Firewood smoke had affected the health of people in many households. Experts warn that prolonged exposure to firewood smoke is a significant cause of health problems, including respiratory infections, lung diseases such as asthma, and pregnancy-related problems, reports Sade Oguntola.

In many communities in Africa, cooking over an open firewood stove is common. With the women sometimes having their babies strapped to their backs or playing around the cooking area, family meals are prepared in sometimes stuffy kitchens filled with smoke.

Ironically, cooking over firewood, roasting of garri or smoking fish, because of the smoke and heat produced, have harmful health implications for women and the children strapped to their backs.

The burning of firewood in three-stone stoves is an inefficient process which results in the release of heavy smoke containing large amounts of toxic pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and fine particles that can get into the eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose, and illnesses such as bronchitis.

Unfortunately, firewood is the most dominant fuel used for cooking by most households in the rural communities, thus making children and women more vulnerable to the bad effects of its smoke. Even limited exposure to smoke can be harmful to the elderly and those with chronic health conditions such as asthma.

Incidentally, a study by the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, which assessed firewood demand and supply among rural dwellers, attributed the rise in the incidence of health problems such as coughing, chest pain and eye problems, among rural dwellers to smoke emitted by firewood.

The study, which collected data from 360 firewood collectors, sellers, buyers and users, showed that the frequency of cooking and the time taken to cook meals also compounded the gravity of these ailments.

Besides, a study reported at the 18th Africa Region Union Conference in Togo that women and their helpers who engaged in the trade of fish smoking were at high risk of developing chronic chest and respiratory infections/diseases from inhaling unhealthy smoke from the fire used for fish roasting.

Sadly, about 5 per cent of these women and their aides had already developed chronic respiratory problems and many frequently experienced respiratory problems because the environment was often enveloped in smoke. Usually, the women and their aids were there for long hours inhaling the smoke, sweating from the heat and experiencing burns from the fire.

Nevertheless, Sola Olapade, a professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, United States of America, said a similar study carried out in Olorisa Oko and Ajibade, two rural communities in Oyo State, found that exposure to smoke from firewood was a problem in three out of every five homes where asthmatics lived.

No doubt, people are allergic to all kinds of things, including mango trees, grass, dust mites, cats, dogs and cockroaches. Exposure to these allergens might make their asthma to flare up or become worse. However, Professor Olapade stated that one surprising finding from the community study aimed at determining how common asthma was among Yorubas living in the South-western part of Nigeria was that 60 per cent of asthmatics lived in homes where firewood and other kinds of agricultural residues were used as fuel for cooking in poorly ventilated kitchens.

According to him, "when people cook in closed environment and get exposed to the smoke from burning firewood, it causes a lot of damage to their lungs."

Regrettably, on a global scale, cooking with firewood contributes about two million deaths each year and about 30 per cent of these deaths are in children who are less than five years of age because they get exposed to irritants from firewood smoke.

Usually, when a mother is cooking, her small child is on her back and if they are able to stand, they stand next to the mother. "You can imagine the extent of exposure of children to smoke during cooking. Their respiratory systems are still developing and they breathe in more air (and air pollution) per kilogramme of body weight than adults. Basically, the smoke causes damage in the lung by destroying the protective system and also causing lower respiratory infections such as pneumonia," he declared.

Howbeit, he remarked that the health impact of cooking with firewood was a double jeopardy in poor people. "What makes it alarming is that smoke from firewood affects poor people who have poor nutrition the more because they do not have good antioxidant defence against the oxidants in the smoke," he stated.

"If you look at women that cook using firewood, although they have never smoked, they could develop chronic obstructive lung disease. This is a disease that is commonly seen in people who smoke. In fact, some studies that looked at the degree of exposure to indoor smoke equate it to smoking one packet of cigarette a day for about 50 years. That is why you have women who have never smoked but because they cook with firewood everyday, end up developing emphysema and lung cancer just by being exposed to smoke in an enclosed place.

Certainly, smoke from any source is bad for the health of anyone, including babies still in their mother's womb. According to Professor Olapade, "exposure to biomass smoke is just like cigarette smoke. As such, it has the same negative effect on pregnancy outcomes. It could lead to premature delivery, low-weight weight babies and still births."

Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the dangers posed by smoke from firewood to their health. For instance, at Olorisa Oko and Ajibade, "most people were shocked that using firewood to cook was exposing their wives and children to danger and that some unanticipated deaths could actually be due to the pollutants present in smoke," Professor Olapade stated.

He explained that although the World Health Organisation's guideline on particulate matter in indoor air puts it at 50 microgrammes, "in some of these houses, the particulate matter in the indoor air was between 20 and 100 times higher than the average level. In addition, the carbon monoxide levels in some of these kitchens were as high as 200, although there should be none because carbon monoxide is poisonous."

Sadly, "when you look at the symptoms those children and mothers have, they range from headache, which is what you develop from exposure to carbon monoxide; chest tightness; shortness of breath; runny nose and burning eyes,"he remarked.

"Nonetheless, when we gave them improvised cooking stoves and educational pamphlets on bad effects of firewood smoke, the indoor air quality came closer to the level stipulated by the World Health Organisation's guideline. Also, incidences of headache, shortness of breath, chest tightness and burning eyes dramatically reduced."

Professor Olapade suggested that some precautions to take to prevent breathing in firewood smoke included cooking in spaces that are well ventilated and preventing children coming to cooking areas. He urged the government to enforce building policies that would ensure good ventilation of homes as well as provision of cleaner cooking fuels.

"Looking at the Millennium Development Goals, when you overlay the problem of indoor air pollution from biomass, reducing maternal mortality will actually be a lot easier to achieve with a two prong attack on improving access to prenatal care and eliminating exposure to indoor pollution," he concluded.

FinBank and First City Monument Bank have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) authorising them to exist as one business entity. The signing of the MoU is a major boost that will help FinBank achieve its recapitalization bid. The bank said in a statement that the exercise follows a transparent and competitive process under the supervision of Board of Directors of FinBank with a commitment to reposition the bank. "The Signing of the MoU follows a transparent and competitive process under the direction and guidance of the Board of Directors of FinBank which remains committed to the long-term future of the bank," a statement from FinBank Management said.

The merger of both institutions, it was learnt, will provide significant protection for shareholders and other stakeholders of both institutions as well as promote franchise value.

The bank said the exercise will guaranty its existence as a going concern, and reposition it as a leader in the industry. "The business combination of the two institutions will create a strong financial institution which will be a major player in the Nigerian financial services industry," the bank said.

It is also expected that such merger will enhance both institution’s liquidity, capital adequacy, strong corporate governance and a broader branch network to enable it compete effectively in the market.

The bank admitted that the exercise has to be approved by the FinBank’s shareholders, Central Bank of Nigeria, the Securities and Exchange Commission, The Nigerian Stock Exchange and the Federal High Court.

In recent months, three banks have taken steps crucial to their recapitalization.

Union Bank recently signed an agreement with African Capital Alliance Consortium (ACA Consortium) where the later is expected to invest $750 million into the former. This was followed with the signing of MoU between Access Bank and Intercontinental Bank in April. By that exercise, the new merging banks will become one of the top three players in Nigeria’s financial sector. The new bank will likely be ranked first in branch network, third in deposit volume, fourth in savings deposits, top four in total assets and market value among other indexes.

By Graham Dunbar, The Associated Press – 6 hours ago

LAUSANNE, Switzerland — Banished from football for seeking bribes, former FIFA executive committee member Amos Adamu has appealed to sport's highest court to overturn his three-year suspension.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Thursday that Tongan official Ahongalu Fusimalohi has also challenged his two-year ban on separate corruption charges linked to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.

"In both cases, the appellants request that they be found not guilty and the sanctions against them be annulled," the court said in a statement.

CAS has yet to fix dates for the two hearings, and more could follow.

FIFA's ethics court sanctioned Adamu, Fusimalohi and four other senior officials last November in a scandal that threw the World Cup bidding process into turmoil.

Instead of enjoying global attention on the blockbuster bid races, FIFA President Sepp Blatter was forced to defend its integrity and reputation.

Blatter insisted FIFA was not institutionally corrupt, and spoke of society being "full of devils and, these devils, you find them in football."

Adamu, a former Nigeria sports minister, was found guilty of seeking bribes from British undercover reporters posing as bid lobbyists.

The Sunday Times published edited video showing Adamu asking for $800,000 (€590,000) paid directly to him to build four artificial football fields in his homeland. He said this could influence how he voted in the Dec. 2 elections.

He was suspended before the vote and later lost his place representing Africa on FIFA's 24-member ruling panel.

Adamu denied wrongdoing but FIFA's appeals panel upheld his punishment in February.

Fusimalohi was among four past members of FIFA's high command who were suspended after advising the reporters how to bribe FIFA officials and to pay $1 million.

CAS did not say on Thursday if former Oceania football president Reynald Temarii, Adamu's former executive colleague, appealed his one-year ban for breaching FIFA loyalty rules.

Temarii also was secretly filmed by the newspaper, appearing to suggest he could receive money to fund a football academy in Auckland, New Zealand. FIFA's ethics court cleared the Tahitian official of acting corruptly.

Without Adamu and Temarii, FIFA's executive committee chose Russia to host the 2018 World Cup and awarded the 2022 event to Qatar.

Like Fusimalohi, Tunisian lawyer Slim Aloulou and Malian official Amadou Diakite were trapped by The Sunday Times' reporters.

Aloulou was banned for one year and lost his position chairing FIFA's disputes resolution panel. Diakite got a two-year ban and was removed from FIFA's referees committee.

Both are entitled to appeal to CAS.

A sixth official, Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana, accepted his four-year ban imposed by FIFA's ethics panel.

The Optimus 2X, also known as the T-Mobile G2X in the United States, will be the first dual core smartphone to make it to release. The high powered Android handset will mark a big leap forward for LG, a company which has traditionally lagged behind in the smartphone industry. The Optimus 2X comes with a gorgeous 4" capacitive touchscreen that includes multitouch input and a sharp resolution of 480 x 800.

While featuring an accelerometer for auto-rotation of the interface, now a fairly standard feature on most smartphones, the Optimus 2X will also come with a new gyro sensor. This sensor, made popular on the iPhone 4, allows for three axis controls which can be put to good use with many innovative apps and games. These apps and games can be downloaded from Android Market, which is easily accessible from LG's latest handset.

Aside from the dual core processor the LG Optimus 2X is pretty impressive in other areas too. While the 4" screen is ideal for viewing high quality 1080p videos, the phone's 8 megapixel camera also comes with 1080p video recording. You can also record 720p videos at a higher frame rate, and the Optimus 2X comes with an HDMI port and DLNA enabled Wi-Fi, both of which allow you to stream videos through your home TV.

The Optimus 2X also comes with YouTube and Adobe Flash support so that you can enjoy streaming videos online, as well as enjoying videos contained on the phone's 8GB storage. This is expandable with microSD cards and the Optimus 2X can support an impressive 32GB microSD. As well as the excellent 8 megapixel rear camera, the 2X also comes with a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera that can be used for making video calls on services such as Google Talk.

The Optimus 2X does not just come with a great deal of entertainment features but also has a lot of excellent messaging features present. Threaded SMS is supported, as well as various email and instant messaging clients. The 2X also comes with fantastic integration for social networks such as Facebook, so that you can easily update your status or post on someone's wall.

The Optimus 2X is an outstanding phone in all areas that count and, being the first dual core handset on offer, it should prove to be a benchmark for all future dual core smartphone. The Optimus 2X comes with an impressive array of features to keep you entertained, as well as myriad methods for keeping in touch with your most important people.

HTC Announces HTC Sense and the new HTC Hero

So today's highly anticipated launch revealed the HTC Hero Android phone as everyone suspected. That in itself would have been a bit of a let down since we've known and speculated about the Hero for some time. Hardware wise it's not a million miles away from previous HTC Android phones. Yes, it has a 5 megapixel camera and finally a 3.5mm stereo headset jack but that's not much to get excited about.

But the real news was the announcement of HTC Sense, a customisable UI for Android. Now that's something I can get excited about. Rather than try to explain it, I think the official press release does a pretty good job so here goes:

LONDON – June 24, 2009 – HTC Corporation, a global designer of mobile phones, today debuted HTC Sense™, an intuitive and seamless experience that will be introduced across a portfolio of phones beginning with the new HTC Hero™. With its distinct design and powerful capabilities fully integrated with HTC Sense, Hero introduces a unique blend of form and function that takes Android to new heights.

HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the centre, by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were designed by quietly observing and listening to how people live and communicate.

'HTC Hero introduces a more natural way for reaching out to people and accessing your important information, not by following the status quo of today's phones, but by following how you communicate and live your life,' said Peter Chou, Chief Executive Officer, HTC Corporation. 'HTC Sense is a distinct experience created to make HTC phones more simple for people to use, leaving them saying, "it just makes sense."'

HTC Hero
HTC Hero continues HTC's leadership in cutting-edge design that focuses on introducing a variety of distinct devices to represent your own individuality. Boasting bevelled edges and an angled bottom, the HTC Hero is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand and against your face while you’re on a call. The HTC Hero is built to last, beginning with an anti-fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge-resistance and a longer-lasting, clearer display. The white HTC Hero includes an industry-first, Teflon coating, resulting in an improved, durable white surface that is soft to the touch.

With its 3.2-inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is optimized for Web, multimedia and other content, while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including AGPS, digital compass, gravity-sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a five mega-pixel autofocus camera and expandable MicroSD memory. HTC Hero also includes a dedicated Search button that goes beyond basic search, providing you with a more natural, contextual search experience that enables you to search through Twitter, locate people in your contact list, find emails in your inbox or search in any other area in Hero.

HTC Sense
Built on a culture of innovation and a passion to enhance people's lives, HTC shapes the mobile experience around the individual. Debuting on the HTC Hero and available on all new HTC devices moving forward, Sense delivers on three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected.

Make It Mine
Make It Mine is about feeling your HTC phone was created for and by you. To do this, HTC encourages you to dictate and organize how you want to access the people and content in your life in a way that fits best for you. For some, this means adding glance-view widgets that push content like twitter feeds, weather and other content to the surface while others may want quick access to business-focused information like email, calendar and world-times. HTC is also introducing a new profile feature called 'Scenes' that enables you to create different customized content profiles around specific functions or times in your life.

Stay Close
Today, staying in touch with the people in your life means managing a variety of communication channels and applications ranging from phone calls, emails, texts, photos, status updates and more. HTC Sense takes a different approach by integrating these communication channels and applications into one single view, enabling you to stay closer to your important people. With HTC Sense, friends' Facebook status updates and photos, along with their Flickr photos are included alongside their text messages, emails and call history in a single view.

Discover the Unexpected
Many of the most memorable moments in your life are experienced, not explained. HTC Sense is focused on providing a variety of these simple yet innovative experiences on your HTC phone that will sometimes bring you moments of joy and delight. It can be something as basic as turning the phone over to silence a ring or as simple as improving the smart dialler for making calls quicker. HTC Sense also includes 'Perspectives', a new way for viewing your content such as email, photos, Twitter, music and more in different ways.

Availability
The HTC Hero will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer. A distinct North American version will be available later in 2009.

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I know that I haven't been too complimentary in the past about the look of HTC's Android phones and their chins and I also know that I really prefer to have a physical keyboard but you know what? I'd give up my G1 in a heartbeat for the Hero just to have HTC Sense.

Huawei Officially Announces U8230 Android Smartphone

It's been a long time coming (we first got wind of a Huawei Android phone at this years Mobile World Congress) but finally Huawei has confirmed its long-awaited Android phone in the form of the U8230. It looks very similar to the mockup they had on display at MWC but with a bit of extra bling thanks to some silver edging.

Specs wise there's not much to go on. According to the press release it will sport a 3.5 inch touchscreen, allow users to switch between full and half QWERTY keyboards and has a 1500 mAh which they claim has "the longest battery capacity of any Android-powered handsets currently available." True, but then it doesn't take much to beat the G1's measly 1150 mAh or even the Magic's 1340 mAh. But hang on, doesn't Samsung's Galaxy have a 1500 mAh battery as well? Let's hope that Huawei's Android offering has a little more to brag about than increased battery life.

The Samsung Jet That Wasn't

So, the highly anticipated new Samsung phone we've been waiting for (and hoping it would run Android) has been revealed as the Samsung Jet and guess what? It runs Samsung's proprietary OS. It's a stunning looking phone with some impressive specs but doesn't it look familiar?

Back in April I posted an entry (Samsung Reveals Its Android Phone Again – Or Does It?) which, at the time, many speculated was a reveal of a Samsung Android phone. Even then I had my doubts and it looks like I was right. Oh well, at least we've still got Samsung's Galaxy to look forward to.

Acer Finally Shows Us Some Android Love

I may have gotten a bit ahead of myself when back at the end of January I speculated that Acer may be the next manufacturer to join the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). Since then we've had all kinds of rumours and speculation about a 2009 release of an Android phone by the company, the most recent being that an announcement was expected in September.

This may well prove to be true as it seems that Acer is gearing up for something Android-related as they officially confirm their membership of the OHA. This comes as they issue a formal press releasein which they demonstrate their "support for Android as an open mobile platform and its commitment to Android's commercial success." Well it's about time. Now can we have an Acer Android phone please?

That said, I am in two minds about an Acer phone. I've always been a fan of Acer – good value for money kit (I'm actually typing this on an Acer laptop now) but I'm beginning to wonder if the 'value' approach is a bit of a false economy. My current laptop (my second Acer) seems to exhibit some rather strange behaviour, occasionally shutting down as a result of what I suspect is overheating. Until recently I also had an Acer LCD TV which mysteriously died in what seemed like seconds after the 1 year warranty had expired. Let's just hope their phones perform better.

Why Android's Three Flavours Are Good News For Carriers And Manufacturers

It seems that Google Mobile Platforms director Andy Rubin really generated some buzz with his prediction at Google IO that there could be as many as 20 Android phones available by the end of this year. While this was interesting (but not really that surprising given Android's success and growth to date), what I found of more interest were his comments regarding Google's commitment to Android as an "open" platform as well as clarification of the various Android flavours available to carriers and handset manufacturers.

Google has taken some flack from critics who see the strongly Google-branded G1 and HTC Magicphones as cause for concern regarding the openness of the Android platform. Even manufacturers have expressed some concern, most notably Samsung which blamed its delay in announcing an Android phone on the fact that "some operators were concerned about the vision Google has". In an effort to allay these concerns, Google has actually released three different versions of Android as follows:

Option 1: Obligation free – manufacturers can install Android on their devices and provide access to as many apps as they want but cannot preload Google applications like Gmail or Google Calendar.

Option 2: Same as option 1 but manufacturers must sign a distribution agreement to preload Google applications on the device.

Option 3: Google Experience phones – includes Google branding and Google applications which cannot be removed from the phone. This option also provides uncensored access to the Android Market.

By offering these three flavours of Android, manufacturers and carriers are able to choose to what degree the phones integrate with Google so in the case of Samsung's I7500 (a.k.a. Samsung Galaxy), it looks like they’ve gone the Option 2 route as opposed to producing another HTC-like Google Experience Phone. Hopefully we’ll start to see more customisation of the interface and applications as manufacturers embrace the openness of the Android platform. This can only help to increase the number of new Android phones released this year as well as the number of carriers that offer these phones.

Via: The New York Times

HTC Hero Tipped For Orange UK Launch

There's good news for Android fans in the UK following speculation that the HTC Hero will be launched by Orange UK. Although unconfirmed, this does seem likely as back in March there was a fairly credible report that the Hero was going to be picked up by Orange France.

As yet there is no official confirmation and nothing mentioned on Orange UK's website as far as I can tell so I guess we'll just have to wait and see if this one pans out.

Source: Mobile Today

AT&T's Lancaster Looks Good But May Disappoint

There's no denying that AT&T has been particularly quiet about its plans for an Android phone release. Last month I speculated that the carrier may have picked up the HTC Hero but now, thanks to engadget, we have fairly credible confirmation that AT&T's first Android phone will actually be the HTC Lancaster.

At first look it seems to be quite a nice handset, an amalgamation of the G1 and Magic and had it been around sooner I would have chosen it over my G1 – or would I? I personally prefer a physical keyboard to the a touchscreen so the Lancaster seems to have everything going for it apart from the display. I'm really impressed by the G1's 3.2 inch HVGA (320 x 480) display but the Lancaster is let down by a smaller 2.8 inch QVGA (240 x 320) display which is a bit of a disappointment.

I'm also not sure about the MSM7225 processor (which the leaked Lancaster datasheet shows incorrectly as an MSN7225). Although, like the G1's MSM7201 the 7225 is a 528 MHz ARM processor, rumour is that it lacks a GPU. I can't seem to find any details on this processor on the Qualcomm website – maybe someone can shed some light on the differences between the MSM7201 and the MSM7225?

Source: engadget

Panasonic To Join The Android Party In 2010?

Panasonic is already known for producing high-end phones exclusively for the Japanese market but now it seems that the promise of Android may just tempt them into the global market. That's according to Tech On which recently quoted a Panasonic director as saying "We are seriously considering developing an Android-based handset and entering overseas mobile phone markets in fiscal 2010."

It looks like the company has finally been swayed by the success of open source and is keen to grab a share of a market which they predict "will reach 100 million units in three years." At this stage the company has declined to offer any further details although an official announcement of their plans for global expansion seem imminent.

Archos' Android Media Tablet Release Ahead Of Schedule?

Back in February we first got word of Archos' plans to release an IMT (Internet Media Tablet) which combined a 5" media player with 3G voice support via Android's telephony stack. This speculation was confirmed again in March when the company's 2008 financial results were published, making mention of the IMT with a Q3 release date.

This month the French site ArchosLounge published details of an event to be held in Paris next month (June) which many have speculated hints at a possible release of the Android IMT based on the colour of the event invite, what you may call Android-green. The connection seems a bit tenuous, but may prove true. The real question however is does anyone care? Traditional smartphone users are not going to be tempted to move to the new Archos for its media player capabilities and it remains to be seen whether or not existing Archos users will buy into the idea. Archos obviously hopes that they will

An early technology adopter, I purchased the iPad on the first day it came out.  I also got the original iPhone on the day it came out, and the first Google Android phone, the T-Mobile G1, within a month of its release.  Google even sent me their first unlocked Android phone, the Nexus One, to review when it came out. I like new toys and am not tied to any specific company; the one with the coolest or best features is the one that wins me over.

Unfortunately, my iPad was stolen less than a month after I bought it.  Insurance covered the loss, but I did not rush out to buy a new one right away.  I got my chance to play with the iPad and while it was pretty cool, I found it to be more of an entertainment device than anything and it was lacking some key features – for example, a camera.  Apple will probably add some of those features with the upcoming release of the iPad 2, which some say is to be announced this week, but I’m sick of their game of intentionally leaving out features that consumers want and introducing it on a subsequent version so you’ll buy their product again. I want all the features I want right now.  Sure, I’ll probably buy another similar device in a year or two, but by that point I expected the features to once again be something new and cutting edge, not a feature that you opted not to include but most others did.

I am still in the market for a new tablet, and it’s a great time to be ready to acquire one.  The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show last month was dominated by a slew of tablets, the new must-have device.  Tablet computers have been around for some time, but they were never as sleek, pretty, functional, and in-demand as they are now.  The launch of the iPad last year can be credited with bringing the tablet mainstream, but one year later you’ve got a whole lot more choice.

The top competitor for the Apple iPad right now is any one of a number of Google Android-powered devices manufactured by the likes, of Motorola, Samsung, Dell and others.  HP Palm announced a new webOS powered tablet yesterday, but I think they still be a minor player in the -tablet arena.  I’ve done my research and played with a few of the new Android tablets and at this point have decided that an Android tablet is a better choice than the iPad.  Here are my top five reasons to choose an Android tablet over an iPad:

Dell Streak 7. Photo courtesy of Dell.

1. Choice of Size

The Apple iPad is closest in size to a 10×8 picture frame with its dimensions at 9.56 x 7.47 x .5 in.  There are no other size options for the iPad, unless you’re of the opinion that the iPad is merely a giant iPhone, and in that case the iPhone could count as a smaller version.

Unlike the iPad, the various Android tablets come in a range of sizes.  The sizes include 5-in. (Dell, Acer), 7-in. (Dell, Samsung, Acer), 9-in. (LG, Panidigital), and 10-in. (Motorola Xoom, Acer) tablets.  The 5-inch tablets are admittedly just slightly larger than popular touchscreen smartphones, which tend to top out in the 4-inch range. But if they make them, there’s obviously some kind of market for them. You can go bigger or smaller than the iPad with an Android. Personally, I’d like to go bigger and would love to see an 11-inch tablet come out in the near future.  It’d be the exact size of a piece of paper.

2. True Multitasking

Apple has avoided true multitasking on the iPad primarily due to battery life and performance concerns, the reason they always leave off features on their new iPhones as well.

There are already some Android tablets running off dual-core processors, which have more than enough power to handle true multitasking.  Android 3.0′s new multitasking panel is also easy to bring up with a single tap on the screen, and provides full previews of running applications.  The multitasking panel is also extremely easy to navigate.

Apple should have figured out how to deliver true multitasking.  Perhaps this will be a feature included in the second-generation iPad.

3. Cameras

Apple made a huge mistake in not including a camera on the iPad.  At the very least it should have included and outward facing camera, but if it really wanted to be a winner, it would have also had a second, front-facing camera that users could use for video chatting.

Most Android tablets have 2 cameras, an outward facing one and a inward one for video chatting.  Google’s native camera app also has some nice features that will let you alter your image, without having to download and edit it on your computer.

Apple iPad. Photo courtesy of Apple Inc.

4. No Syncing Required

Whether you own an iPod, iPhone, or an iPad, you must sync the device with iTunes using a computer to transfer downloads purchased on your computer to the device.  It’s a royal pain, but it’s Apple’s way of keeping their users coming back to iTunes.  It’s also a very slow process.

With the Android Market Web Store, you can buy apps on your computer and send them to your device without syncing. Brilliant!

5. Replaceable Batteries

One of the things that irked me most about the iPhone and the iPad was the battery.  It’s not removable, and if it goes, you have to get a whole new device.  If yours breaks and still happens to be under warranty, Apple will send you a new one — for a fee.  For the iPad, if the battery goes, you can send in your old one and they’ll send you a new one for $99.   Oh, and make sure you synced it before it died because when they send you out the new one it won’t have any of your apps or personal information on it.  If you forgot to sync, you’re S.O.L.

Android devices have their own batteries which are replaceable.  If the battery goes, you just buy a new one.  Or if you’re under warranty, the manufacturer can send you a new one without having to bother with taking your entire tablet.

 Gombe state, three boys died in an explosion Thursday apparently caused by a bomb left over from a bank robbery the day before. Police say the boys picked up the explosive while playing in a garbage dump without knowing what it was.

Meanwhile,Police say members of a radical Islamic sect likely killed a high-ranking police officer and a child in northeast Nigeria.

Borno state Assistant Police Commissioner Usman Baba said Thursday that the police superintendent assigned to guard the state government headquarters died in the morning attack, as well as a child opening a garage door.

Baba said the three gunmen likely belonged to a radical sect known locally as Boko Haram, which is blamed for a series of targeted assassinations.

In an interview with ABC News, Omar bin Laden, son of Osama, has warned that the next generation of Al Qaeda terrorists may be less disciplined and even more violent.

Claiming that his father was the 'most kind' of the jihadi terrorists he had known, Omar expresses difficulty with coming to terms with strained disapproval of his father. When asked if there is anything Osama likes about the United States, he replies "the weapons."

An screen grab taken from a video broadcast on Al Jazeera on December 20, 2006 shows Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. (AFP/Getty Images)

OR 

Jamal Ahmad Mohammad Al Badawi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other people named Al-Badawi, see Al-Badawi (disambiguation).

Jamal al-Bedawi

Jamal Ahmad Mohammad Ali Al Badawi aka Jamal Abu Abed Al Rahman Al Badawi (Arabic: جمال محمد البدوي‎) (born: July 22, 1960; or October 23, 1960; or 1963; or 1969) is a Yemeni who was convicted of helping plan the 2000 USS Cole bombing, which killed 17 American sailors on October 12, 2000 off the port coast ofAden, Yemen.^[1] He was captured in Yemen and sentenced to death on September 29, 2004. Al-Bedawi was also indicted on May 15, 2003 by the United States for the USS Cole bombing and the attempted attack on the USS The Sullivans. He is thought to have travelled to Saudi Arabia and purchased a small boat and then a truck and trailer to transport it. This boat sank from the weight of the explosives while preparing the USS The Sullivans plot. He is also thought to have leased the safehouses used in these endeavors. Fox News called Al-Badawi a "mastermind" of the Cole bombing.^[2]

Only two of the six charged by Yemen in the attack were sentenced to death; the other four were sentenced to 5–10 years imprisonment. After hearing his sentence, Al-Bedawi declared "This is an unjust verdict, this is an American verdict. There are no human rights in the world, except for the Americans. All the Muslims in the world are being used to serve American interests." His family announced they would appeal. Because he was being held by U.S. forces, the other defendant sentenced to death, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, was tried and sentenced in absentia.

Having twice escaped from Yemen prison, once since his death sentence was issued, al-Bedawi is currently at large, and is now being sought as an FBI Most Wanted Terrorist fugitive.

Murder and Conspiracy to Murder United States Nationals and United States Military Personnel; Conspiracy to Use and Using Weapon of Mass Destruction; Damaging and Destroying Government Properties and Defense Facilities; Providing Material Support to Terrorist Organization

JAMEL AHMED MOHAMMED ALI AL-BADAWI

Multimedia: Images

Aliases:

Jamal Muhsin Al-Tali, Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Badawi, Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Adani, Jamal Mohammad Ahmad Ali Al-Badawi, Jamal Mohammad Ahmad

DESCRIPTION

Date(s) of Birth Used: July 22, 1960; October 23, 1960; 1963 Place of Birth: Al-Shargian, Makiris, Yemen Height: Approximately 5'5" Weight: Approximately 175 pounds Build: Medium	Hair: Black Eyes: Black Complexion: Olive Sex: Male Citizenship: Yemeni Language: Arabic

Scars and Marks:	None known
Remarks:	Al-Badawi may have facial hair.

Ni.geria inches toward locally-made automobile

 Before Innoson Motors  There was Uniben Motor Literarily ! 

Nigeria's quest to become an automobile manufacturing country may be realised in the next 28 months, the project manager of the Skill Acquisition Centre for Internal Combustion Engine Parts Manufacture, Akaehomen Ibhadode, has said.

Mr Ibhadode, a world-renowned professor of manufacturing engineering, who spoke yesterday at the launch of the centre at the University of Benin (UNIBEN), said the World Bank-sponsored project, tagged Step-B, will be equipped with state-of-the-art research and production facilities to aid research and learning by staff and students of higher institutions in Nigeria.

The centre will also engage in the production of all components of diesel and petrol automobile engines.

An initiative of the federal government, Step-B is expected to support the development and growth of the science and technology industry and contribute to national development.

Mr Ibhadode, who is the 2010 laureate of the Nigeria prize for science, said the essence of the project is to empower local automobile manufacturers and to provide industrial training for engineering students as well as to generate funds. The centre, which is working in collaboration with National Automotive Council, Star Automotive Industries, Lagos, and the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, will become fully operational within the next 28 months.

Turning point 

According to the national project coordinator of Step-B, Michael Adikwu, the project is aimed at producing better qualified students and researches, which he said will impact positively on the economic growth of the nation as defined by the millennium development goals.

Fidelis Achiv, who represented the director-general of the National Automotive Council, Aminu Jabal, said the project will ensure that students are trained in the use of modern equipment and help to determine the engineering competence of Nigerian students, as well as provide needed spare parts for the automotive industry.

The vice-chancellor of UNIBEN, Osayuki Oshodin, who was represented by the deputy vice- chancellor (academics) of the university, Emmanuel Onibere, described the occasion as a "milestone achievement by the university, considering the numerous hiccups that threatened the initial take-off of the project".

He said the project is devoted to skill acquisition in engine parts manufacture, which he said is a vital component of the nation's quest to address the problem of transportation and power generation.

"This indeed will be a turning point in Nigeria's march toward real industrialisation," he said.

Now Ask Does Innoson Employ Uniben Engineers ? 

 more photosfrom uniben website 

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have finally revealed the names of their newborn twins: Their son’s name is Moroccan Scott Cannon and daughter is Monroe Cannon! Interesting to say the least!

Take a look at the announcement on Mariah’s official Twitter account:

Miracle landing caught on video: 

Russian aviation officials have launched an urgent investigation after a passenger plane went berserk and began ‘dancing’ in the sky shortly after take-off.

An amateur video of the incident shows the Tupolev Tu-154 heading for what appeared to be disaster as it lurched wildly at low altitude.

The jet, owned by the Russian Air Force, was on a test flight to a repair centre after more than ten years in storage when it developed the wobbles.

Scroll down to see dramatic video

Scroll down to see dramatic video

Plane crazy: Russian aviation officials have launched an urgent investigation after this Tupolev Tu-154 passenger plane went berserk and began 'dancing' in the sky shortly after take-off

The severe loss of control happened just minutes after take-off from Chkalovsky airfield near Moscow last week, forcing the pilots to immediately return to base.

watch video here

The airmen managed to land the shaking jet on their second attempt, wrestling the ageing plane to the ground despite the aircraft banking and pitching dangerously.

Observers at the airfield praised the pilots and claimed their cool heads avoided scores of casualties among military personnel and local civilians.

Danger: The Tupolev Tu-154 pitched wildly from one side to the other after take-off

Amazingly, no one was injured during the emergency landing and the three-engine medium-range aircraft escaped without a single scratch.

Military sources claimed there had been a massive failure in the plane’s control system causing it to behave erratically.

Officials in Moscow are now probing whether any flight security laws were broken during the test flight and are refusing to rule out criminal charges.

Cheer they go: The expert Russian pilots somehow managed to wrestle the plane safely to the ground and were greeted hearty applause by on-lookers

‘The military prosecutor's office has begun an investigation to establish the cause of the incident that could have led to an air crash,’ a spokesman for the Office of the Military Prosecutor said.

The Soviet designed Tupolev TU-154 has been involved in more than 100 serious incidents since entering service in the early 1970s.

Russia’s transport watchdog ordered all airlines to ground the jets after a Kolavia Airlines Tu-154 exploded in a fireball in Siberia in January, killing three people.

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President Yar’Adua one year anniversary. eulogies pour in    http://bit.ly/lEszsm

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Photos – bin Laden compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan WARNING GRAPHIC PHOTOS http://bit.ly/jcP2pK

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Ras Kimono Storms Benin in Comeback Reggae fest !

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IRAN EXECUTES FIRST JUVENILE OFFENDERS IN 2011 http://bit.ly/iMLKW3

The deal about abstaining from sex by Myne Whitman http://bit.ly/mBJlx0

Bin Laden's neighbors noticed unusual things By NAHAL TOOSI and ZARAR KHAN, Associated Press http://bit.ly/mfZ64D

Lime Wire's day of reckoning is here by Greg Sandovalhttp://bit.ly/k17Uyt

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Corpers Were Destined to Die ! Bauchi Governor Isa Yuguda aka Jaguda

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He entrenched rule of law’

As the nation marks the first anniversary of the death of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua today, prominent Nigerians have eulogised him.

Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Kabiru Gaya described Yar’Adua as a great leader, who despite his failing health, worked hard to entrench enduring legacy in the country.

He said: "He was a great leader, who thought and felt that he could bring about positive change, and he indeed brought about change. He spearheaded the electoral reforms, and with his inaugural speech, he created the atmosphere for free and fair election in the country.

"Yar’Adua considered the Southsouth as his primary constituency, by initiating the amnesty programme, which has led to the reduction in the restiveness in the Niger Delta region and led to the creation of job opportunities for the restive youths, especially the militants in the region. Amnesty is a blessing to Nigeria.

"Remember that he also tackled the Boko Haram uprising in the north and restored security in the country. I urged President Jonathan to follow his footsteps and actualize the dreams that Yar’Adua had for this country."

The Special Adviser to former President Shehu Shagari on National Assembly Matters, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai said it was unfortunate that the Seven-point Agenda, which was initiated by the Yar’Adua/Jonathan administration, was abandoned.

"What the nation is missing most is the abandonment of the Seven-point Agenda, a programme jointly initiated by the Yar’Adua/Jonathan ticket.

"I do hope that President Jonathan would use his second mandate to revisit the seven point agenda and implement it to the letter."

He paid glorying tributes to late President Yar’Adua for laying the foundation for the conduct of free, fair and credible election in the country.

"Yar’Adua initiated the electoral reforms and set up the Justice Uwais Committee. Out of the 90 recommendations, Yar’Adua forwarded 86 proposals to the National Assembly, and I think that formed the basis for credible election we just had."

He said Nigeria would have attained the 6,000 megawatts benchmark of electricity, if he had lived.

A former Civilian Governor of Katsina State Alhaji Lawal Kaita said Nigeria would not have been able to improve its electoral system were it not for the foundation laid by the late President.

Kaita added that the late President worked towards ensuring the restoration of peace in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, noting that Yar’Adua enshrined the principle of rule of law in the nation.

By Myne Whitman

When you have no one you love or care for, you easily convince yourself sex doesn’t really matter. It’s no big deal, you say to anyone who raises an eyebrow, or asks. I am strong you persuade yourself on those nights you go out with friends to catch that romantic comedy with those beautiful love scenes.

Hmmmmm. I tell you it is not easy. Abstinence is not what nature planned for a healthy human body. You hit puberty and the hormones start raging in your system. You read mills and boon and thrills and boon and sex is this earth shattering experience. You read Joan Collins and Harold Robbins and the raunchy aspects are described in titillating detail. The blood pools in certain parts of your body and you can’t wait to meet your own love and share sex with him.

Why abstinence then? You are a teenager and your body is so ready, more than ready. But you are filled with romantic fantasies of there being just one person with whom it would be special. You also remember all the sunday school lessons you attended and if you’re like me, what the catechist made you vow before your confirmation. The years creep by and you become mature enough to realise that you are not emotionally ready no matter how much your body screams for it. You go back to your bible roots and tap some strength from being born again.

Abstinence. Sometimes you ask yourself, what does it really mean? If you make out with your transient boyfriends, does that count? Afterall you did get some pleasure and maybe an orgasm or two from them. You recreate these episodes in your mind those days during your cycle when you are so easily aroused. And if you’re like me you put yourself in the dock those nights you wake up horny from the erotic dreams stalking subconscious. There is afterall that guy that wanted to be your **** buddy.

The years continue to pass and you still abstain. Some of your secondary school friends get married, get pregnant and you wonder at their new found confidence. Your university mates are sexually active and talk about all manner of stuff in your presence. Sometimes you own up to your inexperience and if the company is hostile, you brazen it out with knowledge gleaned from books. You cringe when they mention their numerous abortions, are disgusted when they crawl back to abusive BFs just for the sex and your decision is strengthened.

But does that strengthen your body? Not for me. A case of the spirit being willing and the flesh weak. You help yourself out sometimes and other times you go out with that guy that has been hanging around and allow him cop a feel. Most of the time though you stiffen your upper lip and go to sleep. Your guilty conscience makes you backslide. Furthermore, trying to get busy with church shows up the corrupt underbelly and you lose faith. The choirmaster and the solo singer are having sex so why do you bother? The pastor and his wife wear only Armani and Prada while Brother Puis and his family starve so why do you bother?

You are almost an atheist but you know that’s not possible. You hold on to your decision but it’s no more for God. Some of your friends you shared the pact with had either fallen by the wayside or gotten married. You’re approaching your big 3-0 and your closest friend tells you it’s only fear holding her back. It is no more strength of will. It is no more saving it for that one special guy. The other says its just that after rejecting all the previous eligible suitors, why give it up to some of the yeye people coming around now. What to do? Your crown has become a millstone around your neck.

Then that friend gives in to one of those not so eligible guys, and he marries her after a bit. She’s lucky isn’t she? He’s a bachelor anyways unlike the majority married men that trail after you like flies to raw meat. There is one left and so you console yourself. Then out of the blues, she calls you. I have done it. Done what you ask? Had sex and girl it is so overrated, she blurts. You have heard that before but hearing it from her makes your heart plummet. Is that it? All that you’ve been looking forward to?

But that’s not the end. Did I say it was not easy? If anyone tells you abstinence is easy, they’re fibbing big time. You are now dating a guy you love more than all the others. He loves you so much and also understands you stance, he is ready to wait. But your friend is on your neck. Ahhh it gets better. The more you have sex, the better it becomes. She is having the time of her life and she wants you to join the league. Bobo is making subtle moves and your body is feeling him. A lot. What to do?

It is not easy I tell you. However, at the end of the end, it a decision you have to make yourself.

Written by Oluwole Ige 
Wednesday, May 4, 2011

THE tradition of African tribal marks dates back to the 14th century and forms part of the rich culture of the black race, most especially in Nigeria. At that point in time, people attached so much importance to tribal scars for various reasons.

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Tribal marks were a result of religious beliefs passed down from family to family, either as hearsay or just a common societal norm, usually as relating to a particular god or deity.

Similarly, Africans of old viewed tribal marks as a means of proper identification of people from different neighbourhoods. Members of the same village, family tree or lineage had the same tribal marks. The hometown, village and lineage of a child or anyone with tribal marks were quickly known and therefore, outsiders, who did not have such marks, were immediately spotted.

Parents also used tribal marks to lend credence to the legitimacy of their children. Hence, a tribal mark on a child is a way of a father acknowledging that he or she is a legitimate child. Some marks run as parallel grooves from forehead, through the temple and cheek to the chin and are complemented with accessory marks from the medial canthus of the eyes downward. Each ethnic group has its own unique pattern.

For example, vertical marks, one on each cheek, identify Ondo men and women. Three horizontal marks on each cheek reveal the identity of Oyo people. To those literate in markings, a mere glance at someone's face is sufficient to read that person's ethnic group, town, or even family.

However, the ancient custom of tribal marks is fast fading away in the country. In its place, people are now embracing tattoos to either beautify their bodies or for spiritual and other purposes.

Because of the fact that marking is usually done to youngsters, most Nigerians whose faces bear ethnic marks had little choice in the matter. When they become parents, however, they often decide not to give their children facial marks. The pain and risk of infection along with scorn and discrimination the child may face later in life are all factors that make parents reject facial marking. Clearly, the popularity and acceptance of facial marks are waning. Individuals now prefer that their "identity card" should be in the wallets, not on their faces anymore.

Beside, the Nigerian government has moved to outlaw the practice, but many states are yet to approve the law. Some human rights organisations also argued that the scarring of children amount to gross abuse.

However, regardless of their efforts, facial scars are becoming harder to find for different reasons, including the displacement of the old ways by the Western influence.

The upsurge in the transmission of HIV/AIDS, which is believed in the medical circles to be largely contracted through unprotected sexual intercourse and sharing of sharp objects, has gone a long way to play down the custom of tribal marks. This was evident in the resolve of the government to ban genital mutilation, circumcision and other traditional acts that involve the laceration of skin with sharp knives or instruments. Long before the awareness programmes on AIDS, many innocent people, mostly children, who were subjected to tribal marks laceration, had inadvertently been infected with the deadly HIV virus, a development that compelled Osun and Ekiti state governments to recently outlaw the practice of tribal marks and female genital mutilation. Sharp instruments used by the locales to inscribe the tribal marks were not sterilised, thus exposing kids, even adults, to the risk of HIV/AIDS.

While the custom of tribal marks is losing its ground, many individuals, who bear facial markings hold divergent opinions on the merits and demerits of such native identifications.

Reactions of people who interact with them on interpersonal basis somehow dampen their spirit or lower their self esteem.

It is common to hear people refer to an individual as colonel, only to discover that he is not a member of the armed forces, but the stripes on his cheeks are the same number as that of the stripes on the uniform of a colonel in the Army. Some are called tiger, because of their striped cheeks or some are referred to as everlasting tears. Just as the marks and reason for them vary greatly, so do attitudes concerning them. Many wear the marks with pride, considering it as an insignia of patriotism, which makes them feel like true sons of their ancestors while others detest it strongly.

Jimoh Adedoyin, a 65-year -old, who has tribal markings on his face said, "I have never felt bad about my Oyo marks, because they shows that I am a real Yoruba indigene from the town of Alaafin". He further related how in 1967 the marks saved his life during the Nigerian civil war. "The house where I lived was invaded and all other persons were gruesomely killed. The murderers did not touch me because of the marks on my face".

Baring his mind on the benefits and disadvantages of facial tribal marks, Mr Adeleke Ajai, who earned a degree in Psychology at the University of Lagos, remarked thus, "what is a matter of pride for someone with marks on his cheeks, when among his own clansmen, becomes a reproach, because of the ridicule and contempt which is meted out to him in other parts of the country"

On the other hand, Tajudeen Gbolagade expressed regrets over his facial marks. In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, he said, "I hate it, and I curse the day it was inflicted on me. The marks really disfigure my face and make me feel terrible anytime I look into the mirror. What pains me most is that there is nothing I can do to erase it from my cheeks".

A teenager girl, who pleaded anonymity, praised her mother for not allowing her to be subjected to the operation as a child. She said: "I would have considered suicide if I had been given the marks".

Perhaps the toughest trials are endured in schools by young students, with facial marks. Adejuwon Samuel was the only one in his class with facial marks. He recounted his experience. "In school I was made fun of a lot. My mates would call me 'railway line' and the boy with the railway line. They were always making jest of me and would raise three fingers to indicate the tribal lines on my cheeks. It made feel inferior".

How did he cope with all the bullies? Samuel continued, "One day, the jesting was so intense that I went to my Biology teacher and asked him if it was possible to remove the marks. He told me that it could be done through plastic surgery but that I should not bother because thousands of Nigerians had marks. He said my peers were making fun of me because they were not mature, assuring that when we grewup all the jesting would stop. He also lifted my spirit by saying that the marks did not determine what I really was or what I would become.

"That made me feel much better, and the bad feeling I had regarding the marks disappeared. People seldom refer to my marks now. Even when they do refer to them, I just smile. My relationship with others is not impaired. People respect me because of what I am, not due to the marks I have", Samuel asserted.

The latest vogue in town, which is submerging the hitherto dominance of tribal mark is tattoo. It is a marking made by inserting indelible ink into dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment for artistic, ritualistic or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative modification.

Today, people choose to be tattooed for cosmetic, sentimental and sexual drive. Some individuals also inscribe tattoos on their skins for religious and magical considerations and to symbolise their belonging to or identification with particular groups, including criminal or streets gangs.

A critical look at most of the people wearing tattoos on their bodies, most especially women or ladies indicates that they do it, mainly to attract men.

The primary aim is to lure or seduce men into sexual activities. Towards this end, these tattoos are conspicuously engraved in sexually provocative regions of their bodies such as the breasts and buttocks. Hence, it is a common scene to sight some girls, seating behind commercial motorcyclists as they often display the tattoos on the upper region of their buttocks by wearing skimpy dresses, which expose the tattes to public view.

Fathia Anjola, an undergraduate in one of the universities in the South-West, who also has tattoo on her chest, however, disagreed with the notion that some girls or women tattoo their bodies to attract men. According to her, "I don't believe that most girls with tattoos are all out to woo men.

Personally, my tattoo is done for decoration or what I may term beautification purpose. Therefore, I have no ulterior motive of luring or seducing men with it".

In an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, the Aare Latosa of Yorubaland, Arole Mabinuori Adegboyega, traced the history of tribal marks, particularly in the South- West to the ancestors and forefathers, who had existed in the 14th century. According to him, "there were many people from Oyo, Oke Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and other parts of Yorubaland. Our forefathers now decided to do something distinct that would enable them to recognise their children. That was the genesis of tribal marks. In those days, if you didn't have a facial mark, you were nothing".

He continued, "The traditional set-up was very important at that time. Then, there were criminals in the society. How do you recognise or know where they come from without tribal marks? So the marks went a long to assist our forefathers in proper identification of a specific neighbourhood, ethnic and family lineage that anybody came from", adding that when a child committed an offence or got involved in any vice, the community would not rebuke him, by saying that "we know his roots or where he comes from".

Arole Adegboyega, who is versatile in the Yoruba culture and tradition, observed that individuals from the royal lineage cherish the custom of tribal marks in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, stressing that "you can vividly recognise somebody from Oyo Alaafin or Aaare Latosa family in Oke-Are, Ibadan through his or her facial marks, which are peculiar to their families"

While commenting on the overriding influence of tattoos on the age long tribal marks, he recalled that tattoos originated from Africa, pointing out that "our forefathers had done so much to beautify the body of their children and the Western countries emulated the inscription of tattoos from the African continent".

Arole Adegboyega noted that it was time for the tribal marks to go into oblivion because they had been in practice over a long period of time. "When you are doing something for over 100 years, it will surely fade away. The only thing that is permanent in life is change. The building we are constructing now are different from the ones we had in the ancient times.

"The custom of tribal marks is no longer fashionable. Even, the tattoo that seems to be replacing it are not all that visible because they are mostly hidden or covered by clothes, except those ladies that inscribe it in conspicuous parts of their bodies. What replaces tribal marks today is our behavioural pattern and mode of doing things. Perseverance, good character and patience are virtues that have taken the place of tribal marks in Yoruba land", he explained.

On the need to revive the cultural heritage of tribal marks, the traditionalist said, " I subscribe to the resuscitation of the African culture, but not facial marks. What we can do to replace the tribal marks is for the parents to bring their children up in the right way, with much emphasis on moral uprightness and honesty. Teach them humility, love and respect, such that they can bring glory not only to the family but also to their immediate community and country at large," he said.