In its effort to emphasise the importance of education, the Imo State University Alumni, Lagos chapter recently staged a walk within Surulere with the hashtag #Educate Nigeria; #ImsuUnitesOnEducation.

According to the national president of the alumni, Mr. Chris Anyawu, the walk was borne out of the need to ‘save our university, Imo State University and change the educational system in Nigeria.’

He further said: “These hashtags were birthed in a bid to project and promote what our great alma mater stands for. The walk, which was the first of activities for this project, was aimed at creating awareness not only for Imo Stars to unite for this great cause but also to let the world in general know that you can never stop learning. As we know, education is power. Our academic system is one that should be overhauled from nursery to tertiary institutions, from child minders to lecturers to the academic structures and equipment too. Imsu unites on education is the stepping stone to a proper educational background and would be spread across other states and countries, where Imo Stars are resident. We also hope that other institutions will join hands with us to elevate the status of education to its former glory.”

Others at the walk were President Emeritus, Barrister Chinwe Mbakwem, BOT member, Emeka Achonu, Ken Okenyi, Dr. Elochukwu, Bar Okey, among others.

Organizing committee included Okwukwe Onuzo, Bisike Uba, Henry Izu, Franza Azode, Onyinye Ezenwa, Oluchi Adichie and Muna Uzo.

The post Day IMSU Alumni Staged A Walk To Promote Varsity appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

It was cheers all the way at the Dream Studio, Bamako Estate, Omole, Lagos, venue of the audition of ‘Dance with Peter’, the Globacom-sponsored Reality TV Show,  as show promoter Peter Okoye of Psquare left the judges’ stand and climbed the stage to re-enact with perfection Michael Jackson’s steps in the “Bad” track.

The audition exercise had started slowly on Tuesday but gradually tension increased and competition got really hot and at a stage Peter went on the audition stage to challenge a contestant who was making a misrepresentation of the legendary ‘Bad’ steps of the late Jackson.

The drama continued as Peter perfectly displayed the dancing steps and was widely applauded by other contestants waiting to be auditioned as well as the recording crew, only for fellow judge and dance legend, Kaffy, to rule him out of the contest saying, “looking at you from here and given what we are looking for in this show, I say come back to your seat and you are ruled out of contest.” which threw the entire arena into laughter.

Another drama session also ensued as show host, Ehis Okoegule, stormed the judges’ stand to protest the ‘no’ verdict passed on twin dancers, Oliver and Emmanuel Wilson, despite a scintillating performance. He practically held the judges to ransom and ensured that they changed the ‘no’ to a ‘stand by’ verdict, which gave the twins the opportunity to return to the stage and fight for one of the six slots available.

The ‘tension’ that engulfed the  studio was subsequently reduced  with the performance of a Junior secondary school three student of Grange School, Lagos, 13-year old Angel Ukaro-Agunbiade, whose marvelous dance steps and outstanding display earned her a straight ‘yes verdict’ from  the panel of judges.

This was followed by the performance of an ex student of Nnekede Polytechnic, Owerri, Alozie Malachi, who surprised everyone by coming with a framed picture of his girlfriend which he placed in one corner of the stage. Malachi who got a unanimous ‘yes’ verdict after thrilling the judges tore his shirt to display a well chiselled broad chest with six packs in response to Peter’s request that he should show the hold he had on his girlfriend, which sent the ladies in the studio into a frenzy.

Prior to the commencement of the auditions, Terrific Steppers, an all female dance group, from the Loveworld Creative Arts Academy of Christ Embassy Church, promised to “kill the show and give the judges a wow performance which will earn us a place in the final contest”.

However, for  the duo of Hero Zaria of the Fire Flame and Precious Ighofese, who came for the audition from Ugheli in Delta State, “coming to Lagos after we missed the Benin audition last week is very fulfilling for us and as you know say Warri no dey carry last, expect the best from us. We go show the judges say dance dey Delta”.

Abuja, the federal capital, hosted the first auditions for the Dance with Peter two weeks ago, while Ghana edition was held in Accra on Tuesday last week.  Benin City played host to the auditions crew last Saturday. The last one will be held in Port Harcourt, on Thursday, September 10. 

All the 30 selected contestants will converge on Lagos for the hot contest for the star prize of N3million, a Rav4 SUV and a rare opportunity to feature in PSquare’s next music video. The first and second runners-up will be presented with Honda City plus N2m and a Kia Rio with N1m respectively. They will also have the grace to dance with a Glo ambassador in their next music videos.

The post Kaffy Rules Peter Out Of Audition As Glo ‘Dance with Peter’ Train Lands In Lagos appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

Chief Professor Rose Ezonbodor-Akwagbe was spotted at the NIM Awards recently, where she was dressed in an outstanding way, which prompted the curiosity of Chinyere Abiaziem to engage her in an interview. She spoke about her fashion style and personality.

With your head gear and attire, can one address you as a princess?

I’m not a princess rather I’m a chief, I have five chieftaincy titles.

Can you say more about yourself?

I was born by a politician of blessed memory, whose name I bear hyphenated to my husband’s name.  My father was a front liner politician so I have seen it all as far as politics in the country is concerned. Having been born by a politician, sometimes it was scary going from one detention to the other that is the way which I grew. Whatever happens now is not strange to me because I come from that background of not been certain of anything any day. Having said so my father died early leaving us to struggle in the family to survive on our own.

I have being a university Don for some 25 years now, I started my career of lecturing from the university of Benin, currently I’m with the Niger Delta University (NDU), to round it up the government thought I should come and help as the Senior Special Assistant(SSA) to the governor on primary health care.

Talking about your style of dressing, do you appear in this unique way often?

It has gone a long way, for instance when I was a young girl we use to talk of madam Kofo head tie and some other people who have appeared elegant. At my young age I looked forward to them that one day I will want to make my mark and identity. This went far when I was nominated Miss Inner Circle which was the whole west southern zone competition in 1968 from then upward I have being conscious of my identity so that any given time you will pick me out of the crowd.

My late mother used to say that it is harder to be picked out of the crowd with your dressing than the bush work which is the tilling of the farm. This means that getting everything together and coming out of the crowd for people to identify you is a more difficult job which I have worked on. Probably in the beginning it was not like this but now it has come to stay.

Do you usually get a professional to tie your head gears?

I make the head gears myself, I started tying geles  from childhood, which people admired. when I go to occasions people think that I have come with truck not knowing they are all collapsible. After an event and as soon as I get home now it will collapse to nothing, it is like dismounting a canopy. I have the canopy style, bishops crown, satellite dish, so I wear a style depending on my disposition and the occasion I’m going for. My dressing is detected by the occasion I’m attending.

This creativity has made me have my own identity  people cannot mistake me for someone else and I can’t be at  a function with people doubting if I was there or not because in any crowd I must definitely stand out and this because of my identity which I have created over the years.

I’m not readily buying people’s identity because I feel I have created mine and feel other people’s identity belongs to them. If I don’t appear this way, people will feel that something is wrong and will start asking so many questions but if I don’t dress this way I will be assumed for someone else meaning that I have assumed someone else identity. Most times I try to keep that identity and it has kept me going

How tasking has it been keeping your identity over the years?

It has been easy for me because there is nothing I wear that is new, like the wrapper and blouse I’m wearing are like 10 to 15 years old. Again because I go by lasting fabrics which you can wash, starch unlike the George wrappers of these days that you cannot wash.

From the conversation so far, you seem not to be the type that goes with the trend?

I cannot go with the trend because I go with my own creation. I am not a designer but no designer satisfies me no matter what you sew for me, I must do my moulding and finishing touch. Sometimes people who sew for me hardly recognise what they have done because it is like I totally alter what they made. I don’t know how to cut and sew but I know how to use my needle that is where creativity comes into play. I use my own creation and in having my own creation is not as expensive a people think. When people look at me and think I’m a high class and expensive woman and think I should be wearing diamonds but they do not know it is plastic beads I’m wearing. I wear beads that match my outfits to avoid looking ridiculous so for each colour I wear I have the same beads to go with it. So all of these bring me out, same goes to the head gear. I believe in meaningful dressing and not in expensive dressing.

Secondly I do not mix colours, the handbags and shoes and other items must rhyme they must follow  a sequence. The handbag must match with the shoe and wrapper and they must all be the same shade of colour. These are the secrets why I stand out, some people want to look like me but don’t now the secret.

How would summarise your kind of person?

I have a strong personality that sticks to her own personality and I’m creative also.

The post I Believe In Meaningful Dressing Not Expensive Dressing – Ezonbodor-Akwagbe appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

From what Box Office gathers, star actress Sophia Chikere has finally dropped her ‘Chikere’ surname. It is no longer news that her marriage to movie producer, Tchidi Chikere, has crashed and the actor has since married another actress, Nuella. Despite this, she continued to use the Chikere surname.

Well, we can exclusively tell you that the actress now bears Sophia Williams. Also, we learnt that the talented and sultry mother of three has launched a spa in Gbagada area of Lagos State called ‘Hair Empire.’ The business venture was floated not too long ago and from what we gathered, she has started to enjoy favourable patronages of people from all walks of life.

Since opening last week, the salon is now the hottest in the area with notable faces in the society thronging the place to get their hair done by seasoned specialists contracted by Sophia to run the business. After visiting the place Box Office acan reveal that she did sink a lot of funds into the place.

The post Sophia Drops Chikere’s Surname, Opens Spa appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

Has Jim Iyke’s true love been discovered? According to reports Jim is in a secret romance with a 23 years old Lithuanian girl Dana Kinduryte and they have infact welcomed a baby boy. The baby boy was said to have been born on September 1 at Grady Hospital, Atlanta, USA. Our source says the child has been named Harvis Chidubem Iyke.

Jim himself is yet to make a comment on this, but we can confirm that he is not in the country at the moment. Is he with his baby and baby mama? The Nollywood ‘bad boy’ had earlier been fingered to be responsible for the Nadia Buari’s twins, but he had since put the rumors to rest.

It was also gathered that Jim met Dana, a law graduate in London over a year ago but she didn’t even know he was a famous actor until three months after they started dating. Five months after the couple found out they were expecting a child, Jim moved Dana into his apartment in Atlanta where he cared for her. Jim was said to be present and assisted in the delivery of his first child.

A lot has been said about Jim Iyke and we will need to wait for an official statement from him before we know the truth. Our source however swore with all she had that Jim is indeed the baby daddy and even presented pictures to prove.

The post Jim Iyke Now A Father? appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

By Andrew Utulu

LAGOS

A man believed to be a member of an armed robbery gang that specialises in picking-pockets and stealing handsets from motorists has been arrested.

The suspect, Monday Ubi was arrested in Mile 2 area of Lagos State by the operatives of Rapid Response Squad of Lagos State Police Command.

He was arrested in the act at about 11.40am last Thursday.

Ubi, 23, was nabbed by RRS operatives following a distress call from his victim, one Mr. Orji Ogbonnaya.

Ogbonnaya raised an alarm after he was dispossessed of the sum of N28, 000, which the suspect removed from his pocket while he was in a commercial bus heading towards FESTAC area.

The victim, Ogbonnaya told the Police that the suspect sat beside him at the last seat and stylishly deep his hands into his pocket to remove the money.

According to him, “I boarded a bus to Mile 2 from Oshodi. On getting to Toyota, the suspect came in as another passenger because we still have vacant seats inside the bus. I did not have any inkling that he had a mission. I shifted a bit for him and he sat closer to me. When I noticed that he had removed the money from my pocket after I touched my thigh, I pretended as if nothing had happened. Then I was looking for where I can see any Police patrol vehicle to come to my rescue.

“When we reached Mile 2, he wanted to alight from the bus and I held his trousers, then I called the attention of RRS patrol team I saw around the area. Unknowingly to me, he has passed the money to one of his gang. But when the Police had surrounded us, we saw one man who just dropped the money on the road and fled away. Policemen ran after him but he absconded. Immediately, the suspect was arrested and conveyed to the squad’s headquarters, where he confessed that he actually stole my money and passed it to his partner, the guy who came to drop it”, he narrated.

He thanked the Policemen for coming to his rescue and recovering his money.

The suspect, who lives at 19, Olutimeyin Street, Ipaja, Ayobo, made a confessional statement at the squad headquarters that he is one of the robbery syndicate operating in Mile 2, Ajegunle and its environs.

“I was selling second-hand clothes at Super, popular Kantagowa market along Lagos-Abeokuta express way. One of my customers introduced robbery profession to me. He taught me how to remove handsets and money from our preys without their knowledge. I intentionally sat beside him in the bus because we always know our victims. This is not my first time I had committed such act, I have been in this profession for close to two years now. Our gang specialise in stealing and removing handsets from innocent motorists,” Ubi said in his confessional statement to the Police.

The Commander, RRS, Tunji Disu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP warned that hoodlums and armed robbers will have no haven in Lagos.

The Commander reiterated that Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni is totally committed to free Lagos from any criminal acts.

“Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, is giving all due supports to the state Police in ensuring lives and properties are secured in the state”, Lagos State Police Command  and the Rapid Response Squad team will fish out criminals in the state no matter where they hide, says the RRS Commander.

The post Police Arrest Pickpocket At Mile 2 appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

If you don’t want to know anything about the next season, it’s probably best you stop here. HBO the producers of Game Of Thrones have released some spoilers. As the show has more or less caught up with the books the show runners are keeping their cards closer to their chests than ever before – every casting announcement could give away huge spoilers ahead of both Season 6 and the release of The Winds of Winter. It’s therefore not especially surprising that it hasn’t yet been announced who the Deadwood star will play.

According to Entertainment Weekly, McShane has a “relatively small amount of screen-time during the season, yet his character is of key importance.” Make of that what you will.

The most commonly held opinion is that McShane will play Randyll Tarly, Sam’s dad, who we’ll meet once Sam arrives at the Citadel. Some suggested he would be playing Theon’s uncle, Euron Greyjoy.

1. Euron Greyjoy will be played by Danish actor Pilou Asbæk.

ASOIAF readers will know that the Iron Islands storyline is possibly the one most overlooked in the show so far, but that could be about to change. After a casting call for a pirate-like character went out earlier in the summer Euron’s appearance seemed inevitable, then last week HBO confirmed that Borgen star Pilou Asbæk would be assuming the role.

In the books Euron Greyjoy (Theon and Yara’s uncle) captains a ship whose entire crew are mute thanks to Euron ripping out their tongues.

2. Theon is going home

Given they’ve barely been mentioned in two seasons, there were suggestions that the thing that would take our attention back to the Iron Islands would be newly free Theon/Reek heading back to his homeland, and now this seems all but confirmed.

Thrones blog Watchers on the Wall claims that Alfie Allen has been spotted by multiple sources filming alongside the Ironborn, including his sister Yara and uncle Euron.

3. Ned Stark is going to appear, but not as we know him.

Sorry to get your hopes up, but (so far) there’s been no word of Sean Bean returning to the show. Watchers on the Wall claims that we will, however, meet a much younger version of Ned – played by 13-year-old English actor Sebastian Croft.

As yet the only flashback we’ve seen was young Cersei and Maggy the Frog at the beginning of Season 5, but there have been plenty of signs that this was probably the first of many. A few months ago a casting call went out for a trio of young boys with northern accents, the youngest of whom should have green eyes (like a certain Sean Bean). Assuming Croft is playing the youngest of the three boys that were required (Ned), it seems likely that the larger boy of the same age would be Robert Baratheon, while the older boy would be Ned’s older brother Brandon.

4. Richard E Grant is going to be making an appearance.

After Watchers on the Wall noticed that the well known English actor’s CV had been updated to include Game of Thrones, a picture of it was later screengrabbed by the Telegraph.

This clearly says that Grant’s most recent TV job is GOT, and yet if you visit the same page now you can see it has been removed. Either someone was making a joke, or (more likely) it was updated by an over-eager agent who was quickly told to remove the information by the showrunners.

Who could he be playing? To be honest, we have absolutely no idea. But in terms of who we wantit to be, we can imagine the Withnail & I star making a rather convincing mad king in a flashback, as unlikely as this may be. Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

5. The three-eyed raven has been recast, with Max Von Sydow taking over the role.

In the final episode of Season 4 Bran, Meera, and Hodor finally encountered the mysterious three-eyed raven in human form. Last month Entertainment Weekly exclusively revealed that the role of the raven was being recast, and that acclaimed Swedish-French actor Max Von Sydow would be taking over.

The fact that an actor as accomplished as Von Sydow will be playing the part suggests that his character will play an important role in the coming season. 

6. It’s likely that there will be two more seasons after Season 6.

With the actors currently signed up for just seven seasons, many thought that this coming run would be the penultimate one. However, HBO president Michael Lombardo told the Television Critics Association that the show runners were planning on extending that to eight seasons.

There’s still a load of stuff that you’d think still has to happen; Dany finally making landfall on Westeros, Jon coming back to life before meeting his dragon-riding aunt, the Wall coming down, and the inevitably epic war for the dawn. When you put it like that, three more seasons seems like the absolute minimum they could fit it all into!

Talking of Jon, we can’t finish this post without addressing you know what. Even if we really do know nothing.

The post What You Need To Know About The New Game Of Thrones (Season 6) appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

By John Dugbe

Ughelli

Following the epileptic power supply across the nation, a Sapele Agricultural Engineer and Power Energy Researcher, Orighoye Badaetsetunokan, has invented a device that can generate electricity power, using water as source of energy, called ‘Pabot Engine’.

The researcher who recently conducted reporters around his invention said, “By the grace of God, I have the technology to generate sufficient, constant and affordable power for Nigerians and by extension the world at large.”

“My devise uses renewable energy to generate power for any demand and it is durable and efficient. It can be installed anywhere and it is cost effective to install and maintain and simple to operate. It can offer the needed lasting solution to power generation. It is environmentally friendly and it poses no threat of environmental hazard and it has no obstruction to economic activities.”

According to the inventor, the device is energized with water to provide constant and affordable electricity power, in dire need by Nigerians, imploring the state and Federal Governments, as well as private investors to adopt the concept and facilitate its mass production for the immediate benefit of Nigerians.

He said the Federal Government had on June 17, 2001 given him the patent right on the device, but neither it nor any of the state governments has utilized the opportunity of the devise to make electricity power supply available for the masses of the country.

According to him, “Aside this device, I had earlier developed other devices, including “Palm Juice Extractor” for extracting palm oil from palm fruits, ‘Weed Cutting Machine’ for farmers and gardeners, both of which the federal government had earlier given me patent rights on August 2, 2007. No one has deemed it fit to tap into the aims and benefits of the three devices.

“The Pabot device is capable of generating 30KVA to 1MW of electricity energy, and can be installed at homes, offices and industrial sites. It is between N2m to N100m, depending on the capacity required. The device capacity can be increased to more mega watts (MW) and can be mounted in strategic positions to successfully generate un-interrupted and affordable electricity power to all Nigerians.

 Speaking on how the journey began for him, Badaetsetunokan explained thus:

“It has not been easy coming this far. I trekked for a week to get the N700 to type my proposal. I am jobless since I left the University 10 years ago. Feeding myself and family is difficult thing for me now. I begged to get money to finance my research and produce my prototypes. I have not even been considered for a research grant. If the federal government can come and fund the mass production of all or any of my devices, the country will surely move forward.”

“I am a native of Itsekiri in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State. I obtained my education from Omatsola Primary School, Sapele in 1986 and Zik Grammar School Sapele in 1992. I trained in Agricultural Engineering at the Obafemi Awolowo University between 1999 to 2003.”

”I am a gifted and talented researcher and inventor with a special ingenuity. I have driving force and motivations to embark on series of research and development with many innovative inventions.”

According to him, Pabot Engine was granted patent right by the federal government after the prototype was subjected to test and Autocad analysis and came out efficient and capable. It however couldn’t be made available for consumers due to the non availability of huge capital for the importation of its raw materials and mass production. 

“Sincerely since to determine the durability and capabilities of a well working Pabot Engine will depend on the superiority of the materials used and a superior fabrication process, huge capital is  also required to guarantee it’s effectiveness in all ramifications. Superior materials and superior fabrication process are not readily available here and to source for same either in Germany or China to guarantee maximum and durable Pabot Engine will surely cost some money, hence the above stated amount cannot be said to be too high,” he said.

Pabot Engine is not in use presently as it has not been readily available for consumers. The inventor is groaning as the money needed to locally source the materials to fabricate it is huge and as such makes it unaffordable for consumers. The inventor has said only the availability of a good amount of money and superior materials can secure it’s availability for consumers. 

The researcher has this to say: “We know that in the engineering world, the efficiency or effectiveness of an engine or machine is usually verified through Autocad analysis and Pabot Engine has successfully passed through this litmus test and declared effective and capable of performing 100 percent.

“I have a prototype with which I put the engineering drawing into test and it works out as expected and produced the expected results as analysed by Autocad. This idea came through scientific research and intuition; the components were analyzed and assembled in an engineering drawing process. It has not been mass produced and made available and affordable. It will only be known after it has been mass produced. Even the palm fruit juice extracting machine suffers the same fate as it is not readily available for consumers now.

“I have approached almost all the major banks for loans and the story is the same. They are demanding for collateral amounting to the quantum of money requested. It is frustrating because I don’t have collateral of such magnitude, even the government contributed to the delay of the mass production of these machines as all my appeal and request for loan from government agencies has all been efforts in futility. The Bank of Agric and Bank of Industry are two major government agencies that have rebuffed my request for loan for the mass production of these machines.

“It’s appalling to think of the frustrating circumstances surrounding the life of researchers and inventors in this country. Most of them operate with no help from the government. Some even find it difficult to cater for their families or fulfill their financial obligations as fathers and husbands. However, I won’t stop thanking God for giving me the strength to continue in my research and inventions of these machines, and for given me a supporting and a virtuous woman as a wife,” he said.

The post Power Inventor And Burden Of Government Policy appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

By Hazeez Balogun

Lagos

A study once revealed that Lagos Nigeria is one of the most expensive places to live in the world. The high cost of living here is said to rival that of New York and London. Food, transport and entertainment here is about three times higher than the national average.

Accommodation is another hot boiling cup of tea. It can cost an arm and a leg to get a little space of real estate.

The price to rent a space in places like Victoria Island or Ikoyi is about the price you will get such space in New York. In Ikeja for example, a two bedroom apartment can go for or about N700,000, same space in Abeokuta, the nearest State to Lagos costs less than N150,000. The difference is clear.

It is not only the cost of living in Lagos that is high; the cost of dying is also on the rise. Now you are asking what is the cost of dying? Well, if you have ever lost a dear one and you are the one responsible for the burial arrangements, then you will understand perfectly what it means. While living, there are some expenses you incur. When dead, there are also some expenses you incur albeit the fact that you are unconscious of it all.

“If you love your family, don’t die in Lagos, go and die in your village”, a friend who just buried his uncle recently told this reporter. It sounded funny, but the friend had a straight face. It was hard to understand what his grouse was simply because the reporter had not been in his shoes before.  This prompted a research on what the true cost of being dead in Lagos truly is.

So let’s start from the very beginning. After a death, the first step is usually to get a hearse to drive the body to the hospital for an autopsy. An average hearse cost between N25,000 and N50,000. Even the autopsy will cost you ‘wait’ money. If you can wait in line for the government coroner at the general hospitals then it is free.

Next is the morgue or mortuary as it is known here. Though most of them are government owned and are poorly managed, they cost more to keep a corpse in these morgues than in a hotel room. You pay between N5,000 to N20,000 a night to keep the body in good condition. These mortuaries have been getting face lifts in recent times though there is still a lot that can be done. If you won’t be burying the body for months to come, you will also consider and embalmment which costs up to N50,000 to do. Note – same procedure costs far less in other States.

And then there is that little issue of the coffin. If you are a Muslim, then you will not be spending much. A good white cloth and some raffia is just enough. Some Muslim these days though, go for the coffin just like their Christian counterparts. Coffin comes in different materials and designs and your pocket determines which one you will eventually go for. A wooden coffin made of local wood and with minimal design starts from N35,000 and can go up to N200,000.

If you really want to bury your loved one in style, you could be considering an imported coffin. Some imported coffins are made of metal and you can get one for as high as N1,000,000 or more. According to Jamal who operates a funeral home on Atan Road, Yaba, he describes a coffin as a final home for the dead. “When you hear some people pay as much as N500,000 for a coffin, it should not alarm you. People always want the best when they are alive. We know how much we pay for our houses. But the coffin is the final resting place, it should be special.”

The coffin is actually not the final resting place. It is the burial ground or grave yard that is the final resting place. In the past, it was normal for the dead to be buried in front of his or her house but Lagos State is one of the first States to stop the act. There are however some villages and rural areas of Lagos that you can still have people buried in front of their houses – who is watching?

The obvious choice is to use one of the few burial grounds in Lagos and that does not come cheap. Atan Cemetery in Yaba is over 150 years old and the relatively small plot of land never ceases to have space for fresh dead bodies. A vault in Atan starts from N150,000. If you are lucky to get a good spot, for example where is closer to the gate which is obviously better taken care of, then you will be paying over N200,000.

There are also privately owned cemeteries that are becoming the fad these days amongst the very wealthy. A popular one is the Vaults and Garden Cemetry in Ikoyi Lagos. There, clients secure a space way ahead of their time. Some families even pay for huge vaults where they can all be buried in. The premises are serene and very well taken care of. Visiting the place, anyone will desire to have their remains resting there. In fact some people alive cannot afford the luxury of such a place.

Not to forget that you will still dig a grave. The cost of digging the grave does not come with the vault. You will have to employ the services of grave diggers. Cemetery staff usually help out with this service and they are paid as much as N15,000 to N30,000 for a dig. You will also have to pay for the grave to the cemented. A headstone is very desirable as you can put some information about the dead on it. Example: “Mr XYZ was a good husband, wonderful father and grandfather. May his soul rest in peace.” Like they say, never speak evil of the dead.

Head stone comes in different materials. Popular ones come in ceramic tiles. Which can start from N20,000 including the engravings. A high end headstone made of bronze can go for over N500,000. You can desire to even go overboard by having the sculpture of the head of the deceased made on the grave. A good sculpture starts from N30,000 and can go as high as N100,000 depending on the design and materials used.

There are cheaper options. You can use burial grounds in places like Ikorodu and Epe. They are far from the Lagos Central but you can get vaults for as low as N25,000. The problem is getting friends and well wishers to follow you that far. There is yet still another option. Since most Lagosians are not indigenes, some may decide to take the body back home to the village or the town the dead comes from. That as well carries its own problems. Transporting a living person to Owerri for example costs N4,000. But to transport a dead body can be as high as N200,000.

No matter how physically endowed you and your family members are, it is taboo in many Nigerian cultures for you to carry the coffin of your dead one. You are meant to be following behind the coffin with friends and family. So who will be carrying the coffin? That is where Pall bearers come in. Usually, six in number, their sole job is to lift the coffin to the grave site. Today, corporate pallbearers do more than carrying the coffin; they now dance with the coffin. They go ahead of a marching band (whom you also need to hire) dancing with the coffin on their shoulders. In fact it is now a modern day art. How the coffin remains on their shoulders with all the grooving remains a mystery. Employing the services of good Pallbearers with the marching band to follow starts from N150,000. Using experts like MIC or Ebony can starts from N500,000.

All these are without the ceremonies. In most Muslim burials, there are but a few ceremonies. You bury on the same day or a day after and the family can decide to have a reception ceremony seven days or 40 days after the burial. It is a bigger issue for Christians. There are at least three events that take place for the burial and they all cost money. There is the service of Songs and the Wake-keeping, the church service before the burial reception.

The Service of Songs and the Wake-keep should not be a costly affair, but when there is an event with guests, the spending starts to pile up. If the deceased is a member of a church, then the clergy and the choir will offer their services for free. If not, there are paid services you can employ. Now you also have to cater for the guests at the event. Wake keepings and Service of Songs usually have low turn-outs but feeding a guest of 30 can cost over N30,000. That does not include rental of chairs and tables.

Printing is also a very important money gulper. You have to announce to the world that your loved one has passed on and how many children he survived by. This is crucial especially as some fraudulent people may start showing up to lay claim to the property of the dead. 100 copies of a large poster starts from N10,000. High quality prints can run up to N100,000. You might also consider putting the obituary on the pages of a newspaper. This is usually necessary when the family is trying to claim assets and insurance. A full page advert in a National daily like Daily Independent costs over N550,000. A small space can be as low as N25,000. You also have to print menu pamphlets for the church service, Service of songs and Wake-keeping.

And if you are Yoruba or Ijebu in particular then burial parties become very elaborate and you will be spending a lot more. The reception is always the big money item in the burial expenses list. ‘Aso ebi’ (uniform clothes) is very crucial. There are usually two or three types of clothes to be worn. There is the general cloth which is usually cheap. It is the cloth every guest is expected to buy and wear to the event. Then you have the family cloth which the relatives of the deceased will be wearing. Some also have the ‘Omo Oloku’ cloth, which simply means the clothes to be worn by the children of the deceased.

There are payments to be made to each association the deceased belonged to. Then you buy gifts for the church. Souvenirs, rentals, money for spraying, food, drinks, music band, standby generator, and a host of other logistics make the final cost of burying a dead loved one in Lagos very high. After totalling everything up, a rough estimate for the cheapest burial in Lagos starts from N500,000. Averagely you can spend up to N1,500,000 for a normal burial. And an elaborate all-out ceremony can run to over N10,000,000

Despite the high cost, what works for us as Africans is the willingness to share responsibly. We do not leave the wife or children of the deceased to cater for the burial alone. Extended families and even friend chip in to help lighten the burden. Also at the parties, some family members bring their own food and drinks which they will serve to guests they invited. So doing, the immediate family of the dead will not need to bother about feeding much people.

Lagos is indeed the centre of excellence. High rises, long bridges, expensive apartments, food is as expensive as gold.  One needs to think twice before living in Lagos, and even think harder before dying here.

The post Complaining Of High Cost Of Living In Lagos? Try Dying appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

The music industry for some time now has witnessed a transition of talent stepping into their father’s shoes. Daily Independent’s Lukmon Akintola presents a compendium of music artistes who have either attempted to or have successfully stepped into their father’s shoes.

Femi and Seun Kuti

The duo of Femi and Seun Kuti are scion of Afrobeat maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

Following the death of their father, followers of Afrobeat had wondered who would fill the big shoe left. Dede Mabiaku was mentioned, but the popular protégé of Fela wasn’t able to take over the reign.

The ember of Afrobeat has been kept burning by Femi whose romance with the Saxophone, his signature music instrument began at the age of 15. Then, he was a member of his father’s Egypt 80 Band before forming his own band, The Positive Force in the late 1980s.

Like his father Fela, Femi has shown a strong commitment to socio-political issues with four Grammy nominations. The Kuti flag is however not flying because of Femi alone, as Seun Kuti, has been playing his own part in terms of calling for social reformation in Nigeria via his songs.

Paul Play Dairo

Today, Paul Play Dairo might be admired as a music artiste and producer, however his talent was inspired by his later father, Isaiah Kehinde Dairo popular in the music industry as I.K Dairo.

I.K Dairo, a popular Juju musician took over the Nigerian music scene in the 60s through 80s. His style of music earned him fans all over the South and Western part of Nigerian especially among lovers of Yoruba music.

Since emerging as a brand, Paul Play Dairo has remixed some of his father’s ever green hits including Mo So Rire infusing new and modern vibes and making the songs super hits.

A versatile artiste, Paul Play Dairo with his dept of music knowledge has to his credit hits such as Angel of my life, Happy Day, Forever to mention a few.

Darey Art Alade

Dare Art Alade has recorded many hits in his music career.

Asides been a judge of music reality show Nigerian Idol and grooming young artistes in the industry, he has also recorded beautiful songs that touched a lot of people. One of such songs remains Not The Girl.

The chocolate-complexioned act’s musical legacies are inspired by late Modupe Arthur Alade popularly known as Art Alade, a famous Nigerian highlife and jazz artiste who was famous in the 60s and 70s.

The late Alade, a product of the London TV College, also had a stint as a presenter with popular television station, NTA via the programme, The Bar Beach Show.

A chip off the old block, Dare also started as a presenter. Currently, he has albums and several awards to his credit.

Musiliu Haruna Ishola

There is hardly a way to tell the story of Musiliu Haruna Ishola without a mention of his father, late Haruna Ishola Bello popular as Baba Gani Agba.

Baba Gani Agba, established the brand of music known as Apala. The Ijebu Igbo-born artiste might have died as far back as 1983, but his music legacies remains and continues through the songs of his son, Musiliu.

Presently, it won’t be wrong to consider Musiliu Haruna Ishola as the captain of Apala genre of music in Nigeria, as he is known to have been the one who initiated the resurgence of the kind of music with songs such as Soyoyo.

Asides reinventing Apala music, Musiliu has also been able to introduce the genre of music which was tagged music for the old to the younger generation.

Barry Showkey and Barrymade

The duo of Barry Showkey and Barrymade are children of successful music icon and creator of Fuji music, late Sikiru Ayinde Barrister.

While Wale Akanji Barrister popularly known as Barry Showkey, is a Fuji musician, his sister Modinat Asabi Ademola known as Barrymade does Islamic gospel music.

Based in the United State of America, Barry Showkey once spent time as an act on Kennis Music. Presently, he leads his father’s Mr. Fuji Memorial Band.

Barrymade on her part is famous for her collaboration with her late dad in her debut album. For a lot of people the story of the duo in the entertainment industry has not been too positive.

Big Sheff

Rapper, Big Sheff is a fast rising music artiste. Shaped after the American rapper, Rick Ross he is the son of music legends, ‘General’ Kolinton Ayinla and ‘Queen’ Salawa Abeni.

While Kebe N’Kwara as General Kolinton is fondly called is known for his contribution to the Fuji music industry, Salawa Abeni Big Sheff’s mother is popular with the moniker, ‘Waka Queen.’

Big Sheff is still hoping to break into the mainstream music scene.

Clarence Peters. 

Unlike the previously mentioned artistes, Clarence Peter is a different breed.

While his father Sir Shina Peters is a talented music artiste, his mother Clarion Chukwura is an exceptionally talented actress.

The blend of such talent couldn’t have produced anything less than extraordinary genius.

The leading music video director and boss of Capital Hill might not be an actor or a singer, but draws his love for the entertainment industry from both parents.

Over the years, Clarence Peters has directed some of the most talked about videos setting the pace in choreography and cinematographer. 

Honey B

Honey B is the daughter of King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal popularly called K1.

A veteran musician, his antecedents and achievement precedes him.

However, same cannot be said of Honey B, who is still hoping to be popular like her father someday.

The sex siren who graduated from The BRIT School of Performing Arts in Croydon where she studied Music currently has singles such as Sempe in which she featured her father.

She would be remembered for creating a scene when she performed in Northing Hill Carnival leaving a lot of people mouth agape with the way she entertained with her butts.

Skuki

Tumininu and Laolu, make up the group Skuki.

The duo are more popular as Vavavoom and Peeshaun.

Hitting the airwaves with Ma Yin E Ni Banger a lot of people did not take them for serious music artiste until the song went viral.

Inspired by their father, Laolu Oguniyi who was an Art Director at the University of London, the group have collaborated with some of the biggest names in the mainstream music industry including Tiwa Savage and Olamide.

Tolu Obey

The health of Evangelist Ebenezer Obey Fabiyi has been a matter of speculation in recent years.

At a point, he could hardly see, as his children often time took him off the stage after any performance.

The health situation of the man indeed left a lot of people wondering what would happen when Obey Fabiyi retires.

With the emergence of his son Tolu into the music scene, many soon became convinced that if there was a person likely to take over from him then it would be the grey-haired man.

Having spent years doing secular music, Chief Commander, as he was formerly known retired his well known and liked Miliki brand of Juju music and opted for gospel music.

Today, Tolu runs the show as far as the Miliki brand of music is concerned. Though a good music artiste in his own right his father’s standards might just be too high for him to meet.

Today, he still gets some hours off his father’s paid shows. It is common to find Tolu taking over for some hours after his dad has left the same stage.

However, his ability to excel as a solo artiste has remained in doubt for years.

Uche And Ajuzieogu Warrior

Uche and Aju are sons of Christogonous Ezebuiro Obinna better known as Sir Warrior.

Sir Warrior is popular for his run with Oriental Brothers Band.

The band made waves in the 70s. Sir Warrior died in 1999, but his music still caused frenzy when played in parties or other social gatherings.

While the legend wanted his children to be educated as against being musicians, they however turned the other way and took after him. In fact, they decided to continue where he stopped.

Their first performance was at his wake keep in June 1999. They followed up with their first album, Tribute To Dr. Sir Warrior in 2000.

Today, both have taken up the Oriental Brothers Band.

Lekan Obesere

Abass Akande Obesere made name for himself singing a self-created genre of music he called, Asakasa.

Over the years, he dropped albums ranging from OBTK, Asakasa to Mr. Teacher among others.

The hallmark of his career was singing vulgar music which some other people considered hilarious.

Having decided to retire his controversial style of music and adopt less vulgar lyrics when he went on pilgrimage he lost a lot of followership. Though he remained in the industry dropping albums and performing shows, a lot of people believe he lost his magic wand when he decided to stop singing Asakasa, a genre which had become popular among student of higher institution in the South Western part of Nigeria and even elites doing blue collar jobs.

In his low career moment, Obesere maintained his relevance in the industry via his faceoff with another equally talented Fuji musician, Wasiu Ayinde popular as K1.

Although his son Lekan Akande has had a stint with music promoting popular Nigerian acts in his base, Dublin, Ireland, very little is known about him as a musician.

Sometimes back, Lekan Akande stormed Nigeria with promises of revolutionising the music industry. Then, he introduced his record label named R-Entertainment and its artistes namely; Abiodun Azeez, popular as Beezy, and Akinyemi Akintoye aka Sajan saying the two were set to release their singles titled, Pawon and Soyoyo respectively.

Interestingly, since then nothing has been heard of him.

The post Music Artistes That Take After Their Fathers appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

By Yinka Shokunbi Lagos

As part of its policies to promote best occupational health and safety standards among management and staff, foremost dairy manufacturer, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria on Wednesday celebrated 1000 days without Lost Time Accident charging employees to get set to reach a target of zero

Speaking on what led to the birth of the initiative, Operations Director, Doyin Ashiru said, “The idea was born after the July 2011 Lagos Flood incident that affected our company as well as other various incidents recorded in the company. We now thought we owe it to all our employees and their families to provide safe working environment. We then started with the dos and don’ts and gradually, we got everybody to imbibe learning to work in a safe way and then from there we got ourselves into seven rules of working safely, changing momentum and introducing new concepts to ensure there is not only leadership ownership but also, having everyone in the safety culture. And that is exactly what we have done to achieve the 000 lost time accident free-days”

Ashiru however said the company is not relaxing on its oars after achieving an accident-free work environment in 1000days, “we are now changing the goal post from Lost Time

Accident to Zero-Injuries. We want to start tracking injury days with the objective to come up with another celebration of 1000 Ijury-Free Days.

According to him, “We believe if we were able to prevent injuries, we won’t have to talk about lost time accidents. So the idea is about we coming in with no single spilling of blood and no single incidence happening. It is a culture we want to build and in which everybody owe it to themselves so we all work in a pro-active way; hence we have changed safety from rule-based to culture-base initiative by saying, safety in your hands, heart and might”,

Also speaking at the occasion, Managing Director, Rahul Colaco, noted, “We are proud of the high standards we have set for ourselves and the rest of the business within Nigeria. We are very proud of our employees, especially the operations team. It is a great outcome especially when you consider that during the last 1000 days, we have completed several massive construction projects.

“Therefore this is a good opportunity to celebrate our value on safety which recognises that safety is not just a priority but it is in the hearts of the people. The best part is that our families back home are the biggest beneficiaries of this safety culture”, said Colaco.

The post Friesland Campina WAMCO Marks 1000 Days Without Lost-Time Accident appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

Yinka Shokunbi Lagos

The drug manufacturers came from far and near, not less than 130 exhibitors from Asia, Africa, America and Europe were on hand to showcase their products and machineries as well as exchange business ideas during the three day 3^rd Nigeria Pharma Manufactures Expo which ended last Thursday in Lagos.

It was an occasion where indigenous and multinationals drug manufacturers were able to rub minds on the challenges and prospects of the drug industry in the country as well as wok out the potentials available in exporting the industry at the international arena.

Speaking at the opening of the event, Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (PMG-MAN), Okey Akpa described the expo as an annual arena for opportunities to stakeholders in the health sector to exchange information, products, services and ideas towards achieving the health related goals and other developmental initiatives in the Nigeria and West African region.

He noted that the theme of the event, ‘The Nigerian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry and International Competitiveness’  “was carefully chosen to ventilate the vision of the Nigerian spirit and to make a statement that the Nigerian Pharma Industry is positioned to operate at the global level”.

Although bedevilled by some challenges such as lack of interest in research and development due to lack or insufficient funding, enabling infrastructure and environment, the Nigerian drugindustry says the chairman is still currently, “the biggest pharmaceutical manufacturing country in West Africa accounting for more than 65% of loca manufacture of medicines relevant to the people and diseases of our nation and region such as  antimalarial medicines, antiretroviral meidicnes for HIV/AIDS, herbal medicines and medicines for sickle cell diseases among others”, said Akpa.

He pointed out that as part of the opportunities opened to the internatonal market, foru Nigerian companies are ready to do international business having been certified by the World Health organisation and have gone to process expression of interest with the WHO for pre-qualification products. The companies he listed include Swiss Pharma Nigeri, Chi Pharmaceuticals, Evans Medical Plc and May and Baker Nigeria Plc.

Akpa also announced to the international community that the Nigerian local drug companies have succeeded in developing and manufacturing registered products for the United Nations Commission on Life saving commodities such as Zinc Sulphate and Oral Rehydration Solutions in managing Diarrhoea, Chlorhexidine gel to manage cord infection and Amoxicillin Dispersible Tablets.

Apart from the four companies listed to supply WHO pre-qualified drugs, some companies met with the International Standards Organisation requirements and are recognised for their high standards in manufacturing processes, Akpa also disclosed.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Primary Healthcare Development Agency, (PHCDA) Dr Kayode Oguntimehin, urged the local drug manufacturers to step up in the research to local raw materials to take care of indigenous ailments and possibly develop vaccines to tackle some of the immune deficiency diseases.

He said, Lagos state government is ready and willing to partner with the local drug manufacturers to explore the potentials available in the state towards meeting sustainable drug needs of the people.

Director General National Agency of Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Dr Paul Orhii, urged the international community to take advantage of the local drug manufacturing environment to invest in the distribution channels which government has initiated to streamline good network process.

He said, efforts to tackle fake and counterfeiting of drugs in the country has yielded good result in the area of antimalarial drugs because of the us of the mobile authentic system and short message system which enables consumers detect if drugs bought are fake or not at the point of purchase.

He said, once the effort to engage the private sector invest in the building of warehouses to streamline drug distribution network scales through, the agency would move to dismantle all open drugs markets to put an end to drug counterfeiting in the country.

The post Nigerian Drug Market Veritable For International Competition appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

By Chinyere Abiaziem Lagos

Consuming food rich in nutrients such as soybeans have been described as a way to build rich culture of good nutrition in diet.

This was reiterated by the Managing Director and Chief Executive of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Chief Dharnesh Gordhon at a recent media tour at the company’s Agbara factory.

Gordhon noted that products from the stable of Nestle such as the Maggi food seasoning are enriched with soybean to help improve the quality of the good consumed.

Soybeans is described as the richest plant source of protein and the highest amongst all legumes as it contains 43 percent protein unlike other leguminous plants that contain 20 to 25 percent protein.

Under guidelines adopted by The World Health Organisation for evaluating protein quality for children and adults, soy beans is rated as first and second to none. This is to say soy bean is equal to the protein found in meat and milk.

“At Nestle we have a history of delivering regardless of the external environment, this is because of the strength of our brands, our consumer understanding and our programme of continuous innovation and renovation of our products to ensure they are the best products available in the market.

“Another way Maggi delights the consumer is by helping to reduce the risk of under- nutrition through micro nutrient fortification.”

The post Consumers Advised On Importance of Micronutrients appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

Mrs funmilayo Olotu may not be a household name, but her name strikes a chord as far as the history of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), is concerned. She was recently honoured with the prestigious fellow award by The Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered). Chinyere Abiaziem was at the ceremony and writes on the exclusive interview  where she spoke on the N27million debt she recovered for NPA amongst other issues. Excerpts:

How did you recover the N27m debt for your employer?

It was tough because some said I should call it bad debt. I had discussions with the clients and told them that I want to make sure that my organisation is not short changed, if not we will stop services to them.

I worked with fantastic people and they encouraged me, it was not easy as some came with offers of money.

I told them that I want to be a true Nigerian and stand out to show that there are some Nigerians that have integrity. I believe not all Nigerians are corrupt and I wanted to prove it. This happened in the 90s; imagine 27million naira of then to now? Though I felt bad when someone made a derogatory comment about me, but to the glory of God I recovered the money in full.  It sounds unbelievable and incredible but is the truth, naturally it should have been bad debt but it was recovered. Though the award I got in the office was N10,000  but I was not moved  as the recognition  that I  did something outstanding was all my joy.

 How do you feel receiving the NIM fellow award?

To be honest I feel honoured, it is a deep honour for me to have received the NIM award alongside some military personnel, vice chancellors and other professionals from various fields. I feel grateful to God almighty that has made it possible. It is actually the high point of my career, I have being in the civil service for 33 years and have been an executive member of NIM, Ikeja chapter. At one point I was a treasurer at another point I was the financial secretary.

I’m a Christian and the Bible says the race is not for the swift neither is the battle for the strong. So I believe this is an honour from God himself because I still have superiors and other people that truly deserve this, but I thank God that I got it at this particular time.

 To some who may not know, can you share the significance of the NIM fellow award?

The Nigerian institute of Management is an umbrella body for any other professional body you can think of. I’m a civil servant; we have engineers, chartered accountants, military personnel and other people from all fields of endeavour you can think of. When you become a member of NIM you are actually having the crowning glory of your career.

Stepping up to being a recipient of the fellow award, believe you me is not something that comes easy. It is not something to be toyed with. It is one of the laudable achievements anybody can have in his or her career. I am also a member of the National Institute of Marketing of Nigeria.

 What are the principles that have brought you this far?

I’m a very bold person, I can be blunt to a fault and with every sense of modesty, I believe I am brilliant and I believe to be fair to everyone that I come across.

I can be friendly but when I have to take decisions I am firm and that is what I’m known for. At the home front or at the office front. I don’t step on toes but I’m not intimidated. I’m a kind of person that puts service above self. I like being fair to everyone, I don’t believe in basis and I don’t believe in cutting corners.

My conscience and my wonderful parents have being my guiding principles. Though my dad is late and my mum still alive, they taught me not to cut corners.

For my dad, 60percent was failure, 70 percent was pass mark, if I should get 60 percent in English and Maths, I will get six strokes of cane, so for two subjects that means 12 strokes.

The principles they instilled in me helped me to build myself up to where I am today and I will say God has being faithful. This principle I have passed down to my children, I teach them that hard work pays, to the glory of God my son bagged a first class recently.

 What is your assessment of today’s woman?

To me today’s woman has come a long way, we should no longer be timid, and we should no longer be afraid and wait for crumbs to be dropped. My late dad always told me to make my works to speak for me even if they don’t like my face.

They will still seek you because of your work. Let every woman put in all their best in all they do. She will be recognised, I don’t believe in those who say bottom power, I believe in putting in one’s best. Comments will come but when you know what you are doing people will be able to say no she has worked for it.

I love mentoring girls and young women, building their assurance that beyond the sky is the limit. After all we have things going up in the sky and the space. So once you put your mind in what you do you can showcase yourself, you can bring to the table what you have and somebody somewhere will recognise you.

What I tell people is that they should not use their home front as excuses to shy away from official responsibilities, I’m known for dedication.

I tell women not to use pregnancy as an excuse not to be dutiful; I have been pregnant for four times, it was never any excuse. I get to my table and deliver on my job and when I’m home I give my husband and my children their time. I don’t allow my home front affect my work vice-versa. I also make sure I’m always there at my children’s matriculation and convocation.

So I urge young women to harness their talents, shine in all that they do and have faith in God.

The post I don’t Step On Toes But I’m Not Intimidated -Olotu appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

Walking through a part of the Paediatric Ward of the General Hospital, Calabar, one is confronted by the sad faces of malnourished children receiving special nutrition treatment initiated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) special intervention programme. One wonders why despite the richness of the land known for its variety of vegetable recipes, many children still suffer from Nutrition deficiency?  Professor Henrietta Ene-Obong, Human Nutritionist from the University of Calabar in this interview with YINKA SHOKUNBI, lamented the paradox saying, “Most of the women in the wards are ignorant of the classes of food available within their locality and do not know what exactly to combine and feed their families”.

In the Community management of Malnutrition, who should be responsible for informing the people and feeding them with the right concept of Nutrition?

To start with, I think the right information about nutrition should be provided by Nutritionists and Dietitians. They should be the right people to communicate nutrition information to the public. These people have been trained on what exactly to be done and so it is not just anybody that can pass information to the people about their needs. The issue we have at hand is that so many people are claiming to be nutritionists simply because nutrition is everybody’s business as it has to do with food and everybody is involved in eating.

A lot of people simply go to the internet to read up articles and publicise it and at times people get confused because a lot of the information on the internet are not correct, though some are correct and a lot of others have to be taken in with a lot of caution. There are general principles in nutrition which people should know and this principle can be communicated to the masses through credible sources like the nutritionists.

In advanced countries, we have specialist nutritionists as journalists who can effectively communicate these nutrition information to the population appropriately and the effect these have on the economy and social development of the people. It is important that every sector should have trained nutritionists to communicate about nutrition in the right manner.

In the case of malnutrition in children it is in the health sector you give treatment and the Nutritionists are supposed to be part of the health system to give the right information on the condition but the problem we have is that at times we also have nurses functioning as nutritionists especially where there are no trained Nutritionists but they also need to receive enough Nutrition training so that the people are not misled. Similarly, we need to train the extension workers about what exactly every food contain and they in turn can teach the mothers on what exactly to do with what they have in their locality so that the children can be properly fed with what is available in their communities.

Given the shortage of professionals why can’t the Nutrition Society of Nigeria take up the mandate to train media personnel who already have the tools of communication?

It wouldn’t be a problem for the Nutrition Society to organise trainings for Journalists on what to do truly, but if they need to do this, they have to be funded and this is what government is not forthcoming with. The NSN can also assist to train community health extension workers because they ae close to the people and can communicate in the language they very well understand. It is ery possible to do that.

How about Food Manufacturers, how well can they be involved in this clarion call?

Part of the mandate of the food manufacturers is to make gains but in whatever they produce, they need to take the interests of the consumers into consideration. They need to consider what the masses would gain from the food. They need to ensure that the food they produce would provide the needed nutrients the people need; we talk of macronutrient deficiency, the manufacturers must ensure that whatever they are producing would help bridge such gaps.

For example, a manufacturer producing from wheat ought to ensure that the wheat is fortified to the benefit of the consumers as well as engage the services of Nutritionists to teach the population on how best to prepare the food products they churn out so the masses would get the maximum nutrient value adding other locally sourced food items to the ones produced by manufacturers.

What would make a balanced and nourishing meal for a Nigerian breakfast, lunch and dinner?

That may be a difficult one to tackle but then, there are guidelines on dietary diversity and food groups. Foods are classified according to the nutrients they provide the body and this concept of dietary diversity teaches people to take food from various food groups to provide everything the body needs.

Carbohydrates like Gari flakes and Vegetables are in different groups for example and if you prepare gari (eba) and eat with legumes or vegetables and fruits, you have only supplied yourself with carbohydrates and vitamins; but to balance it you will need to some proteins like fish or meat and with some tomatoes, pepper, and oil to enrich or complete the food on the minimum.

Today we talk of dietary diversity because we encourage every housewife to give her household meals from different classes of food. Previously, we used to have five groups but now we have up to twelve groups of food and it is advocated that when preparing a meal, you should ensure it contains at least four groups including vegetables and fruits, animal source and carbohydrates. All these are available in every part of Nigeria.

Do we have a nationally acceptable food groups?

Yes there is. We have a food pyramid that shows these food groups. This is a general food structure that cuts across all the zones. For example, if you come to the carbohydrates group, the cereal and starchy staples, we have the cassava, yam, cocoyam, rice, maize, sorghum, Guinea corn, plantain and so on which cuts across every zone so that no matter where you come from, you will find something to eat.

In the meat group, we combine animal and plant protein and we suggest if one cannot afford meat, he takes from the beans group whether, cowpea, lentil and so on and then we have varieties of fruits in our locality and there is fat and oil which contains lot of beta carotene which is converted into vitamin A for the eyes.

If in your food you have the carbohydrates, protein source, vegetables and oils and then some fruits you are already balanced. The only problem is that our people don’t like to take fruits and this is very essential.

So if for breakfast you take from a group, you can go to another group to choose from for launch and then, for dinner, you choose from another and within a day, you would have gone through all the groups.

The post ‘Every Part of Nigeria Is Rich With Food Varieties’ appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

By Chinyere Abiaziem Lagos

Night clubs are termed entertainment venues that usually operate late into the night with a dance floor and a disc jockey (DJ) booth. It is a place where recorded music is played while alcohol is predominantly served. Expectedly, one of the things you find at night club is a shisha (an oriental tobacco pipe with a long flexible tube connected to a container where the smoke is cooled by passing through water). This is made available, alongside dim lights and scantily dressed ladies.

Several reasons abound why people patronise club houses. Sometimes, it is to escape boredom, catch fun, unwind, hook up with women or men for intimacy (one night fling), drink, smoke or network with some high profile citizens.

Some clubs run daily while others run only on Fridays, as most people rarely have time to unwind except on weekends due to tight schedules.

Night clubs are no strange institutions but they become strange to the ears when mentioned as a trend in the religious circle. These days some individuals and faith-based organisations have outfits that run as Christian night clubs, though not with the label night clubs.

When asked the reasons behind the concept of   Christian night clubs, Don Sam of the Underground, an Abuja-based Christian club said it is about having a place where Christians can dance and listen to good music and get clarified on certain issues.

“You know most times youths complain that they don’t have places to go and relax or listen to music. Here gospel music is allowed and every other thing that will glorify the name of God. We do not allow anything that is sinful and bring God’s name to disrepute.

“Here we interact with one another, we have pastors among us that speak to us on topical issues like tattoos, drugs etc. The activities are regulated and we do not label it as night club.

“We have people who used to be drug addicts but are now born again. We hold the club every Sunday from 5pm to 10pm while we have the 10pm till dawn session, once in a month. The truth is that if you don’t give them opportunities to unwind in the Christian way, they will go experiment outside. It is like when you do not give your children sex education, others outside will teach them in a negative way which may lead to having sexual diseases and unwanted pregnancies,” Sam said.

He narrated how he was skeptical about the concept at first, but had a change of mind after visiting a Christian club where he got to know about the lives that were transformed.

“I was part of the people who castigated the idea of Christian clubs until I visited one and was impressed by what I saw, which I keyed into and became a full fledged member.”

Don Sam upholds that the church should take responsibility for this. “The church should not be a four wall apartment where people come in and pretend to be holy while when they go out they become something else.

“I will not fault some that castigate this concept because whatever you are not called for you will not understand; since they are not called into this ministry they may not understand. I must say that when God gives His grace for the ministry we can handle any assignment he gives us.”

Meanwhile some spiritual leaders, who gave their reaction on this, expressed disapproval of the concept and said it could be hijacked by the devil and evil minded individuals to cause havoc.

As Pastor Evans Adetokunbo of Grace Mission, did put it- “Ordinarily; knowing what night clubs are, one would want to be careful with such an idea. But qualifying it with the appellation ‘Christian’ might make one to give it a second thought.

“If you say it is a place where people have recreation within the bounds of the laws and tenets of the kingdom of God, well, one might say, it’s okay. Such a place would be a place where things are done decently and in order.

“Things that should characterize such a place are- Christian music, decent dressing, non alcoholic drinks, no smoking, no drugs, well lit, family sensitive and safe for children, edifying interactions, no carnality, no inconvenient jestings or coarse jokes, no indecent relationships, or such things but where Christ remains Lord in absolute terms. Then we can call it a night club that is truly Christian.

“But if it is a place to use liberty as a cloak for unrighteousness and sin, a place where certain indulgences contrary to Christ are allowed, a place where the Spirit of God is restricted and the law of God is partially obeyed. If it is a permissive place where other things outside can rule once in a while or a place where the family is put at the background or children can’t come; one that has no respect for the family unit or time for the family, probably closing late and a hide out for non-resident and vagabond parents, then don’t call it Christian.”

Speaking further, he warned Christians not to be deceived into going there; “Going there will be too risky for any serious minded, kingdom focused individual. Only babes in Christ and carnal Christians who mind earthly things would be found in such places; such won’t help the cause of Christ.”

According to Apostle Duru Harrison of Epitome of Love Global Church, Okoko, “Christian club is an importation of worldly practice and a wrong tool for evangelism, as it is not part of   Christian practices.

“It is not part of the Christian doctrine or revelation handed to Christians by God. It is an attempt to use ungodly practices to reach the people, which is one of our problems in Christendom today. You have to use God’s standard to reach people in the way they will be touched.

“I think we should maintain a standard called night vigil, instead of calling it club.  I think this concept should be discouraged, otherwise it could lead to the penetration of evil. Everybody knows what club is all about. If you listen to some of the songs they call gospel songs, you will discover that they are far cries from what the gospel should be. So, to be candid, this is a bad trend that should be discouraged.”

Speaking on the subject, Pastor Stanley Okorom of The Apostolic Church of Nigeria, Arepo Assembly, Olorunda District, submitted that the idea is a manipulation of the devil.

His words; “You will agree with me that the devil manipulates every intention, whether good or bad: how much more the idea of a Christian club. If I may ask “Have we finished conducting night vigils, so why night clubs? I do not subscribe to a thing like this.”

Meanwhile, a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Tony Agba linked the trend to one of the end time signs.

“I do not believe in anything called Christian club except for vigils or praise nights. To me, it is a sign of the end time and should be put away. I will never advise that my youths or parish members attend or fund any such thing.”

“This trend in my view will affect the church negatively. With time one may not be able to differentiate between a Christian club and the worldly club everybody knows exist,” Pastor Agba said.

Another cleric, Pastor John Ajagbe stated that he sees it as a program that can be hijacked by the devil to perpetuate evil and even corrupt the minds of people to do evil.

His comment; “I am telling you very soon we will begin to hear stories of events from there that may not give glory to God. I do not see this as a way of evangelism. It can be dangerous to bring young people together.”

The Lagos Secretary of The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Dr. Israel Akinadewo also joined in condemning the concept.

His view; “I just believe the devil is using this avenue; saying it is a night club. Should churches be building nightclubs when they are supposed to be building things like theological schools? When people go for some religious activities you know what they can do there, how much more a club.”

Speaking from a different point of view, Archbishop Ereka Ihenacho of The Gospel Episcopal Church of Nigeria gave support to the idea stating that; “A Christian night club is a smart way of reaching the unreached souls and winning them for Christ as long as unwholesome activities are not allowed there.

“Personally I feel if they don’t do what they do in the worldly clubs, then I don’t have a problem with it. No one has the monopoly of any word.  What differentiates any gathering whether club or church is what happens there?

“You know we have village meetings and church meetings, so what differentiates the meetings is the presence of the Holy Ghost. For me, the idea of a Christian club is a smart and wise way of taking the gospel to the unreached.”

Sharing similar opinion with Archbishop Ihenacho, Pastor Olufemi Emmanuel of West Africa Theological Seminary said it will be more important to dwell on the impacts rather than condemn the trend.

“We should contemplate on the difference if what we are doing is what will contribute to people’s spiritual growth instead of looking at it from the name it carries ‘night club.’”

He was quick to add that care should be taken so that Christians do not fall into error while helping the youths meet up with today’s challenge. As he expressed; “Let me point this out quickly. We don’t have to be unchristian in trying to be strategic in preaching the gospel.  It’s like deception. Looking at what happened recently in an RCCG church where a worldly musician was invited to perform; I will say that Jesus would not use such to attract people; so we must not go worldly in order to attract people. We do not have to put on sinful garments to attract people. For example, I don’t have to wear a sinful garment to attract prostitutes. Jesus said, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven.”

The post Christian Night Club: A Modern Tool for Evangelism? appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

Title: Who Is Enoch Adeboye?

Author: Grace M. Edema

Reviewer: Ejikeme Omenazu

Publisher: Pasuo Investments Ltd

No Of Pages: 51

The book, Who Is Enoch Adeboye? is authored by Grace Modupeoluwa Edema, a journalist with the Independent Newspapers Limited and an inspirational speaker. The book, a biography of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), is meant to encourage young ones to attain greatness in a world filled with trials and tribulations.

In this book, the writer walks through the life and times of the great God’s General, who rose from nothing to become the Pastor of the largest church with the highest number of parishes in the world.

Born into a poor, polygamous and large family of Moses Adeboye in th sleepy village of Ifewara, Osun State, South West Nigeria, young Enoch resolved that he would go to school and achieve greatness.

According to the author, several things happened early in Adeboye’s life to indicate that he was a special child. The first was when he missed his way to his father’s farm and a strange dog came to his rescue. The second was when he was ill sand traditional therapies could not heal him. He was taken to a prophet who told his parents that he would be great.

Two remarkable things triggered Adeboye’s desire to be educated. The first was the type of reception and honour given to a Grade Two teacher posted to St. Stephen’s Anglican Primary School at Ifewara community and the visit of an Anglican Archbisop to the community. This was the first time Adeboye saw a man on a pair of shoes and a car and he resolved that he would not die poor.

Achieving this goal was not easy as his parents were very poor. Several times, his mother had to borrow money to pay his fees. Several times, he was sent home when the fees were unpaid. The quest for higher education saw him into the Ilesha Grammar School. To force his parents, he had to subject himself to three-day of starvation until his father sold his goat to raise money for his school fees.

His father’s death could not stop his education. He engaged in farming, teaching and sale of firewood to save money for his university education. At the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, apart from being good in Mathematics, he was also good in sports, especially volleyball and boxing.

The outbreak of the civil war could not stop his education. He became a proud holder of a First Degree, an MSc in Hydrodynamics and a Doctorate in Applied Mathematics from the University of Lagos. He later got acquainted with his wife, Foluke, a student at United Missionary College, Ibadan, a teacher training college, who hailed from Ilesha, and a daughter of a Catechist. They got married in 1967.

Due to the challenges of early married life, they consulted spiritualists and herbalists to no avail until 1973 when he came in contact with Rev. Josiah Olufemi Akindayomi, the founder of the RCCG. Who through the power of Holy Spirit, recognised him as “The Chosen One”.

After Akindayomi’s death, Adeboye stepped into his shoes. Since then, he has taken the RCCG to every corner of the earth, becoming one of the greatest ministers of God on earth.

The book is divided into eight chapters apart from the Introduction. The first chapter treated Adeboye’s birth and early life. The Second and Third chapters treated Adeboye’s quest for education. The Third chapter dealt with his love life. In this Fifth chapter, the author treated Adeboye’s encounter with a witchdoctor. The Sixth and Seventh chapters treated his encounter with Rev. Akindayomi, while in the Seventh Chapter, he had already become a great minister of God. The last Chapter delath with his numerous awards and achievements.

In this book, Grace Edema shows her prowess as a writer for young people, with her descriptive power. She wrote in a very simple language which any young person cn understand.

She also shows that education cannot be a barrier to those who want to serve God. Instead, with education, one can serve God better and achieve more. The book also shows that one can be successful as a servant of God.

The book contains several illustrations and pictures, which depict several aspects of Adeboye’s life, which makes it real to the readers.

This book is a MUST read to all youths as the story is very didactic. It is also a good companion for all students who wants to be successful in life.

The post Adeboye: A Lesson In Perseverance appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

By Chinyere Abiaziem

General Overseer of the Auchi, Edo State based Omega Fire and Miracle Ministries, Apostle Johnson Suleman, falls in the category of preachers who regularly demonstrate how God has penetrated their hearts with the truths that they present. Suleman’s interpretation has not only been defended in the sermon but it has been digested.

He has authored over 60 motivational books today which dwell on singles, relationships and marriage. The fire-spiting preacher is one motivational man that should interest every Christian.

 Speaking on the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari during the church’s monthly Fire Night Crusade, the man of God said: “Every adventure of any government official to a foreign nation particularly at the Presidential level may be necessitated by several factors that could be of stern benefits to both nations especially at this time when our nation is experiencing a fresh governmental and political transition. Being as it is, our President who is not a young boy that is tasting power for the first time, would know that dealing with great a nation like America entails a lot of influential subjugating consequences during and after the visit. President’s invitation and visit to America is a good one, since Nigeria emancipation from terrorism, economic backwardness, infrastructural downtrend and corruption being the most populous black nation of the world, is the emancipation of Africa. I will say let’s give the summit’s deliberations some time to transform into positive beneficial transformation on the part of both countries before we can fully speak on the visit”.

Suleman, starting from this month of September, has embarked on two-pronged crusade tagged- ‘Paris Invasion’ and ‘Operation OFM Everywhere’ in the world.

On the president’s decision on gay issue, Suleman believes that it is commendable because, “it stands out unambiguous, contrary to various speculations from average Nigerians that Buhari may be a victim of gay inducement as he visits America as this is one of the traps that might be set for him if Nigeria would get any benefit from America; he said Nigerian law does not support Gay.

Biblically speaking, this is sodomy that can throw a whole nation to incur the wrath of God as it was in the day of Sodom and Gomorrah. Genesis 18:20 says “And the LORD said, because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous”. As a matter of fact, just 10 persons could not be found righteous in the land because seem like sin was legalized. Any person or nation that legalizes iniquity may end like Sodom and Gomorrah”.

Speaking further of his systemic corruption fight, Suleiman who told former President Jonathan he wouldn’t win the March 28, 2015 presidential election because of his political naivety and the fact that he (Jonathan) lacked understanding of the concept of power, said that, Buhari, as promised during election campaign to wage stern war against corruption which has been one of the ‘big devils’ afflicting Nigeria growth and development and being what we know him for, has started it in a good way by declaring his assets and making it a must for every governor and others.

I will say at this time that assessing fully his systemic corruption fight will be too early to discuss because the journey ahead of him is still very far. We should give him time to accentuate his methods to be adopted in fighting the menace. Furthermore, assistance from nations like America and others who have promised in recovery looted money could hopefully be a giant stride to further authenticate the assignment fulfillment.

Finally, we pray for him that he will be like King Josiah in the Bible days whom God used to bring great transformation to Israel by destroying the high places and mountain of corruption earlier built by King Solomon as it is applicable today in every sector of our economy where there is mountain of corruption. “And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. 2Kings 23:13.”

The post Buhari May Turn Out To Be Nigeria’s King Josiah -Suleman appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

Alafia Gbadebo is a model young man and an example of how hard work pays. While in school and at 21, he had started making millions. Today, his Strands Event Company is worth a fortune, and he is just 30 years old. The young entrepreneur invited Hazeez Balogun, to his office recently and revealed to him the secret of his success. 

Tell us about Bon Marche Fairstival

The fair is an event where hundreds of companies and exhibitors come to sell their goods and services to students at heavily discounted rates. So, we think there is no better place and time to display the card. We usually have at least 20,000 visitors every day at the fair, and it runs for 10 days; so, we expected about 200,000 people to sign the valentine card.

You are not 30 years old yet, and you have created a multi-million Naira business. How did it all start?

I started off with a trade fair when I was still a student at UNILAG. That was seven years ago. I realised that immediately schools resume, students go to different places to get their school needs. If you want clothes, you go to Yaba; if you want a laptop, you go to the Computer Village in Ikeja; if you want electronics for your room, you go to Alaba market, in Lagos. I thought instead of students going all around Lagos buying things, why couldn’t the companies bring their products to the school and be in one place within the school. Also, I know that students do not have high purchasing power; so, when I was to start, the aim was that exhibitors should sell their wares and services to students at low prices or at discounted rates. That way, students can buy their needs in one place and at cheaper prices. Also, I knew that there are many companies that have promos that are targeted at the youth. The best place to get their target market is the school. So, the fair was borne out of necessity. It is an avenue for both buyers and sellers to meet. That was how we started the first students’ trade fair in 2006.

It must have been difficult since it was a new idea 

It was not easy I must tell you. Being the first of its kind people were not interested. They felt selling to students was a waste of time since student don’t really have money. So, the first one did not go so well. We lost a lot of money. The second one turned out to be a huge success. So, were the other ones that we have done. Today, we have spread into campuses all over the country – Calabar, Benin, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and others in over 12 states of the country. We take companies and traders from across the country to all these campuses and all we ask them to do is sell at discounted prices. Currently, we are on a 30-campus tour with GT Bank and we are opening bank accounts for students all over the country free.

Are students really a lucrative market target?

Students may not have so much money, but the truth is that there are companies with products that are cheap that students can afford. Almost all students use mobile phones; almost all students buy recharge cards. So, definitely, telecoms companies will appeal to the youth. Laptops can be expensive, but students still buy them. Only very few students today do not have a laptop. So, you can say students don’t have money, but they still buy products as long as you can bring the price down. We also look at the school we go to. There are some schools whose students we know have low purchasing power compared with some others. So, we know the kind of exhibitors to take to such schools. I must tell you that the market is good. We are now seven years in the business and we are continually expanding to various campuses.

What have been the major challenges in hosting the fair?

I will say sourcing for sponsorship is one of our biggest challenges. Also, getting approval from some of the schools has been a big issue. Many do not understand the business and the advantages it has for their schools. Some student unions have also proved difficult. But like every business, there are always challenges. We thank God that we have surpassed most of these challenges and we have moved along smoothly.

What will you say have made your shows successful?

Consistency is the key word. You do not expect to start a business today and believe that you will start making money all of a sudden. We have grown to project ourselves as a brand and people have seen us to be reliable and are able to give us their money to help them reach their target – the youth market .

You said the fair continues to expand. Where else is it heading?

We are planning to go to Ghana. Last year, our objective was to go to all the six regions in the country and we achieved that. This year, we want to venture out of the country. We are working hard on this and we believe Ghana will be a good starting point for us. We are at the verge of sealing a deal with the Legon University in Ghana.

When you have so many students gathered, there is always the fear of insecurity. Have you had times when the fair was disrupted by students?

There are plenty experiences like that. It happens all the time; but we are young people as well and we try to deal with them as our friends. We relate with them at their level. When we were in Port Harcourt, some students just appeared and started demanding for money. We gave them money and some souvenirs. But what we were able to achieve is that after everything, we sat them down and taught them how they too could make money as students. We also asked them to keep in contact with us just in case they have any idea they want to develop in their school. We handle them maturely. In fact, we do not hire any private security organisation. Many schools do not even allow security organisations into their schools. But, I must commend the schools; they have been supportive in terms of security.

Tell us about the love of your life. Is she into this business too?

Ah, no. I am still a young man. There is no woman for now.

What motivates you?

What has always motivated me is that fact that I want to be independent. When I was in Year One, I started by selling recharge cards. It was a new business then, and I carved a niche for myself. I would tell people that they don’t need to come to me to buy credit; they should just send me a text and I would send them the credit and get my money later. That was how I sold cards to a lot of students in UNILAG. I have always been an enterprising person. I had always known that I would not work for anyone. So, when I was planning to start the fair, I did not have money, but I started by making friends. I knew I would need to go out a lot to get exhibitors. So, I made friends with people that had cars, and students that are from wealthy background that I could get money from. I knew I would need people who are purpose-driven like me; so, I made friends with people like myself. I had all these partners who helped make the first fair a success. Though, we did not make money at first, we knew we had a selling brand. Many of my partners left us to seek for jobs, but a few of us remained and we have kept the business strong.

So, when you left school, you did not look for job?

No. Why should I? By then the fair had started making money. By the second edition we had Diamond Bank as sponsor. At the third edition, Bank PHB came in and the growth continued from there. Why would I seek a job when my own company was doing well? I was making millions by the time I left school. Why should I go and apply for a N100,000 a month job?

Most people who succeed early in life are usually supported by their parents. Did yours support your business?

No. My mum was the kind that just wanted me to focus on school activities and come out with a First Class degree and get a good job. When I told her I wanted to go into business, she thought I was trying to be lazy and leave school. She thought my GP was dropping. The way I can say she assisted was that she gave me accommodation money which was a lot because I was to rent a boys quarter. Instead of renting an apartment, I used the money for business, and squatted with friends. I was, in fact, sleeping on the floor because all the beds were occupied.

You are a busy man now. How do you relax?

Relax? I am always so busy. I know there is money out there; so, I am always looking for a means to get it into my pocket legally. I don’t watch football; I don’t play games; I don’t watch movies. I may hang out with friends sometimes, and discuss the trends that I should use in my business. You may call me a boring man; I will agree.

There are many young people out there trying to go into business but there is no encouragement. How do you think government can step?

I have a friend who came from America. He told me that when he started his business there, the government was very supportive. He was not allowed to pay tax for the first three years. Within that time if he made a loss, government would refund part of it to him. This is the way to encourage entrepreneurship, because at the end, when the business goes well, you will have to employ people and that will reduce unemployment. There are thousands of Nigerians out there, if not millions, that have B.Sc and Masters degrees with no job. But if you create entrepreneurs out of some of them, they will employ more people, and there will be less unemployed people. Government needs to look at this.

The post I Was Making Millions By The Time I Left University –Gbadebo appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.

The official nominations for the four Annual Golden Icons Academy Movie Awards (GIAMA) is finally out, and foreign international acts like Wyclef Jean, Akon, Dorien Wilson and Nollywood’s Ken Erics, Nse Ikpe Etim and Uche Jombo were exclusively nominated. 

Presented by PEM Offshore, GIAMA celebrates the very best of African entertainment and rich culture through filmography. Most of the submissions this year came from Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Canada, and the United States. 

On movies, some nominations are for Invasion, While You Slept, Black November, Iya Alalake, Ojuju, Verdict, Stigma, When Love Comes Around, Red Rose, Trials of Igho, Jafar, Oge’s Sister, Affairs of the Heart etc.

This year’s GIAMA ceremony will be hosted by comedian and actor AY Makun and is set to captivate a lively audience on October 17, 2015 in Houston, Texas.

See the list below:

Best Motion Picture
· Love Regardless
· Stalker
· Stigma
· Black November
· Trials Of Igho
· Matters Arising

Best Film (Drama)
· Stigma
· The Changer
· Invasion 1897
· Ojuju
· Oge’s Sister
· After The “I Dos”
· Stalker

Best Film (Comedy)
· Jack And Jill
· Head Gone
· Horn – Free Day
· My American Son
· Broni Wawu
· When Love Comes Around

Best Short Film
· Verdict
· Once
· The Throne
· Horn – Free Day
· Henna

Best Film (Foreign Language)
· Mr.Bf
· Torera
· Ojuju
· Made In Agege
· Iya Alalake

Best Actor
· Frederick Leonard – Keeping Secrets
· Hakeem Kae-Kasim – Black November
· Majid Michel – Matters Arising
· Jim Iyke – Stalker
· Mike Omoregbee – Invasion 1897
· Ken Erics – Trials Of Igho
· Clem Ohameze – My American Son

Best Actress
· Adesua Etomi – Falling
· Uche Jombo – Oge’s Sister
· Ini Edo – While You Slept
· Mbong Amata – Black November
· Jackie Appiah – Stigma
· Nse Ikpe Etim – Stalker
· Ruth Kadiri – Matters Arising

Best Supporting Male
· Anthony Monjaro – Stalker
· Desmond Finney – Reflections
· Seun Akindele – The Changer
· Chigozie Atuanya – Jafar
· Melvin Oduah – Trials Of Igho
· Oc Ukeje – Black November
· James Gardiner – Happy Deathday

Best Supporting Female
· Kiki Omeli – Sting
· Yvonne Jegede – Oge’s Sister
· Caroline Danjuma – Stalker
· Ayo Adesanya – The Good Wife
· Venita Akpofure – While You Slept
· Tana Adelana – The Kingdom
· Eku Edewor – When Love Comes Around

Best Comedic Act
· Roselyn Ngissah – Jack & Jill
· Akpororo – Head Gone
· Nkansah Kwadwo – Made In Agege
· Kelechi Udegbe – Horn-Free Day
· Faithia Balogun – Iya Alalake
· Lydia Forson – A Letter From Adam
· Eniola Badmus – Head Gone

Best New Actor
· Gbenga Titiloye – Love Regardless
· Stonebwoy – Happy Deathday
· Jeff Kumordzi – Letter From Adam
· Akpororo – Head Gone
· Kunle Oluremi – Sting
· Iso Paeley – Love Regardless

Best New Actress
· Aisha Kamara – Reflections
· Princess Okah – The Changer
· Yvonne Okyere – Love Regardless
· Rosemary Zimu – Champagne
· Emem Inwang – Stalker
· Comfort Idongesit –Trials Of Igho
· Nsikan Isaac – The Banker

Best On-Screen Duo
· Ruth Kadiri & Majid Michel – Matters Arising
· Ken Erics & Kiki Omeli – Trials Of Igho
· Blossom Chukwujekwu & Adesua Etomi – Falling
· Gbenga Titiloye & Zynnell Lydia Zuh – Love Regardless
· Nse Ekpe Etim & Jim Iyke – Stalker
· Yvonne Jegede And Uche Jombo – Oge’s Sister

Best Editing
· Stanlee Ohikhuare – Kpians
· When Love Comes Around
· Nwaogburu Nelson – Matters Arising
· Stanlee Ohikhuare – Verdict
· C.J Obasi – Ojuju
· Muyiwa Aluko – Love Regardless
· Black November

Best Sound
· Stanlee Ohikhuare – Kpians
· Invasion 1897
· Ononeze Keneth – The Throne
· Black November
· Cobham Asuquo – Darasen Richards – The Antique
· Dayo Thompson – Ojuju
· Kenneth Yeboah – Made In Agege

Best Makeup/Costume
· Chiemela Nwagboso/Matthew Elechenu – Jafar
· Adefunke Olowu – Ojuju
· F. Evans / K. Yeboah & B. Poku – Made In Agege
· Inemesit Udonquak – Stalker
· Stanlee Ohikhuare / Itoro Edwin-Okon – Kpians
· When Love Comes Around
· Invasion 1897

Best Cinematography
· Black November
· Ojuju
· Invasion 1897
· Verdict
· Horn-Free Day
· Shattered Romance
· Kpians

Best Screenplay
· Stigma
· Trials Of Igho
· Shattered Romance
· Sting
· Head Gone
· Requite
· Stalker

Best Producer
· Oge Obasi – Ojuju
· Lancelot Imasuen – Invasion 1897
· Dare Fasisi / Lanre Fasasi – Head Gone
· Moses Inwang / Caroline Danjuma – Stalker
· Jeta Amata – Black November
· Okey Ezugwu – Jafar

Best Director
· Chris Eneng Eneaji – Trials Of Igho
· Lancelot Imasuen – Invasion 1897
· Moses Inwang – Stalker
· Muyiwa Aluko – Love Regardless
· Jeta Amata – Black November
· Ejim Fortune Kezi – The Changer
· Dare Fasisi – Head Gone

Best Film Diaspora
· Red Rose
· The Portrait
· Affairs Of The Heart
· Lapd African Cops

Best Screenplay Diaspora
· Red Rose
· The Potrait
· Retaliation
· The Flaws
· Bloodline Battle
· Affairs Of The Heart
· Lapd African Cops

Best Director – Diaspora
· Robert Peters – Affairs Of The Heart
· John Uche – The Potrait
· Ab Sallu – Bloodline Battle
· Kingsley Paul Ukaegbu – Red Rose
· Pascal Atumah – Lapd African Cops

Best Actor – Diaspora
· Moses Efret – Red Rose
· Carl Payne – The Flaws
· Kyle Burgess – The Portrait
· Pascal Atumah – Lapd African Cops
· Joseph Benjamin – Affairs Of The Heart

Best Actress -Diaspora
· Oge Okoye – Red Rose
· Berlinda Nahbila – The Portrait
· Queen Esther Imar – Bloodline Battle
· Stella Damasus – Affairs Of The Heart
· Pridin B. Fru – Retaliation

Foreign International Act (Male)
· Wyclef Jean – Black November
· Dorien Wilson – Lapd Afrcan Cops
· Akon – Black November
· Mickey Rourke – Black November

Foreign International Act (Female)
· Sarah Wayne Callies – Black November
· Luenell – Lapd African Cops
· Vanessa Bell Calloway – Lapd African Cops
· Kim Bassinger – Black November

Best Male Viewers Choice
· John Dumelo
· Alex Ekubo
· Van Vicker
· Uti Nwachukwu
· Blossom Chukwujekwu
· Majid Michel
· O.C Ukeje

Best Female Viewers Choice
· Adesua Etomi
· Uche Jombo
· Belinda Effah
· Rita Dominic
· Ruth Kadiri
· Ini Edo
· Yvonne Nelson

Best Comedic Act Viewers Choice
· Francis Odega
· Julius Agwu
· Funke Akindele
· Lydia Forson
· Eniola Badmus
· Roselyn Ngissah
· Akpororo

The post Wyclef Jean, Akon, Ken Erics Others Nominated for GIAMA Awards appeared first on Independent Newspapers Limited.