Words of Wisdom: 8 Famous Quotes to Help You Embrace Fear and Achieve Success

When offering career advice to young professionals and entrepreneurs, the two things that always top my list are to find a mentor and to read voraciously. Throughout the course of my life, I have been blessed with multiple mentors -- mostly teachers, professors, bosses or colleagues. In addition, I have gathered useful advice from reading, and observing the actions of individuals who I identify as some of the world’s best leaders, both past and present. The following are 8 notable quotes from these “leaders” that have inspired me and helped to shape my principles as a business owner.

SOME WHERE IN LAGOS, NIGERIA

In the pasts days/weeks, I have read in the newspaper and gone through a number of social medias, the writings and reactions coming from some personalities like Chief  Femi Fani-Kayode amongst among many others about the act carried out by the Lagos State government in sending back some indigents back to their hometown/states. It is so sad seeing the response and reading the thoughts of some individuals who claim to be 'nationalist'. Chief Femi earlier asserted that the Igbo's should

Audacity Of Hope

I tag myself as being lost and weak, I can barely wake up or see things clearly. Life is funny to me as I have not fully understood what life really means and what it has for me. Oops! Did I just say life should have something for me, I guess right. This is why I say I'm still sleeping, in the bike or whatever. The fact be told, I don't think it's fair enough if you don't give life something and you expect something in return (feeling guilty as charged). But hold on, I have given life some things, though it might not be enough or up to standard, but I am trying. (Straight face).

Hmm, you might wonder, what might have gotten to me to have me put on this 'writing coat' which I have put off for a very long while...I have been living a boring life you might say, but I will say I

NOBEL LAUREATE, Professor Wole Soyinka, is at it again as he has warned of dire consequences for the country should the crisis in Rivers State be allowed to degenerate beyond this.

Professor Soyinka, in a statement stated that “even after the Rivers crisis has been resolved, this notorious proceeding will not be permitted to fester unchallenged.” Making reference to the election of Nigerian Governors’ Forum, NGF, he said “before the press conference held by Femi Falana and myself – that is, even before the Rivers Assembly fracas – I had been canvassed by opposing sides of the face-off, both via telephone and physically. One such visit, perhaps the most significant, was made by a Special Adviser in the presidency who outlined what can be regarded as the official rationale for the Governors’ Forum election debacle. In the process of this exchange, he did make certain complaints against Governor Rotimi Amaechi, including charges of a conflict of interests over certain resources. This was implied as the root of division between the Governors’ Forum and the Presidency.” In addition, he stated that “I wrote down the details, informed the emissary that I would pass on these accusations to Governor Amaechi – which I did. That Amaechi hotly denied them and offered contradicting facts, which he urged me to verify, remained, and remains utterly irrelevant to the democratic core of the conflict – and this has been made clear to all interventionists”. While he condemned the fracas that ensued in the Rivers State House of Assembly, he described the development as impunity. He said “Keyed into this core are: the arithmetics of democracy involved in figures 16 and 19 at the time, and now, with increased confidence in impunity, the figures 27 and 5. Whether or not it is democratic, even cultured proceeding that a state governor is barred from public access anywhere within his own zone of constitutional authority, with the massive security apparatus of the centre, on behalf of an unelected individual.” “For the rest, since beneath the surface of most Nigerian conflicts will be found inordinate greed for public resources, it is perhaps pertinent to remind ourselves that oil is not the only marvel to emerge from the Delta swamps. There are also exotic creatures – mermaids, manatees, even mammy watas and hippopotami. However, unlike crude oil, which can be refined, you can extract a hippopotamus from the swamps, but you cannot take the swamp out of the hippopotamus”, he stated. culled from Vanguard News...

Hold on; Is the World truely coming to an end? As Britain legalises gay marriage (Queen Elizabeth gives assentt)

I seem not to be hearing myself well, but it is really true that Britain legalised gay marriage on Wednesday after Queen Elizabeth II gave her royal assent to a bill approved by lawmakers, the culture ministry said.

Same-sex couples will be able to marry from next year after Prime Minister David Cameron pushed the legislation through against the will of dozens of his own Conservative lawmakers. Members of parliament cheered as they were told the historic bill, pushed through by Prime Minister David Cameron despite opposition within his own party, had passed into law. The first gay weddings are expected in the middle of next year as the government is sorting out issues such as the impact on pensions. “This is a historic moment that will resonate in many people’s lives,” said Culture Minister Maria Miller, whose department was responsible for the bill. “I am proud that we have made it happen, and I look forward to the first same sex wedding by next summer.” Lawmakers in parliament’s lower House of Commons formally approved the bill on Tuesday night, a day after the upper House of Lords gave it the nod. The queen’s assent, given in her capacity as head of state, was then announced in both chambers of parliament on Wednesday, at which point it became law. “I have to notify the House in accordance with the Royal Assent 1967 that Her Majesty has signified her Royal Assent to the following acts… Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill,” John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons, told MPs. The cheers that greeted the news belied the stormy passage that the bill had through parliament, during which many of Cameron’s Conservative lawmakers opposed it. GOD help us...

Africanism

Shout out to 9ice for keeping our cultural heritage, we are Africans. Enjoy the video

ILLOGICALITY IN PLAY - The Woolwich killing & the unseen hands of the Illuminati - by Femi Fani Kayode

An article by Femi Fani Kayode. Read and see if you agree with his point of view... Were they cultivated, ”programmed” and used by agents of the illuminati in the British establishment to carry out this gruesome operation and this monstrous sacrifice? Some things just don’t add up when it comes to the Woolwich killings. There are certainly more questions than answers. Let us examine the facts. An off-duty British soldier by the name of Lee Rigby was walking down the street in the charming and peaceful London suburb of Woolwich. All of a sudden, and out of the blue, he was randomly selected and run over by a car which was being driven by two young black men. After they hit him to the ground with the car the two young men jumped out of it, armed with matchetes, knives, a rusty old pistol and a meat cleaver, and in a deep and uncontrollable frenzy amidst shouts of ”Allahu Akbar”, proceeded to take his precious life by carving him up, mutilating him, butchering him and beheading him in full public glare. This all happened barely 100 metres away from Rigby’s Army Barracks home. The attack began at 2.30 pm whilst the soldier gave up the ghost at approximately 3.00pm on a four-point inter-section roundabout and crossroads. Immediately after finishing their gruesome act the killers then conducted their own impromptu press conference, brandishing knives and meat cleavers in blood-soaked hands, with random members of the public asking to be filmed and qouted whilst their clothes were soaked, drenched and dripping in human blood. After their ”presss conference” ended they moved to the other side of the road and calmly waited for the police to arrive. They had all the time in the world to do so but they plainly refused to run and attempt to avoid arrest or the imminent arrival of the police. According to eye-witnesses (and I watched the footage on CNN) the police took no less than 30 minutes to get to the scene and confront the two killers. They did NOT get there in the 9 minutes that they are claiming. When the police eventually arrived instead of surrendering peacefully to them or attempting to run away, the two young men charged at them brandishing their knives and meat cleaver in a menacing way and attempting to shoot their old and rusty pistol. Unfortunately for them the pistol exploded in the hand of the individual that tried to use it. They were both promptly shot, wounded and disarmed. Yet before the police arrived another rather curious incident took place. A strange yet very courageous Scandanavian woman, who just happened to be sitting on a bus that was driving past, told the bus driver to stop when she saw the carnage that was being inflicted on the dying soldier, got off the bus and calmly walked over to the killers even as they were still killing him. She then proceeeded to have a detailed conversation with them asking them why they were doing what they were doing and assuring them that in the end they would lose the fight because it was ”just them against many”. Is this not a rather curious encounter? Who really was that Scandanavian lady and who does she really work for? Is she a genuine hero or is she what, in security and intelligence circles, is known as a controller? Is she part of the system because to do what she did took immense courage? So many questions still need to be asked and answered. For example why did the police take so long before responding? Why were the killers given all the time in the world to conduct a graphic, loud and unofficial press conference in the streets with members of the public after beheading and carving up the young soldier? Even more curiously the police and intelligence agencies have now admitted that these two young men were “known to them”. If that were the case how come they were never put under close surveillance, monitored, questioned or arrested? Why did all this have to take place at approximately 3.00pm in the afternoon, at that location (a crossroads of four junctions) and on that date? Why did the assailants have to cut off their victims head, hang around there for thirty minutes whilst ranting and whilst soaked and covered in their victims blood? Why did the killers insist that only women could come near the dying body of their victim? Why was this whole thing allowed to happen and to drag on like it did for 30 uninterrupted minutes by the authorities? Why did the police refuse to move in even though numerous members of the public were having detailed conversations with the assailants? Was this whole thing some kind of state-sponsored illuminati-style human sacrifice? Was it designed and orchestrated by the authorities to create more terror in the land and to give them the opportunity to introduce more draconian laws, curb immigration and do away with even more civil liberties on the grounds that they wish to fight the very terror that they themselves created. Are we not being fooled again by the ”powers that be” and the state just as we were over ”9-11” and over the murder of Princess Diana, both of which were clearly inside jobs with strong illuminatti connections . If anyone doubts this assertion they ought to do themselves a favour and find the time to watch David Icke’s revealing docuementry titled ”9/11-It Was An Inside Job”. It is on youtube. They can also find his numerous books and watch his numerous docuementries on the murder of Princess Diana. Their world view will change dramatically after that. Back to Woolwich. Are there not clear parallels between the Woolwich incident and the Boston bombings which took place just a few weeks ago. Are there not similarities in the profiles of the two sets of killers in both incidents. Both operations were conducted in full public glare and in the afternoon. Both operations were carried out by two Americans and two British citizens respectively each of them with a foreign heritage and family ties with nations that are rife with and that are being torn apart by islamist terror. In the case of the Boston bombers the two perpetrators had strong links and family ties with Dagestan and Checnya and in the case of the Woolwich incident both perpetrators had equally strong links and family ties with Nigeria. Both sets of killers were muslim fundamentalists and both sets were ”known to the intelligence agencies” of their respective countries. Both countries in which the murders took place, i.e. Great Britain and the United States of America, are the greatest allies and leaders in the war against terror and they are both committed to standing ”shoulder to shoulder” with one another in that fight. Is it not strange that similar acts of terror will take place in the two just a few weeks apart and that those acts of terror were all carried out by people with similar profiles and virtually the same age. The coincidences are just too many and things just don’t add up. The performance of the British police particularly has opened up the door for a lot of speculation. They made so many mistakes. Yet I can assure you that the British police and intelligence agencies are NOT that sloppy. They are amongst the best, if not the best, in the world and they just don’t make mistakes. There is far more to this whole thing than meets the eye and there is also a sinister purpose and agenda to it. The full picture has not yet been shown to us and perhaps it never will but little by little those that are well-versed in these matters will work it out and the truth will be exposed. Yet the questions just keep coming. Is it possible that those two British boys of Nigerian descent were under some kind of ”Peter Powers”-type hypnosis and mind-control system which was triggered off by something or someone. In many of his books and videos David Icke has alluded to the usage and existence of such capabilities by the more advanced intelligence agencies in the world for the last ten years and he has cited many examples of such usage. Initially I was skeptical about his assertions until I listened and read carefully and I cross-checked the examples and the events that he cited. After that I was convinced that he was right and ever since then I have acknowledged the fact that we live in an exceptionally dangerous world where only the dullard would rule anything out. Back to the two young men that killed in Woolwich. Were they cultivated, ”programmed” and used by agents of the Illuminati in the British establishment to carry out this gruesome operation and this monstrous sacrifice? It is relevant and interesting to note that the two suspects were not just British citizens of Nigerian descent but that they were both Muslim CONVERTS. That is to say they were both brought up as Christians and then somewhere along the line they converted not just to Islam but to it’s most extreme and radical brand. They became dangerous Islamists that were prepared to kill for their faith. Who cultivated them and took them to this point and how did it get so bad? More importantly will this whole episode not give the western powers and the British people another reason to demonise Islam and target mosques and Muslim clerics? Is that part of the plan and the wider picture? Is the whole idea to create the atmosphere for vicious reprisal attacks against Muslims and Nigerians in the U.K.? Is all that I have written here far-fetched? You may believe so but I don’t. And neither have I gone mad. The devil is real and the Illuminati is it’s tool for world control and domination. It has been around for years and those that are part of it operate in the deepest secrecy. Yet even if you do not agree with me on anything that I have said here, the questions that I have raised are legitimate and they are indeed food for thought. In this game there are no coincidences and everything happens for a reason and has its own symbolism and purpose. As far as I am concerned only David Icke can crack this Woolwich nut and unravel it’s secrets and I look forward to the day that he does. Meanwhile I pray that the soul of Officer Rigby rests in perfect peace and I urge every Nigerian that is resident in or that is visiting the UK, especially if they are Muslims, to be exceptionally careful in their movements and in their dealings with the British people and authorities. There is FAR more to this whole thing than meets the eye and whether anyone likes to admit it or not, sadly, there will be some kind of backlash against our people at some point. As for the two British men of Nigerian descent (whose names I refuse to mention) that cut short the life of this brave young and heroic British soldier in the prime of his life for doing absolutely nothing wrong, may they both die a slow and terrible death and may they rot in hell.

Can This Be True?

President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday Saturday May 25th that his first name has brought some good luck to Nigeria. While granting an interview yesterday, the president said: "Traditional societies attach some values to names. That is why people select good names for their children. In the scriptures sometimes, when God sends you on some special assignment, He could even direct, ‘change the name of this child from this to that. But the name in itself does not make much difference because even from my village, there is one of my peers that also answers Goodluck. Another one that is a little older than me answers Lucky from my small village and I didn’t see the good luck and lucky in them. “In terms of bringing my name to bear in Nigerian affairs, within this period, we have our challenges. Of course, you are aware that we have our security challenges. But in spite of the security challenges, the country is moving on. I will say yes, it (his name) brought some good luck to the country.”

CHILDREN'S DAY PERSONAL NOTE...2013

It is always said that children are the future of tomorrow. This aphorism is arguable as old as man or will I say Nigeria. Growing up for us is quite challenging, because we hold the belief that we need to develop ourselves properly so as to become the viable future Nigeria needs and who the past generation can reckon with. It is so sad to note that, the older generation are not so friendly and truthful for calling the children the future of tomorrow thereby not leaving anything for the tomorrow that is yet to come. The point here is that, having in mind that children are the future of tomorrow and still keeping up with the attitude of corruption, embezzlement and all sorts is a threat and danger for the tomorrow that is yet to come, in which children of today are believed to be partakers of. It is more sardonic to emphasis here that, children of this present Nigeria or better put, the future of tomorrow’s Nigeria are being victim of all sorts of social ills, pseudo-family background, lost history, child abuse and all manner of child injustice or assault. Our culture is obviously going into extinction; this is so evident in the way we perceive bringing up a child in our present society. Traditionally speaking, bringing up a child use to be a communal thing or task, unlike the western setting whereby, bringing up a child is solely the duty of the family. Even the communal setting is corrupt with all sorts of indecency and decay in morality. My call here is that we put a stop to this deed of degenerating the future of Nigeria, by doing away with corruption, environmental pollution and embracing sustainable development in our immediate society. All manner of indecency and immoral act and publicity should stop. HAPPY CHILDREN’S DAY TO YOU ALL

Meet the Contestants for the 2013 Mr Universe Nigeria competition

It’s that time of the year again to crown the next Mr Universe Nigeria. 34 eligible Nigerian gents will vie for the coveted titled of the 2013 Mr Universe Nigeria. The contestants will be present in Lagos on Tuesday 28th May 2013 for the camp – where they will be groomed for the D-Day. The first assignment for the contestants was to create a signature look. A look that describes their totality in just a single picture. Seriously, are these the hottest guys in Nigeria?

TO THE LADY IN MY LIFE…

The lady in my life is all I can think of writing about at this point of my life, not because she propelled me to do the writing about her but because I see reasons to do such. You might think of her as not this magnificence empress, but I can beat my shaggy chest to contend that she is as beautiful as flowers that sprout out in the break of the day, her skin suave and garden-fresh like that of a Lillie in the garden with no furrow at all. The lady in my life, her eyes is as clear as the blue sky. To tell the truth, I lack the linguistic construction to describe this angel cast down from heaven to look after me or mollycoddle me, her beauty and characteristic are intrinsic and cannot be ordinarily describe with human understanding. To tell an alternative truth, this lady in my life is so sufficient that you cannot resist her beauty, wealth and fame because she so much have them to give a man who take her as a wife. I will be introducing you all my experiences with this lady in my life, but before then it is important that you understand that I am only talking about one lady in my life that have influenced me greatly and not numerous numbers of women who are no script writers in my life but figure head figures, who are neither influencing me greatly or helping me to realize my potentials. Over the years I have been a victim of a selfish kind of love, now I realize I have to give kudos and acknowledgement to the lady in my life who is working tirelessly to see me become wealthy and famous and positively impact my society and not to be a dormant being who is alive but not living. There are countless times I act virtuously and she chastise me, I often misjudge her that she hates me but now I realize that she loves me more than I can imagine. There are countless times I am as broke as a broke ass and she comes around to rescue me and save me from shame and segregation from my friends and those women who are just after my downfall and shame who pretend to be the ladies in my life. Funny enough, this lady in question might have no knowledge that she is the lady in my life but if she search inside of her she will know that she is mine and I can do anything for her as long as she remains faithful, loyal and do not treat me like she treats other guys who are six fit underground facing judgment now or who are almost six fit under the ground. If you are not convinced about the lady in my life that she is all mine and loyal, what about the pledges that she made to me, she said, after loving me she couldn’t love another that was after she had told those other men that she loved them, and then she found me and said this pledge and promise. Before I fell in love with her, I remember always pleading if she can give me the permission to touch her there, touching her deeply, I mean her heart the way she touches mine and to my greatest dismay she exclaimed “Yes baby!”. Very well, I will be explaining this aspect of her touching my heart; with her tender hands she touched my fragile heart and thought me how to love. You might call me insane, yes I am for her. I really wish I can help it or you can be in my shoes to experience what I am experiencing with the love of my life. Funny isn’t it, how people look out for the crash of our love and how with their great cynicism we become stronger with those things they expect to make us weak. When love captures you, you either go blind or you go insane…

2Face Idibia, Tiwa Savage, P-Square, M.I, Ice Prince & More to Perform at Star Music Trek 2013

Nigerian superstars which include; 2Face Idibia, D’banj, Psquare, M.I, Wande Coal, Seyi Shay, Ice Prince, Naeto C, Timaya, Tiwa Savage, Olamide and Dr Sid are among the artists selected to perform at this year’s Star Trek Music Trek. Some days ago a star studded sign-on ceremony, which officially heralded Star Music Trek 2013 took place at Rhapsody Lounge, Victoria Island. The exclusive event had in attendance celebrities, industry top shots, consumers as well as media present at the venue. Other artists who were signed also include Obesere, KCee, J Martins, Kas, Phyno, Yinka Best, Mr Raw, Juke Box, Da Beatz and Obesere, KCee, J Martins, Kas, Phyno, Yinka Best, Mr Raw, Juke Box, Da Beatz and Crystalz. This year the musical event will span 10 weeks and take place in 10 cities across the country namely; Aba, Abeokuta, Agege (Lagos), Asaba, Enugu, Festac (Lagos), Lokoja, Nnewi, Owerri, and V.I (Lagos) and will kick off on Saturday 8th June 2013.

THE CONCEPT OF NIGERIA'S CITIZENSHIP- By Omoniyi Oluwafeyikemi

INTRODUCTION The concept of the Nigerian citizenship can only be said to be meaningful or not when there is a thorough analysis of what the concept “citizenship” means. Citizenship, it is claimed, ‘is as old as settle human community’ with groups and tribes in specific territories developing rudimentary social contract for mutual benefit. According to T.H Marshal; “citizenship is the statue conferred on an individual as a member of a country. Citizenship is governed by the norm of reciprocity the imperative which compels an individual to serve the state in exchange for his rights. The concept of citizenship has long acquired the connotation of a conglomeration of rights, which includes political participation in the life of the community- the right to vote and be voted for. It also includes the right to receive certain basic protection from the state. Citizenship is most closely identified with being a member of a particular nation. Citizenship is the state of being a member of a particular social, political, national or human resource community. According to the dictionary, citizenship is the character of an individual, viewed as a member of a particular society; behavior in terms of duties, obligations and functions as a citizen. Also, citizenship denotes a link between a individual and a state, under international law, citizenship is synonymous to nationality although the two have different meanings. A person who does not have citizenship of any state is regarded as being stateless. However, the term ‘citizenship’ could also be applicable at sub-national levels. It could entail an identity and such identity could be defined in multiple terms: a member of a nation-state, a member of an ethnic group or a member of a communal group within an ethnic group. All humans ought to be active citizens of the community in which they find themselves as the concept is identified with membership of a political community or a particular country and carries with it, rights to political participation. Historically, many states limited citizenship to only a proportion of their population, thereby creating a citizen class with political rights, superior to other sections of the population. Full citizenship which meant not only civil rights under the law but also the right to vote in elections and stand for parliament was originally limited to a privileged minority of the population. Citizenship in the modern state should not only be based on what legal rights citizens have what they can expect from their government, but should also be based on citizenship as an active political role. In some western countries, residents from other countries having met some laid down requirements are entitled to political rights such as the right to vote in local and national elections and in some cases even the right to stand for elections. Citizenship in its modern form consists of three essential and central propositions: the notion of individual and human rights, the idea of political participation and the principles of socio-economic welfare. The entrenchment of these basic constituents of citizenship will go a long way in resolving the dynamics of conflict in any political community. Also, in a modern state structure, the acceptance of ethnic and cultural groups that are not indigenous to the majority can represent one of the greatest challenges, yet this diversity could be an enormous asset if these differences I identity, culture and values are treated as an advantage that can strengthen and enrich them, not as a threat. National citizenship in Nigeria is far from being resolved and this inability is due to the fact that various ethnic groups that compose the Nigerian nation state have conceived different attitudes to Nigerian Citizenship. In the Nigerian system, there are ways of acquiring citizenship. According to chapter 3, section 27 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria [1990], a person is a Nigerian by birth if the parents or grandparents belong to a community indigenous to Nigeria even if given birth to outside Nigeria so far as the parents are Nigerians. A person can also be a Nigerian through registration. A British woman who is or has been married to a Nigerian becomes a Nigerian through registration. To qualify for this, the individual must be a person of good character, must have shown a clear intention to be domiciled in Nigeria, the individual must have taken the oath of allegiance. A person can also be a citizen of Nigeria through naturalisation if the person has; resided in Nigeria for a continuous period of fifteen years. To qualify for this, the individual must be of full age and capacity, must be of good character, must have shown the intention to live, the Governor of the state he resides in, must certify him acceptable to the local community he is to live in permanently, must be a person capable of making useful contribution to the progress of Nigeria have taken the oath of allegiance. Though there are other forms of citizenship such as dual citizenship and honorary citizenship, Nigeria majorly recognizes the three mentioned above. Nigeria does have identity differences which have heightened to the point of political significance bringing about the incidence and outbreak of conflict in the country. The Nigerian state promotes indigenity, it does not promote citizenship. The term ‘indigenity’ is coined from the word ‘indigene’ which means a person who is not pat of a particular sect or ethnic group of a particular country or nation state. Indigenity is simply a segregational term commonly used in the Nigerian state to distinguish between the indigenous or native of a state or locality and those who are referred to as non-indigene or settlers. It is a common way of being hostile to complete strangers who come to live in that community. In Nigeria, the success of a particular region to hold onto power since independence due to an erroneous belief in the strength of its geographical and numerical size ha succeeded in generating a sense and feeling of alienation and marginalization on the part of other regional groups. Where minority groups are divided in an ethnically diverse community especially where a majority group is in control of power, they find their citizenship status threatened and as such, this sense of relative deprivation has the tendency of breaking into conflict especially with the ethnic group in power For example, a Urobo woman who comes to live in Osun State in Nigeria, might have problem with the indigenes of the community because of the language barrier. Her language is foreign to them, while their language is foreign to her. In some cases, she may not be able to go to the market to buy things also because of communication barrier but majorly because people are not willing to help because she is an “alien”. This in turn can make her live the place dejected and go back to the place where she came from. This can cause a dangerous ethnic conflict that can result into war because, if she goes back to her place in Urobo and tells her people what she suffered in the hands of the other ethnic group, this breeds some kind of animosity to the ethnic group. As a result of Nigeria’s history of electoral fraud, elections often have been associated with political tension, crisis or violence. Inter-ethnic/regional tensions and conflicts are also on the increase. Unfortunately, in the 2011 elections, southern politicians were exerting pressure to retain power, while northern politicians insisted that power should revert to their region. This has made every successive election progressively worse than the ones before it. However, the 2011 election is widely believed to be better in terms of integrity; there was an impartial or balanced system of conducting the elections and verifying election results. There were politically independent and trained election officials, there were party representatives overseeing the electoral processes, there were accessible polling places, secure ballot boxes and transparent ballot counting. There were also legal mechanisms ad processes to ensure that elections were conducted properly and tribunals to see redress where the parties are dissatisfied with the result; yet, the presidential election divide the country along ethnic and religious lines. This also applies to people who come to reside in the country or in a particular state is segregated and left to sort themselves and this same 1999 constitution states that every citizen of Nigeria has full rights and privileges so far as he is domiciled in the country. But, so far, it has been noticed that not all Nigerians have the full pledged rights of a citizen. Also for example, the 1999 constitution limited the guarantee of property rights with the incorporation into the constitution of the Land Use Act which began in the 1979 constitution. The land use act of 1979 abolished all private ownership of land and transferred it to the state free from any obligation to pay compensation to whoever is affected, but it is still in this country that someone still claims the land a foreigner or a non-indigene wants to get as his inheritance from his father or great-grand father. It is in this same country that no law enforcement official comes to the aid of this foreigner. Is it that the constitution is no more valued or is it that people are now more powerful than the law that they are not bound by it and can freely do what they want and get away with it? It is still in this country that you see a Hausa man who resides in a local community of the Ibo tribe and immensely contributing his quota to the development of the community and also Nigeria but is still being denied fundamental rights such as the right to vote and be voted for, though he might have lived in the place for more than fifteen years, he also may not be able to speak in some gatherings or attend some functions because he is still not regarded as an indigene of that community. It is also applicable to foreigners who come into a country and have lived in the country for over a space of time. Some are not able to vote and be voted for. In The United States Of America, Barack Obama who was a black man, from Kenya, became a president after residing in the country for over a period of time. This is because their constitution still binds and no one is above the law. In a modern state structure citizens join political parties and campaign for the candidate of their choice they accept the fact their party may not always be in power. Aristotle saw the citizen as a political being who took turns in ruling and being ruled. However, Nigerians resort to religious and sectarian discourse while campaigning and this could be dangerous as such a discourse could and has led to violence. Politics ought not to have any link with religion or ethnicity. According to Femi Taiwo, Nigerian citizenship is merely geographical, it is without a moral ideological content – part of what typifies citizenship, especially in the modern state is de-emphasizing of geography and other natural facts in its composition. The freedom to locate anywhere outside the boundaries of one’s geopolitical zone is inherently non-existent in Nigeria. This is why a citizen of Nigeria who resides in a state other than his state of origin, no matter how long can still not take part in the political life of his state of residence. Citizenship in Nigeria is only operative at the home land level. The Nigerian constitution makes no distinction between the rights of a citizen and of inhabitants of a political community who are not indigenous to that community; so there ought not to be discrimination and thus rivalry. The people of Nigeria may have various over-lapping identities based on such factors such as religion, race, ethnicity and social class, yet the single identity possessed by all citizens is a civil identity – it is the tie that holds us together in a single democratic political order and thus we all still remain citizens of Nigeria, regardless of which par of the country we find ourselves in. ever eligible Nigerian citizen should be allowed to take part in the political life of the country and of his state of residence irrespective of his state of origin. Nigerian citizenship should stop being operative at the home land level. In conclusion, I am of the opinion that on a theoretical level (letter), the concept of Nigerian citizenship is meaningful but on the practical level of the ways things are being carried out, it is nothing to write about. Certain examples have been given above to show the laws binding citizenship in Nigeria and also to show how the country has failed to follow the constitution. I would implore that rapid measures be taken to follow the constitution before it gets worse than this. A nation that does not carry out her own duties to her citizens should not expect the citizens to in turn serve the state.

Morgan Freeman sleeps off during a Live TV interview

The Actor who is 75years old was caught sleeping on live TV during an interview with Fox News. The interview was done with the aim of promoting his latest movie 'Now You See Me' with fellow actor Michael Caine, who is 80years old. Michael Caine was answering a question when Morgan Freeman fell into a deep sleep...but woke up moments later and fully joined the interview. After the video went viral, Morgan released a statement to E! News saying: "I wasn’t actually sleeping, I’m a beta tester for Google Eyelids. I was merely updating my Facebook page". #LOL!!! He was actually sleeping, the statement is just a play off with Google Glass, a device which is supposed to allow users to update their social networks through a pair of glasses and access the internet through voice commands.

THE BODY OF LATE LITERARY ICON, PROF. CHINUA ACHEBE ARRIVED NIGERIA

The body of late literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe arrived Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport Abuja, as at yesterday, May 21, where it was received by government officials. The late icon's body was then flown to Enugu aboard a private plane en-route his hometown, Ogidi, Anambra state, where it was received by Achebe's elder brother, Chief Augustine Achebe, other family members and state govt officials. This is in preparation of his burial ceremony to be held Thursday May 23, 2013.

WIZKID FLUNT HIS NEW CAR

Recently Star Boy Wizkid shared on Instagram, images of his newly acquired sleek Porsche Panamera S. Posing next to the sleek car with a price ranging from $75,000 to $175,000 depending on the spec. What a life these guys must be living...

Coolest Picture of the Week

As Peter and Cameron Okoye strike a pose...

HOLD ON!!!! IS ILLUMINATI AT IT AGAIN?

Kim Kardashian uploads a picture of Kanye West's new album, Yeezus... confirming his narcissistic title choice. What do you think pals?

THIS IS FOR THE LADIES; CAN YOU SPEND $3.8 million (570M Naira) ON A BAG?

The Mouawad's 1001 Nights Diamond Purse - $3.8 million Officially certified by Guinness World Records the Mouawad 1001 Nights Diamond Purse is now the most expensive designer handbag in the world at $3.8 million. The heart-shaped purse is handcrafted from 18kt gold and has 4,517 diamonds (4,356 colorless, 105 yellow, 56 pink) with a total weight of 381.92 carats. It was made by ten artisans who worked on it for a total of 8,800 hours. Why and Why not cant you get it?

Draft...

Pick Your Choice...

WHY SEX SELLS

COPIED! I honestly have never paid much attention to her, but suddenly when I read that ‘someone’ in Nigeria – don’t worry it wasn’t Dare – paid $500,000 ( that is over N80 million Naira if you didn’t know) as appearance fee to have Kim Kardarshian make the briefest appearance in the history of Nigerian showbiz, I got interested in her, very interested. I was not as interested in the fee as I became interested in what a woman who could attract such a fee does and what she represents. What female personality will draw that kind of sensational attention from our garbage consuming Nigerian public? Kim – to any seasoned image manager – is the obvious choice! The real question then is, Who is Kim? Wiki describes her as an American socialite and TV personality who came to light in the event of winning a court case where she got awarded a $5,000,000 over the issue of a sex tape. Kim’s fame has grown on the followership she has garnered on her family reality show – Keeping up with the Kardarshians. Kim and her sisters also co-own a fashion line called D-A-S-H. In 2011, Kim got married to a basketballer and then sensationally got a divorce 72 days after. She is also in an ongoing relationship with Kanye West and expecting his baby. I am not going to bore you with stuff you already know about her, but Kim’s life does not read like one of an ideal role model. Yet Kim represents all that is trendy, entertaining and is considered the good life to us today – She is Sexy, and she represents Sensuality. Permit me take a quick detour to the real issue at this point. It has become weird what we term ‘fashion’, what we call trendy, and what is in vogue today – the things that ‘trip‘ us. It’s a wonder the phrase ‘common sense’ still exists especially as our sense of what is important, really has flown out of the window. Trends seem to havereplaced our common sense. This lack of common sense is most evident in our lifestyle, fashion, entertainment and moral culture. The sad thing is we really don’t realize that this is a war we are losing – The war to keep our sanity and our souls and those of coming generations. Let me take fashion first. Today it seems so normal that people consider ‘nakedness’ a fashion statement. Everywhere we go now, we see boobs and laps flapping around like flags in the wind. Ladies with cleavages as open as bedroom windows and clothes so tight, even their skin can’t catch a breath. Most of what we call fashion today 15 -20 years ago would have been referred to as outfits only fit for harlots. Men today are wearing skinny jeans that were called leggings back in the day, outfits only fit for faggots, boys sagging jeans and looking like touts out of American correctional facilities. We live with these things everyday, and it is no longer an anomaly. What am I saying that is new anyway? However, what it is doing to our minds is where the real problem is. Our minds have dulled beyond recognition, warped beyond conscious awareness. It seems we now think we live in a virtual reality, where what we do, does not affect our lives. We push the bounds of choice, daring to do anything in order to enjoy ourselves, get noticed, using the liberty and freedom we have to break all laws of moral restraint, and yet somehow we think we can evade the inevitable consequences of our choice? The biggest lie we tell ourselves is that it really doesn’t matter. Recently, I stood at the entrance waiting to catch an 18-year-old cousin of mine that I found out would sneak out of school to go celebrate her birthday party at a night club. As I stood there and watched the Lagos night life unfold, I saw several young girls of her age coming out of cabs in the most outrageous outfits. Skimpies, shorties, and slickies, clothes with more holes and see-through, that any rag would have seemed less torn. Young pretty girls between the ages of 16 – 21 entered the club in droves and, I wondered how so many fathers would be asleep thinking their daughters are in bed, while the girls are out at night selling sex. Did I hear you say ahan! Are they all having sex in nightclubs? No that is definitely not what I am saying but the clothes and lifestyle is one that sells sex, saying ‘Hey, I am old enough, I can have sex and I am available’. Again most nightclubs are filled with harlots waiting to pick up men for commercial sex. How then do we tell a harlot from a regular girl? Our fashion and clothes that we wear today leave no way for us to tell. No wonder the term lady and bitch can be used in one sentence these days. In entertainment, musicians seem to have nothing else to sing about. I bought an 18 track album released by Iyanya recently and all I heard was omoge oloson gbewa o!, ’your waist…your waist all I want is your waist’, Kukere kukere, I getti money o!, Sex mama oya kajo mama, her yansh dey make me maga. At the Africa Magic Viewers Choice awards AMVCA awards Ike, the presenter of the big brother Africa competition said he wondered what people liked about Iyanya’s music, especially as it seemed to have no evident message other than sex. In fairness to Iyanya, I once heard he said when he was making proper music, we the public, didn’t buy his tapes. His accusation means that we sub-consciously­ prefer obscenities in our music these days to sensible music. Today he dishes us crap and we lap it up greedily and he is not the only one. Is it Wizkid or the Ice prince or D’banj that has anything else to say? They all just sell sex, money, fame and sex again. Our movies are no better. The Tonto Dikehs, Ini Edos Uche Jombos and Mercy Johnsons seem to be trying harder and harder to reveal more and more. It is said that these things are a reflection of our society…a society constantly trying to copy and consume western culture without counting the cost. Our moral culture which really is what we call ‘common sense’- is a sense of right and wrong which we all commonly agree to. Did we all agree that nakedness and lewd dressing are the next level of sociocultural advancement? At what point in time did we all come to a consensus that sex and sexuality are the most important things to us in life? This uncontrolled consumption of sex and sexuality is the reason for the indigestion of social sicknesses we see in our environment. Rape, homosexuality, prostitution, child molestation, divorce, STD’s, broken homes, infidelity, to mention only a few are the order of the day. Today I woke to find trending, a video of another set of boys gang-raping a girl who was begging and wailing as the boys recorded their wicked lasciviousness.­ As usual the public outcry and the man-hunt for the perpetrators begin again until a few weeks from now when the public’s conscience settles down, we all forget and go back to minding our businesses until the next event that goes public happens again. We do nothing but bleat like sheep as the evil continues. Have we ever stopped to ask why these evils don’t go away? No, it is not only the devil that is at fault. We all are part of this vicious circle of evil. How are we complicit you may ask? Simple, because every man has refused to take up his communal responsibilitie­s and decided to mind only his own business. For instance, you may ask, what is my business with a road-side seller who has decided to pitch his tent at my junction to sell pornographic videos? Well, who do you think is going to buy those videos? Your friends, your sons, your house boys, your neighbours sons, your mechanic, your guard, your laundryman. Who do you think they are going to want to test it out on? Your daughters, your sisters, your girlfriends, or even your wife and possibly every lady you know. The truth is, every sexual vice we permit in the name of liberalism, sophistication and social tolerance will rear its ugly head in a place too close for comfort. The sexual perversion and subtle hints we permit in our movies, music, fashion and wave aside as no big deal, have their manifestations in the sexual vice in the environments we live in. The boys we see in the molestation videos today are a product of several hours and days on end, spent watching all the different forms of pornography, boys who feel the pent-up pressure of the social perversion we permit and now seek release in acts of rape and violence. I fear that sociopaths and psychopaths are soon to manifest in our society, a malaise that plagues the western world that we are so quick to emulate. What can we then do? We may ask how did our demon-believing­ ancestors keep the devil and his cohorts at bay in the dark ages. Why does it seem that our morals were better in the age of darkness than in the age of enlightenment? I will tell you why. When the villages were ravaged by diseases and death, the people would repent and together they would go and swear before their gods that they will not commit offences real or perceived anymore, and the people would hold themselves responsible by ensuring that whosoever grieved the gods were pushed or cast out or killed. This culture however barbaric and archaic, had its social benefit. This cultural mien is today called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). All of us must understand that the solution starts with us all, realizing that we have a responsibility to be our brothers and sisters keepers, understanding that what afflicts one afflicts all. So if your neighbour’s daughter is behaving in an unbecoming manner, it is your responsibility to speak to her and where appropriate, reports to her parents may be required. We still have a lot to learn from the past, and if we were to ask what God’s opinion is about all this… this article will not end. Not all of our cultural heritage is bad, and God’s ways still seem most relevant, let’s not lose it all in the name of selling modern sensuality. My opinion, what is yours? Enjoy

MY LIFE, MY STORY… in 2012 (MY BIRTHDAY MESSAGE)

Funny how life can be, I have been living with this grief and sorrow for over many months and I have decided to hold them back pretending and hoping everything will be fine. I know I am not the first nor I am going to be the last to experience failure, but belief me not, I have experienced some massive failure and draw backs in my life in 2012. My heart confronts me not to write these thoughts of mine down not even to post them to my friends and readers to have a pip into the life I am living and sorrow I have been going through. Actually, it is time to break that silence and cry out those tears stored in my tear bank until I have no reason to cry no more. I have been broken by my failures and I have fallen by my faults, really I need to pick myself up and mend my broken wings, pathetic how most times I see myself as a walking copse, because I see myself failing in most things I get myself involved in, whether; academically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually and what have you. I choose to speak up because so many youths my age are facing similar psychological masturbation and depression and decide to keep it to their hearts and commit vicious act, but I don’t want my story to end that way. Sadly, how I was broken to the point to think that God is interested in punishing me and He careless about me. I am always also confronted by the fear of the future even after believing that I have a bright future set in place to assist my peers and helpless youths and children in the world, I still question my existence and His’ as well. Most times I am being frustrated into cursing the country and putting all blames of my shortcomings as the fault of the government. Every day, I erode my mind with thoughts of becoming successful, I develop the zeal of doing great things but most times I am pushed by my failures into thinking that God is not in support of making me successful either because of my sins or my fathers. This is not the way I want to live my life, sitting on the fence and folding my hands without moving things or making things happen I can beat my chest to repeatedly say. I am now seen as a laughing stock, mockery and tagged as a failure by my peers, friends and foes at school and at home. I have visited so many counselling centres in Lagos and Ibadan, I get the same rather pathetic advice and saying “keep doing what you do, it is just the experience and the storm you are supposed to face, you will end well to be successful in whatever you do…” And I still can’t figure out where the problem is coming from aside from the fact that something is wrong with me. I have heard and read about it, “nothing good comes easy” or “all success stories come with a prize or some challenges”; maybe you all don’t know when I have been on the street hustling or where I am coming from. My family and background is another kind of a rueful story, as we go through some ‘life painful experiences’. Talking about my dad( I will avoid talking about his academic qualification and background because it doesn’t flow with what he is going through today), all I can say is that, he usually sit on a chair located in one of the two rooms in our ‘face me and face me’ apartment, my dad sits there thinking and feeling pathetic about how life is treating him, he even gets frustrated to the point of accusing my mom as a witch responsible for his failure and shortcoming in life, what a gross depression he must be going through(intellectual masturbation I call it, despite his degree of education). He stopped fending for the family and stop paying his children school fees all with the excuse that he invested money in a business that flopped and he has to keep paying debts for the rest of his life, what a pathetic life you may say. Lets stop for now about my dad and begin talks about my mom, she is out there feeding four children of hers, I didn’t say five because one of us who is a lady after me have decided to feed herself and leave the house since she was fifteen(15), don’t ask me what kind of job she is involved in because I am not going to answer, but every day I pray in my mind that God touches her and bring her back into the family(maybe to continue suffering with us) so that my mom can be happy. Back to my mom, she is always stressed out and share in the frustration of my dad’s, even though she pretends to be fine so as not to make us feel sad, I can see them(frustration and unhappiness) in her face as she starts developing a black face with stress on it when things left frying pan to fire in the family. She earns around seventy thousand naira per months from her place of work and she has two kids who are in the university struggling to get a good grade and she have one who recently secure admission into a private college where he can study Education Management, while lastly she has her last kid in a private missionary primary school, I wonder how she can survive. Well, God has being providing and helping her in many ways to be able to get money to finance all her expenses and that of her children. Many a time she console my dad by telling him not to think of money as a problem but should be thankful and happy about the fact that the family has good health, i was almost in doubt of her claim or consoling words when myself and my elder brother had to go through a life and death illness. I can’t say what really happened or caused it but I can say it was God who rescued us and made us alive, my little sister (the last born) is not left out of this ill-fated sickness that has come to rob my mom and the family the last of our happiness and hope. Consequently, before now I use to read books and hear talks that opines that your background shouldn’t stop you from achieving your dreams and living your ideas, but apparently, those sayings seems to be false to me as even after ignoring my background and gathering resources for myself and decided to work on my ideas and my dreams I encountered the biggest failure of my life, ignoring my background and living by the words of some of these sweet talkers. ‘My life!’, I usually exclaim for every little thing that happens, it is very pitiable when I recall all the money, time and academic sacrifice I have put in the line to become successful in the publishing industry, only to lose all of them to challenges that I can’t pinpoint. But I am grateful today that I am alive, hale and healthy coupled with the fact that life has thought me lessons that I cannot forget. Conclusively, this is not a grief message or write-up but an essay filled with hope and great aspirations that the future will be bright for me as I undergo the process of learning life teachings. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME AS I CLOCK 24YEARS OF AGE TODAY MARCH 15 2013.