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Tag: travel

  • Four ways to travel smartly in Nigeria

    Four ways to travel smartly in Nigeria

    Travelling doesn’t have to be such an expensive and somewhat inconvenient endeavor. It doesn’t have to be an endeavor that’s hard on your finances and lifestyle.  There are ways to make the most of your travelling experience and reduce its pressure on your finances and lifestyle. Jumia Travel, the leading online travel agency, shares 4 ways to travel smartly in Nigeria.

    Choose Your Means of Transport Wisely

    Constantly check for the fares of different legitimate airlines and transport companies; check for their specific discount periods and discount schemes that will be of benefit to you in budgeting and planning for your travel with your decided mode of transportation. This can help maximize your travel experience. Registering on travel and hotel booking portals like Jumia Travel can help with this. You can take advantage of special travel smart deals to save yourself some more money.

    Organize Your Travel Documents Well

    Ensure all your travel documents are in place and are easily accessible, so you don’t have to waste time trying to find them at crucial times. This sort of oversight can end up either delaying your journey or making it entirely impossible. Besides, you’ll save yourself the stress of having to deal with officials that might get hostile or even embarrassing when this happens.

    Pack Lightly

    This can help you avoid excess luggage charges and save you from spending extra money on your travel. Just pack necessary items that can make your travel more convenient and leave behind the rest. Packing with purpose can go a long way in helping you achieve this. Pack with your location in mind and avoid packing things that aren’t versatile.

    Plan Your Trips

    Regardless of it’s a business trip or vacation, you should always endeavor to plan for your travel. From budgeting your travel expenses before and during the trip to the exact kind of hotel or accommodation you intend to stay in, and the means of transport you intent to use at your travel destination. If it’s an Uber you intend to use, plan for it; if taking the bus will be cheaper, plan for it. Plan every little detail of your trip to the best of your ability. Yes things happen, and you might ultimately not be able to execute your entire plan but it will at least keep you relatively in control of your travel experience and help you reduce and very possibly avoid excess and unexpected costs.

     

  • 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

  • New roads to travel in Edo 

    New roads to travel in Edo 

    Confucius – that renowned Chinese sage of many catchphrases – was, no doubt, high as a kite when he said: “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations”. The idea here is not that he snuck and took some opiate to heighten his creativity, or that he went and indulged in the fruit of the vine.

    The idea is that he was, of imagination, on an intellectually elevated pedestal and was seeing things that were as sound in concept as they were poetic in expression.

    In Edo State, the appositely lauded technocrat governor, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki, leaves no one in doubt of his unfeigned understanding of the importance of roads to the socioeconomic wellbeing of the people of Edo State. If the road is unduly rough, the governor understands, the journey surely will be unpleasant, and the desire for the destination may wane.

    It explains why Governor Obaseki reiterates his unambiguous commitment to the development of road infrastructure in the state. During his recent commissioning of the newly constructed 500km Nevis Street Road, which links four major roads in Benin City, the governor reaffirmed his administration’s resolve to make certain that within the four years of his first term in office he completes 3000km of roads.

    To be sure, all of these roads will not only enrich the development of infrastructure and make life more meaningful for the people in the state, they will equally generate decent jobs for all categories of people especially youths who will be given requisite training in road designs and constructions using concrete technology.

    One of the things that will stand out the roads to be constructed across the state under this administration is the use of concrete technology. The newly reconstructed Nevis Street Road is the first road to be reconstructed in the state using concrete materials.

    Constructing roads with concrete rather than asphalt will facilitate durability. Road construction experts have maintained again and again that rigid concrete is more durable than asphalt; it has a lifespan of between 20 and 40 years. Such roads are less likely to have potholes. The surface of concrete is also better at preventing automobile skidding, it ensures the safety of people and in that connection helps reduce the frequent spate of accidents necessitated by poorly constructed roads.

    Besides, concrete roads do not drain the coffers like asphalt roads when it comes to maintenance. Asphalts are money guzzlers when maintenance is considered. If heavy spending on road maintenance is out of the way, money will be available for other equally important programmes. With concrete pavement, it is a win-win for both government and the people. Already in many advanced societies of the world, concrete roads are more increasingly in vogue. The reason for this inheres in the great benefits it offers.

    Of the significance of constructing roads with concrete, Mr. Ashif Juma, the Managing Director of AG-Dangote, the company contracted to refurbish the Nevis Street Road with concrete, noted further that, “Concrete has always made most sense in the long run. No other paving materials match concrete’s strength and durability in standing up to heavy usage and truck traffic. Concrete lasts longer without the need for resurfacing, patching or surface sealing. Concrete delivers structurally, financially and environmentally.”

    He added that the road was constructed in compliance with Governor Obaseki’s directive that the materials must be sourced locally, noting that what the governor’s directive enabled his company to prove is the fact that concrete roads could be built within a short period.

    Doubtlessly, it is the habit of leaders who are prudent and are irresolute in their commitment to the progress of their people to make sure that they maximise resources and achieve the best with what is available. Governor Obaseki demonstrated that he belongs in the fold of such uncommon leaders when he noted that given the success recorded in the use of concrete technology, about 45 roads that have been awarded for construction and reconstruction would be done solely with the use of concrete. The roads would be constructed, he observed, with raw materials sourced from within the state.

    In his view, Edo State does not need to depend on foreign exchange for road construction as all materials and human capital could be sourced locally. It is to this end that the governor encouraged youths in the state to take advantage of the opportunity for employment available in the Edo Jobs Initiative by registering for it. As he emphasised at the referred road commissioning ceremony, there would be a beneficial, enduring road infrastructure revolution in Edo State, for among other things, he has “come to change the face of politics in Nigeria.”

    In other words, he has come to change the narrative of road infrastructure in the country setting his state up as a model. And this is no mere sweet talk. Hear him: “The construction of this Nevis Street within seven weeks showed that this government can make promises and fulfil them. This is a revolution in our road construction. We will design our roads, and we will train our youths on roads design and construction without waiting for foreign exchange. We have all the raw materials here.”

    As of now across different areas in Benin City about 29 roads are in different stages of reconstruction and rehabilitation, with some being remodelled with concrete technology.

    For Edo residents, the revolution springing up in road infrastructure in the city centre in the state is no fluke. It is in view of this unmediated reality that some of them have expressed their heartfelt delight and satisfaction. The summary of their experience in this regard is that life is surely getting easier. They feel really happy that their socioeconomic undertakings will be greatly enhanced by the reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads. Indeed, the journeys for which the roads are made will be more pleasurable, even as their desire to achieve the goals of their varied activities become more boosted.

    Reporter who went round the state capital last Friday on a tour of some ongoing projects coordinated by the Office of the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Godwin Obaseki captured the infectious gladness of the people in response to the vast improvement taking place in road infrastructure.

    A resident and fabricator working along Wire Road, Iyoyin Shekiri, expressed joy over the development, saying that Obaseki had started following the developmental footsteps of his predecessor, Comrade Adams Oshiohmole, in ensuring that Edo people have access to good roads.

    He said Wire road had never had it good in terms of access to good roads until Governor Obaseki assumed office “to redeem the people from the road that had suffered years of abandonment” and had become a death trap.

    The situation at Nevis Street was not different as residents came out in their large numbers to applaud the Governor Obaseki on his determination to improve the socioeconomic wellbeing of the people through massive road construction and rehabilitation across the state.

    Daniel Ohenhen, who was among the residents that spoke to reporters at Wire Road, thanked the governor for doing a good job, and appealed that more of those works be replicated across the state.

    The Director of Construction in the state Ministry of Works, Mr John Obanor, explained that from the total 29 roads of over 50km earmarked for rehabilitation, 15 have been completed with either flexible pavement or rigid pavement.

    At Ikpokpan Road in the Government Reservation Area (GRA), Obanor said rigid pavement with concrete was used on the road to check areas susceptible to erosion. According to him, lkpokpan Road, which was about 60 to 70 metres of rigid pavement, was expected to stand the test of time for a minimum of 25 years.

    Other roads include Oba Eweka/Ogbetuo Oni Road, Osabuihien Close GRA, Wire Road, Nekpenekpen, Nevis Road, Ugbor, Nekpenekpe, Oni Street, and Jemide/Akhiobare.

    Explaining the technique behind the constructions, Obanor said: “We have done quite well as regards reconstruction and rehabilitation of the roads. In fact, we are sure of completing all these roads before the rains set in proper.

    “As you may have noticed, we adopted quite a number of measures to ensure these roads last longer. These measures are the combination of rigid pavement and flexible pavement. For areas that are prone to environmental condition, we used rigid pavement while we used flexible pavement for the areas that are not prone to flooding.”

    In Governor Obaseki, Edo has got itself another bright mind willing to modernise the state for the overall good of a greater number of the people. The rising tide of road infrastructure, among other laudable programmes, is an eloquent proof of this.

    • Osadolor writes from Benin City.
  • DEBIE-RISE AND I PLAN TO MAKE MONEY, TRAVEL TOGETHER –BBNAIJA EVICTEE BASSEY EKPEYONG

    DEBIE-RISE AND I PLAN TO MAKE MONEY, TRAVEL TOGETHER –BBNAIJA EVICTEE BASSEY EKPEYONG

    Big Brother Naija house, evicted housemate Bassey Ekpeyong, in this interview with JOE AGBRO JR, explains why he refrained from romantic liaisons in the house and why he’ll  continue working with fellow housemate Debie-Rise. Excerpts

    WHEN you were evicted, you left the Big Brother House so swiftly. Did you know you were going to be evicted?

    Of course not, I wasn’t expecting to leave the house but I had planned for the worst while hoping for the best. I wasn’t expecting the best. Okay, if I leave the house, what am I going to do, how am I going to react? So, I had all those things in thought. I had my though process wrapped around the reality.

    And you were smiling all through. Internally, were you really happy or was the smile just a front?

    Well, sincerely, the kind of person I am, I’m a very positive person and I always try to see the good in every situation. At that point in time, I was very confident in myself that ‘okay, I have come here and I have achieved all that I wanted to achieve, show myself to Africa, show myself to Nigeria as someone who can do things as many as possible. So to me, that was me winning. So, I may not have won the N25 million but I won my own competition and that was why I was smiling because I had already let everything I had out. So, I was smiling because I was satisfied that I had achieved that.

    You were without internet and your phone throughout your stay in the house. Who was the first person you called when you left the house?

    The first person I called was my elder brother and I told him, “yes oo, I don carry my phone now. Oya, let’s start talking.”

    You’ve been outside the house and you’ve been running things. so far, Nigeria has seen you, Africa has seen you. What have you gained? Any endorsements?

    Well, a few companies have approached me for endorsements and my management team has been working hand in hand with these companies to draft out a good agreement. So yes, there are some endorsements in view. I really appreciate Nigerians for even appreciating the little I had to offer.

    Would you like to name some of the companies?

    Well, Pay Porte actually has something for me and it is in view. And hopefully before the end of June, we should see something coming from that angle. And the other companies do not want to be mentioned until the deal is done.

    In your interview immediately after you left the house, you talked about having a girlfriend. How did your girlfriend take all your acts in the house?

    Well, you know how it is. She was slightly jealous that I did one or two things in the house but nothing a few pieces of pizza and ice cream couldn’t solve (laughs).

    Up till last Sunday, Debie-Rise sang you a birthday song and you confessed that you really liked her. If you weren’t already committed with a girlfriend outside, would you have had a relationship with her?

    Well, never say never. But the reality is I have a girlfriend outside so I wouldn’t want to do anything that negates the commitment I have. However, Debie-Rise and I have grown to become very close and this is a friendship I believe will stand the test of time as we have plans of making money together, visiting places together. So, Debie-Rise is very very great friend and I appreciate her for that.

    But she doesn’t know you have a girlfriend outside, does she?

    Oh, she knows. I laid my cards out on the table. Everybody in the house, everybody in Nigeria knows.

    You also said in the interview that some of the ladies were trying to get to you but you held back. Now Nigerians watched what happened in the Jacuzzi, kissing sessions and some Nigerians even criticised BBN as being immoral. What were really happening in the house?

    Well, nothing over the tops happened. The few times those things happened was when we had the ‘Kissing Festival’ and then we would task each other to kiss each other. And that was about the only thing that happened. So, I’m sure Nigerians understand.

    T-Boss became the most nominated housemate for eviction, yet some of the males crushed on her. Did you?

    Yeah, I particularly find T-Boss attractive and I said that right from the first day I stepped into the house. And that hasn’t changed. I may not have physically interpreted my likeness for her but I I found her attractive and over time, we became close enough and friends. And then, I related to her on a purely friendship basis. Yeah, I find her attractive but nothing erotic could come out of that.

    It’s curious but with ladies wanting you, why didn’t you yield for any of them?

    Because the reality is that we don’t have that kind of time to build on anything concrete. And then, you cannot be pressured by the attention of other people to fall into something you do not intend to further, which is why I decided to be friends with basically everybody.

    And then, you don’t know who is leaving the next Sunday. So, you don’t want to start something now and then end up losing the next Sunday or even stay till the end and end up coming outside and become another break-up story. So, for me, friendship is a hard currency. And I decided to build on the fact that I could make friends who would last long enough for me. And that was what I was doing exactly in the Big Brother house.

    Now that you’re outside the house, what did you realise you missed the most?

    Men, I missed my phone and I missed my family.

    The show is ending on Sunday, who are you tipping to win?

    Well, I would like Debie-Rise to win, quite sincerely.

  • Immigration: Presidency advises Nigerians to delay travel to U.S.

    Immigration: Presidency advises Nigerians to delay travel to U.S.

    The Federal Government on Monday advised Nigerians who have no compelling or urgent reason to travel to the U.S. to postpone their travel plans until the new administration’s policy on immigration is clear.

    Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Abike Dabiri-Erewa gave the advice in Abuja.

    Dabiri-Erewa in a statement by her media aide Abdurrahman Balogun, said that the warning became imperative due to series of reports received by her office.

    “In the last few weeks, the office has received a few cases of Nigerians with valid multiple-entry U.S. visas being denied entry and sent back to the Nigeria.

    “In such cases reported to the office, such affected persons were sent back immediately on the next available flight and their visas were cancelled.

    “No reasons were given for the decision by the U.S. immigration authorities,” she said

    She, however, reminded Nigerians in the Diaspora to abide by the rules and regulations of their host countries and be good ambassadors of the country.

    NAN reports that Nigeria was not among a group of countries from which Trump wants to suspend travel to the U. S. on security grounds.

    President Donald Trump is to sign a revised executive order to “clarify who is covered” under a policy that halted entry to the U.S. from several Muslim countries, White House Adviser, Kellyanne Conway said on Monday.

    Conway said that there would be “a new executive order” to take effect March 16, and that Iraq was no longer included “based on their enhanced screening and reporting measures.”

    The document would replace an order in late January that temporarily banned tourist, immigration and most other entries from seven majority-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days.

    Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen were the former countries that were affected by the initial order.

    The order caused travellers to be stranded at different international airports around the world and set off a wave of protests.

    It was later blocked by a court.

    The January order also suspended the U.S. refugee programme for 120 days and indefinitely blocked refugees from Syria.

    Under the new order, Syrian refugees “are treated the way all refugees are,” and it makes “much clearer if you have travel docs, if you actually have a visa.

    “If you are a legal permanent resident, you are not banned under this particular executive action,” Conway said.

    Earlier on Monday in Baghdad, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Jamal said the ministry voiced “deep relief” at press reports that Iraq would not be on the new banned list.

    He described the anticipated move as “an important step in the right direction in order to consolidate the strategic alliance between Baghdad and Washington in many areas.

    He pointed out that the relationship between the two countries most importantly the war on terrorism. (NAN)

  • Trump adamant as world leaders criticise travel ban

    Trump adamant as world leaders criticise travel ban

    Merkel, May condemn order

    16 Attorneys-Gen: it’s unconstitutional

    World leaders kicked at the weekend against United States President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration order.

    There were outrage around the world and protests in many United States airports.

    It was chaotic at major airports across the world as airlines adjusted their crew members to avoid running foul of the order.

    United States Republican senators  John McCain and Linsey Graham drove home the deep implications of the order on United States security in their condemnation of the order, which bans citizens of seven majority Muslim countries in Africa and Asia —Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Yemen and Syria — from visiting the U.S..

    It also puts a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the U.S.

    Sixteen Attorneys General in the U.S. have also declared the order as unconstitutional.

    In a joint statement, 16 attorneys general, from states including California, New York and Pennsylvania, said they would “use all of the tools of our offices to fight this unconstitutional order” and, until it was struck down, would “work to ensure that as few people as possible suffer from the chaotic situation that it has created”.

    British Prime Minister Theresa May said Britain did not agree with “this kind of approach”.

    May had been criticised by lawmakers in her ruling Conservative Party for not condemning Trump’s decision.

    Her spokesman said: “Immigration policy in the United States is a matter for the government of the United States, just the same as immigration policy for this country should be set by our government.”

    “But we do not agree with this kind of approach and it is not one we will be taking. We are studying this new executive order to see what it means and what the legal effects are, and in particular what the consequences are for UK nationals.”

    Mrs May has told Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Amber Rudd to contact their U.S. counterparts and make representations about the order barring refugees and visa holders from the seven countries.

    Johnson tweeted it was “divisive and wrong” to stigmatise people on the basis of nationality.

    Mrs May has come under fire for not condemning the order earlier.

    A Conservative Member of British Parliament, Nadhim Zahawi, who was born in Iraq, is among those who have said they would not be able to travel to the U.S. while the temporary ban – 90 days – is in place.

    British Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, who was born in Somalia and lives in the U.S., has also said it is “deeply troubling” that he may have to tell his children he cannot go home.

    The prime minister has had a conference call with Mr Johnson and Ms Rudd and instructed them to make representations to their opposite numbers in the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, aimed at protecting the rights of British nationals.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel also spoke out against the U.S. immigration ban.

    A spokesman said the German leader believes the measure is wrong.

    The German chancellor said the fight against terrorism “does not justify putting people from specific background or faiths under general suspicion”, her spokesman has told Germany’s Spiegel newspaper.

    Germany’s dpa news agency quoted Mrs Merkel’s spokesman Steffen Seibert saying yesterday that “she is convinced that even the necessary, resolute fight against terrorism doesn’t justify putting people of a particular origin or particular faith under general suspicion.”

    Merkel and Trump spoke by phone on Saturday for the first time since his inauguration.

    Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that his government remained committed to welcoming ”those fleeing persecution, terror and war”.

    Trudeau has taken a stand on social media against the temporary US ban on refugees and immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries.

    Mr Trudeau underscored his government’s commitment to bringing in “those fleeing persecution, terror & war”.

    The US Department of Homeland Security said the entry ban would also apply to dual nationals of the seven countries.

    However, Mr Trudeau’s office says Canadian dual nationals are exempt.

    “We have been assured that Canadian citizens travelling on Canadian passports will be dealt with in the usual process,” a spokeswoman for Mr Trudeau said in an emailed statement.

    Trump’s National Security Adviser Mike Flynn “confirmed that holders of Canadian passports, including dual citizens, will not be affected by the ban,” the statement said.

    Canada’s Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen is a dual national who arrived as a Somali refugee.

    Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released the following a statement yesterday on the President’s executive order on immigration:

    “Our government has a responsibility to defend our borders, but we must do so in a way that makes us safer and upholds all that is decent and exceptional about our nation.

    “It is clear from the confusion at our airports across the nation that President Trump’s executive order was not properly vetted. We are particularly concerned by reports that this order went into effect with little to no consultation with the Departments of State, Defence, Justice, and Homeland Security.

    “Such a hasty process risks harmful results. We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help.

    “And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation, and who have suffered unspeakable horrors, most of them women and children.

    “Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism. At this very moment, American troops are fighting side-by-side with our Iraqi partners to defeat Isil. But this executive order bans Iraqi pilots from coming to military bases in Arizona to fight our common enemies.

    “Our most important allies in the fight against ISIL are the vast majority of Muslims who reject its apocalyptic ideology of hatred. This executive order sends a signal, intended or not, that America does not want Muslims coming into our country.

    “That is why we fear this executive order may do more to help terrorist recruitment than improve our security.”

    A US judge has issued a temporary halt to the deportation of visa holders or refugees stranded at airports after President Trump’s ban order.

    The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a case in response to the order issued on Friday.

    The White House said 109 people were detained, and around two dozen travellers were still being held.

    Thousands of people gathered at U.S. airports to protest against the move.

    Defending his move, Mr Trump early yesterday tweeted: “Our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting, NOW.” He told reporters on Saturday that the executive order was “working out very nicely. You see it at the airports, you see it all over”.

    His Chief of Staff Reince Priebus denied that the introduction of the ban had been chaotic. He said that, of the 325,000 people entering the U.S. on Saturday, 109 were detained.

    “Most of those people were moved out,” he told NBC’s Meet the Press programme. “We’ve got a couple of dozen more than remain and I would suspect that as long as they’re not awful people that they will move through before another half a day today.”

    The ruling from federal Judge Ann Donnelly, in New York, prevented the removal from the U.S. of people with approved refugee applications, valid visas, and “other individuals… legally authorised to enter the United States”.

    The emergency ruling also said there was a risk of “substantial and irreparable injury” to those affected.

    Her ruling is not on the constitutionality of Mr Trump’s executive order.

    The department of homeland security said it would continue to enforce the measures.

    Ali worked for three years as an interpreter for the U.S. Army and gained admittance to the U.S. through a Special Immigrant Visa, reserved for Iraqi and Afghan nationals who face threats of violence for working for Americans during the conflicts there.

    He now has a green card, and returned to Iraq for his father’s funeral, only to be delayed for hours for questioning at Dulles.

    “We are not terrorists. We are not bad people,” said Ali. “It’s so hard. I hope they will change their minds on this position.”

    The court case was brought early on Saturday on behalf of two Iraqi men detained at JFK Airport in New York. One worked for the US military in Iraq, while the other is married to a former US military contract employee.

    Both have now been released. Another court hearing is set for February.

    Lee Gelernt, deputy legal director of the Immigrants Rights Project, who argued the case in court, said that some people had been threatened with being “put back on a plane” later on Saturday.

    Mr Gelernt also said the judge had ordered the government to provide a list of names of those detained under the order.

    Judges elsewhere in the US have also ruled on the issue:

    In Boston, a judge decided two Iranian nationals, professors at the University of Massachusetts, should be released from detention at Logan International Airport.

    An order issued in Virginia banned, for seven days, the deportation of green card holders held at Dulles Airport and ordered the authorities to allow access to lawyers

    A Seattle judge issued an emergency stay of removal from the US for two people

    Criticism of Mr Trump’s decision has been growing louder outside the US.

    Iran and Iraq are threatening a reciprocal ban on US citizens entering the country.

    Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany said “even the necessary, determined fight against terrorism does not justify placing people of a certain origin or belief under general suspicion”.

    Emirates airline has changed pilot and flight attendant rosters on flights to the U.S. as a result of the order.

    However, it said that U.S. flights continue to operate as scheduled.

    According to the International Air Transport Association, “the decision caught airlines off guard.’’

    The ban applies to pilots and flight attendants from the seven countries, even though all flight crew who are not U.S. citizens already needed a special visa to enter the country.

    Another Emirates spokesperson said the impact of the ban on operations would be minimal.

    The airline employs over 23,000 flight attendants and about four thousand pilots from around the world, including the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.

    Etihad said on its website that dual citizens could travel to the U.S. using their non-banned passport.

    Qatar Airways declined to comment on the impact of the ban on flight operations.

    Although, on Saturday, it issued a statement on its website that passengers would need a green card or diplomatic visa to enter the U.S. Emirates and Etihad issued similar statements

    In Paris, Air France joined the airlines turning passengers away.

    An Air France spokesman said: ”The passengers arrived on flights to Paris where they were due to transfer to fights to the US. Air France took them in charge and flew them back to the airports where their trips had originated.

    “This concerned less than 10 people in total who had arrived on various different flights. The flights were not from the countries on the (Trump) list but the passengers were citizens of the countries on the list.”

    The spokesman said that henceforth passengers from countries on the list with tickets for the US from or via Paris would not be allowed board flights in whatever airport in whichever country.

    He said he didn’t know how many had already reserved tickets for flights to the US who would now not be allowed to travel.

    He added that Air France would henceforth alert passengers to the new restrictions.

    Dutch airline KLM said it had refused carriage to the United States to seven passengers from predominately Muslim countries subject to a temporary immigration ban imposed by the Trump administration.

    A spokeswoman for KLM, part of the Franco-Dutch Air France KLM group, declined to specify which countries the passengers came from or where they were flying from.

    “Worldwide, we had seven passengers whom we had to inform that there was no point in us taking them to the U.S.,” said spokeswoman Manel Vrijenhoek. “There is still some lack of clarity about whom this ban affects.”

  • Nollywood Travel Festival makes debut with Toronto showcase

    Nollywood Travel Festival makes debut with Toronto showcase

    Following the reception given eight Nigerian films by foreign delegates at the last Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Canada, an idea of a Nollywood Travel Festival was born, with a broader aim of promoting Nigerian films, music and tourism as a pack.

    The idea is the brainchild of President of the African Film Consortium (AFC), Mykel Parish and CEO of Native Media, Rogers Ofime.

    Shedding more light on the initiative at a press conference which held at the Ojez Restaurant, National Theatre, last Tuesday, co-founder of the festival, Parish, noted that the time is now to make more fans and money by taking the country’s film and tourism around the world.

    According to him, “Nollywood Travel Festivals is an initiative that seeks to promote films by Nigerians living all over the world to new and existing global audiences with the aim of creating new market places for Nigerian cinema. We will showcase the best films ever made in Nigeria and create an adventure for filmmakers, while opening platforms and markets for filmmakers, Nigerian music, comedy and tourism.”

    Parish who added that the Nigerian movie sector was one that practitioners should be proud of and showcase everywhere in the world, said; “Nollywood is the bedrock of films in Africa. But more people need to know what we are doing. Many of our films are already exposed by pirates.  In Canada, some people said they watched Nollywood more than they did Hollywood. So, this festival will strengthen this position and help producers to sell more films across the globe.”

    He disclosed that the maiden edition of the Nollywood Travel Festival will hold in Toronto, Canada, from May 5-7, 2017.

    In the words of Parish’s partner, Ofime, the Festival’s vision is to become a platform for the advancement of Nollywood and the realization of commercially viable entertainment industry for Nigeria. “The Nollywood Travel Festival celebrates the best of Nigerian cinema and will be hosted in major cities around the world. It will be a weekend of special indoor and outdoor screenings, inspiring discussions, meeting, parties and awards,” he said.

    The unveiling ceremony of the festival was attended by notable industry stakeholders like filmmaker Andy Boyo, PMAN’s Pretty Okafor, Association of Movie Producer’s Chinasa Onychere and culture journalist and film critic, Shaibu Husseini.

    According to Husseini, there were few travel festivals in the world, thus, the Nollywood Travel Festival is a welcome development.

    He expressed optimism that the initiative will properly internationalise Nollywood. “It will change the perspectives that Nollywood is about quantity and not quality as it will expose very good works from Nigeria, unlike the cheap ones that many would have seen. When we take our best films out, the perspective will definitely change. Of course, the festival will also give our filmmakers more opportunity to travel,” he said.

    Meanwhile, organisers have announced that entries are opened to filmmakers who desire to showcase their works at the festival. The films, which must have been released in 2016, must be shot in Nigeria or Canada by a Nigerian director with plot relating to Nigeria or Nigeria in Canada.

    The said deadline to receive film via online or DVD(along with posters design, synopsis, director’s bio and photo) is Jan 16, 2017, while selected films will be announced on January 20, 2017.

  • Making a case for travel writings

    Making a case for travel writings

    Part of what defined the Ake Book and Arts Festival that ended last week, in Abeokuta, Ogun State was the special attention the organisers paid to some salient areas of literary narratives that do not often receive deserving attention.  That aspect is the travel writing or travelogue by African writers.  Most often it is the experience from travels that inform some of the stories writers put together.  But when it comes to discussing other aspects of the literary genre or sources of the stories writers pierce together for their works, no one tends to focus on travelogue or even the people behind the stories.

    Over time, some outstanding literary masterpieces have emerged from stories people gathered from their travelling experiences.  But then how does the literary scene treat these stories?  Do people actually sit down to reminisce on these and how they can be expanded for the sake of literature?

    In the session at the festival titled book chat, two authors whose latest works concentrated more on travel writings were made to share their experiences with others.  The authors were Professor Okey Ndibe of Nigeria and Alain Mabanckou of Congo Brazzaville.  The theme of the discussion was aptly captioned travel writing by African writers.  While Ndibe’s latest narrative is titled Never look an American in the Eye, Mabanckou’s is Lights pointe-Noire.  Each book talks about the clash of cultures that necessitated or provided the back-grounding for the book.

    Mabanckou who left his native land of Congo at a very early age, told of how his return to his country many years after, triggered the story.  He said, “I am a Congolese.  It is time to use our works in Africa and all over the world to unite the world.  In this profession and beyond, we are divided especially in Anglophone.  People like us who are not versed in the English language are scared to come here to speak in the English language.  This is why we prefer to speak in Belgian or French and so on…  You see, I was 23 years when I left home.  Then my mum died.  But before that, she told me not to return home.  ‘They fight everywhere now and if you return, they will kill you,’ she had warned me”.

    So having that warning burning in his heart, Mabanckou stayed away, being the only child.  Gradually, the warning, his mother’s death, his experiences in Belgium, the confusion in the Congo and so on, began to agitate his mind.  “This is why it is good for me to write about my childhood; my mother, my father and the people who in one way or the other influenced my being.  These are people who gave meaning to my life.  So Lights Pointe-Noire, has to be translated for people to see what I met back home when I eventually returned home.

    “For me,” Mabanckou continued, “my words are not merely written, but spoken.  It is so too in Congo where literature is not just written but spoken as well.  When I see people around me, what they do, what they eat and wear, they inspire what I write.  My people are my hope for writing.  This was why when I got home the story began to flow.  For me, a writer has to keep writing: keep pouring out the pain, one day you will get to the pinnacle and the world will recognise your worth,” he submitted.

    As for Ndibe whose experience in the United States of America informed his own travel narrative, Never Look an American in the Eye, it is a very sensitive memoire.  Before he left Nigeria for the US, an uncle of his had warned him Never to Look an American in the Eye.  It was a warning that stuck with him like a stench.  He said, “Yes, it is the story of an important incident that happened to me in the US.  A few days after I arrived the US, I was arrested by the police who claimed that I was involved in an armed robbery case, or that the description of one of the people involved in it, fitted my own.

    “Before this, I had looked the police in the eye at a nearby bus stop.  Shortly after that, I was tapped on the shoulder from behind by a police officer who said he needed my attention.  Initially, I thought it was because I had earlier on looked a police officer in the eye.  But then, it was bigger than that as I was to learn later.  This was what triggered this narrative that today people ask me – is this your memoire?  Before this work came out, my mother in-law used to tell me – oh, Okey all your works are sad and bleak.  Can’t you write a book that has soothing story line?  So this narrative was in my mind for a long time.  I didn’t want to hurry it so that readers would see how happily it ended.”

    Ndibe who lectures in the US and had worked with The Guardian Newspapers before leaving Nigeria, said, “when I began to write it, it took me eleven months to complete.  My leaving Nigeria in 1988 was on the invitation of Professor Chinua Achebe who wanted me to edit his magazine on Africans in Diaspora.  The magazine had series of stories on African cultures.  Not only on Africa, it was a global magazine concentrating on the treatment, preservation and development of African issues.  I was chosen because Achebe and I had an interesting relationship,” he said.

    Over time, the relationship had blossomed into trust on both sides.  “Through Achebe, I encountered great writers like Professor Ngugi whose love for simple English have influenced me a great deal.  However, my immediate influence came from Achebe.  His love for words, for simple expressions, influenced me and helped me to navigate the world of literature.  Achebe had a great economy of words.  He is the ultimate teacher,” he said.

    As the days progressed, Ndibe discovered that events in his life, his mingling with other cultures could indeed become sources of literary narratives for him.  Today he has so many literary works to his credit most of which emanated from his encounters with people across cultures and so on.  Now, a professor of Literature, Ndibe believes that literature in Africa can never die because the likes of Achebe have established a strong literary clan in the continent.  “Even though Achebe died, but he lives.  He has left a good road to travel, for us to continue to recreate and continue to tell our stories”.

  • African Travel Awards winners shortlisted

    African Travel Awards winners shortlisted

    The process for the selection of the 2016 Africa Travel Awards winners has started this month. The awards are for Africans to choose what they consider the best players on the travel and tourism landscape in Africa.

    A pan-African committee of travel professionals from different countries in Africa drew up a shortlist of nominees to be voted for by the public. The criteria for the choices were listed alongside the nominees.

    This will be the 4th edition. According to organiser, Mr. Ikechi Uko,the awards will be coming up on October 30 at the Travellers Night Dinner during Akwaaba African Travel Market. 22 awards will be given out. The committee members are drawn from East, West, South and Central Africa and it is not surprising that most of the nominees are from Sub-Saharan Africa.

    The committee members include: Denis Gathanju, a passionate journalist and photographer based in East Africa; Sandra Idossou is an Afropolitan hotelier, trainer, mystery shopper, consultant, writer, author, traveller, publisher;  Chiquita Afuluenu Johnson is the former national tourism consultant for the Republic of Liberia and CEO of West Tourism Management; Monique Swart is the Founder of the African Business Travel Association (ABTA).

    Other members include Ali Diouf, an experienced journalist from Senegal, Sheikh Tejan; and an experienced tourism administrator from The Gambia. Charity Githinju, a travel expert based in Tanzania. Siphelele Luthuli is a travel consultant and communication expert from South Africa. Khomotso Kelsall also a South African-based travel consultant. From Uganda is Barbra Adoso, a leading tour operator, and Nancy Sam Quartey from Ghana. Other tour operators include Benin Republic-based Olanma Ojukwu and Fifi Rurungwa, a Kenyan-based Rwandan operator. Rwanda- based Catherine Mutuale, Nigerian based Atinuke Nwakohu and Kenyan Annet Nashipae are all travel consultants. The Ghanaian journalist Samuel Doe is joined by Nigerian blogger Olori Supergal and Tunis Silas from The Gambia.

    This is self-explanatory and doesn’t go to the biggest or grandest airport, but to that airport that provides the best travel experience to passengers: Banjul Airport, Gambia,  Tambo Airport, Jo’burg, South Africa, Cape Town Airport, South Africa and  Kotoka Airport, Accra, Ghana  and Lome Airport, Togo.

    African Aviation Personality:  Carla Da Silva, Air Mauritius,  John Mirenge, Rwanda Air.

    Best Airline in Africa: Ethiopian Airlines, Qatar, Turkish. Best short haul Airline in Africa: RwandAir, Kulula, ASKY , South Africa Airways (SAA).

    Best online booking platform in Africa:  Wakanow.com, Kenya Airways, Tala Tours Ghana, Travelstart and Jumia Travels.

    Tourism Marketing Award (for Marketing within Africa): South Africa Tourism. 2. Magical Kenya and many other categories.

  • MDAs spend N825b on travel, honoraria, others in three years

    MDAs spend N825b on travel, honoraria, others in three years

    • Expenditures exceed capital vote

    Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), spent over N825billion in overheads for the three years covering 2012, 2013 and 2014.

    The Head, Efficiency Unit, Ms. Patience Oniha, who made this known in Lagos yesterday, said the expenditure represented over 61 per cent of the cumulative Total Overhead Expenditure of N1,353 billion for the review period.

    Ms. Oniha said the Unit has carried out an extensive and detailed review of the Overhead Expenditure data of the government for the period and found out that the overhead spending pattern was concentrated on a limited number of items, including travel, maintenance, local and international training, welfare, office stationery and computer consumables

    “The Cumulative Expenditure on these five items was N825 billion, representing 61 per cent of the Cumulative Total Overhead Expenditure of N1,353 billion for 2012 to 2014. This means that the average amount expended annually on these five items during this period was N275 billion.  The estimate for 2015 showed a continuation of this trend,”  she said, adding that the Overhead spending exceeded allocations to capital in all the years reviewed.

    She said in furtherance of its commitment to re-prioritise spending and cut cost on recurrent expenditure, the Efficiency Unit is planning to introduce detailed price guidelines to ensure value for money in procurement by MDAs, stating that Ministerial Debit Cards would be issued to reduce the incidence of cash.

    She said part of the findings of the review, was the large expenditure on honoraria and sitting allowances, refreshment and meals, books and fuel, among others.

    With regards to procurement, which she said has been identified as a major source of potential savings for government, Ms. Oniha said  the Efficiency Unit has prepared a list of goods and services which are regularly procured by MDAs, saying by pooling the demand of MDAs, “there will be opportunities to leverage the resultant bargaining power and secure price discounts and other benefits from suppliers.”

    She said this strategy will deliver savings and reduce the administrative costs inherent in the current procurement process, which she admitted, “is fragmented.”

    She said developed countries, such as the US, UK, Canada and Hong Kong, amongst others,  have used this strategy successfully to manage their expenditure, pointing out that within Nigeria, large and diversified private sector organisations manage their procurement in a similar manner.  ”As a country, Nigeria should be no exception, she said, adding “more so when resources need to be managed tightly to promote spending on capital projects such as infrastructure.”

    She said the Unit has initiated discussions with suppliers of air travel services for the purpose of price negotiation, stating that this expenditure area was prioritised because local and international travel represented the single largest overhead expenditure item in the review period, “with an average of N83 billion spent annually,” stating that this presents a potential savings opportunity of N4.14 billion annually at an estimated price discount of five per cent.

    Ms. Oniha pointed to honoraria and sitting allowances as other expenditure items where the Unit has identified potential for cost savings, saying this was one of the top eight expenditure areas with an average of almost N13 billion spent annually.

    Ms Oniha assured that, with the support of the Honourable Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, she is confident that the Unit will pursue the implementation of its recommendations to deliver cost savings to government, while it continues its engagement with stakeholders in order to achieve its objectives.