Blog: NELOC News

OF THE FLOW THAT RUSHES MONTHLY

So the other day, I was at the health care centre to complain about some abdominal cramps and I was confronted with the biggest revelation about myself! So the doctor asked for my menstrual cycle and I was dumbfounded!!! You need to have seen the look of horror on her face upon realizing that I’m 23 and I do not know nor understand my menstrual cycle…..

Then, I discovered as I wasn’t the only ignorant one, some of my friends didn’t know it too and one even said “na any time I see am, I see am”. So I decided to share with you ladies and I hope you had a fruitful week.

What is menstruation?

One thing worthy of noting is the fact that menstruation goes way beyond the sight of the blood. There are a whole lot of hormonal, physiological changes that occur in the body before the spotting of blood. Menstruation comes after hormonal changes and most importantly, ovulation. It is discharge of blood through the vaginal opening following the disintegration of the egg.

What brings about menstruation?

So when a female child is born, she is born with two OVARIESand thousands of immature eggs (this is the female sex gamete, just as it is sperm for males). But these eggs are arrested at an immature stage and remain dormant till she attains puberty. Upon puberty, the secretion of hormones begins. These hormones such as the follicle stimulating hormone, progesterone,oestrogen help develop the secondary sexual characteristics both physically and psychologically and also continue or say, reignite the development of the eggs. These eggs begin to develop and mature via a process called MEIOSIS.

After this process, a mature egg is released via a process called OVULATION. This egg is called “THE GRAAFIAN FOLLICLE”. This is what we call the “EGG” or “OVUM”. This EGG is the major FACTOR OR PREREQUISITE for menstruation to occur. This mature egg is released from the ovary and travels to the fallopian tube where it awaits its fate.

The fate of the mature egg depends solely on one occurrence “FERTILIZATION”.This is the fusion of the male sex gamete (sperm) and the female sex gamete (ovum) to form ZYGOTE which is the beginning of life pregnancy. When fertilization occurs and this happens in the fallopian tube and moves down to the uterus, there’s pregnancy and as a result, there is no menstruation. When there’s absence of fertilization, there will definitely be menstruation.

The uterus, also known as the womb, is where an unborn child is housed, upon the release of the Graafian follicle; the uterus begins to prepare for the reception of the zygote (i.e. it expects fertilization to occur). It replenishes the layer of skin in it and adds more layers and blood vessels to the comfort of the incoming zygote.

Let’s take a quick look at this illustration. You are highly expectant of a very important visitor. You change the sheets, put up new curtains and repaint the house. You’re all excited and giddy and definitely was disturbed from your comfort zone. Then, you receive a notice of the cancellation of the visit. Definitely, “ANGER” is an understatement of the series of emotions you’d experience. This is exactly how it happens to the uterus. In a fit of “rage”, the uterus pulls down all the new linings and skin called the “ENDOMETRIUM”. It sheds this skin and this comes out through the vaginal opening as the MENSTRUAL BLOOD.

THE MENSTRUAL CYCLE

The entire process explained above averagely takes place within 28 days in a woman that has already passed the stage of puberty. This is just an average calculation. It varies greatly in every woman. Statistics have shown that some women have up to 35 days as their menstrual cycle. The menstrual cycle is the period from the end of one menstrual period to the beginning of another menstrual period. It is impertinent and compulsory for a female to be aware of and be able to calculate her menstrual cycle.

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR MENSTRUAL CYCLE

To calculate your menstrual cycle, mark the first day of your period as DAY 1. Then, take note of when the next period after that begins. Count the total number of days between i.e. between the first days of each period. This is your menstrual cycle. It is ranged to be between 22-34 days.

OVULATION DAY AND SAFE PERIOD

These are two notable periods in between the menstrual cycle. They both serve s indicators for different purposes.

Ovulation period

The ovulation period is the midway between the menstrual cycle. It represents half of the days. It is calculated by counting 12 to 16 days from the next expected menstrual period, for those that already know their menstrual cycle or counting 12 to 16 days from the first day of the last menstrual period. It is the day of ovulation i.e. when the mature egg is released from the ovary. It is also called FERTILE PERIOD because sexual intercourse during this time increases the chance of pregnancy.

Safe period

This is the opposite of the ovulation period. During this period, sexual intercourse most likely would not result in pregnancy. It is usually 5 days before ovulation date and the third day after the ovulation date till the end of the cycle.

These periods and cycles are quite important to know so as to help prevent and also sense whenever there’s a menstrual problem. Oh yes! There are menstrual problems!.

Menstrual problems

These include:

· AMENORRHEA: this is a condition in which there’s no menstrual bleeding even after the onset of puberty and when fertilization doesn’t occur.

· DYSMENORRHEA: this is when there’s severe menstrual cramp accompanying the menstruation.

· POLYMENORRHEA: this is also called “multiple menstruation”, in which menstruation occurs more frequently than normal.

· MENORRHAGIA: this refers to when there is severe and prolonged menstrual bleeding.

So, I hope you found the information provided in this article very useful and you will ensure not to be embarrassed like me.

MARY J

Do you ever watch American movies, where the start of the movie sees a character putting on headphones and jogging/running in exercise gear. Subconsciously you deduce that its early in the morning and the character is beginning his day. These movies tell us without meaning to, that beginning your day with jogging is the right and healthy way to live.

So what if you are not sporty and you have no affinity for rigorous exercises like weight lifting and gyming, you can always run, jog or even walk. As long as you are in motion, you are keeping healthy.

BENEFITS OF RUNNING.

Running is good for a healthy heart.

It is good for the joint.

Helps in loosing weight.

Aids the thinking process.

It is a great leg exercise

Dictargh

As I looked at my friend on the sick bed, I remember how it all started. She started asking to be on a diet, wishing she was a vegetarian and spent the bulk of the day gawking at the girl on the magazine cover and complaining about her own nonexistent fat waist.

Here she lay, looking like a breathing skeleton with her flaky skin draped around her bones. I recall how she began getting moody, depressed and angry most times due to excessive starvation and extreme exercises, all the while insisting she’s okay and fine. The nurse says she’s lost cognitive skills, her heart rate has fallen fatally and she’s having problems with her stomach, kidney etc.

She didn’t even eat the only sandwich I brought earlier. The doctor said it’s not about the food, she’s sick with a mental illness.

Anorexia nervosa, often called Anorexia, is a type of eating disorder. People with anorexia eat so little that they have unhealthy weight loss and become dangerously thin. They may think they are overweight or fat even when they are underweight or thin. Anorexia affects more girls and women than boys and men. Anorexia is a serious health problem that can increase the risk of early death. But people with anorexia can get better with treatment.

Eating disorders are mental health problems that cause extreme and dangerous eating behaviors. These extreme eating behaviors cause other serious health problems and sometimes death. Some eating disorders also involve extreme exercise.

Women with anorexia severely limit the amount of food they eat to prevent weight gain. People with anorexia usually have an intense fear of gaining weight and may think they are fat even when they are thin. Women with anorexia may also exercise too much so that they do not gain weight. Over time, eating so little food leads to serious health problems and sometimes death.

Anorexia is also more common among girls and younger women than older women. On average, girls develop anorexia at 16 or 17.Teen girls between 13 and 19 and young women in their early 20s are most at risk. But eating disorders are happening more often in older women.

SYMPTOMS OF ANOREXIA

Some other symptoms of anorexia include:

· Sadness

· Moodiness

· Confused or slow thinking

· Poor memory or judgment

· Thin, brittle hair and nails

· Feeling cold all the time because of a drop in internal body temperature

· Feeling faint, dizzy, or weak

· Feeling tired or sluggish

· Irregular periods or never getting a period

· Dry, blotchy, or yellow skin

Psychological symptoms include:

Not eating or eating very little
Refusing to eat in front of others
Not wanting to go out with friends
Making herself throw up
Taking laxatives or diet pills
Exercising a lot

People with anorexia may also have other health problems, including depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.

CAUSES OF ANOREXIA

ANOREXIA, as all eating disorders, is a complex disease. There is not a single, simple cause, although new research revealed that it is an inherited condition but this disease isn’t proven to happen to all carriers of the gene.

· Most agreed upon cause is ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: the society’s obsession with thinness, unnecessary applause and appreciation for svelte, skinny women, puberty, perfection issues, addiction, self-esteem issues amongst others.

With anorexia, your body doesn’t get the energy that it needs from food, so it slows down and stops working normally. Over time, anorexia can affect your body in the following ways:

Heart problems, including low blood pressure, a slower heart rate, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, and sudden death from heart problems.
Anemia (when your red blood cells do not carry enough oxygen to your body) and other blood problems.
Thinning of the bones (osteopenia or osteoporosis).
Kidney stones or kidney failure.
Lack of periods, which can cause problems getting pregnant.
During pregnancy, a higher risk for miscarriage, cesarean delivery, or having a baby with low birth weight.

Anorexia is a serious illness that can also lead to death.

TREATMENT FOR ANOREXIA

As deadly as anorexia is, it can be fully treated and can be recovered from. Treatment plans may include one or more of the following:

Nutrition therapy. Doctors, nurses, and counselors will help you eat healthy to reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Psychotherapy. Sometimes called “talk therapy”
Support groups can be helpful for some people with anorexia when added to other treatment. In support groups, girls or women and sometimes their families meet and share their stories.
Medicine. Studies suggest that medicines like antidepressants can help some girls and women with anorexia by improving the depression and anxiety symptoms that often go along with anorexia.

Most girls and women do get better with treatment and are able to eat and exercise in healthy ways again. Some may get better after the first treatment. Others get well but may relapse and need treatment again.

Ladies, this lethal eating disorder can be very much prevented and helped. How? By being comfortable and confident in one’s body. Find ways to make yourself very happy and satisfied with your body shape or size. Appreciate your entire body structure, from your curves to the stretch marks. Help yourself ensure you’re not intimidated by the “girl on the magazine cover”.

By the way, my friend has begun to take the first steps, at least but she’s angry at the doctors and her parents because she thinks they’re forcing her to eat and take therapy sessions but I hope someday she’ll realize that we all saved her.

Mary Jane

By Ebunoreofe Adedeji

Hola amigos! It means “hello friends”; if you didn’t know before, just say “thank you Aunty Dee” in your mind oo. By the way, its Spanish, So sister, brother, you can form foreign for people outside. Let me introduce myself – I am Aunty Dee. I don’t like using the full form of my name; it’s kind of embarrassing but I promise to reveal that to you as we go on in this journey of ours. So, my people, fasten your seatbelts and let’s drive through my one KOBO every student needs in the university. It’s not easy to be in uni o, I tell you. I’ve been there (I just finished though) and I understand so well. I’ll be sharing my experiences in form of a short story and I hope you learn from them. Have a fun time reading

AMAKA, THE S.S (S.S= SERIOUS STUDENT)
“Guy, abeg, just off that thing”- that was Zizi, one of my roommates. Zizi-strange name, right? It’s a nickname too. Seriously, it’s like no one actually likes their original name anymore. As for me, it’s not my fault, I cannot come and be sharing name with cartoon. I switched off my alarm, it was just 5:00 am in the morning. “Krang , krang”, I could already hear the porter opening the gates. I stood up and stretched my arms, then I went to the balcony to get a bucket filled with water. I started to make my way out of the room to the toilet when I saw Amaka, one of my coursemates on my floor. She wore a hoodie and black jeans, I could see she was coming from an all-night reading session. I quickly greeted her, and I hailed her - “Jacko, jacko, ómó l'abèrè, ìwé l'abí”. She laughed weakly and warned me to stop. I laughed and then I told her to go rest. We parted ways and I went to answer the call of nature. As I was going to the room, I just kept thinking about Amaka, this is the girl you will find all day in the library and all night in the reading room. I shrugged and then I advanced in my preparations for the day. Later that morning, around 8:00am, I got to the lecture theatre and I saw Amaka sitting in one of the chairs reading a textbook. I opened my mouth in surprise, then I started telling myself “Dee, you better be serious o, your mate is reading all day, she went for an all-night reading session and she got to the lecture theatre before you, better pray make tsunami no carry you” (tsunami means withdrawal from uni). I sat down quickly and I started reading, I was still marvelled by the actions of Amaka.

Some weeks later, exams commenced and my first paper was ZOL 101, a course in the department of Zoology. I saw Amaka as we were in the same hall for the exam. She looked a bit pale but I just thought she was nervous. We were called in and we were given the exam papers. Barely some minutes after the command to begin had been given, Amaka stood up, the chief examiner asked what the problem was and then she replied “Hola Amigos, je suis Amaka”. By now, all eyes were on her. She continued by saying “I am Amaka, the LOLO 1 of this university”. The chief examiner quickly ordered two male examiners to hold her strongly, then he called for an ambulance. I was feeling very sad for Amaka but there was nothing I could do other than pray for fast recovery. The ambulance arrived and she was taken to the hospital. When we finished the exam, the air was saturated with talks here and there about Amaka, the S.S turned wèrè (wèrè is the Yoruba word for a mad person). Some laughed, others shook their heads in pity. I went to my hostel and I thought about what happened, and I said to myself “Dee, you better don’t compare yourself to anybody, make sure you rest well o, before you turn to wèrè”. I said a prayer for Amaka, then I took a nap.

ONE KOBO: Your health is important as a student. Try to rest, eat and exercise well(IF YOU KNOW,YOU KNOW), but do not be lazy. Health is wealth, never forget that. Also, don’t be intimidated by anyone, just ensure that you improve on yourself and put in your best!

Alaska: Combining Law and Business is Herculean but my Passion is my greatest drive

In this interview

Can we meet you?

Alaska: I'm Alaka Micheal popularly known as Alaska. I'm a 300 level undergraduate of the Faculty of Law, OAU and a social being. I'm also the CEO of Vibes Nigeria, a contemporary clothing brand

*Interviewer* _We are pleased to have you here this afternoon. Can you give us a quick introduction of your brand "Alaska wears"_

*MR ALASKA:* Vibes Nigeria is formerly known as Alaska Wears. I launched this brand April last year at University of Lagos and in our first market year we sold Vibes drawstring bags and they are almost everywhere. In our Season 2.0, we'll be launching Tees and we are sure they'll go far in the market too

*Interviewer* _How have you been coping being a law student in OAU and still having a famous brand?_

*MR ALASKA:* It has really not been easy to be honest but my passion is my greatest drive. Combining law and business is a herculean task. But one principle to note and use is time management. When I have classes I attend them and read at my convenient time. I use my leisure time to meet people and plan my business too. Set your priorities right, I must say, I'm in school to study and that's my number one priority for now and I don't joke with it. I try my best to balance both. I love business so much though

*Interviewer * _Talking about "Business, passion and formal education". Relating this to yourself, do you think there is a clash? I mean does one disturb the other in any way? And how do you deal with this?_

*MR ALASKA:* Normally these three are different things and each of them needs attention. Business is a big hold on its own, passion will make you do anything you've set out to do and formal education is key.
Balancing the three is where the wisdom and strength of every entrepreneur is tested.
I must say that I've been trying my best and its paying. Business is what I do, its who i am. My passion to push my brand is very solid and I also want to learn in school. Time management is how I deal with these three and when I'm done with my legal pursuit, I'll at least have time to push my brand well. Plan your time well. And if my education and business clash with each other, it's usually difficult for me. For example there was a time last session I was supposed to have a photoshoot with Zeek photography and I had Legal methods class that morning, I missed the class because the shoot was important and I told someone to fill in my name for attendance. Thus, I was able to kill two birds with a stone.

*Interviewer* _In life, nothing basically runs smoothly at the beginning, I mean no gold goes out fine without passing through fire. what has been your horrible experience as an entrepreneur?

*MR ALASKA:* My worst experience as an entrepreneur has to be the day I almost had an accident on my way to deliver a knapsack to a customer in lekki, lagos. I injured myself and the sad thing was that the money i got was small and it only covered my transportation and snacks, I didn't get any profit.

*Interviewer* _How do you deal with the demands of your customers?_

*MR ALASKA:* They believe they are always right and we just have to work with their preference. If I tell a customer my price and he/she doesn't agree I try to make it clear that it's fine if they don't buy it politely. And the aggressive ones, I don't get aggressive with them too, I just try to be calm with them. It's annoying but i tell you, tolerate them. Its business ethic

*Interviewer* _"Alaska to the world". Initially, they were knapsacks. Now "vibes T shirt". I must really say that's a good progress. However, can we know your plans for "Alaska wears"? I mean, in some 5 years time, where do you see your brand or where do you want your brand to have gotten to?_

*MR ALASKA:* I have plans to make my brand grow in the country and abroad. See the likes of: Supreme, Vlone, Trasher, Gucci and the likes all started from somewhere and they're now global brands. That's where I see this dream #VTTW,
I've planned what I'll be doing in the succeeding years from now and how I seek to make this dream a reality. I'm taking it step by step. Slowly but surely this dream will come to pass. I'm not sleeping at all on this dream. I'm pushing it with sweat and blood.
Time will tell, God is with me, I know.

*Interviewer* _As a big brand on OAU campus, what is your advice to students who may have this passion but have a barrier stopping them especially "parental issues"?_

*MR ALASKA:* My advice to you is to do it. Its as simple as that. Time doesn't wait for anybody. My Dad for example doesn't support my idea of running a clothing line because of my academics, although I made him understand that it won't affect me in any way. He still insists it'll affect my legal pursuit but here I am anyway. So Do It !!!
However, make good plan for yourself, meet people to advice you well. If you don't have money to start a business, go get money. Save up. Passion will make you get what you want as i said. Then at the same time, don't be lazy, Work. . There's a lot to say.
God will let our dreams come to pass, Amen

You have such beautiful dreams for your brand and you are a law student. After your degree, do you intend to practice law or what?

Guest: I don't know yet. I love my brand so much but I'll love to practice law too. Let's say do business and law together, that's a legal-preneur. There are people I know that are doing well in the entertainment industry and are lawyers too, the likes of Falzz, Chinko, Lola Oj, Timi Agbaje and so on. I look up to them. I'll want to do both and I'm still young too.

What is your advice to young entrepreneurs like you who are giving up already because they feel they aren't making any progress or feel quite intimidated.

*MR ALASKA:* DPA is my tagline
D - Dream
P - Plan
A - Action
If you're not making progress right now, don't give up, except you're losing a lot of money. Meet people that are trailblazers in your field and get advice from them.

Alaska: Combining Law and Business is Herculean but my Passion is my greatest drive

BALANCE AND BETTER

By Jaho-kagbare Temoefe

Ese was the only child of her parents. They died when she was six. She had to live with her uncle. The uncle had six boys and he was a civil servant. When Ese was 10 her uncle died. It was obvious she was in a fix as he was her only relative. As fate would have it she wrote her common entrance examinations that same year. Due to her astounding performance in the exams she got a scholarship that took her to the city.

When she got to the school in the big city, she made friends who had well to do parents. Although her friends wanted to corrupt her good morals but she overcame. She also made friends with the hair stylist in the school. After some years the hair stylist left the environment of the school. Ese knew that the end of her secondary school was near and the only home she had was the school as there was nothing for her in her uncle's house.

She approached the school management with a proposal. For a young girl of 14 in high school to meet the management of her school,she had purpose. Determination glinted in her eyes as she held her own in the principal's office amongst other members of the school's administrators. She did that job for the rest of her stay in the school. She also graduated from the school as the best graduating student with lots of awards. She wrote her Jamb, passed and gained admission into the University of Lagos to study law.

Whilst in UNILAG she did whatever odd Job she could find to make it through her first year in school and also send to her uncle's wife. In her second year she was awarded another scholarship. But that did not quench her fiery spirit. She graduated as the best student from her faculty. She was the first female student from the faculty of law to give a valedictory speech.

She met Wale on an official assignment at some point and after three years of courtship,they got married. Today they are married with three children. She has a chain of luxury shops, an NGO as her way of giving back to the society in mentoring young girls, bringing out the best in them by sending them to school and teaching them a skill or two. She is a partner at the firm where she works. All these she achieved within a space of ten years.

Ese was determined to make it.

She had a vocation and made sure of her Education. The fact that she was a girl did not make her feel that she was ambitious

She knew her purpose in life.

She performs her duties as a wife, mother, business woman and a worker. Although she has had her share of life; she still pushes on.
**********

This piece is to encourage every struggling woman to be like Ese. Women are Amazons. Our girls should look at us and be proud and the First step in achieving that is to make our own children look up to us as role models. I should say my mother is my role model because she RESILIENT. A woman is a nation builder.
Let us strive to be the best and maintain balance so that we can produce revolutionary results and and leave impacting footprints.

THE INTERRELATEDNESS OF ACCOUNTING AND LAW AND THE NON EXISTENCE OF ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER.

Accounting is a multifaceted discipline of identifying, measuring and communicating of an organization’s economic health. The discipline of accounting is best understood when one has strong conceptual understanding of other interconnected disciplines. The other disciplines which accounting is increasingly seen to interact with are: Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Law and Management. Let’s discuss in brief the interrelatedness of accounting and the law and the non-existence of one without the other.

DEFINITION OF TERMS/CONCEPTS

DEFINITION OF ACCOUNTING

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) defines accounting as“ the art of recording, classifying, and summarizing in a significant manner and in terms of money, transactions and events which are in part at least of financial character, and interpreting the results thereof”.

Accounting: is the measurement, processing and communication of financial information about economic entities such as business and corporations. It refers to the process of summarizing, analyzing and reporting these transactions to oversight agencies, regulators and tax collection entities, business owners, investors, and other stake holders.

DEFINITION OF LAW

Law is the set of rules which a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members, which may be enforced by the imposition of penalties. It is a system of rules that a society or government develops in order to deal with crime, business agreements, and social relationships. Law is a rule or set of rules for good behavior which is considered right and important by the majority of people for moral, religious, or emotional reasons. (https- // Merriam – Webster.com/ dictionary)

The main sources of regulation which interrelate accounting with law includes:

Accounting standards
Company law; and
For listed companies, the listing rules of the relevant stock exchange.

ACCOUNTING STANDARDS: are authoritative statements of how particular types of transactions and event are reflected in the financial statement. International Financial Reporting Standards are used in Nigeria (IFRS) for Companies while, International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) are in use for public sector establishments (Government).

COMPANY LAW: this is the primary source of company Law in Nigeria. Among other things, it establishes the requirements for financial reporting by all companies in Nigeria. It sets out rules for determining profit available for distribution, issuing and redeeming share capital, the reserves that a company must have etc. The main company law status in Nigeria is Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2004 as amended.

THE INTERRELATEDNESS OF THE SUBJECT MATTERS

Accounting is interrelated with law, as it operates within a legal environment. Thus, all the transactions are governed on the basis of different Acts. Business organizations are governed by their respective statues that provide many aspects pertaining to the preparation of accounts. However, it’s likely that accounting influences law and is also influenced by law. In this way, accounting is also related to law because of the variety of many legal aspect and procedures. Accounting is guided by regulatory frame work and it is regulated by law particularly Business /Commercial Law.

The relationship between accounting and law reveals itself in many forms as company law consists of detailed rules. Accounting standards may be rules based or principle-based. International Accounting Standards (IAS) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) are mainly principles based, or a mixture of both rules and principles. This clearly show the interrelatedness of accounting and law.

Nigeria has a regulatory system in which company and business law deals with specific matters. For instance the Sales of goods Act, Insurance law, Hire purchase transactions, Agency, partnership Act, 1890, Banking Laws Bank and other financial Institution Decree (BOFID) No. 25 of 1991, Central Bank Decree No. 24 of 1991 which repealed the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN) Act of 1958. This was effectively an effort to ensure they fit between the CBN Act and the general Bank and other financial Institution (BOFID). All these laws/Act are interrelated and complement the accounting principles and standards in terms of preparation and presentation of financial statements.

THE INSEPRABLE LINK AND NON EXISTENCE OF ONE WITHOUT THE OTHER

In a report presented to the Essex County (New Jersey) Bar Association by a joint committee of lawyers and accountants, the following were noted as examples of interrelatedness of activities requiring the services of both accountants and lawyers:

(1) Planning the type of legal entity to conduct a new business, having in mind the subject of Federal, State, and Local Government taxes.

(2) Upon incorporation of businesses, the opening of books of account and installation of accounting software.

(3) Problems involved in the dissolution of partnerships and corporations.

(4) Problems involved in the consolidation, merger, acquisition and reorganization of corporations.

(5) Determination of extent of damages and profits in patent and other infringement suits.

(6) Determining losses covered by fire insurance policies and preparation of proof of claim.

(7) Matters arising in receivership and bankruptcy cases, including, Examination of books and records of the bankrupt and an analysis of Financial statements.

(8) Determination of rights of life tenant and remainder man, especially with regard to distribution of corporate dividends.

(9) Income tax matters, including presentation of cases before the

Commissioner of Internal Revenue and before the Tax Appeals Tribunals. Example Self assessment done by tax payers.

(10) Preparation of registration statements for the Securities and Exchange Commission etc. (see Byerly, Relationship between the practice of Law and Accounting 1998).

In addition, other areas of interrelatedness of accounting and law are:

(a) The preparation or interpretation of lease contracts, particularly where valuation of property or the determination of income is involved, or where there are lease security deposits.

(b) Problems relating to the declaration of dividends.

(d) Preparation of evidence for presentation in court where accounting records constitutes an important part of the evidence (Forensic Audit).

(e)The preparation of uniform legislation, particularly where it affects the interpretation of such terms as earned surplus, capital surplus, stated capital, dividends, insolvency, and many other matters which relate to both accounting and law. (Journal of Accounting the North Carolina review 2003)

Furthermore, financial transactions recorded in books of accounts are affected by law in the sense that in so many cases, accounting data must comply with the requirement of a particular enactment.

In the case of Nigeria For instance, there is no statutory obligation upon sole proprietorship or partnership firm to prepare final accounts. Whereas, Joint stock companies have a statutory obligation to keep accounting records and to prepare financial statements as required under Section 331 and 334 of Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) 2004 as amended. For instance;

Duties of a Director

Section 305 (3) duties of a director as amended “shall have regard to the impact of the company’s operations on the environment in the community where it carries on business operations”. Thus, there is now a codified requirement for Directors to be conscious of the community and environment in areas where the company carries out business.

This provision is most welcome and long overdue, considering the fact that environmental issues are fast taking the front burner in the global business community and businesses in the 21st century are proffering ways of conducting their activities in more environmentally friendly manner.

Additional Financial Statements

Section 375 (2) makes provisions for additional financial statements required to be prepared by the directors of a company in respect of each year of the company. These additional statements include a statement of cash flow as an alternative to a statement of the source and application of fund; and changes in equity. These essentially align with International Financial Reporting Standards. (www.Nigeria Law.org / Companies and Allied Matters Act) as amended.

More so, accounting is interrelated with law in area of forensic accounting and auditing. The Forensic accountants are often engaged to quantify damages in instances related to fraud and embezzlement as well as on matters involving insurance, personal injury, business disputes, business interruption, divorce and marital disputes, construction, environmental damages, cyber-crime, products liability, business valuation and many more. The investigation is likely to ultimately lead to legal proceedings against one or several suspects. The lawyers and accountants who are members of the investigative team must be comfortable with appearing in court to explain how the investigation was conducted, and how the evidence was gathered.

"It has been my observation however, that training in the elements of bookkeeping and accounting are very valuable to a lawyer. Many at times, I noticed from experience that, the lawyer who is familiar with books of account has a greater advantage over an opponent unfamiliar with such matters. In fact, so much of the litigation which is profitable to the lawyers, requires the examination of books of account that all lawyers who accept to trial cases ought to possess knowledge of Accounting."

"Accounting is especially valuable in the examination of witnesses in the trial of cases; also for the understanding of a client's business and business problems." For instance, in the field of the patent law:

(i) Deals of all kinds for the manufacture and articles for sale, machines, etc. Whether on a royalty or other basis, requires a thorough understanding of accounting and law.

(a) For the negotiation of the deals, and (b) for the drafting of definite, certain and workable contracts; and

(ii) In connection with recoveries for infringement, a large body of law has been built up, which is generally referred to as “the law of patent accounting”. The recovery is absolutely dependent upon knowledge of accounting, and such knowledge is necessary to the application of the law itself. This has special reference to Cost Accounting and to such items as the proper classification of law and accounting terms of cost and the spreading of overheads, as well as such items as depreciation and depletion.

The lawyer whose practice includes any substantial amount of advisory work for business enterprises, whether corporations or partnership, has frequent need for the ability to understand and analyze financial statements. These statements clearly indicate the relationship between law and accounting.

One explanation of the interrelationship between these Two (2) fundamentally dissimilar decipline was presented by (A. A. Berle, Jr. and Frederick S. Fisher, Jr. Journal of Accounting, North Carolina, law review 1993).

After exhaustive research to determine the extent to which the courts have undertaken, to impose rules of accounting as rules of law: “Every day, lawyers and courts predicate legal effects on the results of accounting. It may fairly be said that rules of accounting are for many purposes rules of law or conversely that rules of law entail rules of accounting".

The respective tasks of a lawyer and accountant here intermingle so closely that neither can proceed without the other. To a much larger degree than perhaps either profession realizes, this intermingling has already taken place. Courts have in fact and in form laid down rules which bind the accountants, or they have themselves adopted accounting conventions.

Once these rules of account have found their way into the body of law, it becomes legally obliged to be followed. Not only do the courts adopt and lend sanction to accounting principles as exemplified in accounting practice.

CONCLUSION

From the foregoing, there is practically a universal agreement amongst practicing lawyers, that the services required of the lawyer today (outside of a very few specialized fields) demand a certain amount of accounting training for most competent performance. Therefore, simultaneous consideration of the legal and accounting aspects of certain problems, may suggest the necessity of important modification of accounting practice in order to reflect the results of the legal rules.

There are undoubtedly many other points at which lawyers and accountants should unite their activities in the endeavor to render to clients a service which is complete, adequate and satisfying for the specific purpose at hand. However, the examples listed in this discussion constitute a fair sample, and in themselves offer substantial proof of the interrelatedness of Accounting, Law and the non-existence of one without the other.

Thanks for your attention and God bless you.

HAJIYA KUDIRAT A. ABDUL-HAMID
AUDITOR-GENERAL FOR FCT AREA COUNCILS

CLIMATE CHANGE & GLOBAL WARMING

Realising the significance of the environment to survival of man, environmental experts have argued vociferously that without the environment man cannot exist since human activities are made possible by the existence of his environment.

Before going into the discussion of climate change and global warming, let’s first distinguish between weather and climate because a lot of people tend to confuse these two atmospheric conditions.
Weather is the temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness and wind that we experience in the atmosphere at a given time in a specific location WHILE
Climate is the average weather over a long time period (30 – 50 years) in a region.

CLIMATE CHANGE
Ordinarily, change in climate refers to some observable variations in the climatic system that is attributable to anthropogenic activities, especially those activities that alter the atmospheric compositions of earth..

In other words, climate change is the alteration that occurs in the climatic conditions of an environment due to certain human activities

Understanding climate change and how humans contribute to it
Climate change is caused by a lot of factors but chief amongst these factors is the change in the earth’s energy balance.

Normally, there ought to be a balance between the energy that the sun radiates to earth and the energy which the earth sends back out into space. However, due to a depletion in the ozone layer, the energy radiated by the sun passes through more easily into the earth and it’s atmosphere and get trapped by Greenhouse Gases (GhG) thus making the earth have a higher accumulation of solar radiation — It can simply be likened to when people gain weight if there is an imbalance between calories they take in and calories they release out.

I mentioned earlier that certain gases trap the solar radiation within the earth’s atmosphere and prevent them from going back into space; these gases are called greenhouse gases (GHG).

Greenhouse gases (GHG) and their relationship to climate change
Greenhouse Gases are those gases that act like a blanket to trap the sun’s energy and heat, rather than letting it reflect back into space. When the concentration of GHG is too high, too much heat is trapped, and the earth’s temperature rises outside the range of natural variability. Examples of such gases include: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and various fluorinated gases. CO2 currently contributes the highest rate of the greenhouse gases followed by methane (CH4), chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), nitrous oxide (N2O) followed by the others.

It will interest you to know that the level of CO2 in the atmosphere has increased from 315 parts per million (ppm) in 1960 to 405.1 ppm in 2016.
Anthropogenic sources of Greenhouse Gases
Various human activities have added very large quantities of greenhouse gases (GHG) into Earth’s atmosphere!

Carbon dioxide- burning of waste and refuses indiscriminately, deforestation, industrialization, burning of fossil fuels (e.g. coal, oil and natural gas), etc.
Methane- Improper disposal of livestock manures, biomass burning (such as charcoal and firewood burning), decay of organic waste in municipal landfills
Nitrous oxide- they are emitted during industrial and agricultural activities as well as during combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste.

Fluorinated gases- Hydro-chlorofluorocarbons, Chlorofluorocarbons and some other fluorine containing substances emitted from a variety of industrial processes.

Now that we understand climate change, what is GLOBAL WARMING and how does it affect us?
Climate change is a major cause of global warming - global warming is simply an increase in the earth's atmospheric and oceanic temperatures.
Climate change & Global warming have been linked to various environmental, economic and health consequences.

Environmental consequences- hotter hot, wetter wet and drier dries; this means that we will experience hotter temperatures, heavier rainfalls and an increase in drought conditions just like we have been experiencing in recent times for instance in the southern Nigeria, climate change is reflected in the massive flood experienced in 2012; houses, farms, farm products, properties and even human beings were swept away. The statistics released by the southwest zonal office of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) about 2 years ago show that no fewer than 5000 persons were affected and 60 houses destroyed in a windstorm which occurred in four states in the south -west region. Also, about four decades ago, the lake chad covered an area of about 40,000 sq km whereas it now encompasses a mere 1,300 sq km.

Economic consequences- agricultural farms will face troublesome new pests (as seen in the prevalence of army worm in maize farms in the past years) as the old pests will evolve in an attempt to adapt to the new environmental conditions.
Health consequences- heat-related mortality, dehydration, spread of infectious diseases, malnutrition, allergies, asthma, in some literatures global warming has been linked to some cases of skin cancer!

Prospective solutions to these environmental anomalies

There are honestly no perfect solutions to the issue of climate change. However, responding to climate change involves a two-pronged approach:

Mitigation (reducing emissions of and stabilizing the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere) through:
Practicing organic farming -- Organic farming is a method of crop and livestock production that involves choosing NOT to use pesticides, fertilizers, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics and growth hormones in the course of farming activities, instead organic manure are used as fertilizer. What organic farming will do is to convert the environment from a carbon source to a carbon sink (carbon storage system)
Carbon sequestration- this is a process involved in carbon capture and long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide or other forms of carbon to mitigate global warming. Ways of sequestering carbon include :
Afforestation- this is a deliberate act of establishing forests. The idea behind this is that the newly planted trees will help in sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby acting as a carbon sink or store.

Some mushrooms have been noted to be very good absorbers of carbon from the atmosphere and they might be key to natural carbon sequestration

There should be a shift from the use of fossil fuel to bio-fuel
Regulatory bodies should be put in place to check the annual carbon emission of industrial companies in the country in accordance with the carbon emission budget of the Paris Climate Change Agreement of 2016.

Adaptation (“what can be done with the excessive radiation we already have in the atmosphere”)
Solar panels can be used for generation of electricity which will lead to a reduction in fossil fuel burning.
Every individual should be charged with reducing their carbon footprint as much as possible.

© EnvironmentallyAwareInitiative

...An awareness and sensitization initiative

The deafening sound of the car horn, brings a chill to my veins
The echo of the empty room
Ruminates in my head
The bright and macabre day looms ahead
The captivity of my freewill beckons
With my tightly knotted tie
And smoothly ironed shirt I set out,
In the delusional hope of maybe one day
I will bask at my bank account, marvel at my arts collections,
My mansion and my fancy rides
With finesse and garb I set out
The okada rider exclaims "idiot! You blind?"
The pregnant market woman,
Lost in the dysphoria of last night slaps and punches
From her husband stares pitifully at me
My sanguine aura starts the day
But ends it with despondency
After ceaseless search and unrest
I’m back to another miserable existence
An existence of hell on earth
How did I get here?
I need a hiatus from this cursed land
The land beseeches for fruitfulness
Take us back to the time
Of the first man and the first woman
My belly makes a beautiful rhythmic noise
The bus driver toils day and night for crumbs
But can’t stop
The conductor calls and screams
For places he cannot afford to live
Yet, he screams
The first-class graduate returns home
With rotten oranges and quashed hope
But still sets out
The Adroit man have exhausted his chest beating skills
To be in control
But still puts up with the facade
Where did they all go wrong?
The home for all and land of the dreamers
The land that has tasted the blood of the wretched
Swallowed the sweats of the able-bodied men
Sucked all their vigor and aspirations
And put out the fire of dreams,that burnt in their invigorating eyes
And awakened them to the realization that
The land is only for the strong willed and rugged
It is where the strong thrive and the weak turn to vapour
It is for those who want to leave a mark
It is the land where "hustle" never relents, rest or retires.

by SalewaBabs

Ifelaw Set to Unveil 34th International Advocate Journal in Honour of Justice Minister and A.G, Abubakar Malami SAN

With great sense of gratification, we announce to the generality of Law Students’ Society as well as the entire public the unveiling of the 34TH edition of the Annual Advocate Journal.

The Advocate Journal features ultimately scholarly articles from the Bar, the Bench and the Academia all directed toward the intellectual uprightness Of students and the forward-march Of the Law Students’ Society, Obafemi Awolowo University.

Among deserving legal personalities that have been honouree in time past include rather not limited to AHMED RAJI SAN, CHIEF ANTHONY IDIGBE SAN, YUSUF ALI SAN, WOLE OLANIPEKUN SAN, MR GBENGA OYEBODE among a host of others.

Relying on the truism that surrounds our being ‘Primus inter pares”, it behooves On is closely never to fall short or whittle down our urge for unprecedented greatness; Consequently, the 34th edition of the Journal has been sealed in honour of the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General Of The Federation; ABUBAKAR MALAMI SAN.

The unveiling of this year’s edition has been strategically placed against the tune of mere norms and conventions and as much would not amount to mere perseverance of age long custom but a conscious attempt at raising the bar.

It is worthy to express that the unveiling has been strategically fitted into the outline of the forthcoming IFELAW WEEK which is scheduled for December 17th to 22nd, 2018.

We therefore enjoin the entirety of the Law Students' Society to keep fingers crossed and anticipate the most grandiose Law Week in our societal history.

The Bloggers' Hub which held on the 10th of November, 2018 at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife had in presence, notable participants across faculties and departments of the Obafemi Awolowo University and its environs. The facilitators, Mr Farombi Oluwaseun and Mr. Cephas Oluwaseun were in high codes as they taught through the sessions with much skill.

Mr Farombi Seun, popularly known as Babafaros for his social media exploits and his affiliation with the largest and most widely read news agency on the Obafemi Awolowo University campus, OAUPEEPS discussed salient points on social media and how it links up to the Blogosphere. He exposed Bloggers to understanding the times for broadcast and social media sleep.

Mr. Cephas also discussed issues on digital marketing, Google Adsense and the basic monetization issues that bloggers face today.

The Bloggers Hub ended with an award ceremony for excellent bloggers who have paid their dues to the teeming audience that grace their blogs. The Awards followed a voting session online a few weeks back amongst other criteria for selection.

Since 2012, 11 October has been marked as the International Day of the Girl. The day aims to highlight and address the needs and challenges girls face, while promoting girls' empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
There are 1.1 billion girls in the world, that is a big number!
All of us should be able to live long and fulfill our dreams.
I stand with girls everywhere as they inspire, innovate and take charge of their own future.
Every one of them deserve equal opportunities for a better future. They are a source of energy, power and creativity. They can drive change and help build a better future for all. Yet, most girls face disadvantage, sexual violence, physical violence and discrimination on a daily basis.

The 1.1 billion girls of today’s world are challenging the status quo. They’re redefining girlhood, and they’re doing so against the odds.

"On this International Day of the Girl, let us recommit to supporting every girl to develop her skills, enter the workforce on equal terms and reach her full potential." — UN Secretary-General António Guterres

Across the world, girls face adversities that hinder their education, training and entry into the workforce. They have less access to information, communication technology and resources, such as the internet where the global gender gap is growing.

A quarter of young people, most of them girls, are neither employed nor getting an education or training.
According tho the United Nations Women, this year alone, 12 million girls under 18 will be married, and 21 million girls aged 15 to 19 years will become pregnant in developing regions.
According to silcnm.org, every 10 minutes somewhere in the world, an adolescent girl dies as a result of violence.

And yet, they persist, they succeed. They are innovating technology to solve global challenges, they are standing up for the environment, they are raising their voices against violence and they are preparing to run for offices.

Believe in Yourself No matter what happens, remember YOU ARE AWESOME
There is nobody in the world like you.
You don’t have to be the same as everybody else. You are you. You are special. Look at yourself in the mirror everyday and tell yourself how special you are.
Remember, there is so much more to you than your face or body. It is left for you to find these things and bring them out to the world. Beauty lies in your character, good behaviour and not just in fashion or being trendy. Drop bad habits and work on a good attitude.
You are not a chair or a dog for people to own and treat badly. You are a human being and that means your life matters.
Being a girl shouldn’t stop you from becoming anything you want to be.
Under the theme, With Her: A Skilled GirlForce, International Day of the Girl will mark the beginning of a year-long effort to bring together partners and stakeholders to advocate for, and draw attention and investments to, the most pressing needs and opportunities for girls to attain skills for employability.

You are special, a rare GEM, and a strong woman in the making. Do not be afraid to take bold steps and try new things, because you are a girl doesn’t mean you are weak.
Believe in yourself and work with the mindset that no one can make you feel less.
Queen Ohine loves you💞💕

And Marilyn Monroe said:
"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world."

#QueenOhine
#GIG
#Fearless
#InternationalGirlsDay
#UnitedNations
#GirlsTakeOver
#DayOfTheGirl
#GirlHero
Kisses😘😘😘