Our forefathers will turn in their graves if they see this but many ladies will love this. Lol!
Monday 30 June 2014
So We Should Be Grateful To Sani Abacha?
Former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, unwittingly did Nigeria a big favour regarding our democracy. On May 29, 2014 Nigeria celebrated its 15 years of unbroken democracy in the Fourth Republic, which is about three times longer than the longest period of democracy we had had hitherto. If not for Abacha, this could not have been possible.
The First Republic had lasted five years and three and half months. The Second Republic lasted three years and exactly three months. That showed retrogression. After many postponements about handing over to the civilians, the Third Republic kicked off in a peculiar way: Gen. Ibrahim Babangida conducted governorship and legislative elections while he was still ruling the nation. That experiment, which started in 1991, was supposed to culminate in the conduct of the presidential election in 1993 and final handover to a democratic government.
Eventually, the presidential election held on June 12, 1993 was peaceful, free and fair, according to the reports of all observers. The electoral body began a state-by-state release of the result as collation was concluded in each state. Chief M.K.O. Abiola of the Social Democratic Party was ahead, winning in states which were assumed would be won by his opponent, Alhaji Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention. Then like a joke, the release of the results was suspended. While Nigerians were wondering what Babangida’s plan was, he announced the annulment of the election on June 23, 1993, to the consternation of most people.
According to Babangida: “These steps were taken to save our judiciary from being ridiculed and politicised locally and internationally.”
It was obvious that the action was crisis-prone. Reacting to that infamous annulment, Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, had said: “A very tiny but powerful cabal is toying with the future of our nation. Any further delay in making the people’s verdict official is a deliberate cultivation of chaos.”
‘Senior Advocate of the Masses’, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, issued a statement, warning: “The nation is in danger. It is abundantly clear that the military government is leading Nigeria into a political crisis of immeasurable, chaotic proportions.”
Babangida gauged the mood of the nation and retired hurriedly with his tails in between his legs, handing over to an unelected Interim National Government, led by Chief Ernest Shonekan. A chain of events led to the emergence of Abacha as the Head of State in a move which looked premeditated. Abacha initially gave the impression that he would reverse the annulment of the election. He bided his time, while gaining the trust and support of the people. Once he had dug in, he showed that he had his own plans, which did not include reversing the annulment or leaving the stage soon.
With Abiola declaring himself president in 1994, Abacha bared his fangs. Every day saw Abacha getting more brutal. People were arrested, demonstrators were brutalised and shot at by security agencies, newspaper houses were shut down at will, newspaper editions were confiscated, media houses were bombed, bombs were exploding at different places killing people, attempts were made on the lives of those suspected to be opponents of Abacha’s regime, like Chief Abraham Adesanya, the leader of the National Democratic Coalition, which was the key opposition group, and Mr. Alex Ibru, the publisher of The Guardian newspaper.
Some like Chief Alfred Rewane and journalist, Bagauda Kaltho, were not lucky, as they were killed. People were framed up in fathom coups or as “accessory after the fact of treason” and sentenced to death or life imprisonment, including Gen. Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, who died in prison; Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State; Mr. Shehu Sani, a human rights activist; Mrs. Chris Anyanwu, publisher of The Sunday Magazine. Many Nigerians fled into exile for fear of being arrested, framed up, or killed.
After the hanging of environmentalist and leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People, Mr. Ken Saro-Wiwa, on November 10, 1995, Nigeria was sanctioned and isolated by many countries and groups. Rather than make Abacha reduce his viciousness, it got him fiercer. The only people who benefited from that global outcry were the purported coup plotters like Obasanjo and accessories like Anyanwu whose death sentence or life sentence was commuted to life imprisonment or 15 years imprisonment respectively.
When Abacha finally announced the transition to civil rule with the formation of five political parties, everybody heaved a sigh of relief that he would soon leave the scene. But all the hope evaporated when the five political parties began to name him their sole candidate one after the other.
Abacha became like a bone across the throat. Nobody knew what else could be done to ease him out. Nigerians resorted to prayers for divine intervention.
That divine intervention came on June 8, 1998, when Abacha suddenly died. Contrary to the respect Nigerians are known to accord the dead, Nigerians broke into celebration across the nation.
A sticker by a group called Concerned Professionals captioned the mood of Nigerians, at that time, towards military rule and dictatorship. The sticker said: Never Again. That was the favour Abacha did to Nigerians on democracy: He painted a horrendous picture of military rule that most Nigerians would not like to experience again. He showed the military dictatorship as financially reckless, morally bankrupt and managerially incompetent of handling a nation.
Until Abacha, any time there was a misunderstanding between political parties, the opposition parties would call for military takeover. It was believed that the soldiers were not as corrupt as the politicians, nor as managerially incompetent, nor as unpatriotic, nor as greedy. Even though the military was known to be high-handed, it was believed that their actions were motivated by the national interest.
But Abacha changed all that perception. It was obvious that his actions were motivated by his will to cling to power, and that he did not care whatever befell the nation in the process.
Many had rued Abiola’s non-inauguration as president. Looking back now and judging by the trend, Abiola could not have lasted in office beyond two years. The maximum he could have lasted was four years when he would have re-contested for the presidency in 1997. Complaints would have trailed his re-election and calls for military intervention would have rented the air.
Following the trend, since the First Republic had lasted less than 6 years; and the Second Republic had lasted for about 4 years; the Third Republic would have lasted for 2 years.
Nigerians are known for having short memories. Heroes soon become villains and vice versa. Abiola would most likely have suffered such a fate.
But the draconian regime of Abacha put the fear of living daylight into Nigerians. Even though the short memory of Nigerians still makes some people to occasionally praise the years of the military in governance, thereby asking for their return, yet the brutality of Abacha has continued to paint a terrible picture of military rule.
Those who lose election – no matter how below par the election is – always complain but do not publicly ask for the intervention of the military.
So, without meaning to, Abacha – supported by Babangida – had made our democracy last longer than it had ever lasted since our Independence in 1960. Our democracy may not be meeting our expectations to the fullest, but we must guard it jealously. No matter the shortcomings of democracy, it is much better than military rule. But we must eschew politics of suppression and intimidation or that of “If I can’t have it, let it be destroyed.”
If our democracy had been unbroken since 1960, there might have been brazenness from politicians, no doubt, but we would have been able to fashion out an effective way of running the affairs of the state.
BY AZUKA ONWUKA
Follow me on Twitter @BrandAzuka
See Photo: Man Stabs Self to Death after Fiancée Dumped Him in Ogun State
Tragedy struck at the Onikolobo area of Abeokuta, Ogun State on Saturday when a 33-year-old man, Oluwatosin Otaiku, stabbed himself to death after his fiancee, Olaogun Oluwatoyin, discontinued their relationship.
According to PUNCH Metro, Otaiku killed himself after his woman told him she was no longer interested in the relationship. After the girlfriend made a U-turn, the deceased was said to have become worried, and this made neighbours, who were aware of the development, intervene. Efforts were made to reconcile them.
On one of such occasions, an eyewitness said the duo was invited to discuss in privacy inside a shop at Safari junction in Onikolobo. Otaiku had hid a knife in his pocket, prepared to end it all if there was no truce. Unfortunately, Olaogun stood her ground and maintained that she could not continue with the relationship.
On hearing this unfavourable verdict, the deceased reportedly brought out the knife from his pocket which made Olaogun to run out of the shop, thinking she was the target. She immediately alerted neighbours who rushed into the shop and met the deceased stabbing himself.
Otaiku was rushed to the Mercy Hospital in the Panseke area of Abeokuta. From there, he was referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, also in Abeokuta, but he died on the way to the hospital.
The case was said to have been reported at the Adigbe Police Division and policemen were sent to the scene for investigation. While they took the remains of Otaiku to the Ijaye General Hospital mortuary, three other people were whisked away in a Hilux Van marked, NPF 7092 C.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, confirmed the incident, adding that the police were still holding on to Otaiku’s remains until a postmortem examination would be carried out.
Adejobi explained that the command was still examining the statements by the suspects and eyewitnesses.
He said:
“The lady is still with us, she is still our suspect for now until we carry out a proper investigation on the corpse. We need some time to study the statements, but the expert’s opinion is to carry out a postmortem on the body which we are going to do. I can assure you that the command will do the needful in order to get to the root of the incident.”
Here’s Why You May Never Be Rich (and How To Change That)
What’s the worst thing that could happen if you went totally broke today? This is not a rhetorical question. Take a few seconds to answer it before you read further.
What’s the very worst thing that could happen if you went dead broke today? Think about it for ten seconds.
For most people our age, the answer is something like: “A lot would happen, but it would not totally destroy me.” Why? Because when you’re in your early to mid-twenties, let’s face it— being broke happens, a lot.
And we survive it, because we are still young, with few responsibilities beyond ourselves. The most that would happen is that you move back in with your parents, spend a week thinking about your life, get over it and move on.
Taking Risks
Consider the life of a guy in his thirties. He is probably married with kids or a baby-on-the-way. He has to pay for family food, rent, school fees for his kids, medical expenses for his wife and kids, clothes for his kids, PHCN (or whatever) bills, car fuel, generator fuel, little snacks his kids like, car maintenance and on and on.
Going broke at this time is a disaster.
That’s why the best time to take risks is now.
Life is never going to be easier than this. You will never have more energy than right now. For many of us, we are in the best physical shape of our lives. We don’t have arthritis, severe back pain or any of the health problems older people face.
It will never be easier than now.
The best part of being young is that we have more time on our hands than we’ll ever have. Once you get married, visiting friends becomes a luxury. Your kids fill up your time and thoughts, almost completely. Is that when you want to start your dream business?
Investing For the Future
These are the best years to accumulate compound interest on a retirement investment. The easiest way for most people to get rich is to start early. The time and money we have in our twenties is extremely valuable. Most people who are rich and comfortable in their thirties are that way because of the decisions they made in their twenties. In his book, The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson shows this better than anyone else I’ve read or listened to:
Let’s say you and your best friend are both twenty-four years old. You both […] decide [to put] away $2000 a year into an IRA, so you’ll retire at age sixty-five with over a million dollars.
Your friend starts doing it now.
You wait. You don’t get around to it this year, or next, or the next. In fact you procrastinate for the next six years.
At the beginning of year seven, you ask your friend how his IRA is doing. You are stunned when he tells you that he has finished. After investing $2000 a year for six years at 12%, he’s all set. By the age of sixty-five, the little financial ball he started rolling would have snowballed into over one million dollars, even if he never puts in another penny.
“That’s it,” you decide, it’s time for action. You start putting in your $2000 each year. How many years will it take before you’ve caught up to your friend? In other words by what age will you be able to stop investing your annual $2000 like he did? You can’t believe your eyes when you see the answer.
You’re going to have to keep investing that $2000 every single year until the age of sixty-two. Your six years of procrastination have cost you thirty-three years of investing. That’s twenty-seven more years and $54,000 dollars more invested just to arrive at the same place.
[Note from Uchendu: Naturally, I was shocked at this. So I checked out the numbers myself. They’re correct. You can do this yourself using Financial Calculator app on Android. Set compounding to “Quarterly”.]
Now think of our parents, who live in a time when the Federal Government has handed over pensions to private firms. Some of them didn’t start their pension contribution on time. When they retire, their monthly pension from such firms will be too little for them to live comfortably.
It’s not a beautiful situation.
But we can have a different future if we start now.
Written by Uchendu E. Uchendu
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Uchendu E. Uchendu started training people when he was 12 years old. He writes at uchendutalks.com. If you like this article, you can find his best articles here and join his email list here.
Poverty & Terrorism Threaten the Foundations of Our Democracy
OPENING REMARKS BY ASIWAJU BOLA AHMED TINUBU AT THE INAUGURAL LECTURE OF THE FREEDOM HOUSE DEMOCRACY LECTURE SERIES HELD AT MUSON CENTER, AGIP HALL, LAGOS, NIGERIA. JUNE 3OTH 2O14
POVERTY AND TERRORISM THREATEN THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR DEMOCRACY
I thank all of you for participating in this maiden Freedom House lecture on democracy. I want to express special appreciation to Professor Larry Diamond for honoring us by accepting to deliver this inaugural address. It is my fervent hope that what we embark on today shall become a perennial institution, a permanent feature of our democratic landscape.
Acid attack survivor Naomi Oni stuns in new photos,reveals she has started dating again
Naomi Oni, the victim of a vicious acid attack in 2012 which left her scarred for life says she is now dating again and is ready for love...
Naomi whose attacker turned out to be a friend Mary Konye who was jailed for 12 years,admitted that her boyfriend at the time left her 2 months after the attack and it left her wondering if she would ever find love again and if a man would find her attractive..She told Closer magazine
'When I saw my face, I couldn’t stop crying. I thought, "Who’s going to want to marry me like this?" I felt so low, I didn’t want to live.'
Speaking on her most recent relationship which she also said has ended but boosted her confidence,she said
He said I was gorgeous and completely took me by surprise - he approached me in the street and said he'd read about my story and thought I was so inspirational that he wanted to take me out. Things didn't work out with the guy I was seeing and we’re just friends, but it’s boosted my self-esteem.I'm enjoying being single at the moment but I'm ready to fall in love again with the right person.' The guy I was seeing looked past my scars to the person I am inside. It made me realise the attack doesn’t have to ruin my life.'
Despite her ordeal, Naomi is set on pursuing a career within the fashion and beauty industry
(left)Naomi Before the attack. Friend Konye(right)
Ladies, 4 Ways To Properly Care For Your Breasts
Take a look at these tips and get started today.
Daily Massage
Massaging the breasts daily helps to promote healthy cellular growth, further reducing one’s chances of contracting breast cancer. Use the time in the shower or while putting on lotion after a shower to massage the breasts in a circular motion with a firm pressure. This can also be a great way to incorporate a healthy habit during foreplay.
Self Exam
It’s recommended that women perform breast self exams once a month to check for irregular cellular growth also known as tumor growth. Doing this exam right out of the shower or right before entry into the shower is best. The first three fingers are used to massage around the entire breast in a circular motion making sure to check for any lumps, bruises or discoloration. Checking for abnormalities or discharge at the nipple is also recommended.
Pectoral exercises
Pectoral exercises help to build up the large muscle underneath the breasts that help keep the fat of the structure lifted and in place. To make sure breasts maintain a shape and remain healthy, perform sets of push-ups daily. Five sets of 10 reps would be an ideal daily goal.
Correct Bra Size
Over 60 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size, which can add to back pain and bad posture. To keep breasts healthy, get an accurate measurement done at a specialty shop that sells undergarments solely. Knowing what size is the correct size will create a more comfortable support system for breasts to grow and maintain shape.
Adaeze Yobo slams haters over Joseph Yobo's accidental goal
Adaeze has become the butt of twitter and instagram jokes after her husband ,Joseph Yobo's accidental goal against his team,Super Eagles..They took out their annoyance on her and not one to back down ,She fired back on instagram..
All you hateful people that didn't even realise it was own goal at first Heck, most of y'll didn't even watch that last minute part of the match that's if Nepa gave yu light to watch the game at all but as soon as they confirmed it was own goal by yobo' Y'all be like let's go ham on his wife (that bitch) steady posting Louboutin pics on ig. #theirisgodo #toobadwelost but #goodgamefromyoboandtheteam #teamnigeria moving on, congrats to Joseph yobo for being the first Nigerian player to get to 100 caps. #recordholder #idontbreak #idontevenbend #ijustlaughatyourbitterness
Gorgeous Michelle Obama Cover Essence Magazine
How girl, 13, was kidnapped by her dad, taken to Syria and forced to marry her cousin
An Australian girl who was kidnapped, beaten and married off to her older cousin by her father’s family in Syria at the age of 13 has spoken out about her horrific five-year ordeal for the first time.
Rania Farrah (pictured above) was on what was meant to be a trip of a lifetime to Egypt to visit the pyramids with her older brother but instead ended up being turned into a child bride by her own family. Continue...
Appearing on Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes on Sunday night, Ms Farrah revealed she planned to commit suicide if her escape plan on her 18th birthday didn't work, and said: ‘I was just in a depression the whole time I was there… I just thought of Australia.’
Ms Farrah, who grew up living in Sydney’s southwest and is the daughter of a Syrian Muslim and his Australian convert wife, was married off to her cousin who she had never met and endured terrible beatings after being taken to Syria’s capital Damascus from Egypt.
Her mother, who had previously fled Ms Farrah's father after 20 years of violent marriage, knew about her daughter's kidnapping but told her during phone calls from that she could not afford to bring her home to Australia.
On arrival in Damascus, Ms Farrah was subjected to a virginity test because her father decided she had been under bad influences when in Year 7 at school, when she started smoking cigarettes and talking to boys.
'They wanted to check for my virginity. They said to enroll in a school they needed to check I was a virgin,’ Ms Farrah explained.
She felt 'confusion and fear' as nurses came and held her down. After the virginity test - despite the results showing she was indeed a virgin - her father and brother beat her at her Auntie’s house.
'It’s quite a normal thing to kill your daughter for not being a virgin,' she noted.
On Sunday, Ms Farrah described her father as ‘an evil person, he’s the most evil person you’ll ever meet’.
Opening up to Liz Hayes about the shocking crime of forced marriage that affects hundreds of Australian women every year, she explained that she shut off her emotions and played along with her family’s plan while dreaming of her escape.
Living in a strict Muslim world, she attended an Islamic school and learned Arabic. 'I did all the things they asked me to do… I was taught how to pray and fast for Ramadan,' she said.
Her second cousin, who she was forced to marry, was in his early thirties and Ms Farrah avoided ‘eye contact’ and never spoke to him.
‘We had the engagement party, I got given the gold… I put on the face. But I didn’t feel anything because by that stage I was already planning my escape.’
Ms Farrah hatched an escape plan to return to Australia on her 18th birthday and was helped by the British Embassy to return to Sydney.
A neighbour, who was around the same age as Ms Farrah, had passed her the phone number for the embassy.
But she had to wait until she was 18 before officials were legally allowed to help her.
When she was legally an adult, they told her a woman would wait for her at the Four Seasons hotel in Damascus. Ms Farrah crept out her house and jumped into a taxi while her grandmother was asleep after morning prayer.
Just In: Coach Keshi & Captain Yobo Quit Super Eagles
Keeping true to his words, Super Eagles coach, Stephen Okechukwu Keshi, has resigned his appointment after he led the team to the second round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The team's captain, Joseph Yobo is out too after his 100 appearance for Nigeria's national team. I think they've done their best. Good luck, guys!
See Photos: Major facilitator of Chibok girls abduction captured by Nigerian Army
According to a statement by the Defence headquaters, the major facilitator of the Chibok girls kidnap has been arrested ..The statement by Major General Chris Olukolade, Director Defence Information reads
A terrorists’ intelligence cell headed by a businessman who participated actively in the abduction of School Girls in Chibok has been busted by troops. The man, Babuji Ya’ari who is also a member of the Youth Vigilante Group popularly known as Civilian JTF which he uses as cover while remaining an active terrorist, also spearheaded the murder of the Emir of Gwoza. His main role in the group is to spy and gather information for the terrorists group.Babuji has been coordinating several deadly attacks in Maiduguri since 2011, including the daring attacks on Customs and military locations as well as the planting of IEDs in several locations in the town.The arrest of the businessman who is known to deal in tricycles has also yielded some vital information and facilitated the arrest of other members of the terrorists’ intelligence cell who are women. One of them, Hafsat Bako had earlier escaped to Gombe State to avoid suspicion but was tracked and arrested. Prior to her arrest, Hafsat coordinated the payment of other operatives on the payroll of the group. In her confession, she disclosed that a minimum of N10,000 is paid to each operative depending on the enormity of his task.Another female suspect named Haj Kaka who doubles as an armourer and a spy for the terrorists group has also been arrested. Until their arrest, all the suspects actively operated a terrorists’ intelligence cell in collaboration with others still at large.In another development, troops deployed in Goniri, Yobe State, over the weekend, had an encounter with terrorists, resulting in casualties on both sides after the attack was successfully repelled.
Ebube Nwagbo throws shade at ladies who stripped to support Super Eagles
Cossy, Omo London and Maheeda all stripped to show support for the super eagles..Sadly, it was not enough as we crashed out of the semi-finals after a 2-0 win to France..So Ebube decided to throw shade at them..Lol
On the other hand,despite the disappointment,Vincent Enyeama's performance is definitely worth celebrating ..He is the World's Best goalkeeper..
Beyoncé Tops Forbes Most Powerful Celebrities List
I'm reminded of Beyonce's line in one of her songs 'Who runs the world? Girls'. LOL. Beyoncé has been named the most powerful celebrity in the world on Forbes‘ annual Celebrity 100 list. The 32-year-old has her massive tour to thank for helping her beat out husband Jay Z, LeBron James, Dr Dre and even Oprah.
According to Forbes, the star amassed a small fortune from her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour 2014 which made on average an amazing $2.4 million at each one of its 95 stops.
That combined with a number one self-titled album which reached the top with little promotion and a platinum single Drunk In Love cemented her status alongside entrepreneurial pursuits which includes partnerships with H&M and Pepsi and her clothing and fragrance lines.
In all, the pop star made what Forbes estimated $115 million between June 1, 2013 and June 1, 2014.
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