Edition 33 Ebook

How much sugar is in your food?

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have Bow-Ties: Classic Developing Teenagers for Elections come and gone! for both Sexes! leadership and eternity What next?

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By Femi G. Oladosu

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Port Harcourt’s first freely distributed fortnightly newspaper April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2. No. 33

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Countdown to MAY 29

Prospects and challenges for the new Rivers Government

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April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Life’s Wall

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

by Merith Benedict

We invite you to share with us your most profound thoughts!

Question For Current Edition

touch, which then goes to the brain for interpretations John Jude – thoughts come from experience from my own point of view.

Obinna – thoughts generate from our emotions and five senses. Other people and things and events also generate thoughts

Where do you think thoughts come from?

Scan the image to read on the go

Responses

Tunde – our thoughts come from our genes, environment education and our brain chemistry. I believe our brains have a mind of their own.

Favour – our thoughts come like a winds to our mind

Sharon – thoughts are generated from the mind.

Wole – to me thoughts come from the mind.

Nkem – our thoughts come from our experiences, knowledge and problems we’ve pondered and stored in memory.

Lawrence - God created it, sometimes they work with the spirit like you just thought about someone and suddenly you just see them.

Charity - for me, i will say that thoughts come from what we see around us.

Kosi - no one else but God

Stephen – I think thoughts are invisible and come from your heart because your thoughts are a reflection of what and who you are.

Paschal - As u know, thoughts are either voluntary or spontaneous. So I wonder where some come from and I think I know where some come from.

Neme – I do not know exactly where thoughts come from, but I know thoughts feel real when you pay much attention to them.

Kashirim - from my spirit of course

Martha – thoughts are sparks of a neuron in our brains.

Amarachi – I believe that our thoughts come from outside your body. Some people think it is the brain but that is wrong. Good thoughts are not a product of the brain but of spiritual consciousness.

Ikenna - I think there is a huge part of where thoughts come from that is way beyond human comprehension Winifred – I personally think thoughts come from the mind. It further transmits to the brain which in turn helps us put whatever it is into action.

Mrs Jane Okafor – as a teacher, I think thoughts come from the brain. You will agree that whenever one wants to think, he or she places his/her hand on the head.

Magdalene – thoughts simply comes from the brain which is located inside our head.

David – thoughts are from the outside world, which enter our brain to be processed and acted upon.

Ernest – as a psychology student, I think thoughts come from the mind and further go to the brain.

Vera – thoughts are things that just pop into your head at a given moment. It is not planned, it just happens. It isn’t from the brain.

Ola – thoughts come from the brain because if you do not have a brain, you wouldn’t think.

Adaobi – there is no fixed location for the origin of anything’ including thoughts, because origination is a process that cannot be bounded within any specified spatial/ temporal center. However we use these concepts and location as utilities.

Abraham – thoughts and thinking originates from inside the brain. What experiences led you to believe it came from outside the body.

Collins – I think our thoughts come from the brain.

way the votes would have gone, and so the elections results returned in both election days were accepted by INEC.

The other political parties have rejected the polls as a sham. The APC has called for an outright cancellation of the polls, while the Labour Party candidate, Tonye Princewill, declared that his party will study the evidences they have, and will thereafter decide what happens next.

Janet – for me I suggest that thoughts come from what we see, and our brain accepts.

Joseph - sometimes thoughts come to some one as a result of the person being bored or lonely

Salvador – I think our thoughts come from our genes, environment, education and brain chemistry.

Dry time for The Umbrella holds lawyers! sway in Rivers State…

T Welcome to this edition of your favourite news magazine..

Raymond – thoughts are electrical impulses that surround us. There are no new or original stressful thoughts. Every thought has been picked upon and thought millions of times since the beginning of mankind. They pass through our consciousness without a problem until we take possession of one by believin

Kelvin – evil thoughts come from the devil, good thoughts are from God. This depends on the individual and the kind of thoughts one allows to roam about their head.

Peter – thoughts come from the mind.

Scan the image to read on the go

Emmanuel – thoughts come from your environment which goes straight to the brain for storage and converted to emotions which then triggers a physical response. (Behavior)

Alex - The mind is the seat of thoughts; so some thought originate from the mind either through our memory or imagination. But some also come from the spiritual.

Kemi – well, the bible gives us three sources of thoughts; our carnal mind, God and the devil.

Editorial

Miss Beauty – thoughts come firstly, from what we see. It goes to the mind and finally to the brain to actualize what is being thought.

Eric – thoughts in other words mean thinking. When you think, you use your brain. I personally think thoughts come from the brain

Frank - I think thought come from our environment.

Barr. Nyesom Wike

(Governor Elect Rivers State)

After almost 2 years of power struggle for the soul of Rivers State, the umbrella of the PDP appears to have finally come out to be the dominant force in Rivers politics.

Mark - it is obvious that our thoughts come from our heart

At both the Presidential, Na-

Ben - for me, i will say it is the brain. the mind is like a football field or lab, where actions take place while picking and mixing up thoughts and ideas

Just In:

Enny - thoughts are from the mind and then the brain . the two work hand in hand.

Toolumi - from your brain. it is what the eyes see and ears hear that pass into the brain to process. the brain finally starts to relax or when the mind is less busy.

Cynthia – Within the creativity perspective, our thoughts are seen simply as our mind characterizing, describing or otherwise somehow explaining the energy our body perceives

tional Assembly, Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections, the PDP had the majority of Rivers votes.

Both elections recorded a high number of recorded violence, but according to INEC, these issues do not really affect the

While all of this is going on, the Wike camp and the PDP in particular have been in an ecstatic mood backslapping one another and clinking the wine glasses; the PDP is back in the saddle of power in Rivers State. In this edition, we discuss the state of government Barrister Wike will meet when he is sworn in on the 29th of May, and we try to examine what we think the focus of the new government should be.

IGP Suleiman Abba gets the sack!

John - thoughts are tautologies embedded in pre-existing institutions. They create a framework from which our thoughts emerge

he elections are finally over, except for pockets of locations where there are re-runs. We still wait to see what happens in Taraba and in parts of Imo State where election re-runs are planned. While most people are jubilating and having thanksgiving sessions (making churches and mosques richer in the process), some are still praying and fasting, or preparing re-enforcement for another electoral assault on their opponent. One thing is sure, we are going to be done with all these election palaver before May 29.

I wonder what time is left for the election tribunals to sit now, but I think, thanks to Mr President, most of those who lost the elections have essentially accepted it in good faith. Even where there are major dissensions, there is clearly no appetite to go to court to fight out lengthy wars. So it looks like the lawyers are going to generally go hungry in this season, which is their traditional moneymaking period.

Who else will get hungry?

The losers obviously. In a country where the success in life and trappings of political

power is determined by the political office or the political influence the individual wields, it is no wonder that people are ready to die in office.

Thankfully, generally the elections were crises free. I am not able to comment on whether it is free and fair or not, but one thing is sure, we have held elections, and Nigeria is still one country.

So for now, we turn our attentions away from politicking to governance. Sadly, most our politicians only know how to politick, not how to govern. In most places where the incumbents are the losers, there will be a myriad of transition committees and new jostling for power. The Losers will be packing their bags out of their offices and official quarters (where they have not already been bought through the monetization policy).

There will be new tenants in the offices, new vehicles to be bought, new decorations and furnishing, new Personal assistants, Special assistants, Principal Secretaries, new private secretaries, new drivers, new girlfriends and what have you. This democracy can be so expensive!

Countdown to the beginning of Change….

Leslie- I totally agree that nothing is original to us. When we use even our imagination we create things that stem from something that already exists

Ricky – thoughts come from the mind.

Michael - Our thoughts come from our lives. To live is the best way to think. Those who don´t think don´t live.

Vivian – hmn, thoughts come from God and our past experiences

Kenneth - Thoughts come from awareness. Awareness is beyond the physical brain or the physical universe, and pervades everything.

Precious – thoughts come from the things you see and

Question For Next Edition: ???

Does sound happen if there is no one or anything to hear it?

Please write on our wall...SMS your thought to 08060917396 or mail: wall@ph-microscope.com.

You can put your name if you want to. We will publish your thoughts in the next edition.

Write to sponsor a question, call or text or sms: 08060917396.

PH Microscope is a freely distributed fortnightly publication started in June 2013 and dedicated to showcasing PH businesses, organisations and even government. We provide information to people on whats going on around the state. We also offer an affordable and effective advert platform to everyone.

We do PR inserts, and help businesses and organisations to connect with their immediate environment.

Even though we have our convictions, and we express these convictions in a generally objective manner, we pride ourselves as being non-partisan and un-affiliated to any brand or organisation. We simply strive to provide an equal platform for opinion sharing, and information dissemination.

Almost everyone will need our services. We represent Rivers state and we are happy to provide more information on how you or your business, ideas, events and whatever else you do can be discovered by more than 2 million Rivers residents.

EDITORIAL TEAM Folarin Banigbe-Philips Publisher Franca E. Idemudia ICT/Education Desk Kofi Bartels Political Desk Adeniran Adekola Circulation/Operations Chuma Nnoli Sports Desk

Merith - Yes, thoughts do emanate from ‘us’ because we work on them - give them form and construct. Yet the conscious desire to know came before the thought itself Julie Ann - perhaps there is little mental stimulation but I suppose as long as there is life there is thought. They appear as words in our heads but I guess it is the mechanism and the form (ie, what is it) that intrigues me.

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Olawale Olaogun Graphics

Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (President Elect FRN)

Suleiman Abba (Fmr. AIG of Police)

DIG Solomon Arase (Acting IGP)

W

hile we were about rounding off this edition, news filtered in that President Goodluck Jonathan has sacked his Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba Tuesday 21st April, replacing him with DIG Solomon Arase. Abba, 56 was appointed as acting IGP in August 2014, and became the substantive head of the police force in November 2014. It is interesting to note that no reason was given for the sack, and Abba’s replacement had assumed duty immediately.

There has been curious responses to this action by the outgoing President. According to an online News publication, Premium Times, who published statement made by Rights Group, Muslim Rights Concern, it is unusual for a regime that is in its twilight days to appoint service chiefs for an incoming government, noting if this was no Trojan horse gift.

Abba, 56, who has 4 more years of active service joined the Police force in 1984. He has had his fair share of controversies since he became

IGP. From the largely controversial role of the security forces in the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun state, to the way the police handled the aftermath of Hon Aminu Tambuwal’s defection to the APC, it is clear that the sacked chief had been loyal to the Presidency. One wonders now why he has been so ungracefully kicked out.

The jury is out on the motives on the Presidency, but the fact remains, its end of the road for the IGP.

T

he fear of change is the beginning of wisdom.

The Federal Capital Territory is soon going to have to deal with a new reality. There are new boys on the block. General Buhari will on the 28th of May be sworn in as the next president of the republic. There is a lot of anticipation about what form his government will take.

There are rumours about who he will appoint, and who will be holding what position come May 29th.

Some names are being can-

vassed. We try to look at some of the people that are expected to have a part in this new administration.

We also bring an article on what sort of changes we should expect in our polity, in our governance arena and also in a social strata. The APC has come to power on a strong rallying cry against corruption. How deep will this surgery to remove corruption from the body of the nation go? Will this be all talk and no action?

By Folarin Banigbe CEO/Publisher

"Published by Immenso Media Technologies”

ISSN: 2408-5871

Daguo Ibibo Graphics

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April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Metro News

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Politics

by Eric Uzoma

F

emi Oladosu is a public affairs analyst. He speaks here of the different thought that has come to him since the elections. As he said, these are thoughts from the mind of the average citizen of Nigeria.

The gift items.

Change is coming

A cross section of Managers and the retirees.

Gunmen abduct Ahoada East LG chairman in Rivers state The Rivers state police command has confirmed the kidnap of the chairman and caretaker committee of Ahoada East local government area in person of Chief Cassidy Ikegbudu. DSP Ahmad Muhammad who is the Police Public relation Officer said the

incident happened in the early hours of Saturday the 18th of April 2015. Also confirming the incident was the APC house of assembly candidate for Ahoada east constituency, Mr. Eric Apia. It was reported by his family, that the security personnel ex-

We want change. We expected change. Shouts of ‘sai Buhari’ rents the air in the north, and roars of Change filled the south west and the rest of the country. Nigerians wanted change! We tweeted on twitter, posted and commented of Facebook, shared on WhatsApp, all in a bid to make sure that our friends know we want change.

change bullets with the armed kidnapper in a bid to rescue him. The armed men out-gunned the security personnel and took him away on a speed boat.

Starving Rivers pensioners calls on Amaechi to pay their 3 months arrears Pensioners in Rivers State have called on Governor Amaechi to pay them their three months pension arrears before the end of April 2015. The state NUP chairman, Mr. Edward Festus-Abibo and the secretary, Mr. Joseph Agbo disclosed on Sunday, 19th

By Femi G. Oladosu

Elections have come and gone! What next?

Transmission company of Nigerian (Port Harcourt Region) Honours its retired staff On Friday the 17th of April 2015, the staff of Transmission company of Nigeria (Port Harcourt region), organized a send forth/ pull out ceremony in honor of its retired staff. The occasion was to reward the retirees for their contribution and hard work to the growth of the company. The top managers were present and awarded gifts to the retirees. It was an occasion filled with excitement and laughter as the MC called the retirees to show their dance moves.

April 2015 that members of the union have been suffering due to unpaid arrears and nothing is being done about it. Speaking further, the union officials said, “We therefore, call on the state government to pay our allowances for the month of January,

Our coming is undated –robbers Sources have it that some unknown gang of robbers has been going about informing people around most parts of Port Harcourt about their visit. They are asking for a ransom of #10,000,000 and anyone that refuses to comply, they will kill that person. One of our sources (name withheld) confirmed the story that happened on 19th April 2015 and took a photo of the written notice the robbers pasted on the wall.

February and March 2015 and other outstanding allowances before the end of this month”.

May 29: No chief Judge to swear in Wike - Okocha Former president of the Nigerian bar association and a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) OCJ Okocha have expressed concern over the absence of a chief judge in the state and who is going to swear in the new Governor elect. He made this known in an interview in Port Harcourt stressing the fact that if governor Rotimi Amaechi doesn’t appoint a chief judge in the state before May 29, Rivers State is in for a constitutional crisis. The (SAN) went further to say “well, I hope and believe that reason will prevail and the governor will see it fit to do what is needful to ensure he appoints the appropriate person as stipulated in the constitution as acting chief Judge, so that at least we can have our new governor sworn in by the acting chief Judge so appointed”

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We demand change but the question is, “can we as individual or a community change?” The elections may be over, but our work is not finished.

There are different levels of representation and pressure groups that are needed to serve as a check on the might of the President and the state governors. Nigerians must be awake to make sure that we can nip digressions in the bud. The lobby and horse trading for various positions has be-

gun and I’m sure must of us are reading in the papers how it been done without any contribution on our parts. Our voices must be loud. We must shout down the nomination of anyone who has had ‘blood’ on his hands.

We hear through the grapevine that members of the state and federal executive council are already being selected by individuals. This fight against coruption starts with each of us and the role we have to play in ensuring that person of good integrity who would work for us are selected.

Closer to me but most far away Those representing us at the state house of assembly are the trustees of our votes but must of us don’t even know them and looks like they don’t

matter but they do. The representatives in the Federal house are also very distant from the electorate otherwise, we should have come out in large number to make sure that the right trustee of our aspiration, our eye in the chamber and a check on the executive is one person we know and trust.

the country in governance.

This time around, if we follow that equation, then the senate and house positions may go to the south south and south east. Trouble is that the ruling party does not have senators or House of rep members from these regions? So how should we approach this conundrum? It may be political suicide for the president to appoint a member of the opposition as either the Senate President or Speaker so it looks like the south-south and southeast law makers will sit in the cooler for a while.

Who shall lead Governors by the houses?

Nigerians have a President-elect but Popular Minorithe leaders of the Senate and the House of Reps are not yet known. It ties was fairly easy in the past. The president and the vice are usually from two of the three major tribes and certainly from different geo-political regions. So naturally the President of the Senate and/or the Speaker of the House of Reps is given to those tribes or geopolitical region as will complete the representation of all parts of

Most of the Governors are now known and a lot has been written about how they were elected. Something that is interesting is that most governors were returned by less than 20% of their citizens. The average state has 50% of its population registering to vote, and 50% of that number were accredited. Even those who

were accredited did not come out to vote. It’s not clear why more people voted in the presidential elections than in the governorship and house of assembly elections. I thought people will be more interested in those who are directly in their face than the man in Abuja.

Can I trust you?

In this election, Nigerians mostly voted for those they trusted. In Kaduna, people wasted no time in electing Malam El-Rufai because he has proofed he is dependable and can deliver. Religion and ethnicity played no role in his election. The Governors of Oyo and Ogun state were re-elected because they did things right. The Governor elect of Lagos state won on the strength of his predecessors’ good works.

Candidates like Labaran Maku didn’t win in Nassarawa because they could not be trusted. Nuhu Ribadu, the former EFCC czar also lost the elections because he lost his way, moving from APC to PDP. He was brilliant with the EFCC by the way but maybe it the Peter Pan principle at work.

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Why INEC won’t cancel Rivers election - INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National electoral commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega has come out to say that the national electoral body (INEC) will not cancel the election in Rivers State, despite numerous allegations of voters. Jega who was speaking with news men in Abuja yesterday, said that investigations were carried out and the findings showed that election did take place in the state. In clear terms he said “We have no right to cancel the election of a whole state. There is nothing in the legal framework that allows the INEC Chairman to cancel based on flimsy reasons”. He therefore, called on aggrieved persons in Rivers State to head to the election tribunal, assuring that even elected legislators would be persecuted if found guilty.

GDI to drag Amaechi, RISIEC to court Alleged letter from robbers Scan the image to read on the go

A group known as the Grassroots Development Initiative (GDI), a campaign platform of the newly elected governor in Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to go to court over the May 23, 2015 date fixing for the local government election in the state. This was a statement made by the president General of the GDI, Mr. Bright Amaewhule, describing the position of the RISIEC as illegal, adding that the electoral commission was expected to give a 90 days’ notice to all parties. Explaining further that fixing of election date by RISIEC without following due process is the handwork of governor Amaechi , Amaewhule vowed to go to court. He accused the governor of trying to ignite chaos and disrupt the democratic process in the state because we know the date he fixed for the election is close to May 29, the date of the swearing-in of the new governor. So we as a group are calling on General Muhammadu Buhari to caution governor Amaechi because Rivers people will rise to defend their mandate.

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April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Politics

Reflections from the deep

Are you ready for the change?

The whole country is clamouring for a change, but change can often be more fundamental than skin deep. This article delves into the issues around change, and examines whether as a people and as a nation, we are ready to work together to assure this change happens.

Scan the image to read on the go

A

Later, as one kid was watching the bags, and the two others were waiting on the line for us to get to our turn, this guy comes again! This time, he wants to help us get our boarding pass without us staying on the long queue. At first I was tempted, then I quickly reasoned, why should I want to jump this queue?

Even if I was the last on the queue, since I had arrived early enough before boarding was to close, I will still get on the flight. So I told him politely that we will rather wait our turn. He looked at me with this incredulous look, shook his head, and actually snapped his heels as he walked away! I am sure he thought this man is so miserly that he will allow his family to suffer because he doesn’t want to give out a pittance of maybe 500naira.

But for me, it wasn’t about his solicitations, or about the money I would have given him. The deeper reality as I thought about this event later on is that for no reason at all, a lot of us would have agreed to jump that queue and move to the next point of waiting! At that realization, something flashed through my mind. This country is asking for change; in fact, we are raving for change! We denounce everything about this country as bad or decaying, and rightly so perhaps. We celebrated the coming of Buhari as the man who will start the change.

We expectantly wait for Nigeria to just become a changed country

overnight; a country where things work; where corruption is ended; and where governance meets followership on a mission for restoration. But the question is, are we really ready for this change?

For so long in Nigeria, people have been doing the wrong things. A lot of people know it is wrong, but as no one punishes wrong doing, they reasoned they can also play along.

However, quite a number of people don’t even know it is wrong. They assume that if it works for them, and gives them what they want- a means of livelihood, then it can’t be wrong.

It’s not really just that people are doing the wrong things alone, but our society has become permissive of the wrong ways of life. People routinely drive against the traffic and expect you, the man with the right of way, to clear off! People make the wrong turns at road junctions, and the police man passes them on. That is not even as annoying as when people form an illegal lane, and when you get to the traffic warden, he calmly passes them into your lane and asks you to stop for them. It makes me feel like choking someone.

What else? We sit at the owner’s corner of our luxurious cars, and in a traffic jam, it is okay if the driver rides on the kerbs, or faces oncoming traffic! We rub a salve over our conscience by saying, “well, I am not the one driving! If I was, I would never do that!”

Nigeria is a society upside down.

The wrong things are now seen as the right thing. Exceptions are now seem as the norm, and the norm as exceptions. For example, you go to the filling stations, and they don’t have fuel. Right in front of the station, there are young men and women who have set up shop selling the same fuel the station refuses to sell. Where did they get it from?

We can all easily answer that question.

tabernacles and are making good income from situations that should not be there in the first place, and which will not be there when change has taken root. What will happen to their income then? Like those boys selling fuel on the side street or like those companies selling generators by trailer loads, or like those bureau de changes; you can go on naming a few more.

businessman out of what they should get because he was not ready to sort them! I am not suggesting this, I am saying it as a fact. When you refuse to deal, they get you out of business with their companies.

These are managers, senior managers, GMs, MDs and office holders of all kinds of name. They have more money in their account that the entire salary they should earn in a lifetime.

I don’t want to hit on civil servants alone.

As a businessman, when I saw the things that people who call themselves professionals; people who work for big multinationals; people who we look up to as epitome of integrity, when I saw what they do in their work life, I actually gave up on this country, at least until now.

I am not bitter at these people in anyway.

It is just a pity that we have come to this pitiful low as a people. We look at ourselves in the mirror in the morning, and immediately we walk away from that mirror, we forget who we are. We pick up newspapers and vilify the politicians.

We sit at lunch meetings with other colleagues and bemoan what is happening in our country. We travel out and sit with other Nigerians in diaspora and agree after a long evening drinking wine and lobsters that this country, Nigeria, has no hope.

We forget, very incredulously, that we are also a part of the problem of the country.

I am talking about managers who inflate contract sums; who pad the contract value and asks the contractor to deliver the topup to their private accounts; who even go as far as awarding contracts to their own or their cronies company; procurement managers who frustrates legitimate

Now at last, maybe hope has arrived.

Maybe change, real change, has come. I want to remind you all to check yourself and prepare for this change, because we now have received what we wished for. If this change is of God, it will sweep many away. It will expose many. The bible says, “Judgement will start from the house of God”. Interpret that! We mostly know who the major thieves are so we will not be very surprised when they are hounded into jail. But asides these known thieves, will they also mention your name as a partaker in the eating of the bread of deceit?

Are your hands clean, or are you usurping the office from where you are already drawing pay. So please, check yourself and ask yourself, “Am I ready for this change?”

If you are not, please set your house in order…

I am ready for this change. Are you?

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This article has already also been published on www.folarinbanigbe.blogspot.com as a blog post… few days ago, after deciding on a short holiday before we lose the kids to boarding school for another 3 months, we were at the airport to catch our flight. A young man approached us the usual way; do we have tickets already? We said yes, but like a leech, he wouldn’t let go of us. Despite the fact that either me, my wife or the two grown-ups amongst my kids can manoeuvre our bags on the scale, and despite the fact that we were capable of getting our boarding passes by ourselves, this guy insisted on wanting to do everything for us.

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Or you go to the bank. The bank does not have foreign currency.

They ask you to buy from the Mallam and come to deposit in your dorm account, and we call this normal! Why should I not be able to buy my forex from the bank? Why do I have to make someone rich for doing nothing? That is not even enough. You want crisp naira notes, you won’t find it in the bank also.

They don’t have, they tell you. Go

“

It is common knowledge that 90% or more of Nigerians live beyond their legal means.

How do they make up the rest? I posit that they do this through corrupt practices” outside and the young man there will give you 1000 naira in crisp 100 naira notes when you give him 1,500naira of your old notes. The only people who get crisp notes out of the bank are those who are friends with the bank manager or those who can smile rightly or flirt with the girl on the counter!

Still talking about wrong things being seen as right! It is normal to not expect electricity from NEPA. No wonder excitement creeps in when they remember to give your neighbourhood light. Husband and wife, hitherto beefing each other suddenly become friends when NEPA shows up. So NEPA is the exception, and generators are the norm.

We have generators for different time of the day; one for the morning, one for the afternoon, one for evening, one for sleeping! The noise pollution is seen as normal, not an

exception. And the partial deafness of our mai guards and even us landlords and our families from the noise of the generators is a part of life in Nigeria. We are used to it.

Waiting in a swelteringly hot airport is a norm. Waiting hours for your bags after a long flight is a norm. Waiting in traffic is a norm.

Libraries that are without books is a norm. Schools that are shut for longer than they are open is a norm.

The whole country is on strike, and the government carries on as if nothing is wrong. That too is a norm!

Let me stop, too many things are wrong with our society, but now change has arrived as we like to say.

I therefore want to repeat the question, are we ready for this change?

Are we ready for the consequences of this change? Are we ready to give up the lifestyle we have built on wealth that we cannot defend when this change begins to take effect?

Are we ready to allow the change to cut the source of our ‘undeclarable’ source of wealth?

For a lot of Nigerians, I fear they didn’t think change will get to this point? However, the change should not be such that it will allow us to continue business as usual. It is not just about just fixing NEPA, or roads, or just creating jobs. Fixing these things means dealing with the source of the problems in these areas. As you know, there are principalities who ensure the continuity of their egregious lifestyles from the proceeds of the ill-gotten wealth they have amassed by strangulating these aforementioned areas of our national infrastructure and common wealth. For change to happen, these guys have to be cut off from the source of their ill-gotten wealth.

Would such people be welcoming of this change then?

It is common knowledge that 90% or more of Nigerians live beyond their legal means. How do they make up the rest? I posit that they do this through corrupt practices.

It doesn’t matter where they work, whether government workers or private sector people; whether churches or mosques, Nigerians take advantage of the system that pays their bills. The average Nigerian believes that he is entitled to steal from the place that pays his salary. We see it as normal. We call it fringe benefits. We see it as being sharp or smart. Instead of plugging it, we exploit every loophole because we see it as a way by which God has answered our prayers.

I have a South African friend. One day as we were having dinner in Abuja where we had gone for some meetings, he looked around at the posh mall we were at; he looked at all the posh people who are gliding past us as we ate; at their expensive cars parked in the car park, and he asked me, “Folarin, am I missing something or what, but everyone appears so rich. Where do all these Nigerians get their money from?

Are they so well paid or what?” I smiled because I could understand his dilemma.

A civil servant on a salary of 200k per month has a housing estate or maybe a block of flats. He flies out on holiday twice a year with his family of 5; he has two cars (one for work and one for church or mosque); has two kids in boarding school with yearly fee of about 1.5million each, and so on. You would want to ask yourself, where is this extras coming from? He goes to church or wherever he worships, and declares a testimony about God’s favour. I ask myself (inwards of course), how has God favoured you? What exactly did He give you?

A salary raise, or what? I don’t know how many Nigerians can say exactly what they do to get the money they are spending. So if we are asking for a change, let’s remember that this change may affect this source of extra and undeclared income. Would we still want that change?

I can’t chronicle all the things that this change will affect. But let me say that a lot of people have built

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8

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Fashion and Style

9

by Merith Benedict

Bow-Ties: classic for both Sexes!

Scan the image to read on the go

Celebrities that Rock the Bow-tie

“The bow tie shed its stodgy reputation long ago, so why are you still only bringing yours out for black-tie weddings?” The classic neckwear piece is the easiest way to add singular personality to your everyday rigs.

W

earing bowtie has always been associated with special occasions and cocktail parties. Certainly, you can wear a bowtie without too much effort and have fun with it. You can find them in many different colors these days, in different materials and with different patterns.

There are two main types of knot namely: • Pre-assembled or pre-tied bowties: These are the most common since they are the easiest to use. This type of bowtie is often at the low end of the market.

Two clips allow you to fasten the bowtie together.

• Bowties that you have to tie yourself: They can be adjustable or have fixed neck sizes like your shirts. They are at

H

ere are some famous Nigerians who are known for using the bowtie to stylishly spice up their outfits Enoch Adeboye of the redeemed church is a known for wearing the bowtie. He is hardly seen anywhere without one on his neck. famous pop star Chidinma has also been spotted with the bowtie alongside other celebrities like Rita Donminic, one time MBGN winner, Munachi and D’banj too.

the high-end of the market due to their authenticity.

What’s good about this accessory is that it goes with just about everything. You can wear one traditionally, with a dinner jacket for big occasions. In everyday life, a bowtie goes well with jeans and a pair of trainers for example, or with leather shoes for a look which is a bit dandier. The only rule that you must abide by, is to always wear a shirt with it of course. Pay attention to the size of the collar in relation to the bowtie: neither too small, nor too large. The bigger you are, the bigger the bow tie you’ll be able to pull off.

the classical black bowtie. Once you’ve got used to the accessory, don’t hold back from playing around with colors and patterns for something a bit bolder (and don’t forget that it’s important to have fun.)

It’s a lot simpler to wear a bowtie than you’d think: you can immediately integrate it now and then into your outfits, whilst simultaneously sticking to your own style.

When buying a bowtie, you need to keep in mind that you can’t wear them with just any type of collar. You will surely have shirts in your wardrobe with classic or button-down style collars.

For the most skeptical, opt for something understated to start with like tone on tone or

Wearing Bowties the Right Way-

W

choice. The right one worn the right way and stylishly too gives you a fashionable outlook.

How do you embrace the Bowtie? It’s simple with a chic attitude. Bow Ties

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The Collar factor Collars are important factors in determining the type of Bow Ties you wear. The wrong combination makes you look comical. Let’s now have a look at the different collars which go with bowties; Small Collar: This type is one which I think you should have the most of in your wardrobe. It’s the collar you should wear to avoid any risk. It suits all sizes: small, normal, and large: Narrow collars: These are not so popular in men’s wardrobes these days, but they often go well with a slim bowtie. Once you’ve got to grips with it, you can try out different sizes of bowties to create a broader effect with your neck. It’s a matter of taste:

Bow-Ties for ladies

e sometimes wonder if it’s okay for ladies to wear bowties. Some say it’s the sixties fashion but the sixties fashion trends are coming back! For a very professional look bowties are a very good

FASHION HOUSE LISTINGS

can be worn either on a blouse or in your hair. Bow Ties are so worth getting your hands onto. They are a fabulous gift for all occasions. They don’t date. When you wear them it just brings a great smile on everyone’s face.

They are clear personality winner.

There are so many ways to wear a bowtie for ladies. You can wear them and look either professional or chic and stylish: • Casual outfit idea on wearing bow tie for young women. Wear your bright color button down with a bow tie and a wide neckline sweater. The style of the skirt and the footwear is totally up to you! Wear your girly skirt and flat oxfords for creating a preppy style outfit. You can also go for pencil skirt and high heels to create more “mature” and officeappropriate look.

• For a sexy or chick look, you can wear a nice round neck top on jean or a round neck gown, then you use a stylish bowtie round your neck like a choker.

• For a very professional look, you can wear your bow- tie on the collar of your shirt. There are so many stylish bow-ties out there to make you look both chick and professional.

The Club Collar: This is starting to become popular on men’s shirts, allows you to be a bit more original thanks to the rounded collar. I would advise you to wear a slim or normal size bowtie so that don’t cover up the detail of the collar itself. The stylistic effect is the most important thing I assure you!

Wing Tip collars: These are worn with dinner suits. If you want to emphasize your ultra-chic outfit and really look your best, choose a small or normal size bowtie. Don’t be afraid to choose a patterned bowtie for an original and bolder look. For a winged collar, the bowtie is worn on the collar not under the collar.

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Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Former CBN Governor

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Comments on last edition

Linek Classic World: 56, Market Road, Rumumasi, Port Harcourt, Rivers.

Zuby - Chety World Klass Investment: 24, Emenike Street, Mile 1 Diobu, Port Harcourt, Rivers.

B boy – I do not really dislike the leggings. On some ladies it’s okay. I really appreciate this article and hope our girls will learn from it and stop wearing tight leggings that are too revealing with small tops and showing us guys the line of their private parts.

Jenniffer – I love leggings because they are very comfortable but i also think we are at liberty to style it according to our taste. Nice topic, keep it up.

Pastor E.A. Adeboye

General Overseer RCCG

Chidinma Ekile Nigerian Singer

Promise Boutique: Okrika Avenue, Eleme, Rivers State.

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Sandra – thanks, really the way we wear the leggings these days is crazy I hope our ladies will learn to wear them and look responsible.

Uche – really this leggings issue is causing a lot of heat and I am happy about the article.

Joy – I am actually a victim of leggings abuse. I do wear them with small tops they look nice though but I think I understand your point too.

If you have never tried to experiment with bow tie wearing, but have always wanted to, I would say – go for it! I hope these various ways to wear a bow tie will inspire you to try something out of your “style comfort zone”.

What are your favorite ways to wear a bowtie? Let us know by sending an email to merith@phmicroscope.com or send an sms to 07067015263

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10

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Short Story - Fiction

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

By Jessy Nwachukwu

The Unknown Gesture Scan the image to read on the go

I

t’s 4pm in the afternoon on Tuesday, I had just completed yet another boring lecture that took over two hours. I was completely fagged out as the day was so tedious. I began walking to my lodge which was about two kilometers away from school, another unwanted exercise. Walking absent mindedly I suddenly bumped into this guy who had a whole lot of stuff he was carrying as though he was about to embark on a long trip to the moon. “Girl watch it”, he said angrily! “You’re so clumsy, didn’t you see me”, I replied. As we bent low to pick up our properties our eyes met. We stared at each other for like ten seconds and then he broke the silence. “Umm… so sorry” he said more quietly now as he picked up some of my books from the ground where it was scattered.

“No worries, it was also my fault”, I replied with a worn out smile that still managed to seem beautiful to

him. As I looked up, my eyes met his again, and I turned away in shyness. He was so handsome and gentle looking but I wondered why he had so much on him. He helped me up, “are you okay?” he said still gazing at me. I nodded. His constant gazes made me wonder if I had an ugly stain on my teeth from the pop-corn I just had, God I hope not. “My name is Donald. I am in mechanical engineering department final year”, he said. “My name is Emmanuelle, physiology department, year one”. As we walked on I discovered he had a love for sports and games, he also loves mathematics. There was just something about his smile, it had an atom of sadness but I didn’t dare to ask. The evening passed pleasantly with few laughs and jokes to cheer each other up.

He escorted me to the entrance of my lodge and we said goodbye. He seemed nice though he was rude to me at first. We continued to see

each other, we had lunch together whenever we could. We became very close. He made me feel safe and comfortable.

Five years later, Donald had just finished his masters and is working in an oil company at Lagos state.

On the other hand I was serving in Port Harcourt. I often speak to Donald on phone but we haven’t seen for about 7months now because we’ve both been so busy with work. We finally got the chance to see, he came down to Port Harcourt during his leave. We both agreed to meet in a nice joint G.R.A at 7pm in the evening the next day. I was super excited to see him.

At exactly 7pm the next day, I had arrived at the place we initially agreed upon to find Donald already waiting. “Baby girl you look so beautiful just like the first day I met

you”, Donald said to me. “Thanks, you’re also looking nice” I replying with a smile. We embraced each other deeply. After so many minutes of hugging we settled down to eat. Donald reminded me of the first time we met years ago. “did you ever wonder why I was carrying so much load on me that day, he asked. “No, tell me” I replied.

“You see, I was so depressed that day. I had lost my parents in an accident months back and I had troubles concentrating. I had several carry overs that year and to top it all my girlfriend dumped me that afternoon for another guy. I was a complete mess. I was going back to my lodge to commit suicide”, he said almost about to cry. “When I met you and spent time talking and laughing”, he smiled a bit then continued. “I felt so relieved and I realized later that if I had killed myself I would have missed the opportunity of getting to know you”, he said. I

was so shocked at what I just heard.

“Wow! I had no idea”, I replied.

Donald continued, “When you helped me with some of my stuff, you didn’t only lessen the burden I was carrying, you also stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life. You saved my life Ella”. At that moment I grew cold and speechless. Donald expressed his feeling for me and I reciprocated. Suddenly he knelt down and brought out a tiny black box from his pocket. My heart began to beat faster than usual and I felt butterflies in my stomach. “You’re heaven sent to me. You’re my soul mate. I love you so much. Will you marry me?” I felt tears trickling down my face. It was a mixed feeling of joy and relieve. “Yes I will Donald”, I replied raising him up and hugged him with so much happiness.

Poetry Corner

By BARRY NEEDOM

Poetry In Africa

Poetry in Africa is a great subject of “Ghana Empire” as well as popular discourse since Africa is a large con- folklore in a host of native languages; tinent comprising of about fifty-five through to Mali’s famous “Manucountries. Each of the countries has script of Timbuktu” dating from the her diverse cultures, and particular 16th to the 18th centuries. It should histories and evolving trends within be noted that in medieval times Arathe various literary genres. bic and Swahili’s “Swahili” literature/ An impediment to Poetry as a subject poetry were amassed by North Afriof discourse is the numerous literary can University. thousands of indigenous languages Also existing in the pre-colonial era and dialects spoken in Africa. It were epics and praise poems. Epwould be of interest to note that in ics are elaborate literary forms, usuNigeria alone, there are more than ally performed only by experts on 255 indigenous special occasions. languages. More They often reso, the encouncount the heroic ter with Europe exploits of ancesthrough trade retors. Examples of lationships, misepics include the During the precolosionary activities, “Mwindo” epic and colonialism and the epic of nial era there were not only propelled “Sundjaita”. strong, conspicuous the third wave in Praise poems are literacy in Africa “epithets called out indigenous, cultural, but equally had a in reference to an devastating impact literary and poetry object (a person, a on the language town, an animal, works that shaped and literature of a disease etc) in the indigenous Afboth the written and celebration of its ricans. These Euoutstanding qualioral forms of literaropean countries ties and achievewere mostly Britture (orature).” ments”.

Praise ish, Portuguese, poems have variety French, etc. of applications and Consequently, in functions. Profesmost African countries a “Lingua sional groups often create praise poFranca” was thereafter adopted to act ems exclusive to them. Prominent as the official language of communi- Chiefs might appoint a professional cation for at least a reasonably sized performer to compile their praise region. And, by 19th and 20th centu- poems and perform them on special ries, literary activities were conducted occasions. Professional performers in vernacular languages. of praise poems might also travel It can be concluded that “Modern” from place to place and perform for written poetry in Africa has a double families and individuals for a fee.

Example of praise poem was the one heritage – pre-colonial and western. written to “Shaka, the Zulu, Warrior During the pre-colonial era there and King. In the next edition, we were strong, conspicuous indigenous will examine how the advent of the cultural, literary and poetry works Europeans had great impacts on the that shaped both the written and oral literary /poetry works in Africa. forms of literature (orature). Africans had had their ways and meth- Star Poem of the Month Competiods of expressing their poetry works tion in songs, storytelling narratives, To participate and win the “Star Poem rhythm, rhyme, verse, movements of the Month compettion,” you must and dance. There are countless ex- adhere to the following rules: amples of pre-colonial African literaIt is open to all Rivers State Poets. ture and poetry works spanning the Only poems written in English are length and breadth of the continent.

From script depicting or document- accepted. ing the Kings of Ethiopia and Ghana Submission date shall be from 1st to

“

Scan the image to read on the go

the last date of the particular month.

Each entrant must submit one poem to be eligible.

The poem may have been previously published or won previous awards.

All entries must be submitted via email only to: poetrycorner2015@ gmail.com No alterations to poems once submitted or entered.

No Judges discussion with entrant.

The Organizers/Judges reserve the right to not award the prize if, in the Judges’ opinion, such an action is justified or Organizers also reserve the right to split the prize if they decide

Poem Not my business They picked Akanni up one morning Beat him soft like clay And stuffed him down the belly Of a waiting jeep.

What business of mine is it So long they don’t take the yam From my savouring mouth?

They came one night Booted the whole house awake And dragged Danladi out, Then off to a lengthy absence.

What business of mine is it So long they don’t take the yam From my savouring mouth?

Chinwe went to work one day Only to find her job was gone: No query, no warning, no probe – Just one neat sack for a stainless record What business of mine is it So long they don’t take the yam From my savouring mouth?

that more than one Poet is worthy of it.

The Judges’ decision is final and they will not enter into any correspondence with entrants regarding their decisions.

POEM RULES All poems must have a title.

Poem must be the original work of the entrant.

Poems should be single spaced.

Poems can be of any font type or size.

Poems must be emailed in a single word document with entrant name, state of birth, full address, personal

email and telephone number.

The entire poem submission must be written with black ink, no colours.

WINNER The winners must be available via email/telephone call to reply promptly to correspondence/call. Winner to provide photograph and biography and to be available for media interview.

Remember to share/forward your poems, comments, suggestions and even articles on poetry for publication to: poetrycorner2015@gmail.com or call or sms 09051876309.

If you must vote Let it not be for those Who brought us to this wilderness Dimmed our political sunshine Shielded from rainfall Our economic vegetable garden Sank the ship of the nation In the ocean of wants Neither should it be Those insatiable power prostitutes Who like hungry crabs clamped Our resources pay poet tasters To poetize their imaginary feats

Nor those rhetorics Self acclaimed political virgins Dying with lust to captain the ship With paradise restoration promise And then one evening Entered they, the stage As I sat down to eat my yam A knock on the door froze my hungry hand. Refuse exit even after the epilogue The jeep was waiting on my bewildered lawn Those infidel brides of yesterdays Afflicted with honesty dysentery.

Waiting, waiting in its usual silence.

Prof. NIYI OSUNDARE

HUMPHREY OGU

A man for all season Wind blows Here he stands A man for all season; Sun Shines Here he stands A man for all season; Rain falls Here he stands A man for all season Harmattan comes Here he stands A man for all season.

As time requires a man of marvelous might and pastime And sometimes a sad gravity A man for all season.

Mr. BARRY NEEDOM

PORT HARCOURT

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12

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

13

Politics by Folarin Banigbe-Philips

Countdown to May 29:

Scan the image to read on the go

Prospects and challenges for the new Rivers Government I fear for my life, please dear Governor, deal with security issues If most people have their way, they will rather not continue to live in Rivers state, even including rivers people. Armed robbery is still perennial in our society; kidnapping has gone viral and is almost now an epidemic. Almost everybody in the state has one friend, or family member, or colleague that has been kidnapped at one point or the other.

There are proliferation of arms and other forms of weaponries in the state. The high and mighty may not feel this, but the lowly and the common are direct recipients of the hor-

rors visited by people wielding arms.

This aside, even the law enforcers makes you feel unsafe. Tax collectors bursts into your office and cart away your property, shout and embarrass everybody. Motorists pray and fast each morning to not be noticed by TIMARIV. Everyone wearing any type of uniform in Rivers state is a law to himself and a terror to the citizens, even the Man-O-War and Boy Scouts wield power!

The Governor has a task to make this state secure for all. He has a responsibility to make the average Riverian feel secured and free in this state. No meaningful development can come through in a state of acute insecurity.

So where should I focus, dear Citizens?

In just over a month, Barrister (Chief) Nyesom Ezenwo Wike will be sworn in as the Executive Governor of Rivers State. On this day, he will be entering the Brick House, I think, for the first time in several years, but I am sure the edifice will not be strange to him. After all he was the Chief of Staff to incumbent Governor Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi for four years. To help your confusion, no; Amaechi did not bless Wike’s candidacy, and no; they were not of the same

party. These erstwhile political and personal friends fell out about 3 years ago, and each had since then become sworn enemy to the other.

Chief Wike, PDP candidate, won the governorship elections held on April 11, and barring any last minute INEC’s pronouncement, something the governor-elect declared will be impossible, there will be no other person taking the oath of office on May 29 other than Wike

and his deputy, Mrs Ipalibo Harry.

So what can Rivers expect from the Governor?

What sort of administration will he run? Having campaigned vigorously throughout all the nukes and crannies of Rivers state, what should the citizens expect? These are questions that must be burning in the minds of most people as they await the start of this administration.

What kind of Rivers State will the Governor Meet on the 29th of May? A deeply divided state First, the governor will meet a deeply divided state; a state that is divided not only along political lines, but a state that is also divided along ethnic lines. The runoff to the elections has generated a lot of bad blood amongst the different ethnicities in the state. Recall that this was meant to be a governorship for either of the Ijaws, the Ogonis and the Kalabaris in particular. There were strong calls for ‘political’ equity and fairness in the machinations for who becomes the next governor of this state.

The Ikwerres and the candidature of Mr Wike was rejected vigorously by all on the basis of his being of Ikwerre extraction, with a lot of people saying that it should not be said that an Ikwerre governor hands over to another Ikwerre son.

The Ogonis launched a special campaign all over the state showcasing how Ogoni has not only been destroyed by the oil wells of multinational oil company, Shell, but also how they have been marginalised in the scheme of producing the Rivers State Governor since the inception of the state. They demanded that each political party will make an Ogoni son their candidates in order whichever political party will win the elections, an Ogoni son or daughter will be the next Governor of the state.

At this time, this publication firmly rejected an ethnicity or geographical location as a basis for selecting who the governor of any state, let alone Rivers state should be. We believe and upheld the constitutional right of any individual from any part of the state to decide to run for the office of the governor at any time

of his choosing, and not to have to bend to the expediency of a rotational system. This does not always bring out the best hand or the best man for the job.

In any case, the subsequent choices of the different political parties put paid to speculations from all quarters. Thus, coming into office, the governor elect will meet a state fissured along this ethnic line, and he will probably also meet simmering and discontent from various quarters.

The Engine is coughing!

Aside from this, the governor elect will also meet an almost non-functioning state when he takes over. With due respect to the current administration, it is clear that most of the

agencies of government and certainly the two other arms of government are not currently near not functioning. The doors of the judiciary arm of government have been shut more than one year ago, and I hope someone still knows where the keys were kept. There is no Chief Judge in the state, there is no Judge of the customary court of Appeal, and there are no judicial workers on their seats also.

The legislative arm of government is in some kind of comatose. Regular sessions have long stopped. They just meet to discuss and endorse critical decisions affecting the running of the state. The state house of assembly’s gate is now home to an Armoured Personnel Carrier belonging to the police that has been rusting away there since 2013. The government allowed the house to use an auditorium in the

Government House grounds, but the PDP faction of the house would not meet with the rest. In fact there are two speakers of the house at present, and we don’t know who has the mace, or if either of them actually have it.

To add to that, the legislative staff too are perpetually on strike due to one complaint or the other. It is unclear if there is any kind of work going on presently.

Develop me! Develop me!

The governor will meet a state that is clearly in need of development. This is not taking anything away from the achievement of the current administration. This administration is perhaps the best after the Diete-Spiff administration in addressing headlong, the developmental problems of the state.

A proverb says that even when we are crying, we can still see. This administration started very well, did a lot of wonderful things, and the state can boast of having had far more done during its time than before it. However, we must say that since the fights and politicking started, the agencies of government responsible for the infrastructure development have gone to sleep.

Before the political problems started, Governor Amaechi had boasted to

Riverians that the days of electricity unavailability would be over in a short while. The Commissioner of Power for Rivers state was given a marching order; fix electricity. The governor clearly stated that all the funds required for this to happen had been released, and Rivers citizen were looking forward to divorcing their generators. Then the political problem started first as a rumour, then as a noise, and then as a thunderstorm, and finally an earthquake of gargantuan proportion erupted, and Rivers state has never been the same since then.

Of course power was not fixed and is still not fixed. Take away the power issues, the state is in trouble over the condition of the roads. Ongoing projects have been largely stopped, and planned ones have not left the planning boards. The terrain and weather condition of the state makes it imperative for ongoing maintenance to be taking place on our roads. Many of the good works started in the early life of this administration seems to be crying for attention.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs Of course, the Governor will meet a state that is socially sitting on a time bomb. There are simply no jobs. Multinationals in the state are dropping staff at an alarming rate.

Manufacturers are moving to more

conducive environments, out of Rivers state of course, and the rest of the businesses in Rivers cannot absorb the thousands now looking for work.

This causes a lot of youth restiveness, and translates into a lot of crime in the state. This state of heightened insecurity in turn forces more business to flee, and prevents new ones from starting up. It is said that Rivers state currently probably tops the index of the most difficult places to start a business in Nigeria.

This situation is a time bomb. It cannot be wished away, and the governor must come at this issue with a strong will and with determination to turn it around. By the way, it must be mentioned that simply giving someone employment in a government establishment does not meet the requirement for the solution we are looking for; neither does employing them as road sweepers, or task force members make any sense.

We already have too many of those people around. The governor must focus on creating an enabling environment for businesses to thrive in the state. He must also ensure that he is focused on creating productive labour, in addition to the requirement that he must create dignifying labour. Jobs that makes people behave like animals will further reduce their dignity and these are not the jobs we are looking for.

Unite your people sir: The first task on your hand dear Governor Elect is to ensure that Rivers people are united again. Though tribe and tongue may differ, we all form the component part of this state. There is so much division, so much fissures, and the governor has to demonstrate that he is ready and committed to integrating all Rivers people. He has to do this across political, ethnic and social lines. Indigenes and non-indigenes must be united to the thought that Rivers state is a place where everybody can thrive and live in peace.

Restart the wheels of the state: The state is almost grinding to a halt. The civil service, the judiciary, the legislature, everything is in limbo. Dear governor elect, you must unite the dysfunctional arms of government and get warring parties to cease and get these insitutions to start off work-

ing again. Hopefully with the legislature, since PDP now probably has the majority in the house, this should be easy.

Stop the fighting: As an APC state, Rivers was fighting a PDP federal government, or perhaps a PDP Federal Government was the one fighting an APC state. It does not really matter now who or what caused the disagreement, the fact is that Rivers and Rivers People clearly lost in the process. What you need to do now sir, is to stop the fighting. Work with people across board. This must not be a winner takes all government. For the progress of the state, and for you to achieve a status of a nationalist, you should be reaching out across the different divides; intra-party, interparty, state-federal lines etc. The Rivers people that has elected you into office wishes for Rivers to be peaceful, prosperous and happy. Please make it happen!

Don’t throw the baby away with the birth water: The practice of a new government is to throw away policies and stop projects of the previous governments especially if they are not from the same party. Please don’t do this wholesale in Rivers state. You were once part of this current government, and obviously part of the policy formulation and project initiation process. It can’t be that all the policies and projects of this current administration is bad. The governor elect is therefore urged to continue with the good policies of the current administration and finish the projects that are feasible and which affects the bottom line for the people. The other ones who don’t fit can be scrapped. The current government has laid some very good foundation, so we urge the incoming administration not to spite the face by biting the nose.

Right now, we need to make things better, not necessarily making better things. Roads were built without Continue on page 14

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April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Politics

Teen’s Crib

Continued from page 13

any thought of traffic management and ease of vehicular flow. What we need now is for the government to bring in people who will work on making vehicular flow a very transparent and fluid process, in addition to continuing to build roads. Another example; schools were built, but teacher training and curriculum development need to be improved.

Hospitals were built, but now

we need to have for example, an integrated drugs management system.

There are many areas calling for attention, and I fear that the governor elect like the one before him may have sleepless nights if getting work done and getting Rivers moving again is the priority for him.

The finances of the state are suspect. Oil prices are still trying to stabilize at about 60% of their old prices. Things will be hard as a reasonable govern-

ment will need to introduce reforms to help the state pull through this current economic strangulations. It cannot be business as usual anymore.

Profligacy must be halted.

We expect that the Governor elect has all these in his radar and is already attuned to what needs to be done. I was glad to hear that he said he will be the one to hand over any corrupt person in his government over to the police for prosecution. This is the body language

that we are looking forward to captains of the state to adopt.

Zero tolerance for corruption.

The governor needs to tackle corruption by putting in controls, and punishing consequences. The time of sermonizing is over in Rivers state. He needs to preach transformation and personal leadership and accountability.

All said, Rivers await May 29, and we wish the governor elect all the best in his endeavours.

Long live Rivers State.

IF YOU ARE FROM KWARA STATE, PLEASE READ THIS!!!

A group called “Progressive Kwara” which is non-political, but development oriented is calling upon all citizens of Kwara state living in Rivers state to join this group to work with the government of the day in Kwara state to nurture ideas and provide constructive feedback to the Government.

We know that living in Rivers state makes us very far from home, and individually, our voices may not be heard.

We have thus decided that as a group, we are able to harmonize our individual efforts and get the ear of the government.

So we encourage you to register by sending an email with your details (name, town of origin, LGA, age, occupation, phone number and addresses) to the email below: Progressivekwara@immenso-media.com This is a temporary address as we are at the moment building our website and will have email accounts, twitter handle and Facebook page published very soon.

For more information please contact THE COORDINATOR PROGRESSIVE KWARA C/O PORT HARCOURT MICROSCOPE 25, TRANS AMADI IND LAYOUT RUMUOBIAKANI, PORT HARCOURT 08122518442 progressivekwara@immenso-media.com

Pick up every edition of the

PH Microscope Newspaper at the following locations:

Oginigba First Bank The Promise Chicken Republic Zenith Bank Rikky Hotel UBA Rumuogba Randolph Hotel Maas Central Hotel New Meridian Hotel Genesis Hotel Artillery Grand Venice Royal Diamond Ecobank Molit Hotel Stanbic IBTC First Bank Stadium Road Viontel Hotel Tokyo Grand Hotel Dmatel Gold Hotel Charlies Gym First Bank Meritz Hotel & Suites Voyage Ranch Hotel Deal Day Elekahia/Rumuomasi Auntie Titi’s Place Total Shell R.A Sailbond Gibsco Hotel 1804 Boutique Hotel Ordinance Sasun Hotels Swiss Hotels Enterprise Bank First Bank Cohasa Engr Services G.R.A. Genesis Deluxe Cinema UBA (Elelenwo Rd.) Golden Tulip Hotel Palomino Body Shop MAAS Central Hotel Marriot Hotel Charcoal & Spice, GRA Jevinik Restaurant, Midland Microfinance Bank (Elelenwo GRA) Zenith Bank Aristotle Hotel Paloma Hotel Edis Wine Bar Sparklyn Hotel Eurocab Services Presidential Hotel Federal Secretariat Bongavilla Hotel Elkan Terrace Hotel Belverly Hills Hotel Finger of God Gym Aldgate Hotel Mile 3 Kilimanjaro First Bank, Agip Junction Olu - Obasanjo First Bank

Sterling Bank UBA Heritage Bank FCMB Keystone Bank Unity Bank The Promise Eatery Fidelity Bank Diamond Bank Landmark Hotel Eastern By-pass Maas Central Hotel Elelenwo Pre-Eminence Hotel Old GRA Mina Hotel State Secretariat Aggrey Road MTN Office The Promise Rumuigbo Shopping Point S/market Wingate Hotel Ada - George Peperroni Auntie Titi’s Place (3, Ejike Wike Str., off Ada - George Rd.) D-Line Transview Diagnostic Guest & Reservation Hotel Ken Chikere Campaign Office De-Wynn Hotels Jora Hotels MisizJD Restaurant Nana’s Place Prince George Hotel UTC Road Unity Bank Access Bank Zenith Bank Ecobank First Bank Mr Biggs State Secretariat Trans - Amadi Tantalizer (Waja) Sterling Bank UBA Waja Sasun Hotel Cohasa (Ordinance) Diamond Bank Ecobank Zenith Bank Jevinik Restaurant Woji First Bank, Woji Fidelity Bank Access Bank UBA Ecobank Zenith Bank Unity Bank Omoku Bread Wisdom Academy International, Omoku

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By Aby Elenwo

Gossip...

Scan the image to read on the

did you hear…?

L

et’s say you’ve just heard a really juicy rumor about someone you know. It may not be true, but it’s too good to keep to yourself. Your first instinct is to tell the news to your best friend who tells it to another friend and gradually the news keeps spreading which possibly was written by somebody who just made it up. Everyone gossips-even parents, celebrities, and politicians. Its part of how we communicate and stay connected with other people’s lives. Sometimes, this is harmless, but at other times it can be very hurtful and damages the reputations of those who are unfortunate to be subjects of gossips. Rumors and gist often fly very fast especially when its bad news, but why this happens remains a mystery.

Is there a difference between a rumor and a piece of gossip?

Who gossips more?

Boys Or Girls

A rumor is a piece of information or a story that has not been verified, meaning that the person telling it doesn’t know if it’s true or false. Gossip, on the other hand, deals with subjects that are shocking or personal. Gossip can also be referred to as someone who likes to talk about someone else’s private or public life. Rumors and gossips can be true or false and are usually spread from person to person, or can spread from one person to a whole bunch of people at once. Most people who spread rumors don’t care if the story is true of not, and don’t bother to check it out. If a piece of gossip about somebody is true, it can still be very hurtful because that information may be private and personal.

“It is commonly believed that girls are natural gossips; love to spread rumors and complain about their friends behind their back. Research has also shown that girls love to talk about news but rather than focusing on politics or government issues, they talk about issue like soap operas, celebrities, fashion and the finest boys are more likely to cause a debate. And any type of relationship is up for discussion – whether it is their own, their friends, their friends’ friends. Girls will always tell you what does not even concern you as one talk always leads to another. It is often rare to see a girl gossiping with a boy rather it is common among themselves.

It is not proven that girls gossip more, but from all indications, we seem to be gifted in that area.

However, today boys tend to be masters at it. As they love a bit of

Why do teens gossip? To feel superior: When teens are feeling bad about themselves, they sometimes think they’ll feel better if there were some-

one worse off than they are. The easiest way for them to make sure someone else is on the bottom is to make up a rumor that puts him or her there.

Out of jealousy or a need for revenge: if you’re jealous of someone’s looks, popularity, or money, you might gossip about that person in order to hurt him or her. If you feel that someone’s done something bad to you, or deserves to be hurt, making up a rumor might satisfy your sense of justice.

For attention: When you know a secret that nobody knows, or are the first person in your group to hear a rumor, it can make you the center of attention. You might even save up a really scandalous rumor, waiting for the right moment to blab so you get the maximum amount of attention for it.

Out of boredom: Sometimes, a period where everyone is happy and getting along just seems kind of-dull. Spreading juicy dish might shake things up a bit, or get two people to start a fight, and that would make life a little more exciting.

For control or power: When people are at the top of the popularity scale, or are determined to climb higher, one way they do this is by reducing the “status” of another person.

Spreading rumors and gossip is one of the main ways people reduce another person’s status, especially among girls.

Puzzle G A B N O I T A T U P E R S

M O D E R O B P R W Y W T N

scandal, sports, gossip about the most beautiful and attractive girls; the ugliest girl in school. They also gossip about their parent’s wealth.

I’m not saying it’s not done among girls too, but the rate at which guys do it nowadays is higher. Research shows that girls and boys engaged in similar amounts of gossip,” although chatter tends to bring guys closer, and tear female friends apart.

Everyone has his /her opinion on how gossips and rumors affect our lives still others would argue that we are all guilty of using gossip as a vital method of communication. Some would even say that we thrive on the juicy news that we eagerly wait to hear and share.

Whatever the reason, we all seem to be doing it, and loving every minute of it.

Quotes W R S W J U O O F S I O E V

S F Y S M E M I P A R G R B

X V H Q I R L O E Y M R L D

E T N A K P W U R Q L O H U

N O I T N E T T A F G U U P

KEYWORDS Reputation, boredom, story, blog, famous, glamour, attention, power, news, gossip, group

D G U Z R U O M A L G P J S

Avoid inquisitive persons, for they are sure to be gossips, their ears are open to hear, but they will not keep what is entrusted to them.

Horace (BC 65-8) Sometimes, people try to expose what’s wrong with you because they can’t handle ehat’s right about you.

Anonymous

Question for next edition Who gossips more? Boys or Girls?

Please send your comments to 08060917396 or 07065080608

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April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Health Nuggets

Vox Populi

By Victoria Sideso

How much sugar is in your food?

M

ost of us know that sweet foods should be eaten in moderation, but some food and drinks contain a surprisingly high amount of sugar, which means you could be consuming far much more than you should. The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume no more than 25 grams of sugar per day but many

people consume around 90 grams of the sweet stuff per day. That’s over 3 times the recommended daily amount.

The thing most people don’t know is that the culprit isn’t always candy or sweets; many kitchen staples hide high levels of sugar behind innocent labels. Sugar might be the current villain of the food world, but even if you’re hyper- aware of how much you

Unhealthy Foods That Seem Healthy ‘Heart healthy’ whole wheat.

Most whole wheat products aren’t really made from whole wheat. The grains have been pulverized into very fine flour, making them raise blood sugar just as fast as their refined counterparts.

Whereas wheat may have been a relatively healthy grain back in the day, the one most people are eating today is best avoided.

Margarine and reduced – fat peanut butter: Eat real butter( preferable grass fed ) instead of processed margarine . Most commercial peanut butters are made with the same type of sugar that cake frosting is made with. Reducing the fat makes it even worse because more sugar is added. Instead, chose almonds or natural organic peanut butter.

Processed “low-fat” and “fatfree” foods. Food doesn’t taste nice when the fat has been removed, that’s why a lot of sugar is added to compensate. The words “lowfat” on a packaging usually means that it is a highly processed product that is loaded with sugar.

Fat-free or Reduced -Fat free salad dressing. When fat comes out, sugar goes in. Either that or artificial flavours and sweeteners. Secondly, since many vegetables are

fat-soluble, taking away the fat from the dressing means fewer of the salad nutrients will be absorbed into your body. Instead, use a salad dressing made with olive oil, or just use vinegar and olive oil as your salad dressing.

Anything made with soy.

Soy is linked to lower testosterone and increased estrogen in males. It is linked to increased breast cancer in women, promotes thyroid cancer and infertility.

Packaged fruit juices. A lot of fruit juices you find in the supermarket isn’t really fruit juice. Sometimes there isn’t even any actual fruit in there, just chemicals that taste like fruit. What you’re drinking is actually fruit flavoured sugar water. Instead choose whole fruit or make your own juice from fruits.

Baked beans in syrup. The sugary syrup, just as much as in a can of soda spike your blood sugar and insulin levels. Instead chose red kidney beans.

Sports drinks . Sports drinks were designed with athletes in mind. These drinks contain electrolytes(salts) and sugar, which can be good for athletes but not good for inactive people. If you don’t exercise real hard, you have no need for these drinks.

are consuming, the thing about those tiny white grains is that they can sneak in just about anywhere. Some of the added sugar we consume is found in the food and drinks we think of as healthy or savoury such as low -fat yoghurt, salad cream, tomato ketchup and sauces. A couple of spoonfuls of barbecue sauce adds the same amount of sugar as eating a

glazed doughnut.

Manufacturers just love sugar. Extra sugar is added to products to make them taste better. For example, when fat is removed from a processed meal, sugar is often added to disguise the blander taste. Because of this ,many foods we think of as wholesome like yogurts, granola bars, low-fat snacks and fruit flavoured water

Scan the image to read on the go

may actually contain much more sugar than we think.

Like salt, these sugars help extend the shelf life of foods like bread, breakfast cereals, canned fruit and vegetables.

This can result in us eating more sugars than our bodies can handle. Our liver then converts the excess into fat some of which is stored in the body. This is why eating too much sugar can lead to

By Eric Uzoma

From the just concluded election, how would you rate our democracy as a nation?

Scan the image to read on the go

My sincere respect goes to GEJ because he has shown love for the country by letting the people know that election is not a do or die affair.

weight gain and even obesity, leading to an increased risk of tooth decay , diabetes , liver disease and heart disease.

In our modern and fast paced lives, it may be difficult to keep a healthy balance of nutrients in our food. To keep control of sugar levels , it helps to know just how much sugar there is in the food we eat.

stay.

VICTOR (20) I can’t really say our democracy is moving forward as doubts still lingers in the minds of people in some parts of the country about the outcome of the election where many have lost their lives CLINTON (19) From the election, I think our democracy is now more than strengthened.

Tips on cutting Sugar content in some down your common sugar intake foods we eat.

• Twix chocolate bar - 2.75 teaspoons of sugar • Sneakers bar (57g) - 7 teaspoons of sugar • M&Ms packet(45g) – 5.75 teaspoons of sugar • Coca cola( 1 can) – 7 teaspoons of sugar • Red bull(1 can) – 7.5 teaspoons of sugar • Fruit smoothie (1glass) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar • Hot chocolate(1mug) - 4.5 teaspoons of sugar • Cornflakes(100g) – 2.4 teaspoons of sugar • Rice krispies(100g) – 2.5 teaspoons of sugar • Mangoes(100g) – 3.2 teaspoons of sugar • Bananas(100g) – 3 teaspoons of sugar • Apples(100g) - 2.6 teaspoons of sugar • Tomatoes(100g) 0.7 teaspoon of sugar • Lemons(100g) – 0.6 teaspoon of sugar • Pineapples(100g) - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar • Grapes( 100g) – 4 teaspoons of sugar • Strawberries(100g) – 1.3 teaspoons of sugar • 1 jam Doughnut – 3.5 teaspoons of sugar • Ice cream( 1 scoop) – 3 teaspoons of sugar • Fruit cake( 1 medium slice) – 5 teaspoons of sugar You can now see that you may not be eating oreos by the roll or guzzling cans of coke, yet sugar is still present in high quantities in your food. Unhealthy foods are the reason why the world is fatter and sicker than ever before. Surprisingly, some of these foods are considered healthy by many people.

There are many terms that are misleading in the food advertising industry. Think of how many times you see the following phrases plastered on food containers: • Fat free • Reduced fat • Low fat • No added sugar

Think Protein And Fat Indulge more in protein, fibre and healthy fats. These slow down the release of blood sugar in your body and keep you feeling full for longer periods. Focus on fats like avocados, nuts, seeds and heart healthy oils like walnut oil, coconut oil and olive oil.

Enjoy Dessert You can indulge in an occasional sweet treat after you resolve to sash sugar. The idea is to avoid wasting your daily sugar quota on non dessert foods like cereals, ketchup and bread. To avoid overdoing it, set specific rules about when you may enjoy dessert.

Read Food Labels You’ll realise just how often sugar is added to foods when you look for it on ingredients list. Even things you don’t think are sweet, like tomato sauce, crackers and condiments can be packed with sugar. Ingredients are listed in order of how much exists in the product, so if sugar is near the top, that’s a red flag.

Buy Unsweetened Once you know where sugar hides, you can start making changes. You’ll find unsweetened versions of common foods in most grocery stores.

Non -dairy milk like al-

17

monds , nut butters, oatmeal and canned fruit.

Learn Sugar’s Aliases.

When you read food labels, you’ll need to look for more than just the word “sugar”.

Sugar hides under several sneaky names, including high fructose corn syrup, invert sugar, molasses, sucrose, brown rice syrup, honey and maple syrup. If several sugars appear on the label, it indicates that the food is less healthy than you may think.

Don’t Drink It Avoiding soda is a good idea but that’s not the only sugarpacked drink out there. Even drinks that are considered healthy can contain more of the sweet stuff than you’re supposed to have in a day.

Eat Healthier Snacks Healthier snack options are those without added sugar such as fruits, unsalted nuts and oatcakes. When shopping, look for lower sugar versions of your favourite snacks . Buy smaller packs and skip the family bags.

These are some of the tips for cutting down on sugar intake. You can start by implementing some of them and see the changes it will bring to your overall health.

For questions or comments , send a mail to Victoria@all-errands.com. You can also reach us on twitter @AllErrandsPHC.

GBENGA (30) I think the elections were not credible because how many of the newly elected candidates were voted for by the people. To me it is more like corruption/ rigging than democracy.

KUNLE (26) From the elections, all I can say is our democracy is moving forward.

MIKE (20) Well for now, I can’t really say if our democracy is moving forward or not until the insurgence issue is taken care of.

MR. BARRY NEEDOM (adult): Our democracy has grown from nascent to adolescent. This is because of the recent development at the federal level where defeats was conceded by the incumbent president.

ISREAL (27) This is the dawn of a new era in Nigeria’s politics because this has gone to show the power in the citizens to decide who leads them over the next four years.

GEORGE (20) Nigeria’s peaceful transition of power is positive, despite persisting economic challenges. With this it will likely put our democracy on a more political and stable trajectory.

GODSON (31) ultimately, there is no doubt that there have been a lot of improvement in our electoral process; and I am optimistic that this improvement will be sustained in every facet of our democracy.

MR. FRED (30) For me, it is better than the previous election, at least the rigging in this election was not as bad as the previous once.

NNAMDI (25) This election wasn’t really fair, there was violence resulting in many deaths especially in Rivers state. So to me, that’s not democracy.

BAYODE (28) The democracy rate for me at the federal level is 75% , while that of the state is 65%. In that of the state election, there were lots of set back; in fact it was more of selection instead of election.

MRS. ESE (33) From the concluded elections, I believe there is great improvement in our democracy even though there were some lapses in the conduct in some states.

MR. TOPE SMITH (35) Yes we improved, Nigeria surprised the world. In fact, I say the only country that is better than us now is America.

VICTOR SUNDAY (30) Am happy for our democracy because the elections was an eye opener to other African countries and the world at large.

HUSSEIN DIRISU(30) Well, with the past elections we are almost there and I hope the new government will further strengthen INEC for much more better elections in the coming years and also that INEC should be given independence. The power of appointing INEC chairman shouldn’t be the president duty.

ENGR. JOHN OKPARA (43) Our democracy is still in an elementary stage. Let’s analyze this; ballot boxes were snatched, under aged voter, electoral irregularities and so much more. With these points you can agree with me that our democracy needs to take a turn to a positive direction. God bless Nigeria CYNTHIA (23) Democratic governance is based on the will of the people and from my point of view; many people came out to vote for their choice candidate. So I think our democracy is moving forward.

EKU (24) I was overwhelmed by the outcome of the just concluded election because it was peaceful, credible and acceptable. So big up’s for our democracy.

ing defeat. With this I think our democracy is flying to greater heights.

MADAM REGINA (45) I have witnessed elections come and gone, but I haven’t seen the so called democracy we preach. Looking at this last election, I personally believe that we are headed to great things as a nation. I must thank GEJ for taking the first step.

DANJUMA GAMBO (29) I think our democracy is on a pathway to righteousness because people came out in numbers to vote. I also congratulate GEJ for his bold step in accepting defeat. That was history in the making. I urge all politicians to emulate the steps taken by GEJ. MARK (30) We thank the INEC chairman so far, he has done so well. As for our democracy, we are still in the process.

RONKE (28) The election has revealed that Nigerians are becoming more aware of the true meaning of democracy and it is their duty to ensure that the right people are voted in and the perceived bad ones voted out, that of course is very good and healthy for the country.

SANDRA (22) I think our democracy is moving forward. My special encomium goes to President Jonathan for leading by example.

The famous phone call to congratulate the president elect was a monumental feat which only president Jonathan has attempted in the history of this nation. Without the phone call to calm the minds of people, I believe there would have been post election violence.

Dr. GODWIN OGOABIA (46) Democracy is taking a new shape. We have tried so much and I congratulate Nigerians. Democracy is having a meaning in our country.

LAWRENCE (28) our democracy is growing but I will rate it at 70%.

LETE (35) From the just concluded elections, our democracy is still growing because there are still ballot box snatching and rigging.

ADA (24) To me, our democracy was murdered.

ESOGBAN (27) People are just making sure they make the right choice, as for our democracy in Nigeria; it hardly exists it only pretends to.

MRS. GRACE (40) Our democracy added a step further when the incumbent president made that phone call. It really shows that for a country’s democracy to survive, we need to remove greed and the urge to acquire political offices from ourselves. We need to love and not kill each other because without us there will be no one to practice democracy.

KAREEM (31) I would say that this election will go down in our history as one of the most unprecedented in term of its peaceful outcome. I think Nigeria is growing

DANIEL (34) I’m so happy for my country because I am alive to witness what is called democracy.

AYO (29)This year’s election have not only proved wrong the people that doubted our electoral process but has shown that our democracy has come of age, and it is here to

MUTIU ADEBOYE (29) My sincere respect goes to GEJ because he has shown love for the country by letting the people know that election is not a do or die affair. He also defined what democracy is all about by accept-

MOHAMMAD (50) From the just concluded elections, our democracy is just starting because the new government will change a lot of things.

KINGSLEY - For me I’ll rather say we are not yet there but we will get there someday.

In this recent election there has been so many new development and so many turn around in our democracy compare to the past elections in Nigeria (especially since 1999). I chose to believe and agree that the people’s choice and opinion also counted more even though there were some itches and electoral violence. By the time we will do the election in 2019 I believe it will be more better. And the social media also contributed to the election success positively in my own opinion. I will rate this election 65 percent.

EVANS – judging from my experience in own area. The election was full of violence and so many things are still wrong, especially the politician mindset and their followers.

They it see as a do or die affair. Whereas its suppose to be seen as just a race being determined by the people. Though in other areas the election was ok and adding the two together I will rate it like 50/50.

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

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April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Teenagers and Youths

My Business

8 Secrets to get the best effect when you paint your building using DUNN-EDWARDS Paint Scan the image to read on the go

H

ave you ever wondered what makes a building stand out, picturesque, like it was brought out of a brochure? After spending the millions on a building, people often undermine the beauty of the homes and office buildings by the choice of paints they make. The cost of paint is less than 5% of the cost of the entire investment in the building, but a bad choice of paint or even the colours selected can reduce the aesthetic value of your house by 50%. You can show your style and personality by the paints on your house.

topcoat used to enhance the durability and protection of the surface. Priming before painting ensures superior adhesion of the paint onto the surface and helps cover darker colored paints and stains. This helps to create a smoother and more even finish. There are many different primers, each suited for a particular surface,

5. PREPARING TO PAINT - this begins by identifying and addressing the source of any problems before painting and using a primer if surfaces are unpainted or original paint is in poor condition. Here are guidelines to be noted before painting:

7. CLEANING UP AND PROPERLY DISPOSING OF YOUR PAINT: water-based paints make cleaning up fast and easy. Clean any spill with a damp cloth before they dry.

Clean brushes, rollers and other tools with soap and water. Never pour leftover paints down a drain or into a storm sewer.

DUNN-EDWARD Paints are made for those who have a sense of worth, style and personality; those who will go the extra mile at achieving perfection. At DUNN-EDWARDS we give you value for your money, unique quality and a true sense of beauty.

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FLAT AND VELVET PAINT are best for concealing surface imperfections and are ideal for large areas, such as exterior wood, masonry or metal wall surfaces.

Eggshell and low sheen paints can be used in larger areas or on window frames and doors where a slightly sheen is desired.

Semi-gloss and gloss paints are best for highlighting details, such as window frames and doors and are easy to clean.

2. CHOOSING THE RIGHT PRIMER: A primer is a layer of paint designed to underlay a

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By Olufemi and Christy Olawole

Developing Teenagers for leadership and eternity Psalm 78: 70 – 72, 1kings 12:6 – 7

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eenagers are good investment for leadership and eternity. We have to be intentional about it to get the required result. We need to be motivated to begin early to raise teenagers as leaders and for eternity. According to our text, leadership has two sides to it which are integrity of heart (humility) and skillful hands (service). Leadership is the discipline of deliberately influencing a group to achieve benevolent goals that will meet the group’s real need. The greatest tool a leader has for influencing others is his character, not his title, position, power or possession. Leadership development is basically character and skills development. To raise teenagers for leadership and eternity is to raise them to be leaders like Jesus Christ. If they are leaders like Christ, we would have raised them for eternity. Hence the topic will be looked at from the perspective of developing teenagers as leaders like Jesus.

8. CARING FOR YOUR NEWLY PAINTED EXTERIOR: Periodically check the condition of exterior paints to resolve any paint problem early. Cracking, peeling or blistering should be repaired quickly to reduce future repainting cost. Dirt accumulation can often be removed by rinsing with a garden hose.

Steps to consider when painting a Building Exterior: 1. CHOOSING THE RIGHT PAINT: To truly transform a home or building, and make a good impression last, select an ultra-premium paint. It provides a smoother, more uniform appearance as well as better durability than economy paint. While choosing the right paint you have to put into consideration selecting the right gloss. To determine the right gloss for your exterior project, consider these factors:

6. PAINTING: When painting a house, its best to follow a time-tested plan. Mix your paint to avoid slight color difference. Start on the shaded side and never work in direct sunlight. If you are using oil based products, check that all dew has evaporated. Fill the brush by dipping it one third of the bristles at each stage of painting start at the top and work your way down. Rollers can be used after you have painted edges with a brush.

such as drywall, metal or concrete, or to address a particular problem, such as to cover stains or to prevent tannin bleeding.

3.

ESTIMATING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF PAINT: Before embarking on a painting project you have to know the accurate measurement of the building to determine the quantity of paints you need.

4. BUYING THE RIGHT TOOLS - From experience, we ,know that every painting project will required the following tools; Dust mask, googles, sandpaper and sanding block, wire brush or paint scraper, flexible patching and putty, caulk and caulking gun, stucco patch and rubber float, masking tape and paper, drop cloths, wall brush, sash brush, roller cover and frame, bucket, extension pole and wiping cloth.

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Wear goggles and protective clothing.

Rinse area thoroughly with clean water.

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Remove surface dust and dirt using a cloth or soft brush and soapy water. Remove all stains such as ‘chalking’ and mildew.

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Repair all voids, cracks and holes.

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Sand all surfaces to smooth them out and use a wire brush or paint scraper to remove loose paints.

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Fill any cracks or large holes with a flexible patching material. Allow the patching material to dry completely before applying primer.

DUNN-EDWARDS paints has no chocking odor that can be harmful to us that’s why we are proud to say that it is safe for toddlers, children, adults and aged persons around. DUNNEDWARDS paints is the only LEED GOLD certified paint, it is the first paint company to label it’s product with RAVOC rating and also it is EG (Ethylene Glycol) free.

We invite to visit our showroom to see the range of products that we have. We can manufacture any quantity or color specifically for your project, and we are happy to provide you with free estimate for your building.

Call us now on: 08136476498.

E-mail: josie.obiazi@yahoo.com Address: 44 Aba road, beside Samsung showroom by 2nd Artillery bus-stop Port Harcourt.

What is leadership?

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1. It is the discipline of deliberately influencing a group to achieve benevolent goals that will meet the group’s real need.

2. It is influencing a group with integrity of heart and skillful hands to achieve God’s purpose and plan for that group and the individuals in the group.

9 Simple steps to use the QR Code Technology to read articles online!

1. Install any QR Code Scanner on your phone or tablet from either your Windows Store, Apple Store or Android Store or BB store (assuming you don’t already have it) 2. Grab a copy of the PH Microscope 3. Find articles or information you want to read later 4. Open your QR Code Scanner app 5. Find Scan image (or whatever it is that is the command on your phone). This starts the camera action.

What motivates a leader?

6. Position the camera such that you have all the egdes of the QR Code in your focus 7. Select Scan now (Some applications will automatically scan once they see the image) 8. There you are, you can click that link in your phone or tablet and read the article…

9. You can even save it to read later.

There you go!

This is primarily the goals, God’s agenda, vision and purpose for the group. A leader must be able to identify the vision/purpose/ goals of the group from the onset to be able to lead the group successfully.

Why leadership development for teenagers?

1. We need to catch them young. There is need for them to be quickly discovered and train them with leadership positions and responsibilities.

There are some leadership skills like decision making skills which they need to know early and start using to make better decisions. The earlier they know these skills the better they will be as

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they grow with them into adulthood.

2. We need to prepare them to take over from us in life and in ministry.

3. We need to prepare them for winning their age group for Christ.

4. We need to prepare them as co-labourers in the vineyard, as peer-educators and counselors.

5. To take away distractions from them and occupy them with the formation of Christ character in them.

6. We need to prepare them for eternity.

7. It guarantees true success and the continuity of our work for God. John Maxwell goes on to say that ‘True success comes only when every generation continues to develop the next generation.’ It is very easy to become so involved in getting the job done that we forget to develop the people around us. If we take Jesus as our role model we see that he got the job done and developed people on the way. Leaders will not just pop up when we need them; we have to be intentional about their development.

8. To quickly dispel some wrong teachings and beliefs about leadership and to nip in the bud quickly the fear teenagers have about leadership. Christ-like leadership is not lording it over others but it is about developing a servant heart.

9. To encourage and embolden most of our teenagers to take up the challenge of leadership early in life.

10. To have the privilege of seeing them lead while we are still around so as to give our necessary correction and counsel.

Intentional leadership development for teenagers: How to go about it.

Unless we put some things in place and see it as a burden or vision to be fulfilled, nothing will be done about developing teenagers as leaders like Christ. Here are few suggestions on how to go about this.

1. Regularly organize camps and seminars/ workshops for teenagers on leadership. The camp could be termed leadership camp where key issues on leadership will be discussed and made known to the teenagers with some leadership responsibilities on camp.

2. Develop eyes to identify teenagers that have obvious leadership potentials/ skills.

Sometimes they might be leading in a negative way, but this can be turned around and

they can be shown how to use these skills positively. Ask God to show you who he would have you work with to develop their leadership. Jesus worked with the few to benefit and influence the many. We need to pray that God will open our eyes to teens that have obvious and latent or hidden leadership skills.

3. Get commitment from those teenagers you have identified and discuss with them on the need to be trained specially as leaders and what it will cost them. It is our responsibility to let them know what is expected of them in the training.

4. Train them: expose them to good leaders in the Bible and contemporary time. They should read leadership books and do review on them with you. This can be done individually or as a small group. They need to know what is leadership, the character and skills of an effective leader, what makes leaders fail and fall, and how to develop their leadership skills on a daily basis.They need to know what the Bible says about good leadership and how they can apply the Bible in their situation.

5. Mentor them: Mentoring is transferring of leadership wisdom and character to somebody younger or less experienced through your relationship with the person. This may involve some intensive work on a one-on-one basis.

They need to be helped to develop their character as a leader as well as their skills. Using the acronym, LEADERSHIP, mention some qualities of a good leader which we need to inculcate in teenagers.

6. Give leadership experiences by creating responsibilities that will engage them and task their leadership skills - It can’t be all theory; the teenagers will need to actually get out there and lead something. It is essential that we give them opportunities to work out their leadership theory in real life situations. What can you give them to do within the church, school, ministry or small group that will help take them onto the next step in their leadership experience? We must not try and push them too hard and too quickly. They need to know that they can make mistakes and that this is not a problem. If they are afraid to make mistakes they will not develop so quickly as they will be fearful to try new things.

7. Give constructive feedback - After each experience they have, give feedback and ask how they feel it went. The two questions that are important for them to be asked are ‘How do you feel it went?’ ‘What would you do differently next time?’

8. Encourage them to mentor - Right from the start we should be encouraging them to mentor teenagers younger than they, so that it becomes a lifestyle for them in their leadership.

What they learn in their teens will be with them throughout their lives as a leader.

9.

Get the teenagers to help develop future programmes - Once the teenagers have experienced the training and mentoring ask them for ideas of what they think would be helpful to them in their development. Try and get them involved in decision-making as soon as possible, so that they come to understand how to make wise decisions and discern ways forward in difficult situations. Teach them how they can make good decisions through prayer, the study of God’s word and asking for godly counsels from more experienced Christians.

10.

Always set Jesus Christ before them as an example of the best leader and do Bible studies on Him and other Bible characters that were leaders and exhibited great leadership skills.

Conclusion: How and when will you start developing teenagers for leadership and eternity?

Can you identify 5 teenagers around you that have leadership skills that you can set aside and train for leadership in a small group? Do you have what it takes to organize a camp or a workshop/ seminar on leadership? What help or support will you need to see that teenagers around you will be developed for leadership and eternity?

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April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Relationship

Property Classified

Please Help!

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AM I BEING BLINDED BY LOVE? Heart2Heart

By Ayodeji Faleye

ayductdejiro@gmail.com 07034636125, 08079694583

This is a woman of my dream, I love her so much, I met her in 2011, we are in a distance relationship, on our first year of dating, unfortunately she was raped, though we had to deal with that but we were able to pull through.

Last year, again she was raped, this time by her brother’s friend, it was so hard, we stuck together, I stayed faithful to her, though it was very hard, I called POWA and they helped us with free counseling.

Now she has been pushing me away, saying “I deserve better”, but the truth is that I don’t want to leave her, we want to get married. Last week, she sat me down, crying, saying she has just discovered she is HIV positive.

I asked how, she said she doesn’t know and want me to move on because she won’t be able to start a family with me, but I told her this too shall pass. I want to be with her, the truth is I don’t know if it is the best idea, am I being blinded by love?

EXPERT ADVICE

R E S P O N S E S Loveth - That is true love, she needs you more than ever, keep it up, men like you are very rare to find.

Judith - God will never put you in a situation that is bigger than your strength, like you said this too shall pass, may God bless you and give you strength for whatever you will decide. Good luck.

Rita - This is what I call true love. The fact that she’s being honest with you about rape and her HIV status says a lot, just stay with her. Cos you can even move on and find yourself someone that is already HIV positive but using treatment who won’t even bother to tell you.

Nneka - You said she’s pushing you away by saying you deserve someone better? My dear maybe she invented this HIV stuff as a means of pushing you away, just stay with her no matter what.

Alexander – No! This lady has got someone else, open your eyes. She is not in any way HIV positive.

Johnson – People like you are hard to find, keep loving her that’s what she needs.

Ikenna - Follow your heart, but be ready for other huge challenges.

Okocha – Don’t be with her because of pity or maybe you don’t have guts to leave

NEW!!!

MATCH MAKING CORNER!!!

Name: Livinus Age: 30yrs Origin: Akwa Ibom Location: PH I need a serious lady from the age of 20 to 30yrs, working class.

Name: ThankGod Nneji Age: 23yrs Origin: Imo State Location: PH I am looking for a lady of the age 0f 18yrs and above for a serious relationship.

Name:

her. If you truly love her, why not be with her and predict staying with her for at least 5 years.

Christiana - She has been testing you, this is the final test please don’t fail. Good luck.

Hannah - That lady must be grateful to have you in her life, men like you are hard to find, may the good Lord guide you through your situation. Good luck.

Enock - You have been through a lot already, Don’t give up now, I’m telling you the truth she really love you, you may never find a girl like her, be with her, support her like you have been doing and make her your wife. God will bless and protect the both of you.

Agnes - The lady should appreciate being loved unconditionally so much. I mean she should stop acting weird even if you’re trying so hard to tolerate all that has happened to her she still throw some tantrums, tell her she should thank God for giving her someone like you and start appreciating. Keep on loving good man of God; I really feel your beauty inside out....#Godblessyou Ndemera - Leave her and move on. You are playing with fire...AIDS! Come on.

Age: 26yrs Origin: Delta Igbo Location: PH I am a working class lady, dark and tall, looking for a working class guy who is from Anambra/ Imo/Abia/Enugu/Delta Igbo between the age of 32yrs and 34yrs, resides in PH, tall, dark and attends Catholic.

Name: Don Felix Age: 34yrs Origin: Edo State Location: PH I am dark in complexion, looking for a lady from the age 0f 30 to 40yrs, jovial, smart and resides in PH. Name: Michael Udoka Age: 34yrs Origin: AkwaIbom State Location: I am looking for a lady of 24/28yrs from the same

Sofia - Stick with her my brother.

Oyenya - How sure are you that she’s telling the truth coz you’ve not tested for HIV together? It might be a way of escaping from you when she’s even negative.

James - God Bless you for being there and never loving her any less through all these difficult times. If you want to be there for her and stay in her life, do that because you love her and just keep praying for strength.

Vanessa – Don’t let go of her she might be testing your love for her who knows. Go with her to a different clinic for another test and make sure you both collect the result together.

George - For her to be raped twice means she might also be at fault, either her dressing, going to their rooms or something even worse. As for you, she needs you now but also make enquiries coz this is your life and don’t be naive.

Denis - Go ahead and marry her.

Nzuza - Is there still man like you but Broz just follow your heart.

Modise - Run for your life and don’t look back. Don’t commit suicide and say it is because of love, that’s being an idiot 100%.

origin,working class, for rela- I am young, chocolate in comtionship that will lead to mar- plexion, I need a single, tall, riage. slim and sweet beautiful lady between the age of 20 & 26.

Well behaved, jovial and smart for a friendship that will lead Name: Victor to marriage.

Age: 22yrs Origin: South Name: Location: Age: 21yrs I am cute, loving and fun to be with. I need a loving, caring and Origin: Abia State beautiful lady between the age Location: PH of 18 & 30.

I am dark in complexion, looking for a Rivers guy of 26 yrs, chocolate in complexion, Name: Raymond Cyril worker and resides in PH. Age: 33yrs Origin: Bayelsa State Name: Prince Emmanuel Location: Aba Age: 29yrs I need a lady of 23 yrs old, 5ft Origin: Abia tall and fair in complexion.

Location: PH I need a lady that have the fear Name: Chuks of God, not too fat or short, Age: 33yrs working class or graduate Origin: Imo Location: PH

Do you want to go into a serious relationship and you’ve got nobody around you? Send the information below and other things you are looking out for to the email or phone numbers above. We will publish it and you perhaps will find your match here!

You: Age, Origin, Occupation, Location, Complexion Match: Age, Origin, Occupation, Location, Complexion

Note: It’s strictly for serious minded people.

I applaud you for your kindness and understanding; you really are one in a million. Are you for real? If this is real I so wish many people would follow in your footsteps. Your kind are very scarce my brother but play your cards right, I suggest that both of you get tested at the same time by the same person and have your results revealed to both of you at the same time, I say this so you can find out if she’s fooling or not and so that you may know your status too. If she refuses then ask to present the results to you on black and white.

Now if your lady is fooling, you will see the loopholes in her responses to these suggestions, if she isn’t, then you have to think deep within you and ask yourself questions before taking any decision. Questions

like; can I cope with it? Am I ready to face opposition from my family? And some other questions, knowing fully that it’s a long live journey.

Also, have you ever imagined she could be looking for means of breaking up with you? She said she was raped twice, could that be true? Could it be that she had long ago been looking for means to leave you?

Any way we can’t jump into conclusion just like that. I will only implore you to think over it very well, be convinced and carry out some investigations before taking any decision.

Don’t allow your feelings and emotions to influence your decision. I wish you all the best of luck.

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Price: N95,000,000 4 Bedroom Detached House in Cocaine Estate PH Price: N70,000,000 6 Bedroom Detached House off Adeniyi Jones Street Ikeja, Lagos Price: N240,000,000 3 No Detached and Semi Detached Houses at Nworgu street, Rumuomasi, Porthar-

2 Units of 3 Bedroom Bungalows off Trans Amadi Road Off Trans Amadi road,near The Promise fast food, PH. Price: N100,000,000 22 Room Hostel at University of Port Harcourt Area Choba, PH Price: N35,000,000

4 Units of 1-Bedroom Flat off Pipeline Road, Rumukrushi, Portharcourt, Rivers State. Price: N12,000,000 7 Bedroom Detached House off Ibrahim Babangida Boulevard, Maitama, Abuja Nicon Junction, Maitama, Abuja Price: N1,300,000,000

800sqm of Land on CIPM Road Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos State Price: N170,000,000

Land Measuring Approximately 1100 Sqm, Behind Shell Residential Area, Port Harcourt Behind Shell R.A, PH Price: N19,000,000 6 Bedroom Detached House off Rumuola Road, PH Price: N165,000,000

3.5 Plots of Land on Ordinance Road Along Ordinance road, Trans Amadi Area, PortHarcourt. Price: N240,000,000

Fully Furnished 5 Bedroom Detached House off LNG Road, PortHarcourt.

Price: N260,000,000

3,4 Units Of Flats, Mansion In Lekki Phase 1, Lagos State.

Price: N650,000,000

Well finished 4 Bedroom Bungalow in DDPA Estate, Asaba, Delta State. Price: N15,000,000

About 2 Plots Of Land Along Elitor street, Woji, Portharcourt, Rivers State. Price: N24,000,000

PROPERTIES FOR RENT IN PORT HARCOURT

Road Port Harcourt. Price: N1,800,000 yearly rent 3 Bedroom Flat on Elitor Road Woji, Price: N500,000 yearly rent Office complex with spaces measuring 40sqm and 100sqm along Airport Road, Rumuodomaya, Portharcourt Price: N800,000 yearly rent Office complex with spaces measuring 210sqm and 265sqm along Peter Odili Road, Portharcourt, Rivers State Price: N3,200,000 yearly rent 4 Bedroom Detached House Off Doxa Road,Peter Odili Area, PortHarcourt, Rivers State. Price: N2,500,000 yearly rent 6 Units Of 3 Bedroom Flats In Victory Estate, Off Elelenwo Road, PortHarcourt, Rivers State (Individual tenants now acceptable) Port Harcourt, Price: N650,000 yearly rent.

4 Bedroom Terrace House off Stadium

CONTACT: AKWAEKE & ASSOCIATES

UAC Building, 26 Aba Road, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Tel: 084-301022, 07069708126, 08170297917. E-mail: akwaekeassociates@gmail.com Website: akwaekeng.com

PROPERTIES FOR SALE Description: Plots of land in a new layout Location: ROYAL PROMENADE ESTATE, after Elimgbu, Port Harcourt Title: Deed Price: N3 Million Description: Plots of land in a new layout Location: PLATINUM ESTATE Phase 1, off Igbo Etche Road, Port Harcourt Title: Deed Price: N1.5 Million Description: 2 Plots Of Land Location: Creek View Estate, Before Ykc Bus-Stop, Woji Port Harcourt Title: C of O Price: N40 Million Description: 2 Plots Of Land Location: Behind Omega House, East/ West Road Rumuodara Title: Deed Price: N20 Million Description: 200 Plots Of Land Location: Rukpokwu Title: Virgin Price: N1.5 Million Each Description: 30 Plots Of Land Location: By First Market Eneka/Igbo Etche Road Title: Virgin Price: N3.5 Million Each Description: 1&1/2 Plots Location: Eliozu Village, After ABC Trans-

PH MICROSCOPE ADVERT HOTLINE 08077788772, 08060917396

court, Rivers State Price: N220,000,000

port Title: Deed Price: N8 Million Description: 4000 Plots Of Land Suitable For Factory, University, Schools Or Private Residence Location: Bori Town Title: Deed Price: Call For Price Description: 1,2,5,10 And 50 Plots Of Land Location: Off Eneka/Igwuruta Road Title: Deed Price: N 1.4 Million Each Description: 2 Plots Of Land Location: Doxa Road, Off Peter Odili Road Title: Deed Price: N45 Million Description: 3plots Of Land Location: Off Abacha Road, GRA Phase 3 Title: Deed Price: N90 Million Description: 5 Plots Of Land For Sale Location: Rukpakulushi, Rumuokoro Port Harcourt Title: Deeds Price: N10 Million Each Description: 3 Plots, Fenced And Gate With Security House Location: Through Eliozu By Power Encounter Road Through East West Road P.H

Title: Deeds Price: N24 Million Description: Several Plots Of Land Location: Rumuewhara/Oroigwe, Through Elimgbu/Atali Road Title: Virgin Price: N4 Million Per Plot Description: Several Plots Of Land Location: Igbo Etche Title: Virgin Price: N1.5 & 2.5 Million Each Description: 8 Pump Filling Station On 3plots Of Land Location: Near Former Toll Gate, Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway Title: Deed Price: N150 Million Description: 2 Plots Of Land For Sale Location: Rumuosi Title: Native Price: N3 Million Description: 2 Plots Of Land Location: Woji, Close To Delta Bakery Title: Deed Price: N30 Million Description: 4 Plots Of Land Location: Eliowhani Road Title: C of O Price: N20 Million Description: Hostel of 64 Nos. Self-Contain Rooms Location: University Of Port Harcourt,

Choba Title: C of O Price: N200 Million Description: 10 Plots Of Land Location: Obigbo, Off The Expressway Title: Deed Price: N35 Million Description:4 Plots Of Land Location: Rukpokwu, Directly On The Road, Just After The Police Checkpoint Title: Deed Price: N40 Million Description: 1 And Half Plots Of Land For Sale Location: Farm Road, AlodeInEleme Title: Native Price: N2.5 Million Description: 1 And Half Plots Of Land For Sale Location: Along Eleme/Onne Expressway, Behind Mimi Filling Station Title: Deed Price: N5 Million Description: 2 Nos 3bedroom Flats On 2plots Of Land Location: Shell Location Road, Close To Fairheaven Hotels, Ada George Title: C of O Price: N55million

CONTACT: Numero Uno Properties Suite 9 Victoria Plaza, Beside Skye Bank Plc, Rumuodara Junction, Port Harcourt. Rivers State Tel: 08050931707, 08094865759

E-mail: info@numerounoproperties.com

Website: www.numerounoproperties.com

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April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

April 23 - May 7 Vol. 2 No. 33

Metro

Diary of a screen writer

By Jessy Nwachukwu Previously

A

fter all the errands we finally sat down to watch the movie. Some moments later, we heard a sound of a car drive in, it was dad. I ran to peep through the window, I noticed he was alone. “Where is mum” I wondered to myself. Somehow I had hope that things will go well for mum. As he came in he had this sad look, somehow i understood that something had gone wrong at the trial. As he entered we all welcomed him. He sank into the chair tiredly and then began…..

“

Kids I’m sorry I didn’t call more often and I didn’t warn you”, he hesitated. “I was just so upset I felt I had to get home. It was just too depressing to talk about”. He didn’t register the chaos in the living room.

“The truth is that your mother and the other defendant were too bizarre not to be convicted. They chose this guy ‘Amadi’ as their spokesperson.

Maybe they thought his completely odd dressing would be distracting; a big coffee shirt tucked into big jumpup black trousers with a red sneakers.

Well I’ll tell you what is distracting, his long thick nose hairs. It was so long that you could a braid out it.

Almost everyone in the court room

noticed it. Your mother would have been home with me now if he had cut some of those nose hairs and dressed properly”. We all nodded and shot each other nervous glances. Dad continued, unaware of the growing disbelief in his audience.

“This Amadi person would stand out in front of the court to speak but all eyes ended up in his nose. I can’t even begin to guess how much those thing must have undermined the message”.

My dad reported in a flat voice that our mother has been sentenced to five months in prison. I guess the project still continues. My mum was

chasing a lost course, and at the end it was her who ended up in jail. My mum and her fashion-challenged but well- intentioned friends received the stiffest penalties ever handed out for their crime. We knew jail was an option but we were still shocked at the length of the sentence. Uncle Fred exclaimed, “This is injustice”. “That is what happens when you mess with people of this town”. Dad said, obviously reeling at the thought that he was going to be in charge of everything for five months.

Dad said finally noticing the movies and the snacks, “So you guys are watching movies”. We nodded.

“Don’t let me stop you”, he said. But the movie spirit was already gone. As I listened to dad trying to convince Uncle Fred and Wendy to stay on with us, I realized it’s a good thing I’m a screenwriter now. Other people might decide to waste their time on other write- ups. But when you are at disadvantage and have a parent in jail, it’s important to be practical.

Screenwriting is where the money and prestige are. Our family’s survival may depend on me selling one of my screenplays for a lot of money. I figure, between my mother’s incarceration and my boyfriend’s abandonment, I have enough materials for multiple heart breaking screenplays.

Immediately an idea popped into my head for another episode of my screenplay, as usual the event that take place in my life always seems to be like a Nollywood movie. Before I go to write my screenplay, I figured I should clear out the sitting room first as everyone one had lost interest in the movie because of the news. Afterwards I went into my room, dived

in to my very hard bed. I picked up my diary where it was lying under the pillow, opened it and began to write.

The Realist

A screenplay by Adaobi Act 1, Scene2 (FADE IN) Courtroom –Day A very attractive girl sits holding the hand of a smart young Boy. You can tell from the looks on her face that she’s had some hardships in her life, such as her boyfriend moving away.

This challenge however hasn’t hardened her or made her less attractive.

If anything, it’s made her face more interesting and thoughtful. An older woman stands in front of the judge.

She looks a bit irresponsible and is wearing too much make-up on.

Judge (Sternly): For your crimes and overall irresponsibility, I sentence you to ten years in the Federal prison.

Woman: (Her knees trembling): Noooo! (Prison Guards begins to lead her out) Woman: (Looks with anguish at her pretty daughter and smart son) I’m sorry my children. Please Ada! Take care of your brother, Kelechi. I’m sorry I put my own ideals before the well-being of my family. Why didn’t I listen to you? Why? Girl : (With a tremendous amount of quiet strength, similar to what she showed when she said goodbye to her

boyfriend in the car) It’s okay, mom.

We will look after things for you.

Woman: Your dad! He will need care too. He is not strong.

Girl: (With a strength and courage that is wonderful to behold) I know mum. Everyone needs me and I won’t let them down.

Sports

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By Chuma Nnoli

Nigerian Women’s league champions Rivers Angels owed 7 months salary

(Woman is led out of the courtroom)

Poor quality of Nigerian league responsible for bad performances on the continent: Jonathan Akpoborie

Boy: (Looking up at the girl) Is it true, sister Adaobi? Will we be alright?

Girl: (Kneeling to bring her face level with his) don’t worry, Kele. We will be fine. We are strong.

Boy: (Trust in his eyes) I know you’ll help us survive sis.

(Together they walked out of the courtroom) Prison Guard (Watching them go) That is one amazing young lady. So much responsibilities resting on her shoulders. I don’t know when I’ve seen such strength.

(FADE OUT.) ...

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PH Microscope has learnt that Players and officials of Rivers Angels football club of Port Harcourt are yet to be paid for the last 7 months. The team which emerged as Nigerian Women’s league and Federation Cup Champions last season are getting ready to start the defense of their titles as the new campaign commences soon. In an exclusive interview with us Assistant coach of the side Whyte Ogunda revealed that the team last got any form of wage payment last October.

“We’ve been owed for the past 8 months, we received salaries last in October, we are yet

to be paid about 15 to 20 match bonuses.”

He said, appealing to the government to look into their plight.

“We are urging the state government to please do something about our motivation and pay us because the league is going to kick off soon and we don’t know where we are heading to and baring in mind that we all have families, we need to pay school fees and we need to feed.”

Speaking on preparations for the coming season coach Ogunda disclosed that losing two key players during the off season will not af-

fect them too much as able replacements have been signed. Super Falcons Captain Evelyn Nwabuoku and African Footballer of the year Asisat Oshoala both left the club for greener pastures joining Kazakhstan League champions Biik Kazygurt and Liverpool respectively. “”Definitely we’ll feel the absence of the players but in terms of retaining our cups this season, we were quiet aware that some players would be leaving the team so we’ve made good recruitments to replace those players.”

The Nigerian Women’s league is expected to kick off on the 2nd of May.

Okpekpe Race price money increase to inspire more competition: Yusuf Ali Change of Name I, formerly known as Miss Okafor Maria Nkechinyere, is now to be known and addressed as Mrs Maria David Nkechinyere. All former documents remain valid.

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Assistant technical director of the Athletics Federation of Nigeria, Yusuf Ali has disclosed that the quantum increase in prize money for the first nine Edo-state born finishers in the men and women events of the Okpekpe 10km road race will help to galvanise the competitive nature of the athletes even fur-

ther.

Organisers of the event billed for next month have announced that the respective male and female winners will go home with N500,000 each, an increase of N400,000, while the first and second runners-up will

get N300,000 and N250,000 respectively.

The ninth-placed runner will get N50,000 while the eighth, seventh, sixth, fifth and fourthplaced finishers will go home with N75,000, N100,000, N150,000 and N200,000 respectively.

Yusuf Ali, a member of the organising committee and former Africa,Commonwealth and World Universities Games long jump champion explained that the committee arrived at the decision to increase the prize money for the locals because of the need to encourage them and make them more competitive.

‘The committee feels there is the need to make Edo-state indigenes up their game and make them more competitive. The new prize money structure will make them train more and, hopefully, we will get them to compete for the main prize of $25,000,’ he said and expressed happiness that the male winner in that category in the past two editions, Lawrence Osheku has promised to improve on his performance. The race is run over hills and sandy path and it starts in Apama road and ends in Okpekpe, a town in Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State. It is located about 25 km North East of Auchi.

Former Nigerian International Jonathan Akpoborie has fingered the poor quality of the Nigeria Professional Football league competition as the reason why the country’s clubs have been underperforming on the continent in the CAF Champions League and Confederations Cup. 3 of the 4 clubs representing Nigeria in continental action have been knocked out of the competitions before the prestigious group stages as Kano Pillars and Enyimba were booted out of the Champions league losing 5-2 on aggregate against Moghreb Tetouan and 2-1 to Egyptian side Smouha respectively. In the Confederations Cup Dolphins of Port Harcourt were shown the exit door without kicking a ball against Club Africain of Tunisia as they were walked over for arriving late. Warri Wolves are now the only Nigerian side left in continental action and only hold a narrow 2-1 1st leg lead over Congolese side MK Etancheite.

Speaking to PH Microscope, Akpoborie, who played most of his club football in the German Bundesliga insists that for the Country’s clubs to move from being local champions to becoming continental heavy weights the competitive standard of the league will have to be improved upon.

“If the competition in your league is not so high you’ll think you are champions, meanwhile you are local champions. So when you meet people who are really good they’ll kick you out. That’s exactly what’s happening to our teams in continental football.”

“We have to address issues, we have to rearrange our football bit by bit, we have to grab the bull by the horn, we have to be able to first of all identify and acknowledge that our league quality is bad. Once we acknowledge that, then that’s beginning to heal the league and I hope they are going to start doing it from now.”

Lelisa Desisa, Caroline Rotich win titles at 119th Boston Marathon Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia won his second Boston Marathon on Monday, two years after he donated the medal from his first title to the city in the memory of bombing victims.

Kenya’s Caroline Rotich won the women’s race in 2 hours, 24 minutes, 55 seconds, outsprinting Mare Dibaba down Boylston Street to win by 4 seconds.

Sports

By Chuma Nnoli

Know?

Did you

There is only one university in Gambia?

Nigeria Cricket Federation erecting world class structure in National Stadium N

igeria Cricket Federation at the weekend made a land mark achievement as it began works on its International Cricket Council standard oval at the Abuja National stadium.

The oval which would be located behind the FIFA goal project at the package B of the Abuja National stadium is expected to be ready in another three months.

NCF President, Emeka Onyeama speaking to Nigeria Info FM Sports after the ground breaking event, highlighted the features that would be on the oval.

“We are building an international pitch for the development and propergation of cricket in Nigeria.”

“This ground is going to be ready in 3 months, you are going to see 2 pitches, a 1800 to 2000 seating Pavilion with offices, restaurant, dressing room, press room and medical room” The oval which is being financed through the public private partnership would cost over one hundred and eighty million naira.

1325-1116-9126-8717-9033-0857

Zimbabwe’s President, Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the world’s most educated President with 7 degrees, two of them are Masters?

Zimbabwe is the only country in the world were almost everyone was a billionaire at one point (because of the worthless value of their currency)

Aston Villa must beat Arsenal to get Europa League place

Paul Pogba will leave Juventus for Man Utd, PSG or the likes when right offer comes - Agent

T

he agent of Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba claims his phone is ringing off the hook with clubs all over Europe wanting to sign the France international.

Pogba, 22, has been strongly linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer while former club Manchester United, neighbours Manchester City and Premier League

Gareth Bale facing up to three weeks on sidelines as Luca Modric doubles that

Al-Ahly of Egypt is the richest football club in Africa.

Somalia got its first ATM machine on October 7, 2014.

George Weah of Liberia is the first man to win World, European and African Footballer of the Year Award in the same year.

Floyd Mayweather’s mouth guard is customized with gold, diamonds and real $100 bills woven into the design.

A mosquito has 47 teeth (aka cutting edges) while a fully grown adult teeth is 32.

G

C

ontrary to initial thoughts by some football fans FA Cup Finalist Aston Villa will not get an automatic ticket to represent England in the UEFA Europa League.

Villa qualifying for the FA Cup final against Champions League qualifiers Arsenal would usually mean a guaranteed place in the Europa League for Villa in previous seasons but a rule change at the start of this season has thrown a spanner in the works and has left fans rather confused.

areth Bale is expected to be out for up to three weeks after Real Madrid announced that the player had suffered an injury to the soleus muscle in his left leg, AS reports.

Bale felt a twinge in his left calf during Saturday’s 3-1 win In the past, if the FA Cup winning team also against Malaga and had to qualified for the following season’s Champions League or Europa League through their league position, then the losing FA Cup finalist was given the Europa League place instead, as enjoyed by clubs such as Southampton (2003), Millwall (2004) and Stoke (2011) in recent years.

The new rule is taking effect from the 2015-16 UEFA Europa League season meaning UEFA will not allow the runners-up to qualify for the Europa League through the competition.

leave the pitch four minutes after kick-off.

Madrid said in a statement on Monday morning: “Following tests carried out on Gareth Bale at the Sanitas La Moraleja Hospital by the Real Madrid Medical Services, he has been diagnosed with a muscle injury in his left soleus. His progress will be monitored.”

Madrid will also be without midfielder Luka Modric, who has been ruled out for six weeks with a knee injury.

Kimi Raikkonen: Ferrari delay new deal to keep driver motivated

Amir Khan confident of Manny Pacquiao clash later this year F A

mir Khan is hoping to fight Manny Pacquiao in Abu Dhabi later this year, whether he beats Floyd Mayweather or not next month.

Khan has turned his attention to a clash with the Filipino great after becoming frustrated in his efforts for a Vegas fight with Mayweather, a meeting he has been hankering for over the last

leaders Chelsea are also reported to be interested in signing him.

The player’s agent Mino Raiola has told Italian newspaper La Stampa that demand for the midfielder’s signature is high, and that a transfer is likely if the offer is good enough for Serie A leaders Juve.

two years.

Khan said: “I want this fight. I would love to box Manny. We’ve been looking at an event in Dubai and Abu Dhabi is only a short drive away. It’s a dream of mine to fight in that part of the world.”

errari have paused signing a new contract with Kimi Raikkonen, claiming it’s to ensure the Finnish driver stays motivated this season.

Sebastian Vettel in 2016.

Team boss Maurizio Arrivabene said: “He has demonstrated he’s a great driver so if you’re asking now if he deserves to renew the option, I’m going to say yes.

“But if I’m going to say yes, I don’t want a driver to fall asleep.”

Raikkonen’s best performance so far this season was a second place finish behind Mercedes’ His deal runs out this year and Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain last Ferrari have an option to re- Sunday. tain the 35-year-old alongside

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