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Saturday, 13 December 2014

50 Signs You Need to Start Your Own Business


If you’re sitting at your desk, daydreaming about starting your own business, this is the article for you.


You already know that launching a company can be an intimidating process requiring tons of hard work. But the question has been lingering with you day and night. Maybe you're just unhappy with your current position. Perhaps you've always dreamed of opening your own shop or consulting firm. Or maybe you just need a drastic change in you life.


Regardless of the exact scenario, here are 50 signs that you may be seriously ready to start your own business:


1. The lightbulb went off. Lately many are debating whether entrepreneurs are born or made. No matter which side you agree with, perhaps you’ve been aware that you exhibit some classic entrepreneurial traits. Maybe you’re ready to take the leap and start a business?


Even if you weren’t born that way, you may have later developed some of these traits, such as a driving passion. So if you begin to notice the signs, perhaps you could launch that business of your own.


2. You're always thinking. Entrepreneurs never stop cogitating. It's a blessing and a curse. Should you exhibit this behavior, maybe it’s time to move on from the daily rat race and do something to put your thoughts in motion. And there’s no better outlet than starting your own business.


3. You’re passionate. If there's one business concept that stays with you that you've completely fallen in love with, perhaps you could turn it into a reality. Entrepreneurs and business owners are truly passionate about what they do and will do everything possible to turn their vision into a product or service for the rest of the world to enjoy.


4. You’re independent. This doesn’t mean that you're socially awkward or don’t know how to ask for help. It means that you’re a problem solver who will try to figure out most problems on your own. Now may be the moment that you feel independent enough to build an enterprise.


5. You’re motivated. You don’t always need something or someone to get you moving. You wake up every morning and do what's needed. This sense of self-motivation might steer to initiate and carry out a business launch.


6. You’re organized. Running a business requires plenty of organizational skills. At some point you may want or need to hire some experts, such as accountants or lawyers, but in the beginning you'll probably rely on yourself to track finances, delegate responsibilities and present ideas to investors. You can’t do any of that without being organized.




7. You feel a need to help people. Should you feel a strong desire to aid others by providing a product or service, consider it one telltale sign you're primed for starting a business. This desire to help people enhance their lives can keep you going during the highs and lows of running an operation. I’ve found over the years that the strongest companies emerge from a wish to help the world solve a problem.


8. You're certain that you can build a better company. Maybe it's your confidence or egotistical side coming out, but you're realizing that you can build a better company than anyone else in the world.


9. You feel stuck at your job. If you dread waking up every morning, then you’re probably unfulfilled. A promotion or another job might abate the problem, but deep within you the prospect of an ordinary 9-to-5 gig just doesn't excite you. Figure out whether you need to be your own boss or if you just need to do something different.


10. You feel a need to prove your vision. Let’s say you have an idea but everyone is telling you it can’t be done. What are you going to do about this situation? This experience might be motivation enough for you to try to one-up the naysayers.


11. You want to make a name for yourself. Several of the greatest entrepreneurs and business owners realized that they wanted something more from life. Steve Jobs knew he was special. If you feel that way, too, then big things could come out of it.


12. You have always wanted to be your own boss. Whether you’re a control freak or just don’t like being ordered around, you have determined you have always wanted to be the boss.


13. The hiring of independent workers is on the rise. The Harvard Business Review reports, according to MBO Partners, the number of independent workers (freelancers, contractors or business owners) is on the rise. It's expected to increase from about 17 million in 2013 to 23 million by 2017. And Mavenlink's 2012 infographic, "The New Independent Workforce," projected that the number of independent workers to become 40 percent of the American workforce by 2020.


14. Your field lacks jobs. The economy hasn’t totally rebounded and your industry sector has a hiring freeze. Instead of waiting around or taking a job requiring fewer skills than you have, you are considering setting up your own business.


15. You can afford to take risks. If you’re single or without young children, you probably don’t have to worry about supporting others. Take advantage of this time in your life when you have the chance to be a little adventurous.


16. You can't stand the daily commute. If you sit in traffic every day muttering expletive after expletive, maybe you should set up your own business at home. After all, successful businesses have even launched from garages.


17. You possess an incredible work ethic. If you don’t mind putting in 12-hour days multiple times a week (as people do when starting a business), then why not put that to work for something you’re really enthused about?


18. You crave uncertainty. You’re the type of person who thrives when exploring the unknown. So starting a business may be right up your alley. It definitely beats being bored to death by performing that job you're tired of. I am this type of person and very proud of it.


19. You always see potential. No matter where you are or what you're doing, you always feel the need to make improvements. You now understand that as a business owner, you could realize enormous potential -- making money or enhancing the lives of others.


20. More projects are going to contractors. If you’re seeing your current employer hiring outside help for a job that you know you can do better, then do something about it and venture out on your own.


21. You want to be part of a team. Maybe you just want to build your own team from the ground up with a group of people who share your vision and who are willing to embark on a journey with you.


22. You hate working for others. If you seriously can’t stand taking orders, loathe your boss and all his (or her) demands, start planning your exit strategy of becoming your own boss.


23. You feel it's necessary to hang out a shingle. While starting a business shouldn’t just be about the money, sometimes that’s the case when your back is against the wall. The bills are piling up and you need to put food on the table. That sense of desperation could be enough to lead you to do something great.


24. You want to create jobs. In this tough economy, you see here really aren't enough jobs for the colleagues you studied or worked with previously. If you trust these people and know their talents, you may wish to help them out by creating a company that employs them.


25. You harbor a strong desire to develop a product or service not yet available. You’re a problem solver. You have experienced that "aha" moment, the realization that a certain product or service isn't on the market. You could use that moment of recognition to inspire you to make that idea a reality.


26. You can’t stand being in the office. If you feel restricted at your current workplace, you could set yourself free and work where you want to work: at your own company.


27. You want to set your own schedule. Maybe you're most productive from 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. or you're a night owl. Instead of being told which hours to work and when to take breaks or a vacation, you could finally determine your schedule.


28. You're creative. If you’re tired of having your creative ideas go to waste, then maybe it’s time to get out there and express yourself by setting up the business you've always imagined.


29. You need to inspire. Are you the person whom people turn to when they need advice or a little pick-me-up? And you actually like that role? Owning a business gives you the chance to inspire the people who surround you.


30. You want to build a legacy for your children. You have kids and are thinking of leaving them something that they’ll be proud of. Even if they don't want to take over a family business, they could witness how your hard work and dedication paid off.


31. You don’t mind getting your hands dirty. You'll have to do plenty of grunt work as a new business owner. And that’s not always enjoyable. But if that doesn’t bother you, then why not do these tasks for yourself not someone else?


32. You're seeking a new challenge. Maybe you’ve hit a wall at your current position and become extremely bored. That’s not always the best situation to be in if you're someone looking for a new challenge. Starting your own business is challenging, however, and should fulfill that need.


33. You're able to solve problems. Are you the type of person who assumes the responsibility for problem solving? Let’s say the pipes under the kitchen sink come apart and you not only fix it but you make it better than before. Take this as a sign that you can start your own business.


34. You like to acquire new skills and knowledge. Some people have just an unquenchable thirst to learn new skills and knowledge. You probably won’t get that from doing the same job for many years. But you can attain that experience as a business owner.


35. You don't mind multitasking. There are people who can handle multiple tasks at once. If you’re one of those who doesn’t collapse under the pressure of multitasking, then you’re already on your way.


36. You're not afraid of failure. As a business owner, you’re probably going to encounter a failure at some moment. If that doesn’t scare you to the bone, then chalk that up as another sign.


37. You could arrange for your own job security. You're noticing that one of the worst things about working for someone else is contemplating the possibility of being laid off or the company being sold. Why not create your own job security instead?


38. There’s a gap to fill. If you notice that there’s not only a market but also that no one else is capitalizing on a particular dea, then maybe you’re the one to do some disruption.


39. A pool of talent surrounds you. Whether you just graduated college or are observing your current workplace, you're surrounded by really skilled people who seem to be wasting their talents. You might be able to entice them to join your startup by offering profit sharing, stock options, a fun environment or eventual advancement.


40. You're thinking, If not now, when? Procrastination may be the most fatal startup killer. Instead of dragging your feet, you could get the ball in motion for that business idea of yours right now.


41. You understand the tax incentives. Small business owners are eligible for tax incentives, you've learned. If you don’t want to lose out, then start getting to work. You may even be able to write off that new laptop or smartphone you’ve been eyeing.


42. You realize that you'll see results. When you’re working for someone else, it can be difficult to see how all your hard work is benefiting the company. If you want to see the direct results of your actions, then running your own business would give you that opportunity.


43. You relate well to people. Sometimes you just want to get out there and network with other people. Unfortunately, your current position doesn’t allow for that. If you’re a people person, then having your own business would surely give you a reason to network more.


44. You're tired of feeling underwater. It’s not uncommon to question your values about work as well as your personal life. If you keep being passed over for promotions or feel like you’ve hit a wall, maybe it’s time to venture out on your own. Starting your own business will probably give you an immense sense of accomplishment.


45. You’re a born leader. Having a great idea is one thing. Being able to communicate that idea and convince others to jump on board is another. If you have the leadership skills to round up the troops and motivate them, consider starting your own venture.


46. You’re a thrill seeker. Some people like to play it safe. You, on the other hand, are the adventurous type. Nothing is more thrilling than coming up with a business idea and seeing it through, amid all the unknowns and highs and lows.


47. You can use your street smarts. If you’re one those unique people with street smarts as well as professional skills, then you might put those talents to work at something you’re truly excited about.


48. Entrepreneurs can now tap into many different tools and advice. You've become aware there's numerous online resources to help a novice business owner starting out. That’s not even mentioningthe low interests rates available.


49. You're ready to break free. For some time that inner entrepreneur has been quietly nagging at you. Why not unleash it? And once you’re free to do as please, you may be surprised by how much happier you are.


50. You've always wanted to do something you enjoy. Thomas Edison once said, “I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun!” Many successful people have uttered something similar. Instead of merely thinking about doing something that makes you happy and content, take a leap of faith and pursue your own startup vision. If you follow your dream, everything else may fall into place.


Things i wished i knew when i was much younger

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. —Psalm 90:12

There are many things I wish knew when I was younger.

No matter how much we try to live each day to the fullest, there is always something we wish we should have done differently or known earlier.

1. Travel more. Traveling makes you appreciate life more; the more you see and experience new things and places, the more you appreciate being alive. You see the beauty of nature, and you feel closer to your Maker like never before. You get to release stress, you worry less, you become a happier person, and you see things from a different perspective. You realize it’s a beautiful world we live in, and it’s amazing to be granted the gift of life.

2. Start investing early. The power of compound interest is the greatest phenomenon in the world. According to Albert Einstein, “Compound interest is the eighth wonder of the world. He who understands it, earns it … he who doesn’t … pays it”.

3. Time is an illusion. When I was younger, it always felt like I had my whole life ahead of me. So, I kept on procrastinating; putting off reading that book I’ve always wanted to read, not dropping a message to a friend I haven’t seen or talked to for a long time, not exercising daily, not saving and investing, not going out. Now, I look back and I realized I’ve wasted so much time planning and not acting.

4. Friends come and go. You may feel a certain connection with some people and think you could be friends forever. Truth is, if you’re not losing friends you’re not growing. When you feel like the friendship is not helping you grow anymore, you’re not learning anything new, or it’s holding you back, know that it’s normal. Also, you’ll find out some people also change, and you will feel like you don’t belong in their world anymore. It’s either you’ve outgrown them, or they’ve outgrown you. Either way, it’s time to let go.

5. It’s okay to be the odd one. When you’re young, most people will call partying cool and not partying boring. If you believe it isn’t so, that’s perfectly fine! It’s okay to be the odd one. Don’t be afraid to be different. Celebrate your uniqueness.

6. You’ll get your heart broken. Maybe once, maybe twice. It’s all part of the package. Only a very few are lucky enough to end up with their first love. Most mortals will have to meet a few wrong people before they meet the right one for them.

7. It’s never too late to pursue a passion or change career path. If you’re not happy with what you do anymore, it’s never too late to shift. If you’re itching to pursue something you’ve always wanted, don’t delay it. There’s a reason why that dream or passion has been planted in your heart. Use it to bless the world.

8. Take more risks. When you’re young, you have more opportunities to fail. More opportunities to fail means more opportunities to learn. More opportunities to learn is more opportunities to succeed. Plus, you become wiser and stronger in the process.

9. You can’t change a person or save the whole world in one go. You can’t change anyone. That’s God’s job. Your job is to accept and love them for who they are. The change will follow. If they’re sucking out your energy, learn to love them from a distance.

You’ll go crazy trying to save the world. It’s frustrating! What you can do is try to save one person at a time. How? Be a friend. Listen. Empathize. Share your time. Let them feel they matter. Never underestimate the power of kindness.

10. Dance, run, hike, try something new, go out of your comfort zone while you still can. While you still have the stamina, the energy and the time, do something that you think you’ll never be able to do when you grow old and weak.

11. People you know and care about will die. We can’t live forever. That’s the harsh reality. Cherish the people around you, show them you care, and never miss an opportunity to affirm. Words are powerful, and the im

Saturday, 5 July 2014

Doctors to resume work on Monday, says minister





Minister of Health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu has said that doctors willreturn to work on Monday, following the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Medical Association on Thursday.



This is even as he acknowledged that the NMA went ahead with its nationwide strike on July 1, despite an earlier MoU signed on June 25, after a meeting with an inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.



“To be sure, almost all the issues in contention were either issues that had been satisfactorily resolved or issues that could be treated merely through administrative mechanism. The signed MoU was to have apprehended the nationwide strike that was threatened by the association. However, the Nigerian Medical Association jettisoned the MoU and proceeded on strike on July 1, 2014”, he explained.



Chukwu who spoke at a press briefing held at the ministry yesterday expressed optimism that despite the NMA jettisoning the earlier agreement, which would have prevented the ongoing strike, the newly signed MoU will be upheld by the association and that doctors will resume work by Monday.



He said: “Despite reneging on the MoU, the government immediately invited the invited the NMA to series of meetings on July 1, yet this could not dissuade the NMA from the strike they had embarked on. Another meeting that was planned for July 2,was aborted when the NMA officials failed to show up.



“However, the NMA honoured another meeting schedule for July 3, under the auspices of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. In attendance were the Governor of Delta State, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, the Honourable Minister of Health, the Honourable Minister of Labour and Productivity, the Honourable Minister of State for Health, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, the Chairman of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and other relevant senior government officials.



“At the end of the meeting, which lasted for ten hours, another MoU was signed. As I speak to you, the government has met its own side of the MoU and it is expected that the members of the NMA would from today begin to respond and attend to all emergency cases in public hospitals in the spirit of this understanding.



It is also expected that the NMA will call off the strike after its Emergency Delegates Meeting scheduled for Monday.”



As at press time, calls made to the National President of the NMA Dr. Kayode Obembe to confirm the authenticity of the minister’s claims were left unanswered.

N5trn fiscal budget: FG to fund 50% from maritime sector


The Federal Government is currently tinkering with the possibilities of harnessing the potentials of the maritime industry sub-sector in funding substantial part of the nation’s current fiscal budget of N4.965 trillion.

The projection is hinged on the fact that as a sector that earns its revenues in dollar, the strategic earnings acrueable from the sector could be matched with proper implementation of reforms in the industry to give a leap to the national coffers.

Special Assistant to the President on Maritime, Mr. Oyewole Olugbenga Leke, in an appraisal of the economic benefits of the seaports said the projection was achievable, considering government’s current efforts at curtailing crude oil theft as well as fight against piracy and allied seaborne crimes.

From the projection, the thinking is that, with the quantum of the nation’s daily losses of crude oil which is put at between 150,000-400,000 barrels per-day, at an average of $100 per barrel, an effective monitoring and security of the waterways would guarantee a daily savings of $15,000,000 to $40,000,000.

According to Oyewole Leke, the situation could be exploited even further to improve revenue by leveraging on the current war against piracy. “Consider a situation where today, if you are importing your car through Cotonou (Benin Republic), you pay $300 less than if you are coming into Nigeria, all because of piracy”.

He said, “One ship can carry 5,000 cars multiply by $300, which is $1.5 million. How many ships head for Nigeria on a daily basis? They are not less than 20”.

He further drew attention to the security platforms of the oil majors which he said, are being contracted out by the companies who thereafter pass the bulk to the nation, either directly or indirectly, by way of increase in overall cost of services.

Such companies, he said, “hire boats for the security and that contract is determined by the company. We don’t know the value of such boats that are in the water and I tell you they deduct this as cost of operation before they declare profit to Nigeria.

“Add that to the two (scenarios) that we just said, then look at the disparities in tonnages declared to can add to it…look at where you can stem the oil theft, that is, smuggling of the petroleum products, look at where you reduce the subsidy payment. Then tell me if that can’t that fund 50 per cent of our annual budget “.

The Presidential Adviser also noted that huge revenue is similarly accruable from ships charges, considering the high rate of turn-around that a workable policy could bring to bear on the maritime industry, not to mention the capital flight occasioned by the dearth of seafarers in the country.

Oyewole Leke believes that a combination of these factors have accounted for huge revenue leakages in the maritime sector of which when properly managed, would see the sector rising to take its pride of place as an industry that could conveniently fund the nation’s budget.



Protest rocks Onitsha


• As tricycle operators accuse police of extortion

Human and vehicular movements were disrupted for hours at the ever busy Denis Memorial Grammar School, (DMGS) roundabout, Onitsha as members of the Keke Drivers Association took over the streets to protest alleged police extortion, harassments and illegal detention of members.

The protesters, dressed in mourning cloths and mouth guards sang anti-police songs and brandished placards with several inscriptions including “IGP please overhaul Police in Onitsha”, “Police in Onitsha are the most corrupt in the country”, among others.

According to the Chairman of the Campaign for Democracy, (CD), South East zone, Dede Uzor, the protest was in collaboration with CD against the police in the city whom he accused of resorting to intimidation, corrupt practices and illegal arrest and detention of tricycle drivers since the ban on checkpoints across the country.

He said that corrupt practices among policemen were more apparent in the commercial city of Onitsha, adding that policemen attached to the Central Police Station, Inland Town and Awada stations have been at the forefront for the alleged illegal detention and extortion.

“We are protesting against the illegal and corrupt activities of policemen in this city, they have made Keke drivers to remain perpetually in agony because of massive extortion, illegal detention and other inhuman treatments. It is also pertinent to note that majority of these drivers are driving these tricycles on hire purchase basis and when police kept on extorting them of the money, most of them have had no option than to drop the keke because they couldn’t meet up with the agreement they reached with the owners”

He called on the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar to immediately overhaul the entire police stations in the commercial city to bring in new police officers who have not been corrupted by money and other things.

Also speaking, the Secretary of the KDA, Mr. Chukwudi Obi lamented the ordeal of keke drivers in the hands of policemen whom he accused of deliberately arresting their members and in the process extorting money from them at the various police stations before they would regain their freedom.

He called on Governor Willie Obiano and the Commissioner of Police in Anambra state, Mr. Usman Gwary to look into the matter and call the policemen serving in the police divisions in Onitsha to order to allow those in their genuine business to survive.

However, when contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka said the policemen in the state are there to maintain law and order and described the allegations as frivolous and unfounded.

Full Gist on doctor’s stike in Nigeria



■ ‘I will die if my breast is not cut off in days’ –Cancer patient

■ ‘I’ve taken my mother to herbal home’ –Civil servant

■ My wife will stay at home; I don’t have money for private hospital –Okada rider


Mrs. Helen Olisa, a 56-year-old widow, was diagnosed of cancer of the breast when she noticed a hard lump which has formed at the left part of her breast. Cancer of the breast killed her mother some years ago. When she was diagnosed, her doctor prescribed removal of her two breasts via mastectomy, as preventive treatment to curb the cancer from spreading to other parts of her body. The surgery would cost her N250, 000 at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi-Araba, Lagos.

Mrs. Olisa was able to garner the sum hurriedly for the operation to save her life. But on Monday, June 31, 2014 at a time she had finalised arrangement for the surgery, her surgeon at LUTH informed her of a looming strike called by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and that doctors planned to down tools.

On that Tuesday morning, July 1, 2014, medical doctors across the federation made good their threat as they embarked on an indefinite strike, when the government seemed to give no heed to their 24-point demand.

The strike came amid an order of interim injunction issued by the National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja, urging health workers across board to desist from embarking on any strike as well as halting the implementation of any agreement earlier reached between the government and members of the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) pending the hearing and determination of the case before it.

The 24 demands the NMA sent earlier to the government through the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) included discontinuation of the recognition of non-medical doctors as directors and the ascription of consultant title to any other health worker other than a medical doctor within the confines of medicine and surgery.

The demands also range from the appointment of a Surgeon-General, clinical duty and hazard allowances, withdrawal of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) circular on medical laboratory equipment among others.

To many, the strike shows the insensitivity of health workers to the pains of the common man, while to others, it portrays systems failure in the country and the lack of commitment of Nigerian government to serious issues. But for Mrs. Olisa, she interprets this situation from a spiritual dimension. “This strike is not ordinary, it is another scheme of the devil to end my life, but I refuse to die and I have resolved not to cry anymore. I must look up to God now. The devil took my mother through this ailment, now I’m his next target but he is doomed to fail as usual,” she affirmed amid tears.

According to Mrs. Olisa, her next option is to perform the surgery at a private clinic at a cost of N450, 000. “My doctor referred me to some private hospitals that could handle my case but the cost of treatment there is too much for me. I was charged N250, 000 at LUTH but at the private hospitals, the least charge I got was N450, 000 and I can’t just afford it. I have to wait and pray for God to intervene in this face off between the FG and NMA. If I do not cut off my breast in the next one week, I might die,” She told Saturday Sun.

Another patient who spoke about his ordeal is Linus Etim, a glaucoma patient who was receiving treatment, also at LUTH. According to him, he lost his wife in 2010 when doctors were striking over consolidated wages. Four years after, this NMA strike has gone on to open old wounds as he cries that his life now hangs in the balance as he is on the verge of losing his sight if doctors don’t return to pay attention to his condition. “Doctors need to know that whenever they embark on strike, it is the masses who bear the brunt. I don’t have money to pay the bill at private hospitals or to go abroad. Governemnt should please settle whatever differences they have with doctors’ union so that we can come back to continue our treatment”.

In the nation’s capital Abuja, nurses across hospitals struggled to care for patients as doctors abandoned their duty posts on Tuesday, the first day of the nationwide strike. The situation ‎worsened days after with patients leaving public hospitals to seek care elsewhere.

When Saturday Sun visited the Federal Capital Territory (F.C.T) General Hospitals in Wuse and Maitama Districts, it was clear that the strike was fully implemented by doctors with many of them milling around, not minding the presence of patients. A similar scenario played out at the National Hospital, Abuja as there were no doctors to attend to patients.

Pricilla Edoh, one of the distressed patients who showed up for her antenatal clinic appointment at the National Hospital, lamented that the strike was total unlike when consultants attended to patients during the brief strike called by resident doctors earlier in the year.

“We were told to wait. Up till now they didn’t come,” said Edoh who waited for four long hours. “Nobody else can attend to us. During the last strike, the consultants attended to us, and that was okay. But today, no doctor, just the matron and nurses, and what can they do? They can only teach us. The people that need to do the actual checkup are the doctors”, she added.

In Rivers State, the strike has grounded activities at the ever-busy and crowded Rivers State-owned Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH), Port Harcourt.

When Saturday Sun visited the hospital, there was an indication that substantial number of patients has been withdrawn by their relatives, and most of wards were empty. Most offices were also locked.

One Mrs. Blessing Ajibola, who had earlier spoken to Saturday Sun (not in the hospital), said on June 30, she took her five-year-old son, Olanrewaju, who has heart problem to the hospital. But, the doctor she met declined to admit the child, though he noticed that the boy was having heart failure; he told her that they would commence strike at midnight. He referred her to a private hospital. The woman said that when she got there, she could not afford the money for admission card. Now she is helpless over the condition of her son.

Meanwhile, at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Choba, the situation was slightly different as at Thursaday. Though resident doctors joined their colleagues in the strike, patients were seen in the wards and waiting rooms (halls).

In Osun State, patients receiving treatment at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife had started vacating the hospitals the second day of the strike, just as new patients were not admitted into the hospital.

Survey by Saturday Sun revealed that only nurses at the hospital attending to the few remaining patients, while few doctors who were still working concentrated on patients with high degree of ailments.

A medical officer at the hospital, Mr. Seun Ayobami told Saturday Sun that “we do not admit patient here again. Most of the patients had been hurriedly discharged so as to continue their treatment in private hospitals.”

According to him “the Nurses here only take care of minor cases that we can take care of. We do dressing and other nursing procedures for the few patients that remain here. All the Doctors are absent from work, including the house officers.”

In Ebonyi State, government and public hospitals have been deserted as a result. When this paper visited Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki (FETHA), patients who were already admitted in the hospital were seen leaving for private hospitals to continue treatment.

Mr. Damian Ogadu, the only patient at the emergency ward at FETHA2 hospital when our correspondent visited, said that he was waiting for vehicle to convey him to where he was transferred – Mater hospital in Afikpo – for treatment.

Ogadu, 38, from Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area, lay helplessly at the hospital without doctors attending to him. He had a fatal accident, which affected his hands and legs.

He was brought to the hospital two days before the strike and he was scheduled for surgery on Tuesday but to his greatest shock he was waiting to be taken to theatre for the surgery when he was told that the doctors had gone on strike.

In Nasarawa, activities at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi, Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia and other government hospitals remain paralyzed. When Saturday Sun visited all the government hospitals and medical centres in the state, it was revealed that patients and their relatives had left for private hospitals in order to receive treatments.

Speaking to our correspondant, one of the patients who were sent packing from the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia, while lamenting his ordeal as a result of the strike, called on government to find a way to end the strike in the interest of the patients, the state and the country.

The story is the same at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Keffi where patients have already deserted the hospital for the private hospitals in order to receive treatment. Our correspondent who visited the hospital reports that the hospital has became the shadow of itself, as patients and doctors have left the hospital for the private hospitals.

In Uyo, patients in University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) decried negligence of doctors in attending to their health problems.

Saturday Sun learnt that a good number of patients brought to the emergency unit of the hospital in the early hours of Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday were turned back or discreetly referred to some private clinics said to be run by the same doctors on Federal Government employ.

It was learnt that patients, who had been slated for surgery within the week, could not be operated upon following the doctors’ industrial actions, just as many have started looking for other alternatives to ameliorate their health problems.

One of the doctors confided in our correspondent that most of the patients have been placed on drugs as palliative, hoping that the strike would be called off.

Further investigations reveal that only registered patients who had been receiving treatment before the strike commenced were given preferential care as doctors still came to attend to them.

Speaking with our correspondent, one of the surgical patients who did not want to disclose her name for fear of being victimised, said that she was billed for operation on Thursday but with the strike no doctor had come to her for examination.

“I am really suffering in pains because I am due for operation but with this ongoing strike I don’t know when the surgery would be done. It is only God that would sustain me here.,” she pleaded with our correspondent.

In Kaduna, it has taken a toll on most patients in government hospitals For Mrs. Deborah Kayode, her first child, a nine-month-old, who is on admission at Gwamna Awan General Hospital, has been left unattended to by doctors for some days, just as she said her baby is dying of high body temperature.

Mrs. Kayode said she would move her baby to a private hospital to save her life, even as the Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Samson Dogo Nok said there was no cause for alarm as the management was ready to provide skeletal services to patients.

“My name is Mrs. Deborah Kayode. Since the doctors started their strike, we have not seen them to attend to us again, my baby’s body is very hot, and she is my firstborn; she is just nine months old.

“Doctors only attended to her a day before the strike. My baby needs more blood because she has shortage of blood. And the nurses are not as forthcoming as before the strike, though they are not on strike. My baby has been on admission since last week.

“As it is now I am even thinking of moving to a private hospital to save my baby’s life. Doctors should not allow my baby to die”, she cried.

In Benue, doctors in all government owned hospitals also joined the rest of their colleagues across the country to embark on the indefinite strike as patients continue to lament their ordeal in accessing healthcare services.

Worse hit in the state are the Federal Medical Center (FMC), and the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) which, usually have influx of patients from within and outside the state.

In Kano, checks by Saturday Sun across a few hospitals in the metropolitan area of the state on Thursday indicated that the doctors, ranging from consultants to residents were not in their offices, a result of which no form of medical activity was noticed in most of the hospitals visited.

At the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano,(AKTH) over 90 per cent of the patients on admission have been discharged while out-patients had to cancel their respective appointments because there is no doctor to attend to their cases.

Saturday Sun investigation at the AKTH showed that the over 700-bed hospital, had been virtually deserted. Apart from a handful of health and administrative workers strolling casually or whiling away the time, this ever-busy hospital at the heart of the medical needs of Kano and beyond, was virtually empty.

In Delta State, wards at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Asaba, were virtually empty, as patients have been evacuated to private hospitals.

As at the time Saturday Sun visited the institution, the usually busy General Out-Patient Department was almost empty with a handful of staff who are not doctors discussing the development in hush tones as they clustered around.

Also, the ever-busy ante-natal hall, was devoid of any pregnant woman, as a staff who was later identified as a cleaner, told this reporter that “all the pregnant women were sent away because of the strike.”

As at Thursday, few patients were still milling around the premises, making efforts to clear their bills before relocating elsewhere.

And finally in Imo State health services remain paralyzed as patients from government owned hospitals have been compulsorily discharged by the management of the hospitals.

When Saturday Sun visited the Federal Medical centre in Owerri, it was discovered that patients who were previously on admission for various ailments had been discharged because the medical doctors who were supposed to attend to them had deserted their duty posts in strict adherence to the dictates of their national body.

Even the Accident and Emergency Unit of the hospital, which used to be a beehive of activities, was also deserted as nurses and other non-medical personnel were seen merely chatting.

One of the nurses who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that without the doctors around, there was nothing any of the nurses could do as it was only the doctors who would tell the nurses what to do and that the situation had forced the management to discharge all the patients to enable them to seek alternative medical attention at the private hospitals.

Similarly, Pastor Mike Nwanknwo who had brought a member of his church, involved in an accident, said he was advised to go a private hospital because the doctors in all government owned hospitals are on a strike.

He narrated to Saturday Sun that, in spite of his pleas that the accident victim needed urgent medical attention, they insisted that he took the patient elsewhere, as there were no doctor to attend to him.

In all public hospitals across the nation, the story is the same. It has been one of agony, frustration and hopelessness for patients and their family members.

When the strike will be called off remains in the bowel of time. As at the time of putting this report together, two days ago, it would seem that both sides were sworn to their stance. Will they come down from their high horses and resolve this impasse? That is most desirable, if only for the sake of the sick and infirm.

Katy Perry sued by Christian rappers over Dark Horse


Singer Katy Perry is being sued by Christian hip-hop stars including Flame, who claim her hit Dark Horse ripped off their track Joyful Noise.

They accused Perry of using the 2008 track – which features Lecrae – without permission, tarnishing its “devoutly religious message” with images of “witchcraft” and “black magic.”

It comes from Flame’s Grammy-nominated album Our World: Redeemed.

Dark Horse topped the US Billboard chart for several weeks in January.

The group of rappers – Flame aka Marcus Gray, Lecrae Moore, Emanuel Lambert and Chike Ojukwu – are seeking damages from Perry, guest artist Juicy J, Capitol Records and songwriters Dr Luke and Max Martin for copyright infringement.

Court papers in St Louis, Missouri, show they also want an injunction and profits gained from the unauthorized use of their track, stating Perry had performed Dark Horse at sold-out concerts throughout the US and sold millions of copies.

“The devoutly religious message of Joyful Noise has been irreparably tarnished by its association with the witchcraft, paganism, black magic, and Illuminati imagery evoked by the same music in Dark Horse,” said the rappers’ complaint.

They continued: “Indeed, the music video of Dark Horse generated widespread accusations of blasphemy and an online petition signed by more than 60,000 demanding removal of an offensive religious image from the video.”

The video for Dark Horse was edited in February this year following the complaints, with a pendant featuring the Arabic word for God being digitally “scrubbed” out of the scene.

More than 440 million people have watched the video on YouTube since February this year

Flame said the track’s similarities to Joyful Noise were brought to his attention by his DJ, Cho’zyn Boy. The DJ compiled an audio comparison of the two songs, published by Rapzilla, after noticing comments about them on Twitter.

They claim Perry and her collaborators “never sought or obtained permission” to use Joyful Noise for “creating, reproducing, recording, distributing, selling, or publicly performing” Dark Horse.

Representatives for Perry, who released a Christian Rock album under her birth name Kate Hudson in 2001 before she was famous, said she was unable to comment because of the legal proceedings.


(BBC)

Behold director Omoni Oboli


Actress, Omoni Oboli is now a movie director. She premiered her debut movie, Being Miss Elliot in far away Paris, France, where it opened a major film festival christened Nollywood Week, in Paris.

Speaking on the development, the mother of three said: “I was very happy when I was informed that BME would open the festival in Paris. The biggest part of a festival is the opening and closing films. As a green horn director, it is a big deal for my movie to open such an important festival. I am grateful to my co-producer and husband, Nnamdi and the cast, AY, Lepacious Bose, Majid Michael and others.”

Being Mrs Elliot is the story of a successfully married woman, torn between two worlds after a life changing incident. Being Miss Elliot stars include comedian, AY, Majid Michel, Lepacious Bose, Chika Chukwu, Imeh Bishop Umoh, Seun Akindele, Sylvia Oluchi and Omoni Oboli’s three children

Seyi olofinjana: Eagles must start preparing for Russia 2018 now


Former Super Eagles’ midfielder, Seyi Olofinjana, at Brazil 2014 speaks on happenings within the Nigerian side and the way forward as Africa Cup of Nations 2015 qualifiers beckon.

Olofinjana, a Chemical Engineering graduate, played for Crown and Kwara United before moving to Europe, played alongside Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu among others in the national team.

In Europe, he played for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Hull City and lately, Sheffield. He is in Brazil as one of the media men on the platform of OSMI. He took time to speak with Kunle Solaja on the future of the Super Eagles.

Overall assessment of Nigeria at the tournament 

Coming to this tournament was a good thing for the present crop of the Super Eagles. It has given them a taste of what it is to play at the biggest stage of football which is the World Cup. With regards to their first game which was against Iran, they probably got surprised by the Iranians whom they thought would probably come out to attack. When they stayed back, probably out of respect for us, it became frustrating for the Super Eagles.

They lacked ideas on what to do. It was very unfortunate. But going to the game with Bosnia Herzegovina, they knew they just must get the three points to be able to advance in the next match against Argentina. They knew the chances of getting points from Argentina was small, hence the tie with Bosnia Herzegovina was the crunch game.

They did just that. Recall it was almost the same team fielded against with the exception of Michael Babatunde who played in place of Victor Moses. It was as if it was a different team that played. The attitude shown in the first game changed as our boys were more purposeful. It was a different application. It was as if it was a different team entirely. They threw everything into the game and it worked well for us. The result showed clearly.

That gave them a lot of confidence going into the last group game with Argentina.

They really played well and showed why they were African champions. Most of the boys are still very young and the sky appears to be the limit for them.

With regards to the game with France, the boys went in with a lot of confidence. They have a way of raising our hopes, though I knew it was going to be a difficult game. I also knew, as a former player that the longer we stayed in the game, the better for our chance of scaling through. Winning was achievable.

It will have to be from character of 11 men with the help of three others (the substitutes), which I think they lacked. When Ogenyi Onazi was injured and had to be replaced, that was the end of the team. The midfield collapsed. There was no fighting for the ball in the midfield. There was no one to fill the gap. Gabriel Ruben who came in was probably playing his first game and was not in the best of form.

Four matches played, only one won, what does this say about the team?

It will be a misplaced hope to expect the Super Eagles to come here and win as many matches, they played, given the level of our preparation. Look at the Argentina that we lost to; their preparations started the moment they crashed out of South Africa 2010. These were the guys that have prepared for four years.

Of course we did it in parts, but we needed to do more. I am not condemning our preparation totally, but it has to be better planned. When we play friendly matches, they must be quality ones.

Thank God the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers are coming again in the next few weeks, we need to use those matches as part of our rebuilding process for the next World Cup, where I expect us to cross the hurdles. We need consistent performance from the boys. Let us keep this team. Let’s spread our search for quality friendly matches beyond the traditional ones with Mexico, Ireland and Jamaica and so on. We have played these teams many times. Let us try some bigger teams like England, Germany and so on.

It will raise the level of confidence of our players. For instance, a player will say “oh, if I can give a good account of myself against England and Germany, then I can play against any team in the world.”

Let us not limit our expectations. Let us not go to the World Cup and be thinking of surprising ourselves. One good thing about the present team is that most of the boys are still young. In fact, our team is one of the youngest in this World Cup. Russia 2018 should be our target. It will be the great test for us.

Four matches played, three goals scored and five conceded: what does this say about Nigeria?

It is down to our performance. I think they performed well. Only five goals conceded? It could have been disastrous. We should thank Vincent Enyeama in goal. It would have been 15 goals in our net. Individual errors sometimes resulted into those goals. Also, for consideration is lack of tactical discipline within units. Talents for talents, the French side was better.

What substitution would have been made to change the game in our favour?

In the heat of the battle, it is difficult to say I will do this or I will do that. So, don’t take anything away from the coach. It is a difficult job. The games are often different and you may be forced to take decisions you never planned for. After the match, it is easy for you to reflect, I could have done this or that.

Now looking back, I think Ramon Azeez should have come in place of Ruben Gabriel. The young man did enough to merit a place in the team. When Onazi got injured and had to be replaced, Azeez should have been called upon. We needed someone to perform the holding role in the midfield. Mikel was not doing that at all. He marked nobody. He was not doing the holding role. He was just strolling around on the pitch. He never played like that in Chelsea. The choice would have been to either move him a little upfront while Azeez falls back.

After World Cup, what are your expectations on the Super Eagles?

Let’s not just sit back and be lamenting our failure of not getting to the quarter finals. We should be looking towards future challenges, especially with Russia 2018 World Cup as the target to scale higher heights. But before then, we have an immediate assignment of qualifying for Morocco 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

What’s your take on the likelihood of Keshi being replaced?

It will not augur well for our team. One of our biggest problems is the lack of continuity. A new man come to the saddle and begins the learning curve again. He will start to assemble a new team instead of building on the existing one. He will begin to learn the mentality of the players and so on.

What has taken Clemens Westerhof five years to achieve has been done by Keshi in less than three yearsHe won the Africa Cup of Nations away from home, qualified for the World Cup and got to the Round of 16 like Westerhof did.

Keshi is a Nigerian and would naturally love to work for his fatherland. If there are issues between him and the NFF, I think it is better to look into that and get them resolved.

If he stays, he should be further empowered. A new coach comes with a new approach and mentality. So by the time the next World Cup comes up, we will again still be in rebuilding process instead of consolidating.

What have you been doing since the end of your active playing days?

I am still playing, only that I am no longer in the national team, which I was privileged to have featured for. I am also still improving on myself. As you know, I am at the World Cup to do media job. I am also getting myself educated in all forms. As you may know, it is better to speak from position of knowledge and not just from experience.

I have done my UEFA A and B coaching licence courses. I will soon begin the professional coaching licence course.

Learnt you are still also into academics…

Yes. As you know, I graduated as Chemical Engineer at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Nigeria and also last year finished my masters in Project Management at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland. I also embarked on oil and gas engineering, which I have not concluded.

How were you able to combine academics with sports?

Well, it is tough. But the academic background has moulded me. Unlike most of my colleagues, I had very few friends in football as most of the time; I had to dash off from the pitch to the classrooms and also had a lot of academic assignments to undertake. I don’t engage in many off field social activities like my colleagues do because of daunting Academic pursuits.

I was privileged to play alongside many talented players in the national team like Austin Okocha, Julius Aghahowa, Nwankwo Kanu, Joseph Yobo, Obafemi Martins and Vincent Enyeama.

That was a complete squad. But I must confess that we underachieved owing to off field activities. We were not disciplined enough to honour national team calls promptly and were also too demanding.

Ondo traditional ruler renounces fraternity


The traditional ruler of Ode community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Sunday Boboye has revealed that his desire to be a feudal lord over his town made him to join the Ogboni fraternity, a sect he has now renounced after 10 years of joining the society.
“I wanted powers to face the mighty and powerful people who have usurped my fathers’ land. To do this, I needed to accept one of the heist titles in the land and which was my family’s royal entitlement. It is the Ajagun (General at war) of Ode land”, the 45-year-old ex-Ogboni chief stated.
Once initiated into the brotherhood, Boboye possessed dreaded powers that not only made him very popular in Ondo State but also made many to fear and tremble before him. But that was before he had a challenging encounter with a Christian recently.
Last weekend, a team of Christians and the reporter were invited to the palace of Boboye in Ode, Ondo state to witness how the former Ogboni chief who rose to the rank of Egan Oke (meaning an elder in the Ogboni fraternity) denounced his membership and burnt all the traditional deities he had served when he was an herbalist.
“I am the traditional head of Ode community. I give glory to God for saving me and making me to be alive today.  The lord Jesus has arrested me and saved from evil association with Satan. I was an herbalist, a powerful one for that matter. And I am well known in Ondo State. Everyone respects and fears me as the Ajagun of Ode community. If I decreed that somebody would die tomorrow, that is what will happen. The person will die. If I tell somebody that he would not eat the next day, the person must be prepared because that is what would happen. And if I decreed that someone would not sleep in his house the following night. It also would also happen. I was doing all these using the dark powers bestowed on me by serving the devil. But today, God has taken me out of the darkness”, Boboye declared while denouncing his old association before his people who trooped out to see their once dreaded occult grand master and leader now wining and dining with Christians.
“Many people in Ode are surprised to see me with members of the Lord’s Chosen church and other Christians today and even wearing this apron, because they know who I was. They know about the tremendous power I wielded as grandmaster in occult kingdom.
“My father, Pa Boboye Oluwasegun has been a pastor in The Apostolic Church for sometime. He had tried on many occasions to lead me to Christ but I have been turning deaf ears to him. This is why we used to quarrel sometimes. Whenever, I organized the Egungun festival, yam festival or Osun or Ogun festivals my father used to quarrel with me and asked me to drop the worship of ancestral gods but I turned deaf ears to him because the ancestral gods were giving me powers.
“Whenever he invited me for a programme in his church I used to attend but he doesn’t come for my festivals because he doesn’t like it. This is because the festivals are meant to celebrate and appease the ancestral gods. During the ceremonies, I used to kill cows, fowls and serve some images of the ancestral gods with the blood of the slain animals.
“ I used to invite members of my Ogboni fraternity, members of the community and the media to partake in them. The festivals were very elaborate ceremonies that usually become the talk of the town months after. Many pastors and Christians have preached to me but I didn’t change my ways because I didn’t think Jesus Christ could give me the powers I need to conquer my enemies who want our land”, he added.
While narrating the incident that led to his conversion to Christianity, Boboye said: “In January, an unusual Christian from The Lord’s Chosen church who had come to buy some pieces of land from me, challenged me on the gods I was serving. I had boasted to him that I had remained safe, taking over all our ancestral land from our enemies all these years because the gods of my fathers have been protecting me. But the man told me that the only most powerful, who can protect me surely is Jesus Christ.  He further advised me to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and saviour but I said that couldn’t happen because I couldn’t lose the tremendous powers I have. The man then told me that if I refused to accept Christ and serve the true living God, God would arrest me one day and bring me to Him. I told him to tell his God to bring me to Him if He likes.”
The argument turned out to be Boboye’s undoing as what happened afterwards not only shocked him but also turned his life in the opposite direction.
In his words “It wasn’t up to a month after that encounter, I got roped in a robbery case.  The Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) of the police in Akure invited me. So, I drove down there with my wife. Before that day, whenever I have a case with the police, I don’t spend more than five minutes before solving it because I’m very popular with the police in the state. This is because if they bring any charge against me and I say this is what I want, they must accept but that night they refused. It was a rude shock to me. Before, the policemen feared me, because I could pronounce a curse on them and they would be dismissed, but that night things turned suddenly against me. The police threw me into the cell and the next morning, my driver was brought to me. I was asked if I knew him and I said he is my driver. The police then said that I was being arrested on the suspicion that I sent the boy to rob.
“My driver denied robbing anybody but the policemen beat the hell out of the two of us and threw us into the cell again. The next morning I was taken to the court and from there I was sent back to prison. And that was when a long nightmare began for me. I was detained and refused bail for over five months but God Himself visited me in the prison.
“A prison mate named Dagas, who was jailed for being a deadly thug but had become a Christian convert in prison, preached to me and I was touched. One day, I had a powerful dream after praying with Dagas. I saw my dad by my bed in prison. He asked me if all the ancestral gods I was serving have saved me. He told me that he was the one who brought me to the prison. He gave me a Yoruba Bible and asked me to first read Psalm 119: 68 which reads: ‘before I was afflicted, I had gone astray’. He asked if I knew the meaning of the passage but I said no, he then asked me again to read verse 71 of same chapter, which says: ‘But it is better for me that He chastised me so that I might know the right way.’
When I woke up from the dream, I was afraid and woke up the boy who had prayed with me. When I told him about the dream, he praised God and said that my being imprisoned was God’s design to save me. Dagas said that it wasn’t my father who appeared in my dream but God himself.
“The brother urged me to continue to pray to God to deliver me from the prison.
What later convinced me the more was that mytravails then were God’s design was that on May 23, the same man of the Lord’s Chosen church visited me in the prison and prayed with me. After the prayers he told me that God was about to deliver me from the prison because He has shown me enough that He is the almighty.
“Barely a week after the visit, the same judge who had been refusing me bail, rejected several sureties and all that, miraculously granted me bail.”
However, Boboye has countless regrets for being an Ogboni chief. According to him, he has committed terrible sins with the dark powers the ancestral gods he served gave him. Recalling his 10-year foray into the dark world, he said: “I had all the ancestral gods in Yoruba cosmology. I had Sango, Ogun, Osanyin, Iya Ogbo, and Osun among others. Whenever I wanted to go and fight on land issues, I used to kill dogs for Ogun to appease him to give me victory.  I also appeased other gods with their demands, but they failed me, they didn’t tell me I would have a serious case before it happened and when it happened they couldn’t save me except God.
Now that I have accepted Christ, I have peace of mind, I’m no longer afraid of anybody. In fact, before anything would happen to me, God would have revealed it to me in details in a vision. I will burn all the shrines I built for these small gods and denounce them publicly”.
And Boboye did exactly that, he threw the images and other fetish materials into the front of his palace and was set to burn them all. But before he did that, he explained in details, what he was using the images of the gods for during his time as herbalist and Ogboni leader.
Boboye took members of the church to his power room where he kept molded images of different deities in Yoruba cosmology. The first, a repulsive image of the head of an old woman, he referred to as Iya Aye or Iya Ogbo, otherwise called the earth’s mother or the Ogbonis’ mother.
“All the witches meet at the her place. But she is a molded image. If there is a puzzle to be resolved, we visit her and present the issue, the witches then respond to us and make it look like she did so”, he explained.
He then pointed to another small molded image, which he called Sigidi. “We use Sigidi whenever we want to attack someone with a spiritual arrow. We christen the Sigidi after the person to be attacked so that the Sigidi would represent the victim spiritually. We then launch the arrow at the Sigidi in order to hit the victim. And after the attack, we wash off the victim’s name on Sigidi so that we can use it to represent another person in the future.”
“This is one of the charms I used to bury in a controversial land so that I can stop the opponent dragging the land with us”; Boboye said pointing to yet another fetish item that looked like a rotten head of an animal. He said the item is an antelope’s head. “If the victim on whose land the head is buried, steps on this, he would suddenly have his legs and other parts swollen and that would eventually lead to his death.”
Drawing the team’s attention to another repulsive sight, which he described as the devil’s shrine, Boboye said the biggest one at the centre of the group of roundly arranged molded images was devil. “The small images are messengers to the devil. I used to feed the shrine with palm oil and salt. But whenever I want the devil to afflict anyone, I would present it with the black oil and mention the name of the victim as the one who said that this god should be given the black oil. This would make the god to be angry against the victim, as the black oil is its abomination. He would then visit the victim and deal ruthlessly with him or her.”
The shrine of Osanyin and a small pot were the next the herbalist turned Christian showed. “This is Osanyin, the god who reveals secrets. The osanyin initiates and I took an oath which if broken I would vomit blood.
“The water in the small pot was fetched from the Osun River in Osogbo, Osun State. To all the Ogboni initiates, the water is used for good purposes. We feed this shrine with salt, water but not alcohol. If a child is ill, we use the water to heal the child, we also seek for solution to mysterious problems from the shrine, we do this by giving someone the water to drink and when that is done, we would find out what problem of the person is.  It was prepared by the elderly members of the Ogboni cult that I joined.”
There were some sculpted images on the wall of the room and Bobobye pointed at a small round one on which a small mirror was glinted. “With this one we know the secrets of men as it usually reveals to us like a television whenever we invoke the spirit behind it with some incantations. But not everybody can appear in the mirror. In fact, I don’t invoke the spirit of Christians when they bring their case to me because I was afraid it could cause problem. This is because I know that Christians could be dangerous through the teaching I got while growing in a Christian home.”

Having surrendered to Christ at the Lord’s Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, Boboye advised the other traditional rulers, saying: “My advice to all the Obas and the chiefs is that they should accept Christ because He is the one that can solve their problems.”

Glass House taking over by DSS


The headquarters of the Nigeria Football Fed­eration (NFF) at Zone 7 FCT Abuja was a battle ground of sorts yesterday as men of the Department of State Security (DSS) virtually took over the Glass House for the better part of official hours.

With a patrol van with registra­tion number; Abuja KWA262AH permanently stationed along the entrance gate, housing Federal Road Safety Corp and the Glass House, an impeccable source told Daily Sunsports that the DSS op­eratives carted away some vital documents ostensibly in connec­tion with the arrest of the football federation boss, Alhaji Aminu Maigari.

“The DSS had stormed Glass House in the early hours yester­day, in commando fashion, and took away some vital documents which I think might be connected with the arrest of our president. I want to, however, say that the DSS operatives were very civil in handling the situation. You can still see their patrol van perma­nently stationed at the entrance gate while others move in and out of the premises,” our source noted.

The situation at the football federation was so tense that sports journalists were denied access into the Glass House in line with the directive from act­ing Sole Administrator, Lawrence Katiken, on the excuse that he did not want them to pry into the meeting with the staff.


Meanwhile, stakeholders start­ed converging in Abuja yesterday for a crucial Congress billed to hold at Bolingo Hotels by 3.00pm today, even as the proposed meet­ing might run into hitches fol­lowing the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.

Lindsay Lohan sues creators of Grand Theft Auto


Lindsay Lohan is suing the creators of Grand Theft Auto. The Mean Girls actress who turned 28 on Wednesday has finally hit the video game makers with a civil lawsuit after they allegedly used her image for a character named Lacey Jonas without her permission.

The star’s lookalike alter-ego parties at infamous celebrity haunt, the Hotel Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, a place where the plaintiff once lived and often frequents, according to the case documents.

Lindsay has been threatening legal action since December, shortly after the fifth installment of the video game was released, and is annoyed because companies usually pay to copy her likeness.

The actress, who turned 28 on Wednesday, was spotted out in New York.

The legal papers claim the ‘game features a mission where the plaintiff’s look-alike asks another character to take her home and escape the paparazzi’ and features a character sporting the same ‘ likeness, clothing, outfits, clothing line products, ensemble in the form of hats, hair style, sunglasses, jean shorts worn by Loha before the release of the GTA V video game.’

The video game cover also strikingly resembles a famous picture of Lindsay in a swimsuit taking a selfie and making a peace sign.


The gaming company has declined to comment.

Germany gives France the French


The flames of France came to an end at the Brazil 2014, falling 1-0 to the ruthless Ger­man machines that did not waste time in knocking off the French side that merely escaped defeat from the Super Eagles last Monday.

The French side that had kept clean sheets in their last two games lived up to their tradition as the Les Bleus have never managed to go three World Cup matches without conceding a goal

The Germans will have the Man of the Match, Mats Hummels to thank. His solitary goal in the 13th minute was the match decider. He headed past French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from a perfectly taken free kick by Toni Kroos.

The Germans who move to the semi finals had a break from the past. Since Brazil defeated them in the 2002 final match, Germany has lost anoth­er three World Cup games, all at the hands of European sides. Their opponents were Italy in 2006, followed by Serbia and Spain in 2010.

For Miroslav Klose, it was his 22nd World Cup match as he moved up to second in the tournament appearance ranking for German players, behind Lothar Matthaus (25) and one in front of Uwe Seeler.


The forward would be placed third in the overall ranking, be­hind Matthaus and Italy’s Paolo Maldini (23)

5 Ways Millionaires Approach Their Careers



In the majority of cases, it’s not luck that makes people money, nor is it who they know. Rather, the people who make the most money in their careers are the ones who display discipline, and who have a definitive sense of purpose and heavy duty resiliency.

The positive news is that even if you don’t possess these skills now, it is very possible to obtain them. The first step in doing so is to analyze how millionaires approach their careers and begin to alter your thought processes, practices and overall professional approach.

To get you started, here are five ways the highly successful approach their careers:

1. Maintain an Open Mind and Active Imagination – Effective job seekers and entrepreneurs understand that tolerance and maintaining an open mind are necessities for anyone seeking wealth and prosperity from their job. They are not afraid of new ideas and understand that closed minds do not inspire faith, courage or belief.

2. Effective Job Seekers Are Success-Conscious – One of the main weaknesses of the average employee is their familiarity with the word “impossible.” They know all the rules that will not work. They focus on the things that cannot be done.

Instead, superior job seekers think about possibilities and focus on solutions, not problems. Their thought process does not include the terms: lack, want, resentment, failure or capitulation.

3. Their Desire for Success Results in an Unmatched Determination – The most successful job seekers buy into the belief that desire is the starting point of all achievement. They aim to make their dreams a reality regardless of hurdles or current setbacks.

The success-oriented understand that they are the masters of their own fate. They have taught themselves to displace destructive thoughts with a viewpoint that is constructive, visionary and promotes movement rather than stagnation.

4. They Possess a Keen Ability to Influence Others – Successful individuals have an ability, whether inherent or learned, to influence and gain favor from others. They greet others with enthusiasm and show a sincere interest in those whom they work with. Their positive energy is contagious and allows for heightened productivity both in themselves and those around them. This belief system naturally combined with a deep knowledge of their business lends itself to others wanting to be around them.

5. They Remain Optimistic in the Face of Adversity – Highly paid individuals don’t quit in the face of adversity. They realize that everyone makes mistakes, that every leader stumbles and falls. When this happens, they regroup and get going again with a renewed speed, sense of purpose and confidence. The global business world will knock everyone off course from time to time. What makes millionaires so highly paid is their resolve and sense of purpose.

Simply knowing about the above five facets is not going to suddenly catapult you into the career stratosphere, which brings us to the unifying component of success. It isn’t enough to know that successful people keep an open mind, or focus on success itself, or have the skills to genuinely influence others.

You’ve got to be willing to put in the time and effort of forming these five new habits, not just 9-5 at the office, but throughout your whole life. These are baseline things that must be practiced consistently if you are to achieve your best level of success and fulfillment in your career.