Blog: NELOC News

IN DEPENDENCE by A M M Winnie

In dependence
We felt the bitter pangs of hunger
Hunger that brought tears to the eyes
Eyes that cried for deliverance
Deliverance that was well hidden
Hidden in our roots
Roots that were looted.

In dependence
We cried for justice
Justice that never came to us
Us; Africans
Africans from Botswana to Uganda
Uganda to Mali to Tunis
Tunis to Zimbabwe to South Africa
South Africa to Sierra Leone to Nigeria
Nigeria: the proclaimed giant of Africa.

In dependence
We felt our blood flowing
Flowing deep from our wounds
Wounds from whips and abuse
Abuse of power by the masters
Masters whom we rebelled against and fought
Fought but never conquered.

In dependence
We feel we are independent
Independent yet we are not liberated
Liberated from slavery and anguish
Anguish suffered by the masses
Masses who have suffered
Suffered in the hands of the country that bore us.

In dependence
We celebrate victory
Victory of millions living in poverty
Poverty the father of mischief
Mischief our means of survival
Survival, our striving and struggling
Struggling but never achieving.

In dependence
Our hearts are wounded
Wounded enough to make us crouch
Crouch and beg till we stop living
Living and dying in the darkness of our country
A country that has refused to help its children
Children: the ones that die before seeing the day.

In dependence
We have sang and written
Written letters upon letters
Letters to help us see the light
Light that is covered by darkness
Darkness that lays deep down in our hearts
Hearts that never rise
Rise above the boundaries set.

In dependence
We kill each order
Orderly we are disorderly
Disorderly we have lost our voices
Voices that are being stumped
Stumped till they die early
Early, the good ones die.

In dependence
We are writing again
Again, we are celebrating
Celebrating the dead giant gallantly
Gallantly, we will hold our heads up
Up above so we will rise
Rise like we never have.

In dependence
We hope we will become independent
Independent of hunger... Of terrorism
Terrorism, discrimination and inequality
Inequality of the citizens
Citizens that are buried deep
Deep under the ground of the powerful.

In dependence
We pray
Pray and act
Act and hope
Hope that we will be okay
Okay to celebrate a real independence
Independence without being in dependence.

Happy Independence Day.


A. M. M. Winnie
#poetic hood
#legal exponents
#Ifelaw
#OneNigeria

AWE

Words fail
Speeches cease
We’re frail
Our vocal lips are sealed
Marvellous
Is the very thought of you
How so helpless is man!
Who seeks to capture you
With history’s frailest plan;
Words

Just a bit of your creation
Render man speechless
The sparkle of the stars
A jot on the massive sky
Millions stop a bit to dote on.
How much more the Magnificient sight of the clustered galaxies
O Incomprehensible God!
If words are not enough to describe your works
How much more the Worker!

Creator, I’m Awed!
Help me find my voice
In loving letters and sweet sounds
To you.

MUYIWA is a poet,musician and a public speaker.

NNI: Can we meet you?

Guest: I am Adegbite Adebayo Samuel. I'm a 26years old graduate of Political science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. I was born into a family of five although, my father is late, as far back as 1997. I'm a Music minister with a passion to preach Jesus all around the world with the sounds of Heaven. I hail from Oyo state

NNI: "But my father is late, as far back as 1997..." With this, how was growing up been for you?

Guest: Well, It was tough, really tough, especially for my mother who suddenly found herself a single parent. It was like the silver spoon was taken away, but nonetheless, she did everything in her power by the grace of God to give myself and my siblings quality education, good morals and taught us to love the Lord. A lot of credit goes to God through her.

NNI: Inspiring! Your mum is indeed a strong woman. I thank God for His grace upon her life.

Guest: Yeah, God be praised.

NNI: What inspired Aninilematanile?

Bayo Adegbite: After completing my undergraduate studies, I had been trusting God for an unusual grace to compose songs that will bless many around the world. I just want to be a vessel unto honour. One day, as I was heading back home from work, I started singing in the spirit (singing in tongues), a melody then struck my heart, I couldn't stop singing it, but it was still in tongues, so I asked God to help put words of understanding to fit into the melody, and not long after, I remembered a beautiful name of God I got to know in one of rehearsals in the fellowship meeting (RCFOAU) in the university. Aninilematannile! Meaning The Inexhaustible God, The One who is All-Sufficient. That was it! A new song had arrived!!!

NNI: Wow! Interesting. When did you start music?

Bayo Adegbite: I have been involved in music since childhood, in fact every member of family sings really well, but started 2015 professionally when I released my debut single.

NNI: As a gospel artiste, please narrate your salvation experience?

Guest: I got saved through a friend way back 2007. He just showed me love and then I saw how things were working out for him, so I decided to give God a chance, but now I know He gave me chance! No regrets!

NNI: Oh Wow! Who are your music mentors? Your role models in this field?

Guest: My music mentor is my Mother, Mrs Adegbite Stella Olayide, she taught me how to stay on key by dragging me to weekly services to lead the praise and worship lol and Role models are Don Moen, Wale Adenuga and Nathaniel Bassey.

NNI: God, Music and Man... What do you think is the bond?

Bayo Adegbite: God is the originator of music and also the creator of man. The bond here is that, music is one of the most potent weapon in the hands of men to establish and advance the kingdom of God on earth.

NNI: Wow! Recently Tasha Hobbs collaborated with Nicki Minaj. What do you think of gospel artistes collaborating with secular ones?

Guest: I'm not one to judge, but if i could just lend my voice. My stand is that Whatever is Gospel is too precious to be meddled with the secular world. There's a distinct line between we do in the kingdom and what goes on in the secular. We preach Christ, they preach self, so when we involve the secular guys in collaboration, in my opinion I think there's a loss of sense of identity.

NNI: Wow! What's the future of gospel music in Nigeria?

Bayo Adegbite: Beyond words can say or describe!!! There's an army rising in this country. God is raising music ministers after His heart

NNI: And I'm one of them! (smiles)

Bayo Adegbite: Oh yes! Music ministers are churning out great songs. And believe soonest, our songs will change the course of this country, Africa, and the world at large for good.

NNI: Amen! How do you balance your music with other obligations-- career, etc?

Guest: It's not easy but I'll just say you'll always find time for whatever you love or love doing. So with God's help I try to prioritise well

NNI: What is your greatest challenge as a musician?

Bayo Adegbite: I don't know how best to answer this but, I put a lot of good pressure on myself and the good pressure is to better the person I was yesterday by improving today, but Jesus is up to the task through me. Let me just say, staying positive and motivated in midst of discouragements is my greatest challenge.

NNI: You started in 2015? Wow! That's great. What do you count as your achievements so far?

Bayo Adegbite: I believe my greatest achievements is how the songs God has given has touched the lives of people. Recently someone told how she got baptised in the Holy Ghost with evidence of speaking in tongues while singing one of the songs God gave me. That for me is a great achievement!

NNI: Wow! I love this testimony. Where do you see yourself in next five years?

Bayo Adegbite: Next five years! Well I believe by then by the special grace of God, I would have joined of frontiers in the gospel music ministry in Nigeria and the world at large to keep advancing the kingdom of God through music

NNI: What would you love to say to your supporters and to inspire other musicians?

Bayo Adegbite: To all those who have supported me so far, I want to say a big thank you. I'm immensely grateful. I also humbly ask that you keep praying for me like you've always done. May God keep us all in Jesus name. I love you all.

To my fellow music ministers, we must keep pushing for excellence and trust God for every step we intend take. let's keep raising the banner of Christ, drawing men solely to Him.

NNI: Thank you for your time sir.

Bayo Adegbite: My pleasure

Opinion: The Child Who Did Not Cry

It was the day of my birth. I watched them silently as they hit me with great force. They slapped me on my chin, back and buttocks one after the other as an expert drummer would ram his konga drums, making sounds, unrhythymical.

I thought they were catching fun at my expense. I felt injury and pains. It was terrific. If this was how the sons of men were to treat me, then I would prefer to remain where I was accepted. The slaps increased.

I am a new born. At my birth, I had refused to drown in my own waters. Times before, I had visited here but left hurriedly; probably because I wanted to punish my family here or there, or wanted to check on this planet. There I was, a child of two worlds, I belonged to both.

I had lost count of times I'd journeyed through heaven and earth. This time, the midwives had slapped me over and over, making sure I cried to ascertain me alive. I refused to, I was not dead though. I looked into the eyes of the chief midwife... I was sure she was unfamiliar but could not saw if she was experienced or not- she must have seen the lines on my left foot.

Much wonder she knew little that I was an "ABIKU"

I am the child who did not cry
The one who did die
From thence till this while
I've given my mother much cry
I am not a still birthed child...
I am STILL BIRTH herself...

My first day on earth was terrible and the first week, hell, courtesy of every person I met from the occasion of my delivery. No thanks to them..

The medicine man placed the herb to the ground. He looked down into the small mirror placed opposite the bed where I laid. Then, He picked the local pencil in his left hand and a small knife in the right.

Loud cries proceeded from my mouth. He had made the first cut on my right cheek and rubbed the coaled ink off the pencil edge into the hole, drying up the blood and carefully making sure it dripped into a small calabash.
He soon made the second cut and another series of cries rolled out... I could not help it. Amidst tears, I watched him channel the drips of blood down to the small calabash.

“There are five things you need to know”, he told my mother. “Before we send him out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and he will remain with you till the day he wishes to die”

The next thing I heard was silence...

I am the child who did not cry
The one who did die
Who gave my mother much cry
I am not a still birthed child...
I am STILL BIRTH herself...

Fifteen years later...
My past has been plagued, my present, blasted and the future, opaque and bleak. I had just been released from prison... No! Not what you think- the government prison. It was actually a family prison, personal; the prison of my heart, where I was caged by the raging claws of consanguinity...
As freedom is slavery, I just did not know that I had come into a new rope. Probably this would tie me down into hell. In the last fifteen years of my life, I have been made into a young boy, excelling greatly amidst my peers and a seeming family of five children, all males. There was this peculiarity- we came in succession and after the order of history.
Obviously, I was a mysterious child; only little did know and I neither bothered to tell any who seemed ignorant.

15th September
Culture is the spring that has it's bounce, the proverbial ball that goes up and surely lands on people- it's remote victms. Today, I had my initiation ceremony... Not into a cult but into manhood. This very day was my circumcision. I felt lifted. Little did I know that...
I am the child who did not cry
The one who did die
Who gave my mother much cry
I am not a still birthed child...
I am STILL BIRTH herself...

An Appraisal of Karimu Sunday v. The State

Karimu Sunday v. The state

Judgement delivered by the Supreme Court of Nigeria on 5th of May, 2017.

INTRODUCTION:
This appeal borders on criminal law and procedure.

FACTS:
This is an appeal against the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division wherein the Court dismissed the appeal of the accused/appellant after his conviction and sentence by the High Court of Ogun State.
At the High Court of Ogun State, it was alleged that the appellant who was wearing a black cap, black goggles and a black handkerchief which covered his mouth, on 09/03/04, at about 5pm, went to a cement shop in Ijebu-Igbo, owned by one Ramotalai Alege (PW1), on a motorcycle. Upon arriving at the shop, the appellant alighted from the motorcycle and asked the rider, one Alaba Adesina, to wait for him. The appellant was alleged to have entered the shop on the pretext of purchasing 70 bags of cement from PW1. The appellant requested the cost of the bags of cement and as PW1 was about to take out a calculator from her bag, the appellant was alleged to have snatched her bag containing N3,600 and bolted out of the shop. The appellant then jumped onto a waiting motor cycle in a bid to escape with PW1 in pursuit. The appellant then threatened PW1 with a dagger which he pulled from his back pocket, but PW1 then began to shout for help, which attracted people to the scene. According to PW1, when people started coming to the scene, the person who was waiting with the motor cycle tried to move away with the appellant, but PW2 pulled down the motor cycle and the appellant jumped down and started running away. However, the appellant and the rider were eventually apprehended by concerned bystanders, including an off-duty policeman, who had been alerted by the alarm raised by PW1 and PW2. The rider was apprehended at the scene of the crime, while the appellant was arrested a short distance from the scene of the crime. Upon his arrest, the appellant was taken to the police station along with PW1 and PW2, and the rider of the motor cycle. At the station, the appellant made an extra judicial confessional statement.
At the trial, the appellant pleaded not guilty to the charge. The appellant testified in his own defence but called no other witnesses in support of his case. The appellant however made a bare denial of the charge and sought to retract his extra-judicial confessional statements on the ground that he did not write it. The appellant however, admitted to appending his signature to the confessional statements after they had been read to him by the Police.
The learned trial judge held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and convicted the appellant and sentence him to death by handing. Aggrieved by the decision of the High Court, the appellant filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal seeking orders quashing his conviction and the sentence of death passed on him. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appellant's appeal and affirmed his conviction and the sentence of death passed on him by the trial Court under Section 1(2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act. The appellant, aggrieved with this decision filed a Notice of Appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal.
ISSUES:
The appellant distilled four issues for determination. The respondent distilled a sole issue for the determination of the appeal. The Court noted that the single issue of the respondent clearly covers all aspects of questions that need be answered in the determination of the appeal and so the Court adopted the issues formulated by the respondent for the determination of the appeal.
SOLE ISSUE:
This raises the question whether the Court of Appeal or Court below rightly held that the prosecution proved the offence of armed robbery against the appellant beyond reasonable doubt.
DECISION/HELD:
On the whole, the Court held that the appeal lacks merit and it was thereby dismissed. The Court affirmed the decision of the Court of Appeal in its affirmation of the judgment, conviction and sentence of the Accused/Appellant.

OPINION

There issues in the above case will be considered.
1. Was the sentence proportionate to the offence?
2. Did the Courts apply any rule of interpretation to Section 1(2) of the Robbery and Firearms Act?
3. The appeal to the Supreme Court. The appeal against Conviction. Why not the sentence?

The Robbery and Firearms Act clearly specifies the penalty for armed robbery as death by hanging. However, the accused only brought a dagger. The Courts could have realised that no one was stabbed. He only threatened with a dagger and the full wrath of the law is on him. Nothing got spoilt and destroyed then life must go on. The writer opines that he could have gotten a lesser sentence.

On the rule of interpretation the Courts employed, it seems the literal rule. Juris novit curia- it is for the Courts to know the law. Apparently, the penalty for Armed Robbery is death but liniency is in the sceptre of the Courts. Flexibility and reformative justice must be behind every the dispensation of criminal justice. We must have in mind that other things would influence the decision of the Courts.

On the appeal against Conviction, it could have been better if the appeal was against the sentence. The confessional statement of the accused and other evidences pinpoint the fact that he was indeed guilty. Thus, an appeal should have been for mitigation of sentence.

How to Engage Risk Management and Scale Business Growth

This Post COVID-19 season has brought with it, really difficult growth businesses all over the world. While some are out of goods, some have not been able to operate wherever they are. This has taught business owners and the world at large a lot of things including Risk Management.

Risk Management is an important element in business that helps the business thrive and secure them during any unforeseen circumstances that might threaten to hold the business down. There are several ways by which your business can be taken care of in this season

1. Create a system around your Business

At this point, brands should secure viable ways by which customers would still get products and services safely without starving them of what they've always had from you. Operate a delivery system where people can order and still get what they need and also plan well, how you want to get the product to them in this time.

2. Be there for your customers

At this time, a lot of businesses will collapse and close down because they would lose customers due to negligence. Your brand should not always ask all the time for patronage, they should also get to know how customers are doing and what they can do to serve them in this time.

3. Recharge and Recreate

This is also a time to recharge yourself as a CEO and also get your workers recharged so they do not lose the vibe to work and they also come up with great ideas even during this break. Chances are that a lot of workers would find it difficult to resume once all this is over and so a structure that helps them recharge and recreate would do a lot.

4. Keep in touch with your workers

Imagine you resumed work and you found out that five of your workers had the virus and you never knew, how would you feel? Sad, yeah? That's it. You have to check up on your workers. How are they faring? What's their current situation? What if you just called or emailed them to let them know you care and wouldn't mind listening to them? This should just be an act of love but it's more than that— it would create a bond and also get you to become supportive.

Opinion: Today, Everyone is an Influencer

A PR is a person involved in public relations. Being a PR (also known as an influencer of recent) has suddenly become a highly sought after job by the youths. A PR publicizes events and businesses. A PR also knows a lot of people and has high networking skills.

There are different categories of fake influencers. While I was in Lagos, awaiting UI admission, I used instagram a lot. I viewed a lot of my friends’ profiles and almost all accounts I saw that had over a thousand followers had the word “influencer” in the bio section. I concluded it was a phase, as we had just finished secondary school and being idle was the only thing we did then. You finally have more than a thousand followers on instagram or twitter but no engagements and you claim the title of “influencer” just because…

Just as the secondary school graduates gradually moved into different universities this PR effect has followed them to their various institutions.
Everybody seems to be a PR these days. There are a lot of influencers’ pages; ui_students, ui_crib, uiparrot etc. pages like these keep springing up. The people behind these pages give no thought to its continuality. The only thing on their mind is the moment popularity. PR jobs have gone beyond daily posting pictures of people who have taken a photo with a good camera and giving such photos vain captions. I do this and the only thing stopping me from claiming to be an influencer is my followers are far from a thousand. Now this is one category of fake PRs.
The second category is the whatsapp story influencers (WSI). As an influencer, yes you should be able to reach a lot of people in a short time; you should also be able to actually influence these people’s decisions. WSI go around exchanging numbers with people, posting links to their direct messages everywhere just to increase views on their status. Quality will forever be better than quantity. So you, as an influencer have a maximum of more than a thousand views on a post that is on your status daily but only five people are in your dm showing really slight interest on what you posted. Why? It doesn’t just end at the collection of numbers, you have to establish a relationship with the person and this requires sending more than broadcasts to the person’s dm.

The last category, Twitter influencers. These are actually the funniest. Imagine someone winning a giveaway that he also planned. Twitter influencers do anything to get retweets or likes including winning their own giveaways. The most recent practice is impersonating people and using their pictures for display pictures. There has been a lot of calling out and exposing of such people, but this hasn’t stopped the impersonators as it gives them the avenue to gain more followers.

Some influencers have even said farewell to their home training and personal morals, just to post raunchy photos to get engagements. It is a digital world and the world was made for man and not man for the world. Not everybody is a PR and PR jobs are not for everybody.

Dictargh.

Opinion: You and Your Self Worth

“My mates are already in their final year in most schools, see what UI has done to me now, then you wonder why Chris and I barely talk again. Tola just got married last month and she's my mate. Did you just see that Mercedes Benz outside? Kolade is the owner and I have not even gotten the bearing of my life not to talk of getting a car. Is it not my mate that is always in a relationship with make sense guys and me I am here like this, meeting the wrong set of people always. Kate is just the TDB major how I wish to be like her.”

Calm down and take it easy on you. Who is your mate really? Who is your competitor? With what standard do you measure you?

One of the religious books, the bible says that they are fools who compare themselves with themselves. One way out of comparing yourself with someone else is to know yourself. The search to know yourself is not what others can do for you. It is a process of introspection that is continuous. You never stop knowing and discovering new things about yourself. You lessen the degree at which you make comparison to others in regards to yourself because you've built in you the understanding of you. Do you know that the world sees you the way you see yourself? Come to think of it those your friends that you see as classy are like that because they call themselves classy. You are what you potray to the world. This comes out of the understanding of you. It is known as your self worth.

Self-worth is an internal state of being that comes from self-understanding, self-love, and self-acceptance. It is a state that is somewhat timeless and unchanging because it is a direct measure of how you value and regard yourself in spite of what others may say or do. It therefore doesn’t quickly or easily change when external factors or circumstances change. Self-worth is steady and unflinching, and therefore, holds power to radically transform your life for the better. To have a high level of self-worth means accepting yourself wholeheartedly at all times despite your flaws, weaknesses, and limitations. It’s about recognizing the real value of who you are — right here, right now, at this present moment.

To have a high level of self-worth means never allowing yourself to be defined by outside forces, including people’s opinions. It means never allowing outcomes to shake your confidence, faith or resolve. All this means that no matter what happens you are steadfast. Nothing outside of your “being” influences how you feel about yourself.Your influence alone is the only thing that matters. You alone are the most significant factor in how you feel about yourself, about your life, and about your circumstances. And that is essentially where your personal power comes from.

For you to build self worth or create enough self-worth to empower our daily decisions and actions in a way that will help us achieve our desired outcomes you must see this as a long-term process that you need to work on consistently over time. Lay down a new stone each day. Eventually, the fortress will grow more prominent and more substantial until it becomes almost unbreakable. A strong wind might blow, hail and rain might bucket down, and thunder might shake the ground. And yet, despite all this, your fortress will remain intact. It stands its ground because you put in place a solid foundation that you consistently built over time. And that’s where the strength of the fortress comes from. And that’s precisely where the power of your self worth comes from. You should follow the stages of growing your self worth building a high level of self-worth will also take time.

Your first step involves getting to know yourself at a deeper and more profound level; the self understanding stage. Who you are and how you see yourself are keys to understanding your true value.How others see you and how they speak about you, is also, of course, important. But this isn’t so much about them but rather about how you feel about yourself as a result of how others see or speak about you. That is, of course, another measure of your self-worth. The next step is the Self-Acceptance Stage. You must be real and authentic with yourself here. This requires wholeheartedly acknowledging your true nature including the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Then, the Self-Love Stage where you fully accept yourself, it’s now time to acknowledge your true value. To do this, it’s important to begin practicing a little self-love. Which basically means treating yourself with kindness, tolerance, generosity, and compassion. Yes, you have flaws. Yes, you have so many limitations and weaknesses, but we all do. That’s part of being human. It’s time to let all that go and instead practice being compassionate with yourself.

The Recognition stage is when you have self-understanding. When you have fully accepted yourself. And when you reach a stage where you practice self-love and self-compassion, that’s when people, events, and circumstances no longer define you. You instead begin to define yourself.
The final step in this process is the responsibility stage which involves taking full responsibility for your life, for your circumstances, and for your problems. This is to take full responsibility for everything that happens to you without giving away your personal power. Here, you acknowledge that you have the personal power to change and influence the events and circumstances of your life.

HealthWise: What Should We Look Forward to as WHO Celebrates World Immunization Week?

In this article ,we look forward to WHO creating a week awareness for more people and their communities to know the importance and value of vaccines and immunization and to be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. This article aims to highlight the collective action needed to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages against disease and to ensure that governments obtain the necessary guidance and technical support to implement high-quality immunization programmes.

Immunization: This is a process by which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination. This term is often used interchangeably with vaccination or inoculation.

Covid and Omicron are both viruses but one spread faster than the other. Omicron is a virant of the virus that causes Covid- 19. Even with vaccines, the spread of Omicron is still higher. Despite its high transmission, researchers still don't know its origin, its symptoms and its causes. The virus has been detected in many countries and cases had been recorded. The spread of the virus is alarming hence, the aim of this article is to educate you on how to get yourself protected from this deadly virus.

Both Covid-19 and omicron has almost same symptoms hence,their prevention is same.
Below are few ways you could get yourself protected;

1. Get yourself vaccinated: This is the best way to get yourself protected from the virus. Even people with weak immune system get themselves protected with the use of vaccines. The use of vaccines will protect you from the illness and also save you from any form of symptoms.

2. Avoid crowded areas: The rate at which the virus spread is really very high. A mere body contact with an infected person can can get you infected hence,you have to keep yourself safe by avoiding areas where people are much and where there aren't enough breathing space (i.e poor ventilated area).

3. Wash hands and surfaces often: This is another way to get yourself prevented from this deadly virus. Make sure you wash your hands before and after every little thing you do such as eating, using the toilet, the use of the nose mask, touching of any part of your body, after leaving a public place, after taking care of the sick etc. You can either wash with soap and water or a sanitizer with 60% alcohol. All surfaces should be disinfect and cleaned. Surfaces such as tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, sinks etc.

4. Always go for regular check-up: You should always watch for any form of symptoms and go for treatment immediately if any of the symptoms are noticed. This will help you to detect easily if affected and hence there will be immediate treatment for such person.

DEATH PARASITE, WAR VECTOR

BY EBUNOREOFE

The start of the new day in the city of Kolde began, of course, with the rising of the sun. It was such a beautiful sight to behold as the first rays of sunshine emerged from the hidden sleep-nest of the big hot yellow ball. Thus, with this proud emergence of the sun, the day had no choice than to open up its sleepy eyes and the last family member, the country slowly awakened too. The city’s first sign of awakening was the loud sonorous crowing of various cocks in different parts of the city. The cocks were always the first to wake up as if to say that they understood the universe as well as humans too.

Then, the evangelists began their usual morning cry accompanied by the clanging of their big bells and various songs all projecting the message of salvation. Little by little, everyone woke up and prepared for their daily activities; the mothers chased their young ones in a bid to get them ready for school, the fathers sipped their hot coffee or tea while reading the newspaper and some of the “busiest-bee” fathers didn’t even grab any beverage- they just dressed hurriedly and stormed early out of the house almost leaving before the cock crow sometimes. It was a long chain of activities: the canteens had already begun their daily job of enticing passers-by with delightful aromas of local dishes, the loud horn of the train could be heard from the railway stations and the non-stop chatter of the people dissolved perfectly into the day like a well prepared solution.

Somewhere in the city, men within the age bracket of fourty to fifty were seen discussing the happenings in the city and their country at large at the newspaper stand of one Mr Dan. Mr Dan watched with his usual amusement as these men debated and argued repeatedly, each trying to prove that his opinion was the right one. He never involved himself in these arguments except they were getting out of hand and he perceived that his little stand was in danger of destruction. A second-class upper graduate of agricultural science, he was yet to be employed by any company and so, he started the newspaper business with the advice of a friend; at least, he would see little profit to feed and survive till his big breakthrough came one day. He had always imagined it: he would meet a famous C.E.O by chance and then, the C.E.O would come to realize that his ideas were creative and priceless. Boom! He gets employed as a principal officer in the company with allowances, official car, an official house, a nice homey office, a secretary at his beck and call, and maybe, just maybe an official wife. If only dreams come true with a snap of one’s fingers...

One of the topics of the discussion at the newspaper stand was the prospective war between the cities of Sayva and Derebres. There were six cities in the country- Kolde, Omin, Sayva, Nduri, Ersmos and Derebres. All seemed to be going fine until some Sayva bandits attacked a principal Derebresian official and the government of Sayva swept the matter under their dirty carpet apparently because the godfather of the bandits was in the cabal of the president. The matter was quickly becoming messier as both parties had issued out several threats of bloodshed. No one was really agitated because no physical action had been taken and the threats were considered empty. Mr Dan sighed, looking up to the sky and prayed silently that all would be well soon.

In another part of Kolde, a young handsome boy, nine years of age, was putting on his school uniform in a three bedroom bungalow. He was the only child of his parents and he was inevitably entitled to his own room. He was already wearing his socks when he heard the loud voices of his parents. He didn’t show any sign of disturbance mostly because he was used to the noise since he could remember. His parents quarrelled all the time and sometimes, it even resulted into Papa using his hands to scold Mama; those times, he would cry in his room and wish he were born into a better family. He always obeyed his father mostly because he was scared his father would give him strokes of the cane if he failed to carry out given instructions. Papa was a very strict man who was always happy to beat a child if the occasion arose. The boy, Kofi, never really talked to his father because the man was never at home; he was either at his spare parts shop, the beer parlour or other ungodly places. Papa was always drunk when he came back at night and Kofi would make sure he was in bed before Papa entered the house. He could recall one night when Papa had come back late, drunk as usual, and had lashed him with his belt mercilessly because he(Kofi) was drawing stupid things again. Papa never liked him drawing. The memory still haunted him. Mama was always withdrawn into herself. Sometimes, he felt like a burden to them but he never stopped trying to love them.

Days rolled by in the country, and the first item on the war list was the bombing of a stadium in Sayva. The whole country was agog with the news and the aroma of fear became pronounced. Some days later, the son of the Derebresian minister of health was found brutally murdered with a note that said “a little present from Sayva”. From that moment, the battle line had really been drawn. Allies were formed immediately: the cities of Omin and Nduri allied themselves with Sayva and the remaining two cities with Derebres.

The war was getting hotter everyday and death had spread to all the cities. Homes were bombed daily, food was becoming scarce; banks were in commotion as people closed their accounts. It was quite the nightmare for the country. In the city of Kolde, Mr Dan was not too disturbed. He was ready to die, there was nothing good to live for; he already considered a failure.

In another part of Kolde, a boy could be seen crying for help. The boy was none other than Kofi. He went to school only to come back and meet all the houses on his street burnt completely. His parents had died- just like that.

Mr Dan was walking on the street, just to see what was happening. The streets were filled with homeless people who had migrated quickly from other cities. He walked and walked until he turned into a street that had been bombed recently. He heard crying and he walked towards the sound. He saw a small boy crying and he felt compassion. He tapped him and immediately, the boy hugged him, crying repeatedly. It felt weird but that was the right thing to do at that moment. The boy amidst tears, managed to utter “Mama and Papa are dead”. Dan felt so angry at the war for robbing a young child of his parents and he took the boy to his shop which doubled as his house.

The next day, the United Nations Armed Forces flew in and helped to stop the war. The “purge” lasted for three days and the number of deaths recorded was about a thousand people. After the war stopped, people came out of their homes- for those who still had homes- and for the first time in a long-shorttime( the war didn’t last so long but it seemed like forever), people smiled and began to have some form of hope.

Mr Dan looked at little Kofi sleeping, turning in his sleep at intervals and sometimes frowning in his sleep. He hoped the little boy’s nightmares would end soon for the boy had brought a new dawn to his life. He could see life more clearly and he finally had someone to live for. He had a “son” already. He was ready to awake from his dream of meeting a C.E.O and work towards becoming that C.E.O. He would be better, start something more productive, maybe a farm. He would be better. As he closed his eyes to get some sleep, he thought to himself “a war of a short period like this in one country and look how many lives are lost already, imagine if a world war happened...”. He shuddered at that thought, and with a final yawn, prayed to God for world peace.

PR gods- The Dead End: Where PR Fails

Overtime, many brands and businesses come with bowed heads and make complaints of low returns on advertising and PR budgets. While this is not impossible, recent PR studies at the NELOC Media Academy have shown that it actually occurs in one out of hundred cases. This especially is because of the advent of new and popular media platforms. It leads on to confirm that for every exception to a successful PR and Advertising Strategy, something went wrong in the PR Strategy draw up.

What then should you do if your business, brand or company falls in this exception?

Firstly, re-organise your PR and Marketing Strategy. There should ordinarily be an order for company and brand marketing operations. This makes it easy to follow procedures and steps to maximize profit. Take for instance, a case, where boosting a post on social media and distribution of brand publicity items are two items included in the many strategies developed, it will only take a proper PR strategy plan and template to determine which of them should come before the other.

Secondly, measure your results and conversions. This is key to help you determine where future advertising and marketing budget will be pumped into. In cases where there is no measure for conversions, sales rates and targets met, it is very likely that future advertising budget will go down the drain.

While you have a great brand product and service, the absence of a PR and Marketing Template can hinder any great sales coming your way. Since one main aim of your business and brand is profit, you can consider drafting a PR and marketing plan using templates like this. You can also reach here for a PR plan template.

If you engage in Digital Businesses as a Cover for Fraud, Your sins will find you Out - Kehinde Odeyemi

As Digital Trends get disruptive by the day, there is every chance at it that onventional work modes will exit the human space soon. We walked the talk with Kehinde Odeyemi, CEO of The Echo Digital. This is what he has to say on the importance of Digital Marketing and how to read the trending signs of our age.

NNI: Can we meet you?

Guest: I am Emmanuel Kehinde Odeyemi, I have a B.Sc in Electronics & Electrical Engineering (Communications). I am a professional Digital Marketer and the founder of The Echo Digital, T.E.D, an online marketing firm, founded in August 2017. Also, I'm a humanitarian at The Echo Care Foundation Africa, founded by me in June 2018

NNI: How has the entrepreneurship/business journey been for you so far?

GUEST: My entrepreneur journey hasn't been smooth and neither has it been rough all through. There have been big wins, small wins, big losses and small losses. But importantly, lessons have been learnt.

NNI: Like Summy Smart Francis, Bill Gates, Strive Masiyiwa and other world's business models, what and who drives your entrepreneurship/business spirit?

GUEST: My entrepreneurial spirit is actually based on the fact that I have passion to help people. Through T.E.D, we have been able to solve over 650 marketing problems within 32 months and hired people so they can earn. At the moment, our staff count is about 30.

Also, a desire to be independent and creating a better life for myself and my unborn kids is a motivation. I am commited to making lives better.

NNI: In hosting innovative brand programmes like the TED Trade Fairs, Live in Concert and the TEDInvasion, what is your experience?
GUEST: I own all the stocks at T.E.D,. This means if it goes sour, I lose the most and if goes so well I enjoy the most. One of the major characteristics of an entrepreneur is the ability to take risks, risk is something that I have learnt to calculate. The purpose of these events are: brand awareness, education and empowerment. However, the major challenge about hosting these events is having willing hands that can make it a success. Willing hands will always generate revenues.

NNI: What do you do at the TED Academy?
Guest: The T.E.D Academy is a Division of the T.E.D Organisation in charge of training people in digital skills such as SEO, Affiliate Marketing, Page Management & Development, Sponsored Ads, e.t.c. All done virtually! The participants are issued a certificate afterwards.

NNI: How did you come about digital Skills?

Guest: Most of my digital skills are self taught.

NNI: What do you think of many youths who claim to engage in digital businesses as a cover for fraud?
GUEST: Their sins will find them out if they don't stop that nonsense

NNI: On the price rates and excessive use of internet browsing data (positively or negatively) for SMEs and Companies, how does it affect your productivity?
GUEST: I use tonnes of data, that I can honestly account for. In the past 4 months, I have used over 200GB. To a certain extent, data in Nigeria isn't cheap if you compare it to other world countries but at the rate of data being sold, people in Nigeria can still make a life from it by going digital. You just have to understand that if you spend much on data usage, it better be fetching you money in return.

NNI: As a company, Can impact truly be measured? Considering your CSRs, what defines social impact for you at the Echo Digital?

GUEST: Of course impact can be measured. Most people into business are not entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are business people but not all business people are entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship has to do with innovative solution to problems and trying to make lives better irrespective of their field. It is about risk taking, especially at the initial or incubation stage of your start-up. If you can't even afford to take a little risk for your brand, you can't use that word. Entrepreneurs think about people, business people think about themselves!

When it comes to CSR, we are making impact. For instance, The T.E.D Invasion Conference allows you to pick a ticket for a token and you get trained for free in digital marketing. The whole value embedded in the ticket is almost 18,000 naira and participants are asked to pay only 3,000 naira or 1,500 for it.

T.E.D also supports foundations, most importantly, TECF Africa and we have been able to hire many undergraduates to help them build work experience with us and get paid. So yes, results can be measured as we have been able to solve over 650 marketing problems with over 82% success rate.

NNI: What is your view on Global Youth Development and growth? Do you think we are making progress?
GUEST: As a matter of fact, the major targets for our online courses are undergraduate youths and one of the major benefits of the T.E.D Invasion is skill and knowledge empowerment for undergraduates. If young minds can harness the power of the digital age, they would live more fulfilled in various businesses. And yes, we are making progress. We are doing that fast too!

NNI: What exceptional skill do you think every entrepreneur and business owner should have? Why?
GUEST: Simple page management & development skill that helps you to effectively portray your brand properly on social media and it also helps you to grow your audience a step at a time. Quality is better, but in business, quantity should never, I repeat never be over-looked. Some people will automatically not patronise you because of your low followers count. This means so much too.

Also, Content Creation skill (SEO Writing & Branding is important too) and Email Marketing.

NNI: You also lead volunteers at The Echo Care Foundation. What is your Volunteer Experience?
GUEST: At TECF Africa, it's been awesome. A lot of people are volunteers but not VOLUNTEERS, if you know what I mean. Throughout my undergraduate days, I served people without expecting anything in return and today God is making people return the favour. Even before getting into the University, I've been involved in volunteering.

The only thing I have to say is that to volunteer isn't compulsory, nobody will beat you if you don't. But if you do out of your own volition, let your integrity show in your response to your responsibility. Integrity and Faithfulness is key in volunteering.

NNI: Do you think funding levels for NGOs have reduced? Why?
GUEST: No it hasn't according to my knowledge, there are hundreds of organisations funding and willing to fund NGOs as long as they can see a track record of successes and impact. Get registered, be transparent too!

NNI: What is your advice to fellow young individuals?
GUEST: Develop yourself at any opportunity. There is no time. What you don't pay 1,000 naira for today, you won't pay 1,000,000 naira for tomorrow even if you have it because having money won't chase out stinginess to oneself. Also if you don't pay a 1,000 naira today, you will be forced to pay 1,000,000 tomorrow.

Make your personal growth a priority. Having phones and gadgets are not important as what we can do with them. If you can't earn a living from them, you shouldn't invest so much in them in the first instance.

Grow and develop your mind and skills!

NNI: What new heights are you scaling at TED and TECF? What should we expect in the near future?

GUEST: The goal is to have T.E.D Invasion quarterly every year, every April in Obafemi Awolowo University though and across states or Universities at the beginning of every other quarter in the year.

We will be going public where 60 young individuals can own stocks or shares at T.E.D under our Academy, Events and Marketing Companies. They talk about investments and many young people still don't get it because they don't know how and why. Investment is the future.

We are going into awards by the end of the year where those that have done exceptionally well as individuals or organisations can be recognised. It won't be a regular event, these events started incubating in 2018. More details later.

NNI: Thank you very much for your time sir.

GUEST: Thank you very much for the honour.

The Revolution By Okonkwo Jemima Chineye

April 4th marks the death of the great dreamer, Martin Luther King Jr. It's been 50 years since the legendary revolutional activist was assassinated. His life and death brings great significance to the whole world . Martin Luther King Jr was a civil rights activist who fought against racial segregation in America. He didn't just fight for African Americans , he fought for the color black.
As a young man, Martin Luther King Jr was not afraid of death. In fact he knew that sacrifices were inevitable if his dreams were to be achieved. It was this understanding that brought his dreams to realization. King understood that sometimes one has to break the rules to break new grounds. His courage was unbelievable. In the 39 years of his life, he did the work of a lifetime. According to a biographer, at death it was discovered that he had the heart of a 60 years old man. Martin Luther King started a revolution.
During an April 4, 1967, appearance at the New York City Riverside Church - exactly one year before his death - King delivered a speech titled "Beyond Vietnam : A Time to Break Silence ". He spoke strongly against the U.S's role in the war, arguing that the U.S was in Vietnam " to occupy it as an American colony " and calling the U. S government "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today ". He also connected the war with economic injustice, arguing that the country needed serious moral change.

"I Have a Dream" came to be regarded as one of the finest speeches in the history of American oratory :
"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of it's creed... "

King led the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott and in 1957 became the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). With the SCLC, he led an unsuccessful 1962 struggle against segregation in Albany Georgia and helped organize the nonviolent 1963 protests in Birmingham, Alabama. He also helped organize the 1963 March on Washington, where he delivered his famous " I Have a Dream " speech. On October 14 , 1964, King won the Nobel Peace Prize for combating racial inequality through nonviolent resistance.

"Martin Luther King Jr was the conscience of his generation . He gazed upon the great wall of segregation and saw that the power of love could bring it down. From the pain and exhaustion of his fight to fulfill the promises of our founding fathers for our humblest citizens, he wrung his eloquent statement of his dream for America. He made our nation stronger because he made it better. His dream sustains us yet ", citation of Martin Luther King Jr at the presidential medal of freedom, in 1977.

All Nigeria needs today is a revolutionary man or woman who is ready to sacrifice a lot for this Nation. It is not enough to dream and have great visions for a better future. Even the good book says, Faith without works is dead. It is applaudable that people are beginning to rise up to certain situations. Nevertheless, there needs to be a revolution. People may die and properties may be lost along the journey but it is unavoidably the only means to complete restoration of the integrity and dignity of the giant of Africa. We can retrace our steps, all it takes is for one man to stand strong, fulfilling the visions and dreams of our great nation.

Jemima Okonkwo Chineye is a writer and law graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

The Paradox of Exclusionary Inclusion for PWDs

As the crusade for better social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) into the mainstream society continues to gain ground, there’s a need to guard against the green snakes in green grass phenomenon that might ultimately sabotage this laudable cause. To fail to do this is to settle for what may be called a “pseudo-inclusion” instead of the “full-inclusion” originally set out to achieve.

What Exactly is Pseudo-inclusion in this case?

Pseudo simply means something fake. Therefore Pseudo-inclusion is fake inclusion. This type of inclusion subtly cheats Persons with Disabilities by appointing people outside it to decide for PWDs matters.Again, pseudo-inclusion is the direct and indirect barring of Persons with Disabilities (because of their disabilities) from specific leadership positions in the larger society. It’s an irony of the Inclusion crusade that insults the sensibilities and human intelligence of Persons with Disabilities.

For the avoidance of doubt, I will say it again with emphasis: “the claim to Inclusion is false when we have abled persons wanting to have deciding says in disability issues. And these same people would turn around to stop persons with disabilities from exercising leadership in mainstream matters.

These veiled opponents of full inclusion always have deceptive arguments to defend their hidden motives.

In this piece, we look at one side of the exclusionary-inclusion theory otherwise referred to as fake-inclusion.

It’s high time we become increasingly concerned about this ridiculous occurrence in its various hidden appearances.

In defiance to the age-long adage that it is the person wearing the shoe that knows where it pinches, PWDs are being treated to a shameful spectacle where a barefooted people either take it upon, or have it unjustly entrusted on them to tell the shoe-wearers where the shoe pinches. In other words, to determine their fate.

The discerning mind will readily see this contradictory situation whereby supposed beneficiaries of inclusion end up excluded where it matters most – namely, the decision/policy making process. I have been there.

As a person with disability, you can probably relate to instances when your complaints of discrimination, stigmatization, etc, were replied with typical: “we will look into it”, “we will see the pastor”, “we will talk to leadership and find a solution“ comments? The odd thing is that neither leadership or whoever is mandated to resolve the problem has any real disability experience.

And sure enough, they go ahead as promised, and without your active contribution find a solution to the complaint.

Now, you are happy that the matter is resolved.

But wait.

Did you consider that the solution could have been better had your opinions and those of others in same shoes been considered in the resolution process?

Did you realize that without your active involvement, a basic rule of thumb has been violated in the solution finding process? You may or may not realize it. The point is, time and again, we see this kind of unjust thing happen. It’s called Pseudo-inclusion – fake inclusion.

The concept of Pseudo-Inclusion reminds me of my campus experience. I remember advocating for, and offering possible solutions for better inclusion of the Deaf section on campus fellowship.

It was good that leadership saw reason and there were improvements. The unfortunate side was that I wasn’t properly involved in the decision making process. I still remember the indignant feelings then. I was like: “what were they thinking”? By the way, I am not alone in this experience.

Meanwhile, similar scenarios replay at secular level – this time on an even worse scale.

We find this thing in government, we see it in politics, we encounter it in the academia – it is present everywhere.

I love this slogan of the deaf cluster: “Nothing about us without us”.

The same holds true for all the disability clusters.

Now here’s the challenge before us – the very ones wearing the shoe. The challenge is in walking the tough talk – nothing about us without us. We need to ask ourselves how effectively we have been doing that – walking the talk.

There are two ways to go about this:

First, leadership and stakeholders of the various disability clusters must wake up to the necessity of standing up for this sacred task.

Secondly, a customized training/mentoring system must be conscientiously put in place to revive and perpetuate the leadership succession sequence by equipping upcoming talents among members for the task of carrying on the full inclusion crusade.

We need to devise a functional system for identifying, nurturing and bringing together a new breed of “justice-minded” PWDs to sustain the fight against pseudo-inclusion.

Agreed, this battle will not be conceded by opponents on a platter. Therefore, we must be ready to go all out using every legitimate means at our disposal to ensure there’s really nothing about us apart from us.

It begins with ourselves. Are we ready? We ought to be.

The month of October is set aside as the Breast Cancer Awareness month. It is marked in various countries to increase support, awareness and reduce the stigma attached to breast cancer. Breast cancer is by far the most common type of cancer in women with an increasing mortality ratio in Sub-Saharan African countries and other developing countries. This can be partially attributed to low public awareness, lack of accessible and affordable medical measures and delayed presentation of breast cancer. According to world health Organisation, 2.1 million women suffer from breast cancer each year and 627 000 women died from breast cancer in 2018. Previous studies have shown that 70-80% of African women present with stage III or stage IV breast cancer, most often, years after self-detection.

In this part of the world, there is an implanted sense of security in women, the possibility that one could have breast cancer is seen as a taboo, a punishment for offending the gods, and the thought that one could die of breast cancer is considered a tempting fate. However, neglecting the fact that being a woman is a major risk factor for developing breast cancer is a bigger offense. Around one third of deaths from cancer can be attributed to some behavioral and dietary life style; obesity, physical inactivity, tobacco use, low fruits and vegetables intake and alcohol use. This is not to rule out other risk factors that can predisposed women to breast cancer, such as old age, being a woman, genetic mutation in BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene and a family history of cancer. Being a risk factor does not guarantee that you will surely have breast cancer, as there are women who have developed cancer without a known risk factor.

Different people present with different symptoms of breast cancer, while others may not have symptoms at all. When you notice symptoms such as lump in the breast, a change in the breast’s shape, redness or flaky skin in the nipple area, pulling in of the nipple, pain around the nipple or breast region, it is important that you seek for an immediate medical treatment. The symptoms earlier mentioned do not always score to the diagnosis of breast cancer, they could be symptoms of some underlying conditions - the more reason you should seek medical advice.

Sadly, there is no adequate knowledge on the causes of breast cancer, hence, early detection remains the main measure for breast cancer control. Despite the knowledge and awareness about breast cancer among some women, few women take the necessary steps to try and detect the breast cancer at the early stage. It is good to be optimistic and prayerful about good health, but it is better to be proactive and take responsibility for one’s health. When was the last time you went for a medical check-up? This is your body and you will have to wear it all through your life time. Early detection has been linked to decrease mortality rate of breast cancer.

There are some factors you do not have control over and there are some you can take full responsibility of to reduce the incidence of breast cancer. Women should have regular screening to improve chances of early detection, keep a healthy weight, cut down food craps and stress, eat more of veggies and fruits, exercise regularly, reduce alcohol intake, shut down cigarette smoking, ask your doctor and pharmacists about the risk and the type of hormone and oral contraceptives that best suit you. Protect yourself and the women around you. It’s breast cancer awareness month, take necessary precautions, go for screening, stay pink and safe.

Biography of Bukola Ikuomola

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Biography of Nkechi Blessing

According to an earlier published biohraphy on the New Man Movement's website, Nosakhare Omoregie Shedrack commonly called Nosa by many, is a Nigerian based Contemporary Gospel Singer. Born on February 26th, 1981, into the family of Mr and Mrs Omoregie. He's among other children his parents have. He's from the Southern part of Nigeria (Benin, to be precise).

He gained his elementary education (both primary and secondary education) in Benin City. He didn't just stop at getting his elementary education, he furthered his education by getting a B.Sc in Electrical Engineering from the Prestigious University of Benin.

His career as a Gospel singer didn't just start as a grown up man. He has since (from childhood) been into Music, starting from his home church back then as a child.

Nosa served actively in his church music band then as a child. According to the singer, Brim Burrell among other successful people inspired him. Nosa has collaborated with Gospel artiste, the likes of Frank Edward, Sheyi Shay, to mention but few.

According to the talented gospel singer; music is one of his special ways of bringing people to Christ.

Over the years, he has delivered the good news of Christ via several powerful songs; few of such songs are listed below;

1. Dry Bones (2020)

2. God is Good (2016)

3. Open doors(2014)

4. Why you love me (2013) among others.

He also worked with Nokia about 8years back when he sang " Love is calling". This among few achievements Nosa has gained for himself.

As a talented and passionate Gospel singer, Nosa has been honored with several awards as well as Several Nominations, as a proof that hard work pays. Just one among several others is mentioned below;

Always pray for me ( one of his most popular songs) merited 2014 Song of the year.

Nosa is not only into songs, he's also a philanthropist. Although, his philanthropic works are not mentioned on social media.

Nosa is happily married to Deborah and they are blessed with beautiful children. However, his marital status is not known by many.

Nosa, aside singing and other studio duties reach out to many souls via his YouTube channel, where people are blessed through him. According to a recent report, his net-worth is over $900.