5 UNBELIEVABLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF AFRICAN CHERRY (AGBALUMO, UDARA)...

<div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="5 UNBELIEVABLE Health Benefits Of African Cherry (Agbalumo, Udara)" height="339" src="http://www.talkofnaija.com/media/k2/items/cache/b883997139c3e38cfcdc8b208c063aa7_L.jpg" width="400" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Popularly called Agbalumo, Udara, and Otien in some parts of Nigeria, the African cherry fruit has lots of health benefits that will surprise anyone!</strong></div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> The exotic fruit which has a chewable edible skin that ranges in color from green to orange, depending on the stage of ripeness. The tender, sweet inner flesh is off-white with seeds making the inner to look like a star-shaped fruit. This obviously shows where it got the nickname ‘star apple’. purple and white and has a star shape formed by seeds through the middle of the fruit. The beautiful fruit can be gotten mostly everywhere in Nigeria towards the end of November till later in March when it would have gone out of season.</div> <!-- BEGIN JUMIA --> <a href="http://marketing.net.jumia.com.ng/ts/i3556158/tsc?amc=aff.jumia.25526.29475.8993&tst=!!TIMESTAMP!!" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> <img alt="" border="0" height="90" src="http://marketing.net.jumia.com.ng/ts/i3556158/tsv?amc=aff.jumia.25526.29475.8993&tst=!!TIMESTAMP!!" width="728" /> </a> <!-- END JUMIA --> <br /> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> According to NurseRita, here are a few out of the countless benefits of African Cherry:</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Vitamins and Minerals</strong><br /> Star apples serve as a good source of calcium, with each serving providing you with 10 percent of the amount you require each day. The calcium lends strength to your bones and teeth, and it may also lessen symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, such as cramping and abdominal bloating. This fruit also contains 5 percent of the daily recommended value per serving of vitamin C and vitamin A. Additionally, one serving of star apples serves up 2 percent of the iron, a mineral vital for oxygenating your body, that you need every day.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Helps Diabetic conditions</strong><br /> Star apples may have particular benefits for diabetics. Research published in the September 2009 edition of the “African Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology” indicates that the leaves of this fruit may reduce glucose levels in diabetic rabbits, the same function that insulin serves. Take note, however, that consuming star apple leaves appears to have a toxic affect when eaten in large quantities. More research is needed to determine the effectiveness of star apple leaves to control diabetes in humans.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Medicinal Uses</strong><br /> The star apple is a folk remedy in several countries, although no research exists to confirm these uses. The seeds of this fruit may be useful to reduce fevers and treat diarrhea. Some people also eat this fruit to reduce the inflammation associated with laryngitis and pneumonia. Other uses, including treatment for hypertension, tooth abscesses, heart problems, intestinal issues and cancer exist, but do not eat star apple for any medical condition without first consulting your physician.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Helps You Lose Weight</strong><br /> Eating a serving of star apple contributes 3 g of fiber to the recommended daily intake of 25 to 38 g. Fiber provides bulk to your diet, a factor that can make your stomach feel fuller for longer. This can keep you from eating too much, and it may help you lose weight. This nutrient can also help protect you from diabetes and some forms of cancer.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>All-Round Basic Nutrition</strong><br /> 1-cup serving of fresh star apple contains 67 calories. Eating star apple as a snack is a good choice as the calories are low and it provides no fat; however, this may not be enough calories to ease hunger pains and boost energy levels, as between-meal snack are meant to do. The Diet Channel notes that 100 to 200 calories per snack is best; consider eating an oz. of cheese or a tsp. of peanut butter to boost the number of calories into this range. One serving of star apple also has 15 g of carbohydrates, or 11.5 percent of the 130 g suggested for daily consumption by the Institute of Medicine.</div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

5 UNBELIEVABLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF AFRICAN CHERRY (AGBALUMO, UDARA)...

Popularly called Agbalumo, Udara, and Otien in some parts of Nigeria, the African cherry fruit has lots of health benefits that will surp...

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‘MY MUSLIM BACKGROUND INSPIRED ME’ SINGER ASA OPENS UP...

<div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="‘My Muslim Background Inspired Me’ Singer Asa Opens Up" height="176" src="http://www.talkofnaija.com/media/k2/items/cache/b42aac04790d6805916fdc0425629810_L.jpg" width="400" /></div> <strong style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">In a chat with My Africa Podcast, Asa, told show host, Andre Blaze, about her inspirational background, revealing how much time she spent following the teachings of Islam.</strong><br /> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Asa</strong> has revealed that her time spent as a Muslim plays a very important role in her music.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> The singer currently is on a European tour for her album, <strong>‘Bed of Stone</strong>’, visiting major cities on the continent.</div> <a href="http://www.konga.com/mobile-phones?utm_source=affiliates&utm_medium=web&utm_term=mobile-phone&utm_content=01_12_2014&utm_campaign=mobile-phones&k_id=Successola&k_bid=cfb0556f" rel="nofollow" target="_top"><img alt="" height="90" src="//konga.postaffiliatepro.com/accounts/default1/banners/cfb0556f.jpg" title="" width="728" /></a><img alt="" height="1" src="http://konga.postaffiliatepro.com/scripts/imp.php?k_id=Successola&k_bid=cfb0556f" style="border: 0;" width="1" /> <br /> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> In a chat with <strong>My Africa Podcast</strong>, <strong>Asa,</strong> told show host, <strong>Andre Blaze</strong>, about her inspirational background, revealing how much time she spent following the teachings of Islam.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> “I come from a Muslim background, and I actually had a stint with Islam. I was a Muslim for about 2 years or 3?” <strong>Asa</strong> said.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> “I was after high school I lived with my grandparents. My grandparents were Muslims from Lagos Island, and yes it did influence the way I see things and the way I write.”</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Asa</strong> further went on to emphasise the inspiration she received, crediting Islam as the major factor behind her song ‘Awé’, a single of her hugely successful self-titled debut album, ‘Asa’.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> “It influenced the song ‘<strong>Awé’</strong>. You see just near where I used to live, there was a mosque, and we had a munedžim who calls out prayers.</div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

‘MY MUSLIM BACKGROUND INSPIRED ME’ SINGER ASA OPENS UP...

In a chat with My Africa Podcast, Asa, told show host, Andre Blaze, about her inspirational background, revealing how much time she spent ...

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SECRETS OF LONG LIFE...

<div style="text-align: center;"> <img alt="&quot;Don’t have Sex and eat porridge&quot; - Five 100-Year-Old People Reveal Their Secrets Of Long Life" height="256" src="http://www.talkofnaija.com/media/k2/items/cache/80482ee1bd860e5e5b81627a6294090a_L.jpg" width="400" /></div> <strong style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;">When you need advice, you ask someone who knows best. When you need life advice, you go to someone who’s seen it all. And who could be better than five centenarians revealing their secrets to long life.</strong><br /> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;">  <strong style="line-height: 1.5em;">Get lots of sleep</strong></div> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_386288" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; max-width: 500px;"> <img alt="The world’s oldest living person Misao Okawa" class="wp-image-386288 size-full" height="356" src="http://i.cdnnaij.com/o/9GreqqJXmRp2rL0zXO3r0NGF.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="500" /><br /> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> The world’s oldest living person Misao Okawa</div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> The world’s oldest living person Misao Okawa from Japan is about to turn 117 – and puts her long life down to eating sushi, getting eight hours sleep a night and relaxing. The woman is now a mother of three, grandma of four and great-grand mother of six.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <b>Trust in the Lord and be nice</b></div> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_386287" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; max-width: 500px;"> <img alt="116-year-old Gertrude Weaver of the U.S." class="wp-image-386287" height="261" src="http://i.cdnnaij.com/o/wN6KSSag9TwQSmQjvtv72oTx.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="500" /><br /> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> 116-year-old Gertrude Weaver of the U.S.</div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> 116-year-old Gertrude Weaver of the U.S. cited three factors for her longevity, <em>“Trusting in the Lord, hard work and loving everybody. You have to follow God. Don’t follow anyone else. Be obedient and follow the laws and don’t worry about anything. I’ve followed him for many, many years and I ain’t tired.”</em></div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Don’t drink alcohol</strong></div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <img alt="Sakari Momoi receives a certificate of the World's Oldest Man by the Guiness World Records at a Tokyo hospital on August 20, 2014 in Tokyo, Japan." class="aligncenter wp-image-379692" height="371" src="http://i.cdnnaij.com/o/iJ4ZFCtW3jnyvWPIudqix2v2.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="500" /></div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> Sakari Momoi, 112, the world’s oldest living man, says, “<em>I do not know the secret of my long life. I used to always exercise, eat in moderation and never consumed alcohol.”</em> He likes reading, especially Chinese poetry and also enjoyed traveling around Japan with his wife before she passed away.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Eat lots of eggs</strong></div> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_386286" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; max-width: 500px;"> <img alt="Emma Morano is the oldest person in Europe" class="wp-image-386286" height="356" src="http://i.cdnnaij.com/o/4Y8qqpYZAyZLnhHs8ttuUFos.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="500" /><br /> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> Emma Morano is the oldest person in Europe</div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> At 115 years and nearly three months, Emma Morano is the oldest person in Europe, the fifth oldest in the world and one of only a handful of people whose lives have straddled three centuries. Her elixir for longevity consists of raw eggs, which she has been eating — three per day — since her teens when a doctor recommended them to counter anemia.</div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> <strong>Don’t have sex and eat porridge</strong></div> <div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_368635" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; max-width: 500px;"> <img alt="Jessie Gallan turned 109 on January 2" class="wp-image-368635" height="333" src="http://i.cdnnaij.com/o/qUW4Qi1Fg0cZLycHmbUgusvH.jpg" style="border: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="500" /><br /> <div class="wp-caption-text" style="color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> Jessie Gallan turned 109 on January 2</div> </div> <div style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px;"> Jessie Gallan, 109, the oldest woman in Scotland, UK, says, <em>“My secret to a long life has been staying away from men. They’re just more trouble than they’re worth. I also made sure that I got plenty of exercise, eat a nice warm bowl of porridge every morning and have never gotten married.”</em></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

SECRETS OF LONG LIFE...

When you need advice, you ask someone who knows best. When you need life advice, you go to someone who’s seen it all. And who could be bet...

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PRESIDENTIAL MANIFESTO

<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHfc059fkMMlIJ26TQqpzYMGoT-7pvMSDPCDIdKk9m1D2AcnvitbELjxZl7cVYiRp1XKFLe6QVU1bq8Sbwy4tEFi6FxLYWgPxraZCoiWLU_UZCcF8iBGLEFsbiewaZK-A2gsYCb1C57s/s1600/president+Bunmi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHfc059fkMMlIJ26TQqpzYMGoT-7pvMSDPCDIdKk9m1D2AcnvitbELjxZl7cVYiRp1XKFLe6QVU1bq8Sbwy4tEFi6FxLYWgPxraZCoiWLU_UZCcF8iBGLEFsbiewaZK-A2gsYCb1C57s/s1600/president+Bunmi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> If I am elected president of Nigeria, the first thing I would do is ban all form of religion (including state sponsorship of religious pilgrimages to ‘holy lands’) but I would encourage spirituality. I would ban ethnic and tribal discrimination, ban quota system, all you need to show is that you are a Nigerian and you would get that job or admission into university simply on merit ( no more ‘Place of origin’ on application forms). I would ban GENERATORS!!!  We would all sit in hot darkness till we find a solution to our power problem. I would fund research institutes and sponsor our young people (believe me Nigerians have the best), we will find Utopia within a short time. I would end capital punishment but introduce public floggings followed by life imprisonment without the remotest possibility of parole for offences like corruption, rape, nepotism, child marriage and election rigging! Under my watch teachers will be the highest paid (N200k starting salary with full welfare package) while politicians will work bro bono!  I will ban all importation (including Brazilian, Spanish and Indian hair) and our motto shall become ‘IF WE DON’T MAKE IT, WE DON’T NEED IT!’ I will provide free and COMPULSORY education to all Nigerians, make history a compulsory subject from nursery school as well as civil education aka good manners; and if a child is seen hawking during school hours, the guardian of such a child would be flogged publicly with peppered koboko and sentenced to listen to Femi Fani Kayode 24/7, for the rest of their life.  I would make health care free for all Nigerians. Under my watch, Nigerian  women would be accorded high regard and respect, violence against women will be forbidden and any man who abuses a woman, howsoever, will be sentenced to public flogging and banished to Sambisa forest.  Finally, I would declare a DR STELLA ADADEVO day to celebrate the Nigerian, heroism and sacrifice; and to remind us all of the value of altruism in nation building. So do I have your vote? If there are other pressing needs you would like me to consider as your president, please send your requests. Long live Nigeria! One nation under a groove!</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <o:p></o:p></div>

PRESIDENTIAL MANIFESTO

If I am elected president of Nigeria, the first thing I would do is ban all form of religion (including state sponsorship of religious ...

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DADDY DEAREST!

<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuu9UBThttwZnv0Iy3yA63vj-v37KX99BWjpSqJjJRA817IUWkVxdfkbsr4ubP1MLl3pziIYIe-mkqG2-B9eXxCvAzKEE3w4C8zQrDtKG9YKTZ9sK4SXXm_od3bbeiEdPPFUfq1ryEqR4/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuu9UBThttwZnv0Iy3yA63vj-v37KX99BWjpSqJjJRA817IUWkVxdfkbsr4ubP1MLl3pziIYIe-mkqG2-B9eXxCvAzKEE3w4C8zQrDtKG9YKTZ9sK4SXXm_od3bbeiEdPPFUfq1ryEqR4/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" width="226" /></a></div> <b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">COL OLUSEGUN EBENEZER CRAIG – RIP</span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">On the morning of 22^nd October 2014, his 76^th birthday my father telephoned me and when I saw his number I thought, <i>I should be the one doing the calling</i>, in any case I answered the call and he said ‘pray for me’ to which I spluttered out a prayer and a birthday wish but before I could enquire further of him he abruptly ended the conversation with a promise that we would have a chat later in the evening. I had a sense that he was in a hurry. Four hours later he had passed on.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">You can imagine my shock. He was not ill, he was looking forward to a dinner party with family and friends later that evening; the cooking and other celebrations were on-going when death came calling. The family was stunned; none of us saw this coming. The futility of life!</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">As the shock wore off I began to look on the bright side, he lived a fulfilled life, he was active to the end with full faculty of body and mind, had many friends and associates. At 76, one could also say he lived to old age, (perhaps not ripe enough) he was a father and grandfather.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">For me it was a double </span><span style="line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">whammy</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> because I had lost my mother the previous year and I never thought I would be involved in planning yet another funeral so soon. My parents were childhood sweethearts and I believe they are now together, I hope they are happy now, that for me is the only consolation, my coping mechanism!</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">The death of my dad has made me reappraise my life, my whole existence and life purpose, because now I know first-hand, more than most people, that death can come at any time, regardless of your status, age or circumstances, death cares less! In the aftermath of my dad’s death we had to decide where to bury him, what kind of burial service, what to bury him in etc. The irony was not lost on me because my dad was a simple person who would have wanted none of the fuss, he would have wanted a very simple burial. I know he would have turned in his morgue cabinet at the expense we were going to in order to give him a befitting send off. He would have preferred instead, that we set up an endowment fund in his memory, with the amount of resources expended for his funeral. Yet I think he would have been grateful for the outpouring of love from his family, friends and associates.<o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">The finality of death is so absolute. Words forever unspoken, hugs never to be shared again, even disagreements, quarrels and subsequent </span><span style="line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">reconciliation</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">  are never to be had again,  an abrupt end to  memory making!</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;"> As I looked at my dad’s body at the morgue, I felt an overwhelming feeling of peace, for him and for myself, because he looked as though he was asleep and could rise at my prompting, but then it dawned on me that he was asleep never to rise up again in this existence. Memories of my dad with shaving cream on his face came to my mind, memories of him fussing on what not to have for breakfast, (he was very health conscious) memories of us sitting on his bed, chatting till the early hours of the morning, memories of us walking and me yelling for him to slow down for me to catch up and memories of him calling out to my daughter from the gate downstairs and my daughter calling back ‘grandpa!’ I was jolted into the moment by my cousin, Bolaji, who had accompanied me to see my dad’s body, we said a prayer and he led me gently outside into the waiting car where I was engulfed in silence all the way home. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;">Having seen his lifeless body and indeed confirmed to myself that my dad was indeed no more, the realization hit me that he had finished his race here on earth and that as his first child the baton has now been handed over to me, I must continue the race, God help me. I choose to continue this race with gratitude, love, understanding, forgiveness and benevolence, I choose to overlook the mundane things and focus on what really matters in the final analysis, what really matters when we each answer the call is the legacy we leave behind. <o:p></o:p></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="line-height: 115%;"><i><b>To the numerous relatives, friends, colleagues and sympathizers who rallied round my family to ensure a befitting burial for my dad, a big thank you!  <o:p></o:p></b></i></span></div> <i><b><br /></b></i> <div class="MsoNormal"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /></div>

DADDY DEAREST!

COL OLUSEGUN EBENEZER CRAIG – RIP On the morning of 22 nd October 2014, his 76 th birthday my father telephoned me and when I saw h...

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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqu2Nob-s_EoadppJOlKAlNwyYEW8okNG33q-Tld8vYSOAWBoZxncpSLvXmopy1q6muDZKSL0Kn3Bsz9OHMsLGxRx11TawKe67WzC1I4kx4WKP7v83FhfjEgypc1o7mg1aD9vQY05V7w/s1600/igbinidion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrqu2Nob-s_EoadppJOlKAlNwyYEW8okNG33q-Tld8vYSOAWBoZxncpSLvXmopy1q6muDZKSL0Kn3Bsz9OHMsLGxRx11TawKe67WzC1I4kx4WKP7v83FhfjEgypc1o7mg1aD9vQY05V7w/s1600/igbinidion.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>                                                                                 <b> IGBINEDION AT 80</b><br /> Former police man, business man and father of a former governor turned eighty recently and rode to church for 'thanksgiving' in a 'men drawn' carriage! (Queen Elizabeth, eat your heart out) with his Jamaican wife by his side. <i>Are you thinking what I am thinking?</i>

                                                                                 IGBINEDION AT 80 Former police man, business man and fat...

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Dignity in Labour?

<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp8Ofb1Tf6N0oMvww1GQRSHUYWO8xGIUYn1E6kisgq9X8ybvzU8-4Yo55DSP8wBV6aPCHdGSY4M_M0CKo1_UIWmii5QFkMhJ50Zazey4LfuczD-J9DxGbiV8UjdXIdjEg5KH-YZfqwLg/s1600/Prostitutes-360x238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzp8Ofb1Tf6N0oMvww1GQRSHUYWO8xGIUYn1E6kisgq9X8ybvzU8-4Yo55DSP8wBV6aPCHdGSY4M_M0CKo1_UIWmii5QFkMhJ50Zazey4LfuczD-J9DxGbiV8UjdXIdjEg5KH-YZfqwLg/s1600/Prostitutes-360x238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> A 48 year old activist, Ms Patoo Abraham has led a protest to demand that prostitution be legalized in Nigeria. Ms Abraham who is also the head of the Nigerian chapter of African Sex Workers Alliance (ASWA) said, “Sex work is work, we need our rights. We are tired of dying in silence, we want to be able to practice our profession with pride like every other person. We want an end to name-calling and stigmatization. We are sex workers and not <em>asawo</em>.” She stated further that sex work is normal work and that there are “sex workers everywhere under one form of disguise or the other”. “Government should stop criminalizing our work,” said the woman who is also the president of the Women of Power Initiative (WOPI), a non-governmental organisation established to advance the cause of sex work in Nigeria.</div> <div style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <br /></div>

Dignity in Labour?

A 48 year old activist, Ms Patoo Abraham has led a protest to demand that prostitution be legalized in Nigeria. Ms Abraham who is also th...

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Blood Money

<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLrqFfJ0YNtA7RSOmZ1Y7X42HnpCtffKb5O28XBK4vGou9S6AYU4pS7aYPid3flh564gxIXoYQGSAnGqbvrhzkkQXrn6BmtkU1K2-KkGUhWeLkAc8ckaIMJ_jnYxRkRL_fOHjc6jm3xY/s1600/hope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmLrqFfJ0YNtA7RSOmZ1Y7X42HnpCtffKb5O28XBK4vGou9S6AYU4pS7aYPid3flh564gxIXoYQGSAnGqbvrhzkkQXrn6BmtkU1K2-KkGUhWeLkAc8ckaIMJ_jnYxRkRL_fOHjc6jm3xY/s1600/hope.jpg" /></a><br /> I am very squeamish and hate to see people suffer whilst unable to do anything to alleviate the suffering,  I hate to see people in pain. I hate hospital visits except it’s to welcome a new baby or it is otherwise absolutely necessary. So maybe I am a coward. I have tried over these one hundred days  plus to sideline the issue of the Chibock girls, to avoid it, to pretend it’s not real, perhaps maybe just perhaps it’s not happening, maybe it’s not real, maybe it is my imagination, maybe it will just go away. All these thoughts while I continually say a quiet prayer in my heart for my sisters, my daughters, my mothers:  the Chibock girls. But this morning I was jolted once again by the ugly allegations going back and forth in the media about money being paid to the Chibock families by our President. Some say its N100m yet others say isN22m and of course the Presidency has issued a statement denying it ever ‘paid’ any amount to the families. I say if indeed money exchanged hands its is wrong, cruel and it debases all parties involved. For once, it is not about money, no amount of money can compensate for the tragic situation we find ourselves in, this is blood money and it is too little too late. Money could have helped much earlier to educate and liberate these people who now hold us all to ransom. Money could have helped much earlier to build good roads and infrastructure and provide basic security in chibock and environs to ensure that it never happened in the first place. Money could have helped earlier to ensure that these girls who were apparently writing High School Certificate examinations got proper education and are not semi illiterates unable to speak English language, the medium of our education. Money could have helped much more earlier indeed. Let me say, whoever attempts to get financial benefit off the tragedy of the Chibock girls has their blood on their hands. We hope and pray that these girls are not being sent out on suicide missions as the recent ones in Kano. We continue to pray and hope that these girls will come back to their families, although brutally bruised but alive. In the meantime let no one rub salt into this our collective gaping wound. For once, let us look beyond our own selfish ends and work together to bring home the girls.<br />

Blood Money

I am very squeamish and hate to see people suffer whilst unable to do anything to alleviate the suffering,  I hate to see people in pain. ...

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Monkey Relative!

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPLMfhiJLtBTJQmdpk8IyC1sOqTsJr_aySq91oYb9Em_-RplYvZqPQb8p1-IoP_QVeIfCe-LCUe9-5z-GPWELMQbRGiUwNFMTF2aP6RUaeWzOalIHy3nU6rJkVQbS_J4pV0nHZVd_AAw/s1600/monkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMPLMfhiJLtBTJQmdpk8IyC1sOqTsJr_aySq91oYb9Em_-RplYvZqPQb8p1-IoP_QVeIfCe-LCUe9-5z-GPWELMQbRGiUwNFMTF2aP6RUaeWzOalIHy3nU6rJkVQbS_J4pV0nHZVd_AAw/s1600/monkey.jpg" width="138" /></a><br /> <br /> A child asked his father, "How were people born?" So his father said, "Adam and Eve made babies, then their babies became adults and made babies, and so on." The child then went to his mother, asked her the same question and she told him, "We were monkeys then we evolved to become like we are now." The child ran back to his father and said, "You lied to me!" His father replied, "No, your mom was talking about her side of the family."<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>

Monkey Relative!

A child asked his father, "How were people born?" So his father said, "Adam and Eve made babies, then their babies became a...

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Real African Hair!

<h3 class="intro" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IPrmvq4g6Zvl4t-oBVEsZFl9dAyIp_j3M14vH-MFMyWa9RIkpCNJa-wTAQNDLiLWQdp9nz65ZUz1VPwVv8eLIfodUjacgq-vfeSB5HqV0Cxuy3rRcQzmJDYoCLQZTOaNdVR46fqe5oo/s1600/dread+thieves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4IPrmvq4g6Zvl4t-oBVEsZFl9dAyIp_j3M14vH-MFMyWa9RIkpCNJa-wTAQNDLiLWQdp9nz65ZUz1VPwVv8eLIfodUjacgq-vfeSB5HqV0Cxuy3rRcQzmJDYoCLQZTOaNdVR46fqe5oo/s1600/dread+thieves.jpg" width="320" /></a></h3> <h3 class="intro" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: arial; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.1;">Mutsa Madonka had his drink spiked in a club in Johannesburg and then had his dreadlocks shaved off and stolen! </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">The theft, said hair stylists, was probably connected to the rising demand for natural dreadlocks as extensions s</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">houlder-length dreadlocks are sold for between R200 and R700, while longer ones cost as much as R2500. I</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">t was clear that whoever stole his hair - which had taken him 10 years to grow - was after nothing else. His friend said,</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;"> </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">"When we found him, he still had his cellphone and wallet with all his money inside." Stylist </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">John Wushe said: "They are becoming very popular. On a busy day we get about 10 people [wanting] to extend their hair.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">"</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">But not everyone is keen on using a stranger's hair.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Willy Selahla of Soweto said: "I'm using my brother's hair because I know where it comes from and that he wasn't hurt." </span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">For clients wanting the extensions, the dreadlocks are either woven in individually using a thin crocheting hook or sewn together using a needle and thread . </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">The process usually takes about two hours to complete and costs between R250 and R1500 depending on the length and thickness of the hair. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">Johannesburg police spokesman Captain John Maluleka encouraged victims to open cases of assault. He said: "We have only heard stories - no cases have been reported to us." Another </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">stylist, Lebo Masimong said women were the most vulnerable. </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; line-height: 22px;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">"You are an easy target if you walk around and your hair is loose. They don't care about your money or fancy phone. They are only after your hair.</span></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px;">"</span></h3>

Real African Hair!

Mutsa Madonka had his drink spiked in a club in Johannesburg and then had his dreadlocks shaved off and stolen!  The theft, said hair sty...

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