Lately I have been thinking about the power of girlfriends. Every now and again I meet a woman who says I don’t really get on with other women. Now I can’t speak for all of such women but those I have met in my experience may have been hurt before and are so guarded and suspicious with other women as a result.
One particular lady talked about how women don’t seem to like her. She put it all down to jealousy. However while she was with me, she kept making these snide and seemingly innocuous but very degrading comments and I could immediately see that the issue was not so much that people didn’t like her, it was more so that she really didn’t like herself. When she related to men, she simply resorted to sex kitten style and the interaction was always somewhat flirtatious even when she planned on keeping the relationship platonic.
This particular woman right now floats through life on the arm of her man du jour and I think she is missing out on the most important aspect of it.
When you hear the word relationship, you always think man and woman. However I am talking about friendships.
By nature, I am a loner. Actually, I don’t think I was born that way, I think I became that way as a defense mechanism. I learnt early on that people in general and girls specifically can and will hurt you. I used to take it so personally. Every little thing and I would be offended. I went to a girl’s boarding school, a hotbed for drama. There was always one confrontation or the other. I remember one school year; I think it was my third, where it seemed like every weekend someone was confronting me about something or the other. “I heard you said this, I heard you did that”. Now I clearly had to take ownership for some of the issues, I did the typical things I gossiped, I made judgments, sometimes went out of my way to make fun of the weaker girls, sometimes just to fit in with the wrong crowd. Also I had my fair share of wrong done to me, baseless rumors started, being accused of things I didn’t do, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera!
Life goes on and as it does. We learn. Thank God for growth.
When I first got out of boarding school, I was extremely guarded. I didn’t gravitate to men, because I didn’t desire a relationship as of then. So I kept to myself. I never let people in and I didn’t really give of myself.
I remember my first Nigerian roommate in college. She is like my sister now. We fought so much then, even though we were alone in a foreign space. I mean we had our shares of up and downs and I don’t even remember much of what and how we argued about things but I do remember that she was an “I love you” sort of person and a hugger. Neither of which I was. I could never respond. I was cold. Still am, to a certain degree (But God has changed me so much and I’m still changing) I was so determined not to be hurt that I nearly missed out on a great relationship…almost twenty years later and we still are close.
There was a time when I had been going through some stuff and at first I couldn’t share my problems with anyone. I was so burdened that it impacted my work, my physical self, I couldn’t even lift up my head. I was praying, I was fasting but I was still down. One day, I felt in my spirit that I should share my problems with a woman who I knew but at that point our relationship was still somewhat superficial. I was afraid. What if she takes my problems and uses them for gossip? What if she hurts me? The word in me was insistent. Share the load.
You know they say your husband should be your best friend, sure, perhaps, but the truth is men are wired differently so as you are there venting, the response you get may not be quite what you need. They want to fix and you just want to be heard, at that moment I knew I needed a sister!
I called this woman and shared with her. She was such a blessing to me and since then I feel lighter. She
helped me lay my burdens down.
In my country, it is not uncommon to see women carrying loads on their heads. Every now and then you will see a woman who wants to take her load down from her head onto the ground. Sometimes the load is light enough that she can maneuver it herself, sometimes it is so heavy that she struggles, then you will see another woman help her carry it off her head on to the ground. That is what the woman did for me. She helped me lay it at Jesus feet.
Another time, I was so stressed, (in this life, stresses will come) I couldn’t speak. Again another woman who I knew casually…like I said, I didn’t really let people in….she asked me what was wrong. I couldn’t speak but tears started to flow, and God bless my friend, she didn’t probe further, she just started to pray. I couldn’t pray for myself but she did it for me and I could feel her love and I was and am grateful for it.
One of my favorite scenes is from the movie Beloved. The main character Sethe was being oppressed by the spirit of her daughter who she had killed (you have to read the book, to really get the gist) anyway, she was oppressed to the point that she couldn’t fight for herself. Now the women in the town had heard what was happening and they decided that enough was enough and that they were going to fight for their fellow woman. So they gathered at her home and began to sing songs and stand in solidarity. Now a few things happened but the point is that it was the collective power of the women gathered that forced Beloved, the oppressive spirit to leave Sethe.
I wept at this scene, because it symbolizes a truth I know deep within. There is power when women gather. We are the soul of the home, the pillars of the community. If you see a community with strong morals then know it is the women who propagate it. We are more powerful than we understand and our strength is magnified when we love each other. When we recognize that we are all flawed yet we are all beautiful.
A friend of mine and I were discussing how women have been trained to compete against each other, we are constantly comparing and setting ourselves up against the other. Wives compare whose relationship is better with their husband, instead of being a source of strength to each other, recognizing that trying times come to every marriage. Nigerian and Lifetime movies are fraught with the images of women trying to steal a man from another woman, at whatever cost…I could go on and on. Suffice to say, there is power in love. There is power in girlfriends. We are meant to have relationships.
Today, take the time to nurture a friendship and if you already have good friends, say thank you and give a shout out like me…”Where my girls at?! Holla!!!”
Ekene Onu is a writer living in Atlanta or Abuja depending on when you get her. She is the author of the Nigerian chicklit book called The Mrs Club and she is currently working on an inspirational book due out very soon. She also blogs about life, love and faith at www.lifelovefaith.com.
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After a long wait, CAPital Hill Music's premiere artist, Kel has finally released her debuted album. Stepping into the once spacey female rap arena, the young femcee has a lot to prove, both due to the public's anticipation and the natural scepticism that greets lady rappers.The Investment is a solid debut with competent rhymes and decent beats but at 15 songs long (an Intro, Outro and two skits make 19 tracks in total), the album features a lot of unnecessary filler. Also, with 22 guest artists (album producer, Tha Suspect and Illbliss appear twice each), it could be mistaken for a compilation CD. However, on the songs where Kel shines, which, thankfully, are quite a few, she shows a lot of promise, with the potential to get better as her career advances. A regular complaint about rap music is you can't hear what is being said but Kel's sharp, decipherable lyrics takes care of that issue. This lets you pick out her intelligent wordplay but sadly, also exposes forced bars on certain tracks.With similar sounding rhyme structure throughout the set, there's a mono-flow but it works. She's found her niche and is craftily carving away at it. The back and forth rhymes with Six on "Need you in my Life" make for an interesting cat-and-mouse love story but Darey steals the show with the simple but impressive hook. "Boy meets Girl" exhibits her vulnerability and SLK's vocals are a fitting complement to Kel's ‘emo rap.' The playful artist has quite a number of love songs which suggests a sensitive girl underneath all the posturing.The Illbliss, Tha Suspect and Uchie assisted "Dem Don Dey Move" should be lighting up dance floors everywhere in due time while "Nobody Else" featuring Shank and Tha Suspect, as well as the Durella collabo, "Omo Yapayaski" should follow suit. Then there's the feel good, positive attitude up tempo treat, "Turn by Turn" featuring Wizkid and YQ. It is the type of song that crosses the age divide and appeals across generations.The lead singles "Waa Wa Alright" and "Too Fine" are the stand outs but the sleeper hit has to be the album ending "Sitting on Top" featuring the ever rising Jesse Jagz and Waje. The trio do justice to Jagz's breezy melody, with his and Kel's verses hitting hard and Waje's singing taking it up another notch.All in all, barring a few missteps, this album is time and money well invested and at 23, there is enough room to grow.
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Posted by Politics X on September 2, 2009 at 6:31am
Mr. President: I am Chief Government Ekepemupolo, referred to in good and odd times as Tompolo. I have played my insignificant roles religiously in the determined struggle of the Ijaw, nay Niger Delta, nationalities since 1993 against insensitive multinational corporations and the state. In 2003, I left the average God given comfort of my life without prompting and moved into our beautiful creeks of the Delta of the Niger (reversal mine) among others, to advance our divine and just cause. Till date, I do not plan nor envisage a return to the artificial cities of Warri, Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja with your response trend to our struggle.The intellectual and political agitation of our people predates Nigeria’s independence hurried as it seems today; and the same fundamental and core issues remain unsuppressed and ever daring despite conscious attempts by successive regimes to simplify them through unending conference talks and committees without attending to the recommendations there from.Reform proposals, from the Willinks Commission of 1958 through Gen. Ogomudia’s special Security Report to the Mitee Technical Committee, abound. Candidly, your committee on amnesty and its arm dealing with disarmament in content and operations are the same to the purified ramifications of our structured struggle. Who is deceiving who?THE PEACE PROCESSOn assumption of office on 29th May 2007, MEND and the peoples of the Niger Delta greeted you with a unilateral ceasefire and opened a wide window for a peaceful resolution of the regional crisis. On 29th June 2007, your Vice President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan visited regional agitators in Camp 5 with a message of peace and process was agreed.There from, I have spoken with lowly and highly placed in your government including yourself emphasizing on the cardinal demands of our people. No armed confrontation of skirmishes had occurred between agitators and the Joint Task Force until 13 May 2009 amidst the traditional festival of the people of Gbaranmatu. Who is really deceiving who?Your government and our people met severally in Abuja, constituted joint committees with your former SGF Babagana Kingibe, present SGF, Ahmed Yayale, cabinet ministers and Defence Chiefs serving variously with our representatives led by Elder T.K.Ogoriba. We agreed on a few fundamental areas of great concern with sub-committees constituted to engage stakeholders preliminarily in the region. We agreed on a presidential visit, declaration of development emergency in the region, release of Henry Okah and others detained in connection with our agitation, pilot withdrawal of the Joint Task Force from the region and composition of oil commissions by regional states, among others that would be discussed in a formal dialogue between government and regional elders and youth leaders.What happened to these agreements? Why did the events of 13th May 2009 happen instead of a gradual implementation of these preliminary terms agreed to whilst we kept our peace? Who exactly breached the peace and is transparently deceiving who?AMNESTY AND DISARMAMENTYour Excellency, your proclamation of Amnesty on 25th June 2009 is only viewed by my ilk as part of the peace process, which was breached on 13th May 2009. It is not viewed as the ultimate or that official act of oblivion or pardon on the part of your government to absolve without trial so-called offenders or group of offenders, intentionally forgetting or overlooking wrongdoings by same. We view the gesture as offer from nothing but it can be something with mutual sincerity and great will.Why distort and simplify, as usual, our genuine struggle to crime and disarmament? Are crimes of kidnapping, abduction and hostage-taking synonymous to and with our region? Who kidnaps in Kaduna, Lagos, Kogi, Ondo, and the entire Eastern states of the country? Do the security agencies inform government correctly that 99% of crime cases in Port Harcourt are not perpetrated by agitators and core regional indigenes? Categorically, Politicians, Political and Commercial Crime Merchants all over the country are the architects to undo themselves and others. We are clear-headed agitators with an inherited defined vision and mission.Why the push for disarmament within this space of peace, instead of engagement on the fundamentals that occasioned the armed agitation and its associated incidents? Who bought the arms with whose money? Except by make-beliefs and showbiz, can genuine disarmament be achieved with the Joint Task Force killing and destroying communities, with guns pointed at agitators to drop arms without commencing genuine dialogue on the regional fundamentals and possible mutual reconciliation? I make bold to state categorically that true peace and disarmament can only be seen occurred when and only when the Core Demands of the region are being addressed through a mutually progressive dialogue.Mr. President, whilst hoping for the practical reality of that dialogue to usher in peace and justice. I suggest the following as preliminary acceptable to the agitators:1.WITHDRAW OF JTF AND DEMILITARILIZATIONThe formation and operation of the Joint Task Force since 2004 has clearly indicated a scenario of replacement for coup plotting in the country, it has caused much image damage to Nigeria and colossal financial waste to the region. Is it part of its mandate for a military officer with rank of Lieutenant Colonel, Major or Captain to lead an “escort job” for multinational corporations? What are rank and file and junior officer doing in the region? It shows degeneration and calls urgently for an improved welfare status for the military which is gradually establishing the region as a survive pipe. Government must improve their welfare and make the barracks attractive and stop sacrificing our region for the stability of their polity.I herein enjoin the withdrawal of the Joint Task Force and demilitarization of our region from Okirika and Kalabari Kingdoms in Rivers state through the civil Ijaw communities of Bayelsa state to the serene communities of Western Ijaw in Ondo, Edo and Delta states. The Joint Task Force makes no difference: instead it aggravates the conflicts to stay put in the region. They may win this war against our just cause: but they cannot win the peace in any guise not even in our region wherein every child of three and above sleeps with the knowledge of every pipeline meter criss-crossing the region. May 13, 2009 and its fallouts has and shall vindicate and triumph us ultimately.2. THE RIVER NIGER DREDGINGGovernment characteristic- to-type has enlisted Chief Tony Anenih and Mrs. Deziani Allision Madueke to dredge the River Niger. Why is government pushing with intent to use the force of JTF to dredge the river instead of addressing the environmental hazards such will cause the communities therein as contained in the Environmental Impact Assessment report such as shore protection and adherence to local content? Legitimate governments all over the world address the communal fears and concerns of the affected before such projects are executed. I hereon disclaim any contact with Chief Tony Anenih on this issue as claimed. I remain among those opposed to it and I am committed to confront by any means necessary any real attempt to dredge the river without recourse to universal standards that are acceptable.I also enjoin Chief Tony Anenih and Mrs. Madueke to tread softly: for this is an attack on our existence and identity. I consequently urge Mr. President to halt the process and direct government agencies to comply with agreeable standards for the management of the River Niger as a vital lifeline for our people.3. THE SEPTEMBER BIDS & OIL BUNKERINGOil bunkering is consciously being peddled by the JTF and Government in their bid to cover state failure and to malign our legitimate struggle. Such expensive ventures requiring huge finances power and contacts can only be carried out by the mighty in government and huge businesses. Who provides or buys the vessels and equipment? Who settles the military and has the connections with the foreigners and refineries? Who owns those vessels apprehended and disappearing? I make bold to urge Mr. President to show will and determination to stop bunkering in the region and see how the mighty in Lagos and Abuja will fall.However, Mr. President how many Niger Deltans have oil fields, blocs or even allocations that girlfriends are entitled to in Abuja? Does it sound just amidst truths that General T.Y.Danjuma sold 45% of one of his marginal fields (Akpo Field) to a Chinese firm for 2.3billion Dollars, still keeping 55%? Can this happen to the Hausa, Yoruba or Igbo? Why must we suffer so much for a God-given blessing? Do you think there can be peace where the people do not have appreciable stakes in their resources and composition and operations of multinationals in the region? Emphatically NO!CONCLUSIONMr. President, this is my first personal missive to any government or its privies since 2003 and it remains on the fundamental demands of the region raised for over 50 years by our people who are starkly faced with the daily worrying reality of a hopeless life after oil. With sincerity of purpose and determined will, the crisis in the region remains the simplest to resolve. I urge you to authorize your government to commence dialogue with representatives of the people of the region, nominated from elders and leaders of youths referred to as Aaron Team by MEND, on the core demands of the region with pride and mutual balance.Your Excellency, may I remind you that Major Isaac Adaka Boro died for this cause: our noble poet and play writer got hanged with eight other Ogonis in 1995, Dokubo Asari and Henry Okah among others got incarcerated in inhuman conditions for years, just as several unsung brethren have been murdered and several of our innocent communities completely destroyed. These did not stop the agitation of the people; instead it reinforces it in tactics and participation. How can killing Tompolo, Fara, Ateke, Boyloaf, Afrika, Shoot at Sight, Young Shall Grow and others stop the numerous unsung Tompolos in the creeks who owe our people at home and in the Diaspora this noble duty to bring justice and peace to our land? Kindly thread the path of dialogue, not force. There is no bad peace.I salute the courage and sacrifice of our brethren in our blessed region in this noble struggle. I thank Henry Okah, Dokubo Asari, Fara Dagogo, Ebi Ben (Boyloaf), Ateke Tom, Shoot at Sight, Afrika, Joshua, Young Shall Grow and several others known and unknown for your past and present sacrifices.I salute our brethren in the Diaspora, the Ijaw National Congress, Ijaw Youth Council, MEND, JRC, FNDIC, Yoruba Progressives, Northern Justice Known, the Warri Ijaw Peace.Sincerely.High Chief Government Ekpemupolo(Tompolo).HIGH CHIEF GOVERNMENT EKEPEMUPOLOIBE EBIDOUWEI OF IJAWLAND2, Palace Road, Oporoza Town, Gbaranmatu Kingdom, Delta State.
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According to reports, Lil Wayne has been really busy this year and may be the father of yet another child. An exotic dancer at Los Angeles strip club Spearmint Rhino, has made claims that she's been impregnated by the New Orleans mega-star, making her the third woman Weezy has allegedly knocked up this year.Wayne recently confirmed that actress Lauren London is currently several months pregnant with his child, while singer Nivea has claimed to be pregnant by him as well.The 26-year-old (though his birth certificate reportedly says otherwise) rapper has a daughter with ex-wife Toya Carter (star of popular BET reality show 'The Tiny & Toya Show'), and an 10-11month-old son with an unnamed Cincinnati woman.The purportedly preggo exotic dancer, whose identity has yet to be revealed, is said to be of East Indian descent, and says that she has informed the Wayne of her pregnancy, and that he's assured her in turn, that he wants her to have the child.
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Nig.e.ria is expected to get about $1.5 billion under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Drawing Rights scheme. The sum is broken into $1.3 billion under the general loan scheme and $218.6 million under the special rights scheme.
The facility is being offered under the IMF $283 billion Special Drawing Rights loan to strengthen liquidity in the global system. The move is in response to April's call by the G-20 to supplement the existing reserve assets of member nations to combat the negative impact of the global economic crisis,
Announcing the allocations to countries on Friday, the monetary fund, in a statement, said the facility would be released in tranches with an initial allocation of $250 billion, and will be subsequently followed by an additional $33 billion to be disbursed Wednesday, September 9. The allocations will significantly increase SDR's outstanding stock to about $316 billion.
About $110 billion of the combined allocations will go to the emerging market and developing countries, including over $20 billion to low-income countries, most of which currently face difficult spending decisions on how to handle the impact of the global crisis.
The SDR allocations, seen as IMF's strategy to boost member countries' foreign exchange reserves, to give them the impetus to weather the storm of global economic recession, is based on a long-term global need, to provide succour to low-income countries, like Nigeria.
Caroline Atkinson, IMF External Relations Director, explained that the loans were meant to provide access to unconditional financial resources to mitigate the need for adjustment through contractionary policies and allow greater scope for counter-cyclical policies in the face of recession and rising unemployment.
"The general SDR allocation is a key part of our response to the global crisis, demonstrating the value of a cooperative multilateral approach," Ms. Atkinson said, adding that despite a smaller number of SDRs going to the IMF's low-income members, the allocation would result in a proportionately higher increase in reserves for them than it will for the advanced economies, which already have a substantial cushion of reserves.
Under the voluntary trading arrangements, Atkinson urged individual member countries to be ready to trade the SDRs within certain limits, with the IMF acting as a voluntary broker charged with the responsibility of arranging transactions between prospective buyers and sellers.
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Its good to be echoing it in their ears (politicians) every now and then maybe it will reduce their level of coruption.Last week the minister of Aviation gave us primary school mathematics that the Airlines are running flights with great loses by doing bonanza. We know as lay men, those Airlines will never carry a fully booked flight on bonanza, after all 1 of the requirements for this bonanza is booking ahead in 2 weeks and there is no way the flight will carry only ( us ) the poor Nigerians who may not have the right fare to fly. After all on that same flight, there is a 1st class or business class were they ( big men ) pay as high as 36,000. Please let him leave us alone to enjoy this great bonus while it last. He should concentrate on providing quality Aviation infrastructure so we can have a safe Airspace. If it is a "Class" thing, he should also tell us so we can leave the Airports for them (big men). We also know that when ever a poor man smiles,it is an offence to a big man.Austin A
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Norbert Young is a household name in Nigeria. Television viewers will not forget his performance in the now rested soap opera, Checkmate, where he played the role of a university teacher. In that television series, he exposed some of the bad things lecturers do and he was good playing the role.A core professional, Young said that the country would get more mileage if the government would use Nigerian movies, which, according to him, is a veritable vehicle for promotion, to drive the rebranding project.He said that Nollywood, the home video industry, was a concept, unlike Hollywood, which is a city. According to him, the home video industry has done well for the country and should be commended.The actor said: “Nollywood does not exist in terms of the fact that it is not a place. It is a concept. Unlike Hollywood, which is a city, Nollywood is not a city. It is a concept. Whether it is good or not, it exists. It has been there and like any other industry, it has offered people work. A lot of people have been employed; so the point as to whether or not Nollywood is there is irrelevant. It is there. A lot of people have benefited from it and people are still benefiting from it.“Its professionalism or otherwise is not the issue. For me, I have always said that it is not professional, in terms of the fact that the practitioners have refused to go for training. You make it an all-comers affair. That has always been my problem with them, especially, when it comes to acting.”Young however, said that Nollywood has to do more, in terms of acting. Without equivocation, he said: “Their acting is so terrible and just kindergarten-like, but it could be better. It is just that they have refused to apply themselves so as to be better.”He revealed that his desire to see a Nollywood with high standard made him to always talk about professionalism. He said: “I have always emphasized the importance of professional training for Nigerian actors. If you watch Nollywood films, there is only one way of doing it. There is nothing like characterization, for instance. It is only a few of the movies that you could actually find a little of characterization, but most often than not, what you see is always a repeat of same people from one film to the other. They play the same thing. The only difference is that the actors take different names.“Since Nollywood was established, I have often said that people should go for professional training. You see, most Nigerians think that you don’t need to learn anything. You can just do anything without training. I guess that’s one of the reasons we are where we are. I have often emphasized this. They know and this stance has pitted me against them.”He said that in an industry, where professionalism is brought to bear, actors do things according to laid down standards. He lamented that the country’s actors and actresses some time want their will to be done because they are not professionals.Young said: “It is so bad that there have been cases where actors insist on wearing what they want. They choose and insist on the kind of costume they want. So, that is the cause of lack of professionalism. If you want to do a production, as a director, you must have a production concept. Your production must have a design. Everything that would support the design must fall in line. But you know, the kind of actors we have would insist on doing their own make-ups. They insist on what they want, insist on the clothes to wear and it is allowed.“But in other settings, you cannot dream of doing that, let alone doing it. They are so many other flaws that you can talk about, but what I am particular about is the acting. It is appalling. However, there has been a little bit of improvement in certain areas. There are still shortfalls in the costuming, make-up and the rest. But even then, there are improvements. For instance, there is character costume and ordinary costume. I doubt if many would know this in the industry.”Explaining the technicalities of film production, he said there is need to depict situations with the setting and dressing. He lamented that some of these are missing in the country’s film industry.“Again, you see, part of this is the problem of professionalism. Some scenes are supposed to have moods that will suit the theme of the movie. In a sober mood, like mourning mood, for instance, if you have to come to that place gorgeously dressed, it must be for an effect. This must be part of the plot, but if you come to the place dressed gorgeously and every other person is dressed in mourning cloths, then it spoils the mood because instead of enhancing the plot, it would diminish it.Our actors, especially the actresses, choose what they wear. It is not their business what the production design is,” he said.On the glorification of crime in home video, he said: “Well, I will answer it this way. First, what is the motivation for doing a movie? It is for fun? Is it to teach or show the way forward? You see, America makes a lot of films on crime but you forget again, to mention that at the end of the day, the criminal is always brought to justice. It looks like our people embellish crime. In cinematography, you have an objective so that when it falls, it will be a big fall and it will make an impact. Now, what is your motive? They think about making money from negative crime plots and forget about communal development, developing the society. I think we should be looking for films to help us develop society.Take the film, Air force One, for example. For me, that is a great film. If you show it to the American President, he will see it as good act because it will tell the President, CIA and everybody that nobody is safe, as they think. Somebody just sat down and put it together. We can do films like that, not necessarily about the president but about something that would develop our country. I have not seen any movie on safety. Neither have I seen any on safety in industries or factories and the rest. Those things are good and can sell too. And most of these crime-based movies are not crimes being committed in Nigeria. So, I don’t know what their motivation really is.”Young said that the good side of culture should be played up in films instead of always showing the negatives. According to him, “a situation where some one is unjustly accused of something and she simply cries away without putting up any form of defence does not make sense. He doesn’t even make any attempt to defend himself. Things are not done that way. We do not live like that. For me, that is a very lazy and cheap way of telling a story. You could do it better.”The actor was not disappointed about Nigeria’s performance at the last AMAA awards. He said that more entries came from other parts of Africa, emphasizing: “I don’t even know if they shot on video or celluloid; I mean the other African countries. Well, if you shoot on celluloid, you can’t compare the quality with video. So maybe, that’s what the Kenyans did. And whoever does that is a professional. He is not a roadside actor or a roadside cameraman or a roadside director. You dare not go to celluloid if you are not a professional. You can’t try it.“If they won all these awards, first of all, I think the scope was broader, maybe more entries came in and then, the judges may have found the quality of works from other countries better than ours. In whatever way, I think that was responsible for it. In any case, it doesn’t mean that Nigerians must only win. Maybe, they had better productions. It is even good they chose Funke for Best Actress. Maybe, they did not judge the technical aspect, but her acting. I think it is good that she won.”What does Young think about the rebranding project? His reaction is simply: “What are we re-branding?” he said the government should do more than just image laundering. According to him, “the outside world knows that you are not doing anything. See the money being spent on text messages of “Nigeria, great country, good people.” It is a lot of money that could be put into infrastructure. But suppose we put part of the resources into making electricity work? Won’t we be better for it? Let us know what we are re-branding. Let us see that things are changing and then, we are realigning or re-orientating ourselves in that direction.“It is a good idea to put it in the psyche of Nigerians to be patriotic. Let us work together and make it well, but we should get infrastructure right. There are no good roads, no electricity; nothing. So what are we selling? The little knowledge, I have had about advertising is that when rebranding, it means that you have improved the brand. You are now relaunching it into the market. So you put forward the unique selling points. But what are we putting forward? What are we re-branding? Are we re-branding no electricity, water or good roads?”Hw however said that if the rebranding concept is sellable movies should be employed to make it happen. “Movies have a role to play. Movies are the vehicles with which you can convey it to people on a wide spectrum, on a broadcast level. Movies have a big role to play,” he said.The actor would want the government to do something to boost the movie industry. He however, says that it is not government business to produce movies but that programme could be enhanced with movies.He said: “Government can say, for example, in this re-branding, can you package this film in this direction? Government can call producers and get actors to do something for it. People will reap the benefit of their works. That’s what I think government can to. The census board is supposed to be a regulatory body to censor, but what I don’t agree with is the selective censorship. What they should do is to classify movies accordingly. But sometimes, I hear that censor’s board expunge certain things from movies. It is supposed to be a regulatory body. They should work within the confine of what should be done to improve acting.”Young said that he is helping the movie industry with his training school and workshops he regularly runs.He said: I teach acting. I teach people everything. It is Body, Voice and All. I have a stage for stage acting. All materials are available for those who are interested in acting. We do both theoretical and practical aspects of acting. It is like what I did for AMBO house in 2007. I taught them the rudiments of acting. It is the kind of contribution I ‘d like to make to the industry. It is a noble thing to be in the arts. I enjoy it and I enjoy teaching people. Anybody who is interested in learning acting should come to our school.”
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 29, 2009 at 4:30am
Not fewer than 5 people were feared dead in Owode-Langbasa Aja area of Lagos State, after eating yam flower popularly known as Amala, in anticipation to begin their Ramadan fast in the early hours of Friday.
we gathered that one of the victims after consuming the toxic amala died on the spot while others gave up the ghost on the way when good Samaritans were trying to take them to the hospital for revival. Over 20 others were rushed to different hospitals, while some were placed on danger list at Akodo general hospital of Lagos State. Family members, friends and sympathizers waiting endlessly outside the hospitals, while medical experts are still trying to safe the lives of those victims who are still alive.
The black Friday had about 25 Muslim faithful who gathered at the residence of a prominent Islamic philanthropist in Aja at the early hours of Friday for Ramadan prayers, which has often been the practice for 5 years. But little do they know that untimely death would take its wrath on them after eating the amala meal.
Some of the surviving victims who are still groaning in pains in the hospitals shared their ordeal. ‘‘Immediately some us ate that food we went back to sleep and all of a sudden I saw others groaning in pain someone even died instantly, then I began to feel uncomfortable, I quickly drank palm oil and I dipped my hand in my throat and I threw up, and here I am now still battling with survival, the pain is too much.’’
Also, the woman that prepared the food who was also a victim of this food poison lying at the hospital bed, said she bought the flour at Mushin market in Lagos and that she could not understand what actually went wrong. Although the people in the area have denied any foul play over these ugly and unprecedented misfortunes.
The hospitals key medical personnel Dr Tunde Palomeras and Dr Imosimi Donald confirmed that it was a case of food poison and that they will deploy all necessary resources and expertise to ensure that no further lost of life is recorded. One will recall that a bizarre Poisonous killer beans in 1996 was reported in Lagos, when vendors claimed the reports carried in the press, are a plot to reduce the price of the commodity, which is the main source of protein for poor Nigerians. But most people in the three south-western states of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo stopped the consumption of beans that time.
Amala is one of Nigeria’s staple food and it’s a cherished delicacy among Africans and other parts of the world, especially when it goes with the right soup, but with this latest unfolding pattern where it now mysteriously claims lives, no one knows how safe the next meal of amala could possibly be, only God can tell.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 26, 2009 at 11:27pm
By Kingsley Ighowenghian, Wale Igbintade and Tunde Opeseitan, Lagos
* Arrests Intercontinental Bank Chairman, Obieri
* Court Orders Release Of Nwosu, Adigwe
* Grants Ibru Leave To Enforce Rights
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman, Farida Waziri, has disclosed that the detained bank executives will be arraigned soon, because "it is within the law for every Nigerian to seek legal redress against perceived wrong but we want to counsel the Bench not to consider any frivolous interlocutory application from bank debtors at this particular point in time."
She confirmed on Tuesday at a press conference in Lagos that the EFCC has arrested Intercontinental Bank Chairman, Raymond Obieri, and two other non-Executive Directors of the bank.
Others being held include Samuel Adegbite, Toyin Phillips, Sani Adams, Bayo Dada, John Maha, Jibrin Isah, and Dayo Famoroti, Henry Onyemen, Niyi Opeodo, and Peter Ololo.
She said their offences range from money laundering, advancing loans under fictitious conditions, and conspiracy involving huge sums.
According to her, the banks are listed as granting a total N747 billion non-performing loans by May 31, the day the tenure of Chukwuma Soludo expired as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor.
She added that she met on Tuesday with all the new bank Managing Directors (MDs) to prepare a final list of loan defaulters.
Waziri disclosed that a court order has been obtained to detain the suspects beyond 48 hours, because their alleged offences are far beyond civil matters.
She said many bank executives are holding meetings and strategising to escape arrest and prosecution for their economic crimes.
Waziri did not state the amount recovered from bank debtors, only saying: "The figure is impressive, and we are compiling the amount, which will be released soon."
She said some debtors are still running around to pay up, and if they fail to do so, "All defaulters will be arraigned as conspirators alongside the bank chiefs."
Waziri accused those involved of economic sabotage, and pledged that the EFCC would not allow them to escape with their loots.
She urged all stakeholders to co-operate with the EFCC as it goes after loan defaulters.
However, judicial reprieve has come for former Finbank MD, Okey Nwosu, and former Afribank MD, Sebastian Adigwe, as a Lagos High Court on Tuesday ordered the EFCC to release them on bail.
They were detained eight days ago, over allegations of financial misappropriation in their former banks, sequel to their sack on August 14 by the CBN.
Also fired were the MDs of three other banks - Erastus Akingbola (Intercontinental), Cecilia Ibru (Oceanic), and Barth Ebong (Union)
Both Akingbola and Ibru have not reported to the EFCC for questioning.
Ebong is still in detention along with about 15 MDs of the subsidiaries of the five troubled banks, and others arrested in the latest raid.
On Tuesday, the court restrained the EFCC from engaging in any act that could undermine or jeopardise the rights of Nwosu and Adigwe to freedom as stipulated in the Constitution.
Justice Raliat Adebiyi also directed the applicants to serve the EFCC with all the processes at its Lagos office not later than seven days.
Wole Olanipekun, counsel for Nwosu and Adigwe, while moving the application for bail argued that their detention beyond the legal period violated their fundamental human rights.
He said despite the fact that his clients met the conditions for the administrative bail granted them by the EFCC, it refused to release them.
In the main suit, Nwosu and Adigwe are seeking N50 billion damages each against the EFCC and a public apology for the violation of their fundamental human rights.
They also want a declaration of the court that:
"The acts of the (EFCC) founded on the highly publicised purported order of removal issued by the (CBN) on the basis of the conclusions/recommendations of a purported special examination report of the (CBN) which the applicants were never availed the opportunity to rebut and particularly the arrest and detention were unlawful, are unconstitutional and a gross breach of the doctrine of fair hearing as in the Constitution."
Adebiyi also granted Ibru the leave to enforce her fundamental human rights against the EFCC.
Ibru through her counsel, Niyi Akintola, filed two ex-parte applications against the EFCC and joined as co-respondents, the federal Attorney General and Justice Minister, Inspector General of Police, State Security Services (SSS) Director General, and the CBN Governor.
Adebiyi granted some of the requests of Ibru.
He also directed that Ibru should serve the court process on the co-respondents while EFCC should be served directly.
"Leave of the court is granted for the accelerated hearing of the applications. Leave is also granted to (Ibru) to enforce her fundamental human rights against the respondents," he ruled.
Adebiyi ordered that Ibru should not be harassed, intimidated or embarrassed by the respondents, and that she should not be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment that would be inconsistent with Section 34 of the Constitution
But the court stressed that it could not restrain or prevent the EFCC from performing its statutory functions, saying if it wants to investigate or arrest Ibru, it should do so within the confines of Section 35 of the Constitution.
The case was adjourned to September 7 for hearing.
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Some hair-splitting wonk has just told me that nothing good can come out of a breakup.
“When you break up, your whole identity is shattered — you are no longer alive.”
As you can tell, gross exaggerations are the stepping-stones of her existence. Typical romantic. Of course no one is entirely pleased with breakups. They are probably the only things, except the naked shock of seeing Madonna’s new arms, that the whole world might ever have in common. Still, like the arms, I find them reassuring, commendable — a sign of consistency. Like debt and corruption.
A friend of mine just broke up with his girlfriend for reasons of a tribal nature. You know, the sort that a couple might have after years together in a faraway kingdom, only to come back to Lagos, have your parents disapprove, turn into a whimpering coward, afraid to offend mummy and daddy and KAPOW! Your story ends up in front of a Sunday blog. Yes, that sort. It seemed utterly tragic.
Yet, I felt no sympathy.
Not because of the whole, “I’m a lily-livered tribalist” part. If I went round hating every tribalist, I’d be out of friends. My friend Ada, often the purveyor of most of American culture, is the most stringent relationship tribalist I know. For her, it’s strictly Ibo. Enugu, if you can swing it. But she’ll settle for the eastern less if things get desperate.
So, if anything, I find the whole tribalist “culture polarisation” thing a little charming in that whole “wear one designer, trend or colour head to toe” sort of way. I’d never be caught in it but, hey, whatever floats your boat.
But I digress. I felt no sympathy because everything about it seemed so painstakingly cliché. I’d heard the “she wasn’t Yoruba” line before. Boohoo! Look at me; I’m a victim of tribalism. Woe is me. Sorry, mate. You’re hardly unique — everyone is doing that one these days: breaking up or not dating because of tribal pressure. “I love ankara kimonos, Eurasian cuisine but I could never date a Caucasian.”
As it happens, the only thing that did go through my head was: who was it? Who was the tyrant who devised most of those clichéd breakup lines? “It’s not you. It’s me”, “I’m in love with your best friend and I just want to be happy”, “I need to find myself”, “I’m gay”. Seriously? Who? No cliché woke up one morning and decided, today I begin life as a cliché. Some awful series of coincidences led it down that path.
I contend that it generally starts as a heartfelt gesture. Which probably drew tears from the first recipient’s eyes. The first man that said, “I need space” was probably an artist who actually genuinely needed space. Creative space. A large white room where he could paint. But the bugger at the next table also initiating a break up, heard it, thought to himself “why hadn’t I thought of that?” and promptly used it. Suddenly, three centuries later, we have a cliché.
This is not a story that saddens me. There’s comfort in knowing those clichéd lines and stories once had some sentimental value. In fact, I hope that one day, a breakup cliché that has been used on me will somehow get transformed into a movie. It’s every dumped person’s dream. To see a movie called I CAN’T DO THIS ANYMORE. How can you hate something you can turn into a pointless audio book, a movie or a platinum selling album?
There’s also the autopsy; the unbearable ritual of getting over the heartache by living through the pain, ladled with raw emotions, begging to be debauched, recycled or sedated. I’m with sedation. The dignity that accompanies a silent mourner is something we can all learn from. I remind my friends, the kindest ones I have, that whenever the opportunity arises, especially in a time after I might have lost count of how many breakups I have been through, I sure hope they will be refined enough to sedate me, lock me in my room with a spectacular choice of alcoholic beverages and Wole Soyinka’s indecipherable play Mad Men and Specialists.
But people don’t seem keen on that sangfroid building solution. We’re more likely to engage either in the less terrible debauchery or in the new age ritual of hauling friends out for a night out only to drone on with the drably details of your once blissful union. The same friends who weren’t invited along for the thrills of the dating.
Why in the good lord’s holy name would you think they’d be up for listening to you go on about how you couldn’t see a future with her? Truly baffling.
And after hours of hmms and ahhs, pretending to be listening and mourning the death of a relationship, you get a call at 3 o’clock in the morning from the same tribalist friend
I’ve decided to give it another go.
Couldn’t this have waited till morning?
I mean, we’re still broken up but we’ll just see how it goes.
And the tribal situation? Your father shouting Biafra?
We’ll deal with it somehow. Not sure it’s wise to let go just yet.
But why? What’s wrong with some alone time, even if its five years long? I call it self-loving. You develop some new habits, like laughing loudly at your own jokes, finding time to watch all those TV shows and being comfortable with talking to yourself in public or coming up with reasons why white is black.
Exactly, Rukks. Most People call that depressing or at best, madness. I’ll rather “go with the flow”
Suddenly, I remembered what it is I hate about break ups.
It’s a dying sport. No one ever does it properly anymore. The world is full of people “going with the flow”.
by Rukky Ladoja
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Facebook, for better or worse, is like being at a big party with all your friends, family, acquaintances and co-workers.There are lots of fun, interesting people you're happy to talk to when they stroll up. Then there are the other people, the ones who make you cringe when you see them coming. This article is about those people.
Sure, Facebook can be a great tool for keeping up with folks who are important to you. Take the status update, the 160-character message that users post in response to the question, "What's on your mind?" An artful, witty or newsy status update is a pleasure -- a real-time, tiny window into a friend's life.
But far more posts read like navel-gazing diary entries, or worse, spam. A recent study categorized 40 percent of Twitter tweets as "pointless babble," and it wouldn't be surprising if updates on Facebook, still a fast-growing social network, break down in a similar way. Take a CNN quiz: What kind of Facebooker are you? »
Combine dull status updates with shameless self-promoters, "friend-padders" and that friend of a friend who sends you quizzes every day, and Facebook becomes a daily reminder of why some people can get on your nerves. Watch as Facebookers reveal bugbears »
Here are 12 of the most annoying types of Facebook users:
The Let-Me-Tell-You-Every-Detail-of-My-Day Bore. "I'm waking up." "I had Wheaties for breakfast." "I'm bored at work." "I'm stuck in traffic." You're kidding! How fascinating! No moment is too mundane for some people to broadcast unsolicited to the world. Just because you have 432 Facebook friends doesn't mean we all want to know when you're waiting for the bus.
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The Self-Promoter. OK, so we've probably all posted at least once about some achievement. And sure, maybe your friends really do want to read the fascinating article you wrote about beet farming. But when almost EVERY update is a link to your blog, your poetry reading, your 10k results or your art show, you sound like a bragger or a self-centered careerist.
The Friend-Padder. The average Facebook user has 120 friends on the site. Schmoozers and social butterflies -- you know, the ones who make lifelong pals on the subway -- might reasonably have 300 or 400. But 1,000 "friends?" Unless you're George Clooney or just won the lottery, no one has that many. That's just showing off.
The Town Crier. "Michael Jackson is dead!!!" You heard it from me first! Me, and the 213,000 other people who all saw it on TMZ. These Matt Drudge wannabes are the reason many of us learn of breaking news not from TV or news sites but from online social networks. In their rush to trumpet the news, these people also spread rumors, half-truths and innuendo. No, Jeff Goldblum did not plunge to his death from a New Zealand cliff.
The TMIer. "Brad is heading to Walgreens to buy something for these pesky hemorrhoids." Boundaries of privacy and decorum don't seem to exist for these too-much-information updaters, who unabashedly offer up details about their sex lives, marital troubles and bodily functions. Thanks for sharing.
The Bad Grammarian. "So sad about Fara Fauset but Im so gladd its friday yippe". Yes, I know the punctuation rules are different in the digital world. And, no, no one likes a spelling-Nazi schoolmarm. But you sound like a moron.
The Sympathy-Baiter. "Barbara is feeling sad today." "Man, am I glad that's over." "Jim could really use some good news about now." Like anglers hunting for fish, these sad sacks cast out their hooks -- baited with vague tales of woe -- in the hopes of landing concerned responses. Genuine bad news is one thing, but these manipulative posts are just pleas for attention.
The Lurker. The Peeping Toms of Facebook, these voyeurs are too cautious, or maybe too lazy, to update their status or write on your wall. But once in a while, you'll be talking to them and they'll mention something you posted, so you know they're on your page, hiding in the shadows. It's just a little creepy.
The Crank. These curmudgeons, like the trolls who spew hate in blog comments, never met something they couldn't complain about. "Carl isn't really that impressed with idiots who don't realize how idiotic they are." [Actual status update.] Keep spreading the love.
The Paparazzo. Ever visit your Facebook page and discover that someone's posted a photo of you from last weekend's party -- a photo you didn't authorize and haven't even seen? You'd really rather not have to explain to your mom why you were leering like a drunken hyena and French-kissing a bottle of Jagermeister.
The Obscurist. "If not now then when?" "You'll see..." "Grist for the mill." "John is, small world." "Dave thought he was immune, but no. No, he is not." [Actual status updates, all.] Sorry, but you're not being mysterious -- just nonsensical.
The Chronic Inviter. "Support my cause. Sign my petition. Play Mafia Wars with me. Which 'Star Trek' character are you? Here are the 'Top 5 cars I have personally owned.' Here are '25 Things About Me.' Here's a drink. What drink are you? We're related! I took the 'What President Are You?' quiz and found out I'm Millard Fillmore! What president are you?"
You probably mean well, but stop. Just stop. I don't care what president I am -- can't we simply be friends? Now excuse me while I go post the link to this story on my Facebook page.
SO WHICH ONE ARE YOU ON 9jabook.com !
I amj all of the above !
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I want to use this medium to ask good people on Naijabook who truly believe in Rebranding to please ask the government of President Yaradua what has suddenly halt the Barracks Renovation Project,which has been halted since Dec, 2008.The commision was given the mandate to renovate all the Barracks in the Nation. This project kicked off last year , so far the first phase was just a flash in a pan, The second phase kicked off around August last year.I am using the NAF BASE Kaduna as my reference point. The jobs are almost 70% completed , while the contractors were commited to finishing the job and getting their Balance.The job came to an halt by December 2008 following the end of financial year. while the finishing was slated for this tear January, after sighning of budget.Up till now,August nothing is heard from PCBR again, while the contractors were being stranded as many of them went for Bank Facility. Their money is hooked up, while the job is incomplete.The question is. How many years is PCBR going to spend on a phase ,and when is Yaradua going to comlete the renovation project.Si it going to be 2020? or is he going to be till thy kingdom come?Abeg make una help me ask dem ooo.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 25, 2009 at 11:12pm
U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, the elder statesman of America's most famous political family, is dead at the age of 77 (born 2/22/32) after a battle with brain cancer. He was the youngest brother of slain President John Kennedy. The life of the Massachusetts' Democrat was marked by both achievement and controversy.
Senator Kennedy was a champion of liberal causes, and over the course of his Senate career sponsored legislation that fundamentally altered worker rights, education funding, foreign policy and immigration law. His niece - President Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy - says her uncle was an inspiration to her family.
"For more than four decades in the Senate, Teddy has led the fight on the most important issues of our time: civil rights, social justice, and economic opportunity," she said.
Senator Kennedy was a vocal critic of Bush administration policies in Iraq, its stand on interrogation techniques used on suspected terrorists and its prosecution of the war on terror. In an interview with CBS in 2007, Kennedy underscored his opposition to the war in Iraq.
"I voted against the war, it was the best vote that I cast in the United States Senate. This was the wrong war at the wrong time," he said.
But Kennedy was also known to cross party lines to forge legislative deals with Republicans. In 2008, Kennedy saw an agent of change in Senator Barack Obama and became one of the first prominent Democrats to endorse Obama's bid for the party's nomination for president.
"My friends, I ask you to join in this historic journey to have the courage to choose change," he said. "It is time again for a new generation of leadership. It is time now for Barack Obama!"
Kennedy was elected to the Senate in 1962, the year before the assassination of President Kennedy. The senator offered a eulogy:
"My brother need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life. He should be remembered simply as a good and decent man who saw wrong and tried to right it," he said.
In 1968, Robert Kennedy was assassinated while campaigning for president. Suddenly, the youngest Kennedy brother became the family's political patriarch. At first it appeared that he might have a clear path to the White House. But those hopes ended in 1969 when the senator drove off a bridge and the young woman with him, Mary Jo Kopechne, was killed.
His behavior during the so-called Chappaquiddick incident - he waited hours before reporting his accident to police - provided the first of many cracks in the Kennedys' public image. Instead of running for president, the senator was asking voters in Massachusetts whether he should resign from the Senate.
"For me, this will be a difficult decision to make. So I ask you tonight, the people of Massachusetts, to think this through with me. In facing this decision I seek your advice and opinion," he said.
Mr. Kennedy received thousands of telegrams telling him not to quit. He sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1980 but lost to incumbent Jimmy Carter.
Other struggles lay ahead. Three of Mr. Kennedy's nephews died young and tragically. Another, William Kennedy Smith, was tried and acquitted on rape charges, with the senator called to testify. He had his own reputation for drinking and affairs but that side of his life seemed to stabilize after his second marriage in 1992.
In 2008, Kennedy was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, which kept him from returning to the Senate. However, last year, he made a surprise appearance at the Democratic national convention to endorse Barak Obama's bid for the presidency.
Ted Kennedy became one of the longest-serving, most influential senators in modern U.S. history. And in so doing, carried on his brothers' legacy, and built his own.
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Posted by 9jabook.com on August 25, 2009 at 9:11pm
I recieved this today in my email box maybe it was in error or a brand spanking new type of f.ra.ud. by the ever versatile youths in Naija's ASUU Strike Summer School.
After reading, either the banks policy on initial funding varies as i know from the details in the mastecard i have from GTBank that a minimum of $200 USD is required to fund your Master Card at inception.In this email it says $100Or is this some way to kidnap or lure (you never know ) Adesuyi Folashade whoever she is ?
As far as i am concerned GTbank is perhaps the most efficient Bank I have had dealings with during my stay in Naija.It is almost impossible to use a foreign credit Card to make online payments from naija.Beleive me I have tried And the Folks at the GTbank Master Card/ATM Department have shown tremendous professionalism in making my Card go live in less than 10days ! A record even according to UK standards ! .
Although Bank policy says I have to go to the mallams at eko hotel to purchase dollars to fund my account !
Dear ADESUYI FOLASHADE
We wish to inform you that your GTBank MasterCard is ready for collection at our Ikoyi branch.
The GTBank Master Card "The Preferred"
- Is acceptable worldwide as a means of payment for goods and services at over 26
- Million Master Card location and over 1 million ATMs in more than 210 countries.
- It can be used on POS terminals, ATMs, Mail order, Telephone Order, Internet, etc.
- It is convenient and safe and eliminates risk of carrying cash.
- Access to online statement to monitor your spending.
Once you receive your card please ensure that you do the following before first use:
1. Your Personal Identification Number (PIN) should be delivered in sealed pin mailer, if tampered with, please do not collect and notify us immediately
2. Sign the back of your card immediately on the multicolored panel with an ink pen
3. Fund your MasterCard Dollar domiciliary account with a minimum of $100 before activation
4. Call GTBANK Cardholder Services on 234-1-4618714-5, 234-1-2713193 234-1-4612901,234-1-4610906, 234-1-4610907,234-1-7404210, 234-1-7404211,234-1-7404212,234-1-4480027, 234-1-4480028 or 234-1-2714218 to activate your card before the first use (please have your GT Bank account details ready before you call)
For further enquires, please call the undersigned or GTConnect: 234-1-4480000; 0803-9003900; 0802-9002900
PS: Kindly ignore this mail if you have picked up your card already.
Thank you for your continued patronage.
Best regards.
Chidi Nnadi
cardservices@gtbank.com
www.gtbplc.com
E-Business & Card Services | Guaranty Trust Bank plc | Tiamiyu Savage
Tiamiyu Savage, V.I | Lagos, Nigeria. | Tel: +234-01-4480028, 7404210| Fax: +234-01-4480026
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The leggy queen of beauty who is one of the relevant faces in Nollywood today has perfected all plans to have the Nigeria's premier of her award-winning movie, Through the Glass.The multi-million naira movie where she's the only African featured in is slated to be premiered on 13th of September at the Silverbird Galleria, Lagos.After the premier, the movie will now be released for public consumption from the 16th of September, 2009. While a lot of Lagosians eagerly await the coming of the movie, the Port-Harcourt based movie lovers have bombarded the ticketing section of the galleria to purchase their tickets.Meanwhile, Steph who has also dabbled into fashion is happy about people's anxiousness for her exciting movie. “It makes me feel real cool' she said.
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We all are called to do the work of charity. In this case, there is no barrier and by that I mean how much you have. Sometimes we think it’s meant for those who have enough but let it be clear that human wants are insatiable for even the rich are still wanting for more wealth like the famous Oliva Twist. Charity as the Holy bible says covers a multitude of sin. This implies that God Almighty has every authority to forgive our iniquities just because we partake in the work of helping humanity (i.e. charity). Again, it does not mean we frequently sin and then take the antidote ‘charity work’ to cancel our debt. Not at all, we are made special by the creator of all things to control the environment we live in. You are never on your own as you cannot do without the other, so no man is an island. Something came to mind when I am concluding this writing about the parable of the rich fool in the bible who parked his rich harvests in the stores and was throwing party. He never woke up the next day as God demanded his soul. If one keeps wanting and remained insatiable in life, he may get full satisfaction in the grave and who knows what next?Today we have charity organizations, philanthropists and international bodies doing the work of charity. The common truth here is that they are not paid back reason because the clients are not poised to pay, instead they reap and that’s practical love. The work of charity does far more than donation. Charity in our various homes gives rise to a better society because the home is the fundamental part of the society where various characters abound. Contributing partially or immensely in moral upbringing of people around you is charity as well. This time around is it more than making donations as money could not buy you life; life eternal. Let’s build our homes with charity and love so that the society will improve. Helping others morally is very important while giving alms is nice as well but let’s merge the two (i.e. helping morality and doing almsgiving). If I keep giving to someone without giving morals or exhibiting true love through character, the beneficiaries see it as ordinary thing. Please note that the author is writing with experience using the teachings of Christ Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. Here he refers to the feeding of the 5000 men by Christ Jesus. At first they love listening to his sermons, secondly he performed miracles but Christ himself feeling for them demanded that a miracle be made and that was the multiplication of few loafs of bread. Remark that he (Jesus Christ) fed the moral food first before the perishable bread.Like the author stated initially, we are all stakeholders in the work of charity. There should not be excuses here because you are given all it takes to exercise your right as real humans. Your conscience tells you better when you are doing anything to salvage the world. No matter how little you have, ensure you share with others. See that the candle does not lose any light igniting the other candle as so is charity. Give and you receive.
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It has come to this.In the free-for-all that was our banking system, even a nanny could obtain a N13 billion loan from one of our top banks. Especially if she is the owner's nanny.Such was the good fortune of Nanashetu Abdulai, who served Cecilia Ibru as nanny to her eldest son, Oboden.Billion naira Nanny "Mcphee" Nanashetu Bedell her Husband and the Loan Giver CeCeIBRUIn our banking system, this was enough collateral to persuade Oceanic Bank, which is now on life support and has been taken over by the Central Bank, to extend billions to Nanashetu. At least officially.Ms. Abdulai, 51, also known as Nanashetu P. Bedell, received what is now being called the "nanny loan" based solely on her relationship with Mrs. Ibru, who is now a fugitive from the law and is wanted on fraud, money laundering, and stock manipulation charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. As at May 31, the loan was non-performing, according to a list released by the Central Bank.Attempts to reach Ms. Abdulai at both her office and by telephone were unsuccessful.Ms. Abdulai secured the loan as the sole director of Circular Global International Ltd. The company turned up as debtor number 13 on the CBN list of debtors to Oceanic Bank, is also the chief executive of the upscale corporate and household gift items suppliers called Nanshet Limited. Its head office is on Akin Olugbade high street of Victoria Island in Lagos.Nanshet Ltd trades in corporate and household gift items and supplies majority, if not all, of Oceanic Bank's corporate souvenirs and staff insignias. Mrs. Ibru's signature neckties are samples of Nanshet's supplies.Nanshet Limited started business in 1990 selling only Christian Books and Gifts. It now specialises in the procurement and distribution of electronics, household items and corporate gifts on a wholesale and retail level. It opened an American office in 2002Ms. Abdulai was the nanny to the former Managing Director of Oceanic Bank and the first son of Mrs. Ibru, Oboden Ibru, but has become a close member of the family."She is generally called Sister Nana within Oceanic Bank," said one source. Another source referred to her as "Cecilia Ibru's twin sister," establishing the close relationship which Ms. Abdulai shares with the Ibru family and also alluding to the influence that Ms. Abdulai wields away from the domestic domain of the Ibru family to the corporate quarters where public funds are held."It is conventional wisdom in Oceanic that the fear of Sister Nana is the beginning of wisdom," said an insider who pleaded anonymity at Oceanic Bank Headquarters on Ozumba Mbadiwe Street on Victoria Island, Lagos.No. 4 Akin Olugbade Street is just a white, plain looking one-storey building that is unremarkable in every aspect apart from sharing a fence with an Oceanic Bank branch. It looks more like a residential building than an office space. In a section of the compound, heaps of ceramic tiles are packed amid large wooden boxes.Nanshet Mega Stores sell luxury gift items, including flower vases, ceramic plates, steel trolleys and large aluminium and enamel pots and dishes. It is located at the ground floor of City Mall directly opposite the entrance of the mall.
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Posted by Politics X on August 23, 2009 at 10:27pm
Most wanted dodgy duo, Erastus Akingbola & Cecilia IbruHe already fled the country and it was unlikely he would return. But Sunday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) gave Intercontinental Bank's Erastus Akingbola a.k.a. the Madoff of Nigerian banking, yet another reason – if any were indeed needed – not to return to Nigeria. The EFCC declared Akingbola and his Oceanic bank counterpart, Cecilia Ibru, as fugitives, wanted by the law.The anti-graft agency said in a press release that the two are “wanted in connection with fraudulent abuse of credit process, insider trading, capital market manipulation and money laundering running into billions of Naira” and will be arrested on sight for failing to honor the EFCC’s invitation.The release signed by Femi Babafemi; Head, Media & Publicity noted that: “Apart from failing to honour the Commission’s invitation, intensive search for the two executives in the last one week has not been successful. They obviously went into hiding to evade arrest. This development has made it imperative for the Commission to solicit for useful information from Nigerians who know their whereabouts.” (Read full statement at) http://www.efccnigeria.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=699&Itemid=34Huhuonline.com has learnt from EFCC sources that as the noose tightened around Ibru’s neck, the quite respectable General Overseer and elders of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) where Ibru worships were trying to persuade her to come out of hiding and surrender and save herself and the church the embarrassment of being declared wanted.But the abrasive Ibru remained obstinate and vowed to fight CBN Governor Lamido Sanusi to the finish. Ibru, in a terse statement two days after the CBN hammer fell, said that the action was questionable and did not meet the rule of law. In another letter to the CBN Governor and his management, Ibru asked the apex bank to 'reconsider and reverse' the steps taken on August 14, 2009 pursuant to sections 33 and 35 of the Banking and Other Financial Institutions Act (BOFIA) in view of the “grave injustice” done to the bank, its shareholders and management.Through her lawyers, TRLPLAW, Ceciia Ibru in the letter signed by the firm's Managing Partner, Mr. Ajibola Oluyede, said she was raising these issues because of the serious accusations before and since the event, adding that Sanusi came into office with an "agenda to change the ownership structure of the banking industry".Covered by the blood of Jesus, InterContinental’s Dr. Erastus Akingbola sneaked out of the country to London, ostensibly for medical reasons in a private jet owned by Jimoh Ibrahim, himself named in the list of debtors. Akingbola had gone to the Federal High Court in Lagos to challenge every action and statement of Sanusi and the CBN on the matter of his purported removal, the legality of the audit carried out from which the apex bank made its decisions and why he should be labeled at all as incompetent by the CBN.He told the Court which has since granted his preliminary reliefs that he was not given fair hearing, a proper audit of a mega-organization such as his bank did not follow the Act of the CBN saddled with supervisory role of banks, and that all his actions were guided by the best of intentions for a bank he has been superintending for many years.The actions of the CBN Governor have opened an avalanche of complaints and a plethora of protests by some of the stakeholders. Besides threatening to sue the apex bank for libel of his character and lowering the reputation of his business empire, Jimoh Ibrahim, (who provided his private jet to fly Akingbola to London) argued that he has "performing loans" in the two banks in which his business name appeared. In that of Oceanic Bank where his company, Global Fleet Group, was alleged to owe N14 billion, he said that it was not true. He threatened to sue the CBN for "lying about the amount" involved.Other high net-worth individuals also listed by the CBN have either challenged their indebtedness or that their companies, not they as individuals, were in debt. They include: Prof. Ndi Okereke-Onyuike, Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE); Chairman of Obat Oil and Petroleum Company, Fredrick Akinruntan; President of Zenon Oil and chairman of African Petroleum (AP) Plc, Femi Otedola; the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Rockson Engineering Company; amongst others.Mrs. Okereke-Onyuike had to speak up after her employer, SEC, queried her role in the debt saga of Transnational Corporation (Transcorp) Plc of which she is the chairman. She explained that she is not owing any bank in her personal capacity, saying the figure owed the bank was "relatively high" as a result of "compound interest." Transcorp, according to the CBN, owes Union Bank N30.86 billion as at May. She said the debts arose when Transcorp wanted to acquire 51 per cent stake in Nigerian Telecommunications (NITEL), adding that the firm had raised N22 billion through its Initial Public Offering (IPO) from which it paid N19 billion from the debt.Obat Oil's Akinruntan described the inclusion of his name in the debtors' list as embarrassing, claiming that the report did not reflect the reality on ground as he has been servicing his loan of N2.5 billion. He was listed as owing Oceanic Bank N4.47 billion.Similarly, Chairman of Rockson, Senator Aniete Okon refuted the charge of mega-debtor to Intercontinental. He explained that the loans in question were obtained by his company for implementation of the Independent Power Projects (IPP) it was handling for the Federal Government.The IPPs are the Alaoji (1,072 mega watts, mw), Gbarain (225mw), Egbema (338mw) and Omoku (230mw) and the debt was not N36.9 billion as claimed by CBN but N14.4 billion. He described the publication of the list without adequate verification on the part of the CBN as unfair and unnecessary. The firm's Managing Director, J I A Arumemi-Ikhide, noted that the loan was secured with due regards to the standard procedures. He disagreed that the loan was "non-performing," and cautioned against actions that could erode confidence in the Nigerian economy.In a similar tone and texture, the President of Dongote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote said that the published list was a gross misrepresentation of the facts. In a statement by Dangote Industries' management, it refuted the listing of Alhaji Dangote as a director and shareholder of Dansa Oil and Gas Limited, said to be indebted to Intercontinental Bank. It argued that Alhaji Ali Dangote listed as a director of Dansa is the son of Alhaji Sani Dangote and he is quite different in all materials particular from Alhaji Aliko Dangote. The management however said that debt of Dangote Industries Limited with Oceanic Bank valued at N2.526billion was still a subject of dispute that would be resolved very soon.The hunt for Ibru and Akingbola came after the EFCC Saturday, arrested two more bank directors in Lagos - John Maha, Managing Director, Afribank Securities Limited, a subsidiary of Afribank, and Niyi Opeodu, Managing Director, Union Capital Market Limited, a subsidiary of Union Bank. Both men have since been detained at the anti-graft commission office in Ikoyi. The arrest of Maha and Opeodu however makes it 15 bank chiefs that have been picked up by the EFCC since the CBN commenced the onslaught in the banking sector. The EFCC had earlier frozen the bank accounts of all the sacked bank CEOs.No one could have correctly predicted the direction, speed and destination of the bank debts battles, which the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) unleashed on the nation penultimate Friday. But what is beyond dispute now is that the unfolding saga has moved at dizzying speed from the banking halls to the courtroom and then the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)cells.
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THE popular actor, Chief Pete Edochie who was, Sunday, kidnapped at Nkpor near Onitsha, Anambra State was released Monday night.It was not clear as press time if the family paid any ransom, but a member of the family told Vanguard that Pete and his younger brother, Tony, were still believed to be somewhere at Awka.Though their mission to the Anambra State capital was not immediately known, there were indications that he was in the custody of the state police command.However, in an interview with Vanguard, moments after the regained his freedomHow do you feel being taken into captive?I never thought my life was on the line for a split second. It was not a very pleasant experience in the sense that we were under siege, but again like I said I have lived my life in such a way that I don't imagine for a split second that God would want my life terminated through violence.I was not shaken one bit. All the young men know who I am and they cannot count me among those exploiting them, or milking this country, so I was not thinking about family or any other thing and that is the truth.How did your abduction happen?I was coming from Onitsha –Ukwu where we had gone to a church to sell a film on Father Iwene Tansi, which is my primary assignment now and we passed through the old road. I don't know the geography very well, but I think may be after Nkpor [Onitsha] and suddenly this vehicle came and double-crossed us and it is a vehicle that belongs to Anambra State Integrated Development Services [ANDIS] and then there was another vehicle, they over took us and shot their gun into the air and asked all of us to come out of the car and we came out of the vehicle and we were all headed into the van they came with, and they asked my other colleagues to leave and I guess that was where my ordeal started.Were you maltreated?Take a good look at me, I wasn't, like I said, they re garded me as their father and told me out rightly that I would not be hurt. I was not blind folded, I was not hurt, I was not tied. While we were conversing, they sustained my alcoholic passion by giving me some kind of stout. I enjoyed it thoroughly and I was discussing with them like young men of Igbo origin.There was this report that they demanded for N10 million?I don't know who gave you that report because you were not there with us. Who gave you that report because you were not there with us? Sometimes, you people speculate dangerously and sometimes stupidly, and when you do most of these things you endanger the lives of people who are either in jeopardy.How could you have known without being there that they demanded N10 million? Nobody demanded N10 million ransoms for my release and nobody paid a kobo and that is final. It is blatant lies by the some sections of the media and it is very unfortunate.You said you interacted with them. Would you let us into some of the interactions you held?They told me that politicians in the country were ripping this country off and that their ostentatious display of ill-gotten wealth was annoying them a lot and so they decided that they too were entitled to some portions of that national cake.That may be their method and may not be endorsed by us. It took my mind back to the Niger Delta and to incessant recurrent disturbances in the north, which for want of better expression we have described as religious disturbances.Those incidents that keep recurring in the north are not religious disturbances, they manifest themselves as violent civil disobedience but actually, those insurrections are inspired by hapless circumstances.What presents itself as irredeemable poverty and people who are victims of this poverty are the people who are easy to manipulate; so politicians use them to wreak havoc on the people and because the Christians are given to erecting buildings, establishing industries and whatever, they are the people who suffer a lot as a result of these disturbances. It is not as though they are the prime targets, but when people are condemned to irretrievable poverty, the person becomes desperate and resorts to violence as a result of desperation.And when these children do these things, capture any of them and ask them why they are doing this? They will tell you that that they were given some money to go and do this; because on their own, they don't benefit from going to burn houses and churches.These young men who took me captive a couple of hours, told me that the government doesn't take their plight into consideration, that the only way people seem to make money in this country is by getting into politics and once you get into politics, you don't give a damn about any other person; that politicians spend all the money, buy all the cars, go overseas anytime they like; then they on their own decided it is high time they stopped this. They said they are not interested in killing anybody unless you constitute a violent impediment.So what was your advice to them?I did not advise them in the circumstance. I did not think I was in the position to advise them. I allowed them to have free reign. We interacted, shared a few jokes and it seems as if they were too happy doing that but from all indications, they don't have a choice.How were you able to get here, did they on their own bring you here?They took me somewhere and left me in the night and I took a cab down here, that's all.Did they collect anything from you personally?No they did not. My phone is there, I decided to put it off, and people have been calling and calling. My bag is there and everything is in the bag.When I woke up in the morning, I said, go to my bag and get me my chaplet let me pray and they went to my bag and got me the chaplet and my drugs. when I finished, they took it back. They treated me with respect, they showed me benevolence.They respected my presence a lot, they believed that I am a very influential person in the country and that if I speak the government will listen. (Culled from Vanguard)
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On July 8th, just a couple of weeks ago, a group of shepherds outside Gevas, Turkey, were surprised to see a lone sheep jump off a nearby cliff and fall to its death. But they were stunned when the rest of the
nearly 1500 sheep in the herd followed, each jumping off the same cliff. When it was all over, �450 of the sheep perished in a billowy, white pile� according to
the Washington Post story. The sheep jumping later in the pack were cushioned by those that created the growing pile below. The estimated loss to the families of Gevas topped $100,000 � an extremely significant amount of money for the 26 families whose sheep were grazing together. (Average income for this country is $2,700.)
Now we know sheep aren�t too bright � but we�re intelligent people � right? Maybe not.
*Psychologist Ruth Brenda tested this theory with teenagers. She put the kids together in groups of ten. Members of the group were instructed to raise their hand when the teacher pointed to the longest line on three separate charts. What one person in the group did not know is that the other nine had been instructed ahead of time to vote for the second longest line. The lines were clearly different � not even close to the same length.
As the experiment began, the nine plants quickly raised their hands for the second longest line. The tenth student glanced around, looked briefly confused, and then slipped his/her hand up with the rest. Time after time, the tenth student would agree that a short line was longest just to keep from challenging the group consensus.
This phenomenon was played out 75 percent of the time, and was consistent with small children all the way up through high school. *(Illustration from Accept No Mediocre Life � by my friend David Foster.)
Space here does not allow a full exploration of this phenomenon in our own lives. How many times have you made decisions because it seemed the popular thing to do � but perhaps defied common sense?
Is eating at McDonald�s a good health decision or just popular with the kids? Is buying a Mercedes the best use of your money, or just an attempt to impress others?
What about staying in a job that does not fit just because of the �benefits?� Getting a degree in something you don�t enjoy because of the �opportunities?� Don�t be a sheep!
There is an old Arab proverb that says, �An army of sheep led by a lion will defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.
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