Yesterday was the first day of Lent, where Christians choose to commemorate the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness by giving up certain foods or drinks or abandoning bad habits.

Even for non-believers, Lent can be an ideal time to set a target and break a few habits which can be bad for your health.

Candy

You may think that three wine gum packs a week are a reasonable indulgence, but at 170 calories per pack, over 40 days of Lent you could give up 2900 calories.

Likewise, if you usually go through three packs of chewing gum weekly, giving your jaw a break over Lent would also spare you about 2900 calories.

Chocolate

If,  you have resolved to give up chocolate for Lent, good for you. The average sized Mars bar contains 230 calories (as well as 12g of fat) and a Snickers bar contains around 218 calories.

If you are in the habit of snacking on these twice a week, you will be saving about 2500 calories if you give these up for Lent. As for chocolate being good for boosting your mood? So are friends.

Alcohol

Gram for gram, alcohol is nearly equal to fat when it comes to calories; one  unit of alcohol contains eight grams of alcohol and 56 calories.

A medium glass of red wine (175ml) contains around 120 calories. If you give up your evening glass of wine, you would reduce your intake by around 840 calories per week or 4800 for the period of Lent.

Similarly, giving up a bottle of shine shine bobo and odeku (5%) after work, would save around 1750 calories a week and 10,000 calories for the period of Lent. You would also be doing your liver a favour!

Cigarettes

Coincidentally, the first day of Lent is also a National No Smoking Day in some countries. If you smoke, the single best thing you can do is to quit. Smoking increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and cancer and causes around 120,000 deaths every year. It's also expensive.

It usually takes more than one attempt to kick the habit, but studies have shown that people are four times more likely to quit with support compared with those who go it alone. So contact your GP or practice nurse to get the support you need.

Facebook

Not much of a sacrifice you might think. But calculate how much time you spend on Facebook. Many studies have linked "screen time" to an increased risk of heart disease and obesity. Instead of browsing on the internet, why not go for a walk?

Walking around 10,000 steps a day will burn off 300 to 400 calories, or up to 16,000 calories in total for Lent. It's good for the heart, helps with weight loss and can help lower your risk of cancer. It's also free.

Nollywood movies

we all know that nollywood movies are very addictive but we also know how many nollywood movies will end so giving it up for lent might just be what you need ! no mercy johnson for 40days !

ps.

you can also dump facebook for 9jabook.com which is attempting to rebrain nigerian youth lol !

Happy lent !

readapted for a nigerian audience

The Pope says children should be given truly Christian names. But why have some saints and biblical figures inspired baby names, but not others?

Our playgrounds are blessed with a multitude of Daniels, Sarahs and Adams, but not quite so many Amminadabs, Zipporahs or Habakkuks.

The names of saints Andrew, Catherine and Frances might echo down the ages, but the phone book is not exactly bursting with Abbos, Etheidwithas and Leocritas.

But could these holy, if inexplicably unfashionable, titles be due a comeback?

In a speech, Pope Benedict XVI urged parents to name their offspring in the Christian tradition, and bequeath "an unmistakable sign that the Holy Spirit will allow the person to blossom in the bosom of the Church".

In doing so, the pontiff has reiterated the Catholic Church's canon law, which cautions against baptising children in a manner "foreign to Christian sensibility".

He has also surely tapped into a growing public backlash against celebrities burdening their progeny with such profane appellations as Brooklyn, Peaches and Princess Tiaamii.

Should the British public choose to follow his Holiness's advice, there are plenty of names of saints and from the Bible's Old and New Testaments from which to choose - but, for whatever reason, some have proved more enduring than others...

Here are 10 rarely-adopted names from this Judeo-Christian tradition.

1. The name of Jezebel, the Queen of Israel, later became shorthand for a fallen woman. "This is a case of a name attracting a degree of notoriety," says social psychologist Dr Martin Skinner of Warwick University. "No-one is going to give their child a name that has taken on negative associations - in this case, with a certain type of woman. To most people, this is better known than the fact that Jezebel was, in the Old Testament, like Eve, Ruth or Naomi."

King Nebuchadnezzar II

2. Nebuchadnezzar was king of the Babylonian empire. His exploits, which are recounted in the books of Daniel and Jeremiah, were praised by Saddam Hussein, to whom he was a hero. Mr Skinner believes in this case there is also the phonetic difficulty that puts people off. "It sounds very harsh with all those zeds. It's not very easy to pronounce, either."

3. Dorcas was a faithful female disciple "full of good deeds" whose death prompted much weeping, according to the Book of Acts in the New Testament. She is also known as Tabitha, a name that is much more commonly heard.

4. Saint Philemon was the recipient of an epistle from Saint Paul in the New Testament. But whereas the name Solomon, from the wise king, is often heard, Philemon rarely is.

5. Gomer was the wife of the prophet Hosea. "To Anglo Saxon ears, there's a sort of masculinity about the sound of Gomer," says Mr Skinner. "Feminine names tend to be lighter - Nicola, Pamela and so on. Men's names tend to be sharper, like John, Jack or Sid."

6. The oldest person named in the Bible, Methuselah, is said to have lived until he was 969. "If we know one thing about him, it's that he was ancient - we use the phrase 'as old as Methulselah' and so on. When you have a baby boy, you aren't going to picture him as a Methuselah. It also sounds quite Dickensian to modern ears, as do a lot of Old Testament names which were popular in the Victorian period like Ebenezer and Ezekiel."

7. Achsah was the daughter of Caleb, who offered her in marriage to Othniel in the Old Testament.

8. According to a story dating back to the 14th Century, Saint Wilgefortis took a vow of virginity when she was promised in marriage by her father. Following her prayers for help, she grew a beard and moustache.

9. Zipporah, wife of Moses and daughter of Jethro, was mentioned in the Book of Exodus.

10. Radbod, or Radboud, was Bishop of Utrecht around 900 AD. "This is another Anglo Saxon-sounding name that you might expect to catch on," says Mr Skinner. "Maybe it just sounded too familiar. When you have a diversity of names, people sometimes pick sounds and concept they've never picked before. These days, this process has become a celebrity phenomenon."

what is in a name ? King of Kings, Lord of Lords,Counsellor,El Giboah (The Mighty One) Wonderful One !  

He was shot severally at his head and abdomen by the Police officer who have been chasing him from an unknown destination. The officer eventually accosted him at Onipanu Police Station before sending him to the great beyond.

The reasons behind the shooting has remained a puzzle to all, including three occupants of the Honda Odessy space bus both the deceased and his friends were in before the incident took place. Up till the time of filling this report, they could not provide comprehensive reasons why they were being chased by a tinted glassed Toyota Camry car before they approached Onipanu bus stop.

It was gathered that Femi had attended a party late Saturday night, in company of his younger brother and two other women, and on their way back, they lifted two other people whom they later dropped off. They also picked up two other friends whom they dropped at Mushin.

The deceased elder brother, Olawole Olayiwola told Crime Alert that after his brother noticed a Toyota Camry tailing him from Jibowu Bus_stop and the car was also flashing his headlight indicating that he should stop, he couldn’t stop because it was still very early in the morning and they day was dark.

“ The glass of the tailing car was tinted and they could not see the face of the occupant, but Femi and the rest, decided to ignore the sign and they kept on moving.

The pressures were much and they decided to stop at the Onipanu Police Station but, unknown to them, the occupant of that vehicle who happened to be the DPO of Olosho police Station in Mushin, alighted first and ran over my brother who was still inside his car and without any comment, shot him severally from outside and the bullet pierced the drivers door, hit my bother at the left abdomen and on his head.

At that point, other occupants of the car bolted for safety and when they returned, Femi had already passed away. Ever since, I have been trying to decipher the reason behind the shooting. I could not. You can see how terrible policemen could be. I want the authorities to ask him why he killed my brother. I doubt if they knew themselves before now. Often we have seen the police parade suspects of any sort on the television; we want them to ask this DPO to tell us why he shot my brother dead”, he lamented.

The death of Femi Best has sparked off series of violent protests within Shomolu Local Government Area of the State and the State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja. Angry youths in the area are using the opportunity to express their displeasure over the terrible manner at which the police in their area have being treating them.

The youths in their hundreds were said to have barricaded the road and demanded that the killer cop be handed over to them for instant justice.

A resident of the area, Wale Adebola, told Crime Alert that the area have suffered massive police intimidation and killing for too long and nobody is saying anything about it. “ This is one killing too many and we must stand against it. We have suffered too much from this policemen working at Onipanu, Alade and Pedro Stations.

Just two weeks ago, an Okada rider was killed by a drunken police officer from Alade police Station. He and the occupant of his motorcycle were shot , but he died and the occupant survived.

After that, the police attempted labeling them as armed robbers, before their family revolted. You can’t pass through the Onipanu area at night, because the policemen will harass you and some times, they will intimidate you and take all your belongings. If they find laptop or blackberry phone with you, they will seize it and when you go to their DPO’s, they will refer you back to the officer.

It is so painful and the authorities have to checkmate their activities. At present we are more scared of the police than armed robbers, because they are not friendly to us at all.”

We are currently embarking on peaceful protests, in other to draw the attention of the authorities to our plight. Today we were at the State House of Assembly and we have given the police two weeks ultimatum to fish out the killer of Femi or we will be forced to be violent. I learnt the police officer involved have been arrested and I am sure the police might want to treat him fairly. They must understand that we are not kidding. This injustice must stop.”

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command, Mr. Marvel Akoyibo, yesterday paid a condolence visit to the deceased family at Alafia lane Shomolu, Lagos and he assured that the command will do its best to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing. He also said that he will not condone any act of indiscipline within its officers and whoever uses the firearm wrongly will be on his own.

DSM Condemns The Killing Of Femi Best , Calls For Prosecution Of DPO

Chelsea have promoted Michael Emenalo from his position as chief scout to assistant first team coach.

Emenalo, who has been with the Blues since October 2007, succeeds Ray Wilkins in the role and Chelsea say the move is "recognition of his efforts".

The 45-year-old represented Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup and won 14 caps.

Emenalo, who briefly played for Notts County in the mid-1990s, will continue to scout for the first team while he updates his coaching qualifications.

The Nigerian's playing career also took him to the United States, Spain, Germany and Israel.

Assistant first-team coach Paul Clement, who was alongside boss Carlo Ancelotti in the dug-out at Stamford Bridge for the defeat against Sunderland on Sunday, was expected to step up to fill the role...

Former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini, had also been linked with the job, as had Mauro Tassotti and Alessandro Costacurta who worked under Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti at Milan.

Ex-Chelsea first-team coach Steve Clarke and former West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola, who was a fans' favourite during his time as a player at Stamford Bridge, were also thought to be in the running.

After robbing him of the car, the robbers asked him to give his life to Christ if he survived the attack. Jideaka’s ordeal in the hands of the robbers, started shortly after he left the office on the fateful day at about 7.30 pm. After work, Jideaka headed for his home in Kubwa, a satellite town in Abuja.

The journey to Kubwa, was smooth as usual until a few metres to his house. His driver had barely stopped to buy him a recharge card when four young hefty looking robbers suddenly overtook his vehicle and ordered his driver out of the car at gun point. They forcefully moved the driver out of his seat and ordered him to take to the passenger’s seat behind...

Obviously confused about the attitude of the strange men, a now distraught Jideaka, requested to know why they were manhandling his driver. The response was precise. “You will find out when we get to the police station.” Immediately, Jideaka was also forced to move to the back seat of the car at gun point. The robbers sped off with him and his driver. The incident soon attracted his neighbours and family members, who ran to a nearby police station where the case was reported.

Richard took up the story: “It was when they forced me into the back seat with my driver that it dawned on me that they were robbers and not policemen as they claimed to be. They took my phones and the money on me and within three minutes they drove off with us with their gun pointed at my head to an unknown destination.

“While in the car, the robbers called me a 419ner. That I should regard myself kidnapped and that they were sent by my colleague to kill me and steal my car. Next they said if I am not a 419ner, where did I get money to buy a big car. When they saw my laptop, they felt convinced that I was actually a 419ner or that I was into yahoo, yahoo deals. I told them I am a journalist but they refused to believe me until they saw my tape recorder.

“They took the rings on my finger and asked me which one of them was my juju. I told them that none of them was a charm. One of them then threw the rings into his pocket and asked me to bring my wristwatch and the money in my pockets. I quickly handed them over. They commended me for cooperating with them and promised not to kill or harm me because I am a good man.

“Along the line, they asked me to pray that they do not encounter police on the way. That if they do, they would shoot me first. I prayed that we do not meet police on the way and they said ‘Amen’. Thereafter, they urged me to give my life to God if I survived the attack and I told them that I had since given my life to Christ. They said I should do that again, and I said okay.

“At a point, they asked me where I work. Sensing that they were thinking of asking for ransom, I told them I work for a new newspaper based in Abuja. The next question was where my wife works and I told them my wife is a retiree who was still waiting to be paid her gratuity by the ministry she worked with in Abuja. One of the robbers then concluded that I had nothing and that holding on to me would be of no benefit and therefore, I should be dropped in the bush. All along, I and my driver were not to fix our gazes on any of them. They had their guns already pointed at our heads.

“When I stole to look at the speedometer, I discovered that they were almost running the full speed of the car. I said silent prayers that we do not crash. I discovered that they were heading for the city centre instead of the Zuba they made us believe they were going. After about eight kilometres drive at break-neck speed, they branched off the expressway into the bush and asked us to come down and run for our lives. We obeyed immediately and dashed into the bush.

Together with their operation car [a Camry 1996 model] they drove off

“After spending sometime in the bush, we eventually trekked out and met some securitymen guarding some equipment and asked them where we were. They told us we were between New Tipper Garage and Katampe Hill. We then crossed to the other side of the road and boarded a bus back to Kubwa where my wife had already reported the incident to the police. “All my neighbours had gathered in front of my house and were offering prayers for my safety. As soon as they sighted us, the shout of praise the Lord rented the air even as they rushed to greet me.

“My wife and children who had locked themselves in the house, praying for my safety, rushed out of the house when they heard the shout of praise the Lord to find me in the hands of our jubilating neighbours who were too happy to see me return safely.”

As at press time, last weekend, Jideaka, was yet to recover his car.