The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • The 1 trillion Naira shopping list

    One trillion naira is a lot of money in any currency in the world. Except perhaps in Zimbabwe where it’s said, you will need a trailer load of banknotes to buy a loaf of bread. That must be one very expensive loaf indeed.

    Anyway, for a developing country like Nigeria facing serious challenges and is crying out for development, that kind of money would have come in really useful. Just imagine for a moment what the country could do with 1 trillion naira. Let’s pick just three areas of the economy. It could fix some of our very bad roads, we could invest some of it in education so our students don’t spend more time outside the lecture halls than inside due to incessant strikes by their disgruntled teachers and buy some much needed equipment and life-saving drugs for our hospitals so our people no longer die from treatable ailments. There could even be some ‘change’ left after all that expenditure for some boost to the power sector so our towns and cities can be lit up at night instead of the dense jungle-like darkness all around us daily.

    But like a fool and his money, what does our country do with that mouth-watering sum? We spend it on just a very select and exclusive set of citizens, our lawmakers who must be the most pampered in the world. Indeed, if a former Minister of Education and ex-World Bank Vice-President, (Africa Region), Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, is to be believed, our House of Representative members (360) and Senators (109), are the highest paid in the world. According to her, that huge amount of over 1 trillion was spent on salaries and allowances of these legislators between 2005 and 2012 alone.

    Now I’m not an economist and I was not very good in Maths back in my school days. But even with my limited calculation abilities, I can tell that there’s something seriously wrong in this sort of situation. How can a developing country struggling with serious socio-political and economic problems with one of the lowest per capital income in the world ($1,500), with a poverty index of 112 million people (out of a population of about 170 million) spend so much money on just 469 people? What special work are they doing that we should spend so much of our hard-earned resources on them to the detriment of the remaining millions of others.

    I know a lot of things don’t just make sense in this country but this is one of those senseless things we are doing in this country that is seriously holding us back as a people. As Ezekwesili noted, most of the nation’s income from oil, taxes and other sources are spent on recurrent expenditure- a whopping 82 per cent of its budgetary appropriations- leaving a mere 18 per cent for capital projects. Now, you see why nothing works in this country and like an intoxicated masquerade, the nation keeps moving round in circles with occasional steps backwards for variety’s sake. In sane countries, capital projects take the lion share of budgetary allocations as such money is sorely needed for infrastructural development and to service other areas of the economy. But here, we spend most of our money on the over pampered lot at the National Assembly whom many Nigerians don’t even understand what they do in the first place.

    We don’t even get value for money for all the investments in them. How many laws for instance have been passed in the past five years that have impacted positively on the lot of the long suffering masses of this country? If they are not debating on how they can increase their already bloated allowances and salaries, they focus on such depressing issues as child marriages.

    Obviously, we are all hungry for change in our country and a better deal for our people who have suffered so much at the hands of those at the helm of affairs. But all that desire for change will be meaningless if areas that drain our resources are not plugged. So, something needs to be done about these lawmakers and their pay.

    The military in 1999 bequeathed to the nation a very costly presidential system that is draining the nation of already scarce resources. We simply cannot afford to continue running such an expensive system. Perhaps, the time has come for the country to adopt a more cost efficient system of lawmaking that will not milk the country dry.

    Ezekwesili advocated this much when she advised that the job of local, state and National Assembly members should be a part-time activity rather than a full time job.

    Maybe this will arrest the abnormal situation whereby the more money the nation earns, the poorer the people become with the poverty index rising in geometric proportions from 17.1 million Nigerians living below poverty level in 1980 to a frightening 112.47 million people today.

  • Seizure syndrome, epilepsy and epilepticus in status

    There has been a stream of traffic since the article on the above subject emerged. Many people have sent texts and e messages asking questions and for assistance in one area or the other. Most of the questions have been persistent on drug treatment and permanent cure, and I felt it was necessary I clarified a few of these issues. Please be informed that relevant medical professional regulatory bodies do not allow prescription of drugs by text or e messages. You may have all sorts of information on the internet, but just as you have pictures on face book, what ever ways you use the information accessed on the internet and the results you get are entirely your responsibility. If a patent medicine shop attendant picks up something from a book and hastens to apply it to any patient who comes along, he may not have issues, but those who have passed through formal systems of doing things are more careful not to play heroes with precious human lives, because there are sanctions put in place

    Apart from seizures associated with fever, you really don’t want to talk about cure

    Emphasis rather is on knowing the medical history of your parents, brothers sisters, uncles etc, to the best possible. Knowing your own medical background and that of your husband, wife or the person you intend to marry, and on recognizing patterns of the different types when they occur, particularly when the patient is a child (up to age 14)

    During attacks, drugs are given in order to stop(abort) the seizure-this usually is the first thing a Doctor does, as he tries to find out possible causes and associations by asking so many questions. Stress had to be placed on the fact that you must be ready to answer these questions and not compound the efforts of the Doctor who in our environment is forced to rely on clinical judgment because, he does not have the benefits of expensive but very useful diagnostic machines. When seizures are due to obstructive lesions in the pathway for circulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for instance leading to hydrocephalus and the brain of an affected child becomes very large, abscess in the brain occupying space, tumor growing rapidly some where in the brain, abnormal metabolic patterns in the brain, injury to brain tissues etc – can very quickly be diagnosed with the aid of machines such as computed axial tomography (CAT) scan, positron emission tomography(PET)-for seizures where derangement in EUC and other metabolites is suspect, electroencephalogram(EEG), Multi analyzer etc all of which can give you results within minutes of arrival in Hospital,

    The drugs administered in respect of, how, when, where, -route of administration are all important .Equally important is knowing what not to give; these conditions are about the only ones in children where Doctors prefer the veins, the muscle, skin and the rectum/anus as safer routes to administer their drugs. They are also the conditions where they don’t rush to give drips( intravenous fluids)-here I am referring to medically qualified persons.

    Two or three people wanted to know about surgical treatment of these conditions in India-There is no doubt that Neuro surgeons in that country have made giant strides in the past few years, but we also need to stress that success or failure of surgical interventions involving the brain can only be assessed on individual basis.

    The reality of it all, is that results of surgery involving the brain in Children are not as forthcoming as the ease with which they are performed. Revision surgery is unavoidable in some cases and when they are seen the outcome are often talked about in whispers.

    Many people have also come to discover that not all persons who seek medical treatment overseas have success stories to tell – the death of the wife of a former Nigerian head of state in the hands of an experienced surgeon and in one of the best Hospitals overseas should drive the need to establish good health facilies here in Nigeria.

    Unfortunately those who should listen are not doing so-even when it is obvious that you can’t fly every one out. Nelson Mandela as President of South Africa did well to put the best facilities you can find on earth in South Africa ,and so when he developed respiratory problems, probably from reactivation of foci of M. Tuberculosis contracted during his prison years, he checked into one of such facilities, doing so with unalloyed confidence. Current information is that he has done so well he now views television will soon be discharged home – contrast that with the situation in here. Not too long ago, a prominent Nigerian went overseas after he had been given the not very pleasant diagnosis of late stage brain tumor and after taking him through several high medical tech machines, they couldn’t fault the diagnosis that was made here in Nigeria. They then asked him to come back here and undergo palliative care for the period left for him to live. He then began to ask questions, one of which was ‘where in Nigeria was he going to stay?” Officials of the Hospital then reminded him that dying in a hospital overseas from a terminal condition was a liability not a privilege.

    The huge problems facing the health sector and education have their origin in Godlessness, such that people in position do not consider the interest of ordinary people once they get to positions of authority. If those in charge of running the various systems adhered to the basic prescription for peace, love and harmony as provided by Jesus Christ-do unto others as you would have them do unto you, this country would have since swum out of the present situation of hopelessness, and as a result of this problem of arrant insincerity, the poor continue to die young, while the rich continue to buy every thing including health and education.

    Take for instance the current situation where Students in Public Universities are forced to idle way at home while their fellow Nigerians in private universities in their own country have continued to enjoy the academic momentum, because someone somewhere insists that an agreement signed over three years ago should be disrespected. Is it not egregious that a formidable constituency in the present dispensation like ASSUU is being treated with so much disdain and yet some labor unions known to be reasonably vocal and participatory at foreboding times like these have suddenly become amnesic? Why are those complaining about falling standards of education in this country, and who can not provide the yardstick employed not talking? It is for the reason that is now obvious; their children are studying overseas and so let the rain continue to fall into the houses of the other Nigerian students until Jesus comes back . So for majority of adult Nigerians the literacy score continues to drop, 68% before 2010, it is now below 50%, and with it the level of health education, in particular education concerning maternal and child care.

    Therefore in situations where survival is the matter, and one CT scan of the brain costs #60,00.00 (probably about 2 times total family income), parents are advised to be more concerned about preventing attacks of seizure or epilepsy – prompt treatment of malaria, typhoid, mouth, throat and ear infections etc, avoid creating unnecessary stressful conditions for other people, that way you don’t have it your self. A few days after the introductory part of this article was published, the pop music star, Chris Brown suffered a seizure said to have been caused by stress. Older children(teenagers 13,14) in this computer age are exposed to intra psychic conflicts, some of these arising from intuitive perceptions-social media, school work, house chores, family, peer pressure and so on, parents are expected to be involved in the lives of their children, one very successful way of doing this is fellowship with God.

    There is no over flogging the importance of taking children hospital in these conditions. One can only mention a few things on paper so that misunderstanding does not cloud good intentions. Once observed, you must be very warm and sympathetic to the affected child. He must receive love, attention and have access to all that there is to know about his illness Basic steps have been mentioned when attacks begin-lie patient face down, head turned to one side, don’t sit him up, so secretions will come out.

    Some one talked about hot sand or clay-these are dangerous in situations that subsist during attacks.

    Another person claims to have developed permanent herbal cure for seizures and epilepsy with guarantee, and says he is willing to engage who ever is interested for details, contact address will be provided to those interested.

    As concerns some maintenance drugs, do not adjust dosage or change drugs on your own, even if you have moved and a different Doctor has taken over.

    As regards dosage in children not working as expected – you must allow your Doctor titrate the dosage in graduated pattern until your child no longer has seizures-patience is important.

    About foaming in the mouth mixed with blood—This does not mean situation is getting out of hands, and it may arise when the tongue is trapped between the teeth. Very strong tonic contractions of the throat muscles can also cause it, more so if the condition goes into status epilepticus.

    I am awfully sorry I don’t have the time to reply text messages. You can call or send e mail.

    For the pastor who sought permission to use three previous articles and was given the go ahead at no cost. Kindly return this favour; send a copy of the magazine as you promised, please the spirit of God lead you to do what is right.

  • Dwelling according to knowledge (4)

    Dear Reader,

    It is a good and great week! I’m glad to have you again on this column. Last week, I taught on duties of the women, the place of submission on the part of the woman. This week, I shall be showing you more duties of the women.

    In the Book of Titus, the woman has another responsibility, which is to love her husband and her children, to be sensible, to think right, to be pure, chaste, virtuous, and sexually faithful to her husband in every way. Also, the woman is to be preoccupied with who she is, not how she looks. First Timothy 2:9-10 says a woman is to dress modestly and discreetly, with godly fear, sobriety, and modesty. She is to be modest and discreet, demonstrating godly fear.

    Another responsibility of the woman in her family is to be a worker at home. Titus 2:5 describes her as a “keeper at home.” This doesn’t simply refer to her scrubbing floors, cleaning bathrooms, and all that. It simply connotes that the home is the sphere of her labours, whatever there might be. It is not that a woman is to keep busy all the time at home, or that she can never go out to work or do other things. It does not mean that she should always be doing menial tasks and home chores. What it simply means is that the home is the sphere of her divine assignment. The home is meant for keeping, and the one assigned by God to do that task is the woman. God will not do for you what you are meant to do.

    The woman is to be the home keeper. She is to take care of her husband, and to provide for him and their children all they need as they live in the home. Materially, she is to translate the resources her husband brings home into a comfortable and blessed life for her family. She is to take the spiritual things she knows and learns, and pass them on to her children. She is a keeper at home. She must accept the responsibility to pray for the family. If she does not, no one else will.

    You are expected to portray an exemplary lifestyle before your children. According to John Maxwell, “Your character is your most effective means of persuasion.” This assertion is more applicable in the lives of our children. It is important that you let these children under your care see you living out the Word of God on a daily basis. That way, you will create lasting positive notion on their lives like no preaching or lecturing can.

    Learn to say words like “thank you, I appreciate you, I’m grateful,” and many more to them. Do not take it for granted that they are available to serve you, rather show gratitude to them for whatever they contribute to your life, family or your job.

    Endeavour to give these children listening ear, so as not to only be able to know what is happening to them, but also to be able to provide godly instruction and counsel. Another major thing in nurturing them spiritually is to always keep their confidence. Never make your discussions with them subject to any discussion with others, otherwise, they lose confidence in you.

    There is no one who can pray as passionately for your family like you would. You alone know the true state of your home, so you are in the best position to know what to do to keep it safe from all forms of wickedness. That is why my husband often testifies that he has not had the first concern over our home, because I have consistently stood in my place as a keeper of the home.

    I have always taken what my husband provides, including the vision of the ministry God has committed into his hands, and passed them unto the children and every other member of our household. No concern has ever risen, because everyone knows where to fit in per time. That shall also become your testimony, in Jesus’ name.

    Effectively handling the duties of a woman both to your husband and children demands a life in Christ. This entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. If you are ready to be born again, please say this simple prayer with me, in faith: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I believe You died and rose again for my sake. Forgive me of my sins, take over my life, make me Your child and let Your peace reign over my life. Thank you for saving me. Now I know I am born again.

     

    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 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: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Single With A Difference, Building A Successful Family, and Success In Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).

     

  • Celebrating heritage of Oranmiyan

    The ancient town of Ile Ife in Osun State, is  one place that relishes its history as the cradle of the Yoruba race. According to Yoruba cosmogony, Ife was where the world began through the progenitor of the Yoruba race, Oduduwa.  The myth says Oduduwa  descended from heaven  through a chain with three items of creation. He  threw a handful of earth on the water, put a cockerel on the ground to scatter the earth to create the present  Ile Ife from where the world originated.

    The town has a rich culture with world renowned artefacts that date back to more than 500 BC.  A tour of the town affords one the opportunity to enjoy and appreciate its rich heritage. Starting from the palace of the Ooni at Enuwa area of the town, one sees monuments and artefacts that reinforce this history of Ife and by extension, the Yoruba race. It is in appreciation of the heritage bequeathed to them that the Ife people have decided to bring together tourism cum cultural activities that would increase the number of local and foreign tourists that visit the town. One of these festivals the town is currently working to bring the town to international prominence, and in the process, attract tourists and income, is the Oranmiyan festival (Odun Oranmiyan).

    The festival, which is being marketed and co-ordinated by Flabsy Travels and Tours, will hold from  September 26 to 28, 2013, in Ile-Ife.

    Speaking on the festival, Alhaji Bashir Awolorebo, a former federal minister, who said  Odun Oranmiyan is a cultural rebirth that will rally all Yoruba nation to promote the heritage of their forbearers, added that the organiser has taken the right step, and called on all and sundry to give the desired support to make the festival a success.

    The Lufe of Iremo-Ife, Oba Solomon Omisakin, said, “Ife is the source of all Yoruba nation and Oranmiyan, a war lord and king, played a dominant role at building a great empire within and beyond the Yoruba kingdoms.” He urged tourism  and culture promoters  to work together as one nation in order to promote the richness of Yoruba heritage.

    The Olu of Famia, Obalufe of Iremo-Ife, Akogun, described  Oranmiyan as a king and warrior of many kingdoms before ascending the throne of his father as the fourth  Ooni of Ife.

    He said:  ”Oranmiyan’s place is second to none in the history of Yoruba race.”

    The head of Flabsy said the Ooni has mandated him to  develop a sustaining concept for the festival. He mandated us to promote and let the world know that Oranmiyan deserves to be celebrated as a legend who expanded the Yoruba dynasties from Oyo to Benin and beyond.”

    According to him, “Our history is supposed to be a unifying factor and should not divide Yoruba people. Hence, Oranmiyan festival should be a bond to project our cultural diversity as derivable from a source and for a purpose ordained by Olodumare.

    “Therefore, Yoruba dynasties and the people are one and should be seen as one and totally committed to the sustenance of our cultural values, which is the vision and mission of the Ooni of Ife to see that we foster unity among the Yoruba dynasties and nation through her history.”

    Addressing the royal fathers present, he said: “Our royal fathers, we are here because you are there. The festival is your festival.  You are the owners of this land. We are to support you and make you happy by  sustaining and celebrating our heritage of which you are the custodians.”

    Talking about the Oranmiyan festival,  Mr Olabampe of Flabsy Travels and Tours, said that to make the event more coordinated, registration of participants for the traditional drumming competition and Ayo olopon will start on September 25, at the Ooni’s palace, Ile-Nla.

    “We are expecting 20 participants for the drumming and Ayo olopon competitions, with five finalists to go home with different prizes for their skill, cultural knowledge and promotion.”

    On the second day of the festival (Thursday September 26), chief priests and their family members will be in their white robe regalia to pay obeisance to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Sijuwade.

    However, the homage to the palace of the Ooni of Ife by the Chief Priests (Eredumi/Akogun) along with their families, will move in a procession for the opening of the grove.

    According to Olabampe, “this year’s celebration is coming with a special festival lecture, with theme, ‘Oranmiyan: What is in a name?’, to be delivered by a guest lecturer, Oba Adedapo Tejuoso, Osile Oke Ona,  Egba at Oduduwa Hall, OAU, Ile-Ife.

    “Later in the day, the participants would be entertained at the frontage of the palace where the kick-off of  the traditional drumming competitions and Ayo olopon will take place with the competitors slugging out with one another.

    Proposed judges for the drumming competition, according to Olabampe, include King Sunny Ade, Mr. Jimi Solanke and Chief Durojaiye Aremu, who are expected to select the best five drummers for the final round.

    “On Friday 27 September, we will be opening an exhibition of traditional wares, costumes and artifacts, which will be rounded off with the grand finale traditional drummers and Ayo olopon competitions.

    “On September 28, there will be a procession, led by Eredumi and Akogun around the town from the Oranmyan Staff to Lagere through Iremo to the palace and back to the Oranmiyan grove where different traditional groups and chiefs will pay homage to the Ooni of Ife,”Olabampe added.

    For the ancient town of Ile Ife, this is the time for cultural rebirth and time to make the world to stop, listen and experience their culture. For them, with the Oranmiyan, the fourth Ooni of Ife’s legacy all over the town, it is just proper that a festival in his honour should be put in place for the world to come and see.

     

  • Virgin Atlantic in new market campaign

    Guests were

    treated to a red

    carpet reception, a cocktail before being led into Silver Bird Cinema, handed soft drinks and pop corn then the action began. It was a very dramatic way of introducing the new marketing campaign to the audience. After two takes of the classy advert as classy as all things Virgin seem to be, guests sat back and enjoyed a screening of Wolverine, the movie. The stars of the movie seem to have been cut out of the virgin advert.

    About special people:

    Virgin Atlantic Airways recently launched its new campaign in Nigeria. It is a new global brand promo it called Flying in the Face of Ordinary (FITFOO).

    Speaking on the new brand promo, Rachel Coffey, the Country Manager, Nigeria of the airline said: “Our staff hold the keys to the future of Virgin Atlantic, they work so hard and we are delighted to dedicate this new advert to them. I believe it takes a special kind of person to work at Virgin Atlantic and we’re always on the lookout for gifted young people to take our business forward”

    “Over the last few decades, flying has become a common feature of everyday life – whether for short breaks, holidays in exotic destination or business trips within Nigeria and around the world. As flying has increased, so too have expectations. Virgin Atlantic provides the alternative that consumers need, setting us aside from the rest of the industry.”

    Rachel added: “We wanted to capture the essence of Virgin Atlantic with this new campaign and bring the glamour and fun back into long-haul travel. “Flving in the Face of Ordinary” is more than a marketing campaign; it is a powerful brand proposition and long term platform that will be reflected in all areas of the business from communications and marketing to product and service.

    “The advertisement is based upon the lives of real people who work at the airline today and traces the lives of the gifted youngsters born with special skills, and how they later use those talents to become outstanding employees at the airline.

     

     

  • Dwelling according to knowledge (4)

    Dear Reader,

    It is a good and great week! I’m glad to have you again on this column. Last week, I taught on duties of the women, the place of submission on the part of the woman. This week, I shall be showing you more duties of the women.

    In the Book of Titus, the woman has another responsibility, which is to love her husband and her children, to be sensible, to think right, to be pure, chaste, virtuous, and sexually faithful to her husband in every way. Also, the woman is to be preoccupied with who she is, not how she looks. First Timothy 2:9-10 says a woman is to dress modestly and discreetly, with godly fear, sobriety, and modesty. She is to be modest and discreet, demonstrating godly fear.

    Another responsibility of the woman in her family is to be a worker at home. Titus 2:5 describes her as a “keeper at home.” This doesn’t simply refer to her scrubbing floors, cleaning bathrooms, and all that. It simply connotes that the home is the sphere of her labours, whatever there might be. It is not that a woman is to keep busy all the time at home, or that she can never go out to work or do other things. It does not mean that she should always be doing menial tasks and home chores. What it simply means is that the home is the sphere of her divine assignment. The home is meant for keeping, and the one assigned by God to do that task is the woman. God will not do for you what you are meant to do.

    The woman is to be the home keeper. She is to take care of her husband, and to provide for him and their children all they need as they live in the home. Materially, she is to translate the resources her husband brings home into a comfortable and blessed life for her family. She is to take the spiritual things she knows and learns, and pass them on to her children. She is a keeper at home. She must accept the responsibility to pray for the family. If she does not, no one else will.

    You are expected to portray an exemplary lifestyle before your children. According to John Maxwell, “Your character is your most effective means of persuasion.” This assertion is more applicable in the lives of our children. It is important that you let these children under your care see you living out the Word of God on a daily basis. That way, you will create lasting positive notion on their lives like no preaching or lecturing can.

    Learn to say words like “thank you, I appreciate you, I’m grateful,” and many more to them. Do not take it for granted that they are available to serve you, rather show gratitude to them for whatever they contribute to your life, family or your job.

    Endeavour to give these children listening ear, so as not to only be able to know what is happening to them, but also to be able to provide godly instruction and counsel. Another major thing in nurturing them spiritually is to always keep their confidence. Never make your discussions with them subject to any discussion with others, otherwise, they lose confidence in you.

    There is no one who can pray as passionately for your family like you would. You alone know the true state of your home, so you are in the best position to know what to do to keep it safe from all forms of wickedness. That is why my husband often testifies that he has not had the first concern over our home, because I have consistently stood in my place as a keeper of the home.

    I have always taken what my husband provides, including the vision of the ministry God has committed into his hands, and passed them unto the children and every other member of our household. No concern has ever risen, because everyone knows where to fit in per time. That shall also become your testimony, in Jesus’ name.

    Effectively handling the duties of a woman both to your husband and children demands a life in Christ. This entails confessing your sins and accepting Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour. If you are ready to be born again, please say this simple prayer with me, in faith: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I believe You died and rose again for my sake. Forgive me of my sins, take over my life, make me Your child and let Your peace reign over my life. Thank you for saving me. Now I know I am born again.

     

    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 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: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Single With A Difference, Building A Successful Family, and Success In Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).

     

  • UNWTO in Africa holds next week

    The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) 20th session starts from today and will last till next week Saturday at Victoria Falls. It will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia.

    Zimbabwe and Zambia are co-hosts of the session which runs from August 24 to 29 in Victoria Falls and Livingstone respectively.

    The co-hosts are taking over from Republic of Korea which held fort from 2011.

    The co-presidency runs up to 2015 General Assembly to be hosted by either Cambodia or Colombia.

    An advanced secretariat from the UNWTO arrived on Monday and a trilateral meeting would be held today to fine-tune the programme.

    “We are on track, so far so good,” Mzembi said.

    The 20th session of the UNWTO would be paperless in line with the United Nations system’s environmental protection policy.

    The 20th session is also an elective General Assembly as it has to confirm the candidature of secretary general Taleb Rifai.

    Rifai was nominated for another term by the UNWTO’s executive council’s 95th session in Belgrade, Serbia in May.

    It is understood that African countries will support Rifai’s confirmation by virtue of having brought the General Assembly back to Africa. This is the second time that Africa has hosted the meeting, which is equated to the tourism World Cup. Senegal hosted the 17th session of the UNWTO in 2007.

    Zimbabwe is also vying for the chairmanship of the Regional Commission for Africa (CAF).

    By last month, Zimbabwe was the only country that had submitted its candidature for the chairmanship of CAF. The push for the post is designed to influence and lobby for the country’s vision in continental and international bodies.

    South Africa has over the years been aggressive in lobbying for the deployment of its citizens in continental bodies and the UN family.

    At least 65 country delegations have made bookings and registration in Victoria Falls for the UNWTO meeting

  • ABTA, ACTE to hold events in Nigeria and other countries

    The African Business

    Travel Association and

    the Association of Corporate Travel Executives have announced an alliance to collaborate on educational programs and other events commencing with the Johannesburg executive forum on 15 August 2013. According to a joint statement issued by ABTA Founder Monique Swart and ACTE President Suzanne Neufang, the two associations will collaborate on a number of future events emphasizing the role of Africa as a crossroads of global travel.

    “Having  a 13-year history with ACTE, I am delighted our two associations have forged a closer partnership to deliver quality travel management education across the African continent. ACTE’s membership will benefit from ABTA’s expertise in the African business travel industry, while ABTA and its members will gain access to international trends and opportunities through ACTE’s global footprint,” said Swart.

    “ACTE and ABTA have similar priorities in addressing travel management issues and in fulfilling membership needs. Common objectives, shared vision, and realistic expectations  guarantee joint educational endeavors with potent content,” said Neufang. “ACTE has an outstanding reputation for working in concert with other international and regional associations, with full respect for local business cultures and customs. We look forward to working closer with ABTA.”

  • It Happened to me

    Shortly after Vero left school, we got married. In fact, she took part in the mandatory NYSC programme as a married woman. By the time the service year ended, Vero was already pregnant with our first baby. Unfortunately, the baby, a boy died when he was three months old. It was a terrible time for us. I felt so devastated by the loss as I had so looked forward to seeing my son grow up into a strong healthy boy.

    I blamed my wife for what happened. I had left for work on the fateful day, leaving a fine, healthy baby behind only to see his corpse on my return.

    According to the house girl, she had been left with the baby all alone at home as Vero had gone out with her friend. Some time in the afternoon, my son had developed a fever. On calling my wife to inform her about the boy’s condition, Vero had told her to give him some baby syrup.

    A few hours later, my son was dead. For the first time since our marriage, I felt like hitting my wife. But I was restrained by my younger brother, Joe who lived with us.

    “Brother, calm down. Beating her won’t bring Junior back,” he cautioned as I made to beat Vero up for her actions. I believed it was her carelessness that caused our son’s death. How could a woman nursing a baby leave home in the morning and not return till late in the evening, leaving her baby in the care of an ignorant maid?

    My son’s untimely death caused a rift between Vero and I. We later made up though and before long, she conceived again.

    This time, she had a girl whom we named Oluchi. I didn’t want anything to happen to this baby so I brought my mother from the village to help take care of her.

    By then, two of my younger ones and a cousin of Vero were living with us. My apartment grew too small for all of us so I got a bigger three bedroom flat in a nice neighbourhood.

    We settled down in our new place and for a while, things went well for us. When the baby was six months old, my mother returned to the village as my father was beginning to complain about her long absence from home.

    “Others who went for omugwo at their daughters’ homes at the same time as your mother have long since returned. Or does she want to become a city dweller now, like all those city women who rub pancake and wear trousers like men? Doesn’t she know she is now an old woman? Agadi nwanyi!” my father said teasingly when I had gone home for a brief visit.

    ***

    Some months after, something terrible happened at my work place. The Chairman of the company, who had founded it several decades before died. Most of the staff expected the only son, who was already a director in the business, to take over the reins of the company. But to our shock, the irresponsible young man sold it to some foreign investors, took the money and relocated out of the country!

    All this was done without carrying the workers along or even considering their welfare. We resumed work one morning to see a notice at the locked gates that a new management had taken over and all the workers had been made redundant. It was a big blow to everyone. The vague promise that we could be recalled some time in the future did not reassure any of us.

    I stood with the rest of the workers at the gate, feeling dazed as if I was in a dream. The thoughts going through my mind were confusing ones; how was I now going to take care of my family, pay my bills and take care of other things as a responsible family man now I had no job? I had been in the company for about six years and enjoyed working there.

    So, I felt really bad at being tossed into the uncertain labour market without warning. Worse still, I had just bought a new car and a plot of land in the suburbs of the city. My plan was to start developing it so we could move there in a few years’ time. All those plans were now on hold.

    My wife was supportive at first of the situation. She kept reassuring me that something would turn up soon and I should not worry. But one year later and still no job, I began to worry. As an accountant, I had thought it would be easy enough to get another job. How wrong I was! While I still had a job, I never knew how saturated the market was with job seekers.

    I wrote many applications but none were successful. But I never gave up. I kept writing, hoping and praying that a good offer would come. A few professional colleagues I knew gave me a few private jobs to do on the side to make some money. This helped a lot at least in feeding the family.

    Things went this way for a while with me continuing my job search. At a point, my financial situation became so tough that paying the rent on my apartment when my rent expired became a problem. I went to my landlord to explain my situation to him, promising that once I secured another job, I would pay. I had had a good relationship with the man since I began living in his house and he was understanding at first. But when a year passed with no rent, he gave me quit notice.

    I didn’t know what to do. Where would I move my family to if the landlord enforced the quit notice, I kept thinking worriedly.

    Then one day, I returned home from my usual job search to meet my landlord, the caretaker and a few others standing by the door of our flat. My wife and other members of my family were there too and it looked as if they had been pleading with him. The man was holding court papers which he waved in my face.

    “You have till the end of the week to move out else I will throw your things out! Did you give me money to build my house? So, why do you want to live here for free?” he queried belligerently.

    My wife knelt down and began to beg for more time to pay. I joined in too. But the man was not ready to listen.

    Flinging the papers at me, he threatened:

    “You either pay me my money or don’t let me see you here when I return later in the week!”

    Since I didn’t have the money to pay him, I began making alternative arrangements. I had spoken to a very good friend of mine, Mike concerning my accommodation problems. He told me about his younger brother who had travelled abroad, leaving his small flat empty.

    “His rent has not expired. You can move in and even take it over if you like the place,” he stated.

    But my wife was against the idea.

    “A mini-flat with just two rooms?” she stated incredulously when I told her about the flat. “It’s too small for all of us. Besides, what will my friends say? They will laugh at me if we move from this big place to a tiny flat like that!”

    I tried to reason with her that because of the situation we were in, we did not have much choice.

    “It’s only for a while till I can get another job,” I stated reassuringly.

    But she was adamant, insisting that she was not going to live in that ‘match box’ as she called the flat.

    “I’m going no where! You are the man in this house! You go and get the money for the rent or look for a way to appease the landlord!” she declared.

    I shook my head, thinking how unreasonable she was being…

    Then a few days before the deadline given by the landlord for us to pack, Vero told me on my return home one evening that the landlord had changed his mind and that we could stay.

    “He said we should not move again. That we can stay till you have the money to pay,” she announced, looking excited.

    “How come? Did you go and beg him or what?” I asked. I felt relief, as if a big weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

    But if I had known the reason for my landlord’s change of mind, it would have been a different feeling indeed…

    •To be continued

    •What made the landlord change his mind on the quit notice? Details next week!

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

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

  • UNWTO in Africa holds next week

    The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) 20th session starts from today and will last till next week Saturday at Victoria Falls. It will be co-hosted by Zimbabwe and Zambia.

    Zimbabwe and Zambia are co-hosts of the session which runs from August 24 to 29 in Victoria Falls and Livingstone respectively.

    The co-hosts are taking over from Republic of Korea which held fort from 2011.

    The co-presidency runs up to 2015 General Assembly to be hosted by either Cambodia or Colombia.

    An advanced secretariat from the UNWTO arrived on Monday and a trilateral meeting would be held today to fine-tune the programme.

    “We are on track, so far so good,” Mzembi said.

    The 20th session of the UNWTO would be paperless in line with the United Nations system’s environmental protection policy.

    The 20th session is also an elective General Assembly as it has to confirm the candidature of secretary general Taleb Rifai.

    Rifai was nominated for another term by the UNWTO’s executive council’s 95th session in Belgrade, Serbia in May.

    It is understood that African countries will support Rifai’s confirmation by virtue of having brought the General Assembly back to Africa. This is the second time that Africa has hosted the meeting, which is equated to the tourism World Cup. Senegal hosted the 17th session of the UNWTO in 2007.

    Zimbabwe is also vying for the chairmanship of the Regional Commission for Africa (CAF).

    By last month, Zimbabwe was the only country that had submitted its candidature for the chairmanship of CAF. The push for the post is designed to influence and lobby for the country’s vision in continental and international bodies.

    South Africa has over the years been aggressive in lobbying for the deployment of its citizens in continental bodies and the UN family.

    At least 65 country delegations have made bookings and registration in Victoria Falls for the UNWTO meeting