See them below.

Men shouldn’t be looking at their phone more than the Lady.

Talking about your Bank account or how much his father has ; this puts ladies off (Bragging).

Smelling Bad ( Mouth or Body Odour is a No. No).

Don’t ask ” are you a virgin?”.

Don’t ask her how many guys she’s been with ( Body Count).

If she’s going to pay the movie or dinner bills let her know in advance ( no unexpected ATM failures, I forgot my wallet at home).
When your phone rings on a date and you’re asked where you are? Don’t give a degrading response eg ( I dey with that big ass babe, I dey with tolu big Breasts, I dey with that weekend chops I teh u about”.

Don’t insist on a “come to my house first date” or come to my friends house first date.

Don’t leave your date to talk to another Lady for more that 2 minutes

Don’t buy her too many gifts she may think ure trying to buy her.

If for any reason someone else needs to be in the car, don’t put her in the back seat.
Don’t compare her to your Ex.

Don’t talk about her weight or hair only in a positive way eg ( some guys may say : ure about to burst out of that dress, your hair should be due by now ?).

After the first sex always call as a courtesy (even if the sex was good or bad).

Table manners ( making sounds with ur mouth while eating, talking while theirs food in your mouth, using fork & knife for icecream).

Focus your eyes on her eyes not her breast or ass. ( don’t look at any other lady asides her on a date).

Projecting yourself as someone youre not (Ladies can spot fake confidence, or a fake in general) Don’t borrow ur friends car and say it’s yours, don’t lie your friend’s apartment is yours).

Don’t be too touchy & feely on a first date.

Don’t be rude or nasty to the waiter or waitress to impress your date.

Don’t ask her for money.

Don’t ask for pictures unless she offers

As it is common with bustling cities around the world, the thoroughfares of Lagos are ridden with beggars. And contrary to expectations, these drifters are no longer just individuals garbed in dirty filthy clothes sitting around the roads with their arms outstretched, begging for coins or individuals quietly sitting on the corner streets, exhibiting their amputations; they are now also camouflaged as regular people walking the street and crowding your space, colonizing every part of the city, including high-brow areas like Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki.
No doubt, it is difficult to grapple the distressing sight of fellow humans living in horrid conditions, but truth be told, it may just be easier to ignore these beggars as some of them can become insatiably obstinate. But then, it is becoming increasingly difficult for tourists as well as inhabitants of the city to identify these beggars. Read on to discover the 7 kinds of beggars to look out for while visiting Nigeria’s most active city.

The Destitute Beggar
This is the classic beggar. The destitute beggar is the dirty, haggard, impoverished and pitiable soul lodged on the roadsides or bridges without a home or source of living. These set of people are unable to participate and compete in the workforce, neither have anyone providing their welfare nor clues where to go to for help, and so resort to handout from strangers for survival. It is usually difficult to pass by these people without dropping a coin or note; however, it is usually better to point them to organizations that can offer them restoration.

The Disabled Beggar
Have you ever been trapped in Lagos traffic and a tap on your side window reveals a physically disabled citizen asking for sustenance? The experience is usually heart wrenching as you are most times compelled to wonder: How did he live through his youth? Does he not have a family? What were his ambitions? The disabled beggar is another classic, and usually includes an amputee or someone infested with an extensive or terminal disease. Sometimes, these beggars sit in groups and usually have their ‘love-vendor’ not too far away.

The Mother-of-many
This kind of beggar is very easily encountered around market areas and strategic road corners in Lagos. A woman shabbily dressed, usually with sunken eyes that express her dire state of helplessness, sits with a number of babies, sometimes crying continually to draw attention and pity. They usually tell the sorrowful story of how they were abandoned by her husband or how she and her husband lost their jobs. These beggars who are hard to ignore, request for cash donations and food supplements from people who stop-by to offer assistance. There have been rumors that some of these beggars actually borrow these babies from other women and they work as a group, however, whatever the case, it is usually best to alert organizations to cater to such people, pointing them to the location of the beggar so they offer help where needed.

The Settle-Me road Lord
These are possibly the most annoying of the different beggars encountered in Lagos. This settle-me road lord is not your typical beggar with genuine need, seeking for assistance. They are able-bodies individuals who lurk around busy areas demanding for privileges that they do not necessarily deserve. They target certain people either because they look affluent or vulnerable. Most popular are the ones on the island who stay around areas with bad roads, they help victims whose care get stuck and then demand to be settled. These kinds of beggars usually work in groups and can get very belligerent, especially if you are around their.

The Stranded Professional
These are the newest breed of beggars. They are not shabby looking or haggard in appearance. Some of them wear very expensive clothes and perfumes. They are the group of people who accost you with stories of how their wallet was stolen or they ran out of cash and are now stranded in a particular location, with no funds for transport. Some of them even claim to be unfortunate tourists or travellers looking for funds to get on with their journey. While they are not dressed like the classic beggars, these people can be as equally persistent and annoying. If the amount you offer them is not up to their expectations, they get on with repeating their story, really emphasizing on the sadder nuances of that tale, coaxing you into giving more.

The Entrepreneur Beggar
These “entrepreneurs” can be quite the nuisance. Have you ever been in traffic and a man comes to wash your windscreen without your consent and afterwards asking for recompense? Or been in the market and seen some ladies offering to beautify your skin with henna patterns and asking to be tipped afterwards? While these beggars are making an effort towards making a living by finding creative ways to earn money instead of just asking, they can be very annoying – especially when they are offering a service you do not particularly need or are averse to.

The Child Beggar
Thee child beggar is the child on the street that runs after you, tugging at your clothing, asking for handouts or financial assistance. Usually their parents sit not too far keeping a watchful eye while they go about begging. It is hard to ignore these children as their chants have a way of appealing to almost all kinds of people. It is best to give this kind of beggar food or clothing rather than cash, as they benefit better from those than cash – which are taken away by their parents.

Former Leader of Niger Delta militant group MEND, Asari Dokubo has asked the Buhari led government to hands off the state governorship election or risk the whole country going up in flames.

In a statement he released today December 7th, Asari accused the Federal government of trying to rig the state governorship election to install APC governorship candidate Timpreye Sylva, an action he described as against the will of the people. He stated that any action in this direction will lead to a crisis that will make Boko Haram be described as a child's play.



"If by next week the Federal Government does not hands off from the Bayelsa polls by allowing the people to freely choose their leader but still interfering through the observed various guises and deception, then we would have no option than to return to the creeks to press for our rights as patriotic citizens being unduly oppressed and dehumanized all in the name of politics. We have said it before that President Buhari is executing an anti-Ijaw agenda and his aim is to steal our God-given resources to rebuild the north destroyed by Boko Haram. That is why he is hell-bent on manipulating the electoral process in Bayelsa State and hand it over to the APC. They are exploiting Sylva’s greed and desperation for power and therefore using him to carry out their evil agenda. But we want them to know that this country will go up in flames if they try it. Boko Haram will be a child’s play if President Buhari and his APC think they can upturn the people’s mandate. It would be a grave injustice which can never stand. We are Ijaw people and we have never been conquered”.

Aari stated that results collated and announced so far by INEC have shown that the incumbent governor and PDP’s candidate, Governor Seriake Dickson, had won 6 of the 7 local governments with a margin of 33,154 votes and has thus fulfilled constitutional requirement of 2/3 spread and popular votes. INEC had earlier this week canceled the election in Southern Ijaw local government area and declared the governorship election inconclusive.

The Court of Appeal in Abuja yesterday nullified the election of Senate Minority leader Godswill Akpabio as the Senator representing Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District in the Senate. The Court of Appeal in its ruling said their judgement was based on the violations of the Electoral Act during the senatorial election between Mr. Akpabio and the APC candidate Inibehe Okori. The court ordered a rerun election within 90 days.

In a related development, the Court of Appeal in Abuja also nullified the election of Senator George Sekibo representing Rivers East Senatorial District in the Senate. The court also nullified the election of two Rivers state House of Representatives members. They are Kingsley Chindah of Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, and Blessing Nsiegbe of Port Harcourt 2 Federal Constituency.

Everybody is a leader now...we all have places we lead...lol

Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola has hinted that the Federal government will be re-introducing tolls at Federal roads in Nigeria. Fashola says the money generated from the tolls will be used for the maintenance of the roads. He said this during his first news conference tagged ‘Setting the Agenda for Delivering Change’ in Abuja today December 8th...

“Maintenance would be our watchword. We are setting up a robust maintenance regime to keep our highways in good shape. This shows that tolling is necessary to support government funding. So, it will not be too much if we ask every road user to pay little to augment government funding for road maintence. It is eminent commonsense for us to find that money. We will use technology; so if we don’t pay cash, you will pay by tokens or tickets and the money is accountable and it will go to the right place. We will manage that fund properly and we will hold those who we put there to account.” he said

Cristiano Ronaldo is the most followed footballer on Instagram, it has been revealed. The Real Madrid star alongside Neymar & Lionel Messi make up football's most followed stars on Instagram.

Ronaldo and Messi, football's greatest rivals in the last decade usually put up pictures of their sons, family and training regime, with the Portugal captain also not shy when it comes to posting his several merchandise and endorsement deals on the app.


Here is the top ten list;

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - 39.4 million followers

2. Neymar - 36.5 million followers

3. Messi - 30.5 million followers

4. James Rodriguez - 16.7 million followers

5. Gareth Bale -11.4 million followers

6. David Luiz - 11 million followers

7. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 10 million followers

8. Ronaldinho - 8.7 million followers

9. Karim Benzema - 8.3 million followers

10. Thiago Silva - 8 million followers

The Federal Government has filed a six-count charge of alleged N2.1billion money laundering against the former chairman of DAAR Communications Plc owners of AIT and RayPower, Chief Raymond Dokpesi.‎ Daar Holding and Investment Limited was filed as co-defendant in the suit. Dokpesi and his company are being accused of violating the Money Laundering Act, the EFCC Act and the Public Procurement Act.

He is expected to appear before Justice Gabriel Kolawole‎ of the Federal High Court Abuja on Monday, December 14, 2015.

Dokpesi alongside the former National Security Adviser, Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) were arrested on December 1st over the same allegation. ‎Dokpesi had in a statement last week said that the N2.1 billion he got from the Former NSA was for PDP media campaign during the general election and not for the purchase of arms.

The World Bank has urged President Buhari to remove petroleum subsidy now as the price of crude oil has declined drastically. The position of the World Bank was made known by the bank's leader Economist, John Litwack at the launch of the new edition of Nigeria Economic Report, the World Bank’s Lead Economist.

He said the best time to remove fuel subsidy is now when global crude oil price is at its lowest level, noting that the Bank foresaw continuous decline in global crude oil price.

“The fuel subsidy appears to have vast modest benefits for the majority of citizens, but the costs are quite high. There is a strong tendency for the cost of fuel subsidy to increase over time as increasing domestic demand for petrol outpaces growth in oil output or revenues. The $35 billion cost of fuel subsidy during 2010 – 2014 was one of the reasons Nigeria was unable to accumulate a fiscal reserve in the Excess Crude Account that could have protected the country from the recent oil price shock.”he said

Which would you save from falling off Your Bible or Phone?

Always be thankful for God's innumerable blessings

lol

Former Lagos state governor Bola Tinubu and former Osun state governor Bisi Akande pictured arriving the venue for the Coronation of the new Ooni of Ife in Ile-Ife yesterday...

Donald Trump on Monday called for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States," an idea swiftly condemned by his rival candidates for president and other Republicans.
The proposed ban would apply to immigrants and visitors alike, a sweeping prohibition affecting all adherents of Islam who want to come to the U.S.

Trump's campaign said in a statement such a ban should stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." It said the proposal comes in response to a level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward Americans.

"Until we are able to determine and understand this problem and the dangerous threat it poses, our country cannot be the victims of horrendous attacks by people that believe only in jihad, and have no sense of reason or respect for human life," Trump said in the statement.
At an evening rally in South Carolina, Trump supporters cheered and shouted in support as he read his statement. Trump warned during his speech that without drastic action, the threat of attacks is "going to get worse and worse."

"As he says, we have to find out who they are and why they are here," Rod Weader, a 68-year-old real estate agent from North Charleston who attended the rally and said he agreed with Trump's plan "150 percent." ''Like he said, they are going to kill us and we've got to stop it."

“We have no idea who is coming into our country, no idea if they like us or hate us,” Trump told supporters in S.C. “I wrote something today that is very salient…and probably not very politically correct. But I don’t care.”
Trump added that his proposal is “common sense” and “we have no choice”. He warned the crowd that “we can be politically correct and stupid but it’s going to get worse and worse.”

The proposed ban would stand "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on," his campaign said in a statement earlier Monday.

The statement added that Trump's proposal comes in response to the level of hatred among "large segments of the Muslim population" toward Americans.

"Donald Trump is unhinged," Jeb Bush said via Twitter. "His 'policy' proposals are not serious."

The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) has warned Biafra protesters not to move their campaign to the south western part of the country as they would not stand by and watch the region turned into ‘a theatre of war’.

There have been a lot of protests staged by some Igbo people calling for an independent Biafra with the latest being a violent protest in Onitsha that resulted in the death of nine civilians and two police officers.

Daily Trust reports that in a statement made available by the national coordinating council of the Yoruba group and signed by Comrade Akinpelu Adeshina, in Ibadan on Friday, December 4, the group said the heightened security situation in the country necessitated the warning.

Part of the statement read: “We see the attempt to bring the World Igbo Day celebration – in whatever guise – which is normally celebrated on the 29th September annually to the Yorubaland as a mischievous and diabolically crafted attempt to cause chaos in and destabilize Yorubaland; and this we will repulse and reject with everything at our disposal.

“As much as we believe in the right of every person and group to self-determination, we are of the firm belief that this particular event is mischievously conceived and earmarked to be hosted in any part of Yorubaland.

“It is true that the Yoruba are a liberal, peaceful and accommodating people, yet we are no fools and should not be treated as fools.
“The South West part of Nigeria is the most secure and peaceful part of Nigeria today and should therefore not be turned into a theatre of war or avoidable crisis.

“For too long, the Yoruba have accommodated all other tribes and nationalities like good hosts. We have not minded the odium and other atrocities committed against our people, and on our ancestral land.

“During the last election campaigns, it was the height of all insults when the Igbos in Lagos derided and mudsling our highly revered traditional rulers, particularly the Oba of Lagos. Never in history has it been recorded that a Yoruba person or group crossed the Niger River into either the northern or eastern part of the country to go and vilify, desecrate or insult any of their paramount rulers for political or any other reasons.

“The leeway to do business and own properties which the Igbo and other nationalities enjoy in Yorubaland has not been reciprocated for the Yoruba elsewhere, thus it would only be fair to warn anyone or group that if our relationship cannot be mutually beneficial, it should in no way be injurious to us as a people.”

Meanwhile, governors of the 19 northern states of Nigeria called on those agitating for a separate country to tread the path of caution.

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger has backed Lionel Messi to win this year’s Balon D’or, saying the Argentine is touched by God.

According to him, Messi is just a ‘different’ player and is so blessed that whenever he has the ball, he can do just anything with it.
“Messi is touched by God when he has the ball at his feet. He has a supersonic level of training.”

The 66-year-old tactician who has been Arsenal manager since 1996 disclosed that for him, Messi is the best and should win this year’s world footballer of the year award.

“No doubt (he will win) this year, as he has won everything,” he said. “For me, he is the best,” he said.

It would be recalled that FIFA released the top three nominees for the FIFA Ballon D’Or, Puskas award and coach of the year nominees.

The names of the nominees in the men and women categories were released via a statement by the football governing body.
The nominees for the FIFA Ballon d’Or are: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Argentina/FC Barcelona) and Neymar (Brazil/FC Barcelona).

Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of transportation and veteran Publisher, Dele Momudu, were spotted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport yesterday, December 3.

Momodu and Amaechi were not given any preferential treatment as they were frisked like every other passenger at the airport.

They also queued and took off their shoes just like others.

Having just recently married the love of my life I feel I’m in a slightly better position, just about 0.1% better, to give any advice on marriage and relationships. Funny how many people want to give marriage advice when they can’t even maintain a stable relationship with a cat, but I digress. I was recently with a colleague when we met a friend of mine, an elderly man who has been married for 39 years. He asked my colleague if he was married, and my colleague started lecturing the man about marriage. I was deeply embarrassed thinking really? You want to lecture a man that has been married longer than your years on earth about marriage?
Before you get married, discover yourself, or at least have an idea of who you are. And this goes for men especially. Women usually get this stuff sorted out way earlier before men do. Know who you are and what you want because you can’t tell what you want from a woman if you don’t have a basis to compare and balance. That doesn’t mean you should have it all together cos if you don’t it shouldn’t be a deal breaker. At least it wasn’t in my case. You want to marry a partner not an assistant or an accountant, I’ll explain that later.I planned to have it all together before I even consider doing any serious dating. Shows what I know, I was young and naïve.
Moving on. Before you get married, learn tolerance and patience. And by patience I mean with yourself. I had to say that before you start feeling good about yourself and how patient you are with others. Marriage obviously involves sharing EVERYTHING with another person. And that can be pretty tough. Becoming one might sound easy, but it’s the kind of stuff that takes more than a lifetime to achieve. Bringing two intellects and personalities together in a non-binding relationship is already difficult enough in this day and age, let alone a sacred union like marriage. Sometimes you’ll confuse your immediate feelings for emotions, mind you feelings are usually very closely tied with moods and most times you can’t separate the one from the other. In such cases, you’ll need to be patient with yourself, give yourself time to sort things out, I mean how you ‘actually feel’ minus all the overshadowing moody stuff before you open your mouth to utter a word.
Next. Forget the Hollywood motto of ‘if it doesn’t make you happy, take it back’. You shouldn’t go into any relationship thinking in that direction. You’ve already failed the first test if you do. The idea should be, of what use will I be to this relationship? How can I make him or her happy? What can I do to help him or her grow and be better? Bear in mind helping someone become better doesn’t mean trying to change them. If you do your part and serve your partner as you should, you’ll both grow and acquire new characters and attributes together without even thinking about it. Getting into the habit of service can be most rewarding especially when you serve someone you love.
As a man, before you get married be prepared to COOK and CLEAN. I know that’s not what some men want to hear, but I think all men need to know this. There’s nothing that makes a woman more happy than when her husband offers to help her out. Women don’t only want you to help, they want you to want to help, if that makes any sense. Let’s face it, times have changed, men no longer marry virgins from the village just to raise kids to help out in the farm. If you both work, then you’re both tired. If you have more time than she does, be a darling and help out. You’ll be happier for it. By the way, who cooked for you before you got married, your mother?
Which brings me to that not-so-magic four letter word LOVE. Marriage is 10% Love 90% Effort. That’s my opinion anyway, but it’s the formula that has been working for me. Love in my opinion is a decision not an emotion or a feeling. When you say you love someone what you’re actually saying is I’ve thought it long and hard and I’ve decided that you’re the one I want to love. I’ll meet richer, prettier, smarter and funnier people in the future, but I’ve decided that we can work together, and you hold the keys that completes the bunch for me.
Before you get married, learn to listen. If you’re a man you probably already don’t talk much, but now you need to add listening to that attribute. Not just listening, but paying attention because you care about what she’s saying and you’ll have to guess it anyway in the future if you don’t remember and you won’t, and you will never guess right because women think zigzag and logic doesn’t always apply to them.
If you’re a woman I’m sorry dear, but you’re also going to have to learn how to talk less and listen more. A wise man once said ‘by talking you’re only repeating what you already know but by listening you might actually learn something new’. When I and my wife started dating she thought she didn’t talk enough and I’m probably going to be bored with her, how wrong was she? I’ll pay for silence, that’s how much I love quiet. But we both adapted, I listen more and talk more and her, well she still talks her usual amount, but she’s also gradually learning how to listen more.
This is strictly for men. When you get married you get a helper, someone willing to love and serve you, help you grow and become better. Like I said at the start of the post you’re marrying a partner and partners work together. You’ll build an empire together and all memories and wealth that you will acquire over time will mean more to the both of you. You don’t have to have it all together before you get married. Just take a leap of faith. Statistics have shown that married men tend to be more successful, healthier, and live 10 years longer than single men.
Before you get married remember you can’t take her back if you don’t like her anymore or if she no longer works for you. She didn’t come with a return policy or guarantee. You have to set a goal to do whatever it takes, and make an affirmation together that DIVORCE IS OUT OF THE QUESTION. You’ll learn to work out your problems together and there’s no mountain you can’t climb when you have someone that deeply loves you by your side and is willing to walk and work with you.
Finally, remember your wedding is just one day. If you can’t afford the lavish, don’t do it. Debt is not a good way to start a marriage. Get your family and friends to help and pitch in. Keep it simple and you’ll be happy.

The Lagos state government has concluded plans to relocate the Petroleum Tankers farm in Apapa to the Tradefair complex along the Badagry expressway. The move is geared towards finding a lasting solution to the persistent traffic gridlock at Apapa caused mainly by indiscriminate parking of trucks.

Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority LASTMA, Chris Olakpe, disclosed this during an on-the-spot assessment of the Trade Fair Complex with stakeholders on Wednesday December 2nd.

Me I know dey fit read all that terms and condition tins o... e dey too long

This year some of my family members in Nigeria decided to relocate to the United States. It has been fascinating to watch other people experience the immigration process. There is a push to move back to Nigeria but many people still yearn to move to the U.S. I want to talk about some of the things to keep in mind when moving here to better prepare those ready to make the move. This list may not apply to all and in no way is it comprehensive so please add your own advice.

Culture Shock
When you arrive in the U.S. you will most likely experience a culture shock. The food, weather, transportation and many other things here are different from Nigeria. Give yourself time to adjust and do not be too hard on yourself. You may also experience situations that make you more aware of your skin color than you experienced in the past. A note to students, try to find the university’s African Student Association or a local church or mosque to meet Nigerians in your area. Call home when you miss home but also take time to know your new environment. You know what they say, when in Rome…

Poverty Exists
The USA may be the land of opportunities but extreme poverty exists in this country. There are a lot of people living on the streets, there are unemployed people, people who live in rough neighborhoods and insecurity exists. Your friends and relatives will start calling you as soon as you get here to send them goods and money; but let them be aware that you are entering the country jobless and money does not grow on trees. Now if you already landed a job before you get here that is really good for you.

Healthcare Is Not Free
Please take care of yourself. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of preventive care. Healthcare in the U.S. is very expensive and unless you have amazing health insurance you will have to pay all or a big part of the health cost. Do not start eating hamburgers and all that processed food. Eat healthy and stay active.

Have A Plan
You will meet people who have been in the U.S. for 10, 20 or even over 30 years and their lives seem to be stagnant. Have a plan for your life. If you do not have the proper documentation, have a plan to accomplish it as soon as possible. If you play around, you will find it harder to get your papers in the long run. Even if you have legal documents, make sure you have goals whether with school, moving up the corporate ladder or starting a business venture. Nigerians are doing great in this country and breaking all sorts of records so join that positive movement.

Obey The Law
When you make your plans please do not break the law. Please do not come here trying to take the shortcut way to success *side eye to the fraudsters*. Most people I know who have tried that has ended up paying for their actions in the long run. Be prepared to work hard. From road safety to work ethics, know the laws and obey them.

Do Not Give Up
Lastly, do not give up! Remember the reason you left your home country for a new land. Let your journey not be for waste. Things will be difficult at times but tough times do not last, tough people do.

Don’t Rack Up Babies
And one more thing… to my brothers, please do not make babies left and right. Child support is real in these streets.You have been warned.

At an interactive session with members of the Nigeria's Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) at the National Press centre in Abuja this morning, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said the Buhari administration did not promise unemployed graduates N5, 000 stipends.

"We did not promise 5,000 Naira to unemployed graduates but to vulnerable Nigerians" he said.
Who then are these vulnerable Nigerians?

During a recent conversation with an acquaintance, I learned that ladies kept a checklist which potential life time bae must tick before things get heavy. This list contains qualities bae must have and things he must do or be willing to do, before he is even considered for marriage.
In the words of my acquaintance, “I’m not willing to settle o. Anyone who doesn’t check all the right boxes should just comot for road let serious people enter.”
Hmmm.
Instantly, my curiosity was piqued. My ears stood at attention.
Unconsciously, I started strategizing how to borrow some ‘hubby must haves’ from her list to add to mine. This was before I even knew what her checklist was.Blame it on the times we are in. These days, you never know if that one box you refuse to tick on the list will come back to haunt you tomorrow. You must make sure all bases and grey areas are covered.
I quickly asked her to enlighten me further on her checklist. Before proceeding to reel out her checklist, she graciously asked me to ‘listen, learn and adopt’.

The under listed were top priorities on my acquaintance’s hubby-MUST-have checklist:
-Be wealthy (No Negotiation. In fact, the richer, the better).
-Take her on exotic tours around the world (Durh!).
-Invest in her boutique and hair business. (Why is he my husband in the first place?).
-Be tall, dark and handsome TDH things (You go dark, you can’t go wrong).
-Take care of her family because they have all suffered so much (Even the African tradition recognises this. You marry a wife, you marry her family.).
-Have a house in Ikoyi or Banana Island, besides Aunty Linda I. just bought one (See why being wealthy is a must?).
-Must fly only First or Business class (Again, durh!).
-For some reason, she added that- while he gives her these things, she really doesn’t care if he cheats on her (All men cheat anyways. I can’t come and go and kill myself jare).
At this point, my mouth was so open a bird could have built a nest in there and I wouldn’t feel it.
Obviously, my acquaintance loved the good life…too much.
When I recovered from my shocked, I quietly asked her:
‘So, what are you bringing to the table’?

Silence……
Somehow, I managed to call on all the people skills I have acquired over time to change the subject without being rude.
While I respect the opinions of people, I also know that I am not under any obligation to swallow what they spew at me.
Training myself to think differently has really helped me acquire a mindset that is not rooted in the stereotypical. I can’t even begin to tell you how thinking differently has helped me as an individual. But I digress.

Every woman, heck individual, male and female- have a certain ‘spouse must-have’ checklist we draw up as we relate with the opposite gender. The heart wants what it wants, they say. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. From time immemorial, women have fantasised about that ‘knight in shining armour who will show up in all his regal grandeur and whisk us away in his golden chariot to a life where we live happily ever after’.

Problem with that fantasy is it’s just fantasy. Life doesn’t work like that. In life, you must be willing to work for what you truly desire.
Oprah Winfrey had this to say: ‘If you’re sitting around waiting on someone to save, fix or help you, then, you’re wasting your time. Because, only YOU have the responsibility to move your life forward. It doesn’t matter where you come from. I’ve seen people come out of the desert and from the deepest circumstances. It doesn’t matter if your mother had a PhD or not. What matters is this moment and your willingness to see this moment for what it is, forgive the past, take responsibility and move your life forward’.

Dear wonderful woman, you deserve the best. We all do. While most of us also want a wealthy and rich husband and all what not on our checklist, I’m here to get you to re-evaluate your checklist and start building and investing in yourself too. What are you bringing to the table? How are you preparing yourself to add value to hubby when he shows up?

Don’t you know a man with the rich resume you fantasize about also wants something similar from the woman he plans to spend the rest of his wife with? Little wonder the rich marry the rich. You attract what and who you are and not what you fantasize about.

The best form of investment people hardly talk about is investing in yourself. This isn’t restricted to your regular college education but more about building yourself from within, creating good habits, continuously reinventing yourself through skills that will also help you earn, growing your self-worth, maximizing your potential and consciously moving towards your purpose on earth. The returns on self-investment are endless when it comes to taking the first step to grow yourself from within and above all, it helps you to become the best version of yourself.

Ladies, no man owes you anything. It’s time to do away with that ‘needy ‘mentality and develop yourself to become all you were created to be.

Singer Wande Coal whose sophomore album Wanted has been buzzing across boards has revealed a new plan to release a new set of songs.
Speaking to The Sun the singer explained why it took as much as five years to release a second album, as well as plans to release a mixtape with Wiz Kid soon.

He blamed the break-up of former label Mo’Hits for the delay in the release of his album.

According to him: “I was in Mo’Hits, the company dissolved in 2011. I was left alone to choose and I moved with Don Jazzy without a contract, just because of love. As an artiste, I felt it was okay to go with a producer. We started working on the album but we didn’t agree on contract, so I had to move on. And that means I had to start all over again, writing new songs and get new producers. That’s why it took this long.”

Responding to what he could have done differently if he could go back to the earlier days of his career he said he based a lot on love and ignored the business aspect of things which didn’t help matters at the end of the day.

“I wish I had known the things I know now from that time. The way I did it then, I based every­thing on love, back in those days. I should have put business into it. Everything was based on love and friendship.

“I think ev­erything in life teaches you a les­son. You don’t let off your guards.”

He also hinted that there are plans to finish up and put out a mixtape with Ojuelegba star Wiz Kid.

“I think he is a great kid. I love him to death. He is my brother.

The All Progressives Congress was plunged into more crisis yesterday, November 30, as James Faleke, who was the running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu rejected the deputy governorship slot ahead of Saturday’s supplementary election.

The party after consultations chose Alhaji Yahaya Bello to replace Audu, who died on Sunday, November 22, after the Kogi state governorship election was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking to journalist after hours of meeting with Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led APC National Working Committee (NWC), Faleke said he could not accept the offer to be Bello’s running mate because he was already governor-elect, Daily Trust reports.

He explained that a governor-elect cannot yet become another deputy governorship candidate.

According to Faleke, the party leaders called the meeting to brief them on the submission of Alhaji Yahaya Bello’s name to the electoral commision as the party’s governorship candidate instead of giving room for an interactive session on how to solve the political problem.

He said: “We discovered that the meeting that we were invited for was just a mere briefing rather than it being where we could have deliberated and solve the quagmire we find ourselves in. We were only briefed about the position of the party.

“The party told us that we have nominated Alhaji Yahaya Bello. Of course, we made it clear as the political family of Prince Abubakar Audu. We told them that it is not acceptable. We will not go with it. I personally observed that my name has been submitted to the INEC as deputy governorship candidate to pair with Alhaji Bello. I told the national chairman in clear words that ‘Mr. Chairman I have submitted a letter this morning (yesterday) distancing myself from that decision that on no ground will I want to be associated with the decision of the party to pair me with Alhaji Bello because I am already governor elect.

“I also told him, ‘Mr. Chairman for us as a family, Kogi state political family, we are not taking part in that election.’ My name cannot be submitted because I was not even consulted in the first instance.”

Faleke added that Bello was not a part of all their campaigns, saying he had written to both the party and INEC about his stand and would subsequently approach the court to challenge INEC on his own over the declaration of the governorship election as inconclusive.

He said he also challenge the supplementary election, it they went ahead to hold it on December 5

“Since the party will not go to court, we have taken it upon ourselves as our right to defend ourselves in court. We will challenge the decision,” he said.

Faleke had earlier picked Mohammed Audu, son of the late Audu as his deputy in coming poll.

Yesterday, there was chaos at the APC headquarters in Abuja, following speculation that Bello might be named the party’s governorship candidate for the forthcoming Kogi state supplementary polls.

Ever wondered about the different ways you could recycle plastic? Bet you didn’t think they could look this pretty…

We found this interesting feature on houses made from recycled plastic bottles and we just had to share. NGO Development Association for Renewable Energies (DARE), with help from London-based NGO Africa Community Trust are working together to provide housing solutions in northern Nigeria. According to the report on Trueactivist.com, the houses made from plastic and mud are built to reduce carbon emissions So, how many bottles will one need to build a house?

The answer is here: ” A two-bedroom house requires 14,000 bottles to complete. To put this into perspective, Nigeria throws away three million bottles every day. Clearly, there are plenty of bottles which can be repurposed to build every individual in their own abode. ”
. Talk about being environmentally friendly… and we LOVE it!

These colorful homes are bulletproof, fireproof, and can withstand earthquakes. They also maintain a comfortable temperature, produce zero carbon emissions, and are powered by solar and methane gas from recycled waste.

Plastic is everywhere. In fact, the environment is so riddled with it, researchers predict that 99% of all birds on this planet will have plastic in their gut by the year 2050.

It is not enough to persuade people to use less, plastic needs to be repurposed and reused to be kept out of landfills. Despite informative infographics, emotional statistics, and recycling programs, many nations – especially the United States – continue to toss plastics into landfills without much care.

This unfortunate reality has spurred many to get creative with the discarded byproducts of society. Some have used plastic waste to construct marvelous sculptures and raise awareness about the issue, while others are repurposing it entirely to construct eco-friendly homes.

As phys.org reports, the housing crisis has become so bad in Nigeria, nearly 16 million units are required to address the shortage. Because crafting traditional homes would be far too expensive for most, locals adopted the idea put forth by two NGOs and are now building plastic bottle homes.

Read More: http://www.trueactivist.com/nigerians-are-building-fireproof-bulletproof-and-eco-friendly-homes-with-plastic-bottles-and-mud/?utm_source=af&utm_medium=ta&utm_campaign=af

Jose Mourinho might have gone too far in blasting a Chelsea legend and fan favorite especially now he needs the fans by his side in the worst era of his managerial career. One of Chelsea's greatest striker ever, Drogba at the launch of new book, Commitment, gave an interview to Mirror Sport in which he claimed the new generation needed to show more leadership qualities during the club’s crisis.

Drogba said: “Yes, JT (John Terry) is still there but on your own it is very difficult. Other players have to come up with this mentality, you are not born with it. You build it. Maybe you have it in you but you build it.”
Reacting to the interview, Mourinho said;
"When you speak because you want to sell books, I don’t read. I don’t read. I like good interviews. I like interviews from big guys like Didier with good journalists, newspapers or television. But this is not an interview. It was to sell books.
"It doesn’t disappoint me. It was just the reality. It was just to sell books. I can analyse Didier’s interview with pleasure, but not Didier selling books.”

In a deliberate attempt to support local economy and wealth creation, Aliko Dangote has promised to construct a 500 megawatt power plant for Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina States. The Chairman and CEO of Dangote Group of Companies made the pledge through his representative, Engineer Mansur Ahmed, the executive director stakeholders management, at the 36th Kano Trade Fair held in Kano. In his address, Engr. Ahmed noted that without power industries and commerce will cripple and businesses seriously decline as has been the situation in Kano State.

He further revealed that they were currently discussing with the Kano State government on the megawatt power supply and final agreement will be signed soon. Engr. Ahmed made it known that Dangote has built over a hundred borehole across the state and the theatre health facility at Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital which was posponed due to discrepancies and would soon take off in the next few weeks.

Dangote group has done quite a lot of intervention across the federation,he added, sighting the example of Ebola case were the group spent over a billion naira to control it's spread and another billion naira support to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, especially in the north east. Engr. Ahmed also disclosed that the nutrition program of Dangote Group is aimed at ensuring that Nigerian children grow up vibrant and intelligent.

Chidinma and Flavour who performed their collabo- Ololufe last night at Phyno Fest in Onitsha, shared a kiss at the end of the song.

If you had the opportunity to earn #Extra200kMonthly for the next 1 year, what would you do with it?

When it comes to caring for and enhancing beauty, sometimes the best things to use are natural. From the oils to nutrients that we can get from natural sources, you would be amazed at the many benefits our hair, skin and basically our entire bodies can get from taking the time to nurture and treat our bodies the natural way.
One of these amazing natural treatments we can definitely benefit from is coconut oil.
You don’t have to have natural hair to have a bottle of coconut oil stored in your skincare/cosmetics counter. Pretty much anyone can gain from this wonder oil. Coconut oil is usually called the cure-all oil – which basically means you need to get yours today!
Today,I will be sharing 12 amazing benefits of coconut oil that I am pretty sure you don’t know.
Check them out;

1. Body lotion
Using coconut oil as a body lotion is something I just started doing, and I honestly love it. Not only does the oil absorb into the skin easily, you can be rest assured that your skin will remain glossy and lush throughout the entire day. It is even helping out with some scars from my younger and more reckless days.
Just be sure to shower really well at night, so you don’t have residue that could pick up dirt and excess oils from subsequent days.

2. Makeup Remover
Let’s admit it, there are some nights when you get back from a tough day and taking off your makeup seems like climbing Kilimanjaro. I’ve been there too. An easy way out is to use coconut oil.
Simply dab a cotton pad or ball with the oil and wipe your eyes and face with it. The oil will take off all your makeup, no matter how matte it is.
Now, some of you may not like having that oily feeling on your face, especially if you’re used to washing it with cleansers and soaps. If you’re in this boat, you can go over your face with some facial wipes or just wash your face with your regular cleaners.

3. Stretch mark cream
If you’re an expectant mum or you have stretch marks on your hips, thighs, butt cheeks stomach or arms, you might want to take note. Coconut oil is also great for reducing the appearance of stretch marks.
While the oil won’t fade the marks completely, it can help reduce the appearance and will soothe stretching skin during pregnancy.

4. Breath Freshener
Coconut oil is packed with antifungal and antibacterial properties.. Swishing around oil in your mouth for about 20 minutes can help eliminate germs that lead to bad breath and infections for a fresher and healthier mouth.

5. Body scrub
If you’re all about the D-I-Y, then you’ll love this one.
Mixing coconut oil with brown sugar or coarse salt will create an exfoliator you can use to get rid of dead skin and hyper-pigmentation. The oil will also act as a moisturizer to soothe your skin and heal scarring.

6. Massage oil
Speaking of soothing benefits, did you know coconut oil is the perfect ingredient for a massage. Place some oil in a microwave safe bowl and heat up for some seconds. Take it out, add a dash of peppermint or lavender oil and gently rub into your skin. The effect is very relaxing and is another use for your bottle of coconut oil.

7. Lice solution
This is one I’ve seen in action. To get rid of lice, simply rinse the hair with apple cider vinegar and leave to dry. Follow with pouring coconut oil in the hair and letting sit for 12 to 24 hours. After elapsing the time, brush your hair with a fine comb and follow with a shampoo as usual.

8. Dandruff solution
Getting rid of dandruff with coconut oil is pretty easy. Simply apply coconut oil to the roots of the scalp day and night, and massage in. This is also great because it helps stimulate hair growth.

9. Teeth whitener
Here’s another oral use for your coconut oil. Get a bright smile with a coconut oil and baking soda mixture. Put some baking soda in a bowl and add some coconut oil, then mix. Use your tooth brush to take a pea-sized amount and brush your teeth. Don’t forget to smile – people need to see those pearly whites.

10. Shaving cream
Shaving cream doesn’t always have to lather. Apply some coconut oil to your legs or face, and shave like normal. It would give you a clean and close shave, and take away any dryness you may experience after a regular shave.

11. Itch/bite relief
Got an itch, or do you simple just want to get rid of a bug bite? Apply some coconut oil to the area and massage gently. Leave to soak in and enjoy the rest of your day.

12. Deep conditioner
Coconut oil is great for soothing dry hair. You can do this as a pre-shampoo to soothe hair before you shampoo, or as a leave-in conditioner to keep your tresses nice and moisturized all day long
Trust me, there’s loads more where that’s coming from. Do you swear by coconut or any other natural oil? Share them with me !

You see, my grandmother is 81 and every time we speak on the phone the conversation ends with something along the lines of ‘ma fe Igbo, ma fe oyinbo oh’, meaning ‘Don’t marry an Igbo man, Don’t marry a ‘white’ man oh’ which right after my father gives me that side eye of ‘you should probably listen to your grandmother’. I love my family to pieces and I would do anything for them but when it comes to choosing your family and your happiness I often wonder where to place the limits? It is very blurry! Now before anybody accuses my family members of racial and tribal prejudices, I know it is wrong and I uphold a different opinion but many of our old generation parents’ fall into this category no matter how educated they are. There are also arguments of wanting to preserve the cultural heritage, to language barriers and other baseless stereotypes and generalisations that have infiltrated our minds about other cultures.
My first crush in Secondary School was an Igbo boy. Often, my mother would also give me that disapproving look of ‘you are just deceiving yourself’ whenever she questions who I’m talking to on the phone. Then, I really liked this boy and I was more than convinced I would have to put up a fight my parents if need be to marry this boy. But we all know how puppy love story ends.
I like to think there are levels to this issue of parental discrimination and consent. While I can possibly get away with choices outside my race and ethnicity, I cannot predict the same outcome for someone outside my faith. Infact, I don’t have to question it, I just know not to fall in love with my eyes closed.
Tackling such parental prejudice is very difficult as it is one of those cases of being between a rock and a hard place… especially where feelings are involved. And we all know that ‘love’ is a scarce commodity in today’s market, so what exactly are your choices? Concur? Elope? Or be disowned? I asked my brother about this hypothetical situation and he says he would not elope with a lover. He further adds that you can only elope when you are 100 percent certain with your choice. But, there are no guarantees with love. We can only hope that we figure it out somehow till end. I share a similar opinion too. I would not tell my parents ‘go to hell’ with my attitude over their biases. I would defend my truth within reason, and put up a good fight for it till they concede.
A friend’s argument as we discussed a certain Caucasian guy was justified by the Christian faith. A section in the Bible had written that Abraham ‘specifically’ instructed his servant to go to his home town and choose a wife for his son, Isaac. In his words, ‘there is a reason these stories were told, therefore it is still applicable today’. I also stumbled on an interesting Bible verse that says “So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.“
It was quite difficult for me to understand, but Bible scholars say it means that it is the father’s duty to have the final say whom his sons and daughters may or may not marry. This shares a similarity with the Muslim faith as I read: that it is not permissible for a man to marry a woman without the permission of her parents/guardians. Till date, there is still a massive overlap in what we accept as religious and what stands as cultural, and in a subject as sensitive as marriage, the interplay between both ideals is obvious.
Prejudice is something we learn in different ways particularly within the context of intimacy – family relationships are intimate relationships and most children feel an obligation of loyalty to uphold parental beliefs. Conversely, such biased beliefs does not make people inherently bad but life experiences and cultural ideals make people more susceptible to flawed reasoning. I read somewhere that many African American families still object to interracial marriages which is not surprising given their history of slavery and racism. Yet, this is also another form of racism.
Tribalism on the other hand, ranks as one of the top problems in Nigeria, and it will be deceptive of me to say this problem will end any time soon. However, we can talk about it, re-educate ourselves and make up our minds not to raise our children with such flawed ideologies.
Now I throw it to Nairalanders would you marry outside parental consent either on tribal, racial, or religious grounds, and if you’ve ever rebelled, let’s hear your story.