Ikoyi Club holds Inaugural Kitty tomorrow

http://ift.tt/2mGNHeP

Ikoyi Club 1938

Setting a tone for activities at the club over the next 12 months, the newly elected committee at the golf section of Ikoyi Club 1938 will hold its inaugural kitty tomorrow.

Club captain, Bayo Alli, who will take charge of the club in the next 12 months, will be the leading factor in the one-day event that will also serve as the its monthly mug.

Alli, who took over from Lanre Kalejaiye in February, will be assisted in running the club by the vice captain, Brigadier-General Musbau Amolegbe (rtd), Jide Aborishade and Johnson Toriola (Projects Officers), as well as Meckson Innocent Okoro and Ifeyinwa, who are the sponsorship officers.

Tayo Rotimi is in charge of Strategy & Planning, Col. Paul Obi (rtd) and Dele F. are House Officers, Magnus Macaulay is the Caddy Officer, George Eke and Osas E. will act as club Secretaries, while Tim Ayomike is the course officer.

Remi Olukoya and Tunji Tiamiyu are Competition Secretaries, while Ronke Iyiola is the lady captain in charge of the Ladies Section.Speaking ahead of the Inaugural kitty, Alli pleaded for the support of corporate organisations and members of the club, saying he needs their help to run the club well.
 
“We are hoping for a very good year ahead of us. I also know that to succeed in this assignment, we will need the support of every member of the club and our corporate organisations, especially in the area of sponsorship of tournaments and Projects,” he said.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mryIVW

Shorunmu worried about poor standard of Nigerian goalkeepers

http://ift.tt/2mpj8s0

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu

Former Super Eagles Goalkeeper, Ike Shorunmu, has expressed dismay over the deplorable standard of Nigerian net tenders. The former Stationery Stores captain also warned that if the situation was not arrested on time, the Super Eagles could be in danger of not finding goalkeepers good enough to meet the demands of international football.

Shorunmu told The Guardian yesterday that the basic factors affecting the development of goalkeepers in the country were poor foundation and the indifferent attitude of the players during their formative years.

He also said the current process of selecting goalkeepers does not meet the required standard, adding that goalkeepers with the right height, interest and reflexes were shortchanged for shorter players, some of who don’t have the basic attributes for the position.

Drawing from his active days, Shorunmu said most goalkeepers that exceled in the Super Eagles in the past including Peter Rufai, Alloy Agu, Wilfred Agbonavbare and Vincent Enyeama, among others, succeeded because they discovered their potential very early and started developing their skills to face the challenges of the game.

He urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and the League Management Company (LMC) to organize vibrant youth development programmes for goalkeepers and coaches, saying the move would help to produce quality goalkeepers for the country.

“It is very difficult for a goalkeeper to succeed if he does not have the basic height and qualities to function. In Nigeria of today, goalkeeping is an all comers affair as most youth dive into it out of joblessness.

“The Super Eagles had quality goalkeepers like Alloy Agu, Peter Rufai, Vincent Enyeama, myself and a host of others in the past because the Nigerian league produced players, who were hungry from their formative years to succeed in the art. You should also understand that these days, people lay much emphasis on money because of poverty.

“The goalkeepers in the Nigerian league should be paid well to motivate the younger ones to work hard for success. Adequate facilities should also be provided for the goalkeepers to train to meet international standard,’’ he said.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mpdqX8

NBC threatens broadcast stations over N5bn debt

http://ift.tt/2mpmfAf

Is’haq Modibo Kawu, director general, National Broadcasting Commission

Mr. Is’haq Modibo Kawu, director general, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has issued a three-week ultimatum to all broadcasting stations in the country to pay all their outstanding licence fees or face sanctions including possible shut down.

Kawu, said that it was regrettable that many broadcast stations operating in Nigeria have refused to pay their license fees amounting to N5 billion and threatened to invoke all relevant laws against erring stations to recover the debt.

The NBC who spoke in Abuja said that “There are very worrisome issues in our operations. The first is the situation whereby many stations have refused to pay their licence fees; even the statutory act of informing the NBC, six months before the expiration of licence and signifying intention to continue as a licencee is ignored.

“Our licencees carry on as if they have their licences for keeps and the NBC cannot withdraw licences. It is important to remind us all that all licences are provisional, no matter how long you have held them. And for emphasis, I want to let you know that stations are owing over N5 billion as licence fees. I will like to use this medium to inform you, that the NBC would be invoking the relevant laws against erring stations.

Consequently, all stations without exception are expected to complete all payments owed to the Commission by March 15, 2017,” he said.Illegal and rampant use of transmission power, Kawu, said that the Commission was equally worried by the illegal and rampant use of transmission power by stations all over Nigeria. According to him, some stations procured transmitters without respecting the stipulated and recommended transmitter power in city-based FM stations.

“The consequence of this is that we have frequency clashes occurring all over Nigeria. As of yesterday, we had compiled a total of 69 stations around Nigeria, that have installed transmitters beyond the transmitter power stipulated in their licenses, and that is not even exhaustive,” he said.

On hate speech, he said: “I would like to draw your attention to the dangerous trend of hate speech that has become a major problem in our country today.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mrCFcY

3 reasons people don’t meet their sales targets

http://ift.tt/2nbWLXb

<img src="http://ift.tt/2nbWLXb&quot; alt="" width="1280" height="721" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-251402" srcset="http://ift.tt/2nbWLXb 1280w,http://ift.tt/2n5uOTX 640w,http://ift.tt/2ncfgL2 1062w,http://ift.tt/2n5uN2l 320w,http://ift.tt/2nbZ5NA 281w,http://ift.tt/2n5GhDh 562w,http://ift.tt/2nc5Pes 531w,http://ift.tt/2n5t50U 487w,http://ift.tt/2ncaBsz 974w,http://ift.tt/2n5rIj1 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px"https://cdn.gdn.ng/, if not, there will be no progress. I hear people say things like, “the market is dry”, or “I’m not a natural sales person,” this is equal to saying, “Making money is not natural to me.”

Poor work ethic: In other words laziness. When you assume a new sales or business role the first thing is to use the law of 100 which involves contacting 100 people within the next week to talk to them about your product. This will help you breakthrough any initial fears of rejection and get the awareness of your product into the market. Another aspect of poor work ethic is broken focus. When you’re following up, be following up; when you’re prospecting, be prospecting, not doing these and calling friends or hanging out on Social Media.

No sales skills: No skill in giving a sales presentation or handling objections or asking for money or getting referrals or prospecting or identifying needs or qualifying prospects. How then can they sell? No skill, no sales. Iyore Ogbuigwe is a sales coach

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mrA7LP

Economic recovery plan hinged on science, technology, innovation

http://ift.tt/2mZfXap

Minister of Planning and National Budget, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma

The Nigerian Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) will be driven by Science, Technology and Innovation, with the youths being targeted to deliver the plan, the Minister of Budget and National Planning Minister, Senator Udoma Udo Udoma, has disclosed.

Senator Udoma, while receiving the Country Representative of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Mohammed Malick Fall, in Abuja at the weekend, said government is working strategically to address the economic challenges of the country with appropriate attention focused on young people, who are the source of the country’s economic strength.

He said the ERGP, the country’s medium term plan, is tailored in such a way that it will be driven largely by ideas and innovation, areas where the young people have comparative advantage, particularly in high-tech perspectives that will urgently transform the economy.

The Minister told the UNICEF delegation that the Federal Government was ever ready to collaborate and partner with development agencies who are in the country to assist in beneficial development programmes.

Even as he stressed the importance of financial assistance, the Minister noted that as important as funding is in executing programmes, it is not sufficient without ideas and technical assistance to guide spending. Funding, technical support and good policies are the ingredients required for successful accomplishment of projects, he added.

While acknowledging UNICEF’s assistance efforts, particularly in the areas of Health, Water, Sanitation and Youth Development, Senator Udoma encouraged the organisation to always collaborate with his Ministry in its project plans to avoid overlaps with the efforts of other multilateral agencies and donor partners; and duplication of provisions in the country’s development plans.

He said the ERGP which has been concluded is expected to deliver on five key broad outcomes, namely: a stable macroeconomic environment, agricultural transformation and food security, sufficiency in energy (power and petroleum products), improved transportation infrastructure and industrialization focusing on small and medium scale enterprises.

The plan, according to a statement signed by the Media Adviser to the minister, Akpandem James, envisaged that by 2020, Nigeria would have made significant progress towards achieving structural economic change with a more diversified and inclusive economy. This he added, will heavily depend on young people who apart from their bubbling energy and fresh ideas, are also more technology savvy.

UNICEF Country Representative, Fall, said the organization will continue to engage with government on technical issues and as well as make available experiences from different parts of the world towards tackling challenges that fall within its assistance mandate areas.

He pointed out that policy dialogue, best practices, and experiences from other parts of the world have a better chance of solving challenges than the level of donor funding.

The Representative said UNICEF is more particular about water and sanitation challenges in its current approach to dealing with health matters because no matter the amount of focus on Health, if these two areas are not properly addressed, all the efforts would be worthless
He agreed to collaborate with the Ministry to ensure that there is an alignment of efforts in executing the agencies programmes for the benefit of the people.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mPQhA8

Fayose, Daniel, others pass vote of confidence in Makarfi

http://ift.tt/2lQ0ZSm

Fayose

• Ekiti gov asks Obasanjo to return his N10m ‘forced donation’
• Why we can’t work with Sheriff now, by PDP secretariat workers

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened as some party leaders in the South-West yesterday passed a vote of confidence in the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee.

They described the court that recognised Senator Ali Modu Sheriff’s group as “usurpers” that did not mean well for the party.The leaders, who met in Ado-Ekiti under the aegis of South-West PDP, also declared support for the party’s appeal against the judgment of the Appeal Court, which validated the Sheriff-led executive.

Speaking at the meeting, Fayose said even if political solutions are to be preferred to the crisis, there are “some dirty elements we don’t know what they sold abroad to make money that we cannot sit together in the same party.”

The party leaders at the event included Governor Ayo Fayose, his deputy, Dr. Kolapo Olusola; former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Senator Iyiola Omisore, former PDP Deputy Chairman, Chief Bode George; former PDP National Vice Chairman, Mr. Tajudeen Oladipo and Senator Kofo Akerele-Bucknor, among others.

In another development, Fayose has asked former President Olusegun Obasanjo to return the N10 million he donated to his library project with interest to avoid embarrassment.

He said that all the 30 governors under the platform of the PDP in 2005 were forced to donate N10 million to the multi-billion naira project, describing this as the greatest fraud ever.

Fayose, who advised former President Obasanjo to stop seeing himself as a saint, said: “We were compelled to make the donation as PDP governors in 2005 and now I need the return of my money with interest.”

Meanwhile, members of staff of the national secretariat of the PDP have explained why they could not work with the Sheriff-led executive.The workers, who cited instances of continued violent disturbances at the secretariat, breaches of the PDP constitution and the Appeal Court judgment, as well as the pending case at the Supreme Court, said it was still very unsafe and insecure for them to resume work at the national secretariat.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2n8GjG9

A vibrating vest that can save heart attack victims

http://ift.tt/2mWKy7M

Designed to be worn straight after an attack, the special vest contains a device that generates low frequency soundwaves to make it vibrate and stimulate circulation to the heart.

The soundwaves spread across the chest and shake the heart and its blood vessels, breaking up blockages stopping blood flow.

Researchers, who are about to start a clinical trial at Mount Sinai Medical Center in the U.S., say that it reduces long-term, potentially fatal damage to the heart and enhances the effects of medication, as it opens up the arteries faster.

Every year, about 175,000 people in the UK have a heart attack — roughly one every three minutes.

They occur when the arteries that supply the heart muscle with oxygenated blood are blocked by a clot or a build-up of fatty deposits (plaque).

If the blood supply is cut off, that part of the heart muscle starts to die. A patient’s survival and any long-term damage hinge on how much muscle dies during the attack.

The smaller the area affected and the faster the blockage is removed, the greater the chance of survival and recovery.

In an emergency, paramedics give aspirin pills or glyceryl trinitrate spray under the tongue to increase blood supply to the heart by widening blood vessels.

But often patients need to be taken to hospital for life-saving medication to dissolve the blockages and surgery to keep the artery open.

The new treatment — upper torso vibro-acoustic stimulation — can be used by paramedics to clear arteries faster.

This, in turn, can increase the speed at which the anti-clotting drugs work by getting medication to the site of the blockage more quickly, report researchers in the online journal Cath Lab Digest.

The vest is fitted with a generator that sits over the chest. 

In the new trial, 15 heart attack patients will get the vests or standard drug treatment for 30 minutes immediately after a heart attack. Researchers will then monitor outcomes and heart health for six months.

Commenting on the technology, Dr Punit Ramrakha, a consultant cardiologist at the Hammersmith Hospital in London, says this kind of technology, known as therapeutic sound, has been used successfully in treating a variety of conditions for many years.

‘The challenge for use in heart attack patients is delivering the right frequency to the right place at the right time,’ says Dr Ramrakha.

‘There is some data from animal studies that this can be done safely and effectively.

‘The technology they are using here is interesting and novel, and this would be a much easier way to deliver therapeutic soundwaves.

‘If this study works, it will provide yet another way that we cardiologists can treat patients with heart attacks and reduce the long-term damage.’

The post A vibrating vest that can save heart attack victims appeared first on Vanguard News.

Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2mWP0TN

Doctors lower blood pressure with wire inside the brain

http://ift.tt/2lorEdD

Colin Fernandez Science Correspondent

British doctors treated a grandmother’s dangerously high blood pressure by inserting an electric wire in her brain in a world first.

Amely hoffmann, 55, had blood pressure that was so high she was at risk of suffering a stroke at any time.

her condition was resistant to conventional drugs, of which she had taken eight different kinds for more than ten years.

Desperate for a solution, she read online about a technique called Deep Brain stimulation (DBs) – used to control chronic pain and Parkinson’s disease – which was found to have the unexpected effect of also cutting blood pressure. this involves inserting a thin wire electrode into the brain and connecting it to a battery-powered pacemaker.

Mrs hoffmann, from Germany, contacted the UK team who made the blood pressure discovery in 2011 and volunteered to be a human guinea pig. she then travelled to Britain for the surgery at Frenchay hospital in Bristol. her blood pressure, although still high, has dramatically dropped.

Mrs hoffmann, a widow with four grown-up children and three grandchildren, said: ‘ Despite countless tests and check-ups, no one seemed to be able to find the cause. i was suffering from very intense headaches and endured sudden deafness or hearing loss.

‘I was told i was living under the constant risk of getting a stroke … i was worried for my children.’ in 2011, neurosurgeon Nik Patel of North Bristol Nhs trust, along with colleagues from Bristol University, discovered that stimulation of part of the brain called PAG – the periaqueductal grey region – brought down blood pressure by sending a signal to the heart to pump less forcefully.

Mrs hoffmann, who lives in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, north-east Germany, said: ‘i was afraid of the surgery itself.

‘Although i’ve had so many surgeries before, this was a completely different story. And yet, the fear that not even the DBs would work to finally bring down my blood pressure was even worse.’

Consultant cardiologist Dr Angus Nightingale, of the Bristol heart institute, said Mrs hoffmann’s blood pressure before treatment was the highest he had ever seen. Afterwards, she was able to come off all her blood pressure drugs except one, which needed to be reduced gradually.

she said: ‘the incredible difference the DBs made was obvious immediately after the surgery. the device was not even switched on, but placing the electrode in my brain and the resulting swelling alone brought down my blood pressure by about 150 mmhg.’

Mr Patel said he was hopeful the treatment could help other high blood pressure patients.

The post Doctors lower blood pressure with wire inside the brain appeared first on Vanguard News.

Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2loyHTI

Manage back pain with less sex

http://ift.tt/2mo7ksx

Men, especially those older, have been advised to engage in less sexual activities to manage back pain. Speaking under the topic Back and Spine Health at the Quarterly Health Talk of the Lagos Country Club, Ikeja, a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, Dr. Tunji Babalola said during sexual activity, the back aches involuntarily as to cause so much pain.

Defining the back as the place just behind the neck down to the waist he said, “Most patients have fracture at the back during sex but wouldn’t know because the sympathetic discharge won’t let you feel the pain as it has overridden everything at that stage.”

Babalola disclosed that studies have shown that other animals don’t have backaches. He pointed that back pain is the price human beings are paying for standing upright unlike all other animals who walks on four legs. He said once there’s an injury to the back, it can never remain the same.

Causes of back pain are inborn, developmental and acquired. The acquired is inescapable for all men and women as wear and tear sets in at old age. Poor sitting position is major reason humans experience back pain.

“When you sit, your feet should be on the floor at 90 degrees to your leg, leg also at 90 degrees to your thigh, while the thigh to your waist should also be at 90 degrees. And there should also be backrests and armrests. This practice will allow wear and tear associated with old age to come at natural pace.”

Chairman, Health Committee, Lagos Country Club, Dr. Tunde Olujobi said the programme is timely putting into cognizance the global shift from curative healthcare to preventive.

The post Manage back pain with less sex appeared first on Vanguard News.

Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2mWZRgA

Popular heartburn drugs linked to kidney failure

http://ift.tt/2lorC5v

Taking popular heartburn drugs for prolonged periods has been linked to serious kidney problems, including kidney failure. The sudden onset of kidney problems often serves as a red flag for doctors to discontinue their patients’ use of so-called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which are sold under the brand names Prevacid, Prilosec, Nexium and Protonix, among others.

But a new study evaluating the use of PPIs in 125,000 patients indicates that more than half of patients who develop chronic kidney damage while taking the drugs don’t experience acute kidney problems beforehand, meaning patients may not be aware of a decline in kidney function, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System. Therefore, people who take PPIs, and their doctors, should be more vigilant in monitoring use of these medications.

The study, published in  Kidney International. Shows that the onset of acute kidney problems is not a reliable warning sign for clinicians to detect a decline in kidney function among patients taking proton pump inhibitors

The results indicate kidney problems can develop silently and gradually over time, eroding kidney function and leading to long-term kidney damage or even renal failure. Patients should be cautioned to tell their doctors if they’re taking PPIs and only use the drugs when necessary.

Millions suffer from heartburn, ulcers and acid reflux have prescriptions for PPIs, which bring relief by reducing gastric acid. Many millions more purchase the drugs over-the-counter and take them without being under a doctor’s care.

End-stage renal disease occurs when the kidneys can no longer effectively remove waste from the body. In such cases, dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed to keep patients alive.

The post Popular heartburn drugs linked to kidney failure appeared first on Vanguard News.

Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2lomy12

Learn about end time events – Part 2

http://ift.tt/2lBU67m

Pastor W. F. Kumuyi

The Lord is coming for a saved, sanctified and steadfast Church. And we must be prepared for this great event, which can happen any moment, by setting our “affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Every believer, who is expecting the rapture, must be watchful and sober, “looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Heaven, not the earth, is the final abode of saints, who remain faithful till the end.

Close on the heels of the rapture will be the Great Tribulation – a time of unprecedented suffering, devastation, damnation and doom. “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not seen since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” Sinners and believers, whose love for the Lord has waxed cold, will go through this period, if they fail to repent before the rapture.

The great tribulation will last for a period of seven years, characterised by suffering and trouble beyond what the children of Israel went through in Babylon or their affliction under General Titus, when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. Prophet Jeremiah described it as “…the time of Jacob’s trouble.” Indeed, the inhabitants of the earth, who reject the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, will experience great wrath from Satan, the Antichrist and the Almighty God.

However, the primary purpose of the great tribulation is to make the nation of Israel suffer, so that they will be ready for and cry to the Messiah (the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they reject at present), and to judge the unbelieving Gentile men and women of all ages. Before the Antichrist will begin to unleash his terror on the world, the Church will be taken away in the rapture. Christ will not leave His bride behind to go through the great tribulation. The suffering during this period will be so intense and terrible that hardly will anyone bear it. “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

Considering the anguish and perplexity that await unrepentant sinners and backsliders, the Lord expects us to show concern and promptly reach out to them with His saving gospel. Although there will still be opportunity for people to repent, those who receive the mark of the anti-Christ will be doomed forever in hell. We cannot afford to be indifferent and passive to the warnings of the Holy Spirit. We must hold on to the faith and the doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ, and continue to serve Him zealously, as we expect His imminent return.

There will, however, be a great summons of all nations of the earth before God’s presence for judgement. The Great White Throne Judgment will be set; it is the final judgment that God will bring upon those who neglect and reject His offer of salvation. Since the Almighty, Who knows those that truly belong to Him will be the Judge; no sinner will escape His righteous judgment. Everyone will be “judged out of those things, which were written in the books, according to their works.”

Anyone whose name is not found written in the Book of life will be banished to the lake of fire together with all categories of sinners; but believers will enjoy eternal bliss in God’s presence. The Lord wants us to constantly reflect on His word (doctrines) and allow it to produce the desired result in our lives. Daniel’s revelation concerning the end-time had a profound effect on him. “As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.” Since the coming of the Lord is drawing near, we must arise and labour for the salvation of the souls of men and warn them of imminent judgment.

Further Reading (King James Version): Matthew 24:3,14,25; 13:40-42,49,50; 24:32,33,42; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; John 14:1-3; Genesis 5:22-24; Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:3,5,9,11; Acts 1:8,9; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52; 1 Thessalonians 1:9,10; 5:9; Colossians 3:1-4; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 24:21,29,30; Deuteronomy 4:30; Jeremiah 30:6,7; Daniel 12:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12; Isaiah 13:6-10; Joel 2:1,11; Revelation 6:15-17; 9:6; 13:16-18; 14:9-11; 20:1-4; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:7; Daniel 7:9,10,28; Luke 16:24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:10,11.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2matdb9

The leadership Anambra deserves – Nwibe

http://ift.tt/2maAzeF

Nwibe

As political gladiators square up for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State holding later in the year, the Group Managing Director of SEGOFS Energy Group, Engr. Barth Emeka Nwibe, has declared his intention to run for the top job in Anambra State under the All Progressive Congress (APC) platform.

A native of Igbouwku in Aguata Local Council of the state, Nwibe, an accomplished oil and gas expert with specialisation in oil and gas drilling, exploration, production and engineering support, said he’s in the race to provide quality leadership for Ndi Anambra and by extension the Igbo race, which is in dire need of credible leaders with track records.

“Life is not just about being comfortable; there’s need for some of us to get involved in politics. I just realised there’s poverty in the land; our institutions are in bad shape due to poor leadership. As a successful businessman, yes you can try, but it’s only through politics that you can effectively impact your immediate environment. If people like us don’t get involved, then these other people will get there, make laws and do all sorts of things to control us. I’m in the race to provide credible leadership in Anambra State,” he said.

Having been in the oil and gas sector since 1987, Nwibe has worked for multinational service companies, as well as consulting for Shell Petroleum for five years. A widely traveled man, he attended several technical and management training courses related to oil and gas and energy sector in North America and Europe.

In 20016, Nwibe founded SEGOFS Energy Services Ltd, which comprise of SESL Drilling Services Ltd and CAD 2 Data Services Ltd, and has been the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer till date. The company is an upstream oil and gas firm with specialization in drilling, measurements and engineering services. He is also Chairman of 4CAST Engineering Company Ltd, Smart Drilling Services Ltd, Emery Nigeria Limited and Heartland Hydrocarbon Company Ltd.

Though not your typical career politician, Nwibe is also not new in the game of politics, having contested for the Federal House of Representatives seat in Anambra State. Though failed to make it to the Green Chamber, it was a learning experience for the engineer.

“Politics in our state Anambra had always been fixed in the past; it was always kind of rigged. People get together sometimes in a place, write results and announce them. Sometimes, they use the Police and Military and do whatever they want to do.”

On his knowledge of the grassroots, he said his previous attempt took him to meet the people.

“It made me know my local council very well; I visited a lot of communities within my local council, where I discovered that our schools are in shambles. I got to know what politics is, in terms of how reliable certain groups of people could be. It was a very good experience for me; it afforded me the opportunity of knowing certain things I would never have known if I hadn’t contested,” he said.

On his chances of picking the APC ticket and winning the election, especially with the caliber of contender in other parties, Nwibe said; “these people you are talking about are not popular on the ground; they don’t win popular elections. I know this time around, they are not going to have INEC, DSS and Police with them; they are going to come out and contest this election like every other person because of the time we are today; because of the politics of change.”

On the incumbency factor, which will likely work in favour Governor Willie Obiano, who is also seeking a second term, Nwibe explained that, “PDP had been manipulating things in Anambra State until APGA got into it. APGA was not standing alone; they did a deal with PDP. So, all the elections in Anambra State were always manipulated one way or the other. But I believe that times have changed because of the man we have today as the President; I think we are going to have a level playing ground in the election.”

He continued: “For the first time, the so-called powerful politicians will go and test their popularity on the ground. It wouldn’t be a situation where somebody stays in his house to write election results and announce. That’s what gives me confidence; I believe we will see real democracy in action this time around.”

As for Governor Obiano, he said “Willie Obiano wouldn’t be the first governor in Anambra State that did one tenure. I’m from Anambra South Senatorial Zone and if you recall, governor Mbadinuju did only fours years and our people felt he wasn’t doing well. One way or the other, he was voted out. I know he’s the incumbent, but our people will decide whom they want; that’s the beauty of democracy. He’s going to test his popularity and we know how he got into government and disappointed even the people that got him into power,” he said.

On the chances of his party APC in Anambra, he said, “I believe our people realised they made mistake in the last election, which clearly put us out of political equation in the country. Anambra today need somebody, who thinks differently and when I get there, I will do things differently; we will refocus Anambra for sustainable development. So, I’m not afraid of his incumbency powers; he will do his show and we will do our show,” he concluded.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2l7TyZA

ChoralFest International contest set to hold

http://ift.tt/2mao6ro

LASU music unit choir performing at the event

National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) held a mini-exhibition concert last week at the Ayo Babalola Centre for Arts and Cultural Expression, Surulere, Lagos. The concert was a collaborative effort between NCAC and Ayo Bankole Centre for Arts and Cultural Expression, organisers of ChoralFest International Nigeria.

The choral festival, which is open to any choir desirous of offering music, both sacred and secular, aims at responding to the economic challenges through youth empowerment, rural transformation and diversification of the nation’s resources. ChoralFest International Nigeria is also designed to promote choral music practice as well as engage with corporate sponsors for their value for money.

LASU Music Choir, led by David Aina, B-Clef Voices, led by Obafemi Ogundipe and Choral Beats, rendered impressive songs such as Omo oba sokoto, Ere Ayo, Ave Maria, Uwatata, Omode Meta and many other songs to the delight of the audience, which turned out in their numbers.

While emphasising the important of the festival, Chief Executive Officer of Characters Ltd, Oladele Ogunlana, went down memory lane and cited the example of how Southern slaves in America developed plantation songs that carried coded messages that only the they knew their meanings.

According to Ogunlana, “It was through these songs that information was passed around as a system of communication throughout the south. From the 19th century, however, academics began to take note of the musical traditions being lost and therefore initiated various efforts to preserve the music of the people.

“They sought that these songs be taught to school children with the hope of reviving and prolonging their popularity. At some point, composers of classical music developed a strong interest in collecting traditional songs while others carried out their own fieldwork on traditional music.

“Africa is a vast continent and its nations have distinct musical traditions. Naturally, the same goes for our Nigeria. We realise, however, that worldwide, there is a lot of traditional, folk music in the face of the rise of what is called popular music. It is not occurring at a uniform rate. Therefore, we must work together towards its preservation.”

Proposed events for the festival, which will hold in August, would be regional competitions in which participants would be adjudged in classical, traditional and contemporary music styles in junior and senior categories.

Emphasis would be placed on quality of singing, command of the choice of music, traditional content and group cohesion. The weeklong event would also feature practical workshops in Lagos, with an exhibition of musical instruments, workshops and training for participants from day one. There will also be a choral street storm covering six local governments in Lagos. This element of the programme has been designed to give maximum impetus to the sales and product marketing drive of the sponsors, among other things.

The final competition will have eight qualifying choirs that have scaled through the preliminary competition for the title of best choir in Nigeria in a high elimination series spanning five days. The final performance and awards will take place at a high profile event with at least 1,500 guests.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2makwNU

Artsville

http://ift.tt/2mafCjV

National Arts Theatre

Eko: An Art Fair in Four Days, Why the Hurry?
The gallerist Ejiro Onobrakpeya is so enamoured of the opportunity. “The government is giving us a platform,” he repeats several times. Sandra Mbanefo, documentary filmmaker now actively organising pop up exhibitions all over the city, thinks it’s “a good idea”. The painter Kolade Oshinowo approves, but he pleads for sustainability: “Put it in the gazette”, he urges Steve Ayorinde, the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, who is apparently the brain behind the three day Eko Art Expo, “so that it can be an annual affair.”
Not everyone is convinced of the genuineness of the show that lasted at the Eko Hotel from January 27 to 29, 2017. Oliver Enwonwu, owner of Omenka Gallery and President of Society of Nigerian Artists, pulled out of participation. Several others grumbled in private what they couldn’t say in public: the notice was too short and the Lagos art scene has evolved far better than this. The expo, named after Rasheed Gbadamosi, the late art collector and playwright, had the feel of a set of stalls in a corner of a shopping mall displaying bric a brac, with paintings and sculptures thrown in as an afterthought. Unlike in conventional art fairs, where great art shows up in your face, you have to consciously look out here for a significant work of art. It is shoddy. There’s no sense of consciously arranged, designed or choreographed arrangements of pieces. The galleries, which took up stalls, resemble those shops in markets set up in front of police barracks all over Lagos. And when you ask anyone, the response is “This was put together in four days”. Some even chuckle: “The Governor himself was at our stall; he stayed around long hours into the evening”. This is low expectation at its sorriest.

Why The Wedding Party Works
Why are people still streaming in to watch The Wedding Party, two months into its release date in Nigerian cinemas and a full six weeks after the end of year holidays? The short answer is, there must be a lot of word of mouth advertisement about this romantic comedy. Kemi Adetiba’s The Wedding Party is absorbing; a viewer feels s/he is in the movie itself. Sitting alone in the dark room, you can completely ignore the full house (the venues are always filled to the brim), and privately enjoy the mockery of every Nigerian social habit. It’s a movie full of clichés. There’s a lot of gesticulation, (Sola Sobowale, Ali Baba) the type that western critics like to dismiss about Nollywood. But there’s also superb, restrained delivery (Mofe Damijo, Ireti Doyle). The Nigerian audience loves its actors’ wild gestures; we like to overstate our case. Which explains why Sobowale is the crowd’s favourite. The producers could have done a little more in ensuring that the Igbo show their dance steps at the party, the way they went out full blast to show the Yoruba’s extravagant moves. It’s not enough excuse that the Onwukas are an upper class breed. If so, why was Doyle (who played Obianuju Owuka), trying so hard to get it? All said, The Wedding Party is the cinema-going equivalent of sitting down with a glass of stout and a bowl of suya and watching Arsenal Versus Liverpool in a bar.

An Afternoon of Tributes For Buchi Emecheta
The novelist Ike Oguine is working with the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) to deliver an afternoon of readings and discussions around the works of Buchi Emecheta, the Nigerian author of The Bride Price and several other novels, who lived in the U.K. since 1960 and died in late January 2017. With Second Class Citizen, Ms. Emecheta had broached a subject that would later be generally described as Diaspora literature. Oguine has contacted Emecheta’s son, Sylvester Onwordi, who published a very moving tribute to her in the New Statesman and he says he will like to attend and that while a memorial event is planned for her later in the year in London, nothing is currently planned for Nigeria. CORA and Oguine are flagging March 25 as the date for the event, as Onwordi has indicated that this date would work for him and the family. The organisers have reserved 1 to 6 pm for the event at Terra Kulture and for March 25. Oguine has contacted Sefi Atta, Chika Unigwe and Sarah Ladipo Manyika. Manyika is already due to be in Lagos for the Etisalat Prize for Literature awards and has confirmed she will attend.  Both Atta and Unigwe have also indicated they’ll attend. Margaret Busby, who was Buchi’s publisher, is also due to be in town for the Etisalat awards and has confirmed she’ll attend. The organisers are now focused on getting more female writers from various generations, in order to have a lively discussion. “The working subject of the conversation is that, even if she has passed, her work continues in the works of several Nigerian female writers, who have taken her concerns even farther – Chimamanda, Adimora Ezeigbo, Sefi Atta, Sarah Ladipo Manyika, Promise Ogochukwu, Molara Ogundipe, etc, etc,” says Jahman Anikulapo, CORA’s Programme Chair.

A Cinema Culture That Deepens Democracy
The filmmaker, Femi Odugbemi, is canvassing for a cinema culture that offers support for nation building. “We need a cinema culture that deepens democracy; we need a cinema culture that advocates responsibility, elevates accountability, defends human rights and freedoms and exposes the vestiges of disease, poverty and illiteracy”. Odugbemi, co-founder of the seven year old, annual, i-Represent (IREP) Documentary Festival, contends that “Documentary cinema must be at the centre of these conversations”. Wondering what is the average Nigerian filmmaker’s “artistic response to the stagnation of development in the country,” he argues that he and his colleagues “cannot continue to abdicate The Space for the public intellectual to silly online bloggers and compromised newspaper columnists”. The country needs more than a cinema that entertains. “Whilst we must continue to celebrate the emergence and growth of our Nollywood industry as an artistic and economic engine, projecting globally the realities of our culture in fictional cinema, non-fiction day-to-day realities of institutional corruption, poor governance, gender inequality, ethnic divisions and economic paralysis of our country challenge our sense of responsibility as artists”.

Compiled by staff of Festac News Agency

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2l8bLGv

The reward of the wicked

http://ift.tt/2l6qsKv

Pastor Lazarus Muoka

In every wrongdoing, there is always a stipulated penalty apportioned to the perpetrator. Every wicked act, no matter how small it may be and whether they are committed in secret or open, as long as they are not repented of, will surely be punished. So, anybody who is into sin or wickedness must reap whatsoever he/she sows.

Prov. 11:21 says, “Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished: but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.”

No power can exempt a sinner from punishment. Even though they are in league for the propagation of wickedness and resolve to keep up the trade, in disobedience, nevertheless all these will not protect them from God’s punishment. They can never be freed. Just as it happened in the days of Noah, when the world was filled with ungodly men, yet the flood was brought upon to destroy it. Their number, strength, and accord in sin never stood for them on the day of God’s vengeance.

Nobody, who lives and dies in wickedness, is expected to be in heaven. The wicked, sinners and unbelievers will eventually find themselves in hellfire, regardless of how many years they lived, how wealthy they may be or their status in the society. The time lag and position given to them are to enable them repent of their sins, accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal Saviour. Any man or woman, who refuses to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God, is a wicked man.

Job 14:4 says, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.”

Man, as descendant of Adam, is unclean from birth, thus presumed to be wicked until he accepts Christ, Who came to redeem mankind. As long as one has not accepted Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Who died to save mankind from sins, there is nothing good that can come out of such person. As long as one is yet to be redeemed with the blood of Jesus Christ, that person, irrespective of the good work he/she may be doing in the society or in the world, remains a wicked person.  The reason is that he/she still possesses the disobedience nature of Adam.

The wicked have their reward awaiting them at the end of this life. A place is already prepared for the wicked and their portion is hell fire, where they will gnash their teeth forever.

Isaiah 3:11 says, “Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him: for the reward of his hands shall be given him.”

Any man, who harbours sin in his heart and, does that which is wicked; and all about him is evil, in him -before him, after him, round about him, above him, below him.

What he deserves he shall get. He shall be paid that for which he has laboured, and his reward shall be in proportion to his work. Let not the long-spared sinner presumes that, because sentence is not speedily executed on his evil works, therefore, he is suffered to go on transgressing, thinking that God has forgotten to punish. No, the wicked shall surely be punished.

Ecc. 8:13 says, “But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow; because he feareth not before God.”

Taking into account the wicked eternal existence, his present days, however, seemingly long, are really short. God’s delay (Ec 8:11) exists only in man’s shortsighted view. But all is to give the sinner the scope to repent, or else to fill up his full measure of guilt; and in either case, it points to the final vindication of God’s ways.

Psalm 34:21 says, “Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.” The wickedness of the wicked shall turn to his destruction, for that is his enterprise and shall, therefore, be his reward.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mak02C

Benin traditional council sends Isekhure packing from palace

http://ift.tt/2liOdNI

Isekhure’s palace sealed up and painted red

The disagreement between the Isekhure of Benin Kingdom, Chief Nosakhare Isekhure and the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) has taken an unconventional dimension. On January 25, 2016, a group of chiefs from the Oba of Benin’s palace mobilised themselves and sealed off the residence of Isekhure, which also serves as his palace.

The chiefs, according to sources, took the action because Isekhure has not only been suspended, but has also been ostracised from the Benin Kingdom, for having the guts to say he would challenge the decision of the Benin Traditional Council in court.

The chiefs were Chief Joseph Ohanwan of Idumwivbioto, Chief Ogbemudia Letemah, Chief Ohengie of Ogbesun, Chief Johnbull Igbinosun-Iduhonre, Chief Eduwu Ekhator Obasogie, Chief Azemamwen Enoma, Chief Mathew Iguma-Ohensa of Ekae, Chief Gabriel Igbinakenzua Isekhure, an uncle to Chief Nosakhare Isekhure, Chief Iduwaye of Ihogbe, Chief Iguezigbon, Chief Ehenuan and Chief Ogiesughe.

They were said to have been accompanied by heavily armed men of the Nigeria Police to reclaim the Isekhure’s palace and residence, which they said traditionally belongs to the Oba’s palace. The Chiefs explained that Nosakhare Isekhure’s progenitors were given the place by the Benin Palace, because of the functions of the Chief Priest, and now that he is no longer to perform these functions, he has no reason(s) to reside in the place.

The Isekhure’s palace is where most of the Bini deities are kept.

The Chiefs brought with them sand, bags of cement and blocks, with which they sealed up three of the four entrances to the Isekhure’s palace, leaving the ostracised Chief Priest and his immediate family members with only the back entrance.

Within six hours, the entire palace was sealed and painted red, though Chief Nosakhare Isekhure and his entire household are still residents in the palace.

When Palace Watch called Frank Irabor, secretary to the Benin Traditional Council, to find out what was happening, he promised to get back on the matter. At the time of this publication, however, he was yet to get back.

When Palace Watch sent a text message to Mr. Mayaki John, Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor, to find out the Edo State government’s position in the present face-off, the CPS replied via text message thus: “I appreciate your concern and reach to me. I will relay your message to Mr. Governor and get back to you, please.”

Another Senior Edo State government official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “To be honest, I do not think the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, will ever intervene in this matter. The Isekhure’s case is a hopeless one. The aim of the current Oba is to drive Isekhure and his immediate family into exile. For example, under the present circumstances, Chief Isekhure knows what to do, but for the fear of being killed, he will dare not take the necessary action. If he feels strongly that his fundamental human right is being eroded, he should go to court.

“As far as I know, no Bini indigene will agree to take his brief, except he gets an Igbo or a Yoruba lawyer, who lives outside Edo State to handle the case for him. As a matter of fact, no Edo judge will agree to hear Isekhure’s petition. Here lies the crux of the matter. He will be so frustrated that in the final analysis, he will be left with no other option than to either commit suicide or go on exile. You would say I told you this.

“I must confess that I am not in support of the dictatorial tendencies of the current Oba. But the majority of Bini people are happy with what he is doing to the Isekhure. That is the situation we have here in Benin City. As a matter of fact, whosoever is bold enough to challenge the Bini Oba takes on the entire Edo people. That is the way they are and the way they see and regard their Oba.

“Now, to the matter at hand, whether we like it or not, tradition is tradition. The present Oba says the palace of the Isekhure of Benin is an extension of his palace, and that Isekhure was given that place by virtue of the fact that he was the Isekhure of Benin Kingdom. And now that he is no longer the Isekhure, you do not expect him to continue to live in that building. The reasons for this harsh actions being meted out on Isekhure and members of his immediate family are not far fetched.

“After the ascension of the Oba to the throne of his forefathers, the current Oba announced the removal of Chief Nosakhare as the Chief Priest (Isekhure) of Benin Kingdom. The man should have left it at that, but the Isekhure went ahead to address a press conference, giving the Oba an ultimatum. This is what infuriated the Oba. Every Benin man or woman knows it is a sacrilege to give an Oba an ultimatum. You know that the Benin people have the richest tradition in Nigeria and beyond. And they want to maintain this rich tradition, which is known to everybody.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2l7V5z1

No definite time for Buhari’s return to Nigeria – Presidency

http://ift.tt/2lFYuTT

President Muhammadu Buhari

Despite increasing agitations over President Muhammadu Buhari’s absence since January 19, 2017, when he left the country on a medical vacation to the United Kingdom (UK), there is no definite answer from the presidency on when he is expected back

President Buhari was expected back on the February 6, 2017 after an initial 10-day medical vacation, but that was not to be. 

His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had in a statement at the expiration of the 10 days confirmed ‎that the President would be extending his stay in the UK to “complete the test circle before returning.”

When The Guardian contacted Mr Adesina yesterday for update, he briefly said “when the President is coming will be made known.” 

Recall that President Buhari was expected to resume from his vacation on Monday, February 6, 2017.

However, he wrote to the National Assembly informing the parliament of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.

With the Presidency failing to come up with a categorical statement on when President Buhari would return to the country, the development has continued to fuel agitations, with many Nigerians demanding hourly bulletin on President Buhari’s status, as was the case when former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was indisposed.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2maAKql