Category: Online Special

Phobia is an implausible, arbitrary fear of something that is unlikely to cause harm. People suffer phobia because they must have had a traumatic experience or probably had one or two challenges that must have led to it.

Most people react to things based on a past occurrence or trauma or even a frightening event. For example, a person that experienced drowning could be afraid of water (hydrophobia). Phobias, however, cause psychological and physical reactions that are sometimes difficult to manage.

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Here are 15 types of phobias you may find surprising:

1. Fear of sex or sexual intimacy: Genophobia.

2. Fear of loud noises: Phonophobia.

3. Aerophobia: Fear of flying: Aerophobia.

4. Fear of men: Androphobia.

5. Fear of Kissing: Philematophobia.

6. Fear of beautiful women: Venustraphobia.

7. Fear of thunder and lightning: Astraphobia.

8. Fear of being alone or lonely: Autophobia.

9. Fear of getting hurt by someone in a romantic relationship: Pistanthrophobia

10. Fear of getting pregnant: Tocophobia.

11. Fear of public spaces or crowds: Agoraphobia.

12. Fear of blood: Hemophobia.

13. Fear of nudity: Gymnophobia.

14. Fear of marriage: Gamophobia

15. Fear of riding in a car: Amaxophobia

By Uwaifor Faith Abiodun

In a netflix hangout with actor Richard Mofe Damijo, (RMD), the protagonist of the movie Shola Shobowale, who played Eniola, noted that she was surprised to receive another script from Kemi Adetiba.

She felt the season 1 already contained all there is. She noted that on reading the script, she was stunned at how Kemi still brought up issues she didn’t know could exist.

The second season of KOB has received appraisals and criticisms alike with praisers saying it was top notch with exquisite actors and critics downplaying the need for another season as there was no reason to.

Truthfully, the feedback from these set of viewers affected my judgement on the movie but there are really three fascinating scenes I couldn’t get past.

In case you haven’t seen it, I don’t want to be a spoiler but here are three scenes you should be eager to watch:

1. The Jumoke and Chief Mrs Randle’s scene.

People have argued that the role delivery of Chief Mrs Randle played by Taiwo Ajai-Lycette was arguably the best in the movie. They say that Shola Shobowale as good as she was did not come close to Ajai-Lycette in delivery of roles. They tagged the 80 year old’s acting and delivery as unmatched, top notch and on point.

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I find it fascinating because she came with a different energy and vibe. She didn’t give us the usual typical vibe expected of the advanced in age, she took me by surprise when she made use of cuss words seamlessly. These are not what you find the every day Nollywood elders doing and then when she made Jumoke played by Jumoke played by Nse Nkpe-Etim beg on her knees, that was some tensed up moment. Nigerians have even made funny memes out of this moment.

2. Odogwu Malay’s death

After series of creepy messages and threats Odogwu Malay played by Illbliss finally saw who was behind the mayhem. Alas! It was his friend Makanaki played by Reminiscence whom he has murdered years ago.

I love how Odogwu stands up to confront his friend turned enemy, the battle of words that followed, the blend and usage of pidgin and tribal/native proverbs, the body movements the duo applied in this scene, their faces, lips, bodies and voices in synchrony delivering.

“Maka no dey come here dey try enter my head. You be man I be man, you don see two thieves wey dey call themselves brother? Bros I no dey fear you. Afam bu odogwu malay. I no dey fear anybody”

“You wan test me? Me wey my mama born run enter corner make she for no see my face”

When Maka had murdered Odogwu’s family, fearlessly Odogwu says “na this small tin you carry come?” At the moment if his death, Odogwu died fearlessly

3. The battle of the Eniolas

At the last scene where Eniola hands over to her successor Makanaki, there was a display of power between the two Eniolas played by Shola Shobowale and Tony Tones.

The younger, impatient and hot tempered Eniola has been in the head of the older Eniola who wants to just be humble and follow due process. She could no longer shut her reoccurring past up, she finally decided to pick it up and became the villain she is.

In this scene, there was tussle for power between herself and Samuel Odubariba played by Charles Oputa and she overpowered him.

While the conquering and sporadic shooting was going on, she began speaking words of affirmation, making eulogies of who she is in the Yoruba language. The video editors worked in synergy to synchronize the two Eniola’s as they vehemently spoke

“Èmi làná, èmi lòní, Èmi ekun apomoje
Akota grrrrr ijaya
Èmi leni na. Èmi Eniola Salami tin won pe ni Oba. KING OF BOYS”

Phew! The fluent affirmative expressions in Yoruba, the synergy between the background music/sound, video editor, the audio editor and actors. The merge of both Eniola’s when they said “Akota grrrrr ijaya”. I must say that it transmits an unusual power to the viewer. A sense of self worth and pride. Being a video editor my self, I must say that the behind the scene crew did a fantastic job here.

Well, these are scenes I’d watch over and over again.

By Ale Lekan

Using fake naira notes for buying and selling in Nigeria is no longer news. Every day, buyers and sellers complain of discovering the notes with which they were paid are fake or counter.

These differences are not hidden; they are there only if you look well enough, even for an untrained eye.

You should also avail yourself of the fact that the use of counterfeits is punishable under the Nigerian constitution whether you’re aware or not because “ignorance is not an excuse in the court of law.”

Here are the five most effective ways to identify fake naira notes:

1. Go for the thread

Each naira note has this slim like strip that runs from the top to the base. What you would only see is a lookalike but not the real thing.

2. Make use of water or liquid like petrol

To know a counter, which is a decorated currency, immerse in water and wash gently against your palm, you will see the colors and watermark wash off. However, the real note won’t look like this when immersed in water or any liquid.

Read Also: Six easy ways to spot fake news

3. Use mercury bulbs

Through this way, naira notes can easily be recognized, some features of the naira notes cannot be seen with naked eyes. These features are only in original naira notes and one cannot see them except with the help of mercury bulbs. Get the naira note in question under a working mercury bulb. On a genuine ₦1000 note, you will see “₦1000” written across it in a neon yellow hue. The bulbs would catch any features the human eyes may not see.

4. Check the gold foil

The N1000 note has a gold foil on the right side beside the CBN governor’s signature. You should have it in mind that if you peel the foil of a fake note it will peel.

So if the above number two option is too hard for you and you are holding a N1,000 note, you should try to peel off the foil. If it does peel, that means it is fake.

5. Paper and colour quality

While counterfeits are made of ordinary papers, real money is made of an exceptional sort of paper. Feeling the paper-quality of counterfeits, you’ll find out that it’s just an ordinary paper. The colours of counterfeits also betray it. The drawings on counterfeits are more blurry, blotchy and sometimes darker than real paper money.

By Muktar Balogun

Fake news is a deliberate effort to mislead people. Fake news has also been described as an element of propaganda. It is capable of setting a nation on fire. Hence, it is quite important everyone is aware of the presence of fake news in our digital world today.

There are several reasons one must pay detailed attention to the information one consumes. Here are ways to spot fake news:

1. Reputation of the publisher

The reputation of the publisher is paramount. An unverified news publisher should be doubted, no matter how legit the news may look. If the publisher has been caught in the web of peddling fake news, then they cannot be trusted.

2. Unsecured website

Professional news platforms that understand the nuances of their job will, no matter what, secure their website. An SSL certificate authenticates a website’s identity. A news report from an unsecured website must be doubted.

Read Also: Nine ways to work productively from home

3. Understand the political affiliations of the publisher

Ask yourself if the publisher is politically inclined. People who have political affiliations own broadcast stations and dictate what goes in and out. So, such stations can easily ditch out fake news. This, however, is not to say such platforms are not serving the public. The fact remains that they dictate what goes in and out of their platforms. Anything that may paint a particular political party bad will be avoided. This is common all over the world.

4. Research

Carrying out research is another way to spot fake news. Some sources cited in a news story may be fictional or misquoted to achieve a specific end. As a reason, researching the news is one way to achieve accuracy in the news you consume. Do your research to know if reputable news houses in your country have carried the news.

5. Identify the URL correctly

The URL is the web address of the news platform. You must ensure you have rightly entered “thenationonlineng.net” in your browser and not anything different–even by a word different from the correct URL of the news platform you consume your news.

6. Ask questions

If you find a news article fishy, you can reach out to friends who are journalists. Journalists do not find it difficult to spot fake news. So, you should consider asking questions henceforth. There is never harm in asking questions.

By Muktar Balogun

The emergence of COVID-19 has changed the way we work. To keep safe from the deadly virus, employees and business owners have been tasked with the responsibility of working from their homes.

Working from home makes some more productive while others may dwell in lethargy. This boils down to a plethora of factors.

Here, we will be looking at ways you can achieve your work targets and stay productive while working from the corners of your home:

1. Accept the reality

You must quickly shape your view of your home. It is no longer where you sleep, take care of the kids and fulfill your parental responsibilities. It now doubles as a workstation and where you take needed rest.

2. Prepare your workstation

One thing you would want to avoid is not having an appropriate workstation. You cannot work from your bed or sofa as that would be the start of a lethargic attitude to work. An appropriate workstation with a sit, desk, system, pen, jotter, etc in an area of your apartment or home will do you good.

3. Use a healthy computer system

Your computer system must be kept in very good shape. Your chances of being productive increase when you have a good computer system. When your computer breaks down, you may lose your data. So, backup your data as you reach milestones carrying out your assignment.

Read Also: Six easy ways to spot fake news

4. Understand your family routine

Before you delve into work, put your family routine into consideration. You must understand when your partner or kids are active. Their activeness may obstruct your departmental meetings. You may need a cautionary measure to avoid ditching your assignment or meetings.

5. Expand if you have to

Your apartment may not be the best place to work from home. Hence, you should consider moving to a bigger apartment to occupy your workstation. This gives you comfort and flexibility.

6. Set boundaries

If you are blessed with kids, it is important to let them know mummy or daddy is working and would love to not be disturbed. This may not be easy but you should strive to put your kids in their best moods possible. Your partner also must respect this period.

7. Rest and play

The fact is that working from home gives you the flexibility to take a rest and play. For your health, take a rest and play. You may want to consider going outdoors, playing with your kids, and taking a walk.

8. Connect with your colleagues

Your colleagues, most likely, are faced with the same issue as you. So, reaching out to them is one way to stay productive. They can offer you help and tell you what they have been doing differently to stay productive. With your colleagues, you can also socialize and spend quality time over fizzy drinks.

9. Talk to your boss

In case you find yourself struggling, you must reach your boss. If you notice a drop in your productivity, your boss may be willing to help. Some organizations have organized webinars for their employees to get them to understand how best to stay productive during this challenging period.

To some, reading is a hobby and they cannot do without it. To some, it is a mind-numbing activity robbing them of their comfort zones.

You must have heard of a hackneyed saying that readers are leaders. That is, you cannot reach that zenith of your career or even literally lead, regardless of what you do without being a reader.

Reading, from time immemorial, serves as a fountain of knowledge to mankind. It may not be easy to become an avid reader overnight. But with conscious and deliberate efforts, the sky will be the limit. If you find it difficult to see why you should be a reader. Here are five reasons you should start reading every day:

1. Reading is a common habit of high-achievers

Well, readers are leaders. The high-achievers we have in the world today are readers. Even after becoming the richest in the entire planet, they still stick to their routine of munching books. The plain truth is that the knowledge you need may be buried in the pages of a book. CEOs are said to read an average of a book a week, resulting in over 50 books read in a year.

2. Reading improves your communication skills

Millions of people have consciously harnessed this benefit of reading. Readers become very good speakers, writers and listeners. With a consistent and deliberate effort, reading will sharpen your communication skills beyond expectations. Your vocabularies will skyrocket once you imbibe reading into your daily routine.

Read Also: Fayemi to students: embrace reading culture

3. Your general knowledge expands

No matter the kind of books you read, your knowledge will expand. Reading books about history would enrich your knowledge of the world’s history. Reading books about health would impact you with health-wise knowledge.

4. Reading helps you reduce stress

You should imagine yourself spending tons of hours working with no source of relief. It is easy to get stress off yourself with books. Books, like movies and music are art forms. They entertain you. Hence, you should start reading books every day to lift stress off yourself.

5. Reading makes you conscious of our world

Reading will make you understand the politics that goes on behind the doors. Some books are out there to expose you to the lives of decision makers in your country. Reading will make you conscious about climate change, animals, gender equality, racial inequality, etc.