BREAKING: Controversy As Faleke Picks Abubakar Audu’s Son As Running Mate

The controversy surrounding the Kogi State gubernatorial election just took new dimension as Mr. James Faleke, the running mate to the Late Abubakar Audu has just picked the first son of the deceased, Mohammed Audu as his running mate for the December 5th rerun in Kogi.

According to news reaching us, the leadership of APC and Mr. James Abiodun Faleke and his self-appointed running mate, Mohammed Audu are said to be in a crucial meeting in Abuja, after which the APC will make official pronouncement of the party stance.

The All Progressives Congress, APC had reportedly named Mr. Yahaya Bello to replace Audu, who died shortly after election last week

6 Ways to Invest in Your Marriage

• Keep the lines of communication open and flowing.  This seems almost too obvious to mention.  But is it?  Do we really communicate, or is it one of those things we know we shouldbe doing?  I admit this one is hard for me.  I tend to keep things in my head, rather than putting them “out there” for discussion with my husband.  Most of the time I don’t avoid discussing something on purpose – it just takes me a while to realize I need to talk about it.  By then I’ve turned it around and inside out a dozen times, often making it into something that bears no resemblance to reality!  So don’t be like me.  Instead,establish regular, open communication as the default setting for your marriage.  Ideally, set aside time to talk and listen to each other every day.  Don’t use it as a gripe session, but as a time for both of you to share what’s in your heart and on your mind.  Find a time that works for the two of you, and teach your children that this time is sacrosanct.
• Get your finances in order.  While the previous strategy may have seemed too obvious, this one may not seem obvious at all.  “Get your finances in order” sounds like a good idea, but is it a marriage investment strategy?  I think it is.  Money problems are a leading (some would say the leading) cause of stress in marriage.  They can pit a husband and wife against each other and drive a wedge between them.  So work together to avoid preventable money problems and to address the ones you can’t prevent.  
• Establish a routine of enjoying time together.  How often do you spend enjoyable time with your husband?  In some families, the husband and wife are running so fast, they rarely slow down enough to enjoy each other.  What needs to change in order for you and your husband to enjoy some time together?  Is it simply a matter of scheduling it, or do you need to make significant changes, like controlling your family schedule.If you haven’t established this routine as a couple, work together over the next few weeks to begin making it a habit.  
• Develop a common interest or hobby.  One way to enjoy time together is to share an interest or hobby, something that gets you out of the day-to-day routine and allows you to have fun.  It can be something you do at home or something that takes you out and about. For example, my husband and I have recently started riding bikes together. You can follow a sports team, hike, play tennis, search for antiques, or play board games – anything that’s fun for both of you.
• Devote time and energy to your sex life.  One of the best ways to invest in your marriage is to invest in sex and intimacy.  I’d even go so far as to say that a strong marriage requires a strong sex life – one that fulfills both the husband and the wife. It really isn’t optional – I’ve seen a marriage that seemed ideal in every other way fall apart because the couple didn’t enjoy an intimate, sexual connection.  If you’ve struggled in this area, what can you do this week to begin devoting time and energy to your sex life? 
• Pray together.  If you share a common faith, pray together regularly for your marriage and family.  If you don’t, pray on your own for increased communication and connection in all areas of your marriage.  Either way, ask God to protect and strengthen the two of you individually and as a couple through the good and not-so-good times.

culled from www.calmhealthysexy.com

Dreams Vs Fantasies

                                      

There is one more word, that seems to be very close to dream, but has absolutely different meaning. People often mix up the dream with this word. This is fantasy. Fantasy - is the definite feeling of wishing something. BUT the man is not ready to take action to reach this fantasy. Now lets discuss the feelings of the person who has a dream and a person who has a fantasy

The man with dream
1. is ready to take actions to achieve his dream
2. feels a great desire towards his dream
3. feels the need to get this dream
4. believe the dream will come true, believe he can makes it come true

When you have a dream, you experience desire, you are in need of your dream. This is not just a hope or wishful thinking. The dream obscures all other small and negative thoughts, it becomes an obsession. This state of mind is necessary for the strong decision to take actions, to put your dream over other unimportant and inconsiderable goals and plans. It helps to attain the persistence and consistency in actions that will exclude failure in the end result. And only this desire will bring you success. Only this desire will make your dreams come true. Your desire should be so strong to make you stand firm and be able to convince yourself in the future success. You have to believe in your dream till the time it becomes an obsession and only then this obsession transforms in reality. Every person, who wants to become a winner should be able to burn all bridges and cut all the roads back. Only in this case you will attain the state of mind called a burning desire, that is essentially important for reaching the dream.

The man with fantasy
1. is NOT ready to take actions to achieve the fantasy
2. has a state of mind called wishful thinking
3. hopes some day the fantasy comes true
4. DOES NOT believe it comes true
5. DOEST NOT believe he can make it comes true
6. Resignation, getting used to the current state of affairs

The major factor that differs dream from fantasy is the power of the wish. When wish is strong enough to makes us act, it becomes a dream. The next important factor is believe. On these two factors depend the outcome. These two factors give the answer why man CAN act to achieve the dream or why he CAN NOT.

Written by Dare Jacob

Jdare85@yahoo.com 

+2348137664804

BEWARE OF CRABS

In life,there are some people you must not meet and there are some people you must block from your life.When the lion begins to move with dogs,it will start barking like a dog.That is backwardness.

There is a principle in life you must be careful of and many people operate under the principle.it is the principle of crabology.There are people with the crab mentality that don't want you to rise above them.

The term “crab mentality” is used to describe a kind of selfish, short-sighted thinking that runs along the lines of “if I can't have it, neither can you.” I read a book and im shocked that even asians understand the crab mentality.This term is especially widely used in Asia among Filipinos, who use the crab mentality specifically to refer to those who pull other people down, denigrating them rather than letting them get ahead or pursue their dreams. As a general rule, an accusation of having this type of mentality is a poor reflection on someone's personality.it is the princple called PHD-Pull him down

This concept references an interesting phenomenon that occurs in buckets of crabs. If one crab attempts to escape from a bucket of live crabs, the others will pull it back down rather than allowing it to get free. Sometimes, the crabs seem almost malicious, waiting until the crab has almost escaped before yanking it back into the pot. All of the crabs are undoubtedly aware of the fact that their fate is probably not going to be very pleasurable, so people are led to wonder why they pull each other back into the bucket instead of helping the clever escape from unfavorable circumstances.

Now look at this: "Be you not unequally yoked with unbeliever.what has light got to do with darkness,what has righteousness with unrighteousness".we all know dis verse from the bible,but many do not see deeply what it means.An unbeliever is deeper than religious conotations.there are unbelievers in the church,and there are believers who are in the world.A muslim can be a helper to a christian,and vise versa.Listern,a person with a crab mentality is an unbeliever.Unbeliever or people with crab mentality are persons you must never associate with because he will not add value to your life,instead,he pulls you down.he is an unbeliever because he doesnt believe in your dreams and visions,he does not believe in ur destiny spiritually and physically.An unbeliever does not appreciate the creative abilities and potentials a person carries because their eyes have been positioned to see negativity and darkness,that is why they are unbelievers.the rich man can never be a friend to the poor because of the way they see.

Here are 6 signs to know those with crab mentality

1. They are too proud of themselves and treat others as inferior beings.

You can sense a breeze of arrogance from people with crab mentality. They feel like they have royal blood flowing in their veins, and they treat other people as outcast.

2. They panic when they see that people are happy and improving.

 Aside from arrogance, you can also smell envy, jealousy and bitterness from this kind of people. They freak out when the people they look down are rising or progressing beyond them. It gives them a terrible feeling of insecurity. That’s why they will try to pull them down, either by harsh words or by unkind actions. You will see them giving bitter comments on Facebook, Twitter and other social media channels
.

3. Their motto in life is “if I can’t have it, neither can you”.

They rather wish everyone will fail than let themselves fail while others are succeeding. They represent the the crabs in the bucket, where the crabs can easily escape from the bucket, but instead, they grab and pull down each other in a selfish competitive manner which prevents any of them to escape, resulting to their collective demise. In other words, people who have a crab mentality are selfish and they don’t have any sense of sacrifice. 

4. They are full of positivity for themselves but full of negativity for others. 
They only see the good things in themselves, but they’re blind when it comes to their negative characteristics. When it comes to how they view other people, it becomes the opposite. They only see the bad things of other people while they’re blind to their positive deeds. That is why instead of appreciation, what you will get from them are nothing but negative criticisms.

5. They spend most of their time talking about people rather than discussing ideas and solutions.

Again, it’s because they treat people as their competitors. Instead of thinking about the brilliant ideas and solutions that can make the Nigeria a better country, they spend most of their time ensuring that no other nigerian can become better than them. When our nation faces a crisis, they will be more active in talking about how people become worthy of suffering rather than discussing the solutions that will help people end their sufferings.

6. They don’t know a thing about compassion. 
Compassion is a great virtue that enables us to understand the feelings of other people. It lets us walk in other people’s shoes and appreciate the lives they are living. But people with crab mentality lack compassion. They are inconsiderate and ignorant of the many people they are offending. They don’t care about the many hearts they are breaking. Well, what can we expect? They only care for themselves.

I remain yours

Dipo Olatade

The historical adventure behind Ghana

Little is known of the small African kingdoms in the region between the Tano and Volta rivers until the arrival of Europeans in the 15th century. Portugese navigators, working their way down the west African coast, reach this area in 1471 and build a fortress at Elmina in 1482. But others follow fast. As early as 1492 a French buccaneer, marauding off the coast, deprives a Portuguese ship of its precious cargo.
That cargo is gold, and the Gold Coast becomes the European name for this part of Africa. The trade in gold with the Europeans makes possible the development in the early 17th century of Akwamu, the first African state to control an extensive part of the coast.
During the 18th century the dominance of Akwamu is replaced by that of a much more powerful group, the Ashanti, with their capital inland at Kumasi. By this time the British, Dutch and Danes are the main European traders on this part of the coast, and the most valuable commodity for export is not gold but slaves.
Trading slaves for muskets, among other western commodities, the Ashanti acquire great local power. Their king, the Asantehene, enthroned on a traditional golden stool, holds sway over the entire central region of modern Ghana. But the Ashanti suffer a series of major blows between 1804 and 1814, when the Danes, British and Dutch each in turn outlaw the slave trade

The resulting tension leads to warfare in the 1820s (with the defeat of a British force in 1824) and again in the 1870s. In 1874 a British army briefly occupies Kumasi.

In 1901, taking effect from 1 January 1902, Ashanti is declared a British crown colony. The regions further north become at the same time the Protectorate of the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast.

The colonial years are relatively prosperous and untroubled. At first little is done to involve the African population in the political processes of the colony. But in the years immediately after World War II events move so fast that the Gold Coast becomes the first colony in sub-Saharan Africa to win its independence. The turning point is the return home in 1947 of Kwame Nkrumah after twelve years of study and radical politics in the USA and Britain. 
Nkrumah is invited back to the Gold Coast to become general secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention, an organization campaigning for self-government. The UGCC has won the right (in 1946) for an African majority in the colony's legislative assembly, but the fight is now on for a share in executive power.
Nkrumah rapidly extends the movement's popular base, with the result that there are widespread riots in February 1948. The older UGCC leaders are alarmed by this (and by their brief arrest with Nkrumah). A split within the movement leads to Nkrumah founding in June 1949 the Convention People's Party, committed to immediate self-government. 
From January 1950 Nkrumah organizes a campaign of nonviolent protests and strikes, which lands him back in gaol. But in the colony's first general election, in February 1951, the CPP wins convincingly even in the absence of its leader. Nkrumah is released from prison to join the government. In 1952 he becomes prime minister.

During the years of preparation for independence the neighbouring British Togo votes, in a 1956 plebiscite, to merge with the Gold Coast. It is therefore a slightly extended territory which becomes independent in 1957 under Nkrumah's leadership. A new name of great resonance in African history is adopted - Ghana (although the ancient kingdom of that name was far to the north, in present-day Mali).
Independence: from1957

Nkrumah, well aware of his status at the head of the first west African nation to emerge from colonialism, dreams of leading the continent into a Marxist future. This requires a republic, which Ghana becomes in 1960 with Nkrumah as president for life. It also needs only one political party, the CPP. However Nkrumah's authoritarian rule, combined with a collapse in the nation's economy, prompts a coup when the president is away in China in 1966 (he goes into exile in Guinea).

It is the first of several such coups in Ghana's short history, but the nation remains true to the hope of democracy. In four decades Ghana establishes as many new republics.

Culled from http://www.historyworld.net/

Facts about the Maasai tribe of Kenya

Made up of sixteen sections, the ancient warrior tribes of the Maasai people have called southern Kenya and northern Tanzania home for centuries. Their population numbers nearly half a million and altogether, they occupy a total land area of some 160,000 square km. Living within semi-arid and arid lands, these fascinating people once dominated the plains of East Africa and were considered by European explorers to be fierce and dangerous. Today, their domination has waned, however the Maasai are still very much alive and well. Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about these intriguing people.

• Maasai homes are called Inkajijik. They are rectangular and loaf-shaped and constructed from the land. The women of the tribe are responsible for building the houses using materials such as sticks, grass, mud and even cow dung. Women are also responsible for supplying water, gathering firewood, milking the livestock and preparing meals for their families.

• The men of the tribe, in addition to being hunters and “warriors”, are responsible for building fences made out of acacia thorns, which form a circular shelter called a Kraal in which communities and extended families live. These fences are primarily used to prevent lions from attacking the tribe’s livestock.

• Sometimes referred to as “people of cattle”, Maasai value cattle and other livestock highly and use it as a both a form of internal currency and a means of obtaining outside goods such as clothing, beads, grains and uniform and school fees for children. Everything from culture to social relationships to symbolism and language are dominated by cattle. Livestock is frequently traded for milk, siege, cash and other livestock and close familial ties are established through cattle exchange.

• On special occasions, such as when a person is circumcised, gives birth or is sick, the Maasai people may drink cattle blood as it is considered to be good for the immune system. Additionally, the elders of the tribe often use cattle blood to alleviate intoxication or hangovers after a night of drinking alcohol.

• The Maasai rarely farm (only doing so when they have no other choice). This practice is frowned upon because they believe that manipulating the land for crop farming is considered a crime against nature. Maasai feel that once land is cultivated, it is no longer suitable for their precious livestock to graze on.

• Lion hunting is considered a symbolic rite of passage to the Maasai. They consider the experience a personal achievement and a sign of bravery among warriors. The Maasai also respect the lion and understand the important role it plays in the surrounding eco-system, so they only hunt in groups to protect the waning lion population. Additionally, female lions are never hunted because the Maasai believe that females of every species are the bearers of life. Successful lion hunts are met with week-long celebrations. Lion meat is not consumed, but rather only the mane, tail and claws are used by the Maasai people.

• The Maasai are savvy investors when it comes to their currency, livestock. To alleviate risk, herders will often give livestock as loans to relatives or other tribe members. This way if a disaster should strike his herd, he will still have the chance to collect the debts of his “loaned” livestock and begin rebuilding.

• The life cycle of the Maasai is marked by key milestones called “age-grades”. Moving from one age to the next is celebrated with ceremonies and marks critical transitions for both the individual and the community as a whole. Maasai men pass through three main stages: boy, warrior and elder. Maasai women, on the other hand, do not pass through stages like the men do.

• Aside from cattle, Maasai value children as extremely important and they are considered to be a blessing on the tribe. Women contribute to their family’s success and well-being by bearing as many children as they physically can. For a woman to die without mothering children is considered to be a sad and tragic fate.

• Maasai respect the elements of nature, particularly thunder, lightning and rain, as both gifts and punishments on the tribe. They use the term “engai” when they speak of God or the elements, as they believe these natural occurrences shape the earth on which they live. The Maasai pray to Engai as a spiritual force that governs the universe.

While there are many thriving tribes throughout the African continent, the Maasai are one of the most interesting and successful. A colorful and proud people, the Maasai provide a fascinating glimpse into what life may have been like in East Africa centuries ago. Age-old traditions and deep-seeded beliefs govern this captivating tribe and they continue to breathe life and character into the African plains that they call home.

Culled from http://www.reallifeadventuretravel.com/

GAMBIA BANS FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

The Gambia’s President Yahya Jammeh has banned female genital mutilation (FGM) saying it is not required in Islam; only males must be circumcised in Islam.

The president, Yahya Jammeh, said last night that the controversial surgical intervention would be outlawed. He said the ban would come into effect immediately, though it was not clear when the government would draft legislation to enforce it.

The practice is widespread in many African countries, including the Gambia, where 76% of females have been subjected to it. The age at which FGM takes place in the Gambia is not recorded, but it is reported that the trend of practicing FGM on infant girls is increasing. By the age of 14, 56% of female children in the country have had the procedure.