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Face of Beige 2014: Meet the five finalists

After days of intensive voting via facebook/twitter likes by all contestants’ fans; here are the five finalists of the Face of Beige competition.
Here are the TOP 5 FINALISTS
(1)MERCY SOIBIFAA PENIEL-
This 5.9″ tall ,Dark and Beautiful “African-Model” is one piece to life’s many beauties.; with the most subtle and charming voice ever, she is currently a front-desk personnel to a multinational company; Mercy is a goal getter and says she needs no man to become successful.. She is admired by many because of her poise and charm on the runway.
(2)MILLER MICHAEL-
A tall and charming michael stands 6.1″ , he is a 23 year-old final year student of University of Port-Harcourt, studying Microbiology; he sings and wishes to be the next big thing in modeling across africa. His love for food isn’t very evident as he loves to exercise as well, his charming runway and photo presence can never be over-emphasized.
(3) CHIDINMA LYNDA NMARAM-
This 23 year-old photogenic damsel is a beauty to behold, she was amongst the top 16 finalists at the 2014’s Miss Tourism Nigeria, she holds a B.scin Economics from the Abia State University, she loves the camera so much and wishes to grace the covers of international fashion magazines someday, this well spoken lady also plans to hit the big screen soonest as an actress and a TV host.

(4) NDUKWE NKECHI CYNTHIA-

This 20 year old subtle beauty is one whose love for modeling is more of a passion than flair, the linguistics and communication student of University of Port-Harcourt is one whose sense of humor is enough to cure the ill, her intelligence is another asset to her budding talents and gifts.

(5) ADEFOLA
Enigmatic Fola would rather be called “Peng de Fola”, he is an extremist to body building and healthy living; currently a student at the prestigious University of Lagos, Fola is one gentleman who has got the “Manly grace”; his presence and carriage is one to wonder about as he speaks with utmost caution. Fola who is 24 years old feels he has what it takes to rival most international black models.

Lamar Odom reportedly wants Khloe Kardashian back.

Awww! They used to be my favourite TV couple until the worse happened. Even though the latter has moved on and is now in a sizzling relationship with rapper, French Montana, their chances of getting back are not really slim. Well, we hope so. You would recall that the basketballer and his TV reality star wife parted ways sometime in December last year after accusations of infidelity and cocaine addiction was levelled against Lamar.

The 34 year-old according to a source is now remorseful and determined to save their 4-year marriage. “Lamar wants Khloé back. He does not want to end the marriage, and that’s why he won’t sign the divorce papers. He just won’t let her go. He’s sober and back on track now – and thinks he can get her back.” The source hinted.

Much ado about these photos of Toyin Aimakhu and her hubby.

Being a celebrity comes with its pains. That’s a fact we all know. Been reading some outrageous online comments about these photos posted by actress, Toyin Aimakhu few hours ago. According to her, her husband refused to give her money to make her hair, he opted to retouch her hair for her. Big deal?
Comments like, “she can’t even afford to go to the salon, look at the cheap relaxer (Ozone) she’s using, stop embarrassing yourself, this that” have filtered into the air. If she had posted a picture of her using a N1million worth of relaxer, these same people would jump on her neck and accuse her of being a spendthrift or showing off unnecessarily.
Do people forget that celebrities are humans too? We adore and “worship” celebs who live fake lives day-in, day-out, but why do we have to slam those who are real or just decide to ‘be themselves’? As for Toyin, I know she’s not moved a tot, she could even post hilarious ones.

Opinion: Nigeria and the crisis of fatherlessness | By: Omozuwa Gabriel Osamwonyi

In many parts of the world, the third Sunday of June is earmarked for the celebration of the vital contributions of fathers and father figures to human progress. Father’s Day, as it is known, seeks to extol the sacrifices dads make for the well-being of their children and communities. Its essence derives from the fact that family stability, which is the bedrock of social harmony and economic progress, is almost always in jeopardy, when fathers are not alive to their responsibilities.  “Fatherless” families pose many development-retarding challenges to society. The converse is true as well. Good fathers fast-track national development.
The alarmingly high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria points to the crisis of fatherlessness. Children can have fathers, and yet be fatherless. If a father fails to provide affirmation, protection, direction, and demonstrate affection to his child, that child is fatherless. Fatherhood is not a title, it is a function.
Steve Jobs affirmed the fact that there is no such thing as nominal fathers.
According to Walter Isaacson in his authorised biography of Steve Jobs, Steve disclosed to him that, “Paul and Clara are 100% my parents. And Joanna and Abdulfatah – are only a sperm and an egg bank. It’s not rude, it is the truth.” On this day, every father should ask himself: “How would my children ultimately see me?”
Paul Jobs demonstrated that a good father exceeds the worth of a hundred teachers. Education begins with fathers, not with teachers. Paul taught Steve how to work on electronics. Their family garage was a laboratory of sorts, where Steve cultivated the habit of technical tinkering. No nation can have zillions of educated souls without good fathers. Teachers can soundly educate minds, but they cannot shape the total person without the active support of fathers.
The children of absentee dads are more likely to embody vices, use drugs, revolt against constituted authorities, cause mayhem, drop out of school, commit crimes of passion, and become teenage parents.  When fathers fail, generations are affected negatively. It induces a circle of multi-generational poverty and knowledge gaps. These could weaken the foundation of a just, inclusive and prosperous nation.
Some children consider their fathers as fifth wheels in their family, for they are hardly at home. If fathers will bear in mind Sigmund Freud’s postulation: “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection”, children will be happier. They will be poised to create better societies.
If the problem with Nigeria is leadership, the solution is with fathers. Fathers are natural leaders. Children learn leadership lessons from them. Many great leaders in history were influenced by the exemplary leadership ethics and style of their fathers. Therefore, if every father in Nigeria will make a commitment to be a role model of moral, ethical and mental excellence, the root of Nigeria’s perennial leadership failure will be extirpated very soon. Weak families hardly produce great leaders. The strength of a nation to attain enduring greatness starts to wane, when families fall apart.
Fathers have the power to transform society and shape the future. Their seemingly little contributions to posterity oil the wheels of civilisation.  Children become what they are taught. Shakespeare said, “It is a wise father that knows his own child.” A father’s intimate knowledge of his child set the tone of the child’s future and by extension, her orbit of influence. No father can sufficiently provide protection, instruction and direction for the child, he does not know deeply.  Unfortunately, urban realities, economic hardship, and workplace pressures debar many fathers from knowing their children. Hence, we have a generation of reluctant grown-ups raised by domestic helps and morally tutored by screen goddesses.
Our blame culture creates docile fathers. Everywhere, fathers are disparaged.  Everything worthy of celebration about fatherhood is in the past, some affirm. In fact, berating fathers for their shortcomings is becoming a marked feature of Father’s Day observance.  They are largely seen as the instrumental cause of most societal ills, because of their inability to outdo mothers in terms of childcare.  Many grown-ups readily attribute their character flaws, failures and elusive happiness to their fathers’ lacklustre parenting style.  They insist they cannot soar to stratospheres of honour, innovation, fortune, and power, because their “father did not give them feathers.”
Fathers are supporters. Care-giving cannot be separated from fatherhood. Failure to provide holistic support retards the growth of children in many facets of life. Evidently, many fathers have not achieved balance in providing cash and care for their family.  In a bid to guarantee the material comfort of their family, they fail to cater to their emotional, moral and spiritual needs. Hence, the significance of Father’s Day observance is a subject of hot debate. If “father” becomes synonyms of love, care, and support, the narrative will change.
I agree with Abby Prevost’s claim, “The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.” This is why every year on Father’s Day, I call my loving dad to let him know how grateful I am for all his sacrifices to ensure my concept of the good life is achieved. After such calls, I keep asking myself “Is that all I can possibly do to demonstrate my enormous affection and appreciation for who he is and what he embodies?”  In other words, I ask myself, “What is the reward of fathers?”
The greatest tribute we can pay to our fathers is to live out their humane values. The men of my father’s generation prized integrity and good reputation. They knew integrity is the cornerstone for an inclusive and progressive society. Think about the cultural and moral renewal that will transpire in Nigeria, if we all choose to honour the legacies of our forebears.  In the days of our forebears, people could leave their wares on the table knowing nobody would steal them. Those who needed the wares duly paid for them even when no one was watching.
On a day like Father’s day, it is wise to ponder on the words of Pope John XXIII: “It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.” If our children cannot say they will love us till eternity ends, it may mean we are mere sperm banks.
Credit: Ynaija.com

Sad! Yaya and Kolo Toure lose brother

very devastating news! Ibrahim Toure; (pictured above) the younger brother to Ivory Coast players, the younger brother to Yaya and Kolo Toure, has passed on. He died yesterday 19th June in Manchester, United Kingdom. The Lebanese team Al-Safa SC player was aged 28.

A statement from the Ivorian FA reads, “The football Ivory Coast federation president (FIF) and the Executive Comitee announced to the entire family of Ivorian football the death of Toure Oyala Ibrahim, the younger brother of Toure Kolo Abib and Toure Yaya Gnegneri, which happened on the 19th of June in Manchester (England).

“In such a sad situation, the players from the Ivory Coast national team, and the entire delegation here in Brazil, show their support to the Toure brothers and their whole family. The president of Football Ivory Coast Federation and the Executive Comitee ask Ivorians for their prayers.”

May his soul find repose and may God comfort the ones he left behind.

Mario Balotelli wants a kiss from the Queen of England

Coming from Mario Balotelli, this should be a little surprising. The Italian wants a kiss from the Queen of England if Italy beats Costa Rica and keep England’s World Cup hopes alive. He wrote this on his official twitter account.

Balotelli might not have this request granted (in his dreams tho’) if Italy loses to or draws with Costa Rica this evening or if Italy beat Costa Rica but fail to beat Uruguay on Tuesday. England will remain in this tournament only if Italy beats both Costa Rica and Uruguay and England beat Costa Rica.

Short Story: Diary of a fat battered housewife. (Part 1) | By: Damore Ali



Dear diary,



I got married last year June to Adigun Olufisayo Raymond, my supposed dream man. I have been married for just 10 months, and I already want a divorce. I miss HOME. I have tried to condone everything he and his family have been putting me through, but for the sake of my health and condition, I think it is just best to put things to an end. For better for stay; for worse, le walk away.


Let me take you to the very beginning.

I was a student of banking, and an aspiring writer at the time. You know how people just go to school for the sake of certificates, but have greater plans to put their lives into. Guess I am just one of such people.

I met Raymond on Facebook. He had sent me a friend request, which was followed by an in box asking to know more about me. He complimented my writings, and pictures; and claimed to be one of my very many teeming fans. Seeing as he kept up with my writing career and made me feel good about what I was doing, though my parents thought it was a total waste of time, I took particular liking to him; and with time, I let us take things a little further.

We became friends on BlackBerry, and all other social network sites that I was on. He would use my pictures every now and then, and post prayer messages for me whenever I was in a contest. After about a month of playing the loyal fan, and supportive friend, he asked me out and I accepted. Thinking back now, I think I accepted him for all the wrong reasons. I didn’t love him, I couldn’t.

I had loved too many people that my parents wouldn’t let me be with, so I settled for ‘like’. That was the farthest my heart could go after numerous heartbreaks. Raymond was not particularly handsome, or breathtakingly gorgeous but I liked him because he supported me like no one plus he was a banker, so I was sure my parents would like him too. At that time, there was too much pressure on me from the home front. My parents were not happy with my lifestyle. They would say my clothes
were not religious and this, and that.

They hated my hair, the company I kept, my passion for fashion, and flair for writing.. To worsen things, they never approved of all the guys I introduced to them as my friend, and ‘potential’ boyfriends. All they wanted from, and saw in me, was for me to be a banker. Both my parents are first class students of banking and finance from the same university, and they graduated during the same year. That was what they wanted for me too. They wanted me to introduce bankers, accountants, engineers, doctors, and the likes to them.

That was the main reason why I felt Raymond was just the way out of the hell they put me through. Now I know I thought wrong. There’s never a place like home. No one would give you the kind of love, and comfort your parents would give you. I never knew that, but now I know better.

We dated for three months, and all through the time, he never asked me for sex. That also impressed me. Rather than talk about sex, he would talk about marriage. He claimed to be a virgin, and a devout christian. He looked it too, so it was hard to believe otherwise. He had encouraged me to apply for a writing course in the University of Bedfordshire, and promised to sponsor me if it worked through. Sadly, He isn’t much of a giver but I was too distracted to notice.

His seeming support was my happiness, and whilst he made me happy, I did my best to make him happy too and never asked too much of him. At 28, Raymond still lived with his parents and two younger female siblings. You see, Raymond was a lot of things. He was insensitive, insecure, and most importantly, a mummy’s boy. All of these never mattered because I was too in a haste to leave where I was for somewhere new.

After my graduation, my parents secured a job for me in the banks where each of them worked, using their influences to pave the way for me. I refused the offer, and for that they wouldn’t let me be. I told them I had done my best sacrificing four golden years of my life doing what they want, and I couldn’t afford spending the rest of my life doing something I didn’t like.

They would persist that it’s either I accept their offer, or leave their house as they couldn’t bear my stay in the house like someone whose credentials were not good enough to get a job. I told them I needed some time. As an upcoming writer, you know, it takes a while to get established, and start earning money. To cut the story short, Raymond’s proposal came in good time, and I jumped at it instantly; not without cajoling him to get an apartment for us first. In my mind, I was in for bliss.

Preparations began, and in no time, I changed from ‘that 23 year old beautiful aspiring writer,’ to ‘that new full housewife.’ Two months into the marriage, I was as fat as the word itself. Each night, he would turn to me like a sex- starved maniac. And every morning, after he is off to work, worn- off totally, I would hit my bed and sleep through the day. I was too tired to even get inspired to write. I became unhappy because he had shifted attention from me to himself. He didn’t even consider us as a couple in the decisions he made.

Soon enough, my fans and readers from Facebook started contacting me to know what went wrong and like a cue, Raymonds insecurity got the hell over him. He started keeping tab of my calls, social network accounts, and wouldn’t let me keep in touch with my fans, most of whom were male. When it got somewhat unbearable, I discussed with him telling him how unhappy I was at how he had been treating me, he apologised, and I accepted. I thought it was over. But, I thought wrong.
(To be Continued)




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Damore Ali is a poet, short story writer and blogger. She has been published on several online forums including Naija Stories. She is an accountant by training and a lover of good music. Damore also goes by the name Dr. 2103. She blogs at http://dr2103.wordpress.com.




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