Welcome to Olokunbola's Blog |
- A MUST READ! Story of Olusegun Obasanjo & Atiku Abubakar
- Killer heels! The shocking 3D scan that shows how stilettos cause unsightly clawed toes, knobbly bunions and even ARTHRITIS.
- Oh Dear...My Husband Keep Impregnating Our Maids
- How Secondary School Girls Are Running Secret Prostitution
- The Secret Love Affair Between Fani-Kayode & Bianca Ojukwu
- Hallelujah, it works! Goal-line decision system used to full effect at Stamford Bridge with McGregor save Read more.
- Man Wakes Up In Mortuary After Three Days
- Royal Wedding!!!: Prince Mustapha Oniru Of Lagos Marries White Woman Kirsty Crooks (See photos)
- I wanted to buy one of the #OgaAtTheTop Tshirt - NSCDC’s Shem Obafaiye Narrates Experience
- What I Do To Male Fans That Ask Me For S*x - Actress Juliet Ibrahim
- Aluu 4 killers in court...
- Former TV personality Emma Ugoli set to undergo kidney transplant
- Iranian woman barred from office for being too beautiful
- Kim Kardashian Tells Katie Couric: 'I Hate Fake Media Friends'
- Apostle Dr. T.O Obadare given a State burial by Osun State Government at Osogbo Stadium.
- Chris Brown Sentenced To 1000 Hours Of Labour
- TB Joshua’s neighbours convert homes to hotels
| A MUST READ! Story of Olusegun Obasanjo & Atiku Abubakar Posted: 18 Aug 2013 11:12 AM PDT  Below is the complete exclusive report: He was arrested on March 13, 1995. But before Olusegun Obasanjo was picked up that day, he had been forewarned. It was the second meeting between one Atiku Abubakar, then known as a politician who made massive waves during the Social Democratic Party, SDP, presidential primaries held in Jos, the Plateau State capital – the SDP primaries took place in March, 1993, some two years earlier. That day, Atiku (who is one of the few Nigerians identified by their first name) visited Obasanjo at his Temperence Farm, Otta, Ogun State, in the company of Oyewole Fasawe, a mutual friend and business partner of both men. They were there to forewarn Obasanjo about a possible impending arrest in connection with a coup plot. In a rare snippet by Vanguard into the soon-to-be-released autobiography of Atiku, it was found that, contrary to the generally held belief that prior to the politicking of 1998/1999 which produced the presidency of Obasanjo/Atiku, both men had never been close; it came to light that their relationship dated back to 1993. In the book, ATIKU ABUBAKAR, THE STORY OF MY LIFE, Sunday Vanguard discovered that Atiku had, indeed, gone to the same Otta for avuncular consultation with Obj,as Obasanjo is fondly called. Just some weeks before the landmark June 12, 1993, presidential election, Atiku, who withdrew at the last minute in the run-off primaries to allow for Bashorun Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola gather some gravitas against Babagana Kingibe, visited Obasanjo. His request was simple: "Please prevail on my boss, Shehu Musa Yar'Adua, to support the presidential bid of Abiola at the general election". Although Vanguard could not confirm whether Obasanjo indeed prevailed on the elder Yar'Adua to support Abiola, Obasanjo's statement during the crisis that trailed the disputation over the election, to the effect that "Abiola is not the messiah" betrayed the workings of the mind of the former President. The second meeting between both men, according to the book on pages 247 – 248, is reproduced, verbatim, here: "The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Walter Carrington, picked up the information on Obasanjo's impending arrest. He immediately alerted the former Head of State who was attending the UN social summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Obasanjo returned to the country, confident that he had not committed any crime. Atiku had also been tipped off about Obasanjo's impending arrest. "He went to the retired General's farm in Otta, Ogun State, to alert him. He had hardly finished speaking to Obasanjo when the divisional police officer in Ota arrived with some plain-clothes security officers to arrest Obasanjo. "What has he done? What is his offence? Is this the way to pay him back for the services to the country?" Oyewole Fasawe, who was with him at Otta, emembered Atiku asking the security agents as they led Obasanjo away. "I had never seen Atiku so angry as he was that day. He was ready to fight them if we had not restrained him", Fasawe recounted. Atiku and Fasawe left Otta to break the news of Obasanjo's arrest to many prominent Nigerians. "Obasanjo's arrest and detention brought closer international attention to the reign of terror in Nigeria". Obasanjo was tried for being part of the coup plot against the maximum dictator of the time, General Sani Abacha; he was sentenced to life in prison. Owing to international pressure, this was later commuted to 15 years – the pressure came from friends abroad, including South Africa's Nelson Mandela, former US President, Jimmy Carter, and former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. After his sentencing, Obasanjo was taken to the SSS (now Department of State Services, DSS) Interrogation Centre in Ikoyi. From there, he was moved to KIRIKIRI Maximum Security Prison alongside Shehu Musa Yar'Adua. But something happened there as you would discover later. Mind you, the recent controversy over character, leadership and integrity was ignited by Obasanjo at the 4th Annual Ibadan Sustainable Development Summit organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development of the University of Ibadan, an engagement in collaboration with the African Sustainable Development Network. The former President, characteristically, waxed pontifical when he declared that the younger generation of leaders under 50years has betrayed the nation because they lacked integrity. He mentioned the likes of Atiku, whom he said he picked as his deputy but was soon to "show his true colour". Obasanjo also took on Bola Ahmed Tinubu, referring to his controversial scholarship and academic qualification, insisting that it was not different from the scandal which led to the removal of Speaker Imam Salisu Buari in 1999. However, what Obasanjo did not mention was the fact that he fought tooth and nail to retain Buari as Speaker of the House of Representatives, even in the face of Buari's glaring folly of claiming what he was not. Back to Atiku! Obasanjo launched a sweeping diatribe against Nigeria's younger generation of politicians whom he accused of lacking the integrity, character and credibility to lead Nigeria to progress and development. According to Obasanjo, he didn't know Atiku well enough and that the former Vice President had not met his expectation as a credible successor. Now, at the risk of holding brief for the former Vice President, the questions are: Is this claim altogether correct? Was Obasanjo trying to be economical with the truth? What degree of familiarity was Obasanjo talking about? At what point did he realize his knowledge of Atiku was not comfortable enough? Did he complain to Atiku at any point that this lack of familiarity could disqualify the former Vice President from succeeding him? What degree of personal familiarity could qualify a politician to be nominated to become a running mate to a presidential candidate of a political party? What is the length of time needed by one politician to trust another? Did Obasanjo not invite former governor of Rivers State, Sir Peter Odili, to Aso Rock Presidential Villa for morning prayers after which the former broke the news to the latter that he should drop out of the presidential contest? Could all those Obasanjo bullied out of the presidential contest be described as lacking integrity too? As earlier stated, contrary to Obasanjo's claim, he and Atiku had met twice closely before 1999. In any case, pray, Could an enemy have visited an adversary to warn him about the imminent risks to his life or freedom? Could an enemy also have extended such goodwill fraternal visit? How many years would an individual need to know a man who had wanted to put him out of harm's way? Yet again, destiny played a fast, very fast one on both men. Vanguard learnt from very authoritative sources that Atiku it was who arranged for and warned Obasanjo, as an inmate (a prisoner), not to allow himself to be injected or his blood taken. Sunday Vanguard gathered from very impeccable sources that "this warning became necessary following confirmed reports that the late Major Akinyemi and Shehu Musa Yar'Adua were both injected with lethal viruses that eventually led to their untimely deaths". In fact, dependable sources close to the family of Major Akinyemi confided in Sunday Vanguard that the sentiments being expressed in favour of those who operated at the very top echelon of the security machinery of the late General Sani Abacha junta is misplaced because the officers devised very sinister ways of eliminating those they considered as troublesome subjects. In the instance of Akinyemi, the now infamous military medical doctor through whom a series of eliminations was carried out, walked into his cell in the company of another serving military officer and demanded to extract blood from the incarcerated Major. He refused. They pressed him. "But he maintained", according to a source close to the family, "that he had neither complained of any ailment nor was he afflicted by any. His refusal almost led to a scuffle. But the serving military officer simply looked outside the cell, nodded to two body guards who were waiting in toe, and gave them instructions to subdue Akinyemi. "Worse still, rather than extract the so-callled blood from the Major, the military doctor brought out a syringe that was almost filled with some form of solution. Having been held down by the bodyguards, the doctor injected the Major". Vanguard was made to understand that it was later learnt that the solution injected into the body of Major Akinyemi was nothing but the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus, otherwise known as HIV. By the time the Major was released from prison, it had developed into almost full-blown Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, AIDS. He gave his life to Christ afterwards and began a ministry which ministered to prisoners. Sunday Vanguard was told that during one of his ministrations, Major Akinyemi returned to Kirikiri where he again met with the serving military officer who superintended the administration of the lethal injection on him but was now doing his own time. The officer saluted Akinyemi in military style and apologized for what had happened about a decade earlier. The Major was said to have laid his hands on the now-jailed officer, prayed for him and told him that he was forgiven of the dastardly act. It was gathered from multiple sources last week that had Obasanjo "not heeded Atiku's warning, only God knows how they would have dealt with him too". At least, if they could do that to Yar'Adua, they could do it to anybody. God used Atiku's to save Obasanjo's life", the source concluded. Beyond that, however, Sunday Vanguard learnt of the details of how Atiku and some associates engaged a strategy that ensured that Obasanjo was moved from Kirikiri Prisons in Lagos to far away Yola Prisons. The thinking of those in the corridors of power at that time was that Yola, considered distant, would serve a more punitive purpose. However, what Atiku and his people actually schemed was for Obasanjo to be close to the former's base in Yola, Adamawa State. Indeed, there were reports that there was a systematic engagement strategy that was perfected by that regime to eliminate known opponents of the military junta. According to mutual friends of both Atiku and Obasanjo, the claim by the latter that he did not know the former until a year into their tenure of office is equally beyond comprehension, considering the facts as written in at least two earlier unchallenged books that Atiku and others made life easier for the former the President in his stay in prison by arranging his meals and doctor's visits. Obasanjo's late wife, Stella, was said to have been privy to these arrangements. In truth, Atiku got ever closer to Obasanjo in 1999 when his Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, threw its weight behind Obasanjo to become the PDP presidential candidate. Obasanjo invited Atiku to become his running mate immediately after the Jos convention of the PDP. He sought reassurance from Atiku that he would be loyal if he made him his running mate and the Turaki Adamawa, who was then a governor-elect of Adamawa State, pledged his allegiance. Perhaps, Obasanjo should have told Atiku that loyalty included supporting constitutional breaches. Indeed, Obasanjo, in a self conceited manner, junked an earlier consensual agreement by leaders of the PDP on how to select his running mate, by unilaterally picking Atiku. The beginning of the distrust between both men started with the botched impeachment attempt on Obasanjo – an attempt which was alleged to have been masterminded by Atiku. Then came Atiku's politics of attrition which dragged into the eve of the presidential primaries of the PDP sending jitters down Obsanjo's spine when he threatened to contest for the ticket against his boss – Atiku actually set some state governors against Obasanjo and the agenda to dump the then President almost succeeded. But the third term agenda of Obasanjo in 2006 brought their mutual disdain into full public glare. Atiku openly disagreed with his boss over the attempt to extend his constitutional term limit of eight years. It remains plausible that any other Vice President could have faced the same hostility from Obasanjo once he had opposed the idea of the third term project. The man Obasanjo Obasanjo has his qualities. Here was a man who has accomplished much more than most African leaders. Here was a man who, while the great Nelson Madiba Mandela was in prison, bestrode the African continent and the globe like a colossus. Here was a man who, as co-chair of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, EPG, a journalist had thought he could embarrass Obasanjo by accusing him of bias in the report of the group sometime in the late 1980s, citing Obasanjo's nationalisation of British Petroleum, BP, (which became African Petroleum, AP), but got more than what he bargained for. Obasanjo's response was simply that had he seen and known what he saw and got to know during the tour by the EPG, while he was a military head of state, he would have done more to hurt the British. That was the end of the discussion for the journalist. Again, here was a man who could have refused to hand over power but did so – even if under duress – to the consternation of his peers in Africa in 1979. A special report by Vanguard  |
| Posted: 18 Aug 2013 11:08 AM PDT The first 3D scan of a female foot in high heels has highlighted the painful price fashion-conscious women may pay for tottering around in towering Christian Louboutins or Jimmy Choos. Consultant orthopaedic surgeon Andy Goldberg says all the body weight gets forced on to the front of the feet, eventually causing unsightly clawed toes that can become arthritic. Wearing stilettos pushes and twists bones out of line, resulting in knobbly bunions and other painful conditions.  The picture above was taken with a new £200,000 scanner at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, North London. The PedCAT machine, the first of its kind in the UK, does a 360-degree scan of the patient's feet in just 60 seconds. Doctors can then view the resultant 3D image from every angle, spinning it around to view the foot from above, below and the side. It also takes 600 2D views of the foot. Mr Goldberg, a foot and ankle specialist, said the technology was a major advance over traditional 2D X-rays, which could lead to misdiagnoses. 'The scanner gives us much more information,' he said. 'It shows the deformity caused by wearing high heels is much more complicated than we previously thought. 'With high heels, the toes are squashed inside the shoe. The more stiletto-shaped they are, the worse it is. The toes not only get squashed, but they become clawed too.' The base of the big toe becomes 'deviated outwards', forming a bunion, while the scanner also shows how these bones can become 'rotated and dropped'. Pea-shaped bones under the base of the big toe – called sesamoids – get dislodged by the immense pressures put on them. Mr Goldberg added: 'There's nothing wrong with being in this high heel position temporarily – it forms a part of your normal stride. And if you wear heels for an hour or two at an evening party, it's not a problem. 'But if you wear them for eight hours a day for years on end, you will develop problems.' It wasn't just middle-aged women who suffered, he said. 'It's not uncommon for me to see teenage girls in my clinic. They are usually accompanied by their mothers, who tell them, "Look, the doctor says you should be wearing sensible shoes!" But I try not to get involved with family politics too much.' Most of these younger patients had to a degree inherited their foot problems, he said. 'If you have got a family history of high heel wearers and you wear them a lot, you are pretty much guaranteed to develop bunions,' he said. 'If you are not genetically predisposed, wearing high heels may accelerate bunions.'   Standing tall: Victoria Beckham, left, and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley, right, in towering heels Mr Goldberg warns foot pain can be debilitating. 'Foot and ankle problems affect your walking and take over your life. There's a saying that if you want to take someone's mind off a problem, put them in tight shoes.' A survey of patients at the hospital's foot and ankle clinic found that 57 per cent had experienced severe pain as a result of wearing uncomfortable shoes such as high heels. And 86 per cent claimed they found it difficult finding comfortable shoes. In truth, the internet is now awash with firms which offer sensible footwear in fashionable shades. Mr Goldberg added: 'People don't like doctors like me saying, "Your shoes are a problem." If I suggest they buy themselves some comfy shoes, I'm liable to get punched in the face.' He claimed some patients exaggerated the pain their bunions caused to get them surgically removed – so they could then continue to squeeze their feet into fashionable shoes. Mr Goldberg said the damage caused by high heels was nothing new: 'We have always been slaves to fashions that have led to deformity. 'But what we should be doing is fitting people's shoes around their feet, rather than the other way around. 'If a fashion icon such as Victoria Beckham designed a range of shoes that really fitted our feet, then that would be a real game-changer.'  |
| Oh Dear...My Husband Keep Impregnating Our Maids Posted: 18 Aug 2013 11:04 AM PDT  But Mary, her friend, disagreed with her vehemently: "Alice, I cannot follow you to the clinic for another abortion. What if she loses her womb or her life in the process? I think it is high time something is done to your husband. He must stop sleeping with your maids." Written By Kemi Ashefon: Alice felt humiliated by her friend's outburst. She sat on the chair and cried. Mike had always been a thorn in her flesh! For almost 12 years of marriage, she could not point at any good deed he had done in her life or the marriage. Her mind flashed back to the last discussion she had with him at home: "You are always complaining that I have not done anything for you in this marriage. Don't you have four beautiful children? How many of your mates have four boys in their marriages?" "But Mike, I am not talking about the children, I am referring to the vices you have wrought in this marriage in the last 11 years. I am tired! You keep digressing to inanities when serious issues are discussed. So, how do you explain the pregnancy Peace is carrying?" Alice said accusingly. "Pregnancy? Peace? Look here, woman, I don't have a clue of what you are insinuating and I have told you I don't want to have anything to do with either you or the stupid maids you bring to this house," Mike said and left the house in anger. Things had always taken this pattern in their marriage! She worked in a bank and had risen to a managerial level. From the first year of their marriage, Alice had always hired helps to mind the home, especially her children, who all came in quick succession. She had lost count of the number of domestic helps her husband had slept with. Whether old or young, Mike was a randy man, who slept with her maids. Ruth, the first child minder she hired after the birth of her firstborn, was a Ghanaian. Plump and pretty, the middle aged nanny was hired through a colleague. Ruth was a single mother and had come to Nigeria to fend for her four children. Initially, Alice never suspected any foul play between the woman and her husband. She was a very good nanny, who also helped with housekeeping and this saved Alice a lot of stress. Before she returned from work, there was food on the table and her baby would have been well taken care of. Since her husband worked in the civil service, he arrived home first and she was happy that he helped supervise domestic staff especially the nanny. But after the birth of Godson, their second child, Ruth insisted on leaving! Alice begged that the nanny should wait and help nurture her baby because she was resuming work in less than a month. Ruth did not budge but said she wanted to go and stay with her children in Ghana. When she resumed and lamented to her colleague who brought Ruth to her, she was shocked to learn that Ruth was not in Ghana but had rented an apartment in town. Alice got the address and traced the house where the nanny lived. She wanted to beg her to return to her home. It was a work day and she had closed early to check on nanny Ruth. Was she shocked when she met Mike there? He laid on the bed dressed in a pair of boxers! She didn't utter a word but left. Obviously, Mike rented the apartment for the nanny so that they would have time for their escapade- her second baby would have posed a hindrance. If he apologised over Ruth's case, he never did on Uzo, the teenage girl she brought from the village. Suddenly, she observed the flat chest of the girl was sprouting! Though Uzo never got pregnant, the girl told Alice's mother that 'daddy is always sleeping with me when auntie goes to work.' She managed to get a crèche where she put her children but when she was pregnant the third time, she could not help but get another maid. This time, she was a 14-year-old from her pastor. If Alice thought her husband would be scared of their pastor and not come near the girl, she was wrong! In fact, Susan, the maid, was the first teenager she took for an abortion! The girl agreed to terminate the pregnancy after her mother collected over N100, 000 from Alice. It was to seal the promise not to tell the pastor or anyone in the church! That marked the beginning of series of abortions she had for over five girls. But her husband kept denying his action. "I still believe Peace should keep this pregnancy and have the baby," she heard Mary said as she jolted to reality. "Why should I keep a pregnancy Mike has denied paternity? What if she had slept with someone else?" Alice said. "Both of us know your husband is responsible. That girl was brought by my sister from Togo and I don't know what to tell her if anything happens to her," Mary said. For Alice, it seemed her world had come to an end.  |
| How Secondary School Girls Are Running Secret Prostitution Posted: 18 Aug 2013 11:02 AM PDT  Mary Istifanus (not her real name) 15 is a senior secondary school drop-out who has been sleeping with men for money. One might think she is in denial as she sees the act as one that is devoid of any personal gratification, saying: "I am not a prostitute, I just hustle to make ends meet. My father is dead and my mother who sells Akara can't take care of us."She explains how she got into prostitution. "My class mates introduced me to the trade. One day, they invited me to their restaurant after school where some customers gave us money. We were then invited to a particular hotel and since then, that was how I started sleeping with men for money. I was suspended from school for being rebellious and so I stopped attending". Another underage prostitute, 17-year-old Grace who opened up to LEADERSHIP said she was brought to Abuja from her village in Nasarawa State to work for one Hajiya who sells food in Garki Model market. According to her, "Traders who we serve food to will dash us money and tell us to meet them in a hotel in the night. I have several boyfriends in the market; even the wheelbarrow boys you think are poor can give a girl as much as N2,000. "This is how we make money and I send it home to my mother to help them out." Nobody can say what is pushing teenage girls to prostitution; most have blamed it largely on economic and social factors. Dr Adeyinka Adetokunbo, a Gynaecologist, observes that "teenage prostitution leads to negative effects on the totality of the child later on in life. Most of them have little access to healthcare and suffer extremely unhygienic conditions. It is also common knowledge that prostitution promotes the spread of HIV because most of their clients refuse to have protected sex with the girls, believing that it will bring them fresh blood. This early sexual intercourse causes a lot of damage to children, including: vaginal tearing, physical after-effects of torture, pain, infection, or unwanted pregnancy, depression, personality or sexual orientation confusion, problems with behaviour, insomnia and loss of self-confidence." She further explained that in most cases, these teenage prostitutes end up with sexually transmitted diseases as Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, herpes, human papilloma virus, HIV/AIDS, staphylococcus and syphilis. They also experience pelvic pain and inflammatory disease (PID), unwanted pregnancy, trauma, stress, depression, anxiety, and risk of self-mutilation, suicide and homicide. Child psychologist, Peter Ishaya stated that child prostitution is when underage teenagers start experimenting with sex before their 18th birthday. "The Jubilee Action report (1995) states that, up to 1 million female children join prostitution each year around the world. You can attribute the causes to poverty, unemployment, broken homes, and lack of education, drugs, pornography, and rebellion". "Prostitution leaves young girls traumatised for years. They end up not trusting anybody and become lazy because they believe that they can make quick money by just sleeping with a man. It also affects the way they treat people because they sleep with men who are their parents' age or older. Then they tend to stop respecting adults," he added. Pastor John Abiyomi of Gods Light and Truth Ministry said: "The Bible condemns prostitution under whatever guise. It doesn't matter the age of the person, God frowns against it. It is written in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 that none of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God." He also quotes, "In Kings 14:24 'Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Prostitution not only destroys marriages, families, and lives, but it destroys the spirit and soul in a way that leads to physical and spiritual death. God's desire is that we stay pure and use our bodies as tools for His use and glory (Romans 6:13). First Corinthians 6:13 says, "The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." Although prostitution is sinful, prostitutes are not beyond God's scope of forgiveness". And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God'. The Bible also made references to some people that practice prostitution in Leviticus: 'And there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the Lord. So you can see from the verses that God frowns at the practice of prostitution whether you are old or young. Our bodies are the temple of the Lord and we have been enjoined to keep it holy. For a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well. Like a bandit she lies in wait, and multiplies the unfaithful among men." God forbids involvement with prostitutes because He knows such involvement is detrimental to both men and women. He continues, "For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end, she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell" (Proverbs 5:3-5 NKJV).  |
| The Secret Love Affair Between Fani-Kayode & Bianca Ojukwu Posted: 18 Aug 2013 10:59 AM PDT  From information available to Olokunbolablessing.blogspot.Com, the unexpected event is pregnancy: Bianca Odinaka Olivia Onoh, the sixth child of Late Chief Christian Chukwuma Onoh, the second republic governor of the old Anambra state, had met Femi Fani-kayode while she was studying for her A- levels in Cambridge Tutorial College. Fani-Kayode was then attending the University of Cambridge for his Master's Degree programme in law. Sources revealed that Bianca was already a queen before they met. Bianca had won the MISS MARTINI, a beauty pageant organized by the beverage company known as Martini Rossi, while schooling at Yorkshire in England. Then, Femi, whose father was the second Queen's Counsel (Senior Advocate of Nigeria) that Nigeria produced, was finishing his Master's programme, while Bianca was settling down for her combined honours degree in Politics, Economics and Law at the University of Buckingham. The two later found each other in Nigeria. While Femi had finished the youth service programme, Bianca had also transferred to the University of Nigeria, Nzukka, where her father had compelled her to study law. Late Chief C.C Onoh, a lawyer and expert in land matters had genuinely and strongly guided his children into reading law. Later, as the current Nigeria's Ambassador to Spain was done with her programme and out of the university, the former aide to ex-President Obasanjo was getting set to join his father's law chamber. Around this time, another lady, Miss Saratu Attah had equally found a place in Femi's heart. She soon got pregnant for him. The pregnancy of Saratu Attah, whose father, Alhaji Adamu Attah, was the second republic governor of Kwara State, reportedly set the relationship between Femi and Bianca on the edge of ruins. Sometime in 1997, at the wedding anniversary of Ide Ahaba, Chief Sonny Odogwu in Asaba, Delta State, Bianca, who was already married and equally expecting her first child then, had told a frontline celebrity journal, when she was asked about her botched marriage plans with Femi Fani-Kayode that: "It [the marriage] was not meant to be… I met FFK in London and we both dreamt of having a beautiful home, but things didn't work our way. I know that he's married now."The marriage plans collapsed because Femi had impregnated Saratu, who later gave birth to Folake, the first child of Femi Fani-Kayode, who now holds a Master's degree in Law. Bianca went on with her law programme and later joined her father in his chambers. However, the 'good times' Fani-Kayode and Bianca enjoyed in London before their planned marriage which did not happened is what is creating more controversy. #OldFirewoodThinz  |
| Posted: 18 Aug 2013 10:57 AM PDT Goal-line technology was required for the first time in the Barclays Premier League at Stamford Bridge today - and thankfully its debut was successful. Chelsea were 2-0 up in first-half stoppage time against newly-promoted Hull on Jose Mourinho's return to English football when Hawk-Eye was deployed. Branislav Ivanovic met Frank Lampard's corner with a firm header hit straight at Hull goalkeeper Allan McGregor, who saved on the line at the second attempt.  Not over the line: Alan McGregor just about keeps the header out, with the system proving so   The referee's watch will only buzz when the ball crosses the goal-line, so it can be safe to assume Jonathan Moss felt no vibrations in a decision which is now out of his hands. There were no protests from the Chelsea players and Mourinho and Hull counterpart Steve Bruce shared pleasantries as the half came to an end. Replays also indicated the technology was working and Hawk-Eye's view of the incident was broadcast on television and on the big screen in the ground.  |
| Man Wakes Up In Mortuary After Three Days Posted: 18 Aug 2013 10:54 AM PDT  But the saying, 'old soldier never dies' appears to have played out with Sotunde as he woke up after being in the mortuary for three days, where his body was kept, waiting for his family. "I am a living witness to the fact that God exists. You may not believe me, just like I may not have believed it if it did not happen to me. I died in an accident along with 17 others, but resurrected three days after in the mortuary." It was when his corpse was taken out of the mortuary for burial preparation that he suddenly woke up. Kayode narrated his experience to SUN's Moshood Adebayo in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Journey from Gboko to mortuary On that fateful day, that was April 11, 2013, I was travelling from Gboko to Kano to see my younger brother, Jide Sotunde, a soldier serving in Kano. We had agreed on the journey which we had thought would afford us to discuss important issues, including the possibilities of getting another job that would not be too far from where I had my wife. I retired from the Nigerian Army, (Supply and Transport), Apapa Lagos where I served for 30 years, during which I also participated in many peace keeping force assignments outside Nigeria. After retirement, I got a job as a security guard at the Dangote Cement, Gboko, Benue State from where I also resigned because of the distance of my workplace and where my family was based in Osogbo. The ill-fated vehicle was an 18-seater passenger bus, which I boarded in Gboko en-route Kano. We were barely two hours into the journey when a passenger asked us to pray. Since it was a normal thing for a passenger to offer to pray on such a long journey, I did not heed his call. I was just playing with my mobile phone set. Aside from that, I didn't believe in the prayer since I didn't know anything about Jesus Christ. I was a freethinker who neither went to church nor worshipped any idol. We were making progress on the journey when suddenly there was a bang. That was all I could recollect about the journey until I woke up three days after in the mortuary of the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Kano where I was told that I died in an accident and my corpse along with other 17 passengers were deposited there. Even though the hospital authorities told me that I was in their morgue for three days as a dead man, I actually spent more days there before I could regain my senses. I was to be buried in Kano I was told that before I returned from the land of the dead, my family had instructed my younger brother who I was visiting in Kano before the accident to bury me in Kano since they could not afford the N150,000, which was said to have been requested by transporters to take my corpse from Kano to Abeokuta. My elder sister, Moradeke Sotunde played a prominent role in this regard. I was also told that it was at the point that my corpse was being prepared for interment that suddenly I returned to the land of the living after my corpse was taken out of the mortuary for prayers by Islamic clerics who were said to have sprinkled water on my corpse preparatory to my burial. I was also told that my hair was also shaved as demanded by the clerics. I was told that my corpse was taken out of the mortuary after they had dug my grave and organised some clerics to offer the funeral prayers. They wanted to bury me in Kano because my family members couldn't afford N150,000 demanded for carrying my corpse to Abeokuta for burial. The initial plan was to move my corpse back home to Abeokuta, where a grave had been dug but for the transportation cost. Life in the land of the dead My brother, truly, there is life after death. I can also tell you that there is a living God. You may not believe me, but I am a living witness to this. I may not be able to describe Heaven or Hell, but there is another life after this one that we are living. This place I am talking about is full of snow. I may not have been to America, but I have heard about snow. Where we were was full of snow, with plenty of something that I can describe as alum stones; whitish in colour with something I can describe as granite in this physical world. In spite of the terrible cold, there was no day that we felt cold and it was never harmful to us. All of us were there without knowing whether we are male or female. We couldn't see our eyes, mouth and nose. We had no leg; we had no arm, but we floated in the air without our bodies touching the ground. We were flying around what I will describe as another planet. On the third day of my arrival on the strange planet, they gave me a message that we were expecting one big prophet. After the message was delivered, they nominated ushers among us to welcome the prophet. And seconds later, people started trooping in, jubilating as if a goal was just scored in a football match. On that planet, there were many stars which were not stable in one place, like we have in the sky in this world. I noticed that on a daily basis, people kept on increasing, even though we don't know from where they came. I was in this mood until they (I don't know them) told me that I should go back home to work for the Lord. According to them, there were many people in the world who are not only in bondage, but are also afflicted with human pains. They also instructed that I should work for the Lord and heel people. I was even arguing, putting up some resistance that I could not do it. This was the condition I found myself until I opened my eyes and saw Jide, my younger brother in this part of the world again. In God's vineyard Since the Lord has directed me to work for Him, I will surely do so because 'to be forewarned, is to be forearmed.' It was because of this that I went to do my thanksgiving service at the Mountain of Fire and Miracle, in Lagos with the General Overseer, Pastor Olukoya. The Lord has started performing miracles in other people's lives through me. I don't want to sound boastful, but God has started using me. I do pray for people now and they usually return to tell me that their problems have been solved. It is the Lord's doing. I have already prayed for a woman who has married been for 14 years without a child that God will give her the fruit of the womb. The person who lives in Ikorodu spoke to me through the telephone and I believe Lord will answer her prayers and request. I have accepted to work in God's vineyard till I return to Him. Day I returned to Abeokuta I caused a stir in this area when I returned alive to Abeokuta because people including my family members, except my brother who was with me when I rose from the dead, did not know I had risen from the dead. On arrival in Abeokuta, we played pranks on my people as they did not know that I was returning to home alive that day. When we got nearer home, the person that accompanied me decided to call Kemi, my mother's last born that we were already in Abeokuta. When my sister saw me, she fainted and was later revived. She was shivering when she woke up. We later told her to return home to tell others that I had risen from the dead. On my way, I saw people mourning me, wearing black attire. I trekked a distance of about 800 metres to my father's house. There, a grave had also been dug beside my late father's before the family decided to bury my corpse in Kano. I waved as people were expressing shock and disbelief at seeing me alive. When I attempted to move closer to a woman in her shop, she ran away, thinking I was a ghost and pleading that she had no hands in my death. My sister, Moradeke who lives in Lagos was also wearing a black attire, mourning along with others until I returned home. I returned to Abeokuta on the very day I was to be buried. I even met many of the mourners, wearing black (including my sisters) who had gathered in my father's house here, (Sabo Abeokuta). There was also a particular woman who threw away the beans meal she was eating and ran away from her shop when she sighted me. I kept on saying that I was not dead, but she found it difficult to believe me. Health challenges Although I have returned from the land of the dead, I have not fully regained my health as I am talking to you. I have both chest and body pains. In fact, medically speaking, I am not alright. I usually run strange temperature. That was why I visited the Federal Medical Centre, Idi Aba for medical treatment. I vomit blood each time I cough. I can't engage in any hard labour. Besides, a lot of strange things have started happening to me. Sometimes, I feel as if I am still in the mortuary. I will be seeing a lot of heads. My sight is not normal, it sometimes fails me. I have also started giving messages to people about things that they don't know about their family. I started revealing to them what had happened in the past to their astonishment. This has made many people to run away from me with some describing me as a demon. To be sure that I am not a ghost, I tried to relate with my friends as well as eat with them. Despite this a few of my friends still avoid to shake hands with me, thinking that I am a ghost. I am homeless You ask where I live? To answer straight, I am homeless, because I am currently squatting with my younger sister, causing her and her family inconveniences. Even though she is not complaining, I know that I am inconveniencing her. I have been given quit notice in Osogbo after my landlord heard of the incident. According to him, he could not live with Akudaaya (ghost). I stayed at No 1, Rasco Hall, Oke Fia, Osun State, Osogbo, It was the ejection that informed my living with my sister here (Abeokuta). I need serious financial assistance from well-meaning Nigerians to take care of my health and sustenance. Survival is difficult for me. That is why I appeal to Nigerians to come to my aid. I want to stop being a burden to my sister and her nuclear family. I want individuals as well as corporate bodies and churches to help me financially. God will surely replenish their purses in abundance in Jesus name. I had a broken home some years back and I remarried two years ago, but when the incident happened, the woman (new wife) abandoned me and ran away from Osogbo. I want to appeal to Nigerians and other people that there is God. I want them to believe that there is life after death; so we should do good to our fellow beings. Heaven and Hell are real. Where we want to go is an option for us to decide. I want people to know that it is just a matter of seconds between life and death.  |
| Royal Wedding!!!: Prince Mustapha Oniru Of Lagos Marries White Woman Kirsty Crooks (See photos) Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:48 PM PDT  The royal couple exchanged vows at Loughgall Presbyterian Church on Thursday. Guests included the groom's parents, the king and queen of Lagos. - See more at: http://www.brimtime.com/2013/08/royal-wedding-prince-mustapha-oniru-of.html#sthash.erah00kH.dpuf The royal couple exchanged vows at Loughgall Presbyterian Church on Thursday. Guests included the groom's parents, the king and queen of Lagos.Congrats to them! See more photos below:    |
| I wanted to buy one of the #OgaAtTheTop Tshirt - NSCDC’s Shem Obafaiye Narrates Experience Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:39 PM PDT  Cut From theheraldng.com What is your assessment of the security situation in Ibadan and Oyo State in general? The security situation in Oyo State is relatively peaceful and I must tell you that the synergy among the security agencies here is very superb. We relate well; the Commissioner of Police carries me on well and indeed refers to me as his brother. I do the same to him. Anything that affects one affects all. At a time, there was a clash between my men and the police. Immediately I told him about it, he promptly took it up and resolved it. My bosses were amazed. That's the level of rapport that exists between us. How would you compare the work situation in Lagos to the one in Oyo State? Lagos is very riotous. What I am trying to say is that there is so much stress in Lagos State when compared with a state like Oyo. Oyo State is a more peaceful state. Ibadan is particularly peaceful. Life here cannot, in any way, be compared with life in Lagos. But just as God backed us up in Lagos, He is still doing the same here in Ibadan. The way He made me succeed in Lagos, is the same way He has started making a success of my work here in Oyo State. My achievements have been positive. It has always been my desire to do my best as much as possible on this job and wherever I find myself, and God has been good to me. This is what I always tell my subordinates. Since all of us cannot be president; we cannot all be Commandant General, we can all contribute our quota to the growth and development of Nigeria in whichever corner we find ourselves. This is what I always tell my subordinates. I always tell them that if they are cleaners, they should clean well. The Bible instructs us to do our job as unto the Lord. We should do all with the fear of God. That is, if no one is watching you, God is. My wish is to do my best, to leave a good legacy behind for my generation and everyone coming after me. Would you rather work here or in Lagos? Our job is with the federal government. So, it is not about where anyone prefers, it is about where we are posted to. And the rule is that we must be ready to work anywhere; we must adapt to whichever environment we find ourselves. It is a service and we must do it well at all times. There is nowhere I cannot work. You were posted to Ibadan shortly after the "My Oga At the Top" interview. How about your family? Did you move them down to Ibadan or they are still in Lagos? They are here. They joined me barely a week after I resumed here. It makes the job easier because there won't be any divided loyalty. What are the challenges of your job? Life is a risk and so is every job. Our own job is no exception. Even the Army, advanced as they are, they still have challenges. In our own case, we are making do with what the federal government has been giving us. We have men on ground and with good leadership, we are showing commitment and doing well. God has been very faithful. In the course of our job, we arrest tankers with arms and ammunition among other major things. We have challenges, but they are minimal. How would you rate the success of the NSCDC so far? Am I not too small to rate the NSCDC? Generally, I would say, of all the agencies, ours is the closest to the masses. We live with them, interact with them and we have a good intelligence gathering network. We are doing well in all ramifications. On some different occasions, we are the first to get to scenes of fire incidences. In the area of disaster management, we help manage situations, rescue and rehabilitate. In the area of preventing the activities of pipeline vandals, we are also doing well. If I am to give a mark, I would give 75%. That is an A. As security officer, what tips would you give to individuals for safety? We must observe personal security in our homes. It would be wrong to switch on your light before leaving home; people should be conscious of strangers around where they live; they need to call the attention of neighbours if they see strange faces; they should put bulbs in their surroundings to illuminate the environment. I would also advise that you don't just leave your gate open. Your security man should be registered with a security outfit so that they will be able to capture his data. This is to enable them to trace him. It is risky and not ideal to just employ somebody just because he claimed to have worked as security officer in some place before. He might have been sacked for one misdemeanor or the other before or may even be telling lie just to feed himself. He may not be able to handle the job and you may end up suffering for this at the end of the day. And for those who employ house helps, they must be careful of who they leave their children with. A lot of underground work need to be done to have these kids placed in safe hands. What is your opinion about the Channels Television interview that brought you instant fame? I have nothing much to say other than to bless God for everything. I thank God for all that happened; I thank God for my boss, his support and love. He is a good boss and I appreciate him. As far as I am concerned all things work well for those who love God and in all things, the Bible says we should praise God. The people that thought they were going to ruin me did not know that they would end up in announcing my destiny. In the history of humanity, there had never been any human being that had instant fame like I did especially in a case that was meant to end negatively. My brother-in-law in London is even so excited about the incident that he promised to assist me make big money out of this supposed mess. He had already handed the matter to an agency over there to trade mark "Oga at the Top." But I just asked him to forget it. There is no need for that. Many of my class mates are in top positions in Nigeria currently, yet, they said I did not go to school. I can mention a lot of them here, including the Attorney General in Lagos State, Ipaye. But why should I do all that. All the same, I give all the praises to God. It was not the first interview I would be having with them (Channels Tv). After that interview we shook hands and I even gave them my complimentary card. I could see that they were not really cheerful. If there was any effect, it was on them and not me. It was the same day I met with Governor Fashola of Lagos State. Theirs took place in the morning and I met Governor Fashola later in the day. Some people believed they were up to something, but I did not know. I was only being careful with words as a security officer. We apply caution in all that we say and do. It was a live programme, the whole world was watching us, so, I did not want to be too free. But like I said, I thank God for everything. I blame nobody for anything; I see everything as an act of God. They believe they would use it to destroy my destiny but God turned everything around for me, for the better. How did your family take the development? The day of the interview, 16th of March, 2013, was the day my father was buried. It was as if it was designed to destablise me on the day of the burial of my father, but it was not so. It was three or four days after that they apologised and said it was not meant to embarrass me. Channels felt bad because it backfired. Anybody that wants to go for an interview in Channels will be very skeptical now and henceforth. I just felt it was my time for divine announcement, so I did not take it the way they thought I would take it. In fact, when I saw the T-shirt, I wanted to buy one. Some had thought that my transfer to Ibadan was a demotion, but they are wrong. It is not. They also claimed that my wife went to Channels over the issue. The question I asked was, to do what? She did not. The whole thing has only turned around to be God's glory in my life. What is your philosophy of life and how did it apply in the case of "My Oga At The Top" case? My philosophy of life is to impact positively on this generation. I want to leave a legacy, a good and worthwhile legacy behind that will not make my family live or walk in fear when I am gone. I want to sustain my good name; and that is what I preach to my staff every day. I tell them to be open-minded; be determined; do what you will do with your best ability whether people are there or not. Note that there are people watching you and your work will speak for you when you are not there. This is what I always tell them. What is the lesson to be learnt in your "Oga At The Top" issue? Everyone should identify a lesson out of the whole saga. What is your childhood ambition and where were you born? My dream was to become a military person. In the village, they called me a Soldier because of the way I walk. Talking about where I was born, I was born in Ayetoro Kiri in Kabba/Bunu local government area of Kogi State. What influence do your parents have on your life as an adult? My parents are very hard working and well-disciplined. My father was a farmer and made us to work on the farm as early as 4 a.m. and wouldn't come back until 10 p.m. They were very strict. My father was not that rich, but he was determined and loved his children to go to school. The two of them are dead now but they left a good memory of themselves behind. And you know like it used to generally be in those years, we lived a communal life. My father lived a very selfless life. He wished all other children that were not even his own the best that he wished for we his children. He wouldn't let any child that he found at home when others were in school be. That earned him the name- "Baba ki lo n se n le." He would ensure that the reason why the child was not in school got fixed as much as possible. This and others we learnt as we grew up. He taught us the essence of hardwork. He was not rich, so, we had to work on the farm very hard to get money to take care of our school fees. My mother was also hard-working. She was a strong-willed woman who was a popular garri maker of her time. She died in 2009 while papa died in February 2013. They taught us to be solution givers and we thank God that we are on that path. He believed in the power of cane. I remember a time that I and one of my brothers went to work in the farm and we covered so much ground and without food. When he came, we thought he was going to be excited and commend us. He, instead, went wild when he found out we did all that we did on empty stomach. He caned us in anger. Would you recall any of your childhood pranks? I was a serious student in UNILAG and so wouldn't joke with my books. I came from a poor family and I didn't want to disappoint my parents and myself. I think I entered the female hostel twice throughout my undergraduate days. My success was more important and I wouldn't want anything to distract me. How would you describe village life? It was a communal life. People do things together, but in the city, they want to do it by themselves. There were good and healthy foods in the village. Everything was expressly from nature, the air, water, vegetables and all. Even herbs came handy for ailments that would have cost a fortune in the city. City life has caused crises to marriages whereas this is not common in the village. There is a huge difference between life in the village and in the city. What attracted you to your wife? She is beautiful and a good singer. She was leading a chorus at a crusade when I first saw her. She is an evangelist. How would you describe marriage? Marriage is a beautiful thing. That is the way I would describe it. How do you unwind? I am married to my job and my wife complains about that. When I am not working, I am in church. The last time I went on leave was in 2009. What is your general advice for people? Let every individual do his work as ordained by God, believing that he or she is accountable at the end of the race. People should be contended with what they have; they should use all their strength to do whatever is given to them and wait on God for reward. People should put their trust in God and not in human beings. Today, we have so many people derailing because they expect so many things from human beings. Wait for God at the appointed time. Do what you are doing with the fear of God.  |
| What I Do To Male Fans That Ask Me For S*x - Actress Juliet Ibrahim Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:36 PM PDT For actress, mother and wife, Juliet Ibrahim, acting was never on the front burner. Her dream had always been to sing and to model. Today, however, she is one of Gollywood's most popular faces following her break through after she played the lead role alongside aspiring Majid Michel back in 2005 in Crime To Christ.  In this interview, the mother of a baby boy, entrepreneur, and Best Actress in a Leading Role award winner, opened up on growing up, how she met her husband and her turbulent childhood. She also spoke about how she is giving back through her NGO, Juliet Ibrahim Foundation. Excerpts: At what age did you realize that you wanted to be an actress? It all began when I was a little girl. I aspired to be a musician and a model. Acting wasn't really my dream from the beginning; I stumbled on it in 2004 when I was 18. Did you ever experience sexual harassment as a green horn in Gollywood? Thank God I never did. We understand that you're married and have a baby. How do you juggle motherhood, acting and taking care of your husband? I have a close knit family and we help each other out. My mum is there and so are my sisters. When I'm not around I know my son is in good hands. However, I make time to be with him as much as possible. Just like myself, my husband is also in a busy profession, perhaps busier than myself but we always manage our time well so we can have quality time together. Marriage is a beautiful thing and motherhood is awesome; these two are not things you would want to miss out on. How did you meet your husband? I met my husband on a plane, he is a pilot. We exchanged numbers and started talking but he was living in the USA then so it was a long distance relationship. We became very good friends over time. It became more serious when he moved back to Ghana a few years back. We fell in love and decided we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. If there is one thing Gollywood is very good at doing, its soft porn movies. What's your opinion on this? Well, as far as I'm concerned, you won't see me acting a porn movie, not even for all the money or fame in the world. Like I said in one interview, those kind of movies are not movies from reputable producers; they are done by some new and money conscious producers, that's why they are not tastefully done. How do you relax? I love to go on vacation, pamper myself at the spa, reading and listening to music. What's been the craziest thing a male fan did to you? Crazy? (Laughs) Well I never stick around that long for any fan to act crazy around me. I haven't come across stubborn stalkers yet. I had a stalker years back and I had to involve the police till he stopped. You're such a beautiful woman. Now that you're married and have a baby, how are you handling male attention? I don't need to handle male attention; my wedding ring does most of the talking. I'm married so that's enough to keep everyone at arm's length. I'm civil with all my fans; I love them all and appreciate them irrespective of their gender. Could you share your happiest moment with us? My happiest moment was when I had my son, Jayden. What's your advice for youngsters who want to walk in your footsteps? Believe in yourself, stay focused, never let anyone talk you out of your dreams and most importantly, put God first in all you do.  |
| Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:25 PM PDT  Their lawyers asked for bail as if murder in the first degree is a bailable offense. The judge fixed October 19th for bail hearing. We are watching.  |
| Former TV personality Emma Ugoli set to undergo kidney transplant Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:24 PM PDT  .jpg) Emmanuel has been battling chronic kidney disease for a few years now. Both his kidneys are dead and must be replaced to keep him alive. He survives on dialysis three times a week, which cost almost N50k per session. Emma's sister gave him one of her kidneys two years ago in India but the kidney failed due to complications. Emmanuel now has to undergo another transplant but this time he's doing it in Nigeria at St Nicholas Hospital, Lagos Island. He is awaiting doctors flying in from the UK to St Nicholas the first week in September. Wishing him a successful surgery this time.  |
| Iranian woman barred from office for being too beautiful Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:18 PM PDT   According to The Times of London, after news spread that Moradi had been elected, religious conservatives petitioned to have her disqualified because she's 'too attractive.' and would be a cause of distraction. "We don't want a catwalk model on the council," a senior official in Qazvin said. The review board later claimed Nina was disqualified not because she was too attractive but because of her 'non-observance of Islamic codes'. Some who opposed her election said she had only been elected because she is young and attractive. A law expert in Qazvin, told Iran Wire that the review board violated election law with its decision to bar Moradi from taking a seat.  |
| Kim Kardashian Tells Katie Couric: 'I Hate Fake Media Friends' Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:07 PM PDT  "#IHateFakeMediaFriends #MayIHumblySuggestYouNotSendGiftsThenTalkShit." Khloe Kardashian was impressed with her sister. After seeing the post, she wrote on twitter, "God I love this new side of u!" Katie sent in an apology adding that her gift was genuine and she's happy for the parents. "I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," she said.  |
| Apostle Dr. T.O Obadare given a State burial by Osun State Government at Osogbo Stadium. Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:05 PM PDT |
| Chris Brown Sentenced To 1000 Hours Of Labour Posted: 17 Aug 2013 12:00 PM PDT   |
| TB Joshua’s neighbours convert homes to hotels Posted: 17 Aug 2013 11:54 AM PDT  Many residential buildings in Ikotun-Egbe on the outskirts of Lagos have been converted to hotels and inns because of the presence of the Synagogue of all Nations Church, writes 'NONYE BEN-NWANKWO Mr. Joseph Sunday, who resides at Egbe in Ikotun Egbe, Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos, last Saturday looked every inch a worried man. The expression on his face showed a man whose inner recesses are preoccupied with worries. Indeed, the 40-year-old father of five, who our correspondent saw at a property agent's shop, is having an accommodation problem. His landlord at Bolungberu Street on the Isolo-Ikotun Road, has given him a notice to vacate his house in the next six months. So, Sunday's anxiety was not only on how to secure another accommodation for his family, but also how to raise the needed money to do so. He also has to meet his landlord's deadline if his belongings would not be thrown out of the compound. Securing and paying for accommodation in Lagos is no child's play. Besides, the huge two or three years' rent one has to pay to get a fairly good place, other sundry financial bills like the agreement and agent's fees, among others, are part of the burden one has to bear. The legwork, as it were, is another task any potential accommodation seeker has to face. Indeed, anybody looking for an accommodation has to register with agents, which, of course, requires monetary involvement (perhaps between N2,000 and N5,000) in as many shops as possible, although that does not suggest an automatic access to the apartment of one's choice. These and many other psychological issues were occupying Sunday���s mind last Saturday. Like Sunday, many other residents of Egbe and its environs are facing a similar experience. Small-scale business owners too are not left out of what a resident of the area described as the "mad rush for the occupation" of the territory. Property owners in the area are no longer interested in giving out their apartments to families for a long period of years. In the new thinking, there is now a fresher approach to recouping the money they have spent on the buildings. Not only that, many house owners prefer to relocate to other parts of the city and let out their houses as chalets. One of them, Mr. Gabriel Omatade, who relocated to Gemade Estate in Egbeda, said he had two houses now turned to hotels in the area. According to him, it makes more economic sense for him to live in a rented apartment elsewhere because he makes more money from the houses converted to hotels. Another house owner who craved anonymity, gave the same reason for moving out of the area. He said he makes more than double the money he could have made if his house had been solely occupied by tenants. "The easiest way to make more money from your apartment is to turn them to chalets. There are enough visitors here everday to stay in them," he added. Little wonder, the Egbe-Ikotun area of Lagos, the once residential area, is of late beginning to attract a lot of attention and increasingly becoming a business hub, courtesy of the presence of Synagogue Church of All Nations. Following the large number of people coming to worship or seek one religious favour or another in the church, the tempo and standard of life in the area have moved upward. The many hotels, lodgings, business shops and transport companies springing up around the locality are pointers to the pace of development in the area. In fact, saying that there is no street in that neighbourhood without at least three hotels or lodgings would not be far from the truth. The area has also become a hotbed of activities for some young employment seekers recruited to solicit customers and clients for the growing business outfits in the vicinity. These young individuals, our correspondent gathered, are paid commissions for every new client they attract to a hotel or any of the hurriedly organised lodging places. In fact, just as soon as our correspondent got to Segun Irefin Street, which is just adjacent to the church, a commercial motorcycle operator quickly offered to take her to where she could get a 'decent' accommodation. The okada rider, who later gave his name as Simon, informed our correspondent that he is usually and adequately compensated by the hotel management depending on the number of guests he brings in. "Each time I take a guest to any of the hotels, I write my name and the number of guests I bring. At the end of the day or month, I am compensated. Some hotels can give me a bag of rice at the end of the year. Others can give me commission based on what the guests pay," he said. Simon, who said he had been doing the business for more than three years, noted that he had even moved up to buy a car, which he also uses for the business. "It depends on the guests. Some of them, I use my car to take them to the airport or the park. I have so many customers. All they need to do is to call me when they are coming to the church and I will go and pick them up. We are so many in the business. You can see all the young guys hanging around here, we are all agents and this is what we do. The more guests you are able to take to any hotel or lodging, the more you are compensated," he said. Indeed, the 'agents' are not just young boys and okada riders, female recharge card sellers readily take guests where they could pay as low as N500 a night. On Unity Street, off Liasu Road, is a hotel where each room can have as many as 12 double-bunk beds.  |
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