Chad's president to contest election for a 5th term

Chad's President, Idriss Deby, has signified his interest to run for office as President for a 5th term. Deby came into power through a coup in 1990 and will run for a fifth term in the general elections due in April. He says he would restore term-limits for presidents if he is re-elected.

Lagos Theatre Festival 2016

The Lagos Theatre Festival 2016 will be hosting JIIMBAY Productions..."The only Contemporary Dance production" in the Festival as it Presents...
'28M'...voice for the dead

Date: Thursday 25th Feb., 2016
Venue: Agip Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos
Time: 3pm (Martinee) and 6pm
Tickets:
3pm Martinee show: N1,500
6pm show:
Reg: N3,000
VIP: N5,000
Date: Friday, 26th Feb., 2016
Venue: Amphitheatre, Freedom-Park, 1 Hospital Road, Opp. St. Nicolas Hospital,Lagos Island, Lagos.
Tickets:
Reg: N3,000
VIP: N5,000
Supported By:
SPAN,LaserDerm Clinic,Goethe Institute,Alliance Francaise,Terra Kulture,ARA Studio,Oxzygen Koncept,
BA Communications,Wajo,Gollico Hotel.
For inquiries, more support & tickets contact:
08033260355
08036261871
08121654808
Don't be told...Be there!!!

LAGOS OPENS ACCESS ROADS IN ETI-OSA

As part of efforts to ease vehicular movement in and around Eti-Osa-Epe expressway during the construction of the Ajah Flyover Bridge at Lekki, the Lagos state government has ordered the opening up of connected roads in the area.
The State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Engr. Ganiyu Johnson disclosed this during a stakeholders meeting on the construction of Ajah flyover at Freedom Road, urging residents in the area to be patient and supportive of the state government in view of the hardship that the construction may cause.
Johnson explained that the four lane Bridge project had been divided into three phases, first being road construction, the second is the bridge and ramp inward Epe, while the third phase is the bridge and the ramp inward Lekki, adding that the project is expected to be completed in 16 months.
The Commissioner noted that access roads are being opened up in order to provide alternative routes for motorists and road users during the construction period, promising that the state government would rehabilitates other roads within the area before and after the completion of the project.
Responding to the drainage problem in Ajah and Victoria Garden City (VGC), the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Engr. Bade-Adebowale, said that the delay in the completion of the major drainage channel was caused by the suit filed by a group in the area against the project.
He appealed to residents to desist from concretizing the removable drainage slabs that the government provided in the area because it prevents the clearing of drains as such create blockage for free flow of waste water especially during rainy season.
In the same vein, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Urban Development, Mrs. Yetunde Onabolu called on the people of Ajah to see government property as theirs by ensuring that they are well protected, stressing that the State government will soon open other roads in the area, including regional and coastal roads.
Dignitaries at the meeting include the Olumegbon of Ajah; former Chairman of the Local Government, Engr Murphy Adetoro; Markets leaders, Transport Union leaders, CDAs and Residents Associations representatives among others.
 

The history behind Lagos

"Logic behind calling Lagos an offshoot of Benin kingdom is really laughable! Traveling from Benin the last time to Lagos, I passed through so many Yoruba cities, towns and villages to get to Lagos, not a single Benin village after Ore. Yet Lagos is a no man's land. The name Badagry is an anglicized fashion of a Yoruba name Agbadarigi. And Yoruba is d language of Lagos. So enthusiasts of twisted history will want to remind you of words such as Eko being Benin. So does the word Oba Yoruba and Alafia a Yoruba coinage of Hausa Lafia. Stop twisting things to favor you, especially history. No Yoruba will ever argue with you. It is fool hardy for any Yoruba to claim Okada has a Yoruba town".-Oluwole Muyiwa Moses

Prior to the Portuguese name of Lagos being adopted, Lagos was originally called Eko, which stems from either Oko (Yoruba: "cassava farm") or Eko ("war camp"), by its Bini conquerors. History has it that the Oba of Bini sent various trade expeditions to Ghana where spices were traded and one of his traders complained about the way she was being treated by the Awori's. The Oba of Bini then sent a trade expedition by sea. Ironically, the leader of the expedition arrived in the evening at a time when the people who were predominantly fishermen were either wading into the water or getting into their boats to gather their catch. He declined to engage them further and returned to what is now called Benin City where he reported to the Oba of Bini that they were attacked. This prompted the Oba of Bini to constitute a war expedition led by Ado, a Bini Prince to go to Lagos and demand an explanation. This was over 650 years ago. However, on getting there, they were well received. The people were so enamored with Ado they asked him to stay and lead them. He agreed on the condition that they surrendered their sovereignty to the Oba of Bini to which they agreed. The Oba of Bini was told this and he gave his permission for the expedition to remain. The Oba of Bini later sent some of his chiefs including the Eletu Odibo, Obanikoro and others to assist Ado in the running of Eko. Till today, the Oba of Lagos is the head of all the Kings in Lagos State and his status is different from other Oba's most of whom were later given back their crowns and staff of office only within the last 40 years and have various classifications. Suffice it to state that those who got their crowns back were the original land owners. These were Olofin's children. Moreover, modern day Lagosians have so intermingled that no single tribe or people can claim it even though the predominant language is Yoruba. The present day Lagos state has a higher percent of this sub-group who allegedly migrated to the area from Isheri along the Ogun river.

History has it that the Awori were actually from Ife the cradle of Yorubaland. The Awori people are a peaceful people initially not taken to warfare. Due to war, those from the hinterlands, like the Ekiti ran towards Isheri which at that time had more than one Olofin (Alafin)who were heads of probably respective settlements about 1400AD. With the fleeing people from the hinterlands most of them scattered again to different places, some to Iro, to Otta, Ado, others to Ebute Metta i.e three landing places - Oyingbo, Iddo and Lagos Island (Eko). The Olofin that brought those who went to Ebute-Metta was Ogunfunminire later known as Agbodere. With the full commencement of the war about 2000 moved to the nearest island of Iddo, others to Otto Awori or Otto Ijanikin towards modern-day Badagry. Those from Ekiti Aramoko came to Ebute-Metta, Iddo and then Ijora. The Olofin was said to have 32 children. His own known children are Olumegbon, Aromire, Oloto, Oluwa, Oniru, Onisiwo, Onitoolo, and Elegushi. Ojora, Onikoyi and Mogiso were not his biological children. After the demise of Agbodere, the name Olofin became the name used to remember him while a title of Oloto was given to his seccessor. With one of his sons becoming the Oloto his other children parted ways to what is known as visible settlements in the present day Lagos. Aromire whose name means defeated the river or became the river's friend is likely to be the first to cross being said to have swam across the river. It is possible that his real name is not Aromire but due to the feat he became known as such.

Until the coming of the Bini's, Lagos's geographic boundary was what is known now as Lagos Mainland. Lagos Island, the seat of the Oba of Lagos then consisted of a pepper farm and fishing posts. No one lived there though. The name Eko was given to it by its first King Oba Ado during its early history, it also saw periods of rule by the Kingdom of Benin.[1] Eko was the land area now known as Lagos Island where the king's palace was built. The Palace is called Iga Idunganran which, translated means Palace built on the pepper farm. Oba Ado and the warriors from Benin as well as some of the indigenous people who sought safety settled down in the southern part of Eko called "Isale Eko", Isale literarily meaning bottom, but must have been used to indicate downtown (as in Downtown Lagos).

I cannot come back home- Bisi Alimi

In a recent interview with Blanck Digital magazine, Nigerian gay activist, Bisi Alimi says he can't come to Nigeria because he's scared for his life. Bisi who came out as gay on National TV many years back has been living in the UK since 2007. Bisi says Homosexuality can be accepted in Africa as Africans are neither idiots nor senseless.

In a recent interview with Blanck Digital magazine, Nigerian gay activist, Bisi Alimi says he can't come to Nigeria because he's scared for his life. Bisi who came out as gay on National TV many years back has been living in the UK since 2007. Bisi says Homosexuality can be accepted in Africa as Africans are neither idiots nor senseless.
"Since I left Nigeria in 2007 I have never been back, it’s not a safe place for me. It would be sheer foolishness on my part to go back to Nigeria after the failed attempt on my life or the ever ending run-ins I had with the police. It is one thing to be a maytr and another to live to fight another day and I think I would rather want to live so I can keep fighting.

 Can you go Home? 

The simple answer is NO! Unless otherwise I want to take a risk and sometimes I have said myself, is it a risk worth taking? I am not sure I know the answer. 

What has been the impact of your sexuality and your coming out been in Nigeria?

It has changed the conversation around same sex relationship and identity in Nigeria. The fact is, do your research and you find that prior to 2004 when I came out on New Dawn, there were hardly any conversations around such issues. A few months before my coming out, Obasanjo was busying spreading false messages about no homosexuals in Nigeria. To my recollection of things, that was the first time same sex issues were making mainstream news. The media were reporting it and it was really getting airwaves. However, there was a narrative that was missing. The narrative of the real people. We were considered invisible by Obasanjo and there was that need to create visibility.It was a great shock when on the morning of that October, a guy sat on the sofa with Funmi Iyanda and talked about being gay. I mean in Nigeria? Till today I still received emails from Nigerians saying I must be mad to have done that.

Today we have a law that criminalises same sex relationship in Nigeria. The law came into effect because I spoke up and others have not kept quiet since then. Whichever way we look at it, the act of 2004 changed the discourse in Nigeria.

Do you think homosexuality can be accepted in an African society? 

Yes I do. I do because Africans are not idiots or senseless. It really angers me when in the discourse of accepting sexual orientation and gender identity that Africans are liken to some dangerous species. History in Europe as regards LGBT people is not that far away. I mean homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK just over 50 years ago. It is important to note that Nigeria was just coming out of colonial rules when Britain was decriminalising homosexuality. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not making a case for homophobes in Nigeria or Uganda or any other part of Africa. What I am saying is, the question that generates a sense of hopelessness as regards LGBT rights in Africa is only playing to the irrational discourse that Africans are not rational people. We know that contrary is the case.

It is important to understand the impact post colonial religious movement is having on the continent. Yes, homosexuality will be accepted in Nigeria if we stick to the positive narrative of same sex relationships. If we step up the game and let Africans remember the basis of the African society, one built on the principles of "umbutu" and not on greed as perpetrated by religious entrepreneur who are constantly ruining the continent with the support of their politicians, who disregards democracy and the wish of the people.

It is not only homosexuality I see being accepted on the continent, I see good governance coming on as well. I see the people's wishes coming true. I see respect for women and girls. I see the end of marriage rape and child marriage. I see education becoming a right and not a privilege. I see healthcare being people orientated and I am see an Africa like David Diop said in "Africa", a continent "Whose fruit bit by bit acquires the bitter taste of liberty"

Source: Blanck Digital.com

Chicken Farm Business

It's one thing to start a chicken farm, but to start an actual business out of it is something else entirely. You are not only going to become a chicken farmer, but a businessperson as well, depending on what markets you want to target and what part of the chicken industry you want to tap into. In the chicken industry there are two main sectors: Layers, which are chickens bred and raised to produce eggs, or broilers, chickens raised and bred to be slaughtered. Whatever sector you choose, you have to make responsible managerial and financial decisions to make your chicken farm business a profitable one.
Here are 5 steps that can help you:
 Formulate a business plan.
This is one of the most important things to draw up as part of your operation. It tells of what goals you wish to achieve and how you intend to get there. It's also a plan of how you want to operate your business from not just a producer's standpoint, but the banker's, lawyer's, accountant's and even possibly the hired hand's standpoint.
 
 Have land, capital and equipment.
You cannot start up nor maintain a chicken farm or a chicken farming business without these dire necessities. You will need buildings to raise your chickens in, whether they be barns or hutches depending on how you are wanting to raise your chickens: conventional or free-range? Land is to have the buildings on and to grow crops on to feed your chickens. Equipment and machinery are needed to clean barns, dispose of deadstock, work crops, etc.

 Make a decision how tobest raise your chickens.
  There are two main ways to raise them. Conventional systems have chickens confined to barns that are temperature and photo-period controlled areas. Free-range systems allow your chickens to just about have the run of the farm to behave as naturally as possible.

 Decide what sectors of the poultry industry you wish to pursue.
 Ultimately there are two types to choose from: broilers, which are chickens raised for meat, or layers--chickens raised for their eggs. However, there are also the other sectors of the industry that you can pursue. Eggs which are not to be put on the market for human consumption (these can be from both broilers and layers) are incubated and the chicks hatched and raised until they are at the right age to be sold to farms to be raised as layers or broilers. Often the business of incubating eggs and raising chicks is separate from that of raising the chickens themselves.

 Find a niche market, if possible.
 If the area you are in is popular for raising chickens a certain way (more conventional than free-range), you may wish to pursue a niche market that targets the consumer's interest in free-range chickens rather than the conventionally-raised ones.
 
 Make yourself known to potential customers and consumers.
 Advertise yourself by simply letting other people know you have eggs or meat you want to sell. Often selling by word-of-mouth is a lot cheaper and still the most popular means of advertising than paying for an advertisement in the local newspaper that may get read by only a few people. However, there is no harm in doing that either, nor is there any harm in setting up a website promoting your product.

 Keep up with records and accounting of your business and operation.
This is so that you can always tell if you are making money or not.

The Stand out behind Facebook Evolution

Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (born May 14, 1984) is the son of dentist Edward Zuckerberg and psychiatrist Karen Kempner.He and his three sisters,Randi, Donna, and Arielle,were brought up in Dobbs Ferry,New York, a small Westchester County village about 21 miles (34 km) north of Midtown Manhattan.Zuckerberg was raised as a Jew and had his bar mitzvah when he turned 13.Afterward, he became an atheist.

At Ardsley High School, Zuckerberg excelled in classics. He was transferred to Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire in his junior year, where he won prizes in science (math, astronomy and physics) and classical studies. On his college application, Zuckerberg claimed that he could read and write French, Hebrew, Latin, and ancient Greek. He was captain of the fencing team.

He is an American computer programmer, Internet entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is the chairman, chief executive, and co-founder of Facebook.com and His personal wealth, as of December 2015, is estimated to be $46 billion^.

Together with his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students Eduardo Saverin,Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes, he launched Facebook from Harvard's dormitory rooms^. The group then introduced Facebook to other campuses. Facebook expanded rapidly, with one billion users by 2012. Zuckerberg was involved in various legal disputes that were initiated by others in the group, who claimed a share of the company based upon their involvement during the development phase of Facebook.

In December 2012, Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan announced they would give the majority of their wealth over the course of their lives to "advancing human potential and promoting equality" in the spirit of The Giving Pledge. On December 1, 2015, they announced they would give 99% of their Facebook shares (worth about $45 billion at the time) to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative^.
Since 2010, the name of Zuckerberg has been among the 100 wealthiest and most influential people in the world as a part of his Person of the Year  distinction.