The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • Five ways to discipline your children

    Adeyinka Akintunde

    The recent news of various rehabilitation centres discovered in Kaduna, Kwara and Taraba State is quite disturbing. No one is sure whether to call them “rehabilitation” or “detention” centres going by what the occupants or “inmates” go through.

    It is reported that parents took their children or wards to these centres for discipline and correction from their wayward lifestyles. Studies however revealed that there are better ways to discipline your child.

    It should be noted that if discipline is taken too far, or too extreme, it could have a negative effect on children. This is why President Muhammadu Buhari has since ordered the police to flush out illegal rehabilitation centres across the country.

    Five suggested ways to instill discipline or correction in your children include:

     

    Give them your attention.

    The most powerful tool for effective discipline is attention—to reinforce good behaviors and discourage others. Remember, all children want their parent’s attention.

    Make them do it again

    Everybody deserves a second chance, right? If your child has shown a lack of respect in some way, give them the option of a “do-over.” Send them out of the room, and have them start all over again. It gives them practice in treating others well.

    Use silence

    Sometimes it is hurtful words or it could be a loudness that disturbs the peace. Taking away the privilege to talk for a certain amount of time will calm them down and give them time to think.

    Give consequences

    Calmly and firmly explain the consequences if they don’t behave. For example, tell her that if she does not pick up her toys, you will put them away for the rest of the day. Be prepared to follow through right away. Don’t give in by giving them back after a few minutes. But remember, never take away something your child truly needs, such as a meal.

    Use the rod rarely

    “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” We all know this ancient wisdom, but it must be used with caution. Don’t do it in anger. It can be tough at times, but always keep your composure. If need be, take a walk before engaging. Have them sit on their bed and wait. Sometimes the waiting is worse than the actual spanking.

     

  • Six messages you should never send to your ex after break up

    Oloko Omobolanle

     

    It’s difficult to cope with break up, especially if you still care about your ex. And it’s easy to think that striking up a flirty conversation with your ex will lead to something more or  sending them a page long wall of text about how wrong they were will make them see the error of their ways.

    Here are six text messages you should never send to your ex love

    1. “I miss you.”

    Wanting to reach out to the person you miss and tell them you miss them isn’t unreasonable, doing so will only make the healing process harder. Instead reach out to trusted family and friends and open up to them about your grief.

    2. Congrats on your new relationship.

    It’s no longer acceptable to text once you discover that your ex has a new relationship. This is very important to note considering the fact that before you can truly be happy for your former significant other and their newfound love; you first have to tend to your own wounds.

    3. Can we still be friends?

    When a relationship ends, you may find yourself feeling like the time you spent making memories and building a life with your partner was all for naught. The emotional debris caused by a breakup is often quite sharp around the edges. Attempting to be best friends with your former lover is a bad idea; a lot of insight can come with time and space apart. So before you text your ex a proposal of friendship, maybe try opening your meditation app and checking in with yourself.

    Read Also; FCTA parades couple for allegedly abusing girl, 12

    4. Wanna come over?

    Everyone gets lonely sometimes. And, whether they’ll admit to it or not, everyone has considered texting a former lover with the hope that they’d be interested in providing a bit of familiar company. However, getting intimate with an ex soon after a breakup will generally only serve to make the healing process longer and more difficult to navigate. As fun as a one-night stand with an ex-lover may sound in theory, it’s almost never a good idea.

    5. A revealing photo

    If both parties have completely moved on from the relationship emotionally, a hook up or two likely won’t do much harm. If you have a long distance with your ex with whom you’re thinking of striking up a sexting conversation, put down your phone.

    6.  Can we please give things another try?

    Few things come close to the soul crushing feeling of having your heart broken by someone you love. While you’re wallowing in sadness, you’ll likely get the bright idea to pick up your phone and send your ex a text asking if they’re double-sure about their decision. And if they say they are, well, you still might feel inspired to ask them to reconsider.

  • Did Yahaya Bello use N10b federal government fund for campaign vehicles?

    By Justina Asishana

     

    CLAIM: A post on Facebook and Twitter claimed that Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state bought 1,500 Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) from the N10 billion released by President Buhari to pay salaries.

    CONCLUSION: INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE: The N10 billion has not been released by the federal government. Thus, it seems improbable for the governor to have bought these vehicles with the N10 billion.

    However, the origin of the vehicles, as well as the issue of state, owed salaries still remains unaccounted for.

    Full Text

    On the 18th of October, several posts on Twitter and Facebook stated that Governor Bello bought 1,500 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) from the N10 billion released by President Buhari to pay salaries.

    Verification

    Verification carried out by The Nation revealed that in a letter dated 10th October 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari sought the Senate’s approval for the payment of N10 billion to Kogi State.

    The President addressed the letter to Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan.

    He said the money would be used by the state government to settle local debts it incurred as a result of the projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government.

    Buhari also noted that 24 out of 25 state governments had received the approval of the National Assembly, since the eighth Senate passed the resolution.

    This was for the settlement of the claims on projects executed on behalf of the Federal Government

    According to the President, the N10.069 billion was the outstanding amount due to Kogi, which is the only state yet to receive a refund.

    The Senate President read the letter. Next, he referred the letter to Senate Committee on foreign loans and debts, which turned in their report in two weeks.

    However, Galacticus Mohammed Onogu- the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Yahaya Bello- told The Nation that the state government had not received the money.

    Is Kogi state Government owing Salaries?

    In August, Yahaya Bello- Kogi state Governor- claimed to have cleared the debts to the state workers.

    He was quoted to have said: “I am therefore overjoyed that we have been able to update till July 2019 payments to every cleared worker. I appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for his roles getting the Bailout to us.”

    Also, the Nation received the same response from the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

    He said the state government was not owing state salaries; adding that they had been cleared.

    However, in September, over 7,000 teachers in Kogi State appealed to Bello to look into the issue of non-payment of their salary.

    This was done via a communiqué at an emergency meeting- Basic Education Staff Association of Nigeria (BESAN).

    They included teachers in public- primary and junior secondary schools. Apparently, they had been owed for 8-39 months!

    Was the N10 billion meant for payment of salaries?

    The money was said to be authorised expenditures on projects executed in Kogi State on behalf of the Federal government.

    We recall, the President, in his letter to the Senate, noted that 23 other states had previously being reimbursed.

    These expenditures were authorised on behalf of the Federal government. He further that Kogi state was yet to receive her refund, buttressing the need for approval from the Parliament.

    Succinctly, the request was premised on the promissory note programme and bond issuance.

    A promissory note is a debt instrument which one party promises in writing to pay a determinate sum of money to the other; either at a fixed or determinable future time, under specific terms.

    The request was for settling certain inherited local debts and contractual obligations of the Federal Government. Evidently, the N10 billion was not meant for the payment of salaries.

    The SUV Vehicles

    It remains unclear where the campaign SUV vehicles came from. However, it is evident that it was not from the N10 billion, which is yet to be released.

    Chief Press Secretary- Galacticus Mohammed Onogu- said that the campaign vehicles were donated by friends and well-wishers of the government.

    “The state Governor, Yahaya Bello has not from government account purchased any vehicle for his re-election campaigns.

    “He has been receiving different donations of cars from friends and well-wishers after winning the Primaries in August this year… It was not bought with the N10 billion because the money has not been received to the best of my knowledge,” he stressed.

    Conclusion

    It is evident that Kogi state government is yet to receive the reimbursement required for government approved expenditure. However, it is unclear where the vehicles came from and whether the current administration owes state salaries.

    This fact-check was done by a Dubawa Fact-checking Fellow in collaboration with The Nation.

  • Seven interesting tips for creating visual contents on social media

    1. Make visuals part of your social media strategy

    Great visuals are only as good as the social strategy that supports them. Your creative may follow best practices

    Every visual strategy should include:

    • Audience research. Do some background on your audience’s interests and think about what type of visual content they’d like to see.
    • Create a mood board. Add content, colour palettes, and other visuals that will help shape your direction.
    • Themes. Mix things up with recurring themes or pillars. Air France’s Instagram feed, for example, includes a combination of destination shots and airplane photos.
    • Platform. Consider how you should adapt your visual strategy for each social channel.
    • Timing. Make sure to post visuals on social at peak times. But think big picture, too. Will you need more visual content around certain holidays? Planning ahead will help you better manage your budget and production calendar

    2. Get to know the creative basics

    There’s not one good way to create a visual. But there are some basic best practices to take into consideration. And you have to know the rules before you can break them.

    Here are some basic best practices for creating social media visuals:

    • Have a clear subject. It’s usually best to have a single focal point in your image.
    • Remembers the rule of thirds. With some exceptions, it’s best not to centre your subject perfectly.
    • Use natural light. If your image is too dark, it’s harder to see. But don’t overexpose your images, either.
    • Make sure there’s enough contrast. Contrast provides balance, is easier to read, works better in black and white environments, and is more accessible.
    • Choose complementary colors. Get familiar with a color wheel.
    • Keep it simple. Make sure your visual is easy to understand.
    • Don’t over-edit. Resist the temptation to press all the buttons. Subtly is a good policy when it comes to filters and features. Increase saturation with caution.

    3. Size images to spec
    One of the biggest crimes you can commit when sharing visuals on social media is using the wrong size.
    Images with the wrong aspect ratio or low resolutions can be stretched, cropped, and crunched out of proportion all of which reflects poorly on your brand.

    Every platform has its own specifications and you should tailor your content accordingly. We’ve assembled a social media image size guide to help you.

    Always aim for the highest image quality. That includes pixels and resolution.

    And don’t ignore aspect ratio. Why? Some platforms auto-crop image previews based on aspect ratio. So if yours is different, you could end up with an unfortunate crop, or have important info left out. Or, you could pull a boss move like this.

    A few social media image sizing hacks:

    • Want to share a horizontal photo in a Story? Create a background or use a template so it doesn’t look small and sad.
    • Stories and other vertical content display differently depending on the device being used.
    • Don’t put anything important in the upper and lower 250-310 pixels.
    • Preview how Instagram will crop a vertical photo on your grid by looking at the filter thumbnails before you publish.
    • Check your analytics to see what devices your audience uses. If there’s a trend, size accordingly.
    • Not enough room for your content? Animate it.

    Read Also: How social media has helped my fashion label, by Mimi Linda Yina

    4. Be tasteful with text

    Whether you plan to create quote images, stylized typography, or use text overlays, less is always more when it comes to word count.

    Text in visuals should always be bold, legible, straightforward, and concise. Make sure there’s enough contrast between the text and background so that it’s readable.
    What’s the best image-to-text ratio? It depends, and there are exceptions. In general, Facebook finds that images with less than 20% text tend to perform better.

    If you plan to use text as an overlay, make sure the visual leaves room for it. Or use a solid background.
    The text should always improve not obscure your creative.

    Be sure it adds value to your message, too. If it’s only stating the obvious or describing the visual, you don’t need it.

    Here are a few tips to keep in mind when including text in images:
    • Triple check spelling and grammar.
    • Choose type wisely. Font can affect both tone and legibility.
    • If you need to mix fonts, pair a serif with a sans serif.
    • Avoid green and red or blue and yellow colour combos. According to WCAG, they’re more difficult to read.
    • Keep line length short.
    • Look out for orphan words. Leaving one word on the last line can look odd.
    • Animate text to make it stand out.

    5. Add your logo, where appropriate

    If you plan your visuals to be shared, it may be a good idea to include a logo.
    Good branding is noticeable but not obtrusive. Typically that means putting a small logo in a corner or the outer frame of the visual.

    Not every Instagram post may need a logo, for example. If your Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook avatar is your logo, you may not need one in your cover banner, either.

    6. Include alt-text descriptions

    When producing creative for social media, make it accessible for as many people and contexts as possible. Accessible content allows you to reach a broad audience and possibly edge out non-inclusive competitors in the process.
    Accessible visual content on social media can include:

    • Alt-text descriptions. Alt-text allows the visually impaired to appreciate images. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram now provides fields for alt-text image descriptions. Here are some tips for writing descriptive alt-text.

    7. Be creative
    Creative work is always rewarded by customers with likes, comments, shares, and sales. And it has to power to earn new followers, too.

  • Seven surprising things you probably didn’t know you could do with eggs

    You’re probably wondering what else you can do with eggs apart from eating and maybe using for one or two beauty treatments. Below are seven things you probably didn’t know you could do with eggs.

    Treat a cut

    The thin membrane from a hard-boiled egg can be applied on cuts to promote healing. The membrane has wound-healing nutrients and can be used as a bandage for cuts. You have to be gentle when applying the membrane on the wound though, so it doesn’t cut from over stretching.

    To deter pests

    You can use eggs as some form of pesticide to deter pests. Simply scatter crushed eggshells on top of flowerbeds to discourage and deter snails, slugs and cutworms from coming to the area.

    To help seeds germinate

    This is mainly done with flower seeds. Eggshells can be used at the initial stage of seed germination. They can be used to start your seeds for the season. Use a needle to poke a small drainage hole in the bottom half of an empty egg shell, fill in the shell with soil and press in the seeds. Take care of the seeds appropriately and watch them grow.

    Read Also: Five foods you should never eat before going to bed

    To substitute glue

    The proteins in egg white tend to set quite firmly when dry because of their strong bonding properties. Raw eggs whites are actually powerful bonding agents that can be used on paper as a substitute for glue when glue isn’t available.

    To fertilize plants

    Eggs shells contain a high amount of calcium which is a beneficial mineral for cherry tomatoes, garden eggs and other plants in the nightshade family. For this reason, they are great for use in helping to fertilize these plants to promote growth and germination.

    To boost calcium intake

    Like was stated above, eggshells have a high amount of calcium, and aside from using them to fertilize plants, they can also be used to help boost calcium intake in humans. Simply bake an empty egg shell at 350 degree Fahrenheit for eight minutes, let cool, then grind to fine powder and add a teaspoon of it to your juice.

    To scour metal

    Ground eggshells are powerful abrasives that can be used to clean dirty pots, pans and even pipes to make them shine and look new again. You can add some soapy water to dampen the ground eggshells a bit before using them to scour the metal.

  • Five foods you should never eat before going to bed

    It’s an incredibly soothing feeling to feel sleepy and be able to get on your bed and go straight to sleep without any disturbance or disruptions. Eating foods at the wrong time is one way to cause such disturbance. Here are five foods you should never eat before bed to have a sound night’s sleep.

    Chicken

    Chicken or any type of protein tends to interfere with your sleep if consumed at night or before bed. This is because digestion typically slows down while you’re sleeping and if you eat a significant portion of protein before bed, it further slows down digestion and the meal takes a much longer time to digest. Therefore, rather than focusing on sleeping, your body is instead focusing on digesting. However, combining carbohydrate foods with protein can help tip the balance in favour of a good night’s sleep.

    Sugary Snacks or Foods

    This is an obvious one; however there is still a large number of people who eat these foods before bed. This is ill-advised because, like proteins, sugary foods or snacks are slow to digest, much slower to digest than other foods. As a result, rather than your body relaxing to sleep, it will be working to digest the sugary food which can significantly interfere with your sleep.

    Coffee

    While this is technically a drink not food, this is another one you should stay away from at night. This is mainly because the caffeine in coffee stimulates your nervous system and keeps you awake and active throughout the night. However, if the intention is to remain awake through the night, then it’s fine. You should only be careful not overdo this, as abuse of caffeine can lead to hyperactivity and other problems associated with caffeine abuse. It’s much better to find a way to get your work done during the day to give your body time to rest at night, as nature intended.

    Read Also: ‘Excessive fatty foods cause cancer’

    Spicy or Peppery Food

    No matter how much you love spicy or peppery foods, it’s best to eat them earlier in the day rather than at night. Spicy and peppery foods can cause heartburns when taken at night, which can significantly interfere with what was meant to be a sound night’s sleep for you.

    Fatty or Greasy Foods

    This is especially associated with most fast food meals and should be avoided not only before sleeping but in general, to maintain good health and well-being. The fat contained in fatty and greasy foods stimulates the production of stomach acid which can cause heartburn, so fatty or greasy foods are best avoided at night to prevent waking up with a very uncomfortable heartburn in the middle of the night.

  • Six things to know ahead of ex-Governor Ambode’s probe Wednesday 

    By Alao Abiodun

    Since the exit of former Governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode from office months back, his deeds and some other activities during his tenure has continued to generate mixed reactions and controversies.

    It should be recalled that weeks ago, it was all over the media that the Epe home of the former Lagos state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode was raided by the operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC).

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) reportedly raided Ambode’s two houses in Lagos on 20 August as part of its investigations into N9.9bn ($27.3m) discovered in three bank accounts linked to him.

    Akinwunmi Ambode who is currently being hunted down by the country’s anti-corruption commission, has also been summoned by the Lagos State House of Assembly to clarify some financial activities carried out during his administration.

    Here are the six things to know ahead of the Lagos State House of Assembly probe on Wednesday:

    1. The Lagos state House of Assembly revealed in a recent advert about the five ‘sins’ allegedly committed by the former governor of the state, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode.

    2. To clarify the whole issue and shed more light to the on-going investigations, the former governor is expected to appear before the Lagos state House of Assembly by 1pm on Wednesday.

    3. It should be noted that this will be the second time the former governor will be summoned by the house.

    Read Also; Alleged misappropriation of funds: Ambode to face Assembly panel on Wednesday

    4. Ambode was first summoned about weeks ago alongside former government officials, including the former commissioners for Finance, Economic Planning, Justice and Attorney General, and Permanent Secretary, Economic Planning.

    5. The Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa constituted a 16-man ad-hoc committee under the chairmanship of Hon. Fatai Mojeed (Ibeju-Lekki I) to probe the procurement of 820 high occupancy vehicles, bought by the Ambode administration under its Bus Reform Initiative (BRI).

    6. On Wednesday, Ambode will be requested to appear before the house to clarify the following:

    * Unauthorised discounting of promissory note

    * Purchase of 820 buses by his administration without due authorisation

    * Misappropriation of Special Expenditure Funds

    * Improper implementation of the Appropriation Law

    * Non-adherence to the Financial Regulations of the state.

  • Six ways to stay romantic in long distance relationship

    Jimoh Gafar

     

    Long-distance relationships are tough. There is no need to sugarcoat it. Being miles away from one another puts stress on the relationship because it requires an extraordinary amount of trust and dedication. It can be so frustrating to keep the connection you once had when the two of you were right beside each other.

    Below are six ways to be romantic in long distance relationship

    1. Send good morning text messages. It sounds sappy and can really be romantic staying connected despite the fact you are miles apart.

    2. Plan date nights. Even though you are not together in a room, you can plan date nights. Some of the most fun memories of long distance dating was curling up on the couch with your phone beside you, texting your boyfriend/girlfriend and commenting on the show you both are watching.

    3. Send photo texts of your day. Admire him/her, call yourself romantic name.

    4. Pay attention on phone calls. There is a tendency when you are dating long distance to want to spend as much time on the phone together as possible.

    5. Surprise him/her with a visit. This one you need to be careful of as you do not want to be an inconvenience. Hosting someone takes time and planning, so do give them a little warning.

    6. Video chat with one another. This activity can be fun to a lot of people in long distance relationship. It affords you the opportunity to see each other via phone and relish good moments.

  • Researchers found man’s body producing alcohol

    When a man in North Carolina was pulled over on suspicion of driving drunk, police didn’t believe him when he said he hadn’t had any alcohol.

    The man, in his late 40’s at the time, refused to take a breathalyzer test and was taken to a hospital, where his initial blood alcohol level was found to be 0.2% – about 2.5 times the legal limit and the equivalent of consuming 10 drinks an hour. Despite the man swearing up and down that he hadn’t had anything to drink, doctors didn’t believe him either.

    But researchers at the Richmond University Medical Center in New York eventually discovered that the man was telling the truth. He wasn’t downing beers or cocktails – instead, there was yeast in his gut that was likely converting carbohydrates in the food he ate to alcohol.

    In other words, his body was brewing beer.

    The findings were reported in a study in BMJ Open Gastroenterology. The man, whose identity has not been revealed, had a rarely diagnosed medical condition called auto-brewery syndrome (ABS), also known as gut fermentation syndrome.

    Gut fermentation syndrome occurs when yeast in the gastrointestinal tract causes the body to convert carbohydrates ingested through food into alcohol. The process typically takes place in the upper GI tract, which includes the stomach and the first part of the small intestine.

  • Girls, may you not end up a frustrated single mother (II)

    By Temilolu Okeowo 

    Dear Aunty Temilolu, I am 19 years old and I have a baby who is a year and some months. I tell you in recent times, I always feel bad about myself that I have a baby. I had promised to keep myself till I get married before the baby came. Now, I feel I’m not going to have a man who would cherish me because I already have a baby. Is that true or just my thinking? I would have terminated the pregnancy but for the fear of God. Please counsel me. God bless you ma.

    Anonymous

    My darling anonymous,

    I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart for fearing God enough not to abort that destiny! I may sound strange but I also thank God you are a mother today! Yes! That child may have come from a sinful relationship but God decided to release that child into the earth for reasons best known to Him! But you will know in future! You may be tagged all sorts now BUT ONE DAY, YOU MAY HAVE CAUSE TO LOOK BACK AND THANK GOD FOR ALLOWING THAT CHILD COME YOUR WAY INSPITE YOUR DISOBEDIENCE! You don’t want to know the horrible pain too many women are going through just because they can’t conceive a child!

    (Girls, this is not a leeway for you to engage in premarital sex!)

    You see, not every bad or unpleasurable thing that happens to us in life is our making. A lot of things that happen to us in life were fated to happen and some are designed by the enemy to confuse us and derail us from our divine paths of destiny.  If you had been warned over and over again against having a boyfriend and you refused to listen but ended up in the family way,  although you have to bear the consequences of the path you chose to follow but eventually you have to forget about the troubles that come with it and align yourself with God so His divine agenda for you can manifest!

    Asides this, when a family pattern has been set and you are not well-equipped to ensure you don’t follow that pattern, how can you avoid it? If your mother had you in her teens/out of wedlock if care is not taken, you’ll have a child that way too. When I emphasize on concentrating on your spirituality as a teenager and eschewing boyfriends, I know what I am talking about! A lot of you are not bad children but when one wrong emotion is allowed to gain grounds in your life, I tell you the devil takes over. No matter what you brought upon yourself or what was fated to happen to you, in order not to end up in the gallows of life (which is what the devil and your detractors want for you) and end up missing God’s wondrous agenda for you, you have to totally surrender to God and care ONLY about what He thinks about you and wishes for you!

    He already told us in Isaiah 8:18 that we are made for signs and wonders. The enemy doesn’t like this and would do everything to stop us. Even if out of your youthful exuberance you already have 2 kids for 2 different men out of wedlock, you can still align with God’s divine agenda for your life and have the best of the noble men in the world run after you. Certainly, with God all things are possible! If you’ve been badly stigmatized and ashamed of your life; wallowing in self-pity and crying all the time, hanging your head low, you are disappointing and belittling God while you are glorifying the devil and making him laugh at you! Cheer up, my dear! Don’t allow the negative voice of anyone get at you. Do not be conformed to the world in your thinking. Brace up and concentrate on the word of God and His glorious plans for your destiny. If you can follow him with all your heart, you will be amazed at how your mockers would eventually bow for you and pray that God glorifies them the way He glorified you.

    Before you were born, God gave you a unique mixture of spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences. There’s no one like you in the entire universe because, in part, there’s no one with your unique mix of talents.  IF I WERE YOU, I’D MAKE THE BEST OF THE ABOVE; LIVE A COMPLETELY HOLY LIFE AND COME AND SEE WHETHER THE WORLD’S MOST HONOURABLE MEN WOULD NOT RUN AFTER YOU WHEN GOD DECIDES TO SHOWCASE YOU HIMSELF! Yes, my dear!

    • To be continued

    I invite you to follow me on Facebook – TEMILOLU OKEOWO (not Temilolu okeowo girls club or TEMILOLU OKEOWO Girls Club group). Instagram @ Okeowo Temilolu.