The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • ABTA to host forum in Ghana

    ABTA to host forum in Ghana

    THE African Business Travel Association (ABTA) has announced that they would be hosting a business travel industry forum in Accra, Ghana, on February25, 2014.

    The event will focus on opening the lines of communication between business travel buyers and clients, Travel Management Companies (TMC), travel agents, airlines, hotels and other industry suppliers.

    According to founder of ABTA, Monique Swart, “Communication is vital in order to build mutually beneficial and long lasting business relationships. When effective and honest communication between business sectors is not present, a lack of trust, respect and empathy is bred, leading to continuous battles and a lack of productivity, ultimately affecting the bottom line.”

    She goes on to say that globally, TMC’s and travel suppliers (air, hotel etc) work together to support each other, attain shared goals, increase revenue and ensure client satisfaction. But that this is often not the case in many of the emerging African markets where travel agents and suppliers often act in competition to each other without striving for the benefits of partnership, causing a lack of communication and trust.

    This ABTA event will address this lack of communication and give all delegates the opportunity to share, discuss and debate their concerns, challenges and wants in an open and honest industry forum. This will assist all sectors in better understanding the industry from all view points, in order to open lines of communication to improve business relationships and attain shared goals for all sectors.

    “This forum will represent a vital opportunity for all Corporate Travel Buyers and Clients, Travel Agents, TMC’s, Airlines, Hotels and other Suppliers within the business travel industry to get together in order to better understand each other and the industry challenges and opportunities as a whole. All business travel professionals and executives are urged to attend in order to show their support of a more unified industry and in order to gain tremendous value for themselves and their companies” said Swart.

  • Hairven opens for business!

    Hairven opens for business!

    DRY, tangled, frizzy weaves? No more! HAIRVEN show room recently opened in Ogudu, Lagos. This is the initiative of Miss Iroghama Ogbeifun, the winner of the Next Titan’s season one, which took place last year in Lagos. The HAIRVEN Weave Care Range includes a silk protein shampoo, conditioner and de-tangling leave in conditioner with wheat extracts to ensure sufficient moisturising, revitalising and rejuvenating of weaves and wigs.

    The silky serum contains meadow foam seed oil, which leaves your hair looking lustrous and glamorous. Consistent use of these products ensure that your weaves will never be the same again. The launch event was indeed glamorous, as it was filled with hair glamour, hors d’ouerves, Bacardi martini drinks, music from DJ Obi of Syndikat Records, surprise live performances and friendly conversation.

    Guests had the opportunity to get the first-hand look of the brand new weave care range at the “wash me, tease me” station with the stylist from the renowned Bobby’s salon, showing guests the wonder effects of the HAIRVEN shampoo and conditioner on their weave care. The HAIRVEN vision is set to be amongst the leading hair care brands in the world based on its international standards.

  • Mesmerize in WHITE

    Mesmerize in WHITE

    THE color of the outfits we wear usually depicts our mood, as well as the statements that we intend to make at a particular event. There are times when it is better to opt for bright colours to mesmerize others, as well as times when it is better to look mature and simple in dull colours like black, grey and navy-blue. One other color that has an edge over others is white. You can explore the white outfit and stand out at that special event that you are planning for.

  • Funke Kuti finds love again?

    Funke Kuti finds love again?

    Funke Kuti is one woman who exudes grace and beauty as she ages. With a figure that qualifies her for a beauty contest and a gainful career after leaving the dancing stage of Femi Kuti’s Positive Force Band, Funke remains a subject of discussion among the men folk.

    Many years after her marriage to Afro Beats icon, Femi, gave way, Funke is yet to consider another shot at marriage. Nor has she reverted to her maiden name, Brimo-Yusuf in spite of the fact that their divorce request was granted by a court of competent jurisdiction.

    There have been speculations about her dating one guy or the other, but none of them has been gone beyond rumour. Not a few men were said to have sought her hands in marriage but the beautiful mother of Made Kuti prefers to stick to her single status.

    The latest in the rumour mill is that she has been looking in the direction of a Lagos big boy who has been paying frequent visits to her Victoria-Island office. The guy, who has never been married, is a big player in the oil and gas sector and is said to be only in his late 30s.

    Funke, who is in her early 40s, might be settling for a younger man if the latest rumour is anything to go by.

  • Diran Odeyemi’s new job

    Diran Odeyemi’s new job

    Those who are familiar with the goings on in Osun politics would easily recall that one of the political actors in the state, Diran Odeyemi, once paraded himself as the next best thing that would happen to the state as the sure successor to the former governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. And when it turned out that a Court of Appeal judgment abbreviated Oyinlola’s tenure and installed Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the authentic governor of the state, Odeyemi again went about boasting that he would become Aregbesola’s successor.

    It, therefore, came as a rude shock to many when the news filtered out recently that the would-be governor had pitched his tent with the governorship ambition of Senator Iyiola Omisore and had settled for Omisore’s Director of Media and Strategy.

    Odeyemi had claimed in a recent interview that he spent N8.5 million pursuing his governorship ambition in 2011. Sources say an unlikely victory for the Ife-born senator could afford Diran an opportunity to become a commissioner. Whichever way, man must survive.

  • Nail of many colours

    Nail of many colours

    THE nail is part of the things that make a woman good looking and attractive. To make your nails stand out, you need to take good care of your nails on a regular basis. These days, the colourful nails are in vogue and you can make use of patterns to look good on your skin, match your outfit and are done creatively.

    You also need to learn how to reduce nail breakages. It is important to keep your nail beautiful. And you are likely to go from being a girl who doesn’t do nails to a girl who would give anyone a serious case of nail envy any day.

    The art of filing and taking good care of your nails should be on your finger tips. Experts inform that filling in one direction won’t put a lot of stress on those fragile tips nor force the layers to separate. This would definitely allow you to keep them strong, long and beautiful.

    A hardening top coat, treatment or two layers of a simple polish will help strengthen your fragile nails, improving their resistance a great deal. Nails are pretty, fragile and unbelievably easy to mess up when wet.

  • Behind Toke, Maje’s secret wedding

    Behind Toke, Maje’s secret wedding

    Different meanings are being read to the secret wedding that took place between Toke Makinwa and Maje Ayida recently. This, of course, is understandable, given the fact that it was only a few days ago when Toke went to town to announce her separation from Maje, who in turn took to his social media platform to drive a nail into the coffin of their relationship.

    Emerging information from the abode of the secretly wedded lovers indicate that it was Maje who made the first move to revive and cement the relationship, as he was deeply affected by the brief break-up. A source close to the couple said that Maje had feared Toke would not be coming back to him, given the tone of finality with which she announced the break-up. Toke was, in fact, said to be considering one of her suitors who had persisted in spite of Toke’s insistence that she was not in a hurry to go into another relationship.

    Toke was said to have rejected Maje’s calls after the December 2013 incident, forcing him (Maje) to swallow his pride and took the path of humility. He went straight to Toke and appealed to her to come back. Toke reportedly told him that she would only return on the condition that they would get married immediately. Maje obliged and the rest, as they say, is history.

  • Meet 22-year-old wonder kid who invented liquid gas from waste products

    Meet 22-year-old wonder kid who invented liquid gas from waste products

    This boy (Okekunle) actually represented Plateau State along with other students at the Science Expo in Abuja sometime ago. His talent is something to behold; he came up with a device that converts waste materials to cooking gas. He also used saw dust to produce interlocking blocks that can be used to build poultry house, which in a way could help reduce infections among birds…

    Emmanuel Okekunle can best be described as a genius on the plateau. The 22-year-old Ogbomosho, Oyo State-born wonder kid, who lives with his parents in Jos, Plateau State, recently achieved a feat not common among his peers when he converted human urine and animal wastes to cooking gas. The feat has instantly turned the young school leaver into a celebrity of sort in the city of Jos and its environs.

    It was not his first attempt at scientific invention. A few years ago, Okekunle, then a five-year-old pupil of Gospel Tender Foot Nursery School, Nasarawa Gwom, Jos, constructed a wooden wheel barrow and torchlight. Although, he was not immediately taken seriously by his parents, but he soon proved that his achievement was not a flash in the pan when he invented other items from scraps.

    Okekunle, who finished from Cherubim and Seraphim College, Nasarawa Gwom, Jos, in 2010, recalled how it all began saying:”While in the elementary school, I spent whatever money my parents gave me for feeding to buy cables and other minor items to produce one thing or the other. As a primary three pupil, I was eight years old. I produced movable toys from empty tins and powered them with dry cell batteries. When I got to primary four, I went further to design a ship and helicopters using empty tins and wire. These inventions of mine turned me into an instant celebrity among my peers in Jos.”

    While he was doing all these, his parent who did not know what he was cut out for in life, felt he should concentrate on his studies instead of gathering scraps and other disused materials to produce “rubbish”. Back then, whenever he was away in school, his no-nonsense parents would go into his room and destroy the materials he had gathered for his work. They thought such might distract him from reading his books. But their actions emboldened him to further gather materials for his inventions until his parents gave up and gave him support.

    “Initially, my parents did not believe in me. They felt that my obsession with production of sundry items from scraps would rub off negatively on my studies. They became hostile towards my passion and started destroying the materials which I usually kept in my room. They would go into my room to either remove or destroy the materials. But their action did not deter me at all as I would go back to gather the materials again. When they found out that I was not going to give up on my passion, they left me alone.”

    He explained how he was encouraged by one of his teachers to produce some rechargeable home appliances. He said:”I was in JSS Two when I designed and produced rechargeable fans. I was encouraged by my JET club master, Mr. Ashaolu, to develop my talents. I later designed a rechargeable lamp, electric incinerator, and water heater using empty tins and bathroom slippers. It was after I graduated from secondary school in 2010 that I designed emergency alarm that can be used in hospitals. I used light emitting diodes, rechargeable batteries, resistors, capacitors, wires and wood to produce it. This further encouraged me to continue with my passion to create gadgets from scraps and disused materials. Therefore, I got the inspiration to invent gadgets from my teacher and I have never relented in my desire to achieve breakthrough as a promising inventor.”

    The talent of the secondary school leaver first caught the attention of the Plateau State government in 2012. He was picked to represent the state at the Science Expo organised by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) in conjunction with the Ministry of Science and Technology, and Ministry of Education, where he shone like a star. The cooking gas which he produced from human and animal wastes was adjudged the best at the exhibition.

    He explained how he was able to achieve the feat. Hear him:” I got a container and asked members of my family to urinate into it for some days. Then I collected chicken drops from a poultry farm. I mixed them together and poured it into a cylinder. There are two separating cylinders; one is used to separate hydrogen sulfite from the methane gas. The second cylinder is used for separating carbon four oxide from the methane gas. I demonstrated how this works during at an expo in Abuja. I have used the light heat produced by this combination to cook Indomie noodle even at the prototype level”

    Okekunle, who is currently seeking admission to study engineering in the university, was also spotted by the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) in Jos. He was subsequently invited to an exhibition organised by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) in Jos, where he became the cynosure of all eyes.

    Nicknamed ‘German machine’ by friends because of his exploits in science, the challenge before the young inventor, according to him, is “how to get the financial support that could make me realise my full potentials in life. I believe that I am one of those that posess what it takes to ignite industrial revolution in Nigeria. If the nation must realise the much talked about vision 20-20-20, government must invest in people like us. The only path to greatness as a nation is technological advancement and this is evident in the rapid development of countries like South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Japan among others.”

    Hope, however, seems to be in sight for Okekunle if the comment of the Plateau State Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mrs. Comfort Piwuna, is anything to go by. Speaking with our correspondent, Mrs. Piwuna commended Okekunle for his feat.

    “This boy (Okekunle) actually represented Plateau State along with other students at the Science Expo in Abuja sometime ago. His talent is something to behold; he came up with a device that converts waste materials to cooking gas. He also used saw dust to produce interlocking blocks that can be used to build poultry house, which in a way could help reduce infections among birds. Apart from that, he does so many things that I cannot even mention now. The truth is that the boy is a bundle of talents which when properly developed could transform Nigeria into a developed nation.”

    “Plateau State government is already thinking of how to harness his potentials. My ministry has embarked on the compilation of such inventions in order to patent the works so as to ensure the protection of intellectual property. Okekunle can only enjoy the fruit of his labour when we protect his talents. Governor Jonah Jang has already indicated interest in encouraging such innovations. To this end, we are planning to organise a talent exhibition where the governor himself would be in attendance. The governor would use the opportunity to unveil what he has in store for young talents. Okekunle is already in our plans”.

  • Trace of destiny (4)

    The incident happened two months before our wedding. The arrangements were going smoothly with the reception venue booked, invitation cards sent to the printers and our outfits including Rachel’s wedding gown almost ready for the big day. Running around making all the plans was stressful but I did not mind as they were plans for our future together as man and wife.

    I was full of excitement at the great future before us and I could not wait for our wedding day to come. Rachel too was happy or so I thought. How was I to know that she was seeing someone else besides me even as we were making plans to marry? I only got to know of her deception one day when I got a call from her mother one Saturday morning. She wanted me to see her at home on an urgent matter. Thinking it had to do with the meeting I was to have with Rachel’s older brothers on the traditional marriage ceremony at her father’s house the following month, I went over.

    The woman was not her usual cheerful self when I arrived at her place. She looked pale and weak and I thought she was ill. But she assured me she was fine when I remarked on the way she looked. She was alone in the house as Rachel, who had got a job in a media house, was on duty at work.

    “Why don’t we go to the hospital? You don’t look too well, Mummy,” I stated as I sat in a chair.

    She shook her head.

    “I’m fine. It’s just that…” she started to speak then stopped. Then to my surprise, she exclaimed:

    “How could she do such a thing? I used to think she was the most sensible of all my children!”

    I looked askance at her, not comprehending what she was saying.

    “What’s the matter, ma? Who did what?” I queried.

    For answer, she picked up a paper from the centre table and handed it to me. It was a letter addressed to me. I read the contents quickly not believing what was before my eyes.

    How could this be true; my own Rachel with another man? How? Was someone playing a cruel joke on me, I wondered as I flung the letter angrily on the ground, too dazed and confused to say anything for a while. Her mother looked at me warily, a look of concern and anxiety on her fleshy face.

    “I tried to stop her but she would not listen! Such a stubborn girl,” the woman fumed.

    In the letter, Rachel had written that she had called off the wedding, that she could no longer marry me when she was still in love with Tony, her ex-boyfriend. He was back in the country and she had left to be with him and I should not look for her. She was sorry for taking that decision but she could no longer continue to deceive herself…

     

    Picking up the pieces

    To say I was devastated over the unexpected turn of events was stating the obvious. It took me over a year to recover from the shock brought on by Rachel’s betrayal. I just could not get over the fact that she had dumped me just weeks before our wedding for an old flame. How could she? Was it something I had done? She had assured me she was over the guy so how could she hook up with him again? So many questions that needed answers to but there was no one to answer them.

    With time though, with the help of my family and friends, including Rachel’s mother who was not in support of her daughter’s actions, I picked up the pieces of my life. I tried to put everything behind me and start all over but try as I could, I could not forget Rachel.

    I did not see her for nearly two years after our break-up. She had left the country with Tony after she left me and I heard they were planning to marry. For sometime, I did not hear much about her. I had moved out of our old neighbourhood and I did not see her mother that often.

    Then one day, I had gone home to see my parents when my younger brother, Mark who still lived at home told me that Rachel was back in Nigeria.

    “I saw her three days ago at Madu’s chemist shop down the road. She came to buy some drugs for her mother. She asked after you,” he stated.

    Rachel back? I wondered if she was in the country on vacation with her husband as it was the Christmas period when some of our people abroad came home to see their family and friends.

    I wanted to ask my brother about that but resisted the urge. She was married to someone else now and no longer part of my life.

    About three weeks later, on my way from another visit to my parents, I was driving towards the gate on the street when someone called my name. I looked through the window and saw Rachel. My first instinct was to ignore her and just drive away. But seeing her again, hearing her sweet voice killed all the anger and frustration I felt at the way she had treated me.

    I got down from the car and we exchanged greetings.

    She said she had wanted to see me since her return to the country and wanted us to go somewhere quiet where we could talk.

    I was initially reluctant but had to give in after much pleading. That day, she apologised profusely for what she had done, stating that it was stupidity on her part and Tony’s smooth words that made her do it.

    “I’m really sorry Julian! I don’t know if you can ever forgive me for what I did to you. It was a terrible thing for someone to do to his fiancé. Please, find it in your heart to forgive me!” she pleaded earnestly.

    I smiled wryly at her words then stated:

    “I forgave you long ago, Rachel. All I wish for you now is happiness with your husband.”

    “What are you talking about? What husband?” she said quickly.

    I looked at her confused. It was then she told me the story of her time with Tony abroad. She explained that she and Tony had never married though there were plans for that. She said the guy turned out to be a criminal who was deeply involved in the drugs business and other fraudulent activities.

    “I only found out when I got to Canada. Right now, he is in prison for a drug related offence-he was given a fifteen year jail term,” she said. It was all news to me and you might say, it serves her right for what she did to me, dumping me for a sleaze bag like Tony. But instead of feeling happy at her predicament, it was pity I felt for her.

    That day, I realized I still loved Rachel, that infact, I had never stopped loving or wanting her.

    Anyway, to shorten the story, Rachel and I got back together. People who knew us and our story particularly my family and friends thought I was crazy to take her back after her treatment of me.

    “You still want that woman back after what she did to you? Are you sure you are alright, Julian? There’s nothing wrong with you ‘upstairs?” my good friend Dapo asked, with his forefinger pointed at his head. He had come to my house earlier that day and found Rachel there. As soon as she had left to buy some drinks at a nearby store, he had started bombarding me with questions.

    I smiled at his words.

    “Of course I’m ok! You won’t understand the way I feel because you have never been in love,” I retorted.

    “Well, if this is what love does to people, turning their heads ‘upside down’, then I never want to be in love!” he fired back.

    I simply laughed at his words, feeling happy and contented for the first time in years. My Rachel was back and that was all that mattered to me.

    I don’t care what people have been saying, that she has charmed me or used voodoo or ‘jazz’ or cast whatever spell on me. They simply don’t understand.

    What do they know about my feelings for Rachel, that when she’s not by my side, I feel empty, incomplete as if one of my body parts is missing? Now she’s back in my life, I feel complete, a total being again…

    •Concluded

    •Did Julian do the right thing by accepting Rachel back or was it a foolish decision on his part?Readers feedback are welcome!

    •Names have been changed to protect the identity of the narrator and other individuals in the story.

    •Send comments/suggestions to 08023201831(sms only), psaduwa@yahoo.com or psaduwa007@gmail.com

  • Infogem markets Osun Osogbo on world stage

    Infogem markets Osun Osogbo on world stage

    INFOGEM Limited, the official marketer of the annual Osun Osogbo festival is exploring new opportunities to increase the number of in-bound tourists coming into the country for the festival. As part of the efforts to actualize this, Infogem participated in the last World Tourism Market (WTM), held in Custom House, Excel, London. The WTM is one of the biggest events in the world tourism calendar, and had more than 200 countries participating.

    Infogem attended the event as one of the private tourism companies to the WTM. Speaking on the reason for the their presence, the company’s Managing Director, Mr Ayo Olumoko, said the WTM was an important platform to leverage on to beckon to prospective tourists and investors, and also convince them on the need to capitalize on the enormous opportunities the Osun Osogbo festival possess.

    Olumoko said, in Osun Osogbo, Nigeria was literally sitting on fame and fortune, and gave credit to previous and present government policies that have helped to position the festival beyond a mere religious ceremony to a global activity that attracts men and women of different faiths and cultures. He said: “the Osun Osogbo Festival now prides as a cultural hub for those interested in the ancient allure of culture. This is the song Infogem Limited is singing to would- be investors and partners, who in the open and in introspection, will admit to the mileage such an event will give to their products and services. Two reasons for this are: the Osun Osogbo festival retains an almost perfect re-enactment of events and artifacts that have been institutionalized more than 600 years ago, and the second being the fact that the Osun grove is a UNESCO certified World heritage site.

    The onus is therefore, on the citizens to fully open their creative minds and be allowed to be serenaded with all the exciting opportunities at their doorsteps. Community participation is encouraged to breathe life into many of these events to fully establish its relevance in the development of a nation. Expectedly, any tourist site, or occasion that has the capacity to welcome a large number of local and international tourists to their domain is poised to empower her people. The need for accommodation, feeding and leisure, which will be a must, have the capacity to improve the lot of the people. As the nation increases her wealth bases from the profits, the ripple effect is felt around the host community, increasing the patronage of local goods and services, and creating more avenues to wealth. Hence, it is imperative that people should learn to divorce their sentiments from what a cultural festival portends, and focus on the economic gains that could benefit the people, irrespective of their religious inclinations, and support it to achieve maximum success.”

    Speaking further, Olumoko said: “Nigerians should get set for the launch of the African Community CultureFest 2014, spearheaded by this company; Infogem Limited, which is a celebration of Africa’s heritage, her people and way of life. This week long event will be a cultural showcase of the spectacular beauty of Africa Razzmatazz and the display of the colourful lifestyle that defines the people. It is going to be a reminisce of the highly successful FESTAC 77. Interestingly, it will be an annual event that will be hosted by different African countries willing to be sponsors for the event.”