Etcetera

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Opinion: God won't listen to Nigerian songs | By: Etcetera

“Shoki hey hey Shoki!” cries a voice from the radio to the beat of a nerve-wracking pandemonium that seems designed to drive you insane.
A quick flick of the dial and “Shakiti bobo” is playing. The worse thing is that the raucous noise emitted by the artiste is no match for the loud, odious din coming from the beat. The lyrics are completely lost – which may not be regrettable to some – but the whole tumult sounds more like bad static than music. I tuned the dial again. This time it was Olamide screaming “VANESSA VANESSA.”
As the last strains of the song died away, the OAP cheerfully and enthusiastically breaks in, “Yes, that’s for all you listeners out there. That’s the way we do it right here at your cool station. We personalise our playlist to make you feel cool.”
Cool kor, cooler ni…. I felt like telling the OAP that his choice of songs made me feel SICK. 
This is simply today’s Nigerian music! Something is terribly WRONG with it! Yet millions around the country – especially the young people – listen to it by the hour. WHY?
What is there about this music that is so gripping? How can something so meaningless hold millions under its spell? Why does it serve as a common denominator – as “the tie that binds” – for so many youths?
Judging from how and what they’re saying and singing, it is easy to conclude that some of these artistes should be taken for mental evaluation! Music mirrors our emotions; it reflects our thoughts; it echoes our activities – it shows us the way we really ARE!
Most Nigerian artistes are confused and bewildered – or they wouldn’t sing songs about not being able to tell right from wrong, or songs which purposely don’t say or mean anything, or which try only to “embody an emotional state that points indirectly to marijuana and crazy sex positions.”
Music – just like other forms of art – is like a social barometer. A strong and healthy society produces dynamic and stimulating music; a diseased and decaying society produces sick and decadent music.
It’s a simple matter of cause and effect!
This is now a SICK SOCIETY and, therefore, it produces SICK MUSIC. It’s just that simple! Both parents and the young people are to blame. My point is, we all don’t have to be a part of this sick society – or its sick music.
Even talking about today’s gospel songs, many are lacking in purpose and quality. The gospel singers are forgetting that God believes in QUALITY. Look at the universe He created! He also believes in human improvement and GROWTH. “Become ye therefore perfect” (Matt. 5:48) and “Grow in grace and knowledge” (II Pet. 3:18), He commands.
God wants His people to grow in the right kind of culture – the right kind of appreciation for the finer things in life. He says that mature Christians are “those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to DISCERN both good and evil” (Heb. 5:14).
God wants us to EXERCISE our five physical senses. He wants us to learn what the true values for the enjoyment of the senses are. One of these senses is hearing. And one of the ways we need to exercise our hearing sense is in the appreciation of quality music. Quality in music involves, first of all, the way it is composed or arranged. Secondly, it involves how the music is performed. And thirdly, the setting (the place and occasion) in which the music is heard.
You attend a concert only to see artistes with a hodgepodge of idiotic noise played from a CD and the audience seated at round tables like they are in a canteen, screaming with mouthful of small chops and ‘samosas’ as every new song is introduced by the performer. What utter nonsense! What is WRONG with us? How did we completely lose our sense of value regarding music? Do we even know the purpose of music?
A mother justifies her daughter who’s listening to an obscene song by saying,  
“If you listen to the words of that one, it’s pretty rough. But it has a real good beat. My daughter says she doesn’t pay any attention to the words anyway.” Are we really that naïve? 
What erroneous reasoning! Go along with the crowd – even if the crowd is on the way to suffering, misery, pain, extinction? Do we think that these songs have no part in the tidal wave of promiscuity, venereal disease, illegitimate babies that are all over the country today? If you are one of those who like today’s Naija music, you ought to honestly and truthfully ask yourself WHY.
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Entertainment

Etcetera explains why Nigerian men cheat

When you heard the news that Toke Makinwa’s husband impregnated his girlfriend, you all took to social media to rain insults on Nigerian men. Why men cheat on women they love became a topic for all female radio presenters in the country.
Aren’t you all tired of asking the same question over and over as if it is some perplexing unfathomable mystery? 
Your question is rhetorical, but since it keeps coming up again and again, let me provide some explanations to help you understand the reasons. I will simply tell it like it is, with 
no bull, tact, or political correctness. 
It’s just that oftentimes; women do not accept the explanations. But in fact, one can understand it through common sense. Sometimes a man would cheat on his wife or girlfriend because he doesn’t love her anymore; he is bored with her, or even possibly unhappy with their relationship.
In such scenarios, even women can become unfaithful as well. Women must understand that men are fundamentally different from them and wired differently too. We all know this but feminists try to suppress or deny this universal fact. A man craves variety and seeks novelty, while women prefer familiarity. Men will naturally desire variety when it comes to romantic/sexual partners more than women will. Men easily get bored by the same thing every day or a routine and we are sometimes afraid to voice this. 
Think about this. You ate your favourite eba and egusi soup, and on the second day that you ate it, the pleasure would be noticeably less than the first day. And after a week of eating it, you’d get tired of it and start to strongly desire to eat something else. Your desire for that eba will have diminished at that point. 
I know what you are thinking now, “You can’t compare food with people” right? That’s the typical female reaction to this analogy. However, I’m sorry to say that this analogy does apply because it’s one of the best and simplest ways that it can be explained. 
I am not trying to objectify people. But by accepting such an analogy, it will start making sense to you that men are more visually stimulated than women are. And when a man relies on visual stimulation for arousal, the stimulation wears off at some point, which then requires new stimulation from new women. Got the drift? In other words, visual stimulation is a sensual thing that is fleeting in nature and requires constant variety in order to maintain the stimulation. Thus, men who seek visual stimulation will require variety from more than one partner or lover. 
Women often argue that “true love” never gets old. But the notion of “true love” is indefinable, very personable, and highly subjective. And even for the sake of this argument, if we agree that “true love” never gets old and never wears out, that still doesn’t change what we’re talking about here. 
You see, even if a man has true everlasting unending love for his woman, he can STILL desire another woman he fancies. That’s what our women have to understand, rather than cling to naïve clichés of society. A woman’s heart tends to be able to love only one man at a time, a man’s heart is different and can truly love MORE THAN ONE woman at a time. This might be hard for you to accept, and unfathomable to your values and beliefs about “love.” But it is the truth. 
A man’s heart is molded differently with multiple chambers that enable him to love and desire multiple women. It’s like a tree with different branches, rather than just one. Men usually won’t admit it, because our society doesn’t accept this, but condemns it. 
Ladies, to understand this, think about all the different colours you love. You love pink and sky blue, or red, blue, black and purple. Now, can you like more than one colour at a time? Of course you can! You like the different colours in different ways, on different things, and for the different ambiance and mood that each colour accentuates, right? Likewise, you can like more than one type of cuisine right? Can you like Chinese and Italian foods at the same time? Of course you can. Even if society said you could only like one type of cuisine, it wouldn’t make a difference, would it? After all, society may attempt to create mutually exclusivities, but reality doesn’t. 
These are painfully obvious examples, and I am not arguing that people are like colours or food, but such simple analogies do describe what’s going on inside those who love more than one person or like having many lovers. Just because a man tells more than one woman that he “loves her,” desires her, or has feelings for her, does NOT make him a “playboy” or “liar.” 
He is not necessarily “playing” in terms of acting, nor does it mean he is using people in some sort of pretend “game” where he doesn’t care about their feelings. These are just false judgements by the society especially a feminist or female dominated society like Nigeria is fast becoming. 
To some women, it doesn’t make sense and doesn’t fit their definition of love and loyalty. But it’s the truth. That’s reality and you’ve got to accept it if you want to try to understand it. Not all men unequivocally attach loyalty to true love. Society might do so, but not all human beings do. What women have to understand is that being in a loving relationship does NOT automatically erase one’s desire for other people. 
Of course, men who have multiple partners often do have to lie to the women they romance, by telling them that they are the only one when confronted with the issue. So that is one area in which men commonly lie. 
 
However, it doesn’t make them dishonest people in general. It’s just that since most women cannot accept that their partner can pursue someone else beside them, demanding total monogamy in love; men with multiple desires for multiple women are FORCED to lie in order to prevent chaos and failure in courtship. There is no easy way around it. And that is the case even if they are generally honest men. (After all, who hasn’t lied? Everyone has at one time or another, so stop pretending to be an angel!) 
Loving or desiring multiple women has nothing to do with right or wrong, or being good or bad. It is simply a lifestyle and often these men are simply expressing who they are. Thus, infidelity does not make a man “bad” in a moral sense. Often, these men who romance multiple women are tender, caring, good-hearted, loving, nurturing people. Some are even deeply spiritual or religious. 
He doesn’t love you? My dear, the line between love and lust is blurry and subject to personal opinion. There is no universal objective measuring stick for differentiating between “love” (which has so many different meanings anyway) and “lust.”
In reality, a man can find the perfect woman, who outshines the rest in his life, and can even have a perfect relationship with her, but still look at another woman he finds attractive and desires to court her, romance her, and experience the wonders and pleasures of her femininity as well. 
Some men get a “high” or adrenaline rush from courting, romancing, or seducing new women, in a way that nothing else can, and thus are addicted to it. 
My ladies, there are no perfect solutions or answers to everything. Just accept that some things in life are just meant to be endured, not fixed or solved like an equation. 
To be continued next week.
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Entertainment

Wake up, President Buhari. Etcetera writes

Wake up, President Buhari. Get in the game; you have left the door open for more Federal Government bailout. The question is, why would the Federal Government get involved? And, beyond that, why should it?
Can the Federal Government really help a state like Osun? Hell no!! The predicament of these states is due primarily to two causes.
One is mismanagement, which has amounted to billions of their total shortfall. The second is the money that was borrowed through the years for unseen projects and other unnecessary obligations. Disappearing jobs, empty factories have all played a role, too.
There are so many reasons why bailing out cash-strapped states that mismanaged public finances with over N7bn should be prohibited henceforth.
We are talking about public funds here and Nigerian taxpayers need to watch their wallets.
If not, there will be a call for a federal bailout to finance the purchase of private jets for state governors.
The National Assembly should act now to ensure taxpayers aren’t forced to pay for years of mismanagement by government officials.
Failure of some of these states to properly manage their funds might be rooted in an unholy alliance between the governors and their godfathers.
The issue of ghost workers is another thing that should be looked into. It is a fact that some of the commissioners liaised with the permanent secretaries to milk the states by employing ghost workers.
Leaving aside the argument of the merits or demerits of federal relief for these financially troubled states, the way these governors squander public funds makes it morally troublesome and that’s to put it lightly.
It would have been understandable if this bailout was as a result of natural disasters like earthquakes or outbreaks of terrible diseases such as Ebola.
Seeking federal bailout to pay workers’ salaries is preposterous, especially when the said states have been receiving regular monthly federal allocations.
Osun State needs to lie in its own poorly made bed; the rest of the country cannot be expected to pay for the myopic misdeeds of a lazy government.
Consider an uninsured driver who negligently makes an illegal turn that causes an accident with another car.
Witnesses call the police, reporting who is at fault; the police transmit this information to the traffic offence unit.
When they arrive at the scene and find that the car of the driver at fault is uninsured, will they tow his car to the workshop and have it repaired at the expense of the government? Let us also pause and consider whether this bailout shows respect for ordinary Nigerian citizens.
The state governors having chosen to run their risks, they deserve their misfortune, so society need not save them from it.
There are so many good reasons why the Federal Government shouldn’t have offered a bailout to these states. That the government treasury is empty is certainly one salient factor.
Another is the issue of moral hazard: if these states can turn to the Federal Government whenever their finances go down, other states will have much less reason to manage their money effectively and make tough but crucial budgetary decisions.
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Entertainment

You Are More Likely To Be Killed By A Police Officer Than A Terrorist In Nigeria. Etcetera Writes

The police is your friend – words of the past, it seems. Today, the police are more about terrorising, bullying and killing for no reason. That Nigerian policemen are out of control is like saying ‘Ijebu garri’ is sour. Some believe that there are still good policemen out there, and I used to admit that quite often, but never again. Well, maybe there are still good policemen out there, doing their job of protecting and serving their pockets every day. The biggest problem is, no one is doing anything about it, even the government.
Hardly a day passes by without stories of a police officer shooting a ‘danfo’ driver because of N50, police terrorising people on the street and asking for receipts for everything, even for the Agege bread in your bag, pulling off people’s vehicle plate numbers for whatever accusations they could conjure up. The crazy thing is that they always try to justify their senseless actions. A prime example of how the police are out of control is how they quickly jump into your car even before you disobey traffic regulations. They don’t even wait for you to beat the traffic light; they are already inside your car, seated with the seatbelt on, like you guys are going on a planned vacation.
 
There was a particular case when I asked the police officer why he was inside my car and he replied, “Am I inside your car?” For once I thought the policeman had gone bunkers. The lying scum didn’t even know what he was saying. All he was thinking about was the money he was demanding from me. How many innocent Nigerians have been injured or killed for no reason at the hands of the police?
If you are living in Lagos and you haven’t had issues with a police officer, then there must be something wrong with you. And if you don’t think we have a problem with the police in this great nation of ours, you need to check yourself properly. The police have seemingly abandoned the ideal of protecting and serving for beating the shit out of you, killing, lying and so on. Maybe their new motto ought to be, “protecting and serving the shit out of you.”
 
Solving the police misconduct problem is simple. Many of these people are power-hungry individuals who get off on having too much power, which leads into them abusing the powers they get when they become police officers. Simply weed out these people in the recruiting process. Don’t just tell us you do it, do it actually.
And if the Police Force is already doing it, step it up a bit – it’s obviously not working very well. Oh, and if they get past all of that, when they do something completely out of line, don’t let them come back to the job.
 
Second, there should be real accountability. In a lot of these lawsuits against the police, guess who ends up paying the price for them? The taxpayers. I guarantee there would be a lot less police misconduct if police officers have to face real consequences and have to pay large fines.
Someone needs to police the police. Chances are you may think having another government organisation watch over them is a wonderful idea. WRONG! Having government watch over government has obvious issues. The people need to keep an eye on the police, and let their superiors know about misconduct. Got video of police misconduct? Post it. Share it with the world.
 
Do whatever possible to get the word out about your experience with police misconduct. Video evidence is key to exposing police misconduct. Let the government know, because we still have some power in government, but we have to utilise it! Yes, I know this already occurs, but it needs to happen on a much larger scale. Most of us don’t have the time to do it, but we need to make the time to do it. The police work for the people in the end, so maybe it’s time the people kept a closer eye on them, instead of brushing off stories of police misconduct. Hey, but before you bring out your camera phone to take a picture or make a video, make sure the police isn’t aware because if you are taking a selfie around Nigerian police officers, they become apprehensive and demand to see what you are doing with your phone or camera as the case may be.
Third, STOP GIVING THEM MORE POWER! Giving an out-of-control system more power has so much potential to be a disaster. Yes, in rare cases it could help, but most of these weapons don’t belong in the hands of the police, especially when they are on the street and not on any official duty. You see a police officer walk into a beer parlor to booze with his gun cocked and ready to shoot. Most of the police weapons we see these days are made for war, they don’t belong on the streets. A visitor coming into the country would think we are at war because there are too many drunk police officers carrying guns about.
 
Here’s a statistic that should get you thinking: Hundreds of soldiers have been killed in the war against Boko Haram. The number of innocent Nigerians killed by policemen yearly is in the thousands. Oh, the terrorists that the government is always telling us are so dangerous have killed fewer people than the police? Let’s get this straight. You are more likely to be killed by a police officer than terrorists in Nigeria. The number of people killed in the Biafra war is lower than the number killed by the police in the last decade. Sounds like something might be wrong yet?
The way I see things, we have a huge problem. The Police are out of control, they do what they want and get away with too much. A uniform and a gun seem to give them way too much power. Things must “CHANGE!” Some may disagree with me, criticise me for my views, but what I discussed above is the way I see things. My solutions may not completely solve the problem, but I believe they could create a huge dent in the problem. It would be a huge step in the right direction. What has happened to ” the police is your friend?”
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Entertainment

Opinion: Is Buhari Already Confused? | By: Etcetera

If there is any group of individuals who can manufacture shock, political punditry out of nothing, it is the All Progressives Congress. They cried out that Jonathan was doing a terrible job as President of Nigeria. They said his inability to run the Federal Government is the reason our country has lapsed into wholesale chaos. He is the reason corruption decimated our population, turned brother against brother.
He is the reason our military became weak and our borders constantly breached by Niger, Chad and Cameroonian gendarmes. He is the reason our cities have all lost power and we have reclined back into the dark ages. He is the reason why thousands of wild dogs/Boko Haram roam our streets and rip our children apart. With democracy being an institution where we worry about how many people ‘agree’ about certain things, APC must be concerned that Nigerians are actually seeing that Buhari is not the messiah we need. When I wrote that Nigerians shouldn’t celebrate Buhari yet, a lot of his sympathisers reached for my scalp with all types of derogatory vocabularies. 
Now, just a couple of days into his regime and even before the flag is hoisted up the pole, the same people have started singing the same old song that he is too slow. Just like in the time of Jonathan. Why am I not surprised? When I talked about Buhari’s age, they said presiding over the affairs of a country is different from being a bricklayer. Why is Buhari now wishing he was younger? What has ‘changed’ him? Didn’t he know his age before ‘borrowing’ money to acquire the form to contest for president.
Listening to APC and President Buhari’s excuses of just being in government for only few weeks is like watching a doctor on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ pounding on a patient’s chest until another doctor has to pull him off and say, ‘Sir it’s over!’ That’s what I want to say to President Buhari. Sir, it’s over! We are tired of having president with excuses. You didn’t give us these excuses in any of your campaign speeches. Nigerians, it’s time to move on! There will be other disasters. There will always be presidents with excuses.
The president will cut down the cost of governance. He won’t have as many ministers and advisers like Jonathan. How is approving the appointments of two media aides with the same job description cutting down the cost of governance? What is the difference between a Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) and a Special Adviser (Media and Publicity)? The issue of applying the rule of law in certain matters of state that demands immediate and urgent attention is not why we voted for Buhari. For Christ’s sake, the country is in dire straits.
We are in desperate times as a country and as such, the streets won’t accept these excuses. President Buhari shouldn’t be telling Nigerians that he met an empty treasury. We want to hear of measures his government is taking to recover the stolen funds. This government seems overwhelmed and confused already like what we’ve had in the past. He should also understand that not having his cabinet in place at this point in time is dangerous. President Buhari should know that he can’t govern this country alone. It will take all hands on deck to get this country back on track.
He cannot be the president and the minister of defence and petroleum all by himself. He can’t be at different places at the same time. Being the president of a huge country like Nigeria is different from being the managing director of a business. One does not “run” the Federal Government. You can run a train and you can run your own small business, but the Federal Government of Nigeria is bigger than the largest enterprises of this world. Equating any portion of the Federal Government to a business stretches the meaning of metaphor.
No business is attacked by other countries or has to deliberately kill people, or has a board of 469 National Assembly members, majority of which are trying to bankrupt the company in order to make the CEO look bad, nor does any company operate within transparency of allowing thousands of journalists to pore over their affairs, or carry your opponent’s opinions as if they were facts, or react to hundreds of lawsuits per day from its own employees, or thousands of lawsuits per day from third parties.
No private company is responsible for accomplishing its mission within tens of thousands of laws that deliberately operate against its efficiency. No private company has a board that authorises spending via commitment of financial resources and then separately approves their payment or its equivalent debt.
No business operates from the need to pass legislation in order to change direction, or to accomplish its primary objectives, (environmental safety, energy independence, internet security, university research, election compliance, full employment policies, taxation reform, anti-terrorism, healthcare reform, and intelligence gathering).
No organisation has the responsibility to send soldiers to defend its allies or be responsive to the impact that changed laws, policies, and tax provisions have upon other nations, friend and foe alike. And finally, no organisation is responsible for administration and enforcement of tens of thousands of laws, rules, and regulations against millions of separate entities.
Is President Buhari capable of providing direction, implementing a NASS approved budget, prioritising and recommending budget changes, negotiating legislation, submitting qualified candidates for the courts, appointing and supervising staff and cabinet members, including the joint chiefs of the military, and effectively communicating volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous issues to the Nigerian public? Absolutely, NO!…
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Entertainment

The Caitlyn Jenner Transgender Madness | By: Etcetera

And that’s how Bruce Jenner unveiled his new identity, leaving his male identity behind with Caitlyn. Trust Nigerians not to be left behind in the gossip and buzz it generated.
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A female radio presenter was like, “Oh my God,” so Bruce Jenner is now Caitlyn Jenner? What the hell is going on?”
Pleaseeeee, Nigerians should stop feigning surprise like they’ve not seen or heard anything like this before. You all should stop acting like we don’t have our own Denrele Edun.
Mscheeeeeewwwww – is it because Bruce or Caitlyn (whatever she is called now) finally had enough balls to come out and say he is now a woman? It’s just a matter of time, Denrele will be woman enough and do same thing and give us something new to talk about aside from his Nkechi-like hairdo.
I don’t think it should even be in our news that Caitlyn Jenner is now a transgender. There are thousands of them in America. They infused the word in our vocabulary and it has become an umbrella term for people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned by God.
An American transgender described Caitlyn as the “Change” that America champions which is why America is always ahead of the rest of the world.
Hahahahaha! Change indeed.
HELLO!!!! can someone tell that American transgender or transsexual or whatever she is that the slogan for the new government in Nigeria is “CHANGE?”
Lol, we’ve had Denrele since and we didn’t see him as change… Maybe someone should show her Denrele’s pictures so that she will be aware that Nigeria is catching up with them. Jesus Christ! Is this what being westernised is all about? Isn’t this madness? Isn’t that the term for those who enjoy dressing as the opposite sex? Or should we refer to Denrele as a cross-dresser for now until he finally plucks off his balls? Does it look like Denrele will eventually pluck off his balls? Yes, eventually. It is just a matter of time.
We are already used to his lipsticks, heels and Nkechi hairdo. And of course, he’s already been a poster “girl” for Nigerian magazines for as long as I can remember. The same poster girl that Bruce, oh sorry Caitlyn Jenner has dreamt of becoming since he/she was a child. Shit!!! – How do you write an article about Denrele and Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner if you keep identifying them by the wrong gender pronoun? Am I going to be saying “sorry” whenever I make mistakes like, “He looks hot,” or “she looks hot?” The American system has made it impossible to mention Bruce and balls in the same sentence. Like Caitlyn Jenner, are we soon going to start using the V-word for Denrele and Charlie boy too? I pray we never get there.
Our society doesn’t deserve such cruelty and madness. Denrele and Charlie Boy, for society’s sake, please keep your balls.. Lol…
Lawmakers, we need a little help here. Can you guys please give us something to stop Denrele, Uncle Charlie Boy or any other Nigerian from de-balling themselves now or anytime in the future? The lawmakers should do something about transgenders.
That Bruce Jenner is no longer a man proves that America has gone mad. We shouldn’t allow the west to influence us wrongly. These guys have been the butt of jokes and the source of rumours and speculations for years, as their appearances became more feminine.
They need our prayers now more than ever. As for Bruce Jenner, he needs Jesus. Without Jesus, he is hopeless—regardless of whether he struggles with gender identity or not. Eternity is a small and rapidly decreasing number of heartbeats away and he will live in hell, as Bruce Jenner, not Caitlyn, for trillions of years (forever) in horrifying, unending torment, with a never-ending panic attack. The same goes for everyone who is reading this and has been chasing a different identity from that which God has given you. Hell is your future. You will live in terror. This is the truth.
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Entertainment, Opinion

Things Buhari Needs To Do Urgently | By: Etcetera

I wasn’t born in 1960. So, I have no memories of the euphoria of the first Independence Day. My early memories of independence are the celebrations in the small government school I attended. My well starched and ironed school uniform, national flags made of paper, singing the National Anthem, and a speech by the headmistress were the highlights. In my final year, I was allowed to pin a small flag on my shirt and hold a slightly bigger one in front of the school because I was a school prefect. Those were proud moments! Even after so many years, the pride still remains. It is totally different today.
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Back then, it was more about Nigeria, our country! There was nationalism all around. Even as young kids, there was unflinching commitment to the country. Reading Chinua Achebe and Cyprian Ekwensi was a passion. I was told so many times by my father that the first few images of post-independent Nigeria weren’t of food shortages, poverty, hunger, inadequacy of almost everything. There was hope!
Where are we after 55 years, and where do we intend to go? As I listened to Buhari’s speech yesterday, I felt sorry for Nigeria. How did we get here? Everything in Nigeria has changed and, in many ways, changed for the worst. We still see poverty everywhere we turn. We are still worried whether the next ship will bring enough food. We are a country floating on crude oil yet we wake up every morning to fuel scarcity, wondering whether we have enough money in our pockets to buy fuel for our generators and cars for the next day.
Although our choice of cars is no longer limited to the Peugeot 504 and the Tortoise cars our parents cruised in the 60s, and we may not live in a black and white TV era with just one channel anymore, and there are no more long queues at telephone booths, does that give us comfort? Have we progressed? No. We still have to solve our more complex problems to move forward and we are impatient. We are still looking to developed countries for aid or to the World Bank for more loans. We are still not confident enough or ready to take on the world.
What are the things Buhari needs to do and urgently too?
1: Contain divisive forces and actions. We seem to divide ourselves in the name of tribe, region, religion, group, sub-group, constituencies, and we never unite in times of crisis. There are a number of external forces which may not want Nigeria to become developed and powerful. These forces are creating difficulties both inside and outside the country. They predicted our disintegration in 2015 and they almost made sure it happened. We must differentiate our enemies from our allies. It is also very important that, as a multi-cultural society, we learn to live and grow together and to resolve our differences through dialogue within ourselves and not external influences. Any form of violence, for any reason whatsoever, should be avoided. Instead of expecting the government to solve all our problems, let the civil society take its role seriously and do its bit. The large majority of Nigerians want to get on with their lives in peace. This majority needs to assert its presence.
2: Release the energy of Nigeria’s youth to generate growth and prosperity. Take a look at any young man or woman in Nigeria today, you are sure to find that unusual level of confidence, a confidence to take up a challenge to better the best in any part of the world they find themselves. They are willing to work extra hours, learn new things, and innovate. It is this confidence and the attitude of “Naija no dey carry last” that is Nigeria’s most valuable capital today. We need to support this with the best quality education, infrastructure and training and research facilities, be it in the private or public sector.Nigerian youths shouldn’t be entangled with issues of language or religion. They should be focused on their careers and their growth, which will in turn be Nigeria’s growth.
3: Get the infrastructure right. Young Nigerians are becoming impatient, and rightly so. They want to get going. Inadequate infrastructure, whether it is physical or social, is holding them back. Roads, power, basic services like water and sanitation, social infrastructure like healthcare, education need urgent attention if we want this country to grow. Many of these could come through private sector investment, innovation and efficiencies. The government will still play a major role both in terms of providing funds, encouraging investments and ensuring regulation. Instead of focusing on irrelevant issues, we need to focus on quality and cost of services.
4: Fight inefficiency and corruption. We are all worried about corruption. But when it comes to standing up against corruption, we have failed. Buhari must deter Nigerians from further engaging in corrupt practices by making scapegoats. He has to start by appointing only credible people into his cabinet. They must be discouraged from looting the treasury. If you ask me, I will suggest thatGoodluck Jonathan’s government should be probed and those found guilty of corrupt practices should be sent to Kirikiri. All forms of corruption are bad, but it is only the bigger cases that we pay attention to, forgetting that the petty corruption is just as cancerous. It affects the poor more and makes life miserable for the average Nigerian. The civil society needs to stand up and force the change we have all been clamouring for. Luckily, we now have the Freedom of Information Bill which is an effective tool in the hands of the Nigerian citizen to ensure transparency. If Aba manufacturers are empowered, we do not need technology from outside, we just need the will to change age-old and opaque processes. Society needs to make its demand for this change loud and clear.
 
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Entertainment, Opinion

Etcetera writes on how to please a Nigerian man.

Is something wrong with the Nigerian woman? Has she lost her beauty and power of seduction? How come Nigerian billionaires and politicians are all of a sudden having preference for foreign women? Or has the money syndrome finally caught up with them?
…… Oops! Did you say it’s about time? Hmmm maybe Nigerian men are difficult to satisfy like some of our ladies have claimed. But is that the appropriate excuse? Well, for any woman who truly knows her onions, pleasing a man (whether a Nigerian or not) is never a difficult feat. So ladies, here are some insights to a Nigerian man’s heart that will guide you to becoming the right woman in his eyes.
Submission has got a bad rap in recent years. The feminist movement has even made matters worse. Women are forgetting that submission wasn’t your man’s idea, it was God’s. “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22) Again the Word says, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fitting in the Lord.” (Colossians 3:18). Men should also know that submission does not mean subjection to abuse. Submission simply implies respect for another’s authority.
Ok sweerie, the premiership ends this weekend. You can now have the remote control from Monday morning. Watch as much telemundo and your Nollywood movies as you can from now till August. Nigerian ladies should understand that the key to a harmonious family life is finding that balance. Your man may not be a professional footballer and probably may not go to the field and play every Saturday, but if you don’t disturb him whenever he is watching his favourite team play on TV, he will love you more.
Remember that by learning to love and support his team, you are creating a deeper bond between the two of you. Be on his side, root for his team, celebrate his victories, mourn his defeats. Even the Bible commands us to “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” (Romans 12:15) lol…
Every Nigerian man loves food. I mean the actual food. There’s no such thing as a modern or old fashion way. A way is a way and the only way to a typical African man’s heart has always been through his stomach. Coming home from a long day’s work, we enjoy nothing better than a well cooked meal. Remember the story of Esau in the Bible? He was so hungry and was practically shaking after working in the fields that he was willing to sell his birthright to his brother Jacob for a hot bowl of soup! (Genesis 25:29-34). Ladies, when a Nigerian man is not properly fed, he becomes irrational, irritable and vulnerable to temptation. Feed us well not just for anything else, but so you may have peace in the house…. lol
Now ladies, ask any Nigerian man to choose between a delicious plate of soup and no sex or a tasteless meal and a mind-blowing sex, he will prefer to drink garri without sugar and have that mind-blowing encounter with you in bed. Does that tell you something? Babes, you may be everything from smart, charming with long pretty legs and even God-fearing but if your husband doesn’t find you sexually attractive, SHIKENA. A Nigerian man always wants that thing. So, stop holding back whenever he wants it. Adopt the Boy Scout motto that says “always be prepared.” Stop using your sexuality to manipulate or punish him.
Our greatest vulnerability is our sexuality, so don’t just go there – No games with that please. Give yourself to him freely every time, every way and everywhere. The Bible commands you, “Deprive not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your lack of self-control.” (1 Corinthians 7:5). Did you hear that? It says even after fasting, you should still give it to him…. Hmmmmm! I love the Bible. No wonder they call it the “perfect book.”
All men want to be successful. But it is so unfortunate that most Nigerian women measure success by what a man has accomplished aman has accomplished and not by who he is as a person. It is the role of the woman to help her man see the big picture in life, not through the eyes of someone who wants to purchase every latest trend in fashion, mobile phones and cars.
 
The good book of the lord says, “Better is the poor (man) who walks in his integrity than one perverse in his ways, though he be rich.” (Proverbs 28:6). So, ladies, always let your man know when he is doing a good job. Praise him for his patience with words like, “I really appreciate that you helped me with the dishes today.” “Thanks so much for emptying the dustbin; I appreciate you honey, even in the small things.” Note that a little compliment to a Nigerian man every now and again works like magic.
Nigerian men are driven by the need for significance. We often ask ourselves this question, “Do I really matter to her?” A man’s thirst for significance can only be quenched in knowing how important he is. That is why we will chase after every vain pursuit only to hear the words, “You matter. You are important. You are appreciated. You are significant.” If a man never heard these words or sensed this approval from his woman, he can spend his whole life chasing someone else who will value his identity.
Support your man at every turn. Be there for him to guide him. This is God’s command for you as the woman. God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18). A man needs help in the small things like finding our car keys or in bigger things like building a business. It has become one of the most popular sayings that “behind every great man is a far greater woman.”
With men, two plus two is always four. We are a straight-jacket mind species. Maybe it is so because we have always found solace in being logical. And it has proved to be a sure way one can maintain stability in the home, especially in times of uncertainty or danger. But it is clear that men most times lack that natural intuitiveness found in women. Which makes it important, that whenever your man is about to strike a business deal, he needs your input because he might not understand that deep gut feeling you have that something is not right.
For a man, if it looks good “on paper,” it is good even when in your heart of hearts, you can smell something foul brewing. Your man needs your intuitive, instinctive, perceptive and discerning insights when making decisions. But as his woman, you should be careful so as not to bruise his ego.
A man is not molded to understand the emotional and dynamics behind the problems that women face. So it is important that the woman doesn’t go running and pouring all her cares, worries, fears, insecurities and troubles on him all at once, it can be very overwhelming. If it is your car that is making that funny noise or something in the house is broken, YESSSSS! he knows exactly what to do instantly. Every man requires that extra training to be a good listener and you will have to working at it until he is there.
You can simply start by asking him to listen to you for one minute without interruption and gradually build up his tolerance level. If you throw a fifteen-minute monologue at him, he will freeze up, walk away or get annoyed. Make things simple for him. Spell out exactly what you need, even if it is just a simple hug (and you may want to also explain to him that a hug does not mean you want to have sex!)… because e nor dey hard us to conclude.lol
Every man wants to come home to a peaceful house after a long day at work. But our women don’t always permit such a luxury. We want tranquility and control in every aspect of our lives; that is why we sometimes do everything possible to create an atmosphere of peace and serenity. It is also why every man dreads a nagging woman. A nagging woman drains us of body vitamins and morale.
If you nag your man, he will distance himself emotionally and possibly even physically. The Bible says, “It isbetter to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than in a house shared with a contentious woman.” (Proverbs 25:24).
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Entertainment

Singer cum writer, Etcetera doesn’t think Buhari should be sworn in with the Quran.

A lot of Nigerians do not know that Nigeria is a secular state and they are also not aware that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria does not require that Buhari take his oath of office by swearing with the Quran.
The drafters of the constitution made it crystal clear that any Nigerian of any faith or no faith can hold any office.

It would have been very easy for the constitution drafters to include it in our constitution that the president should be sworn in with the Quran. But they didn’t.
In other words, placing a hand on a Quran while reciting the presidential oath is simply a tradition that is not backed by the constitution.

Meaning, it is absolutely unnecessary.
On Friday May 29, the Constitution requires that Buhari gives this oath of office:

“I, Muhammadu Buhari, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution.”

So, why should Buhari swear with a Quran? Why shouldn’t he place his hand on the Nigerian Constitution- the very document he’s promising to “preserve, protect and defend?”
There’s is a gargantuan barrier between religion and state and Buhari should demonstrate that he recognises this fact by taking his oath of office with his hand on the constitution instead of the Quran.
His loyalty should be to the nation’s laws above all else.
A lot of people will argue that Buhari swearing with the Quran ensures that he adheres to his oath.
But let’s be truthful to ourselves: We have seen elected officials swear to uphold the laws of our country with their hands on the Quran and go on to steal billions of naira and break laws like crazy.
It all comes down to the individual’s moral code, not a few seconds oath.
My objection is not only against the Quran. I would hold the same view if it were the Bible, the Book of Mormon or any other religious scripture.
The drafters of the constitution made it clear that the Nigerian Constitution, “shall be the supreme law of the land.”

It is the living legacy they bestowed upon us. It is the framework for our government. And as such, that’s the document our president should place his hand on.
It should be clear to us on May 29 that the president views the Constitution as our nation’s alpha and omega.

As a matter of fact, your religion doesn’t matter when you are taking a position in office because religion has nothing to do with running a country.
I personally think that being sworn in with any kind of religious testament is a waste of time and useless.
A lot of people in the out-going government were sworn in with the Bible but did they deliver any of the things they promised the country?
To some people, it doesn’t matter whether the president-elect is sworn in with the Quran. They’re probably used to seeing it happen.
We just take it for granted that it is the way things have always been done, but it doesn’t necessarily make it right.
In my opinion, any elected leader in any secular country like ours is voted in to represent everyone in that country. So why not swear with a document that means something to everyone, such as the constitution? Wouldn’t that make more sense, instead of swearing with a religious document that only represents a chunk of the population? 
Imagine if a Juju priest was elected President, would it be okay for him to be sworn in with ‘sango, orunmila or amadioha’ or some other work written about atheism? Would it be okay for an ogboni president to be sworn in with the ogboni book of sacred covenant?
 I am a Catholic and I believe completely in not swearing with the Bible because there are multiple religions in the country and swearing with a Bible will not cause the sacred binding to the truth if the person swearing does not share a religion with the Bible.
The Bible does not have the same meaning to every person. So it shouldn’t be counted as a true binding document.
Finally, we shouldn’t also forget that oath taking of any kind is absolutely forbidden by the Bible:
“But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King.
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black.
All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” – Matthew 5:34-37

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Entertainment

Singer, Etcetera says there's no way Dangote can buy Arsenal FC

You have sold some shares and you’ve got some money to spend. Now you want the ultimate: Your own football club. Hold on there, are you sure? Football clubs are a nightmare to run. 
In fact, almost two-thirds of premiership clubs have been in receivership at some point. Remember Portsmouth FC ploughed through four owners some seasons back and landed itself a debt of £60m and relegation in the Championship. 
Think of Leeds United’s tragicomic collapse; the balls-up at Cambridge United; Rotherham going into receivership in 2006 and 2008; Southampton’s sorry saga. And, of course, Crawley Town getting a winding up order years back. So, what do we know? Don’t buy a football club for the glory. So, before Dangote aspires to join Abrahamovic, Glazers and Al Mansours, he should make sure he knows his stuff.
But does Dangote know how much these football clubs really cost?
It is often mistaken that these clubs go for a quid. For instance, Swansea City was bought by investors for £100, and sold four years later for a £1. But beware: underneath those figures lies a pile of debt.
                                                                                           
Does Dangote have the cash, can he do an Abramovich?
No, he can’t. New UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations already in place, require clubs to balance their income and expenses. Dangote cannot operate under such rules. 
The premiership is too organised and transparent for any businessman to easily manipulate. The wage structure of footballers is too large for a businessman like Dangote to take on. 
Let us forget that those goons at Forbes have told us that Dangote is Africa’s richest man. As it stands, he cannot afford the outright purchase of a big football club like Arsenal. It is as simple as that. He will go broke. It is a possibility if we are talking about a club in the coast of West Africa. 
Dangote has most of his wealth in shares and physical assets and the football business requires liquid cash to sustain. Have we all forgotten that the same Dangote got a 3G licence and sold it to Etisalat? He is a very smart businessman who knows how to pick his areas of investments.
Can he get Bank backing?
Unlikely! No serious private equity firm would get involved with a football club. They are not proper businesses. Too much politics, too many egos. And there’s no proper exit route – the history of football clubs on the stock market is chequered, to say the least. They are rich men’s toys, great for entertaining your mates, and that’s about it. I don’t think Dangote can afford such an expensive toy.
A lot of people think it is relatively easy to make a million pounds by being the owner of a football club. That all you have to do is put in that first two million pounds. But these people should also know that since the English Premier League was formed in 1992, football finances have dried up to the extent that making a million pound profit is no longer a walk in the park. It is also the case that buying a football club is unlikely to yield that much of a return. 
Despite the significant TV and other commercial revenues, football clubs in England’s top flight still struggle to break even. This is ironic, given the goal of setting up the Premier League was to stabilise club finances.
Is Dangote putting his heart over his head?
Yes I think so. Simon Jordan, in his autobiography, tells the story of how owning a football club can go terribly wrong. Jordan amassed a fortune of £75m in the early days of the mobile phone revolution. In 2000, he paid £10m to take control of South London football team Crystal Palace, becoming the youngest football club chairman at the age of 32. He was warned by many not to do it, but having watched the club since his childhood, he could not resist. 
Fast-forward 10 years and the club was in administration and Jordan’s personal wealth largely wiped out. It is reported that Roman Abramovich, the Russian owner of Chelsea, has written off more than one billion pounds he ploughed into the club since acquiring it in 2003. Catching him up fast is Sheikh Mansour from Abu Dhabi, who has invested close to one billion pounds in Manchester City since 2008. Can Dangote write off such a huge amount of money? 
It is in fact the amount of money he borrows to invest in businesses. But again, I think Dangote is just trying to hype himself. Most of the serious money flowing into football recently has come from the Middle East. The Qatar Investment Authority (the country’s sovereign wealth fund) bought the French Ligue 1 side Paris St Germain in 2011 and has gone about transforming them in the same way Sheikh Mansour has Manchester City. Forget those guys at Forbes, Dangote is not in the same league as these guys.
The Glazer Family bought Manchester United in 2006, recognising the immense value of its global brand as a cash generator and the opportunities to enhance it even further. The cost of buying the club was loaded on to the club itself, with the revenues it generates used to pay the debt and interest that the Glazers undertook to buy the club. Eventually, the hope is that the club will essentially pay for itself leaving its American owners in possession of a multi-billion pound asset but till date, the Glazers are still gnashing their teeth and are still neck deep in debt. 
When it was speculated that a Middle East consortium was willing to pay £1.5bn for Arsenal Football Club, it was stated that Stan Kroenke, the American who owns about 63 per cent of the shares in the club, would have made just £400m on his shares. So, given the appalling financial returns, why do people buy football clubs?
Who can buy Arsenal football club?
Anyone can buy Arsenal football club, but that anyone doesn’t include anyone who obtains bank loans to fund a business. Sir John Madejski, chairman of Reading Football Club, describes the ideal football club owner as having deep pockets, mercurial, and not faint-hearted.
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