HELLO SANTA! I WANT ABUBAKAR SHEKAU’S HEAD FOR CHRISTMAS

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“Where is Abubakar Shekau?” they asked me time after time, with the barrels of their rusty AK-47 pointing directly to my head. “Where is your leader hiding?” a more senior officer who had been quiet for most part of the interrogation thundered; to probably suggest to me that he was gradually losing his cool. With tears and blood rolling down my eyes I turned to the officer who evidently had a little pity in his eyes out of the rest “I am not a member of Boko Haram sir. Am not even a Muslim (Shiite or Sunni), in fact I am nobody” I implored inaudibly, as I gasped for more air.

This grueling examination has been going on for the most part of nine hours and I was totally exhausted. My whole face swollen from the repeated jabs from either the butt of their guns or their big fists. I was captured along Buduwa area in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State. I was a freelance journalist who had gone to the terror-torn area to confirm the reports from government sources that Boko Haram will finally be defeated by the end of December 2015.

I was on the verge of transitioning from a freelance journalist to the cat that was killed because of his curiosity. “If you don’t tell us the truth, walahi I am sorry for you and your generation” the fierce looking officer who had been smoking what looked like hemp warned. My generation? I thought. 

NIGERIAN FEMALE SCIENTISTS WIN L'OREAL, UNESCO AWARDS

L’Oréal and The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has announced the recipients of the 2015 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Fellowships. Among the 12 outstanding female scientists are four Nigerians. They were honoured for their work and impact in the scientific field.

The recipients of the Post-Doctoral Fellowships of 10 000 Euros each are:

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SUGABELLY

Photo:Sugarbellyrocks.com

I first heard about this story from a colleague over lunch on Friday and we just talked about it casually and went about our normal duties. It was only on Saturday evening when the wife of my very good friend mentioned it again that I decided to pay more attention to the story. I can understand why most women empathize with Lotanna Odunze a.k.a Sugabelly and believe she was savagely raped by Mustapha Audu and his brigade of rapists as she alleged but there are a lot of inconsistencies with her Super-story.

According to Wikipedia, rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration perpetrated against a person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or against a person who is incapable of valid consent, such as one who is unconscious, incapacitated, or below the legal age of consent.

A TALE OF THEIR BIAFRA AND OUR NIGERIA: THE REFLECTIONS OF A BIAFRAN-NIGERIAN

If they give us BIAFRA tomorrow morning, what are we going to do with it? That was the thought that filled my head as I watched able-bodied young men and women of Igbo descent chanting war songs and causing carnage through the streets of Onitsha, Owerri, Aba, Port-Harcourt, Abakaliki and Enugu in their agitation for ‎the freedom of BIAFRA. It was immediately clear that majority if not all of them actually don’t know what they are asking for. Trust me, they are blinded by ignorance and if they die because of their misguided hotheadedness, their deaths would be in vain.

The sequence of events that sparked the secession of Odumegwu Ojukwu led BIAFRA from Nigeria in May 1967 was quite different. It started with the massacre of Igbos in Northern Nigeria as a result of the unfortunate events of the January 1966 coup led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu which led to major casualties including the Sarduana of Sokoto, Ahmadu Bello; the prime minister of Nigeria, Tafawa Balewa. It was largely believed to be an Igbo coup that was targeted against the ruling northern elite.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN JUDGE ME?

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That girl you called a slut today, is actually a virgin for the records. I know you don’t believe me because you saw her rocking a Peruvian hair with lips almost dripping of red lipsticks and donning a miniskirt that barely held her vibrating buttocks. Yes! She is still a virgin.

We are often quick to judge people who do not meet up to our moral expectations and attempt to impose our standards on them. We move around criticizing and searching for faults in people, even where there is little or no evidence to back it up. We spend more time condemning others than we spend evaluating our own actions. Hence, becoming self-righteous judges and career hypocrites.

DON'T WORRY, TOMORROW DOESN'T EXIST

Yesterday, I was worried about what was going to happen today. And today has finally come and I am worried about what will happen tomorrow. I was quite anxious to know if everything I had hoped for would come to pass and if the things I didn’t wish for will pass away.

Why do we worry so much about tomorrow when we cannot guarantee that we will see tomorrow in the first place? We keep worrying about tomorrow like anyone promised us there will be a tomorrow. The only thing that we have ever been guaranteed is now and it is left for us to make the best of it.

Every moment we spend worrying about tomorrow is a moment where we sacrifice the joys of today for the future we may not have. Why worry about tomorrow, when tomorrow can worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own, so seize the moment and enjoy it. Worrying never takes away tomorrow’s troubles, it only takes away today’s peace of mind. If life doesn’t break you today, don’t worry it won’t tomorrow either.

THE LOVERHOLIC X-RAYS: RELATIONSHIP APPRAISALS

How do you determine if you are fulfilled in a relationship? Do you even evaluate your relationship, or you just let it flow? What standards do you consider when evaluating your relationship? Are you living in denial of the true state of your relationship? How do you decide when to stay or when to move on? Are you wasting your relationship by being in a relationship? These questions may sound a bit too serious but studies show that couples who conduct a regular appraisal of their relationship are far more fulfilled.

Last week I went to see a very good friend of mine. Our previous meeting had being on Valentine’s Day this year and it was quite memorable. She is one of the few women who hold a special place in my heart. And one of the few people who would look me in the eyes and tell me the truth, even when it hurts. Something the loverholic cherishes in his women and in people overall. She is also very caring, intelligent, devoted and full of humour; all being qualities the loverholic admires greatly.

She belonged to the hollandis category of wife material, and by a lot of yards. This is a fact she always takes into account in her relationships. Which is why she became uneasy when she perceived I was taking our relationship for granted. Things have been going up and down lately and she wanted us to meet and appraise the relationship. To be honest, this was the first time I would hear of a relationship appraisal. I was quite familiar with performance appraisals at work but not in relationships.

JESSICA EDIONWELE: KIDNAPPED WITH LOVE

A few days ago a story emerged of a young lady, simply known as Jessica Edionwele, who was declared missing by her family. It turned out she was the daughter of Hon. Joseph Edionwele, representing the good people of Esan Constituency, Edo State at the National Assembly. She was reported to have left Ibadan, for Lagos to board an aircraft to Abuja. A corps member serving in Oyo state, she was said to have landed in Abuja safely but took an airport taxi that disappeared into thin air.

After waiting for their daughter to come back home safely, the family was thrown into pandemonium by nightfall as Jessica was nowhere to be found. So they declared her missing and the search was on for ‘Nigeria’s Sweetheart’. Nigerians all over the world joined her family and friends in fervent prayers for her safe return. Social and mainstream media went agog with the story and her case became a national prayer point.

A FRIEND IN NEED OR A FRIEND INDEED

Every day comes with new opportunities, new challenges, new inspiration and new friends. With the advent of social media, it has become increasingly inevitable to become companionless. 

Every day we meet someone new either via Blackberry Messenger, Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin. Certain folks would add Instagram, Wechat, Facetime, 2go and Badoo to their connection paths. And when you add the female element to mix, it leaves you overwhelmed.

The intriguing part of friendship is that you might not be able to tell the motive of your new acquaintance or the impact they would have in your life. Some friendships are premeditated, others are accidental. Some will aim to improve you while others will come to run you down. 

Some friends are just there for the enjoyment, others will be there even at the most difficult periods. Some will leave you with lasting memories and others leave you with lasting scars. Some would end up as enemies while others will be end up as families.

FORTY FIVE SHADES OF INSPIRATION

There is nothing like a Monday morning. You wake up feeling so charged up with positive vibrations and renewed expectation that all you had hoped for the previous week will come to fruition. Deep down you know it's not going to be an easy week, because you will be faced with numerous circumstances that drain your energy. So here is some Monday morning inspiration that hopefully will keep you going in the face of whatever life throws at you this week.

1. Take kindness with you everywhere you go and deposit it at every stop you make. Don’t expect to get it back. 

2. If you expect people to be kind to you because you are kind to them, you are like the man who expects the lion not to eat him because he doesn’t eat lions. 

3. Appreciate those who love you. Help those who need you. Forgive those who hurt you. Forget those who leave you. 

4. Forgive others not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve some peace of mind. 

5. Love people for whom they are and not for what you can get from them. We all need someone that will love us just the way we are. 

A PENNY IS NOT ENOUGH FOR YOUR THOUGHTS

I was absorbed in my thoughts and I hadn’t noticed we passed my Bus Stop. My mind was preoccupied with so many thoughts and I didn’t realize where I was until the bus conductor yelled “Oga! Na the last bus stop be this, abi you no know where you dey go?” That instant I realized that my thoughts have carried so far away from my destination. Thoughts can sometimes be very powerful, which is why people are prepared to give you a penny for your thoughts?

The consequence of this is that people are willing to part with something in order to know what we are thinking because it is of some value to them. Therefore, if our opinion is so valuable, then why don’t we just put our own price tag on it? Even Facebook will ask you what’s on your mind. If it is not important to them, am sure they won’t bother to find out.

MARRIAGE IN THE FUTURE: WHAT WE ALLOW IS WHAT WILL CONTINUE

The United States of America Supreme Court recently passed the same sex marriage legislation into law with considerable excitement around the world. There is also an ongoing appeal to the rest of the world ‎including Nigeria to acknowledge the rights of people of same sex to be together forever. 

Marriage by its original definition is the legal, emotional, and sexual act of commitment between two beings. These days, there is a dramatic shift in the definition of marriage as all the boundaries and values around it have been challenged and struck down at their very root. We are gradually witnessing a revolution that has never been experienced before and marriage is becoming an institution where anything is possible.

If we examine the patterns of marriage in the last 50 years, we would note profound alterations and there is growing expectation that these changes will become more dramatic in the next 50 years. The institution of marriage will continue to be diluted and the bond between matrimony, sex and family will further be depleted as the years go by.

MUHAMMADU BUHARI & FRIENDS NIGERIA LIMITED

Over the weekend, I went for a business presentation with my boss to the management of a steel manufacturing company. As the meeting commenced, I noticed we were the only Nigerians in the room. All the top management of the company were Indians and it got me thinking about Nigeria and the situation with the lingering political appointments.

For a company that has done business in Nigeria since the late 1960s, why is there not even a single Nigerian on their top management. The answer however was not far-fetched. Most successful businesses in Nigeria are run by people with a common understanding, commitment and trust. Take a critical look at the longest surviving business empires in Nigeria, and you will understand this better.

Trust is something that comes by default when someone is considered as family. Like the Ibos will say 'you can't kill someone that you would also have to bury’. That clearly defines the power that trust possesses. Talking about the Ibos, they have a tradition of running businesses along family lines just like the Indians or Japanese. Their businesses always have the appendage “and Sons” depicting the reliance on family interest for its survival. If you take a close look at some businesses owned by Ibo men that went under, you will discover that they were taken over by apprentices who ended up embezzling and eloping with their benefactor’s funds. That in itself can be likened to the microcosm of corruption that has largely eroded the Nigerian space. 

AS YOU GROW OLDER: A PSALM OF LIFE

As you grow older, you begin to understand that although maturity does not come with age, it does come with life experiences, which you gain as the years go by.

As you grow older you realize that what you look like becomes less significant and what you are becomes more important. You will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others.

As you grow older, you realize that even the person you love the most will probably let you down. You will blame a new love for things an old one did. You will have your heart broken a few times and it gets harder every other time. You will break hearts too, so remember how it felt when your own heart was broken. You will cry because time is passing too fast but always love like you have never been hurt.

AN OPEN LETTER TO MYSELF

Dear Me,

I am writing this letter to you because my life begins and ends with you. If I don’t take care of you, then I will not be strong enough to take care of anything else.

Stop feeling worried about what people say or think of you. I have been too hard on you and I think it’s time to let your light shine and stop standing on the way. This is the last time you will put the burden of people’s expectation on your shoulder.

You let people take advantage of you repeatedly and tried too hard to justify your actions all in the hope that they will accept you but I lost you more in the process. You took your eyes off your dream just to fit into the expectations of others and trusted yourself less.

THE LOVERHOLIC X-RAYS: AND SHE DIED FIGHTING FOR LOVE

They were the last couple you can ever imagine would end up like this. They appeared to be so much in love with each other, even though a few of their friends expressed some reservations about their seemingly fairy-tale relationship. She was quick to remind them that there was no perfect man out there, and all they could do was wish them all the best.

Some months down the road, she gradually went out of circulation. She was a workaholic, so everyone concluded that her job had become very demanding. Soon, there were rumours that she was seen at work with a black eye. That she even spent a few days in the hospital with a broken collar bone. Her friends feared the worse but she kept saying she was alright. She sacrificed her relationship with family and friends just to make things work. 

She kept a sealed lip and was dying in silence because she believed they could reconcile their differences amicably. She bottled it all up, cried herself to sleep and put up a smiling face the next morning. She was trapped between telling the world the pains she was going through and saving her life. In violence women forget their true self. He swore that he wouldn’t do it again and she believed him. But it only got worse after that.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

We all have different personalities and different ways of showing our emotions. The ability to tap into our emotions and use them to improve our lives is called emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence is an awareness of your actions and feelings and how they affect people around you. It also means that you are aware of your actions, value and empathize with others on many different levels.

Emotional intelligence represents an ability to validly reason with emotions and to use emotions to enhance thought. It is also, the ability to express and control our emotions and the ability to understand, interpret, and respond to the emotions of others. This allows us to manage relationships competently and achieve our goals.

People with high Emotional Intelligence usually go through life much more easily. No matter what kind of situation they find themselves, they always seem to know how to get around it. This is because they are very good at managing their emotions and have the ability to always see a solution whenever there is a problem. They know how to handle criticism and ultimately use it to improve their performance. They are good listeners and often put the feelings of others ahead of their own.

THE GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE

It’s normal to sometimes seek after a life that is presumed perfect or to occasionally dream of escaping to a place where the light is shining bright. In an opportunistic generation like ours, it’s easy to feel trapped if life becomes a struggle or frustrating. This intrinsically leads them to believe that the grass might be greener on the other side. Satisfying this curiosity is what drives many to paths where they soon realize that what is tempting isn’t always reality.

Every year, thousands of people embark on the journey to seek greener pastures in lands that presumably flow with milk and honey. They believe they will be happier and more successful anywhere but where they are. Unfortunately, not all of them are able to make it to other side.

BETWEEN BUHARI'S FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION AND FAYOSE'S WAR AGAINST INDISCIPLINE

What is the difference between President Buhari's fight against corruption and Governor Fayose's war against indiscipline? That was the question that kept running through my mind as I took another glance at the now controversial photo of some Ekiti State civil servants pleading on their knees before Governor Ayodele Fayose. 

Fayose is not a stranger to controversy and I sincerely would tip him as the Donald Trump of Nigeria, controversy-wise that is. Now, it's not clear whether the Governor asked the workers who came late to go on their knees or if the workers did so out of their helplessness or respect for the office of the Governor. We might never really get the true story of what exactly transpired but all we have is a photograph that lays credence to our perception of Fayose. 

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A few months ago, President Buhari shut the door against some diplomats for showing up late for a meeting at the Presidential Villa and most of us hailed him as a very disciplinary leader. And when he rose up against the allies of former President Jonathan, we heralded the second coming of our corruption Messiah. And regardless of the tactics he employed in fighting this battle, he had the support of many Nigerians. 

WHEN JOY REALLY COMES IN THE MORNING

I know what it's like to wake up in the morning and feel the weight of the world on your shoulders. I have had several of those moments in my life and have learned that during these times the only friend I have in this world is good music. Songs that will lift me up from my bed and keep my spirits high for the rest of the day. 

This morning I woke up feeling so weary and you guessed right; I jumped on an overwhelmingly inspiring music (Kari Jobe's Majestic album). I have listened to the song forever on this album several times but today it etched in my heart. I don't just listen to any song, I like it when it speaks to me. And this song had everything, including an incredible spoken word poem. 

I have meditated upon the verses of the spoken word in the song throughout my journey to the work. It has filled my morning with refreshing joy and I strongly believe you will be encouraged;

THE THINGS THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING FOR

Last night I went to a neighborhood mart to pick up some groceries for dinner. And while I was at the counter about to pay for what I bought, I overheard another cashier telling the man standing next to me that his bill was in the excess of fifty thousand naira.

Out of curiosity, I looked closely to see ‎what this man had purchased to rake up such an amount in a neighborhood mart with the current state of the economy. I could see nothing but a few items that were neatly tucked in a medium paper bag. What in the world could cost so much.

I kept thinking of the numerous things that fifty thousand naira would afford. But wait, I don't even spend that much for my shopping in a whole month. And to the best of my knowledge, the neighborhood mart don't sell luxury items. I just couldn't hold it anymore, so I had to ask the cashier who I happen to be familiar with from my months of frequenting the mart.

NIGERIA'S D'TIGERS WIN THE 2015 AFRICAN BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Nigerian national men’s basketball team, D'Tigers have emerged winners of the 2015 Afrobasket tournament held in Tunisia. The won the trophy with a 74-65 victory over the defending champion Angola in the finals. 

This is the first time Nigeria win the coveted title. It is also their first win over their Angolan counterparts who have 11 Afrobasket titles, having lost on all previous meetings. The win means that Nigeria's D'Tigers have qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympic games.

D'Tigers guard, Chamberlain Oguchi led the way for Nigeria, finishing with a game-high 19 points, and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

UNILAG UNDERGRADUATES BUILD ECO-FRIENDLY CAR

A team of students at the University of Lagos have successfully built an eco-friendly car. The inventors say the car doesn't emit gas or utilize fossil fuel. They built the car under the Project Dove Initiative and have successfully completed the first model, named Dove P1. The car was built utilizing locally sourced materials and was built from scratch to finish at the University premises.

HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CHRONIC COMPLAINERS

We all have that person in our circle who always have something to complain about all the time. I am not talking about those who complain about issues that bothers them from time to time. Am referring to those known as Chronic Complainers, who have something negative to say about every situation that they find themselves in. No matter how bright things become, they still see the negative side of it – and they go all about infesting others with their negativity.

I am not saying people should not complain but when the complains become persistent, it becomes harmful to those around them. It’s a fact that negative people are highly contagious and one chronic complainer can easily drain your energy with never-ending drama. This will leave you feeling exhausted, frustrated, discontent and unproductive.

Most chronic complainers can't be restrained by any means, they will complain about anything and everything under the sun – the weather is always too cold, no one likes your picture on Instagram, the food has too much spice, you have to brush your teeth everyday and everything you want is too expensive. Whatever they can think about to complain, they gladly will. Sometimes you do not even know that some things can be complained about until you hear it from a chronic complainer. It is not everything that is going on in your life that you have to complain about, just keep some things to yourself.

Enough exposure to a chronic complainer puts you at the very real risk of imploding one day. So here are some ways to protect yourself from energy sucking people;


Show empathy but don't get entangled - 
Most chronic complainers just want to be heard and are not serious about solving their problem. Pay attention while they are complaining to you but don't take them seriously. Be careful not to show particular empathy, as they may single you out for extended complaining sessions.

Distract - Get them to move on from the complaint by talking about other things going on in the office. A change of conversation is a way to get the complainer to focus on something else.

Don't Be Responsible - Don’t take responsibility for finding solutions to the issues that they complain about. You can proffer solutions but let them take the responsibility of solving the problem themselves.

Don’t Waste Your Time - Trying to get the chronic complainer to see the brighter side of life is exhausting. Convincing someone who is constantly in victim mode that things are not as bad is almost impossible because you wont be able to change their mindset.

Move on When You Must - To be constantly surrounded by negativity can quickly wear you out. In trying to keep up your positive attitude, you have to intentionally surround yourself with people who truly reflect you. Make friends with people who make your day a little brighter simply by being part of it. However, even the compulsive complainers can have moments when they are a joy to be around. So learn to remove yourself from their presence when they start whining.

Ignore Them When You Can - Sometimes, it good to simply ignore chronic complainers. Studies have shown that just the act of thinking a negative thought can adversely impact your immune system and the build-up of negative thoughts inevitably leads to stress, which can affect the state of your health.

THE LOVERHOLIC X-RAYS: ALL MEN ARE NOT THE SAME

On a recent trip to Abuja, I met this elegantly poised lady at the departure lounge of the airport as she was struggling with her luggage and I gladly offered to help. We got talking and somehow (not by accident) ended up sitting next to each other on the plane. On my good days I can be very charming, and gorgeous women bring out the best in me.

During our exciting and engrossing conversation, I sensed that my new companion held a very cynical view about men. In my inquisitive nature, I sought to find out how such a self assured woman came to hold such distrustful opinions about the menfolk. She spoke like a woman who understood how cunning men can be and felt there was nothing any man could say to sway her.

NIGERIAN ENTREPRENEUR SUJIMOTO MEETS WITH THE EMIR OF DUBAI, MOHAMMED BIN RASHID AL MAKTOUM

Have you ever met a king before? I have. And, not just any king; but, His Royal Highness Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Dubai.

A true blue blood whose royalty isn’t his only claim to fame. An accomplished poet, an orator and a visionary leader who has proved to the world that his people will not stand for mediocrity, rather are recognized as the leaders of the world in innovation. Consistently breaking boundaries and records that only they have achieved in the first place.

It was with his “full throttle” approach that Sheikh Mohammed continued and expanded the Vision, based on the simple framework laid down by his father Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum and his uncle, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan; giving the world “Destination Dubai” a great service to his country; the ultimate holiday destination and financial center of the 21st century.

MEET KIMBERLY ANYADIKE THE NIGERIAN WHO HOLDS THE RECORD AS THE YOUNGEST PILOT TO FLY CROSS-COUNTRY

21 year old Nigerian-American, Kimberly Anyadike is a pilot who holds the record as the first African American teen to fly across the United States. She performed this feat at the neophyte age of 15 in 2009. Anyadike learned to fly at age 12 through the Compton-based Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum [TAM], which offers aviation lessons in an after-school program for disadvantaged youths. The Organisation also encourages youth involvement in aviation as an alternative to drugs, gang violence and other self-destructive activities.

Anyadike was inspired by the stories of great pilots like Bessie Coleman, the first African-American airline Pilot, and Mae Jemison, the first African American female to travel in space. So great was her passion that she paid for her flight lessons by working many regular jobs and odd jobs while still maintaining an excellent academic scorecard which was a prerequisite to remain in the program.

SCIENTISTS DISCOVER DRUG THAT FLUSHES OUT THE HIV VIRUS

Scientists believe they have discovered a way to 'flush' HIV out of a patient's system, raising hopes of developing a cure for the disease. Millions of people diagnosed as HIV positive across the world are put on anti-retroviral drugs when their viral load (the measure of how much virus is in the bloodstream) reaches a certain level. 

But, despite the highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) treatment, elements of the virus can still evade the drug. The virus has an in-built survival mechanism, allowing it to create reservoirs of latent, inactive virus that are invisible to the body's immune system and drugs used to treat the disease.

MEET VICTOR OLALUSI, THE NIGERIAN WHO BROKE RUSSIAN UNIVERSITY RECORDS

The Federal Ministry of Education today honoured Dr Victor Olalusi who graduated with a 5.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) in the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Russian National Research Medical University (RNRMU), Moscow in 2013. Making him the best graduating student in the whole Russian Federation that year. 

He studied in RNRMU under the Russia-Nigeria Bilateral Education Agreement. He previously had the best WAEC result (2004); JAMB Best Science Student with a score of 322 (2006) and won the Cowbell Prize Award.

BOLA ADESOLA JOINS THE BOARD OF THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL IMPACT

The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Bola Adesola as a member of the board of the United Nations Global Compact.

Launched in July 2000, the United Nations Global Compact is a leadership platform for the development, implementation and disclosure of responsible and sustainable corporate policies and practices. Endorsed by Chief Executives, the UNGC seeks to align business operations and strategies everywhere with 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. With over 8,000 corporate participants in more than 150 countries, the United Nations Global Compact is the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative.

NIGERIAN ARTISTES WINS BIG AT THE MTV MAMA AWARDS

The much anticipated 2015 MTV Music Awards was held today in Durban, South Africa amidst superlative entertainment and fanfare. With an array of musical talent from all over Africa and the rest of the world, the event was very memorable.

With several Nigerian artistes nominated for the various award categories, it promised to be a tremendous night where Nigerian musical talents will be celebrated. And it did not disappoint in anyway as many Nigerian musicians won big on the night.

NIGERIAN TEENS WIN INTERNATIONAL AWARD FOR THEIR WASTE DISPOSAL MOBILE APP

Five brilliant girls from Nigeria  have emerged winners of the 2015 Technovation World Challenge pitch held in San Francisco, United States of America. They emerged victorious for developing a community waste disposal app aimed at tackling the waste disposal challenge in Nigeria.

The girls; Praise David-Oku, Nmesoma Ogbonna, Charlotte Takem, Sonam Kumar and Grace Akpoiroro who are members of Team Charis, pitched their app 'Discardious' to beat teams from 64 other countries.  Team Charis used the MIT inventor platform to create the app on Android phones.

IF SOMEONE BREAKS YOUR HEART...WASH THEM OUT OF YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR TEARS

If tears can bring back a lost love, ‎I bet you Yetunde 'bustline' Oduwole would have cried her estranged lover straight back into her arms with her effort. I have not seen a grown woman cry so passionately, not talk of crying over a man. I hear he is even a boy. Okay, whatever...my focus is not on what transpired between them but on the video that has caught everyone's attention lately. 

As I gazed at my laptop screen, my mind kept pondering on the following thoughts. Was it wrong for her to cry out of the hurt she felt from being twisted by betrayal? Was her crying in front of the camera totally unnecessary or was it the fact that she was not properly dressed for the occasion. Was this man even worth crying for? 

QUEEN OF ENGLAND HONOURS FOUR NIGERIANS AT THE QYL AWARDS

The Queen of England today honoured four outstanding Nigerians at the inaugural Queens Young Leaders Awards event at the Buckingham Palace. An award that aims to honour exceptional young people aged 18-29 across the Commonwealth countries.

The four Nigerians who were honoured include Nkechikwu Azinge of the Sickle Cell Aid Foundation; Isaiah Owolabi, co-founder of HACEY Health Initiative; Kelvin Ogholi co-founder of UNFIRE and Oladipupo Ajiroba of The Environmental Advocacy and Management Initiative. They were among the 60 young people from 35 countries who were honoured by Queen Elizabeth II.

Winners of the prestigious award are expected to undergo training, mentoring and networking, including a one-week residential programme in association with Cambridge University. They will also be expected to continue and develop the amazing work they have already started.

NIGERIAN SCIENTIST WINS ANNUAL ST LOUIS AWARD FOR INVENTING CANCER-GOGGLES

Nigerian-born scientist, Dr. Samuel Achilefu, a professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering has won the prestigious St. Louis Award for 2014 for creating cancer-visualizing glasses. The award is given to a resident of the St. Louis area whose achievements reflect positively on the community.

Achilefu and his team developed the imaging technology in cancer diagnosis into a wearable night vision-like goggles so surgeons could see the cancer cells while operating. They began work in 2012 after they received $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Before then, they had been working on a lean budget provided by the Department of Defence’s Breast Cancer Research Program. After it was developed, the team spent years testing the technology on mice, rats, and rabbits to confirm the efficacy of the goggles.

MY VERY UNCOMMON FATHER

I really love my father and honestly I do. Not just because he ‎is my father but because of the kind of man that he is. I would still love my father even if it were not from his loins that I came from. The man is too good like that. My father is one in a million and I am not even trying to flatter him. Does he have his flaws? Of course he is imperfect but you can never fault his commitment to be the best husband, father, brother or uncle. 

If only about 1% of married men in the world have never cheated on their wives, I am proud to say my father is one of them. ‎I grew up knowing a man whose love for only his wife literally made other women green with envy. Sometimes I think his shyness was a catalyst to his faithfulness but then my father is handsome enough to attract women who would teach Potiphar's wife the act of seduction. So how was he able to stick to one woman all his life? The man is just awesome like that. 

MEET THE FIVE NIGERIANS UNDER THIRTY THAT MADE FORBES FUTURE BILLIONAIRE LIST

Here are the profile of the five Nigerian future billionaires who made the Forbes lists of Africa's 30 most promising young entrepreneurs under for 2015.

1. Affiong Williams [29] Founder, ReelFruit
ReelFruit, founded, in March, 2012 is an emerging fruit processing company focused on packaging and branding and processing of locally, and quality fruit products.The first product is a range of dried fruit snacks and nuts.

The products are currently stocked in over 80 stores in Nigeria. ReelFruit is an award-winning brand, winning both an international Women In Business Competition in the Netherlands, as well as an SME exhibition (Creative Focus Africa) in Lagos, Nigeria.

Williams is trying to expand her nut business into the lucrative airline market. She is raising capital to build a factory on the outskirts of Lagos next year. “I hope to be on the cover of Forbes Africa in five years’ time,” she says.

AYOKUNLE ADENIRAN INVENTS A PRESSING IRON THAT DOESN'T USE ELECTRICITY

Ayokunle Adeniran, a mechanical engineering Graduate from Covenant University may have solved a really big problem relevant to a country with power challenges such as Nigeria.

Adeniran has invented a pressing iron that does not run on electricity. Rather, it makes use of cooking (butane) gas cartridges which will retail for about N120 per canister. There are 6 canisters per cartridge; one cartridge is said to last for about 2 weeks’ worth of daily ironing, or 40 pieces of clothing.

As a student he did everything from building prototype cars to helping students repair gadgets and even designing and selling lecture notebooks to pay for his tuition and other educational requirements.

Adeniran currently works as an Engineer with a Queens, New York based firm. A working prototype of the nepaless iron does exist, albeit bulky, but it is yet to be mass produced.

THE SEXUAL COMMUINICATION GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS

Good sex depends on great communication. Sexual communication among couples is critical in order to achieve a positive sexual experience. Talking about sex during sex is good for sex. Hence, the focus of this post is to highlight the importance of communicating with your partner during sex and provide the necessary guidance for couples who probably find it perplexing.

YOU BELONG TO NOBODY: OVERCOMING THE ENTITLEMENT MENTALITY

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari, during his recent inauguration made a rather audacious statement in his now popular "I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody" speech. Many political and social analysts have interpreted this phrase in so many ways to suit whatever idea they were trying to communicate to their audience. But the truth remains, only President Buhari himself can categorically explain what he truly meant.

Many have concluded that he made the statement to allay the fears of many Nigerians who believe the President would be working to the benefit of the political gladiators who were partially responsible for his victory at the polls. This opinion was strengthened on the premise that these political leaders wielded enough clout to influence the President. Personally, I think Muhammadu Buhari will always have a mind of his own.

MUFUTAU AKURUYEJO BECOMES THE FIRST AFRICAN TO RECEIVE CERN ICT TRAINING

Mufutau Akuruyejo, a 5th year Computer Engineering student of the University of Lagos student and MTN Foundation (MTNF) Scholar, has become the first African to participate in the coveted CERN Openlab summer programme.

CERN Openlab is a unique publi-private partnership between The European Organization for Nuclear Research and leading ICT companies like Oracle. The nine week programme will be held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The objective of the programme is to accelerate the development of cutting edge solutions to be used by the Worldwide LHC (Large Hardon Collider) community.

According to Alberto Di Meglio, Head of CERN Openlab, over 1500 applications were received from all over the world and students of the highest calibre were selected with Mufutau being the only African on the list.

Mufutau Akuruyejo is also a member of Shell Eco-Marathon team designing and building energy-efficient cars and an IEEE project to construct Intelligent Traffic Control Systems. He interned at Chevron Nigeria where he designed remote visualization screens and as well worked at various production facilities. His interests include Big-Data and Analytics, Machine-Learning, Modelling/Simulation and Embedded-Systems.

At CERN, he is on a Continuous Integration Project developing frameworks that enable the scheduling and automatizing of tests on databases before they go into production system using tools including Oracle Real Application Testing.

We wish all the best as he continues to make Nigeria proud.

APPLE ACQUIRES NIGERIAN CHINEDU ECHERUO'S HOPSTOP.COM FOR $1 BILLION

In its continuous attempts to match up to Google’s mapping abilities, Apple has bought Chinedu Echeruo’s HopStop.com for $1 billion. This development is seen as Apple’s move to bolster its mapping services offering especially given Google’s recent acquisition of Waze for $1 billion.

Chinedu Echeruo is a highly successful, serial entrepreneur grew up in Eastern Nigeria and attended Kings College, Lagos before proceeding to Syracuse University and the Harvard Business School in the United States. He worked for several years in the Mergers & Acquisitions and Leveraged Finance groups of J.P Morgan Chase where he was involved in a broad range of M&A, Financing and Private Equity transactions.

40 NIGERIANS SELECTED FOR MANDELA FELLOWSHIP FOR YOUNG AFRICAN LEADERS

The U.S. Embassy has selected 40 Nigerians to participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship Program for Young African Leaders in 20 top U.S. universities, for a period of six weeks.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador James Entwistle, congratulated the beneficiaries on their selection. Entwistle explained that the 40 Nigerian fellows were selected amongst 7,000 Nigerian applicants and tens of thousands of others throughout Africa.

NIGERIAN STUDENT BREAKS A 50-YEAR RECORD IN JAPAN

Nigerian Student Ufot Ekong has broken a 50-yr record in Japan after graduating with 1st class degree and best overall student from Tokai University in Tokyo Japan.

This is the first time a Nigerian could achieve this feat since 1965.In addition to the award,he has developed a car to his name.He also won Japanese language award for foreigners and solved a mathematical equation that could not be solved 30-yrs ago in his first semester

Ufot who currently works at Nissan, has two patented products, and for his project, he made an electric am electric car that goes as fast as 128 kilometres per hour. He speaks English, Yoruba, French, Japanese.

GOD REMAINS THE LAST JUDGE

No matter how nice you try to be, you often find yourself in situations where you hurt the people you care about the most. Sometimes they try to get back at us by attempting to hurt us back as much or even more. They can go all the way to hatch plans that they intend will bring some kind of closure to their broken hearts. Some would rather leave their revenge to the imaginary 'god of Karma' to inflict enough anguish on you and even your generations to come.

What they oftentimes forget is that they too have also hurt someone in the past. Sometimes you hurt people knowingly and other times you do not have the faintest idea of the agony that someone is going through because of what you have said or done. And it can be for what you did not say or did not do. Life can be that complicated.

MEET THE FOUR NIGERIANS WHO WON SEATS IN THE UK PARLIAMENT

Four Nigerians have won parliamentary seats at the just concluded general elections in Britain making it the first time such feat would be recorded. They are – Helen Grant won the seat for Member of Parliament representing Maidstone and The Weald, Chuka Umunna won the elections to represent Streatham, Kate Osamor won the seat for Edmonton in North London while Chi Onwurah won the seat for Newcastle upon Tyne Central.

Their win puts Nigeria on a positive light in the international community. Commentators have said that this is a positive step in the right direction as these victories are coming at about the same time Nigeria is about to have a change in leadership later this month.

MEET THE TWO NIGERIAN BROTHERS WHO DESIGNED A MOBILE WEB BROWSER

Two brothers, 13-year-old Osine and 15-year-old Anesi Ikhianosime, both students of Greensprings School, Lagos, have developed their own browser known as Crocodile Browser Lite. The siblings built the mobile web browser after they got tired of using browsers like Google Chrome. 

The Crocodile Browser Lite is believed to be faster than more conventional browsers. It is very functional and can be supported on lower-end phones common across Africa. The browser is currently available on the Google Play Store and has so far received 40,000 downloads. .  

Anesi and Osine began their coding journey with the encouragement of both their parents who introduced them to computers as early as the age of three. Anesi and Osine taught themselves how to code when they were 12 and 14-years-old respectively using free online resources and reading books.

The brothers say their goal is to create IT and mobile solutions for social problems that affect people not just in Africa but in developing countries around the world.

WHAT'S YOUR SELLING POINT?

Whooops! Yes I have been missing in action for a while now and I know some of you have missed me. It has not been easy coping with my 9-5 schedule and all the other things life in Lagos throws at a young man like me. Ermmm...did I say I am a young man? Well I became a year older early this month and you don't want to know how old I am now. I don't usually get personal on this blog but I will make an exception on this post because I have not been very fair to quite a few of you who are ardent readers of my blog. My quest for daily bread has affected our relationship significantly but all I can do is try and try. And please you all should find it in your heart to forgive in advance because my job can be quite demanding.