The Nation Newspaper

Tag: men

  • Mob attacks three men for stealing 17 goats

    A three-man gang, which allegedly specialises in stealing goats and other domestic animals, escaped lynching in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Saturday, when a mob intercepted it.

    Seventeen big goats and  personal effects were recovered from the suspects, who were injured by the mob.

    The goats were said to have been stolen in Ilupeju-Ekiti in Oye Local Government Area. Two of them died in transit.

    The suspects were arrested at 7.30 am at Okeyinmi by the mob, including commercial motorcyclists and youths, who gathered at newspaper stands.

    Nemesis caught up with the suspects, who were coming from Oke-Ila on high speed and reportedly hit a motorcyclist and his passenger.

    Their refusal to show concern for the victims angered  bystanders who challenged them on why they were driving recklessly.

    Some sympathisers saw some of the goats inside the car, which elicited questions about their ownership.

    But the suspects were unable to provide satisfactory answers.

    The crowd at the scene continued to grow and the booth of the car was forced open. Many goats were in it.

    The mouths of the goats were smeared with salt and sealed with sellotape to prevent the animals from bleating.

    The  mob beat up the suspects. They also vandalised their car.

    Curiously, there was on the car a big sticker with the inscription ‘CLERGY’ which was believed to have been pasted to create a false impression.

    A goat-stealing syndicate is believed to be operating on the Iworoko-Are-Afao-Ire-Ilupeju axis where residents have been complaining of mysterious disappearance of domestic animals, especially goats.

    The motorcyclists claimed that members of the syndicate have an unnamed “godfather”, who bails them from police stations anytime they are caught.

    As the “jungle justice” was going on, policemen arrived on the scene and an argument ensued with the mob, which expressed fears that the suspects may be released.

    Reason later prevailed and the suspects were taken to the Okesa Police Station.

    Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi confirmed the arrests, saying the victims were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

    Adeyemi said the suspects were recently charged to court for the same offence but were released on bail.

  • Army condemns men for allegedly removing woman’s veil

    Army condemns men for allegedly removing woman’s veil

    •Muslim community protests
    •Ambode: hijab not banned in Lagos

    The Army on Sunday dissociated itself from the action of its men who allegedly removed the veil of a muslim woman in Lagos last Friday.

    The incident has sparked protests from the Muslim community, which is calling on the Presidency to make its stand known on the use of hijab.

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode condemned the soldiers’ action, saying hijab is not banned in Lagos State.

    Army’s 81 Division 1 Public Relations Officer Col James Samuel said the military did not direct soldiers to harrass women in hijab.

    The army, Samuel said, was unaware of the incident.

    Two soldiers last Friday in Meiran, Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of Lagos removed the woman’s veil, claiming that its use had been banned.

    Islamic organisations and clerics took to social media to condemn the action.

    According to an eyewitness, Adetutu Oluwa, the soldiers allegedly alighted from their vehicle on sighting a woman dressed in veil and started harassing her.

    One of them, she claimed, forcefully removed the veil, popularly referred to as Niqab, from the woman’s head and warned her never to use it in public again.

    “After removing the veil, one of the soldiers said: ‘This thing is not allowed in our country again. You can use it in your house.’  They both walked back to their vehicle with the veil,” Oluwa alleged.

    According to her, it took the intervention of passersby and sympathisers for the woman to get her veil back.

    “On sensing cold reaction from the people, the soldiers dropped the veil on the floor, entered their vehicle and zoomed off,” she said.

    Oluwa in a programme monitored on Star 101.5 FM on Saturday said: “I was traumatised by the situation even though I wasn’t the one harassed.”

    According to islamic organisations and scholars, the President’s statement on the possibility of banning hijab because many Boko Haram suicide bombers hide under it to wreak havoc, is being used as excuse to harass Islamic women nationwide.

    “Everything must be done to balance national security requirements with religious rights and obligations of citizens protected as enshrined in the constitution,” said Mallam Saheed Ashafa, Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria (MSSN), Lagos State Area Unit president.

    A lawyer, Mutiat Orolu-Balogun, described the soldiers’ action as callous, saying: “It is easy to point fingers if you are not sacrificing or not being inconvenienced. Some sections are easy to clamour for the ban on hijab because they are not using it or they are looking for an excuse not to or they want everyone to be naked like them. Whichever is their wish or thought as the case may be, they need fresh orientation.”

    Lagos State University (LASU) lecturer Mrs Ganiya Adenle said: “When there is a fire, I don’t see fire fighters killing the smoke, they rather go to the base of the fire. The government should go to the root of Boko Haram, find out those behind it and stop killing the smoke of Boko Haram.”

    Dousing tension, Governor Ambode said hijab has not been banned in Lagos State.

    He spoke on Saturday during the inauguration of The Muslim Congress (TMC) Imams at TMC Dawah Centre in Ijeshatedo.

    Ambode said the government has not directed security operatives to go on such mission.

    The governor said: “I want to assure you that government does not know anything about what happened on Friday at Meiran. Lagos State has not banned hijab. The Federal government has not banned hijab and we are warning all security operatives to desist from all acts that can lead to religious tension.”

    Ambode appealed to the crowd to remain law-abiding and not to take the laws into its hands, promising to look into the case.

    “Nobody is above the law. Muslims should be free to practise their religion. Christians should feel free to practise their religion,” he said.

    Ambode, represented by Home Affairs Commissioner Dr Abdul Abdul Hakeem AbdulLateef, thanked the congress for its support during the last elections.

    “Personally, I don’t think that banning hijab is the solution to the menace of terrorism,” AbdulLateef said, adding: “Ever since journalism has been practised as a profession, there are journalists who have come out with articles and information capable of creating tension and derailing the government. No government has because of that banned journalism.

    “We cannot because of the excesses of some people begin to trample on the fundamental human rights of others.

    “It is good that all religious organisations are taking it on board. They are now using metal detectors to ensure nobody comes in with bomb. This is the message that all churches and mosques are taking on board.”

    The governor noted that religious leaders are critical stakeholders in the development of the state and the country.

    “We’ll not because of what is happening now violate our own constitution. We recognise the fact that section 38 of the constitution allows the freedom of religion either as individuals on in community with others to observe and propagate their religion. We will never allow any security officials to take the law into its hands.  This is our electoral promise to Lagosians,” Ambode said.

  • Should men stay off wives’ breasts?

    An anonymous commentator once described the woman’s breast as “an irresistible, supple, succulent and saccharine piece of flesh with an equally alluring appeal to infants and old men.” He probably was expressing his view about the argument concerning who has right over the woman’s breast; the husband or the child? That was in the yesteryear.
    But, the issue resurrected penultimate week when . A fresh ‘war’ ensued between fathers and children over the right to a woman’s breast. An expert, Dr. Isaac Opurum, Director, Community Health Service, Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board had stirred the controversy by warning men, in fact, fathers to steer clear of the woman’s breast. This was during an awareness campaign on exclusive breastfeeding in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital . Many men had considered this seeming tall order to stay away from their wives’ breasts to enable babies the enjoy exclusive breast milk a controversial verdict. Does Dr Opurum have a point or do men have justifiable agitation against the order? PRECIOUS DIKEWOHA went to town to seek the opinions of men and women.

    Dr Oporum – men should stay away

     Dr Opurum is at the centre of the debate on whether or not men should have access to their wives’ breasts as their babies or leave same for the baby in order to have enough breast milk for healthy growth. In his submission, he had urged men to steer clear of their wives’ breast.

    Dr Opurum said: “Men are over enjoying their wives’ breast than the baby. I think it is time for men to steer clear of the breasts. They belong to the baby and not the man. If the mother must practice exclusive breastfeeding, the father must assist the wife by ensuring that the baby has exclusive access to the breast.”

    In our quest for answers to this humorous, but hot topic, our findings revealed that over 85 per cent of respondents said the breast belongs to the man and not the baby. Another school of thought postulated a middle course for husbands and babies to be given equal access to the breast.

    Mrs Ann Harry: “My husband has the right of first refusal. My view is that the man owns the breast not the baby. When a woman is breastfeeding, the baby can claim ownership of the breast, (But) after the breastfeeding period, the breast goes back to the husband until the woman conceives again. So, it’s only during breastfeeding that a child can lay claim to the breast. If not, the husband owns the breast.

    Comrade Lekia Isaac, a unionist: The breast belongs to the baby. The breast belongs to the child not the husband, but the husband plays with the breast in the process of love making. But the husband cannot claim right of ownership to the breast. Partly, the husband has right to the breast because the body of the woman belongs to him; but strictly, the breast belongs to the child because it is the breast milk that enables the child to grow. So, the man should steer clear of the wife’s breast.

    Nsikak Sunday Isaac, graphic printer:  Man should quit as soon as baby comes.

    The breast belongs to the child. When a man gets married, he has the right to make use of the wife as he wants. But once the baby comes, the breast belongs to the baby because he got married to the wife to raise children. During this period of breastfeeding, the man has to give the baby space for the baby to be well breastfed. This is because when you got married, you prayed for children to come. Now that you have gotten the children, why not allow the baby to enjoy the breast milk? When the baby has not arrived, the man has the full right to make use of the breast. But once the baby has arrived, the husband should allow the baby to enjoy the breast.

    Sheila Adamu, business woman: Both the man and the baby have exclusive access. I feel the breast belongs to both the husband and the child because before the child came, the husband was already there and he needs to enjoy everything the wife has. Then, when the baby comes, the baby can also enjoy its own share.

    For me, it is for both of them. Their access to the breast is 50-50. For instance, when you give birth, the baby will be there to suck the breast for at least one year and after that period, the husband will continue from where he stopped.

    Constance Goboye, spinster:  The man owns the breast. When you are not married, any man that comes your way owns the breast at that moment or period and when you later get married, your husband takes over. And before the child comes, the husband has exclusive access to the breast. But when the child comes, the baby will regain access to the breast.

    For me, when I give birth, my husband will step aside for a year. When I’m done with breastfeeding my baby, which is when he can touch the breast again.

    Progress Omubo: My husband and my baby can share the breast. My husband owns the breast because he paid for everything that belongs to me. But the baby has to suck the breast for the period of breastfeeding and after that my husband will continue. Don’t forget the baby belongs to him too. So, if he decides to suck when the baby is sucking the breast, it is not a sin. After all, he paid for everything.

    Mr. Innocent Amadi, a legal practitioner: The man owns the breast but the milk belongs to the baby. To my own understanding, As the Bible says in Proverbs 5:17-21, the breast is meant for the man not the child. But normally what happens these days is that when a woman puts to birth, they say because of family planning you should give the baby water before you start breastfeeding; not cow milk because cow milk is not good for humans, but breast milk is meant for humans. If you go to the hospital now they will tell you that you should not give the child water but during our own time, our mothers gave us water when we were born. I even gave my own children water when they were born. But medical consciousness has made it that people now listen to what the doctors say.

    To me, the breast belongs to the husband but the breast milk belongs to the child. It is believed that when you are breastfeeding, the milk belongs to the child; but when you stop breastfeeding, the breast belongs to the husband. The milk is used to cure some bacteria in the eyes and it is only a nursing mother that has that milk, but it is only the husband that is the rightful owner of the breast.

    Doris Lawson: Husbands should be considerate of the child. First of all, the man owns the breast and not the baby, but when the child comes, the man has to wait a little for the child to enjoy exclusive breastfeeding. Then when the child stops sucking the breast, then the man can take over his property. My advice is that the men should give the baby the chance to enjoy the period of breastfeeding to enable the child grow, especially during the friendly period or even up to a year before they will take back their breast.

     

  • ‘Causes ‘ll determine remedies for men’s poor libido’

    ‘Causes ‘ll determine remedies for men’s poor libido’

    As we age, our energy, stamina and virility level reduces. Many men have problems with their sexual lives, which we will rather not admit because of our ego. But it is high time we did so, as there are effective natural remedies guaranteed to reverse such problems.

    Indeed, of what use is it for your “third leg” to fail to perform adequately on the field of play and when it matters most. This could be most embarrassing not only for you but equally for your woman. That is why you must ensure it does not happen to you at all and or not again.

    The good news for men is that nature has provided us with several herbs to help men suffering low sex drive/low libido, weak erection, premature ejaculation and others.

    There are herbs in nature’s pharmacy for increasing and stabilising testosterone production and others that soothe and calm nerves. Most of them are essential in increasing the men’s libido and are available in my stable.

    A man should consult his physician/healthcare provider before taking any herbal supplements. This is because one needs to understand the cause and health profile of a man before providing solution. For instance, prolonged stress and poor circulation are common causes of diminished libido in men. Not only will Korean ginseng (paxan ginseng) increase your blood circulation, but it also has the added benefit of working on your central nervous system to calm nerves and quiet anxiety. It is the most commonly prescribed treatment for low sex drive in men in Japan and China. Korean ginseng is available in standardised powder, tablet and tincture form.

    A less common cause of low sex drive is low testosterone production. Wild oats will increase its production. There is also the extract from wild oat straw, avena sativa, which will free up and increase your circulation of testosterone. Read labels, many extracts available lack the essential active ingredient avenacosides. Stinging nettle root will work in conjunction with wild oats and avena sativa by keeping your testosterone in an active form and available for use. Nervines are a group herbs that work directly on the central nervous system. They can bring you to a more relaxed state of mind, which is required for a healthy sexual libido. Herbal aphrodisiacs increase sexual arousal and desire, usually in a short amount of time.The strongest natural aphrodisiac available is yohimbe. Take caution when taking this herb. It works so quickly that it can have a sharp and sudden change in blood pressure.

    Other, more subtle herbal aphrodisiacs include sarsaparilla, horny goat weed, damiana and maca. You can also increase your sex drive by including zinc and kelp into your diet, which are also aphrodisiacs.These are what helped our forefathers to maintain great virility despite old age. They are what they took from time to time to enhance performance. The secret of how they impress their many wives and concubines. You can also benefit from the secret and surely change your sexual life for the better. These herbs are good for intense sexual pleasure and stamina for repeat pleasurable performances, not stimulants; they are very natural, effective and highly guaranteed to work.

  • ‘Men make us achieve more’

    ‘Men make us achieve more’

    The desire to empower women is the focus of female activists world wide. In Nigeria, one of such women making a difference in their communities is Comrade Esther Audu. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about her passion for female farmers, providing them micro credit facilities and networking with other women to change their world.

    HOW did you come about the title comrade? I am an activist and my passion for women earned me the title. Presently, I am the Kogi State coordinator for women agriculture. At a point in my career, I discovered that in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, there were some activities that women need to benefit from but they were really lacking behind in the state. I felt really bad and decided to contest for the position of state coordinator for Women in Agriculture under the Agric and Allied Workers Union.

    What made it easy to beat your opponents at the polls?

    I discovered that I did not have the money to assist the women personally. Later, I came out of the ministry and established Women in Agriculture cooperatives in the state. The vision behind this is to empower women through agricultural sustainability. I discovered that there are some programmes that the government would do but once the government is out the programme dies. I started then with Kogi State Women in Agric and in 2013, I registered it as APEX which consists of a coalition of six associations.

     These association, therefore, came together to form Women in Agric Cooperative Federation and each of the association has different activities but complement one another. For instance, the Kogi State Women Agric is into processing of agricultural produce like cassava to gari, chips and bread. While the association of women farmers of Nigeria, Kogi State chapter, are into real farming. These are women who take agriculture as their occupation. They go to the field to till, plant and harvest. On the other hand, those in the initiative for women in agriculture are involved with capacity building. They train the women in areas and activities that concern agriculture.

    Here, you have women that specialise in tailoring, hairdressing and other skills. As a female farmer, you go to the farm and by the time you come back, you want to look good. They make women farmers look good and we do not want them to say that farmers are the poorest. They belong to an association called Women Specialised Network. In addition, we also have the women microfinance institutions. We discovered that for women to have access to loans is not always easy. So we needed an association to take care of women’s needs financially. Under this association, any cooperative society that is into thrift, savings and loans come in. Right now, we also have the Kogi State microfinance institutions where you have male and female beneficiaries.

    Are you also a farmer?

    The cap that I am wearing at the moment is leader of Women in Agric Cooperatives, which is the umbrella body of the organisation. Each association under this also has a president, secretary and treasurer and they have their structures in the local government area and the ward. It is not easy at all. It is just the passion that I have that sustains it. I derive joy doing this, but beyond the happiness it is great impacting on the lives of others. When I started, some people said that no woman association can stand in the state; others had tried and failed but I knew where we were going and God also was with us.

    The highpoint of the support that we got came from the state governor, Captain Idris Wada Ichalla. In the area off rice production, the women were given 200 hectares of land for women. We have been making use of the land, planting rice and now we are proud to say that some organisations are coming in to sign MOU with us to organise rice farmers because the governor helped us. From the rice farms, I was picked out and the government sponsored me to Jerusalem because of the commitment of the women. I didn’t go alone; many of the women also went to Jerusalem and the lesser Hajj. Right now, we have the accelerated rice production union under this organisation. We have over 2000 rice farmers that we have already mobilised. We are also expecting loan from the central bank and our beneficiaries include men, women and youths in the state.

    Let’s s talk about some of your memorable moments

    I remember that the central bank recently guaranteed us power tillers and paid 80 per cent of the total cost. The women on their part paid 20 per cent and they got the equipment. It is a very useful tool and it helps plough and ridge. It is good for the cultivation of cassava, groundnut and maize. My state was able to purchase some of the equipment too and a few weeks ago, an organisation that opened the way for us came down to Kogi State to train the women on how to couple the power tillers as well as teach them how to make use of it.

    That day was quite memorable; you need to see how the women were singing and praising God on my behalf. I was so surprised and was wondering what I had done to see these women in that state of mind. I felt so happy.  Not only that, the micro finance institutions that the women are floating right now are making significant impact on the society. Whenever I see women coming around asking for loans for their businesses, I am very happy. I see the organisation boosting their businesses.

    How do you ensure that those who take loans pay back?

    We have marketers who work on this. They actually look around for our customers and work out the modalities for payment. We do not give loans to those we do not know their shops or farmlands. We have a manager in the bank, accountant and marketers. Just before the loan is given to them they would find out what they want to use as their collateral, you either take us to your shop or show us what you intend to use as your collateral. Once we discover that you cannot run away overnight, we give you the loan to boost your businesses. The loan is from two hundred thousand upwards. Apart from the farmers, we also have some traders who are into petty business and we bring them together as a cooperative to give them soft loans. If one of the members runs away, the others would pay back. So the area of recovery of loans is usually not a problem for us.

    Would you say that women are better farmers?

    I would say that without the support of men, we cannot achieve all the things that we are doing. For instance, there are some equipment in our rice farm that they help us to handle. We have women that operate tractors but it is not common. You still need the support of men, which is why we work with men, women and the youths. Where we cannot go, we allow the men to go for us.

    Let’s talk about government’s policies on agriculture. Are you okay with the policies ?

    Well, I can only talk about the growth enhancement programme organised by the former minister, Adesina. I would say that the women farmers were encouraged during his tenure and they really enjoyed what they are doing. He took agric to a different level and opened a lot of opportunities for us. My advice to the new government is to do more and take agriculture to enviable heights. Even though Adesina has left, there are people there who are not politicians and they are talented. Government should make use of such people to consolidate on the gains made by the former minister.

  • Buhari’s search for men and women with clean hands 

    SIR: President Buhari has attributed the delay in the formation of his cabinet to scarcity of men and women of integrity.

    Obviously there is a paradigm shift in the polity as the change campaign that ousted the Peoples Democratic Party from the centre is steadily manifesting itself in the country.

    Buhari knows that Nigerians accepted his candidature and voted for him due to his record of integrity, discipline, and perceived sincerity of purpose despite his opponents’ ploy to discredit his person.

    But he cannot do it alone; he needs honest and dedicated individuals to execute the ‘Project Rebuild Nigeria’.

    He has repeatedly said that no unclean hand will work with him!

    They should be men and women of integrity laden with commitment to his course and be ready to take responsibility; they should be personalities that will match their behaviour with values and are prepared to take correction – because often failure leads to success.  Buhari’s men should be people who can initiate good ideas that will better our lot and work with time because we can no longer wait to see, feel and enjoy this moment of ‘Change’.

    As the nomination, selection, screening and collation continue, I urge the President to increase his pace.  For how long will Nigerians have to wait? The President should be cautious; he needs to weigh his options and priorities.

    As he continues with his search for good men, he should note that part of the attributes of excellence is flexibility. Jesus Christ told the man that called him a good man: “… No one is good-except God alone.”

     

    •  Gbenga Olajobi

      Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State.

  • Arms and the Men

    I welcome our new service chiefs to this broiling situation and pray they will be able to make better sense of it and translate it to the rest of us in the English we understand so that all things can add up. I’m thinking the kind of English that says ‘the war is over’

    I am sure I join many wary Nigerians in congratulating and welcoming the new service chiefs to their new posts. When I saw them being decorated by the president and their individual wives last night on television, they looked such a picture of strength and purpose I positively shed a few tears. No, I wasn’t crying because of envy this time; I was crying because I wasn’t there to … you know… just hug them and wish them great good luck before they go into battle! Three months to defeat boko haram is a strong and, to many of us, tall order, but you never can tell. I have decided that if I can’t go to the battle front myself (a little busy, you know), I will not let my doubts stand in their way.

    Honestly though, when I saw them last night on TV, they just reminded me of that brave group of fighters called the Three Musketeers who constituted the British Medieval king’s last bastion of defence. They later became four I think; at least many editions later made them four (they knew three were not enough to defeat the enemy) as they were joined by a ruddy youth who quite took everyone’s breath away with his looks and fighting skills. So we do have an appropriate number here. Anyway, The Musketeers were supposed to be men whose oaths to defend the king and state included a readiness to lay down their lives and all. That meant only the bravest, boldest and most noble of fellows could be members of that most elite of elite forces; that was why they were so few.

          To be honest, I never looked long enough at our past servicemen to know if they had those qualities or not. By the time they came, I had been infected by the indifference virus many Nigerians suffered from BB (Before Buhari). So like the rest of my countrymen, I just concluded that the government had simply changed the group of the CC (Come Choppers) and refused to expect anything from them. I do not believe I am in a position to assess them except to say that the war they met on their watch is still on our hands, many months after they took the baton. Reasons for this sad state are not mine to excavate although I have heard someone say that that insurgency was not so serious that even our MB (Mobile Police) unit could not put down under three months if the country was serious. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion; that’s what I say.

    In our new servicemen, I thought I heard soldiers who swore to lay down all they had in the service of the president and country, mostly because the president himself is prepared to do likewise. This means they had come not as soldiers of fortune but of some seriousness. I think they had seen something of the seriousness on our president’s face and that he was not smiling when he invited them to come and serve with him. The guy never smiles anyway. Anyways, they had not come to be chocolate cream soldiers. Those are Bernard Shaw’s soldiers who hide in ladies’ wardrobes eating chocolates while a war is going on. Actually that’s where we got our title today.

     So, I am sure our new service chiefs know they are coming at a rather delicate time in the country’s history when everyone is just about fed up with the country constantly paying out trillions of Naira prosecuting a war it is not winning against some armed banditry. Rather than the war going away, we have all been compelled to watch in horror as our Naira has been going away to never-never land. Honestly, I do believe that if it were not for the fact that we now have Buhari for president, we would not even have known that all that Naira has gone to never-never land; we would all have continued to labour under the heavy tolls of that war believing it was being fought. Actually, I was coming to the conclusion that the war was fast becoming the most expensive in history going by the ratio and strength of the enemy to the country.

    Thanks, I say, to Buhari who is not into any of our nonsense, we now have the luxury of hearing strange tunes from the now retired service chiefs. For instance, we have just been told again that Nigerian soldiers were fighting that war with antiquated war gear while the enemy was fighting with modern war gear. (We first heard it from the soldiers who refused to fight the war with, well, bare hands.) And I thought, someone was doing the arming. But, did that someone get confused as to who the enemy really was? Was the wrong side being armed out in human error? Seriously, it could happen; well, this is Nigeria, man!

    Nevertheless, I consider it rather striking that after such a long time and lots of money, the army is now telling us this unfortunate tale of insufficiency. As the story goes, the U.S. refused to sell arms to the country on account of some breach of some human rights laws. No one in the U.S. will come out clearly on whether it is the breach of the Leahy law or gays’ rights law. Yet militants north and south are somehow able to lay their own illegal hands on the arms they require. How come? These things are just not adding up for me. But then, things never seem to add up for me anyway since my mathematics is near to non-existent.

    My worry is this: if the army had all these facts about weaponry, why were the soldiers who were put on trial for desertion given the death sentence without considering the extenuating circumstances of the case? Like I always say, I am not a soldier; I am just an observer with a desire to set things right. From my observatory therefore, I can see and therefore say that that sentence is a little harsh and untoward. True, the punishment for the crime of desertion should always harsh. But the soldiers did not hide in ladies’ cupboards; they just did not have the right arms they said. So, when the punishment is too harsh, it is no longer punishment; it becomes sadism. In the name of the humanity under which we all groan, I hope the new chiefs will review that sentence.

    So, once again, I welcome our new service chiefs to this broiling situation and pray they will be able to make better sense of it and translate it to the rest of us in the English we understand so that all things can add up. I’m thinking the kind of English that says ‘the war is over’. That is easy enough to understand. I hope that they will use the time they have been given to prosecute the boko haram war to truly bring this sickening situation to an end. They should remember that just as their predecessors now have the opportunity to explain their commands to the nation, they will also have theirs at the end of their own service lines. For their sake, the nation hopes they will be able to employ their opportunities to give explanations of triumph rather than apologies.

  • What is the problem, men?

    SIR: “Bricklayer bags 12 years imprisonment for raping teenager”.  ”Man defiles 13-year-old girl”.  ”50-year-old man bags nine years imprisonment for defiling 11-year-old girl”. “Retired soldier jailed for life for raping, infecting 10-year-old stepdaughter”.  ”Grandpa arrested for having sex with grandchildren”.  ”Man remanded in prison for raping schoolgirl.” “Woman accuses neighbour of defiling her three-year old daughter”.

    These are the chilling headlines from one newspaper site in one day. Every day, our newspapers are replete with stories of men raping under-aged children; which raises the question, what is wrong with men? Or rather, (before I court the ire of men), what is the matter with these men? Once considered an abomination and unheard of in the good, old, halcyon days, it appears defiling of children is fast becoming an everyday affair, so much so that it appears not to raise any more eyebrows as such. We appear to have traversed from shock, to surprise, to resignation, to cautious indifference.

    Almost all the men invariably blame the “devil” for their despicable action. The so-called devil has become a convenient alibi but it is no excuse. If you ask me, they were very much aware of what they were doing.  Let us even assume that the so-called devil put the evil idea in their heads, what did they do to resist it? Did they pray to the good Lord for the strength to overcome? They willingly succumbed to their weaknesses without a second thought.

    Again these obviously ‘insane’ men give the impression that they were lured or tempted by the sight of the girls. Pray, how can an under-aged girl who has not fully developed the characteristics of a woman become attractive to these men as to have sex with them? The point remains that these children did not lure or tempt these men in any way. They were not near nude by wearing provocative dresses that set the ‘mad men’s’ imagination running wild. Even if they were, what is there to attract them in an under-aged girl-child whose outward physical appearance is as yet almost the same as that of a boy?

    On the contrary, these men are the ones who lured these apparently child-like children who as yet are not aware of the wiles of the world in terms of beguilement and cunning. They deal with the world and human beings in a straight-forward manner. Thus in their child-like world view, the thought hardly occurs to them that uncle, daddy or grandpa can do any bad thing to them. They took advantage of these under-aged children’s child-like innocence in which is embedded trust and obedience to deceive them into entering the privacy of their closets to have carnal knowledge of them. After finishing with their dirty acts, they warn these little children not to reveal what happened to anyone, threatening them that they would die if they did. And they believe these men because in their child-like world, adults don’t tell lies. But the deed cannot be hidden for ever as they are later obliged to tell mummy after persistent questioning by her to unfold what transpired.

    If these deviant men are really hard pressed to satisfy their sexual urge, could they not go after a consenting female adult?

    A writer once penned that money, power and sex are great intoxicants for men, such that it can drive them to doing the unthinkable. What really is the problem, men?

     

    • Victoria Ngozi Ikeano

    vikeano@yahoo.co.uk

  • Men: Get value from your style assets

    Men: Get value from your style assets

    Every day you button your clothes, roll up your shirt sleeves, and pick out your shoes. But what if you told that the way you go about doing these things is all wrong (or at the very least ill-informed)?

    From packing your suit the wrinkle-free way to keeping your rolled-up sleeves from unfurling, it is better to follow some clothing and style hacks that will save you time, money, and, in some cases, embarrassment.

     

    • Roll your shirt sleeves the right way.

    Instead of rolling the cuff slowly up your sleeve, flip the cuff back and pull it to just below your elbow. Then take the bottom (inside-out portion) and fold it up so it traps and covers the bottom cuff. Your shirt sleeves won’t unroll again.

     

    • Pack a suit without getting it wrinkled.

    Simply wrap the suit in tissue paper and place it in a bag to keep it in good condition.

     

    • Learn the “sometimes, always, never” rule of jacket buttons.

    The top button should sometimes be buttoned (stylistic decision), the middle button should always be buttoned (it pulls the jacket together and is flattering), and the last button should never be buttoned (it messes up the tailoring and flare of the jacket).

     

    • Match your dress shoes and suits.

    You should combine your suit and shoes nicely, try to learn what colours and styles are best.

     

    • Invest in quality shoe trees.

    Shoe trees will maintain the shape of your nice work shoes, prevent the leather from warping or cracking, and absorb any excess moisture from your shoes so they don’t rot from the inside out. Bespoke shoe trees are the best for your expensive shoes.

     

    • Hang your suits and dress shirts on cedar wood hangers.

    The cedar acts as a repellent for moths and absorbs moisture. And unlike wire hangers, wood hangers will not damage or stretch out clothing

     

    • Fold your sweaters instead of hanging them.

    Even lightweight sweaters stretch out if they’re on a hanger for too long. It’s better to fold sweaters in your wardrobe and hang dress shirts and T-shirts instead.

     

    • Go sockless without causing a stink.

    There’s an easy way to cheat that socks are undetectable, but effective at soaking up sweat so there’s no funky odor.

     

    • Use leather soap and oil to preserve your shoes.

    Always use soap and oil to preserve your shoes, it will dramatically increase their lifespan and ensure your footwear investment pays dividends for years to come.

     

    • Let your shoes breath between wears.

    You shouldn’t just slip on the same trusty pair of dress shoes day after day. Why? Because if you wear different shoes every day, they’ll stay alive much longer.

  • 18 years of discovery for men

    18 years of discovery for men

    All it takes is one man taking his place and rising up to the demands of true personal and commonwealth leadership,” Pastor Taiwo Odukoya declared back then in April 1997.

    It was at the maiden edition of the discovery for men rally of the Fountain of Life Church, Lagos.

    18 years after, the rally has become a reference point for engagement of men into leadership positions across all sectors.

    The leading men seminar, which holds every quarter, has taken place in Enugu, Calabar, Eket, Uyo and Abeokuta.

    It challenges men to go forward and take new territories, overcome all obstacles, win the war – not just the battles – against greed, indolence, debauchery, drunkenness while serving God.

    Notable speakers who have featured include:  Deacon Gamaliel Onosode; Elder Felix Ohiwerei, Dr. Christopher Kolade, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye and Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, among others.

    On the first Sunday in July, thousands of men gathered again at the Ilupeju headquarters of the church to learn about courageous manhood.

    Dubbed Africa’s largest single gathering of men in one place, the rally afforded Odukoya the opportunity to tackle fears confronting men.

    Odukoya, who noted men are besieged by all manners of turbulence, said they must retain their courage at all costs.

    According to him: “When you lose courage, you have lost everything. Don’t lose it, no matter what. We are not made to bury our heads in the sand when troubles come.”

    Blessed by the interactive sessions anchored by these elderstatemen, some of the participants have since become partners, funding the ministry to do greater exploits.