The Nation Newspaper

Category: Online Special

How to maintain your car during rainy season

Ever been troubled and concern on how to maintain your car during rainy season? ever wondered how to go about preparing your car and keeping it in good condition while it rains? Worry less.

While the rain has always been a blessing to the farmers who enjoy seeing their crops grow fast and healthy during rainy season, it has obviously been a challenge for car owners to prepare and maintain their cars during this period. Here are some tips on how to prepare your car, as well as keeping it in good condition throughout the rainy season:

1.      Wash it regularly: Washing your car regularly will help you keep it in good condition especially the exterior. The best thing you can ever do to keep the paint work and metallic body in good condition is to rinse off the heavy deposit of sand and mold from it by giving it a wash.

2.      Maintain your wheels (Tires): During raining season, vehicles are prone to slide uncontrollable on wet road surface, this could be as a result of different road surface, speed or the depths on the tires, to avoid this, it becomes a necessity for your car tires even the spare one to be at their best by making sure they are properly inflated to the manufacture’s specific pressure and always check for tear or wear to ensure save ride.

3.      Make sure your wipers are working fine: Your windshield wipers will be doing extra work during this period, as it plays a very crucial role during the rainy season, ensuring for clearer visibility in a very acute weather condition. So replacing the worn out blades on the wiper will help prepare the car for rainy season.

4.      Spray the underneath and body with anti-rust: To avoid the underneath of your car from rusting you have to spray it with anti-rust to prevent it from getting rust, as well as the body whenever you spot any form of rust.

5.      Flush the radiator and change the oil filter: Make sure you flush the cells of your radiator regularly and change the radiator coolant, as well as the oil filter to avoid blockage by dirt and mold from the road.

6.      Make sure the lights are working fine: Always observe and make sure the headlight and taillight of your car are working fine, especially the brake light. Not only to light up the road but to also prevent other car drivers from hitting your car from the back.

7.      Functioning brake: Aside from the tires attached to the wheel of your car, another prominent part of the car to keep at the very best condition is the brake attached to the wheels of the car. It’s really important to check the brake pads and other components attached to it to make sure they are sharp and working effectively to avoid accident.

8.      Avoid driving through huge pool of water: Driving through a huge pool of water or mold could affect the electrical connection and put your car in a very critical condition as well as endanger the Brain box especially if it’s closer to the floor.

9.      Service your car when due: You don’t have to wait until your car start giving signs or break down before you service it. Servicing your car regularly will help to keep the engine of your car in good and healthy condition, as well as avoid cost engine repair.

10.  Get a rubber foot mart and chair case: To maintain the beauty of the interior of your car which includes the chairs and rouge, all you have to do is buy a rubber foot mart and chair case to prevent it from getting wet by you or other passengers, which could sometimes make the inside of the car stink.

11.  Efficient battery: During rainy season its best to make sure you have an efficient and strong battery in your car. This could help prevent your car from breaking down when you drive through a large pull of water and make sure the battery caps are intact to avoid water from getting to them.

12.  Check your engine belt: check the belts attach to the engine of your car regularly for any form of tear, wear or tension to avoid your car from breaking down when it cuts.

13.  Vacuum the Interior: Always vacuum the interior of your car often make sure they are clean. The interior of the car is the main beauty of the car, so always make sure the airbag, car stereo, chair and other components of the interior are regularly cleaned to make it look attractive.

14.  Check the fluids: Apart from the engine oil check and make sure other fluids such as the brake oil, engine coolant, power steering fluid, windshield water fluid and other fluids in the car are up to the prescribed gauge.

15.  Check the windows: check the windows of your car for any form of crack replace the broken one and always remember to wind up the glass when it’s rainy to avoid the interior from getting drenched by the rain.

September 20, 2016
‘Why Premarital sex is not immoral’

The subject matter of premarital sex whenever it pops up in social discussions is one that is bound to engender loads of altercations and contentions especially as regards the rightness or wrongness of it. This simple yet complex social issue is one deserving of utmost attention, especially in our contemporary social setting that is fraught with decrepit logic and unsubstantiated justifications for the positions adopted by the opinionated segments of the society.

The question as to the justification of premarital sex or sex wholly, is one that ought to be answered or approached from the aspect of morals or naturally negative/positive consequence(s). When one relishes in a vista of what is obtainable in our society today, the reverse is the reality.

However, a problem arises when we either as individuals or as a society, try to appraise practical social issues that borders on the natural existential conditions of man in the society with arcane religious/metaphysical abstractions. The consequence is a logical error which takes the form of a naturalistic fallacy. This is because the question of “sex” is one that is intrinsically tied to the individual’s personal choices and natural freedom and constitutes one of the fundamental individual/human right(s). Sex, matrimonial or pre-matrimonial, is similitude to freedom. It is one of the things the freedom to exercise which gives the individual person a sense of humanity and natural self realization as an entity.

Denying a self actualizing and free moral agent the freedom to make this choice is similar to slavery. This is because you enslave a particular aspect or element of the individual person and this very act has deeper psychological consequences on the individual and for the society at large. It is inhibitive of the individual’s natural potential seeking manifestation/realization in spatiotemporal reality and degrades the worth of the human person in the same way that slavery does.

Perspicuously, to the question – “Is premarital sex wrong?” my answer is in the negative, there is nothing wrong with premarital sex. When the question is further rephrased and presented in religious terms –“Is premarital sex a sin?” I will say that the latter is not a question because it has no sociological or natural basis in the comity of morals. Supposed it was, and then the answer will be a capital NO! The justification for this is because one cannot use relative religious prejudices as a yardstick for appraising or judging issues that has universal natural underpinnings.

This is because religion is relatively arcane and seats atop cerebrumendiformity (an epistemic state in which a person sees his/her own ideas as being perfect and absolute, thereby rejecting any form of criticism, opposition or opinion to the contrary. It is a form of epistemic bigotry). We should be addressing the question of premarital sex in the light of morals because it has to do with the negative/positive consequences of the act and the effects of such actions on the human society.

Consequently, premarital sex is not wrong because the very act is the actuality of a natural potential inherent in the human person and involves two consenting individuals exercising their natural rights to self actualization. More so, there is no reasonable argument or prove to substantiate that two individuals making use of their natural endowments or exercising it to seek self-realization is contrary to nature.

As some would have us believe that premarital sex is inherently bad and religiously gross, there is no rational or biological prove that shows that when two consenting individuals engage in premarital sex, that something contrary to nature happens or that the laws of nature becomes violated. Premarital sex can only be wrong if we can be able to establish with logical and empirical facts that having sex or sexual gratification is not a natural phenomenon. Otherwise, a religious basis that denies consenting individuals their fundamental right to sexual self-realization constitutes a metaphysical superfluous. It is a crime against nature.

Premised on the above, premarital sex only becomes bad or immoral when the consequences of the act brings about unnecessary burden on other members of the society or just like rights when it becomes a problem and or infringes on the rights of others. Otherwise, any claims to the contrary are illogical and unfounded. Denying individuals their right to sexual liberty base on religious or cultural conventions or for any other reason similar to, can only be justified by intellectual poverty.

On the contrary, virginity till after marriage is not a thing of pride; it only reduces the entire worth and dignity of the human person down to their sexual organs. The human being is worth more than that. In a civilized epoch like ours, such deprecate make-believe systems that attaches greater value to the sexual organs more than the human brain with all it has, can and will still achieve is a debase and morally crass way of thinking that deserves to be done away with.

Conversely, the supposed terminus ad quem of this clumsy religious and social make-believe system which was to tame the sexual urge/disposition(s) of the young and single stratum of the society has conspicuously been defeated, hence, a need to be practical and realistic in our approach to this natural phenomenon. The uncouth act of painting the natural disposition of sex among the unmarried groups in our societies and the need for enjoying sexual self-realization has resulted in many, engaging in unsafe sexual practices clandestinely in this disease ridden age for fear of being castigated upon by the society, resulting in the spread of many sexually transmitted disease(s) (STD) like gonorrhea, syphilis, staphylococcus aureus, HIV, etcetera.

In Latin, it is often said: “Nemo dat quod non habet” which means “no one can give what he does not have”. It logically follows that sexual self-realization is not a disposition characteristic of exclusively married couples, but it is something that can also be found within the unmarried ones. These dispositions are not imagined like the make-believe systems that proscribes them. The characteristics are expressed because they are natural in the first place. If the unmarried were devoid of this characteristic, it would have been axiomatic that sex is restricted to married couples. You can only give out what you have.

The preservation of one’s sexual organs till after marriage under the linguistic and cultural cloak of virginity has no special benefits on the individuals neither does it contribute to societal development or entail high moral standard. One can be a virgin and be both socially and morally vile. One can also be freely having sex and still maintain high moral standards. In a sense, the arguments for virginity being the mother of religious and social ethos only hypes hypocrisy and augments the individual’s delusional level when it comes to morals. If there is any part that should and really counts in the human body then it is the human brain.

This is where morality and reason resonates and not between the legs. People are respected for their ideas and what they can contribute to the development of their societies and to the betterment of the human lot at large, and not for being the longest conscious or unconscious virgins. I’m not kicking against virginity for being bad; my point is it should never be used as a yardstick for judging an individual’s moral standing, neither should any individual be denied natural sexual self-realization on the basis of sex being exclusively reserved for the married.

Proactively, having proved to a reasonable extent the moral justification for premarital sex, and defending it in the light of it being a natural characteristic of the human person, and also taking into cognizance the highlighted excesses resulting from the practices of it, seeking how we can ensure a sexually safer society becomes what is pertinent as opposed to the denial of it. What we should be doing is carrying out both private and public orientation and re-orientation as regards the issue of sexual intercourse. We need to educate the masses both the married and unmarried on how to practice safe sex instead of expending energy to deny the reality. It is colossally hypocritical and foolish for one to think that the unmarried stratum of the society should stop engaging in sexual activities simply because cultural or religious conventions tag it “BAD”.

The family, the religious and educational institutions, private/public organizations all has a role to play in stopping this menace. We can save millions of lives annually by giving people proper sexual education rather than acting in a bigoted manner and ignoring the obvious. Sexual discussions should be encouraged within the family, peer groups, the school classrooms, etcetera in order to promote sexual literacy and for us to be able to build a more progressive society. The subject matter of sex shouldn’t be something that is regarded as a taboo or sacrilege and thus excluded from the circles of public discourse only to be talked about in the closet.

We need a revaluation of what we qualify as morals. We need a radical social shift when it comes to our view of sex. What we should be talking about is ensuring that it is consensual, and not something that is forced by one party on another. And also that the persons involve be ready to take full responsibility for whatever be the outcome of their choice, rather than wasting time and energy to deny the natural. Choice is a fundamental right of every individual person and no individual deserves to be robbed of this fundamental right so long as it does not infringe on the choices of others.

I’ll submit by calling on people of all nations to rise, unite and fight against that which denies any individual person his/her fundamental liberty to utilize and to express his/her freewill.

By: Patrick Benblag

The Concerned African

He writes from Calabar, Cross River State.

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September 19, 2016
When PHJC celebrated 10th anniversary in Nigeria

History was made recently in Owerri, Imo state when the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ (PHJC) celebrated her ten years of existence in Nigeria.

The event, which took place on June 24, 2016 at Maria Assumpta Cathedral Owerri, featured the profession of temporary vows of four Novices Sr. Emmanuella Emmanuel, Monica Ene, Maryann Osaroeiji and Sr. Benedicta Omokunmi.

The ceremony began with a Holy Mass at 10.00am officiated by the Catholic bishop of Minna, His Lordship Most Rev. Martin Uzoukwu, co-celebrated by Fr. Jude Ike, Fr Clement Kobee and other priests present.

In his homily, Bishop Uzoukwu said that the day coincided with the birthday of John the Baptist saying that the Lord commission the sisters to go inside the world as John. “The Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ in Nigeria today will send those who will be newly professed out,” he said.

He advised the Novices to be professed to remember that they are ambassadors of Christ who called them to serve the people as religious.

Equally he encouraged the lay faithful that the sisters are working for Christ and that there is need to support them in their ministries.

Furthermore he said as we celebrate the solemnity of John the Baptist, the PHJC are doing the same work in different ways as John and the Apostles did.

He thanked God on their behalf for the graces and strength since these years and expressed his gratitude to the P.H.J.C congregation in Nigeria.

Also he encouraged those who are professing their vows to follow Christ more closely and he thanked their parents for given their children to the service of God. The voices of PHJC formees and Novices of Servants of Charity (Don Guanella) echoed during the Mass.

The landmark event, afforded the sisters’ opportunity to pronounce the vows of chastity, obedience and poverty.

These vows are spiritual virtues of which a sister is committed to in the catholic faith and her religious family.

By the recent event, the number of Professed Nigerian sisters is now thirty-two (32).

The Congregation of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ was founded in 1851 by Blessed Mary Katharina Kasper, a Germany woman.

But the humble beginning dates back to 1851 when Katharina, together with four others young women drawn by her example started a pious society to care for the sick and dying , children and poor people of the village of the Dernbach in Germany.

She died on 2nd of February 1898 and was beautified by Pope Paul vi on April 16, 1978. From Germany the congregation expanded to the Netherlands, the United States of America, England, India, Mexico, Brazil, Kenya and Nigeria.

The Nigerian mission was started in 2006 in Owerri by Sr. Salesian Bach who was the Provincial Superior of German Province with Sr. Christeta Hess, Sr Roberta and Sr Nkechi Iwuoha to continue the work of our foundress Blessed Mother Mary Katherine Kasper.

With the invitation of the metropolitan, Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Obinna to reach out to the poor people especially street children, the abandoned, handicapped and also advocate for human rights as well attend to the needs of time.

The Congregation has schools and mobile clinics around Garam Minna diocese, Ifetedo Oshogbo diocese and Mgbele Owerri Archdiocese.

PHJC has a child-care home in Mgbele that caters for street, abandoned children, the mentally and physically challenged. On August 15^,2010, the mission in Nigeria was upgraded to a Pro- Region.

The model of the congregation is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first Handmaid of the Lord. The name Poor handmaid derives from her words to the Angel “Behold the Handmaid of the Lord” expressed in the name, the charism is shown in the readiness to be available as ordinary instrument in the hands of the Lord, to continue the saving work of redemption.

Among those who attended the ceremony were Sr. Annemarie Pitzl, the former Vicaress of the congregation, Sr. Scholastica Okorie the PHJC Pro-Regional Superior and her councilors, Miss Conny Kirchhoff our benefactress from Germany, host of priests and sisters from different Congregations, PHJC sisters, PHJC Angel guardian children’s Home, parents and relatives of newly professed and lay faithful.

Highlights of the occasion were the Launching of the anniversary Calendar and cutting of the Anniversary cake by the newly professed sisters together with Bishop Uzoukwu, Sr. Annemarie Pitzl and pro- Regional Leadership.

One of the newly professed, Sr.Benedicta Omokunmi gave the vote of thanks while Fr. Jude Anamelechi (Servants of Charity) said the closing prayer and final blessing to round off the event.

Sr. Ohalete writes from Osun state

September 12, 2016
Charting a digital future for the Nigerian Youth

When leading scientist Vinton Cerf and his Stanford university colleagues coined the word “Internet” in 1974, they could not have imagined they were coming up with a name that would describe the most revolutionary tool in the history of the world.

In the words of leading technology forecaster Paul Saffo, each time a ‘singing’ greeting card is sent out, we are using more computing power than existed in the entire world before 1950!

This statement speaks to the grandness of the technology behind the web; an invention so great, it alters lifestyles, cultures and the economies of nations.

The Internet is an equal opportunities platform that opens up new opportunities and provides access to the global stage.

As recently as 20 years ago, when we relied on the traditional postal delivery systems, sending a letter within Nigeria alone would usually take a minimum of 4 days. The same letter now would arrive instantly or within seconds via email. And as more uses and technologies are discovered, more people get convinced, and the “web crowd” grows.

Today there are over 3 billion people online, 69 million of whom are connecting in Nigeria.

A recent article in Forbes estimates that the number of people on the Internet in Africa will grow up to 6-fold by 2020, and mobile will play a big role in this. This is great news for us because more Africans online means more opportunities for Nigerians online.

Nigeria as a nation is at a crossroad; we are faced with an urgent need to diversify our economy while at the same time strengthen existing sectors sustainably. All in the knowledge that our decisions and actions not only define our success today, they also chart a path for the future of present and coming generations of Nigerian.

According to a 2015 research analyzing how consumers engage with the web, 74% of people in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa prefer to use digital tools to perform tasks, and 69% said that the Internet is the first place they go to for information.

This reflects the growing impact of the web on how we live in Nigeria. Our social, political and economic lives are all increasingly influenced by the Internet.

Over the last two quarters Google Trends revealed a growing interest in topics relating to the economy, the need for diversification and ease of doing business in Nigeria. One of the trending searches in July for instance was for the word “Recession”, and the state that led the pack in the search for that word was Rivers state. This tells one story; Nigerians are now turning to the Web to get answers to questions that have a direct impact on their day to day lives. And as more of these people turn to the web, they learn, form relationships, build connections and open Nigeria to the world and the world to Nigeria.

A McKinsey report estimates that from 2013 to 2020, the internet will contribute as much as $300bn in GDP and a similar amount in productivity gains. It also states that E-commerce will grow from virtually nothing today to more than $75bn. As more young Nigerians embrace digital opportunities, they look to tech organizations like Google and the government to help them grow. This is because the activities of these two institutions have big impacts on the framework and operating structures guiding the use of the Web. For example, companies like Google need to develop intuitive products that can address real life challenges, while government needs to ensure that policies that make it easy to create and access web tools continue to exist. Technology – and the internet especially – must be for everyone and not a few.

Let me share the story of Olatoye Olabode, co-founder of Webcoupers, a digital marketing agency based in Lagos, Nigeria, and which began business 2 years ago after winning the Google Online Marketing Challenge; a program created for students to experience online marketing while in school.

‘Bode and his partners were students at the University of Ibadan when they entered the competition. That was when they learnt the fundamentals of running online campaigns and got inspired to set up Webcoupers. Today, Webcoupers provides digital marketing solutions (like social media management, online advertising and creative content management) to a wide array of clients across different business areas; marketing, software development and sales.They have handled the digital marketing campaigns of companies like Glo, Qatar Airways, OLX and Sterling Bank.

‘Bode’s story isn’t unique: he represents the thousands of young Nigerians already learning about web tools and are creating jobs and building the new future we desire.

When we announced our commitment to train 1 million people in Africa in April, we knew it was an ambitious promise, but one that needed to be done. So far, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have already been trained, and are already trying their hands on new ideas.

Last week Vice President Yemi Osinbajo officially launched a Nigerian government-led initiative focused on helping to train more young Nigerians on how to use online tools. This is a very important step. Because in our experience when you put the right tools in the hands of young people, they create greatness.

We are excited because we see this as an initiative that can birth a million Olabodes – young people (and older ones too) who will start businesses, make new discoveries, create jobs and contribute to the local iGDP across sectors.

September 8, 2016
Breastfeeding: Nutritionist advises employers to provide crèches

A nutritionist, Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, has advised employers to provide crèches in their work places to support nursing mothers to practise exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

Onimawo, the Vice Chancellor of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo state, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said employers should look at the international policy on crèches and implement same in the country.

“The international policy says any employer that has more than 50 people should provide a crèche where a woman can always take care of the child and breastfeed him or her on demand.

“All these come to play if we want to improve breastfeeding rate in the country,’’ the expert said.

Onimawo, who is also a former President of the Nutrition Society of Nigeria, said awareness on breastfeeding was not enough in the country.

He advised medical workers to educate nursing mothers on the need to embrace exclusive breastfeeding for their babies.

“Some nursing mothers give excuse that they are career women but that should not be an excuse for not breastfeeding because there are ways of doing it.

“Breast milk can be expressed even if it is not stored in the fridge; it is healthy, so people need to know that breast milk can be expressed while the mother is at work.

“Mothers need to know that breast milk contains more than 80 per cent water. The child doesn’t need water while being breastfed,’’ he said.

Onimawo said there were a lot of advantages of practising exclusive breastfeeding for the baby and the mother.

“Exclusive breastfeeding will make the child to be healthy and he or she will be more intelligent.

“ The mother of the child will visit clinic less because the health of the mother will improve and the mother is not likely to develop loop that can lead to breast cancer.

“So, there are so many advantages and when the mother knows about this; on her own, she will begin to practise it,’’ he said.

In addition, Onimawo urged Nigerians to eat balanced diet.

“Our diets are heavily carbohydrate and too much of it is not good for human nutrition.

“We should include vegetables and fruits in our diets to increase our nutrients,’’ he said.

September 7, 2016
Eid-el-Kabir: Ram sellers lament low patronage

Ram sellers in Kaduna on Monday expressed regrets about the low sale they had recorded, barely a week to the Eid-el-Kabir festival, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

Many ram selling points which include Zango, Bachama road and Rigasa markets in Kaduna metropolis saw the presence of many rams that remain unsold for days.

Alhaji Rabo Mohammad, who sells his rams at Bachama Road market, told NAN that the ram sellers had never had it so bad.

Mohammad, who came from Sokoto with rams, said he sold only five out of the 50 rams he brought to Kaduna two weeks ago.

“The economic situation has contributed to the low patronage and is affecting even our pockets.

“There is still hope, as the festival is one week from now, we pray to make some sales before then.

“Returning the animals to Sokoto will be a great loss to me because of the expenses involved, “ he said.

Mohammad said prices of the animals ranged from N25, 000 to N120, 000.

Another ram dealer, Baballe Yaro, also blamed current economic recession as the main factor responsible for the low sales recorded so far.

“The present economic meltdown has now become a threat not only to ram sellers but also to entire business activities in Nigeria.

“The Federal Government should do something urgently to address the suffering of the masses.

“Although people want to buy rams for the festival, they cannot afford to due to the prevailing economic situation in the country.”

Yaro believed that the price may eventually crash as many traders would not want to return back with the animals.

According to him, some of the traders bought the rams from Niger Republic, Sokoto, Zamfara and Katsina States.

“But there is hope since we have one week before the celebration if all civil servants will have their salaries before Sallah, “ Yaro said

September 5, 2016
‘We will sell some plots of land for N1,000’

You have been the Elegushi for some years now, how have you been able to fit into your role as royal and father to the people of Ikate Kingdom.

Royal duties have always been a part of my life, don’t forget that the immediate past Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom was my father. We were all groomed consciously and unconsciously on roles and responsibilities of the monarchy. When I say unconsciously, I refer to being in the palace and around the late Kabiyesi, you are bound to pick up something either from observation or participation. Also working closely with two former Governors of Lagos State has contributed to my understanding, managing and handling of issues and challenges, especially with diverse stakeholder groups. But no matter how prepared you think you are, the most important aspect of this role is to constantly ask the Almighty to grant you the required wisdom, grace, knowledge and understanding to be a just and fair leader with integrity of heart.

Nigeria is witnessing a new era where young, smart and intelligent people are becoming kings, how will this new dispensation help develop the many kingdoms in Nigeria especially Yoruba land.

Before I answer your question, I would like to commend the older Kings for their contributions, upholding our traditional values and remaining true to our cultural standards thus far. It is indeed a herculean task in this modern age to stay steadfast in ensuring that the values that matter are not thrown in the wind. If you take a look at what is happening today, you will agree that there is a lot of moral decadence across all facets and this is not peculiar to Nigeria. The emergence of ‘this new wave of young, smart and intelligent Oba’s’, using your words, is an opportunity for new role models to be able to impact positive and real values, through a fusion of the old and new. Yes education is very important to help growth and development but we should also not forget our roots. You need to know where you are coming from to understand where you are going and why you are going there. The Government and religious leaders are doing a lot but we all need to do our bit. As Kings the onus is on us to build strong Kingdoms founded on truth, values and integrity. It is easier for us because we are closer to the people, we see them every day.

What will you say has been your distinctive style of rulership

I can’t say if anything I am doing is peculiar to me, I can only tell you what I know about my kingdom. I keep an open door policy so my people have access to me. I am abreast of what is happening through my interactions with the people and my Baales are very competent within their domains. I am very passionate about the wellbeing of my people and I strive to ensure that I do the right thing by them. I feel a deep sense of responsibility towards them and this is why the Almighty precedes all that I do. Being an Oba is a call to serve, not a call to be served or a call to lord over the people.

Ikate Kingdom is being enlarged, what informed this decision.

If you compare population figures from 10 years ago to date, you will observe that there is a huge increase in the numbers. Migration is growing at an alarming rate and as such we need to be able to provide the required infrastructure and services that would match the growth figures. We are also at the very center of all major industrial developments in Lagos state and therefore cannot ignore the need to expand.

This is one of the reasons that informed my vision to develop a smart business eco-friendly city, where people can live, work and play. A tourism booster where tourists have the opportunity to experience the rich hospitality of our lands and have access to the best medical facility in Africa. This city also fits into the larger plan of Lagos state on infrastructural development. As I said earlier on we cannot leave everything to the Government, the Private sector can and should play a major role to support building a Lagos of the future.

200 hectares to be dredged off the Lagos Lagoon is a massive, considering worldwide campaign on climate change, what processes have you put in place mitigate flooding and ocean erosion .

A lot of research and thought was put into development of the project. We committed from the onset that this City would be benchmarked against global standards. The inspiration for Imperial City came from many cities that I came across around the world – USA to Asia and the Middle-East. Nigeria has the potential to be on the infrastructure world map and that is what we intend to do with this project in Ikate Kingdom. Imperial city is going to be an eco-friendly City that would pay attention to ensuring that we preserve the environment. In staying true to this, we have selected the best team across the globe to work together on the project. Our contractors and consultants are companies of repute with impeccable track records and this is evident in the projects they have executed.

We are dredging 1.5m above high tides, Royal haskoningDHV will be designing the shoreline protection while BAUER Spezialtiefbau GmbH will be constructing. I would also like to mention that this project is within the Lagoon side of Ikate Elegushi not the ocean side of the kingdom which I believe addresses one of your environmental concerns.

The new Imperial City sounds like a project for the super-rich, how affordable is the IIBC going to be.

It won’t be cheap to build if that is what you mean but a city does not comprise of only rich people. Presently we are conducting off-plan sales, so that people can invest either for development or for profit. However, I believe in giving people opportunities regardless of your socio-economic status, be you rich or poor, old or young, educated or illiterate, artisans, drivers, male or female. I am currently working with the project team to look at how we can give back to some members of society who ordinarily cannot afford to be a part of this project. We are considering a plan where we can give out some plots of land within the residential zone for N1, 000. We are yet to conclude on the number of plots to be given away, but we are definitely giving some plots away for N1, 000.

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There are a number of such developments in Lagos like the Eko Atlantic city which is near completion, what will set the IIBC apart from others.

First and foremost I would like to state the Eko Atlantic project is an incredible project that has changed the modus-operandi of development projects in the country, in terms of quality and concept. Coincidentally, some of the consultants/contractors who worked on the projects are working on IIBC project, but we took ours a notch higher. IIBC is the first Smart eco-friendly International Business City in Africa. That is what sets us apart and I will be happy if someone comes up with a better project than ours in the future. We need an infrastructural development revolution in Nigeria and I assure you Lagos will be setting the pace for the rest of the pack.

Who are the partners on the IIBC?

We have quite a number of likeminded partners. They include

Dredging Company- Dredging International- Belgium

Marine engineer & reclamation consultants- Royal HaskoningDHV– Netherlands

Infrastructure engineering consultants – Mott Macdonald- United Kingdom

Master & town Planner- Gensler associates – United Kingdom

Project Manager- Deloitte Capital Projects Dubai – UAE

Shoreline protection- BAUER Spezialtiefbau GmbH – Germany

Cordros Capital

Kedari Capital

Aelex legal practitioners.

What are the plans for the poor residents of Ikate kingdom, there is a fear among the populace that the project will encroach on their land and they will be relocated. What assurances are you giving them?

No one can encroach on anybody’s land, certainly not on my watch and the present administration of Governor Ambode has put some laws and regulations in place to make sure that the issues of land grabbing or encroachment in Lagos will soon become a thing of the past. Back to the project, we are reclaiming the city from the Lagoon and our EIA Environmental Impact Assessment has been approved, so we will not be encroaching on the fish ecosystem in the Lagoon.

August 29, 2016
Osun at 25 promises spectacular calisthenics display

Celebration of compositions, colours, designs and formations to stun! No form of human activity appears to have been formed to arrest, entertain and motivate better than calisthenics. That is what the skyline of Osun, South-West Nigeria promises to be resplendent with as the State of Virtuous marks its 25th anniversary on Saturday 27th, August 2016.

Calisthenics is a body of exercises consisting of a variety of gross motor movements; often rhythmical and generally without equipment or apparatus. They are, essentially, body-weight training tactics.

Wikipedia explains that the word calisthenics has its roots in Greek words kálos, which means “beauty”, and sthénos, meaning “strength.”

Thus, calisthenics is the art of using one’s body weight and qualities of a body’s motion as a means to develop one’s physique as well as an art of aesthetic display.

There are numerous types of this body building exercise which include: lunges, jumping Jacks (star jumps or stride jumps), squat -jumps, sit -ups, crunches, pushups, pull-ups, dips, leg raises, hyperextensions, planks and so on.

Sports teams and military units often perform leader-directed group calisthenics as a form of synchronized physical training (often including a customized call and response routine to increase group cohesion and discipline.

Calisthenics is also popular as a component of physical education in primary and secondary schools across the world.

Either at its most elementary or at the advanced level, calisthenics’ primary motif always resonates whenever it is performed.

To say that it brings out beauty is to say the obvious. Wherever there is calisthenics display, the atmosphere turns into beautiful scenery with competing colours and designs..

It is this component of calisthenics that has been given meaning in Osun under the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as part of the total package of educational training for young minds.

This kind of extra-curricular development was last exhibited in the Second Republic in the old Oyo State under late Chief Bola Ige as the Governor.

The State of Osun is the first in the country to revive this sterling and rewarding initiative in about more than three decades.

The scheme seeks to instill the spirit of collaborative efforts and discipline in school children. This is by combining extra-curricular activities with academic pursuit, thus building their minds and bodies and preparing them for the future.

Besides, calisthenics trainings are also intended to increase body strength, body fitness, and flexibility of the pupils through movements such as pulling or pushing oneself up, bending, jumping, or swinging, using only one’s body weight for resistance; usually conducted in concert with stretches.

Again, proper calisthenics training will promote the growth of lean muscle mass, and increase the strength, mobility, flexibility, agility, and endurance.

Proper strength training via weight lifting routine will promote the growth of muscle mass and strength.

When performed vigorously and with variety, calisthenics can provide the benefits of muscular and aerobic conditioning, in addition to improving psycho-motor skills such as balance, agility and coordination.

It also teaches the pupils the spirit of cooperation, discipline, organization, concentration and togetherness as they perform as a group thereby working in their minds as one.

In addition to general fitness, calisthenics exercises are often used as baseline physical evaluations to test physical fitness. In other words, pupils who undergo calisthenics training will have sound minds in healthy bodies. Participants become good samples in precision, unity of purpose, social networking and above all, discipline.

This programme was conceived to enhance the emergence of a new generation of students who are physically fit, mentally sound and socially responsible and well-adjusted to the need of the society.

The programme has been so entrenched in the body system of the pupils that it has become a routine exercise and they have, on few occasions, displayed the stuffs they are made of.

On the two previous occasions the state had put up the show, the pupils had dished out breathtaking calisthenics performances at the Osogbo City Stadium.

As Governor Aregbesola would say, “Education has three aspects: the affective, cognitive a psycho-motor. It is this last aspect – the psycho-motor – that had been neglected before our government. Education is meant to be total. As we develop their cognitive and effective senses, so also we must develop their body fitness in order to have a sound mind in a healthy body.”

In the fullness of time, the child being raised in Osun today must turn out to be a model of good character, innovation and competence; the true Omoluabi to the state’s tomorrow.

On a third outing in the state, the 25th anniversary of the creation of the State of Osun awaits another spectacle of performance as colour, arrangement, cooperation, concentration, focus are all to be on display in what promises to be another historic performance in Osun.

*Owolabi, a Media Assistant writes from Osogbo, State of Osun

August 26, 2016
Nigeria ranks 23rd on global slavery index

The third Global Slavery Index for 2016 has revealed that an estimated 45.8 million men, women and children around the world are today trapped in modern slavery – 28% more than previously estimated.

According to the findings conducted on 167 most populous countries and released on Tuesday, Nigeria ranks 23 in 2016,

The flagship research report published by the Walk Free Foundation observed that the 45.8 population are enslaved through human trafficking, forced labour, debt bondage, forced or servile marriage or commercial sexual exploitation.

The 2016 estimate is an increase on the estimate provided in the previous edition of the Index. As efforts to measure this hidden crime are relatively new, it is premature to assert that modern slavery has increased in the intervening period.

Indeed, the results from Global Slavery Index website, quoting Walk Free Foundation, the national surveys reveal a mixed picture, with increases in some national estimates and decreases in others. For example, the national survey in Bangladesh resulted in an estimate of 1.5 million people in modern slavery, an increase from the previous estimate of 680,900 people. Similarly, the national survey in Myanmar led to an increase in the estimate-from 231,600 in 2014 to 500,000 in this edition.

For over 400 years, more than 15 million men, women and children were the victims of the tragic transatlantic slave trade, one of the darkest chapters in human history.

For the United Nations, every year on 25 March, the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade offers the opportunity to honour and remember those who suffered and died at the hands of the brutal slavery system. The International Day also aims to raise awareness about the dangers of racism and prejudice today.

North Korea is the country with the greatest prevalence of modern slavery, with 4.37% of its population estimated to be enslaved. It is also the country with the weakest government response in terms of actions taken to combat modern slavery. The next highest prevalence of slavery is found in Uzbekistan (3.97%), followed by Cambodia (1.65%).

In terms of absolute numbers, India remains the highest with an estimated 18.35 million enslaved people, followed by China (3.39m), Pakistan (2.13m), Bangladesh (1.53m) and Uzbekistan (1.23m). Combined, these five countries account for almost 58% of the world’s enslaved, or 26.6 million people.

The 2016 Global Slavery Index estimates that 28% more people are enslaved than reported in the 2014 edition. This significant increase is due to enhanced data collection and research methodology. Survey research for the 2016 Global Slavery Index included over 42,000 interviews conducted in 53 languages across 25 countries, including 15 state-level surveys in India. These representative surveys cover 44% of the global population.

Meanwhile, since the index started, only a few countries have taken strong actions to address the menace. Among these countries are Netherlands ranking topmost, the United States of America ranking second, the United Kingdom third, Sweden ranks fourth, with Australia fifth on the table.

Sadly, countries with the highest prevalence have taken even less actions to address the problem. It is assumed that governments of these countries have failed to pay attention to the general wellbeing of citizens.

For instance, North Korea that leads the table of slavery index also ranks 161 in terms of action to reduce slavery. Meanwhile, at 160 is Iran that ranks 20; Eritrea is at 159, Equatorial Guinea at 158 and Hong Kong at 157. This is not good enough to reduce global slavery to the minimum.

However, by the description of Walk Free Foundation of modern day slavery, most Nigerians living in places like Lagos, Kano and Calabar could be classified as modern day slaves.

August 25, 2016
Cosmetic Counterfeiting : Beauty and the beast

Kyle Parker writes on the scourge of counterfeiting which according to her has reached epidemic proportions

Companies that operate within the cosmetics industry are painfully aware of the cost of counterfeiting. It seems that the bigger the brand awareness, the greater the chances are that the brand will be counterfeited. Security organisations and governments dealing in policing counterfeited products have subsequently turned their focus away from consumer education and now are focusing on the laws that govern anti-counterfeiting measures. Consumers, particularly in Africa, are not informed adequately, when faced with counterfeited products. With organised crime rings scattered throughout the continent, policing consumers is all but become impossible.

“The counterfeiters tend to target big-selling brands, with Perry Ellis, Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein, and Davidoff among the manufacturers affected by the criminal activity. Counterfeiting of premium brands is expected to strengthen over the coming years.” – Technavio analyst Brijesh Kumar Choubey

So how do existing laws help stop cosmetic counterfeiting in Africa? According to Spoor & Fisher, the Counterfeit Goods Acts of most African countries set out to streamline and create effective enforcement measures to enable owners of trademarks, copyrights and marks protected to take action against the counterfeiting of their products.

In an essence, the majority of African countries have strengthened laws and empowered enforcement agencies to search, seize and prosecute with little interference red tape. However, a simple glance over to the atlas, the sheer size of Africa and the numbers of enforcement agents, leaves a glaring hole of opportunity for criminal organisations.

“Beauty products are meant to enhance your features. However, the fakes can, in fact, do quite the opposite. Our general rule is: if it seems too good to be true then it probably is.” – Det Supt Maria Woodall, Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU)

Like a bad rash, the problem persists and is showing growth. If companies are stuck between a mass of ill-informed consumers and under-resourced enforcement agencies, who or what solution can we look next, to bring this scourge under control?

Security packaging – our knight in shining armour?

Adding security measures through print, labelling and tracking solutions have been around for many years. The underlying problem with these solutions is exactly that, they exist. Organised crime is watching and duplicating with impeccable skill.

A dermatologist recently told the Fox broadcasting network. “Fakes cosmetics could cause acne on your face, dermatitis or eczema or scaling. Theoretically, you can absorb (them) through your skin too. There could be bacteria because there is no quality control. Anything could be in there.”

Syndicates are no longer those 4 burly guys sitting in a sedan skowering the streets for unsuspecting victims. Crime syndicates are corporations, sophisticated networks of hackers, informants and undercover agents, infiltrating pharmaceutical markets worldwide. Like spy-vs-spy, companies are consistently embraced in this battled of who to trust and who to fight.

What if there was a solution that eliminated human interference, with technology that cannot be replicated, a kind of unhackable security packaging 2.0?

The Pelta^TM technology is based on the standard 2D code but extends the capability of the 2D code by adding a second layer of information. The second layer is hidden and invisible to the standard 2D code reader. The covert layer can only be decrypted by using a custom key, thus can be used as a basis of an authentication or track and trace solution. The licensee of Pelta^TM can use the custom software for internal use and consumers may make use of a scanner application on their smartphone to authenticate the document or product.

The overt layer of information is read identically to standard 2D codes (i.e. QR, Data Matrix, Aztec, Maxicode, DotCode and others). This first layer of information is easily accessible and includes logistical or marketing information, easily read by scanner applications on a smartphone.

Pelta™ coding has proven successful in eliminating fraud in Countries worldwide. The results are promising and more can be done to turn the tide of counterfeiting.

Kyles quote

At some point, the cost of the solution is nothing compared to the loss a brand can incur when damage is done or lives are lost. Brands have to act or they show that they actually don’t care about fakes unless it impacts them financially enough to act.

False profiting

According to Interpol, profits made from counterfeit cosmetics are used to fund drugs smuggling and terrorism. For this is the shocking flipside to the shadowy world of counterfeit cosmetics.

The cheaper imitations that are flooding the market may look legitimate — as well as please the purse — but they have been found to contain ingredients that in the worst cases, cause permanent damage to both the body and the brain.

There is no immediate solution to the scourge of counterfeiting. The positive spin is the overall commitment by pharmaceutical companies is to enlist support and measures to reduce the impact. From revenue to life loss, counterfeiting is now at epidemic proportions.

Pagemark Africa is the African based supplier of software technologies. With a patent approved authentication technology called Pelta™, Pagemark Africa provides governments and international companies with secure printing solutions, product and document authentication, serialisation solutions, and track and trace software.
Many recent innovations are based on the core technology Pelta™ which is a software authentication product based on 2D bar codes. Pelta™ provides government and brand owners a covert layer of data to utilise as required to support their authentication or serialisation requirements. Pagemark Africa works with many governments and companies across the globe and guides them toward a common goal: secure document authentication.

Research Sources:

http://www.pagemarkafrica.com/products/pelta/

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/may/18/police-campaign-dangers-counterfeit-cosmetics

http://www.interpol.int/

http://www.worldtrademarkreview.com/Intelligence/Anti-counterfeiting/2015/Country-chapters/South-Africa

August 23, 2016