JUST MY 2KOBO: THE SIMONS AND THE JIDES

BY TOJU

She sat next to me in the bus, pretty young thing ignoring her phone. It rang again and she did what she had been doing for the last twenty minutes - checked who it was and dropped it back into her bag hissing. I swore under my breath that the next time I heard her annoying ring tone, I would throw it out of the bus (you know those ring tones found in “China phones” that are always loud and irritating). It rang again (I still don’t know why I didn’t throw it out) this time she picked the call.

“What!” she asked irritated and annoyed.

“No, I can’t make it… I’m still at the office and it would take me time to get home” she answered the caller.

I looked around me just to make sure I was in a bus and not her office as she lied, I felt like saying “Haba, aunty” but instead I chose to mind my business.

“No no no… don’t wait for me, I’ll be long” she was saying evidently annoyed

“I said I don’t know when I’ll be back…”

“Is it that you are not hearing me or is it that you don’t understand…” she retorted

“Look, do what ever you like “

At that instant, I felt totally ashamed. Who was this guy that was dragging our gender into the mud? I felt like dragging the phone from her and screaming into it “De girl talk say she no wan make you wait for am, Na by force!”  She had hung up by now but the idiot kept calling back. Obviously, she did not pick it thus we were stuck with that annoying ring tone. Fifteen minutes later, (I guess) the phone was still ringing, talk about resilience abi na tenacity?

The whole thing made me think, what was so special about the lady seated besides me that would make a guy call over and over again? Was it her cooking? Did she owe him money? (Nah! I do not think so) Or was it her looks (for the record, she wasn’t all that) maybe he was in love (I doubt it) or was she the best he ever had? I choose to go with the later. Still, why should a man or who ever take all that embarrassment.

“You again?” she said surprised, (he must have used an unknown number) snapping me away from my thoughts.

“Look Simon, I said I don’t know how soon I would be back, don’t bother waiting for me”

“If you like wait…” she said giving up evidently exasperated.

So, the fool’s name was Simon, funny enough, I know a Simon that could do something similar (so, maybe it was a Simon thing... Simon Itodo na joke o.)

She was done with her call again allowing me to get back to my thoughts. I tried to imagine how this Simon dude was like, was he that dumb that he actually couldn’t hear all the hostility in her voice or did he just choose not to hear them? Nigger please.

Her phone rang again but this time it wasn’t the annoying China phone ring tone, this tone was the real deal. I looked at her as she picked her Nokia N63 phone. “Hey you,” she answered excitedly.

“Jide is not like that… in fact, I should be in town very soon…”

Aha, so Jide got to be saved in a Nokia N63 while Simon got the China phone I thought.

“Immediately I get into town I would come straight to your place” she was saying.

I felt like asking her what about Simon, the poor dude would be left waiting probably in front of her door step.

And it hit me, that was life for you. We had the Simon’s who got the China phones and got talked to disrespectfully (may be the deserved it, that I can’t say) and the Jides that got the Nokia N63’s and got spoken to like kings. Sometimes, Simons become Jides and vice versa but which ever way the table decides to turn, I remain a Jide.

At this point, we had reached our destination and as we alighted from the bus her China phone rang again, again (repetition should be permitted in this instant) and for the first time I saw the screen of the phone, it read. “MUGU 2 calling”

Obviously she did not pick it up, this time she switched it off and dropped it back into her bag. I shuck my head in pity walking away “There goes the end to the sad story of Simon the Mugu.”

Young and In Charge: What do you want to do with your life.

BY ADESUWA

Ade was a bright child. Her parents made sure she got into school on time, by nine years old she was in Junior high school and at 16years she was done with secondary school. Her parents felt she would far better as an accountant, after all accountants get very good jobs, plus its better to be a professional than do one of those other courses.  Ade actually studies accounting and even becomes a Chartered accountant before she is through with National youth service corps programme. Ade should be happy right? Right?

No, Ade is not happy. In a list of 10 things she wants the most, figures and calculations do not feature. By the time she had to apply for jobs, she just knew, she had to take it from here. What did she want to do?

Many Nigerian youths can relate to this, except for those who are blessed to have parents and guardians who allow them to think things through. Oh well, our parents mean well, but at some point, we youths have to strike a balance between what our parents want and what we want.

What do you want to do? What sort of job do you feel you should be doing and would love doing? Do you find yourself where you actually want to be? Be sincere, trace backwards, is waking up by 6am and resuming at 8am to close by 5pm, the way you want to live your life?

Yes it is true, dream jobs are going extinct. There are jobs but not enough to go round. So an average Nigerian youth, feels he or she does not have a chance to choose, the latest trend is "abeg apply everywhere and anywhere, who knows where GOD would bless you?"

Can we take sometime off during the holiday..to think this through? What do you really want? You studied medicine but you dream and soliloquise about cookery skills, you studied lawn, yet you spend half your day flipping through great photography and ways it could have been done better.

Education is good. Our parents would always choose what we study as first degrees, directly or indirectly, agree or not if you like...but its true. But then, you should wake up from this reverie. Now you have that certificate or certificates, What do you want to do for the rest of your life?

Better Nigeria: The Power in My Vote

BY IPHIE MANUELZ

So last night I couldn't sleep and so I stayed up watching videos on Youtube. I came across the EME All Stars video, Change, I didn't even know they had released a video for it, I love that song a lot. As you all must have figured out by now I am very passionate about Nigeria and I am in love with the idea of the change that is coming to her, so you can understand why I love songs like Timi Dakolo"s Great Nation and the EME All star's Change. I digress!

Anyways as I lay in bed watching this video, there was a part of it that stuck out to me, something about voting right, I have never been good at deciphering the lyrics of songs, but that was the message I got from that part. It got me thinking about the last elections. I had registered to vote in Lagos but I was unable to collect my voter's card because I had to return to Abuja on the day I was meant to collect it. So that means I unfortunately didn't vote in the last election year.

As I thought about the past election year, I thought about who I would have voted for in the past election if I had, had the opportunity to vote. I probably would have voted Goodluck Jonathan, scratch that I KNOW I WOULD HAVE VOTED JONATHAN. What was my reason, it was simple he is Niger-Deltan like me after all, but most importantly I was tired of all the leaders in Nigeria coming from the North, I was tired of the North being developed at the expense of my people, the ones with oil. So to me Jonathan was the perfect candidate, he felt the pain of Niger-Deltans right? Let me just state that there is no fact supporting that reasoning, but it was how I saw it, it didn't have to make sense that was just how I saw it at that time. Dear Lord, see how wrong my priorities were. 

Now lets rewind to 2007, it was my first election where I could vote and boy was I glad to exercise my right to vote. This was the election that brought in Yaradua, God rest his soul and Jonathan. So who did I vote for in this election? Pat Utomi. Why? Because I believed in his dream for Nigeria, I believed he was the one that was going to start the change we needed in Nigeria at that time. You could see his passion for Nigeria shining through whenever he spoke. I knew he was not going to win but I cast my vote in his favour anyway, because I believed in his dreams for Nigeria. I voted for Pat Utomi because I believed in his dreams not because he was from my state, by the way I just found out we are from the same state as I was typing this, I didn't know this at the time I voted for him.

What changed between the 2007 elections and the 2011 elections that brought in President Goodluck Jonathan? Why was the state of origin of the person I was going to vote for so important? My honest answer is, I don't know. All I was certain of at that time was that I didn't want a president that was from the North. I didn't know what President Jonathan's manifesto had to say at the time, it could have been, 'when I get into power I would kill everybody that voted me in'. I really didn't care, what mattered was that he wasn't Buhari or Atiku.

I hang my head in shame for such barbaric thoughts.  Electing a leader should be about what his capabilities are. It should be about his abilities to steer the country in the right path, it should be about his strength as a leader, it should be about his courage to do what is necessary to pull the country forward. It should be about his policies, it should be about what he could do for Nigeria. It should not be about where he was from, it should not be about what God he prayed to, it should not be about who his brother was or who he was married to. Thinking about it now, with no consideration of what I know now, I would have still voted for President Jonathan if I had voted. In my opinion, there was no qualified person that offered himself up for election in the 2011 election and let's face it, the 'I had no shoes' story appealed to all of us.

The next elections are still a few years away, but just ask yourself this, 'why would I cast my vote in favour of, "Atiku" or "Buhari"', we all know that if God keeps them alive they would run, in the 2015 elections. Why would I vote for President Jonathan again, why would I vote for Dele Momodu, why would I vote for Pastor Chris. I know how I would vote come the next election year, unlike the 2011 election where my emotions ruled my reason for voting rather than logic, I would vote like 2007 election Iphie who voted for what she believed in.

I don't know who would offer himself/herself up for the next elections, but I know who I would vote for. I would vote for a leader that shares my dreams for Nigeria.

You can watch the video that inspired this late night writing below.

Young and In Charge:?

Hey guys, I know you all expected a post today for the YIC of the week, I am sorry for disappointing you. I was not able to post today because I had assignments to submit today and in the course of finishing them up I sorta deleted them so I had to start all over again. That meant I didn't have enough time to follow up with the YIC for this week and so I didnt get any interview for the week.

I promise this would never happen again as I am done with my assignments and school with only my dissertation to go. Since I have been unable to post I decided to post a few articles instead, hope you enjoy reading them.

Better Nigeria: We Are The System

BY IPHIE MANUELZ

My sources of inspiration for writing amazes me all the time. So here I am sitting down, minding my business like a good girl you know I am, doing my final research for a presentation that I have tomorrow. I am presenting on the Enron scandal and the role Enron's auditors, Arthur Andersen, played in one of the biggest bankruptcies America had ever seen, at least until the Worldcom scandal the following year. I remember watching the whole Enron scandal go down on CNN back in 2001/2, I was still in high school then so I didn't really understand the impact of what was happening. I totally forgot about it until I had to read up on it for my presentation tomorrow.

The first thought that came into my head as I started my research was, the corruption that went down at Enron was no different from what happened in Nigeria everyday. The greedy Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officers and other top Enron staff were busy enriching themselves at the expense of the shareholders and stakeholders. These guys came up with pretty intelligent schemes to hide the thievery that was going on at Enron. Enron was no 7 on the list of fortune 500 companies in America, Enron kept rising and rising in the six years before it finally filed for bankruptcy in 2002. Enron had the midas touch, every thing it ventured into turned into gold, it was just profit, profit , profit with no losses. But that wasn't really the case, Enron wasn't just about the profit, these ventures had losses too, they were just hiding them creatively. What Enron did was to create special purpose entities and that was where the hid their losses. These SPEs in a way belonged to the top officials at Enron and they enriched themselves through single party transactions. Arthur Andersen who were supposed to detect all these 'sharp practices' just stood by and watched while the top officials continued to destroy Enron because of the conflict of interest it had. Arthur Andersen was providing both auditing services and consultancy service to Enron, so they were obviously making a lot money off Enron, $57million in the year before the scandal, $25million for audit services and $27million for consultancy services.

I know I just used you guys to revise for my presentation tomorrow, hehehe. But I just had to give the gist of it because as I carried out my research, I couldn't help but relate it to Nigeria. Take Enron to be the corrupt leaders that Nigeria has been cursed with and take Nigerians to be Arthur Anderson. These leaders keep getting away with their corrupt ways because we have refused to hold them accountable. They come up with schemes to steal our money everyday and all we do is scream 'ha, God punish these thieves', God would not punish that thief oh if he repents before he dies. The necessary authorities that are meant to detect and punish these our corrupt leaders, turn a blind eye because the have a conflict of interest, they know some bribe would come their way from that money, or maybe they are married to the sisters of these thieves so they decide to turn a blind eye. Eventually Arthur Andersen had to go out of business, a firm that would have turned a hundred in 2013 had to be bought up by its rival because it let a company that was formed by a merger in 1985 lead it like a goat to its death. Both Enron and Arthur Anderson no longer exist and have become the main source of my lecture and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

I hope such a fate never befall us in Nigeria, but we just have to get up and say enough is enough. We have to be tired of these leaders leading us deeper and deeper into out doom. The difference between Nigeria and America is not that they don't have corruption, the difference is that they have a system that works. A system that holds these corrupt individuals accountable for their corrupt acts. Jeffery Skilling the corrupt CEO was sentenced to 24years and 4months in prison and fined to the tune of $45million,  Kenneth Lay, also a corrupt CEO of Enron would have been sentenced to at least 20-30years had he lived. The list goes on how the system punishes these corrupt individuals. But the system is not made up of a group of magicians that just wave their magic wand and bam, the corrupt individuals are punished. The system is made up of ordinary people like you and I that are aware of their rights, that know that people must be held accountable for their wrong doing. 

Until you and I are willing to hold our corrupt leaders accountable for their corrupt ways, the 'system' would continue to let them slip away.

Young and In Charge: Sophie Alozie

Sharing the stories of young people doing what they love has to be one of the greatest things I have done and with time I have grown to love it more and more. Today we bring you the story of a young lady who over time, has evolved from a tomboy that would not be caught dead in a dress into a beautiful young lady that now makes a living out of making these same dresses. Did I add that she is also an engineer and a 3D designer.

Tell us a little about yourself?

My name is Sophie Alozie, I am from Imo state, love being busy but also can’t do without my lay-in weekends. Ex-cheerleader (Go Kingston Knights) and a sports lover (love to play not always to watch), I am a Civil Engineer, 3D designer, Fashion Designer and Dress Maker. 

What was growing up like?

I must say growing up was fun; my early childhood was in Jos before we moved to Abuja. I had the most awesome parents and even with their busy schedule they always had family time in their schedule. My mum had exceptional culinary skills so my siblings and I were always in the kitchen trying to re-create her masterpieces (unsuccessfully I must say). My elder siblings were always in boarding school so I spent most of my growing up time with my immediate senior brother, everyone called us twins because we were like two peas in a pod, we did everything together from playing basket ball to power rangers (I was the pink ranger I guess that was a sign). I was a tom-boy growing up (hard to believe when you see me now) so I never wore the dresses and skirts my mum bought for me, I thought to myself how could I possibly play football in a dress??? With all that said I loved my childhood I did and had it all.

Tell us a little about your educational background?

My early years are a long list of schools which I wouldn’t bore you with but my junior secondary started in Model Secondary School, Abuja and transferred to Nigerian Turkish International College Abuja where I started and ended my senior secondary school education. I earned my degree in Civil Engineering at Kingston University, London.

You are a civil engineer, 3D designer and a fashion designer. Can u tell us about these?

·        Well Civil Engineering is a branch of engineering that deals with buildings and roads like I always put it ‘a civil engineer makes the dreams of an architect and his client come true’ (well if it is possible).

·       A 3d designer turns 2d drawings into 3d drawings which are more realistic and help clients to visualize aesthetically what their building will look like when it is finished by the use of software’s such as Revit Architecture, 3D Max e.t.c.

·       Fashion designer creates and sets trends in the clothing industry through ideas, inspiration or sheer talent on paper mostly and a Dress maker brings all these ideas to life through tailoring materials that fit.

You studied Civil engineering; 3D designing is sort of related to this. So how did your fashion-designer part come about?

Well when you think about it fashion and engineering are also fairly related because in fashion you have to deal with your imagination, proportions, shapes and sizes while in dress making you have a great deal to do with calculations, so technically I think they are all not so far apart. Fashion and

 dress making I would say came about by chance. I always came up with the weirdest fashion & hairstyles in college but never have thought of pursuing it as a career not to talk of dress making. As i grew older my fashion ideas evolved with me and when I got back to Nigeria in 2009 I wanted to make my own designs in African print because I love them and I am big on bold colours. It was a bit disappointing I must say because I could not find a reasonably priced or reliable tailor/dress maker that could replicate my thoughts or drawings with materials and then frustration set in (LOL). That was when I said to my mom I want to learn how to make my own clothes and designs myself and my mum, (Bless her) had the same thoughts and ideas as I did. The rest was history J

What is your typical day like?

Every day brings its own ups and downs so no day is typical. Am up early usually and since I have always been my mum’s personal stylist I have to get her ready for work and out the door before am settled to do anything else (unless am on a serious deadline then she shows me her outfit and I say yes or no way). I start out with drawings so you can say that takes priority over my fashion and dress making at the moment. Cutting and sewing usually starts later in the day when I am satisfied with my progress on the drawing. You find me on the floor in my room or on the dining table calculating and cutting. I have a crazy habit of wanting to finish whatever I start no matter how long it takes, food is at very low priority and I know that is bad but I tend to forget when I am so engrossed in my work, but when I get down to eating I EAT.  Some days I do not sleep at all and that would be because I am trying to meet a deadline and I had several hiccups along the way which is normal (software and machinery have minds of their own and decide to malfunction sometimes) and some days after my morning ritual I sleep till noon (HAHA). I have a lot to juggle, so discipline is a must (which I am still mastering) and I believe working for yourself can be the best gift you can give yourself in this life if you can.

In these three spheres, what are  your best works ever?

This is a trick question right? (LOL).

·       In civil engineering I would say it’s the first building I designed with my colleagues at university of a sports centre, I worked my butt off but in the end I was over the moon with the final product.

·       In 3d design it was the first project I was given to work on my own I struggled a little with it had to consult a couple of other professionals (no one is an island) but in the end my client was so happy and satisfied with my work and to me there is no greater feeling.

In Fashion well it was my first designs I made of the top of my head I wasn’t an artist so I never drew them on paper but thanks to personal continual development I learnt how to draw out my designs (Thank God). In dress making it was the first 6-piece skirt i made it wasn’t perfect but just the fact that i made something i could wear out and didn’t have thread sticking out everywhere or a messed up zipper was liberating.

What are the difficulties involved in these three fields?

In civil engineering, the lack of available internships and training for recent graduates, it is very difficult to acquire and it is terribly needed so our graduates both home and away can grow professionally.

Again training in 3d design is in short supply but there aren’t a lot of difficulties just keep up with the evolving softwares, never stop learning you can never know it all. You stop learning you fall off the wagon, you do not always need to wait for someone to teach you, go online and google a tutorial or two on the software you need instead of facebook or twitter (HEHE don’t mind me am a culprit).

Lastly, in fashion and dress making there are so many difficulties that can cripple your dream; it is a business that needs a tough skin. Going out to source materials, working over-time to meet deadlines, finding reliable help/man power, your machine acting up on that very day you need to be done with a customer’s outfit, customers not giving you the reaction you need to say to yourself ‘yes she/he loves it, I can breathe now’. I can write a  ten page list. It can get a little frustrating and mind draining but if you love what you do, then all those difficulties become challenges that you overcome to improve yourself in the end.

How do you juggle being an engineer, a 3D designer and a fashion designer?

You make it sound like so much; ok maybe it is and believe it or not that is not the end of the list (LOL). I give time to all my dreams maybe not equally but as needed. They are my dreams if I don’t make them happen who is going to do it for me? Yes I don’t do every little thing by myself and that is something you learn after killing yourself trying to do it all because you think no one else can do it the way you will, no one is an island and yes there are people out there just as good as you or even better you just had the idea or means first (CHEERS TO YOU, BUT HUNT THEM DOWN). At the end of the day it is the genuine joy and gratitude on the customer, family or friend's face because of my service that makes it all worth it.

Which of them do you find most challenging?

I would say fashion because it is constantly changing (trends and seasons); there are so many challenges and sometimes everything goes wrong at the same time. I am still an evolving designer/dress maker constantly making mistakes but learning from them, improving myself in anyway I can.

Which of the three is topmost on your list of priorities? Which do you love most?

It is hard to say they are all my topmost priorities just at different times. I have love for all of them, I know I sound weird but they all bring a different kind of joy to my life so it’s hard to pick one.

Have you ever felt like giving up on any?

Yes and am sure it’s obvious which that is (Fashion), but I love it so much. For me it is like that one guy you will miss forever if you do not take that giant leap.

Who or what inspires you?

My lovely parents who have proven to me that with hard work and knowing your onions (emphasis on the onions) the sky is just the beginning. The happiness and smiles on my clients face is also a big inspiration to me, makes me want to do more and be better at what I do.

Asides work, what do you do for fun?

Playing video games with my brothers whenever I have the chance has to be number one on the list, hanging out with friends, watching random movies at the cinema e.t.c.

Youths out there would be curious to know your age. Would you tell?
LOL well I am not one to hide my age or weight so here it is I am.................25yrs old (wow I am old).

Advice to youths that wish to follow in your footsteps.

I can give you a whole speech about me but I think you already have enough of that. I am still figuring alot of things as I go along, I have made so many mistakes that I can write a best-seller on them but they all turned out to be huge blessings in disguise. So no don’t follow in my footsteps set your own trend just be inspired to do something new and different. By all means work hard, be lazy when you have achieved your goal but that is where the real work starts. I am not sure you’ll have time to be lazy, live your dreams but also be smart and realistic with your dreams. Don’t say I want to own a farm and say ‘no I can’t get the machines so that dream is not feasible yet’ DUDE START WITH A HOE. Start dreaming early, don’t wait till you think you are ready or you’ll never be ready and you will never get yesterday again. Stop second guessing yourself there is only one you and no one can do you better than you, like I said if you know your onions you cannot go wrong so please take that giant leap and PRAY LIKE HELL THAT THERE IS A SPRING BED WAITING FOR YOU. Be good (no scratch that), be brilliant in whatever field you choose to go into make a believer out of everyone, be humble and not arrogant no one likes a wise ass. God is always there for you, all you have to do is ask, without him I would not be here today, I give thanks to whom its due (THANK YOU LORD).

Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

If only I could see the future hmmmm.....well I hope and pray that five years from now I’ll be ten times more brilliant at what I do than what I am today. I would love to have my own construction firm and a fashion line (GOD help me). I have so many more dreams but for now I’ll stick to these you can’t do it all and you can only spread yourself so far.

To the part you have all been waiting for, PICTURES!!!

Sophie can be reached on:

Twitter- https://twitter.com/Pinky_ray

Email- sophiealozie@yahoo.com

Facebook- Sophie Raymond

Just my 2kobo: Remembering Ugonna, Llyod, Tekenna and Chidi #ALUU4

By IPHIE MANUELZ
I have been asked countless times why I have the hash tag, #ALUU4 as my status on BBM.
For at least a month it was my way of remembering them, it was my way of paying homage, if I can put it that way, it was my way of saying 'I am sorry you guys had to suffer the way you did'. It was my way of saying  'we would get you justice'.

But truth be told after that first month, just like any Nigerian, I forgot about what happened to these young men, it was just another sad story, one amongst the numerous sad stories that come out of Nigeria. To be honest I had totally forgotten I had it up as my status, I forgot to take it down and I only remembered it only when it was mentioned. I also realised that I hadn't done anything substantial towards getting them Justice, and this was pointed out to me by Adesuwa when i sent her this article to read before I posted it.

But yesterday, I took a look at my phone and I saw the #ALUU4 hash tag by myself for the first time in a long while. And then it hit me, it's only human that we would forget, after all most of us didn't know anything about Aluu or those young men before October 5th. But I also realised that I had slowly began to work towards the change I wanted to see in Nigeria since I put up that hash tag as my BBM status. I had started working on myself, I started trying to reflect the changes that I wanted to see in Nigeria, in my life. The change I seek for Nigeria would come to pass, not by my words only, but the most successful way to bring about this change was to actually live it.

On the second month of your death, Chidi, Tekena, Llyod and Ugonna, I hope you guys are resting with God. I renew the promise I made two months ago, we would get you justice, no matter how long it takes. And no I am not gonna take the hash tag down, it is a constant reminder of the change Nigeria needs and a constant reminder of the work ahead of me. Thank you Tekena, Llyod, Chidi and Ugonna, even in death you guys inspire me to change my life before I can change Nigeria.
Keep resting with God, Ugonna, Llyod, Tekena and Chidi.

The criminal case against the killers of these four young men continues today in Port Harcourt. I might not be home but I would do my part in making sure the justice gets done. The little things we do can help get these young men justice, it could be reporting the progress of the court case, asking questions of the necessary authorities. It is the little thing we do that combine to have a great effect.

Young and In Charge: Joy Enechukwu

I have always known the name Osoke to mean 'shining star' or 'shining light. What this young lady does definitely turns her clients into stars. We bring you the story of Joy, whose love for what she does sees her braving the weather, the terrible load and all the troubles that come with travelling within Nigerian just to turn her clients into stars that shine so bright.
Tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Joy Enechukwu. I am from Delta state, a Christian and the 1st of 5 children. I've been in the make-up industry as a self-taught make-up artist for several years, and as a professional for 3 years. I pride myself on my reputation for being a perfectionist.

What was growing up like?
Couldn't have asked for a better family. My dad taught us the culture of reading and my mum taught us good manners. I also remember her delectable fried yam in the shape of perfect white cubes, crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. (Still can't wrap my head around how she cut them into perfect cubes). We had rewards for good report cards and Mr-Do-Good (cane) for when we misbehaved. Awesome parenting, healthy sibling rivalry (chuckling) and the best of schools.

Tell us a little about your educational background?
My primary education was at University of Lagos Staff Primary School, Idi Araba, Lagos. My secondary school was an interesting boarding experience at FGGC, Onitsha and then a Bsc Economics from UNN.

So what is Osoke all about? What does it mean and how did the name come about?
Osoke Make-up is all about making the best version of our clients possible with stunning results. Services include make-up for photo-shoots, weddings, engagements, fashion shows, carnivals & special occasions, make-up lessons, make-up kit revamps, headgear tying, airbrush tattoos and face painting. The name OSOKE refers to cinders that continue to glow, depicting in a way, the desired polished glow that my clients crave. The name choice arose from a mutual desire to immortalise my grandma's name.

How did you get into it?
I attended a somewhat happy-go-lucky wedding of a bride who was too gleeful to be bothered with make-up  She applied her casual everyday make-up  Dissatisfied, I made the best use of her crude make-up kit and gently transformed her into a princess. I spun her around to her mirror and she screamed in delight at her reflection. After that I was hooked. I went ahead to attend one of the most prestigious professional make-up schools in the country.

What is your typical day like?
On a typical day, I use my to-do list as a guide in prioritising my tasks. Then I pull out my list of dreams, freak out, and pray I achieve them all.

What do you love most about you what you do?
Customer satisfaction. I relish the look of awe on their faces when they can't stop looking at themselves in the mirror. Its delightfully gratifying.

What’s been your best work ever?
My best work ever would be the jobs I did at a make-up fair with my (then) instructor. I had lots of satisfied clients that day and learned to be efficient under pressure. It was a truly memorable experience.

What are the difficulties involved?
I've worked with a slew of (what I call) Diva clients but nothing beats a disgruntled bridezilla! Other difficulties are travelling in the scorching heat, in the rain, defying floods, through conflict-torn terror-stricken areas and difficult terrains with inaccessible roads to get to some pretty remote locations especially for engagements and traditional weddings.

If you weren't doing this, what would you have been doing?
I'm a die-hard culinary enthusiast, so if I wasn't doing this, I'd be a restaurateur  pleasing palates with delectable meals in my restaurant.

Have you ever felt like giving up on Osoke?
Never.

Who or what inspires you?
My parents are my inspiration; a firm foundation through all my storms in life, sturdy hands to hold in times of stress and strife, the strongest and wisest people I know. The incredible duo!

Considering the level of success you have attained, youths out there would be itching to know how old you are.
Late twenties.

Asides work, what do you do for fun?
Shop till I drop! Absolutely love to splurge on fashion pieces. Also a thrill seeker. (I'll be the screamer on the roller coasters. Lol!) And of course, exploring the city's gourmet restaurants with my fellow culinary enthusiasts.

Advice to youths that wish to follow in your footsteps.
First of all, you've got to love it. Use good products and treat your clients like you would like to be treated.

Where do you see yourself and Osoke five years from now?
In 5years, I see Osoke as a major contender in the beauty industry. (Fluttering my eyelashes!)

Happy Customers.

Contact Information:
BB - 2827DB9D
Email - dtraceye@yahoo.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jay.enechukwu
Phone no - 08033813779

Better Nigeria: Cropping the rise of HIV/AIDS in Nigeria.

BY OLUWASEUN

Abj Loving, Abuja Living: When I got this article a few days back, I felt it was perfect for today, it's the world AIDS day. December 1st of every year has been set aside since 1988 as a day to raise awareness for the chaos AIDS has cursed. The fight to kick out HIV/AIDS starts with you protecting yourself.

In Nigeria, the HIV prevalence rate among adults ages 15–49 is 3.9 percent. Nigeria has the third-largest number of people living with HIV. The HIV epidemic in Nigeria is complex and varies widely by region. In some states, the epidemic is more concentrated and driven by high-risk behaviors, while other states have more generalized epidemics that are sustained primarily by multiple sexual partnerships in the general population. Youth and young adults in Nigeria are particularly vulnerable to HIV, with young women at higher risk than young men. There are many risk factors that contribute to the spread of HIV, including prostitution, high-risk practices among itinerant workers, high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STI), clandestine high-risk heterosexual and homosexual practices, international trafficking of women, and irregular blood screening.

The size of the population and the nation pose logistical and political challenges particularly due to the political determination of the Nigerian Government to achieve health care equity across geopolitical zones. The necessity to coordinate programs simultaneously at the federal, state and local levels introduces complexity into planning. The large private sector is largely unregulated and, more importantly, has no formal connection to the public health system where most HIV interventions are delivered. Training and human resource development is severely limited in all sectors and will hamper program implementation at all levels. Care and support is limited because existing staff are overstretched and most have insufficient training in key technical areas to provide complete help.
injecting drug users (IDUs), transport workers, members of the Armed Forces and Police. It has been found that individuals that fall under these groups and their partners account for 40 percent of new HIV infections in Nigeria.

The total number of condoms provided by international donors has been relatively low. Between 2000 and 2005, the average number of condoms distributed in Nigeria by donors was 5.9 per man, per year.
Restrictions on condom promotion have hampered HIV prevention efforts. In 2001, a radio advertisement was suspended by the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) for promoting messages suggesting that it is acceptable to engage in premarital sex as long as a condom is used. In 2006 APCON also started to enforce stricter regulations on condom advertisements that might encourage ‘indecency’.
The number of female condoms sold in Nigeria has significantly increased from 25,000 in 2003 to 375,000 in 2006.

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