The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • Tokunbo Afikuyomi renews ambition

    Tokunbo Afikuyomi renews ambition

    Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi is one man who loves to court relevance at every opportunity. As a former students’ union activist and ‘MKO Abiola for President’ crusader, Senator Toks, as he is fondly called by friends, has definitely paid his dues.

    In the past few months, the two-term, two-district senator has been living in self-imposed exile in the United Kingdom, leaving many to wonder if he had embraced political oblivion as a reality. The Senator who has represented Lagos Central and Lagos West and later opened a wine bar in Ikoyi, moved abroad after his term as Commissioner for Tourism in the first term of the Fashola administration. He later moved to Osun State at the beginning of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola government, hoping to enjoy some patronage from the new government. But his romance with the Osun State Government lasted shorter than he probably anticipated.

    Sensing that he might have expended his goodwill with the government, he decided to leave for the UK where he has been reminiscing on the good old times as a high ranking senator in Abuja before he attempted to succeed Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the governor of Lagos State.

    But Celeb Watch has gathered that Afikuyomi may stage a come-back, as he is now eyeing his former position as the senator representing Lagos West; a position presently occupied by Senator Ganiyu Solomon (GOS), who is rumoured to be nursing governorship ambition in Lagos against 2015.

  • Gbemi Saraki back on social radar

    Gbemi Saraki back on social radar

    Two years after her governorship ambition was truncated by her own brother and immediate past governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, followed a few months later by the death of her father and political backbone, Dr. Olusola Saraki, Senator Gbemi Saraki has resurfaced after taking a sabbatical from both the political firmament and the social space.

    While the pretty politician was away in her anonymous cocoon, tongues wagged with rumours. Some said she was trying to make a family, others said she was nursing the political wound inflicted on her by her own brother. The only major appearance she had made since then was at her father’s one year remembrance a few weeks ago.

    A few days ago, however, she was sighted at Senator Teslim Folarin’s 50th birthday in Ibadan. Gbemi radiated the kind of joy associated with inner peace at the occasion. In fact, a serving senator was quoted as saying that no woman could be so peacefully beautiful without a man in his life.

    Meanwhile, her name is being rumoured as one of those penciled down for ministerial appointment by the Presidency any time soon. Information available to Celeb Watch indicates that her name has already been sent to security agents for screening.

  • Deadly world of campus confraternities

    Deadly world of campus confraternities

    Rising hip hop artiste and undergraduate of Lagos State University (LASU) was brutally hacked down in March by rival confraternity, Black Axe members. Damoche, a 400 level Banking and Finance undergraduate and suspected SEC member was shot twice in the head and on the left hand with what appeared to be a high caliber weapon. He lay dead for several hours before policemen arrived to take his body away in a pick-up van. Even though the police have been unable to resolve his murder, no fewer than three students have been killed in reprisal attacks over the death of the late artiste.

    From the campuses on to the streets

    The Nation investigations reveal the ugly manifestations of confraternity wars in Nigeria. Until recently, cult activities were an exclusive feature of Nigerian tertiary institutions. Frequent fracas broke erupted between rival cult groups on university and polytechnic campuses but hardly spilled to the streets.

    “It was like an unwritten rule of engagement. Rival cult groups attacked each other on the campuses but no group ventured to launch an attack against a member of another cult group outside the campus. No one dared attack a rival cult member at home. Each cult member’s home was like a hallowed ground, a sanctuary that evoked the respect of all and sundry. That was because we respected the institution of the family. Once when we went to hit (attack) one notorious Eiye (SEC) boy, we met his mother and sisters in his room. We could not drop (kill) him like we planned to but we brushed (beat) him severely. And that was even in his rented apartment outside the school campus,” disclosed Felix, a banker and former ‘butcher’ with the Black Axe confraternity.

    It’s a short haul from Felix’s era and the former ‘hitman’ admitted his shock over the metamorphosis of confraternities across the nation’s campuses. Corroborating him, Dele Oje, a former Capone of the Supreme Eiye Confraternity (SEC) acknowledged that confraternities across the country have undergone a ‘radical and very dangerous transmutation.”

    “They are no longer secret cults but open or public cults if you like,” said Oje, lamenting the brazenness with which various campus confraternities perpetrate violence and murder far from the confines of the nation’s campuses, on the streets.

    There is no gainsaying the campus confraternity war has spilled from the nation’s campuses on to the streets bringing violence and death into the homes of many families across societal divides. In Lagos for instance, erstwhile peaceful neighbourhoods of Bariga, Festac, Ojodu, Mushin, Ojo, Somolu, Okokomaiko, Yaba, Surulere, Lagos Island and Ikorodu have in recent times imploded to fierce clashes between rival cult groups, leading to deaths and destruction of properties worth millions of naira.

    Just recently, a band of suspected cult members were reportedly cavorting at a bar close to a canal at a section of the Alaba International Market when a gang of a rival confraternity invaded the area and opened fire on the group killing five of them in the process.

    In Mushin, an enduring confraternity war has replaced the turf battles and armed robbery that characterized the area. At least five persons, among them, a final year Nigerian student who schooled at the North American University Houdegbe, in Benin Republic, were killed in a renewed cult war in the area. The victim, Adeolu Otenaike, 26, left Benin Republic on March 18, 2013 to celebrate the purchase of a car with his friends. He was reportedly accosted while seeing his friends off, beaten and shot in the head and neck.

    One of his friends simply identified as Chinedu who managed to escape, reportedly sustained injuries. The same day, four other persons whose identities were given simply as Martins, Olosa, Fadeyi and Adeyemi were also killed at different spots in Mushin.

    Rival cultists in Somolu and Ketu areas of Lagos recently, leaving four persons dead and several others injured. In Ajelogo area of Ketu, Nigeria, it was gathered that suspected members of Eiye confraternity stormed a suspected rival’s home in the wee hours of Monday morning. They flung his nine-month old baby off the bed, dragged him outside and clubbed him to death but not until they had taken turns in raping his wife in front of him.

    Seyi’s widow told policemen at the station that there had been threats on her husband’s life by the cultists, who accused him of being an informant to another cult group, Black Axe confraternity.

    In neighbourhoods of Ijoko and Sango Ota, Ogun State, frequent skirmishes between cult groups have resulted in deaths and violence, casting a veil of panic across the border township. The inclusion of street urchins, commercial bus and motorcycle drivers, according to Biodun Gbolagade a.k.a Simple, a bar operator and Buccaneer, “has worsened everything.”

    Gbolagade bemoaned the inclusion of motor park urchins into the various confraternities, particularly the Buccaneer, SEC and Black Axe groups, as a worrisome development. “These hoodlums that they are blending (initiating) lack proper orientation. Consequently, they conduct themselves like ordinary hoodlums that they are, maiming and killing each other and innocent members of the public at the slightest provocation,” lamented Gbolagade.

    Indeed, street urchins and members of transport unions in the areas openly display their membership of cult groups. It is no longer a strange sight to see commercial motorcycle operators known as Okada riders, display the colours of the various cult groups that they belong to. Those claiming membership of SEC display blue the colour, Buccaneer, yellow colour and the Black Axe’s black colour. On several occasions, clashes erupt over non-members allegedly donning colours perceived as symbols of a particular cult group.

    A new manifestation of the confraternity ogre reposes in cultists’ deployment as mercenaries and land grabbers by influential members of the public. In rural areas of Itele, Iyana Ipaja, Ogijo and Igbo Olomu, land merchants frequently employ cultists as ajagungbales, land grabbers or mercenaries over land matters.

    The confraternity wars rocking the streets of Lagos and Ogun State are reminiscent of the mayhem that characterized the country’s Niger Delta region. Although the violence was initially targeted at foreign oil companies, their expatriates and the security agents stationed there. The guns soon turned inward as open battles erupted on the streets of Rivers. The violence rooted in rivalry among local cult gangs, was aggravated by the latter’s affiliation with politicians employing them as private militias during state and federal elections according to human rights activists, former gang members and aid workers in the region.

    The bloodshed extended to the creeks in the region; in Ogbogoro, skirmishes between rival gangs were so intense in August 2007 that the council of traditional rulers felt compelled to act. Two cults, fighting over political turf and illegal oil extraction rights, terrorized the communities. Unnerved by the spate of violence, the community chiefs met to announce an ultimatum that all cult members should leave or risk being arrested by the community vigilante groups. The vigilantes rounded up a few members as deterrents and were planning to turn them over to the military. But while a community meeting commenced in the town hall in early September, dozens of young men on motorcycles, wielding machine guns and grenade launchers overran the meeting. Two traditional rulers were shot dead and their bodies dumped on a weedy river bank.

     

    Psychology of a ‘frat man’

    Nosike Oguenyi, 42, claimed he joined the Supreme Vikings Confraternity (SVC) in order to actualize his dream of becoming a ‘strong man’ and “very rugged soul” on his school campus. The graduate of Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) stated that he couldn’t endure life as a minion on campus. “I was from a rich and privileged background but I suffered persistent ridicule and abuse from frat men (cultists). They ordered me up from my seat in the canteen in the presence of a girl I had taken out on a date. I felt very ashamed and worthless as the girl later left me for the leader of the confraternity,” said Oguenyi, adding that he was forced to join the Black Axe in protest and as a form of security against his oppressors.

    Students are attracted to cult groups for a variety of reasons. Members of contemporary cult groups are between 18 to 22 years old at the time of first contact i.e. the immediate post-high school period though persons as young as 14 years have been known to join. Some young students in cults have experienced very unstable or non-existent family relationship, but they do not constitute the norm. Many smore have experienced varying degrees of communication problems with their parents.

    A number of students have known the pains and deprivation of a single-parent home and perhaps for this reason, some have strongly identified with older students who provide a parental image. Some young people who have problem backgrounds and have experienced varying degrees of “failure”. Those people that come from broken homes or have a history of emotional problems and unresolved personal conflicts.

    More than anything else, the young people pursuing cults today are involved in search for identity and a quest for spiritual reality that provides clear-cut answers to questions. The chief target of the cults are the children of affluence, these ones may be suffering from identity confusion or identity crisis and they want to be identified with re-known group and so, they are easily carried away by the activities of the cult.

     

    In the beginning…

    Adewale Rotimi of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife traces the origin of secret cults on Nigerian campuses back to the Pyrates Confraternity, also known as National Association of Sea Dogs, that was founded at the University College, Ibadan (now called the University of Ibadan), in 1953 when the institution was still a satellite campus of the University of London. It has the skull and crossbones as its logo.

    The Seadog Confraternity was similar to the numerous fraternities and sororities, which are so ubiquitous in many American universities and colleges both in membership requirements and activities. In the United States, the fraternities and sororities are sometimes called Greek Clubs because of their Greek names and symbols. These Greek clubs promote, among other things, moral uprightness, patriotism, community service and high academic and intellectual standards.

    The Pyrates Confraternity at the University College, Ibadan, was formed by the first African Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and a few others popularly known as G7. The original aims of the association were very lofty and noble. They aimed at producing future Nigerian leaders who would be very proud of their African heritage. Thus, the Pyrates Confraternity aimed at abolishing convention. It also wanted to revive the age of chivalry. The confraternity boasted of the cleanest, the brightest and the most politically conscious among the students.

    The main objectives of the Seadogs were to fight non-violently but intellectually and effectively, against the imposition of foreign conventions, to revive the age of chivalry and to find a lasting solution to the problems of tribalism and elitism. The outfit of the Seadogs resembled those of the Pyrates of the old. Everything done was healthy, fun and harmless. The original Confraternity did not swear any oath of secrecy, no binding of blood and the identities of members were known to both students and staff. Unfortunately towards the end of the 1960’s, the social, political and educational changes which were occurring in Nigeria began to affect the operations of the confraternities. The first notable departure came in 1968 with the formation of the Eiye Confraternity at the University of Ibadan. Also known as SEC, the Eiye Confraternity had sprung from the “Buccaneers” which also had sprung up from the sea dogs. The major force that led to the formation of new splinter groups from the sea dogs was basically doctrinal. The nascent groups which were formed from the sea dogs regarded the pyrates as rather elitist whose campaigns had outlived their usefulness thus the emergence of protestant groups which sprang up from the Pyrates Confraternity. They included the Black eye, Vikings, Bucaneers, Mafia, dragons, Black Beret to mention a few. The female cults include, Temple of Eden, Black Braziers, Barracudas, Daughters of Jezebel and others. Today in Nigeria, there is hardly any tertiary institution which has not suffered the adverse effects of the activities of secret cults which have been characterized by violence.

     

    Recruitment

    A very important element in the mode of operation of secret cults is recruitment. Like any other social organization, recruitment must occur so that membership which might be lost through graduation, rustication, or even death, must be replenished. Recruitment exercise is closely tied to the willingness of students to become members of secret cults. Prospective cult members must demonstrate the ability to use weapons, while ability to consume alcohol and use drugs are added advantages. New recruits must also demonstrate some stoic abilities, especially, ability to bear pain.

    For the prospective female cultists, wearing of provocative dresses that accentuate natural curves and contours is almost a must. They must also be able to display unusual bravado during altercations with uninitiated female students. Some of the most popular female confraternities are, Black Braziers, Amazons, Jezebels, White pants, just to name a few. A prospective female cultist must be a smoker of marijuana and all brands of cigarettes, she must be able to consume all kinds of alcohol, she must be familiar with and, if possible, possess a pistol or an axe. She must also be rich, bold and have very “big” men friends. To guarantee her acceptance, she must pass the torture test. Being a lesbian is an added advantage. She must also cultivate the habit of wearing jeans. She must possess a wardrobe of weird attires that can make heads turn whenever she passes by.

    Students who are sought after by secret cults vary in social backgrounds. They might be children of professors, judges, politicians, senior police officers and so on. The status of their parents in society guarantees them some protection from the claws of law enforcement agents in the event that they get into trouble. Initiation naturally follows recruitment.

     

    The initiation

    The initiation process commences immediately after new recruits have been thoroughly screened. During an initiation ceremony, the eyes of the initiate are expected to be closed while some incantations are recited. New entrants are subjected to thorough beating as a means of toughening them up and testing their endurance of pain.The new entrants are made to drink some concoctions mixed with blood. Sometimes they are given some tough assignments like raping a very popular female student or a female member of the university staff. For the female cultists, their initiation may include being forced to engage in some immoral activities. Among the Jezebels and Amazons for example, new entrants may be made to undergo six rounds of rigorous intercourse in quick successions. They may also be made to fight with other girls or strong boys. They may also be subjected to thorough flogging. New entrants are expected to move around in groups of four or five as a means of protecting themselves against possible sexual harassment. During the initiation new members are taught to communicate with other members in coded language. Having been recruited and initiated, cult members are expected to engage in many activities, which form parts of the group norm.

     

    Violent youth, crooked godfathers

    Many political figures openly recruit and arm violent confraternity groups to unleash terror upon their opponents and ordinary members of the public. Scores of civilians have either been killed or injured during clashes involving those gangs during elections and no one has been held to account for sponsoring these gangs.

    As Ogaga Ifowodo puts it, “the hierarchical structure betrays the tenets of freedom and democracy that their respective creeds trumpet. Secondly, there is the tendency I can only describe as unbridled machismo, a vaunted masculinity that undergirds the exclusion of female students from membership, a practice at variance with the non-discriminatory, radical egalitarian humanism proclaimed by their manifestoes.”

    There is no gainsaying that the various cult groups have deviated from their nobly touted creeds.

    The Black Axe for instance, despite its, touted goal of promoting black consciousness and fighting for the dignity of Africans and their freedom from neo-colonialism has deteriorated into self-serving behaviour that is notoriously and brutally violent.

    The Buccaneers, SEC, SVC and other confraternities have over time adopted violence as their official policy. The menace of has eaten deep into the polity weaving frat men, university administrators, politicians, and high-level government officials into an intricate underground and dangerous network according to Obinna Anejionu.

    There is no doubt that the current spate of armed robbery and kidnapping in the country is a direct offshoot of the derailing of the fraternities, as most of them have extended their tentacles beyond the walls of their institutions into the streets and creeks of the nation.

     

    Guns, guns everywhere…

    In Nigeria, guns are everywhere. Small arms and light weapons (SALW) has fuelled ethnic disturbances in tertiary institutions and outside it. When there are no battles to fight, these weapons find their way into the hands of robbers who terrorize people on highways and in cities. There, it is relatively easy to obtain the weaponry. For instance, an AK rifle sells at N16, 000.

    The preponderance of gun-smuggling routes aggravates the problem. A key gun-smuggling route into Nigeria is the Lagos-Benin coastal axis extending across West Africa as far as Liberia and Sierra Leone. An equally worrisome source of armament is Nigeria’s northern borders with Chad and Niger. Nigerian security agencies claim weaponry from rebel wars have been smuggled into Nigeria over the past decade. They also maintain that these weapons are used by unemployed rebels to rob Nigerians along northeast and central highways in the country.

    No doubt, better control of ammunition imports will assist to combat light weapon proliferation. The illicit weapons trade in West Africa is increasingly trans-national and it requires regional and international cooperation and support to combat it. Also, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) must be encouraged to channel their energies into virile students activism, the type that encourages healthy intellectual debate and argument on issues that affect them and the society at large. According to Adewale Rotimi of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, the student union must be incubators of civilized values, decency and cultural larvae. More emphasis must be placed on character building, responsible leadership and citizenship.

    It is also hoped that the government will improve the funding of the education sector so that the universities again will return to their former glory where they will remain centres for debate of excellence. For all these to occur, the Nigerian government needs to have a moratorium on education. This will include a very thorough and objective examination of funding, admission policy and the general welfare of students and staff. The sooner these measures are employed, the better for the African continent and the safer Nigeria might be.

    Until then, few people in Nigeria will acquire guns legally. The reason is not far-fetched; regulations on gun ownership were stringently revised by Babangida’s administration following a gory ethnic conflict in Northern Nigeria in 1989. The military president revoked gun licenses and enacted laws that made their restoration cumbersome. Now, the only guns available to citizens through a license are double-barrelled shotguns for use in gaming and sports. These must be licensed by the commissioner of police of a state. Then among other requirements, the applicant must be above 18, level-headed and of good character. He or she must have a permanent home address and a verifiable source of income. The level of bureaucracy involved makes acquiring a gun license almost impossible.

    As a result, many gun wielders today hardly submit to the scrutiny. One such owner was Alayinde. To survive as a student cultist, he had to be ruthless. To achieve this, he decided to get a gun, a 9mm to be precise; it was sleek, light and frighteningly lethal. Still, it was unable to keep him alive.

  • A love to hold (2)

    LENNY looked and sounded so sincere that I relented a bit.

    He had about a month to go on his contract with my company. I told him if he was still interested in me some time after the expiration of the job, then…

    I left the rest unsaid but he got my drift.

    “You will give me a chance then?” he said, looking excited.

    I nodded.

    “Let’s see what happens then,” I said. I was not sure I was doing the right thing by giving him hope about us being together but it was the least I could do in the situation. My thinking was that by the time the job finished and we were no longer seeing each other regularly, his feelings for me might wane. ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’ I thought.

    But I had reckoned without Lenny’s tenacity. By the time the job finished, he was still coming to the company a few times a week ‘to check on the systems’ he told me but I knew it was simply an excuse to see me.

    When he could not come physically, he would phone or send messages. It was obvious my strategy was not working; instead it had had the opposite effect, making him more crazy about me.

    So, one day, about a month after his contract ended, I called him and we met up. I had closed from work for the day so we drove to an eatery not too far from my office.

    After we had eaten, we sat in his car chatting for a while.

    I told him how I felt about him and that though I liked him, a relationship with him would be too complicated.

    “Complicated? How?” he asked turning to gaze at me. Before I could say anything, he added:

    “I can see you are still bothered about the age thing. Well, if it doesn’t bother me, I don’t see why it should be a problem to you.”

    “Even if I’m ok with it, what will other people say? Your family, for instance. Do you think they will be happy to see you with someone like me, an older lady?” I argued.

    “You see, that’s the problem with a lot of people, they worry too much about what ‘others’ will say or think. Look, Rosa, what matters is what we feel about each other. What others think about us being together should not be our problem. Besides, what makes you think my family won’t like you? Anyway, when we get to that ‘bridge’, we will cross it,” he stated reassuringly.

    That evening, he was so convincing in his arguments that he broke down my defences. I finally relented and decided to give him a chance.

    Later, as I lay in bed that night, the last thought on my mind before drifting off to sleep, was the look of joy on Lenny’s face when I finally agreed to date him. He had hugged me tightly to himself as if he would never let me go…

     

    The gathering storm…

    A few days later, a Saturday, Lenny came to pick me up for an outing. We had a nice time and we saw regularly after that. With time, we became a couple. Being with Lenny was a different experience for me. You see, I’ve had some really terrible relationships in the past and had in fact reached a stage where I had almost given up hope on men and love. That was until Lenny came into my life. It was like, in him I was being compensated for all the ‘ugly frogs I had kissed’ in the past. He lavished love and attention on me and treated me like a princess. What more could a lady want?

    He put my happiness above every other thing and always wanted the best for me. I was very happy with Lenny and even my friends noticed the change in me.

    “You look so radiant these days, Rosa. This new guy must be taking very good care of you,” Maria said one day at my home. She was on a visit with another friend, Anna.

    “Who’s the new guy?” Anna asked, turning to me.

    “Ask her now! Na she sabi!” I said sarcastically, going to the kitchen to get more drinks for them.

    They were leaving some time later when Lenny came.

    “How’s my sweetheart today?” he said, as he embraced me.

    I smiled, telling him I was fine. He had already met Maria so I introduced him to Anna.

    “Let me see them off. I will soon join you,” I told him.

    “That your guy is really cute. Does he have a brother?” Anna asked as we stood by Maria’s car, chatting.

    “Why are you asking?” I queried.

    “Because I want someone like him,” she declared.

    “Thief! Go to the shopping mall and you will get one to buy! Ole!” Maria said teasingly and we laughed.

    Before they left, Maria drew me aside. She wanted to know what Neenah, Lenny’s cousin thought about our relationship.

    I shrugged before saying:

    “She has seen us together a couple of times. She doesn’t seem to mind.”

    “That’s good. I was worried she might not like you hooking up with him,” she said. Then getting into her car, she waved before driving off.

    If Neenah did not object to my dating her cousin, the same could not be said of his family members.

    One weekend, I was in his house one morning when his mother and younger sister arrived. It was my first time of meeting her so I was a bit nervous and anxious as well.

    I greeted and welcomed them warmly. Lenny was taking a shower so I went to get them some drinks.

    Lenny came out later and introduced me to his mother.

    “Mum, this is Rosa, my fiancée,” he stated. That surprised me because he had not formally proposed to me. Infact, we had not even discussed marriage yet in the six months or so we had been together. So, why was he calling me his fiancée, I wondered.

    His mother looked at me up and down as if looking at something she did not particularly like then said in a displeased tone of voice.

    “Fiancée? Since when? You never told me you were engaged!”

    “Well, I’m telling you now, Mum,” he said. He then told me to prepare some food for his mother and sister so I left for the kitchen.

    From there, I could hear their voices. I knew they were talking about me so I went and stood by the kitchen door.

    His mother sounded upset from her tone of voice. She was telling Lenny that she was not happy with his choice of a wife stating:

    “Of all the ladies in this town, you went and chose someone like her! What were you thinking? Has she bewitched you or what?” she demanded.

    I heard Lenny laugh, before assuring her that he was in his right senses.

    She then said in a commanding tone:

    “Well, whatever you have with her must stop. Now!”

    To which Lenny countered:

    “I can’t Mum. She’s the one I love! The one after my heart!”

    I could see a great storm gathering over our heads and as I went back to preparing the meal, I wondered what the future held for Lenny and I…

     

    •What next? Don’t miss the juicy details next Saturday!

     

    •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

     

  • My police wife must pay me full compliments in uniform even if she would hug me later- Ogun PPRO Muyiwa Adejobi

    My police wife must pay me full compliments in uniform even if she would hug me later- Ogun PPRO Muyiwa Adejobi

    The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, comes from a family of police. At least, ten of his family members are with the Nigeria Police Force. In this interview with GBENGA ADERANTI, the Ogun State police image maker talks about the challenges of coming from a family rooted in the police force; the inner battles with his conscience and his job as a police officer, why he is not afraid of death, despite the hazards inherent in his job, among other issues. Excerpts:

    You were just given an award in South Africa, what was it all about?

    The award was given to some outstanding police officers and corporate bodies in Johannesburg, South Africa by a media firm, Security Watch Africa. They just recognised outstanding police officers, those with exemplary performances in their various sections or duties in the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies all over Africa. Some governors and companies in security business were given awards too. I was fortunate or left me say I was lucky to have been picked as the Best Police Public Relations Officer in Nigeria.

    Why do you think you were picked for the award?

    I wouldn’t know, all I know is that whatever you are doing, you should know that people are watching you. Some people are watching you for bad, some are watching you for good but this time around, people are watching what I do because I know, for them to have picked me as the Best Police Public Relations Officer in Nigeria, they must have seen what I do and I don’t need to look at people’s faces before I do what I want to do, it is just for one to be committed, one to be dedicated and make sacrifices. PR work in command, you need to make sacrifices. You give out your personal number, not your official number because people want to talk to you and you must make sure that policing is taken to the grassroots.

    People will want to talk to you, even if you refer them to DPOs, Area Commanders, admin officer or whoever in the department, they will tell you that they still want to speak with Muyiwa Adejobi, the PPRO.

    I have taken it upon myself, for almost five years I have been PRO in Ogun State to be giving my personal number out consistently on most of the programmes, either radio or television or any forum I find myself. People have seen this as my own style of doing the job the way it should be done.

    People feel comfortable relating with me because they talk to me on issues on my line. It is not convenient my brother, I need to tell you this, people will call me at about 1:am. 2:am., 3:am. When there is an incident in the town, they will call my number rather than the control room number. If I give them control room number, they will say I don’t need control room number, after all, I have Muyiwa’s number and of course, the implication is that whatever happens to such a person, he is not going to call any operational number, he is not going to call central control room, he is going to call Muyiwa Adejobi and Muyiwa Adejobi is a human being. Muyiwa will want to sleep but Muyiwa won’t be able to sleep because I don’t put off my phone. The sacrifices I make, people have noticed it. Invite Muyiwa to any programme, Muyiwa will be there, call Muyiwa to go and attend any community meeting, Muyiwa will be there. Talk of giving information out, I don’t joke with it, talk of being well connected on the internet, I’m well connected. If there is a story, I write the story, get confirmation and approval from the CP, I send it out. If there are ssues to be discussed whether national or state, I contact the force PRO that this matter is in Ogun State and I think it is national. If he gives me the go ahead, I do it. As part of my schedule as enshrined in the police schedule of duties, I’m to get the force PRO abreast of what is happening in my command and I will continue to do this.

    Your job is to manage the image of the police, how do you feel when your conscience comes in conflict with your job?

    Public relations does not teach you how to lie. Public Relations is all about the truth and positive projection of image. Let me give you an instance, there was a time someone said: ‘I don’t like police because they are collecting N20’. I will be a foolish PRO to say it is not true that the police are collecting N20. Do not forget that when you are talking as a PRO, you have three or four audiences- the organisation you are working for; the public who want to hear what you are saying; your own people around you, the members of the force will want to hear what you want to say because those are the members of the force that have been alleged to be collecting money.

    So the best thing that I could have said is ‘fine they are collecting money on the road; we’ve not sent them, the IG has not sent them, the Commissioner of Police has not sent them, no security man has sent them. They are on their own, but it takes two to tango. But do not encourage policemen by giving them money.

    We are giving to tell the public the machinery we have put in place to stop corruption in police force. The IGP monitoring team is there. We have the X-Squad, which is there to checkmate the excesses of erring and recalcitrant police officers and men. The IGP is doing training and retraining. He is sourcing funds to do training to change the psyche of our officers and men. Why must you collect bribe? The

    IG fought tooth and nail before he could put up the newly launched police Code of Conducts. We expect our men to read and digest it and behave accordingly.

    Public relations does not tell you or teach you to say police do not collect N20. Public relations will tell you to say the truth.

    Okay, let me put it this way, when morality comes in conflict with your job what do you do?

    You just follow the law and do the right thing. We have guidelines, we have rules, and follow what the law or constitution says. That is to do your job as a policeman. There is no morality, there is no sentiment and there in no conscience, just do the right thing.

    Lagos and Ogun States reportedly have the highest number of crimes. What are efforts are being made to bring them to the barest minimum?

    Let us start by saying that we thank God for the kind of Inspector-General that we have. Secondly, the Commissioner of Police we have in Ogun State is very active and very lucky a man. I’m saying lucky because if robbers come to Ogun State today, they can’t operate and even if they do, in the next one week, they will be arrested. They cannot come to Ogun State and say they want to operate because it is not possible. If you have monitored the trend of arrest of criminals in the recent past, like the arrest of Godogodo; ‘Lieutenant’ Goke, the former was arrested in Lagos State, Goke was arrested in Ogun State by men of Ogun State Command. We are using our men to harness resources around us to jump on these guys. Our intelligence gathering is excellent for now. As we speak, just last night (a night preceding this interview), five robbers were arrested. They wanted to come to Ogun State to attack an ATM machine and cold rooms because they knew they could not attack our banks. They went where they could access liquid cash- bureau the change, petrol stations.

    Two weeks ago, we arrested a syndicate that was coming to attack a bureau de change. They had not even struck before we got them arrested.

    Residents of Ogun State feel more comfortable sharing information with us because we are now accessible. People say police in Ogun State now say ‘sir, sir’ to their civilian counterparts. The ‘sir, sir’ syndrome is what we need to do all over Nigeria as they do in Ogun State. I cannot, for the reason of effecting an arrest for breach of traffic offence would want to brutalise you.

    Do you sometimes get scared or feel that you could be killed?

    Something must kill a man. Why should I feel threatened? Somebody was telling me sometime ago that ‘the the way you talk, the way you condemn robbers, as a public relations officer, will they not come after your life?’ I said no. All I know is that the people your are serving, their spirit, their creator will defend you. Don’t be wicked, be nice to people, people will begin to pray for you, prayers work a lot. So by the time people pray for you, you are upright, you are reasonable, you are not in any dirty engagements, you do not send arms to robbers, you do not connive with robbers, you do not connive with land grabbers, you do not support injustice. All these things will come together to act as a buffer against any attack on you. So, I’m not afraid of anything, I know there is God and above all, somebody must learn how to pray. If you pray to God, He will defend you. I’m not afraid of anything, not even death. Of course, something must a kill a man.

    There was a time vigilante groups like the OPC were outlawed, but they are now everywhere purportedly providing security. How has the effort of these outfits complemented the work of police?

    I’m not aware of the operation of the OPC. I do not relate with them. For instance, here in ogun State, I do not relate with OPC. These vigilance groups are so many in the state that we had to e harmonise them to Vigilance Service of Ogun State. It was launched by the Ogun State government. There has been support from Ogun State government to them in terms of provision of vehicles.

    Despite your prospects in the force, your people are dragging you to become an Oba. What do make of this?

    The Owu people came seeking me. Initially, I rejected their entreaty. I became a cadet ASP in 2005. I have just spent seven years and I still have 16 or 20 years. I am already a DSP. By the time I put in 35 years in the police force, I should be a much senior police officer in Nigeria. Initially, I rejected it, but there have been a series of warnings coming that ‘if they have come to look for you to become an Oba, do not reject it. Even the police will not reject it. You see, most of the Obas are either retired police officers. I was told that a retired police became a king in Kogi and the Nigeria Police celebrated him. And that is what police will do for me. Being a police man and becoming a king after retirement is something ennobling. It will help you put a good security structure in place he knows the right thing to do, he will have internal security for his own domain. So, becoming an Oba is divine. There is nothing I can do about that, but for now, I have not been appointed. I’m still going to face my job I won’t allow that to distract me. If God says I’m going to be there, I will get there.

    What is the delay in choosing the new Olowu?

    The problem is, when there is no justice, there will be a problem. You know that when you want to select an Oba in Yoruba land, there are some rites and consultations to be made. They have been told to pick the son of the late Oba who died in an accident. That accident was not normal, it was a spiritual attack and for peace to reign in the town, they should coronate his son. Again, after consultations with the Ifa, they said they should pick his person. The issue now is that I have police job.

    My father loved Nigeria Police Force. I love the Nigeria Police force that was why I left a lucrative job for the Police Force.

    You have five people in your family as police personnel. How do you relate?

    My father’s nuclear family has four in the force and we have ten from the extended family.

    My wife is a police officer, but junior to me. I do not expect her to be saying ‘morn sir’. When she wants to greet me in the morning, we still maintain our culture and tradition.

    But when it comes to official duties, when in uniform, she must give me my compliments, even if she is going to hug me later. If I’m to visit my wife at her formation, she would call people to attention for me that I have arrived. After the official recognition, I can go ahead and hug her. My elder brother is a Superintendent of Police. When he comes around, I call people to attention, even though my brother will still call me kabiyesi. We relate well. When it is a family affairs, we relate normally.

  • A parade of STYLE

    A parade of STYLE

    One of man’s great pleasures and obsessions is developing a sense of class that is far beyond the ordinary. Some call it style. Others simply say it is individuality. Depending on the side of the divide you may choose to pitch, style is simply doing things your way. Style defines a man. It is a badge by which he or she is recognized.  So, being stylish is purely being individualistic. Over the years, men have consciously cultivated dressing culture that tends to define their style. In the parade of Nigeria’s stylish men, KAYODE ALFRED x-rays Nigerians of various strata and standing who have carved a niche for themselves as men of style.

    PRESIDENT GOODLUCK JONATHAN’S ‘Resource Control’

    There have been Nigerian leaders, past and present who emerged, at one period or the other, and whose eras were largely defined by their dress culture. From the late Sir Tafawa Balewa, Dr. Nnmamdi Azikiwe, former Presidents Shehu Shagari and Olusegun Obasanjo to serving President Goodluck Jonathan, there was and there is still a consistency in their dress culture which reflected the geography of their birth.

    However, with President Jonathan’s ascendancy to power he brought with him, wittingly or unwittingly, a tsunami-like ‘fashion-buzz in Nigeria called ‘Resource Control.’ In the history of Nigeria, never has a president’s dress culture captivated his subjects’ fancy like that of President Jonathan’s traditional Ijaw cultural attire. President Jonathan’s Niger-Delta attire with a bowler hat has become his trademark. While this dress code has drawn admiration from across board, the President can also be described as a marketer of his culture with his attached love of his native Ijaw attire. No wonder, it has become a fad among big boys across the country’s socio-economic and political firmament.

    MIKE ADENUGA’S love for kaftan

    Dr. Mike Adenuga might be perceived in many quarters as the least visible billionaire to be sighted in high octane events. And as such, assessing his dress culture could prove a bit of a task. Adenuga’s rise to fame and fortune began at the young age of 26 in the 1970s when he was involved in the distribution of lace and other textile materials.

    Perhaps this might have accounted for his penchant for kaftans of lace derivatives. Not known for adorning European three-piece suits, style for Adenuga, appears to mean freedom. With a frame described in urban language as ‘Plus Size,’ Adenuga loves to be free, as such, his love for flowing robes and kaftans is legendary.

     

    IBIKUNLE AMOSUN and his ‘sky-scrapper’ cap

    Only on rare occasions is Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun seen in suits. But when he is in his traditional attire, he hardly does so without complementing it with his sky-scrapper cap. At every occasion he graces, his cap dwarfs even the giant among the crowd.

    Right from his days in the upper chamber of the National Assembly, “SIA” (Senator Ibikunle Amosun) has evolved the ‘onilegogoro’ cap style which is fast becoming a fad in and around Ogun State. Many believe he has only continued to promote a style created by the first Executive President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Aliyu Usman Shagari, and the late Chief Solomon Lar of Plateau State both of whom wore the tallest trademark cap in Nigeria’s history.

    FEMI OTEDOLA’S love for ‘immaculate white’

    Femi Otedola is famous for his sparkling white traditional attire. Additionally, Otedola adorns foot wears that could be said to be a collector’s item. To Femi, looking stylish comes at a cost.

     

    ROTIMI AMAECHI

    A confident but youthful swagger driven by a trendy fashion sense, is one of the things that define the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi. He shares the same fashion style with President Jonathan. They have both made the Niger-Delta attire an object of national fondness. Rotimi is not complete without adding his walking stick to make a statement that he is rooted in the Ijaw culture.

    KOJO ANTHONY WILLIAMS

    The name of Kojo Williams will receive perennial mentions every time list of Nigeria’s most stylish men is compiled. This sport loving former NFA chairman knows his onions when it comes to style. Being stylish is not as simple and the same as spending vast amounts of money on designer brands and keeping up with trends. In fact, inexpensive clothes can be worn with style as long as you know how to make the most of it. Kofi knows this and practices it to details. Kofi creates his own unique style. He is popular with suits and bow tie. Kojo feels comfortable and confident in them.

    JOHN OBAYUWANA

    John Obayuwana is the Managing Director of Polo, the exclusive outfit that vends some of the finest Swiss watch and jewellery brands such as Vacheron Constantin, Piaget, Chopard, Baume and Mercier, Montblanc, Rado, Technomarine and Balmain. John is like a preacher who makes the Bible his companion. One of the most visible apparels you are likely to spot on Obayuwana when you see him is his expensive wrist watches of different designs.

     

    TONY ELUMELU

    Bankers have a reputation for smartness and neatness. Tony Elumelu, who managed Standard Trust Bank and later, United Bank for Africa, for ages, epitomises smartness, for which bankers world-wide are known, all because of his fondness for suits.

     

    SEGUN OSOBA

    Everything about Aremo Segun Osoba, as far as dress code is traditional. Aremo never sheds off the toga of a traditionally stylish person. He never compromises on his traditional regalia. And he has continued to gracefully in the native outfits.

    LANRE OGUNLESI

    Lanre Ogunlesi’s style is summed up in the following narration he gave in one his numerous interviews: “My son has asked me repeatedly what separates the well dressed from the very well dressed. And I never fail to reiterate that ‘neatness’, being very neat from head to toe is the first rule. Not how expensive or stylish your duds are. Not how fashionable and appropriate your apparels pass. No matter what you adorn, once you fail the ‘cleanliness’ test, you can’t get anywhere.” Lanre wears them neat and smooth.

    DEOLU ADEBOYE

    Deolu, son of General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, preaches better style sermon with what he wears. He did not only open ‘Wisemen Apparel’ to sell top of the range men’s wear, he wears what he sells. You must be extremely anti-social to keep mute without asking Deolu where he gets the stuff he wears.

    EYIMOFE ATAKE

    As a learned profession in the legal world, not a few expect Eyimofe to be conservative. His profession calls for it, but not so for this very successful Lagos-based lawyer. With a physique that belies his age at 53 years, Eyimofe looks good in whatever he wears.

    OBARO IBRU

    Colour combination is a tricky aspect of style which Obaro has mastered effortlessly. Obaro does not only know how to mix and match, but his collection of designer jeans makes bold fashion statement any day and anywhere.

    AIGBOJE IMOKHUEDE

    Aigboje Imokhuede is not a man of many words. But the outgoing Managing Director of Access Bank plc makes for this with his dressing. Smartness is Aigboje’s watchword. Neatly tailored suits are Aig’s signature tune. He is said to have a wardrobe endowed with top names in suit making.

    SANI DANGOTE

    Cool, calm and collected are words that define Sani Dangote’s mien. For Sani, expensive clothes will look completely unstylish if they are not right for you. He has a good eye for details. That is why you would always find him unruffled even after a hard day job. For him, it is comfort and confidence

    TUNDE FOLAWIYO

    Tunde’s gait stands him out from the crowd any day. Self-conscious and meticulous in nature, the scion of the Folawiyo dynasty, comes to the scene with an impeccable carriage and knack for simple but refined attire.

    SUBOMI BALOGUN

    Otunba Subomi Balogun is a veteran socialite whose style should be a case study for stylists. For someone whose sheer industry has thrown up a global financial institution with rock-solid financial base, one wonders how he finds time to look as trendy as he does in his full regalia of white apparels as his trademark.

    ALEX AKINYELE

    Chief Alex Akinyele likes enjoying life to the fullest and he makes no pretence about this. To the Ondo-born High Chief, age is just a number. His age should not deter him from looking good. With his well shaved moustache, he is always resplendent in his grandly embroidered robes made of Aso-Oke.

     

    LEKAN OSIFESO

    The scion of the Osifeso clan in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State and Chairman of LEKAI Nigeria Limited, a construction company, Lekan Osifeso is known for his customised crested jackets. He mixes colours with elegance and aplomb. A quintessential dazzler on the social scene, he looks very comfortable in the most luxurious suits and traditional pieces. He is an all-rounder with a peculiar style difficult to imitate.

     

    OBA FREDRICK AKINRUNTAN

    Royalty aptly describes Oba Fredrick Akinruntan’s style. With his beaded fly whisk (Irukere), the Olugbo of Ugbo displays his emblems of power with an individuality that cannot be ascribed to any other king. The founder of Obat oil and gas is a flamboyant character in the mould of kings. He is one of the most stylish monarchs in Nigeria.

     

    PAUL ADEFARASIN

    Paul Adefarasin is one of Nigeria’s trendiest pastors. He is the Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Churches Worldwide,. Pastor Adefarasin has a penchant for crispy, elegant suits. Adefarasin once said that one’s outward appearance should be a reflection of one’s heart. In recognition of this statement, he often makes a fashion statement. He once won an award as a style icon.

     

    CHRIS OKOTIE

    With a relatively successful career in pop music before venturing into evangelism, Pastor Okotie never leaves anybody in doubt about his passion for looking trendy. Okotie is unapologetic about his trademark long jackets. He is also a freak for shoes of different colours and designs.

  • South African tourism without Mandela

    South African tourism without Mandela

    SOUTH Africa, the Rainbow Nation, has enthralled the world with her vast tourist endowments-beautiful and alluring landscape, surreal beaches and coastline and exciting and safari experience.

    Little wonder that every year, looking at the numbers on the performance chart, the country’s tourism fortune continues to rise. Virtually everyone in the world wants to visit the country. But it was not these endowments that sold the country to the world. The world had already become enamoured with the country before it started unveiling its vast tourism assets for all to the see.

    The reason for that was one person-the late Dr Nelson Mandela. The world fell in love with the man before the country. Outside religious tourism, there hardly had been any singular person in history that has caused large number of in-bound tourists to flock to a particular destination. Although Mandela is dead and will be buried tomorrow, the enigmatic nature of the man would continue to be a major attraction for tourists coming to South Africa. This is the reason every day a large number of tourists troop to these sites that are associated with Mandela. They are the Robben Island, Vilakazi Street in Soweto and the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.

     

    Vilakazi Street, Soweto

    Soweto is an urban area of Johannesburg in Gauteng, South Africa. The town derived its name from an abbreviation of South West Townships. It was a black township under the defunct South Africa’s apartheid government. The town was built for those who worked there, but were not allowed to live inside the town during the apartheid regime.

    The population has historically been overwhelmingly black. Some of the events in the struggle against apartheid occurred in the township.

    Even in Soweto, initially, blacks were not allowed to own houses, but in the 80s, the law was repealed. Blacks started to own houses, but in Soweto only.

    With this, Soweto was officially divided into three areas. They are referred to as the good, the bad and the ugly. The area for the affluent (the good) is known as the millionaires’ side of Soweto. To buy a house in the good area, one must have about 1.5million Rands (about N30m) to about 2.5m rands (N45m) . The bad and the ugly areas are mostly for the middle class and the poor.

    Touring Soweto, one sees houses along the way which were once hostels for black workers.

    The most popular part of Soweto is the Orlando West where the famous Vilakazi Street is located. The street is almost synonymous with the struggle to liberate South Africa from the shackles of apartheid. The struggle came to an end in 1994 when apartheid was replaced by a democratic regime headed by Dr. Nelson Mandela. Due to the roles that personalities from Vilakazi Street played in the struggle, hardly is there a tourist on a visit to South Africa that would not take time out to go to the street.

    The street has two noble laureates in the late Dr. Nelson Mandela and Arch-bishop Desmond Tutu. Their houses are less than 50 metres apart on opposite sides of the street. Tutu still leaves there, while the late Mandela was living in the highbrow area of Pretoria. However, Mandela’s old home on Vilakazi is the biggest tourist attraction.

    Vilakazi Street is less than a kilometre. The road is tarred, but most of the houses have been taken for one commercial activity or the other. The history of the street has added value to it, as a lot of tourist related commercial activities take place. There are different eateries and joints along the street. Some use the front of their houses to sell souvenirs ranging from South African beads to simple tops for men popularized by the late Nelson Mandela.

    House number 8015 used to be the abode of Mandelas. It is now a kind of museum with some personal effects of the Mandelas on display. By paying some rands, a tourist could go in, see some of these personalized effects and take pictures in front of the house.

    Cape Town in South Africa is regarded as one of the most beautiful places in the world. But part from its allure for tourists to South Africa, it offers visitors opportunity to go on a trip to Robben Island. The island houses the prison where Mandela spent a large chunk of his 27 years’ incarceration.

    The island was used at various times between the 17th and 20th centuries as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups and a military base. Its buildings, in particular those of the late 20th century maximum security prison for political prisoners, are still in tact.

    Although Mandela spent his prison years in different places, the most popular is Robben Island where he was kept from 1964 to 1982. His prison number was 46664.

     

    Apartheid Museum Johannesburg

    Apartheid Museum Johannesburg is another must-visit for tourists interested in the story of Mandela. Some of the personal effects of Mandela like his Mercedes Benz made for him by the South Africa workers could be seen there.

    The museum captures the rise and fall of South Africa’s era of segregation and oppression. The museum uses film, text, audio and live accounts to provide a chilling insight into the architecture and implementation of the apartheid system, as well as inspiring accounts of the struggle towards democracy.

    It’s invaluable in understanding the inequalities and tensions that still exist today. It’s an overwhelming experience, particularly distressing is a small chamber which hangs 131 nooses, representative of the 131 government opponents who were executed under antiterrorism laws.

    Although the South African icon, Mandela, has completed his sojourn on earth, his legacy will continue to fuel the multi-billion dollar tourism industry he helped to build.

     

  • Home: Sweet home (2)

    DEAR Reader, last week, I showed you giving and receiving as secrets for enjoying a sweet home. This week, I will yet show you another secret, which is Thanksgiving. What is Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is the act of giving thanks, appreciation, expression of gratitude to someone for a favour or service done. But in this context, thanksgiving is unto God, for His faithfulness. The Word of God says: It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High. To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night (Psalm 92:1-2). God has done a lot for you. So, it is good that you give Him thanks. If you don’t give Him thanks, it means you are doing a bad thing. Thanksgiving is a must, for you to keep the joy of the Lord flowing in your home and family. It opens up the gates of God and ushers you into His presence, thereby granting you audience. In the excitement of the season, time must be set aside to appreciate and thank Him for His faithfulness towards you and your family, appreciation for divine protection, divine provision, divine health, unity, security, safety, promotion, etc. These are all the faithfulness of God.

    You need to spend time to think deeply and you will see that you owe God thanks. Think of His mercies and loving-kindness towards you and your family; without Him things could have been worse. Many started the year with you but not too many are alive to see the end of the year! Often times, a lot of us are so bothered about what God has not done, that we tend to forget what He has already done. The Word of God says: Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (Psalm 103:1-2). Have you enjoyed God’s benefit since the year began? Don’t take God for granted. Give Him thanks.

    The fact that you are still alive is worth thanking God for. The Word of God says: Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord (Psalm 150:6). Do you still have breath? You owe God thanks. The scriptures says: Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. It didn’t say, “Let everyone that has car, house, wife, husband or what have you?” You owe God thanks for your breath.

    There are a lot of things to give God thanks for. Has God done anything for you this year? If you think well, you will know that He has done so much. Thanksgiving is a commandment from God as instructed in I Thessalonians 5:18 and Ephesians 5:20. If you would want Him to continue His blessings in your life and family, read the scripture and obey His commandment. When you obey the commandment of thanksgiving, you open the door for great blessings. A life of thanksgiving is a life of sweat-less and tasteful Christian experience. If you settle down to acknowledge Him, He will acknowledge you too.

    Give God thanks for what He did yesterday, and you will compel Him to act today. You don’t have to wait for a reason to thank Him; just thank Him for who He is. When you stop having a reason to thank God, then you have created a reason to be imprisoned. There is always a reason to thank God. The Word of God says: Less the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies (Psalm 103:1-4).

    Let the woman who has no child yet, thank God with joy in her heart for even making her a wife to a man. Let the unemployed thank God for the gift of life and health. Let the singles thank God that he or she is a qualified candidate to be married. Let the businessman that is yet to break even at the end of the year stop pointing an accusing finger at God, but thank Him for life and for being able to do business at all. In everything and for everything, give God thanks, while you are still alive! Thanksgiving unto God is better acknowledged, when you are a child of God. You become a child of God when you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour (born again). If you would like to do so, please say this prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I come to You today, I am a sinner. I cannot help myself. Forgive me of my sins, cleanse me with Your blood. Deliver me from sin and Satan to serve the living God. I believe You died for me and on the third day, You rose that I might be justified. I accept You as my Lord and Saviour. Make me a child of God today. Thank You for accepting me into your kingdom.

    Congratulations, you are now born again! I believe that you will begin to experience the reality of the price that Jesus paid for your sins at Calvary. All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name!

     

    Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through: E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com, faithdavid2013@gmail.com Tel. No: 08141320204; 07026385437; 07094254102

     

    For more insight, these books authored by me are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Making Marriage Work, Marriage Covenant, Building A Successful Home and Success in Marriage (Co-Authored).

  • Why do women stick around with men who treat them like crap?

    Deola dear, what does it mean for a man to steal a woman’s heart? Painfully, the man seems not to treasure it, always subjecting the woman to harsh treatment. Often, she tells me, ‘It’s over between me and him’ but after a few days or weeks, I find them back with each other. Has a man ever stolen yours?

     

    You want to know if a man has ever stolen my heart?

    Of course… not once, not twice. But I don’t go stupidly in love. Maybe that’s the difference between me and those who stay in abusive relationships. Every day, I meet women who are in bad relationships and you hear them casually state that their men (baby daddy or not) treat them like crap, yet make it sounds like it’s no big dp where you’re not financially able to stand on your own, get a job and get a life. If a woman has to wait for the man before she can buy ordinary pap and akara and even her nail polish, then the man won’t even value you to start with.

    If your friend keeps going back to this man and it is cretin he is treating her badly, keeeal. In fact, you get the impression that they’re so used to it that it’s almost okay with them. That makes you wonder why they still complain and wonder “why them!?” If you’re reading this, and this applies to you, I really urge you to figure out what it is in life that you want. You DON’T “NEED” a man to make you happy. You may THINK that you do, but you do NOT! For all you women who say you’re stranded at home with kids and your man wants nothing to do with you, let him know you can actually live without him and be happier. If you’re in a kind of relationship quite and watch events. It’s always best when we learn to keep quiet after talking. If they’re meant to be together and live happily, time will tell. If not, you will remind her of all you told her. Thanks for being a good friend.

  • How to make your husband happy

    1. Be romantic. Romance can easily become a back-burner priority after years of marriage. Make sure to save time for romantic activities like candle-lit dinners, go to the cinemas together or cuddling up to watch a movie at home.

    2. Spice up your sex life. One of the main aspects of marriage where the excitement can quickly fade is the sexual aspect. You’ll both have to work hard to keep your sex life interesting, but thankfully there are several things that you can do.

    Don’t get stuck in a boring routine. If you and your hubby are used to having sex without any foreplay or wooing beforehand, sex can become just another activity that happens when you get in bed. Take the time to woo each other at spontaneous times to avoid feeling like you have allotted time for being intimate. Scheduled sex is not sexy.

    Listen to your hubby’s wants and needs. Know what your hubby’s preferences are and what he wants to try in the bedroom. His desires may change over time. Just ask him what he likes and wants, this question in itself can be a turn on!

    3. Set a date night. Between you and your hubby’s busy schedules, it can be very hard to find time to spend with each other. Make a commitment to go on a date or make a home-cooked meal together at least once per week. Here are some date night ideas:

    Go to dinner and a movie. This classic never gets old if you switch up the restaurant and the movie genre each week.

    Make dinner together. Try making a dish that requires more effort than one you would make on a random week night. Make vegetable soup for instance from scratch to have fun while cooking.

    4. Send flirty text messages throughout the day. Sometimes nothing is better than a spontaneous text or voice message from your lover. Call just to say “I love you” or send your hubby a flirty message that contains something for him to look forward to.

    Send sexy snap chats to your hubby to remind him what’s waiting for him after work. Make sure to warn him that you sent a sexy snap in advance so that he doesn’t open it in front of his friends, or worse, his colleagues.

    5. Get some new sexy outfits. If you’re constantly wallowing around the house in baggy clothes. It might be time to take a trip to the shops for some new clothes. There’s nothing wrong with being comfortable in front of your hubby, but be sure not to lose track of taking care of yourself as a result. Spice up a plain outfit with a sexy blouse or dress. Put of a pair of stilettos to elongate your legs. Every man loves long, sexy legs. A pair of heels are a quick and easy way to make any outfit look sexier. Get some new lingerie. Lingerie is a sexy way to spice up your bedroom life and make your hubby see you in a new light.

    6. Have an attractive attitude. Being attractive isn’t all about looking sexy, it’s about exuding a compassionate attitude as well. Be sure to retain a kind disposition toward your husband and be considerate of his feelings.

    Exude happiness. As humans, we’re all going to have good days and bad days. While you shouldn’t try to mask your feelings if you are feeling sad or depressed, you should try to be a pleasant person to be around whenever possible. Smile. Visual signals are just as important as words. Avoid walking around with a scowl on your face all day and try to smile as much as possible.

    7. Exercise. This might sound like a plea to get you to work out for the sake of a sexy body, but exercise can provide you with so much more than a slim frame and ripped abs. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, neurotransmitters that reduce stress and induce happiness. Maintaining a steady exercise routine has also been shown to increase sexual desire as a result of the positive effects working out has on your body and mind. Try energy-inducing exercises like running. Don’t overlook the positive effect that simply feeling sexy can have one your love life. When you feel desirable, your confidence and sexuality shine through.