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In our "Under the Microscope" series, we're presenting you with some heavy-duty scientific articles about recent discoveries in alternative health. Dopamine and Serotonin are both neurotransmitters, or in simpler terms, “chemical messengers.” Each has a specific role, however, in how it affects the body and the brain. Keep reading to discover the natural magic inside your brain and how these neurotransmitters promote euphoria and excitement.

Dopamine
Dopamine transmits an impulse from a nerve cell to another nerve cell, organ or tissue. As such it is important for muscle activity. It is what sends the “message” of performing activity from the brain to the tissue. But, apart from this, Dopamine does another interesting job. It is responsible for feelings of pleasure, anger, excitement, motivation and euphoria.

A research conducted proved that dopamine levels are markedly high in individuals during their first days of “falling in love.” The “floating-on-air” or “everything is rosy” feeling most lovers have at the onset of a relationship is attributed to high levels of dopamine. Dopamine’s use in the treatment of Parkinson’s has long been discussed and proved, since one of its functions is to control and carry out movement. However, dopamine is increasingly being used to treat depression and bring about feelings of euphoria and excitement. Dopamine in various forms is a part of drugs like cocaine or methamphetamine that act as stimulants and thus are used and abused as drugs by humans. All the functions of dopamine are still to be mapped, currently researchers are of the opinion that is seems to be present almost everywhere in the brain.

Serotonin
Serotonin, again, is a neurotransmitter and controls and plays a major role in emotions such as anger and aggression as well as mood, sleep, sexuality and metabolism. People with higher levels of serotonin are known to be more aggressive and easily get flared up. Because it affects all the above aspects of the human body and life, serotonin is used in the treatment of disorders or conditions arising from the same like anxiety and panic related disorders, premature ejaculation, psychosis, insomnia and even some personality disorders. Serotonin in a specific form is a class of anti-depressants used to treat the above mentioned disorders. As an anti-depressant, serotonin can alter moods.

The latest research also points out that serotonin is instrumental in the creation of new brain cells. Depression is often attributed to suppression of production of new cells in the brain, hence anti depressants that stimulate production of serotonin, can help in generation of new cells. However the cause-effect relationship between Serotonin and Depression are yet to be ascertained. Doctors and researchers are yet to figure whether low levels of serotonin cause depression or depression leads to a drop in serotonin levels. A link has been established however that those who suffer from depression have low serotonin levels in the blood.

Although serotonin is not directly used in any drugs, drugs like LSD or Ecstasy are known to cause what is the Serotonin Syndrome, in which the levels of serotonin become too high. This can also be caused by an overdose of anti depressants belonging to the serotonin class. Serotonin Syndrome can cause symptoms of nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, increased heart rate, muscle spasms, etc. These symptoms show up within minutes or hours and the patient will need to be hospitalized with a medical emergency. If on medications like Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI) or Serotonin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRI), then it is best not to doctor oneself and leave it to the experts.


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If it were not for that trademark Nose !

The pictures of these two men, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Igwe Okwudili Onyejekwe bear a striking resemblance. Igwe Onyejekwe is the former Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Okwudili Onyejekwe a police officer, who lived in Abeokuta
around 1930s. He died in 1970.

Former presient Obasanjo has procurred a writer from Ghana to do a 50-page book on him and at the launching of the book bragged that he was "100%" from Owu-Egbaland in Ogun State. The question if not where Obasanjo think he comes
from but his real paternity..



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Three Americans died in weekend violence in the area of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a U.S. official said.

"Two citizens were fatally shot early Sunday close to the Zaragoza international bridge," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said Monday. "In a separate incident, another U.S. citizen was fatally wounded in Ciudad Juarez itself."

Violence is rife in the area, as the Juarez and Sinaloa cartels battle for control of lucrative smuggling routes into the United States, where demand for illegal drugs is strong...

The circumstances of the Americans' deaths weren't immediately clear.

"First, we offer our condolences to the families of the victims," Crowley said. "We have been in touch with those families and are providing all possible assistance."

Crowley added, "We will support the Mexican government in the investigation that is already under way."

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Mob sets four suspected ritualists ablaze

Four suspected ritualists were set ablaze by mob between Friday and Sunday in different parts of Ogun State...

PUNCH METRO gathered on Monday that the four victims were set ablaze in Ibara, Isabo, Olomore and Ago-Ika in Abeokuta North and South local government areas of the state.

At Isabo, a young man was allegedly set ablaze after he was accused of attempting to kidnap a school boy from a primary school in the area.

People living in the area, accosted him and demanded an explanation for his alleged suspicious movement.

An eyewitness, who declined to give his name, said the man was clubbed to death and later set ablaze by the mob when he could not give satisfactory answers to the questions.

It was gathered that two persons suspected to be planning to kidnap another boy in Olomore in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of the state were also killed in a similar way...

Also at Ibara near the Ogun State Government House, another young man was killed by a mob for allegedly kidnapping an eight-month-old boy from his mother.

However at Ago-Ika area, two suspects were lucky as policemen arrived on time to save them from being lynched.

An eyewitness, Mr. James Oguntade, said, “There is an increase in ritual killings in the society today and people are conscious of this development. The boy, who was returning from school, screamed as the two suspects were attempting to kidnap him.

“But as the suspects could not provide a satisfactory explanation during interrogation, the mob went into action and would have killed them but for the intervention of policemen from Adatan Police Station, who took the injured suspects to a private hospital in Mokola, Abeokuta.”

The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, who confirmed the incidents, warned residents to desist from jungle justice.


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Superheroes: Have We Had Our Fill?

Not too long ago, director Matthew Vaughn made an interesting statement regarding the state of superhero movies in Hollywood . He said:

"[Superhero movies have] been mined to death and in some cases the quality control is not what it’s supposed to be. People are just going to get bored of it.” He went on to add, "the genre is going to be dead for a while because the audience has just been pummeled too much."

At first glance, there's a lot of truth to what Mr. Vaughn is saying. I don't think there's a single person out there (geek, nerd, or dweeb) who can deny that Hollywood seems to be churning out superhero movies at an alarming rate. It's also surprising to see such a statement come from a man whose last movie (Kick-Ass) and next movie (X-Men: First Class) are clearly superhero flicks. Not to mention, we're standing in the wake of a Comic Con that seemed to prove that superheroes are bigger and badder than ever.

Over the next few years, Marvel's storming the market with a certified blitzkrieg of comic book fodder. First, Thor...then, Captain America...all of it eventually building to the biggest nerdgasm of all, the Avengers. All the while DC Comics is backing its own thoroughbred pony, the Green Lantern. Throw in the Green Hornet, a revamped Fantastic Four, Wonder Woman, Ant-Man, a Justice League movie, the next Nolan Batman outing and you've got yourself a veritable superhero orgy. Really, folks, how can the superhero stream be going away when it hasn't even begun to stop flowing ?..

Regarding Mr. Vaughn's initial statement, I think it's important to look at a larger, more overarching question: why do audiences even go to see superhero movies in the first place?

It certainly isn't because of familiarity of characters. At one time this might have been the case—way back when the original Superman and Batman movies were hitting it big—but as time moves on (and Hollywood churns through character after character, franchise after franchise) this definitely doesn't hold any weight.

Take for instance the upcoming lineup of superhero flicks destined to hit theaters over the next few years. Thor? Captain America? Green Lantern? While these characters may be fawned upon by the geek hordes, they're definitely not the "big names" that your average Joe Schmo can recognize. The success of the Iron Man films further reinforces this point. Three years ago nobody outside of our collective nerd niche even knew who Tony Stark was. Now, he's a household name. Call me crazy, but I guarantee that it wasn't the character of Iron Man that got people's butts in theater seats.

So, what's my overall point? Frankly it's this: when people stroll into the cinema on a hot summer afternoon, popcorn and large soda in hand, they just want to be entertained by spectacle. And, if they can get that visceral fix from a superhero movie, so be it. Audiences are going for the blockbuster, not the man in tights.

If you look back at other significant "event movies" over the past twenty to thirty years, you'll begin to realize that the tropes and structure are completely identical to that of the superhero flicks that are currently saturating the market. Really, when you think about it, what is the difference between Spider-Man and Star Wars? Sure, the semantics may be different, but the reason people are going to the theater—the reason they're forking over the cash for their tickets remain the same. The cool special effects, the likable characters, the hero's journey—those things haven't changed one iota. After all, weren't Rambo, Rocky, John McClane, and even the Terminator really just superheroes without capes?

I guess it comes down to this basic question...have we really had our superhero fill? Are American audiences going to start voting against capes and cowls with our wallets? In my opinion, the answer is a simple "no." Sorry, I just don't buy it, Mr. Vaughn. Well, at least not when viewing things from a broader perspective. Even before the influx of comic book flicks in recent years, we were watching superhero movies. They just happened to be disguised as something else.

Eventually, I do believe there will a come a time when Hollywood simply runs out of properties to milk—when the proverbial four-colored well dries up. But, that just leaves room for a new type of superhero to take center stage. Frankly, a genre can't die as long as it's constantly being reinvented. And, let's face it, if there's one thing Hollywood loves, it's a good comeback story.

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The Lancet, a British medical journal, lists alcohol as the most harmful drug among a list of 20 drugs.
The Lancet, a British medical journal, lists alcohol as the most harmful drug among a list of 20 drugs.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS..
  • The study uses a new scale to rank the harmfulness of 20 drugs
  • Alcohol is the most harmful overall, according to panelists
  • A co-author of the study has said horseback riding is more dangerous than ecstasy

London, England (CNN) -- Alcohol ranks "most harmful" among a list of 20 drugs -- beating out crack and heroin --according to study results released by a British medical journal.

A panel of experts weighed the physical, psychological and socialproblems caused by the drugs and determined that alcohol was the mostharmful overall, according to an article on the study released by TheLancet Sunday.

Using a new scale to evaluate harms to individual users and others, alcohol received a score of 72 on a scale of 1 to 100,the study says.

That makes it almost three times as harmful as cocaine or tobacco, according to the article, which is slated to bepublished on The Lancet's website Monday and in an upcoming printedition of the journal.

Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine were the most harmful drugs to individuals, the study says, whilealcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the most harmful to others.

In the article, the panelists said their findings show that Britain'sthree-tiered drug classification system, which places drugs intodifferent categories that determine criminal penalties for possessionand dealing, has "little relation to the evidence of harm."

Panelists also noted that the rankings confirm other studies that say that"aggressively targeting alcohol harms is a valid and necessary publichealth strategy."

The Lancet article was co-authored by David Nutt, a professor and Britain's former chief drug adviser, who causedcontroversy last year after he published an article saying ecstasy wasnot as dangerous as riding a horse.

"So why are harmful sporting activities allowed, whereas relatively less harmful drugs are not?" Nuttwrote in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. "I believe this reflects asocietal approach which does not adequately balance the relative risksof drugs against their harms."

Nutt later apologized to anyone offended by the article and to those who have lost loved ones toecstasy. He said he had no intention of trivializing the dangers of thedrug and that he only wanted to compare the risks.

In the article released by The Lancet Sunday, ecstasy's harmfulness ranking -- 9 --indicates it is only one eighth as harmful as alcohol.

The study was funded by the London-based Centre for Crime and Justice studies.

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Cassano (right) with a WAG

Sampdoria striker Antonio Cassano is known for his short temper and on-pitch hissy fits, yet in his autobiography, the 26-year-old reveals his near-legendaryinability to keep his pants on when attractive women are around. Cassano, whoonce called the irrefutably-gifted Rosaria .Cannavò his girlfriend, claims tohave put away somewhere in the region of 700 ladies. Our German friends at Bildreport:

“I was engaged four times in 11 years, and I experienced some adventures. I slept with between 600 and 700 girls, 20 of whom belong to the world of the showbusiness.”.

During his time at Real Madrid – where his constant unprofessional behaviour and displays of “disrespect” towards Fabio Capello saw him sidelined andsuspended – Cassano enjoyed some of his best steamrollering years. The Italiansays sex before games was frequent, and he could invite whomever he wanted tothe team hotel.

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An investment banker stood at the pier of a small village close to sokoto when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large fish. The banker complimented the fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them..

The fisherman replied, “Only a little while.”

The banker then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The fisherman said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs.

The banker then asked, “But what do you do with the rest of your time?”

The fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siestas with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine, and play goje with my abokis . I have a full and busy life.”

The investor scoffed, “I am an Ivy League MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.
“The investor continued, “And instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would then sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing, and distribution! You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Sokoto, then Kano, Abuja and eventually Lagos , where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The fisherman asked, “But how long will this all take?”

To which the banker replied, “Perhaps 15 to 20 years.”

“But what then?” asked the fisherman.

The banker laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions!”

“Millions. Okay, then what?” wondered the fisherman.

To which the investment banker replied, “Then you would retire. You could move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siestas with your wife, and stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.”

If you were the fisherman what would you say ?
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18-year-old dies after abortion

Homicide detectives at Panti, Yaba, have began investigation into the death of a teenager, Uju Onwuzuruigbe, who allegedly died from complications arising from an unsafe abortion.

Miss Onwuzuruigbe, 18, bled to death on October 22 at her parents’ house at Shuribu, in Ajangbadi, few days after an auxiliary nurse, identified as Joy Temi, performed an abortion for her. Her parents reported the matter to the police; and subsequently her lover, Peter Chukwunakwe, and the nurse were arrested.

The victim’s mother told her story. “Uju be my daughter and she is the fifth child wen I born, dem plenty wen I get,” she said. “But on the 22nd, she come home tell me her mama say her belly dey pain her. She come say make her I give her hot water to drink. As she drink and she still dey cry, dey roll for bed say her belly still dey pain her. I come ask her say wetin happen she say na stomach, but around 5.30 am she come dey shake say she wan die. I tell her say she no go die make she tell me wetin happen. Na so she come confess say, ‘mama, I don do you bad, na belly I remove.’ She tell me about the nurse, na so I come hear about wetin happen to my daughter. As she tell me these thing, na so she come die. We come go report the case to police.”

Not guilty..

Both the nurse, Ms Temi, and the alleged lover, Mr Chukwunakwe, denied procuring abortion for the deceased. “She came to me on October 7th that she has a venereal disease, that she was having discharges,” said Ms Temi. “I gave her Gentamicin Tablet and she went home. It was after some days that the police came and arrest me that I did abortion for Uju. I am a trained nurse and I got my certificate at the Falati Hospital. I did not do any abortion for her, I only treated her for a virginal infection and it is not an STD she had.”

Mr Chukwunakwe agreed that he dated the deceased, but denied knowledge of the pregnancy. “Uju is my girl friend and I have known her for more than one year,” he said. “She did not tell me that she was pregnant and I did not take her for any abortion, so I do not know anything about her death.”

Not interested in justice

Ambrose Onwozurigbe, the father of the victim, said he is not interested in prosecuting the case. “I want make police release my daughter dead body make I go bury her,” he said. “Her body dey for mortuary and doctors no dey to do autopsy for her. Wetin don happen don happen. E no good make she dey there dey smell, her spirit no agree rest and we want carry her go burry her make her spirit rest, so we want make police release her body to us.”

Investigations into homicide cases in the state are being stalled following the strike by Lagos doctors. A morgue attendant at the Isolo General Hospital, who did not wish to be named, confirmed that cases of corpses without autopsy reports have increased in the last two months as a result of the doctors’ strike. “One thing you should know is that detectives cannot do their work especially in homicide cases when there is no autopsy report to prove the causes of death,” he said. “Many people are just coming here to claim their corpses without due autopsy report because the doctors that will carry it out are on strike. So people must bury their dead, and I can tell you that because of this strike, the corpses at this general hospital have increased.”

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Voter registration begins in January

Registration of voters is to begin in January next year. Attahiru Jega, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), confirmed this yesterday in Abuja.

The registration, which was earlier billed for November 1 to 14, was moved after the commission requested for the extension of elections next year, prompting the National Assembly to effect a fresh alteration of the Constitution to allow for the shift...

Waiting for legislative approval

With the amendment concluded last week, the commission said it is awaiting the mandatory approval of at least 24 states legislature, which will put the amendments to use, before announcing a new timetable that will include specific new dates for the registration.

After passage last week at the federal level, lawmakers dispatched the altered sections to the 36 states Houses of Assembly for the required concurrence. Routine public hearings are expected at the states early this week and a final passage by next week.

Mr. Jega said the commission will “not pre-empt” the near-certain favourable outcome of the states’ voting, and will only make public its new timetable, after the final passage has been secured.

However, the registration of voters, which is central to the polls, the INEC boss confirmed on Monday, will hold in January, to allow time for corrections that may be needed, and also a final display of the register before the elections scheduled for April.

No time to waste

“We are taking the registration very seriously. Once we have controversy with the register, we are done, and there cannot be credibility anymore on the entire process,” he said.

Thousands of temporary staff are to be recruited and trained to run the over 120,000 units of the Direct Data Capture machines required for the registration of an estimated 70 million voters.

Ahead of the procurement of the machines, the commission yesterday kicked off a four-day training for the bulk of its officials - called the Master Trainers - who in turn will train and supervise the casual officers.

Speaking through a representative, the national commissioner in charge of training, Lai Olurode, said that the yet-to-be awarded contract for the machines, which many Nigerians have raised concerns about, would not in any way hamper the process.

Fears have been expressed in several quarters over the delay in the award of contracts for the supply of the data capture machine, which is a crucial aspect of the success of the registration of voters.

He said the commission “has completed everything in relation” with the purchase of the machines, and that INEC was confident about their timely delivery.

Mr. Jega’s spokesperson, Kayode Idowu, had earlier assured NEXT the document would be signed this week.

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Indications emerged yesterday that President Goodluck Jonathan is contemplating relocating some key federal ministries from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to Lagos, Sunday Trust can reveal. Some of the ministries likely to be relocated include: Petroleum Resources, Transport and Aviation. A source in the presidency told Sunday Trust that the move may have pitched President Jonathan against his deputy, Vice President Muhammad Namadi Sambo, who was said to have appeared not to be well disposed to the plan. ..


Attempts to speak to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Mr Ima Niboro was not successful as he didn’t pick the several calls made by this reporter through his mobile phones nor did he respond to the text message sent to him yesterday.
Also, when Sunday Trust contacted the Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Communications, Professor Dora Akunyili, Mr Francis Agbo, he said that he was not “aware of the issue and the minister is not available for comments.”

When this reporter called the mobile phone of Professor Akunyili last night; a lady answered the phone saying that “the minister is in a meeting but you can leave a message for her.” A text message was later sent to the minister but it was not replied up to the time the newspaper went to press last night.

According to informed sources in the Villa, a final decision is yet to be taken on the ministries to be moved, but it was gathered that the ministries of Transport, Aviation and possibly Petroleum Resources are among the key ones being contemplated.

It was gathered also that the plot to relocate some of these ministries may not be unconnected with the incumbent administration’s measures of de-congesting the expanding Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Vice President Sambo was said to have kicked against the plan to relocate some of the ministries back to Lagos for fear of the political backlash of the moves, particularly as the president is poised to contest the 2011 presidential polls against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) constitutional principle of zoning and power rotation.

“The vice president is not comfortable with the move because of its political implication of the action, particularly in the current electoral season. He is uncomfortable with the political implications of the plan, which is feared may put him in ‘trouble with his people from the North,’” the source said.

Sambo, it was leant is concerned that the decision could pitch him against the northerners who might read political meanings into any plan to relocate certain ministries back to Lagos for whatever reason.

The Publicity Secretary of the Jonathan/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organisation, Mr Sully Abuh also didn’t pick the several calls put through his mobile phones last night nor responded to the text message sent to him by this reporter over the issue.

When contacted the Public Affairs Strategist of the Jonathan/Sambo campaign organisation, Mr Yakubu Datti denied the story saying that “it is a by-product of mischief makers, who are not capable of embarking on issue-based campaign.” He said that “there is no sense in this because the president has been there in the last one year with all powers to do that but he didn’t do it,” Datti said.

The Jonathan campaign public affairs strategist added that if President Olusegun Obasanjo, having spent eight years as president didn’t see the need to do that, he didn’t see the wisdom for President Jonathan to do that. “It is the mischief of those people who have failed their region,” Datti said.

A source said yesterday that the presidency, which has been grappling with the controversy over the reallocation of nine oil wells to President Jonathan’s state of Bayelsa, cannot be caught in the web of another controversy at this crucial time when the proponents of zoning are closing ranks to adopt one presidential candidate for the 2011 elections. “This administration cannot afford to be caught in the web of another controversy coming after the simmering storm over the allocation of fresh nine oil wells to Bayelsa.

“Moreover, the face-off between the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs Farida Waziri over the advisory list of purported “corrupt” politicians to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2011 polls, gives the impression that the government is at war with its self,” the source said.
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Have you lost hope?

Are you sick of slogging away on sites such as Match.com and eHarmony.com to find the partner of your dreams? Or at least the partner who will put up with your dead lizard collection, your back hair, and your difficult morning breath?

Then perhaps it is time to be honest with yourself. Perhaps it is time to look in the mirror and decide that you should be at the Ugly Bug Ball. Or, more accurately, on it...

The Ugly Bug Ball is a dating site for those who are aesthetically challenged. That is the creators' description, not mine. Though I am surprised that this site doesn't already include at least 95 percent of society.

"We deal in reality", the site says. So for those who wonder whether a site for the more Shreky (and, who knows, techy) has no chance of success, might I reveal that the Ugly Bug Ball has just announced its first engagement?

The Telegraph tells me that Tom Clifford and Janine Walker, two of the Ugly Bug Ball's members, are to be betrothed.

Some of the people who have signed up for the site.

(Credit: Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

If you are cynical enough to imagine that it has taken some time for them to become used to their unique features, then you are to be uniquely pitied. For it was only in August that Clifford, 36, wrote to Walker that he had "a face that makes children cry." (Personally, I feel he was using a technique known as "underpromise and overdeliver.")

Walker, 31, offered the Telegraph a moving tribute to Clifford and to their relationship: "I appreciate that Tom isn't Brad Pitt, but then I'm no Angelina Jolie either."

The Ugly Bug Ball is so pleased to herald the site's first engagement that it has offered the beautiful, happy couple a honeymoon-- in an Ugly Bug caravan in Wales.

However, perhaps the most surprising, human, and moving aspect of this site resides in the sort of people who believe they qualify as ugly. While I wouldn't dream of offering a desperate cliche about beauty being in the eye of the beholder, it seems clear that there is some extremely peculiar beholding going on in the world.

Vogue has a lot to answer for. As does the National Enquirer.

It might make some wonder how it is that certain people behold themselves as beautiful. Yes, they're the folks who put stunning pictures of themselves up on Match.com and eHarmony in the hope that no one will notice that, in real life, they bear rather more resemblance to, well, character actors.

The Ugly Bug Ball surely represents something more real and, simultaneously, refined. One can only wish Clifford and Walker lasting happiness. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. In the heat of the night and in the cold light of morning.

blog_chris_matyszczyk_60x60.png Chris Matyszczyk is an award-winning creative director who advises major corporations on content creation and marketing. He brings an irreverent, sarcastic, and sometimes ironic voice to the tech world. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET.


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-20021278-71.html#ixzz141dN8JhZ
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The Miss World contest was mired in controversy last night amid claims that the hot favourite was frozen out because of a diplomatic feud.photo:Miss Norway

American teenager Alexandria Mills was crowned the winner of the 60th anniversary beauty contest on Saturday.
But the 18-year-old Miss USA’s celebrations were tainted by claims that there was no great surprise when Britain’s four contestants failed to make the final cut in the spectacular broadcast to an estimated one billion people around the world.
Insiders were shocked that stunning 23-year-old Norwegian university graduate Mariann Birkedal - the odds on favourite - didn’t even make the top five.

According to reports last night, observers speculated the judges bowed to pressure from Beijing, which is involved in a bitter international spat with Norway.

China is said to be furious after the Oslo-based Nobel Peace Prize committee awarded the coveted prize to the jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo earlier this month....

Before the results were announced, Miss Norway was the shortest-priced favourite in Miss World history at 6/5, while Miss USA lagged behind at 7/1. Miss England Jessica Linley, a 21-year-old law student from Nottingham, was an even longer 50/1 shot.

Kathrine Sorland, a Norwegian TV personality who came fourth in Miss World 2002, said she believed China’s fury at the Nobel Peace Prize committee had influenced the outcome. ‘I was sure she would win,’ she said. ‘They must have mixed politics and business. Without jumping to conclusions I would stress that Miss World competitions have always been political. And the relations between China and Norway are very strained at the moment.’

Miss Birkedal herself was more cautious on whether she had been cheated of the crown. ‘I have been very careful with speculating about that myself,’ she said. ‘It is kind of stupid to start thinking that if this or that had not occurred I would perhaps have been Miss World 2010. I do believe everything happens out of a reason.’ The contest was held in Sanya on China’s tropical Hainan Island for the fifth time in the last eight years.

Britain’s Dorset-born Ann Sidney, who won Miss World in 1964, was on the judge’s panel along with six other former winners. Founded by the late Eric Morley as part of the Festival of Britain celebrations in 1951, Miss World is the oldest international beauty pageant. It is still run by his widow, Julia, and has a long history of scandals and controversies.
This year was no exception. Even before the rumpus over Miss Norway’s early exit, the contest had to be moved from its original site in Vietnam because the location was an ecological heritage zone and local residents had allegedly been forcibly moved from their land.

With China as the host, Taiwan was unable to compete because Beijing does not recognise it as an independent country.
And on Saturday night, the Chinese audience gave Miss Japan the silent treatment, apparently protesting Japan’s claim to the Diaoyu Islands, a group of uninhabited rocks coveted for fishing and mineral rights.

The contest has had its fair share of controversies since its inception. The UK’s 1974 winner, Helen Morgan, was forced to resign after four days when she was revealed to be an unmarried mother and the 1980 Miss World, Gabriella Brun, from Germany, had to quit after it was discovered she posed naked for a magazine. In 2002, the beauty queens had to flee the host country, Nigeria, after 200 people died in riots which started after a newspaper suggested the Muslim prophet Mohammed would have chosen a wife from one of the contestants had he been alive.
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Snoop Dog & Dbanj Collabo: Mr Endowed Remix

D’banj collaborates with Snoop Dog Nigeria’s MTV Europe Music Awards winning singer, D’Banj has recorded a track, “Mr. Endowed Remix” with American rapper, Snoop Dogg. Although a verbal confirmation from Mo’Hits has not been made, the label boss, Don Jazzy, uploaded a cover art for the track on his twitter account, giving credence to the story. It however remains a debate if the new track will be released as single or fans will be made to wait till the full album drops.

Other Showbiz Tales:
Vector and Overdose drop new albums YSG rapper, Vector tha Viper has finally released his much anticipated debut album, ‘State of surprise’. The album, his debut, which was initially planned for a midyear release was released on .October 31 with an official listening party held at Q Club off Allen Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos. Similarly, ‘Extreme Music’ rapper, Overdose released his sophomore album, ‘Hustle or Die’ on Friday October 27. 2010 MTV Africa Music Awards nominees Best Video Fally Ipupa - Sexy dance (DRC) P-Square f/t J. Martins- E No Easy (Nigeria) The Parlotones - Life Design (South Africa) Banky W - Strong Ting (Nigeria) Brand New Mo Cheddah (Nigeria) Diamond (Tanzania) Muthoni (Kenya) JoJo (Gabon) Artist of The Year 2 Face (Nigeria) P-Square (Nigeria) Jozi (South Africa) Fally Ipupa (DRC) Song Of The Year D’Banj - Fall In Love (Nigeria) Liquideep - Fairytale (South Africa) JR - Show Dem (South Africa) Banky W - Lagos Party (Nigeria) Best Anglophone Sarkodie (Ghana) Wande Coal (Nigeria) Daddy Owen (Kenya) Big Nuz (South Africa) Best Francophone Fally Ipupa (DRC) Awadi (Senegal) DJ Arafat (Ivory Coast) Ba Ponga (Gabon) Best Lusophone Lizha James (Mozambique) Paul G (Angola) Cabo Snoop (Angola) Dama Do Bling (Mozambique) Best Group P-Square (Nigeria) Radio & Weasle (Uganda) Teargas (South Africa) P-Unit (Kenya) Best Female Sasha (Nigeria) Lizha James (Mozambique) Nneka (Nigeria) Barbara Kanam (DRC) Best Male 2 Face (Nigeria) Fally Ipupa (DRC) Black Coffee (South Africa) Wande Coal (Nigeria) Best International Rihanna (USA) Drake (USA) Eminem (USA) Rick Ross (USA)
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PHOTO L-R: DISGRACED AND CONVICTED FORMER MANAGING DIRECTOR OF OCEANIC BANK PLC, CECILIA IBRU AND MICROSOFT FOUNDER AND PHILANTHROPIST, MR BILL GATES.

This piece is not about the man and woman, not about the two persons but two people; it is not entirely about Cecilia Ibru and Bill Gate but about the society as personified by them. It is about selflessness against selfishness; altruism as opposed to egotism; and magnanimity versus self-centredness.

Cecilia and Bill both grew up in the middle class homes having lawyers as their fathers. Cecilia Ibru’s father, late Chief Edward Gbagbeke Sido was an educationist, a social entrepreneur and most especially an erudite lawyer while Bill Gate’s father, William Henry Gates, Sr is a retired American attorney, philanthropist and an author.

Cecilia and Bill both started the businesses that they become synonymous with. Cecilia Ibru dropped out of the main Ibru’s family business to start and head Oceanic bank with the family’s wealth. She succeeded in taking the bank to an enviable height nationally and even internationally. Oceanic Bank International was seemingly one of the fastest growing and most profitable banks in Nigeria until August 2009. Bill Gate also dropped out of Harvard to team up with his childhood friend, Paul Allen with whom he shared a passion in computer programming and on April 4, 1975, they started Microsoft with Gates as the CEO. Microsoft would later become the world’s biggest software maker.
They are also both married to spouses who were deeply involved in their businesses. Cecilia is the most prominent of the five wives of Olorogun Michael Ibru who served as the founding chairman of Oceanic bank from its inception on March 26, 1990 until he attained the mandatory retirement age. Gate is married to Melinda Ann Gate who was the General Manager of Information Products at Microsoft before she left the company to focus on starting and raising a family with Bill, together, they have three children.
The list of their similarities is long but their most notable common denominator is money. When you talk about money, they both have it and in abundance. As much as money is their commonest denominator so also it is their commonest divider.

They are apparently two rich persons who differ in how they made and spend their money.

Gates is undoubtedly the ‘Eze ego’ - the king of money - of our time. He was number one on the "Forbes 400" list from 1993 through to 2007 and number one on Forbes list of "The World's Richest People" until recently. In 1999, Gates's wealth briefly surpassed $101 billion, causing the media to call him the only "centibillionaire" ever. Since 2000, the nominal value of his Gate’s wealth has declined due to a fall in Microsoft's stock price after the dot-com bubble burst and the multi-billion dollar donations he has made to his charitable foundations. In March 2010 Bill Gates was marginally bumped down to the 2nd wealthiest man behind Carlos Slim, a Jewish Mexican telecom magnate. A 5% upward movement in the share price of Microsoft will thrust him back to the top position.

Though not listed by Forbes, Cecilia Ibru must have been making jest of Forbes in her closet when in March 2009, the financial magazine officially named Aliko Dangote and Femi Otedola as Nigeria’s wealthiest men with net worth of $2.5bn and $1.2bn respectively - Dangote’s net worth was revised downward to $2.1bn in 2010 while Otedola was dropped from the list of global billionaires. While being investigated for her role in running Oceanic bank to near collapse, EFCC’s investigation revealed that Cecilia’s assets value dwarfed the combined reported net worth of the two businessmen listed as purported richest men in Nigeria. The security agency unearthed assets that were in excess of N500bn out of which she would later give up a chunk valued at $191bn in a guilty bargain plea and she also received a 18 month prison sentence that will run concurrently for 6 months. She is currently serving her time at a N90,000 per night royal suite of Reddington multi-specialist hospital, Victoria Island, Lagos.

Ibru represents a typical Nigerian businessman/woman or a public office holder whose net worth can never be guessed correctly. Most top businessmen and public office holders are worth far beyond any logical reason. Not even in the wildest imagination could someone have appropriated such an astounding level of wealth to the innocent looking ‘God-fearing deaconness’ from Udu kingdom in Urhobo land. Most office holders live above what their legitimate income could possibly have guaranteed and most times launder money through established businessmen. Who knows if Ibru is holding some of their assets? Or how do you explain a civil servant having chains of properties, fleet of cars and children in expensive colleges abroad?

It took a Bellview Airlines plane crash on 22 October 2005 and a family wrangling to uncover that a late financial director of INEC and RCCG Abuja area Pastor, Timothy Olufemi Akanni had embezzled more than 6 billion naira from INEC. He would never have disclosed such stupendous wealth being a career civil servant. Tafa Balogun would never have declared his assets to show the over N7bn he stole from the Police force and neither would Bode George have shown his stolen billions being a career public servant/retired military man. And neither would their tax records reflect such since they hardly pay.

Similarly and to the surprise of not a few, in the course of EFCC’s investigation, assets worth over N346 billion belonging to Erastus Akingbola, a pastor and the former Chief Executive Officer of Intercontinental Bank Plc were unearth and frozen. While as bank CEO of many years, reasonably, everyone would expect Erastus to be rich but not to that level. Only Heavens could explain while the affluent and respected banker from Oke Igbo in Ondo state would succumb to financial greed to the extent of causing the bank he built from zilch to be on the brink of collapse.

With the discovery of the vast assets of Ibru, Akingbola and Francis Atuche, the former CEO of Bank PHB, one could not help to be suspicious and even picture the worth of the other banks CEOs (present and past). This imagination could also be extended to the other businessmen.

If after Abacha’s death, it was discovered that he had stolen more than $5 billion from our national treasury, then one cannot help to think of the other big players before and after him. We may not know their worth but we know they flamboyantly flaunt a lifestyle and assets that their legitimate income could not have supported.

Gate knew there was time for everything; time to build portfolio and time to use it for mankind, time to acquire and time to disburse but Ibru never knew. For her and her likes, acquisition is for all season. While Gate is busy selling off his holdings in Microsoft to enable him finance his passion for helping mankind, Cecilia is known to be recklessly acquiring landed properties as if they were endangered species that would soon run out of supply or abscond from the surface of the earth. In the course of her insatiable acquisition, she almost bought up a whole street in the US and an entire estate in the Dubai, U.A.E.

Having being the world’s richest man longer than most teenagers have lived, Gate has long realised that there is more to life than material wealth, he needed to affect others, empower the powerless, support the weak, care for the less privileged and that is exactly what he has been doing in the last few years. Gates goes round the globe touching lives with his wealth. He is undoubtedly the most generous man ever having already spent over $28bn out of around $40bn of his personal money which he has committed to humanitarian causes through Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He goes from Asia to Africa fighting poverty, illiteracy and diseases ranging from malaria and polio to HIV/AIDS. He has spent over $120m in eradicating polio in Nigeria. He has also inspired other wealthy men around the world to be committed to giving back to the society. Warren Buffett, the world’s third richest man was one of the first to catch Gate’s drift when in June 2006 he pledged $30.7bn donation to Gates Foundation saying "I greatly admire what the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is accomplishing and want to materially expand its future capabilities."

Currently, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Warren Buffett are inspiring American billionaires to pledge to give at least half their net worth to charity, in their lifetimes or at death. The programme called ‘The Giving Pledge’ has 39 American billionaires (including Gate, Buffett, New York Mayor, Michel Bloomberg, Paul Allen, Larry Ellison, the founder of Oracle, George Lucas and Pierre Omidyar, the founder of EBay) as signatories. They have also recently taken the campaign to China where some wealthy Chinese were happy to pledge their wealth at death. Gate himself has promised that 99% of his assets will go to charity at his death.

Cecilia and her likes are hardly known to be involved in any significant humanitarian causes and neither do they plan to remember humanity at their death. They scarcely give back to the society while they live and more rarely when they die. They hardly affect lives outside their cocoon rather they enjoy oppressing people around them; suppressing the under-privileged and wrongly applying the world of God that says that “Whoever has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” – Matthew 13:12.

In the course of Gates thrust to affluence, he carried so many people along with him in the wealth creation. His company, Microsoft made so many millionaires and even billionaire from investors and employers of the company. Steve Ballmer, an old friend of Bill at Harvard who is the current CEO and one of the richest people in the world with a personal wealth estimated at US$13.1 billion is a career Microsoft employee. Most employees of Microsoft during the Internet boom of the late 90s were worth several millions of dollars.

In contrast Cecilia Ibru and some like her are known to have amazed great wealth at the expense of people around them. Many underpay their workers, cheat their shareholders, collaborate with public officials to inflate contract values, get paid without executing contracts, embezzle fund entrusted to them and beat the government by evading taxes. It is a known fact that the richer they are the poorer they pay their private workers. Cecilia is also known to have directly wiped out the lifesavings of many shareholders of Oceanic bank by diverting the funds of the bank illegally and giving unsecured loans thereby causing the bank to turn to borrowing and featuring permanently at the Central Bank of Nigeria - CBN’s Expanded Discount window; and publishing false results to deceive innocent investors into buying her schemed scam. The investors who bought Oceanic bank shares when it was trading at a peak price of N45.00 in 2008 would have lost over 95% of the value of their investment as the stock now trades around N2.00. Many people, families, organisation and institutional investors and traders have lost all due to her financial gluttony.

As money is evidently the root of all evil, so is it the root of all good done by the likes of Bill Gate. Money has enabled him to touch lives all around the world from Asia to America and from North Korea to South Africa. The love of money enhances the greed of the likes of Cecilia.

Gate also knew that the best time to quit the stage is when the ovation is loudest. He resigned as the CEO of Microsoft at the age of 44 taking up a lower position of the chief software architect. He then disengaged from Microsoft as full time worker on 27 June 2008 at the age of 52 retaining only the position of the chairman. He did this so that he could dedicate the rest of his life to charitable causes. The likes of Cecilia do not quit the stage unless they are forced by law or circumstances beyond their control. And trust that whenever they quit, they leave for their children to take over regardless of their capabilities. Cecilia had been grooming her son, Oboden Ibru to succeed her whenever she attain the mandatory age but fate would not allow it to happen as she was disgraced out of office on 14 August 2010 at the age of 64 after 20 years as CEO in what was dubbed ‘Sanusi Tsunami’ in which the CBN Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi fired Mrs. Ibru and four other banks CEOs and their executive directors. The other affected CEOs were Mr. Sebastian Adigwe (Afribank Nigeria Plc), Mr. Erastus Akingbola (Intercontinental Bank Plc), Dr. Bartholomew Ebong (Union Bank Plc), and Mr. Okey
Nwosu (Finbank Plc)...

Gate and Ibru are not unique in their ways; they only represent two groups in the society. The ones who want to live and let others live and the group who want to live and let others die.

How pleasant is it if we have more of Gates among us, the world will surely be a better place but it’s unfortunate that we have too many Ibrus and just a few Gates?
Must someone be billionaire before he can have the heart of Gate? No! Must someone even be millionaires before he can make a difference in the world? No! Mother Teresa was never a rich women and one of her popular quote is “If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one”

Everyone one has a God-given ability to make a difference in the life of somebody. If everyman touches a soul even in his/her little capacity, the world will surely be a healthier place.

After his unprecedented wealth, King Solomon summed it all by saying that “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher; vanity of vanities, all is vanity. What profit hath man of all his labour wherein he laboreth under the sun? One generation goeth, and another generation cometh; but the earth abideth forever. The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to its place where it ariseth. The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about unto the north; it turneth about continually in its course, and the wind returneth again to its circuits. All the rivers run into the sea, yet the sea is not full; unto the place whither the rivers go, thither they go again.” - Ecclesiastes 1:2-7
At the end of it all, it will not matter how much you make but how you use it because we came here with nothing and we’d surely go with nothing.

What you give to yourself is a need and a treat, what you give to your family is your responsibility but what you give to others is liberality which will live with you in eternity. Charity starts but does not end at home.

Rufus Kayode Oteniya – oteniyark@hotmail.com

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The election of Gbenga Daniel, the governor of Ogun State, as chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), has split the organisation down the line.

His election was announced at the weekend by the Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam. The governor, who spoke on behalf of NGF, after a closed door meeting held at the Ogun State lodge in Abuja, said Mr. Daniel will steer the group’s leadership till May 2011.

However, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) secretariat said on Sunday that the announcement is misleading, stating that the appointment was not for the entire forum, but for the PDP Governors’ Forum.

The director general of the secretariat, Asishana Okauru, in a statement, said the NGF has not held any election towards producing the possible replacement of the present chairman and the governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki....

He said there was a distinction between the NGF, which, he noted, was a non-partisan forum for all elected governors in the country, regardless of party affiliation, and the PDP Governors’ Forum.

Controversial election

Mr. Suswam, while announcing Mr. Daniel as the new chairman at the end of a meeting with other Peoples Democratic Party governors, said the leadership change became necessary, since Mr. Saraki is contesting for the 2011 presidential race and could not preside over its affairs as expected.

He cited Mr. Saraki’s distraction, stating that the forum had not been able to comment on national issues as it was known for..

“Take for instance the October 1 bomb blast in Abuja and other national issues. We could not comment because we had no chairman to speak through,” Mr. Suswam said.

He added that Mr. Daniel was chosen because of his exemplary leadership qualities, based on his track record and experience as a second term governor. He maintained that he was unanimously elected by consensus by all the members of the group to coordinate its activities and assure focus.

Responding, Mr. Daniel said that he would ensure that the forum returns to its position of prestige, assuring them of adequate consultations with other governors towards ensuring continued seamlessness enjoyed in its operations for over three years. He also pledged the forum’s loyalty and support to the Jonathan/Sambo presidential ticket, as former members of the forum.

Godswill Akpabio, governor of Akwa Ibom State, said the selection of Mr. Daniel was based purely on his performance as a capable administrator with outstanding qualities to move the forum forward.

Count us out

However, Ibrahim Shekarau, Kano State governor, has dissociated himself from the appointment of Mr. Daniel.

Speaking through his senior special assistant on media, Sule Ya’uSule, Mr. Shekarau said there was never a time he was part of any meeting that took the decision to appoint Mr. Daniel as the chairman of the NGF.

“To the best of my knowledge, there was never a meeting where a decision to appoint a new chairman of the forum was reached,” Mr. Shekarau said.

He particularly frowned at the manner in which a few PDP governors sat and appointed Mr. Daniel as the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, saying the body is not entirely a PDP affair and not a partisan forum. He said as far as he is concerned, Mr. Saraki still remains its chairman.

Also, the Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, has denied the purported election, describing the report as embarrassing and unfair. He dismissed the claim that any meeting was held where the decision was taken.

According to him, Mr. Saraki has reconvened a meeting of the NGF for Wednesday (November 3), saying part of the agenda for the meeting was to elect a new chairman for the group.

“I have since checked out and I can confirm as a matter of fact that there was no meeting of the Governors’ Forum. However, some People’s Democratic Party governors met at a venue that was never a venue of our meeting at Governor Gbenga Daniel’s lodge and it was at that forum that they are now claiming to represent the Governors’ Forum,” Mr. Oshiomhole said.

He explained that any governor could aspire to the position, noting that “anyone who nurses such position should be ready to persuade other governors to accept him.”

Expressing disappointment at the attitude of the governors, he said, “if a forum of thirty six governors cannot freely choose a chairman of the Governors’ Forum, then we cannot be talking about a free and fair election in 2011.”

Mr. Okauru, the director general of the forum, said the purported election “has created some confusion in the public on the distinction between the PDP Governors’ Forum and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

“The NGF is a non-partisan forum for all elected governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, regardless of party affiliation,” he said.

He confirmed Mr. Oshiomhole’s statement that a meeting of the forum is to hold next week. The group, which is an umbrella organisation of the 36 states serving governors of the federation, patterned after the American Governors Association, was formed since 1999, especially with a motive to present a smoothly united front when appearing for the monthly state council meetings, which they always attend with the Federal Executive Council.

Mixed reactions

Late last night, a statement by Mr. Saraki said the so called election of Mr. Daniel should be disregarded.

But Soyemi Coker, the factional Speaker of Ogun House of Assembly, on Sunday, described Mr. Daniel’s election as a testimony of his exemplary leadership qualities.

Mr. Soyemi, in a statement issued in Abeokuta by his special assistant (media and publicity), Ayo Giwa, said the election did not come as a surprise, going by Daniel’s “political ingenuity and enviable administrative track records.”

The rancour over the election of Mr. Daniel has led to speculations that Mr. Saraki is being shoved aside because of his indication of interest to contest for the presidency against President Goodluck Jonathan.

It is believed in the political circles that this was part of the campaign to see that Mr. Jonathan has the support of most governors, since Mr. Daniel is the coordinator of his campaign group in the South West.

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We hear so many negative stories about the present situation in Nigeria. The decaying power, healthcare, agricultural and educational systems. From within these heaps of shame, there are rays of hope. People who excel, despite the odds stacked against them.Deborah Olufunmi Ayodele is a young Nigerian woman who has set herself apart, she was the top graduating student from the University of Lagos, Class of 2009. BN Editorial Assistant, Gbenga Awomodu interviewed Deborah exclusively for BellaNaija.com

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010 will remain evergreen in the memories of the Ayodeles as their first child and only daughter graduated top of the University of Lagos graduating class of 2009. In this interview, Deborah Olufunmi Ayodele who graduated with a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.96/5.00 lets us into her world.

Tell us a bit about you
I am Deborah Olufunmi Ayodele, a native of Uro-Ajowa in Ondo state, Nigeria. I was born on July 28, 1989; the first of two children and a graduate of the Department of Geography, University of Lagos. I graduated as the best student from the 2009 graduating class.

Your CGPA of 4.96 translates to how many As?
I had all As, but two Bs throughout my stay in UNILAG. I had the Bs in 2nd Semester Year 2 and the following semester. I feel pleased and very thankful to God for His grace upon my life that enabled me to record such a remarkable result.....

Why Geography?
I studied Geography because I really liked it. I found it easy to study. It offered me an opportunity to learn so many new things about people, the world around me, natural and man-made events. I believed Geography was going to provide me with a good foundation for future specialization as it is a good blend of the sciences and the humanities. I was aware of the various opportunities that would be open to me with a foundation in Geography. Therefore, I planned to study Geography in the first place. In my JAMB form I filled in Geography as my first choice.

Did you set out to be the best graduating student and what motivates you?
When I gained admission into the University, I did not set out to finish as the best graduating student, but I wanted to be among the best students in my class. I cannot say it just happened; I will call it a combination of divine favour, grace and hard work. My motivation for success has come from different sources over the years. My major and constant source has been God. Motivation has also come from my parents, friends and from reading and listening to motivational and success oriented messages.

Please let us into your academic history.
I attended Junior Strides Academy, Ebute-Metta, Lagos, for primary education. At the beginning, I was just an average student but my parents, teachers and the results of my classmates challenged me to crave for excellence. By the time I got to primary four I was already at the top of the class. My primary school arranged for me to write the common entrance examination into her sister College, after which I got a scholarship for the first year. But my parents insisted that I finish primary six before progressing to the secondary school (which I did). I attended the Yaba College of Technology Secondary School. I had the best result in my school’s Junior School Certificate Examination (JSCE) with 11As, a B and a C. I also had a tie with a friend for the best result in the WAEC examination with 4As and 5Bs.

It appears I have always been doing very well, right? But failure has taught me some lessons I sincerely believe I will never forget. After my JSCE, I became rather complacent and just managed through S.S.1. My results were actually very good in most of my subjects while I was above average in the others, but in ways that mattered to me, I stopped being an excellent student. This was a wake-up call for me and I had to strive to excel and work really hard, praying all the way and striving to be diligent.

Deborah, what lessons did you learn from that episode?
I learnt that in order to achieve excellence and remain there, CONSISTENCY is very important. If you start well, do not relent midway; continue to be diligent so that you will finish strong. Also, no subject is too hard or impossible to understand. With God there is nothing that is impossible. Lastly, for a student, hobbies are good, being playful is good, but if an individual does not achieve an equilibrium between these activities and academics (which should be of high priority at that stage in life), then trouble may be just around the corner.

How about growing up and your challenges in the university?
Growing up for me was very interesting. I had different people in different places that I could call my friends. It was totally a wonderful experience. In the university, there were times I didn’t feel like reading. Some courses initially posed serious difficulties, but I eventually took up courage. In my first year, I felt exam tension but I overcame. At some points, I also had disagreements with some classmates, especially those who felt I was hoarding important study materials, thereby gaining undue advantage over other classmates. It took some time for them to understand that I did no such thing. We just understood and derived different things from the study materials we read. The university experience is a big challenge that every student must stand up to, if success is to be achieved.

Aside academics, what extracurricular activities did you take part in?
In my first year, I wrote MUSON Grade 5 Theory examination and passed with Merit. I was the Academic Secretary for The Apostolic Church Students Fellowship of Nigeria (TACSFON), UNILAG, and later Financial Secretary of the same fellowship. I also did computer studies and learnt to use some relevant software like Arc GIS, Mapinfo and Macromedia Freehand. In November 2007, I had the privilege of representing the University of Lagos at the World Students’ Leaders Summit in East London.

Are there things you would have loved to do while in school, but you did not do?
I would have loved to join a student body like AIESEC, JCI or both. I’d also have loved to be a bit more playful, but knowing that there was not much time, I had to prioritize.

Any nuggets for young people still in the university?
I advise all young people in the University to always put God first. Be very selective of the people you imitate. A desire to excel, discipline, diligence, determination and consistency are required in order to achieve excellence in whatever sphere of life. I wish them the very best in life.

Please share your experience since you started your NYSC programme in Niger State in March 2010.
I was at the Orientation Camp in March 2010 and started serving at the Ministry of Lands and Housing, Minna in April. I currently work in the town planning department. The bulk of our work involves designing proposed layouts for undeveloped lands/places that need renewal, preparing site analyses and reports for land sites inspected by the Ministry in order to process the C’s of O for such property. As a corps member, I also carry out any other duties assigned to me either by my departmental supervisor, the Director, Town Planning department, or the Commissioner for Lands and Housing. In my office, the staffs relate well with corps members. They believe corps members are enlightened and knowledgeable and can contribute a lot to the system, so their expectations are very high. The native people are, on the average, very nice and welcoming. It even gets better when they observe that you have taken an interest in them, their language and way of life. Yet there are certain people who would want to exploit you financially because they know you are a corps member. Nevertheless, my overall the experience has been quite interesting.

What lessons have you learnt during the course of your National Youth Service programme?
Service year has been wonderful. I have learnt what independence means at a greater level: it does not mean freedom to do what you please, it means living your life and making necessary decisions in such a way that they contribute to making you the kind of person you want to be tomorrow. Oh… and I can assure you that there are serious decisions to make! I keep learning everyday about relating and interacting with people. I have also come to understand better the fact that the kind of information, people and activities you expose yourself to will unconsciously and consciously make you the person you become tomorrow.

How does life outside school compare to life back in the university?

For me, life outside school is majorly different from life in school – one does not have solely lectures to attend all day and theoretical concepts to deal with. Life in UNILAG greatly prepared me for the life I’m now living outside school. This is in terms of time management, leadership, team work and relating with people. Life after school is so much more of ‘every man for himself’. Also, working in an office is a totally different experience from schooling in the University. The world I’m experiencing now is such that I have a long stretch of fixed hours for which I am expected to undertake certain tasks. …Yet, for me there are very strong similarities between life in UNILAG and life after school: I still have to wake up very early in the morning to start my day; the work level is approximately the same, I have deadlines to meet, assignments to do (though not exactly like the ones in school), and reports to prepare and deliver. The difference is just that I find these activities very easy to engage in now because I was involved in them in school. Also, in comparison, time flexibility in the workplace is restricted unlike in school and then the caliber of people I relate with are not majorly academicians like it was in school, but people of diverse leanings. In both life in UNILAG and life after school, God has remained faithful and it is His love, grace and faithfulness that have upheld me and helped me in all my endeavours.

How about your best food and hobbies?
I love fried rice with coleslaw. I enjoy listening to music, reading novels, dancing and watching movies.

What do you plan to do next and where do you see yourself ten years from now?
I think I take time in making important decisions. I presently have several options and would require some time to make informed decisions about my next steps. I have not come up with a definite plan yet, I am still working on my decision.

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TO checkmate the rising crime wave in his community, a blind pastor, Moses Kasali yesterday donated a N5 million modern police post to the Nigeria Police Force to serve six communities in Akinyele Local Council area of Oyo State..
Kasali, who conducted reporters round the newly constructed police post at Oyedeji area of Ibadan, said the gesture was aimed at supporting the government in the area of security and fighting crime.
He stated that the task of nation building should not be left for the government alone to handle and implored other well meaning Nigerians to take up the challenge of partnering with the government.
The cleric stated that the era of waiting on government to provide basic amenities and infrastructure for the citizenry was over, saying Nigerians must think of how to support government in their own little way.
This, he noted is the only way to take the nation to greater heights.
Kasali expressed hope that the presence of policemen in the community would put an end to the rising crime wave in the area. He said he was spurred to take up the challenge of building the police post when various entreaties by the community heads to the police authorities failed to yield the desired results....

He said: “My community came to me a few years ago to complain about the rising activities of criminals in the area. Many park their motorcycles popularly called okada at night and the following morning, the motorcycles nowhere to be found. When we requested for a police post, the police authorities said it would take them about one year to complete, so I took up the challenge and commenced the project. Today, the rest is history.”
While emphasizing the role of the police in crime prevention, the cleric said prayer remained one of the greatest weapons to fight the scourge.

Kasali disclosed that the police post, which has all necessary facilities to make it compete favourably with others across the globe, would be formally handed over to the Commissioner of Police, Baba Adisa Bolanta with a patrol van on Thursday, November 4.
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Chicken Manure Helps Power UK Town

Cirencester, United Kingdom — Starting next month, the droppings from thousands ofchickens will add their might to a biogas power station serving thisCotsworld market town.

Using chicken manure as well as dung from pigs and other agricultural waste from the area, the plant near Cirencester will convert the feedstock into biogas in an anaerobic digester (a biogas fermenter is pictured below).

"Looking like a giant cupcake, the plant will produce 1 megawatt hours of energy, enough to supply 350 houses with electricity," the firmAlfagy said in its news release about the plant.

The Guardian reported:

"Peter Kindt, managing director of Alfagy, the company supplying the plant's technology, said: 'What makes this project exciting is thatfarmers deliver energy to the urban environment. We believe this is amodel for the future of local power generation.'

"The combined heat and power plant, which will begin operating in November, captures the methane-rich gas released by decomposing organicmatter such as chicken manure. This is then burned in a generator toproduce renewable electricity and heat. Farmers are paid for the wasteand will receive free heat for drying grain and animal housing."..

By-products from the conversion can be used as fertilizer, and the odor usually associated with farm waste is diminished during the processas the methane is extracted and burned, Alfagy contends.

Biogas plants are growing in popularity in Europe and Asia -- as this recent article about cogeneration plants in Ukraine, China and India illustrate -- but they aren't as common in the United Kingdom.

Earlier this month, the Didcot sewage works in Oxfordshire made headlines with its landmark project: the first human-waste-to-energy plant in the U.K. That bioenergy operation is producing enough power for about 200 homes.

Image CC licensed by Flickr users bigbold and law_keven. Fermenter photo courtesy of Alfagy.




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Miss USA is Miss World


Photos:Miss Botswana,Miss World 2010,Miss Venezuela ... Inset Fiona Amurzie Miss Nigeria

Maybe names matter as Fiona is the name of Shreks Wife in the movie Shrek But our own Fiona Amurzie was not even in any of the fast tracked beauties who were given accolades for their outstanding perfomrances in sport,talent shows etc . Even though Miss World 2001 Agbani Darego was a memeber of the past queens panel of judges did not ginger the swagga of latent introduction into the beauty world Fiona Amurzie



BEIJING – The newest Miss World is from the United States.

Alexandria Mills, a soft-spoken 18-year-old, was named the winner in Saturday night's contest in southern China. The tall blonde was a relative
surprise winner after speculation focused on other contestants.

Second place went to Emma Wareus of Botswana, and Adriana Vasini of Venezuela came third.

The host country's own contestant, Tang Xiao, also was among the final five.

According to a brief biography on the Miss World website, Mills calls Louisville, Kentucky, her hometown, and she recently graduated from high school.
She would like to become a teacher.

"I've never met a stranger and enjoy meeting new people," she says in the bio.

For the final, she was wearing a shimmering ivory-colored dress slit up the leg.

Mills takes over the title from Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar, who was named Miss World 2009 at a ceremony in South Africa last December.

Women from more than 100 countries participated in the contest, organizers said.

This is the 60th year of the Miss World Competition, and organizers brought back contestants from past decades to give the night a retrospective
theme.


Alexandria Mills, a soft-spoken teen from the United States, won the Miss World crown for 2010 on Saturday, defeating more than 100 other hopefuls at a glittering ceremony in southern China.

The tall blonde was a surprise winner in the 60th annual contest, reports the Washington Post.

Miss Botswana Emma Wareus was named the first runner-up while Miss Venezuela Adriana Vasini was named the second runner-up.

Mills, a resident of Louisville, Kentucky, is said to have graduated from high school recently and wants to become a teacher..

Mills, who was wearing a shimmering ivory-colored dress for the final, takes over the title from Miss World 2009 Kaiane Aldorino of Gibraltar.

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