Powered by
China Acheru OFFICIAL
  • Home
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
  • People & Culture
  • The Ikwerre Man
  • About
  • Contact
  • Videos
  • SoundCloud
  • Blog
  • NaijaFootball247.com
T. +234 (0) 80 98616325    E. china@acheru.com

Diary of a junkie: How I became a drug user

29/7/2016

8 Comments

 
​
Picture
By Garnet
 
When I was a kid, I thought growing up would mean finally avoiding vulnerability. I actually thought that.
 
Little did I know that adulthood was vulnerability in itself.
 
I had an adventurous childhood. I spent the better part of growing up moving from grandma's house to a rented apartment, and back to gram's house after a few years.
 
It happened a lot it became more like a routine. I and my siblings got used to the drill.
 
I was always at granny's place, I didn't want to be anywhere else.
 
While growing up at granny's place was fun, it was more like 'all man for yourself'. I had to learn how to be very independent, and how to shoulder responsibility.
 
Our house has an odd setting. The kind you'll find in an old time Rivers State as there were rooms for everybody.
 
My grandfather had two wives, and they both had rooms to go round...for themselves, and their kids.
 
I had a step uncle who was not what you’d want your ideal uncle to be as his apartment was always a den for thieves, drug lords, gamblers and all kinds of people who perpetrated evil vices.
 
Whenever his friends came around, they smoked, they drank, they gambled and they always fought.
 
Back in the day, I wasn't really keen on visiting cinemas, or going out because my house was a movie that always had multiple scenes 'airing' at once.
 
I used to be everybody's sweetheart. The child you call at any hour of the day, & be rest assured that she would answer.
Whenever my uncle and his friend rounded up their first round, my name was the first one called to go clean the room, and tidy up the mess.
 
As kids, you'd agree with me that the zeal to try out virtually everything was at its peak.
 
I started cleaning my uncle's room when I was 14yrs old. I always beckoned on my cousin to help me out. When we're done cleaning, we take the ash tray to the back of the house and finish the leftovers of whatever it is they were smoking and drinking.
 
The very first time I was called upon to clean my uncle's room, I was super excited, and I have no idea why.
 
There was no prior thought before that day about smoking, but here I was with tiny bits and pieces. Your guess is as good as mine. The urge to try out something new was one I wasn't about to say no to.
 
I had no idea how to smoke marijuana, I had no idea what it felt like or what it was going to do to me. I just wanted to smoke it, and I did.
 
Sue me, but I didn't have the luxury of growing up with both parents or having a mom that was always present.
 
Mind you, my mom did an awesome job grooming my siblings and me, but I guess the urge to try out virtually everything out there was stronger than the morals my mom instilled in me.
 
Well, I graduated from smoking leftovers of cigarettes and weed to using weed to cook.
 
My uncle would give me tiny wraps of weed to cook for him, and then he'll make me eat the food with him. I was fourteen years old at the time.
 
I didn't tell my mom for a lot of reasons. First, I wanted to save her the disappointment.
 
Then I wanted to save her from heaping coals of regret and guilt on herself, because, believe it or not, being a single parent is not a roller coaster ride.
 
I continued smoking leftovers of weed.

Life is very funny. When you think you have it all together, something or someone somewhere comes and throws you down this tall cliff with no support whatsoever.
 
You either crash land, or you come up with some sort of survival skill before you hit the ground.
 
I had the key to change my destiny in my own palms, but I chose to keep it locked somewhere and live the life I thought was best for me.
It is believed that our past has a role to play in who we turn out to be in future.
 
While that may be true, it is somewhat reassuring to know that whatever happens in the world, the tide goes away...and it still comes back in.
 
My journey to being a junkie started with this. And for the next couple of years, that was the life I lived.
 
To be continued….


8 Comments

Dear women, this is what your man really wants

28/7/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
By TNB Digest
 
Most times people argue that women do not know what they want and the argument, no matter how you try will never be in the woman’s favor. After all, everyone believes the woman is erratic, emotional, delusional and is totally incapable of making logical decisions. But let’s put all that aside for a second and ask ourselves what does a man really want?
 
We spend so much time focusing on how indecisive women are, and how they send out mixed signals, nobody ever looks at the men who do the same. Today, we’re taken that necessary step back and highlighting what men want for once.
 
Men want;
An independent woman
 
No man wants a liability. Men want someone who can hold her own financially and emotionally. It might be cute when you start dating and you’re being needy about everything, but at some point he needs to know you can support yourself when you need to.
 
A mother figure
 
Yup, you read that right. Men want their very own personal reminder, who keeps them on their toes. Ever heard of the saying “a man marries his mother”? This attests to that. Men need someone who would treat and care for them like their mother did.
 
Praises and approval
 
Yes, ladies!! Flattery will get you everywhere here. Men love someone who will flatter them and approve of their efforts. Nagging won’t get you anywhere. Love your man, praise him for his efforts and approve of the positive things that he has done. Be a personal cheerleader, basically!
 
Respect and Trust
 
Men cannot part with their egos, so respect is very essential. Trust them, they cannot deal with women who do not trust their every move.
 
Dependent
 
As much as men want an independent woman, they also want someone who needs them. It seems contradictory, but it isn’t always. Men simply want a lady who is dependent on them for certain things. Things like fixing the bulb, servicing the car, doing handwork around the house and other things. Men don’t want to be emasculated, so they have to feel like you need them for something.
 
Support
 
Every now and then, your man needs to be aware that if things go sideways, you would be able to provide support when necessary. Support his dreams and ambitions, and be there for him when he needs you.
 
Communication
 
They say communication is key in every relationship. For some men it comes in three forms; Communication when necessary, communication when they think it’s necessary and frequent communication, Choose your poison.
 
Space
 
Occasional time out with the boys should not be frowned upon. If your man has spent a considerable amount of time with you, do not complain when he decides tomorrow will be spent with the boys. Just like every individual, men too, need their private time to reflect and strategize.
 
Connection
 
Physical and emotional connection are absolutely necessary in relationships. You need to be connected on every level, so that you understand each other to a good extent. If there is no connection, the passion will eventually fizzle out and you’ll be left with nothing.
 
Culled from www.thenigerianblogger.com
 


2 Comments

27 Things You Must Do Before the Age of 50

27/7/2016

2 Comments

 
Picture
By TNB Digest

I write this article today, because i know am going closer to this age, with every passing day, and i realize that there are actually, several things people needs to do, before they reach the age of fifty!
 
It’s no secret that this life we live in, is short and we have never too much time for delighting the hearts of those who are travelling the dark journey with us. Oh be swift to love, please ensure that you make haste to be kind. Henri Frederic Amiel
 
Truly, this life we’re living in, is like a puzzle and until the whole puzzle is fixed together, you cannot get the true picture. Everyone lives once only.
 
Although it can’t be denied that we all have plenty of dreams and goals, it usually ends up with nothing done. And a number of us end up just fulfilling what others really want from life, but truly, we don’t fulfill what we actually want.
 
The age of 50, is normally called the “golden age” and it is a critical age that we’re only left with half of the time, if we’re fortunate enough to live up to the old ripe age of 100.
 
So, if you want to look back at your life and say you enjoy it, why not start now and do things that will surely make you more happy or happier? Below, i will be listing out, the top 27 things you should do, before turning age 50.
 
27 inspiring things that worth a try before you turn 50
 
1. Make something from scratch. It feels amazing to create something beautiful by yourself.
 
2. Find a phrase or quote that moves you and make it your personal mantra, whenever you’re down or weak. Just say it to yourself every day whenever you feel stressed or nervous.
 
3. Conquer a fear that you have struggled with for a long time. Fear only holds you back from actually doing something that is meant to take you to a greater level in life.
 
4. Treat yourself to something you really want, like a pair of expensive shoes. It is okay once in a while – you deserve to own something that makes you feel happy!
 
5. Send your parents flowers and tell them that you love them.
 
6. Write a letter to your partner or child to tell them how much you love and care for them. Everyone deserves to feel loved sometimes, and they will keep the letter for years to come.
 
7.  Visit all of your country’s historical landmarks. It will help you to learn more about your country, and you will be inspired by the beautiful things you see.
 
8. Apply for your dream job. You never know what will happen!
 
9. Go without technology for a week. You will enjoy a very peaceful and tranquil week.
 
10. Do something that you may regret later. Sometimes the best things happen when we decide to take a risk.
 
11. Spend a night camping under the stars.
 
12. Live somewhere that is totally different to your home town. This will broaden your horizons and help you to understand alternative perspectives.
 
13. Quit a bad habit, e.g. eating too much at a time.
 
14. Email your hero to let them know how much they mean to you. Even if they never read it, you will feel better for writing it.
 
15. Make a fool of yourself without feeling embarrassed.
 
16. Go for a picnic on your own. You’ll learn to enjoy yourself.
 
17. Read jokes and laugh until your ribs hurt.
 
18. Learn something you’ve never imagined before.
 
19. Forgive yourself, for what you’ve regretted doing.
 
20. Forgive someone from your past. Holding on to bitterness is like buying poison and taking it yourself, so forgive them – even if it is only for your benefit.
 
21. Cut out any toxic friends you have. They will never change, and you don’t need that negativity.
 
22. Go on holiday with your best friends. Even if it is just one night away in the country it will be memorable, hilarious and fun.
 
23. Travel by yourself. You can spend the day doing exactly what you want, and you will fall in love with being alone all over again.
 
24. Forgive your parents for any mistakes they made while raising you. No-one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes.
 
25. Read the books that everyone is always talking about.
 
26. Go out for a meal by yourself. Wear an outfit you love, order your favorite meal and leave whenever you are ready – bliss.
 
27. Volunteer for a good cause that is close to your heart.
 
I sincerely hope this article will make you more happier, but i will also love to add three exceptional things, that you should do before turning 50!
 
Please and please, endeavor to watch your favorite movie once again. See that actor that makes you smile. This might look childish to several persons, but take out time and just watch the sunset. It may be a cliché, but it really is beautiful and awe-inspiring.
 
Finally, i’ll advice you to start learning a foreign language. This will surely make traveling easier, and it will expand your world perspective and your horizon.

Culled from www.thenigerianblogger.com 


2 Comments

What To Do When You Can’t Pay For An Office

22/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
BY: DAWN WILSON

One of the biggest barriers to starting any business according to several surveys of entrepreneurs is the lack of funding. Most times, over 50% of this fund is for rent – no thanks to the mandatory two years rent prepayment. For what to do when you can’t pay for an office, read on…
 
Some of the biggest brands you know today at some point in their history couldn’t pay for an office. This post might look pedestrian because being an entrepreneur means a life of solving problems and this is one of the problems – right? Well, even geniuses need help sometimes.
 
What To Do When You Can’t Pay For An Office
 
If you ever find yourself in a position where you can’t afford rent to start something, what are some of the options available to you? The answer is not so straight depending on what business you’re starting. However, if you’re into services or your business involve field works with minimal chance of your clients visiting your office, then, here’s what to do when you can’t pay for an office.
 
Work From Your House
 
Well, we assume you live in a house no matter how uncomfortable it may be. You can start and work from your house. A lot of the big name companies you know in Nigeria, started from the owners’ living room. You too can start from your one room apartment.
 
Get A Contact Address
 
In addition to working from your house, get a good contact address (especially if your house is located in an obscure and not easily accessible part of town.) Remember that these pieces of advice are not for everybody and any type of business? Having a good contact address will ensure that you don’t miss a mail from the mailman.
 
Get A Website
 
These days, getting a website and making sure it’s updated isn’t an option, it’s mandatory for any serious entrepreneur. It’s not just what you do when you can’t pay for an office, it’s what you do even if you have twenty offices.
 
The Nielsen Global Connected Commerce Survey conducted interviews in 26 countries to observe how consumers are using the Internet to make shopping decisions in stores and online. They reported that due to the internet and e-commerce, shoppers are increasingly looking to purchase internationally, with over 50% in the study who purchased online in the last six months stating they bought from an overseas retailer.
 
Ensure that your website is detailed and your phone number and contact email address are conspicuous – not hidden in one obscure corner of the site.
 
These days, all you need is a mobile device and your head – Dr. Austin Tam-George, Rivers State Honorable Commissioner for Information speaking at the recently concluded Market Access in Port Harcourt.
 
Share Space With Someone
 
Locate a friend that has an office space with space to spare. Otherwise, you can apply to any of the Co-working spaces springing up across Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. Co-working spaces allow you to pay for desk space in an office and share the resources. Some good ones offer internet as part of the package. If you live in Lagos, check out Capital Square and Cranium One.
 
Have something to add to – what to do when you can’t pay for an office? Use the comment box below
 
Culled from www.biztorials.com


0 Comments

The Single Most Powerful Advantage Of Being Married And 6 Tips On How To Use It

22/7/2016

1 Comment

 
Picture
By TNB Digest
 
Now let’s get this power working in our marriages. Merriam-Webster defines agreement as harmony of opinion, action, or character. The word harmony indicates that your opinions, actions and character don’t have to be exactly the same.
 
After all, you are two unique individuals. What it means is that your opinions, actions, and character support the mission of your marriage. By choice, these areas of your life come into agreement.
 
How do you enact this power:
 
1. When it comes to marriage move away from self-centered thoughts and towards thoughts that strongly support the both of you. It’s the “same team” approach.
 
2. Enter conversations listening for what you agree with rather than what you don’t. Come off the defensive and open your heart to your mate’s ideas.
 
3. Recognize you can have differing opinions and still agree on the best way to do something for the family. Lay down “your way” and pick up “our way”.
 
4. Stand together on what you are agreeing on. Don’t get off of your goal. Use patience with each other and over the situation.
 
5. Speak out and declare the plans, goals, and purposes you have agreed on in your marriage.
Get excited over the small victories.
 
6. The power of agreement works in your marriage in every area from raising children to financial planning. There are no limits to what the two of you can accomplish together.
 
Remember, part of the reason you got married was so that you don’t have to go through life alone. Now you have someone there by your side, get together with that person and watch the power of agreement work in your favor
 
Culled from www.thenigerianblogger.com


1 Comment

There’s Actually A Historic Reason Ancient Statues Have Teeny Tiny Penises

12/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
Karen Fratti @karenfratti
 
Admit it: everyone has wandered around a museum or Italy or something and wondered why ancient statues have such tiny penises.
 
They are so itty bitty, and even if they’re flaccid, they’re still really small.
 
According to New York Magazine’s The Cut, there’s a super simple answer for all of this.
 
Just like the standard of beauty for women is different now than it was centuries ago, the same goes for ancient men’s junk. In Greek and Roman times, large penises were seen as a sign of foolishness and debauchery, while men with small penises were thought to be wiser and more rational and all of that.
 
In fact, there are lots of ancient statues with enormous cocks, but they’re all depictions of satyrs and “lustful” characters. This makes so much sense, because if Michelangelo’s “David” is supposed to be the ideal man, he needs a few more inches.
 
But if he’s supposed to be cool and rational and everything, it totally works to shave a few off. There are also lots of other theories (probably from art history professors with small penises) that the rooms the models were standing in were cold, or that many of the statues are uncircumcised and the penis is more withdrawn into the body.
 
But I like the idea that the smaller the weiner, the smarter the man.
 
I’m just running through my personal tally of men’s junk and their personalities, and it’s a semi-amusing practice. Of course, though, beauty standards are made up by assholes most of the time. It’s entirely probable that a few Greek philosophers had small penises and turned it into, like, a thing. The Greek poet and playwright Aristophanes writes in Clouds:
 
“If you do these things I tell you, and bend your efforts to them, you will always have a shining breast, a bright skin, big shoulders, a minute tongue, a big rump and a small prick.
 
But if you follow the practices of today, for a start you’ll have a pale skin, small shoulders, a skinny chest, a big tongue, a small rump, a big prick and a long-winded decree.”
 
What it really shows is that men have always been ridiculously obsessed with the length and girth of their penises.
 
It’s almost silly, because bigger is not always better. In fact, having a huge cock can also be a pain in the ass (or sometimes everywhere) for women.
 
The average penis is smaller than most of the ones we see in porn, clocking in at around five inches, erect, and about three inches flaccid. In that sense, some of those ancient statues have just a little smaller than normal penises.
 
So maybe it’s better not to laugh at David’s small dick.
 
Just like women want to be free of body and beauty standards, I think all sex-positive women should start being a little more open about their penis preferences.
 
If you like big penises all the time, good for you. I’d much rather a solid average any day (just not Greek statue teeny).

Culled from www.thefrisky.com


0 Comments

Reminscence 

12/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Lisetta Woluchem
 
Life is a journey. A journey that's filled with lots of stories, experiences, and bittersweet memories.
 
It's usually said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step. As much as I believe that to be true, I also want to believe that a lot of determination, belief, focus and commitment is put into that one step before anything meaningful can be achieved.
 
I'm not very old. In fact I am not old at all, but I was born at a time when some parts of the world was still in the process of becoming easy and less...burdensome. People call it civilization.
 
If books and history are anything to go by, it's said that there was a time when there were no phones, no cars, no computers, no TV's, no internet, no good medical facilities, no 'life-made-easy', or anything meaningful whatsoever.
 
There was a time when people had to walk for miles to get to somewhere, when animals were used as a means of transport, when smoke was used as a means of communication, when it took days to get a very important message across to a loved one, the list goes on. But, while living may not have been easy, people were happy, content, and they made do with what they had.
 
Interesting thing is even when things were still...taking shape, most people lived rather than existed.
 
My childhood isn't that long ago, but I remember a lot of things that were, but aren't anymore.
 
The part of the world I come from used to be happier, safer, and easier to live in.
As a child, if felt like there was nothing special and too serious about life. It felt like there was nothing that couldn't be achieved. People weren't too uptight, serious, and cautious about everything.
 
People went about their daily lives without having to look over their shoulders to ensure their safety.
I remember some nights we slept with the doors open, without fear of the unknown. Parents were at ease even with their kids miles apart from them.
 
It was easier to believe that children would grow up following the positive habits they've been taught. Even times, seasons, and weather made sense.
 
I miss those days I longed for the day to run its course and allow the night to adorn us with its glow (the moon) just so myself, my siblings and cousins could sit round grandma for endless tales of virtually everything.
 
I miss those days when you hear the sound and shrieks of joy coming from kids playing around.
 
I miss those days coins were still recognized as a means of exchange.
 
I miss those days the world wasn't so tensed up and fearful.
 
I miss those days our culture and tradition actually meant something.
 
I miss those days when youngsters had respect for their elders.
 
I miss those days when kids thought they could conquer the world.
 
I miss times when different seasons were longed for.
 
I miss those days people didn't lose sight of what had to be done.
 
I miss those days people actually treated others as they wanted to be treated.
 
I miss those days when being our brothers' keeper was what everyone longed for.
 
I miss those days when a cry for help brought tons of people to the scene of distress.
 
I've not been around long enough, but I can tell the difference between now and 20 years ago, and I miss those days when the world felt safer, more peaceful, and sane.
 
Reminiscing is a two way street. It comes with memories that leave scars, tears of joy tears of pain, and smiles that stretch from ear to ear. But while taking that cruise into your past, it's always best to remember that one thing about today is that tomorrow, it becomes yesterday.
 
 
Lisetta Woluchem is very active on twitter and you can follow her on @LisettaWoluchem
 
 


0 Comments

15 Things You Don’t Owe ANYONE (Even Though You May Think You Do)

11/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Scott

Consider this a public service announcement.
 
I know how much social pressure there is to conduct yourself a certain way. Some people feel they know what’s best for you and the whole world. But remember that you don’t owe anyone anything, especially these things.
 
1. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your living situation.
 
It doesn’t matter what kind of living situation you’re in, whether you have housemates, live alone, live unmarried with a partner, or live with your ex still. You don’t need to explain to anyone why you live the way that you do.
 
2. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your life priorities.
 
Want to open a business? Become a pastor at your church? Sell all your belongings and backpack through India? Go for it! And remember, you don’t have to explain your priorities to anyone. They’re yours and you don’t have to try to impress people with them.
 
3. You don’t owe anyone an apology if you aren’t sorry.
 
If you’ve done something that someone else doesn’t like but that you don’t regret, you don’t owe them an apology. An apology is to try to rectify a mistake and the impact it’s had on others.
 
4. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for requiring alone time.
 
If you need alone time, you’re not being rude, introverted or unfriendly. You just need time alone. You don’t have to explain your need for that. Just enjoy that precious time alone.
 
5. You don’t owe anyone your agreement on their personal beliefs.
 
When people share their personal beliefs with you, it’s often a sign of trust that should be cherished. It’s a window into their souls and the way they think. But just because someone has shared their personal beliefs with you doesn’t mean you have to nod in agreement.
 
6. You don’t owe anyone a yes to everything they say.
 
I know it can be hard to say no to the hard ask, but just know that you don’t have to say yes to everything everyone asks of you. Know your limits and what you’re willing to do for others.
 
7. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your physical appearance.
 
If you’ve lost weight, gained weight, changed your hair, grown a beard, or done anything with your physical appearance, you don’t owe anyone an explanation for it. You’re just doing you. They can deal with pink hair.
 
8. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your food preferences.
 
We all like different types of food. If someone tries to judge you over it, don’t engage. You don’t have to explain what kind of food you like to eat. You just eat what you want to.
 
9. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your s*x life.
 
Whether your s*x life doesn’t exist or does with another consenting adult, it’s no one’s business but your own. People will try to judge you for who you sleep with or what your se*uality is, but what they think generally doesn’t matter.
 
10. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your career or personal life choices.
 
When it comes to the direction you’re going in life, you don’t owe anyone an explanation for your career or the direction you’ve opted to go. Just go for it! The people who truly care for you will back you up.
 
11. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your religious or political views.
 
Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, Catholic, Protestant or Muslim, it’s your choice. If someone wants to have a fun, candid discussion with you and you also want that, have at it. A good debate or exchange of ideas is a lot of fun.
 
12. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for being single.
 
It doesn’t matter if you’re single by design or by accident — you’re single! Chances are, you’re pretty happy with it, too. You might get pressured to go find a partner and get married, but you march to the beat of your own drum.
 
13. You don’t owe anyone a date just because they asked.
 
This is such an important thing to remember. You don’t have to say yes just because someone asked you to go out with them.
 
14. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your decision about marriage.
 
Want to get married at 18? Don’t ever want to get married? As long as you’re an adult making decisions of your own accord, your decision about marriage is yours alone.
 
15. You don’t owe anyone an explanation for your relationship choices.
 
Did you forgive a cheater? Did you get back together with your ex? Did you say no to a marriage proposal? These decisions were made by you for your own set of reasons, and you don’t owe anyone an explanation for that.
 
This article was originally published at Higher Perspectives but culled from www.thenigerianblogger.com


0 Comments

First Hand Account of an Encounter with VIO Officials in Port Harcourt

2/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture

On Wednesday, TouchPH published an article “Difficult times for Motorists in Port Harcourt, as FRSC and RIRS Begin Clamp Down of Offenders.” touchph.com/diffficult-times-motorists-port-harcourt-frsc-rirs-begin-clamp-offenders/The article intended to inform the public on the Road Safety and Traffic regulations that were being enforced in Port Harcourt. The article also meant to share the account of those who have encountered FRSC, RIRS or VIO Officials.
 
To further the later purpose, here is an account of the experience a TouchPH follower shared with us after reading the article.
 
“I have been in the hands of those ‘robbers’ posing as FRSC, NPF and VIO officials. Those guys make laws on the spot and force it down your throat.

​If you are driving a jeep, they immediately have a ‘hard on’ for you because they know you would ‘settle’ since you don’t want the embarrassment.

All my particulars, tyres [mine are 2012], extinguisher, were OK. After checking my spare tyre which was properly inflated, the man said my spare tyre has expired [The tire is 2012]. I told him that is not possible, tyres are supposed to be used for 4 years and this is still 2016. He started shouting, asking if I wanted to teach him his job. Hearing this, his colleagues came to back him up. Before I knew it, a fine of N25,000 was imposed on me out of the blues.
 
While all this was going on, another jeep that had the proper tint permit was being charged N40,000. According to the official, [quoting him verbatim] “the permit is fake” that he should “go to the police station to obtain the real one”.
 
Now, ‘the real one’ he was referring to is the one the police have not issued yet! I know because I applied since April and they haven’t sent me an email or SMS to come and capture. I went to the police headquarters at Moscow road last month to check the status of my tinted glass permit application and they told me I will be contacted. So what were the VIO Officials talking about?
 
Suffice it to say, they took me to VIO office at Marine Base where I was made to part with the aforementioned sum of money. Now, is this the way to collect revenue? Please you guys should paint the picture exactly as it is. If you drive in Port Harcourt and you come across those ‘thieves’ on the road, I bet you, they will leave a bad taste in your mouth too.”
 
Culled from www.touchph.com 

0 Comments

Three ways to earn interest on your personal account 

1/7/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
By Scott
 
Jumoke Alabi has three different accounts with a bank. She has a current, savings and a special account, which is one of the innovations from the bank.
 
Her bank deducts regular charges on her current account but does not pay any interest on it. She gets some returns on her savings account with little charges.
 
Alabi earns higher interest on the special account but her bank deducts charges for transactions on the account. On this special account, the bank has, however, placed some conditions on how she can operate it. She must maintain the minimum account balance and cannot issue a cheque to anyone or transfer money using her debit card. She cannot have a debit card to withdraw money from the Automated Teller Machine but she can use her token to make transactions.
 
Despite having the three accounts, she still does not seem satisfied. She is considering opening a fixed deposit account because she has idle funds that can be kept in the bank for a while and get some interest paid on it.
 
The interest an account owner makes on an account depends on the type of bank account that the fellow has.
 
Again, the best rates are often earned on accounts with restrictions or requirements. Current accounts or accounts that allow the owner to issue cheques do not usually earn the owner any interest.
 
To earn more money, a depositor may have to opt for savings account, fixed account or any other type account for long-term investment bonds.
 
Banks operate different types of savings accounts, which allow the customer to keep money and earn little interest every month. These accounts usually require a little or a minimum balance to open. A customer could visit his/her bank to make enquiries about the different options available to save money. It should be noted that some banks pay higher interests than others.
 
The following are three best ways for bank account owners to earn high interests on their personal accounts.
 
Opening a fixed deposit account
 
For those who have some idle money that they may not need soon, this might just be an account that they should consider. It is an investment account that allows the owner to save money for a stated period of time and earn a fixed interest at the end of the period.
 
It is not open to other risky investment options such as shares. It encourages savings culture because it will not allow the owner to withdraw the money at will.
 
It also earns a higher interest rate than keeping funds in a savings account. A fixed deposit account ensures that a person definitely gets returns at the maturity date or the stipulated date of agreement with the bank.
 
A depositor can also open different types of fixed accounts with different maturity dates. Comparing the interest rates from different banks will help the depositor to choose the right bank for his fixed deposit.
 
Savings accounts
 
Savings accounts allow the owners to withdraw money at any time either using their savings book, debit card or withdrawal book over the counter.
 
It gives free options to access money than other types of accounts. Different banks have different savings accounts, which attract different interest rates. However, the rates paid on savings accounts are not usually high like fixed deposit account.
 
Special accounts
 
Different banks have introduced different banks accounts to woo customers and discourage them from making regular withdrawals from their accounts.
 
A special account will also encourage bank customers to maintain a stipulated minimum balance in the account.
 
The features of the account include providing a reasonable high interest rate.
 
The special account also provides incentives to make the customer to save towards a specific target. Sometimes, the bank gives the depositor a bonus for maintaining a certain balance, usually within a year. It can also give the depositor access to loan facilities.
 
Other types of accounts, which do not, however, attract interest but can be useful to a person, are the personal current account and foreign account.
 
Foreign account
 
This is usually called a domiciliary account. It allows a person to have a foreign account in his/her own country. It can be funded through cheques, cash payment, lodgement of foreign currency cheques, and online transfers.
 
Customers can also withdraw cash or make foreign transfers. This allows an individual to make foreign transaction or send money to relations and friends abroad.
 
A lot of people usually feel that they do not need this account until the need arises because there are other ways to send money abroad such as Western Union and MoneyGram. But sometimes, it might be necessary for individuals attending seminars or some other programmes abroad to make payment using their personal accounts.
 
This account does not usually earn interest; rather it attracts charges on transactions. Many Nigerian banks offer this kind of service and its opening is fairly easy.
 
Personal current account
 
A current account is probably the easiest account to operate; it enables the depositor to make regular transactions through various means. It allows the depositor to pay in cheques and dividends.
 
Third parties can also withdraw from the account with the authorisation of the owner.
 
The account can be used for standing order to pay regular bills such as utility bills, insurance premium, tax and rent. Unlike other accounts, the current account does not usually earn interest but may attract charges as often as transactions occur on it.


0 Comments

Reuben Abati: The stolen pot of soup and other tales

1/7/2016

0 Comments

 
By Reuben Abati

​“I am depressed, my brother.”
 
“You are always depressed. I am actually used to that. I can’t remember when last you were not choleric, depressed, obsessed, uptight, down-spirited, what’s that your word again, yes, anxious. You better watch it, buddie-bae-bff-bros, stop carrying the world on your back, man. There was Atlas before you. There was Sisyphus. But the world has never stopped moving on.”
 
“I read this story”
 
“What story?”
 
“Pathetic story about how right now in Ilorin, Kwara state, it is risky to leave a pot of soup on fire because it is most likely to be stolen. Armed robbers are now targeting pots of soup.”
 
“Armed robbers? Not burglars?”
 
“I say armed robbers are now so hungry, even a pot of soup cannot be spared. I can give you the web link to the story.”
 
“Give me the gist. The theft of pots of soup is definitely a crime of serious magnitude and should be a matter of urgent national concern. Pots of soup being stolen in Nigeria?.”
 
“Let me read some excerpts from the story to you. “Amidst the stinging hardship occasioned by the present economic recession in the country, the spate of insecurity is rising and taking a tinge of the ridiculous by the day. In Kwara State, cooking a pot of soup is now an invitation to robbers, as cases of eagle-eyed hungry men absconding with cooked food still on the fire is a daily occurrence. The incident is widespread in areas without perimeter fencing and among women who cook or have opted to cook with coal pots. At each of such areas such as Tanke, Basin, Sango, Offa Garage, and Kilanko, the incident occurred according to The Guardian investigations, over five times in just a week…”
 
“An epidemic of vanishing soup pots?”
 
“Nothing can be more dehumanizing. To think that Nigerians can be so hungry and poor, they will begin to carry guns and machetes to steal pots of soup.”
 
“Not cars. Not jewelry. Stomach first.”
 
“My first reaction was to ask whether they even have a Governor in that Kwara State. Whoever the Governor is, he cannot provide opportunities for people in the state to be able to cook a pot of soup?”
 
“I hear the Governor like other Governors cannot pay salaries. The Governors are helpless. ”
 
“But the Governors and their wives are eating from multiple pots of soup”
 
“Yes. Yes. Actually, if you ask me, I would say that the real crime of serious magnitude that we are talking about and that we should worry about is how the Governors and government officials have stolen the people’s pot of soup. The armed robbers who go from house to house to collect pots of soup on fire are actually copying the big men.”
 
“You are now asking me to decode something.”
 
“It is not every pot of soup for example, that gets stolen.  The location is important. The opportunity is important. The content is all-important. And if you read that story you were quoting carefully, the soup snatcher monitors the soup. He waits till all the condiments are in, and he or she steals at the right moment.  It is the story of Nigeria. Sign of the times.”
 
“I don’t want to go that far.  I won’t reduce Nigeria to a pot of soup. But I agree with you that only particular kinds of soup pots get stolen. Good point. Smart point. ”
 
“Particularly if the pot of soup contains goat meat. You know goat meat can smell when combined with Maggi and Tomato. Tomato, these days, is expensive.”
 
“Tomato with goat meat, perfect combination.. Hmmm. Mua. Shuhhhh. Ahhhhh uuuu. I must tell you one secret about tomato today.”
 
“What?”
 
“It clears the prostate. It contains carotene, which is good for the prostate, as an anti-oxidant.”
 
“What has that got to do with soup snatching?”
 
“When you eat better tomato, and your prostate is very clear, I hear that your downstairs will function very well, and you can crack fire much better, upstairs and downstairs.  Combined with goat meat, ha, something else. And you know goat has a strong smell.”
 
“Are we now a country of goat-meat chasers on fire?”
 
“I hear that even among the robbers themselves, who takes what part of the goat meat is a  serious issue. That was how one woman eventually found her pot of soup. A big fight broke out. And as the goat thieves quarreled over the pot of soup, the owner arrived and started screaming, neighbours joined and everybody started screaming and the truth came out. ”
 
“I think this country should just ban tomato and goat meat.”
 
“I have not finished the story. In this particular woman’s case, it was discovered that even her husband was part of the plot to steal the pot of goat meat.”
 
“How?”
 
“The man wanted to play a fast one. He wanted to take the pot of soup to his second wife. Rob Peter,  please Paul.”
 
“What? He should be castrated.”
 
“But can I say something? This thing didn’t just start oh. I think poverty is correctly defined as a disease.  Last year, there was actually an incident in Calabar about a man who was butchered and set ablaze because he robbed a woman of a pot of soup.”
 
“Last year?”
 
“Yes”
 
“We should check and be sure”
 
“Last year, in fact, in August 2015.”
 
“August?”
 
“Yes, August 2015, after everything changed. The fellow and his group attacked a woman’s home and stole her pot of soup.  As they rushed out, the woman raised an alarm, but the man with the pot of soup did not want it to spill, so he couldn’t run as fast as the others, and that was how he eventually got caught and he lost his life. He was butchered and set ablaze.”
 
“And there is a Governor in Cross Rivers State?”
 
“There is but let’s spare the Professor. If you had lived in Calabar or Cross River State, you will know that a pot of soup is a serious source of temptation in that place. I mean, in Calabar, they don’t just put goat meat, they add everything else on top, from periwinkle to snails, fish, and tomato.”
 
“I feel like my sense of being human is right now under grave assault.”
 
“Come to think of it, the destiny of Nigeria is about the pot of soup and its politics.”
 
“Pot of soup? Well, may be. You know, I heard a story recently, about one of these face-me-I-face-you houses in Lagos where a pot of soup just as we have been saying disappeared from the general kitchen. The woman left the kitchen to attend to her suckling baby. Five minutes max. By the time she returned, her soup pot had vanished. The landlord had to summon a babalawo, a father of secrets, a dibia, to identify the culprit and the punishment was meant to be open confession or instant death.”
 
“Sign of the times”
 
“Yes oh. But to be fair, there is hunger, poverty and a terrible food crisis across Africa, not just Nigeria. In Malawi, for example, the newly elected President has told his people to stop complaining about hunger. If the people are hungry, they should start eating mice and grasshoppers.
 
“May that never happen in Nigeria.”
 
“Well, if the people can’t eat goat meat and tomato, they will opt for sub-human options. Even kerosene is now too expensive, ordinary people are now buying gas. And charcoal.”
 
“And God you are on the throne”
 
“Please, don’t blaspheme. This is a holy season.”
 
“I know what I am talking about.”
 
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
 
“In Kano, I should tell you this. One man went to buy a bag of rice. He went along with his son.  He left that five-year old son behind, and promised to come back with the money. But he never showed up. He disappeared with the bag of rice”
 
“God. God. God Almighty. What happened?”
 
“When the shop owner waited and waited, he had to ask the boy for the way to his home.  Good enough, the boy is old enough. Eventually the father was traced to his home and he confessed that he was willing to give up the boy to have the bag of rice because he had no money to pay.”
 
“What happened?”
 
“There are still good people in this country. The rice-seller donated the bag of rice and returned the boy to the father.”
 
“God bless him. God bless him. God bless the rice seller. Great message. In this country, the strong must learn to help the weak. That is when we can have a country and a nation.”
 
“Food For Thought, indeed. In the end, it is all about food, feeding the people, rescuing them from a life of danger and criminality or a resort to a menu of mice and grasshoppers, or carrying expensive AK-47 guns to steal pots of soup.”
 
“People are dying”
 
“I know. Nigeria and the tragedy of broken pots.”
 
“Stolen pots. Broken pots. Burnt pots. Oh, Nigeria. Chief Ojo Maduekwe. I hear, slumped at the airport on his arrival from the United States from his son’s graduation, heading towards his wife’s 70th birthday.  Elechi Amadi, famous for the novels, The Concubines, The Great Ponds and his plays, Pepper Soup and The Women of Calabar has also dropped the pot. In Ojota, Lagos, a young hawker, pursued by LASTMA officials ran into the path of a moving trailer and was crushed, his intestines splattered all over the highway and there was pandemonium resulting in more deaths and destruction. ”
 
“Man, you speak in parables and proverbs. Goat meat that caused trouble, deaths, broken pots and stolen pots.”
 
“Those who have ears let them hear. Only God speaks to the people in parables and proverbs.”
 
“I have faith. Nigeria will survive.”
 
“Of course, I see people are beginning to padlock their pots of soup. I have seen pictures of padlocked pots of soup in this country. Even if you steal it, you’d make some effort to break it open. Smart housewives are saying they will never again leave the kitchen until the soup is done and ready to be served.”
 
“Na wa oh, you mean we are now a country of sealed and broken pots.”
 
——–
Culled from www.ynaija.com
 
 
0 Comments

    Authors

    These are guest blogs with authors' names written on individual Blog posts

    Archives

    August 2019
    May 2019
    November 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

USEFUL LINKS

Home
Sports
Entertainment
People & Culture
The Ikwerre Man
About
Contact
Blog
Videos
SoundCloud

LOCATION

    GET IN TOUCH

Submit
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Design by DivTag Templates