired Major Akinloye Akinyemi.


Many civilians too find themselves in the strange coup dragnet including the willy Chief Adisa Akinloye, former Minister in the old Western Region who was the chairman of the defunct National Party of Nigeria. The media was not spared. Chris Anyanwu of the defunct The Sunday Magazine, George Mba of Tell, Kunle Ajibade of TheNews were in the dragnet. One of the biggest catch for Abacha was the great human right crusader, Dr Beko Ransome-Kuti, a generally unflappable person whose steely resolve was only be matched by the great dramas of his family history including the saga of old Abeokuta and the inspiring story of his mother, Mrs Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti.


Obasanjo was abroad when Yar’Adua and the others were arrested and brought into detention in Lagos. Some of his friends met him and tried to persuade him to stay away. Why go home to certain arrest and possible incarceration or worse? Obasanjo thanked them and headed home to embrace his grim fate. At the Murtala Muhammed Airport, which he built and then named after his illustrious predecessor, his passport was seized. He was allowed to drive home under the shadow of the Directorate of Military Intelligence, DMI. It was the twilight period of the Nigerian journey into darkness under the Abacha dictatorship. Obasanjo had made his hard choice and it was to lead to three years, three months and three days in various prisons and detention centres.



Of course, Obasanjo has made many other hard choices since then. When President Umar Musa Yar’Adua was terminally ill, it was Obasanjo intervention that woke Nigeria from its stupor and gave us the Doctrine of Necessity. It was also a hard choice for him to confront his protégé, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who wanted a second term in office and Obasanjo said no way. With his choices, Obasanjo has helped propelled President Mohammadu Buhari to power.


The highpoint of Obasanjo 80th birthday was the grand opening of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, in Abeokuta last Saturday. Who else but Obasanjo, could have dared to embark on such a gigantic project in retirement and passed his active years? It is the first on the African continent. Many people had collaborated with him to make this dream possible: Chief Olusegun Osoba, the journalism icon who made the land available when he was the Governor of Ogun State, Obasanjo former Special Assistant, the inimitable librarian, Nyaknno Osso and the ageless triumvirate of Ambassador Carl Masters, Dr Christopher Kolade and Professor Akin Mabogunje.


It was indeed saddening that our distinguished colleague and friend, Dr. Adinoiyi Onukaba, had attended the event that Saturday, only to die that evening in an accident induced by robbery on Ilesha-Akure road, in Ondo State. Onukaba was one of those young persons attracted to Obasanjo in those days when the Farm House was the magnet for young intellectuals and journalists. He was to prove his mettle as a writer, playwright, journalist, managing director of the old Daily Times, media aide to Vice-President Atiku Abubakar. His biography of Obasanjo, In the Eyes of Time, is one of the best biographies ever written on a Nigerian public figure. Last October 10, he was the reviewer of my book, One Day and A Story, the Reminiscences of an African Journalist which we presented in Lagos.

Incidentally, the book dwells extensively on the life of Dele Giwa who was also the subject of Onukaba’s book, Born to Run, which he wrote in collaboration with Dele Olojede. Now he has gone to join the ancestors. I commiserate with his bereaved family, especially his very young wife,

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/obasanjo-hard-choices.html

The triumph of black artists at the Oscars was seen as a signal that predominantly white Hollywood was making a serious effort to get a grip on its diversity problem.

Yet scratch the surface and it is apparent that the battle has barely begun in an industry where Asians, Latinos and other minorities, not to mention women, remain sorely underrepresented on set — and in studio boardrooms.

After the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag caught on in 2016 — the second straight year when no ethnic minority actors were nominated — Barry Jenkins’s coming-of-age best picture “Moonlight” struck a chord last Sunday as a moving look at contemporary African-American life.


There were six nods for black actors overall, as well as three documentary nominees telling African-American stories — including Ezra Edelman’s winning “O.J.: Made in America” — and a screenplay win for Jenkins and his writing partner Tarell McCraney.

But critics have pointed out that race is not simply a black-and-white issue.

Under growing pressure, the Academy has embarked on reforms in recent years to diversify the mix of its members, who may have become “more aware” of bias, according to Darnell Hunt, the professor in charge of UCLA’s annual Hollywood Diversity Report.

“But that’s not necessarily a sign that the industry has changed, or that there’s more diversity in the films being made. Studios are still (managed) by white men,” he told AFP.


– Exclusion –
The latest edition of the study, published last month, notes that “despite the Academy Award nominations, the exclusion of people of color and women from Hollywood remains a concern.”

Minorities represent 40 percent of the US population but only 13.6 percent of actors and 10 percent of filmmakers.

There was just one non-white, non-black acting nomination last Sunday — for British-Indian Dev Patel — while Syrian documentary shorts “The White Helmets” and “Watani: My Homeland” and Iranian director Asghar Farhadi’s “The Salesman” were left to represent the entirety of Middle Eastern filmmaking.

It’s not just an Oscars issue: Hispanics, Asians and Native Americans are the most woefully under-represented across the industry, while Middle Eastern actors find themselves typecast as terrorists.

Discrimination against women is arguably a larger issue, with only 29 percent of lead roles being female and, worse still, just 7.7 percent of productions directed by women according to the UCLA report, which analyzed movies and TV released in 2015.

At the root of the problem, say campaigners, is the overwhelming homogeneity in boardrooms and also in Hollywood’s many casting agencies, which place the talent.

If you have a bunch of white man deciding what gets made, contends Hunt, they will inevitably green-light projects in their wheelhouse — action, sci-fi and superhero movies populated and made by people who look like them.

The doom and gloom is in part mitigated, however, by baby steps towards a more inclusive future.


– Last resort –
Ryan Coogler, the 30-year-old rising African American star who directed “Creed,” is currently shooting “Black Panther,” a Marvel tentpole centered on a black superhero.

Meanwhile Ava DuVernay, acclaimed for the feature “Selma” and Oscar nominated for the documentary “13th,” has become the first African-American to make a film with a budget of more than $100 million with the upcoming fantasy adventure “A Wrinkle in Time.”

Skeptics point out that white, male studio bosses are hardly clamoring to fall on their swords in the name of diversity.

But Sundance Institute director Keri Putnam says the solution lies not in executives vacating their seats, but in “inviting more people around the table.”

Josh Welsh, who heads Film Independent, the organizer of the annual Spirit Awards honoring indie filmmaking, believes that regulation may be the only long-term answer.

Illinois and several other US states, for example, design their tax rebates system to award diversity, he points out.

Online entertainment magazine Deadline recently reported that the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission was in settlement talks with the major studios to resolve charges that they systemically discriminated against female directors.

The EEOC doesn’t comment on its investigations, and charges are made public only in the “last resort” instances where lawsuits are launched.

Putnam notes meanwhile that executives are beginning to see inclusivity as a “business imperative” since films with diverse casts enjoy the highest global box office receipts and the highest return on investment.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/african-american-oscars-triumph-masking.html

That two students of Queens College Lagos died the other day from diarrhea outbreak in the school while scores of others were hospitalised is shocking and highly regrettable. This case should be thoroughly investigated to unravel the cause of the outbreak and to prevent recurrence.

Queens College, by all standards, is one of the elite schools in Nigeria that over the years maintained an enviable record of high academic performance, moral rectitude and good upbringing of students, which would not have been possible without a tradition of committed management or good school administration. All of that may have changed along with the general decay in the country.

That being the case, news of the death of the students has jolted many people, especially parents and guardians, the federal and Lagos State government authorities.


Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole has appropriately directed the Lagos State Ministry of Health and the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
The death of the students has thrown up many questions about the state of hygiene in all schools.

While the bereaved parents allege negligence on the part of the school authorities, preliminary reports claim the victims died from cholera outbreak caused by contamination of the school’s water system, a development that needs to be investigated.

Others allege that the toilets were not properly maintained. Certainly, only a thorough investigation will unravel the truth and establish the veracity of these claims.

However, the state of cleanliness or hygiene at Queens College may not be different from what obtains in practically all public schools in Nigeria.

As a matter of fact, the Queens College incident is a metaphor for what is happening in all parts of the country.

To start with, lack of public water supply is a serious handicap to proper hygiene in schools. Because there is no water, the toilets are often left in a messy condition while users of such filthy toilets are exposed to infectious diseases including cholera.

It is unimaginable that today, many public schools and institutions in Nigeria are still using pit latrines. In June, a seven year-old pupil died after falling into one at Alapere in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State.

Again, in September 2015, there was confusion at Fasok Nursery and Primary Schoo, Ketu, after a missing five-year old primary pupil identified as Kehinde Toba was found dead in an open pit latrine.

Many of these heart-rending incidents happen every now and then. There are in fact students in many schools who don’t even have the luxury of pit latrines but defecate in the open, thereby exposing themselves and the rest of the community to danger!

This appalling unhygienic situation is not limited to schools. Reports from across the country indicate that most of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) orientation camps are closer to death camps as a result of the poor living condition.

All these horrible experiences point to the fact that things have really gone so bad with Nigeria.

Diarrhea is a highly contagious disease that can be spread from person to person through dirty hands and contaminated food and water. The saving grace in the Queens College case was that it happened, while the students were on mid-term, which made the school authorities to extend the break by one week to enable investigations to be carried out. Otherwise, the fatalities would have been more.

One way to deal with diarrhea is by observing simple hygiene. The kitchen must be clean and food properly cooked and served. Water must be available and all should be made to wash their hands frequently.

The compound should be kept clean. Above all, the toilets should be clean and disinfected on regular basis. Students should be discouraged from purchasing food carelessly from vendors.

It needs to be reiterated that in the good old days, living in school dormitories was pleasurable. The beddings were sparkling clean and the food was of high quality. School inspectors were ever at hand to ensure that things were in their proper order and quality was maintained.

But all of that is now history.


Without immediate intervention, the future of the country is bleak. There is need for serious improvement in infrastructure facilities in schools. Something as basic as conveniences should be given priority attention because of the health implications.
The school sick bay should be equipped and manned by humane health personnel. Quite often, the unfriendly conduct of health workers compound the problem that should have been minimised if handled properly.

Finally, parents should educate their wards on how to manage their affairs while in school. It is not enough for parents and guardians to dump their wards in school, monitoring is important. Learning starts from the home, as proper upbringing is necessary in a child’s life and the school alone cannot do the job.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/death-in-schools.html

Why Tinubu shouldn’t run in 2019
Alabi Williams

The All Progressives Congress (APC) appeared to have been very careful to avoid same pitfalls that clobbered former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), particularly on the vexed issue of zoning and rotational presidency. The APC, at the time of formation and constitution drafting, cleverly refused to foist catchment areas and federal character on itself. All aspirants were supposedly permitted to run for whatever offices they had strength for. All that seemed okay then, but the APC is beginning to look confused.

Clearly, it did not bargain for the immense challenges of governance, which has caused it to now look ordinary and directionless. In addition, President Buhari’s health challenge at a time the party should sit down for crucial mid-term self-appraisal is a bigger constraint.

In the absence of a father figure, the APC is likely to multiply its many levers of influence and attendant uncontrollable excitements.

I mentioned this worry not long ago, when I advised President Buhari to disown calls by sycophants for him to run for second term in 2019. I was of the view then, and now, that the pressure of the office will be too much for him to micromanage, going forward.

Therefore, when he comes back, he should do less of office rigour and concern himself more with an effective handover to a worthy successor, who can continue with the promises of good governance made by their party in the 2015 general elections. That is, if the PDP remains at the deplorable level it is, and is unable to find its way back to Aso Rock.


Apart from giving the people good governance in the course of four years, a party in government has additional responsibility to ensure smooth democratic handover from one dispensation to another.

That had been one of the fears of many for the country, but so far, the PDP appears to have surmounted that hurdle. That has happened back-to-back since 2003, despite challenges and manipulations.

Therefore, many now look up to APC to deliver a 2019 that is bloodless and sufficiently free and fair.

Unfortunately for the party, many Nigerians are not fretting for the PDP and other fringe parties, but for the APC. The worry is that in the absence of one noticeable candidate that commands substantial following from across the country, the race for the party’s ticket could become a tower of babel, of a sort. And if not well managed, it could ruin the beauty of our democracy and reinforce its fragility.
The party’s presidential primary of December 2014 was one of the best held so far in the country. The build up was breathtaking, as the frontline candidates stood head to head. Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso were all formidable. Atiku was by far the most experienced and most robust. Kwankwaso could cause a stir, if not well tackled. Buhari was the natural choice, even though he had to be assisted. Despite the anxieties, the finishing was clinical, because in the background were master strategists, who ensured that the overall interest of the party was delivered. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was the unseen hand that aggregated the collective efforts to achieve that feat.

Now, towards 2019, nothing is clear in the APC. Many hyenas will be on the loose, if there is no strong lion to preserve the kill. Was that the motivation behind the recent statements credited to party leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, which has caused some excitement in the polity, and might just be the beginning of the power play in the party towards 2019? Tinubu was reported by a mainstream newspaper to have declared interest in his party’s presidential ticket for 2019. Even though the report itself lacked clarity and lent itself to easy disownment, which has been excessively done by his Media Office, some doubting Thomases are still wondering whether the denouncement was actually on target.

A careful textual analysis of the entire refutation will reveal that it was anchored on only one condition – If. Meaning that, if Buhari remains the candidate of the party for 2019, Tinubu as a loyal party man will be there for the President.

Hear him: “Asiwaju supports and stands behind President Buhari. He wishes the President well and that he returns soon. Whether the President is here or away, he has the full loyalty of Asiwaju Tinubu.

President Buhari can rest assured on this point: Asiwaju Tinubu will never contest against him nor will he support anyone who does.”

Tinubu is a man, who has survived many battles and he knows what it is like to confront an incumbent president frontally. He stood up to former president Obasanjo and was ostracised more or less, even though he later won laurels from that faceoff. Political battles are not won on the pages of newspapers and that is the strong point to take away from that statement.

As has become clear to many objective onlookers, the APC will not be showing political tact, if it goes ahead to insist on candidate Buhari for 2019. This is not going to be a spite at Mr. President and whatever condition he is going through. When it was reasonable to do so, the party backed Buhari and didn’t mind the odds. But now that the man has come and is doing his best, it might be time to shop for another candidate. After all, Nelson Mandela voluntarily opted for one term, without preconditions. The man simply knew that age was not on his side and wasted no time to shop for a successor. He was not afflicted by Robert Mugabe’s disease.

So, if the party will not field Buhari again, is it out of place for Tinubu to say, ‘look, I’m here’ even if to safeguard party heritage from imminent free for all. Tinubu has said that he could run for any office, yes, because it is in the nature of politicians to contest elections. The life cycle of a politician is not complete, if he has not contested elections. But in the real sense, I think Tinubu as kingmaker over the years, has amassed enough air of invincibility to last him a lifetime. A plunge into the arena now, after his many successes could have him thoroughly demystified and devalued.


Tinubu’s attendance at Rotimi Akeredolu’s swearing-in ceremony, in Ondo State, where the vexed story was deduced from offhand comments, added colour to the entire event. It also helped to save his dwindling political fortune. He had issues with the candidacy of Akeredolu. He had issues with the party leadership and after that, it appeared he quietly stayed away, until efforts were made to reconcile warring members of the party in the Southwest. It seemed that both the misrepresentation and the refutation are all geared towards announcing Tinubu’s return to his prime position as leader of the party in the zone. The zone has to be seen to be working for one agenda within the party. So far, no one else in the zone has made any statements connected to 2019 and that could be strategic. When negotiations begin, I’m sure Tinubu will lead the zone again to broker the next deal.

Tinubu does not need to run for office of president. Despite the clear provision in its constitution that anybody can offer himself as candidate, the body language in the APC is that the north is entitled to eight years. Whether Buhari runs for 2019 or not, the safer thing to do is let the Presidency stay up north. It is up to the northeast and northwest to slug it out. If Saraki and others in the north-central are able to join the fray, so be it. Any other arrangement at this point, when the party has not cut its teeth, might leave it bruised and unconscious during the next election.

If Asiwaju could not be vice to Buhari, is he not now too big to be vice to any other northern politician, apart from, perhaps, Atiku? Tinubu and Atiku have come too far in this cat and mouse game to be taken seriously in a joint ticket. Tinubu is a kingmaker. He should preserve that prime role.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/why-tinubu-shouldnt-run-in-2019.html

Secretary to the Government of Federation, Babachir David Lawal, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has lauded former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s roles in successful hosting of the historic FESTAC `77 as the military Head of State.

Mohammed spoke on Friday evening in Abeokuta at a programme organised by the Centre for Black Arts and Africa Civilisation (CBAAC), marking Obasanjo’s 80th birthday and celebration of FESTAC `77 at 40.

The minister, represented by Mr George Ufot, the General Manager, National Theatre, said, “Indeed, the history of FESTAC ’77 hosted by Nigeria in 1977 will be incomplete without making reference to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.


“We all recall how Obasanjo and other heroes of FESTAC ’77 rose above the pervasive cultural intolerance that was prevalent at the period leading to the festival.
“I am particularly pleased, because today’s programme is designed to honour an illustrious son of Africa, a culture advocate and a true Pan-Africanist on his 80th birthday.’’

Mohammed expressed happiness for the creative industry and economic content of the programme for the commemoration of FESTAC ’77 by CBAAC. “The creative industry is one sector that can be a money spinner for African economies if properly harnessed,’’ he said.

The minister said that the celebration would also offer a veritable platform to intensify campaign for continued cultural exchange, understanding and unity among black and African countries.

He said that it would also provide an avenue for the revival, recapture and update of the cultural artistry and ingenuity of Africans.

Also, the Director-General of CBAAC, Chief Ferdinand Anikwe, urged Nigerians to learn from the Asian countries popularly called the “Asian Tigers’’ which had a robust economy grown through cultural industries and creative economies.

“In celebrating FESTAC ’77 @ 40, we need to look into the role of cultural industries and the creative economy in revamping Nigeria and Africa’s ailing economies.

“Permit me to say that the current economic quagmire of Nigeria is the fallout of the neglect of her cultural and creative industries. “Nigeria is very rich in simple things as pottery, leather works, textiles, blacksmithing and a host of others,” he said.

Anikwe, however, described Obasanjo as “a soldier, an ebullient administrator, a successful farmer, prolific writer and a quintessential crusader for the total emancipation of Africa and the black race.

“It is curious coincidence that as we are celebrating the 40th anniversary of FESTAC `77, the pillar and driving force of the epoch making festival is equally celebrating his 80th birthday.’’

“FESTAC ’77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture (the first was in Dakar, 1966), was a cultural jamboree held in Lagos, from Jan.15 to Feb.12, 1977.

“The month-long event celebrated African culture and showcased to the world African music, fine art, literature, drama, dance and religion.

“About 16,000 participants, representing 56 African nation and countries of the African Diaspora, performed at the event.

“Artists, who performed at the festival included Stevie Wonder, Gilberto Gil from Brazil, Bembeya Jazz National from Guinea, Mighty Sparrow, Les Ballets Africains, and Franco Luambo Makiadi.

“At the time it was held, it was the largest pan-African gathering,’’ Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, is quoted as saying.

Source: https://gabrielatanbiyi..com.ng/2017/03/minister-lauds-obasanjos-role-in.html