The Nation Newspaper

Tag: frenzy

  • FRENZY HITS THE SCENE WITH MAMA

    FRENZY HITS THE SCENE WITH MAMA

    BUDDING hip hop artiste, Onaiwu Osamede, better known by his alias, Frenzy Montana, has finally dropped a new single titled Mama.

    The song which is now enjoying rave reviews has been described as a bit different from the usual hip hop theme of girls, booze and money. According to the artiste, Mama is a song which seeks to appreciate and extol the virtues of motherhood.

    Frenzy, a 21-year-old graduate of Geology from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, recently paid a courtesy visit to Sun Entertainment where he expressed gratitude to God almighty for making his dream come true.

    He also spoke about his music and his style of music. “The lyrics of the song are not lewd as many think. I am a Rap artiste no doubt about that, but when I remember the undying love of my mother, all she had gone through because of me as her only child, I believe mothers all over the world must be celebrated. That is my main reason and the motivation for producing that song,” he said.

    The emerging act also stated that very soon, he’ll be taking rap and hip hop music to another level by hitting the stable with a complete mix-tape. The project, he said, will include tracks like TMC (The Money Curse) My Testimony, Fear, My City, Type among others,” he concluded.

  • Fitted shirt frenzy

    Fitted shirt frenzy

    Fitted shirt are making waves all over the world. Do you know that nothing brings out the best in you than a nice fitted shirt?  If you plan to change your entire wardrobe or probably make one or two modifications, you might want to consider fitted shirts.

    38, 39, 40 TREND 7-3-15.Fitted shirts have certain appeals that keep then in vogue at all times. They are very comfortable to wear and easy to maintain. Unlike T-shirt that is restricted to certain occasions, fitted shirt will do for any function as long as it is complemented with the right accessories.

    They make one look smart, corporate and informal at the same time, depending on the occasion.

    Fitted shirts come in different ranges and designs which could be made in linen, cotton or nylon materials. They could be stripped, short-sleeved, long-sleeved and so on. You can also get them in whatever colour and design you want.

    The unique thing about fitted shirts is that they are for both sexes.

    To bring out the beauty of fitted shirts, you have to iron with spray starch and make sure your shirt is well washed with a good detergent.

  • Shoppers in Valentine frenzy

    Shoppers in Valentine frenzy

    Most Nigerians had concluded that February 14, commemorated worldwide as St. Valentine’s Day or Lovers’ Day would be uneventful because of the presidential election. But the last-minute decision to shift the election will see Nigerians joining the world to mark the day tomorrow–amidst mixed feelings, reports TONIA ‘DIYAN.

    The retail atmosphere around the Lagos metropolis has become more intense and inviting, with shopping malls busier. It is the Valentine shopping rush. A day set aside to share love amongst people, the lovers’ day would have fallen on the presidential election day, but the election has been shifted to March 28.

    If there is anything that has caused an unprecedented rush in this year’s Valentine shopping, it  is the postponment of the presidential election to March 28th. The postponement has given room for sales of love items  to thrive.

    The initial gloom of  non-participation in the festivities that attend the lovers’ day, has transformed into excitement as retailers of love items and shoppers are having a field day.

    Before now, traders of Valentine items had lamented poor sales, complaining of low patronage as people were unprepared for valentine in view of the initial arrangement to hold elections on that day.

    As it is the tradition for majority of retailers to see the need for early stocking from early January, this year’s case wasn’t an exception notwithstanding.

    When The Nation Shopping visited a cross-section of shopping malls and supermarkets last week, some of them had very few items for lovers’ day because they had thought after February 14th, they would be needed by shoppers as they are seasonal.

    A supervisor in one of the upscale shopping malls, Addide, who asked not to be named, told The Nation Shopping that in the last three weeks, he wasn’t keen on stocking his store with associated Valentine items for fear that they won’t be bought off the shelves as all their shops will be shutout to prospective customers due to the presidential elections now postponed.

    He stated that the store is not expecting as much sales as its yearly experience during Valentine period. “We are not expecting much this year. It is true that our Valentine sales started early because we thought elections will hold. We planned to sell all we have for Valentine before the Deal day, to be a compensation for the Valentine day sales which is the attraction for this season.”

    Mrs. Modupe Shopeju, who sells gifts items at Gbagada, also in Lagos, stated that the essence of Valentine sales is to experience huge patronage on Valentine’s Day, not necessarily before or after the day.

    “As a retailer, if you make sales before Valentine’s day it is okay. But the rush is on Valentine’s day itself.  That is when lovers walk into the store together and the lady is asked to pick her choice of gift. gifts ideas can also be suggested to the man to buy for himself and he wouldn’t hesitate to spend money, which is our interest as retailers. “

    “This is why most of us felt bad  when we found that the election would obstruct our businesses,” she said.

    For Chukwuemeka Ejiofor, a retailer at Mushin market, the elections would have been a barrier to his business if it was still scheduled to hold tomorrow being Valentine’s Day. “I am pleased with the election date’s postponment. It would have been a big disaster to my business. I sell seasonal items and Valentine is one season I look forward to for bountiful sales. And I am optimistic that I will make sales as usual because I have stocks of very colourful and attractive items. I have also started welcoming customers, I hope for the very best this Valentine,” he added.

    On the other hand, online stores across the country said they have not and would not have been affected by the earlier election plans for 14th as most of them have opened their valentine stores since December last year, immediately after the Christmas celebration.

    Jumia came up with its clearance fashion sale with items of 80 percent discount sales mainly on display. They also recently came up with their last minute gifts instant delivery.

    Like Jumia, DealDey, online shopping portal, specifically stocked up wares for the Valentine season just as it offered all-kinds of freebies for prospective customers.

    But why the frenzy for Valentine sales?

    Norman Sander, Centre Manager, Ikeja City Mall, offers plausible explanation.

    According to him, “Valentine’s Day is a memorable event all over the world where old and young people are expected to storm shopping places around them to pick one unique item or the other for their loved ones.”

    He said while some shoppers will make purchases online, others will visit the big shopping malls to unwind.  Assuring people of cheap bargains, Norman said, retailers have stocked their stores with wares and have promised good pricing as well.

  • More artistes in campaign frenzy

    More artistes in campaign frenzy

    • K1 donates to APC

    With the 2015 general elections a few weeks away, more and more artistes are throwing their support behind their candidates of choice. Joining the league of supporters who have chosen not to be apolitical are a group of top Yoruba actors under the aegis of Unique Charitable Foundation.

    The artistes recently stepped out to show their support for APC Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari and the Governorship candidate for Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode.

    The actors; Fathia Balogun, Sanyeri, Adebayo Tijani, Muyiwa Ademola and Femi Adebayo were seen brandishing the Broom, a symbol of the APC party.

    Muyiwa Demola shared some of the photos on Instagram with the caption; “UCF for Ambode and Buhari 2015 – Change, the only constant thing in human life.”

    The actors are also said to have joined Fuji legend, Alhaji Wasiu Ayinde (K1 The Ultimate) in a new campaign song for Buhari and Ambode, according to information.

    In furtherance of his support for the APC, K1, was the cynosure of all eyes, as he donated some Public Address Systems to each of the 377 Wards in the 57 Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) of Lagos State. Also, 300,000 wristbands with the imprints of Gen. Buhari and Ambode were freely distributed. The event took place at the APC Secretariat, ACME Road, Lagos, amidst a great ceremony.

    Only last week, a couple of Nigerian artistes were drumming support  for Ambode to become the next Governor of Lagos State.

    The artistes are Ice Prince, M.I, Olamide, Banky W, Yemi Alade, Dammy Krane – Gbabe.

    To this end, the entertainers have recorded two theme songs to shore up support for the political campaign of the APC gubernatorial candidate.

    Titled Gbabe, and Gbo Gbo Wa La Leko, the songs call on the entire people of Lagos State to turn out to support the candidacy of Ambode, whom they constantly refer to as Ambo. While Gbabe features Ice Prince, M.I, Olamide, Banky W, Yemi Alade, and Dammy Krane, the track Gbo Gbo Wa La Leko was rendered solely by Yemi Alade.

  • Ajapa Club in theatre frenzy

    Ajapa Club in theatre frenzy

    With the notion that it is never too soon for children to learn about the value of money and ways to save, Ajapa Club, a drama group focused on the cultural development of children, on Thursday, April 11, launched the Ajapa Financial Club, a body that seeks to instil the tenets of financial discipline on school children.

    Explaining the rationale behind the programme, Akin Braithwaite, Chairman of Ajapa World, said that the best way to carry such a message across to kids was through a platform they can relate with. “It is all about trying to get children to be included in the financial literacy world. We believe that children need to learn early about money, how they use money, what money does, how to be responsible with money. The best way, we thought, was to leverage on this platform, using the character of Ajapa, have the children come, watch the depiction of what financial handling and what money is about,” Braithwaite explains.

    Butressed with the drama Why the Tortoise Has a Shell, the event also featured music and dance. Ajapa the tortoise, bothered by the constant lack of food in the community, places before the snail a scenario where they have to scrounge the earth to eat or pay for the comfort of existence. He suggests going into business together, an idea which snail buys into but with misgivings.

    In its usual interactive manner, the drama teaches commerce and familiarising them with terms like capital, profit, percentage, banking and the likes. They go into business and become very rich. With the new affluence, they decide to hire servants. They engage the services of rats who move in with them. In the course of time, they notice that while their fortunes are dwindling, the rats are getting fatter. They set traps for the rats and catch them red-handed.

    Ajapa the wise one comes up with a suggestion as to storing their money in shells and taking them wherever they go. To save their money and secure their possessions, both the tortoise and the snail get fitted with shells explaining the mystery of why the tortoise has a shell.

    Financial literacy in Nigeria is very poor and according to Ladi Smith, Executive Director of Credit Awareness, it is important to take it to children before they grow old. “We at Credit Awareness are on a financial literacy drive for Nigeria where we are teaching the adult population on literacy issues because literacy is an empowerment and if you teach people how to use money we have our slogan safe saving and responsible borrowing. If Nigerians can save wisely and borrow responsibly, we will have an empowered nation, but unfortunately that has not been the case,” he stressed.

    At the end of the programme, schools present were given an Ajapa kit which contained a Tortoise bank, reward journal and other Ajapa paraphernalia.

     

  • No to loan frenzy

    No to loan frenzy

    •National Assembly should stop external borrowing 

    For a Federal Government that has done little else than flash a dubious global record of lowest debt to GDP ratio to rationalise its unbridled appetite for loans, last week was a moment of truth-telling from Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

    Venue was the Honorary International Investment Council (HIIC) conference in London. Subject was the mounting debt stock at a time of high crude prices. The CBN governor was unequivocal: At the current levels of foreign debts, and with the current trend, the nation stands in grave danger of relapse into debt peonage.

    His words: “we are borrowing more money today at a higher interest rate while leaving the heavy debt burden for our children and grandchildren”. The trend, he surmised, if unchecked, will lead to the mortgaging of the future of generations unborn”.

    For an individual regarded as being rather too outspoken for the demands of his conservative office, the immediate temptation is to dismiss his views with a wave of the hand. But that would be most unfortunate not just because of his role as head of the monetary policy committee, a role which makes his views authoritative, but also because of his membership of President Jonathan’s Economic Management Team.

    The fact of the matter is that Sanusi was merely echoing the opinions of majority of Nigerians on the issue of the bourgeoning debts. To ratchet up debts at a time of rising revenues is not only inexplicable, it is unconscionable.

    The arguments in favour of more foreign loans have remained as unconvincing and worn. The merit, we are told, lies in the fact that they are cheap and are of relatively long gestation. That may well be. But then, the issue of whether the loans are actually needed at all, or whether they can be well utilised is a completely different matter. The point bears restating that we are hard pressed to see the sense in stacking up debts at a time of record earnings in crude oil. What makes it more confounding is that this is happening at a time the nation is said to have built an impressive reserve in the excess crude account.

    Now seems the time to settle the question of what the Jonathan administration has done with the loans taken, particularly as it does not appear that many Nigerians can point to any on-going projects to justify the mountains of debts being stacked up in their name. The National Assembly can help in this regard by putting a moratorium on new loans while insisting on a comprehensive audit of the existing ones to establish how much value has been delivered.

    Obviously, the latest development is merely a symptom of how far the nation is from imbibing the lessons of its celebrated exit from the London and Paris Clubs of creditors in 2005/6. Six years after, Nigerians still struggle to find evidence that any lessons have been learnt. They find none. Whereas, in pre-2005/6, the creditor cartel was the London and Paris Clubs, in 2012, attention has shifted to the Chinese and the World Bank – more of the same.

    The same goes for fiscal discipline; very little has been learnt; evidence is one of unbearably incompetent government that cannot implement its capital budget –a mere 30 percent of the whole. Nigerians expect the Jonathan administration to deliver value; not in the loan frenzy.