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Good old Christmas trees

A Christmas tree is one of the most enduring traditions this Yuletide, TONIA ‘DIYAN writes.

For most people, whether at home, offices, shops or malls, Christmas is incomplete without the Christmas Tree. To many, the tree is one accessory that is a must-have during the Yuletide. Little wonder almost everybody has since caught the bug.

How it all began

One legend had it that one evening, Martin Luther was walking home through the forest and noticed how beautifully the stars shone through the trees and he decided to share the beauty with his wife. So, he cut one of the trees and took a part of it home. He placed small lighted candles on the branches and said that it would be a symbol of the beautiful Christmas sky. That was how the Christmas tree came about.

An enduring tradition

Every year is different when it comes to the availability of Christmas Trees and it is hard to imagine Christmas without displaying one in the home. However, buying a very good one could help cut down on expenses year after year because there wouldn’t be need to shop for one every Christmas.

All that is needed is a little maintenance, most important is the ability to set it up for the first time and decorate it. Experts advise that it is better to leave it as it is. David Robson, an American Extension Educator, Horticulture, said: “The Christmas Tree has gone through a long process of development rich in many legends and that it requires a good area to be stored and properly cleaned up for the next year.”

The tree is a great addition to households during Christmas seasons. It has developed from basic to modern designs reflecting this era.

Taste and preference should not be a problem since there are various trees to choose from. So, there will always be something to fit homes of any range, which could be set up much earlier and left up for longer.

A Christmas tree could be four to 30 feet tall, the colour, as well as shape also varies. However, today’s Christmas trees are made of high quality standards that make them appear unique and beautiful. Christmas lights could be put up permanently on the tree, likewise other accessories such as garlands. The Christmas Light is a small, pyramid-like frame, usually decorated with glass balls, tinsel, and a candle on top. It is a symbol of the birth of Christ as the Light of the World.

Christmas tree has a long association with Christianity. It is a symbol of a living Christmas spirit and brings pleasant aroma of the season. The earliest Christmas trees were referred to as “paradises” and often hung with round pastry wafers.

Christmas trees are often decorated with tinsel, lights and small ornaments which hang from the branches. Chocolate coins or chocolate shapes are also hung on the tree and presents are usually placed under the tree.

There are varieties of Christmas trees made from wood and feathers of birds such as duck and goose which were dyed in green to resemble the pine needles and attached to wooden sticks to look like the branches.

Many would love to own a huge Christmas tree in their homes loaded with lights and ornaments. But some do not have space for a big tree, therefore they settle for a small slim type. It has the normal shape but uses less space when placed on the floor. It could be placed at the corner with the impact of a full-sized tree.

There are different types of Christmas trees, namely: Fraser fir- an attractive one, soft to touch with space between the branches and easier to decorate and Nobel fir- deep green in colour, with lovely branch shape. Its branches have good spacing between them and make it easy to hang ornaments on them.

Another type called the Colorado blue spruce has a pyramidal shape with strong limbs that can hold heavy ornaments. It is known for its lovely blue foliage which can also appear shiny; this tree is only right for the home if the design does not include a bluish tint.

Balsam fir is a beautiful dark green colour tree with airy, flexible branches that may not be able to hold heavy ornaments, but gives the home a pleasant fragrance.

Grand fir with its lovely dark green colour, is soft to touch. It grows as high as 300 feet.

There is the White fir for those who can maintain it. It has a pleasing natural shape, aroma and needle retention. The popularity of the white tree could be because of the famous Christmas song (Jingle Bell). Some people choose it because it symbolises purity and peace. Others go for it because white simply fits anything. Some also love it because of its similarity to a real tree if covered in white snow. The amount of care applied in preserving it would make it last longer.

Another Christmas tree called the Scotch pine needs a glove to be decorated because its needles could be as sharp as pins.

Others are the frosted, giant, coloured, fibre optic, feather with brush bristles, plastic, glass Christmas trees and lots more. There are other unique ones which come in various colours such as pink; which will surely be an instant favourite of teenage females. Others come in the colours of purple, red or gold.

Today, as many make trees, lights and gifts, the centre of their Christmas practice, it is important to remember that these items are ultimately symbols of the one who gave himself to unite heaven and earth.

December 25, 2015
As good as gold

• But first, the Federal Government has to stop its solid minerals policy summersaults

A PIECE of news just underscores how policy contradictions had under-developed the solid minerals sector. President Muhammadu Buhari’s new cabinet must seize the moment to make things right in this largely neglected sector. News has it that the Federal Government had reportedly abandoned a N26.4 billion World Bank-assisted scheme, aimed at developing and exploiting solid minerals.

That scheme, the report claimed, was the biggest solid minerals intervention fund in the world. The scheme, extended to the Federal Government in 2004, and put under the Sustainable Management of Mineral Resources Project (SMMRP), was to tackle the following areas: build a world-class mining cadastre office, do an airborne survey to generate high resolution geological and physical data, promote Nigerian minerals endowment, construct a multi-million dollar solid minerals laboratory in Kaduna and also build a training institute in Jos, aside from setting aside $10 million as credit scheme for small-scale or artisanal miners and mining communities.

The grant, an interest-free facility, has a 35-year tenor and a 10-year moratorium. There is even a follow-up: another $80 million facility, after a seven-year satisfactory disbursement of the initial loan. The overall goal of the scheme is to strengthen Nigeria’s long-term institutional and technical capacity to manage mineral resources, in a sustainable and environment-friendly and sensitive way. It takes no special acuity to know that this scheme, if well handled, could point to the economy’s new growth area, particularly with the sharp drop in resources from crude oil.

Yet, over three ministers of solid minerals, parts of the project, particularly the non-self sustaining aspects, have lapsed into a coma, if not outright abandonment. That is unfortunate; and should not be allowed to continue. That is where Kayode Fayemi, the new Minister of Solid Minerals, comes in. Urgent efforts should be made to revisit the projects; and give life to the abandoned ones as quickly as possible.

That might just be a good area to kick-start the Fayemi era in solid minerals, in the context of the positive change the Buhari Presidency promised, while campaigning for votes. Indeed, the whole solid minerals sector needs an urgent tweaking. First, is the extant legal framework. Right now, solid minerals mining is an exclusive preserve of the central government.

But there is need to liberalise the sector, in consonance with Nigeria’s federal structure. Even if that would entail a constitutional amendment which does not come easy, mining laws should be amended, such that states with minerals find it easier to leverage the trove in the bowels of their earth to attract joint projects from foreign investors.

On this score, the Federal Government would do well to consult with and actively engage states with solid mineral resources, before inviting foreign investors that can help mine these resources at mutual benefit to the three parties: the investors, federal and state governments.

The demonstrable expertise for such easily comes from Australia and South Africa, twin countries whose economies thrive on mining. The United States too, though not so much into mining, is known to boast such technical skills. The most important thing, however, is to invite credible companies that can add value, and also reinforce the local value chain.

Even with official dormancy in mining, a lot of illegal activity goes on in artisanal mining. Indeed, it is claimed that illegal mining is a N4 trillion business. That is huge! What to do with these ‘Illegal’ miners? Definitely not to ban them, as is being clamoured by some quarters. Instead, the government should legitimise their operations under the new foreign technical partners.

That way, their ‘illegal’ business is legalised, with the big investors buying from the artisans, and government collecting taxes from the transactions. With prompt implementation of sound policies, solid minerals should contribute its own quota, as foreign exchange earner for Nigeria. With the downturn in oil, solid minerals, with agriculture, should be the country’s new growth area.

November 24, 2015
In Search of… good health
When heads come together in a well-meaning, genuine, round-table knocking, I believe that doctors, jingles and pounded yam can indeed mix to translate to more health.

As I am writing this, there are many people in this country who are right now traversing Nigerian roads to attend the burial ceremony of one close relative or another, most of who have died prematurely. Whenever I have heard that someone has died and have asked what killed the fellow, I have often been told ‘Death’. How is it, I ask, that death can kill so… so… so… irrevocably when it has no hands? Turn left or right and you see your fellow Nigerians of all ages dropping off like… like… flies from all kinds of diseases! Just the other day, someone mentioned how she had been to an office one day in search of a contract and had chatted with everyone at each desk only to have gone back the week after and been told that one of them had died. Talk of a surprise.

No, I am not talking about life expectancy today; I am talking about how Nigerians are allowed to eat and die in ignorance with very little intervention from the body that should be needling them into long life. It’s often been said that ignorance is bliss, but no one has ever tried to sit down to calculate whether the level of bliss is commensurate with the ignorance that spurns it or even calculate the very high cost of blissful ignorance. When someone eats him/herself to death in ignorance, the costs are borne by the survivors who have to carry on in his/her absence. Sadly, some of them never recover.

Ultimately, everyone holds his health in his hands, with complete responsibility devolving on him or his family. However, when an individual takes decisions from a vantage point of blissful ignorance, then we are dealing with weighty matters indeed. Worse, he may even find himself not taking any decision because he cannot. So, leaving all issues concerning health in our hands is downright dangerous I say.

Look, there are two matters compounding this problem. The first is that what we know as the Nigerian diet is seriously in need of divine intervention. It is a given that the larger part of the nation’s population is rural based with little or no education; therefore, the likelihood is high that they would mostly be the victims of the diet situation. Now, you and I agree that what constitutes our diet on this hemmed-in island is mostly what you would call the sugars with little relief. What I mean by relief is this. In this here parts, when a child is given his dish, his face breaks out in grins larger than that of the Cheshire cat at the sight of what he believes will fill his stomach. That is the main concern; what will fill his stomach. So he, least of all, notices that the contents of his dish are designed to satisfy only one aspect of his ravenous hunger. He hardly notices that there are other parts of his body also badly in need of satiation; those parts in need of protein, vitamins and minerals. Too often, these are absent. On a steady stream of that starchy diet therefore, your young Nigerian child grows into an adult who is more developed in physical terms than in mental ones. Either way, officer, we are being cheated by our consummations. Now, I wonder indeed if I know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, one notable result from this skewed consumption pattern is the rise in diseases. Now, doctors tell us that diabetes and hypertension are almost in epidemic proportions. Nearly every one of two people you meet in the city is swallowing something to fight something else. On the other hand, nearly every rustic you meet in the hinterlands does not even know he/she has anything to fight until that something comes to punch them in the face, belly, arm, leg, blood, head or any other susceptible part. That is when the doctor’s questions or admonitions concerning the badness of the culinary habits handed down from ancestors without end really sound like Greek. Then you don’t know who to pity more: the poor man who is obviously sick and does not understand why it is not his neighbour ‘doing him’, or the doctor who is vainly trying to marry two incompatible people – modern medicine and traditional man. Me, I stay in their middle: firmly on the fence.

The second matter is that there are just too many folk beliefs firmly ranged as arsenals against the doctor’s doctrines. Our rural folks do not believe that taking things like milk and eggs, etc., is morally good. One, they spoil the teeth and they encourage children to steal. Two, those things spoil children rotten. I have visited a number of villages having large, lush lands for growing things to take to the market while their children have skins that look like crocodile’s scales. The villagers just do not believe in feeding milk and eggs and chicken meat to their children. Come to think of it, neither do many chicken farmers. After raising their chickens, do they not cart the whole lot off to the economic market to sell, leaving the neighbours with only the scented whiffs of chicken droppings?

Interestingly, even many parents living in the city are not much different. Their credos revolve around preserving the children’s honour rather than their lives. Then people find that in the face of ill-health, honour is not as valuable a premium as good eating sense. Oh wait, there is this health insurance scheme that is as incomprehensible to me as I think it appears to many. The reason is that there are still many questions not yet answered. Many civil servants do not know the limit that can be spent on their health; many of us do not know what happens when big illnesses strike; who takes care of the rural folks who succumb to these big illnesses; etc. Right now, health insurance or not, most people are bearing their health expenses out of their pockets and the health care providers are smiling to the bank.

Doctors have sounded some warning bells on the rising phenomena called cancer, diabetes and hypertension, which, together are killing people off silently. Sadly, most people put such deaths down to ‘spiritual attacks’ or ‘wicked home people’. I am not here to argue with them though because everyone is entitled to a second opinion, so I am consulting my own crystal glass again. Yep, it tells me such people are suffering from severe cases of ‘deep, debilitating ignorance’.

Honestly, this country can help itself preserve the lives of its citizens. Even in advanced countries, the government still sponsors advertisements which advise citizens on the proper diet to follow, the consequences of wrong diets, as well as admonitions on taking the right stuff such as milk, eggs and greens. This country can borrow a leaf from that. There must be a way of letting us the uninformed people know why we should keep a wary eye on the calorie contents of our steaming, mouth-watering plates of well-rounded eba, amala, pounded yam and rice, and why we should also keep the other eye on the meat to be sure it does not walk off the plate in indignation about its tiny size.

How about we try radio jingles? They are catchy, cheap to produce and are definitely more far-reaching. Yeah, I know, in many cases it’s not the knowledge that is lacking, it’s the financial will. Even with that, there must be a way. All that this country – government, corporate world, people, etc. – needs is for heads to come together in a well-meaning, genuine round-table knocking. That is where we will find that doctors, jingles and pounded yam can indeed mix to translate to more health.
- This article was first published in 2013.
November 22, 2015
Ayade has raised the bar of good governance, says Idem

Chief Victor Idem is the Managing Director, Felodem Group of Companies and Director-General, Team-Ben Political Organisation, one of the groups that worked for Prof. Ben Ayade’s emergence as governor of Cross River State. He spoke with NICHOLAS KALU in Calabar on the administration.

There have been mixed reactions from the public on Governor Ben Ayade’s performance since he assumed office as governor. Many feel he has not done so well. How will you rate the governor so far?

There may be areas they feel the governor has not looked into, but nobody can actually say he hasn’t performed since he assumed office. I can say emphatically at any level using Ayade’s 100 days in office as benchmark that no governor in Cross River State has done what he has done. In his first 100 days in office, he was able to take off his signature projects. If you go to Bakassi, the Calabar Seaport is currently ongoing, the design is complete, the site has been cleared and work is ongoing. If you go to the superhighway, more than 20km has been cleared, I am into construction, drawing a design of over 200km within three months means that the people were not sleeping, it takes a lot to design a road of that length, more than 200km superhighway, it takes more than three months, but he was able complete it within three months, that means he put the designers into terrible task, this achievement is not just limited to the design alone, he has moved into the site, clearing more than 20km, that is sincerely laudable. The garment factory is ongoing; salaries that have been a problem in the state for several months have been cleared and are currently paid before the end of each month. Another aspect is the crisis in the judiciary. Within 100 days in office, Ayade sorted out what has been hanging for over eight months; added with the load of challenges he is having running the state. What is happening is the grace of God upon the life of the governor. It is God that has given him the empowerment and wisdom. What the people have seen in his 100 days in office is just a tip of what is to come. We should leave politics and ethnicity and join hands with him to make Cross River State to attain a level of multi-national economy. Ayade has raised the benchmark of good governance in Cross River.

Team-Ben was a strong voice during the campaigns of Senator Ben Ayade. Now that the campaigns are over, what role are you playing?

For now, Team Ben is engaged in enlightening the populace about the people-friendly policies of the governor, his projects and his visions for the state. There are several negative forces that want to see the governor fail and who are sending negative signals to the populace. We are correcting that by the enlightenment of the public.

Some weeks ago, we had the state general meeting where our coordinators in all the local government areas were directed to start interacting with political groups, unions and members of the public; encouraging them to be patient. They were also enlightened on the governor’s achievements and policies.

We have printed the visions of the governor, his projects and the successes he has achieved. These have been distributed to our members, so that they can be better informed to enable them to inform the public.

We have also established another group that is liaising with churches to pray for the governor, because I notice that some of the problems people have against this administration, are not physical and you know spiritual things have to be attacked spiritually.

Team Ben is on the streets and in every neighbourhood across the state enlightening the public. We just moved from the verbal street enlightenment to the media. We know it’s very expensive but we are doing our best. We don’t want to keep quiet or fold our hands or go to the governor to solicit for funds. If we do that, we won’t be able to advise the governor properly when he goes wrong. We will go to the governor only when it’s advisory and necessary.

What is your projection about Where do you see Cross River State in the next four years under Senator Ayade?

In the next four years, Cross River State will be an outstanding one among other states of the federation. In the next four years, you will be hearing about Cross River State on international media. The state would have been positioned as a commercial centre. It’s not just hearing the governor talk about development; let his critics pray to God to open their eyes to see where the state will be in the next four years.

This is the first time Cross River State is having an intelligent, humble young man as governor. It is the first time the state is privileged to have a business man who is an employer of over 500 people still working under him. It is the first time Cross River State is having a man so liberal, who has an antecedent of helping the poor even before he became a Senator.

I urge residents of the state to drop all political and ethnic differences and support the governor. I know there will be a lot of distractions but I will say to the governor “stay focused”. The crown of leadership on him was divine and I know he will succeed.

November 6, 2015
Food should be good, nice and delicious

Food should be good, nice, and delicious for the rich and for the poor, for the free and for the prisoner, for the young and for the old, for the sick and for the healthy.

Americans love Chinese food and so do I. In my days in the US when I could not speak of cash flow, my first choice was always Chinese. I would go to an eatery and enjoy as good as a feast under five dollars, tax included. The days are coming, if we work hard enough, when everybody has a chance of eating well. Until the poor man or woman can buy good food and enough food, we are not yet a developed country.

Food is necessary for living and if we want to live our best lives, food should be good, nice, and delicious. Food keeps our bodies looking good, feeling good, and fit for our missions in life. Food keeps our minds functional, positive, and fine. Food keeps our spirits high, keen, and gracious. We all know the effects of food on us even without Oliver Twist singing “food glorious food!” Excuse my using Jesus, but he did turn water to the finest wine fact or fable. Now if he were to prepare the food for such a wedding feast, surely the feast would be heavenly.   Bread and life are so synonymous that he, himself, wanted to be bread for his beloved.   When we give food to people, we can be sure we are giving them life. The better the food we eat, the better the life we live. Therefore, food should be good, nice, and delicious to keep the life of the family healthy and happy. This means some sweat for the bread winner(s) of the family, but it is worthwhile sweat.

Food should be good. If food is nice and delicious but not good, it is not food. Food should give life, not take life. So many people end up with less life because of what they ate or what they have been eating. Some “foods” shoot up a person’s blood pressure to damage the body’s vital organs, or create bad internal environment within the body such as high cholesterol, or damage body structures such as causing arthritis and gout. Foods that cause permanent bodily dysfunction or that destroy body components are poisons; they disturb life, they limit life, and they take life from us. They are not good.

Food should be nice.I once went on a date and we went to a posh Chinese restaurant for lunch. The restaurant was large and beautiful but full of “customerless” tables. The lack of busyness should have been a warning sign but the environment was so inviting that we looked forward to the meal. The orders came, served with propriety. The food was too plain for a posh place and not appetizing. I noticed he hardly ate and I did my best to eat something so as not to waste. After struggling, we abandoned the meal. The bill for that lunch was more than a laborer’s minimum wage for one month. We did not mean to sin. We asked for a doggy bag and we left. The guy did not win my heart originally and the meal added bias to doubts.   I might have fallen in love through just roasted plantain and peanuts (“boli-b’epa”in the streets of Lagos). I later gave the doggy bag to a hungry man who only wanted food in his stomach and didn’t care what food.

Food should be delicious.Before I left Memphis this summer, after some weeks of brain-exciting research, my host lab went out for dinner. The restaurant we went to downtown was known to be excellent and popular. As we sat waiting for our plates, a celebrity was departing and all eyes were turned towards the door and of course the room was filled with related chit chat. The valet hustled about at the exit and in no time the celebrity was gone, dinner done. As we were rounding up our own meals, all different choices, a colleague asked me how was mine (since my plate arrived looking interesting) and unthinkingly I blurted out: “Boring!”. Now, that was quite impolite of me in such a posh restaurant but it was an involuntary reaction. I think I am pardonable because I do have taste buds and may God bless my taste buds always.

It is not good to fall sick from the food we eat; it is not nice to grind sand in our teeth every time we eat; and if food is not delicious, it simply passes through the stomach and not the appetite. Food should be good, nice, and delicious, but if it is not, we might still eat, for half bread is better than none. Next, we look at what our minds and bodies need to be strong and thrive, what our bodies need to be healthy, what our bodies need to survive, and what our bodies need to stay alive.

Dr. ‘Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA.   For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

October 3, 2015
The power of a good name

The title of this article today is not mine; it was used as an introduction to Christians to be more than a showpiece of morality because they are called to be salt and light in the world; a preserving and uplifting influence among men. In essence, they are expected to be God’s change agents in the world.

It relates this story told by Armstrong Williams an American political commentator, entrepreneur, author and host of a daily radio show. He is also the founder and CEO of the Graham Williams Group, an international marketing, advertising and media public relations consulting firm and confidant of Ben Carson, one of the presidential front runners of the Republican Party.

Williams wrote that one summer day his father sent him to buy wire and fencing for his farm in Marion County, South Carolina. He was delighted to go into town because he got to drive the pick-up by himself and at age 16 that was a wonderful thrill. However, there was a damper put on his spirits when his father told him he would have to ask for credit at the store. Being a prideful 16 year-old it was difficult for him. He says it was 1976 and the ugly shadow of racism was still a fact of life. He had seen his friends ask for credit and then stand, head down, while a patronising store owner questioned whether they were “good for it.”

Unperturbed, he went to Davis Brothers General Store where the owner, Buck Davis stood behind the register, talking to a middle-aged farmer. “When I brought my purchases to the register, I said carefully, ‘I need to put this on credit.’” The farmer gave him an amused cynical look. But Buck’s face didn’t change. “Sure,” he said easily. “Your daddy is always good for it.” He turned to the other man. “This here is one of James Williams’ sons.”

The farmer nodded in a neighbourly way. “I was filled with pride as James Williams’ son. Those three words had opened a door to an adult’s respect and trust. That day I discovered that a good name could bestow a capital of good will of immense value. The good name my father and mother had earned brought our whole family the respect of our neighbors.” Williams wrote.

That is one the powers of a good name, it can’t be bought with money. I saw that power reenacted once more last Saturday when the Press Club of the University of Lagos invited me as a special guest to the 4th edition of the Ngozi Agbo Memorial Lecture. Also invited were Mr. Sam Omatseye, the chairman of the Editorial Board, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin, the Online Editor and Wale Ajetunmobi, Editor of CAMPUSLIFE, all of The Nation. Dr. Eghosa Imasuen of Farafina, Mr. Adeola Yusuf of The New Telegraph and Mrs. Chichi Umaseeaka, publisher of 9inteen magazine also graced the lecture.

It was quite encouraging to see students, some of whom never met Ngozi in the flesh, celebrating her works and virtues. Mr. Omatseye and Mr. Otufodunrin arrived early and had to wait patiently for close to an hour for the students to get their public address system functioning. They remained there for over three hours that the event lasted.

Why would they leave their homes on a Saturday morning that they were expected to be resting after the rigours of newspaper production? They were there to honour a lady whose work has continued to wax stronger almost four years after her death. Just like the students, there’s no doubt that the late Ngozi Agbo meant a lot to them.

In his opening address as the chairman of the occasion, Mr. Omatseye said anything that pertains to furthering the cause of journalism and the mind will always get his attention. “Ngozi,” he said, “was a very powerful force in the life of campus journalism in Nigeria and The Nation as a newspaper… when the idea of CAMPUSLIFE was first mooted and discussed in the committee of editors meeting we felt it was too grandiose, but we allowed it to go.”

He highlighted two instances of the success of the project when he visited his alma mater (Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife) where a sizeable proportion of the student made mention of “Aunty Ngozi.” He added that he went away with the conviction that “CAMPUSLIFE is more than just a publication, it is a family.” All this because of Ngozi’s unique style of being a life coach, mentor as well as an editor all wrapped in one.

The second instance, according to him, was when he visited the Vice-Chancellor and the issue of the most popular paper on campus was raised. The Public Relations Officer insisted a particular paper was the most popular, but he disagreed. They had to visit the vendors’ stand where they were unequivocally told that The Nation was the most sought after newspaper, especially its Thursday’s edition when CAMPUSLIFE is published.

“It is credit to the work of Ngozi at that time. She knew what she was doing had consequences for the wider society, so she wasn’t partial. What she did for The Nation is hard to beat, she was a trailblazer. That’s why years after her death her work kept waxing stronger.”

It gladdens my heart to see that the Press Club of the University of Lagos institute – on their own – an annual lecture series to keep the vision, ideals and dreams of this great and visionary lady alive. This singular act goes to reinforce the fact that great ideas and visions don’t die, they blossom even if the visionary is no longer alive. Being a mental picture or concept in the imagination, a vision is also the ability to anticipate the direction a worthy cause or future an event will take, such is the power of vision.

In the crafting of vision, the character of the visionary is significant. One of Ngozi’s dreams was that Nigeria has the potentials of being a great nation. She believed these potentials lie in the hands of the youths which was why she birthed the idea that eventually gave them the platform to express their optimisms, suggestions and concerns on how to achieve these potentials.

Her vision is anchored on building the total man and looking at the core values and attributes that defines him, attributes that always emphasises the highest level of moral and ethical regeneration and the molding of sound character which she instilled in her “children.” She never failed to remind them that they are always a shining light to their generation.

There’s always something unique about “ex-CAMPUSLIFERS” that you cannot but notice. They’re always drivers of idea and not laggards; they never miss opportunities and they often go the extra mile to achieve their dreams in whatever field they find themselves. I am confidently proud of these young men and women. The bottomline is Ngozi did not live and die in vain as they will not shy away from telling you she gave them wings to soar.

Does that mean her preoccupation was only with undergraduates? Absolutely not, Ngozi was also a student of leadership and those who were familiar with this column when she handled it know too well of her passion for leadership; from leadership in the home to religious and secular leadership.

She often drive the point home to her undergraduates to steer clear of divisive individuals who have the innate capacity of filling their minds with xenophobic ideologies that have the tendency of creating hatred, rancour and bitterness in the society. Those who knew her can attest to the fact that she was detribalized; once you’re intelligent, you’re Ngozi’s friend irrespective of where you come from.

The now rested capacity building Workshops and Award ceremonies she undertook annually with the support of Coca-Cola Nigeria and Nigerian Bottling Company is a pointer to the fact that apart from merely sending in articles for publication, she ensures she has one-on-one contact with her undergraduates to be certain that the venture they are undertaking is far bigger than having their stories published in the newspaper.

Her story shows that there is indeed power in a good name as the Bible states.

October 1, 2015
Zahra Buhari good example

Instead of toeing the wrong path like most silver spoon kids, Zahra Buhari has decided to be the gem in her father’s crown and the light to her generation. With every decision she makes, she becomes more of an ambassador to youths. Within a year, she has gone from being the daughter of the President to becoming an exemplary icon who serves as a reference point to the youth of Nigeria.

On September 18, Zahra Buhari, daughter of President Muhammadu Buhari, signed on to be the brand ambassador of the Sickle Cell Aid Foundation (SCAF). SCAF is an NGO with a dual mandate to raise awareness on sickle cell and to ensure that individuals are able to make informed decisions on their future children, as well as guarantee that less-privileged people with the disorder have access to quality healthcare.

Zahra is no stranger to this disorder, as it affects her close relatives. Zahra has voiced her admiration towards the achievements of SCAF despite their little resources. Having lost a sister to sickle cell anaemia, Zahra is particularly passionate towards the goals of the foundation. The founder of SCAF, Nkechi Azinge, who was recently honoured by the Queen of England for her philanthropic acts, said: “Zahra is a passionate and committed lady who is keen to lend her support in any way possible.”

September 26, 2015
Why we must eat good food

Nutritionists have said that healthy eating habit is a gateway to healthy living. They, therefore, advised Nigerians to eat good food for sound health and wellness.

•Dr Diran delivering a lecture

The call was made at the first free community health and nutrition fair organised by Phison Nutrition and Wellness Centre. Speaking at the event held at Rhema Auditorium, Bodija, Dr Diran Oyewole, a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Public Health and Nutrition, College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan, revealed that human existence is influenced by many factors part of which, he said, is nutrition.

He said: “One of the components of nutrition is healthy eating which many claim to know much about but sometimes make mistake about; an action that makes them susceptible to non-communicable diseases.”

He noted that there is a need to create awareness on how to maximise the power of healthy living for sound health and wellness through preventive strategy.

His words: “At times, we eat more or less than what the body actually requires, unknowingly. Wrong food choices and combination, drug use, meal timing and health condition affect healthy eating. If you take a food item in the morning and you don’t have the sensation to eat more, the food is not good.”

To live a healthy life, he advised people against skipping breakfast. “Avoid late night meal, don’t eat legumes, oily and fried food late in the night. Never start your day with artificial or soft drink. Don’t drink chilled drink immediately after meal. And more importantly, seek information from reliable sources to know if you are eating well or not,” he said.

Speaking earlier, Mrs Shirley Isi-Ejoh of the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, revealed that most of the nutritional problems that occur in human beings started when growing up, adding that “a malnourished pregnant woman will give birth to a malnourished baby.”

She added that nutrition brings together the complex social and biological factors of how individuals and populations maintain optimal function and benefit. “The same food that somebody eats and benefits from may not be good for another person,” she explained.

On why she organised the fair, 28-year-old Miss Tubi Ibukunoluwa said the programme was borne out of the need to answer some salient questions about health, nutrition and wellness.

“With diet-related diseases on the increase, messages on health, especially from health professionals, become priority. As the saying goes “information is power”, but there seems to be a gap between health professionals with the information and the people that need the message.

“The health and nutrition fair seeks to bridge this gap by providing a platform where nutrition-health professionals are brought to the community where people of all age groups can get information on how to use the power of food for sound health in a fun, interactive and educative manner.”

She said though the fair was the maiden edition “we have been harnessing several platforms to pass the message of health and wellness through nutrition programmes on radio, nutrition talks in gatherings and organisations when invited. We also operate nutrition blog but the free community health and nutrition fair is the first.”

On how to sustain it, she said the health and nutrition fair model is self-sustainable as “it gives corporate institutions several opportunities to advertise their services and products.”

Ibukun, who is an expert in human nutrition, was optimistic that the fair would become a national matter.

“Since a lot of people need to know how to develop a healthy eating habit and lifestyle, I see it going beyond Ibadan into other states in Nigeria for as many people to benefit,” she said.

September 23, 2015
Team Nigeria’s performance has been good so far, says Yakmut

Alhassan Yakmut, Director General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), on Tuesday in Brazzaville said Team Nigeria’s performance at the ongoing 11th African Games in Congo had been good so far.

Yakmut, who was at the Makelekele Gymnasium to watch the Nigerian women beat their Gabonese counterparts in basketball, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Nigeria’s current standing was expected.

NAN reports that Egypt and South Africa now appear to be out of sight for Nigeria on the medals table, in terms of position and number of medals won.

“Team Nigeria has maintained its character, that of always coming up in the last few days of the competition.

“Most of our best events are always held toward the end of the Games. So, right now, our medals haul has been improving, and it is `so far, so good’,” Yakmut said.

He, however, acknowledged that Team Nigeria was out of contention for the first two places on the medals table.

“First or second position is no longer possible for us, even though we are winning many medals now and we are going to win more.

“The problem is in the fact that we didn’t take advantage of some areas, such as fencing, while badminton didn’t give us what we expected.

“Athletics, particularly, has not given us what we should have and that has been disappointing,’’ the NSC D-G said.

He, however, praised the efforts of Team Nigeria in cycling and boxing, saying boxing had been the best for the Nigerian team so far.

Yakmut also pointed out that the country has a future in cycling with the Games’ performance.

The Games will end on Saturday.

September 16, 2015
Building a good home

What can young people do to have a happy marriage? Speakers at a Ramadan lecture at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) offered tips on how Muslims can build good homes. AFIS ODEYEMI (300-Level History) reports.

O you who believe, fasting in the month of Ramadan is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may become pious.”

This Quranic verse set the tone for a Ramadan lecture at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State, last week, as the Islamic month wound up.

The lecture was held in honour of Sheikh Muktar Isalekoto, the founder of Muktar Isalekoto Islamic Foundation.

Muslim faithful from all walks of life converged on the university’s main auditorium for the lecture, the seventh in the series.

The Coordinator of the foundation, Ustadz Lukman Muktar Isalekoto of the Faculty of Engineering, said the focus of the lecture was on frequently asked questions about dissolution of marriage in Islam and what Muslims could do to maintain their piety.

Chief Imam of Asbunallahu Central Mosque in Ilorin Sheikh Abdulrafiu Oloduowo traced the cause of marital disagreement among young Muslim couples to lack of spirituality and the absence of incentives before their marriage. He said spiritualism should be the foundation on which a marriage is built, stressing that the embrace of secular wedlock is responsible for the collapse of marriages.

Using the Quran and Sunnah (Prophet Muhammed examples) as a reference point, the cleric said marriage in Islam is an injunction established by Allah to mankind for the purpose of legitimate worship.

He said: “Today, many people marry for the wrong reasons. As soon as they are joined together, they begin to experience problems and they will discover that the marriage won’t work. Allah has created marriage for you in order that you may achieve comfort from your spouse and achieve lifetime happiness.

“Those who are married under the shade of Allah, they naturally will have feelings towards their spouse, and they will feel protected. This is a natural feeling that Allah places automatically in their heart which was not there prior to the union.”

Oloduowo advised young couples to be conscious of their Allah’s command and maintain constant communication to have long-lasting marriage. He urged students to explore Quranic guidelines in choosing a spouse, noting that spiritual life of a man or woman should play good role before marriage.

He added: “If anyone bases his opinion only on beauty when choosing his or her spouse, the beauty will fade away. If the opinion is based on wealth, the wealth will vanish one day. If the opinion is based on reputation, such reputation may be tarnished overnight, but if it is based on spiritualism, such will only increase as time passes by.”

Imam Abdulwahab Ajia spoke on Hidaah (waiting period) of a divorcee or a woman who has just lost her husband. He said: “Widows should mourn for a period prescribed by Shariah Law. For a woman whose husband has given oral divorce notice twice, she must be allowed to remain in her husband house for a period of time she is observing her menstruation.

“But in cases where only one or two oral divorce notices have been made by the husband but the third one has not been issued, the husband is allowed to settle with his wife if he has a change of heart.

In the instance of three divorce notices and the couple decides to settle, a fresh marriage must be conducted and a new bridal price be paid as it is the case in the first marriage before they can be allowed to live together again.”

Speaking on direction to face while observing Solat (obligatory prayer), Imam Abdulsalam Saliu said Solat would not take place if Muslims did not position themselves properly. He said Muslims must maintain a position of the Kibla, which points towards holy Kaabah (holy site) in Saudi Arabia. This is believed to be the centre of the earth.

In cases, where the direction of Kibla could not be identified, Saliu said Muslims must employ the services of experts in determining the direction to face in observing Solat. He said: “We can possibly determine the direction of Kibla through the use of compass or weather forecast it was the practice in the early period of Islam.”

Participants described the lecture as educative, saying their knowledge about marriage had been enriched by the discourse.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, represented by his deputy for Management Services, Prof Yisa Fakunle, described the lecture as timely, noting that it would serve as guidance to the youth in choosing their life partner. He said the institution would continue to support programmes that would have impact on the life of the its students, irrespective of religion and culture.

July 23, 2015