Chinamamda Adiche

Empowerment by Chinamamda

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PSYCHOLOGY OF POSITIVE THINKING: TIPS FOR FULFILLED LIFE*

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*PSYCHOLOGY OF POSITIVE THINKING:  TIPS FOR FULFILLED LIFE*

*1. Don't complicate life. We won't be here forever. Once this day is over, it's gone forever. Your time is too valuable to waste on nonsense.*

*2. No matter what knocks you down in life, get up and keep going. NEVER GIVE UP. Great blessings come as a result of great perseverance.*

*3. Talking about our problems is our greatest addiction. Break the habit. Talk about your joys.*

*4. Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who are patient, and the best things come to those who don't give up.*

*5. Do not pray for an easy life; pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.*

*6. Disappointments were not meant to destroy you. They were meant to strengthen you and give you fortitude to accomplish your God-given destiny.*

*7. We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but by appreciating what we do have.*

*8. Your child will follow your example, not your advice.*

*9. One day, you'll be just a memory for some people. Do your best to be a good one.*

*10. Associate yourself with people of good quality. For it is better to be alone than in bad company.*

*11.  Don't fear change. You may lose something good, but you may also gain something great.*

*12.  When you love what you have, you have everything you need.*

*13. The greatest act of faith some days is to simply get up and face another day.*

*14. Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have - GRATITUDE.*

*15. Commitment means staying loyal to what you said you were going to do, long after the mood you said it has left you.*

*16. When you choose to forgive those who have hurt you, you take away their power.*

*17. Patience is not the ability to wait, but how you act while you are waiting.*

*18. Isn't it ironic:*

*- We ignore those who adore us, but adore the ones that ignore us*

*- We love those who hurt us, but hurt the ones that love us.*

*19. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together. Every story has an end, but in life every end is just a new beginning.*

*20. You were born to win. Although to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win.*

*21. Every day is a NEW beginning, take a deep breath and START AGAIN.*

*22. Know that you are loved. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are beautiful. You have purpose. You are a masterpiece.*

*23. Don't compare your progress with that of others. We all need our own time to travel our own distance.*

*24. Surround yourself only with people who are going to lift you higher.*

*25. Bad things happen everyday to everyone. The difference is in how people deal with it.*

*26. When you make a commitment, you build hope. When you keep it, you build trust.*

*27. Two things define you: Your PATIENCE when you have NOTHING, and your ATTITUDE when you have EVERYTHING.*

*28. Being honest may not get you a lot of FRIENDS but it will always get you the RIGHT ONES.*

*29. Working on yourself is the hardest part of life. Keep growing up, no matter where you are.*

*30. Be selective in your battles. Sometimes peace is better than being right.*

*31. Keep people in your life who truly love you, motivate you and make you happy. If you know people who do none of these things, let them go.*

*32. Be happy not because everything is good, but because you can see the good side of everything.*

 *33. OPTIMISM*

*NO ➔ Shortcuts*

*NO ➔ Quick fixes*

*NO ➔ Blaming others*

*NO ➔ I'll do tomorrows*

*NO ➔ EXCUSES!!*

*34. Surround yourself with positive people who will support you when it rains, not just when it shines.*

*35. Being defeated is often a temporary condition; giving up is what makes it permanent.*

*Enjoy this journey we called LIFE.*

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12 Judases Of June 12 Who Betrayed MKO Abiola (HOPE '93)

12 Judases Of June 12 Who Betrayed MKO Abiola (HOPE '93)

The enemies of June 12 were legion. But in celebration of the June 12 epoch, we take a look at those who belonged to the Abiola's camp initially but became turncoats as the battle to reclaim his mandate thickened.

BY SAHARAREPORTERS, NEW YORKJUN 10, 2019
 
"I did not vote for myself. Nigerians voted for me. I have already won the presidential election. You cannot re-sit for an exam you have already passed."

Dare Babarinsa, veteran journalist and author of 'House Of War' that tour de force of a book on the second republic politics in Nigeria reported MKO Abiola to have said in one of his post-June 12 statements before he was arrested and incarcerated. But what prompted the statement? Why that defiant stance?

June 12 remains a watershed in the history of Nigeria. June 12, 1993, was the day Nigerians placed national interest above primordial sentiments. Nigerians conducted themselves in an orderly manner and filed out to choose the person they would like to be at the helm of affairs of the country in a bid to send the soldiers back to their barracks.

The election was a two-horse race in which  Moshood Kashimawo Olawale of the Social Democratic Party(SDP) squared up to Bashir Tofa of the National  Republican Convention (NRC). Abiola's horse coasted home to victory ahead of Tofa's eagle. However, after the horse had breasted the tape the race was cancelled. Ibrahim Babangida the Head of States then ordered a fresh election and that was what prompted the opening statement credited to the late M.K.O Abiola. The late business mogul remained as stubborn as a mule and demanded the validation of his mandate. The rest, as they say, is history.

The enemies of June 12 were legion. But in celebration of the June 12 epoch, we take a look at those who belonged to the Abiola's camp initially but became turncoats as the battle to reclaim his mandate thickened. These are the people, dead or alive, who shouted themselves hoarse while chorusing Hossana in support of Abiola on the eve of June 12 only to abandon him and start shouting crucify him as he wobbled under the cross of June 12 and traipsed through Golgotha to pay the supreme price for democracy.

IBRAHIM BABANGIDA

The "evil genius" was the head of the military government from 1985 to1993. History will remember him as the prime architect of the June 12 debacle. He came up with the two parties, Social Democratic Party(SDP) and the National Republic Convection(NRC). One, a little to the left and the other a little to the right---on these platforms  MKO Abiola and Basiru Tofa respectively contested. The gap-toothed dictator annulled the June 12 election on June 21, 1993, when it was clear that the winner was the late MKO Abiola and ordered a fresh election.

Abiola refused to go to the pools again. Often called Maradona-- after the rotund diminutive football genius from Argentina-- for his political deftness, Babangida would later feint and dribble the nation into a political cul de sac. On August 26, 1993, Babangida announced his exit by saying he would " step aside" thus adding a new word to our ever increasing repertoire of political lexicons.  By that singular action, he ushered in the Interim National Government(ING) headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan.

However, things used to be rosy between the self-avowed evil genius and  Abiola before June 12 drove a wedge into their relationship. In fact, MKO said, in his lifetime, that it was Babangida who first mooted the idea of running for the presidency to him. He raised the idea with him during the burial of his first wife, Simbiat,  in Lagos in 1992. IBB, as he is fondly called, told MKO that he must contest election as the country could not wait to welcome him as their next president.

Abiola would later regret trusting Babangida while in Abacha's gulag by saying: " I believed in a friend. I trusted a friend and he betrayed me. IBB betrayed me." IBB would later describe  June 12 debacle as "unfortunate".

ERNEST SHONEKAN

A British-trained Nigerian Lawyer and an Egba Man like  Abiola. In a  move ostensibly make to placate the aggrieved south-western bloc IBB imposed  Shonekan as head of an illegitimate contraption called Interim National Government. However,the real  reason for installing Shonekan was to upstage his fellow Egba man in a way reminiscent of  how Dr Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi(the Federal Minister of Health), in the wake of the political crisis known as operation Weti e that rocked the Western region, was used as a stop-gap by Tafawa Balewa during his declaration of state of emergency( the first in the history of Nigeria) in  the region ensured Awolowo had  been cooling his feet  in prison before installing S.L Akintola his estranged deputy and  the Hausa-Fulani  minion.

Recounting the events that preceded the imposition of Shonekan as head of  ING, Professor Omo Omoruyi,  the late political adviser to IBB in his expose of a book titled: "The tale  of June 12" (an insider's account of the intrigues that characterised Gen. Babangida's transition), said,: First he ( Shonekan) gave the assurance and undertaking to the outgoing president(Babangida) that under no circumstance would he reopen  the June 12 matter. Second, was that  he would do everything to divide the Yoruba on the matter of June 12."

Coincidentally, Abiola and Ladoke Akintola were holders of traditional title of Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland while alive. Shonekan would later be booted out of power on November 17, 1993, through a bloodless coup by General Sanni Abacha. Abacha was the man that brought June 12 drama to its climax.

BABAGANA KINGIBE

A suave retired diplomat who contested against Abiola in the presidential primary election of the SDP and lost. Abiola was persuaded by his friends and political supporters to pick Kingibe as his vice-presidential candidate because of his political clout in the North and closeness to Major-General  Shehu Musa Yar'Adua who was the deputy Head of State in the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo. Together they sold HOPE 93 to Nigerians.

Unfortunately, as the plot for the actualization of the June 12 mandate thickened, Kingibe changed camp and ensured that Hope 93 was not just deferred but completely dashed. Kingibe served as foreign minister under Sanni Abacha, the same man that arrested and jailed Abiola with whom he ran on the platform of SDP.

Abiola would later regret choosing Kingibe over  Dan Suleiman, a retired air commodore and former military governor from the then middle belt. Abiola referred to Suleiman as a 'complete gentleman'. MKO said he did know that his running mate had " extensive connections and relationship" with the security agencies and the military high command. Kingibe contributed to the abortion of the third republic. He would later be honoured by President Muhammadu Buhari with GCON solely because of being Abiola's running mate. An honour many believe he does not deserve.

TONY ANENIH

In the build-up to the 1993 election when Babagana Kingibe decided to throw his hat into the ring for the presidential primaries in SDP, he stepped down as the Chairman of the party and Anenih took over. He worked for the emergence of Abiola as the winner of the 1993 presidential election. However, the story changed after the annulment.

Annenih was later quoted to have declared that the day the Interim National Government was signed was the happiest day of his life. He even subtly mocked Abiola in his autobiography titled ' My Life And Nigerian Politics'. In the book, Anenih said "Chief MKO Abiola as indicated earlier has said that if you want to go to Kano, going by air or going by road does not make any difference as long as you get there.

“His interpretation of this was that going by air meant Abacha taking over from Shonekan and he, Abiola, being sworn in the next day. Going by road was waiting till March 1994, when Shonekan would use the National Assembly to hand over to him because he actually won the election.

“Unfortunately, for Chief Abiola, there was, in fact, no landing, and Kano as the desired destination proved to be a fantasy".

MKO Abiola regretted doing the bidding of Yar'Adua to ensure the victory of Annenih over Chief Sergeant Awuse. He said Annenih did not consult him before " he negotiated away our victory".  The late Professor Omo Omoruyi corroborated Abiola's claim in his book. He, however, included Alhaji Sule Lamido who was the National Secretary of the SDP as being privy to the signing away of the June 12 mandate.

OLUSEGUN OBASANJO

Sahara Reporters Media
Former Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, like Abiola, is also from Ogun state. In fact, they both(Abiola and Obasanjo) attended Baptist Boys High School. Obasanjo was said to have served as the deputy editor of the school magazine known as the Trumpeter, while Abiola served as editor.

Abiola initially supported Abiola in the struggle to reclaim his mandate. Obasanjo had urged Babangida to relinquish power and stop dawdling on the transition programme. He said, "Annulment or no annulment, Babangida must leave by August 27. He made the promise, he has to keep it." However, Obasanjo would later become a  renegade of the June 12 struggle by saying "Abiola is not the messiah".

Obasanjo would later become the chief beneficiary of the democracy Abiola paid the supreme price for when he was sworn in on May 29, 1999, as the president of  Nigeria. He kept mum on the issue of June 12 throughout his tenure.

OLADIPO DIYA

Like Obasanjo and Abiola, Lieutenant General Oladipo Diya is from Ogun State. He served as second in command to the late dictator, Sani Abacha. Diya had promised that Abacha reign would be brief. Having put his mouth to the nectar of power, Diya started singing a different song. In fact, in the heat of the struggle for the actualization of June 12 Diya became an instant punster; he derided agbako (woe) the coalition of democrats, known as the National Democratic Coalition(NADECO).

He later regretted his action as Abacha, his boss, would later try him for planning to topple his regime.

EBENEZER BABATOPE, OLU ONAGORUWA, LATEEF JAKANDE

Alhaji Lateef Jakande

The duo of Ebenezer Babatope and Lateef Jakande have always been staunch Awoists. They decided to serve in the Abacha cabinet at the behest of Abiola who thought Abacha would redeem his pledge of having civilians as deputy governors. However, they refused to back out of the deal when it became obvious that the game had changed.

Olu Onagoruwa was a firebrand and legal luminary. He used to be Gani Fawehinmi's ally and confidant until he decided to serve under Abacha. He was said to have decided to serve in the Abacha cabinet on the prompting of his fellow Odogbolu townsman, Oladipupo Diya. It is a sad thing that Onagoruwa would be reminded as a 'villain' of June 12 having sacrificed a lot for activism and human rights. His decision to serve in Abacha's Cabinet cost him a lot. And he was eventually sacked by the dictator.

LAMIDI ADEDIBU, ARISEKOLA ALAO

Arisekola Alao
Both were Muslims. In fact, Arisekola held the title of Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland till he died. And like Abiola, he was a businessman. However, both decided to pitch their tent with  Sanni Abacha in the battle for the realization of the June 12 mandate. Arisekola and Adedibu hobnob with military men and other enemies of June 12. Arisekola even defended Babangida on the annulment of June 12 election.

At a press conference, he had said: “Wallahi Tallahi, Billahillazi la’ila ha illahuwa, and we are in the month of Ramadan, that is what happened at that time. It was after the election that members of the Armed Forces Ruling Council threatened to kill both MKO Abiola and IBB if he insisted on releasing the result of the election. They threatened to kill both IBB and Abiola,”

Arisekola would later escape death by a whisker when he followed Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar to the premises of the University of Ibadan for an event. Irate students who felt he contributed immensely to thwart the realization of the  June 12  mandate attacked him and set his car ablaze.

LATEEF SHOFOLAHAN

Lateef Sofolahan
A former personal assistant to the late Kudirat Abiola, wife of  Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola who was assassinated during the struggle of June 12. Call him an enemy within or a fifth columnist and you will not be far from the truth. Shofolahan was prosecuted along with Al-Mustapha, a former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the late Head of State, General Sanni Abacha over the death of Kudirat Abiola. Shofolahan was travelling in the same car with the late Kudirat Abiola when she was shot in the forehead. Her driver too was killed but Shofolahan miraculously escaped unscathed.

In the court, Mohammed Abdul (a.k.a Katako), who gave evidence as a prosecution witness, narrated how late Kudira Abiola’s personal assistant, Alhaji Lateef Shofolahan, gave his boss away to the assailants.  Though they would later be discharged and acquitted, Shofolahan will go down in history as a villain and one of the Judases of June 12.

UCHE CHUKWUMERIJE, TOM IKIMI, WALTER OFONAGORO

The lethal troika, and you may throw Jerry Gana into the mix, worked tirelessly against democracy. Blessed with the gift of the gab, they deployed their awesome talent into the services of the anti-democratic forces holding this country in the jugular.

Chukwumerije who served as information minister in the Babangida regime and Shonekan's ING was a virulent propagandist in the mold of Paul Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Minister of propaganda who kept rationalizing holocaust.

He once called Abiola a generalissimo( referring to his traditional title) that ran away from war. And in a moment of madness even asked General Abacha to sign a Decree outlawing the mention of ‘June 12’ in public places. Chukumerije would also serve as a senator before his death. He benefited from Abiola's sacrifice as well.

These are just 12 of the many Judases that betrayed MKO Abiola, the Hope '93 messiah.

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Future foods

Five future 'super foods' that are good for you and the planet

By Paula McGrathHealth check, BBC World Service

• 19 May 2019

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If you want to stay healthy and help save the planet, how about a dish of algae followed by some cactus and ancient grains?

Once a staple mainly eaten in Bolivia and Peru, quinoa has now become a familiar food across the globe - so what other healthy foods are waiting to be discovered?

A new report lists 50 so-called future foods which are both healthy and good for the environment. So which "super" foods are on the menu of the future?

Moringa

Image captionMoringa: the "miracle" tree that's drought-resistant

The Moringa tree is often referred to as "the miracle tree" - it's fast-growing and drought-resistant and in its native south Asia many parts of the tree are used in Ayurvedic medicine.

The leaves can be harvested up to seven times a year and contain vitamins A and C and minerals like calcium and potassium. They are often added to clear broths.

In the Philippines and Indonesia, it is common to cut the long seed pods - known as "drumsticks" - into shorter lengths to be stewed in curries and soups. These pods also contain seeds which are rich in oleic acid which has been linked to higher levels of "good" cholesterol in the body.

The leaves can be ground into a powder to be used in smoothies, soups, sauces and teas.

Priya Tew, a dietitian and media spokesperson from the British Dietetic Association, knows it well. "A favourite in my family food history, eaten as part of a curry in Sri-Lanka, You scrape the inside out with your teeth and suck the sauce off."

Wakame

Image captionWakame seaweed can be harvested all year round

In Japan Wakame seaweed has been cultivated for centuries by sea farmers for human food - but offerings of it were made to the spirits of ancestors and even taxes were paid in seaweed.

Nowadays it's also grown in sea fields in France, New Zealand and Argentina. It can be harvested all year round - without using fertilisers or pesticides - and dried in the sun.

The dried seaweed adds a delicious, salty umami flavour to food and it's also one of the few plant-based sources of eicosapentaenoic acid - the omega 3 fatty acid which is almost exclusively found in fatty fish that feed on algae.

One of the softest brown seaweeds, Wakame also contains a large amount of fucoidan - a dietary fibre which has also shown potential in animal studies to lower blood pressure, to have anti-blood coagulation properties and even anti-tumour activity.

"Seaweeds can be a great source of iodine and omega 3's, especially for people eating less animal products. Great in a stir-fry, I ate this a lot in Hong Kong," says Priya Tew - but she also warns that "it is important to only eat a small amount each day so you don't get too much iodine, and also due the heavy metal content from the sea."

Nopales cactus

Image captionNopales cactus might help people with Type 2 diabetes

A common ingredient in Mexican cuisine the leaves, fruit and cladodes (flattened shoots rising from the stems of the plant) of Nopales or prickly pear can be eaten raw, cooked, or made into juice or jam.

It's easy to grow in Central and South America, Australia and even Europe.

Some clinical studies suggest that fibre from cacti helps the body to excrete more of the fat we eat - but any weight loss benefits are yet to be proven. Other trials suggested it can reduce blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes - and may even lessen unpleasant hangover symptoms.

Anyone wanting to try the prickly pear cactus might want to consider easing into it - some people experience side effects like mild diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal fullness.

Priya Tew comments: "Some interesting health claims, it is important to note these are unproven currently and there are side effects. I can see this sadly becoming a new health craze."

Fonio

Image captionFonio: could this ancient grain be the new couscous?

This ancient African grain is known for its nutty, delicate taste which the Bambara people of Mali say "never embarrasses the cook" because it's so easy to prepare.

Dating back more than 5,000 years, there's evidence it was cultivated in ancient Egypt. There are black and white varieties of the drought-resistant cereal which grows in just 60 or 70 days in the dry Sahel region of west Africa.

Fonio's grains are as tiny as sand - and the inedible husk needs to be removed before it's eaten. Most of this is carried out by hand, but a new mill in Senegal could see the gluten-free grain exported all around the world when it is finished next year.

Rich in iron, zinc and magnesium, fonio can be used in place of couscous or rice or even used to make beer.

Priya Tew is keen: "A great sounding grain that I would love to try. I think this will be popular as it is gluten free and the fact it is drought-resistant makes it a good option for a future food with global warming. "

Bambara

Image captionBambara is a great source of protein

It's a legume that tastes like a less oily, sweeter version of a peanut. The Bambara bean has caught the eye of sustainable food experts because it can grow in poor soil, making it more fertile by "fixing" nitrogen in the earth.

The traditional African legume is also grown in southern Thailand and parts of Malaysia and can be boiled, roasted, fried or milled into a fine flour.

In east Africa the beans are pureed to create a base for soups. It's known as a "complete food", as it's high in protein and a source of the essential amino acid methionine - which promotes the growth of new blood vessels and the absorption of zinc, which is needed for the body's immune system, and selenium, which helps regulate thyroid function and also plays a role in the immune system.

"This sounds like a food that could be great for people on a vegetarian, vegan or plant-based diet due to it being a complete protein source and being a sustainable crop," says Tew. "With the current issues we have facing the future of our food we need more easy to grow foods that are versatile like this. "

Illustrations by food illustrator Stacy Michelson

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Find out more

Globally we rely on a small range of foods - this negatively impacts our health and the health of the planet. Just three grains (rice, maize, wheat) make up nearly 60% of calories from plants in the entire human diet. While people may be getting sufficient calories, these narrow diets don't provide enough vitamins and minerals.

Source: The Future 50 report - a collaboration between food manufacturers Knorr and WWF UK

• Listen to Katie Silver's report on Health Check

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Restoring Peace to Bendeghe Ekiem -Panacea to Socio-Economic Development By Okongo Tambu Ebuta.

Restoring Peace to Bendeghe Ekiem -Panacea to Socio-Economic Development By Okongo Tambu Ebuta

In discussing the above, I will deal in specific terms the highlights mentioned in relation to the Bendeghe Ekiem that made us ''Ayok a’ba'' and ''woman country'', where we have deteriorated, and where we the elites sitting here, specifically failed.

Then I will go on to elaborate the Socio-economic panacea while mentioning the cultural undertones

Kindly click the link below to download presentation filey

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Army invade residence of comm for education RVSG

http://opr.news/2d97e20d_ng

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