₦airaland Forum

Over the weekend, the attention of football fans following the English Premier League (EPL) quickly shifted from the shocking death of Emiliano Sala to the humiliating news of Chelsea’s 6-0 loss to Manchester City. Maurizio Sarri and Chelsea’s defeat marked their worst in any competition since Nottingham Forest beat them in 1991.

Maurizio Sarri must be under pressure by now knowing the impatience of Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich. Since Abramovich took over the club in 2003, he has shown the exit door to no fewer than nine coaches in his desperate bid to get consistent results.

Abramovic has an obsession for results and he will do everything to get it. Even if it means sacking coaches until he gets the “best” man for the job. This explains why he sacked Conte and replaced him in the summer with Sarri despite winning the EPL in his first season.

No doubt, Maurizio Sarri did not win any major trophy in Napoli while in Italy. But the fact that he had managed young players, brought out the best in them, and could play a possessive style of football (Sarrisimo) consistently, was enough to catch the attention of Roman Abramovich.

For Maurizio Sarri, life was a bed of roses in England with Chelsea in his first few matches until he hit the rock bottom. If his 4-0 careless loss to Bournemouth beckoned the beginning of his end, his disastrous loss to Manchester City on Sunday may be the final straw that will break his back. Roman Abramovic is a no-nonsense owner.
Read full article : https://qwenu.com/2019/02/12/maurizio-sarris-days-at-chelsea-may-be-numbered/

In 2003, under the umbrella of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Amosun contested and won the National Assembly elections representing Ogun Central Senatorial District. He held this position until 2007 when, under the aegis of the All Nigeria People’s Party, he ran for governor of Ogun state. He was defeated by the incumbent governor at that time, Gbenga Daniel of PDP.

In 2011, running as the gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) now the All Progressives Congress (APC), Amosun was finally swept into power. He sought reelection in 2015 and won.

But all of these are not enough for Ibikunle Amosun. Ahead of the February 16 elections, Amosun last year declared his interest to once again contest for the National Assembly representing the same senatorial district, possibly walking in the footsteps of the wife of the national leader of his party, Senator Oluremi Tinubu who for the fourth time is running for a seat in the National Assembly to represent the Lagos Central Senatorial District.

Still riding on his political power, Amosun, in an unprecedented move created a party, the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and appointed his favorite, Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade as the gubernatorial candidate after his own party, under which he is contesting for a seat at the National Assembly, rejected the latter and chose Dapo Abiodun instead. It is not a secret that he is Amosun’s candidate and that the governor has openly contested for him ahead of the elections. What is surprising is the APC’s silence in the face of all this atrocious political dribbling, and its questionable generosity in allowing Amosun contest under its platform.

The party should not have been surprised at the outcome of its political rally today in Ogun state when the national chairman, Adams Oshiomole and the President, Muhammadu Buhari were jeered and even almost ‘stoned’ with sachets and bottles of water at the APC rally in Ogun state, after they attempted to endorse the candidature of Dapo Abiodun. Not even Amosun’s pleas to the crowd that “our father is here” could stop them from shouting “no” and raising placards of the Adekunle Akinlade.

It is clear, even to the most apathetic political observer that the APC is determined to win the presidential elections at all costs. It has kept quiet in the face of all the video evidence showing current governor of Kano state, Abdullahi Ganduje collecting bribes from contractors especially as he has promised to deliver 5 million votes to the president come February 16. Never mind that one of the core election promises of the president is to eradicate corruption.

Now, it has closed its eyes to the madness going on in Ogun state, possibly because it does not want to block whatever votes might be coming from there... Read full article: https://qwenu.com/2019/02/12/the-ogun-state-rally-is-a-warning-signal-for-the-apc/

Lagosian is a popular Nigerian podcast host in the US. He interviews different people on various topics.

This episode he discusses with his guest why Liverpool doesn't have the liver to win the premier league this year, Arsenal's problems, and UEFA Champions league predictions.

https://qwenu.com/2019/02/10/lagosian-in-new-york-city-podcast-episode-2-totti-liverpool-does-not-have-the-liver-to-win-the-epl-arsenal-problems-uefa-champions-league-predictions/

In this episode of the Lagosian in New York City podcast, Lagosian is joined by Mr Damola Richards – a Nigerian based in the Washington DC metro area of the United States who left Nigeria many years ago after his undergraduate education was continually interrupted by multiple ASUU strikes.

Mr Richards describes his experiences at home and why he chose not to complete his undergraduate degree in a Nigerian university (despite not being far from graduation), instead choosing to come to the United States to start afresh.

Lagosian and his guest discuss the impact of ASUU strikes on Nigerian youth and compare the Nigerian vs. US tertiary education systems.

Very interesting discussion

https://qwenu.com/2019/02/10/lagosian-in-new-york-city-podcast-episode-1-damola-richards-ASUU-strikes-and-nigeria-vs-us-education/

Congo recently held its first ever peaceful elections since its independence in 1960 two years after it was initially scheduled to hold, effectively putting an end to the 18-year rule of Joseph Kabila.

Or so the world has chosen to believe. The first indication that a Kabila-free Congo might be a myth was the allegation from the opposition led by Martin Fayulu who said that the results were falsified to announce Tshisekedi as the winner. Even though he has now been sworn in as president of Congo, Martin Fayulu continues to insist that he was proclaimed winner simply because he is in cahoots with Kabila

Now it seems Fayulu may have been right. Reports have recently emerged that the outgoing Prime Minister, Bruno Tshibala in November last year signed into law two decrees granting ex-ministers lifetime salaries. The first one stipulates that former Prime Ministers, starting from Tshibala, would be entitled to a monthly salary of up to 30% of the current Prime Minister’s, as well as a monthly stipend of $5,000 and healthcare overseas.

The second decree is for all former ministers. They would now be entitled to monthly salaries equal to 30% of the current ministers’, $1,000 housing stipend and one yearly international flight in business class.

Tshibala has defended these decrees, boldly saying that these are basic stipends needed to satisfy basic needs and to “stop the ministers from falling into destitution.” So far, President Tshisekedi has not taken any action to end these decrees or even counter Tshibala’s assertions, and, going by Fayulu’s allegations, it is highly unlikely that he will do anything.

As shocking as these incidents appear, they are a familiar story across Africa and tell an old, weary tale of the seemingly-eternal grip of corruption on our nations. While it is an unarguable fact that a government is a reflection of the society it leads, it is apparent that in Africa, corruption thrives, not just because the people are corrupt but because the rulers ensure that when they step into the corridors of power, they immediately get busy setting up structures and systems that continually oil the machine of corruption and keep them forever in power to enjoy its proceeds.

Read full article: https://qwenu.com/2019/02/07/congo-shows-us-why-corruption-thrives-in-africa/

African woman, victim of our society

She is born into a society that expects so much from her but gives her limited opportunities to explore her potentials as she is bound by culture and religious dogmas.

She is a victim of her society.

Her achievements are rated on the scales of a successful marriage and her ability to procreate in her lifetime. Her level of educational attainment is of little or no relevance as it is relegated to the kitchen where she is deemed to belong.

Culturally, the male child is preferred to her because he is an heir in the lineage who has the right to inheritance. She is often denied this privilege because she is seen as an asset for exchange in due time through marriage.

She is subjected to the painful and barbaric practice of female gentile mutilation and breast ironing to stop her from being promiscuous. In religion, she is subjected to control from her husband.

She is denied the right to decide how many children she wants to bear. She must be submissive and enduring at all times because she is perceived to be weak physically and emotionally, and if she objects to these stereotypes, she is labelled wayward.

She is groomed to endure suffering and pain even in the most extreme cases of domestic violence. She is encouraged and expected to endure and pray in order to save her marriage because homemaking is her birthright.

In scenarios of infertility, she is labelled barren even when she is certified fertile by medical practitioners. When assaulted sexually, she is expected to conceal it and nurse her agony and pain in silence to avoid stigmatization.

In war and natural disaster, she suffers the physical and psychological effects more because she loses her husband and children and is subjected to culturally barbaric mourning rituals.

In childbirth, she endures the pain to give life and sometimes loses hers in the process. Her efforts in child rearing are unappreciated but she takes the blame each time a child is deviant.

Striving to break the bonds of societal stereotypes as a single lady she is discriminated, harassed and labelled an iron lady or even derogatorily called a prostitute.

The society ridicules her potentials at the slightest opportunity. It undermines the historic track records of women who have made a positive impact, the likes of Queen Amina of Zaria, Emotan of the Benin kingdom, Dora Akunyili, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Libera etc.

Still, she remains a victim of her society... Read full article : https://qwenu.com/2019/02/06/african-woman-victim-of-our-society/

Naomi Osaka: the emerging tennis star

When it comes to sports, one major feature is the competitiveness that is attached to it. This is why teams and players are ranked worldwide and stars are made in the process. Hence, with every historical disposition of sports, certain names will always ring a bell.

Names like as Mohammed Ali in boxing, Pele in football, Micheal Schumacher in Formula 1 racing, Tiger Woods in golf, Sachin Tendulkar in cricket, Usain Bolt in the sprints, Micheal Jordan in basketball, Yelena Isinbayeva in pole vaulting, and Micheal Phelps in swimming.

The game of lawn tennis is one that will not be short of stars. From the likes of Ken Rosewall to Roger Federer, Margaret Court to Serena Williams. We have never been short of icons and legends.

Every era has seen an array of stars amidst the dominance of a few. In the present era, we have seen the likes of Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal dominate men’s tennis with analysts asking who will come to dethrone these players.

Women’s tennis, on the other hand, is rather intriguing. As it has witnessed a clear dominance by Serena Williams who from 1999 till date has gone on to win a record 23 career grand slams, on course to eclipse Margaret Court’s standing record of 24 career grand slams.

There has been some competition from the likes of Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Kim Clijsters, to mention a few, but they have been no match with Serena Williams. In recent times, we have seen flashes of brilliance from players like Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber, Caroline Wozniacki, Petra Kvitova who looked like they were going to spice up the competition.

However, there could be hope in the rave of the moment, as Naomi Osaka, the Japanese-American, who has a Haitian father appears to have become the next breakout star. Her story is quite interesting and has some similarities with the queen of the court, Serena.

This is because Naomi’s father, Leonard Francois, drew inspiration from Serena’s father, Richard Williams, in first training both Naomi and her...
continue to read article: https://qwenu.com/2019/02/06/naomi-osaka-the-emerging-tennis-star/

When the value system is eroded and money becomes the god worshiped in society, automatically, people will do everything fetish including human sacrifice to get rich quick. The contemporary Nigerian society is one that has lost its value system. There is now an obsessive lust for money such that, people resort to money rituals as a quick way to get rich. An average youth on the street does not want to work hard or follow the process of growth as well as the law of sowing and reaping but to turn billionaire overnight.

Which is why recently, some youth have resorted to stealing female underwear to do money rituals. This is an appalling development but before one condemns those perpetrating this satanic act, it is important to look at the root of the matter.

Where it all started

Somehow, there is an indirect relationship between corruption and money rituals. Nigeria is a country where people steal public money and call it free money. Since the thieves did not work for it, they spend it anyhow such that, their neighbours or those who look up to them are moved to envy. And in the process of trying to emulate them, by all means, the youth take desperate steps including doing money rituals. Added, the manner with which public servants who stole money are venerated in society makes more youth desperate to emulate them.

Furthermore, youth unemployment is on the high side in Nigeria. And these youth are put under pressure by parents, relatives and sometimes motivational speakers or performance coaches to give what they do not have. As a result, some of them do money rituals in order to meet up with the pressure.

The entertainment industry has also contributed to the increasing problems of money rituals in Nigeria. Some of the movie and song contents produced, glorify money and encourage the youth to get rich quick. For instance, songs like Yahooze by Olu Maintain, Watin we gain by Victor A.D. Kana by Olumide and Wizkid and Penalty by Small Doctor fall into this category.

What is the way out of this mess?

read full article : https://qwenu.com/2019/02/04/the-worrisome-case-of-money-rituals-in-nigeria/

When Nnamdi Kanu the runaway leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and his goons began to cry for secession on behalf of the estimated 42 million marginalized Igbo predominantly living in the southeastern region of Nigeria, I thought they were serious, meant business and ready to continue what Ojukwu started in 1966. Not only that, it was easy to anticipate that, even if their effort did not yield bifurcation, it would push the government to find permanent solutions to the problem of marginalization faced by all the downtrodden groups.

Unfortunately, given the behaviour of Nnamdi Kanu since he resurfaced in the news after his mysterious escape from Nigeria, I can boldly say that he is not a genuine revolutionary like Ojukwu and Ralph Uwazuruike. He is only bent on pursuing his personal interest and gaining a place in the Igbo’s Hall of Messiahs overnight, without working for it, at the expense of those he has fooled to join his fraudulent struggle to liberate the Igbo.

A true revolutionary who is bent on disrupting the status quo and breaking the fetters of marginalization has clear ideas and focus. He does not speak for speaking sake or try to get the media’s attention with false claims and empty lies, which eventually contradict his goals.

A genuine revolutionary makes his case with facts in order to appeal to the reason and emotion of his followers as well as the international community. But if he keeps lying to make the news headlines and whipping up anti-Nigeria sentiments, no serious person, organization or country will give him solidarity. And if care is not taken, his followers will break ranks and the movement will collapse before his eyes.

This is exactly what Nnamdi Kanu has been doing. He does not have clear goals, focus, and strategy on how to successfully lead Biafra out of Nigeria. He has not tendered enough concrete facts for why the Igbo should be allowed to leave. He does not even have the endorsement of governors, powerful men, and power brokers from the southeast.

What he mostly does is hate speech to throw Nigerians into confusion with his unimaginable lies. For instance, the infamous viral story of Buhari being a clone of a Sudanese called Jubril allegedly emanated from him. Now, he has claimed that Atiku Abubakar is from Cameroun. His claim may be true historically but it is certainly to peddle propaganda.

for full article visit: https://qwenu.com/2019/02/04/nnamdi-kanu-and-his-Biafra-agenda/

In 2018, Nike designed the World Cup jerseys of 9 countries. Of this nine, the jersey of one country stood out. Nigeria.

Before its official June 1 release, it already had a whopping 3 million pre-orders. When it became available for sale on the Nike website, it sold out in a record-breaking 3 minutes. While the exact number of the Nigerian jersey by Nike purchased is not known, it is certain that Nike sold millions of it worldwide.

Buoyed by their success, possibly, Nike went on to partner with Nigeria’s pop-star, Wizkid in September. The Starboy jersey, celebrating the singer’s Nigerian roots as well as Surulere, the town where he was born and raised was another massive hit. On September 10, the official release date, it sold out in 10 minutes. https://qwenu.com/2019/02/02/i-now-pronounce-you-nike-and-nigeria/

Auditions for the Big Brother Naija season 4 kicked off yesterday at 8 locations nationwide – Lagos, Abuja, Port-Harcourt, Calabar, Ibadan, Benin, and Warri.

In Lagos, the crowd at Adeniyi Jones was so much that it caused massive traffic around the venue and beyond. The appeal of fame and money was definitely too strong for Nigerians to ignore.

Recall that the first edition of Big Brother Naija aired in 2006 with housemates like Ebuka, Katung, Maureen, and Gideon. Katung was the winner, but it was Ebuka who went on to become the most popular of the lot, hosting other seasons of the reality TV show.

The next season, however, did not air until 2017, possibly due to a lack of sponsors. Housemates on the Big Brother Naija season 2 included actress and singer, Bisola, Thin Tall Tony the infamous liar, Efe, TBoss, singer Debbie Rise and Mavis.

It was during this season that Nigerians become more aware of the reality show and some began to complain of what they termed the uselessness and immorality of the show, especially for children. After several back and forths, the general consensus was for parents and other uninterested parties to activate parental control and lock channel with their secret code.

Big Brother Naija had now grown to an international show with billions of Africans at home and abroad tuning in every day to watch and vote. It was time for a third season.

Tagged ‘Double Wahala‘, season 3 was definitely a hit. Housemate Cece https://qwenu.com/2019/02/02/big-brother-naija-season-4-is-here/

On the 16th of January 2019, an investigative journalist in Ghana, Ahmed Hussein-Suale was killed near his family home in Madina, Accra.

It was a clear case of assassination. According to eyewitnesses around the murder scene, two men had been hanging around that spot for a week. On the day he was killed, they had fired at his car as he was approaching a junction, hitting him in the neck. Then one of them walked up to his car and shot him twice in the chest. Turning round to look at bystanders, he smiled and raised a finger to his lips.

Ahmed has been working for the masked Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the owner of a secretive, investigative team in Ghana. Together, they had worked undercover to expose acts of corruption and other societal evils. Among them is the investigative documentary, Number 12 which revealed the corruption in football refereeing, especially in Africa, and which led to the ban and resignation of a number of football officials.

This documentary, released in June 2018 angered some powerful figures in Ghana, including one who allegedly released the picture of a hitherto anonymous Ahmed, as well as other private details about the late journalist saying, “That’s him. His other picture is there as well, make it big. If you meet him somewhere, slap him… beat him. Whatever happens, I’ll pay.”

And now, in January 2019, Ahmed Hussein-Suale is dead.

Democracy is supposed to be the best system of government that allows for law and order in a society while ensuring that the people govern themselves either directly or through elected representatives. But in Africa, as in some parts of the world, democracy has a different definition. It is a system that gives people the illusion that they have a say in how they are being governed.

Every day, we are faced with the sad reality of the mismanagement and destruction of Africa by its leaders who continue to impoverish and disempower the people so that they do not have the will to fight back. When courageous people rise above suffering to expose them or bring about change in their countries, they are faced with opposition from these leaders which takes different forms.

In some countries, there are laws subtly restricting free speech. These laws https://qwenu.com/2019/02/01/in-africa-democracy-has-a-different-definition/

Over the years, one distinctive element that has bedevilled the development of the Nigerian Football League is violence on and off the pitch with its attendant effects on the game.

This situation is something which has become prevalent since the 90’s. The heydays of Segun Odegbami with IICC shooting stars of Ibadan, Chairman Christian Chukwu of Rangers, Enugu, and others saw massive following with crowds at stadiums but rather than build on this positive situation, our league has become a mere case of fulfilling all righteousness.

Hence, as the years and seasons roll on, our league is cast in a shadow of itself, immersed in deep waters of crowd troubles, hooliganism every now and then with a reinforcement of the “win at home” syndrome.

This situation has left us with diverse tales, stories, and drama making many home grounds of teams in recent times a no-go area for away teams and their fans. It has robbed us of the imminent competitive stance which is the hallmark of sports – a visible reality that can be gleaned from leagues in other parts of Africa, like South Africa, Egypt and Tunisia.

This is because teams approach away matches with the notion to lose in a bid to avoid trouble, a situation many former players and those still actively playing in the Nigerian Football League have alluded to.

Little wonder getting a draw or victory away from home is seen as a miracle, something that is a norm in super leagues like the Spanish La Liga, the English Premiership, and the Italian Serie A to mention but a few.

Our referees are also big victims in the scheme of things since they are more or less key decision makers in every game. Many have suffered injuries in a bid to ensure a fair game as in 2015 when fans of Akwa United beat to a pulp on opening match day a female referee for awarding a penalty to the visiting Enyimba.

We can go further down memory lane to 2008 when a referee lost his tooth at the Aba township stadium for disallowing a goal against visiting Heartland. More so, players and their managers have seen their fair share of this violence across stadia. To put it straight, one of Nigeria’s iconic football managers Kadiri Ikhana who has won the CAF Champions League and the domestic league with Enyimba and Kano pillars, told a sad tale of how football violence left one of his legs badly damaged, a scar that will live with him till death.

How can we forget the case where James Bumkerg, a Lobi stars cameraman was severely beaten and wounded at the Akure township stadium in 2015 when Sunshine hosted them. He stated how his parents asked that he quit being a cameraman for Lobi stars due to the wanton injuries he had suffered.

In any case, https://qwenu.com/2019/01/31/the-nigerian-football-league-and-violence-is-there-an-end-in-sight/

Almost about the time the US was publishing stories of how a new gene therapy may be the solution to the sickle cell disease, Tanzania was coming to grips with the death of ten children whose bodies were recently discovered with their teeth and private parts missing.

Gene therapy for sickle cell sufferers

In Boston, researchers at the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center have developed a gene therapy that they hope would be the cure to the sickle cell disease.

The sickle cell disease is a disorder that causes the red blood cells, which are normally round, to become misshapen, like the shape of a sickle, and break down especially under low oxygen stress.

The red blood cells are responsible for delivering oxygen to other cells in the body through its hemoglobin molecule. For sickle cell sufferers, however, the hemoglobin is atypical and is referred to as hemoglobin S. This is what gives the red blood cells the sickle shape, causing them to break down prematurely and sometimes leading to anemia.

Anemia which is generally referred to as the lack of healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin can lead to shortness of breath and fatigue. But it is not the greatest challenge sickle cell sufferers face.

The sickle cell is stiff and inflexible, unlike healthy red blood cells. Sometimes, because of their shape and inflexible nature, they can block small blood vessels in tissues or organs, depriving them of oxygen. This would cause a person suffering from the disease pain and if the sickle cells do not stop obstructing the flow of oxygen, it can lead to damage of the affected organ.

The gene therapy developed by the center involves the removal of blood stem cells from a sickle cell patient. These blood stem cells then “undergo months of gene modification to induce the production of healthy fetal hemoglobin which is found in newborns and does not sickle.”

These gene-modified cells are then infused into the bodies of the patient. To achieve this, the patient would have to be hospitalized for one or two months and undergo chemotherapy.

This treatment has been successfully carried out on an adult, Emmanuel ‘Manny’ Johnson and doctors are optimistic that it would be a final cure to the life-threatening disease. They are hoping to test it on more adults, before rolling it out to teenagers and children.

Meanwhile, in Africa

Kidnapped children found dead and women afraid to wear pants.

In this article, CNN reports that 10 kidnapped Tanzanian children, some as young as 7 years were found dead with their private parts and teeth cut off.

Tanzania’s deputy health minister, Faustine Ndugulile said that the killings are linked to witchcraft practices as herbalists ask people seeking to get rich via money rituals to get human parts for the sacrifices. He also stressed that the killings are not related to the ritual killings of albinos in the country, a moot point since albinos are killed for their body parts which these same herbalists use to make charms and magic potions.

In Malawi, albinos are actively hunted for their bones and other body parts, as locals believe that their bones contain gold and their body parts would bring them happiness, good luck and yes, wealth.

As for Nigeria, we do not kill our albinos. Instead, we have resorted to robbing girls and women of their panties for ritual purposes. In fact, it has been reported that if these men stop you and you are not wearing any panties, they’ll give you new pants to wear for a few minutes after which they will take them back from you.

Where did we go wrong, you might wonder. Why are we so bad that we actively seek to end life instead of preserving it?

We might argue that it is the poverty prevalent in a lot of African countries that has forced them indulge in practices such as the ones mentioned above. Or we can say that those who kill groups of people they regard as vulnerable do so out of ignorance. But how true are these assertions?

How ignorant are we that we do not know that taking the life of another person is wrong? And how poor are we that we stupidly believe that the path of money rituals, and ultimately the harming of another person is the quickest way to abundant wealth?

In the space of less than 48 hours, two countries in two different continents have reported different information about their citizens. Sadly, while one talks about the preservation of life, one talks about its termination. Africa needs to wake up. Back home, we say that even if people call you a bastard, you who know yourself should not act like one. The West tends to label us as barbaric ignorants. We know we are not, and we need to stop acting like one.
https://qwenu.com/2019/01/30/was-africa-always-this-bad-a-tale-of-two-cities/

As well as all my siblings and cousins that grew up with me. We were flogged mostly with canes, but sometimes with slippers and rarely with omorogun (the Yoruba name for a special wooden stick used in cooking). We were flogged at home and in school, and, if your neighbour sees you misbehaving on the road, he/she could deliver a swift knock to your head.

We are all grown now, and we have had this conversation quite a number of times: is beating a child really child abuse? We definitely do not feel abused, and not one of us resorts to violence to get their message across. Some of us are married, and none of the spouses has shown or reported any signs of abuse till date.

Various people and studies have come out to say that beating a child and other forms of corporal punishment are forms of abuse and violate the fundamental human rights of the child. They argue that physical punishment causes distress, anger, fear and shame, and that children who get beaten in their childhood usually grow up to be abusers and tend to use violence to get their message across. They also say that beating can affect the child’s self-confidence, causing them to grow into adults constantly grappling with self-esteem issues.

Experts have proposed alternatives to corporal punishment which they say is more effective and definitely less abusive. These alternatives include placing a child in timeout to talking to the child about the consequences of bad behaviour and rewarding good behaviour

I will not argue that these disciplinary measures do not work. I remember my grandfather and my mum would sometimes talk to us like adults instead of flogging us, and even back in school we were not always flogged. Sometimes, we were asked to kneel down and raise our hands or do the legendary pick-pin punishment that would have you confessing all your sins in less than 5 minutes. At other times, our teachers just spoke to us.

Mostly, when we got flogged, it was because we had failed to listen to constant reprimands or were being unnecessarily stubborn. And I think this here is the difference between just flogging a child and flogging a child as a form of correction.

What do you think? Is flogging a child or all other forms of corporal punishment child abuse? Let us know your thoughts in the poll section of weblink below!
https://qwenu.com/2019/01/31/is-beating-a-child-really-child-abuse/

If the All Progressives Party Congress’ (APC) leaders in Lagos state know what is good for them, let them quickly move and resolve the crisis between Governor Ambode and the State House of Assembly. Any slight political miscalculation now that the gubernatorial elections are close, could ruin their chances of recapturing Lagos state and significantly reduce the votes of Buhari in the presidential elections.

For a few days now, there has been news of Akinwunmi Ambode’s disagreement with the Lagos State House of Assembly over issues related to the 2019 budget. The lawmakers have alleged that Governor Ambode has started incurring expenditure on the 2019 budget, which is yet to be presented to the house.

Hence, the governor’s move, which is allegedly akin to gross misconduct, abuse of office or violations of constitutional procedure regarding budget, has raised the noise of impeachment in the house, leading to the adjournment of its sitting until 4th of February so that the governor can defend the infractions before the legislature takes action.

Eventually, if Akinwunmi Ambode is not able to defend himself or is found wanting by the lawmakers, it will still be unwise to impeach him. In fact, impeaching him now will be a political own goal for APC in Lagos state.

Already, many Lagosians who will be decisive in the forthcoming elections are angry about the way Bola Tinubu and APC’s machinery systematically toppled Ambode and thwarted his chances for a 2nd term. They are embittered, vindictive, and looking for a way to avenge Ambode. Impeaching the governor may finally become the last straw that will make them turn their back completely on APC in the forthcoming elections.

Furthermore, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is lurking and seriously waiting to capitalise on any wrong move of APC to dislodge them from the government. Jimi Agbaje and Gbadamosi Babatunde are viable alternative candidates for Lagosians. Any silly decision of APC including Ambode’s impeachment will infuriate the voters who will want to consider to give their votes either to Agbaje or Gbadamosi. And the former is strategically positioned and ready to be governor of Lagos state, given his resume.

More so, governor Ambode may https://qwenu.com/2019/01/30/how-ambodes-impeachment-plan-is-a-self-destructive-journey-for-apc/

Nigeria is no doubt a political invention in need of divine intervention. I don’t mean to sound pessimistic but our country was an unwilling union of the southern and northern protectorates over 100 years ago.

No wonder the union has not produced any tangible fruit since 1914 save antagonism between the North and South. Right from inception, the union was set up to promote the perennial interest of Britain and many have argued that it gave hope to the interrupted conquest agenda of the Fulani, which began in 1804.

Have you ever wondered why the North has been the held majority of the control of Nigeria since independence despite the glaring and undeniable facts that the South has more educated minds? Are you not surprised that the country’s money comes from the South (Niger-Delta oil, Lagos port etc) but the North collects the largest share by the virtue of the present political arrangement?

Nigeria was a failed project from day one. It was meant to be a feudal estate where the North would control all other tribes and relate with them as a master would relate with his servants. The South is aware of this political bondage yet they are not for once united to look for how to improve their situation in this union.

Instead, the leaders from the South have allowed their ego and selfish interest to play into the hands of the northern leaders who perceive them as nothing but willing tools to execute their political agenda. After which they are dumped or given less in the national cake. Since the 60s, disunited southern leaders have always formed a coalition or alliance with the North rather than come together to improve equity in the present arrangement.

For instance, because of the clash of personality and interest between Obafemi Awolowo and Nnamdi Azikwe, the latter aligned with the North. On a normal day, one would have expected the two sages to unite and refuse to be mere political instruments in the hand of the Fulani overlords. Shortly after, Samuel Akintola aligned with the North after he fell out with Awolowo.

In recent times, the South has continued to witness recurrent situations of division between their leaders. The 2015 elections readily come to mind as a good example of disunity whereby all the states in South-west except Ekiti state pitched their tents with a Northern candidate against a candidate from the South, whereas the South-south and South-east pitched their tents with the candidate from the South. As a matter of fact, the Fulani-controlled North would never do that unless deemed politically expedient.

Given the unhealthy disunity in the South, the question is when will southern leaders unite for once against the political feudalistic lords in the North? https://qwenu.com/2019/01/29/opinion-why-southern-nigeria-will-never-be-free-from-the-northern-oligarchy/

Following the recent Nigerian Presidential Debate, Qwenu! has taken a step further to have an exclusive interview with Professor Kingsley Moghalu, the Presidential Candidate of Young Progressives Party (YPP) in order to clarify pressing questions that will be very useful to the electorate as they gird their loins for the forthcoming elections.

Can you tell us about yourself?

My name is Kingsley Bosah Chiedu Ayodele Moghalu. I was born in Lagos on May 7th, 1963. I grew up in Lagos, Geneva, Washington D.C. and later in Eastern Nigeria.

After my secondary school education, I read law at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and completed law school. After a brief stint at Newswatch, then Nigeria’s best weekly news magazine, I left Nigeria to pursue my Master’s degree in International Relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, in the United States.

Upon completing my programme at the Fletcher School, one of the top three schools in the U.S. for advanced training in international relations, I joined the United Nations as an entry-level officer in 1992. I worked for 17 years at the UN, rising to the highest career rank of Under-Secretary-General by the time I voluntarily left the global institution in January 2009.

While at the UN, I served at the headquarters in New York; and I also served in Cambodia, Croatia, Tanzania and Switzerland. During my career at the UN, I played important roles in helping to rebuild countries that had experienced major conflicts, including Rwanda after the 1994 genocide. I also helped in designing a comprehensive risk management system for the $20 billion Global Fund in Geneva, an international development finance fund established under UN auspices.

While at the UN, I enrolled and studied part-time and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree in international relations at the London School of Economics (LSE) in 2005.

I left the UN in 2009 to set up Sogato Strategies LLC, based in Geneva. It was in the course of running this firm of risk management consulting that I was head-hunted for the position of deputy governor at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by then-CBN Governor, Lamido Sanusi, now Emir of Kano. President Umaru Yar’Adua later appointed me CBN Deputy Governor and I was confirmed by the Senate.

After I finished my term appointment in 2014, I was appointed Professor of the Practice in International Business and Public Policy at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, where I had obtained my Master’s degree. It was from this position, where I was teaching future world leaders, that I decided to return to Nigeria to seek the mandate of Nigerians to serve as President, in order to be able to use my knowledge, experience and skills to provide the leadership that will help transform the Nigerian economy and the society.

I have written four books. The last one is “Build, Innovate and Grow (BIG): My Vision for our Country.” BIG essentially lays out my vision for transforming Nigeria when I become President in 2019. It is my comprehensive campaign manifesto. The book I wrote before BIG is “Emerging Africa: How the Global Economy’s ‘Last Frontier’ Can Prosper and Matter.” Emerging Africa has been described as the tour de force for Africa’s development.

Now, I am running for President as the candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2019 presidential election. This race has seen me visit several Nigerian university campuses, sensitizing the students on the need for a citizens’ response to the misgovernance of the country by voting for a visionary leader in 2019.

How long have you been in Politics?

I announced that I will be running for the Office of President in 2019 on February 28, 2018. Up to a year earlier, I was preparing both for the presidential race and the policy to govern when elected. I was also consulting with many Nigerians at the same time.

Why did you decide to run for President?

Simply put, I aspire to be a transformational president that will take Nigeria into the 21st century, much in the same way Lee Kuan Yew transformed Singapore and Mahathir Mohamad reshaped Malaysia. But I realise I will not have the two decades and more they had to do the job in their countries. That is why we have to be realistic and realize I can only set the foundation and execute foundational reforms in a number of specific areas within four years.

I want to build Nigeria into a real nation, wage a successful war against poverty, and restore Nigeria’s standing in the world.

Do you think young people stand a chance in the forthcoming elections?

Yes, I do. I think young people will decide this election. They constitute over 60% of the population. The future of the youth is a critical issue now, given the high youth unemployment rate in the country, poor state of education, and lack of opportunities.

I expect the youth to act in their best interest by voting for someone like me who understand how to create a different future for them than the recycled old politicians.

Please give us an overview of your agenda

I come into the presidential race with three interwoven agenda. I want to heal Nigeria and build it as one, strong and united country. Nigeria is not yet a nation. I want to build it as a nation. The second leg of my policy tripod is to fight a decisive war against poverty and unemployment. The third is to restore Nigeria’s pride of place in the world.

What is your view about the incessant demand of Biafra for Independence

First, ethnic agitation in Nigeria is not unique to the call for an independent Biafra state. There are similar discontents around the country with different forms of expression. I believe it is much better for Nigeria to remain as one country, strong, big and influential in Africa and in the world.

But we have to make Nigeria work for every Nigerian and for every region of the country. We have to address the complaints of marginalization by making government inclusive and based on merit. My administration will do this and remove the basis for the agitations.

Do you think the Igbo are truly marginalized?

I think so, especially under the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. But I would also argue that the entire South is marginalized by his administration. You only need to look at the leaders of the national security agencies to confirm this.

Such lop-sidedness, as I have argued, creates tension in the polity. Such nepotism compromises performance because it negates merits and competence. For that reason, we have seen that although the heads of the security agencies are from the north, the north has become more unsafe with cattle rustling, kidnapping and resurgence of Boko Haram.

How do you think Nigeria can tackle the problem of brain drain?

Broadly-speaking, the way to do that is to create opportunities for all the citizens in Nigeria and ensure we are able to retain a much greater percentage of our talented people.

What plans do you have for the youth should you be elected president?

The median age of the Nigerian population is 18. The country has a youthful population. Therefore, my plan is pre-eminently for the youth. We plan to improve both access and quality of education. We plan to run an innovation-based economy, in which the youth can put their creative ideas to work. We plan to set up a vocational skills acquisition centre in each of the 774 local government areas.

I have a personal commitment to mentor young Nigerians in leadership and increase the participation of the youth in politics. I believe and will work at making the youth the leader of today and not the leader of tomorrow that never comes.

With respect to the Presidential debate, do you think your unmatched performance will appeal to the reason of the electorate?

The appeal has been immediate and growing. This shows the electorate want a president who can inspire them and who can demonstrate understanding of the real issues affecting the country.

Since the debate, my campaign has been attracting volunteers in droves. There has been a momentum that will carry us to victory. And I would like to assure that my victory is your victory and it is victory for the Nigerian democracy.

What are your long and short term goals for Nigeria?

I am currently seeking the mandate of Nigerians to be president for the next four years. That is what I am focused on now. I want to lay solid foundations for the economy and for a new politics for progress in the country. I want to remove the structural impediments to the transformation of the country into a major emerging market.

I want to ensure Nigerian youths have a different kind of education that will give them skills and ability to innovate so that they can get jobs or work for themselves. I have a plan to establish a ₦1 trillion venture capital fund to help provide access to finance, so that young people can have funding to establish their businesses.

Will you invite Durotoye, Sowore, and Obiageli to be part of your government should you be elected president?

I have great respect for these fellow citizens for the courage they have shown to challenge the existing political order. My government will be inclusive. Surely, we will look at bringing them into positions where their knowledge and talents can help in the transformational agenda we have.

What do you think about vote buying?

It is an abuse of poor Nigerians, many of them impoverished by the lack of vision, the vices and the incompetence of the current leaders. Vote-buying also abuses the democratic process.

My campaign has been about educating the voters and restoring the power of the office of the citizens. As President, I will reform the electoral process and give enforcement bite to our election laws. We will work hard to ensure that within four years we have made positive impacts on the citizenry and reduced to the barest minimum any appeal for selling one’s vote.

What is your final message for Nigerians as they prepare for the elections?

I will repeat my final submission at the presidential debate.

The APC and the PDP, over the past 20 years have brought our country to a sorry pass. It is time for something new, something different and something bold. I believe that my candidacy and our party, the Young Progressives Party (YPP), represent this.

The future will be shaped by Google and Alphabet. The future will be shaped by artificial intelligence. The future will not be shaped by old and recycled politicians. It will not be shaped by military adventures and ethnic massacres of 1966. The future will not be shaped by recycled politicians who have cornered our commonwealth and laundered it as entrepreneurship. The future will not be shaped by the sound and fury of activism. It will not be shaped even by well-intentioned but inexperienced Nigerians.

The presidency of Nigeria is very serious business. I am ready and it is time.

https://qwenu.com/2019/01/24/qwenu-exclusive-interview-with-professor-kingsley-moghalu-presidential-candidate-of-young-progressives-party-ypp/

Over the weekend, my friend and a prince in the Edo kingdom called me to find out if I had seen the picture of popular Nigerian singer, Yemi Alade, dressed as the Oba of Benin.

I had not, I responded but why was it so important? Because Benin people are very angry, he retorted.

I have since seen the picture and read some of the comments of Nigerians, mostly from Benin, who say she has committed a sacrilegious act. Their main point is that the Oba’s regalia is only worn by a man, and Yemi Alade did not have the right as a woman to put it on. Furthermore, she should have taken permission before wearing it.

To begin with, the Edo Kingdom at a point in its history had a female king. Her name was Edeleyo. Unfortunately, she died before her reign could begin from an incurable female disease, prompting the chiefs at the time to prohibit the occupation of the throne by any female.

What this loosely translates into is that the kingly attire is not necessarily a taboo for women and has actually been worn by one. Should the rules revert to what it was before, women would be allowed to wear kingly robes without any hassles.

However, Yemi Alade probably should have considered taking permission from the king. She was not wearing just any Edo costume but the king’s clothes, and it would definitely have been very respectful if she had notified him first before going ahead.

If this is the case, however, what do we say about actors who, every other day, wear the robes of kings and clerics in their movies and not always necessarily in a good way? Just last year, Beverly Osu wore the habit of a nun slit from the hip down, and I am 100% certain that she did obtain any permission from any religious congregation before doing so.

Should we then ask these people to always obtain authorization first? Is our culture so sacred that others cannot depict it however way they want without first seeking our consent?

In the end, there seems to be no right or wrong answer on this. However, if Yemi Alade has been asked to apologize to the king, she may want to explore that option. For the sake of the culture.
https://qwenu.com/2019/01/22/yemi-alade-and-the-obas-clothes-how-sacred-should-our-culture-be/

The scenario at the recent Nigerian Presidential debate is probably the first time in the world that in a democracy the two top contenders fail to show up.

To present your manifesto to the public, aspirants have to first manifest. Historically, at least, in traditional democracies, the best debaters at elections stand the greatest chance of winning the elections. Barack Obama flawed his counterparts during his debut election enamouring himself to the electorate on a national stage.

The state of play of in our 20-year democracy appears to be a charade of comedic proportions – like reruns of a comedy show on TV that you are forced to watch over and over and over (keyword being forced).

I woke up the morning after the debate feeling like a 7-year-old child who didn’t want to go to school but who knew that no matter what I did, no matter my excuse, I would not be able to absent myself because of powers beyond my control.

It felt like a bad date that you are forced to go on without the option of postponing or ignoring.

That my fellow Nigerians may be the fate of our motherland next month. A country that will wake up after the elections unable to control the fate that confronts it.

What punishment can be greater for Nigerians than to have a leader or an aspiring leader who does not have any modicum of respect for them? Since independence, Nigerians have been unfortunate to have leaders who treat them like footmats and with every worse disdainful arrogance, you can think of.

Suddenly, after millions of Nigerians had keenly anticipated and prepared for the Nigerian Presidential debate, that would have finally given them the chance to hear the various candidates talk about their plans for the future, the duo of Buhari and Atiku arrogantly disappeared without any prior notification.

In defense of why Buhari was absent, the APC presidential campaign council claimed that his hectic and busy campaign schedule had hindered him from participating in the debate – as if the organizers gave the President a week notification, when in the actual sense, he had close to two months to organize his itinerary and prepare himself for the debate.

The council’s spokesman also mentioned that the president had taken full advantage of the town hall meeting to interact directly with Nigerians. Can you imagine if the incumbent president of countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia failed to appear for a debate against the opposition?

Whereas, Atiku deliberately boycotted the debate because the President did not show up. His social media handles state that he hurriedly came back from the US for the debate, only to decline to participate and disrespect the millions of Nigerians who suspended their schedules to catch up with the candidates.

Irrespective of their weightless reasons, the duo of Buhari and Atiku should not have missed the debate, given its importance to the electorate. As a matter of fact, their excuses convey pride and arrogance. If not, why would a President say that he missed a Presidential debate because it clashed with his busy and hectic official and campaign schedule, or because he had participated in a town-hall meeting?

If this were the case (of note, there were already signs that he would miss the debate), then he is obliged to answering the following questions; did he not get close to two months prior notification for the debate? Could he not have rescheduled or suspended whatever would have made him miss the Presidential debate?

Buhari’s excuse is not significant. Rather, his absence indicates premediated insolence that typical of the Nigerian “misrulers” who believe they can just take the electorate for granted at any time without consequences.

As for Atiku, why should he blatantly refuse to debate because Buhari did not show up? Did he come to compete with Buhari or tell the electorate what he has to offer them? The debate could have been a great moment for Aiku to finally convince the millions of Nigerians who have listed him in their black book of corruption to change their mind. Unfortunately, he allowed his excessive pride to completely ruin his chances of winning the presidential election.

I am not careful to say this; Atiku has just lost a significant amount of followers due to his arrogance, pride, and ill-conceived declination to participate in the debate. Whoever advised Atiku to take the sinking path of pride has not done him any favours. Unless they are confident that the debate will have no impact on the outcome of next month’s elections – and this may be very true!

Since the duo of Atiku and Buhari feel they are too big to debate, then they are not fit to lead. Humility is a key characteristic of leadership. I cannot just imagine what will happen if one of these two hubris-driven candidates, who refused to appear before the electorate for a debate, wins the presidential election. Then, he will be too big to listen to the masses’ cry.

Hence, before this happens, the electorate should ditch them for the younger candidates who are passionate about serving their fatherland. We saw it in them on Saturday. Despite the fact that they had every reason not to debate especially when the political patriarchs did not show a good example, they still decided to debate since they are passionate and tired of seeing the cycle of failure repeat itself in Nigeria.

The ball is now in the electorate’s court to determine if they want a group of disrespectful, power-motivated and old recycled politicians, who have yet again slapped them and spat on their faces to continue to mislead them or accept to the true and promising good news of change brought by the young candidates.

Nigerians should PLEASE read the writings on the wall!! https://qwenu.com/2019/01/22/the-arrogant-disappearance-of-buhari-and-atiku-from-the-nigerian-presidential-debate/

History has it on record that before the advent of the two major religions in Nigeria, the various ethnic groups had their various ways of communicating with God. The advent of Christianity and Islam in Africa and Nigeria, in particular, came with its benefits and flaws including the scenario where many are yet to properly differentiate religiosity and spirituality.

In terms of the benefits that came alongside Islam and Christianity, there is no denying that these religions acted as a major catalyst that put an end to some barbaric practices of our African traditional religions such as the killing of twins and burying of humans alive etc.

It is also important to note that these religions brought about slave trade, colonialism, exploration and exploitation of our natural resources and religious bigotry.

The contemporary Nigerian society is said to be very religious, marked by the proliferation of churches and mosques in every nook and cranny of the country and the overzealous faithful often attribute every situation or event of their life to the will of God irrespective of the role they play in the given situation.

They forget that man is a rational being who must take responsibility for his actions. Extreme religiosity has robbed us of our sense of logic and reason. A typical example is the way and manner most Nigerians deliberately exempt themselves from politics by refusing to exercise their franchise as citizens for religious sentiments and bias. Recently, the Kaduna state governor Mallam Nasir el RufaI tweeted that Christians in Kaduna state would not vote for him.

Across the world, every true religion is founded on the foundation of love, love for God and mankind, but the religious faithful in Nigeria have failed to put this into practice – the concept of love as taught by Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed. They have subjected themselves to the manipulations of selfish religious leaders and teachers which has breaded so much hatred and intolerance amongst each other in the society leading to religious and communal crises as seen regularly in Kaduna state and Plateau state.

This shared prejudice and superiority complex has been extended to every aspect of our daily life that we unconsciously exhibit it. In politics, a Nigerian would rather vote for a candidate of his religious affiliation even if the candidate is unfit to handle the challenges that are associated with holding that particular office and will stop at nothing to frustrate the efforts of his or her opponent.

The Goodluck Jonathan administration is a good example. The Goodluck Jonathan administration witnessed lots of criticism from the Muslims irrespective of its efforts to elevate the suffering of Almajiri’s by building schools to give them a sound formal education and Islamic education.

Today, our President is a Muslim and some Christians don’t buy the idea of a Muslim President and any act or decision made by the present administration is seen as an attempt to Islamize Nigeria.

Extreme religiosity has also been extended to our children. Parents raise their children to see someone from a different religion as inferior in the sight of God instead of inculcating the culture of love and religious tolerance. The hijab issue that led to the temporary shut down of a private school in Ibadan, Oyo state, is a good example where the Muslim parents felt marginalized by the Christians.

Extreme religiosity can be said to be one of the major reasons why Nigerian youths can be said to be lazy because they spend most of their time and creative energies on religious activities than on self-development and when the sought divine intervention doesn’t happen as expected, depression, suicidal thoughts and criminal thoughts surface. https://qwenu.com/2019/01/21/opinion-extreme-religiosity-a-cankerworm-in-the-nigerian-society/

If Nigerians still believe that, politicians like Rauf Aregbesola will turn their fortune around, then they should better wake up before it is too late. The typical Nigerian politicians are not servants even though they feign to be one. They are plunderers in the actual sense, only interested in the national treasury. Interestingly, they are shrewd enough to blame or make the masses feel as if they are not taking advantage of the imaginary opportunities they have created.

Which is why Rauf Aregbesola, the former governor of Osun state, while speaking to graduating students at the 8th convocation of Fountain University, Osogbo, said below:

“Our knowledge base as a country is low, judging by the low knowledge productivity of Nigeria. Skills and competence to build a good society are still missing. I want to urge you graduands to go out and demonstrate what you have acquired during your school days, struggle to create and be of good character because character is the key. Don’t bother to look for jobs. Make effort to be self-employed and employ five others.”

Please note the highlighted last sentence, it is going to form the crux of my critique.

While the statement of Rauf Aregbesola is true and laudable, it is full of hypocrisy at the same time. And it also shows the true cunning character of a typical Nigerian leader who will not give you farming tools but will tell you to farm.

Rauf Aregbesola’s advise, as sound as it is, will not be valid if the Government does not create an enabling environment for small and medium-sized enterprises to thrive. Many businesses have crumbled because of the epileptic power supply in Nigeria and this is without mentioning those that have failed because of multiple taxations.

If Rauf Aregbesola does not want graduates to look for jobs, then he should send them forth with money so that they can start up something. No matter how great one’s business ideas may be, he will still need money to start. Unfortunately, most new graduates are broke, and they cannot afford to start-up a business even if they have ideas. Where does Aregbesola expect them to get money to start up a business?
https://qwenu.com/2019/01/16/opinion-a-critique-of-rauf-aregbesolas-dont-bother-to-look-for-jobs-comment/

I am very sure that if you turn on the TV to watch BBC or Aljazeera, you will definitely not miss the news of the ongoing protest in Zimbabwe. And if you probably miss it, then you should be acquainted with the protests in Togo, Tunisia and Sudan, since they were recently in the news.

This is not about the international media trying to project Africa’s image in a bad way, it is about reporting the plight of Africans, and how their leaders react to them.

Why are Africans always protesting?

There are many answers to this question. However, they remain the fundamental problems that most African countries have been grappling with since the foundation of their independence.

First, one has to consider bad leadership to understand why Africans keep protesting. It almost lies at the root of every protest in Africa. Africans protest because they have bad leaders who are generally self-serving and don’t give a damn about their welfare. For instance, in Zimbabwe, the new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, that Zimbabweans thought would solve the problems created by Robert Mugabe, may even turn out to be the worse than his predecessor.

Since he became the president, Zimbabweans have been grumbling because of his anti-people policies. Recently, he hiked the price of petrol without putting his people’s welfare into consideration. Consequently, there have been protests in Harare and Bulawayo to kick against the hike.

At least, before he took the step, he should have considered the general economic hardship that Zimbabweans are facing. No reasonable citizens will protest against a good leader who puts their interest first. Worthy of note, the same leadership problem is also applicable to Tunisia, where there have been incessant protests since the death of Bouazizi.
Second, Africans protest when their welfare is in jeopardy. Whenever there is inflation, unemployment, and hardship, the people protest. There is nothing that can equal an organized system where there are different welfare packages to alleviate the hardship of people in society. This may be missing in most African countries. The ongoing protests in Zimbabwe and Sudan are a testament to this.

Third, Africans protest when a government has become oppressive, high-handed and has overstayed in power. What the people will do in this case is to call for political reforms as it occurred in Togo or call on the sit tight leader to step down as it is currently going on in Sudan.

How African leaders respond to protest

There is nothing wrong with a peaceful protest. It is just a way through which people peacefully express their displeasure to the government. Unfortunately, most African leaders do not see it this way. They perceive it as an unhealthy opposition to their government, which is why they deploy lethal counter-measures such as, ordering the police to shoot, fire tear gas, arrest arbitrarily, and detain without trials.

About 18 people were arrested during the December protest in Tunisia. Again, since the protests in Sudan began, many people have been arrested and a few have been killed. Likewise, in Zimbabwe, since the protest began yesterday, several people have allegedly been killed and hundreds arrested.

Will protest ever end in Africa? https://qwenu.com/2019/01/16/its-the-season-of-protest-in-africa/

Healthy Africa 101 is a section on Qwenu! dedicated to presenting important health and wellness topics in an easy to understand manner towards promoting a healthy and informed African continent.

So why should you care about snoring?

Well, in most cases, snoring doesn’t amount to much – except disturbing your spouse or roommate(s) at night. This used to be the simplistic explanation until we recognized that some people while snoring or sleeping could have transient cessations in breathing.

During these short spells of not breathing (a.k.a. apnea), the brain receives less oxygen. Ever notice a roommate or spouse stop breathing while they are sleeping, almost as if they are holding their breath – if yes, you witnessed a case of apnea. Sometimes this may also manifest as gasping while sleeping.

So how does apnea occur when sleeping?

While sleeping the muscles of the throat relax and in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, these relax muscles may block off the entry of oxygen to the lungs.

We know that the brain can do fine without oxygen for a few minutes, so thankfully, these spells of apnea, are very short lived. However, if you have repetitive spells of apnea especially at night, your brain gets deprived of oxygen-rich blood flow which can have long term effects.

Remember, this can happen on a nightly basis if you have this problem. In addition, humans spend at least a quarter of their lives sleeping. That is a lot of time depriving the brain of blood flow.

It is important to emphasize that you can be a loud snorer without having obstructive sleep apnea. In the same vein, you may have minimal snoring but have really bad obstructive sleep apnea.


So what factors increase the risk of cessation of breathing during sleep?

1. Obesity: being overweight increases the risk of sleep apnea, especially if you have a pot belly.

2. Having a thick neck

3. Gender: men are more likely to have sleep apnea.

4. Increasing age

5. Tobacco and alcohol use

What are the symptoms of sleep apnea?

1. Snoring

2. Headaches, especially in the morning

3. Tiredness during the day

4. Daytime sleepiness

5. Poor attention

6. Mood changes including irritability

What complications can you have from untreated sleep apnea?

1. Hypertension: high blood pressure may develop or may become more difficult to treat.

2. Diabetes: people with sleep apnea are likely to be overweight.

3. Fatigue: poor sleep can lead to poor performance during the day. In people whose jobs require concentration, e.g. drivers, the risk of accidents and subsequent death may be higher.

4. Heart disease: uncontrolled sleep apnea can lead to an increase in the pressure in your lungs which can affect the heart.

5. Strokes

6. Death: sleep apnea increases your risk of sudden death or death from heart disease. Death from heart disease is reported to be more than 5 times higher in people with sleep apnea.

7. Shorter life span

8. A poorly rested, often irritated, spouse or roommate

What to do if you have excessive snoring or sleep apnea? https://qwenu.com/2019/01/15/healthy-africa-101-how-snoring-in-your-sleep-and-apnea-can-increase-your-risk-of-death/

Given the history of modern political revolution, empirical evidence has shown that the government that succeeds a tyrant usually perpetrates worse atrocities than its predecessor. From the horrifying tale of the post-Bolshevik revolution in Russia, the Mao Tse Tung’s great leap forward that killed 45 million people in China in four years, to the barracks government in North Korea.

Most times, when the oppressed, impoverished, and marginalized people rebel against the government of the day, it is with the hope that a new government will elevate them from hardship, change their poor economic situation, and give them access to all the rights that ascertain the dignity of man in society. Unfortunately, at least recently, it has been a case of going from the frying pan to fire. Worthy of note, military coups are not revolution.

Eight years ago, around this time, the Arab world was set ablaze by a series of anti-government protests that later became known as the Arab Spring. When a fruit vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, set himself ablaze for reasons related to rights violation, general economic hardship in the country and the frustration that followed it, the likelihood of his legendary action hitting the Arab world like a tsunami was never anticipated. Even for it to force Ben Ali to step down after 23 years in power was never expected.

Sadly, as the revolution successfully outed Ben Ali in Tunisia, it spread across the Middle East where it also ousted President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, led to the death of Muammar Gaddafi, escalated into a civil war in Syria, and ousted Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen. The revolution, which was crushed in Bahrain, led to the implementation of constitutional reforms in Morocco, Jordan, and Palestine. Government changes were also implemented in Kuwait, Lebanon, and Oman.

Interestingly, since the revolution spread like wildfire 8 years ago, the countries that were most affected (Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria) are still yet to experience the real reasons why they carried out a revolution. The revolution was supposed to usher in new regimes that would replace authoritarianism with democracy, end political corruption, uphold the value of human rights, solve the massive problems of unemployment, economic hardship, kleptocracy, poverty, and sectarianism. https://qwenu.com/2019/01/15/the-lost-revolution-8-years-after-the-arab-spring/

With the Netflix acquisition of Lionheart and other Nigerian movies that gained global popularity, 2018 was unarguably a good year for Nollywood.

But it was not a great year.

Like we said here, Nollywood movies have improved greatly in cinematography and sound, but other elements that would have taken it from good to great are largely lacking.

The first thing Nollywood needs to work on in 2019 is its stories. This, in fact, is the greatest thing it needs to improve. Almost everybody swears that the story is the most important aspect of any movie or any work of art for that matter.

Really, what is a movie without a story?

Osuofia in London may have made some people laugh, but, did it really tell any concrete story? Merry Men may have showcased some of Nigeria’s finest men, but, was there any logical development in its storyline?

Nollywood has to know and acknowledge that telling a story in a movie is different from narrating that same story over a bowl of garri with friends. Every good story must have a beginning, a logical progression, conflict and an end. Even if the end of the story were to come first, every scene must be interrelated.

The amateurish practice of starting a story with Ramsey Nuoah, and ending it with Emeka Ike, or packing a movie with stars and then leaving them to invent their lines and action must stop in 2019 if Nollywood wants to live up to its full potential.
https://qwenu.com/2019/01/11/how-nollywood-movies-can-be-great-in-2019/

I am always surprised whenever the members of All Progressives Congress Party (APC) accuse their counterparts in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of corruption. The manner with which they demonize PDP and present themselves as saints is hilarious.

I don’t know about others but for me, it is very strange to see a kettle calling pot, black.

For instance, I found it very weird when Godswill Akpabio, a former PDP governor, who had ruled for 8 years in Akwa Ibom state, accused his former party of not doing anything in the same state he governed, shortly after he defected to APC.

When he made the accusations, I was wondering if he realized that he had shot himself in the leg, because out the 16 years of PDP’s rule, he spent 8 years.

While speaking at the Mega Rally of APC in Adamawa state on Tuesday, Rotimi Amaechi the Minister for Transportation allegedly said that PDP could only beat them on corruption in a bid to emphasize how APC has performed better. Below is his full statement https://qwenu.com/2019/01/10/are-apc-members-truly-saints/

I have watched the videos from Channels TV and Sahara reporters, and I have one question: was Ambode talking over all that pandemonium, or was the video edited to have his voice play in the background amidst all that madness?

I would go with the former, having played the videos back at least 5 times each.

I am almost tempted to ask what kind of country we live in, but I think we already have an answer to that. How can Ambode keep talking when, less than 500 metres from where he was standing, the people he is still governing were running for their lives and gunshots were flying as freely as the dust on the ground? What prophetic, life-changing message was he passing across that could not wait while order was restored?

As shocking as it was to see men boldly brandishing weapons in the full glare of the bright afternoon sun and of anyone, including the possible future leaders of Lagos state and Nigeria, it is hardly surprising.

In other climes, politics is usually approached from two major ideological standpoints -conservatism and liberalism. They may have different names in different countries, but generally, they are referred to as the right and the left side of politics.

As a loose definition, modern-day liberals are all for equality and they believe the individual is more important than the society. They are also not very keen on tradition and believe the government should not intervene in matters of personal autonomy.

Conservatives on the other hand embrace tradition and believe it should be upheld in every sphere of the society. For them, the society and what it stands for is bigger than the individual, and conservatives can sometimes be seen as nationalists.

There are other political ideologies that https://qwenu.com/2019/01/10/the-violence-at-the-lagos-apc-rally-is-a-sad-reminder-of-our-political-reality/

Occasionally in democracy, elections are won before the electorate gather to vote at the polling booths. This kind of victory comes when a candidate creates a borderless relationship with the electorate, speaks less political jargon, uses acceptable aphorism, brushes through issues without leaving a stone unturned and persuasively communicates his ideas in simple terms such that, all laymen can easily grasp and explain to their potential proselytes.

This kind of victory before the polling booths is very common in developed countries, which is why the candidates over there, do not take any platform including debates to reach out to the electorate for granted.

In fact, in America, the presidential debate towards the elections is a big deal. Candidates do not look for a way to circumvent it; they are always enthusiastic about it, knowing full well that their chances of winning the presidential election may be dependent on their performance and how they are able to convince the electorate.

It was very easy for many people to predict that Obama was on his way to the White House after his presidential debate with Senator John McCain in 2008. What if he had dodged it like President Muhammadu Buhari is allegedly planning to do? Then, Martin Luther King Junior’s prophetic dream would have yet remained a dream.

Since last year, there have been rumours that the President may dodge the presidential debate, citing mental soundness as the reason. Some of the rumours even have it that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo may stand in his lieu.

This may no longer be a rumour as Buhari has handed over his campaign to Tinubu, https://qwenu.com/2019/01/09/the-danger-of-muhammadu-buhari-dodging-the-presidential-debate/

How did I get into this situation? This is probably the first thing that crosses your mind after learning that your child(ren) ain’t biologically yours. The answer to this question is probably very complex. However, over the past few months, there have been increasing reports of paternity fraud in the news.

Paternity fraud is ‘the pretence that a man is the legitimate and biological father of a child’, and falls into the category of secrets that some women hide from their husbands. But why do these women do this? To save their marriage? Financial reasons? Infertility? As I said, the answer is probably more complex than a single word explanation.

Paternity fraud is not limited to Nigeria even when she ranks second on the Durex survey, it happens in all parts of the world. A lot of reasons contribute to this increasingly reported misdeed. Some have suggested that infidelity on the part of the woman is a possible cause – as you can imagine, if a woman was in multiple relationships at the time of conception, she too might not have known the identity of the true biological father.

Another is covetousness. A woman may not be able to bear children due to one reason or the other, but due to the wealth of her husband, she looks for ways to get a child so as to inherit her husband’s wealth. Carelessness on the part of maternity homes can also contribute but this is very rare in the present day.

As a result of this, some women can live all through their lives and still not tell their husbands about it, while some women whose conscience cannot endure the torment of guilt, usually tell their husbands at some point, that they are not the real fathers https://qwenu.com/2019/01/09/paternity-fraud-what-to-consider-when-you-first-realize-the-child-isnt-yours/