The Nation Newspaper

Tag: men

  • Attacks on task force men

    Attacks on task force men

    •Lagos State must go tough on those assaulting its officials

    Unless the Lagos State government takes stern actions against individuals and institutions that assault members of its task force on environment and special offences (enforcement unit), the rationale for the establishment of the task force may be defeated. We are worried that the officers and men of this agency keep falling victims to all manner of persons –  touts, drivers, bus conductors and even uniformed men who should know better.

    The latest such assault on the men of the task force occurred on June 10, when two officers, Goyit Bulus and Sunday Olugbogi, of the Nigerian Customs Service, Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja, Lagos, slapped the magistrate attached to the task force, Lekan Aka-Bashorun, and beat up two other of its officials. The magistrate’s sin was ordering that some vehicles belonging to the Customs men parked where vehicles were forbidden from being parked be impounded. Two policemen and two paramilitary officials attached to the task force were beaten up for giving effect to the magistrate’s order. The Customs men who destroyed court exhibits and recording gadgets claimed that the task force had no right to seize their vehicles.

    The Lagos State government set up the task force for the primary purpose of ensuring sanity on roads in the state. Its mandate includes essentially enforcing the state road traffic law as well as ensuring that the environment is conducive to habitation. It has raided dark spots in the state and arrested many suspected criminals. The government followed up with the establishment of mobile courts to try minor offenders as a way of decongesting the regular courts and ensuring that justice is dispensed without delay.

    Because of the very nature of its mandate, agents of the task force have become easy targets for the hoodlums and other lawless elements who took advantage of the chaotic nature of affairs before the coming of the task force to perpetrate crimes.

    Just last February, a paramilitary officer attached to the task force, Mr. Uzan Rildwan, was stabbed on his head and had two  of his fingers cut off by commercial drivers and market touts under the Oshodi bridge in Lagos. This followed a fracas between men of the task force and commercial bus operators who were picking passengers indiscriminately under the bridge, thus obstructing traffic and causing gridlocks in the area.

    What such attacks do, particularly when the culprits are not made to pay for their actions, is to dampen the morale of the task force personnel, which will not augur well for the state. This latest incident is particularly saddening because of reports that the matter had been settled amicably between the heads of the security agencies. This kind of settlement should belong in the past. The issue is, laws have been broken by some people and they should pay for it.

    What is the business of the heads of the security agencies that were said to have resolved the matter? Were they the ones who sent their men to break the law, beat up a magistrate and law enforcement officers, and confiscate court properties? If not, then, the matter is clearly beyond them at this stage. It has become a public issue and the law must be seen to take its full course. The excuse by the Customs image maker that the Customs officials did not know that the person they slapped was a magistrate does not hold water. What is important is that they knew the task force officials were on official duty in the area.

    It is high time we made our security agents know that they are not above the law and that the arms they bear are carried on behalf of the state to facilitate their job; not to intimidate civilians or other government agents in the course of their official duties. So, whoever buried the incident between the Customs men and the task force officials must exhume it now to allow the law take its course. The aim of task forces like the one in question would be defeated if incidents like this are treated as ‘family affair’ and swept under the carpet.

  • Where are all the good men?

    Where are all the good men?

    Men, men, men!!! We can’t live with them, we can’t live without them. Picture this, boy meets girl, boy asks girl out, girl does small shakara but eventually agrees. Just when girl starts to fall in love, boy dumps her and moves on to the next target. It’s a classic scenario.  You could have met a guy that likes you, but once you start showing even a hint of affection, he gets scared and runs away.

    He might start missing your call and never call back; he might get so busy you never spend time together anymore. He might even give you a sob story; he just realized he’s not ready for a relationship. It’s him not you (yeah right)! And then it hits you. You’ve been stringed along again.

    Why are guys like that though?  I admit there are still some good guys left, but my question is; where have all the good guys gone? And by “good” guy, I mean a confident and trustworthy man. He respects and adores his woman. He loves her in spite of her flaws and  is sincere and God fearing. In short, a good man treats his woman like a Queen because he wants to be her King.

    Forget about fairy tale stories of Prince charming on a white horse. I think most women will prefer a regular guy that doesn’t play games with her or toy with her feelings. A regular good guy. I have to say that it is very frustrating being a single girl in Lagos. I wonder if it’s as tough in other states. You’re constantly bombarded with images and stories of supposedly happy couples and you wonder when you’ll have your own happy ending. It’s tough because sometimes you think you’ve finally met “The One” but then he goes out of his way to prove to you that he’s not for you. How hard can it be to show care and give attention?

    Also, it seems loyalty and monogamy is alien to men nowadays. Having side chics or piece or whatever they call it has become some sort of norm. In fact, even wives and girlfriends have accepted their fates and they console themselves by saying: it’s just sex, he loves me, not her, and he comes back home to me and things like that. I could scream!!!!

    But I refuse. I refuse to accept that fidelity is a thing of the past. I refuse to believe that cheating should be expected in a relationship. I refuse to share my man with another woman and I refuse to lower my standards. But my question still remains.

    If there are still good men out there, then where have they gone? Are they like the beautiful ones and they’ve not been born? If that is the case, finding a soulmate in this lifetime is not certain. Are they all married or in serious about-to- wed relationships? I didn’t receive the memo that advertised good men searching for suitable wives. Are they in another country entirely? I am seriously considering migrating. Lol

    Where have all the good men gone? My very own JAMB question!!!

  • Two men raised the alarm over threat to their lives

    Two men, Adeniyi Olaewe, 32, and Ojo Yekini, 30, have raised the alarm following a threat to their lives by some people allegedly led by a man identified simply as Femi.

    The duo who spoke to reporters at the Emergency and Accident Unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), narrated how they escaped death by whiskers on Tuesday when a group of men in a Sport Utility Vehicle laid an ambush for them at Lakowe village in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos.

    He said: “I am in serious pains. I find it difficult to raise my right hands. The doctors told me that I have to bear with the pains depending when they will extract bullets lodged on the right side of my chest.”

    “On May 2 around 10pm, we were taking food to our colleagues working at a site in Lakowe Village in Ibeju-Lekki area of Lagos. I was in company with two of my colleagues and I was the one who drove.

    “My colleagues sat on the rear seat. I had the premonition that the driver of the vehicle deliberately drove towards and the occupants could be up to something sinister. As I tried to swerve the vehicle to another direction, the other vehicle moved closer.

    “Before I could find out what the problem was, the next thing I heard was sporadic gunshots and I was hit by bullets. I managed to run out of the vehicle, yet the shooter persisted. All of a sudden, a Sport Utility Vehicle was driving in our direction. After they left, we called our boss on the phone and described the spot where we hid to him. He and some others came to rescue us.

    “By the time they arrived, I was so weak because I had lost so much blood. They took us to Elemero Police Division where we lodged complaint and got police report.”

    According to Olaewe said the man who sat behind the driver of the vehicle was used the one who shot them attack them.

    On his part, Yekini said he was hit by bullets in four different parts of his body.

  • Strong men, weak institutions

    SIR: During the last general elections, people who believed in Buhari, worked hard to ensure he won the election. This, they did, because of the integrity of the then General Muhammadu Buhari. Looking back, one would pardon them. The former administration of Goodluck Jonathan was epileptic in terms of governance and there was a clear abdication of responsibility by the administration. Insecurity was at its highest level. Corruption broke new records and gained more grounds; everywhere one looked, there was total confusion. People wondered whether Nigeria had returned to the state of nature as espoused by Thomas Hobbes.

    As a result, there was understandably great anger in the land. People were united in the quest to send an ineffectual and inefficient government parking. Give us anybody but Jonathan. In the midst of the communal suffering by Nigerians, APC crept in; a party hurriedly created to take advantage of the flops and inefficiencies of the PDP. Realising that there was anger in the land, APC embarked on massive propaganda to a disoriented and disenchanted people, who swallowed it hook, line and sinker. It enhanced its political fortune and translated into electoral victory.

    Ten months after, has the APC fared any better? The answer is obviously in the negative. The slogan of the APC was change, but what Nigerians have seen, is more of stagnation than the promised change. The party upon attaining political power denied virtually all of its campaign promises and is joyfully confused. Looking back at the last 10 months, it is safe to conclude that the APC and President Buhari under-estimated the problems of Nigeria. What we have seen so far are talk, talk and more talk. Nothing more.

    The anger that was prevalent under the Goodluck Jonathan’s regime has returned with more salvo. People are bitting their fingers and gnashing their teeth. The general feeling among Nigerians now, is where did we go wrong? Was appointing Buahri a mistake? There is a massive ill-feeling against this government. The goodwill it enjoyed is evaporating; that is if it still has any left. Buhari and his co-travellers have returned to the PDP ways; or so it seem.

    What therefore is the way out? The problem of Nigeria is not about Buhari. It is simply a problem lack of institutions. Nigeria is a country is without institutions that ensures credible leaders are produced to head different arms and parastatals of government; one that ensures sound economic and social policies. In fact, it will be a miracle for this government or anyone (including those manned by angels) to succeed with the kind of institutions we operate. Jonathan suffered from this lack, Buhari is manifestly suffering from it too.

    To bring our country back to the route of development, there must be a holistic overhaul of the institutions we operate. There would be hardly any positive achievement that can be recorded with the corrupt, lacklustre, nepotic despotic and sluggish political, social, economic and religious institutions that we currently operate.

    For any government to succeed, it must ensure a solid foundation for sound political, economic and social institutions to be created. No single individual can solve our problem. The solution is in sound institutions backed by strong individuals. No one can exist without the other.

     

    • Frank Ijege, 

    Network for Democracy and Human Rights,

    frankijege@yahoo.com.

  • ‘Poor lifestyle, diseases cause men’s low libido’

    Poor lifestyle, injuries and diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension, have been identified as causes of low libido among men.

    According to Dr Narasimhan Subramanian, Senior Consultant Urologist at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in Delhi, India,  poor libido also known as erectile dysfunction (ED), is common because  most men lack adequate flow of blood to their organs.

    Subramanian, who spoke at a training organised by Diamond Helix Health Support Ltd for physicians in Lagos, said poor lifestyle, such as smoking, drinking and fatigue/chronic stress, impact on a man’s sex drive.

    “The inability of men to achieve and maintain a normal erection adequate for penetration implies erectile dysfunction. Similarly, a delay in achieving erection or an inability to maintain an erection also implies ED. ED may occur under various circumstances, ranging from spinal injuries, neurological and psychological dysfunction, also unidentifiable cause is often common,”he said.

    Some extreme symptoms of ED, he said, were loss of erection, acute psychological distress and gradual loss of desire for sex.

    Subramanian said it was more frequent in diabetics and in those with cardio vascular diseases, hypertension and peripheral vascular disease.The effect on the nerves and on the blood vessels leading to poor blood flow seems to be the primary reason.

    He said in the country, plants and herbs have served as sources of medicines for the treatment of chronic ED among the poor but this may not be sufficient.

    Subramanian said various plant products and herbal medications have reportedly produced good results but there are no controlled studies comparing those with established allopathic medicines.

    To obtain impressive treatment, Subramanian advised men to seek qualified healthcare practitioners who would do an assessment of their blood sugar, cardiovascular health and measurement of hormones, such testosterone and prolactin.

    “Besides, a psychological evaluation will often benefit those who suffer from performance anxiety while depression is often seen as an accompanying factor of ED in many people. A detailed evaluation of one’s medication is also important. Smoking and excessive drinking are known to have significant adverse impact on ED, so it is good to avoid them altogether and embrace a holistic lifestyle,” he said.

  • Wanted: Men and women to help Nigeria

    Sir: I am writing this piece with a broken heart. I am writing this piece with a deep sense of sadness. I am totally devastated because it seems to me that a vast preponderance of Nigerians prefer Nigeria to remain a nation of anything goes. I know that every country has its own builders and plunderers. I know that builders put things in place and make things work. I know that plunderers decimate and desecrate anything in sight.

    After nine months, my eyes have seen a lot and my ears have heard enough to believe that leaders of PDP have no conscience, no heart, no mind and no soul. In 16 years they pillaged, milked and plundered a vibrant nation to stupor. It was a big scramble for the leaders of PDP to take everything within their reach. They stole dollars and naira in billions and trillions. They never said enough is enough. It was primitive accumulation of anything in sight. No wonder nothing is left to even pay salaries of workers. I did not see any ambitious road projects in Nigeria in 16 years. There was no serious investment in modern infrastructure – good roads, bridges, resorts, high speed rail projects. There was no serious investment in security architecture, schools, hospitals, agriculture, transportation, human resources etc. It has been a case of looters take it all.

    Since President Buhari took over in May 29, 2015, it has been everyday, one new discovery of loots and more loots traced to different banks both in and outside Nigeria. To some people, it is a joke. To some people, APC government is a liar. To some of them President Buhari is trying to divert attention. But the truth remains that no nation on earth has been milked to the bones the way PDP leaders cleared everything in sight in 16 years.

    I had thought that their conscience would have been pricked and that I will see some of them showing some remorse and asking for forgiveness. What we hear are all these: “Buhari lacks capacity to govern” from the aged Prof Ben Nwabueze. Charlie Boy Oputa, Ben Bruce, Regina Askia are asking ‘Is this the change we voted for’; others which time and space will not permit me to remember and mention says “ President Buhari has no plans for the economy”.

    Now, President Buhari needs our help to build a new Nigeria. Committed, decent, honest men and women of deep character to stand up for Nigeria. I know millions of Nigerians out there are silently praying for this President to succeed. In the midst of the confusionists and haters of honest things, I have seen silent workers who want President Buhari and APC to succeed where Jonathan, others and PDP failed. I want these men and women to rise up to the occasion. Leaders of PDP and their cronies have garnered enough muscles and huge wealth in the past 16 years and they can use this to bring down the system if we permit it. We sleep all the time but the looters are awake 24/7and work 24/7. We must not underestimate the power of these workers of iniquity and reprobate minds. They need to be defeated and crushed. They are fighting in our various courts, they are fighting in the National Assembly, they are fighting in the Presidency, ministries, embassies, states, LGAs, and even markets etc. Corruption must not defeat President Buhari. YES WE CAN defeat corruption and Nigeria will grow.

     

    • Joe Igbokwe,

    Lagos.

  • ‘All over the world, women are now doing better than men’

    ‘All over the world, women are now doing better than men’

    Vivian Okereke is the managing director/chief executive officer of TransRoyal Courier, one of the leading Nigerian courier companies. she was the image maker of one of the leading oil servicing companies in Nigeria. Okereke has been managing the TransRoyal Courier since the demise of her husband in 2007. in this interview with gbenga aderanti, Okereke speaks on her style, why Nigeria is the best place to do business; her attitude business, among other issues

     

    At what point did you decide to do courier business?

    Actually, TransRoyal Courier Company was inaugurated on the 20th of March 1998 as a private company to run courier services. But we actually started operations 2nd of May 1998, some months after the incorporation.

    How was it when you started?

    It was good but quite challenging; we had a crop of people, people who had been long in courier industry, they had worked in international courier companies previously, we all came together to form TransRoyal Courier.

    People say business climate is hostile in Nigeria, how true is this talking from  your own experience?

    The business climate in Ni geria is not hostile. Yes we have challenges, just as we will have in any country or industry. In Nigeria, I will say, Nigeria being a strong market with large population, I always tell people that it is very easy to be an entrepreneur in Nigeria because there is hardly anything you decide to do that you won’t get people that will buy. Yes, even if it is pure water you want to sell in front of your house, you will have customers patronising you. Yes, we have a huge population; the market is there for anything you want to do.

    And coming to the industry itself, we are talking about the population of about 150-170 million in Nigeria, so to the courier industry, it is huge, a very very big industry, so the market is there for the courier industry. The only problem we have in Nigeria and why people say it is hostile is in the cases where we have multi-taxing by the government. We have issues of infrastructure; that it is not how it should be and then other challenges that are peculiar to African nation. But apart from that, if you have been in the industry long enough, you will be able to device means to surmount all these challenges and still manage to run your organisation.

    You are in a business where men seem to have an edge and feel superior, how have you been coping?

    Well, I think Nigeria has come of age and women in particular, I think everywhere, particularly in  African countries, African societies where women have been made to be under men, the women have been made to understand that they can’t do what a man can do but for a very long time now, women have really been showing that they can perform and even if you check in the world today, women are in better positions and they have been performing better than men. And back home in Nigeria, a lot of women have been doing very well, they occupy important positions. we have women ministers. I think the next stage we are getting to is to have a woman president and it will come to that; but for me it is not a matter of a man or woman, but an issue of performance, commitment,  dedication, hard work and these qualities God put in everybody, both male and female alike but it just depends on who decides to make the best use of the talents God has given to the person. that  is why you have women excelling, you have some men not excelling, you have women not excelling and you have some men not excelling, the choice is actually that of the individual.

    I want to excel, I want to make it, depending on where you are coming from, your background. To excel or make it in any profession, it is hard work, you have to be focused, you have to be organised, you have to be dedicated, you have to have vision, passion and you have to have zeal for what you are doing and if you have all these and you are committed to it and with God helping you, the sky is going to be the limit.

    Some of the international courier companies control the larger market of the courier business even when you have good indigenous courier companies in Nigeria, how come this is so?

    Yes, they do in the sense that they brought courier to Nigeria you know even though there had been local means of doing things but just like every other industry, they in the developed countries are the ones bringing it to developing countries. Courier started  in Nigeria from having DHL and UPS, a lot of us who own indigenous courier companies have worked in international courier companies and that is where we got our training and experience, that is what we have put in to run our own companies because Nigeria is our nation, we understand this terrain so we can do it better because if you look around in Nigeria, even with DHL and UPS, I don’t think you will see any white man delivering letters or driving any truck, so it is still done by Nigerians though it is an international company. so, we feel that here in Nigeria they cannot do better than us because we understand the terrain better, they cannot beat us.

    Some years back, we had so many Nigerian courier companies, suddenly they faded away, what could have caused this?

    There are a lot reasons why a lot of them have exited. One was the capital market crash. We had a rosy capital market some years back and that was what prompted the  emergence of so many courier companies, a lot of them were majorly distributing materials from capital market, so when you had capital market crash, it dwindled the market, definitely those focused on capital marketing operation had to exit. Secondly, to run a full-fledged courier company is capital intensive. it is not something everybody has been able to do. we in TransRoyal have a huge branch network, we have branches in every state capital, so you know it is capital intensive to do that. It also requires a lot of resources, structure, logistics and manpower. If you are not really to invest a lot of money in it, you may not be able to have it . If you don’t have capital available to you unlike in other developed countries, where you get loan from banks at a very comfortable interest rate but in Nigeria if you don’t have the capital to run a capital intensive business like this, it is going to be very difficult. These are the major challenges that made most indigenous courier companies to exit.

    What were you doing before TransRoyal Courier?

    Personally, I worked in a oil industry, I was a corporate affairs manager for Petrolog, an oil servicing company. So I worked with them first but I started this courier company with my late husband. he was the founder; he had been in courier business for long. the late sir Obiora Okeke, he was a guru; we started TransRoyal Courier together and he died in 2007 unfortunately through a fatal motor accident but the company had already been formed, we just continued.

    Did you have any training before the career switch?

    I’ve been to many trainings not courier trainings, like I said, I was in the oil industry, I’ve received lots of training both in Nigeria and overseas, training in management, on how to run a company with entrepreneurial skill. I had a lot of trainings in that so, I was in corporate affairs and corporate affairs in oil industry was more of meeting clients and marketing. So when we came together, he had had the experience and expertise of courier, I also had my own experience in admin and marketing, we teamed together, but over time running a courier industry, I had no choice but to get training and now I have experience in courier industry.

    Would you say you are fulfilled?

    Yes. I’m  very fulfilled, TransRoyal has gotten so far but we are not where we ought to be yet; we are aiming to get there and we will get there. But I’m very fulfilled. I really thank God for where we are today. When we were starting, we were renting a small apartment at Adelabu, Surulere, Lagos there we had the vision of taking this place to a bigger place and all over Nigeria, though I did not know how it was going to be done but that was our vision, but we had the passion to do it and we started, gradually  and today we are every where in Nigeria; today we are competing with the international courier companies by virtue of our location, by virtue of the staff, the work we do. I always tell people why pay so much money for the service you can get for a cheaper cost?

    What are the qualities you need to possess to be an entrepreneur in Nigeria?

    The qualities I believe you need to possess to be a successful entrepreneur, for me, the first quality is honesty, integrity; let your yes be yes, let people know you are someone they can trust. then you have to be hard working. like I always tell my workers, it is only a thief that will want to reap where he has not sown, you need to be hard working, you need to sow so that you can reap. many of us are too much in a hurry,  we want the money now now. there is a time to sow, there is a time to reap.  You need to be committed to what you are doing, even if it looks like it is not making a headway. Like I told you, TransRoyal was not this big when we started, it was a gradual process. if you hang in there, you have the belief in yourself, you have the belief in what you are doing whether good or bad. you hang in there, at a point in time, there will be a melting point when things become better. We have paid our dues, we have been here for 17 years. Great things start from small beginnings.

    How does your wardrobe look like?

    I’m a very simple person. You’ll find both traditional and English dresses. If I’m going for social functions, I go for traditional attire and if I’m going to work, I dress formally.

    How do you relax?

    I do attend ceremonies if I have to, if the person is close to me. How do I relax? I relax by going to the gym, go to the club. I’m a member of Ikoyi Club.

    What is that fashion item you can’t do without?

    There is no fashion item I can’t do without.

    Where do yo shop for what you wear?

    I shop overseas because I travel a lot, so I won’t have time to shop in Nigeria most of my shoppings are done overseas.

  • I’m too busy to allow men’s advances –Property merchant-turned-preacher Elishama Ideh

    I’m too busy to allow men’s advances –Property merchant-turned-preacher Elishama Ideh

    Towards the end of last year, businesswoman-turned-evangelist, Elishama Ideh, had a captivating Christian movie premiere at a highbrow galleria in Victoria Island, where she hosted the creme de la creme of society. The movie, which is called Captivated, is a true life story that touches hearts. A high flying businesswoman, who was dealing in real estate, Elishama’s story is that of one who God ‘arrested’ and compelled to take the cross and evangelise the world. Called out from a worldly life, she still radiates beauty even in the Christian messages she preaches. If the flamboyant men ministers of God are called ‘yuppie,’ then Elishama is the female version. Though upscale and flamboyant, she is down to earth and ready to serve, even as far as going to prisons, brothels to minister God’s word. It’s a total change for 51-year-old Elisama Ideh. She tells Paul Ukpabio her story:

     

    How has your new life in Christ changed the person that you used to be?

    My life in Christ has made me to be walking in everything God has created me to be, even before I was formed in my mother’s womb. I am still an ongoing project daily in the hands of the Lord.

    What is the feeling like about the gender difference in ministry work? are the male counterparts receptive to the women in ministry?

    The gender difference in ministry still has a wide gap to be fully accepted, especially in our part of the world. But it’s beginning to take its place. There is no gender in the things of the Spirit. In the book of Genesis 1:26-28, God created both male and female, blessed them together, gave the earth to them to subdue together. It was a joint assignment, but with different roles as the occasion permits.

    You are the Founder and President of Ctem Christ the Ever Present Ministries, how did that all start?

    Christ The Ever Present Ministry was founded in the year 2000. I was a full-time business woman before then, a strong, committed member and a worker of the Redeemed  Christian Church of God (Dominion Sanctuary) Acme Ikeja. From RCCG Acme, our set of graduating  workers was required to birth another Parish, which we birthed in Ikoyi off Awolowo way (RCCG Mercy land parish)before we got our permanent property on Odunlami street Lagos. The foundation of my Christian life is firmly rooted with the Redeemed Christian Church of God where I first received the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and saviour.

    My late husband and I were workers for many years and he was a deacon with RCCG Mercyland Parish before he was called home by the Lord. I began to receive the nudging to ministry from  the year 1994. I had to go through series of encounters with the Lord before I finally caved in in the year 2000. I was not one of the people that God called and submitted immediately. I had a lot of struggles with the Lord because at that time, I thought people that looked like me cannot be called to ministry and it must be the down and out frustrated people that end up saying they were called to be pastors.

    So at what point did you accept?

    And even when the Lord first told me the level I was to start my ministry, submitting was doubly difficult. He wanted me to go out on the streets and begin to minister the saving grace of Jesus to the downtrodden; that is, abandoned destitute persons, homeless orphans, the lame, the blind, the lunatic, prostitutes, drug addicts. I was a pioneer of the street ministry; not too many people were called to such ministry at that time. I didn’t find it funny. though by year 1999 I had finally agreed to ministry, but when I realised the categories of people God wanted me to start with, I resisted him for another one year. Anyway, God prevailed on me by somethings which he allowed me to suffer and I finally yielded to the call. I was finally consecrated and released into ministry by God through the hand of Apostle Wole Oladiyun of CLAM (Christ Living Springs Apostolic Ministry). Christ The Ever Present Ministry started in March 2000.

    Are the male pastors receptive to female pastors?

    Our male counterparts are becoming receptive in ministry, especially when the fruits of your ministry begin to speak.

    What are the blessings that you are now enjoying in the Lord?

    The blessings I am now enjoying in the Lord are unquantifiable. Most importantly Christ is my anchor, my peace, my joy and the source of everything in my life. The greatest blessing I am enjoying from the Lord is the gift of the salvation of my soul

    You seem to have been well blessed with projects last year, can you share one or two of those moments with us?

    The year 2015 was a bitter-sweet year for me but by the closing of the year in December, God gave me unspeakable Joy. My first child, my daughter Vanessa Ideh graduated from the University (North Texas University) Dallas USA with a first class honors. She made a 3.9 points grade from a 4.0 GPA grade. That was an outstanding feat. She has five honours to her credit. She had been a 4.0 perfect score student throughout her semesters. She’s been on the dean’s list, president’s list and so on. I am really grateful to God and very proud of her and all my children. She had three major conglomerates, three of the five giants rooting and waiting to grab her immediately. She is already doing her internship with one of them as the first black in the whole state of Texas. As a single mother bringing up three children this means a lot to me. A major blessing from the Lord.

    What were you doing before becoming an anointed servant of God?

    I was fully into business, buying, selling, doing contracts, and a developer in real estate.

    How has the journey in his vineyard been so far?

    The work of God is always full of unexpected suspense. It has been a great supernatural experience for me.

    What about the controversy about women being on the pulpit to preach?

    I generally do not let controversy about women in pulpit bother me because  Jesus Christ’s ministry was surrounded and activated by women. He was the one that sent forth the first female evangelist (the woman at the well in Samaria) who was even a six times divorcee (laughs). If that’s in our generation, that woman won’t be allowed to be a church member, not to talk of being a preacher. But God looks beyond our weaknesses to focus on who we really are, then draws out our strength and urges us on in that new dimension.

    Every servant of God has a special calling, some they pray and women get pregnant, some healing, some others teaching, what can you say is yours?

    I am a called evangelist but I operate with a distinct prophetic apostolic grace. But the major core area of my calling is the ‘helps ministry’ which has given birth to other bodies of my ministry like ‘PFANN (Partnership For A New Nigeria) and Elishama Ideh Ministries (mentoring women/raising leaders).

    And as a called evangelist, I have a strong manifestation of the operations of the gift of healing/deliverance. I am also called as a revivalist to point people to the direction of God’s mind per season and also a strong voice to the plight of the downtrodden, a distinct voice concerning the affairs of the nations. All these latter parts are part of the operations of the apostolic work in my calling.

    What is your advice to ladies who are looking forward to working in a Christian ministry?

    For ladies who are looking forward to working in ministry, you must first have served in various capacities under other ministries or churches, then surrender yourself for mentorship. And make sure you have a go ahead from the Lord in which direction He is leading you to serve.

    Your educational background?

    My primary education was at Mayflower Junior School Ikenne, then part of my secondary education up to form three was with Federal government girls college Onitsha. But then I finished up at Brooklyn high school Brooklyn New york. My university education was at Bowie State College, Now Bowie State University Bowie, Maryland USA. I studied Mass Communications.

    What is your view about fashion and how do you describe fashion?

    For me, fashion is your personal style and the clothings that flatter you in a very decent and classy way, clothings that project your image positively and describe your occasion or office at any given time.

    My style is uniquely me. My style has changed a lot because of age and the mature role I now play in ministry. I wear what enhances what I want to project each season. I dress with what suits me as the occasion demands.

    What do I value most?    

    My relationship and walk with God is the very essence of my being. Then my family, most importantly my three lovely children that God blessed me with.

    Any regrets so far?

    I miss nothing about my past and I have no regrets whatsoever because as a child of God, I believe whatever God permits in our lives, good or bad, will all work together for our good.

    How was your love life?

    My husband is late. He has been called home to be with the Lord since 12 years ago. No, ours then was not marriage at first sight, it was more of friendship that veered into marriage. We met in the most unusual way. He knocked on the door of my house after I just finished fasting for seven days, telling God that was exactly how I wanted my husband to appear to me. I didn’t want anyone to take the glory of the introduction. It’s a long story. My marriage was unique and also as typical as can be like any other marriage.

    My late husband loved me with his life but we were also plagued with many challenges that come with marriage. For moments, we were full of love for each other; at other times, we had down moments.  but all in all, my late husband, John Ideh, was the man that was ordained for me in that season of my life, and no other man would have been able to fit that role then.

    As a woman, do you think a woman can combine a career with family life successfully?

    Yes, a woman can juggle the role of a career woman and wife successfully if she sets her priorities in order, especially in this age. There are so many gadgets to make life easier; you can pre-cook all your meals and put in the freezer, then have the house help just warm up in the micro-wave when not around; you can put up CCTV camera to monitor what your house help is doing at home and with your children when you are away. Make sure you make out enough time after work to spend with your husband and children for them to receive your warmth and affection as a mother and wife.

    What do you consider the secret of marriage success?

    The secret of a successful marriage is to be naked with each other and not be ashamed. That is telling each other the naked truth at all times. There must be constant and open communication and both of you must be God-fearing and have a good walk with the Lord. Then, the area of intimacy must be very healthy; all these helps for a successful marriage.

    If you were not what you are now, what else would you have loved to be?

    I love who I am now wholeheartedly but otherwise I would still have been fully committed to business.

    Tell us a few things you remember about your childhood and a few you remember about your parents?

    My late father was a police officer and my mum was a business woman. I came from an idolatry background but my mum received Jesus Christ along the line and prayed us all in. My mum is still alive.

    I was born into a family of five children, four brothers; I am the only daughter of my parents. I now have three surviving brothers. I am the second in line of my brothers. I am from Ewohimi village from Edo state of Nigeria. I was born and bred here in Lagos.

    What do you do at leisure? Do you dance?

    Yes, I dance with my children at leisure time when they are around, they try to teach me the latest dance steps and we have a lot of laughs doing that because of my awkwardness in learning. I read and watch movies. I love action movies.

    How do you spend your holiday?

    For my holidays, I travel sometimes when I can or just lock up myself for a retreat.

    Do you have memories of a particular holiday you enjoyed?

    Yes, the last holiday my late husband and I had with the children in the USA a year before his death, that remains one of my most memorable holidays for many reasons.

    What accesories do you not do without?

    I am a very typical woman that loves all the girlie stuffs. There is no fashion accessory I can’t do without if I have to. There was a season in the first 13 years of my being born again, I didn’t wear any kind of jewellery (an ‘SU’ kind of appearance) until I was matured in the word to understand that’s not what makes me holy but the adornment of my heart before God. I grew out of that season. But I am a very typical woman, like I said, I love all the girlie stuffs that suit me, my personality and the office I represent. Except I absolutely have to for reasons very important, the above mentioned accesorries are part of my dress make-up depending on what I am wearing and for what occasion.

    As a widow, how do you handle men’s advances?

    I am a woman who fears the Lord and His dictates, so I am very matured both physically and spiritually to handle such matters. I am a very focused person, totally aware of who I am in the Lord and the truth of the matter is, no man can make advances to me except God gives such a man the grace. I am saying this in the most humble way. I am very busy in ministry; you won’t find me in the normal places where you will be able to reach me easily for such advances. I am totally aware that any such move will be divinely orchestrated. I am a very private person outside ministry, so I have not had to deal with men much at that level (laughs).

  • Lagos: Two men arraigned for having anal sex inside jeep

    Lagos: Two men arraigned for having anal sex inside jeep

    Two men, who allegedly had anal sex inside a jeep, were on Tuesday docked at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.

    The accused – Innocent Egbuna, 33, and Jide Ajayi, 21 – are being tried for a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy and act of gross indecency.

    Egbuna, who claimed to be a soldier, lives at No. 22, Support Regiment, Ijebu-Ode in Ogun, while Ajayi, an unemployed, is a resident of No. 28, Owoduni St., Onipanu on Ikorodu Expressway.

    The prosecutor, Sgt. Joseph Ajebe, told the court that the offences were committed on Jan. 18 at Ajao Road, Ikeja.

    According to him, the accused were caught by an anti-crime patrol team at Ikeja. “The accused were found inside a parked Nissan Jeep with registration no. KSF 914 AC having anal sexual intercourse.

    Ajayi said Egbuna accosted him and told him to have sex with him, promising to give substantial amount of money and that he will also take him to the club to have a nice time.

    “Ajayi agreed because he was frustrated and did not have money to fend for himself,” Ajebe said.

    The offences contravened Sections 136, 166 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 136 provides three years for act of gross indecency, while Section 166 prescribes a N15, 000 fine or imprisonment for three months for disorderly act. Section 409 stipulates a two-year jail term for conspiracy.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty.

    Ruling on the bail application of the accused, the Chief Magistrate, Mr. Alexander Komolafe, granted the two men bail in the sum of N100, 000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

    Further hearing in the case has been adjourned to Mar. 7.

     

  • The one thing you must never do

    The one thing you must never do

    ONLY yesterday I was chatting with a friend, so she told me how she met this dashing young gentleman in the course of work. As a respectable married woman, she did what every self respecting married female does for her single friends- hook them up with eligible, single males with the hope that it would head somewhere. So the two meet, and before they can both hit it off, the guy goes to his village for Christmas, and the lady invites herself over to his village (unasked). That was the end of the budding relationship. Can you guess why? Simple, choosing to make such a visit made her look desperate, if not cheap; especially when the man had not made such an overture. What do I mean? I will explain.

    Let the man make the effort to initiate a relationship. Men are by nature hunters, especially when it comes to relationships. In spite of what women libbers wish to make us believe, ladies are better off letting the man take the lead in relationships. Let him make the effort to chase you, get you and hold your attention, and the usual male/female dating drama; anything less makes the woman look easy, and the man most likely lose interest. If men want us to be hard to get, attractive, sexy, interesting, mysterious; the list goes on, we must be that way. When you programme a man’s mind to always think of you; of ways to please you, and how he can make you his, it becomes a part f his thinking, and he will treasure you. When you do the chasing however, he will think that you are cheap, desperate, or lacking in worth. Trust me, men like women who are hard to get. Anything less is a recipe for disaster as so many heartbroken women can testify. Never ever chase a man.

    Never be the one to initiate the move to take a relationship to the next level. Why? Simple, a man knows exactly where he wants the relationship to lead to. If a man wants a serious relationship, he knows, and will do whatever he needs to get it. If he does not he won’t. Unfortunately, he might choose not to tell you that he does not want a serious relationship. Especially if the lady is meeting his sexual needs. Wise women know that with men, actions speak louder than words. Look at his actions, not his words. Ladies risk looking desperate when they attempt to push a man to make a commitment. So what does a wise lady do? Become unavailable, or end the relationship if the guy seems unwilling to commit himself to you. If he is serious, he will get the message and commit, if not, good riddance. So save yourself the heartache by ending the relationship, and make yourself available for a guy who is willing, and able to commit.

    Never be the one to make all the sacrifices at the beginning of the relationship. Why? Any lasting relationship will demand sacrifices from the couple, but it is in a lady’s interest to be with a man who is willing to make sacrifices for her at the beginning. What do I mean? Single ladies should not fall into the trap of acting like wives when they aren’t. For instance, a lady moved from her Ikeja home to take care of her sick sister living at Iyana-Ipaja. Her boyfriend lives at Suru-Lere. How did the couple manage the relationship? Some ladies would refuse to make the move so as to be close to their boyfriends, or she would be the one making the long, uncomfortable commute to visit her man. A wise babe, she allowed her man make the commute, at the end of it all, he decided that he could not imagine not seeing her as often as he liked, so he proposed.