Chanel Flagship Store In London Opened

© chanel - three floors of parisian chic

london is one of the planet's leading shopping destinations, and with that perspective the fashion brand synonymous to parisian chic has pulled out all the stops for a new flagship store on new bond street, one of the city's most prestigious addresses. we're obviously talking chanel's major retail statement, one that sees the full spectrum of the brand's luxury collections showcased across no less than 12,000 sq.ft. [1,115 sqm.] on three separate floors. the store has been designed by peter marino, the new york-based architect who has previously worked on other chanel flagships worldwide.

it's structured around an atrium at the core of the building and features an interior that combines a lavish mix of materials such as soft gold and bronze with reflective glass, marble and lacquer. different textures are subtly put in contrast while at the same being captured in a modern archtectural scheme. adding another sophisticated layer are various specially commissioned artworks and contemporary and antique furniture pieces. upon entering the flagship, shoppers find a setting with hand-woven wall panels and inlay floors that's inspired by coco chanel's famed apartment on rue cambon in paris.

this space features separate areas dedicated to watches, fine jewellery and accessories. presented elsewhere on the ground floor are costume jewellery, small leather goods, bags, separate walls for shades. scarves and belts, and counters laden with chanel beauty products. one floor up the brand's ready-to-wear collections are presented in a homey yet equally plush environment with an imposing antique fireplace and artworks by karl lagerfeld, richard deacon and other artists. die-hard chanel fans will surely drool over selected pieces from the 2012-‐2013 métiers d'art paris-édimbourg collection.

both ready-to-wear rooms have a series of try-on salons, and there's also a double shoe room filled with trophies. a giant swirling pearl-necklace sculpture by french contemporary artist jean-michel othoniel dangles playfully from the ceiling inside the atrium, and is best viewed from the second floor. this floor is conceptualized as a gallery space, and is decorated with paintings, prints and sculptures, mixed and matched with chinese carpets consoles and lacquered walls. a third ready-to-wear space is situated here. needless to say that the opening party was a jolly tête-à-tête, attended by chanel dignitaries, architect peter marino and excited london a-listers. location: 158-159 new bond street [mayfair].

© chanel - inside the new flagship store

 

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Spice Up Your Relationship

One thing is happily clear: Women are not about to take the waning of sex lying down! They're inventing all kinds of ways to keep the good times (and good feelings) rolling. Just take a look at the 20 great ideas below. It must be that we've gotten tired of being "tired." We want -- oh yes -- a little fun. Enjoy.

1. Pretend you just met him

"When our sex life started to slow down, I started thinking about how another woman would see my husband if she just met him -- and this made me want to impress him. I did things like buying new lingerie, getting up just a little earlier than usual to join him in the shower or making time to play later in the tub. We totally rediscovered each other's sexiness after that."

2. Tease each other

"Sometimes, when my husband and I wake up and hear the kids, we start kissing and caressing anyway. Of course we don't continue, but we get all worked up and then go all day stealing little looks and kisses. Sure, we could duck away and end the torture, but I think that secretly, we both enjoy this little dance. It definitely keeps things exciting!"

3. Act on your moods

"My problem was that even if I was in the mood when my husband was at work, by the time he got home I'd be too exhausted. It started to get so frustrating! Then, I figured out a plan. Every time I get in the mood during the middle of the day, I put a blindfold or something suggestive under his pillow. Even though I may be too tired to initiate sex later, he finds my little clue and definitely gets the message."

4. Get high-tech

"I've started emailing my husband sexy fantasy scenarios on his personal email account. This really helps me to get brave. Because sometimes, I just feel silly showing him my sexual side when we're face-to- face. Plus, getting his mind going like that has certainly has paid off."

5. Rent an "adult" video

"There are so many helpful sex videos available that are not intimidating at all. The one I like is narrated by a sex therapist; it's instructional in nature. You learn how to effectively stimulate someone, but on a really nonthreatening level."

6. Take real life and shove it

"My husband and I were always too busy for love. Finally, one night we were getting serious about fooling around and what happened? The phone rang! Even though he picked it up, I decided to take matters into my own hands, and kept right on kissing him, all over. I loved that power, and he went wild too -- when he finally got off the phone."

7. Be at each other's mercy

"Once I whispered in my significant other's ear to take hold of my hand. Then I told him I was going to close my eyes and he had to place my hand anywhere on his body. Then I massaged whatever area it was. He was kind of in control, but ultimately I controlled the pleasure."

8. Surprise him -- and yourself!

"I flashed my husband when he got home from work last night. Enough said, right?"

9. Heat up the outdoors

"We like to pack a picnic and head to our favorite secluded spot. Sometimes we even get to go skinny dipping there. When you try it don't forget a blanket or sleeping bag, pillows and bug spray because you're sure in for a long night! Of course, city dwellers can picnic too. Just create a hideaway spot on your bedroom floor!"

10. Be aggressive

"Telling my husband what to do in bed is very erotic. Although I wouldn't want a puppy dog for a husband all the time, it is so much fun to say what I want, when and how. Then there is seeing his response! He might get even more turned on than me."

11. Share (racy) compliments

"Once my husband and I were going to fool around in front of a mirror. He stood behind me and slowly undressed me. But as he moved along he told me how beautiful each part of my body is. Let me tell you, I didn't mind a bit. Compliments are a wonderful way to heat up any situation. The next time we made love I gave him a few of my own!"

12. Do a little dance

"I know that lots of women feel comfortable doing a striptease, but I'm way too shy to try it. I have my own version of one. I just dance for my fiancé, making him want to touch me, but never let him. After I've taken off just a few items of clothing, I let him do the rest! It's all at my speed, and he loves it! In the end, we're both very happy."

13. Go to a "toy store" together.

"My husband and I had planned a real date, just the two of us. We dressed up and hit the town. After dinner, I was sure the night was finished, but he had a detour planned. We pulled right into a sex store! I think if he gave me time to think about it, I'd have chickened out. But instead, we walked through the whole store -- and it was very exciting! I think that I even managed to control the blushing until we left."

14. Slip into something more comfortable

"One night, after my boyfriend and I went out dancing, he offered to get take-out and bring it back to my place. While he was gone, I decided to make the room -- and myself -- more 'comfortable.' This meant lighting candles, putting on a long satin nightgown, and spraying room freshener. I didn't plan on taking it further, but when he walked in with the food, I saw his eyes jump. So I decided to walk over to him seductively. I pressed my body up to his, and whispered into his ear, 'I have wanted you so badly all night.' That's when his mouth hit the floor, along with the food!"

15. Spend intimate time together

"Read a chapter of a book together every night. You can eat grapes, drink wine, even incorporate adult toys or choose to read erotic literature to each other. But for my husband and me, this is all about making an effort to touch, cuddle and spend intimate time together. That leads to an exciting evening no matter what!"

16. Appeal to all his senses

"I have been known to put cinnamon on a cookie sheet, turn the oven on and leave the door open a bit. This fills the house with the smell of chocolate chip cookies and puts my husband in a really good mood. 350 degrees usually does the trick!"

17. Get -- and give -- sneak previews

"What I like best is when my boyfriend and I describe what we're about to do to each other before doing it. As he talks, I can practically feel what will happen to my body. Talk about a double whammy. When he finally does it, I go through the roof! "

18. Make a bedroom rule "There is one standing 'rule' in our bedroom. We are not allowed to use the same position more than once in a week. Of course we break the rule, but not often, and it generally keeps us from getting into a boring sexual routine."

19. Make a game of it

"I challenge my boyfriend to a game of basketball when things get dull. Whoever wins gets whatever he or she wants. Plus, you could make it a full body contact sport."

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20. End boredom with a routine

"We always celebrate the new year with sex! We've tried to time our orgasms so they both strike right at midnight, but haven't been able to yet. The good news is that we just get to keep trying next year!"

Culled ivillage

 

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NYC Luxury African Fashion Pop Up Store Opening

Adirée and Pikolinos have announced the opening date for their luxury African Fashion Pop-up shop; Friday June 14 2013, 7 P.M. EST, at Pikolinos Pop-up store, 32 Gansevoort St New York, NY 10014. Adirée, an integrated communications and branding company for emerging luxury brands and also the producer of Africa Fashion Week New York (AFWNY) have partnered with New York and Pikolinos, a premium shoe brand and partner of AFWNY, to host the African Fashion pop-up shop event. The collaborative venture will feature premier luxury and sustainable African fashion, inspired by and designed in Africa. The pop up shop will promote Pikolinos footwear collection Maasai Project in Kenya and Adirée’s promotions of African designers involved in Africa Fashion Week New York (AFWNY) runway shows; Thursday July 18, Friday July 19, and Saturday July 20th 2013

The pop-up shop event will give both, Adirée and Pikolinos , and all other AFWNY designers an opportunity to meet one on one with potential customers and foster potential US business relations with industry leaders . The event will also aid in promoting this year’s AFWNY 2013 designers scheduled for July 15-20. Over the past few years, the fashion industry has begun to take a liking to African fashion, including online publications Raine Magazine, print publications Black Enterprise, ELLE magazine-the world’s largest selling magazine publication, which has ultimately contributed to the growth of AFWNY and the African fashion industry as a whole.

A few of the African Fashion Designer’s Fashions at this pop-up shop to be exhibited and placed on sale include AFWNY 2013 designers:

Admas

Catherine Addai

Cinnamon & Pearl

Demestiks New York by Reuben Reuben

EadenMyles

Farai Simoyi

Honey

Korto Momolu

Khadija Moroccan Caftan NY

Liz Ogumbo

Maze Couture

Nadir Tati

Reuben Reul

Sana Redwani

SYDNEY-DAVIE

Sara Kay

To rsvp for the event please email rsvp@adiree.com . For all other inquiries contact events@adiree.com

AFWNY proclaimed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City- includes runway shows hosting designers from various countries in Africa and those of the African Diaspora, exhibitions, and industry networking events . For more information, please visit: www.afwny.com

About Pikolinos:

Pikolinos is a premium shoe brand that is distinguished by beautiful leathers, rich colors, and unique designs that showcase their European aesthetic. Their fundamental value is to offer footwear products that are unique, combining personality with comfort and also creating avenues like the Maasai Project to give back to the people of Maasai in Kenya.

You can find information about Pikolinos at: www.pikolinos.com/maasai

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/Pikolinos.Shoes

On Twitter: www.twitter.com/MaasaiProject

About Adirée:

Adirée, a fully integrated communications and branding company based in New York is focused on re-branding Africa as a destination for luxury brands, with sub-divisions that specifically focuses on clients’ needs within the discipline of fashion, home decor and beauty.You can find information about Adiree and our projects at: www.adiree.com/about www.afwny.com/

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/adireepr www.facebook.com/afwny

On Twitter: www.twitter.com/adiree www.twitter.com/afwnyFor More Information Contact:

Adirée │Public Relations

Shanell

pr@adiree.com

229.234.7330

 

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Ouaga Fashion Week 2013

Ouaga Fashion Week 2013 in collaboration with the African creative collective and Burkina Faso stylists, Af’Com (communication and event agency) presents the first edition of the Festival of fashion Ouaga Fashion Week from 26 to 29 June 2013 to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.

In the program, you will witness the parades of young designers, Fashion Street followed by a mega concert, conferences-debates, exhibitions of fashion and actors in the Capital town, all in Ouaga Fashion Week. The workshops of fashion, without forgetting the evening of the grand parade on 29 June and chaired by Ms. Chantal Compaoré, patron of the Festival of fashion.

For its first edition, Ouaga Fashion Week is placed under the theme “woman fashion and African integration” with guest of honour from the Brazil and the India.

This edition will see the participation of 17 African designers of renowned world including Niger, Pathé O Maku ‘ of Côte d’Ivoire, Nkhensani Nkosi of South Africa, Ituen BASI of Nigeria Bazem’Se of Burkina Faso, Pepita D of Benin. In total 20 African countries will represent the continent’s artistic and cultural plurality.

For more information, please see the below contacts.

Contacts: + 226 78 78 24 23 / + 226 78 87 39 39 / + 226 66 21 01 01 ouagafashionweek@outlook.com www.ouagafashionweek.bf http://www.diasporamode.com/Ouaga-Fashion-Week-2013.html

 

Source: Fashionghana.com

Posted by Peter Omagbemi

 

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June 12: The Lessons Not Learnt

Posted by Peter Omagbemi

TODAY marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark Presidential election of June 12, 1993 that was won by the late billionaire businessman, Chief MKO Abiola, but was inexplicably annulled by the then military junta, led by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida. Sadly, with the gradual passage of time, the nation appears to be stuck because no lessons have been learnt from that momentous event.

Two decades after that gratuitous annulment, Nigerians, and indeed close watchers of events in the country, still refer to that election as a watershed in the history of Nigeria. It was seen then as the freest and fairest election ever held in this country. Exactly 20 years on, that opinion has remained incontrovertible.

The June 12 election, it was believed, was part of a process to end the 10 years of military rule that started with the overthrow of the Shehu Shagari government by Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari on December 31, 1983. But, unknown to millions of enthusiastic Nigerians that trooped out to vote that day, it was the beginning of a long and tortuous journey, dubiously designed by Babangida to lead to nowhere. Indeed, it was a journey full of booby-traps to elongate military rule, rather than end it.

Before the presidential poll, elections had been held to fill the offices in the other arms of government. In what appeared like a grotesque mix of military and civilian government, there were elected governors in all the states, just as there were legislators at the national and state levels. The oddity was that they were all functioning under a military head of state, Babangida. Political parties had been formed only for them to suffer summary proscription; while presidential aspirants in all the parties were swiftly and gratuitously disqualified, evidently working towards a predestined end.

Even when two political parties were eventually decreed into existence, Nigerians were not deterred as they were ready to acquit themselves well. The two political parties – the Social Democratic Party and the National Republican Convention – with ideological inclinations towards “a little to the left and a little to the right,” were meant to have “equal joiners and equal owners,” according to Babangida, who was the manipulator-in-chief.

Observers might have seen some of the strange rules introduced as genuine innovations deserving of commendation, but they were actually obstacles meant to scuttle the process. But, miraculously, things did not work out as planned. And so, the “Option A4” used in conducting party primaries, rather than trigger confusion, as predicted by some, succeeded in producing presidential candidates that were acceptable right from the ward to the national levels; while the Open Ballot voting system ensured that it was difficult to rig.

The first real sign of danger, however, occurred when a perverse 9.30 pm court judgement, delivered by the late Justice Bassey Ikpeme, granted the prayers of a dubious group known as the Association for Better Nigeria to halt the election. Coming just two days to the election, the judgement was ignored because the electoral law had a provision ousting the jurisdiction of the courts to tamper with the election.

On the day of the election that pitted the SDP candidate, Abiola, with his running mate, Babagana Kingibe, against the NRC candidate of Bashir Tofa and his running mate, Sylvester Ugo, there were no polling booths to protect electoral materials against the elements. Yet, there was no rain throughout the day, which enabled Nigerians to come out to vote for candidates of their choice. Despite fielding a ticket of two Muslims in a country often polarised by faith, the SDP ticket triumphed overwhelmingly over the NRC ticket that featured a Muslim and a Christian.

Unfortunately, the mandate given to Abiola by Nigerians was truncated and the country was set back by decades. The tragedy was further compounded when Abiola was arrested. He eventually died in incarceration. The events of June 12, doubtlessly, altered the course of Nigerian history permanently.

Since then, the search for free, fair and transparent elections has remained a painful mirage. In 2007 alone, no fewer than nine governorship elections results were either reversed or reruns ordered by election petitions tribunals. The late President Umaru Yar’Adua, while acknowledging the flawed election that brought him to office, set in motion a process of reforming the electoral process. Unfortunately, the recommendations of the Justice Muhammadu Uwais panel are still gathering dust in government shelves.

Also, while Nigerians were able to do away with religious and ethnic sentiments to elect a President of their choice in 1993, elections today are inexorably tied to where a candidate comes from. It is difficult to find a true nationalist in Nigeria today as the political space has been hijacked by ethnic and religious bigots. Gone is the spirit that produced the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Abiola and Kingibe.

Tofa was quoted recently as saying, “We want this country to survive and people are still talking about June 12.” To him and many of his persuasion, June 12 may be dead and buried. But for those who believe that the past is the compass for the future, June 12 remains as relevant today as it was 20 years ago. The politics of June 12 was defined by issues, not religion or ethnicity. It brought out those things that united this country, not the divisive elements.

June 12 was a missed opportunity to unite the country, enthrone democratic values, build a just society and join the fast lane of development as a nation. While it is not possible to actualise June 12 in its original form, there is the need to honour the patriot who laid down his life for the democracy that is being enjoyed today. But more importantly, there is the need to learn the lessons that came with June 12. Failure to imbibe those lessons will continue to be a stumbling block to our desire for a cohesive federation.

 

Culled from a Punch editorial

 

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Oil Interest In Nigeria To Be Sold By Chevron

US-based Chevron announced Tuesday it was selling its interest in two Nigerian oil blocks, becoming the latest multi-national to part with assets in Africa’s biggest crude producer.

The move will see Chevron sell its 40-percent stakes in oil mining leases 83 and 85 located in shallow water off Nigeria’s Bayelsa state in the country’s southern Niger Delta region.

The blocks contain the Madu and Anyala fields and are owned through a joint venture with Nigerian state oil firm NNPC.Chevron declined to provide information on reserves. Local media reported that the blocks contain reserves of some 250 million barrels of oil.

Chevron has been Nigeria’s third-biggest oil producer, after Shell and Exxon, with daily output at 238,000 barrels of crude per day in 2012. It will continue to have a major presence in Nigeria.

The move marks the latest sale of Nigerian assets by a multi-national company and comes amid uncertainty in the country’s oil industry, with a sweeping overhaul of regulations, royalties and taxes delayed for years and still stuck in parliament.

Shell has been seeking to sell off its stakes in several onshore blocks, and analysts say the British-Dutch firm appears willing to shift more of its focus offshore, where the risks of sabotage, theft and militant attacks are lower.

In November, French oil group Total announced the sale of its 20-percent stake in a Nigerian offshore bloc to China’s Sinopec for $2.5 billion.Meanwhile in December, Nigerian firm Oando announced the purchase of ConocoPhillips’ interests in the country.

Nigeria has been producing around 2.0 million barrels of oil per day.

Posted by Peter Omagbemi

 

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Boko Haram Second On Global Terror List

 

WITH only the Talibans in Afghanistan ahead, Boko Haram is now the second widely known perpetrator of terrorism in the world, according to a report by the United States (U.S.) government.

Just last week, the U.S. State Department announced a $7 million bounty for information that will lead to the capture of the group’s leader, Abubakar Shekau.

An annex to the U.S. government report on terrorism last year, just made available to us, shows that besides the Taliban in Afghanistan, Boko Haram in Nigeria had the highest number of terror attacks last year and killed also the second highest number of people.

The statistical report called ‘START’ conducted by the University of Maryland for the American government on global terrorism in 2012 has revealed that while the Talibans killed 1,842 people in 525 attacks last year, and came tops on the infamous ranking, Boko Haram came second killing 1,132 in 364 attacks.Both the Talibans and Boko Haram killed more than Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Maoists in India, Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula among other global terrorist groups.

The statistical report also revealed that of the top 10 countries with the most terrorist attacks last year, Nigeria came fifth because of the activities of Boko Haram.Besides, Nigeria ranked fourth in number of deaths from terrorist attacks. According to the statistical information attached to the recent “U.S. Terrorism 2012 reports”, last year alone, there were a total number of 546 terror attacks in Nigeria with 1,386 killed.

“The average lethality of terrorist attacks in Nigeria (2.54 deaths per attack) is more than 50 per cent higher than the global average of 1.64.”The statistical report revealed that in 2012, the majority of highly lethal attacks -159 in all -, took place in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Syria, killing a total of 2,880 people.

The report stated that Boko Haram “was responsible for a number of highly lethal attacks in 2012, including a series of co-ordinated bombings and armed assaults in Kano, Nigeria, on January 20 that killed an estimated 190 people.”The ‘START’ was conducted by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism, based at the University of Maryland.

The consortium is deemed a U.S. Homeland Security Centre of Excellence for Science and Technology.The U.S. laws require the government in its yearly terrorism reports to include complete statistical information on number of individuals killed, injured or kidnapped by each terrorist group during the preceding year.

Posted by Peter Omagbemi

 

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Nelson Mandela's Condition Remains Unchanged. He Remains "Serious but Stable".

"Former President Nelson Mandela remains in hospital, and his condition is unchanged," the South African presidency said in a statement on Monday.

Nelson Mandela has spent a third day in hospital, with the government saying he continues to be "serious but stable". Mandela was taken to a hospital on Saturday with a lung infection. It was his fourth hospitalisation since December.

A statement issued for the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation described Mandela as "the beloved father of our nation" and offered prayers for a man seen by many around the world as a symbol of reconciliation because of his peacemaking role when white racist rule ended in South Africa.

Mandela "once again endures the ravages of time in hospital," said the Cape Town-based foundation, which was founded by retired archbishop Tutu and his wife Leah to promote peace. "We offer our thanks to God for the extraordinary gift of Mr Mandela, and wish his family strength."

In its brief statement on Mandela's health, the presidency said Jacob Zuma "reiterates his call for South Africa to pray for Madiba and the family during this time," referring to Mandela by his clan name.

Mandela has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during 27 years as the prisoner of the white racist government that period was spent on Robben Island, off the coast of Cape Town where Mandela and other prisoners spent part of the time toiling in a stone quarry.

He was freed in 1990 and elected as president in 1994.

Peter Omagbemi

 

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Who is taking over from me? Mary Onyali- Omagbemi

For 22 years (1982 – 2004), Mary Onyali-Omagbemi ruled Nigerian tracks and field like colossus; shattering records in her strides and winning Olympics medals twice (1992 & 1996) before quitting the stage. Onyali was the first Nigerian athlete to compete in five Olympic Games. She also holds a record of seven individual medals in sprints at All Africa Games. Even after hanging her spikes, the passion for the game that brought her so much fame is yet to fade; which is why the sprint queen is back nurturing talents from the grassroots. Newswatch Sports’ EMEKA EZEUGWU and BEN ALOZIE Peter cornered the sprint sensation as she scouts talents in Nigeria and she bared minds on thorny issues, including drugs, her family, her NGOs, her sportswear manufacturing company etc. Excerpts:

You took a break, gave birth to a baby and went back to the tracks to still do what you were doing. A breastfeeding mother still burnt the tracks. How did you do it?

My return to the tracks after child birth was very difficult. I didn’t know how difficult it would be before the birth because I never experienced it before then. It was difficult and the same time rewarding. Difficult in the sense that I missed my new baby 24/7, I missed being the mother 24/7. But it was rewarding because the feeling of wanting to come back after the child birth was still there. I decided to take a break to have a baby to see if that will force me to drop my spikes; to see if the passion – the zeal will leave me, but unfortunately, it didn’t. I couldn’t lie to myself. If the body and mind were still willing, I said, let me give it a trial. I did and I ran close to my personal best timing a year after giving birth to a baby. That was an indication that it wasn’t time to quit. I wanted to see what would happen a year after the birth because I spoke to a few international colleagues who had had child birth and they told me that it wasn’t easy. They said that in the first year after birth, you would feel like nothing happened because your natural hormone from child birth is still there; it is like a natural drug, but in subsequent years, it becomes difficult for you to continue. That natural hormone from child birth will take you through a year and half, but after that, your body returns to normal and there comes the hard fact. Exactly what they predicted happened. I said okay maybe that will be my rise and gradual descent and it did.

So at what point in time did you decide to drop the spikes?

I started seeing the signs from Sydney 2000 Olympics. A year earlier, in 1999, I had my first injury ever in my career. The next year in 2000 Olympics, I had a hamstring. It was one injury after the other because with the child birth comes the expansion of your ligament; it is weakened and for it to contract to normal takes a lot of work. So that gave way to a lot of injuries I sustained. When the injuries started to come, I knew it was time to quit. There was no way a professional athlete at my level would be treating injuries one after the other every year. I never got a full year of injury-free competition after that. After the quadriceps, came the hamstring, after that came the torn knee ligament and my ankle; it was like the wall (my body) was crumbling in one heap. So I said it was time to go.

Isn’t it intriguing that throughout your active years on the tracks, you never had an injury until 15 years after. How did you manage your physique to stay injury-free for that long as an athlete?

I wouldn’t say there was no minor injury here and there, but major injury for that long, yes. And it boiled down to 3D. With 3D, my coach said warm up; and I was already warming up; stretch yourself up, and I stretched myself this way and that way; cool down after every track event and I cooled down; get home and ice yourself, and I did. I carried out every instruction to the last order. A lot of athletes don’t do that. They get carried away as soon they come back from track events, they drop their spikes and off they go partying, shopping all day and forget to cool down. What stops you from cooling down first before you go? I didn’t do all those stuffs. It is not that I don’t like partying or having fun with my friends, I do have fun, but that is after I have done my home work first. I know that this body is my empire. It is my investment. How I treat it, what I put in there – garbage in, garbage out. What I put in there is what I am going to get out. Ask any of my coaches – from Coach Toblow that made me to my international coaches and they will tell you that I am the most coachable athlete in the whole world; because I will do what they tell me and much more. If I don’t understand, I will ask until I get it right. It doesn’t make sense if I don’t understand and begin to do it only to get myself injured. I am not saying I am perfect; I am a human being and I erred in some areas, but I made it as minimal as possible. Yes it is nice to win at championships, come back and get showered with monetary rewards, but in between all that, my legs and what I put into my body (trimming wise) fetch me my livelihood in Europe. If I don’t get it right, I will get injured. If I get injured, I will lose out in a lot of races and in all I lose out, I lose money. So I put the right thing in. I was disciplined to do that because I know at the end of the year I gonna go back to Europe and make the money back. In order words, I invested in myself.

After your era, Nigeria have been to the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games and even to the World Athletic Championships and have not been able to make any impact. What do we do to get back to your era when you made so impact in those meets?

That’s what we are doing right now – going back to the drawing board. We left 15 – 20 years void and it will take the same number of years to fill it back. Sport is no magic. Talents are born and given by God, but coaches sharpen them. I am happy seeing, nowadays, inter-house sports being held in schools; getting the kids re-oriented into sports. Before I left, I kept saying there would be a void if nothing is done to fill the space. I kept asking where are the inter-house sports? Who is taking over from me? I was even begging them to find who will take over from me. People said I didn’t want to go because I didn’t want my records to be broken. Blessing Okagbare shattered my record the other day. Records are meant to be broken because I broke somebody else’s record too. If nobody breaks my record and nobody breaks Blessing’s record, there is no progress. The void is there because we did not build our house with a revolving door that will throw up another Mary Onyali. I could have left tracks and field just five years into my career maybe due to injury or something, who would have filled that void? Yes the likes of Chioma (Ajunwa) came along; the likes of Endurance (Ojokolo) came along, Mercy Nku, Christy Okpala were all there. It made the competition more interesting and healthy when they had to compete with me. There were times when all the eight girls lined up on the tracks will all lean on the finishing tape that you will require photo-finish to determine the winner. Do something that will bring out another set of eight girls that will push these people out of their marks. That’s the revolving there that I am talking about. We are finally getting back to it after 10 – 15 years of void. We have 150 million Nigerians. Mary-Onyali is everywhere. They are there selling pure (sachet) water, newspapers on the streets. They are all hawking peanuts. We just have not been able to put up structure that will find them out and nurture them.

You have a daughter. How old is she now and is she on the tracks too?

My daughter is 16 and she is on the tracks doing very well. In the next 5 – 10 years, if she stays focused and not get distracted by one thing or the other, she might break into the limelight. She doesn’t have a choice because I am her coach and my husband is her coach.

 

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NSA Whistleblower reveals "We hack everyone, everywhere" Yes, even You.

In America there have been howls of outrage at news that the US National Security Agency may have been digitally eavesdropping on Americans—obliging James Clapper, the Director of National Intelligence, to reassure his compatriots that “only non-U.S. persons outside the U.S. are targeted.” But on the rest of the planet the NSA rakes in millions of gigabytes of personal information with little, if any, opposition or controversy.

Edward Snowden, who was identified today as the leaker of NSA documents to The Guardian and Washington Post, confirmed the broad outlines of the spy agency’s overseas activities. He told the Guardian the NSA’s global invasion of privacy was what drove him to risk the comfortable life he’d built for himself. “I’m willing to sacrifice all of that because I can’t in good conscience allow the US government to destroy privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they’re secretly building,” he said.

In a related Q&A, Snowden appeared to draw little distinction between his concerns over what the NSA does in the US and overseas, where it is subject to fewer legal constraints. “We hack everyone everywhere,” he said. “We like to make a distinction between us and the others. But we are in almost every country in the world. We are not at war with these countries.”

But the NSA does far more than hack into computers. More broadly, Snowden said, the agency is “intent on making every conversation and every form of behaviour in the world known to them.” The NSA accomplishes this through various means, including using military satellites and listening posts to vacuum up phone calls and by accessing the digital arteries that carry emails and other information. Its targets include not only suspected terrorists but nuclear proliferators, foreign governments, transnational crime syndicates, government and corporate spies and myriad other perceived threats.

Some of the documents Snowden leaked disclose an NSA data-mining tool titled Boundless Informant, which details how much metadata (information such as call duration and phone numbers, but not the content of calls, emails or other messages) the agency collects from computer and telephone networks and other sources in each country in the world. A classified NSA “global heat map” posted by The Guardian says that in one month last March, the agency collected 97 billion “pieces of intelligence” just from computer networks around the world. Iran was the biggest collection target, followed by Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt and then India.

Access to PRISM has allowed Britain’s electronic eavesdropping and security agency, GCHQ, to secretly gather intelligence from the world’s biggest internet companies as well, the Guardian reports. A former NSA official says he can’t comment on whether US allies are accessing PRISM too, but it stands to reason that they are—especially those within the “Five Eyes.”

Former NSA technical intelligence specialist Russell Tice knows first-hand of what the NSA is doing overseas because he worked on literally scores of the “black ops” intel-gathering programs himself within the NSA’s Information Warfare unit. He said the NSA’s capabilities are breathtaking, and able to intercept far more than an unwitting public could imagine.

“This is what the agency was designed to do against potential enemies,” Tice told Quartz. He has spoken out against what he sees as the NSA’s illegal spying on US citizens, and blames his termination back in 2005 on his role as a whistleblower. But he remains proud of the NSA’s abilities, and his work overseas collecting intel. “If it involves electrons we’re there,” he says. “Anything that has electricity running through it.’’

Peter Omagbemi

 

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BNP leader Nick Griffin labels Nelson Mandela a "murdering old terrorist"

The MEP also described South Africa as "safe economic powerhouse" before Mandela became president in 1994.

Griffin's statements on social-networking site Twitter also made reference to recent attack on mosques and other Muslim buildings, saying: "Remember that at least some Islamic building blazes will be insurance jobs."

The comments come as Mandela, 94, continues to receive treatment in a South African hospital for a lung infection.

The full tweets read: "Saint #nelsonmandela on last legs it seems. Make sure to avoid BBC when the murdering old terrorist croaks. It'll be nauseating.

"Statesmen' must be judged on results not rhetoric. Before Mandela, South Africa was safe economic powerhouse. Now crime ridden basket case.

"No surprise #Mandela's lungs are shot - all those burning tyres. Smoking necklaces very bad for the health.

"& while making politically incorrect observations on fires: Remember that at least some Islamic building blazes will be insurance jobs."

Many people took to Twitter to criticise Griffin's comments.

Peter Hain, the South Africa-raised former Labour minister and hardline anti-Apartheid campaigner, tweeted that it was a "nasty vicious attack".

Ruth Rosenau, a Labour councillor in Stoke-on-Trent, tweeted: "#Mandela - a towering figure in world history & an inspiration to millions. Nick Griffin - what will you be remembered for?"

Bob Woods, who tweeted from BrummyTaff, said: "#NickGriffin Insults #Mandela & shows what a small minded odious irrelevant little man he is. Not fit to tie his laces."

Peter Omagbemi

 

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Former Governor Peter Odili's Daughter Weds. Naija Money

Former governor of Rivers State, Peter Odili recently gave his daughter out in holy matrimony.

Congratulations to the bride, Njideka Odili who was tied in holy matrimony to her beau and lover of long standing, Uzoma Nwosu son of a chief judge over the weekend.

President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Dame Patience led other top dignitaries that graced the superlative wedding.

 

 

 

 

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Nuhu Ribadu Is An Ethically-Challenged Hypocrite – Presidency

Peter Omagbemi

The Presidency totally rejects the false, hypocritical and self-serving claim by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu at a lecture in Kaduna on Saturday that Nigeria under President Goodluck Jonathan is a “sinking ship” in which the yearnings of the masses are being neglected by a tyrannical leadership.

We find it very sad and utterly deplorable that Nuhu Ribadu has resorted to shameless wolf-crying, the peddling of arrant falsehood and the denigration of the elected government of his fatherland in furtherance of his selfish quest for continued national political relevance after his wholesale rejection by Nigerian voters in 2011.

It is very unfortunate indeed that the once highly respected former EFCC Chairman has now taken to political prostitution and developed a penchant for irresponsible and reckless utterances aimed at improving the electoral fortunes of his new friends and “leader”, who he once famously denounced as a crook who is “not fit to hold public office”.

There can be no doubt that nothing else but blind ambition for an office for which he is clearly unfit is driving Ribadu to infer that an Administration led by a President who welcomed him back to the country after his self-imposed exile, restored his rank in the Nigeria Police to save him from the shame of demotion and converted his dismissal from service to retirement has now become tyrannical and anti-people. We take special note of his ingratitude.

If Nuhu Ribadu wants to talk of tyranny then he should talk of the days when he orchestrated the impeachment of governors with an illegitimate quorum of legislators who had been threatened by the EFCC under his watch. It beats the imagination that Nuhu Ribadu, a man who once presided over an EFCC which in 2007 compiled a list of disqualified politicians aspiring for office without a court order or legal backing now has the guts to accuse the man under whom Nigeria has had the most credible elections in this Fourth Republic of being the leader of a “sinking ship”.

Can there be a greater tyranny than the tyranny of removing governors via undemocratic means and barring legally entitled persons from contesting elections?Nothing else but misguided ambition could have driven Ribadu to urge Nigerian youth to rise up and save the country from an Administration which he willingly served recently, but which he now duplicitously and insincerely claims is “imposing private interests on the majority”.

It is certainly the height of hypocrisy for Ribadu who built his entire reputation as an anti-corruption crusader by completely disregarding the rule of law and recklessly trampling on the rights of perceived enemies of the government of the day, to now accuse an administration that has consistently upheld the rule of law and respect for fundamental human rights of being tyrannical.

It is only a shameless man that will turn around and accept to be the political lackey of a man he once openly accused of corruption at various times between 2004 and 2007. Now that he has been used and abused by the undemocratic overlords that reign over the ACN and fearing that he may soon be dumped now that that vehicle is about to be subsumed into the so called All Progressives Congress, Ribadu is desperately seeking fresh relevance.

Ribadu’s descent into a moral abyss since leaving the exalted office of EFCC Chairman, his equally ethically-challenged new friends and his willingness to vituperate against any person or institution he perceives as a challenge to the fulfillment of his unattainable ambitions, have clearly exposed him for what he truly is – a thoroughly unprincipled attention-seeker whose entire career in the public service was built on bootlicking and doing the bidding of the powers of the day without a care for legality which should have been his primary concern as an officer of the law.

President Jonathan and his Administration will not be distracted from the diligent implementation of the agenda for national transformation by the falsehoods and vituperations of Ribadu and his new friends.Far from being tyrannical as Ribadu falsely alleged in Kaduna, President Jonathan will, as he has consistently done since assuming office, continue to strengthen institutions of democratic governance in Nigeria, uphold the fundamental human rights of all Nigerians including the youth, and protect their right to elect leaders in free, fair and credible elections.

Reuben Abati

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

June 10, 2013

 

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In Northern Nigeria, Boko Haram militia aims to mold the schools through violence

Peter Omagbemi

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — At the Ali Al Yaskari primary school, the classrooms are silent. In the morning, teachers sign their names on an attendance sheet to receive their salaries, then quickly leave without teaching a single course. A few students sit under a tree, idling away their time in the sandy schoolyard.

“People are afraid to come,” said Lawana Bura, 47, the only teacher in the school on a recent day. “That’s why the classes are empty.”

It has been that way, he said, since gunmen entered the school one morning in March and shot and killed a teacher. Three other schools were attacked that day in Maiduguri, leaving a total of six teachers and four students dead.

For the past four years, the Islamist Boko Haram militia has been known to target schools, burning them down at night in its fight to install sharia law in Nigeria’s mostly Muslim north. But in recent months, the group, whose name translates to “Western education is a sin,” has escalated its campaign to cripple the region’s education system.

Militants raid schools in broad daylight, killing teachers and students. They kidnap professors and order schools to shut down, forcing thousands of children to seek an education in safe zones protected by soldiers or outside the region if they can afford it

The schools are being destroyed in an impoverished, long-neglected part of the country, where children were already struggling to receive an education. Many of the schools attacked didn’t have desks, textbooks and other resources.

“The schools are the bedrock to change the minds of people,” said Babangida Labaran Usman, a senior investigation officer with Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission. “They are perfect targets for the Boko Haram.”

The assaults underscore how dramatically the conflict in Africa’s most populous nation has changed this year — from a simmering homegrown insurgency to a guerrilla conflict that has spread into neighboring countries and entered its most violent stage. Nigerian officials and analysts say Boko Haram militants are using more sophisticated military tactics and weaponry brought back from the battlefields of Mali.

Since 2009, militants have attacked churches, mosques, police stations and government buildings across the north, killing an estimated 3,000 people in more than 700 attacks. During the past few months, hundreds more have died as the militants have launched bold incursions into small towns and villages, prompting retaliatory attacks by Nigerian security forces. The insurgents have also kidnapped Westerners and government officials for ransom and have attacked military bases and soldiers heading to help quell the Islamist insurgency in northern Mali.

Much of the violence has occurred in Borno state. Eight schools have been burned there this year, said Musa Inuwa Kubo, the state education commissioner. Maiduguri is the state’s capital and the cradle of the insurgency.

Some Nigerian government officials say the attacks on schools reflect Boko Haram’s increasing number of recruits and shifting tactics. An overstretched government security force, which has gone after the militants in their jungle bases, has been unable to protect the schools in towns and villages.

The Washington post

 

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Boko Haram Fakes Funeral, Kills 11 In Maiduguri

Boko Haram Islamists have stormed a neighbourhood in the restive city of Maiduguri, killing at least 11 people with weapons hidden in a coffin, local residents said Monday.

There were conflicting reports as to the number of people who lost their lives in the attack that began late Friday.Information has been slow to emerge in the region because the mobile phone network has been shut down by the military amid an offensive aimed at crushing the Islamists.

Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa confirmed that gunmen launched attacks on Friday evening in the neighbourhoods of Hausari, Fizzan and Gwange.Hausari resident Moh’d Aji said 10 attackers came in a pick-up truck, with a coffin visible in the exposed flat-bed rear.“Everybody thought they were going for burial until they alighted from their vehicle and started bringing out their guns,” said Aji.

“They just opened fire into different directions.”He said 11 bodies were recovered after the attack, including one child.Another resident, Habibu Malud, said 13 people were killed.The military spokesman said troops responded on Saturday morning, raiding insurgent “hideouts” in the targeted neighbourhoods.“Five of the suspects died in a shootout as they attempted to flee,” Musa said.

It was not clear if the five dead reported by Musa were among the corpses spotted by residents.Boko Haram fighters are known to blend in with the local population, and distinguishing between insurgent deaths and civilian casualties is typically difficult.

The group has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria’s mainly Muslim north.The insurgency has left 3,600 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security services.

The military launched a sweeping offensive against Boko Haram on May 15 and has claimed successes, describing the Islamists as being in “disarray.”But those claims have been impossible to verify and there are concerns that the insurgents may regroup once the military pressure fades.

There has been a lull in the number of reported attacks since the offensive was launched, but very little information has emerged from the northeast with the phone networks down.The group has repeatedly carried out attacks in Maiduguri, their traditional base.They were thought to have relocated to sparsely populated areas in Nigeria’s semi-desert northeast amid a crackdown in Maiduguri.

The ongoing offensive has been most heavily concentrated in these remote areas, particularly along the border with Cameroon. [AFP]

Peter Omagbemi

 

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You Have Got To Laugh

An engineer dies and reports to the pearly gates. St. Peter checks his dossier and says, "Ah, you're an engineer -- you're in the wrong place."

So, the engineer reports to the gates of hell and is let in. Pretty soon, the engineer gets dissatisfied with the level of comfort in hell, and starts designing and building improvements. After awhile, they've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and the engineer is a pretty popular guy.

One day, God calls Satan up on the telephone and says with a sneer, "So, how's it going down there in hell?"

Satan replies, "Hey, things are going great. We've got air conditioning and flush toilets and escalators, and there's no telling what this engineer is going to come up with next."

God replies, "What??? You've got an engineer? That's a mistake -- he should never have gotten down there; send him up here."

Satan says, "No way. I like having an engineer on the staff, and I'm keeping him."

God says, "Send him back up here or I'll sue."

Satan laughs uproariously and answers, "Yeah, right. And just where are YOU going to get a lawyer?"

Peter Omagbemi

 

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The Best Engineering Quote

The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington engineering mid-term. The answer was so "profound" that the Professor shared it with colleagues, and the sharing obviously hasn't ceased...

Bonus Question: Is Hell exothermic (gives off heat) or Endothermic (absorbs heat)?

Most of the students wrote Proofs of their beliefs using Boyle's Law, (gas cools off when it expands and heats when it is compressed) or some variant. One student, however, wrote the following:

"First, we need to know how the mass of Hell is changing in time. So we need to know the rate that souls are moving into Hell and the rate they are leaving. I think that we can safely assume that once a soul gets to Hell, it will not leave. Therefore, no souls are leaving. As for how many souls are entering Hell, let us look at the different religions that exist in the world today. Some of these religions state that if you are not a member of their religion, you will go to Hell. Since there are more than one of these religions and since people do not belong to more than one religion, we can project that all souls go to Hell. With birth and death rates as they are, we can expect the number of souls in Hell to increase exponentially.

Now, we look at the rate of change of the volume in Hell because Boyle's Law states that in order for the temperature and pressure in Hell to stay the same, the volume of Hell has to expand as souls are added. This gives two possibilities:

1. If Hell is expanding at a slower rate than the rate at which souls enter Hell, then the temperature and pressure in Hell will increase until all Hell breaks loose.

2. Of course, if Hell is expanding at a rate faster than the increase of souls in Hell, then the temperature and pressure will drop until Hell freezes over.

So which is it?

If we accept the postulate given to me by Teresa Banyan during my Freshman year, "...that it will be a cold day in Hell before I sleep with you.", and take into account the fact that I still have not succeeded in having sexual relations with her, then, #2 cannot be true, and thus I am sure that Hell is exothermic and will not freeze."

This student received the only A.

Peter Omagbemi

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