The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Reasons

  • 919 million reasons to laugh…

    919 million reasons to laugh…

    Some tragic impulses in our national life would fittingly pass as rude jokes but they are, nonetheless, pitiably laughable. The funny thing is that we seem to never run short of this melodrama where sense and the utterly benumbing collide in equal measure as we burst into dry laughter. Ordinarily, we should all be concerned about this. But what do you do when, more often than not, you are buffeted by the same bout of tasteless and destiny-altering shenanigans almost every day? You hardly settle down to dissecting and psychoanalyzing one event before another one takes preeminence. Take, for example, the events that unfolded before us in the week and how they impacted our lives in one way or the other.

    In those days when the feeling of mutual distrust was not this agonizingly pervasive, the appearance of the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr., Olisa Metuh, on a stretcher at an Abuja High Court last Monday would have reawaken our humanity regardless of Metuh’s alleged financial ‘crimes’ against the state. Instead, Metuh’s images as he was being pulled from the ambulance onto the stretcher and delicately wheeled into the courtroom, bandaged ghost-like from the legs to the neck and wrapped in white clothing became the butt of jokes on many social media platforms. He was lampooned for making himself available to be used as a drama king when he could have faced the law and allow justice to take its course. The entire drama, to say the least, was pathetic. It was not funny either. Whoever scripted the plot deserves a medal of artistic perfection from the eggheads in the multi-billion naira Nollywood industry.

    Few months back, no one would have thought that Metuh would find himself in such a pitiable condition and this is without any prejudice to the true state of his health. For all we know, he could, like all mortals, be truly ill. The only difference is that he remains the sole architect of the charade that played out at the court on that day due to his deft adroitness in frustrating the court sitting over a corruption and money laundering case brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. How could we have believed him when he had dribbled himself to his wit’s end in and out of the courtroom? And so, the stunt that was pulled at the court premises ended up appealing to base sentiments of those who have followed his antics with dumb admiration until Monday’s cul-de-sac. For a man who allegedly chewed and swallowed the papers on which he penned his confessions at the office of the EFCC; someone who has tried all the tricks in the books to prolong his trials and a man who was once accused by his co-workers at the PDP of some financial misdeeds, it wouldn’t be out of place to queue behind those who read mischief and deceit to his grand entry in an ambulance. It was not for nothing that the one month reprieve his packaged condition fetched him was without some tough words from Justice Okon Abang who affirmed that: “A court of law must be firm in its decision. A court of law must be fair to parties in a matter placed before it. And, when occasion demands, a court of law must also be humane.” Abang’s analogy, I hasten to note, also applies to those of us who have chosen to give Metuh the benefit of the doubt even as we cannot but join those who immersed themselves in a sea of laughter over the intriguing comedy skit starring the once-vocal spokesperson of a self-styled Africa’s largest political party, a behemoth that has gone into limbo.

    Nothing could be more amusing during the week than the tango between Mr. Kassim Afegbua and the ever bumbling Nigeria Police Force.

    Afegbua, a renowned columnist, ex commissioner in Edo State and former party chairman, was declared wanted by the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris. Afegbua, who is also the spokesperson of former military president, Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, was to be arrested over a statement he issued on behalf of his boss, calling, among other things, on President Muhammadu Buhari to jettison calls for him to contest the 2019 elections and vacate the stage for younger brains. That simple advice by one of the privileged citizens that contributed to the systemic rot of this nation must have irked Idris to the point of acting without weighing the consequences of the irrational and unconstitutional order. It was that bad that the news of Afegbua’s ordered arrest went viral before the ink could dry on IBB’s statement and a subsequent damage-control rebuttal from his camp. I had actually nudged myself several times in disbelief that an IGP, who has so much on his plate, would have time to dabble into the mucky waters of politics by Nigeria’s fat cats. In any case, how does an opinion that was freely expressed and which the President is not under any obligation to subscribe to, amount to defamation of character and act capable of inciting public disturbance? Sometimes, you wonder if the IGP and his men understand that they are expected to operate within the bounds of the law that sets the Nigeria Police up. Must they always prop themselves up as a subject of public odium and ridicule? I assume Idris was out of the country when former President Olusegun Obasanjo issued an acidic statement, offering an unsolicited advice for Buhari to pack his bags from Aso Rock for a younger person to take mount the throne! Abi Oga IGP dey fear the Ebora Owu ni? Well, it is good that, this time, the police deem it fit to bite the dust by rightfully apologising to Afegbua. By the way, under which law would Afegbua have been arraigned for the crime of character assassination and inciting public peace? It is not only comical but hilariously shallow.

  • Reasons for $600m investments in solid minerals

    The Federal Government is planning to invest $600 million in solid minerals sector, in order to deepen exploration activities, the Minister, Mines and Steel Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has said.

    Other reasons, he said, include the need to deepen the knowledge of practitioners in the Nigerian mining space, explore both old and green fields, and firming up the relationship between miners and the Nigerian Mining Geoscience Society (NMGS), in order to ensure that the solid minerals reforms are sustainable.

    The government is also planning to facilitate a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between Nigeria and highly advanced mining countries such as Australia, China, Morocco, South Africa and Britain, with a view to encouraging capacity building and exchange programmes, among the affected nations, he said.

    Speaking at the 2017 edition of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE) Conference in Eko Le’ Meriden Hotel, Lagos recently, Fayemi said the government has also provided N5 billion loan for artisans and miners, as part of efforts to encourage the growth of the sector.

    He said the development became necessary in order to fully harness the potentials in the sector for improved economic growth, adding that the sector is key to the economic diversification programmes of the government.

    He said the government is not leaving any stone unturned to maximise the gains of the sector and further move the economy forward. He spoke on the topic:  Exploitation of Nigeria’s Mineral Resources: Hope for Economic Diversification.

    He said the sector has immense potentials, stressing that the development informed the decision of the government to provide funds for the sector.

    Fayemi said: ‘’ We the ( government) have discovered that the opportunities in soild minerals industry  can match that of the oil and gas sector, if they are well tapped. This informed the plans by the Federal Government to create mining investment funds of $600 million for the sector. The government has reached advance stage on the issue of providing the funds. When the funds are ready, they would cater for the needs of those that engage in mining, exploration and allied areas. The government, has also, partnered with the Bank of Industry (BOI) in order to facilitate a mining fund of N5 billion for the use of artisans and small-scale miners in the sector.’’

    He said Burkina Faso spends $400 million annually to search and explore more solid minerals, as against a situation where Nigeria is voting $100million for the same purpose.

    ‘’Nigeria has earmarked about $100 million for exploration activities, being the largest percentage of the money realised so far in the sector. Even at that, Nigeria is behind Burkina Faso and other jurisdictions in this area. For instance, Burkina Faso, is believed to be spending $400 million annually for geological prospectivity, as against Nigeria, which earmarked about $100 million for the same purpose’’ he added.

  • Reasons most consumers prefer foreign rice

    Reasons most consumers prefer foreign rice

    There have been many write ups on why the majority of consumers prefer foreign rice to our locally manufactured rice. I have also walked into arguments on why consumers shun the local rice and reasons why they should embrace it.

    One of our problems in this country is that most times we do not admit the truth, not even to ourselves. We know the truth but we shy away from it. We try to politicise and even tribalise it. If we do not admit our errors, it will never be corrected. We must come to terms with our mistakes and short comings before we can seek ways to rectify them.

    For months now, I have been struggling to finish a bag of locally grown rice I bought. Despite the fact that rice meals are my favourite, I am struggling to go through the bag of rice because it is fraught with stones and sand. At the beginning, it’s not obvious, but as one gets to the middle of the bag of rice, one starts seeing stones. When cooked, the texture is good, with the colour okay and it does not come out sticky. But there is nothing as bad as unexpectedly biting stone or sand when you are enjoying a great meal. It completely turns one off.

    The said rice, ‘Mama’s Pride’ from the stables of Olam Rice, is cultivated in Nassarawa State. From the prints on the rice bag, it was processed by Agro and Technical Processing Company Ltd, a subsidiary of Olam Nigeria Ltd, Olam Rice farm, Rukubi, Doma LGA Nassarawa State.

    Ironically displayed on the rice bag also is the picture of an award for global quality excellence given to the company sometime ago. Also displayed on the bag is the logo of quality (NIS) from the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON). Printed neatly below the logo is ‘Nigerian Mark of Quality’ and ‘FT-1663’.

    Of course, as can be seen from the rice bag, the company has also been issued with ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 certificates by SON, mocking everything the government regulatory body for excellence and quality stands for.

    I am not here to disparage locally grown rice but we need to call a spade a spade in order to move forward. What brought about the popularity of imported long grain rice is because it comes par boiled, completely sorted of debris, stones, sand and chaff. It is a lot easier and more convenient to cook even when cooking for large crowd.

    Before the entrance of foreign rice, you had to pick stones etcetera from rice. As kids then, on Saturdays, we were made to pick stones and dirt from rice in preparation for the Sunday lunch. No matter how thorough one is, some stones and grains of sand still go into the supposedly sorted rice unnoticed.

    However, there are Nigerian rice brands that are completely de-stoned. Long grain Ebonyi Gold is so good that it can compare favourably with any imported rice. There are many other local brands like that.

    The Nigerian rice industry has really come a long way. We have recorded a lot of improvement. The past administration with its Minister of Agriculture, Akinwumi Adesina, updated agriculture in Nigeria more than any other government in our recent history.

    More than eight modern rice mills are currently producing rice in Nigeria but we need to identify our areas of challenges and weaknesses and work to improve on them. So many locally produced rice brands still contain stones and sand.

    In an interview with a staff of Olam Rice at their Iganmu Lagos office, he said that Olam Rice is usually stone-free as the company uses mechanised farming system.

    The staff who pleaded anonymity explained that “I am not exonerating the company, neither am I saying that the consumer is right. We will carry out investigations. If it is an internal problem then the consumer will be compensated.”

    Requesting for the batch number, he promised that investigations will be carried out. Explaining further, he said the company carry out random sampling of their products to ascertain the quality, adding that “one of the reasons we have batch numbers is in order to trace problem when such arises.”

    However, when the reporter demanded for the contact of the official spokesperson of the company, he declined, insisting that he was too busy to attend to the media. “In fact, at the moment, (24th August 24, 2017), he is in Abuja with the senators,” he declared. He equally declined to pass the reporter’s contact details to the said official spokesperson for the company.

    The Olam staff requested the reporter to forward the batch number found on the rice bag to him. Responding through a text message, he said, “I checked, but this is not matching our batch format. This is not our rice. Since we have multi screening system, stones are not possible in our finished product.”

    We need to focus on how to get rid of stones and sand from our rice. The issue of pricing also must be tackled. It must be made pocket friendly if we want consumers to patronise them.

     Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, even admitted in May this year that locally produced rice is more expensive than the imported ones.

     While responding to questions at a Town Hall meeting in Abuja, Ogbe pointed out that one of the major reasons was that most of the imported rice was subsided by the foreign governments.

    He disclosed that most of the imported rice are from Vietnam, India and Thailand.

    He further explained that the imported rice arrive at about 9,000 per bag, and are then sold at about N13,000 per bag to consumers unlike the local rice sold at about N16,000 per bag. Though market research reveals that currently 50kg imported rice like ‘Caprice’ sells for about N16,500 while the same size of Abakaliki rice sells for about N18,000.

    Ogbeh also decried the interest rates for farming loans.

    He said: “Our interest rates in this country are higher than the interest rate in most parts of the world.”

    He also revealed another reason for the high cost of local rice as the high cost of diesel to run generators in the farms, noting that “diesel went from N180 per litre to N300.”

    As the popular saying goes, ‘Rome was not built in a day’. If rice is not de-stoned, we appeal to producers to just notify consumers by printing it on the bag and if it is free of stones, they should also visibly print it on the bag. Already, some local rice producers do that. The ones free of stones usually are more expensive. Consumers have a right to that information.

  • Top reasons to eat Walnuts

    Top reasons to eat Walnuts

    Walnuts are in season. Oftentimes, the simplest foods are best for your health, and this is certainly the case for nuts, in which Mother Nature has crafted a nearly perfect package of protein, healthy fats, fiber, plant sterols, antioxidants, and many vitamins and minerals.

    Among nuts, the case may be made that walnuts are king, as research shows they may boost your health in a number of ways at very easy-to-achieve “doses.”

    Eating just one ounce of walnuts a day (that’s about seven shelled walnuts) may be all it takes to take advantage of their beneficial properties.

    Walnuts belong to the tree nut family, along with Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts. Each has its own unique nutritional profile.

    One-quarter cup of walnuts, for instance, provides more than 100 percent of the daily recommended value of plant-based omega-3 fats, along with high amounts of copper, manganese, molybdenum, and biotin. Some of the most exciting research about walnuts includes:

    1. Cancer-Fighting Properties

    Walnuts may help reduce not only the risk of prostate cancer, but breast cancer as well. In one study, mice that ate the human equivalent of 2.4 ounces of whole walnuts for 18 weeks had significantly smaller and slower-growing prostate tumors compared to the control group that consumed the same amount of fat but from other sources.

    Overall the whole walnut diet reduced prostate cancer growth by 30 to 40 percent. According to another study on mice, the human equivalent of just two handfuls of walnuts a day cut breast cancer risk in half, and slowed tumor growth by 50 percent as well.

    1. Heart Health

    Walnuts contain the amino acid l-arginine, which offers multiple vascular benefits to people with heart disease, or those who have increased risk for heart disease due to multiple cardiac risk factors.

    If you struggle with herpes, you may want to avoid or limit walnuts, as high levels of arginine can deplete the amino acid lysine, which can trigger herpes recurrences.

    Walnuts also contain the plant-based omega-3 fat alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is anti-inflammatory and may prevent the formation of pathological blood clots. Research shows that people who eat a diet high in ALA are less likely to have a fatal heart attack and have a nearly 50 percent lower risk of sudden cardiac death.

    Eating just four walnuts a day has been shown to significantly raise blood levels of heart-healthy ALA, and walnut consumption supports healthful cholesterol levels.

    Separate research showed that eating just one ounce of walnuts a day may decrease cardiovascular risk, and among those at high cardiovascular risk, increased frequency of nut consumption significantly lowers the risk of death.

    1. Rare and Powerful Antioxidants

    Antioxidants are crucial to your health, as they are believed to help control how fast you age by combating free radicals, which are at the heart of age-related deterioration.

    Walnuts contain several unique and powerful antioxidants that are available in only a few commonly eaten foods. This includes the quinone juglone, the tannin tellimagrandin, and the flavonol morin.

    Walnuts contain antioxidants that are so powerful at free-radical scavenging that researchers called them “remarkable,” and research has shown that walnut polyphenols may help prevent chemically-induced liver damage.

    In another study, researchers found that nuts, especially walnuts, have potent antioxidant powers. Walnut polyphenols had the best efficacy among the nuts tested and also the highest lipoprotein-bound antioxidant activity. The researchers concluded:

    “Nuts are high in polyphenol antioxidants which by binding to lipoproteins would inhibit oxidative processes that lead to atherosclerosis in vivo. In human supplementation studies nuts have been shown to improve the lipid profile, increase endothelial function and reduce inflammation, all without causing weight gain.”

    1. Weight Control

    Adding healthful amounts of nuts such as walnuts to your diet can help you to maintain your ideal weight over time. In one review of 31 trials, those whose diets included extra nuts or nuts substituted for other foods lost about 1.4 extra pounds and half an inch from their waists. Eating walnuts is also associated with increased satiety after just three days.

    1. Improved Reproductive Health in Men

    One of the lesser-known benefits of walnuts is their impact on male fertility. Among men who consume a Western-style diet, adding 75 grammes (a bit over one-half cup) of walnuts daily significantly improved sperm quality, including vitality, motility, and morphology.

    1. Brain Health

    Walnuts contain a number of neuro-protective compounds, including vitamin E, folate, melatonin, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants. Research shows walnut consumption may support brain health, including increasing inferential reasoning in young adults.

    One study also found that consuming high-antioxidant foods like walnuts “can decrease the enhanced vulnerability to oxidative stress that occurs in aging,” “increase health span,” and also “enhance cognitive and motor function in aging.”

    1. Diabetes

    The beneficial dietary fat in walnuts has been shown to improve metabolic parameters in people with type 2 diabetes. Overweight adults with type 2 diabetes who ate one-quarter cup of walnuts daily had significant reductions in fasting insulin levels compared to those who did not, and the benefit was achieved in the first three months.

    Why You Should Eat the Walnut Skin

    The outermost layer of a shelled walnut – the whitish, flakey (or sometimes waxy) part – has a bitter flavor, but resists the urge to remove it. It’s thought that up to 90 percent of the antioxidants in walnuts are found in the skin, making it one of the healthiest parts to consume. To increase the positive impacts on your health, look for nuts that are organic

     

    •Source: www.articles.mercola.com/ walnuts-benefits

  • Reasons why you should travel with your partner

    Reasons why you should travel with your partner

    When it comes to travel escapades, nothing is more than romantic than a getaway for two. While traveling with a gang of buddies can be quite fun, it’s nothing compared to staying in a beautiful place with someone you adore and love

    TRAVELING is truly one of the coolest and most amazing things you can do together with your loved one. While solo travel can be empowering, inspiring and rewarding, a trip with your special someone can create blissfully sweet memories that you will cherish forever.

    What’s more, it is intrinsically stimulating and romantic in ways that your life at your apartment or home can never be. Trust me, a weekend on the road with your partner is a lot more enriching than a month’s worth of candle-lit dining and shopping.

     

    1. Improves intimacy

    Did you know that couples who travel often have better and more intimate sex lives than those who don’t? Yes folks, a survey conducted by the US Travel Association in 2013 suggested that traveling with your partner is more likely to create a spark of romance in your relationship than a gift.  And according to the survey, 77 percent of those who travel with their significant other have admitted that they have a good, happy and intimate sex life.

    1. Travel strengthens your relationship

    When you travel with your partner, you get to face a ton of challenges, experiences and obstacles that will help develop a bond that is much stronger than the bond built through Netflix watching movies or shopping. Whether you’re cage diving with the sharks in Cape Town or getting lost in a big city like New York, the experiences in your travel as a couple provide a lot of opportunities for relationship growth. Plus, travel can test the strength of your relationship.

    1. Create and share unforgettable moments

    You’ll be writing together history as well as create awesome adventures and moments to which you will always look back with affection and humor.

    1. Home is where the heart is

    No matter where you are, home will never feel too far away, when you have the person you care and love the most by your side.

    1. Some travel experiences are best when shared

    There are some travel experiences like sunset gazing in Bali or dining on an Italian cliff restaurant that feel more magical when you have a special someone to share those special moments with you.

    1. It’s more economical

    Traveling with someone is far more economical than traveling solo since you will be sharing the costs your meals, taxi cab fares, activities and accommodations.

    1. Someone to lighten you up in unpleasant times

    Let’s face it, horrible situations and unforeseen events are almost inevitable, when you are traveling.  Stolen bags, lost reservations, missed train rides and delayed flights are just some of the unpleasant things that can happen on the road. Fortunately, you have someone with you to lighten things up and ease the situation.

    1. It’s very romantic

    When it comes to travel escapades, nothing is more than romantic than a getaway for two. While traveling with a gang of buddies can be quite fun, it’s nothing compared to staying in a beautiful place with someone you adore and love.

    1. You won’t get bored

    Long bus rides and flights are more fun and entertaining when you have your favorite person sitting right next to you. Honestly, it is far better than reading a novel about vampires and werewolves, or playing your favorite game on your smartphone.

    1. It brings out your partner’s true character

    Heading towards a serious relationship? Then, make sure to have an adventurous travel escapade with him or her before committing. Traveling, in many ways, can push your partner away from his or her comfort zones, which will let you discover your partner’s positive and negative traits.

    Also, the combination of culture shock and exhausting globetrotting can somehow bring out some of the deeply hidden flaws of your partner’s character. That’s why you should keep an eye of how your loved one acts toward hotel staff, flight attendants and waiters during your time together on the road.

    1. Small surprising discoveries

    There are tons of fun and surprising discoveries that can happen when you travel abroad with your partner. Who knows? Your partner may be well-versed in Icelandic folklore, or could speak conversational Mandarin.

    1. New experiences together

    Can you remember the last time you, as a couple, did something new? As you travel with your special someone, you will have plenty of opportunities to experience something both of you have never tried before.

    1. Someone’s got your back

    It is just nice to have someone you trust to watch your bag and personal belongings, while you take a quick nap or go to a bathroom.

    1. Two thinking heads are better than one

    Traveling as a couple lets you share the burden of travel planning and decision making. More importantly, it improves your chances of making the right decisions.

    1. You’ll learn to trust and rely on each other

    Travel experiences with you partner, such as hiking and camping in the woods, will help turn you into a better team player.

    1. Gives you a peek into his/her preparation style

    Observing your partner as he or she packs, plans and saves money for your vacation together can give you an insight into the way he or she handles some of the most important undertakings in your relationship. If organizing a vacation to the Las Vegas or Grand Canyon is enough to make your partner irritable and frantic, do you think he or she can handle a wedding?

    1. Epic twofies

    Traveling with your loved one lets you take ultra cool and epic twofies.

    1. Lots of opportunities to ask the tough questions

    Ever wondered what happened to your partner’s previous relationship? Sailing excursions, hikes, train rides, airplane trips and long car drives are the best times to have deep and meaningful discussions with your significant other. Of course, you can ask your loved one about his past relationships, future goals and childhood during these lovely moments.

     

    Source: www.strekeffect.com

  • Three reasons you should not fund him

    TODAY we will be discussing a very contentious topic, “to fund or not fund”. It might seem like a tricky question but it is never a good idea to buy love, especially if you are a woman. Why on earth should a woman give a man (who is not even her husband) her money? Not a good idea at all! Back in the day, men took care of their wives and families, and ruled their households like mini fiefdoms. Times have changed, and women now make their own money, but men still expect us to submit, so what do we do? We submit, if only for the sake of peace. However, if a woman has to foot the bill, she has become the boss, not just a helpmate. So why do I think so?

    1.The man was designed to be the head in every marital/amorous relationship, and if he is the leader, he should foot the bills (or at least a large part of it). Why? Because money is power, whoever has it controls the power dynamics of the relationship. In all my years, I am yet to come across a man who is happy to be fed or funded by a woman, they might date (or even marry) a woman for her money, but trust me more often than not they will find a less financially buoyant woman to spend their change on, so as to feel like men.

    1. Giving a man your money puts you at risk of attracting gold diggers/gigolos. Only yesterday, I read the story of a divorced silver spoon celebrity chick. She said, “I really loved him, but when I had a financial challenge, he took off. Apparently, that was all he wanted.” Guess what, the guy in question is remarried to a younger woman today. Speaking further, she said, “I have never dated a man for money, however in another relationship; a man took my hard earned money, and ran.” Guess what? Her story is nothing new, I am yet to see an got a job, she never set eyes again on him; after three kids. instance where the woman funded the relationship and it worked out. The only female relative I know who tried it put a man through university, clothed, housed and fed him, his mom, and siblings for years, while he was unemployed. When he finally got a job, she never set eyes again on him; after three kids.
    2. You can never really tell if it is you he loves or your money. Modern females are educated and independent, but marriage demands that we submit to our man. How does a person submit to a man one is feeding? More often than not, such women become / are accused of being shrewish, and the men feel justified in taking off. What about an old friend of mine who dated a guy while she was putting herself through the university. She would feed him, and spend her heard earned savings on him, guess the first thing he did after he graduated? That’s right, he dumped her. Obviously he never loved her, only her money. My advice? Do yourself a favour, and find yourself a man who has a job. Oh, and just in case he attempts to turn you to his ATM; dump him.

    It might seem like a tricky question but it is never a good idea to buy love, especially if you are a woman. Why on earth should a woman give a man (who is not even her husband) her money? Not a good idea at all! Back in the day, men took care of their wives and families, and ruled their households like mini fiefdoms. Times have changed, and women now make their own money, but men still expect us to submit, so what do we do? We submit, if only for the sake of peace. However, if a woman has to foot the bill, she has become the boss, not just a helpmate. So why do I think so?

    1.The man was designed to be the head in every marital/amorous relationship, and if he is the leader, he should foot the bills (or at least a large part of it). Why? Because money is power, whoever has it controls the power dynamics of the relationship. In all my years, I am yet to come across a man who is happy to be fed or funded by a woman, they might date (or even marry) a woman for her money, but trust me more often than not they will find a less financially buoyant woman to spend their change on, so as to feel like men.

    1. Giving a man your money puts you at risk of attracting gold diggers/gigolos. Only yesterday, I read the story of a divorced silver spoon celebrity chick. She said, “I really loved him, but when I had a financial challenge, he took off. Apparently, that was all he wanted.” Guess what, the guy in question is remarried to a younger woman today. Speaking further, she said, “I have never dated a man for money, however in another relationship; a man took my hard earned money, and ran.” Guess what? Her story is nothing new, I am yet to see an got a job, she never set eyes again on him; after three kids. instance where the woman funded the relationship and it worked out. The only female relative I know who tried it put a man through university, clothed, housed and fed him, his mom, and siblings for years, while he was unemployed. When he finally got a job, she never set eyes again on him; after three kids.
    2. You can never really tell if it is you he loves or your money. Modern females are educated and independent, but marriage demands that we submit to our man. How does a person submit to a man one is feeding? More often than not, such women become / are accused of being shrewish, and the men feel justified in taking off. What about an old friend of mine who dated a guy while she was putting herself through the university. She would feed him, and spend her heard earned savings on him, guess the first thing he did after he graduated? That’s right, he dumped her. Obviously he never loved her, only her money. My advice? Do yourself a favour, and find yourself a man who has a job. Oh, and just in case he attempts to turn you to his ATM; dump him.

  • Seven reasons he has not proposed

    TIMES without number, I keep hearing complaints from single ladies complaining about their boyfriends/lovers unwillingness to make the relationship permanent by proposing. So ladies, after showing a guy love and affection, committing your time, efforts, and/ or resources to the relationship, he is still unwilling to put a ring on it, why? Some of the reasons are found below, enjoy.

    1. He is not ready for marriage. Marriage is a big commitment that should only be entered when one is physically, emotionally, and financially ready for it. The financial situation in the present day Nigerian society has led to many putting off marriage as long as possible. However, the unwillingness to commit to marriage does not mean that people are willing to be celibate. Going into relationships with no intention of making any form of commitment has become a way of life. Therein lies the conundrum; ladies, the guy you are with might tell you he loves you so that you can continue to date him, and give your body to him even though he has no intention of marrying you. He might only want sex, not marriage so it’s up to you.
    2. You are not his type. Many men have an idea of the idea of the kind of women they would like to settle down with, but until they meet that woman, they are quite capable of making-do with ‘Miss available’, until ‘Miss Right’ appears, when she does, ‘Miss Available’ is shown the way out. So it might be in your own best interests as a lady to save yourself for the man who will marry you, not simply for a series of boyfriends to toy with.
    3. He is in love with someone else. You might want to ask why he would date you if he already has someone he loves. Well, many men like variety, others may be in long distance relationships, for some others, the object of their affections might not be making her body available, so bros has to find a way to sort himself out.

    4 .He dislikes your attitude. A relationship is an opportunity to study a person’s character at close quarters, not sample each other’s bodies. When a man decides to settle down, he is not likely to make an emotional decision and marry you only because he loves you. Most men will study the lady, if not do some background check of her character. This is where the character of a lady is of utmost importance. Some ladies simply lack manners, or as we put it here in Nigeria “Have no home training”, some have rubbished themselves by making themselves the village mattrass in the name of love, or looking for a husband, so when Mr Right comes along it becomes a problem. For some others, they have a reputation for being rude, or are dirty, lazy, or what have you. So you might want to check your attitude.

    1. Your belief systems are different. Even though a lot can be said for inter religious unions, the fact is that not many men are willing to marry outside their faiths, especially if the lady is unwilling to adopt the religion of her man. The reason is simply that many men want order in their homes, and having a wife of the same faith makes it easier to raise children who will toe the family line.
    2. You don’t have a means of livelihood. Many ladies want to marry men who are established in careers or businesses, yet have no visible means of livelihood of their own. Ladies, the syllabus has changed! Go to school, or learn a trade, and find a job. It will not only provide your needs, but also give you some self-respect. Many men no longer want women who will be liabilities, while some even require that their wives be able to contribute something. Having said that, being fully engaged in some sort of job will make it easier to say no to predators that are willing to pay for your favours without offering a future (marriage).
    3. You like money too much. I can’t count the number of times I have heard Nigerian guys complain about our ladies, saying that our ladies love money too much. This might be the reason some ladies are willing to date married men, or even become second, or third wives, rather than marry a struggling young man. Could there be any truth in that assertion? The truth is that no one wants to be loved for their possessions, we all crave to be loved for who we are, not what we have. The economic condition of Nigeria has made many of our ladies money minded, so much so that they put more emphasis on the size of a man’s bank account than the content of his character. Unfortunately, they will have more than enough time to regret their choices.

  • Five reasons why online dating might not be a good idea

    ONLY yesterday, I got a funny call from a guy I have never met. He said that he got my number online and would like us to date. Unfortunately (for him) I am married (and happily too), putting an end to that request. That got me thinking about a topic that keeps popping in and out of my head and sometimes comes up in conversations. Is really a good idea to go online, primarily for dating purposes? With all the people we meet at school, at work, church/mosque, in the bus  and so on, is it really that hard to meet new people? I wonder, if a person can’t meet new people any other way, I hope he/she has nothing to hide. You can call me old-school if you like, but the idea of someone I have never set my eyes on calling me out of the blues to ask for a date gives me the creeps. Why? Please continue reading.

    1. Online interaction, or friendship blinds one to a fact we grew up hearing our mothers drill into our young minds, “A stranger is someone who is capable of harming you.” We equate acquaintance or any form of interaction with friendship, and it’s a big mistake. Most of our friends are people we grew up with, went to school with, colleagues, former colleagues and so on. This traditional method means that you know people who know your friend, and have an idea of the kind of person you are dealing with. But with online friends, you are dealing with a totally unknown entity.
    2. In today’s fast paced, high tech world, meeting strange people online can be very risky. Think back to Cynthia, the Nigerian babe who was kidnapped, and later murdered by a guy she met online, and flew in to Lagos to meet. The poor girl had no idea that she was dealing with a fraudster, and murderer. The internet has become a free and easy highway for psychopaths and criminals to operate virtually untraceably, especially in a porous environment like ours.
    3. Online dating is unnatural because a major part of human communication is not only verbal communication(speech), but also includes things like tone of voice, body language and the like. Women are created with a natural sense of intuition that often protects us(and our loved ones) from danger, but dealing with someone without face-to-face , and other physical forms of interaction makes it harder to be intuitive. Online communication lacks this feature and makes it difficult, if not impossible to make value judgments for ourselves about the person you are dealing with.
    4. It is hard to verify, ie do a background check on the person you are chatting with. In foreign climes, people are often warned, and given guidelines about dealing with strangers they meet online. Sometimes, as human beings our emotions blind us from seeing the truth before our very eyes, but with the evidence of other people, eyes are opened to the truth. For instance, in a regular relationship, a lady’s visit to a guy’s office, or home can lead to chance meeting with his friend who can inadvertently drop the truth that the guy is married yet conveniently forgot to tell his girlfriend, online relations don’t accord nearly as much opportunity.
    5. Many people have been found to give false information about themselves, some use photos of other people, and sometimes build false profile info. It is hard to continually lie to a person you see over a period of time without making a mistake, telling a mismatched lie and so on, even the body language of a liar can trigger suspicion in the person being lied to. With online communication, it is much harder to tell, sometimes, almost until it is too late.

     

    Having said all the foregoing, I must agree that quite a number of relationships have been spawned by the internet, and led to marriage, but then again, it is still important to take care.

  • Seven reasons Jonathan, Obasanjo fell apart

    Seven reasons Jonathan, Obasanjo fell apart

    • How ex-president’s men became victims

    A core issue, which accounted for the strain in the relationship between President Goodluck Jonathan and his erstwhile political godfather, ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo was the alleged maltreatment of some loyalists of the former President in government and in the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In this piece, YUSUF ALLI, Managing Editor, Northern Operation, examines the politics of the cold war and the ‘sacrificial lambs’. 

    The nation’s presidential election has been won and lost but those who survived its intrigues knew that it was not an easy battle. The peak of the battle was the cold war between ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Jonathan. While the two leaders engaged in make-believe that all was well, they were firing at each other under the table. At a point, they spoke in parables for only the wise to decode. There were allusions to ‘motor-park’ touts.

    But the war claimed its casualties too. All those associated with Obasanjo, who crossed the shooting range or strayed into the range, were fired.

    The beginning of the intrigues

    The crisis of confidence between Jonathan and Obasanjo started manifesting in 2011 but it reached a crescendo in 2013 with what a presidency source described as a “satanic” letter by the ex-President.  A reliable source said when the relationship was getting sour, Jonathan once summoned the courage to confront Obasanjo for allegedly undermining him. Jonathan had accused Obasanjo of allegedly being behind the rebellion of the G-7 governors in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). But Obasanjo denied the allegation and assured Jonathan of support.

    The source gave seven reasons on how the two leaders got to an ‘irreconciliable’ stage in their relationship.  The seven issues are:

    • Rejection of some ministerial nominees and chief executives of departments and agencies from the South-West from Obasanjo

    • Alleged refusal of Jonathan to consult Obasanjo on key policies and decisions of the government to sack some heads of parastatals linked with the ex-President from the South-West

    • Disagreement on the leadership of PDP at the national level and in the South-West, especially the sack of Obasanjo’s loyalists like ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, ex-Governor Segun Oni, and Bode Mustapha

    • The rise of G-7 and ultimate defection

    • Obasanjo’s allegation of Jonathan’s administration of lack of direction, especially on anti-graft war.

    • Use of international fora to write off the administration of Jonathan

    • Second term aspiration of Jonathan.

    The source added: “Obasanjo’s disagreement with Jonathan started from the ministerial nomination. The ex-President sought input into nominations from the South-West but Jonathan restricted him to Ogun State. He said Obasanjo cannot single-handedly nominate ministers from the South-West when there is PDP structure in place.

    “The ex-President was also not happy that the Jonathan administration does not consult him on all policy issues, decisions of the government and strategic appointments. The ex-President felt the President had been hijacked by those he did not want in government.

    “One of those who allegedly offended Obasanjo in the past was the outgoing Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim. His appointment was done on merit and without consultation with Obasanjo. Even at that,  Anyim personally went to meet Obasanjo and sought forgiveness in whatever manner he had offended the ex-President. And he said he had forgiven Anyim.

    “But Anyim was said not to have changed as he allegedly bared his fangs on Obasanjo’s loyalists. For instance in removing Otunba Olusegun Runsewe as the Director-General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), the President was made to believe by the Office of the SGF that only an Executive Director was being replaced.

    Although Jonathan has respect for Runsewe, he had approved his removal in error before he got to know what went wrong.

    “The emergence of Bamanga Tukur as the National Chairman of PDP and the attendant crisis in the party deepened the crack in the relationship between the two leaders.

    And the hijack of the South-West PDP structure from Obasanjo pained the ex-President. But with anti-second term campaign for Jonathan, it was strategically important for the PDP to restrict Obasanjo to his only vote at the PDP National Convention for presidential primaries than to allow him control the party structure and wreak havoc.

    “Intelligence reports on Obasanjo’s remarks during public lectures or seminars at international fora, including some in the USA, upset the presidency.

    The victims

    When two elephants fight, the grass, they say,  suffers. Some of the victims of the cold war between Jonathan and Obasanjo were a former National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former National Vice Chairman(South-West) of PDP,  ex-Governor Segun Oni;  the party’s former National Auditor, Sen. Bode Mustapha; the immediate past Chairman of the of the Board of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), Lt. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai; ex- DG of NTDC, Otunba Olusegun Runsewe; ex-DG of the National Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Yomi Bolarinwa; and the immediate past Executive Secretary of PTDF, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye,  a son of Maj-Gen. J.J. Oluleye who was a former Federal Commissioner (Minister) of Finance.

    Some of these party leaders and government functionaries were removed from office based on pettiness, the fear of the unknown, grand plan for Jonathan’s second term in office, sheer ethnic politics,  sycophancy, dummy security alarms and anti-Obasanjo’s hatred by some forces in the Presidency. A reliable source said: “Like the President said he was caged for 16 years, he realised the truth in some instances after such public officials had been sacked. Take the case of ex-DG of NBC, Yomi Bolarinwa, he was on top of the game before he was sacked for allegedly being disloyal. Unknown to the President, Bolarinwa’s successor, respected Emeka Mba, had served two-term tenure as the DG of the National Films and Censors Board. Bringing him to NBC would amount to third term in the same capacity.

    “The hate advertisements and documentaries on the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, during the just-concluded campaign and the belated intervention of the NBC pointed to why the change in the commission was effected by the Office of the SGF.”

    How did Obasanjo’s loyalists get into trouble?

    Agwai

    Born on November 8, 1948 in Kaduna State , Agwai was appointed  Chief of Army Staff by Obasanjo in 2003, and elevated to the rank of full-star general and Chief of Defence Staff in 2006. After retirement in 2009, he was engaged in a number of international assignments until he was appointed the Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) by President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2012.  In November 2013, he became SURE-P Chairman following the “sudden” resignation of Chief Christopher Kolade. But Agwai ran into trouble when he delivered a “toxic” lecture at the 78th birthday of Obasanjo in Abeokuta.

    In the lecture titled, “Imperatives of a national security framework for the development and progress of Nigeria”, Agwai warned against military’s involvement in politics and added a clincher that Nigeria needed a “change” of government when he knew the 2015 poll was a few months away. The same slogan

    of “change” was the campaign gimmick of the then opposition party, the All Progressives Congress(APC). The presidency saw his lecture as the hand of Esau’s and the voice of Jacob. He was given the boot while abroad.

    Otunba Segun Runsewe

    Otunba Segun Runsewe was the Director General of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC). He was removed by Jonathan under controversial circumstances while on official assignment in Dubai selling the tourism potential of Nigeria. A tourism ambassador par excellence, Runsewe carved a niche for the nation in the international community as he bestrode everywhere with a peculiar pan-Nigerian identity. The floating of the Nigerian Tourism Village during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa remains unequalled till today. Before the NTDC assignment, this Ijebu man was appointed a former Executive Director of the National Orientation Agency by Obasanjo. He was also saddled  with the responsibility of being the chairman of the Media Committee of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting(CHOGM) in 2003.

    But some forces in the presidency were uncomfortable with what was described as his “increasing profile”. Loved by the President but his replacement was technically done as the forces in the Office of the SGF made Jonathan to realise that there was a vacancy for an Executive Director (ED) in NTDC as if the ED will work under Runsewe. Jonathan wielded the big stick without knowing he was firing a friend.

    Dr. Oluwole Oluleye

    A son of a former Federal Commissioner of Finance, Gen. J.J. Oluleye, who was a colleague and friend of Obasanjo in the military administration of Murtala-Obasanjo between 1975 and 1979, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye was the pioneer Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) in 2003. He was humiliated out of office because he resisted the cabal seeking to perpetrate fuel subsidy fraud. Some influential marketers wanted to be paid for fuel not imported and Oluleye allegedly refused to cooperate in spite of the glaring offer of bribery cuts for him by the fuel subsidy cabal. Apart from serving as a member/secretary of the Presidential Projects Assessment Committee in 2010, luck smiled on Oluleye again when he was appointed as Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Development Technology Fund (PTDF) on May 15, 2013. A source said he ran into an ethical trouble again in 2014 for rejecting plans to use part of PTDF funds to finance the governorship project of PDP, which led to the election of Governor Ayodele Fayose. There was also a phantom report on his alleged “closeness” to the former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the APC. For standing aloof on Operation Conquer Ekiti by PDP, Oluleye was disengaged by the presidency.

    Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa

    Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa was appointed Director General of the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in March 2007 and held the position till May 2013. He was sacked by President Goodluck Jonathan in hazy circumstances, which no one has explained to him today. But sources said Bolarinwa’s exit, eight months to the expiration of his tenure, followed alleged issuance of TV licence to the opposition, which led to the birth of TVC.  Bolarinwa was also allegedly removed due to the conspiracy that the South-West has had enough of its days in NBC. But the presidency might have given him the boot to hijack the agency for the bitter campaign, which dotted the 2015 poll.

    Oyinlola

    Following consensus by PDP governors, ex-Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola was elected as  the National Secretary of the party at its  National Convention in 2012 but because of his closeness to Obasanjo, some bigwigs in the party, especially ex-National chairman of PDP, Alh. Bamanga Tukur, were uncomfortable with him. As an Obasanjo man, some loyalists of the President felt Oyinlola might be an obstacle to the second term aspiration of Jonathan. These forces took undue advantage of the law and ensured that Oyinlola was sacked by the Federal High Court, Abuja in January 2013 for being improperly elected to the position.  Rather than take the laws into his hand, Oyinlola appealed the judgment  of the lower court and won. But all attempts to reinstate him into office were frustrated by Bamanga Tukur, who in turn was forced to step aside in 2014. He later followed the honourable path by defecting to the All Progressives Congress(APC).

    Imbued with courage, Oyinlola does not pretend as a die-hard loyalist of Obasanjo. In a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, he made it known that he has no other name than loyalty. He said: “I wish to respectfully state that I do not go back on my words, just like I don’t abandon my friends, associates and leaders, no matter how hard the situation might be. That explains why as a state governor, I remained very loyal to my boss, former President Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR, even when he had some issues with the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.  I wish to respectfully recall very respectfully, that Chief Obasanjo never made any attempt to move against me on account of these differences.

    The same spirit today drives me as I maintain my loyalty to former President Obasanjo, who may, or who may not have any relationship with your government. It was that same spirit that made me insist on your approval of my candidature, in your capacity as national leader of the party and president, before I agreed with my brother-governors request in 2012, to contest for the position of PDP National Secretary. I should like to state that I am not a fair-weather fellow. To my friends, the spirit is very similar to marital vow.”

    Segun Oni 

    An anointed political son of Obasanjo from the way he emerged as the elected Governor of Ekiti State in April 2007, after losing his mandate in October 2010, Oni remained a committed party man until  March 2012 when he was elected the National Vice Chairman South-West of the PDP. However in line with a grand plot to relegate Obasanjo to the background in the PDP in the South-West, Oni was removed from office by the Bamanga Tukur-led National Working Committee of the PDP as a result of a court ruling that nullified the party congress that led to the emergence of Oni. Instead of allowing the judicial process to run its full course to the Supreme Court, the Bamanga Tukur team employed impunity to its fullest.  Oni had no choice than to leave  the PDP for APC where he was elected as the  Deputy National Chairman (South) of the APC.

    Chief Bode Mustapha

    A former National Auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bode Mustapha lost his seat in the National Working Committee of the party following a court ruling that his election was improper. The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Olisah Metuh, who tried to justify Mustapha’s removal, said:  “Report of the Decision of PDP NWC on Ogun State Exco & South West Zone Exco; Following protracted dispute on the Ogun State and South West Zonal Exco of the Party, a series of suits were filed on the matter, which include FHC/L/CS/1248/2011, FHC/L/CS/282/2012 and FHC/L/CS/347/2012.

    “The Peoples Democratic Party is to rectify its records by deleting the name of Chief Bode Mustapha as National Auditor and replacing the same with Alhaji Fatai Adewole Adeyanju.

    “The National working Committee of the party met on 14th February 2013 and gave careful consideration to the issues and decided that, in line with respect to the rule of law which is a cardinal principle of the present administration, the PDP as a law abiding party, will immediately comply with the said judgment. This is all the more so that same has not been set aside or reversed by any superior court.”

    Mustapha later defected to the APC alongside other Obasanjo’s loyalists.

    Reaping the benefits of anti-Obasanjo’s agenda

    Although some strategists of President Goodluck Jonathan might disagree, the gradual alienation of the South-West and the removal of public functionaries from the zone from public office created a political liability for the President during the general election. Out of about 50 choice appointments, the South-West had only two or three. At a stage, Jonathan took his destiny in his hands by embarking on shuttles to traditional rulers in Yorubaland, but it was too late as the Yoruba were not ready to condone his explanation for sidelining the principle of Federal Character in the 1999 Constitution. The APC latched on the costly mistake of Jonathan’s administration and the rest is history today.

     What becomes of these Obasanjo’s men?

    Now that a new government is in place, the question, is what becomes of these Obasanjo’s men. They were part of the sacrifices made to effect the sweeping change now in the country. Some of them were harassed out of office, displaced, and even subjected to deprivation for no fault of theirs.

    Conquering fixation

    letes. How do you engage the car in the reverse gear yet expect the vehicle to move forward. We have refused to change the administrators with their warp ideas.

    Coaches and players now hobnob with the Presidency; a distasteful development that has made impossible a smooth transition in the Eagles, with the NFF going against its wish for the team. I digress!

    Today, Taiwo Awoniyi is the hottest striker in the country. Awoniyi was a marvel to watch at the last U-17 World Cup, which Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets won. He has taken his prolific goal-scoring act to the flying Eagles, scoring goals with aplomb, in the absence of Kelechi Iheanacho.

    Rather than draft Awoniyi to the Dream Team VI after completing the Flying Eagles assignment, such mundane talk of him being over-used were proposed by our coaches and their ilk without asking Awoniyi if he could cope with both roles.

    Those who advanced that argument must cover their heads in shame because it has taken Awoniyi’s profound scoring skills to hand Nigeria the qualification ticket for the All Africa Games. Awoniyi reminds me of Henry Nwosu. His knack for scoring goals brings back memories of the late Rashidi Yekini.

    Iker Casilas was here in Lagos for the 1999 World U-20 Youth Championship, which Spain won by beating Japan, then handled by the White Witch Doctor, Phillipe Troussier 2-0, inside the mainbowl of the National Stadium in Lagos. Casilas is still Spain’s goalkeeper, 16 years after breaking into the team as a 20-year old.

    The advantage of playing outstanding players, such as Awoniyi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Eze, in the senior category is that they will remain there for a longer time. Besides, others at the grassroots would be buoyed to give their best, knowing that they too could be like them, if they improve on their game.

    The argument of former internationals, such as Victor Ikpeba, that Awoniyi would be ripe for the Eagles in two years time is bunkum. This is why Ikpeba didn’t leave the Eagles with a testimonial game, in spite of his remarkable contributions, including winning the Africa Footballer of the Year award in 1999.

    Players get the impetus to live their dreams in a football team through their skills, not age, especially the gifted ones. We must strive to reduce the average age of the Super Eagles from its unacceptable 32 to what others have – between 21 and 28. The game is now being played by young and enterprising players, who are hungry for glory. Little wonder the avalanche of new players that come into prominence after every big competition.

    Need I waste space to list boys who hit it big time as teens, not forgetting the king of soccer, Pele? Whenever I watch Manchester United play with De Gea in goal, I cry. Why? In 2007, a Nigerian ‘kid’ Dele Ajiboye, was adjudged the best goalkeeper at the U-17 World Cup which Nigeria beat Spain 2-0.

    It would be ludicrous for any bookmaker to draw a comparison between Ajiboye and De Gea today, more than eight years after. Do you see my pain?

    Who blinks first?

    By the time you are reading this column today (baring any last minute changes) , Stephen Okechukwu Keshi would have returned to his Super Eagles job at humbling terms. Keshi’s return has been controversial, with the NFF chiefs’ body language not favourably disposed towards working with him.

    This cat-and-rat setting may be the Eagles’ biggest problem, if Keshi plays the ostrich. Unfortunately, NFF men are not ready to tell us the terms of reference in Keshi’s deal, based on a certain clause which forbids either party to make such disclosure.

    But, I’m damn sure the wall of secrecy will eventually collapse and details of the contract, will be subject of beer parlour talks – when the coach fails to get his salaries and entitlements promptly. NFF men must tell us the dos and don’ts in Keshi’s contract now not when he infringes on any. Nigerians deserve to know what would happen to the coach if the Eagles fail to fly.

    I don’t see how an all-knowing Keshi will allow his list to be vetted, yet he refuses to carry the can when the team fails. I also don’t see how Keshi will work with any document given to him by the technical study group and the technical department and yet we expect him to take the credit for victories arising from such group initiatives. Keshi isn’t a team player.

    I also don’t see how Keshi will stop John Mikel Obi from playing for the Eagles even when he is a bench warmer at Chelsea? Will Keshi forgive Sunday Mba et al to give the Eagles the desired fillip to fly higher? Will Keshi swallow his pride and play the functional 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 or even 4-3-3 to bring out the best of our players who shine in their European teams which play these formations?

    Does the NFF have a plan B when Keshi’s tantrums begin, especially if, the federation fails to pay the coach promptly. Would the NFF be right to sanction a man whose fees they haven’t settled, irrespective of the reasons given for the delay?

    I pray that Keshi becomes a team player in this new dispensation. He must do away with those busybodies around him who run their mouths in the media. They are the ones who told us that seven countries were chasing the Big Boss to train their teams. Where are those teams today? These lickspittles shouldn’t tell us in the future how certain powerful men in the fading government begged the coach to stay.

    Keshi has been jobless. Countries touted to be chasing him picked others even though he denied applying for those jobs. Keshi signed a contract he tagged ‘slavish’. I hope he remains humble because he thrives in having power without control mechanism. This NFF board has provided such control mechanisms. I hope the Big Boss can submit himself to control.

  • 12 reasons Jonathan deserves rejection

    Last week, Villascope, the in-house journal of the Aso Rock Villa listed a dozen reasons why President Goodluck Jonathan deserves re-election. Well dear reader, let us ignore the confounding shallowness of the claims and dissect them together, one at a time to determine if this president actually deserves a day longer in office.

    One: Road construction is first on the list. Their major showpiece here is the refurbished portion of Benin-Ore road. This government never managed to complete any road from start to finish in six years. They lie about Onitsha-Owerri road which was about 90 per cent completed by the Obasanjo government. The East-West road has remained an albatross; Lagos-Ibadan Express is a non-starter and the Second Niger Bridge was a forgotten promise until a few weeks ago. On account of roads therefore, Hardball will not return Jonathan.

    Two: Railway rehabilitation is flaunted and one wonders whether it is the same antiquated and chugging coaches one often finds passengers sit on their roof? One hears it is sheer torture making any journey in them across the country. Sorry, no serious country would refer to those things as trains in this age.

    Three: Re-modeling of airports. Yes, airports were remodeled but what quality? At what cost?

    Four: Transformed agriculture sector. This is the biggest scam of the Jonathan government. They said they gave ten million farmers mobile phones for accessing fertilizer. Hmn? The fraud called rice fund, cassava bread fund among others are well kept secret of billion naira sluice funds…

    Five: Increased access to education. Just because about ten hurriedly-hung universities have been established overnight does not mean access has been increased. What is the percentage of the increase?

    Six: Access to housing. Where are the houses built? By who and for whom? When President Shehu Shagari built houses those days, we all saw them. It is wicked to pass off posh private estates for public housing.

    Seven: Improved power supply. Dear reader you know this is a blatant lie. They just handed our facilities to their cronies and we suffer more and pay more now than the PHCN days.

    Eight: Improved water supply. Where? What really does the Ministry of Water Resources do? Why don’t they just scrap it?

    Nine: Better health facilities. Where? With strikes in the health service all the time?

    Ten: Reformed security infrastructure. Dear reader you know this is a big lie. For instance you sabi our police well, well now? And you know that Niger, Chad and Cameroun are currently helping big brother, Nigeria.

    Eleven: Increased Nigerians’ participation in downstream oil sector. Lie, IOCs still control 97 percent of the sector. Friends of government are only hijacking the facilities the IOCs are divesting from.

    Twelve: Economic transformation: Haba! With our naira trading at N215 to a dollar? With budget not passed in February…?

    Why, just because this government has lost touch with reality does not mean the entire populace is so afflicted. Let’s vote Jonathan out before it’s too late.