THE NEXT 45 MINUTES

Hi Guys. Hmm what can i say? We are in August already. The eight month of the year. I cannot believe we are in the second half oft he year. I think this year is taking a 440. ah ah Kilode (WHAT IS IT?). Am sure we started the year with a lot of TO-Dos, I will take coke just once a year, i will exercise 30 minutes a day, I will start a blog .. and the list goes on and on. How many of these have been achieved so far? The second quarter of 2016 is GONE FOREVER In case you have not noticed. That is not to say however that you cannot achieve the things on your set goals if you put your mind to it.Here is just a reminder of the things to make those goals a reality.

Identify Your Goals
Before you go running off to measure your goals, take a minute to determine whether you can actually articulate what your goals are. I have covered this before, but your goals need to be sufficiently defined so that assigning measurable units to them has actual significance. The goal that’s been on my mind most recently is to keep my house clean. Sounds noble and hygienic, right? But there’s a reason that the “have a clean house” goal has been ever-elusive in my life — it’s not clearly articulated. What does a clean house mean? The bed made every day? All dishes always off the counter? No visible scuffs on the kitchen floor? You see what I mean.

Assign Each Goal a Measurable Unit

This might seem obvious, but it’s impossible to measure your goals if they aren’t framed in terms of a measurable unit. Every goal needs to be assigned both a measurable unit (to quantify success) and a unit of time (against which you’ll measure your success). Units of time can be terminal (a “one-time deal”), or they can be recurring. An example of a recurring unit of time goal might be helpful here. Take my clean house example, for instance — I’d first define what a clean house means to me. I might say, perchance, that a clean house is one that is dusted, vacuumed, and mopped. I would make a “chore chart” with all the key chores I felt amounted to a clean house. Then, I would assign a unit of time. I’m not overly zealous here, so let’s go with two weeks. I would know that hitting each of the tasks on my list (or 75% of them, or whatever I deemed a success) in the two-week time period would mean that I’d reached my goal. Two weeks later, I’d measure again.

Keep Up With Them

It is easier said than done. So its easy to quickly forget those goals especially if they are not written down. It is advisable to get back to them from time to time and tick off the achieved. Nobody is saying you must achieve all. As the Bible says, Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is only the counsel of the Lord that shall stand Prov 19:21. 

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

BLESSING IN DISGUISE

THE rank of unemployed Nigerians has swollen as over 3500 bank workers have been shown the way out within the first quarter of this year. According to the various bank managements, the recent personnel cut is aimed at cutting costs, shoring up performance, opening opportunities for new hands and enhancing service delivery.Since the completion of business combination between Access Bank and Intercontinental Bank; Ecobank and Oceanic Bank International; First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and Finbank; with the emergence of Access Bank, Ecobank and FCMB as core investors having consumed the three others, thousand of workers in the sector have been laid off.The conclusion of the mergers marked the end of recapitalization process, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi embarked upon since August 2009. Within the last few days, Nigerians have been inundated with reports of retrenchment in the nation’s banking sector. While Access Bank sacked 1,110 in January, Ecobank relieved over 1,850 of their jobs. Similarly, Enterprise Bank offered 140 staff whose performance fell below the satisfactory level an option to resign or be thrown out. Perhaps, this is  blessing in disguise. This is the time to look inwards and perhaps become CEOs. We have too many challenges that are begging for Solutions. In am not making jest of anyone. Perhaps, it is time to chase that dream, go on that vacation, go back to school, pursue your passion. Every misfortune is a blessing in disguise.Meanwhile, the ongoing mass sack in the nation’s banking sector has thrown the industry and Nigeria as a whole into a worse situation than it has faced, following the level of unemployment in the country, as most job seekers are by this reform worried about applying for jobs in the banking sector.Angered by the disengagement of staff, who were already out of the row of job seekers, many youths in the state have lamented the unfortunate reforms process that has added more ‘salt to injury’ and called on government’s immediate intervention in ensuring that the welfare of citizens are adequately taken care of, as no government would prefer to fold its arms and allow injustices being meted out on its citizens.

Have you done the #TheGBNChallenge today?

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

THE GOD BLESS NIGERIA CHALLENGE

It is time to be grateful in Nigeria. We have been through a lot. I mean if other countries were to go through what we are going through, they would probably be extinct.I saw this challenge online and i thought it was fantastic. We should try it too.

Dear People,
Day by day from power outage, bad road condition to fuel scarcity; we are faced with almost everything and everyone speaking negatively about Nigeria.
Life and death are in the power of the tongue and if everything is speaking negatively we can speak positivity into being.I appeal to you, let's fill the airwaves, social media and everywhere with positive declarations and blessing over Nigeria. I Invite you to take ‪#‎TheGodBlessNigeriaChallenge‬. It's simple.For the next seven days, boldly declare one thing you desire of a better Nigeria on every social media platform, tag at least seven friends per day and urge them to take the challenge too. Also make a deliberate conscious effort to say God Bless Nigeria seven times a day.
When you spend long hours in traffic rather than complain just say‪#‎GodBlessNigeria‬.
When you run out of fuel just say #GodBlessNigeria..
When you think about the unstable economy, exchange rate instability and all.. just say #GodBlessNigeria..
When 'PCHN takes your light' (Power Outage is oyinbo grammar lol).. Just stay #GodBlessNigeria.
Whenever anyone one comes to you to gist you or complain about anything concerning Nigeria, just say #GodBlessNigeria
When you hear all sorts about Nigeria on every media particularly those in the diaspora, just declare #GodBlessNigeria
I know it's a tough one and that's why it's called ‪#‎TheGBNChallenge‬ and i know you are upto the task
Remember America became great because for centuries everyone kept declaring 'God bless America'
Please use the ash tag #GodBlessNigeria and #TheGBNChallenge for all your social media daily posts
I start my day one..


I declare a corruption free Nigeria #GodBlessNigeria #TheGBNChallenge

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

THE NIGERIAN HEALTH SYSTEM

This is a primary health centre in Doka Village Nassarawa

Nigeria is Africa's biggest economy yet government spend on the health sector is low.15 years ago, the government promised to allocate 15% of its budget to the health sector. Currently, they allocate only 4.3%. Yet, everyday, 2000 Nigerian children and 158 women die because of poor access to basic health care. It is disheartening to know that we do not have adequate and well equipped medical centres for a large population as that of our dear country Nigeria. We just do not regard human life here.The change we seek for first starts with us. You go to the so called government hospitals and you get the worse care ever. The irony of this is that you should get the best care in such hospitals. Sometimes you do not have light, basic equipment are not in place, drugs are not provide. Its safe to say some hospitals are mortuaries. Sometimes, all a patient needs is some nurse smiling at you and you get well faster. You have people who until you bribe them; they dont work. I can recount the experience of one of my colleagues whose mother was in a certain government hospital at a time.My Gosh, her experience was horrible. The morale she said in the hospital was what contributed to her passing on (May her soul rest in peace). People were not just ready to work. Even if they were, they were bribed. Someone can be dead for days and they just for some reason refuse to carry the person. I can go on and on.No LIFE I mean no LIFE is superior to the other. Good Health Care is a myth right now in Nigeria and even if such exists, you pay through your nose. This is even worse in the rural areas. Some cannot even get to the primary health centers,some have to walk miles before care is given. It is only God that saves the poor in this country. Some more issues with our healthcare system include:

Same description with the picture above

• The structure of the healthcare system is poorly developed. This has caused it to suffer major setbacks, more especially at the local government levels.
• There is also no adequate surveillance of the system to check its effectiveness.
• Low Morale by government doctors. The system is suffering a major challenge as a result of low morale by government doctors. The doctors are majorly protesting over meager pay. The low morale is leading to low quality of medical service offered.
• While the system has done a lot to include many citizens in the insurance scheme, there are still many citizens who are not insured. This is considered to be a major setback for the healthcare system in Nigeria.

Still, the health indicators in Nigeria have remained below internationally-set benchmarks. At the moment the health sector in Nigeria is characterized by a lack of effective stewardship role of government, disjointed health service delivery, weak health infrastructure, insufficient and inefficient financing, and mal-distribution of health work force among key players.



All Images were taken from NAIJ.COM

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

THE NIGERIAN NELSON MANDELA

On December 5 2013, we lost a rare gem. One of the true leaders of our time.He fought apartheid with his last blood.According to Myles Munroe "True leadership must always lead to change". This he achieved in his life time and probably a life well spent. Where is the Nelson Mandela of Nigeria. Sam Adeyemi also quoted similar opinion “They need to develop vision; not only to see the country the way it is but the way it should be. They need to have a picture of a developed Nigeria and transfer the picture into the minds of the citizenry. Where there is no vision the people perish. We need to have the Nigeria of our dream ”. Some of the attributes of true leadership is:


Selflessness: Leadership is a position to serve not to be served. You are in that position to amass wealth for yourself.Leadership is all about service, passion and compassion for people. True leadership must be combined with competence and character.

Self-assessment: Effective leaders periodically take stock of their personal strengths and shortcomings. They ask: “What do I like to do? What am I really good at?” “What are my areas of weakness, and what do I dislike doing?”

Knowing your areas of weakness does not make you weak; on the contrary, it allows you to delegate to others who have those abilities, in order to achieve the common goal. Rather than clinging to the false belief that they can do it all, great leaders hire people who complement, rather than supplement, their skills. Working on your areas of weaknesses will improve your leadership ability – and recognizing them makes you more human.

Sharp perception: Do you know how people really perceive you? Effective leaders do. They have an easy level of honest communication with their teams and their peers, and a thorough understanding of how they are perceived. Testing others’ perception of you can be as simple as observing their behavior. Are your co-workers and team members relaxed around you? Does all conversation stop when you enter the room?

If you really want to know what people think, just ask them. You may receive feedback that you’re not listening or showing appreciation as well as you could be. If you’ve established an environment of honest and open communication, you should be able to ask about your good qualities and the areas you need to improve on. Your staff will appreciate your effort.

Responsive to the group’s needs: Being perceptive can also help a leader be more effective in knowing the needs of the team. Some teams value trust over creativity; others prefer a clear communicator to a great organizer. Building a strong team is easier when you know the values and goals of each individual, as well as what they need from you as their leader.

Knowing the organization: Effective leaders know the organization’s overall purpose and goals, and the agreed-upon strategies to achieve these goals; they also know how their team fits into the big picture, and the part they play in helping the organization grow and thrive. Full knowledge of your organization – inside and out – is vital to becoming an effective leader.

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

TRAIN UP YOUR CHILD

From when children are very small they learn a  lot from us. At a stage in their lives, they imitate everything and anything we do.I am presently reading a book on the 14 secrets to better parenting by Dave Earley. He reiterates the Bible's stance found in Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go so that when he is old, he will not depart from it". I think a lot of people have missed it because they have left God out of the Equation. The manual of your child's life is contained in the Bible.In as much as i do not want to sound overly spiritual, there is no denying that God is needed to raise up children.It requires wisdom and God is the true source of it.There are of course a thousand and one ways to raise a child but if we want Godly seeds after we are gone, here are a few ways to gotten from the book 14 secrets to better parenting:

1.Teach them to take Gods Word seriously. Prov 2:1-5. As a parent, we must act as role models for our children, monitor their Growth and encourage them when they feel weak. The way we treat Gods Word is the way God feels treated because he and his Word are one.For example, you can put a memory verse in their Lunch Box daily and tell them to recite to you when they are back. Also, while preparing dinner, you can teach your young one about the names of God and the meaning.Above all, teach them to apply the scriptures.

2.Lead them to know God personally.Prov 9:10. The Bible says "with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" . The greatest privilege is to lead them to know God for themselves. You will not be with them 24 hours of the day.It is want they have on the inside that will come forth during the days of trail.Not only should they know him personally, you should also monitor their growth.

3.Show them how to work Uprightly. Prov 16:6: Unconsciously, we always communicate to our children that the reward for wrong doing is punishment. This is not true. In as much as the punishment is part of it. Teach them that it is God that should be feared. teach them that there is a God in heaven even when mummy and daddy are not there sees all and records all our doings whether it be god or bad.It is the dreading of  sin itself and not just the punishment.

4.Guide them to humility. Prov 22:4: As much we teach them the right things, once in a while, they may err. You have to correct them in Love even when this happens. The Bible says  "the meek will he teach his ways. Humility comes when we put God as the center of our lives. We must not treat our kids as the center of the universe because only God deserves such accolade.

5.Teach them to respect authority Romans 13:1-7: Whether this be of God or man; teach them respect.If i cannot get my children to respect me they can see, how will they respect God they cannot see. We need to help our children respect all levels of human authority including parental,civic, vocational and spiritual authorities.

This piece is not just for those who just have kids biologically. You can find someone to mentor and impart. It never too late or too early to start implementing biblical parenting secrets. Why not start now? If we invest in our children now, The future generation will have to show for it.

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

THE TIGER IN THE WOODS

We sure remember the Tiger Wood Story. About his marriage i mean. Just recently, i read he is now World No 52. Few years Ago, he was World No 1. It is going to take time for him to get back into his golfing career. It must be painful that a man so gifted could be so human.The lessons of his travails and trip to purgatory are quite clear: men no matter how gifted are fallible after all. Public figures have no hiding places: Tiger Woods is the victim of tabloid scrutiny and of the greed of the women in his lives. But there are many ordinary men whose lives have gone from hero to zero. There are no perfect lives. Not even Woods': he is the old picture of a perfect husband and family man, with his wife and daughter hanging on to him as he won the Majors. This Tiger could not resist returning to the wild of the woods. Man is deceptive.We judge people so easily. Judging is something we do sometimes without thinking. I am most guilty of that.When we realise that we are to treat others the way we will want to be treated, the world will be a more caring place.

• Monitor your thoughts.Think about what you thinking about. I often go along thinking things about other people, judging them, and I don't even realize it. I'm going to work on paying more attention to my thoughts and do my best to push them in a positive direction

• Look for the positive. People cant be totally bad.There must be a good in them .God did not create us to be bad. Judgments are negative. There is almost always something positive you can find in someone or something. While my mind might immediately focus on the negative, I can push my thoughts in a more positive direction and look for something nice to say. And, of course, if you can't find something nice to say, don't say anything at all.

• Avoid stereotyping. Stereotypes are never, ever good. I really try to avoid them, but I know I don't always. As I said above, they really create a lot of negativity in the world and I know I don't want to be a part of that. I want to work on recognizing stereotypes and working to avoid them at all costs. There is no need for them in my life.

• Stop judging yourself. It's not all that easy to do, but the more we judge ourselves, the more we'll judge others. I judge myself a lot and I need to work on that. I need to focus on the positive aspects of me and then it will be a lot easier to focus on the positive aspects of others. There's no reason to be so hard on myself and I'm going to really, really work on this one.

• Focus on your own life. When all else fails and judgments are hard to push away, focus on yourself. Don't worry about what other people are doing/wearing/etc. Think about your own life. Focus on what you want and go after it. When you're trying to avoid your own problems, it's easy to criticize others. Don't. Think about you and focus on the good things.

• Remember how it feels. Remember how it feels to be judged. AND remember how it felt the last time you judged someone else. It doesn't feel good to judge or to be judged so put an end to it right now. I'm going to work on remember these feelings the next time I feel like a negative thought about someone else is cropping up.

I will like to end with this quote "Those who spend their time looking for the faults in others usually make no time to correct their own -Art Jonak. Do not just others because they sin differently from you. Leave God to it who is the ultimate Judge.

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

WE ARE OUR PROBLEM

Ouch! but that is the bitter truth.Taking a look at Nigeria, you will notice that we are the cause of our woes. What do i mean by this?Corruption starts from us. If the Civil servant refuses to collect bribe, nobody will be able to give it.Corruption still thrives because we have individuals or groups are still promoting it. All of a sudden, the Chibok girls are getting free. In as much as this is an answer to our prayers. But i think of it this way. The sponsor(s) of Boko Haram do not have money to steal from the government any longer to supply food stuffs for the girls.In turn, they captors can no longer cope therefore, they are churning them out gradually. That is just my thought though.Below are some of the ways i think we can curb corruption together.

1.The first tool is ‘education’. With the help of education we can reduce corruption. Look at the last election conducted in March 2015. We had some politicians giving out food stuff, irons, etc.If those people were educated, they will not sell their votes because of a bag of rice that will finish in a year at the most.Those who are uneducated do not know about the process, provisions and procedures through which they can get justice. Corrupt public servants try to make fool of them and often demands for bribe. It is due to unawareness in the field of law, public rights and procedures thereof that a common and an uneducated suffer out of the corrupt society. This suggests that if we are educated, we can understand our rights well.

2.We need to change the government processes. If the members of the governing body are government officials, there will certainly be less reports of the criminal cases. The reverse may be possible only when there are no more criminal politician in our government. The provision is that, if there is any case filed against a person then he would not be eligible for election. But if we see hundred politicians then about sixty percent of them would be criminal in nature. If these criminal politicians command us and make laws, what types of law would be formed, we can guess! Thus during election, we should keep in mind the person for whom we shall not vote.

3.We can reduce corruption by increasing direct contact between government and the governed. E-governance could help a lot towards this direction. In a conference on, “Effects of Good Governance and Human Rights” organized by  National Human Right Commission, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam gave an example of Delhi metro rail system and online railway reservation as good governance and said that all the lower courts should follow the explanation of the Supreme Court and High Court and make the judgments online. Similarly, Sivraj Patil said that the Right to information should be used for transparency. We have legal rights to know any information. According to this act, (Right to Information act 2005), generally people should follow the procedure of law given to then when their work is not being implemented in a proper way in public services. This act is a great help in the order to control corruption.

4.Lack of transparency and professional accountability is yet another big reason. We should be honest to ourselves. Until and unless we will not be honest, we can’t control corruption. If each of us is honest towards our profession, then corruption will automatically decrease. We need to pay attention towards professional accountability i.e., how much we are faithful and truthful towards our profession. Corruption may be controlled by handling five major professions: lekhpal, medical, revenue, police and judicial.

I pray God will raise up a Generation that will fight for Justice. A Generation that loves the right things and will not compromise. Sometime this week, Someone asked a question "when are we going to have our own Nelson Mandela, or Martin Luther King Jnr (May their souls rest in Peace)". People who are ready to die for this nation. I am ready to Die for Nigeria. Are you?

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

TO STRIKE OR NOT

After several dinlindalis *in Frank Donga's voice* over strike or no strike. Finally the Wabba Led faction insisted on embarking on the strike despite the court injunction not to. The Ajaero Faction saw reason with the Federal government and the strike was cancelled on their part. The Bible is so complete. It stated that a house divide against itself cannot stand.This clearly shows in this case.The strike is not functional because of this reason.How on earth am i supposed to listen to people who saying "come and be going" (forgive my English).Am I supposed to adhere to a strike that is not even co-ordinated? Nigerian workers woke up today and headed straight to work just like any other day despite the proposed strike action threatened by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over the federal government’s removal of fuel subsidy and consequent rise in pump price from N86 to N145. Social commentators and our ever ready social media influencers have reflected the citizens’ apathy towards a stay at home action noting that the NLC has since lost its credibility and moral justification to call for a stay at home action.After feeling the people’s pulse about the ‘strike’ over the last few hours, we give you five (5) reasons why Nigerians are not moved by the NLC:

They bailed out on civil society: This is a function of trust. Nobody trusts the NLC leadership anymore. Not after abandoning thousands of protesters at Ojota Park in 2012 during the ‪#‎OccupyNigeria‬protests. Rumour has it that the then NLC leadership had secretly struck a deal with former president, Goodluck Jonathan to abandon the cause and move on. And move on they did.

They have internal crises – 2 factions: The NLC is not operating a united front. While the Joe Ajaero faction of the Labour organisation is striking an agreement with the Buhari government, the Ayuba Wabba faction keeps insisting on a total strike. This incoherent approach has effectively weakened Labour’s resolve, making nonsense of their threat.

The government is trusted: Unlike what it was during the nationwide #OccupyNigeria protest, the tables appear to have been turned. Citizens did not trust Jonathan’s government to come through on its promise to activate palliative measures meant to alleviate the problems of the ordinary man and deploy money saved through the removal on massive infrastructural projects. On the other hand, President Muhammadu Buhari is currently riding on a wave of goodwill with an approval rating that shows no signs of abating. The NLC is playing itself if it believes it’s in a position to win this integrity war. It is not.

The legislators agree: For the first time in a while, several members of the National Assembly are in agreement with the decision of the federal government to yank of the subsidy. Yes, there was a rowdy session on Monday in the House during Emmanuel Kachikwu’s appearance at the Lower Chambers to defend the government’s decision to remove fuel subsidy but majority of the legislators have thrown their weight behind the removal.

Citizens are strike weary: Nigerians just want to give the NLC a taste of what they got in 2012 by ignore a strike action and moving on with their lives. Pres. Buhari’s administration has not delivered on its campaign promises as regard revamping the economy and more, but citizens are willing to see how far he can go – especially as the 2016 Budget has just been passed. The NLC may mean well, but we believe this is a good time for them – and Dino Melaye – to wake up and smell the coffee.

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

ONE MATCH AT A TIME...

It is no longer news that Barcelona is the crowned King of  Spain.Whoop whoop. Ok am just a Barcelona fan by marriage but i want to share something i have learnt. Just like the main aim of venturing into a competition is to earn a trophy or even win cash. Am sure this is at the back of every coach's mind and even every player at that. You must take it one match at a time. Win every match and you will find yourself at the top just like in the case of  football. Each match presents it own challenges and opportunities.

1.Plan: As the cliche says "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail". You must prepare and prepare hard  Diego Simeone says : Play like you have  a knife to your teeth. Give it every thing you got. Go through past matches, learn from your mistakes. Do whatever works for your team.

2. Focus On The Present:Yes you may have lost  several matches, you may even be up for relegation.When athletes allow their focus of concentration to jump ahead to the future, or drift back to the past, the result is always an increase in their nervousness. If you want to stay cool and calm in the clutch, then you have to train yourself to keep your focus in the NOW — especially during your games, matches or races! This means that leading up to the performance, you don’t want to think about and focus on the upcoming competition and its importance. If you want to play loose and relaxed, you must learn to keep your concentration in the now. When you’re in the action, you want to focus on one present-moment play at a time.

3. A Game Is Won In The Mind First:When today’s game is over, start preparing mentally for next week’s match-up. Mental preparation for a football game includes skills such as visualizing success, eliminating distractions, improving your mental toughness, and staying positive.

4 Relax:Performing your best under pressure means that you have to be having fun. Fun is the secret ingredient to staying calm and doing your best when the heat of competition is turned up high. If you make a game, match or race too important, if you put too much pressure on yourself, if you get too serious, then you’ll start getting nervous and your game will do a major disappearing act. When fun goes, so too will all of your game skills. If you really want to perform well, then you have to get into the game, enjoy the tournament, embrace the challenge from a tough opponent, have fun with your friends before, during and after the game!

#LETUSTALKIGERIA

WAZOBIA

GOD, in His infinite wisdom, made our dear country a rainbow collection of tribes and tongues. The rainbow in the sky is a thing of beauty. But we seem blind to the beauty in our rainbow collection of tribes and tongues. Instead, we find mutual suspicion, hate and fear in other tongues and tribes. Consequently, several parts of our country are today convulsed in inter and intra-ethnic conflicts leading to loss of lives as well as the destruction of private and public property. The gun is beginning to rule and ruin our country.

There is no doubt that one of the factors militating against progress and development of this country is tribalism and ethnicity. Right from the time of independence to this period, our problem as a nation has been that of tribal and ethnic considerations in our everyday life. Many have preached on the need to break the ethnic problem in Nigeria; different programmes have been initiated but they ended as theoretical exercises.Genuine democratic culture has been difficult to entrench in this country because of ethnicity and tribalism. What every Nigerian is extremely conscious of is the importance of tribalism in politics. This consciousness is pervasive because administrative units, such as “states’’ and local government areas, are mapped out according to tribes. Admission into institutions of learning and distribution of national wealth, are conducted by ethnic considerations.

Never you can never marry my daughter. What state did  you say you are from again.i cannot bare to have my grandchild from so so so state.You either hear that or the generalizations. All Yorubas like party,Hausas are selfish better put "the average Hausa man is selfish" .I can go on and on. Am wondering why we cannot all live hapilly despite  the differences. No one came with a choice of culture. I mean we did not even choose our parents.The Bible says "there is neither jew nor greek.we are all one in christ" .The major cause of the issues we have in Nigeria is as a result of intolerance.You hear things lIke The north has produced 5 presidents.its time for a zoning. Its time for the Igbos.As far the person is working, who cares about where he or she is from.We are FIRST humans before any other thing.
Look at major issues we have had in the past. Fulani Herds men killing is the latest demon roaring its ugly head. United we stand,divided we fall.the more we begin to dig differences and show intolerance, the more we fall apart.

Disclamier: I have gotten some of the references online.Not all written here is original

#LETUSSAVENIGERIA

GIVE US LIGHT

Lately, it has been hot as hell. I never been there and i do not wish anyone goes there not me either!. The description in the Bible says it all. Finally! the rain came to the rescue since NEPA has decided to treat us otherwise. Just like i mentioned in my previous post. Nigeria wastes about $7billion in gas flaring which is enough to power Africa. Did you even know that Gas Flaring is illegal? Let us quickly go down the memory lane on Gas Flaring. It is common knowledge that the economy is substantially dependent and more dedicated to exploration of oil than it is to gas, several deposits of gas have been discovered around oil wells in Nigeria but because of the past failure of the government to focus and explore the many other natural resources which the country possesses, the gas industry has been practically frustrated and nearly abandoned over the years. Thus, leading to a loss of revenue in a sector where there is a likelihood of otherwise generating more revenue. It is however worthy to note that whilst statistics may not be accurate, the quantity of gas flared in Nigeria exceeds over 40% of the gas flared annually across Africa. Apart from economic waste being a consequence of gas flaring, flared gas is also known to contain toxic substances which cause respiratory diseases and air pollution, leading to depletion of the ozone layer, ultimately having an adverse effect on weather and climate. That being said, there are ways of improving electricity. I have listed some below which i got form different sources.

Expansion of the Energy Mix for Electricity Generation
For enhanced security of electricity supply there is the urgent need for expanding energy sources, from gas and large hydro to gas, hydro, solar energy, wind energy, biomass/biofuels, coal and nuclear. The new power plants can be built on the basis of public-private partnerships. The Government would then divest its involvement after some years in line with the current policy of getting the private sector to handle generation and distribution systems. Many advanced countries, along with the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Energy Commission of Nigeria, will guide the development of the large-scale renewable energy-based power plants. The Ministry of Mines and Steel Development would guide the development of clean coal power plants, while the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nigeria Atomic Energy Agency would guide the development of the nuclear power plants.Projects of the embedded generator type should be vigorously promoted at distribution networks to close the gap in local demand and supply of electricity. One way of doing this is to invite investors to be part of pre-packaged pilot projects in all the distribution companies. State governments should take interest in embedded generation, as is already the case in Lagos State.It is observed that despite the government’s proclaimed desire to deploy renewable energy sources (RES) in the nation’s energy mix, there is no supporting legislation to support the stated position. Government, rather, advocates “some limited involvement” in financing renewable energy technologies, mainly in the form of differential wholesale tariffs rather than direct capital injections. Government should as a matter of urgency embrace the current trend where many developing and emerging economies are vigorously promoting renewable energy efforts through direct policy initiatives and incentives.

Expanding and Strengthening the National Grid and Improvement of Distribution Systems
The national grid is weak and fragile and cannot manage more than 7,000 MW, on completion of the on-going National Integrated Power Projects (NIPPs), for distribution to consumers. There is urgent need for the grid to be regionalized and privatized to enable the new owners to strengthen and expand the grid in line with the dictates of their respective zones.A large part of the existing transmission system is old, unreliable and unstable, with limited redundancy, which results in frequent customer outages at the transmission level. Government should facilitate and encourage the private sector to significantly improve the transmission capacity to deliver power to end users.On distribution, it should be noted that the Federal Government, in line with the stipulation of the Electricity Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005, should maximize access to electricity by consumers. The target should be to ensure that there is a distribution mains supply within a distance of 1 km to any consumer cluster in Nigeria.

Provision of Fuels for New Power Plants
Expansion of the energy mix for new power plants will require special efforts that will call for the development of new gas fields as well as the development of both open cast and underground coal mines. There is also the need for development of both large and small farms for the production, on the one hand, of the feedstocks for biomass/biofuels power plants and, on the other hand, agro-allied industries for processing the feedstocks.The sustainable way of doing this is to entice the organized private sector through pragmatic policies and legislations. This initiative will lead to the creation of thousands of job opportunities for unemployed Nigerians. It will also promote inter-ministerial cooperation as it will involve Ministries of Agriculture, Petroleum Resources, Power as well as Mines and Steel Development.

Passage of the National Energy Policy into Law

The National Energy Policy, which was approved in 2003, along with the National Energy Masterplan that was produced in 2007, should be updated and passed into law. This is because the two energy planning documents have many cross-cutting issues pertinent to electricity, such as the scenario-based energy demand and supply projections and electricity generation expansion plans. The new legal documents will ensure the mainstreaming of the electricity development plans into the overall national development plans.

It is not my intention to confuse you with all the grammar. It is just sad that we have these resources both human and financial yet we have people who sabotage the good intentions of some of our leaders. This year i promise you will not be a good year for them, We are going to pray them out. Alleleuyah!. Let us take learnings form other countries and import them if they work for us. Nigeria WAS great. It WILL still be GREAT AGAIN.


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I LOVE NIGERIA

I love Naija, No be lie. Hmmmm.. I really do not want to concentrate on the Saraki Saga, Fuel Crisis, Budget passage etc. I know it is very hard to be thankful for things especially during this time. But trust me Nigeria could have been worse than this if God had not been on our side. The Bible says we should pray for the peace of Jerusalem for those that love it. As much as possible, this blog is set to bring out the positive sidea of Nigeria and how we can better ourselves to be a positive influence on others.

Love God.Love Nigeria.Pray for us.We really need prayers.i think am really out of words for today.

Just before i leave the page.who has been feeling this heat of late? I have something about electricity to talk about. Nigeria wastes about $7billion in gas flaring.This is enough to power Africa.

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WHERE YOU AT?

Hi Guys. Hmm what can i say? It is the 15th day of April. I think this year is taking a 440. ah ah Kilode (WHAT IS IT?). Am sure we started the year with a lot of TO-Dos, I will take coke just once a year, i will exercise 30 minutes a day, I will start a blog .. and the list goes on and on. How many of these have been achieved so far? The first quarter of 2016 is GONE FOREVER In case you have not noticed. That is not to say however that you cannot achieve the things on your set goals if you put your mind to it.

Identify Your Goals

Before you go running off to measure your goals, take a minute to determine whether you can actually articulate what your goals are. I have covered this before, but your goals need to be sufficiently defined so that assigning measurable units to them has actual significance. The goal that’s been on my mind most recently is to keep my house clean. Sounds noble and hygienic, right? But there’s a reason that the “have a clean house” goal has been ever-elusive in my life — it’s not clearly articulated. What does a clean house mean? The bed made every day? All dishes always off the counter? No visible scuffs on the kitchen floor? You see what I mean.

Assign Each Goal a Measurable Unit

This might seem obvious, but it’s impossible to measure your goals if they aren’t framed in terms of a measurable unit. Every goal needs to be assigned both a measurable unit (to quantify success) and a unit of time (against which you’ll measure your success). Units of time can be terminal (a “one-time deal”), or they can be recurring. An example of a recurring unit of time goal might be helpful here. Take my clean house example, for instance — I’d first define what a clean house means to me. I might say, perchance, that a clean house is one that is dusted, vacuumed, and mopped. I would make a “chore chart” with all the key chores I felt amounted to a clean house. Then, I would assign a unit of time. I’m not overly zealous here, so let’s go with two weeks. I would know that hitting each of the tasks on my list (or 75% of them, or whatever I deemed a success) in the two-week time period would mean that I’d reached my goal. Two weeks later, I’d measure again.

Keep Up With Them

It is easier said than done. So its easy to quickly forget those goals especially if they are not written down. It is advisable to get back to them from time to time and tick off the achieved. Nobody is saying you must achieve all. As the Bible says, Many are the plans in a man's heart but it is only the counsel of the Lord that shall stand Prov 19:21. 


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KACHIKWU FUEL IS COMING THIS WEEKEND

It will be great injustice if this blog is about all things Nigeria and i do not talk about the persistent long fuel queue at petrol stations. So the cycle starts this way. Be on the queue a day before.Probably even pack overnight or sleep in the vehicle and you may still be going to work. This is the irony of my dear Country. We have the raw product but never sought to develop it. Sometimes, I ask myself what could really be the problem with the black race? Will this have happened in the hands of the White Men? Is our problem more spiritual than lack of common sense? and of course, Trust Nigerians the most impatient people i know. already regretting what they voted change into Power. Our short mindedness allows block the ray of hope. Just like a woman in labour. the time when the pain is the hardest is when the baby is about to come.Just like a popular song writer in Nigeria once sang "Suffering & Smiling" In the words of Ibe Kachikwu “Hopefully by tomorrow (today) and Thursday, the fuel queues in Abuja should be over. Hopefully, the same thing will happen in Lagos, and thereafter by the weekend, we should see Kano, Katsina, Sokoto, Port Harcourt and Warri get off the queue list.”With these words yesterday, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, reassured the nation that the lingering fuel scarcity would be a forgotten hardship by the end of the week.An indication that the minister’s promise may come to pass was that a stock of 320 million litres of petrol was being distributed across the country yesterday."

Well this is good news. However, how long will his last. What long-term plans do we have in place. To stop queues from recurring, Kachikwu explained that Nigeria must bring back strategic reserves that could host between 60 and 90 days sufficiency. “First is the fact that our strategic reserve has not been in place in this country for over 20 years. We need to bring back strategic reserve that is between 60 and 90 days sufficiency so that we can restore fully whenever there is shortage in any part of the country. We also need to find an allocation of resources because, for the first time, I have been able to convince oil majors to allocate forex to the downstream players when they bring in products,” he said.

I pray that all those that have good intentions for this country will see it come to pass but those that think otherwise,hmmmmmm......

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ONE DAY YOU ARE GOING TO DIE

My people. Happy Easter in Arrears. Mine was great. I got to bond with my son which was fantastic. There are lot of awkward things people do not like to talk about.Some of which may include sex, prosperity,etc This discussion today was informed by a friend who lost her mum. Death is one event that most people plan for. I mean it can happen to the young,middle aged or old. The prayer though is that we will die at old age.However awkward this discussion may be. I want to give some insights on how  we can prepare for this eventual event if God tarries and manage it as well. Am not a death expert and its not like everything i list out on here is the procedure to follow. This life is not that hard. The longest any man lived is 969. This cannot be compared to eternity that has no end.

Firstly, Forgive Quickly. Forgiveness is one process that keeps your mind  and conscience clear. This one can be challenging for the many of us who have been wronged and/or who have experienced traumas perpetrated by other people in our lives. Jimmy Ohm always says, “forgiveness does not mean that what happened was ok, it just means you no longer want to carry the pain.” When we hold on to anger, resentment and fear towards people, they are actually occupying a space inside of us, blocking us from feeling truly happy and fulfilled. Then  Love Easily. This can truly and deeply be does if you know Christ. The Bible says how can you love me if you do not love the people you see(paraphrased). Because left to the flesh, it wants to envy, kill, be wicked to others especially when they have done things to hurt us. Don't forget to Always Be Grateful. No matter where they are or what they are doing, happy people recognize that they always have something to be grateful for. Research in the field of Positive Psychology has shown that people who practice gratitude are happier, less stressed and less depressed! Happy people can easily find gratitude in the world around them, whether they are looking at the cracks in the pavement in the concrete jungle or the sun setting over the ocean. It is possible to find gratitude even in smallest of things, like a delicious meal, a good book, a challenging yoga class, or a smile from a stranger on the street.
Each of us has a choice on how we focus our attention. Choosing to focus on gratitude for the beauty and uniqueness of life instead the stressors and problems will make you feel happier and more relaxed.
Smile.

No matter what you amount to in this life, we have just a few days to live. Don't forget that Death is sure and there is an after life.

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MADE IN NIGERIA

I have decide to take a detour on my series on colour and what they mean. There has been renewed talk lately about the need for Nigerians to patronize locally made goods, (someone should have added… and services!). Championed by Senator Ben Murray Bruce, and supported by the Senate President Bukola Saraki, the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hajia Aisha Abubakar and a large crowd of online campaigners, so much ink, saliva, and emotions have been invested in this old, and perhaps boring story.

The first lesson is that we need to truly encourage the transformation of Nigeria into a primary, productive market, and not a secondary market for the dumping of goods. We may be celebrating the fact that some Nigerians are making the effort to produce goods locally, but really how much of that local production is local? I can bet that the leather that is used for the shoes we are being encouraged to buy is not produced in Nigeria. Our local entrepreneurs import leather, manage to produce something labeled Nigerian, when in fact the entire value chain could have been truly local? 

The second lesson has to do with quality and standards. The recent debate has been about indigenous patronage as a test of patriotism. I don’t think that is the right focus. People like quality. In a capitalist system, they will make their own decisions and choices with the capital at their disposal. And we shouldn’t be talking as if Nigerians should produce made in Nigeria goods to be consumed only by Nigerians, whether good or bad. The vision, consistent with the ambition of the authors of the country’s various development plans, is to produce world-class products inside Nigeria. What we have seen is that locally made goods often fall short of international standards. They lack the competitive edge.It is good to buy Aba-made, but our ladies who are used to Hermes and Louis Vuitton are not likely to trade their designer bags for Nnamdi bags, except the latter can compete and become a global brand. It has been reported that many Nigerian goods sent for export are often rejected overseas, for such simple reasons as packaging or basic standards. No amount of patriotism can by-pass that. We have a Standards Organisation of Nigeria and an Export Promotion Council: what is the synergy between them and the various SMEs striving to break into the export market?

The third lesson is that government must just make up its mind about this whole thing about the diversification of the Nigerian economy. It is not the responsibility of one government or administration; it is a process that should move Nigeria from being a democracy observing electoral commission rituals, into a developmental state. We were almost there under the military quite ironically, but then the military also lost it due to bad attitudes.Once upon a time in this country form the stories i have heard, there was regular electricity, manufacturing companies, both local and foreign thrived, salaries and pensions were paid as at when due, potable water was available, the leaders sounded as if the Nigerian people and their welfare were important and there was a suffocating vision of Nigeria being the “giant of Africa”.

I have made up my mind to be part of the solution rather than be part of the problem campaigners. I consider that to be a subject in the heart of the future. What needs to be done is before our very eyes, but its starting point must include the education system. Very few parents these days still buy the services provided by Nigerian schools, the private ones that receive better patronage train the children to end up in foreign schools including schools in Ghana and Benin Republic. Nobody is training quality artisans either, because all the Government Technical Colleges of old have been shut down and many of our young men are more interested in kidnapping and riding okada. So, where are the critical young men and women and institutions to drive the renewal we seek? The matter is so complex; it is the reason I don’t envy anyone who is President of Nigeria.

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THE COLOUR PINK

There is a general belief that Pink is for ladies. It somewhat  represents the period between childhood and adulthood-The Innocent Period. The Period before reality.Just like you have them in the dream land. This color represents compassion, nurturing and love. It relates to unconditional love and understanding, and the giving and receiving of nurturing.Pink calms and reassures our emotional energies, alleviating feelings of anger, aggression, resentment, abandonment and neglect. Studies have confirmed that exposure to large amounts of pink can have a calming effect on the nerves and create physical weakness in people. Violent and aggressive prisoners have been successfully calmed by placing them in a pink room for a specified amount of time. Exposure for too long can have the opposite effect.A combination of red and white, pink contains the need for action of red, helping it to achieve the potential for success and insight offered by white. It is the passion and power of red softened with the purity, openness and completeness of white. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exhibits.Pink is feminine and romantic, affectionate and intimate, thoughtful and caring. It tones down the physical passion of red replacing it with a gentle loving energy.Pink is intuitive and insightful, showing tenderness and kindness with its empathy and sensitivity.In color psychology, pink is a sign of hope. It is a positive color inspiring warm and comforting feelings, a sense that everything will be okay.The color pink puts people in touch with the nurturing side of themselves, through either the need to receive or the need to give, nurturing and TLC (tender loving care!). Be aware of this if you have a friend who constantly wears pink as it may indicate a need for acceptance, support and unconditional love! Pink is a non-threatening color seeking appreciation, respect and admiration. It doesn't like to be taken for granted and just loves to hear the words 'thank you'.Pink can signify good health, being 'in the pink', and success as in 'everything's rosy'.The color pink represents the sweetness and innocence of the child in all of us. It is the color of uncomplicated emotions, inexperience and naiveté. A constant and exclusive use of pink can often lead you to become immature, silly and girlish, abandoning your adult responsibilities.Pink can also remind you of earlier childhood memories, associated with nurturing and comfort from your mother or a mother figure.

Pink, from a negative color meaning, can represent a lack of will power, a lack of self-reliance and a lack of self-worth. It can indicate an overly emotional and overly cautious nature.Combining pink with other darker colors such as dark blue, dark green, black or gray, adds strength and sophistication to pink.

The Color Pink Represents:

1. Unconditional love: Pink relates to both unconditional love and romantic love.
2. Compassion: Empathy and understanding are the fuel for pink's nurturing.
3. Nurturing: Pink is both the giving and the receiving of love, understanding and respect.
4. Hope: Pink inspires the possibility of a positive outcome.

Effects of the Color Pink:

1. Calming: Pink calms our emotional energies.
2. Non-threatening: Pink lacks any aggression or anger, although the deeper pinks can be more assertive and confident.
3. Affectionate: Pink offers warmth and tenderness to friends and family.
4. Caring: Sensitivity and tender loving care relate to pink's feminine and intuitive energies.
5. Immature: Pink is the color of the sweet young girl, before life's experiences take over

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THE COLOUR GREEN

Green with envy is a common phrase and a negative reaction to the colour green. However, green has its positive sides too. I am going to be doing series on colours. What they mean and how they can impact our lives to be better people. Perhaps, it may help us obey the traffic lights better...lol. That Aside, It is the color of balance and harmony. It is not a coincidence that the Nigerian flag is green white green.  From a color psychology perspective, it is the great balancer of the heart and the emotions, creating equilibrium between the head and the heart. From a meaning of colors perspective, green is also the color of growth, the color of spring, of renewal and rebirth. It renews and restores depleted energy. It is the sanctuary away from the stresses of modern living, restoring us back to a sense of well being. This is why there is so much of this relaxing color on the earth, and why we need to keep it that way.Green is an emotionally positive color, giving us the ability to love and nurture ourselves and others unconditionally. A natural peacemaker.

It loves to observe, and therefore relates to the counselor, the good listener, the social worker. It loves to contribute to society. It is the charity worker, the good parent and the helpful neighbor.

Being a combination of yellow and blue, green encompasses the mental clarity and optimism of yellow with the emotional calm and insight of blue, inspiring hope and a generosity of spirit not available from other colors.This is a color that has a strong sense of right or wrong, inviting good judgment. It sees both sides of the equation, weighs them up, and then usually takes the moral stand in making appropriate decisions. On the negative side, it can be judgmental and over-cautious.

Green promotes a love of nature, and a love of family, friends, pets and the home. It is the color of the garden lover, the home lover and the good host.

It is generous and loves to share, but it also looks for recognition. It is friendly and can keep confidences.

This color relates to stability and endurance, giving us persistence and the strength to cope with adversity.

Green is the color of prosperity and abundance, of finance and material wealth. It relates to the business world, to real estate and property. Prosperity gives a feeling of safety to green.

On the negative, the color green can be possessive and materialistic, with a need to own people and things.

Green represents:

Harmony and balance: Green is the great balancer of our mental, emotional and physical energies which is why there is so much green on our planet. Green is the heart centre of the body.

Growth: As in nature, green leaves are an indication the plant is still growing.

Hope: Green is the anticipation of things to come.

Effects Of Green:

Rejuvenating: The color green revitalizes us when we are physically, mentally or emotionally exhausted.It rained today so am guessing this year is a green year.lol

Nurturing: Because of its link with the heart, green urges us to nurture others. Green is also nurturing to us - another reason why it is the most predominant colour on earth.

Dependable, agreeable and diplomatic: The color green helps us to see situations clearly from all sides.

Possessiveness: Green is a color that encourages us to want to own things and people, to collect and possess. Green encourages materialism.

Envy:Green with envy' is a common phrase and a negative reaction to the color green.

We can infer that People who love green can balance things properly. Also they don't judge easily because they like to hear both sides of the story before they form an opinion. So, pick the positive sides of the colour green. Let me end with this song from TY BELLO "The Land is green Its green ohh oh oh. The Land is green is green can't you see. The harvest is ready cos the Lord of the harvest told me so. Its green its green for me"

Sources:

http://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/

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