Interesting Facts you did not know about Ahmadu Bello

Sir AHMADU BELLO is still venerated by millions of Nigerians. The largest university in West Africa and the second largest in Africa is named after him while his picture is graciously perched on one of Nigeria's high currencies -the 200 naira note.

A descendant of UthmanDanFodio, who is still an idol to millions of Nigerians today. Though, millions of Nigerians, especially those from the South-East region (the Ibos) may still despise him.

 Has the Nigerian nation learnt anything from history? Why was he jailed? Oh, did you know he was born on a June 12? What were his achievements? Why do his people love him so much? Why has he generatedso much hatred in the minds of some others? Is there anything we can pick from history and make Nigeria great again?In few words, I will adumbrate what you may not know about Alhaji (Sir) Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of Northern Nigeria.First, let me share with you some of his quotes:“Nigeria: the ‘mistake of 1914′.”- .“The Ibos are more or less a type of people whose desire is mainly to dominate everybody. If they go to a village, or town, they want to monopolize everything in that area. If you put them in a labour camp as a labourer, within a year, they will try to emerge as the headman of that camp.”- Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria. 1957......................................................................................................................................"I will allow Sir Tafawa Balewa to go and become Prime Minister and lead the unbelievers of the South whilst I will stay in the North and lead the faithful."- Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria, 1960......................................................................................................................................“Here in the Northern Nigeria we have people of many different races, tribes and religions who are knit together to common history, common interest and common ideas; the things that unite us are stronger than the things that divide us. I always remind people of our firmly rooted policy of religious tolerance. We have no intention of favouring one religion at the expense of another. Subject to the overriding need to preserve law and order, it is our determination that everyone should have absolute liberty to practice his belief according to the dictates of his conscience…”- SirAhmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria.“I am not unaware that I have often been a controversial figure. I have been accused of lack of nationalism and political awareness because I considered that independence must wait until a country has the resources to support and make a success of independence. I have been accused of conservatism because I believe in retaining all that is good in our old traditions and customs and refusing to copy all aspects of other alien civilizations. I have been accused of many things, but the views of others have never made me deviate from the path which I am certain is the one which will benefit my people and country. I have always based my actions on my inward convictions, on my conscience and on the dictates of my religion”– Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria. "No, let us understand our differences. I am a Muslim and a Northerner. You are a Christian, an Easterner. By understanding our differences, we can build unity in our country.”- Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria to Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onitsha and the Premier of the Eastern Region of Nigeria.“You must do your duty but my safety is in the hands ofGod.”- Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria to Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, leader of the January, 15th1966 carnage, 1965.“You are unique in that we stand at the meeting point of two of the major cultural system of the world. Islamic culture from the East and Christian culture from the West, and meeting in the presence of a third culture, that of the ancient state and empires of African itself. Our task is to bring about a dialogue between these two cultures and fit them to Africa, interpreting one of the other to the mutual benefit of all. We should introduce Western ideas and technologies where necessary but it must be without disrupting our existing spiritual, cultural and social values.”- Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria.(From his speech while being made the Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria on 23rd November 1963).“They say that I am proud and impatient. I am certainly proud, for I have much to be proud of, and not the least the trust that God has given me to lift up our people from their primitive conditions into the light of life and the happiness of contentment. But I am not proud in the arrogant sense, for I know that I am merely an instrument carrying out God’s will and pleasure.”- Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the Premier of the Northern Region of Nigeria.Now, the HARD FACTS!!!1. Ahmadu Bello was born on June 12, 1909 in Rabbah,present day, Sokoto State.2. He was the son of a concubine.3. His father died when he was 6 years old.4. He was the only surviving son of his father and mother, Mariyamu.5. He was a great grand-son of Shehu Uthman dan Fodio, the great Fulani jihadist.6. He got his Islamic and Arabic education as a teenager from Mallam Garba who was the Imam of Rabbah village.7. He finished at the age of 16 top of his class.8. He attended the Teacher's Training College, Katsina (later Barewa College) where he was a School Prefect and Class Captain.9. Thereafter, he graduated as a Teacher in 1931 with acredit equivalent Grade III result.10. He was appointed by the Sultan of Sokoto to work as a teacher at the Sokoto Middle School, where he was once a student and taught from 1931-1934.11. He was appointed a rural administrator (District Head) at the age 25 in 1934.12. He gave birth to a daughter after his death (posthumously).13. He became a candidate for the succession to the throne of the Sultan of Sokoto at the age of 29.14. He made attempts to become the Sultan of Sokoto but was not successful, losing to Sir Siddiq Abubakar IIIwho reigned for 50 years until his death in 1988.15. The new Sultan immediately made Sir Ahmadu Bello the Sardauna (Warlord) of Sokoto, a honourary title and promoted him to the Sokoto Native Authority Council, these titles automatically made him the Chief Political Adviser to the Sultan.16. Later, he was put in charge of the Sokoto Province to oversee 47 districts.17. In 1943, a drama played out when he was thrown before the Sultan's court for misappropriating jangali (cattle) tax for the Gusau region where he was the Councillor.18. He was sentenced to 1 year in prison, but spent 3 months in jail.19. By 1944, he was back at the Sultan's Palace to work as the Chief Secretary of the State Native Administration.20. In 1949, at the age of 40, he was nominated for a seat in the Regional House of Assembly.21. He spoke impeccable English, and respected many European values.22. Sir Ahmadu Bello keenly encouraged female education.23. In 1954, Sir Ahmadu Bello became the first Premier of Northern Nigeria.24. He never had material accumulation instincts, did not accumulate wealth and gave out whatever came into his possession. He was scrupulous and prudent with public finance but generous with his own money.25. In 1955, he made his first pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia.26. The ‘Work and Worship’ motto on the Northern Nigerian crest was adopted by him.27. He chose to remain the Premier of Northern Nigeria and gave the position of Prime Minister to his hand-picked candidate, the late Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, who was then the Deputy President of the NPC.28. Sir Ahmadu Bello never sought the leadership of Nigeria.29. He once stated that he would rather be the Sultan of Sokoto than to be the leader of Nigeria.30. At various times, he made inflammatory statements about the Ibos as he once referred to them as the ‘Jews of Nigeria’ whose sole purpose is to dominate wherever they find themselves.31. In 1959, Queen Elizabeth II (b.1926) made him a Knight of the British Empire (KBE), and that explains the‘Sir’ in his title.32. In 1962, he became Pioneer Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria.33. He founded the Bank of the North (now Unity Bank).34. He founded the Northern Nigerian Development Company.35. He established the 16,000-seater Ahmadu Bello Stadium, Kaduna.36. He established the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna (the only military university in Nigeria)37. He established the University of Northern Nigeria, which stretched from Samaru in Kaduna State to Funtua in Katsina State, on the 4th of October, 1962 now known as Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.38. By the beginning of 1966, it was quite clear that the Sardauna was one of the most powerful figures in the country, and many believed that he was actually the most powerful, even much more powerful than the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa.39. His party, Northern People Congress (NPC), held sway over 29 million out of 55 million Nigerians.40. On his way to Umrah (the Muslim lesser pilgrimage), he received a letter with threats to kill him.41. The letter was said to have stated: “We have arranged to kill you and the Prime Minister (Alhaji Tafawa Balewa).”42. As a devout Muslim, the Sardauna believed that giving his life in the service of Northern Nigeria was worth the sacrifice and that death was a certain end.43. He later said of the threat: “Don’t worry, continue to get useful information. I know what to do.”44. On the morning of 15th January, 1966, armed soldiers, led by Major Patrick Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu, arrived at his residence at Lugard House, Kaduna, with the message of death.45. He told his family to stay away in safety but they would have none of that. They all trooped behind him as he came out of the family quarters and in a matter ofseconds, he was surrounded by the soldiers led by Nzeogwu who fired at his babanriga. And immediately, blood sputtered from the point of impact through the beard on his face.46. At that point, his first and eldest wife, Hafsatu, threw herself at him in a final embrace. They were both shot.47. He was believed to have been killed instantly when a bullet penetrated his spinal cord.48. Brave till the very end, he had faced the soldiers and introduced himself as the Sardauna of Sokoto and Premier of the Northern Region.49. He once referred to Nigeria as the ‘mistake of 1914′ but he later worked for and gave his best for the new nation of Nigeria.50. He died leaving £10 in his bank account. Equivalent of 5,000 naira in today’s currency exchange.

How To Raise A Well Behaved Children

A father’s influence goes to the fourth generation after him. Whitney Houston’s parents Emily and John Houston divorced when she was at kindergarten. Together with her lover, Bobby Brown, Whitney smoked crack in the presence of their 5 year old daughter, Bobbi Kristina. At 22, Bobbi died of drug abuse…her mother Whitney died at 48 on similar grounds. Great careers and more importantly, great lives lost due to weak fatherhood.

While there is little you can do about your ancestors, there is something that you can do about your descendants. One thing that prevents a man from being a good father is that he hasn’t completed being a boy. To be in your children’s’ memory tomorrow, you have to be in their lives’ today. Having children doesn’t make you a father. Raising them does.

There are many of us who were raised up in unstable families but we don’t have to pass it on to our children. We don’t have to fight in the presence of our children. We can choose to shield their emotions from our disputes as adults. To a large extent, you are a product of your early relationships

Unstable parents create insecure children. Stable parents raise stable children. Children need affection (hugs,), attention (listening) and affirmation (positive words), every day. When a man loves his wife, it creates security and stability. The best gift a father can give his children is to love their mother. Children learn how to handle feelings, loses, failure and conflicts at home.

Regrettably, parenting can neither be delegated nor suspended for a while as we work for the ring of fame and fortune. The growth of children is irreversible. Like a young tree, it takes the bends directed by the gardener, so is the life of a child. You can’t shape it in adulthood; you can’t pick it from where you left after you reach the top in your career pursuits. It’s always easier to model young boys than to rehabilitate grown up men.

If you invest in your child, you don’t have to invest for your child. Children require presence not presents. No amount of gifts and meeting financial obligations can replace your personal presence. Any written will can be torn in a few years after the demise of the writer of the will. The only sure inheritance that you can leave behind is the investment you make in your child not for your child.

More important, We also have to pray for our children against peer pressure or external influence.

Gone, but not forgotten. 42 Years After Murtala Mohammed Was Killed.

Early in the afternoon on Saturday, February 14, 1976 it was announced in the radio by a senior army officer saying, “The Supreme Military Council announces with the deepest regret the death of His Excellency the Head of the Federal Military Government, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Murtala Mohammed.”

Everyone around burst into tears. That evening new Head of State Lt. General Obasanjo said in his broadcast, “The late Head of State was shot yesterday on his way to the office. His ADC, Lt Akinfehinwa, his orderly and driver who were with him in the car were also killed.”

Murtala Mohamed ruled Nigeria for only 200 days but they were the most action-filled, most dynamic, probably the most impactful six months in Nigeria’s history. Those six months spewed more quotable quotes than any other in our history and as students, we learnt our toughest and sternest words from Murtala.

 Murtala, as Nigerians called him, almost never smiled; he spoke forcefully and always used the sternest words. Unlike other soldiers, Murtala did not tuck his army jacket in his trousers. He let it hang loose over the trousers and then tightened both with a large belt. His army cap extended well over his face and mostly covered his eyes, enhancing his menacing posture.

 The man who was known in his Barewa College, Zaria days as Murtala Kurawa was announced by Radio Nigeria on July 29, 1975 as “the new Head of State Brigadier Murtala Rufa’i Mohamed.” Days later, Supreme Headquarters announced that he had changed his name to Murtala Ramat Mohamed, inserting his mother’s name in the middle, a most unusual practice in Nigeria.

In his very first national broadcast on July 30, 1975 Murtala began his reign with sternly bombastic language. He ended his speech by saying, “This government will not tolerate indiscipline. This government will not condone abuse of office.” Over the next six months many more phrases entered the national vocabulary such as “with immediate effect,” “sacked,”  “booted out,” “deadwoods” etc.

On the day he created new states Murtala said, “This is a one time operation and future agitations on this matter will not be tolerated.” Even as people were celebrating their new states Murtala said, “This government will not tolerate any threat to law and order.

 Neither will the government condone any emotional outbursts or provocative demonstration or celebration by any individual or group in support or against the creation of states in any part of the country.”

In his very first broadcast Murtala shocked us no end by cancelling the 1973 census, postponing FESTAC, retiring every military officer above the rank of Brigadier and dissolving the North’s Interim Common Services Agency [ICSA] as well as the East’s Eastern States Interim Assets and Liabilities Agency, ESIALA.

 He later followed up by taking over Ahmadu Bello University [ABU] and New Nigerian Newspapers from ICSA, as well as 60% of the privately owned Daily Times.

The Murtala era is probably most remembered for The Great Purge. Thousands of federal and state civil servants as well as workers in major corporations such as Nigeria Airways, Nigeria Railways, NEPA, Nigeria Ports Authority, P&T, foreign service, universities, police, Customs, Immigration and the armed forces were compulsorily retired and in some cases dismissed for reasons including inefficiency, corruption and abuse of office.

The Army’s retirement list was headed by Col Anthony Aboki Ochefu, Military Governor of East Central State and it included the Chief Imam of the Army and the Chief Chaplain of the Army.

 Almost no day passed without a screaming newspaper headline announcing that so and so agency had “booted out” dozens or hundreds of workers. In later years, old Nigerian civil servants almost unanimously claim that Murtala’s purge enhanced rather than combated corruption in the civil service because it destroyed civil servants’ tenure security. That’s the claim.

Agitation for state creation had reached a crescendo in the late Gowon era and Murtala appointed a committee headed by Justice Ayo Irikife which advised the Supreme Military Council on the matter.

 On February 3, 1976 Murtala created seven new states namely Niger, Bauchi, Gongola, Benue, Ogun, Ondo and Imo. He also renamed North Central to Kaduna State, Mid-Western to Bendel State and South Eastern to Cross River State.

 In the late Gowon era there was also a lot of national discussion about the need to relocate the Federal capital from Lagos, which was highly congested with its notorious go-slow traffic.

In September 1975 Murtala appointed a panel headed by Justice Akinola Aguda. In his February 3, 1976 speech he announced the relocation of the Federal capital, saying the new site was chosen because of its “centrality, low population density, adequate water supply, land availability and use, physical planning convenience, security and multiple access possibilities.”

He also added that the new location does not fall within the territory of any of the three major ethnic groups.

Murtala was at his bombastic best when he announced the confiscation of assets of former rulers. He said, “Suffice it to say that of all the former military governors and the Administrator, East Central State, with the exception of two, were found to have grossly abused their offices and were guilty of several irregular practices.

 Those of them who wore uniforms betrayed the ethics of their professions and they are a disgrace to those professions. They should be ashamed of themselves. They are therefore dismissed with ignominy and with immediate effect.”

Murtala firmly set the stage for the return to democratic rule. at a time when most of Africa was governed by sit-tight soldiers and civilian dictators, Murtala set up the Constitution Drafting Committee [CDC] led by Chief Rotimi Williams that drafted the 1979 Constitution.

 Murtala also suggested to CDC to consider adopting the American-style presidential system, which came to pass.

African nationalists and old Communists like yours sincerely best remember Murtala Mohammed for his role on Angola. Portugal’s colonial rule in Angola collapsed after 500 years but a civil war erupted between the three major liberation movements namely FNLA led by Holden Roberto, UNITA led by Jonas Savimbi and the left-wing MPLA led by Agustinho Neto.

While Cuba and the Soviet Union supported MPLA, Mobutu Sese Seko, the CIA and South Africa’s apartheid regime supported FNLA and UNITA. Nigeria initially supported OAU’s position calling for a government of national unity.

As we learnt later, it was the Inspector General of Police MD Yusuf who brought the great Africanist historian Basil Davidson to see Obasanjo and Murtala and to explain the Angolan situation.

 Murtala then called External Affairs Minister Colonel Joseph Garba, told him to disregard the pledge given to OAU and to immediately recognise MPLA. It was the biggest bombshell and the most courageous foreign policy act ever in Nigeria’s history.

It didn’t end there. When OAU convened an Extra-Ordinary Summit on Angola in January 1976, US President Gerald Ford sent a circular letter to all African heads of state and warned them against recognising MPLA.

Murtala published Ford’s letter and publicly rejected it. The next day Nigerian newspapers came out with banner headlines such as “To hell with America!” Murtala then went to the OAU Summit in Addis Ababa in a suit and smoking a pipe.

 He delivered his most famous speech, “Africa has come of age.” He said Africa will “no longer accept dictates from any so-called superpower.”

Lt Colonel Bukar Suka Dimka was able to ambush and kill General Murtala Mohammed on February 13, 1976 because he lived outside Dodan Barracks and he drove to work in a single car with no motorcade or security escorts. That day was one of the saddest ever in Nigeria’s history.

Dimka was eventually arrested in the company of a female companion, at Friendship Hotel in Afikpo, in Eastern Nigeria.

Following a court-martial, Lieutenant Colonel Dimka and another 38 military officers and civilians were executed by firing squad .

Looking back today, it says much that Murtala enjoys perhaps the cleanest legacy of any Nigerian military leader.

Our failure to address that part of our history has played in his favour, as with many of his peers. But that takes nothing away from the work he did after.

Despite spending just over half a year in power, he left an imprint of dedication and empathy.

In return, Nigeria’s leaders have shown him love and appreciation.

He was the first Nigerian to have his depiction on Nigerian currency, specifically the 20 Naira note.

The International Airport in Lagos is also named Murtala Mohammed Airport in his honour.

In almost every city or state of the country, there are streets, parks, gardens, buildings and other monuments named after him.

We hope today that the military era of Nigeria’s past is gone, for good, but while we have the benefit of hindsight, we will look back at days like that fateful morning in February and think about what it could have been.

‘Why we choose to wear – or not wear – the hijab in today’s society’

February 1st marks annual World Hijab Day (WHD) in recognition of millions of Muslim women who choose to wear the hijab and live a life of modesty.

The brainchild of this movement is a resident of New York, United States, Nazma Khan, who came up with the idea as a means to foster religious tolerance and understanding by inviting women (non-Hijabi Muslims/non-Muslims) to experience the hijab for one day.

For many people, the hijab is a symbol of oppression and segregation. By opening up new pathways to understanding, Nazma hopes to counteract some of the controversies surrounding why Muslim women choose to wear the hijab.

Here three women tell a women’s magazine, Glamour UK, why they choose to wear the hijab, and one woman discusses why she opts not to.


Asha Hussein, 25, social media influencer and blogger

“I was 17 when I made the decision that completely changed my life not just as a Muslim, but as a woman. I decided to wear the hijab.

“Like many women who wear the hijab, it was to become more spiritually connected to my religion, to actively practise Islam and not just to tick the Muslim box on a form.

“The first thing I noticed was that people listened more to what I was saying. I was coming to people as a blank canvas and that, as a woman, is both empowering and liberating. It’s addictive. I am not my hair, I am not my beauty, I am not my body. I am me.

“As a social media influencer, I feel attitudes towards hijab-wearing women can be polarising. You’re either portrayed as an extremist, ISIS sympathiser or an extremely oppressed woman – I’m none of those things. In reality, the only thing extreme about me is how late I leave it to return books to the library.

“My mother, as a British woman, should never have to feel afraid when I leave my home. Hijabis should be admired for holding their heads up high and rocking their hijab every day, without fear.”


Aya Bdaiwi, 27, Interfaith Coordinator and Project Manager at Faiths Forum for London

“At 19 years old, I made the choice to wear the hijab and it empowered me, because it meant I had the power to choose how I presented myself to the world.

“The first day I wore my hijab in public, I was paranoid about how people perceived me. At the time, I was pursuing a career in law and I wondered if my headscarf would be a barrier. But instead, I became more aware of how I was coming across to people and my personality shone through. While I take pride in my appearance, it’s important that I am judged on my personality and mind.

“We are all aware there are a small group of individuals who have twisted Islam to cause fear and division between people. Muslims as a whole are now being judged by the actions of a few people. There’s no denying that there are negative connotations of the hijab everywhere we look today, but this has only spurred me on to make my own choices and not be affected by the judgements of others.

“I’ve learned quickly that you can never please everyone, and if we sought approval from the whole world, you just wouldn’t get anywhere, so I made the choice to please myself and I continued to wear my hijab on a daily basis.”

Khadija Mahamud, 25, digital content creator

“To me, the hijab is more than just a piece of cloth; it’s a symbol of my faith that represents a part of me to the world.

“I started wearing the hijab full-time when I was 15. I was fortunate enough that my mum taught me about the reasons for wearing it and she encouraged me to research its importance. It’s never enough of a reason to do something just because someone else tells you to. In short, it’s because of this that I was able to see the beauty of, and essentially the empowerment of, choosing to cover up.

“In a world where women are often sexualised, there’s something extremely powerful about knowing people won’t judge you based on what you’re wearing.

“People often assume there are limitations to wearing the hijab. For me, it does the opposite; it allows me to be unapologetically myself both as a feminist and as a Muslim woman.

“The media fuels the way people perceive Muslim women; good and bad. We’re either breaking news because we’re breaking boundaries or, somehow, we need to be saved. It seems as though it’s time to accept, Muslim women aren’t so different from other women.”

Muna Jama, 27, former Miss Universe contestant, a model and humanitarian campaigner

“Throughout my career, I have used Islam to guide me but have chosen not to wear the hijab. Instead, I’ve embraced faith through my conversations, my behaviour and the way I dress.

“I showed my own version of modesty when I competed in Miss Universe without wearing a bikini and, instead, was the first woman to wear a kaftan. There were things about Miss Universe that didn’t suit me as a person and I chose to take a stand, so I could make a difference.

“When the media focuses so much on those who wear the hijab, they can forget the diversity of thought among Muslim women. I love wearing a headscarf on certain days and, at other times, practise my modesty entirely differently. That may be wearing a kaftan, owning the catwalk at Modest Fashion Weeks around the world or simply by being a considerate and compassionate person.

“True beauty is defined by our behaviour towards one another and should not be measured by what we wear. The hijab is a wonderful way to practise the Islamic faith but not the only way.

Even One Drink Is Enough to Harm Fetus, Researchers Say

A new study concludes that drinking and pregnancy are not a healthy mix. There's still disagreement over how much is too much.

Is “just one drink” too much if you’re expecting?

While opinions differ, a new study in BMJ Open found that even small amounts of alcohol can do harm to a fetus.

Lead researcher Luisa Zuccolo, a health epidemiologist at the University of Bristol, looked at drinking once or twice a week versus abstaining completely.

Her team reports that drinking up to 2 to 3 drinks was linked to a 10 percent higher risk of preterm delivery.

Her team couldn’t say if that increased risk is caused by alcohol or other factors.

Pregnant women should be advised to abstain, the researchers said, but that recommendation should note a lack of evidence showing a “clear detrimental effect, or safe limit, of light alcohol consumption on outcomes.”

To drink or not to drink?

Last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised that women of childbearing age shouldn’t drink alcohol unless they’re taking birth control.

That advisory drew widespread criticism.

“Alcohol can permanently harm a developing baby before a woman knows she is pregnant,” CDC Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat said in a statement. “About half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, and even if planned, most women won’t know they are pregnant for the first month or so, when they might still be drinking. The risk is real. Why take the chance?”

A 2015 CDC survey found that 10 percent of expectant American women had at least 1 alcoholic beverage during the span of 1 month.

Increasing dangerous odds

Dr. Susan Astley, director of the Washington State Fetal Alcohol Diagnostic and Prevention Network and a professor at the University of Washington, noted that 1 out of every 7 children with fetal alcohol syndrome were exposed to 1–8 drinks a week while their mothers were pregnant.

Genetics also play a role.

The risk is not only based on how much alcohol a mother consumes. No two fetuses are equally vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol, she noted.

“The message to women is simple: When a pregnant woman drinks, her child is at risk. If she drinks heavily, her child is at higher risk,” Astley told Healthline.

To ensure the healthiest baby possible, women shouldn’t drink alcohol when trying to conceive or when they are pregnant. Those having a hard time trying to stop drinking should seek help.

“The only safe amount to drink, for all fetuses, is none at all,” Astley added.

Dr. Amos Grünebaum, a professor and director of obstetrics, as well as chief of labor and delivery at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, told Healthline that the new study confirms the fact that even small amounts of alcohol can cause harm to a baby.

“Pregnant women are always reminded to eat healthy food and to stay away from anything that can potentially harm the baby. Alcohol has zero nutritional value so there is no question why it shouldn’t be used in pregnancy,” he noted.

The common notion that Europeans drink regularly during pregnancy and it is safe is not true, he contended.

“Europeans do it all the time and many babies in Europe are born with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). In fact, some European countries have among the highest incidence of FAS worldwide,” Grünebaum said.

“Alcohol is a poison, no matter how you look at it,” he explained. “There is no safe amount for any pregnant women to drink because it is different from one person to another. The only safe amount is to not drink alcohol at all in pregnancy.”

“We don’t encourage smoking tobacco, heroin, cocaine, or marijuana use in pregnancy, and alcohol is potentially worse,” he added

Fix your Scratched CDs And DVDs, With A Banana Peel

According to a report posted on littlethings.com  . It might sound weird, but this genius life hack can help bring your favorite albums and movies right back to life again, saving you from spending tons of cash by replacing them every time they start to skip in your player.

I can’t tell you how many scratched CDs and DVDs I’ve thrown out over the years — which is exactly why I wish I had known this super simple hack for fixing them with a banana peel ages ago!

Trust me, I was skeptical about grabbing something from the kitchen to help fix the pesky discs, but I was singing a totally different tune by the time I finished the clip below.

It’s really as easy as it sounds — peel a banana, then swipe over the scratched CD or DVD with the soft inside to fill in all the cracks that were keeping you from enjoying the entertainment.

Now I feel terrible about all the movies and albums I’ve tossed away in frustration, but I’m even more glad I can use this to make them last longer from now on.

Annual voodoo celebration takes place in Benin

Thousands of voodoo followers on January 10th converged at the beach in Ouidah, Benin where they worship spirits and pay homage to the millions of slaves who have passed by this road, when Ouidah was a key location for slave trade in West Africa.

Born in the kingdom of Dahomey (present-day Togo and Benin), voodoo has been exported to Louisiana, Brazil, Haiti, and now has 50 million members worldwide.

Despite the huge criticism this festival receives because of its animist ways, the practice of voodoo as a pristine religion was carried by African slaves to spread in Haiti, Cuba, Brazil, and New Orleans in America.

While it is practiced among the Fon people along the West African coast in Togo, Benin and parts of southwest Nigeria, the undisputed capital of voodoo is Ouidah, about 42km west of Cotonou the commercial capital of Benin.

According to agency report, at the ceremony in Ouidah, spiritual leader Daagbo Hounan Houna II appealed to the gods.

The priests and dignitaries set a chicken on fire at a ceremony before spreading its blood and palm oil on a fetish made out of cowrie shells and sand.

Festivals celebrated by people in West Africa are often a representation of their traditional beliefs, religious heritage and cultural identity. That is why the roots and origins of some of the most popular festivals are steeped in religion and religious activities and worship.

The national voodoo holiday in the West African country of Benin had a distinctively political accent this year as practitioners from Africa and the Americas gathered on Sunday to offer prayers and sacrifices for peace.

The Atlantic coast town of Ouidah, once an important port in the slave trade, to pray for calm during the tiny country’s presidential election scheduled for February.

Michelle Obama and her eldest daughter Malia made a rare appearance in swimsuits as they are enjoying the sun in Miami for vacation.

Michelle, 53, looked sensational in a white bikini top matched with high-waisted white denim cut-off shorts as she trudged her way barefoot through the sand, holding her shoes in one hand.

So Michelle Obama Was Just Covering Up Because She Was The First Lady ?
The mother and 19-year-old daughter were spotted walking off Miami Beach on Saturday surrounded by friends – including former Obama administration senior advisor Valerie Jarrett – and Secret Service personnel .

The former first lady also sported a long white blouse, a bandanna and large fold hoop earrings for the outing.
Malia was looking similarly casual alongside her mother in a tan hoodie over her swimsuit, of which just her black bikini bottoms were visible.

The tall teen toted in her hands a pair of white sneakers and her iPhone with a charger.
The day at the beach appeared to be all about girl time as former president Barack Obama was nowhere to be seen.

Gani Adams Was Crowned As Aare Ona Kakanfo ( The Yoruba War Warrior )

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi and the new Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Chief Gani Adams have said that the unity among Yoruba is  sacrosanct.

They spoke  on Saturday in Oyo after Gani Adams’ installation  as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland.

Adams was installed  19 years after the demise of the 14th Aare Ona Kakanfo, the businessman and politician Chief MKO Abiola.

traditional rites were performed on Adams by the Alaafin before he was installed as the Aare Ona Kakanfo

Adeyemi said that disunity among Yoruba sons and daughters must be discouraged, saying it has affected the race a lot.

The monarch, who tasked Adams to ensure unity among the Yoruba, has said he picked him because Adams loves the Yoruba race, its culture and tradition.

“He has contributed immensely to upholding them. He has shown enough charisma to deserve the honour. He may be young but he is very bold and courageous.

“Gani Adams is a cultural enthusiast who projects and defends our race wherever he goes. These are traits synonymous with an Aare Ona Kakanfo,’’ the monarch said.

Adeyemi dismissed insinuations that occupiers of the position die young, adding that they have invoked the spirit of the ancestors to grant him long life and the race unity.

According to him, “I have installed two Aare Ona Kakanfos as the Alaafin and I don’t want to install another before I join my ancestors.

Adams stated that he was not pleased with the level of unity in Yoruba land, pledging that he would do more as a bridge-builder.

Adams called on the south-west governors to unite for the advancement of Yoruba irrespective of their political affiliations.

“It is 558 years ago that the first Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba land, Kokorogengen of Iwoye was installed. I know that so much is expected of me.

“My appointment is a challenge, considering the power and glamour brought to the position by the 13th and I4th occupiers, Late Chief S. L. Akintola and Late Chief MKO Abiola respectively.

“I consider myself lucky because there was no war ravaging the Yoruba nation now, except the gradual extinction of Yoruba culture and values which must be urgently protected and preserved,’’ he said.

He called on the federal government to ensure good road and rail network as well as electricity  to boost the tourism potentials of the country like it operated in some countries.

“I want to assure you all that I will not disappoint you on my new role. I will establish Aare Ona Kakanfo Foundation and website for the projection of Yoruba culture and values.

“I will give scholarships to Yoruba children to aid their education because education is light. I promise to preserve and protect Yoruba culture and values,’’ he said.

He pledged to work with traditional rulers and leaders across Yoruba land to foster the desired unity.

Earlier, Archbishop Emeritus Ayo Ladigbolu, Chairman, Committee for the Installation of Aare Ona Kakanfo said that there was need for the constitution of ‘The Kakanfo Directorate Council’ made up eminent and credible Yoruba leaders.

“This would assist the Kakanfo to successfully tackle the issues of peaceful co-existence among diverse ethnic nationalities, religious tolerance, national reorientation and civic responsibility.

“It will also help him on South-west integration, re-invigoration of the pride of place of Yoruba language and culture as well as other pressing issues,’’ he said

while performing the traditional rites he used 15 calabashes to pray for unity and peace for Yoruba race and Nigeria.

The calabashes used belonged to 14 former Aare Ona Kakanfo and his own calabash.

The Evil of Drug Addiction- She Cannot Eat Until She Smoking.

 An investigation into the lives of a group of five young ladies who indulge in various forms of drugs and ugly trend among youths, especially girls in Lagos Nigeria  who are bequeathing the obnoxious tradition to their younger ones.
The use of marijuana, its verities and other types of drugs have been in the upswing. These days drug use has become part of life among the Nigerian youth, bequeathed to them by the older generation.

 Now, the youths are taking over drug use and it is making negative impact in their lives and in society.

In a recent investigation carryout by THISDAY on the impact of their lives and how they are infecting the lives of the young ones around them with the loathsome habit.

Somewhere in Surulere, a suburb in Lagos State, a group of young girls live in one apartment without definite line of work. They earn money sleeping with men they meet in night clubs and other rendezvous. That is how they sustain their lives in the city.

Back home where they come from in the state located in the Niger Delta, their families believe they are working so hard in Lagos and sent their younger siblings to them to train in school.

In their village, there is no doubt to their source of livelihood as some of them return home, driving posh cars, creating the impression they are doing well in Lagos. Besides their line of work as strumpets, another thing they have in common is that they are drug addicts.

 They indulge in all kinds of drugs and hard liquor even as they live together with their young ones averaging 13 to eight years. The five women have six younger siblings living with them.

They send them to school, pay their fees and cook together like in a commune. They also smoke together before the young ones who over the years have accepted inhaling marijuana smoke and its hard aroma as part of life.

“You know, weed is just vegetable. Sometimes we cook with it; sometimes we just smoke it. I came to Lagos in 2014 but I have been smoking weed for years so it is not new to me.

When I smoke I am happy. Anytime I am down in spirit I smoke and become happy. Sometimes we just smoke together, exchanging it among ourselves and after we are happy and play and sing and dance.

“There was a man that had a large farm of Indian hemp near my place in the village. He was also smoking it and he was always happy, so even as a young girl then, I smoked weed because I wanted to be happy.

“When I came to Lagos I had a boyfriend who is in Immigration. He started a restaurant for me but I couldn’t cope because people who come there were always looking at my bom-bom (buttocks) and wanted to sleep with me.

After some time I close the business,” one of the girls who spoke but refusing to speak on what she does now for a living, she talked about the different clubs in Lagos and her capacity to stand alcohol.

“I can down half of the content of Black Label at a sitting. That is my favourite. In the club I can take many shots of tequila and still be okay. Some of my friends can take much more,” she said.

She said that it is God that would save the young siblings who are living with them because they are exposed to drug use daily.

“Right now I am living with my immediate elder sister. We have two older sisters. One is late now. When I came to Lagos I came with the daughter of my elder sister who is still alive but lives in the village.

My sister that is living with me also brought the daughter of my late sister. So two of us are living with two of our nieces and I am directly in charge of one of them.

“The other girls have their relations with them. The little ones are six and we are just five adults. The niece my sister is looking after is the child of our second sister who died, leaving four children for her husband.

But that man has become useless. He is always smoking weed so he was not taking care of them. He will go mad soon because he does nothing but smoke weed. He does not even eat.

So he was happy when my mother came to take the children away from him,” she explained.When asked how the kids react when the adults indulge in drugs, she responded, “They are used to it.

It is God that will help them. I don’t smoke when they are around. I smoke when they go to school and I don’t smoke always. But there is one of us that cannot eat unless she smoked and she smokes when the children are there.

And she doesn’t even know how to wrap weed (laughs); she will beg somebody to wrap for her. After smoking she will become hungry and eat very, very well. Without smoking she cannot eat.”

As club girls, they usually lazy about during the day, smoking marijuana and hard drugs while waiting for nightfall. The one that spoke to THISDAY however claims to be learning how to sew clothes; while another said she is a graduate and had just recently passed from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

The young ones have learnt how to cook food and cook for the adults. They contribute money to cook for all and do so when they pay the bills, but everyone takes care of the young ones she brought to Lagos in terms of clothing and pay their school fees.

Sometimes when they get charged after smoking they fight before the children and talk about sex and vent all kinds of vulgarity. The major platform for fighting is when one snatches another’s boyfriend (customer) in the club.

Former spokesman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mitchell Ofoyeju, said that drug abuse has numerous negative effects on the health of the user, the family and the society at large.

“Nobody is immune from the devastating consequences of drug production, trafficking, and abuse. Drugs affect the body in various ways. Alcohol-related problems include liver cirrhosis, pancreatic, peptic ulcer, tuberculosis, hypertension and neurological disorder.

 It can also cause mental retardation for the fetus in the womb, growth, deficiency, delayed motor development when taken by pregnant mothers. There are equally psychiatric effects like pathological drunkenness and suicidal behaviour.

“Tobacco causes stimulation of heart and narrowing of blood vessels, producing hypertension, headache, loss of appetite, nausea and delayed growth of the fetus. It also aggravates or causes sinusitis, bronchitis, cancer, strokes, and heart attack.

Abuse of stimulants can lead to lethargy, irritability, exaggerated self-confidence, damage nose linings, sleeplessness, and psychiatric complications,” he said.

“Apart from the health effects, drug trafficking and abuse also have social consequences like broken homes, increased crime rate, sexual offenses, homicide and sexually transmitted diseases.

When a trafficker is arrested and sentenced to imprisonment, the family members suffer. In most cases, they will not meet their family in peace when they complete their jail terms.

Those who use drugs, on the other hand, may be involved in spouse battering. Many marriages have broken due to domestic violence induced by drug use. Most rape cases are committed under the influence of drugs.

Dropping out of school and work is also common among people who use drugs because drug use takes pre-eminence over any other activity of value to them. Similarly, they can sell any valuable property to purchase drugs.

Where there is nothing to sell, they can resort to begging, stealing and even robbery. Besides, female drug users can easily exchange sex for drugs. In the process, sexually transmitted diseases can be contracted.

Terminal ailments such as HIV and hepatitis can also be spread through injecting drug use, most criminals also rely on stimulant drugs to embolden them in perpetrating their atrocious acts, stating that armed robbers, kidnappers, and terrorists at one point or another depend on drugs to function.

In Nigeria, most youths have been caught in the web of drug abuse. The prevalent drug of abuse is cannabis also called hemp. Cannabis use is widespread because it is locally grown.

Apart from cannabis, the abuse of psychoactive drugs like tramadol, cough syrups with codeine, Rohypnol, and diazepam is also common among youths who add it to soft drinks to deceive their parents from suspecting they are into drugs.

For the six kids in the commune of the club ladies, what will be their future? Will they be able to attend university, come out and become responsible citizens, after they have been so exposed to drugs and prostitution at such early age ?

The answer lies in the uncertainly of tomorrow, but for the present, those young ones need to be saved.

NTA’s Cyril Stober Marries Elizabeth Banu, Also Of NTA

NTA veteran broadcaster who served and retired from service in 2015 is set to marry yet another TV broadcaster with same TV station.

The Network news and TuesdayLive legend, Cyril stober is to tigh the knot with his hearthrob and fellow colleague, on NTA Network news.

Elizabeth Banu is the lucky woman to grab Cyril after many years of courtship.
The two broadcasters are known to be the legends in NTA’s news department for their role in casting news on the NTA TV station.

Today the 13th of January , the traditional wedding took place at Banu’s home town Yola, the Adamawa’s state capital.NTA veteran broadcaster and Network news legend, Cyril stober is about to tigh the knot with his fellow colleague, on NTA Network news, Elizabeth Banu.

 The two broadcasters are known to be the legends in NTA’s news department. Today, the traditional wedding took place at Banu’s home town in Garkida, Adamawa’s state.

Today is merry making after the two have been in an unexposed relationship for quite some time within and outside the station.

Cyril was born in Minna, also had been previously married but decided to take his relationship to the next level .

An infamous Mercedes-Benz used by Adolf Hitler to be auctioned in Arizona

In A Report By Gary Gastelu | Fox News,
A Mercedes-Benz that was used to shuttle Adolf Hitler around Nazi Germany will be auctioned in Arizona early this year and could be worth millions, if anyone steps up to bid on it.

The 1939 Mercedes-Benz 770K Grosser Offener Tourenwagen’s anonymous owner will offer the car to bidders at the Worldwide Auctioneers event in Scottsdale on Jan. 17, during the city’s annual classic car extravaganza.

While any Nazi symbols on the vehicle were removed long ago, the ghosts of its past remain.

The imposing, four-door convertible “Super Mercedes” is one of a handful of cars used by the German High Command that have a well-documented connection to Hitler himself, including parading him through Berlin after the defeat of France in 1940 and after the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece in 1941. Benito Mussolini also got a ride in it during a visit to Germany.

The partially-armored car eventually fell out of this use and turned up in France, where it was captured after the war by American forces who, no doubt unaware of its notoriety, assigned it to a military police motor pool for several months.

In 1946, the car found its way into private hands in Belgium, and three years after that, an American tobacco merchant purchased it and donated it to the Greenville, N.C., branch of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Ironically, like many other vehicular trophies from the war, it was rolled out for patriotic parades, according to Robert Klara, author of “The Devil's Mercedes: The Bizarre and Disturbing Adventures of Hitler's Limousine in America,” which chronicles the controversial legacy of this car and others from the Fuehrer’s fleet.

The car later sat for years in a garage and had been nearly forgotten in 1976 when collectors Steve Munson and Joe Ogden purchased it for $50,000. When they discovered its possible ties to Hitler, they spent another $50,000 to restore it.

Munson and Ogden publicized the car and displayed it in several venues before it was sold twice more for unknown amounts. (One of the sales was rumored to be on the order of $1 million). In 1983, it found a home at the Imperial Palace Collection in Las Vegas, an enormous car museum owned by Ralph Engelstad, a casino operator. Engelstad had a private room full of Nazi relics in which he held Hitler-themed birthday parties that got him slapped with a $1.5 million fine from Nevada gaming authorities.

After Engelstad died in 2002, the car and several other Mercedes from the collection were sold to a European collector. It was sold again in 2009 to an anonymous buyer known only to be a wealthy Russian businessman, who displayed it briefly in a Moscow car museum to celebrate the Russian-led Soviet Union’s role in defeating the Nazis.

Michael Fröhlich, the German car dealer who brokered the sale, would not confirm how much the Russian businessman paid for the car, citing confidentiality stipulations. But to the best of his knowledge, he said, it hasn’t been sold since.

Now it likely will be — and in the same city where what turned out to be a phony Hitler-linked Mercedes was sold amid protests and bomb threats for a then-record $153,000 in 1973.

Ken Jacobson, deputy national director of the Anti-Defamation League, said the organization isn’t so much concerned about next month’s auction itself as it is about what will happen to the car afterward.

“We understand there is a market for war memorabilia and that serious collectors are interested in items like this,” Jacobson told Fox News. “While we don’t have an issue with Nazi-era automobiles like this going up for auction, we would not want to see the vehicle winding up in the hands of someone who would use it to glorify Hitler or the deeds of the Nazis. Ideally, we would prefer to see it housed in a museum, so that it could be understood in its proper context.”

Klara agrees. He said the car is a legitimate World War II timepiece, but it’s also a “socially radioactive one that needs to be handled in a historically responsible way, because there isn’t anyone who doesn’t have an opinion on a car like this….

“The onus is on the owner to present it in a correct, culturally sensitive context. That’s the job of a museum, but a tougher task for a private collector.”

Just how much the car will sell for remains to be seen. One of America’s most prominent classic car valuation experts, who asked to remain anonymous, said a Mercedes-Benz like this is likely worth $5 million to $7 million, but this one, given its historical significance, could sell for double that.

Whatever it goes for, the auction house said the seller has promised to donate 10 percent of the proceeds to an unidentified organization dedicated to Holocaust education.

Mum Who Sleeps With Her Sons Confesses -- Once I Stop Sleeping With Him, Our Wealth Will Vanish

A Zambian mother Banda Yvonne, a 52-year-old, has confessed to sleeping with her son to grow his wealth and keep him alive.

According to Yvonne, she has been having sex with her son every Wednesday for the past 14 years, adding that the day she stops, the boy will lose his wealth and his life.

The 52-year old made the confession to ZambiaWatchDog, saying she got the instruction from the ‘witch doctor’ he got his riches from.

Tired of the evil act, Yvonne made a confession in church and sought prayers but continued the sexual relationship due to fear her son will die a painful death.

I have been sleeping with my son, Abel since 2002 when he started his transportation business which has grown tremendously and he now owns a fleet of trucks, buses and other small cars.

We have sex every Wednesday and we do it at my house where the charm was buried.”
the price is that, once I stop sleeping with him, all our hard earned wealth will vanish in thin air and my son will die a very painful death.

Nigerian Man Shows Off The Children And Grandchildren From His Mother

A Nigerian man, Salihu Tanko Yakasai shared a picture of himself with his siblings, (all from the same mother) and their children.

Yakasai who is also the Director-General, Media and Communications got Kano State Government House, revealed that his father has three other wives.

He shared the picture on his Twitter page and wrote;

Later some people will come and tell you that the North is counting cows as its population. This is just the kids and grandchildren from my mum, and my dad has four wives

The picture has gone viral and many wonder how a mother could be so blessed with many children.

SEE THE LIST OF THINGS SCIENTIST SAYS WILL MAKE YOU HAPPIER IN 2018

Want to truly have a happy New Year ? Positive psychology specialist Florence Servan-Schreiber suggests 11 easy things you can do to lift your mood, which are scientifically-proven to have a positive effect on the brain.

1. MAKE LOVE MORE OFTEN
Sexually active individuals are generally more optimistic and positive for the simple reason that sex leads to the release of serotonin, a natural antidepressant. Give free rein to your emotions and let all that nervous tension ease away.

2. LAUGH MORE
Laughter, like exercise, makes the body produce endorphins - the happiness hormones - and strengthens our immune system.

3. SPEND MORE TIME WITH FRIENDS
Social interactions play an important role in improving quality of life, health and happiness levels.

4. SHOW COMPASSION
Neuroscientists and psychologists have found that altruism lowers levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), reducing inflammation, slowing heart rate, reducing blood pressure and pain.

5. EAT FOOD RICH IN OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS
Several studies have highlighted a link between omega-3 fatty acids and improved mood. Found in nuts - particularly walnuts - as well as seeds (chia, linseed), oily fish and certain oils (canola, walnut, linseed), these essential fatty acids are veritable mood lifters.

6. MEDITATE
Meditation focuses the mind and body on the present moment. This allows us to take control of the body's autopilot and curb wandering thoughts. With regular practice (10 minutes per day at first), you can learn to appease mind and body, and bring about a state of calm.

7. GET BUSY IN THE GARDEN
Mowing the lawn, digging, picking and gathering, stacking wood, weeding and raking are all manual activities which, as well as connecting us to the real world, help awaken all five senses and focus attention on the task in hand, not unlike hypnosis.

8. TAKE A NAP
Napping for 30 minutes per day has many health benefits, while also making us more efficient and creative.

9. CHEW GUM
In times of stress and overwork, chewing gum can help relieve pressure in the brain. In fact, chewing can boost blood flow to the brain by 25% to 40%, in turn increasing the amount of oxygen getting to the brain.

10. A WAFT OF VANILLA
Smells and essences can affect our mood considerably. Vanilla has been the focus of several scientific studies and could be the most effective aroma for uplifting our state of mind.

11. GET BACK TO NATURE
Walks in the countryside can not only make us happier but also reduce our tendency to mull over and dwell on negative thoughts. If the sun is shining, the mood-lifting benefits will be even greater. Plus, wide open spaces can fill us with awe and wonder, which can help foster feelings of fulfillment.

90-Year-Old Man Weds His 83-Year-Old Girlfriend

 An elderly couple in Uganda has taken another chance at love. A 90-year-old groom recently weds his 83-year-old bride on December 27, 2017.

 The wedding ceremony was held at Saint James Cathedral, Kigorobya, Hoima District.

Yakono and Jane Rwakaikara were joined together in holy matrimony by a retired bishop. Diocese Nathan Kyamanywa, the retired bishop of Bunyoro Kitara thanked the couple for taking another chance at love. He told the congregation that it was not too late to take God’s way.

Bishop Kyamanywa noted the couple has challenged the young generation to also follow the way of God. He further added that he had never wedded a couple as old as the Rwakaikara, saying that it is a blessing to him.

According to New Vision, the groom is famous in Uganda for supporting the National Resistance Movement (NRM) bush struggle in which he lost some of his children.

The NRM is a political party that was formed after the Ugandan Bush War, a war waged between 1981 and 1986 in Uganda by the National Resistance Army under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni against the government of Milton Obote.

Useful properties of garlic for men’s sexual life

Young guys sometimes have problems of erectile dysfunction. However, this diagnosis most often affect men who are over forty years old. Their decreased potency puts stress on the male body and psyche. They may experience a feeling of inferiority and self-doubt. Fortunately, these inconveniences can be eliminated with the help of absolutely natural products. In this article, we will talk about the benefits of garlic sexually.
More and more people prefer natural remedies to chemical ones. But some people still do not know the benefits of garlic. Some men run away from it due to the embarrassing smell. But garlic can be helpful in overcoming unpleasant diseases. is not necessary to consume a lot of garlic at a go. You can prepare special infusions, add the spice to dishes and you will see that it is useful for increasing potency.
Garlic benefits for men
Many will wonder; what does garlic do for the body? Let’s figure it out.
Even in ancient times, this product was famous for its ability to help with male sexual problems. It leads to an increase in male potency. This spicy vegetable clears the blood vessels and dilutes the blood in the body. This, in turn, improves blood circulation and strengthens its inflow to the pelvis.
Garlic is an aphrodisiac capable of enhancing sexual attraction so it has a direct relationship with potency. It is believed that if you eat half of the head of this plant before sexual intercourse, then you will not have problems with erection. Garlic is also very important in the treatment of infertility.

It contains useful microelements but the most important for the male body is the selenium. This substance is involved in the biosynthetic testosterone processes supporting the normal production of the basic androgen that ensures the healthy functioning of the reproductive system. Selenium also improves the quality properties of seminal fluid. This element is involved in spermatogenesis, promoting the formation of mobile and healthy spermatozoa.
As you can see, the importance of garlic is huge. Therefore, this vegetable is an indispensable product that should be a part of men’s diet.
Ways to eat garlic
It’s recommended that men and women consume garlic in fresh form since many useful properties are lost when it is cooked. Therefore, it is better to eat a couple of garlic cloves than to add it in large quantities to boiled, fried, and other types of food.
The addition of garlic into your diet does not mean that you should only eat it in its pure form every day. The beneficial properties of this spicy plant can be strengthened by combining it with other equally useful products. For example, you can prepare a special salad consisting of grated ingredients: garlic, carrot, and apple with 1 tablespoon of honey. Eat this 2 times a day before breakfast and before going to bed to combat sexual impotence.
Garlic infusions
Traditional medicine offers several recipes of medicinal products for male potency made from garlic:
Choose and store garlic correctly
The useful properties of garlic do not depend on the size of the cloves. It is all about the quality. Therefore, this must be considered seriously.
Garlic has to be dry and hard, without traces of decay and black spots. It shouldn’t be pressed like a soft sponge. If such signs are observed it is better to throw away. If the product is wet this means that rotting has already begun inside. Substandard food is very harmful.
Do not buy those heads that have already begun to germinate because the amount of vitamins and useful substances in them is minimal. This garlic can only be added to dishes, it is useless for the prevention and treatment of diseases.
Keep garlic in a well-ventilated place, away from bright light. Excellent storage is a cool and dark area with ventilation. But refrigerator is not the best place for this product. Garlic will start to rot there quickly because of the excess of humidity.
Using garlic without harming your
health
Despite its many useful properties, garlic is not for everyone. It’s not just about the unpleasant odor from the mouth. You can get rid of this smell. But there are a number of contraindications when the product can’t be used.
When a person suffers gastrointestinal tract and liver diseases, the spicy vegetable is not recommended for consumption because it can make things worse. Often it can lead to indigestion. The use of garlic in large quantities can also lead to allergic reactions.
Garlic can be poisonous to the brain! Taking it in very large amounts can cause headaches and absent-mindedness. You may even experience blurred vision and forgetfulness. Therefore, garlic must be used in small doses.
How to get rid of the smell of garlic?
If you want to enjoy all the benefits of eating garlic and do not want to bring discomfort to people around you, you need to solve the problem of unpleasant odor. It is caused by the sulfur compounds which is in high concentration. Glass of milk will help you to lower the concentration of these compounds. The milk should be fatty. You can also remove the smell of garlic by chewing parsley or a slice of lemon.
With the correct use of garlic and other selenium-rich foods, the sexual life of a man will always be at optimum level. As for potency, when using chemical drugs, the effect is instantaneous but short-lived whereas garlic affects potency slowly but its effectiveness last longer.
Of course, it’s not reasonable to put all your hope on garlic benefits. In addition to healthy food, men should also be physically healthy and eat balanced diet

Nigerian Lady and her son rock NYSC outfit during her POP

During the week, the NYSC batch B stream II celebrated their passing out parade aka POP.

As usual stunning photos and Videos of ex Corp members have been flying round social media………. However a photo of a mother and her son in matching khaki outfit went viral and became an exception among the other stunning pictures, simply because it was too adorable.

The Happy Mother known as Titilope Rickettsattended Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye. Class of 2015 and is a mother of one.

Titi took to her Facebook wall to express her gratitude to God.

She wrote ;

Thank you Lord for your faithfulness, goodness, favour grace preservation over my life. The journey has been so rough and tough but you’ve been there for me, it’s you baba.

#done and dusted#

#baby corper#

End of Allawy, welcome to University of life.

I wore hijab to challenge the status quo, Firdaus explains defiance

Amasa Firdaus, the Nigeria Law School graduate who was refused her call to bar for failing to remove her hijab, has told TheCable.ng  that her defiance was to challenge the status quo.

The incident, which took place at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, has generated intense debate on the internet.

Firdaus, who has been asked by the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria (MSSN) not to speak on the controversial issue, told TheCable that she intentionally wore the hijab in a bid to challenge the status quo.

Asked why she did not wait to be called to bar before embarking on the campaign, she said those who have removed their hijabs in the past did nothing to change the situation.

Firdaus told TheCable that there is no law preventing female Muslim lawyers from wearing hijabs, adding that the restriction is a mere convention.

“Actually there are no rules preventing us from wearing hijabs. They just call it convention that the British gave to us and we have to stick to it,” Firdaus told TheCable.

“I used them. They complained [during] my first [law] dinner. That is how they do on every campus. You don’t wear hijab for dinner but I did. I chose Abuja because I know they were a little lenient.

“People have been removing their hijab over the years. What have those people who have removed it done?”

A Nigerian Law School graduate denied access to the venue of the call to bar ceremony recently, Miss Firdaus Amasa, has revealed that she was prepared to fight the battle until she gets justice.

She said her demand remains the need to grant approval for the use of hijab among Muslim law graduates.

Firdaus Amasa, a graduate of the University of Ilorin, had been denied access to the ceremony after insisting on wearing hijab during the ceremony.

She was specifically refused entry into the hall for insisting to wear the wig on top of her hijab–a headscarf.

The case has attracted significant attention on social media, with Nigerians divided on her decision and that of the authorities of the law school.

Amasa while speaking on Saturday maintained that she remained resolute in her convictions to set a precedent for Hijab-wearing Muslims during the ceremony.

She said, “My major concern is the approval of Hijab so that every person coming behind me will be able to use it for the call to bar (ceremony)”.

When asked whether she was aware of rules and regulations against the use of Hijab at the ceremony, she said there was none, stressing that it was merely based on conventions.

“There is nothing like that (laws preventing the use of Hijab)”.

“When you ask them too, they tell you it is convention; that that is how it is done and it has to remain like that”.

Asked what motivated her to take the decision, she explained that she wanted to change the narrative and give Muslim ladies the rights to express their constitutional rights as enshrined in the constitution.

“I knew that was what was going to happen”

She, however, declared that she remained resolute in her convictions to speak for the recognition of rights of female Muslim law graduates.

She explained further that the Law School has not said anything on the case, adding that the support from the Muslim community has been impressive.

“My demand is that Hijab should be approved”.

Lives of Africa's second largest ethnic group

They speak the Hausa language, which happens to be the language with the largest number of speakers across Africa.

As reported by pulse.ng on it's site, hausa is the second largest tribe in the whole of Africa.

Not too many people can tell the difference between the Hausas, Kanuris, and Fulanis.

The reason for this could be for the fact that they are widely distributed geographically and have intermingled with many different peoples.

The Hausas are mainly spread across the Sahel, which consists  parts of northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, central Mali, northern Burkina Faso, the extreme south of Algeria, Niger, extreme north of Nigeria, central Chad, central and southern Sudan, extreme north of South Sudan, Eritrea, Cameroon, Central African Republic and extreme north of Ethiopia, the Hausas are a people with rich cultural heritage.

They speak the Hausa language, which happens to be the language with the largest number of speakers across Africa.

However, in Nigeria, they are located mainly in the North-western part of the country; adjoining southern Niger.

This area is mostly semi-dry grassland or savanna that are dotted with cities and surrounded by farming communities.

And the cities of this region include Kano, Sokoto, Zaria, and Katsina.

As a people, it is more like a custom for families to live together in a large house (family compound) that include a man, his wives, his sons, and their wives and children.

Hence the cooperation of relatives in activities such as farming and trade.

It is, however, important to note that this lifestyle is mostly lived by rural dwellers; as it is not the case with those living in urban regions.

Nevertheless, this cooperation still exists among relatives in the cities. Because they do not only tend to collaborate in business activities, they also live not too far from each other.

Obviously, it is this togetherness the Hausas usually exhibit among themselves even when they are far away from home.

To the vast majority of Hausa people, Islam has become their way of life. It almost impossible to find a core Hausa who is not a devout Muslim.

A matter of fact, from about the age of six, Hausa children attend ( Makaranta )  schools where teachings are based on Islamic doctrines.

They learn to recite the scriptures and learn about the practices, teachings, and morals of Islam. By the time they reach adulthood, many achieve high levels of Islamic scholarship.

With a strong belief in Allah, the most beneficent and merciful, they practice the doctrines of Islam which include praying five times a day.

However, scattered here and there within the rural areas are a small group of people who for reasons known to them choose to practice the Maguzawa religion.

But Maguzawa is not a religion per say. It is a name given to those who resisted the Islamic faith from Shehu Usman Fodio and continue with the general Hausa or the known Hausa tradition which includes the worshiping of nature spirits with the help of idols.

The dominant food among the Hausas includes grains (sorghum, millet, or rice) and maize. They are usually ground into flour for a variety of foods.

Breakfast often consists of porridge. And sometimes it includes cakes made of fried beans (kosai) or wheat flour (funkaso).

While lunch and dinner usually include a heavy porridge known as "Fura." It is served with a soup or stew (miya).

Most soups are made with ground or chopped tomatoes, onions, and peppers. To this are added spices and other vegetables such as spinach, pumpkin, and okra. Small amounts of meat are eaten. Beans, peanuts, and milk also add protein to Hausa diets.

However, when it comes to attire, the Hausa men are distinguished by their elaborate gown.

Majority of them wear large, flowing gowns known as babban riga. They also wear colorful embroidered caps called huluna.

The women, on the other hand, wear a wrap-around robe made of colorful cloth with a matching blouse, head tie, and shawl.

Traditionally, Hausa marriage is based on Islamic rites. Although the ceremony is similar to the marriage of some Nigerian culture, it is, however, not as expensive as most of them.

The process preceding the marriage is also similar to that of most cultures across the country.  It usually begins with what is known as "Na gani ina" meaning, I like what I see.

Here the groom-to-be is accompanied by his family members and friends (men only) to visits the bride's family. And of course they do not go empty-handed; they go with gifts and fruits. Kola nuts must be included as well.

The gifts can either be accepted or rejected by the brides' father. If it is accepted, the groom is then permitted to see the bride.

However, this permission is solely purposed for the two of them to know each other’s likes and dislikes: Intimacy is strictly discouraged.

After this, if the girl feels comfortable with marrying the man, she will give her consent. And it is now left for the brides' family to communicate the approval to the groom's family.