WHAT DO I REGARD AS SECRETS?

What is your little secret? We all have little secrets that we don't know how to share with our bossom friends, parents, siblings, spouse, and anyone close to us. We often feel that the day we pour our hearts out to them, we start to experience insecurity, the fear that one day, what we call secret will soon be known by all.

Imam Ali quotes; " Nobody can guard your secrets better than you, so do not blame anyone for revealing your secrets, because you could not hide them yourself.  Your secret is your prisoner, which if let loose it will make you its prisoner". What are the things we regard as secrets? Some take their romantic moments as secrets, some their health challenges, in some contexts, mistakes made, others, challenges faced. Research shows that 90% of people with secrets are more careful in the aspect or area that forms the lump of secrets they carry about.

In other news, most people do not know that some things they guard as secrets are not meant to be treated as one, but the things that are meant to be the way they are, for example; regarding the style or positions your spouse do in bed as a secret is outrightly wrong. It isn't a secret, but what is meant to be between a couple. A murderer has a lot of secrets to keep, an armed robber and liars have so many secrets to keep, but your health challenge shouldn't be a secret, because it might end your living even while there is a cure.

A murderer, an armed robber, liar, looter can get choked up with secrets, but some issues are best treated as challenges which you can divulge to people who you feel have solutions to such challenges or better still look up to God. Another kind of secret is; secret affair, dating someone with the intention of hiding the relationship from others. A relationship that is not meant to be known by all is not worth keeping in the first place. Irrespective of what we categorise as secrets, what is meant to be hidden is not worth venturing into in the first place, and this is the reason why we have to live freely without any burden of secret because no one can keep a secret, and one day, you will have to let it go either to a trustworthy or untrustworthy fella.

Nigeria is Getting Hotter, Global Warming at its Peak (Will You Relocate or Do The Needful?)

Aliya Haq says, "There is no other way, if it doesn't start with people." What starts with people? Healing the planet starts with you, in your garage, in your kitchen, and at your dining~room table (Melissa Denchak). A Nigerian citizen once shouted beside me as we were waiting for the arrival of public transport, "Oh this country is getting uninhabitable, I feel I should be in the United Kingdom", and unconsciously the little smile spread all over my face.

Little do we know that we are the agents that caused the depletion of the ozone layer, hence the experience of global warming in this 21st century. Our activities in our homes and beyond have formed the balls that roll over the earth which suddenly caused the atmospheric condition we experience. Global warming and climate change are terms used for the observed century- scale rise in the average temperature of the earth's climate system and its related effect and there are different causes as well as proposed ways to reduce the infliction of this new generation menace.

What are the major causes of global warming? Carbon dioxide emissions is regarded to be the major cause and enemy of the climate, and it is released through coal, oil, and other fossil fuels which are burned for energy. The energy in form of electricity used to power our cooking appliances, charge our smartphones, fumes from cars, energy from air planes and so on. All these and many more are the enjoyed luxuries that cause injury to our planet which most people especially the urban dwellers are not aware of, since they are the people who enjoy most of the new generation technologies. All these cause a high sea level, higher wild life extinction rates, more frequent and severe weather, dirtier air, warming of the ocean surface leading to increased temperature.

How do we save our "Earth"? In actual fact, we can relocate to some countries that are still enjoying good atmospheric condition, especially during winter, but we cannot relocate to other planets when our ignorant activities continue to destroy the countries we regard as still habitable and the result is seen during summer. Some of the things we need to do to save the earth are;

*A need to change to renewable energy. When more than half of our power is generated through solar and wind, then we are a step closer to living in a good climatic condition. In this case, carbon emissions will be averagely reduced.

* According to Aliya Haq,  air transportation is a major air pollution and a train can serve as a better option, and good public transportation can lead to less driving by citizens

* This is a time to invest more in urban planning project as it serves as an escape route out of global warming.

* Green world initiative is encouraged as planting of trees and going organic in our consumption will help to reduce the effect of global warming as stated.

We are always the product of what we make our environment look like. An air conditioner could fail when the hotness becomes unbearable, but our activities can make us enjoy our natural habitat if we can correct all to live a better life, and leave a better earth for our children's generation. #FIGHTGLOBALWARMING.

DO YOU CARE FOR A DINNER WITH THE DEVIL?

    An adage says; If you want to dine with the devil,your spoon must be long. The devil always has variety of foods placed on his table for those that wish to have a dinner with him, and the foods often come in these forms; riches, ignorance, greed, fornication, adultery, pride, homosexuality, terrorism, and the list can't be exhausted.

People that dine with the devil often go to him with their bottles of wine,  and he provides them with drinking vessels with some plates of assorted foods ( the foods above). This simply means that the devil only works on people when they have the trait of evil in them. An outright man can be difficult for the devil to perpetrate, but a man that his mind has strayed away is a useful tool for the devil, and this has a close relation with an adage that goes thus; an idle man is the devil's workshop.

Man becomes a fool at the devil's party because devil has not come to satisfy you, but to add more to your burdens, by giving you a buffet offer to add to your bottle of wine ( what you are brooding on). The devil cannot wipe your tears, but can give you what seems like defence to wipe your tears like spirit to fornicate when you are a victim of loneliness, spirit to be proud when you feel you have acquired all the wealth on earth, spirit to acquire other people's wealth when you see that they are not watching and this doom disguise like it's the way out, but it's outrightly the way into the burning furnace.

What we see is not real, the dazzling mirage, the beautiful case with rotten content, the glamour full of tears, only the wise can see clearly that what we chase after are all vanities upon vanities, fighting to hold the wind when we have not been given the strength just because we do not realise that we are dust, and to the dust we shall belong.

CAN I DONATE BLOOD IF I GET A TATTOO BECAUSE OF MY CELEBRITY CRUSH?

In the sports world, Lionel Messi's tattoos can drive some fans crazy, in the music industry, Lil Wayne, or probably 50 cent's tattoos are the attraction to fans, but whichever way it is, tattoos sometimes attract fans to some celebrities and this brings about immitation in some cases. Contradictory to the above, Real Madrid Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to get a tattoo inorder to donate blood to charity and this seems to be an attraction of fans to the Portuguese as well.

What is a tattoo? It is a form of body modification made by inserting ink , either indelible or temporary, into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos are done for different reasons as research shows that tattoos are rich in history, but the two that are visible are to identify oneself, either with a celebrity, zodiac sign, class or a value. It is also done to honour loved ones, parents, siblings, lovers and so on. 

If you intend getting a tattoo done, watch out for which tattoo parlour you visit as so many things are involved in skin piercing following different herald of occurrences. Some of the challenges faced if tattoos are done,  or done in parlours that are questionable are: 

***Inability to donate blood at least for a year: This is so inorder to know the status of the person involved as most tattoo carriers could be infected with some diseases, so screening is key.

*** Inflammation can possibly occur if particles accumulate in the nymph nodes. 

***High risk of getting HIV and hepatitis: Needles are highly sensitive to the skin, and when instruments are used for different tattoos customers, there is a high risk of getting infected with these two aforementioned. 

***Skin infections such as red rashes, pain may occur because most inks are not safe.

***Tattoos give permanent or temporary skin discolouration. 

***Bruise: Some bruises may be gotten, either long term or short term, etc.

As beautiful as some tattoos may look, a person prospecting to carry it should however be fully aware of the risk factors that are involved.  A  celebrity could order for new instruments to get his tattoos done, but a person from a middle class or the next might not be able to afford such, and in a case where instruments are not sterile, the health of the person in question could be jeopardised, so why not leave out if you're in doubt, as there are so many ways of identifying with celebrities you crush on or your value, and so many ways to honour your loved ones.

Derek's Death, a Lesson To Workaholics

Steve Jobs refused to pay utmost attention to his health but kept pursuing wealth, and this formed part of his regrets before he passed away.  In a business world, there are alot to accomplish, an empire to be built, some skills to be improved upon, some deals to close, a rank to be maintained, salary to be paid, schedules to be met, enthusiasm to be rewarded and a whole lot more. The more the mind settles on these, then a pint of blood gushes out of  the heart, and indeed the beginning of stress.

Derek is a friend, a next door neighbour, as well as an associate, but it was shocking to receive his death notice on a tuesday morning after he slept and couldn't wake up for his morning duty. He was a real time workaholic, dedicated and enthusiastic to be on top of his game in the banking industry. Derek wakes up early enough to catch up with time schedule, sometimes skipped breakfast, and most times jeopardised his sleep to get rewarded. He was a good friend that had to deal with so many family issues, and his all day sitting position never helped either way because it denied him of good exercise.

As I watched him alight from his car the night before his demise, I rushed to have some conversation with him, moving close to him shocked me as a grown man had eye bags full blown on his eyes, so I withdrew my initial conversation of the loan I intended to collect from his bank to discuss how he could safe time to get over stress, but little did I know that Derek was already a victim of stress to death.

I managed to share some tips with him because I can't deny that I have been a beneficiary of stress management owing to my wife's practice of nursing, that helped a bit. I told him to;

***Take control of his emotions, as stress is built on worries that things could be difficult to solve, or can't even be solved at all.

***I warned him to manage his time: The little weekend he has should be spent on pampering himself and not office work since that took his whole weekdays from him.

***In actuality, relaxation does not necessarily mean taking a nap, but a relaxed mood at work wouldn't pose a threat.

***Indulging in physical activity like moving around the banking hall when customers are not forthcoming is not a bad idea as I proceeded in my conversation with him.

***Talking to someone even if it's sharing humour with your partner at work can only reduce your stress hormones.

***I stressed the need for Derek to take some days off if he is ill instead of managing his health at the progress of a job that will, or has replaced him after his demise.

***Derek is always in haste to meet up target at work, but must the pressure overwhelm him, unfortunately it just did.

My friend wouldn't stop caffeine, and alcohol because he believed those kept him strong, but little did he know that they were agents to boost stress for him.

All these were my words to my dear friend that night as I watched him climb the stairs struggling with his suit and suitcase, but I never knew those would be my last words as he nodded in agreement that he would try to put my words into action. Derek is dead, Mahogany bank is alive, and it would keep recruiting to replace dead people like Derek.

Stress management is not the task of your industry management,  but yours. I have seen bankers retired with no health challenge, I have seen bankers died, and I have seen bankers with hole in the heart, but not only bankers, the job you do shouldn't put your health at risk because you can control your personal schedule. Hope my words are not getting too late to you like it got late to my friend Derek. Do not panic, but act, because no one is irreplaceable in any industry.

AN ELIXIR OF THE MIND

I must say it's an elixir at work when we begin to do things that are unexplainable, act irrationally, politely, love unconditionally, lie even when you're caught, sleep when you're depressed, timid when you have to be courageous, courageous when you have to be timid, prayerful when you are in pain, dutiful when you are denied of your pay, above all, campaign to win people's heart, even when your party has been black listed and the people yielding because you have cajoled them.

Sometimes we wonder why we do some things we said we will never do again, for example; a lady that promises herself never to have sex again until she gets married, or a man that says he will never revisit a relationship with an ex girlfriend, but he does, or a citizen that promises never to vote for a particular political party, but he/she still finds herself/himself dipping hands into the ballot box and casting that vote for a member representing that same party, indeed it's a disease of the mind, an elixir that only your mind can give you are those exposures.

No matter how you have been persuaded, cajoled, romanced or brainwashed, if your mind is made up not to attempt a particular thing, you will conquer, but when your mind is not well made up, that is when the mind pours an elixir to the soul through what you have been exposed to and it makes it yield to compromise with what you have once bid farewell. Your mind does a great thing in whatever you do and this is where your conscience can be tied or loosen and it sets the agenda for what you do and this hence builds your personality. Tagging in a saying that goes thus; " We Are What We Repeatedly Do" , and a christian or muslim that prostitutes for money can be said that she is at the mercy of the elixir her mind gives to her that no other way is forthcoming financially than prostitution.

Our mind works with our brain, and whatever we perceive through the mind is interpreted through the brain and thus our action. Whatsoever elixir your mind pours to your brain, your brain can filter whichever is profitable, right, and according to act upon, so no excuse that your mind is powerful, because your brain can filter which is profitable, bad and right to do. The elixir of the mind is what we get exposed to in our daily lives, the portion that comes as solution, either right or wrong, and yours is to filter which you want. YOU ARE THE MASTER OF YOUR SOUL, THE DRIVER OF YOUR BRAIN IRRESPECTIVE OF HOW MUCH ELIXIR YOUR MIND MUST HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO IN FORM OF CAJOLE, SOLUTION OR OPTION.

DANGERS OF ABORTION

Abortion which is refered to in different terms as; elective abortion, termination of pregnancy,  therapeutic abortion, induced abortion is known to be the removal or evacuation of pregnancy tissue, products of conception or the fetus and placenta from the uterus. This is however injurious to the health of a prospective mother who has engaged in such process, as well as to consequent pregnancy.

Most women who consider abortion attach some reasons to it, which range from one to another, and some of the reasons are;

* Pregnancy gotten through rape; most pregnancy gotten through rape mostly get evacuated.

* Mental or physical health conditions that prevent the mother from the continuation of carrying the pregnancy

* Unwanted pregnancy which is the highest factor due to lack of protection during sex.

* Inability to care for the pregnancy as a result of poor financial status.

* Prevention of child which has been discovered to have defect after routine second trimester tests.

As complicated as abortion is, it also has some side effects that could pose great danger to a woman and her subsequent pregnancies, some of the threats are;

*Cervical, ovarian, and liver cancer: As a woman get exposed to abortion(s) the risk of acquiring some diseases is on the increase and such is cancer in these parts of the body aforementioned.

* Death: Some women die in the process due to complications and others commit suicide due to psychological trauma.

* Ectopic Pregnancy: This is a pregnancy in which the fetus develops outside the womb, typically in a fallopian tube.

* Cervical Lacerations: lacerations which would be ignored can result in long term reproductive damage.

* Uterine Perforation: Abortion patients may suffer uterus perforation, amongst other general health challenges.

According to the dangers attached to abortion, a woman should necessarily think about an alternative of protection to avoid damages in her body by simply using protective measures during sexual inter course to avoid the evil abortion poses after or during the time it's been carried out.  Abortion could be unavoidable in cases of miscarriages, in order to evacuate the remnants in the fetus, but in cases of intentional enjoyment of sex which leads to unwanted pregnancy, a woman should have a re think that she suffers alone during the abortion process, while the man may or may not feel bothered. Zip up or protect yourself during sex to avoid abortion.

WHERE THE WIFE BELONGS, AND REFUSAL TO BACK YOUR SPOUSE, A MISPLACED PRIORITY

Recently, the president of Nigeria has been misquoted through an answer given to a question at a conference with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel. The statement; My wife belongs to the kitchen, my living room, and the other room suddenly generated a hullabaloo, uproar, aggression on the internet and internationally as well. I must say president Buhari's words must have been misconstrued, misunderstood and misrepresented.

A wife belongs to the husband is the summary of his statement. That doesn't mean Aisha doesn't have a dream or cannot perform any administrative job. Do not deduce the fact that a woman is a home maker, and that has not stopped Aisha from empowering women and also making her personal dreams come true, ignoring the background of the duo, afterall she has an office that is functioning.  Muhammadu Buhari said he doesn't know the party the wife belongs to, maybe a tactic to distract attention from her wife's statement that she wouldn't back him if he decides to contest in 2019 "if he doesn't shake up his cabinet".

How have we misplaced our priority? Buhari's statement referred to his home, Aisha's statement referred to Nigeria, so which is our utmost concern? The major problem Nigeria has is leadership, and leadership doesn't end in the president figure, its tentacle spreads across the ministers, senators, people in the administrative positions etc, and in a case where by a wife complains about the cabinet of her husband, then Nigeria has a long way to go in fighting corruption, battling economic crisis, waging war against terrorism and the various national issues, instead of capitalizing on where Aisha belongs to in her husband's house. Do not forget, Aisha must have gotten her details while performing her duty in the other room because most of these issues are almost always trashed in that room.

Why not place the priority right by knowing where Nigeria belongs to in the world, underdeveloped, developing or developed and ignore where Aisha Buhari belongs to in her husband's home. Nigerians are innocently or rather ignorantly suffering because of some ministerial appointments that were purposefully done by some party cabals who only have their personal interest at heart, the reason for the economic crisis. If I may cast our minds back to my post that says; we need experts to battle the war in Nigeria, not politicians that are not well grounded, and hence a complaint coming from the first lady of the country about such shouldn't be ignored.

Let's not be distracted from majority to minority. Buhari's statement is minor as it affects his home to what Aisha has pointed out in her statement " shake off cabinet". Nigerians' leadership must change hands for better administration to be put in place by ignoring frivolities and facing the real and cogent issues.

HOW DIABETES CAN RENDER YOU POWERLESS, AND ITS CONTROL

It might interest you to know that diabetes can occur in anyone, and the assumption that only elderly people are at risk should be partially ruled out. However, people who have close relatives with the disease are more likely to develop it. Some risk factors include; obesity, high cholesterol, lack of physical exercise, high blood pressure and the likes.

Diabetes is referred to as a condition where the blood amount of glucose in the blood is too high because the body cannot exhaust it properly. It is often referred to by medical practitioners as diabetes mellitus which describes a group of metabolic diseases and which the sufferer has high blood glucose either because insulin production is inadequate or because the body's cell do not respond properly to insulin.

Some common symptoms that can be felt by sufferers are;

* Passing more urine
* Being more thirsty than usual
* Blurred vision
* Feeling tired
* Feeling dizzy
* Leg cramps
* Weight loss or excessive weight gain
* Skin infection
* Cuts that heal slowly
* Always feeling hungry
* Headache etc

Amidst all these risk factors, diabetes can be controlled or avoided by following some of these stated below;

* More exercise
* Healthier meal
* Eat more fibre, it helps with healthy
   digestion
* Keep yourself away from stress
* Make use of natural healthy supplements such as; Aloe vera gel, garlic thyme, gin chia, fields of green etc

Aloe vera gel: This is beneficial for maintaining a healthy digestive system

Fields of greens: This include selenium which is effective to help in the production of insulin in those cells which is not ill

Forever garlic thyme: This helps to protect the body against free radicals and also helps to covert fats to energy. 

Gin chia: This is a potent combination of herbs used far and wide to increase power. It is known for its antioxidant content  and helps to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. 

For more enquiries, call

09097752569

Long life is meaningless without good health, so a fast approach to curb sicknesses won't hurt. You might not be the one at risk, but someone close to you is a sufferer and you can be of help. Fight for living!

WE SHOULD ALL VISIT THE ASYLUM; YOU KNOW THAT RIGHT?

A soul to uphold, a magnet to attract, a needle to thread, two legs to walk, two hands to work, one brain to think, a whole lot to invest, some leaders to strengthen, a country to behold, some citizens to appreciate. A little walk down through the heart of man can only do much more than just a stroll through a greedy life that thinks only about himself and feels that every other thing is insignificant.

They need to visit the asylum, yes! they do. The kids in the house that steal the meat from the mother's cooking pot, neglecting the fact that the pot of soup is meant for the whole family, and in a bit to satisfy their covetousness, they steal those meats not to quench hunger, but to have a better taste of what is meant for the whole family than other members.

A mother is the chief cook in a home, her affairs to oversee the home makes her feel that she has absolute power in most cases, and thus a means to eat better than others. In her coded room (kitchen), as she boils the meat and fish, a great chunk has been swallowed by her mouth, the plantain cannot be enough for the family, because mother has tasted more than enough. The meal looks lean not because better quantity was not cooked, but mother already ate her first round before the arrival of daddy. Mother's monthly allowance to cater for the needs of the family sometimes fizzle away, not because things are costly, but she has invested in gold, costume and body accessories business. An issue to trash on the table of the disciplinary committee and not the bin right? Just hold on.

My father, my father, the only car we have is not meant for the family, but only for you. If mother has to take us to school, public transport is the best option, if mother carries a whole lot of load, her stress to convey those to her destination is her cross not yours. The moment you enter the house, the TV remote control absolutely gets to be under your care as you change the channels without an apology, even though we are seen as too young to be apologised to, but we are still significant. The only thing we see on your food are four meats and 3 fishes, while we struggle to get a full piece of meat, and though we need it more than you do, but the tradition has crippled our mindset.

The natural resources, tax payers accumulation, and other financial gains of our country seem to be what is meant for all of us, but the last time I checked, a group tagged leaders that I appointed have gathered a larger part to some countries that the citizens do not even accord them because of their colour (racism). And we keep suffering like a dog that has no piece of meat, but goes back to feed on its poo. Has it ever occurred to you that after a man has spent all his money and he is in dare need, he searches those places where he kept all those he already spent if he could get a little sum of luck, but the bag is drained and what is next?

We all need to visit the asylum I repeat, because it all started from our homes. It is not the right of asylum which is sometimes called right of political asylum which a person persecuted by their own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, but an asylum meant for the insane or lunatic, an obsolete type of institution for housing those deemed insane. Let's take a vivid view at this scenerio, we are hungry, and a good samarithan gives us a bowl of rice, and I decide to scoop out a greater part, all of a sudden, I start to pour it in the sea, please am I sane? That is the case of greedy people. In their own bit to get their share, they cheat other people and the dividend of their cheat is wastage, so they need to visit the asylum because they have derailed from the right thinking path, and mentally, they are ill not to know that what is meant for all should be equally shared by all.

OH WHAT A TIME TO BE A NIGERIAN!

Peter denied being disciple of  Christ because the situation at that time was terrible and he felt playing safe was the best for him...oh what a time to be Christ's disciple! Perhaps, the situation at hand in our dear country is more scary than it was for Peter. We are getting ripped apart and nearly everyone felt more comfortable to associate with one's surname than bearing national image. Truly things are changing 'unfavourably'.

Where do we start from? The Politicians are milking us dry, the corruption in the land could make you feel they're Pharisee that Christ condemned. Economy is going down the cliff if not already in it. Naira was 0.765 to a US dollar when I was born and as of today it is 480 to one US dollar. Just like a Football commentator would like to say it; Oh what are you doing Nigeria! Businesses are shutting down, I wonder what Mark Zuckerberg would have thought when he was at the arrival wing of Murtala Mohammed international airport. The last time I checked, the escalator was not working. What really is our problem? What is wrong with being black?

Oh God of creation, direct our noble cause. The question is what is our noble cause? Stealing? "Mindlessness or directionlessness"? As Hon. Patrick would have it said; We have not really defined our noble cause or our perplexed situation that has birthed us, recession has really made us to lose focus on what our noble causes are. Oh what a time to be a Nigerian! Help our youth the truth to know. The youths are not really ready to know but to wail on Facebook that a youth like them turned to a business empire. We have become guests of honour at a pity party. So how do we move from here?

There's an interesting story in the bible. Governor Nehemiah was narrating how they fought recession and was able to build the wall of Jerusalem by attributing their success to one thing: 'so we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, FOR THE PEOPLE WORKED WITH ALL THEIR HEART. Neh 4:6'. At the last verse of the chapter he said, 'Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the Guards with me took off our clothes...even when he went for water'. That is our duty at this time, oh what a time to be a Nigerian.

We must be ready to work with all our heart. Tough times need tough decisions to make things right. Recession time is not time to sell assets but time to build, time to communicate positively, time not to play politics with our development as political parties are doing. We need to work with all our heart and do away with nepotism, not being divided along ethnicity nor religion. If you bomb any national asset in your locality because you are upset or felt cheated, nobody would suffer more for it than your kids you would later raise in that environment. We have to be wise how we handle situation. Let us help our economy and not rely solely on government.

We need to be more compatriot and work with all our heart. We have everything at our disposal to effect the turnaround we desire. We will work with all our heart and generation yet unborn will bless our memories for creating a beautiful, prosperous nation for them. HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY NIGERIA.


ODUNMORAYO OLALEKAN MATTHEW
AUTHOR AND SPEECH WRITER

MORNING NUGGETS

Do not live based on the judgment of people, but live based on your conscience and personal approval.

The worst step ever taken is sitting without making a move.

The business of a man is not what he has, but the impact he has made in the society.

Age is a barrier when you make it a barrier.

Can you ever go a bit further than I can go for you? If yes, then I will overtake you, if no, I will not go further.

ECONOMIC RECESSION IS A DECOY, USE THE TERM "ECONOMIC CRISIS"

To a layman, production  and consumption of goods are natural and this process keeps up without verifying the needful, if it is seen in quantity or reduction, so far it is available. For the experts, it is seen from an economic point of view which is the state of a country or region in terms of the production and consumption of goods, services and supply of money. Nigerians have lately been acquainted with the term economic recession,  and may be confusing to an ordinary man on the street, and here is the reason for the bisection and dissection.  An economic recession is as a result of decline in gross domestic products for two or more consecutive quarters, and GDP is referred to as the market value of all goods and services produced within a given period of time. An economic downturn is as related to recession as a twin, and it suggests that the rate of economic growth is slowing down and possibly entering into recession. This is a reason we have to jettison the term recession popularised recently,  because in all, downturn and recession form a junk of crisis, so why not address the Nigerian present state as facing economic crisis.

The economic crisis currently facing Nigeria is beyond a political affair, but the intervention of economic experts is needed to put a lasting rest to what has come to bring slavery back in form of foreign assistance. A widely known and accepted fact is that Nigeria is one of the endowed countries in the world in terms of natural resources and this has not proven the country to be one of the most policy executors in the world. From a critical angle, politics has sunk deeper into the country that attention has gradually been drifted away from addressing economic matters to worries about who created the crisis scenario and whose administration it escalated.

The Nigerian president, Muhammadu Buhari is currently agitating for emergency power to falsify the rise of economic crisis, but some policy makers elected as National Assembly legislators are of the belief that it is an avenue for the president to become a dictator by usurping their powers and taking the country back to military era where democracy will no longer have its place. The request for the emergency power is partly linked to the emergency power Act of 1961, but in this case, economy is affected as against political motive of 1961. On the other hand, could it be that the fears of some legislators that are delaying the passing of the bill could be likened to fear of guilt as most will be denied of unnecessary gains that come out of projects awarded? The president has power in his own right to make policies, so far he passes through the right procedure as enunciated by some National Assembly members, and hence the cause of their worries over the recent agitation.

In all of these fiascos, citizens are equally tainted to have ignored their line of duty as they form part of the alliance that sabotage the economy of the country. We all know that oil forms the strongest part of Nigeria livelihood, and it has drastically degenerated in value as a matter of lack of maintenance and vandalism of pipelines by some citizens.

In actuality, where are the farms that produced agricultural products those days? The farms that produced our cotton, grains, and other farm products, all gone and farmers have become urban settlers, even mechanised farming is of a low range. Oil spillage has caused decrease in fishes in the rivers, and deforestation has gained prominence like a king in the jungle.

At this juncture, we all know that Nigeria can rise again if we are all ready to dip our hands in the economy to loosen and tighten some bolts that are necessary. From a policy perspective, we need economic development which is an effort to improve the economic wellbeing and quality of life for our country by creating and retaining jobs and supporting or growing incomes and tax base. Our gross domestic products must rise, by avoiding monopoly, monopsony and oligopoly. Increase in production of locally made products must skyrocket so that prices of goods and services are moderated though not totally deflated, but disinflated in the bit to increase the value of  Nigerian currency. The National Assembly should work towards passing the emergency power bill if it is considered as the only way to make standing policies, and if not, the National Assembly should not hesitate to grant any bill that intends to improve the economic state of the country, and above all, corruption must stop!

IS MY BODY AND PREGNANCY FOR THE WORLD OR FOR MY HUSBAND?

We are all aware that two breasts, baby bump, and vagina are the private things covered under the maternity gown, so why expose them for us to see, and this is where dignity comes in. In Nigeria today the new trend of showing off the baby bump by pregnant women has fiercely increased, and this is not a thing done with clothing anymore, but nude. At a time I sat in a garden and examined critically if the women that expose their nudity have husbands in existence, but so many times you see the husbands encouraging the wives by taking those pictures with them which means that the husbands are most times in support of the act.

If we are going by Nigeria's culture and religion, I cannot agree that this trend has once existed in any culture or religion which simply means that over accommodation of foreign values has diminished our inbuilt wiring that we no longer consider what is private as one, but as public. The breast, baby bump, and vagina of a woman ought to be considered as private parts,  and also not neglecting that a woman's body is officially and strictly meant for her husband and not the public. The last time I remember, you were joined in holy matrimony with your husband and not the world, so why are you showing off your lifetime assets to some men that would abuse it?

When I was younger,  I used to live in a world where so many rules were given to pregnant women. They must not move in the afternoon, they must avoid some unnecessary walks, they must cover their nakedness, they must be careful, amongst so many other rules, but these days, pregnancy is the whole world affair, because we can no more differentiate between a husband's property and a public property. I see that even the husbands in support of it are myopic of certain instances like; your wife could be likened to a prostitute by men like you, your wife could turn to a pornography for men that masturbate, your wife could be seen by your religious leaders which totally diminishes her value, your wife' s picture could be seen by your family which could make them hate her, your wife could be seen by you friends who were salivating to have sex with her and a good opportunity to know her private ability

Yes, we cannot be forever young, and by the time we reach our old age past could hunt us. We cannot be forever young, because when we are meant to be chosen in some key public offices, our way of life might be tagged immoral. When a mad woman pulls off her clothes, we run because we don't want to be hurt by her, but when a sane person pulls off her clothes with a belly full of tomorrow's future, we wait and view the sizes over and over because it says alot. We can have pre~birth pictures, but going nude is absolutely not a good story for the baby to be told. If our generation continues this exposure, I can imagine a world going nude like some insane bodies able to be compared to some patients at "yaba left". Over accommodation of foreign values has made us weak that we don't think if our cultural values are still in existence and this might cost us our future as gays are celebrated today by causing diseases to spread in our world.

WHY DO SOME LADIES LOOK LIKE MASQUERADES WHILE SOME FLOURISH?

Her sight captivated me as I turned to my left hand side in a public transport, a beauty to behold, and her lovely smile said alot about her. I wondered where she was coming from and also heading towards, but all I noticed was a set face looking straight with confidence. I was not comfortable sitting beside a queen without having a conversation with her, so I looked to my right hand side checking if a third party was aware of my discomfort, but guess what, I saw a masquerade in form of a lady. A scary figure with her threatening face and I said to myself, why do we have queens and masquerades in form of ladies?

As the driver drove some kilometres, the bus conductor started with the collection of our transport fare, and there I was tempted to pay for three, yeah, I and the two ladies at the left hand and right hand side. The lady at the left hand side already spread her hand towards the conductor, but I told her not to mind, I paid for the two of us and this avenue gave us a free wave to discuss at length.

My question was; tell me the secret behind your beauty? And she replied saying; I am not so beautiful, but I got the secret at my finger tips, things that can make a woman look beautiful without much stress. I looked at the other lady and her awkward adjustment on the seat gave me a clue that she was sniffing to listen to our conversation. I pressed on more to discuss with her, but she insisted that the secret will be told some minutes before we alight from the bus. I enjoyed the conversation just because her face stood like a tv set showing an award winning soap opera.

Few minutes later before the time we were about to alight from the bus, I reminded her of the little secret she promised to share. I was expecting an array of discourse, but it was so simple she said, just FLAWLESS BY SONYA is the secret of my beauty, the kit is affordable and lasting for a woman that wants to feel elegant. I rushed to ask about how to get the product, yeah I am a man but my intention was not to ask lady left hand out, but to help my wife seated at the right hand side( the scary woman is my wife), and she said; Sonya kit is not sold everywhere but a contact number would help get whatever I wanted and she gave me this; (07062279940). The lady right hand side had a deep breath because all that was on her mind was that her husband's eyes caught another woman. Women,  looking beautiful is as good as anything when you want to arrest your man. if I was a flirt, I would have followed lady sonya home. Get SONYA KIT NOW!

MONDAY NUGGETS

"My new world is yet to be built, says the lazy"

"Sometimes I wonder how we live in a third world country with some G~wagons in some houses, and no plate of food in some homes"

"My little experience might not just be little if I capitalise on making it a bigger dream"

"Procrastination is not only a thief of time, it is a reflection of a coward not ready to take a move because of failure"

"Whenever you keep up with some celebrities, are you getting trained through their skills or merely tapping the showbiz world?"

"Do you have an idea of what constraints are? Challenges that pose threats to your uplift, so deal with them"

"It is not a bizzare to wake up without a clue of how your day should go, but it is disastrous if a day passes without any productive achievement"

"The more you fantasise, the more you feel you are there, and the more you face the reality, the more you take a step"

"A plate of rice and a full bowl of soup cannot fill you up all your life, so why eat alone when you know that some are after the grains that drop from your table?"

"My time is designed in such a way that I only have the clue on how it works for me"

"I want to know how big your house is and how large your grave will be"

"Learn to be wise, not only when they end up hurting you, but when you sight that their loyalty is questionable"

BE WISE I SAY...

"When stars meet superstars, they turn to fans"

"The people you refer to as animals today could turn out to be humans tomorrow. The poor could get rich tomorrow, never underestimate"

"Be careful when you offend the younger ones, because your ego might take over you to seek for their help when they turn out to be great people"

"The length of your cloth does not tell how religious you are, but the largeness of your heart will definitely tell"

"My word might not travel far, but my hand written piece may travel farther, the pen is mightier than a sword"

"Can you dance to a song without a rhythm, can you write with a pen in the air?"

"If you keep walking in circles all your life, one day you will die in circles because that is where you limit yourself"

"If I cry all my life, my tears cannot turn to a river, so why worry over less productive things"

"How far can a generation care for a property, how mortal is our souls that we won't give up one day #vanity"

"The cheapest product can only be bought by those who value it, the less privileged can only be cared for by those who cherish them"

MY BUSINESS IS CRASHING, PLEASE HELP!

Harold S. Geneen says;" In a business world, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first, and the cash will come later". We all have dreams, a vision we are willing to turn into a reality. An idea that brings a bag full of currency notes to our door step, or did I hear someone saying business is meant to be a charity? The looming days of your crash is nigh if your idea of starting a business is for charity. Charity is allowed, but that can only come from your own private purse, and not the business that aims to sustain your life till generations take over. 

In starting and sustaining a business, your hooves have to be strong enough to keep your goal which simply means that your experience must have been an oasis of knowledge combined with wisdom in starting your prospective business. 

 Some guides are designed to help those that detect that challenges are close to them in actualizing their dreams in the business world and wish to tackle such challenges. 

HAVE YOU DONE A RESEARCH ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS IDEA? 

Research is key in anything one is venturing into. Having a dream is a great idea, but seeing how, when, if the dream will be achievable is also a plus. Research on your market, your competitors, your customers, your prospective environment and everything that surrounds your new idea. Check the businesses that have similar idea as yours, their failure and what makes them thrive. 

HAVE A BUSINESS PLAN:

There is no conservative way of drawing your business plan, just be liberal and get more knowledge on how to go about it.  A business plan can be said to be a formal statement of business goals, reasons they are attainable, and plans for reaching them. It may as well contain background information about the organisation or team attempting to reach those goals. Aristotle Onassis says; " The secret of business is to know something nobody else knows".  You can always get this during your research and inculcate it in your business plan. 

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT: 

Ideas generation is the first to start a business, then funding is a cogent part that determines if a business will be actualized and if it will travel far. In a business, making money is great, but a skill to know the management of cash flow, expenses and other financial matters is germane. Although experts recommend at least six months worth of cash on hand, they also say business owners should assume they will not make a penny for a year. Reason you have to accumulate some cash at hand inorder not to go bankrupt. 

ARE YOU A GOOD LEADER?

Management of a business is an important aspect in determining how far a business can go. A poor management skill could end a business within a twinkle of an eye, so leadership qualities shouldn't be ignored while operating a business. " One of the test of leadership is the ability to recognise a problem before it becomes an emergency" says Arnold H. Glasow. This is the more reason you have to train and know more about your business to give you more confidence. Your staff welfare is as good as the success of your business, because a well motivated staff will always deliver with a heart full of good outcome. 

UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMERS AND COMPETITORS; 

This is where your brand comes into play. Jeff Bezos says; " A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You learn reputation by trying to do hard things". Your brand should stand out than your competitors' and this will make your uniqueness a great patronage for your customers. Learn from the mistakes of your competitors to further the satisfaction of your customers. "There is only one boss. The customer, and he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else"says; Sam Walton

OVER EXPANSION:

Do not be deceived by the evenly patronage of customers, hence your motivation in expanding rapidly without putting some vital things into consideration. Ensure your first start up is stable, and avoid a case where you can no longer effectively manage the expansion.

"If you don't drive your business, you will be driven out of business" B.C Forbes

and Colin Powell says; " There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure". Learn, relearn and unlearn to sustain your business. 

WHY DO WE CHOOSE SEX OVER COMMUNICATION IN A NEW RELATIONSHIP?

 

It was love at first sight some people assume if the romantic chemistry erupts like volcano, and then a mistake if it never worked out. The story of love can not be told from a less hollowed point of view, but the assessment of some relationships could nip in the bud some eye openers to knowing how a relationship is meant to be handled.

A little story before we tackle some issues will not bore us, so we take this; I met a friend and we got talking so we chose to meet one on one which we eventually did. Three days after we met, he started clamouring for sex, he wanted this as if it was meant to be a quickie, but something struck my mind, that if we eventually make that happen, then something might go wrong. I decided to turn deaf ears to him, and only to see a nice man acting like a devil in the wind. It was as if the hatred came and the little likeness we shared disappeared in the thin air.

Love is not a product of infatuation, not a process that can be accelerated,  because it takes time to stand. You cannot profess love to someone you barely know, because in doing such, the relationship could end in pieces. You can only like or get infatuated to someone at first, but as time passes by, love takes its stand and it goes on and on. Remember, love doesn't give up easily. Before love takes its root, communication must have taken its place through friendship. Learning and knowing more about people you are attracted to make it more interesting as you discover new things about them which can trip you off or turn you on. A relationship that starts with sex cannot be guaranteed because some men have sex with prostitutes without loving them. In actual sense, men can have sex with ladies they don't love and keep away from those they love. So erase the content that seeing the colour of your panties will make him lead you to the altar.

You can only get bothered in your relationship because it might not work out if some steps are not taken. You can never apply your makeover before having your bath, and you can never put on your dress or suit before your underwear. So many people run down streams of tears after a broken relationship without checking where they missed it and the mistake continues over and over. The scratch is important than any other thing built on it, so your foundation matters. After a break up, some people often find it difficult to start over and this has made insecurity to gain prominence in the society today as love is professed but not meant. You can definitely start all over again, a new life with a new approach. Here are some quick grabs to take into cognizance :

Say goodbye to your pains and worries:

Worries can not change anything, so why invest your time in fruitless effort, a seed that cannot germinate anything but hatred and sickness. Try as much as possible to embrace yourself by loving yourself through identifying reasonable and productive things that can pull you out of the mess of worries. Go for events, read motivational books, visit the less privileged, and be happy.

Do not attribute your failure to anyone:

Assume that no one caused your breakup, not even you or your ex, because doing this breeds bitterness and anger. Just let go and stay focused in your new life.

If you compare yourself to others, then your value will diminish:

No relationship is perfect.  Just because you don't know how they deal with their imperfections doesn't mean they don't have dirty linen. Stop comparing your life with some people and mould yours in a better way.

Open your mind and head at thesame time:

If you open your mind, better offers will come, and if you open your head, ideas to manage your relationship will keep coming.  Always attend relationship counselling classes, read books that can make you productive and stop assuming that things will  work out as you wish without extra effort. Explore by knowing the characteristics of your suitors to enable you pick the best. Do not be in a rush to conclude or enter into a relationship.

You need to check yourself :

We all need grooming, except if we don't want a change in our lifestyle and if you can't change your ugly old ways, then don't yearn for a better man or woman. Look deep within, and check if you're the saucy type, the snub, the dirty, the scattered, the talkative, the lazy, the gossip, the unfriendly and all in such category. You don't have to earn much to dress well, you can make do with the little you have intelligently. Check your company of friends if they promote or drag you behind, and glaringly the former is better than the latter.

Love details cannot be exhausted because it is a study that needs a research on its own, and new social trend has made it more difficult to know those that are truly in love and those with preying eyes looking for the vulnerable and this is why both men and women have to be ready emotionally for anything that comes knocking. Being in love is not enough, but getting mature in the spirit can help, that ability to stand when it's stormy and the sense of communication that can change a hardened mind.

HOW DO YOU PERCEIVE YOUR SECURITY AGENTS, ESPECIALLY THE POLICE FORCE?

One of the most annoying things some people complain about is environmental noise, which the sound of a siren is included. Ideally, the sound of a siren connotes emergency, and emergency services could be that of security or health services, except for the government figures that go around with aides.

Have we ever thought that security siren is an environmental noise that is needed and which is not meant to be perceived as disturbance? The effort of the security bodies to restore sanity in the country should not be tagged annoying, instead, that "mtchewww" sound should be ignored.

The Lagos state commissioner of police, Mr Fatai Owoseni during a lecture on national security, threats, solution, and reasons at the department of mass communication university of Lagos highlighted some national security threats which include; corruption, unemployment, terrorism, natural disaster, proliferation of mass destruction, inter religious conflict, pandemics, cyber attacks and host of others. He said that national security is not a one man's job because it starts with individual, that if a man's personal security is threatened, then it can affect other people around such victim. In as much as security agents are put in place, he stated that we all have a responsibility to take in securing our nation.

National security is the responsibility of both citizens and the security bodies put in place to check the excesses of people. How is it your responsibility? A sitting room bulb could explode, and the reactions of people could signify danger, thereby raising false alarm that scares people to panic, and stampede could occur that leads to injury and death in some cases. Stigmatisation of citizens that are affected by terrorist attacks should be avoided, especially those from the northern part of Nigeria as this could lead to personal feeling of insecurity, example given; "Do not allow those mallam's cows to graze around here because they might have bomb tied to their waist" but that has not put away our consciousness ability.  A citizen that notices strange occurrence in his environment and refuses to make it known to the police has jeopardised his citizenry role. I heard someone saying those that did that in the past never got quick or any response, and that takes us to the welfare of the security agents.

A security agent swore to fight for his or her country, but in a case where his welfare is not considered at the time he is in service could bring about doubt that when he is gone, his family will be neglected. It is their job to defend, but when the citizens and government do not value their role how are they expected to deliver with full strength. It is therefore not a reason for a fighter to relent in his job, because it is a call to service.

Sometimes the government are to blame for not putting things in place accordingly. In a case where some facilities are not put in right shape, then who is meant to be questioned. A road that is meant to be motored within 10 minutes takes 30 minutes, then we have to perceive that something is wrong. In as much as we have some bad eggs in every system today, especially in the force, we cannot understimate the value of working facilities.

Have you ever heard about smart police? It's an application that helps you bring the police to your doorstep. As advanced as technology has become, there is a need to take advantage of this medium to get yourself secured. Nigerians want to have a feeling of security, but sometimes some bad eggs in the police force truncate this by pleading for bribe, and another angle is that bribery was initiated by some citizens to hack their way through and this became a custom till date. Have you ever imagined a Nigeria where government provides working facilities, a country where citizens don't bribe their way through or don't raise false alarm, and a country where security agents are up and doing to restore sanity in the country, a country where the media reports cases as they are without filtering, and that is a country we all yearn to have, a country with perfect security.

WHY MY WORDS ARE WISE

"You cannot restore the days that the locusts had eaten, but you can employ your creator to do that on your behalf"

" Cater now that you have the resources because when it's all gone, those you refuse to cater for will mock you"

" It is an act of wickedness to maintain or continue to widen the gap between the rich and the poor"

" Intelligent people often think like the kings, and royal thoughts often come from the wise and simple because all they do is to look for more streams of wisdom"

" Let your day be planned in such a way that no bossom friend can change it"

"It's been the Lord all the way, not human anyway"

An affair with a married man or woman can only cause you to live in danger of staying within a circle. You love the married figures and ignore the single figures that are ready to make you stay married"

"The cost of a designer doesn't really matter if you look like a doll when you are meant to look like a queen"

"Customer relationship isn't just a random tag, but it defines how far your business will go"

"My worst dream ever is loosing a person that has a lot of dreams to turn into reality"

THE FEAR OF INFERTILITY, THE CAUSES AND SOLUTION

Statistics has shown that over 39% of broken marriages are caused by inability of the couples to conceive, and over 42% of infertility cases are caused by diseases that can be cured. Infertility is referred to as inability to conceive after having regular unprotected sex and this has damaged so many marriages because of lack of awareness of the affected about some facts.

A woman can only be threatened by her inlaws if only she didn't know that men could also be a cause of childlessness and this is backed up by several factors that can be seen in both females and males. Some of the challenges that cause infertility are:

For males; challenge of ejaculation, challenge getting an erection, low sperm count,  or quality, problems with the tubes carrying sperm, and sometimes, diabetes, inflamed testes, alcohol, chronic disease, sexually transmitted diseases, genetic problem.

For women;  challenge ovulating, pelvic surgeries may lead to scar formation and fallopian tube damage, pelvic infection, endometriosis and in some cases, hormonal disorder, sexually transmitted diseases, chronic diseases, etc.

HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS CHALLENGE?

Infertility  can lead to depression and here is a possible way to get rid of it. There are some supplements that are recommended to boost the ability of couples who are willing to conceive. One of the recommended supplements are:Vitolize, royal jelly, multi maca, arctic sea.

Royal Jelly: This is for both men and women. It is meant for the activation of sexual gland.

Vitolize: This is a natural blend of antioxidant,  it includes; rich vitamins and minerals

Multi Maca; Maca promotes libido, sexual potency, and energy. Peruvian women begin to use maca at age 3, and remains strong and fertile.

Arctic sea: A combination of fish oil and olive. It is one of the food supplements with manifold action.

A good rest,  good eating habits, and cutting off every form of depression are also required. To order for these supplements in Nigeria,  follow @pthoughtsnow on twitter for your health session or contact;  09097752569.

We are all ill,  and we cannot get cured until we voice out and take a step. Delivery will be at the convenience of the buyer and in case of further enquiries, contact the number above. Probably you have had so many children, that does not stop you from helping those that you know with the challenge. Why do we procrastinate when the time is now? Procrastination is simply a thief of time that makes you more depressed.

IT WORKED FOR ME

Bisong is a 33year old woman and she had suffered from infertility for three years, but despite all her wealth, she couldn't conceive until a sister who suggested a trial of the supplements brought her out of the dark corner of infertility.

CORRUPTION PROBE, TAKING A TOLL OF PROBE

In a broader context, objectivity means an opinion, facts, idea, concept that is devoid of personal interest, bias and emotions. It is however expedient to take a vivid look at the probity level of Nigeria as the country enjoys the new era of leadership. The incumbent president of the country took a mantle of leadership with the vigour to fight corruption to the minimum level, but this quest has been subjected to probe by some citizens, members of the opposition party and concerned citizens.

The arms deal fund discovered in the personal coffers of the former national security adviser,  Sambo Dasuki has been a bone of contention for some months, and this has elongated its trend to a discovery of N4.7billion in the account of the Ekiti state governor,  Ayodele Fayose by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Though the allegation has been debunked by the governor who denied that he had no connection to campaign funding through the NSA nor Musiliu Obanikoro and sons whom were purportedly alleged to have transferred the sum into his account.

The question is; where was the crimes commission when monies meant for security ran on a fast lane and found itself in private coffers?  Does it mean a ruling party or the caucus in power has authority over the crimes commission? In as much as the body is independent and can probe any account, should EFCC widen its scope by not probing only members of the PDP and extending it to some members of the APC that were allegedly corrupt during the last tenure as public office holders?

According to the voice of the people,  the present government is doing well in fighting corruption, but a loophole must not be detected by shielding any man because he or she is a ruling party affiliate. The EFCC however should be independent enough to probe any account that seems suspicious either related to arms deal or any other public diversion of funds.

According to governor Fayose, he has been pointed accusing finger at because the president sees him as a major opposition to his governance and so a way to take a pound of the flesh. He confidently said that the EFCC should wait until he concludes his tenure in 2018 because the luxury of immunity covers him even when his account has been frozen by the body.

What is immunity and is there still law and order in the country? Who and which party has the best side of the coin if tossed up and over again? The ruling party, or the predecessor party?  Does it mean that some APC governors left the position drained of public funds in the last tenure?
Should immunity be ruled out for investigation to take place? Immunity can be deficient as it concerns the urgency of bringing back Nigeria to live. And how deficient could it be? By ruling out from the constitution the immunity and setting virus of probe against it. If immunity is eventually ruled out, then the fair of being caught in the act rises, and then order.

Nigeria is a country at the verge of collapse, the avengers, boko haram, corruption, price hike of commodity and others have joined hands to push her into an unending doom and a proactive measure must be taken.  Every citizen can probe a government with facts and figures, evidences that cannot be doubted because you have the right to know. The onions is not only in the hand of the
Incumbent rulers to put the country in order, but a collective responsibility.  If one is transparent enough,  objectivity will be the watchword, but in a case of otherwise, then subjectivity cannot be eluded. And the question remains;  which party has the best side of the coin if tossed over and over again for the next three years?

POSITIVE IMAGINATION

I was on the hospital bed staring death in the eye, i wished it was not so but that was all i could see and so, sleeping was difficult as i would surely see coffin or ghost-it was as bad as that. When my mum looked at me, she was always close to tears. My body peeled as if it delighted in peeling. Immune system dropped as it was giving up against the monster of a disease. My inner strength was begining to doubt my healing despite daily prayers from family and friends. The monster was winning on per second billing while i was losing the fight at the speed of light. My aunt would come daily, whispered healing words into my ears...then my faith picked up!

I began to see myself amidst great people testifying to the power of God who raised me- half dead man. I would say those positive words to myself when my aunt was not around and then i started believing the words...gradually i recovered!

Your situation seemed hopeless and you're saying in your heart, 'you can't understand, my health, marriage, finance, image is ruined beyond all this you're saying.' May be or may be not. The situation you are in, no matter how terrible, would never erase principle of positive imagination, affirmation and manifestation. Walk out of that ugly situation by imagining positive things but not only that, you've got to say it to the atmosphere for your belief system to be quickened, then positive manifestation will occur.

It is not working for many because they are doing it the wrong way. Put your imagery to work but that is not even the part where many missed it, it's at confession point. You have to do it positively. For instance, i will not be poor and i am rich are two different things. In the former you are still using the word poor while the latter focuses on riches. Choose positive affirmation that are not mixed with negative words. Your dry bones will come to life. Believe!

Our nation today spews distress, poor leadership and followership, bombing, terrorism, child abuse, poverty, lack of modern infrastructures and unfortunately we are now used to it that we believe it is a normal way of life and when someone thinks out of the box and urges us to see a positive nation, we label their effort as mere motivation.

Really, there's nothing to be excited about in the nation as corrupt few and large indisciplined citizens have sent the nation crawling. It is the reality we face but the nation must change in our mind before positive manifestation occurs. It must be on our lips that it is well with our nation, by so doing, the giant in individual will come to life to battle the problems that rubbishes us everywhere.

America was at war, many citizens were not happy with president Bush' approach but they never stopped believing in the greateness of the land. We are all we have to defend our land. First, by affirming the greatness that is coming to be very soon.

Odunmorayo Olalekan Matthew
Author and speech writer.
BBM: 7B2788AA

WHEN IS MY TOMORROW?

We waited patiently for governor Isiaka Adeleke of Osun state at the Ife city stadium when I was in my primary school days, and the boy more younger. My grandma had taken her time to shape out the creases on my school uniform in competition with other pupils, who knew we could be favoured to be given an award for neatness.  We were more than eager to meet the governor as Mr Fasogbon, our head master had already raised our hope that we would become leaders of tomorrow.

The sun was dealing with us, and just as i bought ten kobo 'lolly' (our own form of yoghurt) to quench my thirst, the governor arrived. If not for the escort siren, we wouldn't have believed the announcer because he had deceived us for more than four hours that the governor was close by.

His speech was inspiring and reassuring that we would become leaders of tomorrow.

Over two decades now, it seems we are farther from the tomorrow than before. What have we not done or what should we have done on our part for the tomorrow to have materialised? The present leaders are the ones that have been leading us since independence and they have not seen any reason for us to handle affairs except being used as thugs for elections.

Similarly, i was returning to lagos from school for christmas. I had five hundred naira left on me for fare to my house and the balance budgeted for my sister's 'dodo ikire' (sort of spiced-fried plantain), she wouldn't forget if i did not get it, so, no 'jupiter' could part the money with me. And then a young beautiful fulani girl, approached the bus and started singing 'eni odun ba l'aye o ko korin ope' by Niyi Adedokun. I had not recovered from the shock, as i wondered how she could speak yoruba fluently, when she changed it to Wasiu Sodiq's song. And then she started begging for money after she intimated us with her dream of becoming a lawyer. Maybe she was lying but all i could do was to hand over the money to her, forgo my sister's plantain and shook my head for the nation...When would her tomorrow come?

What is the way forward because many youths have entered their graves without experiencing their tomorrow.

Getting tomorrow must be systemic and not solely on prayers. It is sickening praying to have electricity in my home after a tiring day. Our night is 'night fall in Soweto',  sleeping sound is not sure for high level of insecurity.

No political party can give us desired future. What we just need is a working system where there will be laws to punish sabotage of our collective efforts and where every leader is accountable. System where electricity, transportation, education, housing and all sphere of our life are brought to life. When they are fixed, the blame would then solely be on the youths for our own woes. For many of us, we can hold our own even though governmental mud is dragging us back and struggling hard to kill the tomorrow we have designed for ourselves. This directionless course, like an aircraft that disappeared from radar must stop now!

As we call upon God to heal our land, that which we ought to do as leaders and citizens must not be neglected. Policies that will liberate people should be made at all time and given urgent accent. These will increase the chance of living in our tomorrow. And then our unborn children will learn how we stood for their tomorrow even as we realised ours.

Odunmorayo Olalekan Matthew
Author and speech writer
for: Global Purpose Network & purplethoughtsnow.blogspot.com
BBM: 7B2788AA.

Happy #AfricaDay Dear Africans: My Message To All Africans

Today marks the day in the year when #Africans from all over the world celebrate the #AfricaDay. On this day in 1963 several African States from across #Africa came together to form the Organization of African Unity-OAU now #AfricanUnion,#AU.

The primary purpose for founding this organ is to ensure integration amongst Africans and the pursuit of collective interest by member states.Saddly, only six countries from across the 54 African States celebrate or mark this day.

Now, why is it necessary that we celebrate this day as Africans? Africa is unarguably one of the richest continents in the world in terms of both human and natural resources. Coincidentally, Africa happens to be one continent that has been plundered and gaged by both foriegners and Africans. From conquests and plundering by Europeans,to raids by Arabians etc, our religious, traditional, natural and human resources have faced one of the highest amount of devastation known to any race or section of the globe as our human and natural resources were stolen and are still been stolen in different guise.

The most painful too, is the fact that with the partial purging of these external factors that constituted against African Unity and development, we now have Africans partnering with some factors against our collective gains as seen in the mindless looting and plundering of our resource by different african "leaders" and storage of these wealth abroad. And we also have other categories that ignite religious and tribal or ethnic rivalry for selfish gains.This has seen to the loss of millions of lives and properties in recent history.

Some in collaboration with internal and exteranal factors allign to destroy initiatives and individuals who or that stand out to develop our people and continent.Where is the like of Patrice Lumumba, Thomas Sankara etc in Africa? If these legends could do it, then no African leader should have any excuse not to deliver!

But these challenges have brought gains to us that if understudied and utilized can bring about gains to all Africans. Africans are the most diversified of all human race, we come in different shades with the dark skin and the quantity of melanin trait as our most unique identity.There's no continent in the world that doesn't have the African shade/race. If our resources are collectively exploited and human resources fully developed and utilized then the world will stand and gaze at #Africa in amazement. Just imagine a united African corporation that put together all our energy sources for a collective power generation and distribution  project across Africa.

Imagine economic and human intergration in other areas too like space and mineral exploration, trans African transport lines, African research/educational facility etc. Imagine the possibilities and opportunities!

For those that don't know, the greatest problems Africans face are Africans themselves. For we have failed to acknowledge who we are and utilize the limitless opportunities available to us and given to us by God.Quote me, there's no continent or people in the universe most blessed and as diversed as we are- #Africans. Therefore a day like this is necessary to access our gains, strengths and weaknesses and forge a pathway for greatness ahead.

The way forward will be for us to purge ourselves of selfishness and greed, for our leaders to see beyond self and look into the future of our people and for all Africans to see the dignity and gift of being Africans and utilize same while also massively opposing and ruining leadership based on corruption,ethnicity and partnerships.

We can't think Africa if we do not talk and act Africans. Across the African States and in the Africa Union General Assembly there's a need to declare this day as a day to celebrate the African identity and uniqueness while understanding and strengthening the bond that holds us together.

As we understand our strength, we must also collectively identify our weaknesses/challenges both internal and external and totally rise up above theory to oppose such forces or acts against Africans, and not just in Africa but across the globe. Our leaders across the continent as our path makers must unite as a matter of compulsion to make Africa truly integrated beyond semantics.

We should cover our faces in shame in that with our arable land we still have millions living in poverty;with our wealth we still go cap in hands begging while our leaders live in pomp and loot;with wind,water and solar energy in abundance we don't have energy for all. How do we feel seeing our brothers and sisters used as modern day slaves across the globe? how do we feel seeing those we should be protecting die out of our senslessness and failure? how do we feel to see Africans drown in open seas or our human resources migrating to a land not as blessed as we are?

In all, if some of our leaders and citizens have failed us and may continue to fail us, we the people of Africa are more than they are.Their shame is ours and their sucesses too, for it affects us all.We must put our time,talent and treasure together to act in Africa's interest. Let us support good governance and oppose bad governance while playing our roles too as citizens for the progress of our race.

For me as a Nigerian, Nigeria owes Africa so much as a leading light in many dimension and I will ensure that Nigeria gets to celebrate the #AfricaDay from 2017 onward. I will also see to it that our reps at the national assembly push for this in Nigeria and those in the AU General Assembly does so in the next sitting of the African Union Assembly.

Together we can and we will. This far there's an African Uprising musically,educationally,culturally and technologically as well as socially.We will!May the souls of all those that have stood for the greatness of the African race shine on and rest in peace, and may those people alive and still pushing for Africa's true greatness no matter how small be blessed and recieve the pure strength and energy of Africa to do more.

God bless #Nigeria!
God bless #Africa!!

Prince Michael Nku Abuo, JP
Founder of defunct Pan African Movement For Change and founding Member African Youth Network