Davido’s presence causes scare at NYSC camp

Ace musician, David Adeleke (Davido), was among 2152 Batch “B”, Stream 2 corps members sworn in at the Lagos State NYSC Orientation Camp, Ipaja on Thursday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that security personnel had a hard time controlling fellow corps members and NYSC staff rushing to take a glimpse of the popular musician.

He was later smuggled through the crowd into an office for safety.

In a brief chat with newsmen, the young entertainer expressed gladness to be able to partake in the scheme.

“I am a youth and I am delighted to serve my fatherland.

“NYSC is also a leadership development programme and since I will not remain a youth forever. I have to start preparing myself for the future,’’ he said.

He promised to take active part in all the camp activities.

Davido is a 2015 graduate of Music from Babcock University, Ilisan, Ogun State.

He was posted to Lagos for the mandatory one-year NYSC programme.












Rainbowgist

French minister warns UK must bend on Brexit proposal

French Europe Minister Nathalie Loiseau cast fresh doubt today on Britain’s Brexit blueprint for future trade ties with the European Union, warning its current proposal “is not possible”.

Loiseau said British Prime Minister Theresa May’s plan unveiled in July, which envisages the UK leaving the EU’s single market but staying in a free trade area for goods through a customs deal and common rulebook, is unattainable.

The EU has proposed replicating its free trade agreement with Canada, or non-member Norway’s access to the single market, which May opposes because it entails paying into the bloc’s budget and accepting rules such as the free movement of people.


“The problem with the current proposal made by the British government is that it would join the benefits of Norway with the obligations of Canada and this is not possible,” Loiseau told the BBC.

She said Britain must compromise to comply with the EU’s key principles.

“There is something in between (Norway and Canada) but there has to be a balance between rights and obligations in the relationship with the European Union,” Loiseau added.

Britain is set to leave the bloc on March 30, but the two sides want to strike the divorce agreement by late October to give their parliaments enough time to endorse a deal.

Britons voted to leave the 28-nation bloc in June 2016, but negotiations were only launched a year later and have bogged down frequently since then.

Talks have become stuck in several areas, including how to avoid a hard border for people and goods crossing between EU member Ireland and the British province of Northern Ireland.

“Until now nothing else has been proposed that is feasible and would respect the integrity of the single market,” Loiseau said of proposed solutions to the Irish issue.

Both sides have said they are making contingency preparations for no deal.

Britain’s Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab and EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier will hold six hours of talks in Brussels on Friday to try to break the deadlock.

Raab said Wednesday that reaching a deal by October “is within our sights” but there is “leeway” to miss the deadline, which coincides with a summit of EU heads of state.

Barnier reiterated that the bloc was prepared to offer Britain a partnership unlike “any other third country”.

































Rainbowgist

Liverpool to face Chelsea in League Cup third round

Liverpool will host Chelsea in the League Cup third round after Thursday’s draw threw up four all-Premier League ties.

Tottenham Hotspur will host Watford, Southampton visit Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers welcome Midlands rivals Leicester City in the other top-tier encounters.

Holders Manchester City will visit third-tier Oxford United, while Manchester United host Frank Lampard’s Derby County.

Arsenal, who were beaten by City in last year’s final, face fellow London club Brentford.

Liverpool, who have won the trophy a record eight times, were also handed a tough Champions League draw on Thursday in a group with Paris St Germain, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade.

Tottenham have applied to the English Football League (EFL) to play their tie against fellow Londoners Watford at a neutral venue.

The Wembley Stadium, where they have been playing home matches while their new stadium is being constructed, is not available.

The third round ties are due to be played in the week beginning September 24.



























Rainbowgist

All you need to know about investment clubs

When a writer treats a particular topic and makes you fall in love with it, he or she deserves to be saluted as a great one. That is why despite the fact that Tomi Balogun is a young writer, she has produced what is close to a great book in Investment Clubs: How to Create Wealth Beyond your Pay-Cheque by Investing with others.

In the 173-page book, Balogun is so passionate in her exposition on investment clubs that even anyone learning about it for the first time will not hesitate to join one. And for those who might have been aspiring to be part of it or to establish one, here is a major opportunity to better appreciate its essence and potential. For the author not only puts the advantages in perspective, she also vividly and systematically establishes the process for establishing one.

In some 44 chapters coming in three parts, Balogun explains what it takes to start an investment club, managing teething challenges and success that may come. Some of the initial topics are Getting Started with Personal Flows, Why should Anyone Invest, What if I have a Limited Budget? And What it Means to be an Average Investor.

On Page 40, Balogun describes an investment club as a group of people who consolidate funds to invest in deals and business opportunities as an entity.

“It offers members a great opportunity to share risks and rewards in a way that contributes to the growth of common wealth in society. An investment club offers everyone a win-win solution,” she adds.

She goes on to look at the origin and formation operational styles of the clubs and types of membership.

Apart from including the experience of existing clubs and individuals who have been involved in it – including Tomie Davies, who wrote the foreword to the book, Balogun also presents down-to-earth suggestions on what she believes the members or intending members should work on. This she wraps in what she calls ‘Tommie advice’, coming after some of the major sections.

An example of that is on page 88, bordering on rate and mode of contributions. Balogun writes, “Members do not need to contribute the same amount of money to the club. Each member can be allocated shares of the legal entity per the capital contributions made by that member. We didn’t try this option in my club, but I think it is an option that can be explored to accommodate different financial capabilities of members.”

The book is, indeed, a dependable manual for anyone interested in the ideals of investment clubs. It is rendered in simple but inspiring language just as it is beautifully printed and packaged.







































Rainbowgist

Saraki declares presidential bid, promises sincere anti-graft war

Senate President Bukola Saraki has formally declared his intention to contest the presidency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Saraki made the declaration on Thursday in Abuja during his meeting with Not-Too-Young-to Run-Movement.


The Senate President lamented the poor state of Nigeria’s infrastructure and growing insecurity as exemplified by acts of terrorism, kidnapping, banditry and sundry other crimes which he said he would tackle if elected.

He said, “I hereby announce my intention to run for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the coming General Elections in 2019 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“I do so with the firm conviction that I have what it takes to secure inclusive growth for Nigeria and Nigerians.

He said Nigeria was blessed with a relatively young country bursting with tremendous energy, ability and potential.


Saraki further observed that more than 70 per cent of the country’s population is under the age of 40.

The Senate President lamented that Nigerians were crying out for succour because a large number of its population of women and children were hungry and dying of avoidable or treatable diseases.

He also said many had fallen below basic living standards and were among the 87 million that sealed Nigeria’s position as the country with the highest number of people in extreme poverty.

Saraki said, “Our young people lack opportunities. The necessary education facilities and system to equip them for the future simply do not exist. We are not creating the jobs needed to usefully engage them in order to grow our economy. And too often, youths feel shut out, prevented from having any say in the direction of this nation.

“The harsh conditions of extreme poverty faced by the people, fuel the state of insecurity all over the country. Hunger, the lack of education and lack of opportunities, push many Nigerians into criminal activities including terrorism.

“Many of our communities are paralysed with fear due to incessant communal crises, kidnappings and other social ills, as well as the threat of terrorism. We are failing abysmally to tackle the problems of today and to prepare for the future.”

He expressed sadness that Nigeria had become increasingly divided along regional, religious and ethnic lines thus widening the nation’s fault lines.

Nigeria, he said, needed a new generation of leaders that are competent, with the capability to rise to the challenges of the 21st century, adding that it was time to pull the nation back together and rebuild.

“The choice we face in the forthcoming election is either to keep things as they are or make a radical departure from the old ways; to find a better way of doing things or keep repeating the mistakes of the past, to fix the problems or keep compounding them,” he said.


Saraki promised to, among other things, provide a government driven by youthful energy, innovation and a pioneering entrepreneurial spirit.

Towards this end, he said Nigerian youths will be given all the opportunities to realise their potential to the full within a national framework that guarantees inclusiveness.

He said his administration will ensure that youths who have ideas and capacity will be funded in ventures that will be beneficial to the nation in order to create jobs.

On the war against corruption, Saraki said, “Ours will not be a selective fight against corruption. The emphasis will be on strengthening institutions, with a particular focus on deterrence.

“We cannot afford to compromise our institutions with proxy wars against perceived political opponents. We see the fight against corruption as crucial to Nigeria’s economic development.”

He said the leadership Nigeria deserves is one that will be a source of pride to all, one that will be respected and admired in Africa and around the world.

“It should be a leadership that can hold its own and stand tall anywhere in the world. That is the type of leadership I offer.” Saraki added.

Meanwhile, the Not-Too-Young-to-Run movement has distanced itself from the Presidential declaration of Senate President Bukola Saraki.

The group said it had only invited Saraki and other chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party to a town hall meeting as part of efforts to ensure that youths were given some concessions ahead of the 2019 general elections.

It said it was shocked when Saraki seized the opportunity to declare his Presidential bid thereby compromising the event.


The statement read in part, “Whilst addressing participants at the town hall, Senator Saraki declared his intention to run for the office of the President in the 2019 elections. The movement wishes to express its disappointment with Senator Saraki for usurping a platform designed for young aspirants to hold dialogue with party leadership to advance his personal political ambition. We strongly condemn this act by the President of the Senate.

“The movement restates its commitment to sustain its engagement with political parties to ensure youth candidacy and democratic party primaries. As noted earlier, the movement reaffirms its identity as a non-partisan citizens led movement dedicated to the defence of democracy, political inclusion and transformative leadership.”


































Rainbowgist

How to secure UI’s admission

The motivation to write on this matter is informed by the preponderance of telephone calls I receive on a daily basis across the country from candidates, parents and educationists, wanting to know how they can secure admission into the University of Ibadan. The refrains of this daily deluge of telephone inquiries have always been: “I love UI, I want to attend UI, but I don’t know anybody there. I don’t have connection there! Can you assist me? How much can I give in order to gain admission to UI?” What a misconception! They see UI as the richest ad cheapest intellectual citadel of higher learning in Nigeria, being a federal institution, and still they are bereft of basic facts about the university.

One will now begin to enlighten the callers, explaining the modalities of securing admission into the Nigeria’s premier university, fondly referred to, as the First and Best.  For a fact, and, in order to draw a distinction between UI and other universities in the country in terms of transparency of admission process, thousands of the past and present UI students will proudly attest to the fact that candidates don’t have to know anybody before securing admission. You don’t need any connection, neither do you have to give bribes in order to gain  UI’s admission. In other words, UI’s admission process is not only tough and transparent, but also absolutely merit-driven. This is because the university sees all the states of the federation as its catchment areas. Thus, admission slots are highly competitive, available only to the best of the best candidates, irrespective of socio-economic and parental backgrounds.

Again, UI’s undergraduate admission process seems to be too tough and rigorous because the university is fast becoming a Postgraduate institution, training manpower for other younger universities in the country. Already, about 50 per cent of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian universities are products of UI. This Postgraduate flagship status automatically limits its undergraduate admission capacity. While the National Universities Commission approves up to  8,000 admission slots for UI, the institution admits yearly, an average of 3,500 undergraduate candidates whom the available facilities can effectively accommodate, and in order to be able to concentrate on postgraduate studies.

To be fair to all undergraduate admission seekers therefore, the management has, over the years, entrenched the culture of transparent admission process which gives everybody a level-playing ground for competition,  with the ultimate goal of picking the best out of the best candidates. Once a candidate can prove their intellectual worth, there is a chance of gaining admission without necessarily knowing anybody or having connection. With five credits in relevant subjects at Ordinary Level, 200 and above at the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination,  and a good performance at the Post-UTME test, a candidate has a chance to study in UI.

However, there is a problem somewhere! With the benefit of hindsight, most of the candidates who parade good grades at the WASSCE and UTME levels have always failed to fly when it comes to UI’s post-UTME test, which is more or less a repetition of past UTME questions. Whereas, the test is just a mere quality-control mechanism, designed to validate candidates’ claims. Yet, candidates perform abysmally to the embarrassment of their parents. For instance, out of over 21,000 candidates who sat for UI’s last Post-UTME test conducted last October, only 9,000 plus, got 50 marks and above, out of which UI admitted about 4,000.

But what is the problem? The simple truth is that today’s students are largely distracted. The distraction is probably borne out of their addiction to social media. Indeed, to me, the distraction offered to our students by the social media demands serious attention by both parents and guardians. Our failure to reckon with this fact, simply denies us the grasp of where the problem lies. Social media, to these youngsters, are nothing but self-entrapments. Social media has its own merits, but the youths of this generation seem to tilt much more towards the demerit scale. Candidates,  seeking admission to UI, but are habitually glued to Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, LinkedIn , Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat among others, have already limited their chances of securing the university admission, because they may have little or no time to study to the level demanded by UI . In addition to all this social media distraction, the youths equally waste their precious time watching Cable TV stations before switching to sports channels, where they memorise all the names of football players in Europe and Asia as well as the amount of money each player collects. All of these indulgences affect reading habits, thus responsible for poor academic performances.

Let me slice it a little thinner, the reasons for mass failure in public examination are certainly multifactorial. But I am convinced that in today’s world of social media, where everybody is connected and nobody is in control, the social media is responsible for denying the students their dreams, as they don’t succeed academically as much as they have the capacity to. They waste a lot of time on frivolities and pornographic materials. Unfortunately, many parents condone what should be condemned, forgetting that they have a duty to protect these students from being led astray by the social media. In the last Post-UTME test in which my daughter participated, I took some measures perceived by my nucleus family members to be in extreme, which ultimately contributed to her success. Having realised the dangers of social media, I denied her the use of phone until after the test; I stopped subscribing to DSTV until after the exams. I bought several UTME past questions for her and began to monitor her. We indeed studied together! When the result came, it was amazing as she scored 72 and got admission to UI purely on merit. It is said that if you can pay the price, you will get the prize. This was the same Post-UTME test in which thousands of other candidates flunked, getting scores as low as 27, 32 and 41, thereby bungling their chances of studying at Ibadan.

There is no real achievement without some measures of madness. Success doesn’t happen by happenstance. It is a product of hard work. The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and serious preparation. Consistent  hard work leads to success. This is therefore a wake-up call for parents to moderate the addiction of their children to social media. Parents have the mandate of moral regeneration. It needs no emphasis that the children of these days need attitude reconstruction to study. Serious reading is the best nourishment for the mind,  and the foundation for clear thinking and sound planning. But our children will love to live in luxury of life without too much stress. They prefer to be indifferent about their business of knowledge acquisition. You can’t blame them, this is a generation of consumers and not producers’ mentality. They prefer consumption to production. They find it difficult to stay in their lane of learning. Even when they pretend to be reading, they keep throwing lustful glances at the opposite sex, flashing themselves seductive smiles at the expense of their studies!

Securing UI’s admission is like winning a lottery, nothing beats the feeling. This is a university with the highest number of professors in the country. It is the intellectual capital of Nigeria. It is the only Nigerian university ranked among the best 1,000 universities in the world, seen as the indisputable first among equals locally. Gaining admission to study in such a prestigious university is clearly not a tea party, it comes with a cost. The cost is constant reading. There is nothing in life that comes without an opportunity cost. The culture of serious reading is probably the opportunity cost of social media addiction. Let it be known that the only road to recovery from the danger of social media is self-discipline and effective time management.

It is the responsibility of every parent to instil into their children that success is energy well-directed. Consistency in studies has the compound interest effect in their intellectual development. They must be encouraged. As earlier stated, the youths of this generation are hunters of entitlements. They like enjoying sybaritic lifestyles facilitated by their parents’ sweat or theft of public wealth. Those who say they don’t want their children to go through life without some hardship may be missing the point. If you do everything for your children, what will the children do for themselves?

More importantly, UI does not give room for bribery in its admission process. No amount of financial inducements can buy UI’s admission slot. This is because there are many layers of check and counterchecks. Every card is laid on the table. There is nothing hidden in the admission process. Therefore, if anybody is asking you to pay money into any account in order to facilitate admission, you must know that it is fraud. The university’s admission slots are for the best out of the best candidates. If the best candidate is from the poorest village in the country, the candidate is admitted automatically. Perhaps,  to further encourage academic excellence, UI has established the culture of giving scholarship to the best three students in Post-UTME test. What more? Candidates who are interested in UI must be ready to burn all the midnight candles.

Saanu is Media Assistant to the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan. E mail: sundaysaanu@yahoo.com. (08059436919)









Rainbowgist

I’m for free, fair 2019 elections, Buhari assures Theresa May

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday assured the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, that he was all out to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2019.

He said he was pleased that his party, the ruling All Progressives Congress, was doing well.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists shortly after Buhari held a closed-door meeting with May at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The President welcomed the United Kingdom’s support aimed at strengthening democratic institutions in Nigeria.

He said, “I assure you that I’m all out for free, fair and credible elections. I’m very pleased that my party is doing very well. The High Commissioner will brief you more. The recent successes in polls in Katsina, Bauchi, and Kogi have boosted our morale greatly.

“Nigeria has accepted multi-party democracy and that is putting politicians on their toes, forcing them to work harder.”

Buhari also applauded the British support for his administration’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign.

He said the success of the campaign was important to ordinary Nigerians.

“We had great opportunities and resources between 1999 and 2014, due to high oil prices. But when we came in 2015, oil prices plunged to as low as $37 per barrel.

“What we have been doing since 2015 is to focus on infrastructure development, despite low earnings. Work is ongoing on roads, rail, power, and many others,” he said.

On Brexit, Buhari noted that it provided an opportunity to strengthen the historic ties between Nigeria and the UK.

“We are nervously watching the development about Brexit because we know that the relationship had been on for a long time.  I assure you that I am prepared to strengthen the relationship between our two countries,” he promised.

The President also thanked the UK Government for the support on security and the fight against insurgency in the north-eastern part of Nigeria, as well as the improved trade relations between both countries.

“I am very grateful to the British government under your leadership for the help in security, particularly your training team that is in our institution in Kaduna,’’ he said.

Earlier, in his remarks before the bilateral meeting, the Nigerian leader underscored the need for UK support on reviving of Lake Chad, which is a means of livelihood for millions of people.

The President told the visiting Prime Minister that Europe and China were already conducting an in-depth study on recharging the Lake through inter-basin transfer from the Central African Republic.

In her remarks, May, who welcomed the assurance by the Nigerian government on credible elections in 2019, said she was pleased to be in Abuja to continue the “excellent discussions” she started with Buhari in London in April, this year, particularly on security, trade, asset recovery and the fight against corruption.

“Security and defence cooperation are very important steps to address Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa,” she said.

On asset recovery, the Prime Minister told Buhari that “we do not want to hold anything that belongs to Nigerian people, but we follow the judicial process, which can be slow.”

The Prime Minister appealed to President Buhari to use his position as ECOWAS chairman to keep the issue of human trafficking on the front burner in the sub-region.





































Rainbowgist

Panasonic to move UK headquarters on Brexit fears

Panasonic plans to move its European headquarters from Britain to the Netherlands later this year over concerns about potential tax issues related to Brexit, a company spokeswoman said on Thursday.

“We will move our European headquarters to the Netherlands,” the spokeswoman told AFP, confirming a report in the Nikkei business daily about the Japanese electronics giant’s decision.

Laurent Abadie, CEO of Panasonic Europe, told the Nikkei that the headquarters would move from outside London to Amsterdam in October.

The decision was sparked by fears that Japan could treat Britain as a tax haven after Brexit if London decides to lower its corporate tax rate in a bid to attract businesses, she said.

If Japan made the designation, Panasonic could face back taxes levied by Tokyo.

Abadie told the newspaper that Panasonic had been considering a move for the past 15 months, with concerns about post-Brexit barriers to the flow of people and goods also a factor in the decision to move.

Of the 20 to 30 people in the London office, around 10 to 20 employees dealing with auditing and financial operations would move. Investor relations staff would stay put, the newspaper said.

Britain is due to leave the EU in March 2019, in a process that has sparked uncertainty in the business sector and concern about the consequences for the country’s economy.

– ‘High stakes’ –

Several Japanese firms including megabank MUFG, Nomura Holdings, Daiwa Securities and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group have said they are planning to move their main EU bases out of London.

Britain is hoping to strike trade deals with its major partners including Japan following its exit from the bloc and Japanese companies have more than $60 billion invested in the country, according to the most recent statistics.

There are 879 Japanese companies employing 142,000 staff in Britain, including carmakers Honda and Nissan.

With so much at stake, Prime Minister Theresa May has tried to reassure Japanese firms, visiting Tokyo in August last year and hosting top executives in London earlier this year.

However, like many of Britain’s closest partners, Japan has voiced concern about business relations post-Brexit. Japan’s ambassador to London Koji Tsuruoka warned of the “high stakes” of Brexit saying that no company could function if profits dry up in Britain.

And Nissan is already preparing to axe hundreds of jobs at its factory in the northeastern city of Sunderland — which produces 500,000 vehicles per year — as British sales slump.

Earlier this week, the head of Keidanren, which represents 1,000 Japanese firms, expressed his frustration in an interview with the Financial Times.

“We just can’t do anything. Everyone is seriously concerned,” said Hiroaki Nakanishi.

Different scenarios are being debated, ranging from reversing Brexit to plunging into Brexit without a deal, noted Nakanishi. “We’re now in a situation where we have to consider what to do in all of them.”

















Rainbowgist

UK mulls ban on sale of energy drinks to kids

Britain’s government launched a public consultation on Thursday over plans to ban the sale of energy drinks to young people, as it grapples with some of Western Europe’s worst child obesity rates.

Prime Minister Theresa May wants to prevent retailers from selling popular energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Monster and Relentless, to children because of their high levels of sugar and caffeine.

The government estimates more than two-thirds of 10 to 17-year-olds and a quarter of six to 9-year-olds consume the drinks, which are linked to a host of health and behaviour problems, from headaches to hyperactivity.

“Childhood obesity is one of the greatest health challenges this country faces,” May said in a statement.

“With thousands of young people regularly consuming energy drinks, often because they are sold at cheaper prices than soft drinks, we will consult on banning the sale of energy drinks to children.”

The plans were first announced in June, alongside a commitment to halve childhood obesity rates by 2030.

The 12-week consultation will ask whether the restrictions should apply to children under 16 or under 18 and if the law should be changed to prevent children from buying them in any situation.

The proposed legislation will prevent the sale of energy drinks that contain more than 150 milligrams of caffeine per litre to children.

A 250-millilitre can may contain double that amount –- the equivalent of nearly three cans of cola, according to the department of health.

On average, non-diet energy drinks also contain 60 percent more calories and 65 percent more sugar than regular soft drinks, it said.

Meanwhile nearly a quarter of children in England are obese or overweight by the age of five, rising to one third by the time they leave primary school aged 11.

Public health advocates welcomed the plans but Tam Fry, of Action On Sugar, said it was “astounding that the government feels that a consultation is required”.

“It has been told for years that these drinks are quite unsuitable for children even if they play a lot of sports.

“We need a government that leads rather than going cap-in-hand to the court of popular approval.”















Rainbowgist

15 billionaires to fund Ojukwu’s widow’s election —Ohakim

A former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, has said  no fewer than 15 Igbo billionaires had been mobilised to fund the senatorial race of the widow of late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Ojukwu, Bianca Ojukwu.

He said the Igbo would not watch the wife of their leader be intimidated by anybody in any circumstance.

Ohakim who described the late Ojukwu as the most selfless Igbo leader dead or alive, spoke at Ekwulobia in the Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State during a stakeholders’ meeting of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in the Anambra South Senatorial district.

He enjoined those aspiring to contest the position with Bianca to have a rethink, stressing that it would be a setback to the Igbo and a disservice to Ojukwu for anybody to work against the interest of his widow and in fact any member of his family in general.

He said “Those who are contesting the poll with the wife of our leader may have the money and wherewithal to muzzle down Bianca but they don’t have the same integrity.

“Bianca Ojukwu is not an ordinary human being, she is a spirit. She has double-barreled identity and double-barreled legacy.

“We have mobilised 15 Igbo billionaires to sponsor her ambition and over 25,000 youths to work for her.”

He enjoined the people of Anambra State not to disappoint the Igbo race in the Bianca project.

He added, “The people of Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, have asked me to beg you (Anambra) to accomplish this mission and project in memory of our great leader, Dim Chkwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

“Ojukwu sacrificed his Oxford education, his personal comfort, his father’s wealth to save the Igbo race at the most auspicious time”.

Bianca said she was going to the Senate to accomplish the dream of her late husband of giving the Igbo a voice in national polity.

She said, “APGA and Igbo interests run in my veins and blood; and I have a kindred obligation to defend it and that’s why I’m going to the Senate. The Ojukwu dream must not die. We can’t abandon Ojukwu.”

Bianca, a former Ambassador of Nigeria to Spain would contest the Anambra South Senatorial poll on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

Her late husband led APGA for over a decade during his lifetime, and was at several times the presidential candidate of the party.























Rainbowgist

Saraki visits ex-President Jonathan

Senate President Bukola Saraki met with former President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja.

Saraki visited the former president in company with ex-National Chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chief Barnabas Gemade, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje; Senators Albert Akpan Bassey, Dino Melaye, Rafiu Ibrahim, Dr. Doyin Okupe and other members of the Senate President’s entourage.





















Rainbowgist

Another Nigerian pilgrim dies in Saudi Arabia

The Nigerian pilgrimage mission in Saudi Arabia today recorded double tragedy following the death of two pilgrims.

A pilgrim from Niger had earlier, in the morning, died in an elevator pit after stepping on the platform without knowing it was under repair.

NAHCON medical officials said the tragedy was being studied by reviewing a CCTV footage of the incident.

Later in the day, the Kaduna State Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board announced the loss of another pilgrim (name withheld), from Lere Local Government Area.

A statement by the Public Relations Officer of the board, Yunusa Abdullahi, said the pilgrim died at a Hospital in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, after a protracted illness.

The News Agency of Nigeria  reports that eight Nigerian pilgrims have died since the beginning of the Hajj this year.











Rainbowgist

Theresa May’s ‘poverty’ remarks should spur Buhari to action – Afenifere

The pan-Yorubasocio-political organisation, Afenifere, has described the statement credited to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Theresa May, about Nigeria as unfortunate. 

May reportedly remarked during her visit to South Africa on Tuesday that Nigeria was a home to the highest number of world’s very poor people. 

Speaking with our correspondent in Akure, the Ondo State capital today ,  the Secretary-General of Afenifere, Chief Sehinde Arogbofa, said May’s comments should spur the Nigerian government to work and make life better for the citizens.  

According to him, the current administration should be able to change the perception of the world leaders about Nigeria by finding a solution to the various challenges facing the country.

He recalled that the President of the United States of America, Mr. Donald Trump regarded President Muhammadu Buhari as being ‘lifeless’, saying the word was derogatory to the Nigerian President. 

He said, “The comments of some world leaders about our President and country are not good remarks, some days ago Trump regarded our President as lifeless. That is unfair. The word lifeless is derogatory and weighty to be said to the President of the country with the largest economy in Africa. 

“After that, Theresa May came with another bad remark, saying 87 million Nigerians live on $1.90 per day, making Nigeria the home of very poor people in the world, that is a very serious indictment. I know some have reacted to Trump’s comment and some will still react to May’s remarks. 

” But I  think the government should now look beyond defences, we should now look at the issues with our eyes open. I think our government should take all these remarks as a serious challenge to do better. Everybody knows that the common man is suffering in this country.














Rainbowgist

Zidane ready to replace Mourinho as Man Utd manager —Reports

After failing to acquire any of their targeted defenders during the pre-season Premier League transfer window, Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United have had a worrying start to the season, fueling speculation of Mourinho being replaced.

Former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane is reportedly closely “watching the turmoil” at Old Trafford and is prepared to step in if Man Utd’s board decide to sack Mourinho.

However, despite a dispute with the club’s executive vice-chairman, Man Utd’s owners and board have reportedly decided to give Mourinho more time to get things in order, contrary to reports that his sacking is imminent.

Tottenham Become First Premier League Club to Make No New Signings in Transfer Window

United opened the season with a somewhat unconvincing win over Leicester City, and went on to suffer an away defeat to Brighton and a 3:0 at home thrashing to Tottenham Hotspur.


Under Zidane’s management, Real won three consecutive Champions League titles, while also beating fierce rival Barcelona to the La Liga trophy in the 2016/2017 season.

Despite another impressive campaign, he resigned from the club earlier this year in a shock move after a dispute with the club’s board.

The Frenchman has emerged as the most likely replacement for Mourinho and is reportedly willing to work with senior personnel at Man Utd to return the club to its former glory.

Bookmakers have also shortened their odds for Michael Carrick to displace Mourinho, though, as already mentioned, he is unlikely to be forced out immediately as he maintains a fair degree of support from the club’s senior management.

Currently 13th in the Premier League standings, the Red Devils face Burnley on Sunday and will be looking to pick up three points to prevent them from falling further down the table.



























Rainbowgist

Stop confusing unless with except

Each of the four statements below harbours a grammatical error. Take a look at them and identify the mishaps:

I won’t go except you give me more money.

Except President Buhari begs him, Saraki will not return to  the APC.

All the girls are wearing new dresses unless Ada and Bimpe.

Unless Moses and Mikel, the players don’t believe in the coach.

As you can deduce from the clauses, unlessand except are two words that can easily be mixed up in sentences. Indeed, a lot of people do not appreciate the difference in their meanings; hence, they make mistakes when using the words.

The fact is that unless is a conjunction often used to express the condition under which an action is taking place. Usually, it is used to introduce a subordinate clause, which works with the main clause to strengthen its meaning:

Unless she pays the debt before Friday, we will report her to the police.

I know some people who won’t greet you unless you greet them first.

On the other hand, except is not a conditional word. It is very important to note this because not doing so is the genesis of the confusion that surrounds its use in relation to unless. It indicates a difference or an exclusion. It is about showing an action or a person or thing not following the pattern established by others:

She visits Canada every month except December.

I expect you to know all of these people except Ngozi, who has just joined them.

In other words, while unless is, like ‘if not’, insistent on the condition it is giving, except is about showing a difference, a deviation from the dominant action in the clause.

Interestingly, except has more utility value than unless – so to say. For instance, while unless is fundamentally a conjunction, exceptcan function as a preposition, conjunction and verb. Perhaps it is this elastic capacity that makes many people impose it on contexts where unless is required.

As a preposition:

All of them are hungry, except David.

A conjunction:

I promised to do everything he asked for, except that I wouldn’t give him a loan.

As a verb:

Kano State is excepted from the intervention.

You are all lazy, Jayne excepted.

But there is no way you can use unless as a verb!

He unlessed him to come tomorrow. (Wrong)

Note the following points too

It is common to find unless at the beginning of the clause, while except usually comes after the common pattern has been established:

Unless John returns today, we will all go hungry.

Everything in the house was wet except the TV set.

But the last example shows that this observation is not to be taken as a rule, based on what the last example suggests. The except part of the clause can be brought forward:

Except for the TV set, everything in the house was wet.

When the unless clause comes first, a comma is needed to separate it from the main. But the comma is not required when it comes last:

Unless the government pays our slaries, we will begin a nationwide strike on Monday.

We will begin a nationwide strike on Monday unless the government pays our slaries.

Meanwhile, don’t use will/would in the unlessclause based on the condition it is giving.

Unless he will come tomorrow, we will send his children to him. (Wrong)

Unless he comes tomorrow, we will send his children to him. (Correct)

Except as a verb

We have noted that, as a conjunction, exceptis used before a statement that forms an exception to one just made.  But it can also be used as a verb whereas unless cannot.

She did not tell us anything, except that she had a headache recently. (Conjunction)

Three groups of people are excepted from punishment: children, people wth disability and foreigners. (Verb)

African countries are backward, South Africa excepted.

The Government has ordered all the schools to pay school uniform tax, excepting those that opened this year.

Note, however, that exempt also exists as a separate word.

Unless and until

Lastly, what happens in the case of unless and until? Some people believe that it is tautological as unless and until seem to mean the same thing.

Truly, English language has phobia for undue repetition. But the case of unless and untilappears different. Simply put, it is acceptable for the purpose of emphasis and for the fact that there is some contextual difference in the meanings of both. When you need to show a precondition and context, you can thus use them together. In this case, until shows the context – especially time – while unless gives the condition.

I won’t travel unless and until they pay my money.

Unless and until Nigerian government explained how it would spend the Abacha loot, Switzerland did not release it.’


















Rainbowgist

British PM says no-deal Brexit would not be a disaster

Prime Minister Theresa May indicated Today that a no-deal Brexit would not be a disaster for Britain, playing down warnings of serious consequences for the UK economy.

May said she was confident of striking an acceptable new deal with Brussels as Britain prepares to leave the European Union in March.

She cited WTO director general Roberto Azevedo as she made her case.

“Look at what the director of the World Trade Organization has said,” she told British media on her tour of Africa.

“He said about a no-deal situation that it would not be a walk in the park but it wouldn’t be the end of the world.”

Her government last week outlined its preparations for a no-deal scenario.

“What the government is doing is putting in place the preparations such that if we’re in that situation we can make a success of it, just as we will make a success of the good deal I believe we’re able to get and the good deal we’re working to get,” she said.

London and Brussels have yet to reach an agreement on the terms of Britain’s exit from the bloc.

British lawmakers are split on May’s proposals to keep Britain close to the EU on trade — parts of which have since been rejected by Brussels.

London and Brussels hope to strike a deal by October, to allow its ratification by the European and British parliaments before Britain leaves the EU.

Last week, British finance minister Philip Hammond warned a no-deal Brexit could have “large fiscal consequences” on productivity and borrowing.

And Alexander Winterstein, a European Commission spokesman, said the bloc was focused on achieving Britain’s “orderly withdrawal” but “preparing for all possible outcomes”.

“The withdrawal of the UK is going to lead to disruption regardless — with a deal or without a deal,” he said.

May was asked about whether she would instruct her Conservative lawmakers to support a no-deal Brexit if her blueprint falls through.

“I’ve said right from the beginning that no deal is better than a bad deal,” she said.































Rainbowgist

McCain asked Bush, Obama to speak at funeral, told Trump to keep off —Reports

Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush have reportedly been asked to deliver eulogies to the late Senator John McCain.

McCain, who died on Saturday at the age of 81, had asked that the former presidents speak at his funeral at Washington’s National Cathedral on Saturday, according to CBS News.

And though he had reportedly banned President Donald Trump from attending his funeral, Vice President Mike Pence is expected to attend.

President Donald Trump will not be invited to McCain’s funeral, at the request of the late senator, it has been reported.

The White House was told of McCain’s wishes by family members before his death, Huffington Post has reported.

Both Obama and Bush defeated McCain in races for the presidency. Bush bested him in the 2000 Republican primary and Obama won the presidency in 2008 against McCain.

But both men deeply admired the Arizona senator.

Obama said McCain had the “courage to put the greater good” above his own.

Bush called McCain “a man of deep conviction and a patriot of the highest order.” Some lives, he said, “are so vivid, it is difficult to imagine them ended. Some voices are so vibrant, it is hard to think of them stilled.”

McCain will lie in state at the Arizona State Capitol on Wednesday, his birthday.

Ex-Vice President Biden is expected to speak the following day at a service in the North Phoenix Baptist Church before McCain’s body is transported to Washington to lie in state at the Capitol Rotunda on Friday.

Bush, Obama, McCain’s family and others are slated to speak at a full-dress service on Saturday in the National Cathedral.

A private ceremony will be held on Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland, and McCain will be buried at the U.S. Naval Academy Cemetery next to Naval Academy classmate and long-time friend, Admiral Chuck Larson.

“I want, when I leave [to] just have a couple of people that stand up and say, ‘This guy, he served his country,’” McCain told Leslie Stahl last year on “60 Minutes.”












Rainbowgist

Bianca Ojukwu begins senatorial campaign today

the widow of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Ambassador Bianco Ojukwu, will begin her senatorial campaign for the 2019  Anambra South Senatorial District on Tuesday (today).

The event, it was gathered, would take place at the Ekwulobia Township Stadium in the Aguata Local Government Area of the state.

Bianca, a former Ambassador of Nigeria to Spain would contest the senatorial poll on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance.

Her late husband led APGA for over a decade during his lifetime and was at several times the presidential candidate of the party.

Ojukwu’s widow is expected to fight it out with oil magnate, Ifeanyi Uba and business mogul Nicholas Ukachukwu in the APGA primary to be held any moment soon.

Investigations show that the APGA hierarchy was amenable to her ambition as a payback time to Ojukwu who mentored the party.

Speaking on her declaration, a United States-based philanthropist, Dr Godwin Maduka, described her aspiration as a blessing to the district.

He urged the people of the district to maximise the opportunity by supporting her, adding that “she has the capacity to showcase Nigeria as a country of heroes and heroines through her academic, professional, family and political experiences.

“We know her life history. We should appreciate her for agreeing to run for a public office. I believe that Bianca Ojukwu is qualified. I am sure she had learnt a lot from her late husband, Ikemba Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Igbo supreme leader and, from her father, former governor C. C. Onoh.























Rainbowgist

Bride Cancels Wedding After Guests Refused To Pay To Attend

A Canadian bride, simply identified as Susan, has cancelled her wedding after guests refused to pay to attend.

Susan, who was due to tie the knot with her childhood sweetheart in a lavish $46,020 wedding had charged her guests, $1152 each to attend, an amount, most of her guests refused to pay.

This led the couple to cancel the ceremony just four days before exchanging their vows after they struggled to pay for everything by themselves.

Taking to Facebook to explain their decision, the furious mother-of-one blamed her family and friends for the breakdown of her relationship as she vented her frustration in a lengthy post.















Rainbowgist

Nigerians react to Trump’s alleged reference to Buhari as ‘lifeless’

Nigerians have expressed diverse opinions about a report in the Financial Times alleging that America’s President Donald Trump referred to President Muhammadu Buhari as ‘lifeless,’ after their meeting last April in the White House.

See the reactions:

A slight on all Nigerians, says Onajinrin Olusegun @onajinrinoluse2:

No matter the political differences we share or the dislike we share about the present government performance, the president symbolises us as a people. Clapping for Donald Trump describing the president as lifeless, shows us as the most lifeless people.

— onajinrin olusegun (@onajinrinoluse2) August 27, 2018

Buhari’s acceptability still high, claims yahaya wada @WadayahayaWada:

All these negative comments against the President has not been able to reduce his acceptability by the people. It is high time the sponsors of all these learn their lessons that God is superior.

— yahaya wada (@WadayahayaWada) August 27, 2018

It’s disgraceful to support Trump, says Usman @UsmanWeird

President Trump Ridicule President Buhari call him “lifeless” meaning he has no life or death. And some Nigerians are happy, what a disgrace.

— Usman ♻ (@UsmanWeird) August 27, 2018

He has been abusing all his allies — UK, Canada, notes Dele A @delexxyy:

But this same man has been abusing all his allies-UK,Canada etc even with their “liveliness”…so may be its better this way.

— Dele A (@delexxyy) August 27, 2018

I would be worried if Trump had praised Buharis — Devaan Hanmation-Mom @SweetMOMdee

I think I’d be more worried if Trump praised Buhari.

— Devaan Hanmation-Mom (@SweetMOMdee) August 27, 2018

Poor Trump,he didn’t get to share jokes about having extra marital sexual intercourse with the likes of Stormy Daniels and others with Buhari,definitely nothing to laugh about

— kaytoned (@kaytoned) August 27, 2018

It’s fake news, says Wale III @arijoniglimited:

If he truly said that, then why was he this happy meeting him in the picture below👇 it was reported om all social media then that they’ve not seen him this happy. I’m pretty sure he will call this new paper or who ever reported this #fakenews and rightly so too. ✌ pic.twitter.com/TNiIUp6ZyA

— Wale III (@arijoniglimited) August 27, 2018

God calls him chosen, says GbemiAfrica cut @gbemiafrica:

Thank goodness. If Trump uses such word and God calls him chosen. whose report is final? Remember everyone also condemned Trump before today.

— GbemiAfrica cut (@gbemiafrica) August 27, 2018

What did Trump mean, asks Oladeji Eniola @oladeji_eeny:

Ask what @realDonaldTrump meant in context

— Oladeji Eniola (@oladeji_eeny) August 27, 2018

Buhari is scandal-free, unlike Trump, says Omolola Victoria @OluwaferanmiVi3

What of himself? We’re happy with our scandal fee President unlike Trump.

— Omolola Victoria (@OluwaferanmiVi3) August 27, 2018

The enemies of Trump @realDonaldTrump will suddenly become his friends now.

— Abdurraheem (@I_am_Oara) August 27, 2018

He that has his finger prints all over american crime scenes,who is more lifeless?

— Ayo (@tweet2ayo) August 27, 2018

This is funny, so a lifeless person is the one constructing all the Federal roads and second Niger bridge in my zone, projects that could not be done by two living President? I rather prefer to reelect this lifeless person oo. Nija!

— Emeka Ossai (@EmekaOssai10) August 27, 2018

@MBuhari has met with several credible world leaders, if they have this opinion about him then fine. If not @RealDonalTrump is an idiot and a liar as shown in the past 18months of his horrible presidency.

— Kit Kool (@KitKolington) August 27, 2018

‘The west is wary of Trump,’ notes Devaan Hanmation-Mom @SweetMOMdee

Yeah. That’s why the entire West is frightened of his leadership style.

— Devaan Hanmation-Mom (@SweetMOMdee) August 27, 2018

Understand why the meeting is not a success first… Trump likes taking advantage of people and countries making them vulnerable, Buhari wasn’t ready for that maybe that’s why the meeting wasn’t successful. It might be a cool idea for Nigeria. Thanks

— Sanwils (@sanwils07) August 27, 2018

It’s an aberration to support Trump, warns Mazi Kelechi @kelisofgod:

So maybe, Trump wanted a trade advantage over Nigeria and your president was smart enough to avoid that? Your president that doesn’t know the meaning of ‘inclusive’ governance. Let’s all join hands and just destroy Nigeria, all of us will suffer it, let’s keep defending aberation

— Mazi Kelechi (@kelisofgod) August 27, 2018

Sarcasm was thrown into the bargain, Henry Shield @henryshield:

Every US President has access to high-level, top-secret, intelligence reports on major situations around the world. Rather than laugh at @realDonaldTrump‘s calling of President Buhari “lifeless”, we should ask if there’s something he knows that the citizens of Nigeria don’t. pic.twitter.com/TYeHzaaP6k

— Henry Shield (@henryshield) August 27, 2018

If a Noun is a name of a Living thing, Animal, Place or Things.. What does that make Buhari being lifeless 🤔🤔🤔??

— ʟıғєoғ_ɢєňċo (@Genco_Billz) August 27, 2018

Meanwhile, many Nigerians agree with Trump’s alleged statement:

It’s not about praising Buhari but what he’s praise on. Trump is about governance not your emotions. He’s interested in deals. He’s a business man. Your Buhari went there for photo ops while Trump was expecting him to come with proposals for bilateral issues.

— ThankGod Ukachukwu (@kcnaija) August 27, 2018

If Donald Trump legit called Mohammed Buhari “Lifeless”… I am proud of him cos no one has used a better descriptive word to describe his Excellency. 🤣🤣

— Ferdinand (@Burmese_Tyga) August 27, 2018

If the leader of the Free World can’t stand @MBuhari and believes that he is absolutely ‘lifeless’, can Nigeria expect any cooperation from the West with Buhari in charge. We need an assertive leader who can look Trump in the eye and say NO! Buhari is not that leader #RenosDarts

— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) August 27, 2018

Trump referred to Buhari as “lifeless” embarrassing himself in the process of embarrassing Buhari who is yet to disclose his alignment to Nigerians.

— Dr. Dípò Awojide (@OgbeniDipo) August 27, 2018

Trump referred to Buhari as Lifeless, after their first meeting.
Buhari that took the fastest growing economy in Africa to recession,
Made Nigeria the capital of poverty in the world.
Only a lifeless person can do that successful, and still be seeking second term.

— AJALA (@UNCLE_AJALA) August 27, 2018

Am looking forward to Donald Trump’s assessment of Mr Kenyatta because, ladies and gentlemen, that’s the most honest assessment there cab be. Well, he feels buhari is lifeless.

— Nicholas (@uckoci) August 27, 2018











Rainbowgist

Abramovich says he’s ready to sell Chelsea for £2.5bn

The Russian owner of Chelsea Football Club, Roman Abramovich, has indicated his interest to sell the club, only if the potential buyer can pay £2.5billion.

According to Reports, the Russian businessman, who was denied a new visa to enter the UK back in May has been receiving numerous sale inquiries about the club.

The visa problem also made him put on hold the £1 billion redevelopment of Stamford Bridge, he had planned.

Now, rumours  claim that Abramovich has even set an asking price, and will demand at least £2.5bn, a sum that would make any takeover the biggest of a football club in history.

However, Chelsea sources insisted on Sunday that Abramovich remains committed to the club and has no plans to sell following reports of a failed bid from Silver Lake, an American private equity company which was seeking to buy a minority stake.

The Russian has reportedly hired US investment bank Raine Group to seek interest from investors in China, the US and Middle East.

They are the same specialist that helped Manchester City sell a 13% stake in the club to Chinese investors, and have a long association with Chelsea.

 

 













Rainbowgist

Mother sells six-week-old baby, buys phone with proceeds

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have begun investigation into the alleged sale of a six-week-old baby by her a 23-year-old mother, Miracle Johnson.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Johnson Kokumo, who confirmed the incident, described it as a serious offence.

It was gathered that Miracle sold the baby, Greatness, to an orphanage in Onitsha, Anambra State, for N200,000.

It was learnt that the nursing mother, who hails from Agenebode, in the Etsako East Local Government Area of the state, was paid in cash.

She was said to have used part of the proceeds to buy a mobile phone.

Miracle, a mother of two, blamed her action on frustration and the inability of her husband to take care of her and her other children.

She said she was persuaded by one Mama Joy, said to be at large, to sell the infant and give the money to her husband to start a business.

She said, “My baby was born on July 2. I sold her due to frustration. My husband was just struggling (to provide for us).

“My friend (Mama Joy) said that since my husband was not taking care of me, if I did it (sold the baby), I could give the money to my husband to start a business or buy a motorcycle.

“Two weeks later, she came back. I did not know what happened to me. So, I carried a bag, picked some things and left.

“I sold her to an orphanage in Onitsha. The orphanage bought the child for N200,000. I just bought only a phone; I did not want to buy it, but she (Mama Joy) forced me to do so,” she added.

Miracle stated that she regretted her action and later confessed to her pastor.

She said, “I told my pastor what I did and that it was a mistake for which I would never forgive myself. So, my husband and I went to a police station to report. I know what I did was not good. I pray that my child will forgive me.”

 Her husband, Johnson Omovuokpor, expressed anger that his wife went ahead with her plan, in spite of his disapproval.

He said, “When she told me about her plan, I told her to forget about it and exercise patience.

“On that day, I took my motorcycle out for repairs. When I went back home to get some money, I saw my first daughter with my neighbour.

 “When I asked about my wife’s whereabouts, I was told that she went out with a bag, saying that she was going to buy something. So, I remembered what she said she wanted to do with the baby.

“When she called me later in the afternoon to tell me that she had sold the baby, I cursed her and ended the call. I became confused afterwards and could not do anything for the rest of that day.”

The Commissioner of Police in the state said the baby would be rescued while the suspect would be charged to court.

Kokumo said, “It is an act against laws in Nigeria. Now that we have the woman in our net, we will definitely charge her to court. The baby will be rescued.”




















Rainbowgist

Unilorin begins screening of 39,711 candidates for post-UTME –Spokesman

The University of Ilorin has begun screening for its post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in the 2018/2019 academic session, with 39, 711 candidates taking part in the exercise.

The institution’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mr Kunle Akogun, announced this today in a statement in Ilorin.

He said the exercise would involve 29, 562 at the Ilorin Centre while 10, 149 would appear at the Lagos Centre.

Akogun said that the screening will hold simultaneously at Ilorin and Lagos centres between Monday and Thursday, adding that candidates who might have some issues during the main exercise would have another chance on Friday.

He said: “A further breakdown of the figure shows that 32, 272 candidates are seeking admission through the Universal Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME), while the remaining 7, 439 candidates are seeking admission through the Direct Entry (DE) window,” he said.

According to Akogun, about 86, 401 candidates made the University of Ilorin their first choice institution in the last Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB)-moderated UTME.


He stressed that the institution has emerged as the most preferred University for the fifth consecutive year.

He added that statistics released by JAMB during the 2018 JAMB Admission Policy Meeting showed other nine most preferred universities as Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) -74,635; the University of Benin (UNIBEN) – 70,322; and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) – 66,486.

Others included University of Lagos (UNILAG) – 62,436; Bayero University Kano (BUK) – 56,261; Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) – 48,646; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UNIZIK) – 48,554; the University of Ibadan (UI) – 47,544; and the University of Jos (UNIJOS) – 46,082.
















Rainbowgist

Who forgives easily in a relationship, the man or the woman?

In relationships and marriages, partners are bound to offend each other. Sometimes, one of the factors that determine a successful marriage or relationship is the ability of both partners to forgive each other and move on in love. One of our correspondents asked Nigerians who they think forgives easily in a relationship, the man or the woman

Women forgive more – Predaberry Osadebe

I believe women forgive more in a relationship because they are very emotional. That is why once they are in love, they are ready to stick with their man through the good times and the bad times. A woman will always fight for what she wants especially when it comes to her man; that is why she will always forgive him easily to save their relationship. I have seen situations whereby a man cheats on his girlfriend and instead of the lady to fight with her man who cheated, she would prefer to fight with the girl he cheated with.


Both of them forgive equally – Abolaji Daniels

I can boldly say a man and a woman forgive easily; it just depends on the nature of the offence and how much they love each other. The person who loves his/her partner more will be the one who will be more forgiving in a relationship; he or she will easily overlook their partner’s mistake.

Women have a heart of gold – Ajadi Kemi

This question is a little bit complicated but interestingly; there is a saying that, ‘to err is human and to forgive is divine.’ In my understanding, I feel the saying means that only God truly forgives while human beings sometimes forgive but they can never forget. I know a couple of people that can’t forgive no matter how hard they try to, regardless of the gender. So I don’t think forgiveness has to do with gender but if I must answer this question, I will have to go for the woman because women have the capacity to endure the most in marriages. If a man cheats on his wife, she will definitely forgive him but if it’s the other way round, men hardly forgive their cheating wives. Even after a man beats his wife, she will still forgive him just because of the sake of her children’s future.


Another reason is women are more emotional and they have a heart of gold and also have this natural motherly love that forgives easily.

. Men forgive easily – Adewuyi Mariam

When you offend a man, he doesn’t hold it against you; instead he comes out straight and tells you what you did to offend him. But women have this habit of holding a grudge for a long time; even after a lady tells you she has forgiven you, there is a possibility that she is still holding something back. Men do not take things too personal; they don’t ‘over process’ people’s offence.

Women are more forgiving – Patricia Onwuka

Women are more forgiving than men in a relationship and marriage because women have feelings for others than men. A woman is very soft at heart and will always find reasons to forgive her partner no matter the nature of the offence, compared to a man who will still look at things rationally before he forgives.


Women are more forgiving – Sharon Stephen

Men cheat on their wives and most times after the women find out, they just overlook it; because our society makes it seem like women have no choice but to deal with being cheated on because they are the weaker sex. Women are created with a tender and large heart, so most times they even forgive in advance. Despite the flaws a man has, a woman will still love him with all her heart and remain faithful. But no man would ever tell you that he is okay with a cheating partner; they cannot even stand it because they don’t want to be in a situation of forgiving anyone.

Women sacrifice a lot in relationships and marriage – Tasie Dan Kalu

Men have their flaws but most times, women forgive more and better than men. If you check many marriages today, the women have overlooked a lot of flaws just because of their children and their home. When women forgive, they see it as a form of sacrifice for their relationship; they can go to any length just to keep their relationship or marriage. Even if they are not the ones at fault, they may still be the ones begging their partner just to make peace. Women go through a lot of challenges just because they want to keep their home.

Women are emotional beings – Oyebanji Sulaimon

As a man, I have seen women being treated wrongly and still stick with their men because of the love they have for them. They always have this hope that one day, the man will change. Men are logical in relationships when their partner offends them; they always think that if she cheated on them once, there is every possibility that she will do it again.

Women have fragile and soft heart – Oguntola Abayomi

I believe women are more forgiving because they have a fragile and soft heart; they can be easily convinced by their partners after a fight. The fragile nature of a woman’s heart makes it easy for men to be able to win their hearts over. Some people see it as a flaw but that is just the way they are. Even if a woman should catch her man cheating red handed, if she deeply loves her partner, she will simply blame the devil for the man’s action and find more reasons to keep loving him.

It is the person’s personality that matters – Oghenetega Odioko

To the best of my knowledge, forgiveness is not dependant on the gender of the person. Some men are more forgiving than some women. From my experience, some men forgive their partners easily and some women don’t. To me, the person’s personality will determine if he/she will forgive easily or not; it is not dependent on the gender of the person.



























Rainbowgist

Health Benefits Of Vegetables

People have known in much of their lifetimes that it is beneficial to take vegetables in our food. For some, it serves as a mere condiment used to garnish the food and make it look more appealing. Others have often used it to improve the taste of their food. Some others use vegetables as a dietary supplement to provide extra nutrients, vitamins and to act as a bowel cleanser. All the above reasons are correct in various degrees in the use of vegetables. However, there are also some people who cannot stand the addition of vegetables to their normal meals.

These sorts of people miss a lot in terms of the tastiness of any particular type of food and what they could stand to gain from its consumption. There are many various types of vegetables but certain ingredients are common to them and in seeking to understand how they positively impact on our overall health, it is better for us to examine what these features are.

Vegetables contain cellulose, a spongy compound which the human stomach is not even designed to digest. Cellulose is the remarkable substance that mostly makes up the fiber in the diet. That compound is able to improve the sheer bulk of our stools and therefore, ease its way through the alimentary canal and get passed out as faeces. Such fiber in the diet helps to flush out waste effectively from the alimentary tract and gastric irritants. By doing this also, they help the body keep various diseases at bay and fight bloating.  Cellulose is a complex material which herbivores like goats, sheep and cows are particularly able to digest. These creatures and other similar ones are known as ruminants. Such animals live almost exclusively on these substances and they almost never fall ill. This ability is also replicated in man; as most vegetables help people fend off chronic diseases and to lose weight.

Vegetables are also constituted of about 85 to 95 per cent water which helps hydrate the skin and reduce wrinkles. Besides, they contain substances called phytonutrients which help to guard against premature aging. They accomplish that by preventing cell damage caused by stress, sunshine, environmental pollution and toxins. Brightly coloured vegetables which could be red or orange will usually give the body an added boost of beta carotene which is protective of the skin from the sun’s damage while giving it a healthy glow. One common example of an orange vegetable is the carrot and a red one is the tomato. The latter contains a substance known as lycopene which has been proved to act virtually as a natural sunscreen.

Vitamin C is not only found in citrus fruits: it can also be found in potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, cabbage, spinach, avocado pear and bell peppers. This vitamin is particularly important in the formation of collagen, a complex compound without which the body cannot repair itself. That means that when an individual has sustained an injury, the healing of the wound is unduly slow and would result in poor tissue repair. Such a repair is not usually as strong as is desired and the recovery from other ailments like infections and even simple coughs is not satisfactory. Normally, the body’s stores of vitamin C and magnesium are quickly depleted in the course of any stress and the steady intake of various vegetables usually helps to restore their levels.

If vegetables help us to reduce stress in the various ways that have been described above, it is for our ultimate good. That is because stress often makes one tired, moody and unable to function optimally. Some people may then binge on food or alcohol as a result of such emotional instability. Such swings in mood and attitude can negatively affect the person’s overall health in many different ways. Sometimes, the changes in physique are truly stunning; from profound obesity with its attendant associated complications to anorexia and asthenia.

The fiber found in vegetables helps to reduce the cholesterol levels or keep it within normal levels. This helps to reduce the risk of heart disease and cardiac arrest. Its folic acid helps the body to form healthy red blood cells. Vegetables also contain vitamin A which is an important supplement for the maintenance of a healthy vision. Furthermore, they contain potassium, which with magnesium, is of vital importance in maintaining a healthy blood pressure. They are able to perform this great role by relaxing the blood vessels and letting blood flow through them without exerting any extra effort from the heart. Now, it is believed that the regular and adequate intake of vegetables is more important than any other factor in preventing colon cancer. It is said that the improved intestinal emptying, the reduction in the time frame that it takes a particular food substance to navigate the length of the alimentary canal ultimately helps to reduce the degree of tissue swelling along the walls of the intestine that has been found to have a definite relationship to the onset of  colon cancer. Such tissue swelling is described as an inflammatory reaction and it is termed as a precursor of that deadly disease. As a consequence, it is better from a logical and nutritional point of view to take more vegetables in order to prevent colon cancer.

Many people do not take enough vegetables. Yet, eating more vegetables is one of the simplest choices you can make today to improve your overall health. Besides slowing down cellular aging, they provide you with certain nutrients that can aid you in coping with stress such as B group of vitamins, folic acid, omega-3 fats, magnesium, potassium and glutathione. The latter is the current rage among drug network marketers that is credited with being able to cure nearly every ailment you dare to name. A diet which is rich in vegetables can protect one from arthritis, dementia, stroke, heart disease in addition to colon cancer and is even now being speculated to be able to slow down the entire process of aging.

A recent study has even found that individuals who consume seven or more portions of vegetables a day have an astonishing 42 per cent lower chance of dying from any cause when compared to those who eat less than one portion.

Finally, magnesium which is also very important for good muscle and nerve functions also plays a significant role in maintaining the immune system. Low levels of magnesium have been implicated in the onset of anxiety disorders and migraine. The absorption of calcium, without which we cannot enjoy an adequate level of bone health, is also aided by magnesium. It should now be clear to everyone that our health cannot be maintained without a healthy daily dose of vegetables.  Vegetables are not always leafy greens as the ones named in paragraph four would make very clear.

Ask the doctor

Dear doctor, I read your piece of August 19, 2018 on the subject of male sexuality and found it interesting. Kindly advise me. I am an over 80-year-old man but still fit and sound. I still drive my SUV. I need a strong erection and increase in semen volume. I patronised Zee virtual last month with volume pills and Samoria X pills but have seen no effect yet. What do I do? Thanks. 0802xxxxxxx

I do not even know what those things you mentioned mean in terms of procuring any form of treatment for some erectile dysfunction. It is a refreshing thing to see that you still drive around at your age. However, the only person who can give you a prescription to improve your erection has to be your doctor. That is because he has your history, knows your health challenges if any, in and out and would be the safest professional to recommend a medication suitable for your age. That said, even he cannot guarantee an increase in seminal volume for you. Thank you too and best of luck sir.

Dear doctor, please, I am suffering from hyperthyroidism. I want you to link me up with any hospital where I can good surgical treatment. Thank you.  0802xxxxxxx

Well, the particular hospital you will go to will in the end be your specific choice to make or should be based on the referral obtained from the doctor who made this diagnosis. As a guide, however, I would suggest that depending on where you live, such a hospital must have a physician and a general surgeon available to attend to your problem. That will be so because it is not every case of hyperthyroidism that is managed by a surgeon; some can be treated by physicians depending on the cause. Approach your doctor with these recommendations and take his advice with regards to which hospital can best manage your condition.

Dear doctor, I am an avid reader of your column. Sir, I have been experiencing some sounding voices inside and outside my stomach since last year. I have used many drugs but the situation has not changed. Please help me. 0816xxxxxxx

The noises you hear may or may not mean much. There is a specific medical term for that which I would rather not confuse you with. Such noises can occur depending on what types of food you might have eaten. However, if these sounds are present irrespective of what you are eating, medicines will not stop them. There could be a partial blockage of a part of your intestine that is still evolving. It could be an abnormal growth or nothing at all. In order to solve the dilemma, you will have to see a doctor for proper examination and a diagnosis. That is the only way to deal with this problem in a way that will give you the peace of mind you need.

Dear doctor, your piece on male sexuality in 19/8/2018 was nice. Please, what effect does eating walnut regularly has on male sexuality? Can it cure or reduce erectile dysfunction? I am told it reduces the build-up of bad cholesterol in the blood too. Thank you. 0708xxxxxxx

Walnuts, like other nuts, are a rich source of Omega-3 fats. It also contains plenty of minerals and vitamins much like some that have been identified with vegetables as in the essay above. In truth, it could help in reducing cholesterol levels in the blood. However, a large intake is thought to be able to cause weight gain. Finally, there is no information about its effectiveness in helping to treat erectile dysfunction.

Dear doctor, God bless your job. I am a lady of 24 years. I am not used to having pains during my menstrual period but for the past four months, I have been having serious pains during menstruation even after taking some pain relievers. A friend told me that I experience it because I am still a virgin and that once I engage in sex, it will stop. Sir, is there no other way to avert the pains? 0814xxxxxxx

This condition is sometimes caused by certain developments that have no relationship with what your friend has told you. Here, you have demonstrated the wisdom of the elder by asking the right questions while your friend who has no knowledge about this matter is surely misleading you. Sexual intercourse or the lack of it has no bearing on whether any person has painful menstruation or not. It is not one of the causes. However, since it is a problem that has only recently started, you ought to see a doctor or better still a gynaecologist for the appropriate examination that will help determine the cause. When the cause is known, treatment should be possible.

Dear doctor, I read your column in August 19, 2018. Please I have a weak erection. Apart from prostaylin herbal drug advertised under the column, what other drugs or measures can I take? Thank you. 0803xxxxxxx

Well, the herbal product you mentioned has no relationship with the topic in the column. It is an advert like any other. I have no experience with its usage and I am not able to recommend it. If you believe your situation requires some medical help, you must see your doctor for examination and advice. One particular drug does not help everyone, so it is in your best interest to have an audience with your doctor.

Dear doctor, please I have had diabetes for some years now and even though my sugar level is under control now, it has affected my erection seriously. Please advise me on what to do. 0805xxxxxxx

I believe that the doctor who is managing your diabetes is a competent expert. He is in the best position to prescribe for you what particular drug to use based on his knowledge of your medical condition, age and other factors which will include the other medications you currently take.






























Rainbowgist

US senator John McCain dies at 81

US senator John McCain is dead. He died at the age of 81

Details later…










Rainbowgist

Ngige dares Oshiomhole again, delays NSITF board inauguration

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, has again defied the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole, by refusing to inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund over a month after he promised to do so.

Oshiomhole had on July 23, 2018, threatened to expel Ngige from the party for failing to set up the board over five months after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered all ministers to inaugurate boards of government agencies.

The APC chairman had also alleged that Ngige was intentionally delaying the setting up of the board in order to retain the exclusive powers of awarding contracts from the agency which receives billions of naira monthly.

In a letter, however, Ngige had promised to inaugurate the board of the NSITF before the end of July.

The minister had said the delay was caused by an investigation he ordered into the fraudulent activities of past boards of the NSITF.


Interestingly, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, which also investigated the matter, had concluded its own probe over a year ago.

It was also learnt that over a month after Ngige’s letter was written, none of the members of the board had been contacted on the date the board would be inaugurated.

Buhari had in January appointed June 12 activist and former General Secretary of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Chief Frank Kokori, as the chairman of the board.

Three board members who spoke to one of our correspondents on the strict condition of anonymity, said they had not been contacted, neither had any memo been issued on the intention of setting up the board.

Efforts to speak with Ngige on Sunday proved abortive as he neither picked calls nor responded to a text message.

Attempts to get a reaction from Oshiomhole were also unsuccessful as his media aide, Mr. Simon Egbegbulem, neither picked calls nor responded to a text message sent to him on the issue.



























Rainbowgist

How we plan to unseat Buhari – Moghalu, Sowore, Onovo, others

Ahead of the 2019 general elections, presidential aspirants under the different political parties have reeled out some of the tactics they plan to employ to unseat the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari.

In separate interviews with our correspondents during the week, the aspirants said contrary to the belief that only the big parties stand a better chance of winning the election, they were in the race to win, adding that Nigerians were tired of the big players in the country’s political space.

A presidential aspirant under the Young Progressive Party and former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Kingsley Moghalu, said the party would work with others and persuade Nigerians to vote  out Buhari in 2019.

He said, “I am in the race for the presidency based on a vision I have for my country, which is one of nation-building to create a united country that works for all of us. I want to provide leadership that is beyond mere politics, establish an educational system fit for purpose in the 21st century for our kids, and create.

“Nigerian security outfits are protecting regimes and not Nigerians. This government is very subversive and has no respect for the rule of law. This is an invitation to anarchy. Buhari must go and Nigerians will reject him through the ballot.”

Similarly, a presidential aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party, Prof. Olufunmilayo Adesanya-Davies, said she was confident she would employ a populist approach to raise money to fund her campaign. She added that it was time women took more active role in governance at national level.

She noted that as an academic, she had understudied the country and had solutions to its challenges.

According to her, many people have shown support for her aspirations, adding that she will galvanise more Nigerians to actualise her aspiration of being the country’s next president.

She added, “Absolutely, I know it is possible for me to beat President Muhammadu Buhari because Nigerians are tired of his government and they are fed up with the empty promises that they made that they will bring a change. It is time to effect the real change, different from what the APC is doing. It is time we had a woman as the president of this country; we need serious change.”

Some of the aspirants, whose parties had joined the Coalition of United Political Parties, said they were confident that if they emerge as the consensus candidate of the CUPP, unseating Buhari would not be a difficult task.

An aspirant under the KOWA Party, Mr. Ayo Lijadu, said if he emerges as the candidate of the CUPP, it would give him a better platform to win the election, in spite of the dominance of the two political parties.

He said, “The reality is that it is not easy to dislodge an incumbent president, especially given the larger than life image and resources available to the party in power, but the strategy is the bonding together of parties that are like-minded in their objective to dislodge the government that has been rejected by the people.

“That strategy is the most effective; when over 40 political parties, including the disgruntled members of the ruling party, bond together to produce a single presidential candidate. Some of these parties have structure all over the country, so it is wise that we all come together. My party is part of the CUPP and that strategy will work.”

When asked on his plans for funding, he said, “By the time we have a single presidential candidate, the task of sourcing for funds would not be left to that individual candidate or their party, because there is an understanding that all the parties will come together to support, and it’s not just material or structural support, funding support would also come into place.

Also, an aspirant under the platform of the National Conscience Party, Mr. Martin Onovo, said that he was confident he would emerge as the consensus candidate of the CUPP.

This, he said would help him to win the election, adding that it was unlike in the past when money had a role to play in determining the outcome of the presidential election.

Onovo said, “It is very clear that the coalition is going to produce me. It is not confidence but hard fact. The country wants a younger person as President in 2019.

“Some people say they are more popular, but the question I want to ask is that if they are popular why do they rig elections? My answer is that they rig because they are not popular. They rig because they know they cannot win in a free and fair election.” “Those who raise hundreds of billions for elections should be asked how they got the money. It is the money for education, health and other facilities for the masses that they are stealing. We need to put an end to that.”

Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the National Action Council in its recently held national convention, Dr. Olapade Agoro, expressed confident he would defeat the incumbent.

He said, “I draw the confidence to send Buhari out next year from what I can do as a leader. Buhari is sitting on a cankerworm of corruption. Until we address the issue of corruption properly, we cannot address the issue of poverty. What our youths are doing is far smaller than what they are capable of doing. Politics is for service and not a way of amassing huge wealth.

“It is not everybody that claims to be in leadership position that knows what it entails. My purpose is to bring real change into the affairs of this country and that is why we are going to win.”

Another presidential aspirant under KOWA Party, Dr. Adesina Fagbenro-Byron, also explained that he was in the contest to win and that he did not need to raise too much money.

“Goodluck Jonathan had more access to funds than Buhari in 2015 but money could not save him,” he added.

Fagbenro-Byron, who is a development expert and former regional coordinator of United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, said he would win because he meant serious business.

He said, “Yes, I’m in the contest to win and I have confidence that I will win. One of the issues we have is security and it is the failure in governance that has led to the current state of insecurity, which is why we need to change the current government.”

When asked whether he wanted to try just for recognition, given the dominance of the popular parties, he said, “If you know my history, you would know I don’t need the popularity. If I wanted to be popular, I would go into the studio and record an album with Falz. I am 59 and what I’m doing is not for frivolous reasons, having been in the business of governance and development for over 25 years.”

In his own response, an aspirant under the African Action Congress, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, said with the phenomenal progress his campaign had made, he was confident he would win the election.

Speaking on his strategy to win the race, Sowore, said, “I convened the largest political movement this nation has ever seen, called the ‘Take it Back Movement’, which now has chapters across all continents, Nigeria’s states and local government areas. We have held town hall meetings to engage Nigerians both within the country and in the Diaspora. I make bold to say that no one has worked as hard as we have done to engage with Nigerians and spread our message of transformation and progress.”

Also, the aspirant under the National Interest Party, Mrs. Eunice Atuejide, also stated that she stood a good chance of winning the election, given that her party is in the CUPP.

She said, “I’m very sure that I have a huge chance to win this election, because I’m in the Coalition of United Political Parties, which includes some of the biggest political structures in Nigeria. The job of the CUPP is to pick one candidate from among us to represent all of us, and then every other party, with all their resources and structures, must now back the candidate. My goal is to become that candidate everybody else would support. My advice is that people should vote right; not because the political party is popular, but because the person we are voting for is the right person.”







































Rainbowgist

Eleven ways to know your partner is having an affair

No doubt, being in love, especially when it is reciprocal, comes with some good feeling. But one of the many things that truncate such pleasure or harmonious relationships is cheating, and both men and women have been found to be guilty of it.

Largely, cheating is regarded as a betrayal of trust and findings have shown that men hardly ever forgive a cheating partner, even if they are also guilty of the act.

According to previous studies, men cheat for adventure, ego, unsatisfactory sexual experience in their marriage, frustration, revenge and deceit while women cheat due mainly to lack of affection from their partner, sexual dissatisfaction, revenge, boredom and peer pressure.

However, in order not to be caught unawares, there are signals that show that a partner is having an affair. It should equally be noted that each of these signals might not be a complete indicator of infidelity – some can, actually – but a combination of one or more could be. Some of these signals include:

They are suddenly protective of their phones:

Protecting one’s phone, maybe with a password, is never a bad idea. In fact, it is encouraged so that if it is stolen or misplaced, such thieves or anyone who lays hands on it does not have access to confidential information stored on the phone. Regardless, however, people who cheat are usually protective of their phones excessively or they take offence when their partner touches their phone. For the sake of trust, there are couples who tell their partners their password, but with a caveat not to be intrusive or meddlesome. But in such a situation, where the man or woman suddenly changes their password, when there was no breach of the caveat or any reasonable explanation, such persons might be hiding some things. And for those who were not used to putting password on their phones, if they start suddenly and are overprotective of the phones, it might be a signal. In addition, changing passwords from time to time might as well be a signal.

Making secret calls and not disclosing caller’s identity:

Funny as it might be, it is not uncommon for people who have things to hide to go to the bathroom, sometimes putting on the shower or tap to create some distraction; sneaking out of bed in the midnight to the visitor’s room or staircase to make calls or whispering over the phone while making calls or ending the call upon sighting the partner. In such cases, when asked who they were on the phone with, the common responses are ‘Oh! Don’t worry, it’s nothing important’ or ‘it’s a wrong number’ or ‘no one of importance.’ According to findings, these are signals that the person might be having an affair, and of course they want to keep it a secret.

When they delete their chat history:

The advent of chatting apps has somewhat made cheating easier, arguably. Thus, it could be a source of concern when a partner repeatedly clears the chat or message conversation with a person, especially before allowing their partner to touch the phone. That could be a signal, in addition to when a partner always rushes to answer their calls, avoid being subjected to questioning by their partners.

Sudden changes in appearance or preferences:

This factor could appear harmless, but according to some experts, a sudden change in looks, clothing style, or new styles aimed at impressing someone could suggest that it’s all beyond looking good and that an affair might be lurking around. A private investigator and author of Ultimate Betrayal, which is a guide to recognising, uncovering, and dealing with a cheating partner, Danine Manette, told Woman’sDay, “A man who drastically alters his clothing style, appearance or body shape for no apparent reason may be having an affair. Perhaps the other woman has suggested he grows beard, wears his hair differently or use a particular cologne. If he’s dressing differently for work unlike before, there may be a co-worker he’s trying to impress.”

Unusual hostile attitude:

While this is not a complete indicator of infidelity, experts say that people, especially men, cheating could be anxious or unsettled and look for every opportunity to create conflict and even leave the house, presumably out of anger, all being a ploy to go and spend time with the other lover outside. Manette added that if the partner suddenly gets angry or is irritated by the things that appealed to them before, like partner’s eating habit, dressing style, manner of speech and sex style, it could also be a signal. A professor of psychology, Toba Elegbeleye, said, “Complaint is another way of knowing that something extraneous has entered into the marriage, especially when your partner begins to complain about what he or she had not been complaining about before.”

They create some distance:

This is possibly a signal when a partner deliberately, or for no definite reason, creates some distance. Apart from now having more space to interact with their second lover, such persons would likely have less conversation with their partner and so would be free from any slip that could indict them during conversation. According to some marriage counsellors, if they stop spending time with you, or stop showing affection in public, it could also be a signal. Manette said, “He could be spending the time away from home with her. Although the other woman usually accepts whatever fragment of time the man can give her at first, she typically begins to demand more and more of his time. Conversely, he may just not want to come home because he feels guilty.”

When they become unusually caring:

Reasonably, one of the things guilt does is to compel people to be evasive or more affectionate to the person offended. Manette said, “When a man feels guilty, he may become unusually affectionate or attentive as a way to mask his affair or relieve some of his guilt.”

They refuse to disclose their location: This is another way people mask their extra-marital affairs. Knowing that disclosing where they are, especially if they are not meant to be there, could attract some suspicion, they tend to stammer or think twice before giving a response, and they could lie outright.

They are strangely unreachable:

Whether they need to spend some time with their girlfriend or not to sound suspicious on the phone, cheating persons are wont to switch off their phones or put it in ‘flight mode’ so they would be unreachable. The lies that follow such could be low battery or poor network. When this happens from time to time, especially when they are reasonably expected to be reachable, it could be a signal. Also, if such persons become fidgety or are incoherent on the phone as to what they had been up to, it could be a signal that they could be having an affair. Elegbeleye said, “When there is a measure of absenteeism, it could be a signal. When you expect them to be home at a particular time and their phones are off, if it keeps happening like that, it could be a signal. When a marriage is contracted, both partners would settle into a routine; there would be some pattern of living that is known to both of you. So, when the routine is rudely abdicated or interrupted without verifiable reasons, then there could be a problem.


Less interest in sex:

Apart from fatigue from the work place, which is quite understandable, a man or woman who is having an affair, especially a romantic relationship, may not be disposed to sexual moves from the partner, simply because that need has been taken care of elsewhere or sex with them has become boring, unless there is a medical condition or any mutual understanding why one party may want to abstain from sex. Elegbeleye said refusal or shying away from having intimate relationship with a partner could be a signal. He said, “It may be sex or something both of you are used to doing together before but the partner now comes up with excuses. It’s a wrong signal that all is not well.”

Constant reference to a new ‘friend’:

When married persons repeatedly talk about someone of the opposite sex, whether by reflex or it is done deliberately, the partner might have something to worry about, because such silent or subtle affection could spiral into something romantic over time. Thus, such could be a signal as well.

Meanwhile, Elegbeleye said beyond seeing the signals, it would be wrong to confront a partner based on that, without concrete evidence.

READ ALSO: I pay to have sex with my wife, man tells court

He said, “Do not confront the person until you have your facts, so you don’t end up throwing wild allegations. In other words, after seeing those signals, do your investigation to have concrete evidence, because to accuse a partner of infidelity, your evidence on you must be concrete. It’s not enough to say he’s cheating because he now comes back late, unlike before.”

























Rainbowgist