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Showing posts from 2016

FOR THE LOVE OF NEIGHBOURS

Dear readers,  A neighbor is a tenant living across from you in your vicinity. They come for activities if invited or shun you, gossiping behind your back is rather juicy, you see. A neighbor could be reserved or commonly talkative. Anyways, is it right to confide in your neighbors?  The answer really, is No. An exception could be made to cases where the neighbor could help the other medically. Such cases include when a child is convulsive, epileptic and this can only be helpful when the neighbor is well versed in the treatment of such conditions, not because you want his or her help.  > Other cases can involve when you need a cup of Garri or Maggi or water. If it's not important then really! Why! What's a cup of garri that you got to collect from your neighbor that laziness pinned you from getting yourself via money. You would be surprised how much, the number of times you collected garri could fill out a cup while they counted it for you in their secret rooms. You

CHIOMA CHUKWUKA HAS JOINED THEM

I was watching a movie  recently starring Chioma Chukwuka and I saw the scene where she was kissing Joseph Benjamin. So much for being a scandal free actress! After being celebrated for being so neat in the movie industry, the remaining actress left with morals has succumbed to worldly pressure. This is what happens when you have Omoni Oboli as a friend, you cannot help but get influenced. Congratulations! Your movies are now "interesting" while you sell yourself for peanuts. Heard you've also started acting sex scenes. Nigerian movies do not teach a lesson anymore, it's now competition of American accents and kissing and sex scenes. I hope you know you have a husband and children, Chioma Chukwuka as you join the it doesn ' t matter bandwagon. There are other ways to avoid role stereotypes not acting disgusting scenes and entertaining perverts and yes it does matter! PHOTO CREDIT:INTERNET

VICES AND CRIME IS STRESS

I will never understand people with no morals or people who engage in crime. You do yourself more harm than good when you choose to live a life bereft of good morals. It is simple mathematics; Indulge in pre-marital sex, stand the risk of getting infected with an STI and having an unwanted pregnancy which could lead to abortion. Smoke and be at risk of addictions and eventually lung cancer. Refuse to work hard and stand a chance of being poor Become a thief and get caught and spend a good portion of your life in jail. Vices do not pay and many people are still dancing to the tune of their lusts, deceived into thinking they are living the good life while only storing up regrets for their future. Be smart today and choose wisely the kind of life you will live; choose the kind that pays in the end .

MARRIAGES WHOSE BOTTOM LINE IS SEX

You know the popular saying....God told prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute and so we have witnessed marriages to women who previously would be termed loose. The men marry them because they say these women are good in bed and that to them sex is the most important thing in a marriage. And many girls are advised to be freaks in the sheet to get a husband. Someone called it Nigerian men and the whore mentality. Stating that the reason some girls were not married is because they are good girls. And that men preferred bad girls.

FIDEL CASTRO: LESSONS TO LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF THE GIANT OF THE THIRD WORLD: BY ROLAND UWAKWE C.

The history of the third world nations and the cold war politics will not be complete without reference to Fidel Castro of Cuba, the only man who withstood and outlived over ten generation of former American Presidents. Fidel Castro is a Revolutionary General who had a strong patriotic affinity for his countrymen and the poor people all over the world, Like Karl Marx he detested the exploitative nature of capitalism, an ideology which brought enmity between him and the United States of America, one of Cuba’s closest neighbours. The climax of these crises was the historic Cuban Missile crisis and Havana’s diplomatic ties with Moscow.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

I am a fan of marriages or what i'd term good marriages. I love seeing a responsible man get married to a decent and beautiful woman. I was a huge fan of Frank Edoho and Katherine Edoho's marriage and you can imagine my huge shock when it all ended with serious allegations too.

THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE EMERGENCE OF THE SOVEREIGN STATE OF BIAFRA

The spirit of nationalism is inherent in every tribe; hence the Igbo’s will not be the first to opt out or request for a separate state. The Jews lived in Europe and other parts of the world peaceful until anti-Semantic ideology became the order of the day. Nigeria is a united territory today a result of the British colonial interest, the name “Nigeria” came as a consequence of romantic fallout, and hence it becomes imperative to rethink Nigeria, so that we can take ownership of it.

HOW NIGERIA CAN MOVE OUT THIS “INFLATIONAL RECESSION”

The recent event where a boy of seven years was burnt to death for stealing what he will eat shows the level of hunger in the land and the act of wickedness from the side of those who committed such a brutal murder in our soil. Coming events often cast their shadows and it is only the discerning minds that will foresee. I have often said that Nigeria is not structured for economic development, which is why every known theory advanced by scholars to move the nation away from this stage of despondence and wants has failed. We do not need the World Bank, IMF or even the so called Minister for Finance to tell us that we are in state of famine and food crisis.

MMM NIGERIA

MMM has been gaining in popularity and so many Nigerians have benefitted from it but it has got a few others worried like the CBN. READ HERE to get the latest news on mounting concerns for Nigerians investing in MMM .

Lessons from the Just concluded American elections

The American elections have come and gone and with it lessons to take away for those of us coming up: 1.Never lose hope when fighting for what is right, truth always wins out in the end: Donald Trump is not perfect but he acknowledges the truth by fighting with the ideology of the party that believes in God. 2.Believe in your dream, no dream is too big to fight for: No one gave him a chance being an outsider but all things are possible. 3. Being the underdog can be an advantage, so try. You actually have nothing to loose: Don't listen to people who don't see anything good in you. Listen to your dream. 4. God is the supreme controller of the universe. He sets up the rulers of the earth: Without God, even the best of men will fail. God is fully in control of the world. No counsel or plan can stand against the lord . The democrats have shown us what they intend to do with the world if given a chance; wreak havoc on mankind and Christianity. After their popular stance on gay r

THE SUPERVISORY ROLE OF THE MINISTRY OF NIGER DELTA AFFAIRS OVER THE NDDC: BY UWAKWE ROLAND C O

The Niger Delta region of Nigeria is like the heart of the nation which must be treated with utmost care, sincerity and commitment towards the betterment of the life of persons in the region. Successive governments had attempted to fashion out means of developing the region. First, it was the government of Obasanjo that created the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC through an Act of the National Assembly with the mandate to facilitate the development of the area that feeds the whole nation and yet her people go hungry.

TRUMP IS NEW U.S PRESIDENT

With the electoral votes of 274 for trump and 218 for Clinton, the results clearly show that the Americans( not CNN and Nigerians) have spoken and the decision is that Trump is the president elect. Mrs Clinton has fought as a brave woman and for this she remains a heroine, a role model for young people and women all over the world that want to maintain parity over their male contemporaries.

OVER 85 PERCENT OF THE NIGERIAN WORKFORCE EARN LESS THAN 150 DOLLARS IN A MONTH: UWAKWE ROLAND

Make no mistake about it; Nigeria is like a very gigantic man who perhaps became large as a result of his nature. However, when such a person steps out, people mistake his huge nature for riches. The result is that you cannot tell whether he needs assistance or not because he may sometimes pretend to maintain what people think of him. 

AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN

This one goes out to my ladies: It is good to be an independent woman. In this 21st century, there is nothing more fulfilling to you as a woman than to know you can take care of your own bills. Men are not looking for a dependent woman and if at all a man marries a dependent woman, it would soon be a matter of time before he feels he is the only one bringing something to the table except you are as beautiful as Bianca and he married you as a trophy wife. Or he married you because of the sex(you are good in bed). Then he wouldn't mind footing all the bills provided he is loaded for a long time. It is good for a woman to have a skill, a source of income. A decent and responsible woman is resourceful and attractive because of her resourcefulness. I have been broke only once in my life and then I got a dose of the attitude of men. People who were my friends when the going was good that i actually thought would be interested in taking care of me would only send me N5000 when i told

THE “WE” AND “THEM” MENTALITY IN NIGERIA: BY UWAKWE ROLAND C.

The Department of State Security, DSS Judge’s raid has again brought up a new vista of understanding into the psychology of the some Nigerians. While everyone agrees that corruption is our society’s greatest evil which must be eliminated, many disagree on the method used in eradicating it. However, there is another group of people who feels that every successful person in Nigeria is a thief to some sorts; hence they do not bother about what methods used, so long as the big men are ruined (a kind of envy).

EMOTIONAL CHILD ABUSE

Emotional abusers are often viewed as huge, ugly, fierce looking adults with no friends. In real life, they can be far sneakier.  No one but the abused child, will know the abuser. Weapons  of emotional child abuse do not rely on strength but on words. It does not include outright screaming. It includes  a pattern of intentional verbal or behavioral actions or lack of actions that convey to a child the message, they  are worthless, unloved, unwanted, endangered or of value only when needs should be met.

WE CAN'T ALL BE FEMINISTS

Feminism is a choice, it is an outlook of life based on certain premises and perceptions. I believe the president was speaking from a cultural standpoint when he made the remarks about his wife in Berlin, Germany. I believe he was describing her roles to him in their marriage of 27years. I do not think however that it was safe him to make those comments in faraway Berlin especially when on an official visit.

WE NEED AN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE BOY CHILD

We just concluded the international day of the girl child celebration. As I watched the unfolding discussions on the girl child, I was touched but my again my mind was drawn to the man child. We need an international day of the boy child where we would be discussing issues affecting boys. Where we would discuss things like telling the boy child to be independent of sex. To see sex as a consummation of love in marriage and not as an end in itself.

SEXUAL DISORDERS BY NKECHI IKOH

Voyeurism Its a sexual arousal resulting from observing an unsuspecting person who is naked or engaged in sexual activity. The person who has this psychological disorder is not often distressed by it. Examples are men/young boys who leer at ladies while they dress up or try to find any opportunity to go into a room where ladies are sleeping or going to take a bath,or enjoy staring at the lingerie of women when washed.

THE REASON WHY SEX SELLS

A lot of Nigerian movie producers include sex scenes in their movies, music videos and bloggers are also making a fortune by selling nudity. In short society is saturated with sex. Sex is being sold at every corner and when we protest, they tell us sex sells. The only people engaged in the business of selling sex are prostitutes and their brothel owners. I therefore suggest that movie and music producers, bloggers rethink what they are doing except the nude actresses, the vixens and the bloggers(who tell their own story through their blogs) are ready to be called prostitutes (not that they haven't been called anyway).

MOVIE REVIEW: 93DAYS BY NKECHI IKOH

It is a historic gripping documentation of the deadly disease that started the day Patrick Sawyer (Ebola carrier) came to Nigeria. The film provides an even deeper insight about the sacrifices the late Dr Ameyo Adadevoh's had to suffer to uncover the sneaky virus.

JUST WRIGHT

"A guy's best friend". Yep that's who you are, Morgan said". "I want to fall in love and know what it's like to be treasured by a man". Leslie Wright, a straight shooting physical therapist is a lover of basketball game and rarely makes it pass friendship in her relationship with guys. 

THE GOOD AND EVILS OF OBAFEMI AWOLOWO IN THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF NIGERIA:  ROLAND UWAKWE C

Obafemi Awolowo is no doubt one of the greatest leaders in the political landscape of Nigeria who precipitated the development of the Yoruba ethnic group. He is a learned gentleman whose intellectual works I personally enjoy reading. He was also one of the dramatic personnel of pre and post Nigeria civil war, whose idea led to the death of thousands of fellow countrymen and women. If we were in the dark ages when kingdoms subdued kingdoms to assert their dominance within a certain geographical location, Obafemi Awolowo would have been the greatest of all the leaders in Nigeria but in modern societies where unity is the bases for development, he certainly will be a villain, albeit he is the hero of the Yoruba ethnic group and nobody attacks him without invoking their anger. Irrespective of that, the truth must be told because we must know what brought us to the where we are, so as not to make the mistake of the past in our quest to build a united nation.

AMBER ROSE AND SLUT-SHAMING

Recently I did a post on the evolution of sex in the world that centered on Amber Rose and her "threesome". Now she is in the news again for something just as shameful if not worse. A Nigerian rapper eldee has called her out on her recent show against slut-shaming whatever that means and told her she is not fit to be a role-model. These were exactly my words about the term celebrity used to refer to such people. My question is what exactly is it about them that is worth celebrating? Thank God some people are beginning to echo my thoughts.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY TO NIGERIA AND NIGERIANS AND A TAKE ON THE ECONOMY

Hello everyone, let me start by congratulating Nigerians on this 56th independence anniversary. We have come a long way whether we choose to believe it or not. Nigerians might think there is not much to celebrate especially with the state of things in the country i.e the recession, inflation, unemployment, Biafra agitations, Fulani herdsmen killings etc. But we still have a lot to celebrate.

BEING PATIENT IN THE CORRUPTION CHARGES AGAINST PATIENCE JONATHAN

Everyone agrees that the major bane to Nigeria’s development rests in the twin concepts of bribery and corruption, however we all disagree on the right method to adopt in a bid to curbing the menace. The rule of law which presupposes that everyone including Mr President should operate on the planks of the law is a fundamental principle of law as enunciated by jurists, hence if Patience Jonathan is found wanting, she should be appropriately prosecuted not in the media but in the court of law properly so called.

HOW LONG WILL AFRICA REMAIN AT THE LEVEL OF POTENTIALS? : UWAKWE ROLAND.

Africa is a continent of about 53 states, it is the second largest continent after Asia and it is largely the home of the black race.   By a way of historical development, Africa is

CELEBRATING MY BIRTHDAY WITH FAMILY

Dear readers, I celebrated my birthday over the weekend with my family and I got a lot of love on social media. Thank you so much for all your love. I love you so much and would love to hear from you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

Hurray! It's my birthday today and I am so excited. I'm grateful to God for my life and how far he has led me while waiting on him to fulfill the longings of my heart.

THE SILENCE OF OMISSION

Silence means consent, a certain school of thought holds. That means if you fail to speak up against anything wrong, you can be charged with supporting the wrong you failed to speak up about.

FELA KUTI WAS VISIONARY, PHILOSOPHICAL, AND A PATRIOT

Honestly, I am barely a Fela fan but the events of these few months make his thoughts unforgettable. On Friday last week after work, I circled with my friend around the city of Owerri and was got by rain around World Bank junction, suddenly we realized that the roads were impassable, my friend turned back and parked the car. Because it was getting late I was forced to walk or better still swim across the

JUNG'S THEORY OF INTROVERSION AND EXTROVERSION.

Jung began with a development on a personality typology that distinguished Introversion from Extroversion.  Introverts were people who preferred their internal world of thoughts, feelings, fantasies and dreams, while the extroverts preferred the outdoors and people. In that sense, the introverts are somewhat more mature than the extroverts. Culture values extroverts but Jung warned that we value our own type the most!

IBORI TO REMAIN IN JAIL DESPITE FRESH EVIDENCE

Despite fresh evidence that the police took bribes during the prosecution of former Governor James Ibori of Delta state, Britain’s state prosecution agency stated that his conviction remains valid, Channels TV reports. Former governor was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2012 for fraud, money laundering and other crimes. The former Nigerian governor was sentenced by Southwark Crown Court on April 17, 2012 after being found guilty of stealing $250 million from Nigerian treasury. Mr. Ibori pleaded guilty to ten counts of money laundering and theft of public funds. His houses in Hampstead, Shaftesbury, South Africa, fleets of cars were seized.

Buhari: Turning Nigeria's Most Gloomy Moment To Her Most Glorious By Peter Claver Oparah | Sahara Reporters

Buhari: Turning Nigeria's Most Gloomy Moment To Her Most Glorious By Peter Claver Oparah | Sahara Reporters : On his emergence as Nigeria's President last year, President Muhammadu Buhari was faced with two broad choices; Continue the larcenous state of corruption he met when he came in or cap the corruption wellhead and move the country away from the hugely predatory state through deliberate actions and policies that will cleanse the badly desecrated Augean stable and redirect the values that rule a country that had vicariously bled from perilous and corrupt leadership. Having campaigned on the mantra of Change, it was not a hard choice to make. Ukwuoma obele

Over 1,000 Militants Receive Amnesty In Imo State

The militants, in their numbers, stormed the Government House in Owerri the Imo State capital to hearken to the call of the Imo State, Governor Rochas Okorocha, to drop their arms and embrace peace so the government can find a lasting solution to the underdevelopment and infrastructural decay that has enveloped the region over the years. The local governments are the two coastal and oil producing areas in the state and are known for being restive.

THE DEFINITION OF WEALTH

We all admire wealthy people. Society respects wealth. And preferential treatment are given to children of the wealthy but what is wealth? Wealth can be defined as the value of all the property, possessions or money that someone has . Sadly many of the wealthy people in Nigeria are chronic debtors

PHOBIA BY NKECHI IKOH

Good evening dear readers, Phobia is an intense, irrational fear that is triggered by a specific object or situation. People with specific phobia will go through any length to avoid the situation, even though they know that the fear is irrational.

THE FAILING REPUTATION OF PRESIDENT BUHARI IN THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY: UWAKWE ROLAND.

When President Buhari won the 2015 election, the international community, especially countries in the Northern hemisphere welcomed him with all their arms. He was even invited to a major stockholders meeting before he was sworn in as the President, this was to show his acceptance among the leading powers of the world.

WAR ROOM

A beautiful movie showing us the love of God and His ever standing faithfulness to His children. Elizabeth and Tony Jordan were two  successful people who were religious but hadn't known what it was like for God to minister unto them. They had a big house, nice jobs, with Tony as a pharmaceutical salesman and Elizabeth as a realtor. They  had a daughter called Danielle. Despite the wealthy lifestyle, Tony was cold towards his family. He refused to give money to his wife's sister and was verbally abusive towards her. He treated Danielle no less than a property gotten from one  of his illegal deals.

LETS DEFINE SUCCESS

Success has been greatly misunderstood to mean amassing wealth by any means. So in our society we have a lot of people termed successful because they have money. The means through which they came about their wealth is not scrutinized. Such successful people include cocaine traffickers, fraudsters and men engaged in occultist activities.

IS THERE ANYTHING LIKE THE RULE OF LAW IN NIGERIA? BY UWAKWE ROLAND

Recently I went to a mechanic workshop with a friend who is a lawyer in Equity to do some repairs and as the car was being fixed we joined about four men who were having conversation about the problems in Nigeria under the nearby tree. You recall that it was Chinua Achebe who in 1983 said that whenever two Nigerians meet, their conversation will sooner or later slide into a litany of our national deficiencies.

A NEW YEAR

This is the beginning of a new year for me and for so many other people. I have my dreams and my goals that I want to achieve in this new year. I have already ticked my answered prayers and my achieved goals for the years gone and I am thanking God for them.

MY VISIT TO SHOP-RITE

It was John Gunther who said that ‘Africa is like an exploding mass of yeast … it is springing in a step from black magic to white civilization’. While I do not completely agree to Gunther’s remark, however my first visit to Owerri ShopRite gave me some thoughts. It made  me remember  the assertion made by a scholar so many years ago, that Africans have been uprooted from their old ways , and have not found their place in the new and changing society in which their destines are now cast, yet all over the continent the Africans are on the move. They are people going somewhere without being quite sure of the direction.

NIGERIA'S GDP CONTRACTS 2.06% IN 2ND QUARTER

Nigeria's GDP has contracted 2.06% in the 2nd quarter of the year according to news released by the national bureau of statistics.

Zuckerberg In Nigeria To Witness Africa’s Tech Revolution

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is in Nigeria on his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, using his time in the country to visit the Yaba technology hub in Lagos, meet with developers and partners and explore Nollywood.

ARE THE IGBO’S TRULY DISUNITED?

The major issue identified by scholars and the general public as regards the progress and development of the South East is the disunity that exists among the Igbo’s. I am an Igbo, born in Igbo land three decades ago and spent over a decade of my life in Northern communities where Igbo’s gather to do their businesses and as a good student of History I will state the facts as they are so as not to distort historical facts.

Ring by spring

Entertainment; Movie Review The rain splatters on the zinc. You look up, the clouds giving a promising shade of Grey, give you a chill. You smile. Draped in the classiest business suit, and the assurance of a wealthy pension from the skyscrapers, towering above your glossy hairdo, you have a crease on your face as you stare out into the blaring honks and the hustling travellers.... You need to relax... Then again, is all meant to be forfeited for some, Love?

THE SEX REVOLUTION IN THE NIGERIAN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY

We have such a situation right now in Nigerian movies where sex is no more implied but acted out. Sex scenes are becoming the order of the day . While we were growing up, we were trained with morals and told the consequences of making mistakes. Now the message is different; we are being told to become "freaks in the sheet " .

HEALTH TIPS BY NKECHI IKOH

Hello dear readers, Good morning and welcome. Today's topic is on tasty, bland, colorful and uncolorful Fruits. Your taste buds has the capacity of determining which is sweet for you and which isn't. All fruits are good,did you know?  And all these fruits each, have a beneficial function to our body system, that would do us more good, to an orthodox medication. Each of these fruits could be blended together to get a juice that helps boost your system. 

ANXIETY BY NKECHI IKOH

Health Edition Dear readers, have you ever been in any situation that caused you anxiousness? Have you bulged a lot or found your palm sweaty  and your speech stammered? It is called Anxiety! Anxiety  is an unpleasant emotional state characterized by physical arousal and feelings of tension, apprehension and worry. It often hits during a personal crisis telling us something is not quite right. When it alerts one to a realistic threat, it is adaptive and normal. For example anxiety about losing a loved one may make you to keep him or her at all costs. It shows one either to devalue or value a person or a subject. 

STILL ON DIVERSIFICATION OF THE ECONOMY

It is no longer news that South Africa has bypassed Nigeria as the biggest economy in Africa; this was as a result of the appreciation of the Rand, South Africa’s currency and the concomitant depreciation of naira over US dollar caused by the reduction in oil prices. You may recall that two years ago during Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Nigeria overtook South Africa as the biggest economy in Africa after the rebasing of the nation’s economy. Nigeria is currently a mono-economy and no country maintains economic stability in such situation, hence the current administration must go beyond the usual government rhetorics and revamp the nation’s economy so that the people can experience economic development. To diversify the economy, government should look into the following areas:

10 HABITS TO DEVELOP BY THE TIME YOU ARE 30

There are many milestones one could argue indicate adulthood: an 18th birthday, a college graduation, a job with proper health insurance, etc.   Research states  the brain is more developed in our late twenties than our early twenties,  better equipping people to make significant decisions closer to 30 than to 20. Meaning that by 30 years old you are indisputably a fully grown, emotionally mature adult. Though 18 is the legal age of an adult, there is so much to learn personally and professionally in your early and mid-twenties; especially who you are and who you want to be. Achieving your goals and becoming a confident, responsible adult with good character is built on a foundation of principles, which morph into habits. Here are 10 habits you should develop by the time you are 30:

FG SEEKS TO REVIVE FAILING ECONOMY LATE

After months of being in total denial about the precarious state of the Nigerian economy, the Federal Government has begun to talk up the economy even as offshore portfolio investors continue to shun government fixed income securities. The economy witnessed significant stress in the first year of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, as per capita income dropped, oil prices and output fell and foreign portfolio investors retreated.

SUNTRUST; A NEW BANK OPENS

SunTrust Bank formally opens for business as it seeks to reshape the Nigerian banking space and the way consumers interface with their banks. At its headquarters on Oladele Olashore street in Victoria Island Lagos, there is minimal security presence, no generator noise, bank customers who come in there will find a banking hall equipp

OH WHAT A SHAME! WHY DOES COMPETING FOR NIGERIA MEAN SELF-SPONSORSHIP?

Just before the start of the Rio olympic games, the internet was agog with news that the sports ministry had asked the athletes to sponsor themselves to the games. The Nigerian sports ministry is a ministry that is always satisfied with too little.

BILL GATES FOUNDATION DONATES $1M FOR RESETTLING IDPS IN BORNO

FG, WORLD BANK BEGIN WATER PROJECT IN BENUE STATE

THE LATEST ON THE CHIBOK GIRLS

A new video has just emerged showing the Boko Haram militants and the chibok girls.They claim some of the girls have died due to air strikes. We urge the government to make it more difficult for the boko haram insurgents to continue in hiding,

NIGERIA'S PARTICIPATION AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES #RIO 2016

Cheering news coming out at last from the team Nigeria camp. We celebrate both the medal hopefuls and the strong endeavours from the team. From the soccer team to athletics to Aruna Quadri and the basketball team to boxing.The team have

DIVERSIFICATION OF THE ECONOMY: REALITY OR RUSE.

There is a strong argument by most developmental economist that Nigeria is not structured for economic development, this is traceable to the colonial misrule and military incursion. It is a nation that is moving with no identifiable direction; even though it has the potentials to become the center of economic development both within and outside of Africa, the political leadership has failed in its quest to match words with reality, the result being the condition we find ourselves today where almost everyone seems to be struggling to exist. Nigeria has remained a mono-economy for over six decades with no blue print on the way forward. Every government that comes into power has it as their political manifesto to move the nation away from oil dominated economy to a more diversified one. However, no concrete plan has been put in place to achieve these objectives. Nigerians have been at the receiving end of this deception by each succeeding government. The present government is on

THE STRENGTH OF THE VIRTUOUS WOMAN

A lot of married women complain. They find it difficult to combine marriage and a job. I heard someone say that a working married woman who is at the same time taking care of her home is working two full time jobs and it is true. You are not allowed to kill yourself because you want to be like the proverbs 31 woman.

ATTRACTION IS LUST

Many people find themselves in a dilemma. They think they do not love the one they are married to or about to marry  because they are not attracted to him. But love is a realization. And true Love usually responds to true Love. Women seldom recognize Love. They mistake sexual chemistry for love or infatuation for true love. Love is mature not heady and compulsive.

PEVERTED GOSPEL

The new generation gospel of grace, is a gospel that nullifies righteousness and permits sin. It assumes that every lady has had an abortion(s ) and that every believer is struggling with some kind of sin hence grace takes them to heaven. It is a gospel popularized by the evangelicals from the west and adopted by the Pentecostals in Nigeria .

HOW VIRGINITY BECAME A MYTH IN THIS GENERATION!

Dear Teenagers, Youths, Boys and Girls….. Your virginity is not something to be ashamed of, but rather something to be proud of. The moment you mention the word virginity, then you begin to get those that will antagonize you immediately, even “Christians”. Their argument is that virginity is not purity; people do all kind of things (kissing, caressing, oral sex etc.) as long as they don’t have sexual intercourse, and then they call themselves virgins.

CLASS

What is class? In Nigeria, class is knowing how to spend money,wear designer perfumes, look beautiful, speak the queen's English.

JAMB AS A DESTRUCTIVE MONSTER IN THE NATION’S TERTIARY ADMISSION PROCESS

Uwakwe Roland You may not like the title of this article but there is no other way to drive home my point than to use it to capture my state of mine. For the benefit of persons who are not aware, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation's Board has purportedly sent the list of admitted students to different universities for screening. What this means is that these universities will be required not to conduct any test but to check the credentials of the candidates sent to them by JAMB. These universities may not be given the opportunity to pick the candidates of their choice; hence if idiots are sent to them for admission they have no option than to comply.

LUST HAS GOT A NEW NAME;CRAVING!

My regular readers would wonder why a lot of my articles have to do with men marrying prostitutes. I wasn't the one who referred to such women as prostitutes. The men marrying them are the ones who referred to them as prostitutes in the first place. What we used to have in the past is that a man marries a good woman and then keeps a prostitute outside his home. But many marriages broke up as a result of that with the men eventually driving the good women away(when the kids are grown)whilst going to live fulltime with the prostitutes.

NIGERIA THE LAND OF DREAMS

Nigeria, a country once flowing with milk and honey. A land of dreams. The pride of Africa. What could have brought you to this level. You are a shadow of your former self. Your founding fathers had great dreams for you. Your planners had such high hopes for you.

THE BIGAMY LAW OF LAGOS STATE

Recently Lagos State decriminalized bigamy making it no longer a crime to be married to more than one wife at the same time. A law most people were not even aware existed. The directive came from the office of the then state Governor.

MANAGEMENT OF NIGERIA'S LOOTED FUNDS – BY UWAKWE ROLAND

It is no longer news that the government of President Muhammad Buhari has recovered some of the nation’s assets looted by corrupt Nigerians. While it is important to commend the government for such a giant step, it is also imperative for the APC led government to work out strategies to manage the resources recovered to avoid re-looting the funds.

WHEN SALARIES ARE NOT PAID: THE IMO EXPERIENCE

I was in a church service last Sunday when in the cause of a man’s testimony he revealed that he has not received salary since the last six months. I looked at him the second time and remembered that the man has children. I lost concentration in the service and started imaging what the man will be going through and the problems he will encounter in trying to meet up with the demands of this capitalist society. Life is incomplete, in fact meaningless if you cannot raise your voice against the problems.

TIPS FOR GOING OUT ON A DATE

Whether it is with a friend or with someone who admires you, here are some tips to help you with having a successful date;

WHY DO COUPLES FIGHT?

A lot of marriages are crashing these days and the cracks usually start with little fights from time to time. So many people get irritated over nothing. That your partners habit that keeps irritating you and causing both of you to fight is not worth getting into a fight for. You should actually caution yourself and question yourself on why you keep getting irritated over nothing. The real question you should ask yourself is if you are really in love or you got married just for the sake of it. You also need to search yourself and know why little things irritate you. Make yourself liveable with. Your partner should not walk on eggshells around you. Understand what it is to be in love by asking God to show you what love is.

MY LAGOS EXPERIENCE

My name is Ukwuoma Obele and I live in Lagos. I want to share my Lagos experience; Lagos is known as the city that never sleeps. The day begins early in the morning around 5.30am. I used to work in a place called Ikeja(the capital of Lagos).So I would leave early at 5.30am to catch the BRT bus to avoid being late to work. I was living a distance of two hours from my place of work. Inside the BRT bus,there were a lot of people also on their way to their place of business or job . People were always in a hurry to catch the BRT bus because if one was late, one would have to stand . Sometimes I would sleep in the bus while commuting to work. I would get to work quite early because I took the BRT.

BUSINESS WITH INTEGRITY

We often look to the private sector for things like efficiency, ethics and effectiveness as opposed to the government domain.  We also introduce regulations as a means to monitor and provide guidelines for the operations of private businesses.

THE NIGER DELTA AVENGERS

To the NDA and all south southern militant groups; we acknowledge all your grievances and how unjustly you and your environment have been treated. You say you are the golden goose that lays the golden egg for Nigeria and you have been neglected and unfairly treated by the Nigerian government and people. Your environment has been laid waste and their is total lack of care for your people and your challenges.

LET PEACE REIGN

I do not know how to say this enough: Please president Buhari make peace with the people of the south especially the south easterners and the people of the south south. We can only make progress when there is unity. Nigeria's North and south, pls lets mend the fences and become one. Lets stop all this bloodshed. Let the warring parties put down their weapons. And let peace reign.

THE PRIDE OF A WOMAN

A woman's pride: It is in her dignity and her strength. It is in her keeping herself chaste and pure until the coming together of she and her spouse. This is achieved by being discerning, sifting the insincere and deceiving from the one who is meant for her . It is in her taste for men and also in her priorities as a woman.

ON THE LIST OF RECOVERED LOOTED FUNDS

It was with delight that i welcomed the publishing of the list of recovered looted funds. I am particularly delighted because it was a much anticipated list. Some people had already started complaining when the list was taking too long in coming. But finally it's out. The exclusion of names notwithstanding, it is laudable that our graft agencies are doing a nice recovery project backed up by this administration. Maybe our president feels that it is a bit early to publish the names of looters as so many of the corruption cases are still inconclusive. But with the spirit of patriotism and trust in our leadership, let us at least laud the efforts they are making in fighting and eradicating corruption in our country. Mr president, we wish you didn't have to come at a time like this when there is an economic downturn in oil producing economies. Maybe you would have been given a chance to prove your intentions for Nigerians. However we recognize the little effort you and your team

THE MYTH OR REALITY OF MOTHERS-IN-LAW

A mother wants the best for her son. So naturally she is wary when her son says he's found love. All too often men have proven that wisdom is far from them, many of them make wrong choices when it comes to choosing spouses especially men in this generation. It's a mother's nightmare to find out that her son has chosen something that barks as a wife or something that cannot do without sex.

THE REAL ENEMIES OF NIGERIA’S DEVELOPMENT

When Chinua Achebe, the legendary novelist wrote his work on the “The Trouble with Nigeria”, he clearly held that there was nothing wrong with our land or climate or water or air or anything else but the unwillingness of our leaders to rise to responsibility which is the hallmark of true leadership. Nevertheless, in a bid to sound patriotic, a lot of us have erroneously maintained that Nigeria is a great nation; yes, Nigeria is potentially a great nation. However, it is important to tell ourselves the truth. Nigeria is not a great nation from the true sense of the word, it is one of the most corrupt, noisy, insensitive and disorderly nation in the world. It is no doubt one of the most primitive and unpleasant places on earth. If you like, let me be unpatriotic for once, but again what is patriotism and who is a patriot? He is one who cares deeply about the happiness and well-being of his country and its entire people. A true patriot will always demand the highest standards of his coun

NYSC AND THE TALES OF FREE SEX

I remember when I went for youth service and the shock I had when i realized what was going on around me. Married girls were freely having sex with younger boys. Girls were being laid for something as cheap as buying them suya. It was horrific. This was in camp. After camp, boys were living with girls in their lodges.

UNIFORMED OFFICERS IN NIGERIA AND THE RULE OF LAW

I was recently on a convoy where the army, the Nigeria Police and other uniform officers were in control of our movements and was shocked to note their level of brutality to fellow countrymen and women. The one that got me very angry was when we stopped to inspect a project along the road; a man wanted to pass with his car, the military officers asked him to stop, he stopped and instead of allowing him to go, (having respected their orders) they started beating the young man from the car, hence he was asked to seat on the ground till we finish. This is just a little of what these officers are capable of doing to citizens who pay their taxes to make sure that the government is running.

THE OSUN STATE STORY (YOU DO NOT GIVE A MAN FISH YOU TEACH HIM HOW TO FISH)

Osun state was the first state to declare that it owed salaries and couldn't pay its workers. Osun state had been feeding children in public schools for months spending a huge chunk of its allocation on food and catering for school children. Now osun state is broke. It can't pay salaries. Those who believe in the model of capitalism obviously could foresee a situation like this.

TRIBALISM

I have never supported a Nigerian politician because he is from my tribe. I have been proud of Technocrats from my state yes but not politicians. The reason is because it is a thing of joy and honour to know that where you come from is recognized for good. But on the larger scale i am proud of Nigeria as a whole. I am proud to be a Nigerian anytime Nigeria is mentioned outside this country for good.

EMERGING ECONOMIES: BY ROLAND UWAKWE

 Development economists have over the years used different categorization to delimit stages of development among the nations of the world, such terms as “developed”, “less developed”, and developing”  Countries, have continued to appear in most academic works and the annual reports of global bodies like the IMF and the World Bank.

THE CHIBOK SCHOOL GIRLS' RETURN

We are finally beginning to see what could mark the end of the long awaited return of the abducted chibok school girls . We are saying a big thank you to the Nigerian army and also pleading with them to intensify their efforts to rescue all the girls.

POLYGAMY

Isn't it funny how society differentiates between monogamy and polygamy and still accepts polygamy? Children from polygamous homes are looked down on yet society does not stop or restrain a man from marrying a second wife. Such ceremonies are even celebrated with a lot of the man's family members and friends in attendance.

SEXUAL FANTASIES

Almost anybody can relate with this; especially those marrying for sex. To them sex is marriage and marriage is sex and the prospect of marrying a great sexual partner beats the idea that apart from sex there are other qualities you look out for in a partner. So they proceed to make a life-long commitment on the basis of sex. And when life disappoints them they soon find out that sex was never enough.

THE FUEL STRIKE

Another strike is looming and its because of the hike in pump price of petroleum. Every time there is an increase in fuel price, we go on a strike to protest.  It is true that the timing of this particular hike is questionable because of the inflation in the country but in actual fact there really is no right time to make this decision. Government is not planning to make life harder for us, her citizens and if it wasn't because of the position they find themselves in, i'm very sure they wouldn't toe this part. It behooves on us as citizens to listen to their reasons and see if there is an iota of truth in what they are saying.

REPATRIATION OF NIGERIA'S STOLEN WEALTH: BY UWAKWE ROLAND C.O

Vilfred Pareto once said of his native Italy that “to live in this country, one must be either a thief or a friend of thieves”. What Pareto said of Italy many years ago is true of Nigeria as no political office holder could be said to be free of this ugly plague that have destroyed the social, political and economic spheres of the society, hence the recent statement by the British Prime Minister David Cameron, that Nigeria is “fantastically corrupt” is not far from the truth. Albeit, it should not have come from a British PM considering his country’s level of complicity in the underdevelopment of Nigeria right from the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods. Apart from shoplifting the money meant for the development in their different communities, most Nigerian leaders commit double tragedy by investing the funds in other parts of the world at the detriment of more pressing needs at home, it is estimated that over 400 billion US dollars and other properties owned by Nige

ON BITCHES AND PRINCES

It is alarming the number of unhealthy marriages taking place in society today especially in the entertainment industry. God told prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute so the mantra goes and these men go ahead to marry them. Correction: God told prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute. It was symbolic. God was telling Israel that despite their abandoning him for idols, he was going to bring them back to him because he loved them. It was an allegory. God was telling them that despite how difficult it was for a prostitute to be married, he was going to do that for them .They offended God continually and drove him to that point of comparing them with a prostitute. The book of the prophets is filled with such allegories depicting and illustrating God’s message through the prophet at that time. Nowhere did the chapter suggest that men were free to marry prostitutes or that prostitution was a thing to be celebrated. Man out of the depravity of his mind has connived with his soul to

INFLATION AND THE EFFECTS OF DEREGULATION

With the removal of subsidy and petrol selling for N145 per litre, Nigerians are thrown into panic and fear because of the purported effects of the deregulation with some envisaging further inflation. But the purpose of deregulation is intended to do the exact opposite. If well managed this deregulation could mean that; other players come into the downstream sector and price is pushed downwards with the creation of private refineries, scarcity will be addressed. creation of jobs across all Nigerian sectors and reduction in importation further strengthening the naira. Nigeria is going through trying times but remember America went through a recession in 2008 and today they have recovered. With good policies driving the economy, Nigeria should be able to come out of where it presently finds itself .

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

While I was growing up, it was believed generally that a man should not hit a woman and that a husband should not beat his wife. Now I am hearing something different; that a man can beat his wife because some women deserve to be beaten. The problem with the women in this generation is lack of character, lack of respect and for some a tendency to cheat on their husbands.

THE DEREGULATION OF THE DOWNSTREAM OIL SECTOR IN NIGERIA: UNENDING FLUX, BY UWAKWE ROLAND C.O

The discovery of oil in commercial quantity in the 50s was welcomed with fanfare and great anticipation for a better future for the nation’s growing population. However, over the years the nation’s oil industry has been greeted with a lot controversy, the major part of which is on how the downstream oil sector can be effectively managed.

BIRDS OF SAME FEATHER

Whenever people with bad behaviour or people involved in bad activities achieve a measure of success according to their own standards, they attribute it to God. A God they do not believe in neither do they obey. But their success could actually be attributed to likeminds identifying with each other. People who have the same set of values will value and support anything that relates to what they believe in. The next time someone says God helped him and you observe that what he is doing is not in line with God, just say in your mind, birds of the same feather .

THE BUDGET OF CHANGE (NO MORE EXCUSES) BY UWAKWE ROLAND O.C

The President on Friday 6 th  of May signed the 2016 budget into law, thus becoming an Act of the National Assembly; this was after series of imbroglio that greeted the Appropriation bill. A budget of N6.06 trillion is certainly the biggest budget since the nation’s independence in 1960, albeit this government may need a lot of borrowing to fund infrastructural development and stimulate the economy for productivity. It is however important to remark that it does not make any political or economic sense to sign the National budget of the largest country in Africa by May, almost at the middle of the year, the dry season runs between October and May, therefore one wonders at how the roads already earmarked in the budget be fixed. More so, this is not a good time for the nation economically, as every sector of the economy is snowballing into calamitous end waiting to be rescued. Meanwhile, since the composition of the present government on May 29, 2015, they have continued to put up

ROLE MODELS?

WHO OR WHAT IS A ROLE MODEL? A SIMPLE DEFINITION- A POSITIVE EXAMPLE, SOMEONE YOU ARE WILLING TO EMULATE. In todays Nigeria, a role model is anyone who acts in a movie or who sings in the entertainment industry. And my question is what is there to model from a possible drug abuser, a pornographic actress, an adulterer, a philanderer and the likes. You model after character, ethics and morals and not after anything else. It is ridiculous to refer to such people as models. They do not even come close .

INCOMPATIBILITY- CAUSE OF MARITAL FAILURE

SO MANY MARRIAGES ARE FAILING . LETS EXAMINE ONE OF THE ROOT CAUSES OF MARRIAGE FAILURE-INCOMPATIBILITY. DO YOU KNOW THAT MANY COUPLES ARE HIGHLY INCOMPATIBLE AND ARE STILL TRYING TO MAKE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WORK. LETS LOOK AT IT: He is talking about dating while you are talking marriage He hasn't told you that he prayed about it or what God told him concerning the relationship. He talks about his former girlfriend all the time. He keeps ranting to you about the kind of girl he wants to marry when you should be the one telling him about the kind of guy you want to marry. INSENSITIVITY-he hardly notices when you are going through pain. He keeps making jokes about your looks while he thinks he is the most handsome guy alive. He expects you to be the one complimenting him when he hardly pays you a compliment. He doesn ' t respect spiritual things. IF YOU MEET THIS KIND OF GUY, RUN FOR YOUR LIFE . Marry someone who mirrors your life goals and ambitions. Who has hardwor

IN LINE WITH FAYOSE

FAYOSE is not a man I admire so much but I have to agree with him on this one; After President Buhari, we do not want any senior citizen or anyone who has reached the age of retirement as our President again or if possible as any politician elected into any office. President Buhari was chosen because of his impeccable reputation for Integrity. A much needed quality in today's Nigeria. We want a leader outside their generation. One who is young, strong and vibrant. This brings to mind a lot of questions; The generation after, are they ready to pick up from where their fathers have left off? Many of them are dancing away in clubs, worshipping celebrities and seeing nothing wrong in it. I must sound a note of warning here, it is only by positive values that you can transform a nation. As the bible says "righteousness exalts a nation". America is great today because of their founding fathers. Or maybe to this generation, they would rather be bypassed and

HEALTHWISE (DIABETES AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES)

We should focus more on the PREVENTION of diseases instead of their cure. Excessive intake of sugar dominated beverages can cause diabetes. Same way the intake of foods high in cholesterol is bad for heart health. Living a healthy lifestyle will go a long way in preventing sugar-related and heart diseases . Living a healthy lifestyle includes eating healthy and exercising regularly. Eating healthy includes eating fruits and foods rich in fibre content. Eating healthy can make you eat all your favourite foods like Salad without the toppings and all kinds of delicious fruits. EXERCISING regularly like taking long walks or walking on a treadmill is also good for the heart  and reduces body fat .

THE INABILITY OF MEN TO FIND WIVES IN NIGERIA

A friend of mine was complaining that Nigerian men were going outside of Nigeria to marry girls from other African countries like Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone etc. And can you blame them? Someone said according to his own statistics 90% of the girls in Nigeria are recycled. Some of our men are still sensible. They are not prophet Hosea. They are men who still value the old traditional values they were brought up with. Someone was gisting me about a particular girl in her university who was a live-in-lover to one particular guy. According to this my friend, the guy literally used to wash her underwear all for this girl to go and marry one man working in chevron. Do you think the man she married might not have searched and searched until he concluded that probably all girls are the same and went ahead and married her ? Another friend was gisting me of his ex-girlfriend who broke up with him and went back to marry her first boyfriend. These are the kind of women we have in Nige

YUAN DIPLOMACY: REVIEWING CHINA-NIGERIA RELATIONS BY UWAKWE ROLAND O.C

China is the most populous country in the world with the population estimation of over 1.38 billion people, unlike Nigeria; Chinese population is a great advantage to her economic stability because the government has been able to use her population strength for the nation’s industrialization. The foundation of Chinese prosperity started with the revolution of 1911-12 which overthrew the decadent Manchu dynasty. This growth was further restructured, consolidated and entrenched with Communists victory in 1949. The Chinese prosperity through the Communists party was one of the major contributions of Mao Tse-tung to the Chinese development and no doubt his thought is the prevailing philosophy of the new China that have altered the balance of power in contemporary international relations.

THE PENALTY FOR TERRORISTS

There are talks on granting amnesty to perpetrators of terrorism in Nigeria if caught and if eventually defeated. We must classify terrorism as murder and as mass murder. The penalty for murder is life imprisonment or the death sentence. And I can say it will be a fitting penalty for Boko Haram members after all the anguish they've unleashed on Nigerians.

POSITIVE MORAL BALANCE AND RESPONSE TO STIMULI

Our mind is like a bank. You make deposits and withdrawals. Your mind feeds on what you feed it. So if you feed it positive things, you make positive withdrawals. However if you feed it negative things then you make negative withdrawals. Our actions stem from what we have fed our minds with or in my own words, your deposits.

A LETTER TO SOUTH EASTERN NIGERIANS

Dear people of Igbo extraction, I did a piece not too long ago on my apology to you for not understanding your anger towards President Buhari. I felt your pulse and saw your agitations over what you termed deliberate sidelining of Igbos in this APC led government.

WEDDINGS

Have you noticed the recent trend in Nigerian weddings? Where couples revel in orgies? Half of the weddings I saw on the internet had couples dressed half naked

CUSTOMER SERVICE

Been busy this week. Hoping from bank to phone shop and what have you. And I got it slapped in my face in every business entity i was in that Nigerian businesses need to take customer service very seriously.

LOVE

Lets not go into a full definition. Almost everyone can tell you what they think love is. My attention has been drawn recently to a group of people breaking up people's marriages claiming they are in love.