₦airaland Forum

There is a new disease in town called Monkeypox recently discovered in Bayelsa with 11 people including a medical doctor reportedly quarantined after contacting it.

Here are key points you need to know about this potential killer disease:

1. It is a viral disease that can be transmitted from animals like crab-eating macaque monkeys and the Giant Gambian rat to humans. Other types of monkeys and rodents may also transmit the disease.

2. It is similar to smallpox which was eradicated in 1980 but with milder symptoms and can still kill people.

3. Symptoms include but not limited to swelling of lymph nodes, muscle pain, intense headache, fever, and rash with lesions covering the face and other parts of the body including Instruments and cornea (eyeball) sometimes.

4. According to the World Health Organization (WHO): “Human monkeypox was first identified in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo (then known as Zaire) in a 9 year old boy in a region where smallpox had been eliminated in 1968.” The majority of cases have been reported in remote parts of Central and West Africa although in 2003 an outbreak occurred in the United States.

5. It has an estimated death rate of 10% meaning 1 in 10 people that get it are likely to die. This figure may vary based on the quality of treatment infected patients receive.

6. Transmission: According to WHO; “Infection of index cases results from direct contact with the blood, bodily fluids, or cutaneous or mucosal lesions of infected animals. In Africa human infections have been documented through the handling of infected monkeys, Gambian giant rats and squirrels, with rodents being the major reservoir of the virus. Eating inadequately cooked meat of infected animals is a possible risk factor.

"Secondary, or human-to-human, transmission can result from close contact with infected respiratory tract secretions, skin lesions of an infected person or objects recently contaminated by patient fluids or lesion materials. Transmission occurs primarily via droplet respiratory particles usually requiring prolonged face-to-face contact, which puts household members of active cases at greater risk of infection. Transmission can also occur by inoculation or via the placenta (congenital monkeypox). There is no evidence, to date, that person-to-person transmission alone can sustain monkeypox infections in the human population.”

7. WHO suggests the following tests for diagnosing Monkeypox:

*Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)
*Antigen detection tests
*Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay
*Virus isolation by cell culture

8.Treatment: There is no clear treatment for monkeypox although it is believed that those who were vaccinated against smallpox before its complete eradication, may be less susceptible to it.

9. Prevention: It is best to avoid handling monkeys, other primates and rodents. Eating them is a bad idea and all meat to be consumed should be properly cooked. People diagnosed or showing potential symptoms should be treated by qualified medical personnel with necessary protective equipment. They should implement standard infection control precautions.

10. Report to the hospital quickly if you or someone close to you is exhibiting the aforementioned or other strange symptoms. The earlier treatment is administered at a hospital the better the chances of survival and curbing the spread of the infection.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/10-things-need-know-highly-infectious-monkeypox/

Let's educate people cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Like every other part of Lagos, Yaba has so many restaurants that suit your lifestyle, taste and budget. From the bukka to mamaput and chic restaurant, they are all available to feed your hunger pangs. Thus, finding a restaurant to eat in Nigeria’s tech hub is not a problem as Jumia Food showcase some of the best places in Yaba to eat African or local foods.

White House

This is like the Wizkid of restaurants in Yaba. It is very popular. They serve local delicacies like Eba, Fufu, Amala and pounded yam. It is quite affordable and it is located at No 9, Chapel Street Sabo, Yaba.

Iyan Aladuke

Iyan in the Yoruba language means pounded yam. So, if you are craving pounded yam and other indigenous foods, the best place to go is Iyan Aladuke. It is located at 366 Murtala Mohammed Way, Off Montgomery road. It is owned by Omotayo Maimunat, the wife of popular Nollywood and Yoruba actor, Femi Adebayo.

City Buka

City Buka is one of the most hygienic hubs where you can get any local food and soup of your choice. It located in Yaba. The foods are tastefully displayed that you salivate as you walk into the restaurant.

Niseyok

Niseyok is located at 28 Commercial Avenue, Sabo and it offers both African and continental dishes. You will get Amala, fufu, Ewa Agoyin as well as different local soups at the restaurant.

Mama’s Soup Kitchen

This is where you get the best soups which you can eat with any swallow you so desire. Their list of local soups includes Egusi Soup, Nsala Soup, vegetable Okro, Bitter Leaf, Goat leg pepper soup, Efo Riro, Ewedu and stew. They are situated at 242, Herbert Macaulay way Alagomeji, Yaba.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-best-african-restaurants-yaba/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/nigerias-pay-tv-sector-can-tstv-walk-talk/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

I don't think we have seen a battle as epic as this. Even Coca-Cola vs. Pepsi vs. Big Cola and the rest no reach this level.

By Cynthia Ogidi

In the middle of the excitement generated by the planned launch of TSTV, a cable TV provider whose unique selling point is pay-as-you view proposition, Nigerian subscribers have begun to sing discordant tunes. While some are excited about the promise of extra values that transcend the current realities in the sector, some are quite skeptical about the sustainability of the promises andchallenged the credibility of a company that came out of the blues, and is completely alien to Nigeria’s complex operating environment.

This development has further ignited various concerns such astrust issues, credibility of its promises, and sustainability of its proposition, among other issues. The new pay-TV bride, even before testing the stormy waters of Nigeria’s operating business environment has quickly gone to the media with the promises of enhanced services to subscribers at very affordable prices. But the question is, how well can we trust TStv especially with its superfluous brand promises? Will it be reliable and dependable, or is it another ploy to extort money from unsuspecting Nigerians? Does TSTV have arobust technical expertise as well as the financial wherewithal to compete with the existing pay TV providers? Can it also provide the required high quality content, comparable with global standards, that well-discerning Nigerians are already used to courtesy DStv?

Certainly, Nigerians would not easily forget the history of HiTV and the broadcast right of the English Premier League, which the company got but could not manage due to huge financial implications. Just like TStv is currently using the media to sell its promises, HiTV came with pricing strategy to compete with the dominant player in the sector. It offered its decoders at a competitive price so as to harness a larger market share. This development instantly made HiTV the go-to brand as millions of Nigerians are very passionate about football, especially the English Premier League. HiTV had a fulfilling experience as Soccer fans, bar owners, and viewing centres across the country, all jostled for the HiTV decoders. Surprisingly, like a firework, whose effect is short-lived, HiTV could not stand the test of time and it fell like a pack of cards shortly after it got the EPL broadcast right. A few years after, the CEO of HiTV, Toyin Subair, in an interview, shared his experience on the collapse of a once vibrant business that appealed to thousands of football loving Nigerians. Mr. Subair disclosed that HiTV essentially collapsed due to a mandatory clause in the company’s shareholders agreement, which prevented HiTV from raising the required capital to renew the broadcast rights of the English Premiers League (EPL). Then, the EPL was a major tool to acquire subscribers and it contributed to the company’s rapid growth. However, the lesson here is that procurement of rights, or content, especially from foreign markets, comes with huge financial implications. This largely explains why the company had to pull the plug on the deal, even when its subscriber base was growing.

It appears the scenario of yesteryears is at play as TSTV gets set to hit the Nigerian market with its highly hyped pay-as-you consume proposition. Enticing as this may seem, some of the industry key stakeholders have expressed their concern on the issue of the pay-as-you view, stating that this is not practiced anywhere.

In contrast to the above claim, a critical question that comes to mind is, are Nigerian subscribers ready for pay-per-view, even if it is practicable? Some schools of thoughts havecontinued to argue that this might have high-cost implications, not considering the fact that it limits the choices of programmes that subscribers can enjoy. The question which needs to be asked are whether Nigerians are ready to settle for pay-per view when other digital operators are offering variety of quality programmes at competitive prices especially when compared to what is obtainable in other climes around the world. Again, for those subscribers whose choices cut across entertainment, news, sports, among others, it means they may have to pay more to be able to access these programmes.

Another factor that needs to be considered is the credibility and integrity of the management of TSTV. The promise of free data and WIFI has got prospective subscribers excited. But how sustainable is this, will this be for the short or long-term? If it is long-term, will they be able to sustain this, given the peculiarities of Nigeria’s operating environment such as challenges of power, and other overhead costs? Not much is known about TSTV’s background and Nigerians should not be surprised when the promised incentives suddenly become missing.

Another factor that subscribers might find worrisome is the issue of sustainability. It is very easy to make promises, especially as a new entrant that yearns for publicity, actualizing this proposition indeed comes with its attendant challenges. Delivering on these promises in view of the peculiarities of the sector will invariably determine the viability of its services. Most importantly, the issue of high-quality content is paramount. Can TSTV match DStv’s world class content delivered in High Definition, at competitive rates compared with rates available in other African markets where DStv is operating? For those that are in the pay-TV sector, high-quality content production comes with huge financial consequences and this is an area DStv has distinguished itself. High-quality programmes that compare with global benchmarks and delivered on HD are what DStv is reputed for. Will TSTV be able to wear this shoe by weathering the storms that hadsome its predecessors winding down their business shortly after they commenced? Time will tell.

Essentially, DStv and GOtv are broadly known for their world class content offerings that are at par with global standards and at competitive prices, mostly reputed for their significant contributions to the growth and development of the sector. Perhaps, that is why they are perceived as dominant pay-TV service providers. However, there are other players such as Kwese, Netflix, and StarTimes, among others. While competitive pay-TV market is desirable for Nigerian subscribers who want the luxury of choice, it is also important that hopes are not raisedonly to be dashed particularly at a time the country is gradually ridding itself of the increasing inflation that brought about economic recession.

In a recent report published by The Punch newspaper, Mr. Tunji Adegbenro, a marketing professional earnestly cautioned Nigerian subscribers about their haste in patronizing the yet to be tested pay TV provider.

He said, “I am not ready to join the bandwagon of Nigerians who are eager to patronize a new product because there is this fear that it might not survive Nigeria’s operating environment, noting that, “I know that this is good news but I hope it won’t go the way of HiTV and Frontage Satellite TV that came with interesting packages but could not continue their operations for too long.” Adegbenro added, “I remember that I kept on subscribing to HiTV despite the regular increase in subscription fees because I was enjoying the sport stations. We don’t know how long the TSTV offers will last. I will stick to my DStv because it is now more reliable.”

On the other hand, some stakeholders feel a healthy competition is necessary for subscribers to get a great value. Godwin Ikechukwu, a sports enthusiast said this is a good development and he expressed confidence in the ability of TSTV to compete favourably with other satellite-based TV operators since it was offering internet services that are acceptable to Nigerians.

While we cannot completely exonerate DStv from the allegation of its dominance of Nigeria’s pay-TV sector, it is also necessary to recall that the foremost video entertainment company helped to develop what we see today as a vibrant pay-TV market, production sector, and technical support through knowledge transfer. TSTV should also tell Nigerians what their developmental plan for Nigeria is, unless if theirs is just another ploy to hastily make money from Nigeria in the short-term.They should not waste the time and resources of subscribers who are already anticipatory of cheaper decoders with inducements such as free data and free WIFI.


Ms Ogidi is a social analyst and a pay-TV customer

Sending emails have rules of etiquette to guide the action. These rules of etiquette are more or less guidelines that help avoid mistakes and misunderstandings when sending emails (especially business emails). Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 email etiquette rules most people ignore.

Taking Another Look Before Sending a Message

The rule basically goes along the line of ‘send once, look twice’. This is to avoid accidentally sending embarrassing emails that you won’t be able to take back, once it’s been sent out. Avoid sending emails the minute you are done drafting them; allow some minutes of rest for every of your email messages after you’re done drafting them, then look over them once more just before you click send. Additionally, if your email software has an unsend feature (for example, Gmail has an unsend feature), you can enable the unsend feature to give you a couple of minutes to undo your sending of a message, in the event of an error or omission.

Cleaning Up Emails Before Forwarding Them

Nobody likes to read cumbersome emails, we all like it neat, brief and straight to the point. To ensure that your emails are clean before forwarding them, make sure you remove all addresses from the email before forwarding it (except the addresses are essential to the email you are forwarding); clean up the unnecessary characters and messed up lines from the email body (email cleanup utilities can help with this); and clean up the subject of the email to suit what you desire or you can leave it as is, if that is what is prefered.

Letting People Know their Emails Have Been Received

Email softwares are not Whatsapp, where you can easily know when a message that you have sent has been read by the recipient. It is, therefore, courteous for the recipient of a message to send a reply back to the sender indicating that the message has been received. This email can be referred to as an ‘acknowledgment email’. Even if you don’t intend to reply the email yet, it is best to send an acknowledgment email in the interim, pending when you will reply the email. In addition, to avoid forgetting about replying the email once an acknowledgment email has been sent, you can mark the email as unread and star it, so it will act as a kind of reminder for you to attend to the email.

Keeping Emails Short

When drafting and sending emails, some people forget that it’s an email and proceed to draft and send epistles. This should not be so. Long emails can be intimidating, and long sequence of paragraphs with long run-on sentences can be cumbersome and discouraging for many to read. Keep your emails as short as possible, and this can be done by being brief and straight to the point with your messages. If you think something longer will be appropriate, it is best to call the person and have a phone discussion instead. You can later highlight the key points of your discussion in an email and send to the person for confirmation.

Personal emails can be more superfluous but business emails should typically be succinct. You can keep your emails short by breaking your message into bullet points and ensuring each point captures the essence or summary of any action you want taken. Also, be sure to avoid treating many subjects within one mail, treat one subject per mail and avoid lumping it all together.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/4-email-etiquettes-people-ignore/

One of the biggest news of the weekend was the announcement of a 3-year tax exemption for TSTV by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture.

This got the TSTV MD/CEO, Bright Echefu, those at the launch and even beyond very excited. However, what many do not know is that there are certain types of business that qualify for the same tax exemption in Nigeria.

Are you wondering what they are? Don’t worry, we have the new list of these businesses in what is called Pioneer Relief which allows you to get 3 years tax exemption and a possible additional 2-year extension making a total of 5 years.

We know, you cannot wait here it is:

The new industries added to the PSI list are as follows:
1. Mining and processing of coal;
2. Processing and preservation of meat/poultry and production of meat/poultry products;
3. Manufacture of starches and starch products;
4. Processing of cocoa;
5. Manufacture of animal feeds;
6. Tanning and dressing of Leather;
7. Manufacture of leather footwear, luggage and handbags;
8. Manufacture of household and personal hygiene paper products;
9. Manufacture of paints, vanishes and printing ink;
10. Manufacture of plastic products (builders’ plastic ware) and moulds;
11. Manufacture of batteries and accumulators;
12. Manufacture of steam generators;
13. Manufacture of railway locomotives, wagons and rolling stock;
14. Manufacture of metal-forming machinery and machine tools;
15. Manufacture of machinery for metallurgy;
16. Manufacture of machinery for food and beverage processing;
17. Manufacture of machinery for textile, apparel and leather production;
18. Manufacture of machinery for paper and paperboard production;
19. Manufacture of plastics and rubber machinery;
20. Waste treatment, disposal and material recovery;
21. E-commerce services;
22. Software development and publishing;
23. Motion picture, video and television programme production, distribution, exhibition and photography;
24. Music production, publishing and distribution;
25. Real estate investment vehicles under the Investments and Securities Act;
26. Mortgage backed securities under the Investments and Securities Act; and
27. Business process outsourcing.

This policy was initially established in the Industrial Development (Income Tax Relief) Act and then reviewed by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC) created additional provisions which took effect on 30th January 2014. This latest list of industries was released by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment on 7th August 2017.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/ultimate-tip-can-get-tax-exemption-like-tstv/

Many small businesses and even homes incur 2 bills that are not essential needs in the real sense of it but many people feel they cannot do without them -Internet and satellite television subscription.

Would it not be nice to have one solution that provides you with both at a cheap rate? This is exactly what the newly-launched TSTV is bringing. You can depending on how heavily you use data for example, subscribe to Internet and satellite TV for N3,000 per month or even less if you are a light user. Some people pay higher rates to get Internet on their smartphones alone. This for us is the real game-changing proposition that TSTV has over DSTV and StarTimes which are currently No. 1 and 2 in the Nigerian satellite/Pay-TV market.

TSTV explains it thus:

“We will pioneer the introduction of Smart set top boxes in Nigeria DTH industry.” it set-up box as the following features:

“HD SMART Set Top Box (Connected Set top box) converts your existing LED TV into a Smart TV besides showing you more than 100 Channels & services in High Definition and Standard Definition. While the DTH tech in it brings television channels in Standard Definition and High Definition, the Connected set top box allows one to browse content from Twitter, Facebook, Daily Motion, video on demand sites, Over the Top, OTT apps, news, weather etc. through applications residing on STB. Our HD Smart Set Top Box will work as a tool for personalization, engagement, and new customer experiences and with internet connectivity, one can convert one‘s TV into a smart TV using it. Subscribers are entitled to a complementary 20GB internet capacity every month and this service is available for extension on demand.

“TSTV STB Back-Office End-to-End Solution is an easy-to-maintain solution for delivering TV, Video-On-Demand, and interactive services to end users who use LAN. It suits for schools, hospitals, hotels, communities, securities firms and so on.

“TSTV STB platform also includes in-built fast Wi-Fi, up to 802.11ac, 1 GBit/s Ethernet and USB 3.0 interface. TSTV STB supports built-in Bluetooth 4.0, RF for hybrid remote controls and support of Smart Home services via Zigbee/Thread standard. Multichannel video recording is possible via fast external USB 3.0 hard disks up to 50 Gigabyte capacity. Our Smart STBs also have the capacity to make video calls with other TSTV subscribers via IP.”

Not only can you watch the channels that TSTV is having on its satellite platform, you can also stream other content from the Internet including but not limited to YouTube.

TSTV Purchase and Subscription Rates

TSTV decoder plus dish goes for N5,000 (you might have to pay extra for installation which is a separate service).

As you can see, very attractive rates:

TSTv daily plan – N200 plus 500MB
TSTv 3 days plan – N500 plus 1GB
TSTv Weekly plan – N750 plus 2GB
TSTv 10 days plan – N1,000 plus 3GB
TSTv 2 Weeks plan – N1,500 plus 5GB
TSTv Monthly Plan – N3,000 Plus 10GB

This kind of ‘democritization’ of Satellite TV and Internet access to Nigerians is likely to unleash our creativity and force the likes of DSTV and StarTimes to provide similar or better services.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/tstv-set-change-internet-satellite-television-experience/

A society that arrests and detains the teacher for beating the students will soon have to sleep with both eyes open. The “unbeated” children will form different formidable teams. A team among them will arm themselves with guns and cutlasses and make sure your property is not safe in your house.

Another team will equip themselves with laptops and internet connections and make sure your money is not safe, even in your bank account. Another group will buy mask and machine guns with the money their parents spoilt them with and make sure the sons and daughters of the above-average men are kidnapped and released only when money changes hands.

One of the many groups that have no means of buying masks, guns, laptops and internet connection and other related items, will become an easy tool in the hands of terrorist, who will make sure life is far from being peaceful for all and sundry. A group among them will also drink and drive so that those that escape the above troubles can meet theirs on the road. Another group will make it to leadership positions, so that the trouble, after being doubled will fairly distribute.

Imagine, parents give the teacher the responsibility of teaching, counseling, mentoring, guiding, training and probably moulding their children but they withhold the authority to do that. In managerial science, can a man discharge his responsibility without having the authority to do so? Frederick Taylor, Henri Fayol and co. disagreed.

Parents of nowadays care so much about their children’s skin, they want the skin of their children to be smooth, devoid of any mark from teachers’ cane so that the child will be finer than their neighbor’s child, they do that at the detriment of the child’s character. They stopped using cane and they are ready to go to any length to stop the teachers also, “I ask you to teach him, I never ask you to beat him for me”, parents of nowadays say, “I will teach him and send him back to you so that you can suffer from the consequence of having an untrained child”, teachers respond.

“Do you want to kill your teacher?” that was what Iya-Wale said after seeing the mark on my palm caused by the cane of my teacher; I was punished again for making my teacher get angry at me. Since then, my teacher became a god whose instructions must be followed to the latter. Today, if your relative died of accident caused by a drunk driver, you can be rest assured that I am not the driver.

Parents of nowadays, after seeing mark of cane on their children will shout at the teacher “Do you want to kill my child?” and make sure the teacher is punished. This is the reason their property is not safe in their houses and even in their bank accounts.

Of what use is a fine child that passed his WAEC and got admitted to the university only to be killed by his cult members just because he/she lacks the requisite training that the fear of cane would have instilled in him. If this happens, the teacher is actually the biggest loser. My dream of having sixty chartered accountants in attendance on my sixtieth birthday will not come to pass if all my students end that way. I pray such will not happen.

The question that may arise is, can’t the teachers correct the students without using cane? The simple answer is YES, we can’t. Research has shown that teachers known for beating are more effective in making the students comply with rules and regulations, than teachers who employed another means of correcting them. And the funniest part is that, as a teacher, you need to beat only one student, to earn the cooperation of others, maybe that’s why the bible says “spare the rod and spoil the child”

Applying Kohlberg theory, teenagers are in the first stage of behavior which is naturally motivated by the fear of being caught and punished. What happens when that punishment that serves as a guide of action is eradicated?

Just like a knife in the kitchen, beating in secondary school is a useful implement, cancelling the use of knife because you have accident with it, won’t only make your job slow, it will also make it difficult. However, teachers are to note that erring students needs love; and punishment should be with love.

My daughter’s teachers, please, beat her whenever she deserves to be beaten; just don’t forget everything you do to her should be with love. I am Mr. BOY, in case you don’t know, I am a teacher.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/place-beating-teaching/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Hungry for some seafood? Jumia Food, shares some of the best spots for the absolute best and most delicious, mouth-watering seafood meals. Here are 4 of them.

Coral Blue

This is a popular seafood spot in Lagos that offers some of the best seafood in the country. It’s a pretty and decent restaurant with a nice and simple sea-themed décor and ambiance. Their seafood is fresh and delicious with diverse selections to titillate your taste buds and whet your appetite. Additionally, they also have a great customer service to go along with the awesome dining experience they provide.

Marcoriano Chinese Restaurant

This is another great seafood restaurant located in Abuja. They offer a unique dining experience to guests with absolutely delicious Chinese and Asian cuisines, as well as seafood dishes. Their meals are fresh, healthy and cooked with high quality ingredients that help to enhance guests dining experience.

Ocean Basket

Think of Ocean Basket and think of delicious, mouth-watering seafood dishes offered at great prices. Many argue that this is probably the best seafood place in Nigeria and well… it’s hard to disagree. The restaurant has beautiful, seafood oriented décor, with comfortable, relaxing furniture and a cool ambiance. They serve strictly fresh, juicy and delicious seafood here, and they also have a sushi menu. Their staff are nice and welcoming, and you’re sure to have a delightful dining experience here.

Tomatoes Pub and Grill

This is a nice restaurant located in Abuja that offers delicious and affordable seafood dishes, which are sure to give you a lovely dining experience. Its furniture and décor are nice and comfortable; and they also serve other delicious local and international cuisines at impressively affordable prices.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/4-spots-best-seafood-meals-lagos-abuja/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Although originally an Arabian snack, many Nigerians have wholeheartedly embraced shawarma and made it their own. There is now Nigerian shawarma! In Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre, shawarma is sold nearly everywhere from street vendors to eateries and supermarkets. This seeming proliferation of shawarma spots has, to a very large extent, lowered its quality because every tom, dick and harry seem to make the snack. Therefore, lovers of the snack are constantly scouting for best places to get the tastiest shawarma in Lagos. Scout no more as Jumia Food recommends 5 spots to get the tastiest shawarma in the city.

Shawarma & Co

This is one of the well-known shawarma spots in Lagos. They have branches in Oniru, Ikeja, Jakande and Victoria Island. Shawarma & Co menu options include Chicken shawarma, Spicy chicken suyarma and Beef shawarma among others.

Shawarma Express

Shawarma Express is located in Masha, Surulere, Lagos. They specialise in shawarma but you can also get snacks and drinks.

Charcoal

Charcoal offers different menus that also include shawarma. It is located at the Palms Lekki.

Food O clock restaurant

At Food O Clock, you will be treated not only to shawarma but also Chinese cuisine, shrimp fried rice and fruit smoothies.

La Mango

La Mango is an upscale restaurant and bar in Ikeja. It is one of the restaurants that has a stand which caters for customers who crave shawarma and other grilled menus.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-best-spots-get-tastiest-shawarma-lagos/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Whether you’re a student or working a 9-5 job, there are many ways to make some more money on the side. You just need to know them and be ready to give the required effort and commitment to making them work for you. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 6 tips to earn some more money on the side.

Consulting/Coaching

If you have a specific skill-set with adequate knowledge and experience, you can leverage on it and build a lucrative side business on consulting/coaching that’s quite easy and affordable to start. It can involve giving advice to a start-ups on how to build their public image, assisting start-ups with social media marketing and SEO work etc. The best part of this business is that you can build it to fit your schedule and free time.

Freelance Work

This is another flexible side business that doesn’t need long-term commitments. You can also adapt this kind of business to fit your schedule and free time. Becoming a freelancer can involve writing content for businesses, doing content marketing for start-ups and doing design work for businesses, which can include graphic designs, web designs, logo designs etc. It really depends on your talent, skill-set and interests. The best part of this is that there is a reasonably high demand for freelancers especially in the area of content marketing, social media marketing and design work.

Leverage On Your Vehicle

If you have a vehicle, you can cash in on it by registering with Uber or Taxify or both. The best part about this is that you can keep your keys by becoming a driver on the platform or hire someone to drive the car on the platform for you.

However, when considering this option as a means to making some extra money, you should be sure that you are satisfied with the rate of depreciation of your car (because it will definitely be higher). You also have to consider the cost of financing the car and other maintenance costs.

Produce Crafts

If you’re good with your hands, are creative and love to create crafts and design work, you can use the talent to create jewelry, clothing, furniture or accessories, and can sell them to make some decent money on the side. The advent of social media has made marketing your craft work and designs much easier, as you can take advantage of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and online shopping platforms like Jumia mall, to put your work out there and get it sold.

Photography

If you have good photography skills, you can purchase a camera and start doing photography jobs on the side. Photography is now big business, if you know how to exploit it, and you can start a very decent side business from it. However, in the photography business, it is best to carve a niche for yourself. Don’t be a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, you are unlikely to get positive recognition and referrals that way. You can specialize in weddings, capturing landscapes, taking fashion pictures etc. You can also sell some of your pictures to sites like Shutterstock.

Modeling or Voice-Over Work

Modeling is not all about having the perfect body and walking on the runway, there are different aspects of modeling. You can be a body model, hand model, leg model or even a face model, and earn some decent money from it. If you are really good at it, there is a chance that you get more recognition, and even attain a kind of ‘celebrity status’ from it, which of course means more money for you.

For the voice-over work, if you have a voice that’s great for voice-overs and you have some broadcast experience, you can earn some extra money by doing voice-over work for ad agencies, broadcasting houses etc.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/6-tips-earn-money-side/

By Omolaoye Kunle

Real Estate in Nigeria is big business and the number Estate agents is rapidly increasing. The effect of this is that there will be good agents and bad agents. Some will be fraudulent, others will be genuine.

Interestingly, agents can be diversified based on the areas they work. So, the same way Lagos is classified into the Island and the Mainland, Lagos agents can also be classified into Island agents and mainland agents.

There are features that are peculiar to these two classes of real estate gurus. Enjoy their similarities and differences as you read on.

Below are qualities that these agents have in common:

Similarities

1. They are both into Real Estate business.

2.They are highly informed about their environment.

3.They know how to get their clients.

They work directly with landlords or other agents.

4.Most of them are good at what they do.

5 It is their source of livelihood.

6.They work as intermediaries between clients and landlords.

Differences

Their differences are quite funny. It is perceived that Island agents differ from Mainland agents, as there is a perceived class difference between them. Some of the differences are listed below:

1.Most agents on the Island don’t collect inspection fee.

2.Mainland agents collect inspection fee.

3.Most Island agents belong to one association or another.

4.Most Mainland agents don’t even belong to any association.

5. The agency fees paid on the Island are quite high.

6. The agency fees paid on the Mainland are usually lower and more affordable.

7.Most Island agents have offices
Only a few agents do on the mainland.

8. Island agents have so many people working for them, they don’t even do the work themselves sometimes.

9. Most Mainland agents do not have people working, they tend to do their work themselves because the money they have is not even enough for them.

10.Island agents believe in work ethics.

11. Mainland agents are also divided depending on their area of specialization.

12. Island agents handle bigger and more expensive properties.

13. Mainland agents handle affordable and less expensive properties.

I don’t know which of the two main categories you fall into. Whatever the category you fall, I want to implore you to be good at it, make use of available information at your disposal and be the best realtor any client or other agents can relied on for good business transactions.


Source: http://www.opinions.ng/similarities-differences-island-mainland-real-estate-agents

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Getting a good 8-hour sleep keeps your body functioning at its best. Yet, quite a number of individuals don’t get enough and a leading cause of sleepless nights is gadgets. Although many gadgets prevent sleep, advances in technology have brought a number of devices that can help you get more sleep. In line with this, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency shares some of these gadgets.

Wearable sleep tracker

Wearable sleep trackers can provide a fascinating insight into how you sleep. It would give you useful information about the quality of your sleep, measures light, noise and temperature in the bedroom and importantly, helps you take steps to improve it.

Smart pillow

The smart pillow is laced with sensors that record body movements, sleep patterns and noise. It also offers personalised sleeping tips via a smartphone app which you can download.

Smart pyjamas

The smart pyjamas was specifically developed for persons who are looking to get more sleep. The sleepwear promotes longer and sounder sleep by cooling off the infrared heat emissions from your body.

Smartwatch

A smartwatch uses six sensors to measure heart rate, skin electricity, sweat and body temperature. In addition, it breaks down your sleep patterns into light and deep sleep and analyses the quality of shut-eye you are getting.

Smart earbud

If you are unable to get enough sleep due to the sound of generators and other surrounding noise, the best solution to this problem is a smart earbud. It will drown out the noise and you can sleep like a baby.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-cool-gadgets-will-help-get-sleep/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

A Nigerian journalist has written a petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over human rights abuses, torture and extra-judicial killing perpetrated by members of the Nigeria Army during the recent invasion of a community in the South-East region.

In a letter dated September 24, 2017 addressed to the Chief Prosecutor of the court in The Hague, Fatou Bensouda and addressed to the Information and Evidence Unit, Mr. Ahaoma Kanu, a multiple award winning journalist, called on the court to intervene and stop the unlawful deployment of soldiers by the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari to civilian communities in Abia State and other South-East region of Nigeria which has led to the torture, molestation, killings and severe abuse of the human rights of these civilians by officers of the Nigeria Army.”

The petition, made available to media, with the subject “PETITION AGAINST THE DEPLOYMENT OF MILITARY PERSONNEL TO THE SOUTH-EAST OF NIGERIA, TORTURE, KILLINGS, HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES PERPETRATED BY THE NIGERIA ARMY, THE CHIEF OF ARMY STAFF, MAJOR-GENERAL TUKUR BURATAI AND THE QUIT NOTICE GIVEN TO IGBOS IN THE NORTHERN STATES BY THE AREWA YOUTH CONSULTATIVE FORUM BACKED BY THE SPOKESPERSON OF THE NORTHERN ELDERS FORUM, PROF. ANGO ABDULLAHI,’ condemned the recent decision by the army to Initiate ‘Operation Python Dance’ in the South-East region which led to invasion of the home of the leader of the civil rights group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leading to the killing of some members of the group as well as other members of his community.

Kanu decried the decision by the Federal Government to initiate an attack on a civilian community in a manner that may have opened the door to genocide as has been exhibited by soldiers of the Nigeria Army in times past.

“The Nigeria Army has a very cruel history of gross human rights abuses, torture, brutal killings of citizens of her country over the years; a condemnable characteristic which have escalated since the election of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.

The CNN/Multichoice African Journalist award winner enumerated the many occasions members of the Nigeria Army had attacked and killed Nigeria citizens since Gen. Buratai took over as the Chief of Army Staff describing the army under his leadership as having been turned into “a killing machine of a mass order.”

“According to an investigation by the Amnesty International (AI) which analyzed 87 videos, 122 photographs and 146 eye witness accounts, members of the Nigeria security agencies comprising of the army and the police embarked on a chilling campaign of extrajudicial executions which resulted in the death of over 150 deaths of members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the South-East region of the country with 60 people shoot in a space of two days,” he said.

“In the report entitled “NIGERIA: ‘BULLETS WERE RAINING EVERYWHERE’: DEADLY REPRESSION OF PRO-BIAFRA ACTIVISTS, Amnesty Iinternational (AI) documents the killing orchestrated by members of the Nigeria security agencies. For instance, according to the report, pro-Biafra activists were killed on 30 May 2016, during events to mark the 49th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Biafra, when an estimated 1,000-plus IPOB members and supporters gathered for a rally in Onitsha, Anambra state. The night before the rally, a joint security force task force raided homes and a church where IPOB members were sleeping. Several members of the IPOB were shot in several locations, predominantly in Nkpor, the venue for the gathering, and in Asaba.”

Kanu who is an activist and volunteer for some charities decried the attitude of the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari who he said has shown that he is not only a sectional leader but once who has shown absolute disdain and disenchantment for Igbos from the South-East with the way he has handled security issues challenges in the country.

“There have been incidents of people from the South-South, South-East, and South-West being attacked by Fulani-herdsmen, identified in the Global Terrorism Index as the fourth most deadly terrorist group in the world after Boko Haram, ISIS and Al-Shabab. They move into communities unleashing mayhem with automatic rifles with which they sack communities but such criminals and killers are neither arrested nor prosecuted. The Federal Government does not deem it fit to deploy the army to confront these perennial terrorists neither has their activities being seriously checked because they are said to have people in the Buhari government giving them support. The Federal Government led by President Buhati pays little or no attention to this group of terror merchants who have killed over 2000 persons in the North Central, South East and South West of Nigeria,” he said.

Kanu called on the ICC to compel the Federal Government of Nigeria to adequately protect the Igbos in the North as the deadline to the Quit notice given to them to leave the region draws near with escalating news of plans by northern youths to go on with the planned attack.

“On the 19th of August 2017, President Buhari returned back from a 103 days medical trip and some few days later, the Arewa Youths withdrew the quit notice. We are hearing reports of plans to go on with the attack on the Igbos in Northern Nigeria come October 1. The Federal Government has not seriously done anything to adequately protect the Igbos in the North even as the deadline approaches.”

Kanu included in the petition a memory stick which he said contains exclusive videos, pictures and documents which he tendered to the Information and Evidence Unit of the court for their perusal.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/nigeria-journalist-petitions-icc-invasion-south-east/

They need a new leader, this one is trying to fill the vacuum.

Dubai is the new Paris or London for Nigerians. They travel to the city for tourism, honeymoon, destination weddings, shopping, business, events and other fun activities. This is because of the flexibility of getting a Dubai visa. Despite this, so many people are still being denied a Dubai visa. Well, if you want to get your Dubai visa approved, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares some of the secrets of making this possible.

Inclusion of skilled profession(s) in the application form

Endeavour to include a skilled profession in your visa application form to increase the likelihood of your visa being granted. In the absence of a skilled profession, your experience in certain career paths might suffice. The embassy, however, will be the judge of what profession is acceptable to merit a visa.

Consent letter for single or married women below 24 years

Dubai is an Islamic country, no doubt. Consequently, women – either married or single – are not permitted – by religion – to travel solo. This Islamic rule doesn’t place this restriction on women 24 years & above. To aid your chances of getting a visa if you are a woman below age 24 and plan to travel solo, you need to submit a letter from your spouse or family member – indicating that express approval has been given you to travel solo – along with your visa application. The letter of approval would act as a cover.

No records of past criminal or fraudulent activities

Dubai is one of the strict countries that will not allow people with criminal or fraudulent backgrounds to be admitted into the country. You will be blacklisted immediately. So, when you eventually get a visa to Dubai, endeavour not to engage in criminal activities so as not to forestall your future chances of getting a visa.

Always cancel your resident visa

If you were a holder of Dubai resident visa but left the country without cancelling it, you would not be able to apply for a new visa. In this case, you have to ensure that your old resident visa is cancelled before you apply for a new one.

Marriage counts…as long as there are wedding pictures[b][/b]

Dubai is one of the preferred honeymoon destinations for many Nigerians. Therefore, if you choose to honeymoon in Dubai, there are some documents you would be required to submit to obtain a visa. These are a wedding picture (of you and your spouse), marriage certificate and no objection certificate from your parents. If these are not submitted, your visa may get rejected.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-secrets-getting-dubai-visa-approved/

Entrepreneurs are decision-makers. They take decisions on the path or direction to drive their business. One of such decisions they have to take is when to expand their enterprise. Whether you get it right or wrong, your conclusions will have a groundbreaking impact on your business. Obviously, you do not want to get such a key decision wrong and join the approximately 70% to 80% of startups that fail within 5 years in Africa. As such, Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares the things you have to consider before expanding your business.

A clear strategy

The strategy is laying a clear roadmap ahead for the company to achieve its vision and mission. Without this, your expansion may be a totally foolhardy risk.

Stability of your financial report

You should look to the data contained in your financial reports to determine the viability of an expansion at the current moment. The reports should show increasing profits, a firm handle on salary payment and good control over purchasing expenses.

Relationship with customers

The truth is most companies in their early days do everything to keep their customers happy, and during their expansion phase, they fall apart in terms of customer service. Take this opportunity to build a rapport with your target group to win them over to your side. This is essential if the relationship is strained. If you cannot keep your customers happy, you really have no business expanding because there will be endless complaints which will not only ruin the reputation of your business but can also lead to business failure when you start losing them.

Effectiveness of your workforce

A business depends on a well-trained, effective workforce to handle day-to-day activities. If you can rely on your staff to do their work tasks in an efficient manner, no matter what conditions throw at them, you are ready to utilize this essential resource to expand your business.

Funding

Funding is perhaps the most important. Without capital, the business expansion will be near impossible. One trending way to get funds is through venture capitalists or serial investors who are willing and ready to invest in viable businesses. Don’t hesitate to take advantage of them by pitching to them. If your pitch is endorsed, they will pump money into your business and you can then expand.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-things-consider-expanding-business/

MhizzAJ:
Yes
There's just that one person in my life whom i cherish with the whole of my heart...Danielmoore

Who is Danielmoore?

South Africa is a beautiful country with a lot to offer in terms of culture, entertainment, nature and even food. South Africa is home to quite a number of delicious, savoury and mouth-watering cuisines to savour and enjoy. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 popular and best foods to eat when in South Africa.

Cape Malay Curry

This dish is one of the widespread curry dishes in South Africa and is known for combining sweet and savory flavours using sweet spices like cinnamon and ginger, dried fruit (especially dried apricots), and savory seasonings like garlic and onions. This delicious South African delicacy basically consists of chicken thighs spiced up in South African curry and packed with flavourful spices. It is usually served with a side dish of sweet and fragrant rice.

Chakalaka

This is a traditional South African food and a ‘mainstay on the South African dinner table’. Chakalaka is a classic vegetable dish and a relish of tomatoes, carrots, baked beans and chillies with curry powder. This mouth-watering cuisine typically involves making gravy from chopped tomatoes and onions, then adding grated carrot, chillies, garlic, grated cabbage and/or diced cauliflower. The mixture is cooked until soft and seasoned as appropriate to bring out its rich taste. It is mainly served cold together with Pap (a starchy dish made from white corn maize), along with barbecued meat, breads, salad and stews.

Boerewors

This is a type of sausage that’s very popular in South Africa. It’s basically made of seasoned pork or from coarsely minced beef, sometimes combined with minced lamb and spices (typically toasted coriander seed, black pepper, nutmeg, cloves and allspice). It’s mostly prepared outside, where it’s grilled in an electric griller, or it can prepared indoors by baking in an oven.

Braai/ Shisha Nyama

This is a very popular meal in South Africa and is largely considered a part of the South African eating experience. This meal largely consists of barbecued meat and is usually accompanied with maize porridge (Pap en Vleis) and a cold glass of beer. The barbecued meat usually comprises of beef, chicken, pork, lamb or sausages.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/4-popular-foods-eat-south-africa/

mynd44

lalasticlala

By Nkem Ndem

There is always that one person who will always have your heart.

If you are thinking the statement sounds like something from a cheesy love song, you would be right. It actually is the first line of the awesome duet by Alicia Keys and Usher titled ‘My Boo’. At the time it was released in 2004, I was still a dreamy teenager …although I had already had my ‘first love’ experience and nursed a heartbreak or two already as well. In fact, I remember buying the then NGN50 pamphlet that contained lyrics to popular songs just to learn all the lines of the song. That was how much I loved the song… and of course, there was also the fact that it reminded me of Ikenna*.

Ikenna and I had met and fallen madly in love at the time I was 6. He was 8 at the time. It sounds ludicrous… who falls in love at 6 and knows it for sure…right? I remember it clearly though, the first day I noticed him.

My best friend Ngozi and I had been in class, starring out the window, laughing at basically anything that caught our interest when he strode past us on his way to the toilet. He wore very conspicuous bow legs and extra droopy shoulders. My eyes had trailed him to the boy’s privy, and before I could stop myself, I found my legs walking my short body towards the same lavatory, right after him. Honestly, I had no plan. I just stood outside and waited for him to come out. And when he did, I said hello. He said hello back and we stared at each other for a while and he walked away. Having always been shy, words failed me. I stood there and watched him walk away from him.

It was the same way I stood and watched him walk away from me exactly 17 years later after he said to me he was getting married and asked to know my thoughts on the song he chose to be played when he walked down the aisle: Omawumi’s “Love nwa anti nti.” Perhaps I could have stopped him and told him I would be different, I would be less stubborn, learn to love him the way he wanted also, that he was “the one”. But I didn’t. I loved him, but he was not my “one”. I always knew the day would come when I’d have to let him go forever, and I guess I was already mentally prepared for it.

I have since moved on. Yes, a few times I have whispered his name out of the blues and for no reason imagined what it would have been like if I had married him and his beautiful babies were mine, even occasionally stalked him on social media…but I have never contacted him or reached out. Not that there is any bitterness or loathing. No. I have never felt like my life was incomplete without him or anything that dramatic either. In fact, I always say this: If I never find love again, I wouldn’t be utterly broken really, because I already have had one pure and great one, even if we did not get a forever after. This is because I am okay with the fact that we did not end up together and I appreciate the lessons learned. He showed me that love could be magic… and with him, I learned how to love and be loved back. He made me realize that I deserved to be loved despite my imperfection, and that is enough.

I never knew how he felt about us, our past and not ending up together e.t.c, so when he called a few days ago and we had a unique chat i was a little surprised. It was weird when I saw his incoming call because it wasn’t my birthday and I wasn’t celebrating anything (Although we never talked anymore. He religiously sent me birthday messages and Christmas messages that I mostly ignored).

“Nkemka, how are you?” he said.

“Ikenna?” I asked

“Yes,” he laughs. “Who else would it be?”

“Still a joker I see” I replied laughing as well.

He had been gifted a puppy and he couldn’t help thinking of me as I was the only one he knew with an insane obsession for dogs, and he thought I’ll be the best person to name his dog. So random. I obliged, gave him some options and we caught up on each other’s lives as well. He was happy and in love with his wife. Everything was great with him. Yet also he said to me: you know I will always have a soft spot for you Nkemka. I loved loving you, and I will always love you.

I admit it was a bit weird. But I awkwardly responded: “Really? When I’m not Whitney Houston”. A lame joke, I know. But he laughed. Him making that statement did not get my heart beating erratically or anything that serious because I was over him and I also understood that his statement did not mean that he did not love his wife, or he was looking to get me as a side chick or anything that sad. I was just the “one person” for him. The one whose memory remained inside his bones anyway.

The truth is, there is always that one person who, no matter how hard you try and no matter how long it’s been, will always beat in your chest and breathe in your lungs; even if the love you shared with the person did not last forever and you know you are not meant to be together. Little things, from time to time, bring them back to your mind but you also know that you are okay, happy and whole without them. Atimes you are tempted to try and rekindle the romance, but with these kinds of people, it is just easier to let sleeping dogs lie. Sometimes, we do not end up with the greatest love of our lives, and that it is okay too.

Do you have that one person you will always love or have a soft spot for, even though you are no longer together and you have no intentions of bringing them back into your life? Share your experience and let’s hear your opinion. xo.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/nkem-says-always-one-person/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

It’s unfortunate that a lot of small businesses don’t survive beyond the first few years of their existence, but this mainly happens due to a lack of knowledge and understanding of what needs to be done to help sustain a small business. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 helpful business tricks that small businesses can profit from.

Remain Abreast of Your Cash Flow

This is very important, especially for small businesses. It is important to have a good and accurate idea of the daily, weekly and monthly financial needs and trends of your organization, and to also keep informed of your current cash flow. When you have a good idea of your financial situation at every point, it makes you financially prudent in your business decisions, which help to improve your sustainability as a business.

Set Business Goals

This can come in form of targets which ultimately help achieve business goals. The fact is, small businesses need to work with targets if they intend to remain in business in the long run. Setting goals and objectives and developing targets to help meet goals and objectives is essential for business success, because it serve as a ‘planning tool’ that help keep your business focused, and ultimately helps to move your business forward.

Learn How to Use Low Budget High Impact Marketing

Small businesses cannot afford to waste money on ineffective marketing, so as a small business, if you must spend on marketing, you need to ensure that what you are spending on will have the needed impact. One way to do this is by testing marketing tactics for effectiveness before adding them to your campaign or marketing mix. Also, be sure to invest in low budget marketing options like social media and content marketing.

Monitor Business Trends

For some reason a good number of small businesses fail to do this. No business operates in a vacuum, and small businesses need to be particularly sensitive to business or industry trends because they bear the brunt of even the slightest change in these trends. It is important for small businesses to remain current on trends and issues happening in their industry and local community, and if possible, go a step further to predict possible future trends likely to occur. This way, it is easier to develop a response or reaction plan to quickly adjust to the changes before they negatively affect the business (if large corporations are doing this, it only means small businesses need to do this even more if they want to survive).

Motivate Your Staff

As a growing small business, you need your staff to remain motivated and ready to give their best to the growth of your firm. You might not have the resources to keep your staff happy in monetary terms, but you can figure out other incentives to help keep them motivated and encourage higher levels of performance.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-helpful-business-tricks-small-businesses/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of its President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III has expressed satisfaction with the way President Muhammadu Buhari has handled the agitation of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Nnamdi Kanu while condemning the position of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) over the Sukuk bond issue by the federal government.

Read the full press statement next:

STILL ON IPOB AND OTHER MATTERS ARISING

The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) under the leadership of its President-General, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, CFR, mni, is compelled to make yet another press statement on the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) within a span of one week. The NSCIA has to be this vigilant because it believes that in critical moments like the one we are currently going through in this country leaders at all levels and in all segments of the country have a duty to be constantly alert, sensitive and responsive to issues as they arise and to developments as they unfold. In the first instance, the NSCIA hereby implores the entire citizens of this our great country to be profoundly thankful and full of praise to Almighty Allah Who, out of His Love for this country and with His Countenance and Power, gave the wisdom, guidance and willpower to our leaders to intervene promptly and duly on the crisis ignited by IPOB, thereby averting a monumental catastrophe that would have befallen the nation.

The pace for proactive intervention was actually set by the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari in his address to the nation on his return from his medical trip to London. While the whole world was waiting to hear Mr. President mention how his government planned to tackle the various economic problems facing Nigerians, he left nobody in the nation in doubt and he proclaimed to the world that the most critical and threatening challenge the country was facing was that of the centrifugal forces trying to pull or tear it apart. He, therefore, demonstrated the commitment of his government to keeping the nation together and its unflinching will to deal squarely and decisively with trouble makers and the peddlers of hate and vanguards of violence and disintegration. The unity of the country he said was not negotiable. This position taken by the President is actually a restatement of the position of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the indivisibility and indissolubility of the country. The NSCIA wishes to place on record its appreciation of this singular, remarkable and historically assertive and assuring declaration by Mr. President.

The NSCIA similarly commends the efforts of the Northern Governors at ensuring that reprisal attacks did not erupt in the region as a reaction to the aggression in the South-East. The covert and overt measures taken by the Northern Governors undoubtedly doused tension, calmed down frayed nerves and averted violence. As if all those efforts were not enough, the Northern Governors took another spectacular historical step by going further to send a delegation of Five Governors to their counterparts in the South-East, demonstrating rare patriotism and stretching out the hands of friendship, fraternity and love. The NSCIA also appreciates very sincerely the prompt and timely intervention of the South-East Governors and the Governor of Rivers State in particular. The quick and unified way in which they all rose up to the challenge and their subsequent, unanimous proscription of IPOB were all proofs of how the Governors put the nation first ahead of any divisive interests and tendencies and rose above naive and unreasonable tribal and ethnic sentiments. Altogether, the NSCIA believes that both the Northern and South-East Governors responded to the situation in a manner that was quite responsive, responsible, mature and above all patriotic.

The NSCIA also wishes to commend the patriotic and fatherly role played by the traditional rulers of the South-East. In addition to disowning IPOB and condemning its nefarious criminal activities, the South-East Council of Traditional Rulers further extended the hands of friendship and love by sending a delegation to His Eminence in a form of condolence and consolation to the entire people of the North.

While that has been the laudable ways our political and traditional leaders at the state, regional and federal levels have been trying to express love, promote tolerance, curtail violence, foster harmony and engender peaceful coexistence in the country, it is sad to note that the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is bent on fanning the embers of hate and discord, propagating intolerance, exclusiveness, and promoting disharmony and conflict in the country. On this note, the NSCIA is disappointed by the press release made by CAN on the just concluded SUKUK ISSUANCE by the Federal Government of Nigeria. In its typical and usual posture of intolerance and discord, CAN asserts, albeit mischievously, that the floating of SUKUK BOND was a “sly and treacherous attempt to sell Nigeria to Arab Islamic Nations.” It is easy to see the antipathy, malice and pathological intolerance of CAN in that purported and ill-intentioned press statement because, as it were, in this open world or world of open secrets, CAN cannot claim ignorance about the fact that even the World Bank has been involved in issuing SUKUK and the floating of SUKUK Bonds. Interestingly also, several non-Muslim countries across Africa, Europe and Asia have also instituted Islamic Financial System generally and SUKUK in particular. Worthy of mention here are Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Russia, China, Singapore and a number of firms in the United States. Less than two years ago, Britain hosted a World Conference on Islamic Banking and Finance and David Cameron, the then British Prime Minister, openly declared that their intention was to make UK the Hub of Islamic Finance in the World. It would certainly be embarrassing for CAN to be told that the first and foremost state in Nigeria to submit application for loan to the Islamic Development Bank is a Christian-dominated state in the South-East.

What is even instructive in the SUKUK ISSUANCE venture is the fact that the Federal Government made it clear that it was anchored on the policy of economic diversification of this government and particularly developmental projects. These include, in the first phase, reconstruction and rehabilitation of 25 different major federal roads distributed across all the six geo-political zones in the country.

What has been keeping this country together is the culture of mutual understanding, tolerance, and by that token, the spirit and principle of give and take. This has been the factor that made Muslims to tolerate several practices or things that are essentially Christian in nature and outlook, in substance and form and indeed in principle and practice, but imposed on us. We have not been talking of Christianization because Sunday has been forced on us as a work free day, or the Cross as our hospital sign and symbol, our membership of the International Red Cross, and many other things including almost all the titles of the heads of academic institutions (Chancellor, Provost, Dean, Rector, etc.). Despite this remarkable tolerance from Muslims over the years, CAN appears to be increasingly becoming Islamophobic and paranoid about its hate and intolerance for Islam, casting aspersions, unnecessarily overheating the polity and unjustifiably creating fear and distrust in the minds of peace loving citizens of our great country. We are poised to advise CAN to, in the spirit of Biblical injunctions, uphold the truth for its sake and tread the path of honour and refrain from statements capable of causing disaffection and promoting disharmony that may lead to conflict in the country.

Meanwhile, the NSCIA wishes to use this medium to implore all Imams to, as a matter of responsibility, use their sermons ( Khutbah) to further remind the Muslims about the Islamic teachings of patience, pardon and forgiveness in the face of provocation and even aggression. Allah says in the Qur’an, chapter 42, verse 40 that: “The recompense of evil is evil the like of it. But he who forgives and makes amends, his reward lies with Allah. Surely He does not love the wrong-doers.” Our Imams should tell our Muslim brothers and sisters that they should not in any way try to retaliate the unwarranted attacks and killings of Muslims in the South-East on innocent Igbo citizens within their localities or neighbourhoods with whom they are living peacefully and harmoniously. That is the injunction of the Qur’an and must be complied with. Allah says in the Qur’an, chapter 60, verse 8 that:”Allah does not forbid you to be kind and just to those who did not fight against you on account of religion, nor drove you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are equitable”.

Finally, the NSCIA hereby further prays unto Allah for Mr. President to have the wherewithal to steer the affairs of this country in justice, equity and fairness and also prays for peaceful coexistence, prosperity and development for our dear country Nigeria.

Signed
Professor Salisu Shehu
Deputy Secretary General
NSCIA.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/nscia-backs-buhari-ipob-disappointed-cans-position-sukuk/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

Port-Harcourt city is home to a number of great restaurants that offer exquisite dining experiences. Jumia Food shares 4 great restaurants in Port-Harcourt city.

Asia Town

This is a restaurant and event venue located in Old GRA, Rivers State. It’s a popular Chinese Restaurant in Port-Harcourt city and it is known for being the favoured restaurant of Port-Harcourt’s high dignitaries. It’s a Porsche modern restaurant that provides a unique Asian inspired atmosphere and a great hangout venue for lunches, dinners, after work meetings and chill outs.

Kode 9

This restaurant is known for its mouthwatering meals and is notable for being the best burger spot in Port-Harcourt. Aside from being a great burger spot, some of its best features include a comfortable lounge and a well-stocked bar. It also offers varieties of delicious gourmet meals.

Jevenik

This restaurant is indeed as exotic and exquisite spot that offers varieties of local and proudly African delicacies to savour. It has nice and comfortable decor that culminates in a rich culinary experience for visitors. Their food is not too pricey and well within affordable margins. The food is also of sizeable quantity.

Genesis Restaurant

This is a great restaurant in Port Harcourt city, and a popular place to get some of the best and most delicious meals. It offers a rich menu of tasty and mouthwatering meals, and it has a warm and welcoming ambiance. It’s a great place for a quiet lunch with friends or even for a nice dinner date.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/4-great-restaurants-port-harcourt-city/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

A LinkedIn company page is a great way for a business to promote its products and services, and engage with followers to leverage on word of mouth and direct consumer/customer engagement. However, to get the best of out of a company’s LinkedIn page, there are some tips to consider. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 5 tips for creating a LinkedIn company page.

Write a Great Summary

Take time to write out a great and detailed description about your company in the ‘About Us’ section, with all the necessary information that people should know about your company. Let your ‘About Us’ sections be written in such a way that anyone who reads it, leaves with a very good idea of what your company represents and the products/services your company offers. Also, ensure you use keywords in your description so your company page can easily be found through relevant or related searches.

Add Images

To stand out and avoid having a bland company page, it is best to add images to your company page. This primarily includes your company’s logo and a cover image. LinkedIn research has shown that company pages with logo images get six times more traffic to their pages. Also, adding a logo image to your company page increases your credibility and makes it easier for your company to be identified or referred to.

Optimize Your Page For Searches

LinkedIn company pages are SEO-friendly mainly because Google previews up to 156 characters of a LinkedIn page text. It is, therefore, important to ensure that your descriptions and texts are led with powerful, keyword-rich copy. The best way to do this is to include words and phrases in your text that accurately describe your business, expertise and industry focus. This will make it easier for your company page to be seen in keyword searches.

Ensure Your Content is Engaging

Try to create good content that will drive conversations and word of mouth, and that will also help to create a platform for you to directly engage with your target audience. You can share company news, articles or leadership pieces as content, and you can also encourage your followers to share their views of hot topics, as well as ask them thoughtful and interesting questions to promote engagement. In addition, be sure to share rich content daily and try to avoid posting overly promotional messages; ensure that your messages (whether promotional or not) deliver some kind of benefit to your followers, no matter how little.

Set Engagement Targets

This will help keep you on feet and help to significantly grow your LinkedIn page in a relatively short while. Set ambitious but realistic targets for acquiring followers who match your ‘ideal customer profile’ and set engagement targets for engaging these followers you are able to acquire. LinkedIn has helpful analytics for tracking the changes in the size and composition of your followers, and for also displaying monthly engagement metrics for your posts. This can help you better optimize your updates and posts to suit individual performances.

www.opinions.ng

lalasticlala
mynd44

Making the decision to become an entrepreneur is never easy. When you eventually do, there are so many things you will gain. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares some of the benefits of being an entrepreneur.

Steady income

If you have always worked for somebody else, your employer determines your income. As an entrepreneur, there are no limits placed on what you can earn. Instead, you determine your earnings. You won't go broke.

Opportunity to make people’s life easier

You have come up with an idea for a product or service which can make people's lives easier. So, by putting your idea to work and starting a business, you are actually contributing to making the lives of people better.

Gain invaluable experience

Starting a business in a country like Nigeria is very tough. If you are able to navigate these challenges, you will definitely gain invaluable experience that will come handy in your future dealings.

You become more accountable

Entrepreneurship will help you up your accountability game. When you have your own business, you are your own boss. There is no one looking over your shoulder making sure you do the work. As an entrepreneur, you have to learn to hold yourself accountable, or you will not succeed.

You become more confident

The fear of failure will evaporate and your interaction or engagement with people will significantly improve.


Source: http://www.opinions.ng/5-benefits-entrepreneur/

Stevengerd:
Avoid Samankwe!

Was thinking the same when I saw the topic.

By Nkem Ndem

I have always been deathly afraid of ghosts. I don’t know why.

As a child, the easiest way to terrify or creep me out was to suggest that a ghost was lurking around. I would literally become your slave in exchange for protection. One of my sisters really took advantage of this fear that I had. She would just simply say “Ojuju will catch you” and I’d become paralyzed or freeze in whatever position I was in, then she would get me to do whatever she wanted or stay away from a part of the house she didn’t want me going. I don’t remember how we came up with the word “Ojuju” and why I understood it to mean “a ghost”, but it worked for a long time.

This background perception and fear of ghosts was probably what kicked in the first time I came across the word “ghosting”. Someone had mentioned it in a conversation and the first thing I imagined was it involving some form of witchcraft or diabolism. Perhaps one partner would use the other for rituals or steal their destiny. Yes. I know. I blame it on too much ‘Nollywood’ growing up. Oh yes, and my mother too. She has such morbid stories.

Fortunately, I later found out from the Urban Dictionary that “ghosting” simply was “the act of suddenly ceasing all communication with someone the subject is dating, but no longer wishes to date…done in hopes that the ghostee will just ‘get the hint’ and leave the subject alone, as opposed to the subject simply telling them he/she is no longer interested.” It sounds childish, doesn’t it? But we have all been there: You go on a date, everything is great. He calls you three times a day, sends you voice notes and text messages that get you grinning from ear to ear, sings you to sleep every night…you even share deep secrets and talk about the kind of future you envisage, the number of children you want e.t.c. But out of the blues, maybe after a few weeks or even months of being together, he disappears. No phone call. No E-mail. No DM. Not even a text! And not only that, he stops picking your call and all your efforts to reach him are ignored and treated with silence.

It hurts. Really hurts.

I mean, you probably may not have even been particularly attached or invested in the slowpoke, but for him/her to vanish without an explanation? It stings.

Nothing makes you question your self-worth like a love interest that disappears, without any explanation at all.

You are trapped in a cesspool of confusion : What if they were involved in an accident and their corpse is lying somewhere on Ibadan Expressway? What if they lost their phone and cannot retrieve old contacts? Should you be worried? Should you be upset? Should you keep trying to reach them or just respect yourself and move on?

You go crazy with irrational anxiety and constant checking of their Whatsapp’s Last Seen…because you want to know what is going on! And when you eventually realize that you have been left in the lurch and ghosted – maybe you finally notice their activity on social media, or a friend of a friend lets you know that they (love interest) are over you- you start to question the genuineness of the relationship you had, why you didn’t see it coming. You question yourself, your self-worth as well, because you have been deprived of the closure you get from expressing your emotions and being heard, which is important for maintaining your self-esteem.

The funny thing is that people who ghost others (ghosters) actually believe that they are doing the ‘ghostee’ a favour. They are cutting out the awkwardness of the conversation they would have to have with them to end the relationship, and saving them from the hurt of being rejected.

In reality, though, they are doing more emotional and psychological damage. Of course, texting someone something like: ‘Hey, I am over you. I don’t want to do this anymore. Don’t contact me anymore, and good luck with the rest of your life” would suck, but at least they would know to move on.

Ghosting is a reflection of a person’s level of maturity. People who are immature, self-centered and dramatic usually are the ones with the knack for ghosting. They are just interested in what they want and what works for them, no matter who gets hurt.

Also, cowards who cannot express the way they feel with words. But can we really blame them? If they meet someone with the hope of getting something beautiful, but end up with a toxic fellow who is clingy, bossy or just suffocating, should they be blamed for just disappearing and not handling the situation properly?

At the end of the day, the whole ghosting thing sucks. You have to remember that the act says nothing about you or your worthiness for love and instead tells everything about the ghoster. They do not have the maturity to be in a healthy relationship with you, so all that’s left for you to do is let them go peacefully and maintain your dignity.

Dwelling on the whys and how will only rob you of a better future because you will develop trust issues and shut yourself off from another relationship.

On the other hand, those who have the knack for ghosting should realize that they are horrible people. By refusing someone that little respect that comes with giving them closure, even if the interaction with them had been short or fleeting, you’re robbing them of so much self-esteem and self-worth. Be better.

Have you ghosted anyone or been ghosted before? Share your experience and thoughts.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/the-thing-about-ghosting/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44

It is like this OP is advertising market. Just check his topics.

missbeckykisses:
honestly telling you it must be one of my village people cos those people are evil and unpredictable

You are being silly, the bat will leave in a few days of its own volition.

By Olaide Lukman Olaoluwa

If I were Nnamdi Kanu, I would start the Biafran agitation from home by questioning the South-East governors before engaging the federal government. I would seek why the South East is the least in terms of Internally Generated Revenue asides North-East. The Eastern leaders need to show political accountability before tossing the marginalisation speech to the federal government.

If I were Nnamdi Kanu,i would ask important questions from Law makers like Senator Ike Ekweremadu if they were satisfied with the Eastern status-quo, I would put to them if they have been listening to cries back home, how Ekweremadu being the Chairman of constitutional amendment has not seen the need to lobby for referendum in the constitution which will pave the way for smooth secession.

If I were Nnamdi Kanu, rather than label some part of Nigeria as our enemy, I would seek for unity and political integration as politics is a game of numbers. I would not need to call the president names as it is in the public record that he twice had an Igbo man as his running mate. Hence, I would shake hands across the Niger, entertain opinion from home and abroad because we need all the support we can get.

If I were Nnamdi Kanu, our secessionist movement would not be that of an uncouth public display rather it would be a movement of apt intelligence with well-to-do individuals from all walks of life as Biafra should be an ideology instead of a regional thing. I would borrow ideas how NADECO actualised having a Yoruba man as a consolation for the withheld people’s mandate of MKO Abiola. How they pressurised the government and powers that be without taking up arms.

If I were Nnamdi Kanu, I would utilise the call for restructuring by campaigning for a true federal or regional structure with the East depending on itself than on the centre. As this will not only create more jobs and improve the human capacity as a whole, it will also help harness our current resources lying idle.

If I were Nnamdi Kanu, I would stop the feet kissing display and inflammatory statements. I would adopt some methods from great men like Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi and so on. This would change my already in-doubt public perception.

If I were Nnamdi Kanu … fortunately, I am not Nnamdi Kanu. I am another Nigerian whose opinion will be deemed irrelevant depending on the side of the divide the reader belongs.

http://www.opinions.ng/i-nnamdi-kanu/

In what can be best described as an Undercover operation, Uganda's Minister of Health, Sarah Opendi on Friday arrested two health workers at Naguru-China Friendship Hospital for collecting bribes.

The Minister covered in Hijab and a face veil worn by Muslim women called Niqab, arrived the hospital on a commercial motorcycle called boda boda (okada in Nigeria) and went through the hospital process like any normal patient would. However, she soon confirmed her suspicions that the hospital is full of corrupt health workers.

She explained to the press: “I arrived here and disguised myself as a patient with abdominal complications. I wanted to confirm reports I have been receiving from the public that Naguru health workers ask patients to pay for free services.

“I went to the doctor who I informed me about my sickness. The doctor then recommended that I do some tests including: liver function test, diabetes and Hepatitis B.

“However, I was directed to the laboratory.” she added.

When she got to the main laboratory, Andrew Kalule, a lab technologist asked for Shs150, 000 to perform the recommended tests which are meant to be free.

“I never had all the money but I gave him Shs100, 000 and pleaded with him to allow me bring the balance when I get. He then gave me his number and name as Ssozi" explained the minister who then encountered Christine Namanda, a nursing assistant who allegedly asked for Shs5,000 in order to avail testing stripes used to diagnose diabetes.

Namanda told journalists at the time of her arrest that the testing strips were out of stock at hospital and that she wanted to go and buy them from a private clinic. However, after being searched by the police, she was found with about Shs87, 300 which she had allegedly collected from patients as bribes. The minister could easily identify the shillings she had given the nurse having kept the numbers.

The Minister indicated that the suspects would be charged to the Anti-Corruption Court.

Source: http://www.opinions.ng/ugandas-health-minister-busted-corrupt-health-workers-using-hijab/

cc: Lalasticlala, Mynd44