Everyone in Kenya is corrupt,even grandmothers

When the African press reported last month that Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, not a leader known for his austere spending habits, had warned his generals against allowing his country to become "like Nigeria and Kenya, where you have to reach into your pocket to get anything done," the reaction in East Africa’s biggest economy was one of derision. Kenya’s collective scorn, however, was not aimed at Mugabe. It was directed inward. "The truth is bitter," ran a typical comment on Standard newspaper website.
"You know you are in trouble when a fellow thief accuses you of stealing!" said another. "Everyone is corrupt in Kenya, even grandmothers," lamented another.
 As the Jubilee administration, which triumphed in Kenya’s 2013 elections, passes its one-year mark, public perceptions and media priorities appear to be undergoing a fundamental shift. The obsession with the cases brought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, in connection with Kenya’s 2007-2008 post-election violence, is subsiding as the likelihood of Kenyatta facing trial slowly fades.

FACTS ABOUT THE YORUBA CULTURE

The Yoruba people are one of the ethnic groups of southwestern Nigeria and southern Benin in West Africa. The Yorubas are a distinctive people who are bound together by a common language with various different dialects. They also share a rich history and culture.

Apart from Nigeria and Africa,Other populations with Yoruba influence howbeit not fluent in the language include Brazil, Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago. Brazil has the largest population of Yoruba culture.  

          According to Yoruba Mythology, the Yoruba people descended from the deity Ọodua or Ọduduwa.    Many historians however believe that Yoruba people migrated west from Ancient Kush or modern-day South Sudan.

• There are variations in the Yoruba dialect. The Ègbas, Ijẹbus and Ẹkitís all have advanced variations of the Yoruba language that other Yoruba groups may struggle to understand. The common (Oyo dialect of the) language is generally understood by all.

• Monarchy is the type of government practiced by the Yoruba people up till date. The Ọoni of Ife, Ọlu of Ibadan, Tìmí of Èdé are all functional monarchical titles in our modern day Nigeria. The monarch is called Ọbá or Kabiyesí

 .The ceremonial garb of the people is called aṣọ-ọke or ọfí.  The material of the aṣọ-ọke is woven into several shapes, colors and patterns. It is worn during ceremonies like weddings, burial, and chieftancy coronation. The women wear ìrọ and bubá (wrapper and blouse) while the men are clad in àgbada´ and ṣọkọtọ

•  Music is a very important aspect of the daily life of the people. The type of music played determines what an occasion is, and sets the tone for the day. The Ọba is usually followed and heralded by a group of praise singers and drummers. The drummers and percussion is used to pleasure the kings
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  ·         The staple food of the people include ìyán (pounded yam) amalá, ẹba (made with cassava flour), different types of fúfú. These meals are incomplete without the fusion of vegetable soup like ẹgusí and ẹfọ rìrọ.
  
  
• Polygamy has been practiced traditionally in the Yoruba culture, more so in the older generations. The communal spirit of the people fostered this type of marriage. The family unit is seen as the most important aspect of the society. Sometimes a man’s wealth is associated with the number of wives he has.

• Music is a very important aspect of the daily life of the people. The type of music played determines what an occasion is, and sets the tone for the day. The Ọba is usually followed and heralded by a group of praise singers and drummers. The drummers and percussion is used to pleasure the kings - See more at: http://yorubaculturalinstitute.org/main/facts-about-yoruba-people-and-culture/#sthash.k4aar5oX.dpuf

HOW TO ATTRACT YOUR DIVINE MARRIAGE PARTNER

For you to find your divine marriage partner has nothing to do with your looks, age or income.It is good to have those things but that should not be your main priorities.
In the book of Genesis 24:3-4 when it was time for Isaac to get married, Abraham sent his servant to his country with strict instruction to get a wife for his son.
He knew that God hated “unequal yoke” of marriage with unbelievers. Till today that is still the stand of God.You can decide to live and play by your own rules but you must also understand the principles of God concerning this topic.
How do you attract your divine marriage partner?
Matt 7:7
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you

 1. Write down what you want. Make a list of at least 25 characteristics you want your ideal partner to have. What's written can become real. While some things on your list can be negotiable, you should also include a few 'deal breakers.' These are things that you feel strongly about and could potentially cause a problem in your future relationship. For instance, if you know for sure you want to have kids, it doesn't make sense to plan a future with someone who is set on not having any children. 

 2. Increase your magnetism by becoming the type of person that will attract your ideal partner. For example, if you want someone who is fit, get fit yourself. If you want someone financially savvy, become savvy too. You can't expect to attract someone with the key qualities you desire if you can't offer those qualities in return. The focus shouldn't entirely be on what your partner will bring to the table. What will you bring to the table? Why should someone be attracted to you? Strive to be your best in all areas of your life. Explore your gifts and talents. Allow yourself to grow, change and mature. Don't waste time waiting for your life to change- - you change it. There are very few things that you need another person to help you accomplish.

 3. Be happy. Many people wrongly believe that when they find a partner, they'll be happy. The truth is, no one but you is responsible for your happiness. If your happiness is contingent upon others, you will never truly be satisfied.
Happiness is attractive. Out of the 75 males I surveyed, 100% of them listed a partner's personal happiness as an attractive quality. Have you ever met someone who was the life of the party or their presence just lit up a room? Everyone wants to be around that person. If it's not in your character to be extremely outgoing, that's OK. The point is to exude happiness, because it makes you much more approachable. An inviting smile can give an interested onlooker the green light to come say "hi.

 4. Adopt an attitude of gratitude. One sure-fire way to increase your happiness is by becoming grateful for what you already have. Find the silver lining in every situation in your life. Maybe you're grateful for past relationships because they helped you get clarity on what you really want in a partner. You can be grateful to wake up each day with an opportunity to meet someone new. When you show appreciation, you attract more goodness into your life.
You can also be grateful for what is to come by making a list of things your future partner does. Examples include, "I'm grateful my mate notices what I'm wearing and compliments me," or "I'm grateful they send me fresh flowers just because." One of my clients wrote this exact line in her journal, and within only 22 days she met someone who started sending her flowers with notes that read, "Just because..."

5. Pray.If you don't know how to pray,you will marry the wrong person.when you have a deep relationship with God,he will direct you to the right person.if a man finds a wife,he has gotten he has gotten great favour from God.how do you find,you search.it is in the midst of prayer that you are directed to the person that you have been divinely directed to marry.don't forget,after hell fire,the next hell on earth is bad marriage

Social implication of drug abuse

Who is to blame?

The impact of drug abuse among Nigerian youth has been a stigma of a morally bankrupt, decadent and wasted generation that must be revitalized and collectively salvaged together in order to prevent the total degeneration and loss of our societal values and ideals. What is the brain behind our rotten society via the Nigerian youth: DRUG ABUSE. We cannot all sit on the fence and criminally pretend on the menace of drug abuse that has eaten very deep into the fabrics of our society.
What do we mean by the term DRUG ABUSE? Drug abuse may be defined as the "arbitrary" over dependence or misuse of one particular drug with or without a prior medical diagnosis from qualified health practitioners. Majority of the Nigerian youths ignorantly depend on one form of drug or the other for their various daily activities - social, educational, political, moral, etc. etc.
There are many factors that contribute to the influence of drug abuse or drug addiction among the Nigerian youths, namely peer groups, parental background (broken home), emotional stress among others.
Firstly, peer groups is a form of societal influence on the affected youths. For example, a friend can be greatly influenced to be a drug addict if allowed to interact with drug addicts - young and old. He can be tempted on one fateful day to join the bad wagon of drug addicts, thereby gradually ruining his career in life. Getting hooked to a particular drug is like a gradual process that will reach a climax.
Dangerous drugs like cocaine, Indian hemp (marijuana), morphine, heroine, tobacco, ephedrine etc. etc. Some of these dangerous drugs are both represants and stimulants, making the users either to feel high (on top of the world!) or low (below the sea level!) since there is a common adage which says "Show me your friend and I will tell you who you are." Our youth need to be fully re-oriented with respect to this social evil. For example, in our contemporary society, some groups of boys might be shy and afraid to "approach" or woo beautiful female damsels to their side, they might result to taking hard drugs that can "pull them" up and summon courage and talk to such girls. But why this barbaric method of toasting? Really, some boys even believe strongly in drinking alcoholic drinks as their own crude method.
The sociological implications of drug abuse among the Nigerian youth have been a major threat to the peaceful co-existence of all and sundry in our contemporary society, thereby destroying the
sociopolitical dignity, personality and integrity of dependence on life.
Secondly, the parental background of a child can also affect the over-dependence rate on drugs among the affected youths. Due to various family problems like broken homes (divorces), polygamous family, abject poverty, cultural influence, parental neglect, lack of parental affection and responsibility. A father that is a drug addict, may be greatly influenced and "carried away" by any of his children. Like father, like son.
Most parents in Nigeria today in their bid to make ends meet - searching for greener pasture always abandon and neglect the proper welfare of their wards and children and expose them to the "unofficial" assistance of the so-called house-maids. This ugly incidence will psychologically depress such children thereby giving rise to CHILD ABUSE which is an off-shoot of DRUG ABUSE. Without mincing words, such youths will end up in taking solace in some illicit hard drugs mentioned above for their survival in life. With this sad development, the society is being gradually and systematically ruined uncontrollably, thereby destroying the moral values of the Nigerian society via her youth. Wasted generation, of course!
Thirdly, naturally some group of teenagers are emotionally stressed, but instead for them to seek for a proper medical attention because a stitch in time saves many, they will result to SELF MEDICATION which is a conceptual relic of drug abuse, thereby using hard drugs for such corrections. Prevention, they say, is better (even cheaper ....) than cure. Some students believe so much in drinking coffee, drinks of different brands in order to suppress their normal routine of sleep. Can they successfully cheat nature? The frequent and persistent use (or misuse) of this stimulant might degenerate to drug addiction or otherwise.
Many narcotics have been banned among our youths for their indiscriminate use by the international organizations like FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization), WHO (World Health Organization) and our various local organizations. There is a proverb in Latin which says "MENS SANA IN CORPORE SANO" - meaning - "a sound mind in a sound body."
The various consequences of the drug abuse or drug addiction are so devastating and very shameful to the extent that both the national and international organizations all over the world are also worried about the spread of this scourge among the Nigerian youths. They are as follows: social violence among youths, armed robbery, mental disorders, 419 syndrome, social miscreants (Area boys and girls), lawlessness among youth, lack of respect for elders, rape, and many more of the social evils. Who is to hold to ransom and blame seriously for the menace of drug abuse among the Nigerian youth? Parental background via the society or peer groups of our youths ....
Parental background has a major role to play in correcting the "plague" of drug abuse among the Nigerian youths which are believed to be the leaders of tomorrow for a proud society.
The recommendations and suggested solutions to the menace of drug abuse among the Nigerian youths are highlighted below for national debate:

1. Parents should sincerely re-orientate their children on the adverse of drug abuse on their health, society and human dignity, since charity, they say, begins at home.
2. The Ministry of Education (Federal and State) must as a matter of urgency add to their curricula - DRUG EDUCATION for both the primary and post primary schools in the country and they should always organize lectures, rallies, seminars and film shows for the Nigerian youths on the adverse effects of drug abuse.
3. National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) must also intensify their anti drug campaigns in order to have a drug- free society with a special focus on the Nigerian youths because they are the future leaders of this great Country in the black continent of Africa.
4. All forms of government in Nigeria must interfere very fast in educating the Nigerian public about the spreading scourge of drug abuse among our youths through awareness programmes for the Nigerian youths in order to safeguard their career in life. Finally, the above suggested solutions will go a long way in critically correcting the over-dependence of our youth on drugs for progress, unity and development of our country.

Sudan warns against “worst-case scenario” on Ethiopian dam

November 27, 2015 (KHARTOUM) - Sudan’s minister of water resources and electricity Muataz Musa has warned against the worst-case scenario among riparian countries of the Nile Basin due to unilateral actions on water issues.

The planned Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project (AP)

Musa, who addressed a workshop on the opportunities and challenges facing the Nile Basin countries on water issues, pointed to potential “serious risks” of non-cooperation among the Nile Basin states on issues pertaining to water management, usage and development.
He warned against the worst-case scenario if each country sought to unilaterally benefit from the Nile waters, saying conflicts and clashes among the riparian countries of the Nile Basin would be inevitable under this scenario.
Musa noted that the workshop brings in experts, media and civil society sectors in order to raise awareness about water issues and to underline the need for managing Nile Basin in a mutually supportive manner.
He expected that the meeting of the Sudanese, Egyptian and Ethiopian ministers of water and foreign affairs on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) would convene in Khartoum next week.
It is noteworthy that the meeting of the water ministers of the three nations which was originally scheduled to be held in late November has been postponed at the request of Egypt in order to allow for the participation of the foreign ministers.
For his part, Egypt’s minister of irrigation and water resources Hossam Moghazi pointed to continued coordination among the foreign and water ministries of the three countries to set a date for the 10th meeting of the tripartite national technical committee on GERD.
He said the meeting, which is expected to take place in Khartoum, seeks to achieve agreement between the French and Dutch consultants to implement the technical studies which were requested by the tripartite committee in May 2013.
Earlier this month, Ethiopia’s minister of water and energy Motuma Mekasa said the French and Dutch consultants failed to come up with a common guideline to implement the technical studies for the GERD.
He provided three other options including to continue working with the French and Dutch consultants after overcoming their differences, to select one consultancy firm to undertake the required technical studies or to choose two other firms from those which were shorted-listed previously.
The upcoming meeting would discuss the various possible scenarios to deal with the consultants if they failed to agree on the implementation of the technical studies.
According to Egyptian media reports, well-placed sources expected that Egypt’s foreign ministry will take the lead in the coming rounds of talks in order to compensate for the failure of the technical track and not to waste time.
They expected that Egypt will likely make another official request to Ethiopia to stop the work on GERD until an agreement has been reached on its impact on Sudan and Egypt.
The same sources further expected that Cairo would lodge an official complaint to the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) and the UN Security Council (UNSC) to preserve Egypt’s national security.
The multi-billion dollar dam is being constructed on the Blue Nile, about 20 kilometers from the Sudanese border, and has a capacity of 74 billion cubic meters, and is expected to generate electrical power of up to 6,000 megawatts.
Egypt fears the dam will negatively affect its traditional share of water from the Nile, its only source of water which has been determined by a colonial-era water-sharing treaty.
But Ethiopia insists that this will not occur and asserts that the project is indispensable to its own national development and the economic welfare of its burgeoning population.

Culled from www.sudantribune.com

Nigerian Appeal Court Sacks Former Senate President

A Nigerian Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi, Benue state has nullified the election of former Senate President David Mark in a ruling delivered by Justice Olabisi Ige.

 The court ruled on six grounds of appeal brought against a lower tribunal ruling which earlier upheld Mark’s election last month. In ruling on the  appeal brought by Daniel Onjeh, the South Benue Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Justice Ige ruled that the election of Mr. Mark was fraught with so many irregularities that it failed all tests of “freeness and fairness”.
In particular, the court noted that Mr. Mark’s election results had been pre-written on March 28 before proper collation and announcement was made on March 30. The appeal panel ruled that a fresh election be conducted in 90 days in the senatorial zone.

THE MASH UP

We like to invite you to our amazing live music and chill-out event today Saturday 28th November 2015, 7pm at the Intercontinental Hotel (The Soul Bar), Kofo Abayomi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. This is the ‘Relax and Dance’ edition, and the reason we titled it ‘The Mash Up (Saturday Groove VS Jazzy & Classy)’.

It will feature a concoction of timeless 'Old Skool' music, cool Jazz, Highlife music, and some Afro Pop, performed live by amazing vocalists and instrumentalists, the atmosphere will be great, and quality of the audience premium. This music event starts at 7pm, and you can invite your close friends to attend (please see attached event flyer).

The MASH-UP (Saturday Groove VS Jazzy & Classy) is an entertainment solution event targeted at 35 years and over, CEO’s, Senior Management of companies, High Value individuals, entrepreneurs, business owners, quality adult music entertainment for stress relief, fun, friends, partners, business executives, ladies night-out, and high networth individuals seeking to relax after a busy week.

If you do not fit this bill, please do not attend. This event is headlined by amazing vocal artistes such as SILVER SADDIH (Old Skool), VICTOR ADEMOFE (Jazz), BIMBO (Afro Pop) and ERNIEOLA (Highlife Music). With a team as electric as this, please come with comfortable shoes to dance, and bring a friend. The weekly event is only FREE to attend this weekend, and should carry a fee going forward due to the quality of the value we provide.

Please do come with your wallets because there will be drinks and specially made small chops on offering. PLEASE reserve your seats by texting (sms only) your Name, Phone number and email address and those of your guests to 08099238666. ‎The seating is very limited (120 – 150 people), so reserve your seat NOW.

The event is put together by Hashtag Entertainment Nigeria (@HashtagEntNG) and Intercontinental Hotels. For more information, please call 08099238666. Hashtag Entertainment Nigeria: Providing quality entertainment for adult minds. Twitter Handle: @HashtagEntNG‎

Experience…the pathway to learning

  
Written by Pst Poju Oyemade

Experience is a major part of a man’s life and it is acquired through the process of learning. When  certain things are not brought into the context of people’s personal experience they do not learn.  I have found out that  once you experience something you learn the general concepts or principles that are contained in that particular event. Through this, the individual gets wiser and teachable.  This means that God will now be able to teach you by bringing out the true revelation of that experience into your heart. Like it says in a book that the soul only imbibes truth in its living power when it requires it, therefore,  regardless of the information you have it is only when you require certain facts that the soul will be able to absorb spiritual power from the truth that it has being informed about  and this is possible only if  adequate preparation has being made for that particular moment. Learning and experience goes hand in hand because a man can only learn when he has subjective knowledge of what he requires. Only then can one say the man understands and knows where he is coming from or going to.
The road that leads to that particular experience is the focus of this article i.e. how a man truly learns. The education of the Christian man is very important and teachers  play essential roles in passing along the message. That is why the bible says “I will give you pastors that will feed you with knowledge and with understanding”(Jer 3:15). It also says in Isaiah 30vs20:21, “though the lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not your teachers be removed into a corner anymore, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers and your ears shall hear a word behind thee saying this is the way to go walk ye in it”. This shows that God has created  teachers to lead and instruct us in the way of truth. When people become faint and discouraged about life it simply shows that nobody is really there teaching  or encouraging them about the experiences they are going through;  by bringing light into their confused state,  putting those experiences they are presently passing through in biblical context so that they will be able to grow and get out of that state.
Some people think that the experiences of today is quiet different or cannot be compared to what happened in bible days. What they fail to understand is that there is nothing new under the sun.  This is because as you experience certain things in life and you find out how someone else managed that particular or similar situation in the bible which gives you courage and hope. It also shows you that God is leading you into something great. This means no matter the situation you are going through there is always someone to encourage you.  But first you just need to go through the learning curve in other to know the worth or value of what that experience is bringing to your table.
One thing you need to understand about life is that material things will come and go but the experiences that bring about those material things can never be taken away from you. As far as that level is concerned you have learnt something about life that has made you wiser and will help you in any decision making in the future.  Also God is preparing you for someone in the future that will go through similar situations like you did and will need your encouraging words in other not to faint.
As we grow in our Christian walk every situation or circumstance is there to teach us something about life and experience can only repeat itself if the individual has not properly learnt from it. Therefore, every new challenge is a new experience that God wants to take you through to learn from and our teachers are people that encourage us so we don’t misuse the opportunity. Therefore, we must summit ourselves to these things in order to  achieve the maximum result  God has intended it for.

In conclusion, the secret to true learning is in your personal experience. You do not learn anything outside your personal experience. No matter how informed you are, you really do not learn if you do not have one on one experiences with definite situations. This means there can be no transference of knowledge if  there  is no modification of behaviour or change in one’s  life style.  The change can only come when the information that you are getting is processed in a way that you experience it and this will be connected to something that is going on in your life right now or something that may have happened in the past.