The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

  • ‘Candidates for the next Akarigbo to emerge from Torungbuwa Ruling House’

    The Akarigbo kingmakers have put to rest the conflict regarding the appropriate ruling house to produce the next Akarigbo, disclosing that the new paramount ruler would emerge from the Torungbuwa ruling house. They also stated that the candidate would emerge in the next 24 hours. The succession battle began after the death of Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo, at a London clinic on July 24, 2016. One of the candidates, Prince Adewale Solarin, told journalists at his residence on Sunday that a letter had been written to the Torungbuwa family to forward their candidates.

    In the same vein, the Commissioner for culture and tourism, and the immediate past commissioner for Local government and chieftaincy affairs, Hon. Olumuyiwa Oladipo, in his swift reaction on his social media account shed more light on the development. He stated that the procedure involves the LG issuing a letter to the ruling house to convoke a meeting of the entire members of the family where interested members are nominated, picked and compiled if the candidates are more than one before the list is sent to the Kingmakers.

    Hon. Olumuyiwa noted that such meetings shall be conducted within 14days after issuing the letter. The Kingmakers shall in turn at a meeting select one of the nominees by voting as the next Akarigbo. This shall be done within 7 days of the receipt of the list of nominees from the ruling house. A letter containing the results is then sent to the local government which would in turn forward the names to the Ministry of local government and Chieftaincy Affairs. A memo is then forwarded to the State Executive council for confirmation. From that day henceforth, he is confirmed to become an Oba.

    Meanwhile, Prince Adewale Solarin, professor of mathematics noted that it was the turn of the Torungbuwa to produce the Akarigbo, urging the family to use this medium to pick the best candidate. He revealed his vision for the Remo kingdom and tagged it “The 21st Century Remo Kingdom.” He said: “My vision is to create a world class city and region that is internationally recognized as a pace-setter in all its activities.”

    Our plan is that the Remo Kingdom becomes an international tourism destination in Nigeria. Youths farming Hectares of Forestry Plantations; Hectares of oil-palm plantations; Hectares of cashew plantations; Hectares of other tree crops; Hectares of arable crops; and Hectares for Livestock Farm activities. We will therefore, embark on massive environment beautification programmes.

    Adewale Solarin, FMAN, FNMS, a Professor of Mathematics was the Director/Chief Executive Officer, National Mathematical Centre (NMC), Abuja, from 1st June, 2012 to 1st August, 2016. He was elected the President of African Mathematical Union (AMU) in July, 2013. He was appointed COMSATS Distinguished Professor of Mathematics in 2014.

    Prof Adewale was appointed a member of the Scientific Board of UNESCO’s International Basic Science Programme, Paris, France on 28th January, 2015 and UNESCO Chair of Mathematics the same year. Before his appointment as CEO, he was the Dean, School of Mathematical Studies; Coordinator, Tertiary Institutions Students Mathematics Competitions; Principal Trainer, Nigerian Team for International Mathematics Olympiads; Coordinator, Mental Mathematics for Basic Education Programme; all at the National Mathematical Centre, Abuja, Nigeria. At the University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria, he was Deputy Vice – Chancellor (Dec. 2004 to Dec. 2006), a member of the Governing Council of (2000-2006); Director, Academic Planning, (2000-2004); Head, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria ( 1997-2000 ). He was the brain behind the creation of the Centre for Human Resources Development (CENHURD), which became the highest IGR point in the University.

    Prince Adewale Solarin who finally said this contest is not a do or die affair, pleaded with the people of the town as well as all religious bodies to maintain peace.

    “The other ruling houses are Liyangu, Owarodo, Koyelu and Torungbuwa which is the youngest of four children. We are his descendants. The four descendants have been rotationally occupying the stool of the Akarigbo,” he added.

  • Four best kept secrets for business success

    Four best kept secrets for business success

    Business success typically requires hard-work, commitment and dedication. However, there are a couple of secrets, the knowledge of which can help significantly drive business success. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 best-kept secrets of business success.

    HAVE A WORST-TO-BEST SCALE

    The best way to avoid bad business decisions is to first recognize them, and one of the best ways to do this is by evaluating your business on a worst-to-best scale. Once you are able to recognize bad business decisions, it will be easier to eschew them, then identify the best options for your business and pursue them, which can significantly help to drive business success.

    CREATE VISUAL REMINDERS OF LONG-TERM GOALS

    When trying to achieve business success, it’s easy to get ‘caught up in the daily grind’ and do things that are familiar, rather than things required for growth and profitability. Having visual reminders of your long-term goals can really help to create ‘tangible reminders’ that can help to keep your business focused on growth and profitability. It will help to serve as a constant reminder of your goals and help to
    keep you on track to achieving them.

    WELCOME HONEST FEEDBACK AND CRITICISM

    Over time, this has become less of a secret to most people, however, it is still a vital factor for business success. Feedback and criticism are good because they both help you realize the faults or failures in your business or business offerings. It important to learn how to effectively process criticism by receiving, assessing and letting go of hateful or negative criticism, and evaluating and acting upon constructive criticism. In addition, you should ensure that you solicit feedback from your target audience, open all channels of communication to receive this feedback and be gracious when receiving feedback. This way, people, especially your target audience, are more likely to be supportive of your business venture.

    PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR INTUITION

    A number of successful business people, Warren Buffet for example, have credited their intuition for helping them make some of their toughest business decisions. Intuition is in fact real, and it is not very wise to ignore it as a business person. If something about a business decision doesn’t sit well with you, then it is probably defective. Intuition comes from deep within your subconscious and is derived from previous life experiences; it’s more or less your true self speaking, which is why it is usually not wise to ignore it.

  • Postpone your burial

    Postpone your burial

    Living up to a 100 years or more is a feat most people want to achieve, and this can be achieved when good health is actualized. Health, afterall they say, is wealth.

    In order to stay fit, fresh and last longer than people within your age bracket, you need to take your health and issues around it very seriously, in that way, you would have postponed your burial!!!

    Here are five simple tips and tricks on how to stay in good health and enjoy a healthy long life

    1. Eat right:

    A comprehensive review of thousands of studies on diet, physical activity, and weight conducted for the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research pointed to the benefits of eating mostly foods of plant origin. Fruits and vegetables such as carrots, red tomatoes, grapes, avocados, berries, apple and garlic showed some of the strongest links to cancer prevention. They’re low in calories and fat and packed with phytochemicals and antioxidants that may help reduce your cancer risk and increases your chances of living a long healthy life. Green tea, avocados, walnuts, have also been observed through research to make people look younger and fresher.

    However, you should be careful with the intake of these fruits and vegetables as antioxidants can be dangerous to health.

    Adding extra unnecessary antioxidants (vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin A) to our diet can be dangerous. You can eat as many fruits as you like but don’t forget that almost all things are poisonous in large enough quantities – even water, though you would have to drink an awful lot to kill you.

    A Cochrane Review published in 2016, which looked at the results of hundreds of individual studies, found out that current evidence does not support the use of antioxidant supplements in the general population or in patients with various diseases as they could increase the chances of death for such patients, they advised for moderate intake of fruits to achieve maximum health optimization.

    1. Get up and move about:

    New Research in Public library of science (PLOS) Medicine 2009, has actually put a number on the benefits of physical exercise, finding that 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week (think: 5 days of 30-minute workouts, like walking, bicycling, or hiking) will earn you an extra 3.4 years, and even just 75 minutes a week (that’s 10 minutes a day!) could extend your life by 1.8 years. Exercise is good for you. Really good for you! So whether you’ve been sidelined due to an injury or are just straight-up lazy lately, do what it takes to safely get yourself back in the game—because even 10 minutes a day will stretch your lifespan.

    1. Turn off the Television:

    Too much time in front of the television can take a serious toll on your health. A team of researchers at Tohoku University in Japan, led by neuroscientist Hikaru Takeuchi, first published findings on a study that people who watched television four or more hours a day were 46% more likely to die from any cause than people who watched less than two hours a day.

    Even cutting back a little can help because they found out that each additional hour you watch television increases your overall risk of dying by 11% and dying from heart disease by 18%.

    1. Stay out of the sun:

    Avoiding too much sun can head off skin cancer, and it can also keep you looking young by preventing wrinkles, fine lines, and saggy skin. Although Nigeria can be very sunny, It’s never too early or too late to add sunscreen to your daily skincare regimen and don’t focus only on your face, your chest and feet can also get splotches and spots when you ignore them. You can also walk around with an umbrella to avoid the harsh impact of the sun on your skin especially in Nigeria.

    1. Quit smoking:

    This is perhaps the most important thing you can do to postpone your burial. A study published in the American Journal of Public Health found that people who quit smoking by age 35 add roughly six to eight years to their lives.

    It’s never too late to kick the habit. Quitting can slow disease and increase survival odds even in smokers who have already caused significant damage to their lungs, like those with early lung cancer.

    These few easy tips can help you add 10-15 years to your life span… So, go postpone that burial!!!

  • Don’t shut them up

    Don’t shut them up

    We say children are the future, our hope for tomorrow, for a better country and for a better life. All we do is say, we don’t try to make these feasible.

    There are a lot of children (especially the precocious ones) out there who are so eager to let out their opinions about a few issues affecting the country, but due to some cultural conditioning and so called advices they receive, they are being asked to keep mute all in the name of “waiting for their time”, so that their views don’t stand against them. They are asked to leave things the way they met them and asked to go through circumstances their predecessors underwent.

    We should try to create a society that is conducive for the children to air out their own opinion. We should not make them grow with the mentality of always leaving things the way they are. A music icon Michael Jackson in one of his song said “We are the world” and “We are the children”. This was a message to the world to allow children express their vision for change in the world.

    My dear, don’t shut them up.  It is true that young people have crazy ideas, however, it is sometimes best we “guild” their suggestions which needs the monitoring and mentoring of the elders to shape these children to adults with great values.

    History was made in Kenya the year 2014, when the first national children government was established. This was with the help of UNICEF to create a united and empowered collective voice for children.

    Nigeria, being the giant of Africa is one of the pioneers of the children parliament, however, that arm has become more ceremonial than effective – a show and a bauble.

    My dear, don’t shut them up. Gani Fawehini, Martin Luther King jnr., Mahatma Gandhi of India and many more people are now referenced by the society because they used their boundless energies to tenaciously and uncompromisingly pursue and crusade their beliefs, principles and ideas and today they are still respected.

    If our children decide to be critics in government affairs, Kudos! We could even begin to have courses like “government criticism, economic criticism and so on” in schools and they will end up being government and economic critics.

    Don’t teach them to only see the good things or things we delude ourselves with; let them also see things that are wrong so that their quest for finding a solution would be preeminent.

    Don’t try to shape their mentality and attitude to be the one that only seeks to please people. If we raise them like that, trust me we will have bunch of sycophants and docile individuals.

    We have to let them speak even if what they are saying does not seem to make sense to us. We should not teach them to be “sitting ducks”, instead let us teach them to be alert and responsive, to be unafraid when saying or doing what is right.

    With this, we would have a country filled with thinking minds; with people who are ready to be opposed and are also ready to defend themselves and also be corrected.

    Let us not shut them up for they are our future.

  • Six easy tricks to remember things easily

    Six easy tricks to remember things easily

    Occasional memory loss in inevitable, but there are a couple of tricks that can help you start remembering things much more easily than you do now. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 6 easy tricks to remember things easily.

    TRY VISUALIZING THINGS

    Converting words to pictures is one of the best ways to improve recall. This is because we naturally remember the things we’ve seen (that is, visual cues), better than we remember words. Also, the more senses you involve in trying to learn or remember something, the more likely you are to recall it. When you try to visualize something you want to remember, you increase your chance of remembering that thing. So the next time you’re traveling and want to remember important documents, you can try to commit your task to memory by visualizing the documents – maybe a stack of papers and with a passport on top – in the cupboard you keep them, and try to make the picture as vivid as
    possible. Do this as many times as you can throughout the day and see the results for yourself. The same also applies to students when reading or preparing for tests or exams. They should simply associate what they are trying to remember with a vivid enough picture, and it can help them remember even the most difficult things.

    USE MNEMONIC DEVICES

    This is a popular technique to remember things used mainly by students when studying for tests or exams. Mnemonic devices are very good for remembering things in a particular order. It’s also great for remembering mathematical order of operations.

    ASSOCIATE WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO LEARN WITH WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW

    The more mental connections you are able to make with what you are trying to remember, the easier it will be for you to remember it successfully. This is especially helpful when you trying to remember names and dates. When you go out, especially when traveling or going for events, you are very likely to meet new people and it is typically
    perceived as rude or careless if you hardly remember the names of those you meet. To help with this, when someone tells you their name, you should immediately try to associate it with something or someone you know. This will help you remember it better. Same thing applies with
    dates.

    WRITE OUT THE THINGS YOU WANT TO REMEMBER

    This is also a popular trick to remember things. Writing out the things you want to recall can really help to improve your recall because you will be forcing yourself to remember things actively, rather than passively. You will thus pay more attention to them as you write them down again and again, and as you do this, you are, in effect, actually teaching yourself what you want to remember; and as you know teaching yourself something is the best way to remember it. This trick can also help you discover the things that have made it to your long term memory, and those that haven’t, so you don’t waste time reinforcing the ones that have.

    LEAVE REMINDERS EVERYWHERE

    Leave reminders on your cellphone, calendar, bathroom mirror, dressing table etc., and you can also ask friends and family to remind you of important things you need to remember. However, it is important to choose friends or family members that are good at remembering things.

    GET ADEQUATE SLEEP

    A lot of people don’t know that getting proper sleep actually helps people remember things. If you’re sleep deprived, it will be harder for you to remember things because sleep is necessary to consolidate a memory (that is, make a memory stick) so that it can be recalled later
    in the future.

  • Four best Apps for sharing files

    Four best Apps for sharing files

    Mobile devices can be a great way to keep and share files, so long as you know the right tools to use for the job. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 of the best apps for sharing files.

    XENDER

    With Xender you can send files between devices, that is either between Android devices, or between iOS devices or between Android and iOS devices. All you need to do is follow a couple of on-screen steps to create a Wi-Fi hotspot and you’re good to go. Xender file sharing works with a group of up to four devices at once. Also, Xender allows
    you grab APK files of any app installed on your phone which is very useful when you want to backup specific versions. In addition, with Xender’s desktop interface, you can view images, videos, music, documents, apps and other files stored on your device by switching from one tab to another.

    WETRANSFER

    This is mainly used when you want to upload a huge set of photos and videos at once. It’s a free app that lets you upload up to 10GB at once, and sends a link for recipients to download your files via email, without needing to log in. It is especially convenient when you want to send files to someone remotely, and it lets you email multiple recipients at once and send a message along with it. For the free WeTransfer subscription plan, your uploads are available to recipients for a period of 7 days before expiring.

    DROPBOX

    Dropbox is a popular storage provider that’s also a great way to share files. Upon creating an account, Dropbox gives the user free 2GB storage, and the user can share videos, photos or documents with people who don’t even have a Dropbox account. All the recipient needs to do is click a link to gain access to whatever it is you want them to see, without having to download the Dropbox software. Dropbox works across iOS, Android, Windows and OSX, which makes it a great option for sharing files with other devices. Dropbox is also one of the more common enterprise choices for cloud storage.

    SUPERBEAM

    Superbeam uses Wi-Fi direct technology to send files between devices, so it is able to work with or without an internet connection. Superbeam works with iOS and Android devices. To use Superbeam, all you need to do is open the app on the two devices you want to share files between, and then aproceed to trade files by scanning an on-screen QR code or pairing them over NFC. On Android, you can share images, music, apps, documents and even contacts, but for iOS devices, because file management to the camera roll is restricted, you can only share photos and videos from your iPhone or iPad.

  • Drop that phone and look up!

    Drop that phone and look up!

    One of the best things the 21st century did for us was the smartphone. As we were basking in the euphoria of being able to connect with people miles away with a wireless equipment, the smartphone came along with the social media by its side. With the smartphone, you have the world in your palms; you could do virtually everything and anything.

    You connect with millions of people simultaneously, check up vital information about anything and still have the ability to send Short Message Service (SMS) and make calls, all at the same time. The social media itself even seemed more magical and made impossibilities possible, businesses flourished, marriages were established, lost connections were restored, distance was no longer a barrier and we could literally “touch” the world.

    However, the “magical” smartphone and its “daughter” the social media has brought with it a whole lot of ills which seem really difficult to combat these days.

    Everywhere in Nigeria, youths are seen clinging passionately to their communication gadgets, some laughing, others having this business-like look on their faces, they all have one thing in common: They are networking, building strong and long lasting relationships that transcends any bias, be it religious, political, or ethnical. We all seem to be  busy looking down at our phones that we don’t look up to see the little beauties of life, we don’t admire beautiful flowers anymore, we hardly take note of lowly beggars reaching out to us on the streets, nor do we respond to “hellos” from  “familiar strangers”.

    We are becoming more concerned with Facebook “friends” than we are with the people we interact with face-to-face in our daily lives.

    When last did we make new friends just by saying hello and talking about random stuff till we felt a connection? Social media platforms have lent a voice to the voiceless but has destroyed the throats of those who had voices. We no longer talk to strangers in the bus while travelling or give people our undivided attention.

    Our family time, slumber parties, get-togethers and many more have been replaced by group chats, Skype, video conferencing, etc.

    Many live for Facebook and Instagram likes, everyone wants to be Facebook famous, very few people want to write a motivational book or start up a movement for inspiration and youth empowerment.

    This is a clarion call for the youths to stop the gadget madness. There’s more to life than that gadget!  The frivolous things of life would always come and go. Many social media platforms are dead and buried, but the important virtues of life will always stand strong. Friendship, loyalty, companionship, marriage would always be here and when you miss out on them, you’re missing out on the goodness of life.

  • RRBN, Me Cure Healthcare Train Young Radiographers

    RRBN, Me Cure Healthcare Train Young Radiographers

    Thursday, August 18, 2017 The Radiographers Registration Board of Nigeria (RRBN), wraps up a 10 day compulsory professional development program organized for young radiographers.

    The program was organized under the auspices of Me cure Healthcare limited, A leading medical diagnostic center in Nigeria with the theme Computed Tomography Imaging.

    The programme which has been running for about three to four years, provides an avenue for young radiographers to improve their skills and knowledge. This acquisition is made possible through the use of sophisticated Computer Tomography (CT) under the supervision of trained personnel and experts. In the course of the training, equipment used include; CT angiography, Cardiac CT, MRI angio, 64 slice Computed Technology (CT) Machines, 1.5 Teslar Magnetic Resonance (MR) among others.

    The practice of radiography is becoming a mainstay with already six Nigerian universities offering the course which include; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, University of Lagos, University of Calabar, University of Maiduguri and Bayero University in Kano.

    The availability of these equipments by Me Cure Healthcare limited, explains the reason why it has been chosen as a center in Lagos. According to the Head of Lagos Zonal Office of RRBN ; Mr.Unaegbunam Chuma .P. He stated that radiography is diversifying and in a bid to follow the trend only equipped centers can be used to carry out this training. According to him, Me Cure has been accredited based on its availability of the amount of sophisticated equipment needed for the training and its level of trained and experienced personnel.

    The Head of Radiographers/ Radiographers Safety Officer of Me cure Healthcare limited Col. Jide Fdirepo stated that the cost of maintenance and the expensive nature of the maintenance process is a major problem faced with the CT Machines. He said that “if the equipment is not properly maintained, it may render it useless.

    The chairman Me cure Healthcare Limited Mr. Samir Udani seized the opportunity to discuss an upcoming programme scheduled for 21st of August, 2017 where it will be launching an application which it has created to dictect health problems and also offer prescriptions. Me cure, with its upcoming innovations promises to keep solving health
    related problems.

    At the end of the training, a certificate is issued out to the young radiographers.

  • Life, Marilyn and Megabytes

    Life, Marilyn and Megabytes

    By Moses Emorinken

    Recently, the rate at which I consume data for mobile and laptop have been incredibly alarming. It did not hit me until I remembered some good times I had with my little buddy (of blessed memory) – her name was Marilyn.

    Marilyn was six years old. She had a unique way of conceptualising and understanding life around her; she was clearly years ahead of her biological age. Children like herself are often referred to as precocious or child geniuses because of their native understanding of the world around them. Hers was not a cognitive exploit based on mathematics, physics, music etc., her genius was in empathy and communication.

    Every time you see her, she would always be in the company of at least one other child and holding an android phone belonging to either her parents or siblings. All she did was download games on the phone. God help you that her ever-itching tiny hands are able to clench and claw on your phone…believe me you would sweat when she is done with your mobile data.

    Apart from her understandable penchant for downloading games, she had an amazing way of connecting with people. If you were sad, she always found a way to give you a happy nudge. Her smiles and faith in life and tomorrow was so infectious that both young and old literally look forward to an interaction with her.

    This article is not so much about Marilyn, but about the incredibly simple enduring lessons I learnt from a tiny six-year-old girl.

    Each time she sees me, the first thing she says is – “Uncle Moses, please give me your phone…I want to play game.” In politely requesting for my phone, she would sheepishly prune and contour her face to be long and sympathetic, her fingers twisted together, and her body swaying from side to side. My reply to her after my first “data running experience” was always the same – “go and get a phone and I will share some data with you to download your game”.

    She would hastily dash out and return in seconds with a family member’s phone. Then I would share my data and she downloads her game. After downloading the game, she would still drag me by the hand and ask that I play the game with her, tell her a story, or teach her how to ride a bicycle. She wanted me to play ten-ten, suwe, monopoly, watch cartoons with her and all other fun activities. She practically wanted me to share my time with her, but I was more interested in other things – sport, business and career. I never created time to share of myself with her; all I did was to share my megabytes with her.

    Regardless of the number of times I said no to her, she kept coming back and asking for the same things. This she did consistently for months.

    One sunny morning my bright atmosphere suddenly turns stale and gloomy as I got a call. The person on the other end of the line was sobbing and talking inaudibly; I struggled to make out what the person was saying. It was Marilyn’s mom. Marilyn had just fainted and was rushed to the hospital. Like some children out there, Marilyn suffered from Sickle Cell Anaemia. It was no fault of hers. Her parents made a grave mistake in their romantic and matrimonial plans; they did not think it necessary to confirm their genotypes to see its compatibility. It was after she was born that her parents found out that they were both AS.

    Marilyn lay straight on the hospital bed receiving several injections and transfusions. She was a fighter. After a few days, she started to respond to the treatment and could only utter a few words. This attack seemed like the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Before now, anytime she had similar attack, in a day or two, she would have started to disturb everyone in the hospital that the doctors would literally beg her parents to take her home. Unfortunately, this is her tenth day in the hospital ward, and all she could mumble to me was – Uncle Moses, how are you?

    Warm tears dropped uncontrollably from my already bloodshot eyes. As I moved closer to her bed side – my entire being collapsed. I immediately sat on the bare ground beside her bed and slowly stroked her lush hair.

    She said to me, please can you share data with me so that I can download games. She couldn’t even lift a plastic spoon as a result of the excruciating pains she felt in her bones, not to talk of a phone. I gave a nod letting her know I obliged her. As I dipped my shaky right hand into my pocket to give her the phone, the doctor on duty walked in with two nurses to carry out their routine checks and treatment; everyone in the room including myself were asked to excuse them. As I stood up to leave she tapped me and said (quite audibly though) “If only you shared part of your life with me like you share your data?”.

    Her utterance threw everyone in the room (including the doctor and nurses) into a state of bewilderment. Some of us started shedding tears, while some simply walked out of the room as though they just took the Holy Communion. That was my epiphany into the simplest understanding of how precious life is.

    By the evening of that same day, Marilyn was gone. As I walked into the room and saw her lifeless, listless and speechless body covered with cloth, her words rang and still rings in my consciousness “If only you shared part of your life with me like you share your data?”.

    A lot of us live our lives like we have a thousand years to breathe. This is not an article based on pessimism or tragedy, but a clarion call to begin to share your life – your greatness, your talents, your gifts, your time, in fact, yourself, with your world.

    Too often we don’t realise what we have until it is gone. Too often we wait too late to say I’m sorry, I was wrong. Sometimes it seems we hurt the ones we hold dearest to our hearts and we allow foolish things to tear our lives apart. Please make sure you let people know how much they mean to you. Take that time to say the words before your time is through.

    Be sure that you appreciate everything you have, and be thankful for the little things in life that mean a lot.

    I once heard the lamentation of a man who said:

    “spring time is past, summer is gone, and winter is here. But the song I meant to sing remains unsung; the books i intended to write remain unwritten. For I have spent my best hours stringing and unstringing my instrument; writing, re-writing and cancelling my articles. I was waiting for the right season, just the perfect time…but it never came!”

    Start today to pay closer attention to not just your business, career, sport or maybe megabytes like I did, but on the simple and tiny moments (bytes) in your timeline that you have to touch and impart a life. Let it be said of you that you left this tiny, terraqueous globe we call earth better than you met it.

    Twitter: @memorinken

    Instagram: @memorinken

    Email: brandphase@yahoo.com

  • Full text of Buhari’s broadcast : I was distressed by social media comments

    Full text of Buhari’s broadcast : I was distressed by social media comments

    Full text of the broadcast by President Muhammadu Buhari on Aug. 21

    My dear citizens,

    I am very grateful to God and to all Nigerians for their prayers. I am pleased to be back on home soil among my brothers and sisters.

    2. In the course of my stay in the United Kingdom, I have been kept in daily touch with events at home. Nigerians are robust and lively in discussing their affairs, but I was distressed to notice that some of the comments, especially in the social media have crossed our national red lines by daring to question our collective existence as a nation. This is a step too far.

    3. In 2003 after I joined partisan politics, the late Chief Emeka Ojukwu came and stayed as my guest in my hometown Daura. Over two days we discussed in great depth till late into the night and analyzed the problems of Nigeria. We both came to the conclusion that the country must remain one and united.

    4. Nigeria’s unity is settled and not negotiable. We shall not allow irresponsible elements to start trouble and when things get bad they run away and saddle others with the responsibility of bringing back order, if necessary with their blood.

    5. Every Nigerian has the right to live and pursue his business anywhere in Nigeria without let or hindrance.

    6. I believe the very vast majority of Nigerians share this view.

    7. This is not to deny that there are legitimate concerns. Every group has a grievance. But the beauty and attraction of a federation is that it allows different groups to air their grievances and work out a mode of co-existence.

    8. The National Assembly and the National Council of State are the legitimate and appropriate bodies for national discourse.

    9. The national consensus is that, it is better to live together than to live apart.

    10. Furthermore, I am charging the Security Agencies not to let the successes achieved in the last 18 months be a sign to relax.

    11. Terrorists and criminals must be fought and destroyed relentlessly so that the majority of us can live in peace and safety.

    12. Therefore we are going to reinforce and reinvigorate the fight not only against, elements of Boko Haram which are attempting a new series of attacks on soft targets, kidnappings, farmers versus herdsmen clashes in addition to ethnic violence fuelled by political mischief makers. We shall tackle them all.

    13. Finally, dear Nigerians, our collective interest now is to eschew petty differences and come together to face common challenges of economic security, political evolution and integration as well as lasting peace among all Nigerians.

    14. I remain resolutely committed to ensuring that these goals are achieved and maintained. I am so glad to be home.

    15. Thank you and may God bless our dear Nation.