The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • ‘How I came about the name Flower Girl’

    ‘How I came about the name Flower Girl’

    Wedding and Event Décor expert, Funmibi Adebayo Oduwole needs no introduction in the field of event decoration. The CEO of Rostal Flowers who’s married to an architect has built a clientele among the rich and mighty in the society. Some of the exclusive social events and outstanding weddings include Felix Ohiwere’s 70th Birthday; High Chief Raymond Dokpesi son’s and daughter’s wedding (2008/2009) , Major General Adebayo’s 80th birthday (2008), among many others. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, Fumbi speaks of how she and her husband have been able to manage their business over the past eight years.

    You run one of the reputable decoration companies in Nigeria, Rostal Flowers; how did it all begin?

    Rostal Flowers started some years ago, about seven or eight years ago. But I’ve always been a flower person because I love decorations. And I love beautiful environment and that’s what made me to start doing it.

    So, how did you come about the name Rostal Flowers?

    Well, I loved my father so much and he died when he was really young. He died at 49. So, because of my love for him, I planned that anything I want to do in my life, I will always put my father’s name into naming the company. But unfortunately, when I was trying to put the name, it wasn’t easy. And that is why I now mixed the initials of my name with my father’s. ROS is Roseline which is my English name, while T is for Tunde, my father’s name and AL for Albert which is still my father’s name.

    How were you able to build Rostal Flowers from the scratch into the big decoration brand it is today?

    It wasn’t easy. It’s been really, really stressful, but I just give glory to God because God has always been with us. And he has never made anything difficult for us. We have never been failures at anything we decide to do. So, it’s been God all the way.

    You operate in an industry that has become very competitive. How have you been able to remain in the league of top decorators?

    Yeah, the thing is we have a brand name we have been able to build over the years and it came on the heel of our perfectionist philosophy. Anything below perfect is not ours. And creativity is our watchword. We are not out to copy people, so, we don’t have problems. Our business is still going on smoothly in spite of the growing competition in the industry.

    What inspires you?

    Well, decoration is all about you. Once you know it, you know it. Once it’s alright, it’s alright. In decoration, you have to have a sound grip of colour combination. Because if the colour combination is not right, there is nothing you’ll do that will come out well. And it’s always good for you to know what you are doing and be able to advise your client, if their colour combination is really bad and be able to tell them how to put it together. And naturally I believe in simplicity. And do you know why? Simplicity is the utmost sophistication. So, I believe in simplicity in anything I do. When things are simple, elegant and beautiful, that is the identity of my company. In Rostal Flowers, we exceed your expectation. The way, we pack things together. It exceeds just packing rubbish together and all about the creativity in us.

    You are married to an architect who is also a politician in Ogun State, Mr. Gbolade Ola Oduwole. Is there any way his profession is impacting on your own business?

    Of course! He has really helped the company in many ways. He is a good source of inspiration. Because he is an architect, I’m a decorator; we always sit together, do things, share ideas and so on. He has really improved the business.

    You recently expanded your business; can you say a little about that?

    Okay. We have a school now in Rostal Flowers at our new office that we are about to open at Ogba, Ikeja. We have a corporate school that people can come and learn how to decorate. The current session is about to end and we are starting a new session soon. And we now import fresh flowers for people to buy for any kind of use; be it for their houses, offices or events.

    Can you say a little about your educational background?

    Well, I have a BSC in Geology from the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

    You said that you’ve always been a flower person from time. Why did you end up studying Geology? Or is there a correlation between the two?

    Well, in a way, I can say yes. The truth is my father advised me to do Geology when I finished my secondary education and I was about to fill my JAMB form. He said as a geologist, you could work in an oil company, you could work with Portland Cement and so on. But it was that prospect of oil company that triggered my interest because I know that is somewhere one could make it quick in life. So I told myself: ‘If my father wants me to be a geologist, why not?’ And I said: ‘Dad, I’m going to study Geology which I did. Meanwhile, Geology is the scientific study of the earth, including the origin and history of the rocks and soil of which the earth is made. And the natural flowers are planted on the soil based on the type of soil that is most suitable for the planting of the flowers. So to that extent, you can say there is a correlation between Geology and flowers.

    As a florist, is there a connection between love and flowers?

    Yes, it gives love. When you see fresh flowers, it makes you happy. And today, people believe so much in flowers. When you give someone a flower, it carries the significance that you really love the person. You can’t compare the effect created when you give somebody a dress, shoe or bag to when you give them flower. Mind you, I’m not talking about the value here, but the emotional effect that comes with it. The feeling is very strong. And naturally, when I see flower, it gives me life, it makes me happy. So I think love and flowers go together.

    Be honest, did you marry your husband because you thought as an architect he will be able to help your business grow? Like you rightly said that he has really improved your business?

    No, no, no, no! Ola is a very gentle person, and I’m a very tough person. And somebody that would marry someone like me has to really understand my nature, so he brought in the balancing into it with his gentility. I didn’t marry because of wealth or money. I wanted someone that would add value to my life and would understand me very well. And he is a very, very loving person. I wanted love because I lost my father when I was very young and I said to myself any time I wanted to marry, I would want somebody that would love me like my father did. We dated for eight years, but God was just there in spite of all the devil did to set us apart. God knows that’s where I would meet my joy and he stood by us. Ola is very calm, calculative and intelligent, and above all, he is very caring. And, of course, he has added value to my business. I wanted my friend as a husband, and God gave Ola to me.

    What is it like doing business together; do you sometimes disagree?

    Yeah, some times. You see, I know my job very well, and Ola is very good as far as his own area is concerned. So, some times when he tells me Fumbi, why don’t you mix this colour with this? I’ll say no, you can’t tell me that, this is not drawing. Well, he has a master’s degree in Designing from a university in Florida, so he knows about designing things, but some times I tell him no. Because I know another colour would merge better with the colour I’m dealing with. But most times, we both agree on it. So, let me say we sometime disagree to agree.

    What were some of the challenges you faced before you became a brand? And what are some of the challenges you still face if any?

    I didn’t really face many challenges because when the foundation is right, everything would work out for you. For the first two years of my coming into this business, I was not concerned with profit making. My concern was to build a strong brand and creating awareness about it. And that really helped me. So, I can’t say there weren’t challenges and I can’t say there were because I started with my sight fully set on where I wanted to be. As a matter of fact, there was a time my workers were behaving funny, and I sacked everybody. Meanwhile, I had a lot of events on my hand. But to God be the glory, everything still went on smoothly because I was able to find a way out. So, God has always been my pillar and He says He would make way where there is no way. In Rostal Flowers, we have never disappointed anybody.

    What do you do for pastime or other activities you pursue in your spare time?

    Well, I’m a simple person. I’m not too social. When I’m not at church, I’ll be at home with my family and some of my very close friends would come around. Even when I go on vacation, I work. When I’m in London, I’m always moving around trying to see new things that are coming up in my industry and other things I can adapt into my business from there. I don’t sit back and browse through the internet. I go there physically to have a natural feel of it.

    Have you ever taken a 95 job in your life?

    Yes, with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), a subsidiary of the NNPC in Lagos, when I was on my NYSC. And I was there for a year. But while I was there, I realised that I was not cut out for that kind of job because I’m a restless person. I needed a job that would keep me on my toes always. So when I realised doing a job that would keep me sitting in a place for long wouldn’t work, that was when I decided I was going to do my own kind of business. So, all I ever did for anyone was during my NYSC year.

    Tell us a little about growing up?

    Well, I’m from a very lovely family. My father was a very lovely person that believed he had to give the best to his family. He worked as a non-academic staffer with the University of Ibadan. And I think because of the environment he was, he believed he had to give the best to his family. I went to the University Staff School, UI. And from there, I went to Abadina College in Ibadan and he spent so much on tutorials for us and he taught us to have the fear of God. So the foundation was so right. He made us know that we need to love the people around us. My father loved his family so well that there was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. And that was the same thing he passed on to his children. So, from secondary school, I went to The Polytechnic, Ibadan where I bagged my National Diploma before gaining admission to study Geology at the University of Ilorin.

    What were your childhood dreams or did you dream to become who you are today?

    Well, when I was younger, I started with making things and selling in school. I started with making stickers that you could stick on books. The daughter of one of the top shots in Orheptal Tonic then happened to be my friend, Funke Ayodele. So, I just went to their house one day and I said Funke, all these stickers, please give me. And she gave me. She knew what I was going to do with them. So when I got home, I drew stars at the back and cut out those stars. And I used a perforator to make designs around them, sealed them with candle and packed them neatly. That was during our holidays, and when we resumed, I took them to school and students were buying at a high price. I also made beads and sold to students in school.

    And there was a time my mother’s friend, Mrs. Foluke Oyemade, came to our house and said she imported I.V.Y. relaxer and she was looking for someone to market it. Then, I had left secondary school and I said she should bring the relaxers and she brought a lot and I took them around to sell. So, I have always been an enterprising person. And when I was in the university, I was already going to Dubai to bring in dresses to sell. So, I have always sold one thing or the other. But I started flowers when I was doing my NYSC in the DPR and they even gave me a nickname: Flower Girl. Up till today, when I go to the DPR, they call me Flower Lady.

  • Debbie Ogunjobi savours marital bliss

    Debbie Ogunjobi savours marital bliss

    For a long time, top clothier, Debbie Ogunjobi, owner of Everywoman, closed her eyes to the things she did not want to see. But she could not close her heart to the things she did not want to feel. Hence, she is happily married to a widower, Pastor Jide Ojo, who lost his wife in July 2011.

    The celebrity lady, you would recall, had gone through two relationships that produced two kids before then, but both relationships ended on a sour note. There are indications that she has consigned the events of her broken relationships to the dustbin of history and embraced a new chapter of her life.

    Her loved ones can heave a sigh of relief as she has decided to open her heart again to the man of God. Since they got married, she has considerably got over the failure of her previous relationships. There are rumours that she will soon add to the population of Nigeria.

  • It Happened To Me

    Somewhere in the South, several decades ago.

    Among all the seven villages that make up the clan, Igen was the most outstanding. It didn’t have great farmers or fishermen like some of its neighbours nor great warriors like the village of Ukor had. What stood Igen out was its plantation. On the outskirts of Igen, about a kilometre before you get to the village from the Ukor side, the road dips down a little then opens up to a valley. It’s here that the large banana and mango plantation that gave Igen its fame was located.

    How the plantation came about is shrouded in mystery. Apart from a few oldies in the community, many did not know its origin. The few old men and some women who knew the story were tight-lipped about it. They would shake their heads whenever anyone became too nosy and asked questions about it.

    What everyone knew though was that Igen’s bananas and mangoes were the sweetest in the area and far beyond. They were so delicious that a myth grew around them.

    “They must have put sugar in the roots when they were planting the trees,” some of their neighbours often said in envy.

    The people of Igen did not care. They were just too happy to reap the bounty from the plantation. Each harvest season, many buyers flocked to Igen from far and wide just to buy the mangoes and bananas. Middlemen from the cities came with trucks and vans which they filled with the fruits and resold in the city for huge profits. Igen people became prosperous from that sole crop. Many built new houses, replacing their old, mud houses with shiny concrete buildings. Others married new wives, thus adding to their harem of women.

    The more forward thinking used their largesse to send their children to school in the city. There was no family that did not benefit from the bananas and mangoes as the plantation was communal property, a sweet gift from their ancestors. Igen continued to prosper from its plantation from one generation to the next and the people could not be happier… ***

    Things continued that way for years until a series of events took place. It began with a visit from Chief J. Agbah. Chief was the richest and most prominent man in the community. He was not an indigene of Igen, though. It was his mother that hailed from the village. But Chief grew up in Igen as his mother lived there after she ran away from his father and abandoned her marital home many years before. He identified more with Igen than his father’s hometown which was about twenty miles from Igen.

    The villagers too accepted Chief Agbah as one of their own. That he was rich and influential helped them ignore the fact that he was not a ‘true son of the soil.’ Besides, he had done a lot for the community in the past by bringing much needed development. It was through his influence that the road leading to the community was paved (the first among the seven villages in the clan) and the tiny primary school expanded so that children from neighboring villages now converged in Igen for learning. Most weekends, he would visit the village from his city base and hold discussions with elders of the community. Most of the talks centred on bringing more development to the village.

    Chief Agbah had done a lot for them, the villagers often said among themselves. He was one of their own. They trusted him.

    One day, the town crier announced to the villagers that their prominent ‘son’, Chief Agbah was visiting them that weekend with some important personalities from the capital. There would be a town hall meeting and every son and daughter of Igen must attend, the crier said. There was general excitement among the villagers. What new goodies was their son bringing them this time, they wondered.

    The meeting took place at the market square close to the house of Pa Okena, the oldest man in the community.

    Chief Agbah arrived with some important looking government officials as well as a couple of white men. He spoke to the villagers briefly then dropped the bombshell: the reason for the meeting was to announce to the villagers that oil had been discovered in their land. Underneath the ground where their plantation was located, were huge deposits of oil, the ‘black gold’. Government, he stated had given ‘exploratory and exploitation rights’ to a foreign company to exploit the oil. This new find, he added would bring immense wealth and benefits to the community and make Igen a shining light in the area…

    The news was received with mixed feelings by the villagers. Though happy that they would become an oil producing community, the thought of losing their beloved plantation filled them with great sorrow. That plantation had sustained them for generations, how would they survive without it, they wondered. But at Chief Agbah’s continued reassurance that the revenue that would come to the community from the oil would be far greater than what they made from the fruits, they relented.

    Soon, the oil exploiters with their heavy drilling equipment came in and Igen was never the same again…

    Present day…The rejected stone

    Most families have a black sheep and Chief Agbah’s was no exception. Lexie was his name. He was the son of Monica, the first woman Chief ever loved. It was way back when he was a struggling young man teaching in a primary school at a village many miles from Igen. Monica was the daughter of the headmaster of the school. She was 18, a great beauty and Chief who was simply known then as Johnson, was smitten. Believing he truly loved her, Monica fell for his sweet words.

    She soon got pregnant. Her father, who didn’t want a bastard child in his family insisted Johnson must marry her. Johnson had other ideas though. One night, he packed the few belongings he had and sneaked out of the village.

    Some months after Monica delivered a baby boy, her father was able to trace the runaway lover boy to his mother’s village Igen. Johnson had by this time migrated to the city but his mother agreed to be supporting the child as best she could.

    The boy whom his mother named Alexander (but which he shortened to Lexie) did not see his father until he was 11 years old. He was about to attend secondary school then. His mother had taken him to see his grandmother at Igen to make arrangements for his school fees and other expenses. Johnson had been home on a visit that day and it was then father and son set eyes on each other for the first time.

    While the boy was excited to meet his father, the latter was not. Johnson barely acknowledged the child who looked so much like him. This first confused the boy, then he grew sad and angry with his father. Over the years, the anger grew and festered until it became a consuming hatred, a resentment against the shabby way he had been treated by his own father throughout his young life.

    As he grew older, his hatred for his father would evolve into a desire for revenge, to hit back at the man who had all but abandoned him.

    Then, one day, a chance meeting with a lady called Selina changed the course of Lexie’s life. He came up with a plan that triggered a series of events that would have a profound effect on the lives of those involved, some for good, most for bad…

    •To be continued

    •What was Lexie’s plan? And what happened to Igen community after the discovery of oil and the destruction of their plantation? Join us next Saturday for the juicy details!

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

  • Patricia Etteh gears up for 2015

    Patricia Etteh is, no doubt, one of the major casualties of Nigeria’s stuttering democracy. The beautician-turned-politician had become the Speaker of the House of Representatives in June 2007. It was the first time a woman would be the Speaker of the lower chamber of the National Assembly. But less than three months into her tenure, she was accused of authorising a whopping N628 million for the renovation of her official residence and that of her deputy, as well as the purchase of 12 official cars meant for the House.

    The uproar that followed led to her exit from the exalted position. She has since returned to the drawing board. And if you thought that Patricia would lie low perpetually, then you are undermining the power of a woman. Already, the 59-year-old woman is gearing up for a top elective post in 2015. She is said to be working in tandem with top politicians from her state and beyond to ensure that her 2015 ambition is realised.

     

  • New chapter for tourism as Nigeria unveils tourism brand

    New chapter for tourism as Nigeria unveils tourism brand

    The tourism industry is peculiar in the sense that it is an industry where a person pays for product even without seeing it. The experiencing the product comes after. Because of this, many tourism destinations put together enticing packages to lure tourists into booking for visits to come and spend their money. One way of doing this is building tourism brand that is capable of attracting tourists.

    Most viewers of cable television have fallen in love with destinations like Malaysia and India with their enticing catch phrases “Malaysia truly Asia,” “Incredible India” and “South Africa, it is possible”.

    These tourism slogans help in building positive image of the country even before seeing them. The importance of creating positive image becomes very important since income from tourism has become a major source of revenue for these countries. It not only helps to boost the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of countries, it also solves the unemployment problems of various countries.

    Almost every country of the world has its own unique kind of marketing slogan and logo to promote their tourism industry. They help attract tourists to come to these countries.

    Promoting tourism products successfully requires a context that allows your audience to appreciate what your country has to offer to visitors. That context is the overall image, or brand of your country.

    Nigeria, by adopting the new identity of Fascinating Nigeria, is creating a new tourism profile for the country.A few years ago, the Otunba Segun Runsewe-led Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation came with the slogan “Tourism is Life”. That was the catch phrase for Nigeria within the tourism circle for many years before this new initiative.

    Nigeria, from next week, would build a new tourism profile for the country predicated on the catch-Fascinating Nigeria. The question many would ask is that what is fascinating about Nigeria? Does the word fascinating actually capture Nigeria’s tourism endowments?

    For anybody who has had the privilege of travelling round the country and visiting tourist sites, attending cultural festivals and generally mingling with the people, there is much to fascinate any tourist, even if the person decides to embark on a year-long trip round the country.

    However, it is very important that it does not just end with the ceremony of Thursday next week, but the unveiling of the tourism brand opens up a new chapter in the tourism development of the country.

    Most in-bound tourists who have had the privilege of visiting Nigeria always say that the image the country has outside was much different from the reality and experience of Nigeria. “Fascinating Nigeria” becomes effective if it will not only showcase Nigeria’s rich tourism endowments, but help in furnishing the battered image of Nigeria. It is only then the new brand identity would be worth it. Any thing short of that would be a waste of public funds.

  • Pediatrics and child health; in focus:Children of the street and children on the street (4)

    Ogun state has nine registered Universities, the highest of any state in Nigeria, whereas Osun state has four or five .What a proactive enterprise, to ensure that there are enough to feed the universities

    This should be taken up as a Federal government project. After all investment in children is investment in the future of the country if mobile phones could be bought and distributed to farmers, then these devices can be bought and made available to our kids, with assistance by the state governments

    Children spend quality time face booking, but the contents are mostly on relationships, infatuation, self love etc. they could be redirected to use the equipment to create learning groups, exchange groups, interschool study groups etc

    Time spent on wandering /loitering/idling /games can be studied and findings used to review/improve the project

    Routine screening can be done on street children (with incentives) to evaluate. psychiatric/mental health, to know those already on alcohol, other drugs including hard drugs

    Research—knowledge attitude and perception ( kAP) studies, can also be sponsored to seek out candidates suitable for rehabilitation…it may then be possible to know the extent of their involvement, identity of their social contacts, those being indoctrinated/brainwashed among other benefits. Some parents give no good examples and so the children have a teacher of bad habits in their Mom or Dad

    Intending couples should be encouraged to think seriously about relationships before you go into one, so you don’t end up with unwanted pregnancies.

    Health education, age appropriate should be encouraged in schools, churches and family fellowship.

    Government should also pay more attention to funding in homes for motherless babies and orphanages.

    It is time young girls stopped looking at Europe and America as pure heaven, reality is that they also have their own problems of people feeding directly from the dustbin.

    Parents, churches should to the extent possible monitor what their children are doing in terms of face booking competition, faces simply do not represent human being.

    What about what children are doing and being allowed to do in the different schools? How age appropriate are the messages they are getting? How gender sensitive. What relationship exists between teachers, pupils and students?

    Who and how are records kept? In the Holy Trinity Grammar school of those days, the principal took the matter of children on the street very seriously.

    He took time to ride bicycle and would chase students anywhere they ran, even into bushes and broth them into schools with severe disciplinary measures to serve as deterrent to others. Students were encouraged to go to the school libraries during free periods. Loitering was forbidden because they were used as avenues to dash to the streets

    With the large population of this country, and the presence of vast portions of arable land, the School to land policy which was the brain child of a previous Military Government should be reexamined. Research has shown that more than half of the total number of street boys are secondary school dropouts, and The finance minister has been glad to announce that Non oil exports has now climbed to over 20%, while this is encouraging, poverty and hunger are two conditions which prepare many Nigerian Women(including pregnant women) and children for Malaria to complete the dying process. One sure way of eradicating hunger and perhaps poverty is to pump money into mechanized agriculture, send young people for training in specific areas, remove the fear attached to farming that farmers die young and because they die for subsistence die poor.

    With milking machines, tractors, harvesters, incubators, with research laboratories, there will be enough to eat and family coherence needed to bring children close to their families can be guaranteed. Taking inventories, census of those living secondary schools, of youth corps members will enable proper planning and efficient management of a School to land initiative. It is a reliable way of getting children away from the streets, and reducing the number of children and young adults available for recruitment into various crimes and for trafficking.

    With enough food to eat and sell, female children can have education to what ever level as desired. They will not need to sell their bodies for money, and even if they have to indulge, they will have the capacity to negotiate for safer sex.

    Capacity building is not all about giving loans, that are tied to so many strings that recipients end up getting poorer while the banks declare unbelievable profits, the school to land initiative is a better alternative for those too poor or too young to assess bank loans.

    Governments, National orientation agency and others concerned with the welfare of Children should engage schools, colleges, physicians in family health, child health and pediatrics and support them to carry out research in the problem of street children . Government should bring down the costs of adoption, but do more monitoring once the processes are done with. Relevant agencies can involve social workers in supervision and management of minor conditions.

    Governments can build Science and Technology camps, mechanic, Lap top, and cell phone repair centers in strategic locations, where large groups of street boys congregate. Inventors can emerge from such camps and with positive reinforcement, others can emulate and aspire. Dreams and hope will metamorphose into reality, for the individual and for the family/

    .It is time wealthy individuals, institutions, multinational companies began to show interest in Debates, quiz contest, and other activities that can reward excellence, and make the streets less attractive for children. Setting up football academies like the one by Channels TV organization is a very good one. The boys are playing fantastic foot ball and are likely to draw others of their age away from street life. Someone should try a similar experiment with the girls and you will be amazed. However, not every one plays foot ball, just as we don’t expect every child to know how to play the saxophone, or guitar, but every child needs an education. Those who give out 50 million naira to sponsor birthday parties for strangers in our midst as a way of showing they have money need to spare a few minutes to imagine what one million can do for a home for the motherless, being managed by Catholic missions. These catholic charity organizations will be wondering whether God gave Wealthy Nigerians such retrogressive mindset that we can actually prefer to build more houses abroad than give financial support to the needy, even within extended family systems.

    Churches and religious organizations should encourage activities that teach children to avoid dangerous experiments, avoid attempting to do things they watch and see on television. Church programs for children should include insightful comments and activities on the fear of God, the love and respect for parents, family members and authorities. If Children can not find comfort, assurance and hope in Churches, they will find them on the street, if those telling them to give their lives to Christ hide to engage in anti Christian activities, Children will show that they too can hide and see what goes on in the dark, and if they cant give their lives to Christ, the devil, bacteria and dangerous viruses will all be very happy to take over such lives,

     

  • Take Ibori hugs limelight again

    Take Ibori hugs limelight again

    After a long hiatus from the social radar, Take, the fun-loving daughter of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, has finally returned to the social space. At the moment, things are really looking good for her.

    Her outlook at a recent function belied all that had been said about her since her sudden disappearance from the social scene. She was not only full of life, she was also generous with courtesies, dishing out pleasantries freely.

    Prior to her appearance at the event, her whereabouts had been a subject of speculations, following the collapse of her planned marriage to Abisoye Suenu.

  • Importance Of Exercise

    Exercise and healthy weight loss not only help your heart,they also trim the threat of developing diabetes by up to 58 percent and cut your risk of cancer.

    Whether you prefer to walk, run, swim, or pump metal, it’s important to add aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities to your daily routine. Even moderate levels of physical activity can improve sleep, sharpen your mind, and decrease your odds of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

    Exercise is good for the body due to the following reasons:

    First, it helps you cut weight. When you exercise like jog or run you burn the fats in your body. This happens because the body undergoes respiration to yield energy needed for the exercise. The extra carbohydrates in the body are respired in presence of oxygen to give energy. Consequently, this burns away the fats that would otherwise have been stored as fats hence cutting weight.

    Second, it slows the rate at which gets old working out eliminate the inflation which comes along with aging. Moreover, some exercises like yoga minimize production of stress hormones which hasten aging. In-addition the stretching assists in smoothing lines which make you look aged.

    Third, it improves your physical appearance. Bodybuilding exercises burn fats and increase lean muscles. Cardiovascular exercises increases metabolic rate which removes toxins in form of sweat from the skin. This rejuvenates the skin and makes you look presentable.

    Fourth, it reduces stress through the release of endorphin hormone. The hormone works with various organs in the body like the brain and other receptors to ease how you view pain. When exercising instance playing football, you forget the pain and the stress as you only pay attention to your movements.

    Fifth, it boosts self-esteem as well as physical appearance. The proper blood circulation ensures that nutrients reach the scalp hence healthy hair and less gray hair. The lean muscles obtained during bodybuilding exercises improve the physique in men as they gain six packs and shoulder muscles.

    Sixth, it is used to relax and derive some fun. Some exercises like swimming and cycling have become hobbies. This is because the endorphin hormone released initiates motivation.

    Lastly, is the health benefit . Cycling increases metabolism hence reducing chances of stroke. The functioning of the brain is improved through adequate supply of air and nutrients to the brain that occurs during exercise. Obesity is controlled through burning of excess fats. Weight lifting strengthens cardiovascular muscles and reduces blood pressure which combats heart diseases.

     

  • We were in the midst of a three-day fasting when our mother was killed

    We were in the midst of a three-day fasting when our mother was killed

    AGAIN, like the ubiquitous tortoise in African folklore, the Ogun State Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) is in the news for the wrong reason. Last Thursday, the relative peace of Ilashe village in Ipokia Local Government Area snapped following the killing of a 45-year-old trader, Fausat Bankole, allegedly by a Customs man.

    Investigations revealed that the late mother of five was travelling in a car to a nearby market in the early hours of the day when her vehicle was stopped by the Customs men on patrol at Ilashe village, along Idiroko-Owode Road. The vehicle was searched for possible smuggled or contraband goods and nothing was allegedly found. The vehicle, it was learnt, had barely left the spot when one of the Customs men fired shots that pierced through Fausat’s abdomen spilling the food she had earlier eaten on the corner of the seat where she sat in the vehicle.

    According to an eyewitness, who spoke in confidence, the deceased was taken to a Customs hospital where she was confirmed dead.

    “The incident happened at about 6 am. The driver of the vehicle was flagged down and he complied with the Customs men. After a search was carried out on his vehicle and nothing incriminating was found on it, it was released. But within a twinkle of an eye, one of the Customs men called Tunde fired shots at the vehicle’s front windscreen and rear doors. The woman who was seated in the back seat was hit in the abdomen, while the driver sustained gunshot injury on his arm.

    Outraged locals later ‘sacked’ Customs men from all the checkpoints in the community, while a traditional seal of palm leaves was placed at the entrance of a Customs base at the scene of the incident.

    It took the combined effort of the police and men of the 192 Battalion of the Nigeria Army, Owode, to douse the tension caused by the furious residents who took to the streets to protest the unfortunate incident.

    There was a pin-drop silence at the residence of the bereaved parents of the deceased trader in Okere, an outskirt of the community. A horde of sympathisers were on hand to commiserate with her aged parents. Many shook their heads in pity, while the aged parents of the deceased woman now cut a pitiable sight.

    “She told me that she would be going to market and I asked her to get some vegetable and pepper, so I can prepare some soup. I never knew that I would taste tears and sorrow instead of tasty soup. She had been the breadwinner of her family following her husband’s lack of stable job. She was also responsible for our welfare and she had been a very hardworking person and generous,” recalled Fausat’s mother, Madam Adijat Oyede.

    Father of the deceased, Alhaji Abu Oyede, could not hide his anger at the brutal killing of her daughter. He blamed the Customs authorities for displaying indifference to the misconduct of its men and the reckless killing of innocent residents.

    The 89-year-old retired headmaster said: “The mandate given to the Customs men does not include the killing of innocent people. My daughter is not a smuggler neither am I. Indeed, none of my family members is involved in smuggling business or any illegal endeavour. She sold fire woods, vegetables, fruits, pepper and condiments. Why then will Customs men kill my daughter gruesomely? My wife(the deceased’s mother) had asked her to bring vegetable and pepper when she was returning from the market, so she could prepare soup not knowing that she would soon mourn her death.

    “Let the Federal Government and Customs authorities caution their men in Idiroko against the cruel use of fire arms on innocent residents. Only last week, a boy was almost killed by some Customs men who were on the trail of some smugglers in the neighbourhood. They had approached the boy for direction and he told them that the road they had mistakenly taken while chasing the smugglers led to nowhere. Thinking that he was misleading them, they fired shots but the bullets missed the boy’s legs by whiskers.

    “About two months ago, a man travelling on a motorbike was killed by some Customs men; there are several cases like that involving Customs men who displayed lack of respect or value for human lives that Customs authorities had covered up lately. Please, tell them to face smugglers and not to turn their gun on innocent people.”

    Battling tears as he spoke further, he lamented the aftermath of her daughter’s death and its consequences on the five children left behind by the deceased trader.

    “Since I retired as a school headmaster many years ago, Fausat had been responsible for my upkeep. She would come to check on how her mother and I were fairing and would ensure that we fed well. The same daughter of mine, who had been responsible for my wellbeing is the one that the heartless Customs men have now killed.

    “Now, who will take care of me and my late daughter’s children, especially her first son who is currently seeking admission into the university since she was the only breadwinner of the family? Her husband had lost his job and has been struggling to eke out a living as a commercial motorcyclist in Lagos for sometime now until the Lagos State government clamped down on their operations in the metropolis,”the distraught father said.

    Fausat’s younger sister, Monsurat Oyede, recalled the last encounter she had with her sister whom she described as unassuming.

    “Although I live in Ibadan, Oyo State but I saw her last on May 20, 2013 during a family outing in this community (Okere). However I still spoke with her on the telephone about five days ago for a few minutes. I was shocked to receive the news of her death in the hands of heartless Customs men while on her way to Ihunbo market. She was such a gentle person and law-abiding and could not have engaged in smuggling.”

    The head of Oyede family, Chief Gafar Oyede, blamed the killing on the indiscretions of the Customs men who he said were in the habit of shooting innocent residents instead of going after real smugglers.

    “The killing of Fausat was the height of reckless use of fire arms by a para-military officer against a harmless woman who was going out to earn her daily bread. I was returning from an early morning prayers at the mosque when words got to me that Fausat had been killed by a Customs man and I quickly went to the scene. The driver of the vehicle in which the deceased was travelling before she was killed explained that he had only two passengers (including Fausat) in the vehicle at the time he was asked by Customs men to pull up for checks. The man was also hit by bullets on one of his hands.

    “When I got to the scene, I was told that Fausat was injured and had been taken to a Customs hospital in the community. It was later that a senior Customs officer broke the news of her death to me. I left for Idiroko Police Station where I saw the bullet-riddled car inside which Fausat was shot dead. And contrary to the remarks by Customs authorities that she was a victim of stray bullets, the car’s front windscreen was perforated with bullets, same with the rear door close to where Fausat was seated.

    “As a matter of fact, the food she ate in the morning was spilled on the spot where she sat in the car as a result of the bullets which pierced her stomach. We were, however, not allowed to see the Customs man who shot her dead who was being held in police cell at the time of our visit. Police feared that the Customs man identified as Tunde could be mobbed if he was brought out of the cell to see us. Fausat was buried with blood gushing out of her stomach. She was the breadwinner of her family and is survived by five children, the eldest of which is currently seeking university admission. But the question is, if her son’s university admission sails through, who will fund his education?”

    At the residence of the deceased, her crestfallen children and husband amid tears recalled the last moments they shared together.

    The eldest son of the deceased, Ridwan, 21, recounted their last rendezvous shortly before she was killed.

    “We were asked to do a three-day general fasting in our mosque for protection against evil and we did the fasting together. We prayed till the midnight on Wednesday and woke up at 5 am on Thursday to break our fast. After she finished her meal, she told me that she was going to the market to buy some goods and that she would flash me so that I could wake the children up in case they slept again so that they could prepare for school.

    “I became worried that she did not flash nor call, but I went ahead to prepare my siblings for school. It was only my sister, Semiat, who was writing her NECO examinations that was left with me at home. A few minutes later, I heard people shouting near our residence and one of our neighbours later broke the news of my mother’s death to me. I slumped but I was later held up by sympathisers. My mother had promised to fund my university education and I promised that I would in turn sponsor my siblings’ education. The last child of the family is barely four years old and we don’t have anybody to help us now,” Ridwan said.

    The husband of the deceased, Mr. Moruf Bankole, 47, with teary eyes, recalled fond memories of his beloved wife, saying: “My wife and I have been married for 23 years and she stood by me and can be described as a pillar of support. We have weathered many challenges to raise our children and with her gruesome death, I don’t know where and when my help would come from; I am perplexed and devastated…”

    A community leader, Chief Israel Osanyibi, warned the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) authorities to caution its men against killing innocent residents.

    “While we are not saying that Customs men should not operate or carry out their statutory duties in our community, we want to urge their relocation to the outskirts of the community. Besides, they should carry out operations with civility and ensure restraint when using fire arms.”

    Reacting to the incident during a telephone conversation with our correspondent, spokesman of the Ogun State Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Chike Ngige, said the officer that killed the late Fausat had faced an orderly room trial and had been handed over to police for thorough investigation.

    “In the early hours of Thursday, June 20, 2013, 6am to be precise, our patrol team acting on information along Ilashe axis of Idiroko-Owode Road, Ipokia Local Government Area accosted a suspected vehicle. The driver of the vehicle tried to escape to avoid proper Customs checks and that prompted one of the patrol officers to aim the tyre of the vehicle in order to demobilise it. The bullet rebounded on the hard surface and hit the woman (late Fausat) who was inside another vehicle. He has since faced orderly room trial and have been handed to police for trial,” Ngige said.

    He further said that men of Ogun State Customs Command are being periodically trained on the use of fire arms and civil conduct in the discharge of duty.

    He said: “If you are familiar with AK-47 Rifle, you will know that it could sometimes caused a lot of havoc as a result of a little mistake. In view of this, we have been ensuring that our men undergo regular training on the use of fire arms as well as discharging their functions with common civility.”

    However, the Customs Area Controller of Ogun State Command, Mr. Ade Dosunmu, has been in touch with the family of the late woman.

    As for the demand for in compensation by the family of the deceased trader, Mr Dosunmu said “such decision is the responsibility of the apex authority of the NCS, Abuja.”

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Ogun State Police Command, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the arrest of the killer-Customs man.

    He said: “It is true that the Customs officer who allegedly killed the late Fausat Bankole has been handed over to the police. The case is currently being handled by the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for proper investigation.”

    The killing of Fausat happened barely one year after the killing of a 21-year-old tailor, Elijah Aiyelade, in the Idiroko area of the Ipokia Local Government Area by some Customs men while chasing some smugglers. He was killed on the eve of his graduation and a few days to the anniversary of his brother’s death who was also killed in similar circumstances by Customs men. While the family of Aiyelade insisted their son was not a smuggler, the Customs authority had claimed that he was shot during a shoot out with some hoodlums who seized a Customs man’s rifle.

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