The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Warm

  • Welcome ma: Our food is cold and our drinks are warm (… and more)

    Unless you are a Senator or House of Rep member, when you are leaving your house in the morning, you turn off your generator and run it again when you or yours are in the house.

    If you are like me and like cooking your own food, then this is also your pain. Because after a long day, you would be faced with just 2 options – eat what is at home or go out for dinner. It’s always too tiring or too late to start cooking.

    So off you go to ‘Naija Restaurant’ and this is where you get to meet the following: Starting with your drink, even bottled water, will not be cold. Sure, it would have been in the fridge, but even yours at home with the generator off will be colder than the drinks you would be served.

    After a short wait, your dinner will be served.. Wait for it, barely warm!! Ah ah – this food is cold, you wonder. Remembering the one you were to cook – would you have been better off nibbling the cold uncooked vegetable, chewing the raw carrots you left at home, than this cold food.

    ‘Sorry Madam – There Was No Light…’ Yea right!…

    GHOSTS

    In Calabar where I live, the Civil Servants had to undergo a rigorous screening exercise on March 1st before having their salaries paid.

    There was a great deal of grumbling and complaining, but whose fault is it really? Their grouse was that a whole Deputy Governor had carried out the last verification exercise. But I say that even if the Governor himself had done the exercise, it still would not have been clean – no thanks to criminal elements in the midst.

    If a State Governor who came in from somewhere else in this new cycle knows that there are ghost workers in the civil service, then how much more those who are in the civil service itself ?

    Surely they know not only that, they must also know the department(s) responsible, I even guess they do know some of the individuals carrying out the nefarious acts.

    ‘Noo, it is not my business – oh,’ they say. ‘As far as I get my OWN SALARY,’ that is the mentality of the average civil servant.

    Well, that punishing verification exercise they go through frequently is simply the price they must pay for keeping silent in the face of criminal activities in the State and even the federal civil service. And as long as they continue to discover and save many millions as payment for ghost workers, then so long will the screening/verification exercise continue until hopefully the last loophole for the existence of ghost workers is finally plugged. And the same goes for any other state across the federation.

    PONZI

    Was there recession when the NOSPECO Oil scheme or what-was-it-called was on? Nigeria had what I call her SECOND OIL BOOM, but people would not invest in agriculture or any other form of production – it all went to buying and selling (of products from China) OR … any ponzi-like scheme.

    Ask the CEO of the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone authority why he insists on the use of three (3) names EVERYTIME. It is because he has a terrible dread of being confused with the infamous Umana Umana of those wonderbank-like institutions.

    The same Nigerians poured in funds into the MMM, expecting high returns not tenable anywhere else.

    The lure of free money and the joy of getting money not worked for, like another source of National cake is what drive Nigerians to these Ponzi and wonder investments.

    The failure of these finance houses is alarming, but that has not stopped people!

    Imagine one who ought to be a responsible individual such that their parents give them their tuition fees for them to pay, rather than remit directly to the school.

    Today, they are lamenting in the papers how they “invested” their tuition fees, book fees and all fees pertaining to their education into the last ponzi scheme.

    It’s the manifestation of the greedy mindset they have. They do not see their education as an investment, and thus would not sow into it; they instead see the expected high cash returns on their ponzi schemes as the real investment.

    I am told of a man who got some reward for his first round of money placement.

    He was so “thrilled”, he went to the bank and withdrew all his money, all his wife’s money, and even obtained some money from his elder brother!

    Today he is still waiting. He is expecting them to come back.

    The ponzi schemers on the other hand say they are still uploading and Nigerians are waiting for it to index to probably ten thousand naira to get 1 million. But we are in March now and there is still no sign of Sir Ponzi. We continue waiting…

    The Yorubas say: “Olorun mu e!”

    HOWAD @ 122  – Cheers!

    HOWAD – The Hope Waddell Training institution turned One Hundred and Twenty-Two (122) this week! And no less a personality than the Duke of Kent  came in person from the U.K to mark the epoch-making anniversary.

    Hope Waddell at 122 is the second oldest secondary institution in the whole of the federation. Named after Rev. Hope Masterton Waddell, what is less publicized is the fact that it was the Scottish Missionary Mary Slessor who was the driving force behind the establishment of Howad.

    It has produced many illustrious sons who have made the school and the country proud. Back in the olden days, people from the western states in Nigeria and the coastal states in West Africa made it their first choice to send their children to school in Hope Waddell and when those ones grew and had their own families, they also sent their sons to their alma mater. The school can refer today to a man called Obo Effanga of Premium Times; he is a third generation Old Boy, after his grandfather and father-who also taught there as well. But long before, people like Bayo Rotimi and Adeniran Ogunsanya attended Hope Waddell. Torch Taire, the husband of a former Lagos Deputy Governor Mrs. Adefemi Taire attended Howad. From Cameroun the former Secretary-General of the OAU (now AU) Nzo Ekangaki went to Howad. Howad students then came from across Ghana, Sierra Leone today‘s Benin Republic and Liberia to attend the school. Nigeria‘s Premier President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe was a product of Howad,

    My uncle Albert Attah, a pioneer member of the Punch team and one of those who made the newspaper then, went to Howad. I am walking in his shoes now, with this column! My cousin Bruce Attah who was formerly with Yahoo in London also went to Howad.

    As the distinguished Old Boys gather in Uyo this weekend for their special anniversary AGM under their national president and medical elder Dr Usen Uwa, this is wishing 122 cheers to the great institution. I also acknowledge the efforts of the high achieving Mr Donald Duke, former Cross River Governor in facilitating the visit of the Special Guest of Honour the Duke of Kent at the anniversary celebration.

  • Staying stylish and warm this Harmattan

    Staying stylish and warm this Harmattan

    Although most designers showed at least a jacket or two in their new year collections, a few of them concentrated on harmattan wear, and even when they showed warmth clothing on the runway, they were frequently paired with stilettos, rather than  well covered shoes, which  would certainly be more practical. Because January is the harmattan month of the year in Nigeria, it’s only natural that most women will need to bundle up to keep warm when they go out during this period.  Sometimes it’s difficult to be stylish when we are wrapped head to toe in thick clothing.   We bring you some ideas on how to update your look in this period. It’s wrong to think that there is no place for fashion during harmattan as we have to pull thick fabrics in order to keep warm.

    Now, there is a way to stay in style during these month because the easiest thing to do is to choose the right accessories. A great jacket, neck scarf, cute hat/cap, turtleneck dress and sweater can update your look in no time; make it classier and more stylish. The fashion trend for January is all about warmth!

    Harmattan essentials

    -Natural fruity lip balms

    -Black blazer or boy friend jacket

    -Hand lotion in your bag or office

    -scarf for the hair and neck

    -Essential oil and vitamin in-based body cream or African shear butter populary known as Ori.

    Stocking or leg warmer to keep the feet warm throughout the day.

  • A day with nature at Ikogosi warm spring

    A day with nature at Ikogosi warm spring

    In the last one decade, I have always stayed indoors sleeping most of the time on Christmas Day. I did the same thing during last year’s Christmas season. As I was dozing off, my two sons, four and two years respectively, sauntered into the room excitedly. They shouted, Daddy! Daddy!! Mummy said we are going to Ikogosi tomorrow!

    I just told them I have heard so that they would allow me to enjoy my sleep. When I woke up, I asked their mother when they decided to go to Ikogosi. She told me that it was the decision of the children; including my younger brother, his wife and children. She told me we should go and see the place the government has spent so much on. So, I agreed.

    I have gone there a couple of times officially to see the level of work done but not as a tourist. The following day, December 26 was Boxing Day. We set out around 12 noon in a convoy of three vehicles (one of them a space bus) with some of our cousins and some family friends who visited. We took off from Ado-Ekiti; passing through Ilawe Road to Erijiyan and finally to Ikogosi. The journey, which took us about 30 minutes, was smooth because the roads have been resurfaced by the Fayemi administration. Another route that leads to Ikogosi is the Efon-Ipole-Iloro-Ikogosi Road which has also been resurfaced.

    We were astounded by the crowd we met at Ikogosi. There was no packing space left at the expansive newly constructed parking lot. There were many tourists from far and near and this included foreigners who have come to see the newly transformed Ikogosi Warm Springs Resorts on which much has been written about in the media; especially on the social media.

    It is a wonderful and unique site because hot and cold water co-exist side by side and flow on separate paths even though both met at a point. Also, a palm tree and an ordinary tree shared the same root and grew together. The folklore of the town has it that the warm and cold water were wives of a man. The hot water is the troublesome wife while the cold water is the gentle and peace-loving wife.

    The hot water is believed to have healing powers and its efficacy is attested to by the natives of the Ikogosi Community. The water is reputed to be a good cure for hypertension, arthritis and barrenness. The water has been bottled for commercial purposes by United African Company (UAC) in conjunction with the state government under the brand name of ‘Gossy Water.’

    The word Gossy is an acronym from the town Ikogosi. The hot water is piped directly from the source to the company located about 1 km to the site.

    There were two entrances to the spring area. The first was the main gate which is the traditional entrance before the transformation while the second is the natural pathway made of strong wood constructed right from the new chalets straight into the warm spring area.

    The chalets are almost ready and this contains about 100 rooms. There is a large field in the newly designed and reconstructed resort centre which is also a playground for children. There are 30 and 60-seater halls for meetings and functions; a newly-constructed adult swimming pool and another for children with a modern changing room.

    The warm water in the swimming pools was piped directly from the source of the warm spring. There is restaurant and bar to cater for the needs of those who came for camping. There is arts and craft centre. It is a beautiful sight to behold because of its unusual location.

    Sandwiched between undulating hills and valleys, the warm and cold spring resort centre is a sight that one sees only in dreams with its picturesque scenery. Close circuit television (CCTV) cameras have been installed as well as the construction of a perimeter fence to ensure security.

    Farther into the hills around the resort centre is the site of the first plane crash in Nigeria which happened in 1942. This will also be developed as another tourist site in due course.

    We were 21 in number. The number of fun seekers inside the main centre is estimated to be about 3, 000. I was shocked! This included women, children and foreigners. Many of them were taking turns in touching the warm and the cold water at the point where the two meet. Those who were there for the first time were amazed at the unexplainable wonder of nature.

    Both warm and cold water flows side by side and yet each maintained its path and this has been so for centuries. Some of the fun seekers were at the source of the warm water which is high up and they wondered how the water could spring from such a small source and yet it gushes out non-stop all seasons. The source of the water has been redesigned with artistic images which give an impression of a treasured heritage.

    Some of the tourists came with 4-litre kegs to fetch the warm water directly from its source. This is because of their belief in its efficacy as an elixir of hypertension, arthritis and infertility.

    The uniqueness of Ikogosi is underscored by Richard Burke, an Irish Bishop when he visited the place and said: “I believe there is nowhere in the world where cold and warm water meets, except at the Ikogosi Spring. Any other one would be man-made, which is artificial. Ikogosi is a miracle of nature and a sacred place where God exhibited his power of creativity.”

    Different types of music was blaring from many directions of the centre and many people; especially children, were dancing while the newly-constructed thatched roof huts were all occupied by families who were enjoying themselves.

    When I looked around, I saw our kids dancing Azonto and D’Banj’s Top of the World with other children under one of the thatched huts. Many of the tourists were posing for pictures while the foreigners there were asking questions about the warm and cold spring; especially at the meeting point.

    I saw a group of students from a private University in Ogun State on excursion and it was obvious that they had fun. Like other tourists, we also came with loads of food which we ate under a tree on the open field. We became another centre of attraction to other tourists when I brought out a toy helicopter which I bought for my kids and operated it.

    The helicopter is powered by remote control which lifts it from the ground to space and it can fly as high as 10 meters above sea level and could be brought down by the remote but once it is out of the sensor of the remote control, it will crash land which happened several times.

    Many tourists came to the open field with their camera phones to take pictures and record the wonderful toy helicopter and the kids were especially thrilled as they took turns to fly it. We left the resort centre after about five hours of uninterrupted fun.

    The volume of tourists that the warm and cold spring recorded shows that the place has been a hidden but untapped gold mine all these years. The centre hosted daily an average of 4, 000 visitors during festive period in 2012 when it opened for test running.

    This means the place is capable of generating unprecedented revenue for the state government if its potential are properly harnessed. The Ikogosi experience on Boxing Day lingers on such that my two-year-old boy told me on the eve of his resumption to school that, Daddy, “I am not going to school tomorrow. I am going to Ikogosi with my helicopter.”

  • Warm Bodies: Book of many colours

    The zombie romance “Warm Bodies” is cute and amusing enough to catch on cable one day, where its star-crossed, blood-drenched lovers will eventually present sweet relief from the apocalyptic freakout that is the AMC series “The Walking Dead.” If “The Walking Dead” is “Lost” with zombies and a high kill rate, “Warm Bodies” is effectively a riff on every teenage romance ever told, from Ovid’s Pyramus and Thisbe on. Boy or, in this case, zombie meets girl. Zombie loses girl. Zombie — well, you know the rest, though here the familiar balance comes with human tartare, screams and the unsettling image of John Malkovich as the leader of the seemingly last people on Earth.

    Written and directed by Jonathan Levine (“50/50”), “Warm Bodies” is an improbable romance sweetened with appealing performances and buoyed by one of the better cute meets in recent romantic comedy, when the zombie boy, R (Nicholas Hoult), decides not to eat a live girl, Julie (Teresa Palmer). And she looks so tasty too, a Kristen Stewart type with less fidgeting and a sense of self-preservation. (She’s out scouting, looking for something nonhuman to eat.) Smitten or stricken, R drops everything — in this case, a half-gnawed corpse — and stares into her eyes, where intelligence battles fear. He then smears blood on her face to fool his zombie brethren (Rob Corddry included) into thinking that she’s dead, grunts a few sweet nothings and shuffles off, taking her to his lair.

    Freud described the oral stage of early psychosexual development as “cannibalistic pregenital sexual organization.” In this stage, he elaborated, “sexual activity has not yet been separated from the ingestion of food.” In order for there to be a story R must learn to keep his monstrous appetite in check so that he can be with Julie and not just consume her. He learns, in other words, to separate sexual activity from gobbling brains. (Real Freudians should feel free to parse how this zombie boy handles the other stages.) In story terms that means R hangs out with Julie inside the jet that he has turned into his dead-man cave and in which they listen to his vinyl records. They sound, he explains, alive.

    “Warm Bodies” began as a short story, “I Am a Zombie Filled With Love,” that its author, Isaac Marion, expanded into a novel, also titled “Warm Bodies,” which earned praise from Stephenie Meyer (the author of the “Twilight” books) and led, inevitably, to a movie deal. Given that Summit Entertainment, the company releasing “Warm Bodies,” also turned Ms. Meyer’s “Twilight” books into a global screen phenomenon, it seems it has decided that romances between sort of dead boys and living girls is a niche it can fill. The resurrection of the vampire as the ultimate suave lover has its understandable appeal. A boy-man like Edward in the “Twilight” series may be dead, but he has old-fashioned manners and, unlike his flesh-and-blood contemporaries, is in control of his hunger.

    R is less obviously appealing than Edward, both less worldly and courtly, yet also more recognizable. R keeps his hunger in check without much struggle, a process that’s personalized through his voice-over and in talky passages that show Mr. Levine’s ability to sustain interest with just two people in a room. (Dave Franco and Analeigh Tipton help round out the cast.) The off-the-shelf action scenes mostly involve someone, dead or alive, chasing someone else, who’s dead or alive, including armies of cheap-looking digital ghouls. Like the story, these scenes are familiar if not deadly, despite the nuance-killing music. If the movie surmounts its genericism, it’s largely because of the actors and a love in which the monstrous has been made literal, and violent delights don’t necessarily lead to violent ends.

     

    Culled from New York Times