What women want from their men -Funke Felix-Adejumo

Written by CHRISTY ANYANWU - Nigeria. 

Rev (Mrs.) Funke Felix-Adejumo

Renowned international speaker and female empowerment coach, Rev (Mrs.) Funke Felix-Adejumo, spoke on the challenges of womanhood and her experience as a wife for over 30 years.

Excerpts:


You have been married to one man for over 30 years. What has kept you going?


My husband and I have actually been married for 31years. Our marriage will be 32 on September 8. The major and greatest force in our marriage is God. And that's not to sound religious. It is what God keeps that is kept. John 3:27 is my favorite Scripture: "A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven."


God did not create a world in which He will not be needed. He instituted marriage in the first instance. So He is the greatest marriage expert and consultant.


Both of us are born again Christians so we don't joke with our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. This reflects in the way we love and honour each other. It reflects in the way we handle misunderstandings. It reflects in everything we do.


In 31 years, my husband and I pray together everyday! When we are not together, we pray on the phone. Remember we did not start traveling separately until a few years ago. That was before technology came into the picture.


Also, we agreed on transparency and honesty. We agreed that this will be the trade mark of our relationship. There's nothing we don't discuss. And I mean absolutely nothing, including the minutest details of life.

Which one are you - The finger story.

Nigeria’s Freeman Osonuga named among 3 finalists for space trip

Written by Chioma Obinna & Gabriel Olawale - Vanguard, Nigeria. 

LAGOS-As the global contest for Kruger Cowne Rising Star space trip competition deepens, Nigeria's Freeman Osonuga has been selected among the three finalists for the influential Rising Star programme. His selection among the three finalists is one step closer for a Nigerian to travel to space for the first time in history.

Launched last year at the One Young World Summit in Dublin, Ireland, the programme consisted of a year-long search to find one inspiring individual, who will become the voice of the next generation, culminating in the chosen champion being catapulted onto the world stage and into space.

Flying beyond the 100km mark by XCOR Aerospace'sLynx® Spacecraft, the champion will be presented with the opportunity to view the world from an entirely new perspective.Also through the unique experience, if chosen Rising Star will provide new insight into global discussions on some of the world's most pressing issues.

Freeman Osonuga 

Osonuga who hail from Ogun State was selected based on the tremendous social media engagement, candidate profiles on the Rising Star website, video content among others.Speaking during a courtesy visit to Vanguard Corporate Head Office in Lagos, Osonuga explained that he was selected following his efforts to garner support from the entire country including the government.

"I was also selected for my efforts to use both national and international press to inform an international audience of his journey, from Ebola suit to spacesuit and how his mission to change the world continues."

Elated Osonuga is up against Keren Jackson of Ireland and Hussain Manawer of the United Kingdom. These three finalists will be flown to Bangkok next month where they will attend the One Young World Summit and also deliver a keynote speech on their topic of choice to the thousands of delegates present as well as a panel of global business leaders after which the winner of a space trip will be announced.

Words on Marble - A collection of Quotes - page 1

"The easiest thing in the world is to come up with an excuse not to do something. I found that the most important thing in life is to stop saying, I wish, and to start saying, I will."

David Copperfield
Magician

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"Extend to each person, no matter how trivial the contact, all the care and kindness and understanding and love that you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again."

Og Mandino
1923-1996, Author

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"It's not what you do once in a while; it's what you do day in and day out that makes the difference."

Jenny Craig
Weight Loss Guru

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"I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refuse to be reduced by it."

Maya Angelou
1928-2014, Author and Poet

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"Discovering that you're the one who holds the key to unlock the prison of your unhappiness is empowering. However, to free yourself, you have to recognize that you've been your own jailer. Set yourself free today."

Peggy McColl
Creator of the Fast Track to Write Your Book Program

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"Your dream is a reality that is waiting for you to materialize. Today is a new day! Don't let your history interfere with your destiny. Learn from your past so that it can empower your present and propel you to greatness."

Steve Maraboli
Author and Speaker

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"Setting goals every day allows you to turn your everyday tasks into opportunities for achievement and to embrace your busyness."

Jennifer Colford
International Best Selling Author of Managing Mothering

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"God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well."

Voltaire
1694-1778, Writer, Historian, and Philosopher

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"There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or out. There's no such thing as a life in-between."

Pat Riley
Professional Basketball Coach

Love and War in Sudan

Written by By Natalie Peart - digital journal Website: http://www.digitaljournal.com/ I hope I don't disappoint you by telling you that this isn't a real love story. I am not going to recite an enchanting story of how I fell in love with a Sudanese man, petrified my Mother and gave up all to move to Sudan and live a nomadic life in the desert raising his camels, or how I witnessed a Mills and Boon style love affair in the country that is 'The Sudan'. The love story does involve me, but it was not one single person but the country and everyone I met and the possibilities it holds that I fell in love

with. The kind genuine Nubian people and the beautiful Nubia desert sand and skies and the possibilities for growth the country has.

Archaeologists say the pyramids, cemeteries and ancient palaces of the Nubian Desert in northern Sudan hold mysteries to rival ancient Egypt and as I meandered through the forgotten pyramids of Meroe with not another tourist in sight (apart from the other 22 people of course) I knew I was one of the privileged few who has ever experienced this. It really sets them apart from the pyramids of Egypt which I feel are slightly overshadowed by the hundreds of other people you have to share the experience with. And this is just one of the many attractions that Sudan hosts.

The war story however is a real war story, as with hope in this country comes misery, violence and death in Darfur. For over three years, everyone from the UN Secretary-General to the President of the United States to actors George Clooney and Mia Farrow have been calling for a stop to the conflict in Darfur. And nothing changes.

For four years the Government has been content in letting humanitarian agencies do the work of the Government and provide basic services to two-thirds of the entire population of Sudan’s Western region. The outcome, affluent suburbs in Khartoum and complete desolation in Southern Sudan and Darfur's states.

When I said I was going to Sudan the response that I got wasn't all unexpected. I'm the first to admit that I was cautious yet curious about the country that we have read so much about in terms of the civil war. But as the oracle that is the Lonely Planet said to me '"Khartoum (the capital of Sudan) is one of the friendliest and safest cities in the world", and of course the Planet didn't disappoint.

Why I'll sue my mother

Twitter @ okeyndibe

MY mother has damaged my pristine image, and I am shopping for a lawyer to sue her. So, dear reader: if you happen to know a ruthless, take-no-prisoner's lawyer, please, please send me her or his contact details.

In case you don't get it, let me stress the kind of lawyer I wish to hire. I want a lawyer with a long record of suing defamers for the last cent, penny or kobo they have to their name. My dream lawyer would accept no pleas. She or he would disdain half measures. In short, I desire a lawyerly equivalent of Mike Tyson in his prime. No, don't send me any lawyer who floats like a butterfly. I'm not looking for a skelewu dancer!

I crave an expert at delivering devastating legal upper cuts, a knockout specialist who never pauses or stops until the enemy is fully, totally vanquished.

So why am I looking for such a lawyer, you ask?

I thought I told you already. Because I want to-I must-sue my mother.

What exactly am I suing her for?

You've not been paying attention, or you'd remember I already disclosed the rea- son. Okay, again: my mother defamed me, that's why.

Is it possible to talk it over, to persuade me not to sue her?

The answer is no. Nothing will-and no earthly force can-stop me from pursuing the said lawsuit. Let all the bishops in the world compose an episcopal epistle garnished with a hundred and forty-four citations from the Holy Writ, I won't be deterred in the least. If all the traditional rulers in Igboland (and the accompanying self-crowned monarchs in the diaspora) should expound on the cultural plague that awaits the son who drags his own mother to court, I will not listen.

Hear me, reader: This matter is way, way beyond the intervention of peacemakers. It's definitely bound for the courts!

All my uncles and aunts, siblings and cousins may waste their breath, but my ears are plugged to their pleas. And to my friends, I have only this to say on the issue: Keep your counsel to yourself. I won't listen.

King Adangba's many wives

A LONG, very long time ago, there lived a king called Adangba. He was very rich, very powerful and feared. He was a warrior who won all the wars he fought. He had many slaves and a big compound where his blacksmiths worked day and night to fashion out new weapons and repair old ones. He had many vassal towns that paid him taxes regularly. In spite of his wealth and power, Adangba was a kind and considerate man. He treated his people with fairness and was generous to his chiefs. Ordinarily, he should be a happy man but he was not for he had no son to inherit his throne.

Adamgba had a palace full of beautiful women, wives in dozens who gave him even more beautiful daughters. But was the use of beautiful daughters to a king who needed an heir? But he kept on trying because some bad people were saying some bad things about him. Some said he was not really a man otherwise he would have had a son. There were almost loud rumours that Adamgba had made a pact with the gods that he would not have sons as long as the gods gave him victory in every battle. Most of these stories got back to the king and kept him up at night. He would pace up and down his chambers for hours in pain and confusion. He offered sacrifices in all the shrines to all the gods but each time a queen fell into labour, she brought forth yet another girl.

Until one year, one evening, after the new yam festival, one of the neighbouring kings brought his daughter as a gift for the king. The king was reluctant for more than a reason. He had tried and tried and failed and failed. What was the guarantee that Ena, this new wife was going to give him a son, and not more daughters? He was already a minority in a palace full of females! And then this new wife not even beautiful. In fact, she was ugly.

The other wives sneered and sniggered. What was Ena going to do that they had not done? They even told her to her face that the best she would ever achieve was to produce the ugliest princess in the palace because since she was ugly, all her seeds would be ugly. But to the shock and dismay of all, including Ena herself, nine months after she paid King Adamgba her first night in the royal chambers, she gave birth to a set of twin boys, two beautiful boys.

It was a new day in the kingdom and royal household. The king was beside himself with joy. 

There is actually nothing in this world that is worth dieing for. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

~ Radio Biafra Voice And The Nigeria Voice

According to Wikipedia This is the garage of the Second Nigerian Senate President Prince Nweke Nwafor from 1960 to 1966. 
I vividly Recall the story of a man who became popular for engaging in money rituals just to buy the 80's edition of the Honda Prelude. You wouldn't buy that car for 50k today. Some other guy brutally murdered his brother ( whom their father gave cash 2 travel 4 the purpose of re- stocking their warehouse), just cos he wanted to acquire the rave of the moment - Pathfinder Jeep. That same vehicle is now better described as a coffin. I Remember as a kid, my whole street gathered to watch a truck deliver a very large satellite dish to my neighbour's house. Today a dish one tenth that size delivers 5 times the value and is in almost every student's room. What about the Volkswagen Santana, Mercedes Benz V boot, 505Evolution, Toyota Crown, all overtaken by latest models of Camry, Honda, Bugatti, Bentley, X6, Acura and Infinity....

Vanity! Some ladies left their true loves cos some rich guy then persuaded them with a Benz 190, which turned out to be the only car they ever owned till date. They found out too late that true love is invaluable. A friend declared drinks because he launched the Nokia Communicator for over hundred grand in 2002. Today that phone would embarrass the owner and is a joke compared to the low cost and everyday phones. What about the MTN SIM card that many people went extra miles before they bought for over 30k, today you will not buy it at N100 because all networks are begging people to even take it for free. People are still making the most horrific sacrifices over 'vanity' and make enemies over worthless material things. What can I say? Look back at that one thing you want to kill or die for today and see what becomes of it tomorrow. There is absolutely nothing you can't achieve. 

All you need is a little time and PATIENCE and you would thank God without regrets. There is actually nothing in this world that is worth dieing for, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! Meditate on this…

In Lagos, Abuja, P'Harcourt cars now compete with shops

Written by Eric Dumo - Punch, Nigeria

Okoye attending to a customer

Parking his car at a corner of the busy road, Oluwaseun Akinyele was soon besieged by a flurry of customers - mostly women - just as soon as he started displaying the different collections at the roof and bonnet of his vehicle. One after the other, the ladies checked out shoes, clothes and bags, turning to one another for advice on which items to settle for from the vast array on display. Before long, the men also joined the party; scanning through available shoes, jackets, shirts and trousers ahead of making a choice. As the minutes ticked away, so also did the number of customers that stopped by Akinyele's 'mobile shop' swell. But even with such impressive patronage, the father of four cannot afford to rent a shop in Lagos capital - Ikeja - where he drives to everyday to service his teeming customers. Displaying goods in his car became his only response to the challenge.

Akinyele displaying his wares in his car

"I can't afford to rent a shop in Ikeja where most of my customers are located," he said. "I tried renting a shop around Allen Avenue sometime back and I was asked to pay N5m for two years. There was nowhere I could get such money from. So, this idea came to my mind. I felt that if I could get a car for around N800, 000 and then get the items I want to sell for about N1million, I could move around the city with the goods and make reasonable sales and profits. Since I started, things have been fair," Akinyele said.

A former bank employee, the young businessman lost his job a few years ago during a massive retrenchment exercise that greeted the industry at the time. With employment opportunities proving hard to come by and five mouths to feed - four children and a wife - Akinyele knew he had to look for a way out.

"I graduated from the university in 1999, I have four kids to cater for and I can't afford to beg or sit without doing anything. I used to work in a bank before a lot of us were laid off. A lot of my friends in the United Kingdom were hawking drugs on the streets but since I cannot do such, I decided to look for a decent means to earn a living here no matter how difficult it could be. That was how I got into using my car as a mobile shop," he said.

Wife of world's richest man fetches water in Malawi

Written by Bayo Akinloye - Nigeria.  

Wife of the richest man in the world, Melinda Gates, was pictured on Saturday carrying on her head a bucket of water fetched from a village in Malawi.

Net worth of the United States' billionaire Bill Gates, according toForbes magazine's annual list of the world's billionaires, stands at $76 billion.

The billionaire's spouse, who described herself as "philanthropist, businesswoman, mother, passionate advocate for women and girls," posted a photo of herself with a 20-litre bucket of water on her head alongside two other Malawian women, walking on a dirt road.

In another picture posted on her Instagram page, she was seen doing the dishes in a Malawian village.

Describing her experience, Gates said on her Facebook page, "During my stay in Malawi, I joined the women collecting drinking water. I carried 20 litres and it was tough. Meanwhile, Chrissy (middle) is carrying about 40 litres. Many women do this every day."

She has been described as one of the world's famous social activist "who is trying to serve the people in ignorance."

In June, wife of the US billionaire met with Malawian President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe. The agenda was to discuss the promotion of safe motherhood and maternal health in the country.

25 things women wish men knew

Men claim women are much more complicated than them, but what about our side of the story? It's actually really simple to make a woman happy – if they'd only look out for the signs! Here are 25 things women wish men knew… Guys – we hope you're taking notes!

Boyfriends make the best of friends and amazing lovers, but it goes without saying that sometimes (okay, a LOT of the time) we think men could do more.

Familiar phrases spring to mind; 'He never makes enough effort', 'he's always with his friends' and 'he never notices me,' but as they say, boys will be boys. So we decided to take a different approach in getting him to understand by creating the ultimate women's wish list (that we hope will make things easier for man and womankind).

And while this is no lesson on how to treat a lady it's a pretty accurate guide into what us girls are really thinking. Boys, once you've read this, you will have THE KNOWLEDGE. Use it wisely.

Small things count.
Some guys think all they have to do is surprise us once and they're set for life, but trust us, we're keeping note. Why not pick-up our favorite feel-good treat while you're on your way home this evening (clue, it's either wine, chocolate or cheese) or buy us that new book we've been talking about non-stop. Trust us, our appreciation will show.

The E-word.
Effort (a word no man is unfamiliar with) is always the hitch. Take out the trash, call us to see how our day was or do something really special for our anniversary. We're worth your time.

Confidence is hot, arrogance is NOT.
Every girl loves a man who's comfortable in his own skin. It makes us feel safe and protected and nothing feels sexier than that. But arrogance? We. Can't. Stand. It.

'Never Knew Such Men Existed Till I Had A Personal Experience With My Husband'

~The Guardian

I was 21 years of age when I gained admission into the university in the Western region of Nigeria. Before then was when I met this man I am married to now. He has, if not all, the best quality any good man would have: God- fearing, intelligent, handsome to mention but a few. Even with the little he had he made sure he shared them with me. After he graduated and served, he got a job and further trained me in the university. He proposed to me in my second year and we finally got married in my final year in school.

The devil played his part during this period. There was this guy I was seeing. At first, I only took him as a friend. Along the line, he said he wouldn't mind being a fling and the result was that I got pregnant for this guy even though I just got married. I was so confused that I didn't know what to do, and I couldn't tell anybody, even my friend, because I could not just trust anybody. And terminating it would not be an option. I had to tell my husband I was pregnant for him even though I knew I was committing a very big sin.

Female mechanic grooms female students in automobile repairs

Written by BY SAM OTTI - SUN, Nigeria

• Inducts 30 girls in After School Club

Female mechanic grooms female students in automobile repairs

She is one woman that has decided to be different. To her, the saying, 'what a man can do, a woman can do even better' isn't just a cliché. She walks and works in a man's world, and has made a huge success of it. Her name is Sandra Aguebor, and she's regarded as Nigeria's first female mechanic.

And through her efforts, very soon, female motor mechanics might dominate the automobile industry in Nigeria, with the recent campaign by Aguebor who is also the founder, Lady Mechanic Initiative (LMI).

Working in collaboration with MacAthur Foundation based in the United States, her group launched a catch-them-young programme tagged, After School Club Project, for public schools in Lagos State to groom young female students for gainful employment.

At the induction ceremony of 30 female students drawn from Government Technical College, Agidingbi, Ikeja, Oregun Junior High School and Agidingbi Junior Grammar School, Aguebor recalled her humble beginning as a motor mechanic. In her words at the event, according priority to technical skills would reduce the high unemployment in the country. The woman informed her audience that she started her apprenticeship in a motor mechanic workshop during her early days in secondary school, a decision she never regretted till date.

WEDDING RING: African Clerics On Its Myth And Significance

'I Prefer To Use The Word Of God To Join Couples Rather Than A Ring'

Clerics

(Pastor (Dr.) Jacob E. Umoru, President, Lagos Atlantic Conference, Seventh-day Adventist Church in Nigeria)
ACTUALLY, from my understanding of God's word, wedding ring is not the true test of love. The foundation of marriage is still in the word of God. So, I prefer to use God's word to join couples rather than a ring. Ring is just outward, but once the word of God is accepted and practised, that will help the marriage to stand rather than ring. Sometimes, we use the ring and sometimes we don't. The reason is that if it is in a country where wearing wedding ring is a law, and you don't follow the rule, you may

be accused of not obeying the law. But ordinarily, we don't use the ring, which is not biblical. Wedding ring does not stop one from infidelity. It doesn't bestow the true sense of faithfulness, which is in the heart. This is why I believe that if people believe God's word and fear Him, ring or no ring, they will still honour God. They will be faithful to their marriage.
I am not going to condemn anybody, as those who practise it do so in accordance with their faith. We have a lot of problems in the world today because we dwell more on the outward. But God looks at the inward and if we accept God's word as well as obey Jesus Christ, we will be more faithful and not focus so much on the outward. Even with their wedding rings on, some people still go ahead to do whatever they like. I think the best thing is to be faithful to God's word and our hearts. Sometimes, people don't want to wear it because of the inconsistency. Some drop their wedding rings because they feel they are being caged. So, personally, I prefer that people hold fast to the word of God, which is the foundation of marriage.
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'It Reminds Couples That They Are Committed And Responsible As Well'
(Rev. (Dr.) Kayode Opadeji, Snr Pastor, First Baptist Church, Ikeja, Lagos)

AS you are talking with me right now, I am wearing my own. It is important and is a sign that has no beginning and ending. Here, we tell our members that their love has no beginning and no ending. In other words, it is expected that there shouldn't be any condition attached to it. Once you marry that woman or man, the two of you have to live together till death do you part. So, that understanding is from the Bible, which expects that a couple should live together forever even though some people may opt for divorce. This is not right because the Bible says in Malachi 1:16 that God hates divorce. So, we expect that the love that exists between couples should not give room for outsiders or third party to interfere. Aside this, since rings are made of gold that cannot rust, as it remains the same forever, a marriage should also be like that. Love should not disintegrate or diminish, but should remain the same. I have been wearing my wedding ring close to 19 years now.

Apple buys a Nigerian-owned ICT firm for $1 billion

UNITED States of America’s most celebrated brand, Apple, has bought Nigeria’s Chinedu Echeruo’s HopStop.com. According to The Wall Street Journal’s publication, AllThingsDigital, it informed that though the term of the deal has not been disclosed officially, but HopStop has been compared to Israel’s Waze, which was recently acquired by Google for $1 billion.

Founded in 2005, HopStop.com makes mobile applications for both iOS and Android that covers over 300 cities and that helps people get directions or find nearby subway stations and bus stops.

Echeruo, formerly an analyst at investment banks and hedge funds, who founded HopStop, is now chairman of the Board for the app firm.

The move, according to market intelligence, is seen as Apple’s plan to bolster its map offering especially given Google’s recent acquisition of Waze.

A serial entrepreneur, Echeruo, grew up in Eastern Nigeria and attended Kings College, Lagos.

He attended Syracuse University and the Harvard Business School in the United States and founded HopStop.com after working for several years in the Mergers and Acquisitions and Leveraged Finance groups of J.P Morgan Chase where he was involved in a broad range of M&A, financing and private equity transactions.

He also worked at AM Investment Partners, a $500 million volatility-driven convertible bond arbitrage hedge fund.

POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE THINKING

Written by Funmi Ajumobi - Vanguard, Nigeria.

Some time ago, there was a trader named Sripad. He amassed a huge wealth through hard work. He had everything in his house. One day, he set out on business journey. When he was passing through a forest, he felt tired and wanted to take rest for some time. He sat under a tree to relax.

While relaxing, he felt thirsty and desired for a glass of water. He said, ‘How I wish I had some water with which I could quench my thirst right now!’ There was a miracle. No sooner did he wish for water than a pitcher appeared before him. He quenched his thirst and felt relieved.

After some time, he felt hungry and wished for food. He said to himself, ‘If a plate of tasty food be available to me now, I would be really lucky.’ As soon as he thought of it, there appeared a plate of tasty food before him. He ate to his satisfaction. Too much of food made him drowsy and he murmured, ‘How can I sleep on this rough surface?

Why shouldn’t there be a soft bed for me?’ As he uttered these words, a colourful and comfortable bed of velvet appeared before him immediately. Sripad slept on the bed. He felt as if he was in heaven as all his desires were being fulfilled immediately. He was quite unaware that he was sleeping under a tree which could fulfil any desire.

It was not an ordinary tree but a tree thought to have powers to fulfil any desire. Sripad enjoyed a good sleep on the velvet bed. After he awoke, he began to think, ‘I am all alone in the forest which is full of wild animals like lions, tigers and wolves who may come at any moment and can kill me. I would not be able to protect myself.’

As he thought so, a ferocious tiger appeared there and attacked Sripad. Poor Sripad was so scared that he could not even run. Thus, he was killed because of his negative thinking. LESSON: It is said that a man is always led by his thought. If you think positive, it will lead to positive results. If it is negative thoughts, you will get negative result too. So, be positive in your thinking that you are a success and you will.

Nurture your relationship, avoid mental illness

Written by Adeoye Oyewole - Nigeria

Adeoye Oyewole

Saint Valentine's Day, also known as Valentine's Day or the feast of Saint Valentine is a holiday observed on February 14 each year. It is celebrated in many countries around the world, although it is not a holiday in most of them.

Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one the earliest Christian saints named Valentinus. Several martyrdom stories were later invented for the various Valentines that belonged to February 14 and added to later martyrologies.

A popular account of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for performing wedding for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians who were persecuted under the Roman Empire.

According to legend, during his imprisonment, he helped the daughter of his jailer, Asterius, whom he wrote a letter signed "Your Valentine" as farewell. The day was later associated with romantic love in the high middle ages when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

In the 18th Century England, it evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, confectioneries and sending greeting cards. In Europe, Saint Valentine's keys are given to lovers "as a romantic symbol of a tool to unlock the giver's heart."

The modern day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves and the figure of the winged cupid. The day is observed all over the world and has the same overall message of love. The celebration of Valentine cuts across age, race and social class, with embellishments peculiar to the particular group.

ARE THE MEN STILL CLAPPING?

11 people were hanging on a rope under a helicopter. There were 10 men and a woman. The rope was not strong enough to carry them all. So they decided that one of them had to leave, otherwise they were all going to fall. They were not able to agree on who that person would be. Until the woman among them gave a touching speech. She said that she would voluntarily let go of the rope because as a woman, she was used to giving up everything for her husband and kids or for men in general. She said she was used to always making sacrifices and getting little or nothing in return. As soon as she finished her speech, all the men started clapping...

All the men, of course, dropped to their untimely deaths and she flew away alone in the chopper. Well, what can a woman do?

That is the power of a woman, the brand only smart men recognize and acknowledge. If there had been at least one of those 10 excitable men who could see beyond that woman's 'moving' speech, he would be alive today. But don't we all know that men don't do much thinking when they see women they want?

In my mind's eyes, I could see the woman in that joke wearing a very short skirt, no bra and a top with a plunging neckline. How do you reason with a man drooling over ample cleavage? If you scream 'Praise the Lord', he won't shout Halleluyah because he is far away in la-la land. The woman in that joke, I'm sure, also had smooth skin, probably fair skin. All 10 men simply threw their thinking caps in the air or how else do you explain why they all forgot that they did not have third hands and that once they started clapping they were going to drop to their deaths?

How to make it BIG in Nigeria

As a writer and a student of business literature, any time I come across a Nigerian entrepreneur sharing his thoughts and life experiences in the form of a book which others can read and be inspired by, I feel so fulfilled. The real heroes of Nigeria, to me, are not our politicians who make their easy money running into millions and billions bleeding our coffers. The real heroes of Nigeria are people like Aliko Dangote, Mike Adenuga, Cletus Ibeto and every entrepreneur, big or small-people who started from nothing to create a business which grows from small to mighty. People who waded though all kinds of obstacles but never gave up until they scored their goals. People who create businesses that employ many in this country of ours bedeviled by the big, ravaging monster, the time bomb called unemployment.

Poly I. Emenike, chairman and founder of Neros Pharmaceuticals, an entrepreneur par excellence whose book,ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRITS: Through the Seventeen Success Principles of Napoleon Hill is to be presented at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) on Wednesday is a Nigerian hero whose story is the type that movies are made of. He belongs to the generation of Igbo who came out of the Nigerian Civil War with nothing-no education, no money, no connections, no strong foundation upon which to build their future success. But still, they made it, guided by the hand of God who blesses those who use their brains to create wealth.

After the civil war, Emenike came to Lagos trading in bathroom slippers. He bought his goods from one Alhaji Kadiri who was Emenike's hero and role model on the grounds that he owned a Volvo car. When he suddenly bought two brand new ones, Emenike was filled with awe and admiration. He started praying, dreaming and hoping that one day, he too would work hard and own a Volvo like Alhaji Kadiri. But as he examined and frankly assessed his life and the way he was going, he knew that merely selling bathroom slippers would not take him anywhere in life, let alone buy a brand new Volvo. He knew he had to drastically change his line of business and move into something more lucrative, if he wanted to go far in life.

Women doing the uncommon: Amazing world of Female barbers, bus drivers, others

Culled from Saturday Punch - Nigeria

In a very competitive environment where opportunities are few, some women are taking the bull by the horn, carving a niche for themselves in male-dominated vocations writes Eric Dumo

Female-mechanics-at-work

There are many things that make her thick. Apart from standing at a staggering 6feet and having a plum built, Gladys Famous is a giant in many ways. Venturing into a vocation largely the preserve of men, the Edo State-born young woman has been able to make a name for herself in her Ijede, Ikorodu neighborhood by dishing out amazing hair cuts to dozens of customers. The first female barber in the entire community, Famous enjoys a large following. In 2012, she emerged among the best 10 barbers in the whole of Lagos at the annual State competition organized by a popular clipper manufacturer. Today, having toiled so hard to own a well-equipped salon, she is giving male colleagues in the business a run for their game.

"I have been in this job for about four years and I'm enjoying every bit of it,"  she said, "I never really planned to be a barber but after looking for a job without success, I decided to make a meaning out of my life.

"There was a day I had a dream where I saw a woman on knickers cutting a man's hair. Even though I was amazed by that dream, I didn't think it could be telling me something because my plans were completely different from what I am doing today.

"Along the line, a friend who was searching for a job for me asked me one day what other thing I would love to do apart from working in an office and the only thing I told him was that I wanted to be a barber. He asked if I was serious about it and I said yes. So he took me to a guy named Shina to train me and later paid the registration fee of N20, 000 for me. The man didn't even believe that I would take the training serious. Many times he would drive by just to see if I was there and to his surprise, he would find me there. That was how I started this journey."

Female LAWMA truck driver at work

But it wasn't a smooth sail for Famous climbing the ladder of success. There were several obstacles along the way - some enough to extinguish her fire. Apart from the envy and criticisms from male colleagues she came up against, sexual harassment from naughty customers was another challenge that almost forced her out of the profession. Only the resolve to succeed in this male-dominated path, she explained, kept her going.

"My boss who trained me on this job really treated me well because I was attracting customers to his salon. As a result of my presence in that salon, people trooped in droves even though many of them never really required a haircut. They just wanted to see me at work because it was a bit strange to them that a female could be barbing. For this reason, my boss liked and pampered me.