MEET ZURIEL ODUWOLE, THE NIGERIAN WONDER GIRL BREAKING RECORDS

 

When her peers are busy trying to find their voices, this wonder girl has discovered her purpose at the tender age of 11. She is busy rebranding Africa by showing the positive things about the continent, and making the case for Girl Child education and development in Africa and Emerging Markets. Meet Zuriel Elsie Oduwole, award winning documentary film maker, conference speaker and writer that is taking the African continent and the world by storm.

TWO NIGERIAN JOURNALISTS EMERGE WINNERS AT THE 2013 CNN/MULTICHOICE AFRICAN JOURNALISTS AWARDS



Tolu Ogunlesi & Dr. Susan Mboya
(President, Coca-Cola Africa Foundation)

Two Nigerian journalists Toyosi Ogunseye and Tolu Ogunlesi emerged winners at the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year Awards which held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, CTICC. It was the 18th in the series of the yearly event.

The two winners are Sunday Punch Editor, Tolu Ogunlesi, a freelance journalist for Ventures Africa, Nigeria, who won in the Coca-Cola Company, Economics and Biz Awards category and Toyosi Ogunseye, who won in the UNICEF-sponsored Environment Category.

Tolu Ogunlesi’s story was an investigative report on the Eko Atlantic City, a mammoth new development on the coastline of Lagos. He dedicated the awards to the millions of down-trodden people in Nigeria and around the world. He dedicated his award to the millions of down-trodden Nigerians and people around the world.



Toyosi Ogunseye & Steven Allen
(Regional Director, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa)

Toyosi Ogunseye’s story, “The Rich Also Cry”, focused on pollution in an estate in Lagos where gaseous metal had created very serious medical challenges.

The top prize went to Msindisi Fengu and Yandisa Monakali from South Africa and their story was on a students’ hostel which looked like prison cells in South Africa. Other freelance journalists who won awards were Noicola de Chaud, won with a documentary in the Culture Category and Florence Dallu in the Radio General News Category. All the 16 winners were selected from over 1,400 entries.

TWO UNIILORIN STUDENTS CONSTRUCT AN AIRCRAFT PROTOTYPE

Ali David and Patrick Effiong, two final year students of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ilorin, have constructed an aircraft prototype. The duo told journalists in Ilorin that they had nurtured the passion to construct the aircraft when they were in 100 level, adding that it was now their final year project.

Mr. David noted that many of his colleagues were skeptical when they first broached the subject, adding that they were not deterred by the challenges they faced.

“What we are actually working on is a machine that will lift up itself through the law of aerodynamics and having an engine, a propeller and the fuselage,” he added.

Mr. Effiong, on his part, said: “With some of our lecturers backing us, we were motivated; we decided that we can carry out the construction.

Also speaking with newsmen, the project supervisor, Tajudeen Ajiboye, said the students had demonstrated a high level of intellectualism in spite of the challenges they faced.

Mr. Ajiboye, who said the students were faced with the problems of materials and manpower at the initial stage, commended them for their tenacity to accomplish the project.

LOVING GOODLUCK AND HATING JONATHAN

One of the beauties of democracy is that it gives everyone the right or should I say the opportunity to air their views. And you have to give it to Nigerians when it comes to saying what is on their mind. Most times they pay little attention to whether it is harmful or achieves the desired result or not.

It is a common phenomenon now for Nigerians to use democracy as a means of insulting and demeaning others, all in the name of freedom of expression. The combination of unemployment and social media can be a very destructive mechanism. The meaning of 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop' is if you don't focus your mind on something productive it's easy for hateful thoughts to fill your head. People who have nothing worthwhile to think about will usually think of something bad to do or for someone to blame for their situation.

Last year, Goodluck Jonathan set the world record for becoming the most cursed president ever. Thanks to all the wonderful people who expressed their freedom of speech on his social media page. Just imagine how tormenting it is to please a hundred and fifty thousand people not to talk of that number multiplied by one thousand; everyone with his or her own demands and expectations. That is clearly not an easy task for anyone not even when your name happens to be good luck.

If you happen to have stumbled on the president's facebook or twitter page, you will be amazed. More than half the people who throw expletives at whoever is in charge of that account (I doubt if Jonathan sees any of those garbage) are clueless as to what is going on in the country. Empty vessels do make the loudest of noise. Sometimes I wonder if the beef is of personal or national interest.

Do you ever think of what those harsh words and comments you make achieve in the end? I will tell you free of charge that it achieves nothing. Firstly, it doesn't make the President any better; he will keep acting like the leader you portray him as.

I suppose it's the same situation between us and those under us. If you have been privileged to lead at any capacity before, there is a possibility that you must have been a victim of unsatisfied subordinates. We can't even brag about meeting people's expectations of us because we disappoint them once in a while. It is hard to please everybody, don't even try.

It is funny how you are criticizing the actions of those above you while those below you are not faring better under your leadership. And the chain keeps going on and on. Okay, am sounding like a preacher now. The purpose of this article is simply to urge you to pray for the President, so that your life will be blessed and the country will flourish.

To be honest, am not in support of irresponsible leadership but I have never heard of a country where insults have made their leaders more responsible. When we say positive things about people, doesn't it affect them in the end? I should think so.

Okay, what is the solution for all the irresponsible leadership that this country is bedeviled with? The Bible exhorts us to pray for those in leadership over us, indicating that our own personal well being is tied to praying for our leaders. You don't need anyone to tell you that prayers for our leaders will make more positive impact in the country than curses. 

It sounds weird to ask you to just watch and pray right? Well, I will proffer another solution when I find anything more powerful than prayers.

SEEING THROUGH THE EYES OF GOD

I have been extremely excited for a while now and I wish I can tell you why. But not to worry, I will fill you in maybe in another year or two at the appropriate time. Meanwhile, something equally interesting happened somewhere else which I will tell you immediately. Actually, the story I am about to tell you now is more important to you than the former, and this is how it goes.

A prominent golfer Chextah Woods was invited by the Sheikh of an oil-rich country to participate in this charity golf event. The golfer jumped at accepted the invite, and was flown in for the event in the Sheikh’s private jet. The event was very successful and the Sheikh had a good time with the golfer (ermmm….It’s not what you are thinking oh). So when it was time for the golfer to return, the Sheikh informed him that it was part of their bigz boyz custom to always give a parting gift to their guests.

The golfer declined the offer can you imagine informing the Sheikh that he had been a gracious host and that he has had a terrific time (still not what you think) hence he couldn’t ask for anything more. The Sheikh insisted on giving the golfer something that will make him remember his visit. When the golfer realized that the Sheikh was unwavering, he said, "Okay, fine. I am a collector of golf clubs. Just give me a nice golf club". The Sheikh agreed to make the golf club available the moment he got back home.

So the golfer boarded the Sheikh’s private jet and on his flight back home, he couldn't help wondering what kind of golf club the Sheikh might give him (based on his performance). He imagined that it might be solid gold or diamond studded (It’s oil-rich Sheikh we are talking about here).

When the golfer got back home, he kept expecting the moment his golf club will arrive. Finally, several weeks later, he received a certified letter from the Sheikh. The golfer thought that rather strange (Okay, maybe it’s what you have been thinking) and kept wondering where the golf club was. Then he opened the envelope (ghen! ghen!!), and to his astonishment (It was not what you thought), inside it was a deed to a five-hundred-acre golf course. Apparently, the Sheikh didn’t believe such a prominent golfer would only ask for a mere golf club. He assumed it must be an entire golf club. Oh lord let all the Sheikhs responsible for my breakthrough locate me….prayer!

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the truth. Much of your happiness in life depends on how you think God values you. Sadly, many of us have an erroneous idea of God's opinion of us. We base it on what we've been taught, our bad experiences in life, and many other assumptions. We may think God is frustrated in us or that we will never measure up. We may even believe God is angry with us because no matter how much we try, we can't seem to stop disappointing him.

It is very important to know how God sees you, what he thinks of you, and what his desires are for you. The fact is that until you recognize in your heart that God really does hold you in very high esteem, it's going to be difficult to believe his promises for you. You keep singing “I have a very big God oh, who is always by my side” yet you imagine that all he can do is to put food on the table and meet your petty desires. All because you have not realized that you hold the master key to the door of your life.

Until you realize that in the eyes of God you are valuable whether you have 100,000 followers on twitter or not, you will keep settling for less and accepting everything that people life throws at you. So this is the thing, you have to start seeing yourself through the eyes of God and reap the benefits of being his Paddy friend. But here is the twist, it's not enough to just lie down and assume you will get all you desire from God, you have to be willing to prove your mettle. Remember, the golfer got a golf club because the Sheikh had a good time.

And lastly, the day you start seeing yourself through God's eyes, people's negative views and opinions about you will not count or at best matter less’ simply because in the eyes of God, you have everything.

THE JOURNEY TO SELF DISCOVERY

It’s natural, over the course of your lifetime, to get to a point when you question who you really are. The path to finding these answers is known as Self Discovery. Self Discovery can be seen as the process of understanding your thoughts, feelings, values and background and how they impact your life. It is also recognizing your own biases by tracing them to their roots, through reflection and then purposely looking for a positive way forward.

Discovering that you have no clear vision of who you are, or that you’ve lost the connection to yourself that seemed so certain, can be frightening. The idea of recreating your identity can seem overpowering and hectic. However, this is actually a time to celebrate who you really are. The process of reclaiming your identity is an adventure and a journey that will create not only an upgraded version of you, but also a life that is absolutely more satisfying than you ever imagined.

Basically, when you understand that your psyche contains a lot of thought patterns that are not really yours, but rather were fed superficially by external influences or formed through some misguided understanding. You begin to appreciate that you may be living a very disconnected life by following these conditioned patterns blindly. Several beliefs we hold about ourselves get seeded in our psyche, and take roots because we don’t query them.

So here are some of the steps that I believe will help you need to follow on the journey to self discovery. They are not by any means exhausted but are the basic steps to get you sorted out real good.

KEEP CALM AND STOP THANKING GOD IT'S FRIDAY

I remember those days in Secondary School when the closing bell rings on a Friday afternoon and we all run berserk like people who have just being let loose from a Minimum Security Prison. If you by chance attended a Military Christian school like mine where flogging discipline is an important a subject as Mathematics and English, you will understand what I mean. Surviving the week without getting your bum feted with bulala was an achievement we were never really able to accomplish. Like the children of Israel we couldn’t keep up with the 10 commandments. So Friday for us was like manna sent from heaven.

Fast forward to the new millennium and we are all labouring working in our various fields of endeavour and the situation is still the same. Apparently, just like our classrooms, our offices have become a Maximum Security Prison. We almost have an orgasm tear the roof off with shouts of “Thank God it’s Friday” when Friday finally comes calling.

The phrase “Thank God it’s Friday” was first coined by Jerry Healy, a disc Jockey from Akron Ohio in the early 1970’s. The “Thank God it’s Friday” bug is fast catching up with everyone and is gradually becoming an epidemic.

So my curious mind got the best of me as usual and I went in search of why we are all so obsessed about Friday. And here is what I found out.

1. The phrase is synonymous among labourers’ workers as a common expression of relief at the end of the week in anticipation of relaxing or partying through the weekend.

"Successful people don’t relax, they feel relaxed with their work, and they sleep with their Dreams & wake with a Commitment"

Labourers Workers who earn wages salaries do not find fulfillment in what they do. They labour work to build another man’s dream because they do not have the courage to pursue theirs. So Friday is the day they are free to do their own thing and most times they end up partying doing nothing.

"Greater satisfaction can only come  from living out your dreams"

3. All work and no play will put you on the Forbes List. Successful people do not distinguish one day of the week from the other. Simply because they know that every day of the week is important to their success. They know that the day they start thanking God it’s Friday, their businesses will fold up by Monday.

"Hard work has never killed anyone. It has only given them enough money to live longer"

Most people who use the phrase “Thank God it’s Friday” also use the phrase “Oh no it’s Monday again”. This only implies that they don’t like their jobs. While you are still labouring working, appreciate the fact that you had that opportunity in the first place. After all, that job was not customized for you from birth. You are just lucky to have it at the moment.

I stopped thanking God it’s Friday, the day I realized that the way I handle another man’s business is the way I will handle mine. Don't forget, Friday is a good day for you to start working towards your success. 

See you at the top.

The writer is a labourer and a worker at the same time. His work MY BOOK OF SUCCESS STORIES has sold over 1,000, 000 copies. He is in 2030 Forbes List of Most Powerful People in the World. 

HAPPY DEMOCRACY DAY!



President Goodluck Jonathan

Nigerians today mark the 14th Democracy Day, commemorating the formal end to military rule in the country and the enthronement of civil rule on May 29th 1999.

Without doubt, government and party officials will reel out lists of they will say are their achievements since they took office. It is in the nature of politicians to indulge themselves in such chest-thumping, even self-glorification; whether their performance records support them is entirely a different ballgame. It would be truer to declare that celebrations are in order only because this tottering democracy has not collapsed, so far.

NGOZI OKONJO-IWEALA MAKES WORLD 100 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s finance minister also makes the power list. The 58 year old Harvard-educated finance minister, who has spent one year in office after a failed bid for the World Bank presidency, moves down from the 81st position to the 83rd.

Joyce Banda, President of Malawi is up from the 71st position to the 47th and Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, President of Liberia also makes the list. She is at the 87th position, down 5 from last year.

MEET NIGERIA AND WEST AFRICA FIRST FEMALE MILITARY PILOT

 

Blessing Liman was commissioned as a Combat Flying Officer alongside 126 others who finished the Direct Short Service Course 2010/2011 Cadets of the 325 Ground Training Group at the Nigerian Air Force Base, Kaduna.

Present at the winging ceremony (badge decoration) was the then Chief of Air Staff, Air-Vice Marshal Mohammad Dikko Umar who described her training as a ‘very laudable achievement‘.

She was quite excited and proud to have made history and said: “It is very uplifting and I feel very proud of myself though it has been very challenging. Coming from the civil war and the civil mentality, the Air Force has done a great job because it has changed our orientation. I believe that all females have equal opportunity to dignify their rights in whatever adventure they choose they can do.”

As a first female pilot I would want to make a mark that would encourage other females to join the military because I believe that all females have equal opportunity to exercise their rights in whatever they choose to do, I believe that all female Nigerians who choose to become pilots can do it since I have done it.

This is a remarkable achievement, one that should drive our ladies to know and see themselves as been able to achieve the impossible and break the so called glass ceiling in any sphere you find yourself.

Blessing Liman was born 29 years ago and is an indigene of Zangon Kataf Local Government Area. She later attended the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna State. She was of the SP-24A set of pilots and they were referred to as the Knights of the Air.