VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
ROTIMI AMAECHI On Family, Going back to School & Making Hit Music
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
EDITOR’S NOTE
Photo: @HairByUgo
CONTENTS
Early hours of last week Friday, I get a call to come out to Abuja before 5pm (more emphasis on the fact that it’s a Friday) because an interview slot had been secured to do a one-on-on with the Honorable Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi. This was not how I’d planned to enter my weekend. I had worked till 2.30am and was up again at 5am to deliver the magazine by noon- my scheduled nap was out the window as was my evening spa appointment because, duty calls!
06-09 COVER STORY: ROTIMI AMAECHI ON FAMILY, GOING BACK TO SCHOOL & MAKING HIT MUSIC
The gods of traffic were on my side and I made it to the local airport without any real traffic, to my shock and joy. Fast forward to a few hours later, I’m safely installed in the FCT, sitting at Amaechi’s dining table with my publisher, Austyn Ogannah and Madam Judith Amaechi- who’s trying to sell me on a meat pie from a local baker- she’s a lovely lady who keeps us company until nature wins and she retires to bed. I’m tired, hungry and cold but I’m also expectant because I’ve heard a lot about Mr Amaechi and they’ve been interesting stories to say the least. It’s the same evening a viral Christian music video of him is flying across the internet and social media and as I watched my phone incredulously, Mrs Amaechi’s significant other eventually comes out. I cannot believe my luck. I have so many questions and it looks like he’s in a good mood for a chat... Read the full interview and enjoy the entire issue with the best lifestyle offerings from the rest of the team. Take care and you’ll see us next week.
LATASHA NGWUBE @latashalagos
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O DD BO D & T HE CIT Y
Getaway Plans – Marrakesh
AUSTYN OGANNAH
PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Editor: Latasha Ngwube Editor-at-Large: Chalya Shagaya Beauty Editor: Onah Nwachukwu @onahgram Contributing Editor: Odun Ogunbiyi @oddbodandthecity Senior Writer: Chisom Njoku @inchisomwetrust Contributing Writer: Boluwatife Adesina @bolugram Uzo Orimalade @uzosfoodlabs House Photographer: Rachel Seidu @rachelseidu Graphics/Layout: Olatunji Samson Digital Media: Oladimeji Balogun Interns: Kehinde Fagbule, Tilewa Kazeem Guest Art Director: Sunny Hughes ‘ SunZA’ www.thewilldowntown.com thewilldowntown thewilldowntown
14-15 B EAUT Y
BEACH BODY BEAUTY SECRETS
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WEB S IG HTS D OW NTO WN
Naomi Osaka’s Plea For Tranquility Not Racket
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D OW NTOW N E AT S
The Summons
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T HE R EV IEW
Something Old, Something(s) new, Something to listen to, All for you!
13 L IVIN G
Feel Close To Nature With These 3 Indoor Plants PAGE 3
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
ODDBOD & THE CITY ODUN OGUNBIYI
Getaway Plans – Marrakesh
I
am not usually one to tip my hand about my manifesting plans but with my second vaccination dose looming over me all I can think about is how this girl has got to travel. I am planning all sorts—practically I may not have the time to pull off half of it, but a girl can dream. Top of the list for a long weekend globe-trotting adventure is Marrakech, nestled in western Morocco on the edge of the Sahara Desert, steeped in history, and bursting at the seams with vibrant souks, exotic hammams and great food. Its North African location means you are guaranteed pleasant weather anytime you decide to visit, it’s the perfect blend of “old city” with a contemporary feel.
What to see… Jardin Marjorelle www.jardinmajorelle. com
Where to Stay… La Mamounia www.mamounia.com Set in 20 acres of gardens this extraordinary five-star palace hotel offers luxurious comfort, plush décor, a divine spa, and some of the best dining options in Marrakesh. This award-winning hotel is an oasis of calm and beauty amidst the bustling city and has fully earned its stellar reputation.
Where to Go… The Souks of Marrakech Famed throughout the world, the Marrakech’s souks are the largest in Morocco. These exotic markets are the place to find the perfect memento of your trip. Stroll through the shadowy alleyways and barter your way to owning gorgeous multicoloured carpets, silk kaftans, spices, antiques, lanterns, pottery, and exotic jewellery.
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Where to Eat… Le Grande Café De La Poste www.Grandcafedelaposte. restaurant Originally built in the 1920s, this beautifully authentic Moorish building is a proudly revived part of Marrakech’s heritage. The interior is a seamless balance of east meets retro west, boasting a huge statement staircase and art deco motifs. The menu is authentically French, with emphasis on using the freshest ingredients possible with some of the vegetables grown in the garden.
Forty years of passion and dedication by French painter Jacques Marjorelle created this garden in the heart of the ‘Ochre City’. Later restored in the 1980s by designers Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Bergé, this attraction is a mixture of Moroccan garden with European spirit. Bamboo thickets sit alongside magnificent cacti and palms, all the vibrant greens contrasting beautifully with the famous Marjorelle blue. The garden is tasteful, elegant, and sophisticated, a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
Treat Yourself… Farnatchi Spa https://farnatchispa.com After a busy day of sightseeing, pampering yourself with an evening spa treatment is the perfect way to finish your day. Located in the heart of Medina, the Farnatchi Spa offers a range of treatments including facials, manicures, and massages. When in Morocco one must try the Hammam, a luxurious ancient bathing ritual that involves steam, a rigorous scrub with black soap and essential oils, a massage, and skin treatments. You will leave with beautifully soft skin and your mind and body relaxed.
Odun in YSL garden
Tea break…. Le Riad Yasmine www.riad-yasmine.com Marrakech is saturated with a ton of suitable options for tea and a snack from private hotels, tea shops and cafés. The trick is to find somewhere packed with enough charm and ambience to make the experience memorable. This charming boutique hotel is a haven of beauty and tranquillity and the perfect spot to take a timeout from the bustling Medina streets.
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
WORDS to EAT by
DOWNTOWN EATS FASHION
UZO ORIMALADE
The Summons I stare at the email in my inbox for the 1000th time. From HR: Dear Ms Nz, Your presence is required in my office at 11am tomorrow morning. J Edgar Hoover Head, HR What have I done? I have only been working at Fitz Bannon & Indigo (FBI) for 3 months. I work as a data analyst which is really fancy speak for data entry. I really do not mind though. I am grateful to have a job. I have a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. After the mandatory youth service year, I spent 3 years at home without a job before starting at Accenture working with the strategy team. At first, all I did was make photo copies of documents, sit quietly in meetings, take notes and prepare presentations. After a few months, I started working on client projects with the rest of the team and I was so happy. Sort of happy. After working there for 2 years and earning what was considered above average pay, I had no car, I was living with relatives who found my presence unwanted, and I had no savings to speak of. I was restless and concerned about my future. Nigeria did not seem to be getting her act in order and I was tired all the time. I woke up very early and got home very late every day. I worked on weekends and public holidays and barely had any time for myself. In the middle of all of this disquiet, my team lead called me into her office on a rainy Monday morning and changed my life. She said an oil company we did some work for announced a scholarship program for bright lights. The full scholarship was for an MBA program at a university in Canada. Tuition, accommodation and a small allowance for the duration of the program. She said she nominated me to apply – my potential and all that. To say I was shocked is understating things. I spent over 2 weeks preparing my application materials and sent it off. After a month of waiting and biting my fingernails, I got a reply. I was accepted. I had only a few months to get ready to leave Nigeria to make it for the new school year. I left Nigeria in August and started school 2 weeks later. I braved the cold, intense classes and homework. The only homesickness I felt was about food. I missed Nigerian food especially my favourite yam and sauce. When I found familiar ingredients in Mexican, Asian and African, I was ecstatic. I was able to save money by cooking my own meals and got my MBA on time. Before I got a chance to start to worry about the next steps, a job fair came to my school. I was one of the few students in my class that had a job to start after graduation and I felt like my life was on track. Now this email. I run every single work day in my mind. I am so scared. Have I looked at anyone the wrong way? Have I forgotten to finish some tasks? I keep to myself. I really do not have too many work friends yet. I cook my meals and bring my lunch to work and have it in the lunch room. I smile when required. What on earth is this about?
………………………………………… ………………………………………… …………… I walk into the head of HR’s office and I see two of my co-workers there as well. I pause. ‘Come on in and have a seat’ J Edgar Hoover is smiling. That’s a good sign, I think. I have a seat. I notice my coworkers looking everywhere but at me. Haaaaaaa. This must be bad. What have I done? I cannot afford to lose this job. ‘We have had some complaints from the people on your floor’ J Edgar starts. ‘Really? Complaints about what Sir?’ ‘Well, I do not want to offend you but after receiving this 30th complaint, it is best I discuss this with you. Let’s see if we can find some middle ground’ ’30 complaints?’ I ask ‘Well yes. The complaints started the week you began here’ What in the world? ‘See Ms Nz, The complaints are about the meals you bring in to work. The complaints say that your meals have very strong smells you see. The smells spread all over the office floor. Some of the complaints say that meals heated up in the microwave after you use it take on these interesting smells making them inedible. The reason we are here is to see how we can come to a compromise regarding this issue. Would you consider having the meals we offer at the cafeteria? Or consider bringing in meals that are less intensely fragrant? Wow!!! I think about the meals I bring to work to save money. My yam and mackerel sauce. My eba and efo riro, my palm oil native rice. My moin moin with boiled eggs inside. Wow!!!
Mackerel Sauce To prepare 4 portions, you will need: • ½ cup palm oil • 1 medium red onion – chopped • 1 stock cube • 3 large tomatoes – chopped • 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper – chopped into small bits • 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste • 1 fresh mackerel fish. Head and bones removed and cut into chunks • 6 African basil leaves (scent leaf)
Directions: • Heat palm oil in a medium pot on high heat until oil begins to smoke – about 5 minutes • Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Turn heat to medium and add stock cube. Cook for 2 minutes • Add tomatoes and pepper and stir. Cook for 3 minutes, add the tomato paste and stir well • Add the fish pieces and stir to coat the fish evenly. Turn the heat to low and cover pot. Cook for 5 minutes and stir again. Do not be afraid let the fish go to pieces. • Tear the African basil into pieces and add to the pot. Stir, cover pot and cook until fish is ready. This should take another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve. I use salt sparingly in my cooking so feel free to add some to the sauce if you prefer. This sauce can also be served with white rice or boiled beans. Enjoy!!! PAGE 5
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
COVER
ROTIMI AMAECHI
On Family, Going back to School & Making Hit Music Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi (born 27 May 1965) is a Nigerian politician who has served as Minister of Transportation in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari since their party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, won a shocking victory in 2015. Fondly called by names like ‘The Lion’ or ‘MOT’ (coined from Minister of Transport) by his friends and political allies, the politician had previously served in oil-rich Rivers State as Governor of Rivers State from 2007 to 2015 and Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2007. Married to Judith and blessed with three sons, he reiterates that there’s not much to know about him that isn’t already in the public space. In this midnight chat with one of Nigeria’s most visible politicians, the DOWNTOWN duo of Austyn Ogannah, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, and Latasha Ngwube, Editor, try to excavate a little more than what is publicly known about Mr Amaechi. Transcription was done by Kehinde Fagbule.
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C
ongratulations on your 56th birthday. With every year comes a new goal to be better than the last or to consolidate on the things that you’ve started already in the previous year. What is your 56th bringing to you in terms of clarity for your position right now? Shouldn’t you be thinking that I should be retiring? Shouldn’t you be thinking that Nigeria has actually used me very well? I think that you’ll be in a better position to determine if you should retire or not… My political mantra has always been not to stress about what will happen tomorrow and let the future be decided by God and not the society so that we don’t risk the mistake of carrying more than what we can manage. So I leave that completely to God. However, the usual thing is once I get an assignment, either by the people or by God, I get immersed into that assignment to ensure that it’s properly delivered to the satisfaction of those who pay my salary and those who gave me the assignment. In November last year, campaign posters of you running for president with Governor El-Rufai as your vice were visibly positioned…
I wonder where those people who printed these posters got money from, but they must have enough money to waste that they can just go about printing posters. So you have no ambitions for elected office? Can I finish what I’m doing now? How do you know that the president will not just wake up one morning and announce there’s a new Minister of Transportation? He’ll probably move you to another office. What if he doesn’t need me at all? ...But you’ve not been invisible since you stepped into the arena so it’s highly unlikely that you’d just disappear into thin air. Well, you used the right phrase “invincible” and that means that sometimes I’m powerless. No, I meant “invisible” and not “invincible” Not only am I powerless, I’m also sometimes helpless and most times you think it is invincibility, it is more out of the grace of Almighty God. Do you think that you are sometimes misunderstood? Oh plenty of times. It happens all the time. But why do you think that is? There’s never any smoke
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
COVER so by the time they announce you have to go, you know that it is over. However, if you continue to wait and not complete your assignments, you could stay 8 years and not have any achievements.
My political mantra has always been not to stress about what will happen tomorrow and let the future be decided by God and not the society so that we don’t risk the mistake of carrying more than what we can manage” without fire. If I have anything on my mind, I say it. For me to say my mind, it had to mean that I’m telling the truth. I have to convince myself that I’m not lying to myself. If I do that, I’m not bothered about any of that. So I don’t have to go and lie and lie just because I want to please you. This is so I can tell myself that the God who created me is satisfied and that what I just said now is the honest truth. What’s an average day like for you? It’s bad. Very bad. For the past 2 days now I’ve been sleeping in public functions. I’ve just been battling and managing. In fact, between the 25th/26th night, I was driving in the evening back to my house, I was sleeping as I was driving… So you drive yourself? Yes, I do. I’ve driven myself all my life. At least 95% of my life. I was driving from Gwarinpa to the house and it was like war. I was sleeping as I was driving. As soon as I got home, I crashed. Yesterday, there was a function here. It was a debate and a discussion between many, I believe, university students and policymakers. How did that come about? It was my wife that was there. I wasn’t there. I thought that because we lost the Chief of Army staff, we should not have a public function. Her argument was that it was organised for children and the Chief would’ve allowed it if he were alive. I understood it differently and I affirmed that children or no children, it is important to honour a man who had died for the service of the nation. On a scale of 1-10, how would you assess how you fared in office as a Governor and Minister? They are two different offices. You can’t compare them.
Now that you’ve really invested in the rails and maritime construction, how do you think this will change the trajectory tomorrow considering Nigerians today still don’t have jobs in an economy that’s struggling? What we’re doing so far is a step in the right direction. What you can say is that the speed at which we’re doing it is slow, therefore, we need to do more to stretch the economy to accommodate the public the way you described. So while I will tell you that the railway was out of the president’s agenda, what the rich men do to cause more unemployment is heartless and annoys me very badly. So when you go to the port sector, you see a huge number of rich men who are defrauding people, the nation and the transport sector; I really need to do something about that. Why do people think you have a vendetta against Hadizat Bala Usman? Why do people think it is personal? Why would it be personal? I’m surprised that I’m hearing it for the first time. But that’s the word on the streets Too bad, just because I’m not allowed to speak. I’m wondering why I even answered that first question because as a public officer, you’re only accountable to the people and not the press men. If you draw your comparison between people saying that and those not saying it, those who are not saying it are more in number. So you don’t go to field and entertain the other people. However, why would I want to hunt Hadiza? I nominated her in 2015 but didn’t nominate her for a second term. The law, section 1, subsection 1 says when the Minister does not nominate, the appointment may not be lawful. However, that’s not the issue. The issue is that for 4 to 5 years that Hadiza has been the managing director of the NPA, I don’t know what’s going on; I needed to know what was going on and I sought the approval of the president to allow me veto what was going on. And you looked into what was going on? I’ve not. But you’ve suspended her? No, I just said, “Mr President, give me approval to set up an administrative panel of inquiry to investigate the activities of the Nigerian Ports Authority. Two, direct me to request the managing director to step aside”. That is not the same thing as suspending her. “Three, direct me to ask the ED finance to act in her place pending the outcome of the investigation”. All we want is to have access to documents and indeed such investigations are easy. Income and expenditure. The income of NPA cannot be hidden because bank statements are there. Expenditure and expenses cannot be hidden as well. If it is
hidden, the difference between what you see and what you don’t see is what you have to account for. It is such an easy thing and it won’t last, it won’t take too long for them to finish; that’s one. Then you look at the procedure, we didn’t know what was happening. We need to know whether in contracting, they followed all the procedures. But is this standard procedure for any parastatal to which you want to look into? What you’ve asked the president for permission to do? Is this how you normally tackle other parastatals? If you want to. It depends on the parastatal and the head of the parastatal. The fact that we went to the President was because he needed to ask his appointee, who is the managing director, to step aside so we can have easy access to the documents. Where you think that the appointee would not interfere with the document, then you don’t necessarily need to ask them to step aside. It just depends on what is going on. Where does terrible traffic, (as mundane as it sounds), rank in terms of priority for you, as Minister of Transport. No, it’s not part of our responsibilities. It’s a state responsibility. We just make policies that concern the roads like, “okay, maybe we need to create bicycle lanes”. We had a really interesting chat with the Minister of State for Labor and Employment and he broke down the duties of his ministry which was quite enlightening. Would you perhaps help me break down for the layman what exactly the Ministry of Transportation does and covers and how it’s supposed to help the life of the average Nigerian? It is not as easy as you just talked about the Ministry of Labour. The reason it is not as easy is it depends on the timing. When I was appointed as the Minister for transportation, aviation was under me, so safety of aircrafts and terminals to the operations were my responsibilities. At that same time, we were serving the maritime too. Trying to mirror the same procedure as authorities such as NIMASA. We monitor activities at the
They are both executive roles… One was chief executive. So how would you rate your assessment of your office now as a minister? You’re repeating the same question. I’m not in the position to do that. There’s a saying in my village that goes thus: the dancer does not see his back, it is the spectators who see it. This is your 6th year as Transportation Minister… It is going to be 7th in a few months, if I remain in office Is there a hint of a cabinet reshuffle? There’s no hint at all. However, the president could just make a decision and it’s final. Are there clouds of uncertainty? There is none, but what I always do in public office is prepare for the next day because the next day you might no longer be in office. If you go to my office, you won’t see any of my personal items. But how can you function effectively that way if you’re always thinking about yourself in transit? That is the more reason why you have to conclude what you have to do
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VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
COVER NPA too and make sure it goes smoothly. Then you come to the land transportation we deal with the establishment of the architecture like the construction, not just the operation of railways for instance. Now we want to see how much franchise we can give out so that the users can operate because globally, with the railway, constructions are meant for the government after which we can hope that before the end of construction, we are able to get operators who would seek franchises. So that’s really what we do. With the road architecture, we have a small department that also makes regulations that we share in form of Federal Highway Acts. There’s this thing that you say all the time, I’ve seen a couple of your interviews on LinkedIn and on TV where you say you don’t like money. What do you mean by that? Money has an issue. Okay, what’s my taste? Let’s go to my taste buds. I don’t drink or smoke. I don’t go to parties, so where do you spend the money? Isn’t that a little too easy to say when you’re in that position as opposed to the average Nigerian? Which average Nigerian would say “What are my needs?” Needs are many. I get this a lot. The question they ask is “Why do you say you don’t like money?” You don’t like money because what people spend money on is not my choice so money will not influence my decision. I won’t ask the contractor to give me a bribe because I have to solve some problems, and I continue to give people an example. I could as well have taken the 15 million we’re using to build the university of Daura. It is not part of the contract, don’t forget. There’s nowhere in the contract that says the contractor will build this university. The person in charge is my friend, if I ask for money there, I’m sure he will give me more than 10 million dollars as Minister for Transport. They’re building this university in Daura for 15 million dollars. Another university is being built in my village. Most Nigerians don’t think along those lines when they ask the question “Have you delivered the investment?” Which investment? If I check the contract paper, there’s nowhere it says the contractor will build the university or the Minister of transport will do it. It’s like what I went to do in Kano: I went to inspect an inland airport. I asked the guy when it would be finished and he said in two months’ time. I told him I wouldn’t be there to commission the project in two months except he builds a primary school for me because there’s no contribution to the community. When we got there, children were chasing us around. It means that the children were not in school. So I told him that I
I go to school and Ms. Tosin Oke punishes me for carrying my phone in the class and orders me to stand up for 5 minutes which I adhered to without complaining to the school authorities because the moment you got admission into the university, you’ve moved from being a minister to being a student and a teacher has the right to punish you if you break the rules. needed some of the children to be in school and that he must guarantee that he built a primary school and the school would be run by him free of charge for these children. If not, I won’t commission it. Then he said okay, I should assure him that the port will be a destination point and I said yes, we will make it a destination point but he must build the primary school and he agreed. Education is that important to you? That’s the most important after God. If I didn’t go to school, you wouldn’t be interviewing me. Firstly, the means of communication won’t be this sound. Secondly, I may not know what to do with power. Also, I went to a public school. I don’t know if the figures have changed but Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world at 10 million and it’s an upward trajectory. It might get to 15 million. It is embarrassing and disgraceful. So I want as many kids back in school as possible. After that deal, I kicked myself for not knowing sooner to include building primary schools as criteria for other contractors who have been working with us in the past. Let’s go to the insecurities in the land. I know it’s not really your field… If you know it’s not my field then why are you going to it? I mean it still affects transportation… Don’t forget that I don’t run transportation. When two or three are gathered today, there’s one thing for sure that they talk about, it is insecurity in the land; and as a member of the federal cabinet, I don’t think it will be out of place to speak and comment on what’s really going on and how we can fix the problem because I think it is a problem we have to solve collectively. Well, the Minister for Defence and Minister for Internal Affairs would be the best people and in the best position to respond to that because they will be able to tell you where the problems are, how they’re trying to solve it and what their challenges are. I can only join you to complain as there is a security council which I’m not a member of. Tell me about your relationship with Mrs. Amaechi. Is she your best friend? I don’t have any other friends except my wife. Why is that? What I have as friends are social friends and political friends. These are not all-round friends. My wife is. How long have you known each other.
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How many years now have we been married to each other? We dated for two years before getting married and we got married when she was 22 years old. She’s 50-something now so it’s been a while. How did you meet each other? I think we met at a friend’s marriage. She was the chief bridesmaid. Were you one of the groomsmen? No no, I was just amongst the cheerleaders *laughs* So what attracted you to her? My wife, she’s a pretty woman. The first thing that attracts you to a woman is not how well she speaks or how sound you believe she is. The first thing that attracts a man to a woman is her beauty. The rest comes as you start asking for a relationship. I met her and we decided to have a chat. Now, here we are today. Four children for her, three children for me, a wife, and a mother. What do you mean four-three? Three boys plus me, four *laughs* We had a conversation with your wife tonight and from our conversation, I was able to pick up on the fact that you read a lot. What do you read and when do you find time to read? You read as you go. If you’re on the plane or on the train. Except you’re driving and that’s the downside of driving yourself because if you aren’t driving yourself, you can then be reading. Right now I’m still battling with sleep. However, if I sleep and wake up, I pray and then read. Would you consider yourself a core traditional family man? If I say so, my wife will disagree. Work comes first because I believe my wife is always there to take care of the family and she’s run the family successfully. I feel like if I abandon my work and focus on the family then you (Nigeria) wouldn’t be coming first, I will be coming first. So we have it decentralised; I take my own, she takes her own; except when she needs the authority of the man, then my wife will say “At this point, we need to assert your authority as the head of the family. If not, where there are no such things, all they do is pick up the phone and text to check up. Is that what you call her? Babes? I call my wife “Babes”. Then when I text or call, each of them will tell me what challenges they’re facing; especially now that they’re out of school. There’s not a lot because they have a father and a mother who can come out and say “Okay, instead of you dying of poverty, here is my money. However, when we were growing up, we didn’t have enough resources to do that. Now, you have God and your parents but beyond resources and having to guide the children on what to do and how to do it so that they will not turn out to be bad children, the rest, my wife does. I think my wife paid the fees of our children or 80% of the fees because I had to focus on my seat. How do you relax? Difficult. That’s why I’ll be among those who will go for early retirement. We simply can’t. The only way we can relax is when we’re out of public office then people would leave you alone.
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
COVER And even then, you think they will? At that point, you have to migrate to the Lord. They won’t let you. Let’s talk about this new gospel single you released today… It’s actually a responsorial psalm of the day of my birthday. In the Catholic Church there are readings for each day to be chanted or sung as you please. The recording that went viral was actually a private choir from my church that came to do house for a ministration and we fellowshipped together on the occasion of my birthday. I didn’t write a record or hire a producer or anything like that, no I’m not transitioning into a musician, I was just as surprised when I started getting messages from so many excited people from all over- including my own father-in-law! I guess people just tend to hype up whatever it is I do. Do you thrive on being controversial? I’ve never been controversial. What Nigerians refer to as controversy is when you say the truth and stand by it. Nigerians don’t really understand or believe in the truth and once I’m convinced that this is the truth, you really have to do a lot to prove that it is not. If it is not, I quickly withdraw and join you to say yes, you are right. What is the thing you think would surprise people the most to learn about you? I’m one of the most misunderstood persons on earth and I’m busy a lot. Because people, when they get to meet you, the way they want to sacrifice their lives for you, it makes me happy. I have a friend of mine who told me “My mother doesn’t like you.” To which I asked why? He replied, “My mother thinks you are too brutal to Jonathan and he’s from South-South like you.” I said well, I don’t play politics. I go for what I think is the right thing to do for the country, but I need to see your mother. We scheduled to meet. We had two meetings and on both occasions, she cooked for me to eat. Because I’m a very carefree person, I eat anywhere there is available food. She was expecting one big Amaechi and here’s a guy who pops in with no siren, no security. She asked who was at the door and I replied “Hi ma, I was told I have an appointment with you. Is the food ready?” Then we had lunch and we had gist. By the second visit, she was asking her son “Are you sure this is Amaechi the Minister?” The proprietor of Baze University was speaking to me the other day saying “You baffle me. The fact that you can drive into Baze University at 9am and close at 6pm because of your studies”. I go to school and Ms. Tosin Oke punishes me for carrying my phone in the class and orders me to stand up for 5 minutes which I adhered to without complaining to the school authorities because the moment you got admission into the university, you’ve moved from being a minister to being a student and a teacher has the right to punish you if you break the rules; that time I was breaking the rule so she exercised her authority. When did this happen and what are you studying? 2019. I’m studying law. How many people can do that? It’s not even about the studying, it’s the fact that you go to class. Most ministers won’t go to class and sit in class. It is compulsory that you write the Continuous Assessments and the Exams but it is not compulsory that I must come to class. I go to school every day when there’s a class. On days that I can’t meet up with the class, I call the teachers and explain why I can’t and get excused. It does not only baffle the proprietor of the school, but it also baffles my teachers and I’m told by my friends in school that they use it as a yardstick that if I can do it, anybody can do it. It is full-time study as I go from 9am till 6pm and then I have to come back to the office by 6pm to work till 10pm because I really have to cover the period that I was absent for. So you see why I’m struggling to stay awake. A lot of people that I told I was coming to interview you kept saying you’re so funny… They also think so in my class because even when I’m answering questions, I answer them in such a way that even the teacher will be laughing. I have two teachers who called me “Old man” and I tell them as a joke “When this old man was born on children’s day, clearly this old man knows that he would be taught by children.” The teachers ended up laughing. You have quite a reputation amongst young people, especially of the millennials age bracket. Why do you think you’re so impactful on young people when they meet you? Because if you meet me you will go back to my history. My history was I didn’t have rich parents so you can’t say “Oh this house was already there for him” absolutely not; and that’s what I tell my children that “This house is not yours, we will sell it before we die so don’t bother. So better begin to plan how to build your own.” I’m not from money, you have to really work hard, and that’s why my son said “Being a medical doctor is not
enough, so I have to add more jobs or quit medicine and look for other means that I can get more money to build a house for myself.” So when those children come there and see the kind of life you have lived and how much discipline you have and your passion for the country, you want to live that kind of life. Secondly is that you give them opportunities when they come. When I got Adebola Williams to manage the public relations part of our campaign, I didn’t consider how young he was and I gave him the money to get the assignment done and that gave him exposure, so he then went on to Ghana to do great things. I don’t care if you’re male or female or you’re from Lagos or the South or from Kano, what is important is that you’re a human being and a Nigerian and you have a capacity to do that. Even if you don’t have the capacity, you can work towards attaining that capacity. I tell people I don’t give money because I don’t have but I create opportunities for as many people as I meet. Imagine the number of children that were trained by the Rivers State government when I was a governor. Imagine the number of children that are being trained now by the Ministry of Transport. Now, CCECC is training about 300 children in China free of charge for four years. Just like we trained thousands when I was a governor. So when you get to the airport and you see a young man or woman greet you and you ask “Who are you?” and they reply “Oh my name is XYZ, I was among those scholars you sent overseas”, it makes me happy. Speaking of Rivers State, how often do you go back? I don’t because it puts me off. What’s your relationship like with Governor Wike these days? When I was a governor, I built primary schools and secondary schools. I was constructing a university. Electricity. We had farms. There was a hotel in the farm for people who would want to come and rest there, there were hostels for the farmers. There was a banana farm. Then we have a governor who’s only interested in building bridges and road, nothing more. So where is our money going to? And they believe we won’t ask that question, we will ask. The only reason why we’re not asking now is because people will say “Oh you’ve governed for 8 years, allow the governor to govern for 8 years.” It is not by abusing people and shouting down at people and thinking you can intimidate them from asking questions. It is not about accusing people of corruption thinking you can intimidate me. I hardly get intimidated. So there’s nothing personal between Governor Wike and myself. I respect him as the governor of Rivers State. Nobody has any choice but to know that he’s the governor of Rivers State. However, we have to identify where our funds are going. Where they go to, I don’t know. People are crying to me that things have worsened since the time I left office as the governor. When we see that the crime rate has worsened, it is because of poverty so you deploy resources. Award more contracts, pay contractors who in turn will go pay their workers, their workers will go to the market and
My history was I didn’t have rich parents so you can’t say “Oh this house was already there for him” absolutely not; and that’s what I tell my children that “This house is not yours, we will sell it before we die so don’t bother. So better begin to plan how to build your own.”
market women will sell and so on. It is a multiplier effect. How do you feel about the allegations being levelled against your wife? Oh please! We filed the petition with the IG and then we were told to proceed with libel. However, we won’t reply to him (Jackson Udeh) anymore. We’ll wait for the state to proceed. He’s a ridiculous person who doesn’t care and just wants to mar someone else’s reputation. Let’s take it back to your early days of activism. Can you tell us how it all came about? Your journey. It is a long journey, a long story that started out of the struggle to fight poverty. I was unemployed before and after my NYSC. You know the feeling when you finish with your national service and what was staring you in the face was unemployment. So I took interest in politics and here we are. Probably if I had gotten employed - I went for an audition interview as a broadcaster at a few TV stations including the NTA and they came back to say no vacancy - it would’ve been difficult getting into politics. What do you think it would take to bring about change in Nigeria? Currently, there’s a movement towards change. The first thing that you would see is if you say corruption has not been eliminated, it is a used tactic. Don’t forget that before Buhari’s government came, corruption wasn’t the problem. You’ll be leaving and you’ll see a governor waiting for money that they’re bringing to him. In fact, governors don’t even care. It’s no longer the same as at now. I hope you know the policies against corruption. One is that if your gateman sees you carrying money, he can blow his whistle and he’ll get 5%. How would you like to be remembered? As Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi. Who did what? Or didn’t do what? See, that’s a lazy man’s way of asking and I’ll tell you why. If I tell you I want to be remembered as Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi then you have the link to begin to search. After which you get the information that he was a Speaker. “What did he do as a Speaker?” That will lead you to what he did as a Speaker and the controversy surrounding his becoming a Governor. Then you now go on to ask “What did he do as a Governor?” By the time you finish studying that, you will see that it will take you to how he ended up being a Minister. Then you’ll now know what he did as a Minister. So when you ask me what did I want to be remembered for, then I’ve already answered the question for you. If you did that research, you would know that there were roads that were built in Port-Harcourt, that it was when I became governor that we started having the expansion of roads in Port-Harcourt. We had narrow roads, people were scared of taking people’s houses down to expand roads.
Read extended version on Downtown website: www. thewilldowntown.com
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VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
LIFESTYLE WHAT DOES THE CLUB MY MAN SUPPORTS
Say About Him? BY KEHINDÉ FAGBUL
Mr. P
The European club football season is officially over, for now; and as expected, most people’s weekends are wide open again. A sport cherished and religiously followed by many despite its guaranteed highs and lows, football is one of the very few events capable of bringing unbridled enthusiasm and inexplicable gloom to an average Nigerian man bereft of feeling emotions, or at least showing them. Predominantly enjoyed by men, a few women try to stay on top of it too. However, not a lot of women understand exactly what this bond is like. This begs the age-old question: what do these men see in this football sef? Well, I can’t put into words what it feels like, nonetheless, if you’re looking to get with a man, some of the questions you should ask on the first date are “How invested are you in football?” and “What club do you support?” The club a man supports says a lot about him and here’s a list of things you could probably pick up on.
Arsenal
Manchester United
Gooners, The Patient Dogs
He’s probably an old-head who got “recruited” into the game through Nigerian football legend, Nwankwo Kanu. His love for the club then got reaffirmed by the emergence of the French phenomenon Thierry Henry, popularly referred to as Igwe by Nigerians. However, since that fairytale ended as far back as 2005, he’s just been sticking around and redefining his happiness as years go by. If he’s still a Gooner in 2021, he’s a keeper. He’s the type to stick around through the lows of a relationship because he’s far too deep and it doesn’t make sense to up and quit. He could be very miserly too as he only spends when it becomes necessary to. You want to be mindful of always trying to keep raising the stakes as there are worries that mediocrity could creep in.
Chelsea
Red Devil, A Meek One Nowadays
If the conversation is history, Man United fans are going to have some of the longest air times as they have an impressive wealth of it. They go back to the 90s when the biggest name in the club’s history, Sir Alex Ferguson, assembled a team, plotting world domination. That would go on to set a template for what became a formula effective enough to achieve dominance years later. However, the decline ever since Fergie retired in 2013 has been unimaginably painful for them and glorious for rival fans. He shares a few similarities with the previous guy (the Cule) as he also struggles with coming to terms with the realities of things and would rather latch onto the past. He often has an internal conflict that messes up with his mind as he’s slowly becoming what he used to make fun of, the Gooner. He is old money so he’s never scared to splash the cash, however, he gets frustrated as he had lost the power he once had. This has him grasping at straws to preserve his spot on the high table, and this isn’t helped by the fact that his proclaimed “noisy neighbour” is doing so much better than him.
Reminisce
Blues, Loud But Walk The Talk RudeBoy
Often referred to as the agbero and bike riders club, Chelsea fans have a reputation of being unnecessarily loud and vocal. With a large number of them getting introduced to the game properly in 2004 after Russian Billionaire and Oil Mogul, Roman Abramovich had bought the club and invested heavily in it, some older people might have been familiar with the club prior as it had a Nigerian footballer, Celestine Babayaro on its books. He has a ruthless approach to relationships and is never afraid to sever ties if they’re not working. He gets very braggadocious for a man who’s relatively new to a surrounding and takes pride in reminding everyone around that he’s a big shot too. He gets doubted a lot and he revels in proving them wrong. You want to use that as fuel to push him to bigger things as he never backs down from a challenge.
Zlatan Ibile
Real Madrid Los Blancos, Cocky But Can You Blame Him?
The most successful club in the history of football, Madrid fans know a lot about living large. Popularly referred to as White Angels, Madrid fans move with a great sense of pride and panache. A club that’s been home to a lot of the biggest names in the game, Madrid have built a culture of assembling the very best players yearly. He’s overly braggadocious and makes it clear time and again that he’s not on the same level as his peers. He doesn’t care for respect and according them to anyone as he thinks no one is deserving of it. He too, just like the Blue, doesn’t break a sweat when it comes to severing ties and saying goodbyes. He’s extremely saucy and sassy whenever he needs to be… and that is always. The European club football season returns in August and whilst you might not understand why men get so hooked to the game, this is perhaps the best time to catch the undivided attention of your man or set out to get one.
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Barcelona Cules, The Glory Days Are Slowly Fading Away
Barça fans are rather reserved yet bossy. They have experienced the game at the highest level possible, watching brilliant individual players such as Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, Andrès Iniesta and most relevantly, Lionel Messi, a man they consider to be the greatest of all time. They’ve also witnessed some of the most beautiful footballs ever played when Pep Guardiola was at the helm; so they feel a sense of entitlement with what they can tolerate and find it difficult adjusting to new situations that could be rather unpleasant. He’s probably a strictly principled man who is so set in his ways, he wouldn’t alter it for anything or anyone. He basks in the euphoria of the good days and struggles to move on from them. He is prepared to not show up at all than to show up with anything less than 100%. You want to be really watchful of this one as you’re in a three-way relationship with him and the ghost of his ex.
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
Something Old, Something(s) new, Something to listen to,
All for you!
BY BOLUWATIFE ADESINA
A whole lot of media has been released in the last month and I have enjoyed (nearly) all of it. I thought I’d break up the monotony of this column with a few reviews and recommendations for you to delve into. There’s a classic movie I rewatched, some great new shows and a highly acclaimed album, I hope you enjoy it.
Something(s) New:
Invincible, Falcon & The Winter Soldier Amazon Prime has found a niche in the superhero genre. They seem to lean towards shows that seek to deconstruct the superhero genre, and with the success they have found with both their initial foray The Boys and now Invincible, I don’t see them stopping anytime soon. Invincible is an adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s (The Walking Dead’s creator) Image Comics title of the same. Armed with probably the most impressive voice cast of the year, it follows Mark Grayson (voiced by Steven Yeun) as he navigates high school, romantic relationships and the occasional (extremely frequent) world ending threat.
Something Old:
The Usual Suspects
It’s not just regular hero fare though, as this show harbors a dark secret that is just so much fun to watch as it unravels. As previously stated, the main strength of this show is the voice cast, with stars like J.K Simmons, Zazie Beetz, Sandra Oh, Mark Hamill, Seth Rogen, Clancy Brown among many others giving a phenomenal performance. It’s definitely among the best watches I’ve had in a long time. 8.5/10
P.S: Invincible is NOT a children’s show, keep that in mind The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is the second show that Marvel Studios has released and I absolutely loved it. A story about duty, friendship and just how much one man’s legacy meant to the rest of the world, FATWS is a very strong entry into the MCU. Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan reprise their roles as Sam Wilson / The Falcon and Bucky Barnes / The Winter Soldier respectively and the show shines best when the buddy-cop-movie chemistry between them is allowed to shine through. While primarily an actionadventure romp, FATWS also tackles some surprisingly complex topics such as race and inequality with the requisite gravitas. Given much more room that he’d have in a movie, Mackie has the ability to convey emotion and inner turmoil through glances and subtle movements. He’s matched perfectly by Carl Lumbly as Isaiah Bradley, a Korean War veteran who suffered at the hands of a racist system decades ago. Bradley acts as Sam’s lighthouse through a fog of pain, and their scenes together are heartbreakingly raw. These components make the exploration of Captain America’s legacy a more poignant topic than many may have expected. And while the trajectory of
Sam’s journey is obvious from the very first scenes, the handling of its weight makes for a distinctly satisfying conclusion to his arc. However, Bucky certainly gets the shorter end of the stick. But while he must play second fiddle to Sam, these six episodes do a substantial amount of heavy lifting to humanise a character that previously has been a plot point more than a genuine person. Without Steve Rogers around, Bucky is able to be his own man, rather than someone else’s mission. The quieter moments where Stan gets to explore the character’s inner turmoil and anxieties really prove that he was worth including in the story, even if the closure of his arc doesn’t provide quite the amount of fireworks that Sam’s does. 8/10
A sole survivor tells of the twisty events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat, which began when five criminals met at a seemingly random police lineup. Armed with one of the best screenplays of all time, this movie weaves a tight, concise story that will have you hooked until the very, VERY shocking ending. It doesn’t hurt that the cast is equal parts hilarious and excellent, with the clear standout being Kevin Spacey (You just never know with these celebrities). I rewatched this last week and it’s held up so well. If you haven’t seen it, do go find it. 9/10
Something to Listen to
J.Cole - The Off-Season It’s been 3 years since J. Cole released KOD, and though the rapper featured on the Grammy-nominated compilation album Revenge of the Dreamers III in 2019 and released 3 singles in 2020, it’s fair to say his latest album – The Off-Season – has been eagerly awaited by fans. Co-produced by Ibrahim Hamad, T-Minus and Cole himself, the album pairs Cole with a host of collaborators, including Timbaland and Boi-1-Da, who supply some of the beats. Cole tackles the trappings of fame and complacency on an album which was years in the making. The opening track, ‘95.south’, sees Cole rapping over big, booming beats reminiscent of the 2010s hip-hop landscape, where he recites his verses with a lack of urgency and laissez faire attitude. ‘Amari’ feels like an indication of what the entirety of the album could have been, with a punchy trap beat and some innovative vocals from Cole – he stretches his voice to breaking point on the track, with falsetto inflections. ‘my. life,’ features a nice gospel sample that Cole overlays with aggressive, spitfire bars, injecting the verses with anger. 21 Savage features on this offering, with a tight and melodic delivery, buoying the album’s up-and-down energy. Then, ‘applying . pressure’ begins with grating horns and laser beam sound effects. It’s a little jarring, but the beat eventually settles into itself, with Cole rapping in a bouncy flow. ‘punchin . the . clock’ sees Cole return to some of the melancholy of 2016 ’s 4 Your Eyez Only, in one of the only songs on the album where Cole maintains a distinct narrative. ‘pride.is.the.devil’ is the uncontested highlight of the album, the track sees Cole exploring the trappings of his own pride. Lil Baby features here, with mesmerising delivery, layered over a subtle guitar and steady, vintage beat.
‘interlude’ energises the album yet again, with Cole’s melodic flow more effortless here than on any of his previous records. On ‘close’, which samples MF DOOM, Cole’s emotive delivery is the centrepiece. He talks about his friend who died in the streets, before moving swiftly on to ‘hunger . on . hillside,’ which closes the album with some emotional instrumentation and gorgeous drums. While Cole’s verses are heartwrenching and emotional at points, The Off-Season isn’t saying anything new or thought-provoking in the rap landscape. I still thoroughly enjoyed it, but I hope The Fall-Off is the true masterpiece I know J.Cole has in him. 7.5/10 If you enjoyed (or Hated) any of these, find me on twitter @bolu_adesina to thank me (or accuse me of wasting your time)
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VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
TECH
Gadgets You Should Be Excited To Own BY TILEWA KAZEEM
T
echnology has evolved in leaps and bounds from what it used to be. The inclusion of the term smart has seen the glass ceiling of phones shattered. These advancements haven’t just been limited to phones alone as every part of civilisation has experienced this evolution. From expeditions to the Moon and Mars, creation of electrical cars, to roads that charge vehicles and power street lights. The cinematic future we all dreamed of is now at our fingertips. So without further ado, meet the 4 gadgets that put you at the forefront of what’s hot right now.
The iPhone 13 One year after the release of the iPhone 12, Apple plans on releasing the iPhone 13. Although the name iPhone 13 isn’t set in stone, things like a higher refresh rate (120Hz) on both Pro models, an improved battery and substantial upgrades on the cameras are to be expected. The premium LiDAR scanner will also be spread across the devices. So far the gist is a smaller notch is expected which means more screen up top and some fascinating new colour schemes.
Xupermask
AirPods Max Experience active noise-cancellation with transparency mode that allows you to tune out of reality and immerses you into what you are listening to. The cup-like design of the pods and soft cushions guarantee true surround sound. Like every Apple device, the AirPod Max connects seamlessly with all your Apple devices turning your home into a smart community.
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AirTag Misplacing your keys and everything else is now a thing of the past with AirTags. Using the ‘Find my Phone’ app on Apple you can now locate your belongings easily. You can also track family members with this inconspicuous-looking device. Makes you feel like James Bond right?
With the Coronavirus pandemic, face masks have become an everyday accessory and having one with Bluetooth capability, dual three-speed fans, a HEPA filtration system, LED lights, noise-cancelling headphones and a rechargeable, seven-hour battery will certainly make you stand out. Basically, If a face mask that plays music in surround sound, is inspired by rapper Will.i.am and tech conglomerate Honeywell isn’t something of the future I don’t know what is.
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
LIVING
BY TILEWA KAZEEM
Feel Close To Nature With These
3Indoor Plants
The Mother-in-law’s Tongue Devil’s tongue, Mother-in-law’s Tongue or Snake plant, whichever you choose to call it is completely up to you.This is most likely the lowest maintenance plant on this list. You are probably going to need to do more dusting than watering for this plant. So if you are looking to buy your first plant this should be your immediate choice. It’s also the best plant in air purification and in Lagos, a little fresh air wouldn’t hurt.
L
iving good shouldn’t only be qualified by what goes into your mouth, what car you drive or how many zeroes are in your bank account. While good health is important during our daily quest for survival, for Nigerians it’s more a diet of inshallah and by His grace while working 24/7. It’s ok to take your foot off the pedal sometimes. Go out with the family, travel or a cheaper alternative- buy some plants!
I’m sure telling you to just buy plants sounds cryptic but don’t worry I’ll explain. As humans, we interact and are closely associated with other forms of life in nature. This biophilic design can be seen in restaurants and homes across different parts of Nigeria. I’ve taken the liberty to look for 3 plants to support your first steps as a plant owner and boost your health, productivity and psychological well-being.
Lucky Bamboo
Aloe Vera
This has to be one of my favourite plants. From the first day we locked eyes, I was in love. They are swirly and fun, adding character to a space or room.
This shouldn’t appear as a surprise. It’s not news that this succulent plant is very distinctive looking with stemless, fleshy leaves. That and its miracle gel are what made it so famous but little do people know that the exterior is just as useful as its by-product as it creates extra oxygen at night. The Aloe Vera plant does not require constant attention, sunlight and watering, unlike some other plants.
These plants have personality and don’t play in the dirt but instead they love to relax in a vase with little water. No sunlight? No problem! These plants can grow in places with little or no light and if you think that’s not enough, the Lucky Bamboo is said to bring good fortune to a household.
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VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
BEAUTY
BEACH BODY BEAUTY SECRETS BY ONAH NWACHUKWU
S
Ojy Okpe
o it’s the weekend and while some people want to take out time to recuperate from a long week, others have just one thing in mind… the beach! The thought of beach day might be exciting but have you taken time to prepare your body for it? When it comes down to it, the beach is usually crawling with different kinds of people, those who try to look good and those who don’t try at all. I say if you are going to bare some skin, make sure you are a sight for sore eyes. Here are a few tricks to help you get that beach body we all love.
01. Cardio Will Do In a country like Nigeria where we move from the house into the car or bus and then back, it is safe to say we barely get any exercise. To get the perfect beach body, you will need some form of cardio. Start with two 30-40 minute cardio sessions a week and add three strength training sessions and you’ll see results in three to four weeks. Sasha Exeter
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Shea Butter
02. Tackle Cellulite By now we know that no number of squats will completely erase cellulite but you can reduce its appearance. Vigorously massage your thighs, stomach, and any other part of your body with cellulite using shea butter, and voila! Fewer traces of cellulite.
VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
BEAUTY
Dry Brushing
03. Buff Away Try dry brushing. Use a natural bristle brush on your skin before you shower. It sloughs off dead skin cells better than wet exfoliating, leaving the skin smoother, tighter, and with more glow. Start at the feet, working your way up with firm strong strokes, then moisturize after you shower. Repeat once a week.
05. Go Easy On Soda And Salt These things will bloat you so stay away from them. A simple trick to try if you have plans for the beach on the weekend is to cut back on your soda and salt by say, Wednesday, and by Saturday you should fine.
Sunscreen
06. Sunscreen The Nude Way Not only is it important to slather on sunscreen before you go to the beach, applying it in the nude ensures that you don’t miss a spot. Let it dry for 20 minutes before you put on your swimsuit.
Hair Removal Cream for Dry Skin VEET Beach Makeup
04. Bikini Line? No Problem
07. Easy On The Makeup
Waxing might be taxing for you especially if you don’t have one hour to spare at the spa. Have no fear, simply use a depilatory cream; a good and easy-to-find brand to try is Veet.- it should only take you about 10 minutes. You can choose the one that best suits your skin type. If you don’t have 10 minutes then try shaving. Venus Woman Razor GILLETTE
When it comes to makeup for the beach, less is more. A lot of girls make the mistake of wearing mascara and end up with raccoon eyes. You want to scale back your makeup to a sheer foundation, luminizer for cheekbones and eyelids, cream blush, and SPF lip balm. These should be applied 30 minutes after your sunscreen.
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VOL 1 NO.17 • JUNE 06 – JUNE 12, 2021
websights DOWNTOWN
Naomi Osaka’s Plea For Tranquility Not Racket
BY KEHINDÉ FAGBULE
Tennis’s Golden Girl Grew Some Balls As She Challenges Sports Media Coverage Amidst Mental Health Struggles
L
ife is guaranteed to get messy at intervals. Messy, despite being unique to individual experiences, frequently boils down to our mental state. It doesn’t care for finances, status or privileges, we all are bound to deal with at least one mental health challenge at some point in our lives. Oftentimes, we’ve seen wealthy affluent people share their struggles battling with anxiety, depression and other mental health trials. The latest in this series of wholesome repression is tennis champion Naomi Osaka. Here’s the timeline.
Not much to see with Piers Morgan, to be honest. A privileged white man doing what privileged white men do.
The Bold Type… Four days before her first match at the French Open in Paris, France, Naomi Osaka released a statement through her social media channels that she was going to be skipping the routine and contractual press conferences during the tournament. She cited mental health struggles such as anxiety as the reason behind her decision. organisers had asked Osaka to reconsider her position and tried unsuccessfully to speak with her to resolve the matter. “The Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open jointly wrote to her to check on her wellbeing and offer support, underline their commitment to all athletes’ well-being and suggest dialogue,” the statement read. “She was also reminded of her obligations, the consequences of not meeting them and that rules should equally apply to all players. “Naomi Osaka today chose not to honour her contractual media obligations. The Roland-Garros referee has therefore issued her a $15,000 fine.”
The Counter Clarity… Rafa Nadal, a 20-times Grand Slam winner, and women’s world number one, Ash Barty, have said they believe players have a duty to address the media. Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Mats Wilander, said on Sunday that Osaka should not play tournament tennis until she is ready to take part in post-match news conferences. “We have advised Naomi Osaka that should she continue to ignore her media obligations during the tournament, she would be exposing herself to possible further Code of Conduct infringement consequences,” the board said. “As might be expected, repeat violations attract tougher sanctions including default from the tournament ... and the trigger of a major offence investigation that could lead to more substantial fines and future Grand Slam suspensions.” This obviously brought a lot of attention to the 23-year old and she once again took to social media; only this time, to announce that she would be withdrawing from the competition.
Osaka’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This caused a lot of uproar online and most especially within the tennis world. It was a fairly unprecedented move. The Execution… Expected to win, she faced 63rd-ranked Patricia Maria Tig, the 2nd-ranked Japanese didn’t allow the online chatters to distract her as she calmly dispatched her opponent. With everyone on the edge of their seats, anticipating if she would stand by her words or flake, the Florida-based tennis sensation granted a court side interview still. Asked in her court-side interview about how she adapts her game to the surface, Osaka said: “It’s a work in progress. Hopefully, the more I play the better I play.” “I’m really glad that I won. It’s a beautiful court. I’ve only played two matches here (on Philippe Chatrier), one before the roof and one now, so hopefully I’ll keep it going.” However, she missed the even bigger press conference. The Backlash… Naomi Osaka was subsequently fined $15,000 by tennis’ Grand Slam organisers and warned of possible ejection from the French Open and suspension from future majors for skipping the news conference after her opening win at Roland Garros. The board of the four Grand Slams said in a statement on Sunday that the French Open
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Piers Tears… The renowned full-time bully who sometimes doubles as a British broadcaster, Piers Morgan, of course, had something to say. The 56-year-old finally took a quick break from continually bashing Meghan Markle to write a column and call out another black woman battling anxiety and depression, Naomi Osaka.
Still a long way to go with mental health conversations and the creation of a safe space for everyone in the world, however, a woman taking a stand against her employers to protest against an unsafe environment that she’s been subjected to with absolutely no regard for her mental wellbeing is something we wouldn’t have seen about a decade ago. We don’t know how this pans out for Naomi and we’ll be closely monitoring the development, but we wish her a swift recovery and seamless healing process.