Friday, December 23, 2011

2012 – Buckle Your Shoe






Perhaps the most important word in the coming year will be adjustment. To access the opportunities ahead, you need a fresh perspective to issues and circumstances. Some of the areas you will need to adjust include, spending and consumption, mindset, relationships, habits etc.

Taking finance as a reference point; the following includes increased cost you will incure:

· Toll gate fees

· Taxes

· Speculated fuel subsidy removal

· Higher PHCN tariffs

· Transportation cost

· Generator fueling cost

· Higher prices for goods and services

For salary earners, this does not sound good. Many people will not be able to get a pay rise except they change jobs. The business men can transfer some of the cost to consumers albeit at the risk of reduced business.

Last week my dry-cleaner tried to warn me ahead that he will increase his charges come 2012. I have since adjusted mentally. I now know I will do more laundry myself than outsource. My wife is already contemplating buying a washing machine to assist with that.

Yet this will not let me lose sleep. Neither should you. In 2012, I am going to acquire knowledge like never before. In similar manner, I am going to implement the ideas that drop into my heart with military discipline. Ultimately, I am going to add unprecedented value to all stakeholders. The leader in me will rise up and take charge.

Greatness is birthed in harsh conditions. I foresee unprecedented results come 2012. See you there!

Monday, December 05, 2011

YEC 2011 Conference




Join me with other distinguished personnels like Damola Giwa, Toyin Daniel, Wale Micaiah etc has we facilitate sessions that will unlock greatness.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

WEBIC Youth Church- Leadership Seminar







I was at WEBIC Youth Centre with my Partner Wale Maciaiah on the 20th of November 2011 where we spoke at their education sunday.

We will be speaking with the WEBIC Youths again coming saturday by 11am on Leadership and Problem solving.

Special thanks to the pastor Akintoye Morakinyo.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Am I Still Alive


A few days to my birthday, i got this mail from a friend Micaiah Omowale and i had to feel my pulse to know if i am still alive or dead.Enjoy the piece.

Oluyemi Adeosun Stands Taller than Most

I have never done this before; few people that have seen did them posthumously. Early this year, Fola Adeola wrote a masterpiece about his friend and colleague Tayo Aderinokun (GTBank) of blessed memories. It was an expose that am sure if Tayo read while alive, death would pause for a while. Those words really don’t mean anything to the dead; they only inspire the living and remind others to live a good life that someday something might be written in the dailies about how they lived their lives. But what about if it is said to the dead while they were still alive, am sure they will live a better life than they did.

Today, I celebrate a special friend who stands 6ft 7 inches tall, at least head and shoulders taller than the average man. His name is Oluyemi Adeosun, but because of his height, I simply refer to him as Tallest. We met few years ago in ways events of our lives together cannot easily make me remember. You will easily notice Tallest because of his height but much more than that is his strength of character, integrity and selfless service to make the other person a better being.

Tallest is from a very humble background, but learnt to be independent very early in life. By my analysis, he is more of a choleric who sees and finds a way out of all situations. He could likened to the biblical Joshua and Caleb, who lives with the attitude that God has given us the land we only need to take. He is not easily discouraged by events for he believes the next action might lead to a breakthrough. While doing his M.Sc. in Economics, Tallest needed a job so he went searching. He got to a consulting firm and ask if he could volunteer to work for free, they were taken aback but said ok the problem is ‘you can come back later, we don’t have a PC in place that you can use’. My friend was about to give up, so he said, ‘I have a PC at home, can I bring it and start immediately’. Now tell me if you were the employer would you say no? Tallest doesn’t wait for the ship to come to the shore, he swims hastily but slowly to catch it. I have been infected with this can-do virus that all things now to me are possible.

In 2010, I was spurred by Tallest to take action towards helping Nigerian students seeking admission to tertiary institutions by authoring the book titled: “A Guide to Tertiary Institution Admissions and Careers.” Because he has similar passion to help young people, he did not only encourage me when I seem slow in progress, he became my first editor, criticizing constructively and contributing professionally from his personal experience. At a point he was as though Tallest has been paid to make sure the job is completed because he won’t allow another student to experience failure in securing admission. When I look back today, I am an author in part because I had an encourager who would not let me rest until the job was fully completed.

Often when people leave school, school leaves them too and they say bye-bye to education. Tallest is committed to continuously increasing his knowledge through books and training. I earlier said he volunteered to work for free with his own computer, due to his commitment, the employer thought it would be a great injustice to allow this enviable young man come here every day without an appreciation, so he gave what one would term transportation allowance. One day a bookseller came to his office and my dear friend used over 50% of his monthly transportation allowance to buy a book so voluminous but highly resourceful that I often can’t resist reading anytime it comes to my view on his book shelf.

Tallest is not only committed to developing himself, he is what I refer to as ‘self-sponsored people-equipper’. He is an author and a public speaker. He produces and presents a Personal/National development programme twice weekly on Gold FM 95.5 Ilesha Osun State (5:55am Mondays & Wednesdays) and once weekly in Yoruba language on Amuludun FM 99.1 in Ibadan (8:30am every Monday) for an NGO (Young and Excellent Club which he co-founded), this he sponsors personally and sometimes with assistance from like-minded individuals. He is of the opinion that when majority are educated and enlightened, government would have less burden to worry about, and if you are not ready to be enlightened don’t go near him. I have shared the podium speaking to youth on diverse topics – pro bono – with no other person than Tallest, we’ve traveled far and wide in order to make sure no one suffers from ignorance, this to me is the hallmark of people who not only desire a great country but also do something about making it great.

He is a family man – married to one of the most humble lady I have ever seen, a medical doctor, precisely a cardiothoracic surgeon in training, little wonder she has a large heart. If you are not married, you would love to if you find yourself in their company….lovebirds don’t stop before ‘I do’, to them it is a lifetime experience. I could go on and on, to tell of his passion and desire to see Nigeria take her place as a first-world nation and his effort in ensuring young men are guided rightly through several programmes under the initiative of Enviable Youth that we both host in schools, churches, NGO and youth centres. My quest is not to do an exhaustive on the influential life of Tallest, but to challenge you to pause and think about the people whom God has brought into your life – your friends. Celebrate them while you have the time, let them know they are valued and their effort & contribution in whatever good they have found themselves committed to is noticed and appreciated…. I am grateful for this and other friends I have because I am successful today in part because we are friends.

If you are in need of a friend, please find one that is tall, not only in height, but also in character, integrity, selflessness and great commitment to the development of his fellow man and service to his creator. Don’t let another day pass by without celebrating a friend that is one indeed, Tallest is and I’m thankful for his life. As you celebrate another year today, I know your dreams are Tall, but they are very reachable…with the way you are going, they might suddenly be achieved too soon and you would have to dream again….dream more brother, Happy birthday Tallest….keep growing!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

Pictures from Making an Impact as a Teen Seminar










The above pictures were taken at the RCCG Strong Tower Parish 5/6 Olu-Aina Street,Ijoko road, Sango Ota, Ogun State at the seminar held on the 22nd of October 2011 facilitated by Oluyemi Adeosun and Wale Micaiah. The theme of the programme was "Making an impact as a Teen." We also had participants from other Churches and Ministries.

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

GEJ Steps down for Siasia ?


Which is more important? The state of the national economy or the football status of a nation? That is a million dollar question.

Sia one failed to fulfill the terms of his contract so he must go. I wonder, does GEJ have any contract that his performance can be benchmarked with?

Every day, on many Radio/TV stations, we discuss sports/football with a passion. Yet I don’t get to hear agriculture or education (except on Wale Micaiahs blog taken the front burner). Let me confess, I love football but not more than the national economy or issues.

Football is now the opium of the people. If it is our birth right to go to the nations cup and get to the semi-final then it is also our birth right to have access to basic amenities and infrastructure.

Can the NFA lawyer draw a contract for the President, Governors and other political office holders? Can we have a yardstick to determine if a President, Governor, LGA Chairman and others deserve to be retained or fired after a given period of time?

I wish GEJ has 2 years to build 2 refineries, generate 10,000 megawatts, prosecute 100 corrupt politicians, fix the railway system or he losses his job. I wish the Minister of Education has a KPI to determine if he will remain after a year in office. While 10,000 megawatts is the semi-finals of the Nations cup, 3,000megawatts could be the equivalent of qualifying for the Nations cup.

I also wish qualification for the Nations cup, World cup, Olympic etc was not based on a qualifying round but on certain governance parameters……..hmmmmm.

If we miss 4 Nations cup due to poor governance then we will get the kind of uproar that greeted the dismal performance of the Eagles (please, Super is for Tunisia ‘94 set only) culminating in the missing of 2012 African Cup of Nations!

You know what will follow. They will sit up or be shaped out.

At least if Nigeria will not be there Niger will get our support.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Collapsed 6-Storey Building





A 6-storey building The Don de Dieu Plaza collapsed recently at Maryland, Lagos. The building is located at 11, Aderibigbe Street, was occupied by over 10 companies as at the time it collapsed.

More than 350 people escaped death as they had been evacuated before the building collapsed.

The evacuation took place because prior to it's collapse, the building shook to its foundation and occupants and neighbours heard a very loud noise yesterday at about 3pm, giving signs that all was not well. Less than two hours after all the occupants had left the building, it collapsed. No casualty was recorded.

Usually before bad things happen, signs occur. What do you do with it? Do you take action or wait for the disaster to happen? Please be discerning.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Lessons from the Super Eagles





• Numbers don’t count; (Nigeria, the most populous black nation on earth did not qualify for the Nation’s cup. Many smaller black Nations made it.)
• Big names don’t count; (We have many players with big names. Niger republic don’t have one big name that I know of yet they made it)
• Income don’t count; (The Super Eagles winning bonus was far greater than their opponents)
• History don’t count; (The last time we failed to qualify was 25 years ago did not matter. Niger had never qualified before yet they made it)
• War, Disasters don’t count; (Libya and Sudan are testimonies, yet they made it)

What is your excuse for not achieving results or not even trying at all? People who have lesser resources and opportunities than you do are trying and surprisingly, they are making it too. Don’t let inadequate capital or dominant competitors scare you. Guinea did not let Nigeria scare her from picking up the Nation’s cup ticket. That you are small could be an advantage. That you are the underdog means you could spring surprises by working harder and not relying on past accomplishment.

What counts?
• Planning
• Preparation
• Organization
• Teamwork
• Dedication
• Discipline
• Huge desire or hunger to win
When you miss out on something big, do you waste precious time mourning the loss? I would rather you reach out to the next big thing by stepping up your planning and preparation.

In sports, there will always be more spectators than players. In the society there will be more complainers than people taking corrective/remedial actions. There is so much money in sports. The players, journalist, advertisers of products and services, sales of branded club merchandise, etc.

The spectators also “benefit”. They ease their tension and relax (What of when their clubs loses?). They also get high and excited when their clubs or teams record victory. However, the success of Barcelona will not/never substitute for victory in your personal life.

Don’t just continue to spectate, strive and excel so you can win others applaud.

Thursday, October 06, 2011

Steve Jobs :Commencement address delivered by, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005

This is a prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005.

I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.
The first story is about connecting the dots.

I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?
It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.

And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.

It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:
Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.

None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.

Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
My second story is about love and loss.

I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.

I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.

I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.

During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.
I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.
My third story is about death.

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Tuesday, October 04, 2011

Executive Excuse from Naija Officials

It easy to know the Man who is going somewhere, he takes responsibility for his actions, and in-actions. So also is the country – the developed countries, they take responsibility for their action. When you see a man, woman, child, leader or follower point to the other man or situation as the reason for their failures, you have seen someone who may eventually amount to nothing. People who make excuses really don’t make progress, so also is a country that thrive of excuses.

When people are dirty, they blame others. When students fail, it is the teacher that failed them. When boys who have lost their sense of moral indulge in rape, they blame girls for dressing in provocative way….when people come late to work, meeting, etc, they blame it on traffic or one thing or the other. The truth is, there are limitless excuses around us every day. A philosopher said, “one excuse is as good as the other”.

People, countries, and individuals who want to make progress accept they may not always be right, hence the need to take personal responsibility for their failures when it does come. I love what John McCain said after he lost to Barack Obama, “this loss is mine not yours”, your guess is as good as mine if it was to be the average politician in Nigeria!

One of the benefits of taking responsibility for your actions is that it gives you the sense of ownership and the right to right the wrongs.

Lately we have been inundated with countless excuses from our political and institutional "leaders" or office holders. What do you do when you are faced with a dilemma, inevitable failures or a grave situation?

This are some of the famous cliché’s common in our country:

We are on top of the situation.
The incident was rather unfortunate and all hands are on deck to bring the perpetrators of this dastardly act to book.
We extend our heartfelt condolence to the victims of this incidence.
We checked the official log and the mentioned checkpoints were not there
The incident did not take place in our school, teritory, state.
The victim has not come out.
The case has not been reported
The problem is a global phenomenon
It is the turn of our country to experience this (or be bombed)
It will be achieved by 2015 (shift the goalpost or deadline)
This is the handiwork of our political detractors
The opposition must have orchestrated this
This is sabotage
It is not the responsibility of the Government alone
Government alone cannot do it (why then did you join the government)
The last administration failed in their duty
The project was handled by our predecessors
We are making wide consultations (when experiencing a delay in setting up a team)
This is a federal road
I do not have authority to make a comment
the boss will make a statement in due course
introduce a diversionary issue (i.e tenure extension)
The xxxx sector has been neglected for ages
The equipment cannot be gotten off the shelf
We do not have enough equipment or manpower
The matter is already in court
It is taking time because we are following due process
If anyone has any evidence, he should come out
The criminals are from neighboring countries or state (who cares)

What are your personal excuses?

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Wonders of the 21ST CENTURY!!! !!!!!!


Our phones ~~ wireless!
Cooking ~~ fireless!
Cars ~~ keyless!
Food ~~ fatless!
Dress ~~ sleeveless !
Youth ~~ jobless!
Leaders ~~ shameless!
Relationships ~~meaningless!
Attitude ~~ careless!
Women ~~ fearless!
Feelings ~~ heartless!
Education ~~ valueless!
Children ~~ mannerless !
Everything is becoming LESS But still,
Our Hopes are ~~ Endless.
Infact, I am speechless...

I got this in my inbox and found it rather amusing. I wonder who authored it.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Benjamin Nethanyahu"s Speech (UN General Assembly)





Ladies and gentlemen, in Israel our hope for peace never wanes. Our scientists, doctors, innovators, apply their genius to improve the world of tomorrow. Our artists, our writers, enrich the heritage of humanity. Now, I know that this is not exactly the image of Israel that is often portrayed in this hall. After all, it was here in 1975 that the age-old yearning of my people to restore our national life in our ancient biblical homeland -- it was then that this was braided -- branded, rather -- shamefully, as racism. And it was here in 1980, right here, that the historic peace agreement between Israel and Egypt wasn't praised; it was denounced! And it's here year after year that Israel is unjustly singled out for condemnation. It's singled out for condemnation more often than all the nations of the world combined. Twenty-one out of the 27 General Assembly resolutions condemn Israel -- the one true democracy in the Middle East.

Well, this is an unfortunate part of the UN institution. It's the -- the theater of the absurd. It doesn't only cast Israel as the villain; it often casts real villains in leading roles: Gadhafi's Libya chaired the UN Commission on Human Rights; Saddam's Iraq headed the UN Committee on Disarmament.

You might say: That's the past. Well, here's what's happening now -- right now, today. Hezbollah-controlled Lebanon now presides over the UN Security Council. This means, in effect, that a terror organization presides over the body entrusted with guaranteeing the world's security.

You couldn't make this thing up.

So here in the UN, automatic majorities can decide anything. They can decide that the sun sets in the west or rises in the west. I think the first has already been pre-ordained. But they can also decide -- they have decided that the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Judaism's holiest place, is occupied Palestinian territory.

And yet even here in the General Assembly, the truth can sometimes break through. In 1984 when I was appointed Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, I visited the great rabbi of Lubavich. He said to me -- and ladies and gentlemen, I don't want any of you to be offended because from personal experience of serving here, I know there are many honorable men and women, many capable and decent people serving their nations here. But here's what the rebbe said to me. He said to me, you'll be serving in a house of many lies. And then he said, remember that even in the darkest place, the light of a single candle can be seen far and wide.

Today I hope that the light of truth will shine, if only for a few minutes, in a hall that for too long has been a place of darkness for my country. So as Israel's prime minister, I didn't come here to win applause. I came here to speak the truth. (Cheers, applause.) The truth is -- the truth is that Israel wants peace. The truth is that I want peace. The truth is that in the Middle East at all times, but especially during these turbulent days, peace must be anchored in security. The truth is that we cannot achieve peace through UN resolutions, but only through direct negotiations between the parties. The truth is that so far the Palestinians have refused to negotiate. The truth is that Israel wants peace with a Palestinian state, but the Palestinians want a state without peace. And the truth is you shouldn't let that happen.

Ladies and gentlemen, when I first came here 27 years ago, the world was divided between East and West. Since then the Cold War ended, great civilizations have risen from centuries of slumber, hundreds of millions have been lifted out of poverty, countless more are poised to follow, and the remarkable thing is that so far this monumental historic shift has largely occurred peacefully. Yet a malignancy is now growing between East and West that threatens the peace of all. It seeks not to liberate, but to enslave, not to build, but to destroy.

That malignancy is militant Islam. It cloaks itself in the mantle of a great faith, yet it murders Jews, Christians and Muslims alike with unforgiving impartiality. On September 11th it killed thousands of Americans, and it left the twin towers in smoldering ruins. Last night I laid a wreath on the 9/11 memorial. It was deeply moving. But as I was going there, one thing echoed in my mind: the outrageous words of the president of Iran on this podium yesterday. He implied that 9/11 was an American conspiracy. Some of you left this hall. All of you should have. (Applause.)

Since 9/11, militant Islamists slaughtered countless other innocents -- in London and Madrid, in Baghdad and Mumbai, in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, in every part of Israel. I believe that the greatest danger facing our world is that this fanaticism will arm itself with nuclear weapons. And this is precisely what Iran is trying to do.

Can you imagine that man who ranted here yesterday -- can you imagine him armed with nuclear weapons? The international community must stop Iran before it's too late. If Iran is not stopped, we will all face the specter of nuclear terrorism, and the Arab Spring could soon become an Iranian winter. That would be a tragedy. Millions of Arabs have taken to the streets to replace tyranny with liberty, and no one would benefit more than Israel if those committed to freedom and peace would prevail.

This is my fervent hope. But as the prime minister of Israel, I cannot risk the future of the Jewish state on wishful thinking. Leaders must see reality as it is, not as it ought to be. We must do our best to shape the future, but we cannot wish away the dangers of the present.

And the world around Israel is definitely becoming more dangerous. Militant Islam has already taken over Lebanon and Gaza. It's determined to tear apart the peace treaties between Israel and Egypt and between Israel and Jordan. It's poisoned many Arab minds against Jews and Israel, against America and the West. It opposes not the policies of Israel but the existence of Israel.

Now, some argue that the spread of militant Islam, especially in these turbulent times -- if you want to slow it down, they argue, Israel must hurry to make concessions, to make territorial compromises. And this theory sounds simple. Basically it goes like this: Leave the territory, and peace will be advanced. The moderates will be strengthened, the radicals will be kept at bay. And don't worry about the pesky details of how Israel will actually defend itself; international troops will do the job.

These people say to me constantly: Just make a sweeping offer, and everything will work out. You know, there's only one problem with that theory. We've tried it and it hasn't worked. In 2000 Israel made a sweeping peace offer that met virtually all of the Palestinian demands. Arafat rejected it. The Palestinians then launched a terror attack that claimed a thousand Israeli lives.

Prime Minister Olmert afterwards made an even more sweeping offer, in 2008. President Abbas didn't even respond to it.

But Israel did more than just make sweeping offers. We actually left territory. We withdrew from Lebanon in 2000 and from every square inch of Gaza in 2005. That didn't calm the Islamic storm, the militant Islamic storm that threatens us. It only brought the storm closer and make it stronger.

Hezbollah and Hamas fired thousands of rockets against our cities from the very territories we vacated. See, when Israel left Lebanon and Gaza, the moderates didn't defeat the radicals, the moderates were devoured by the radicals. And I regret to say that international troops like UNIFIL in Lebanon and UBAM (ph) in Gaza didn't stop the radicals from attacking Israel.

We left Gaza hoping for peace. We didn't freeze the settlements in Gaza, we uprooted them. We did exactly what the theory says: Get out, go back to the 1967 borders, dismantle the settlements.

And I don't think people remember how far we went to achieve this. We uprooted thousands of people from their homes. We pulled children out of -- out of their schools and their kindergartens. We bulldozed synagogues. We even -- we even moved loved ones from their graves. And then, having done all that, we gave the keys of Gaza to President Abbas.

Now the theory says it should all work out, and President Abbas and the Palestinian Authority now could build a peaceful state in Gaza. You can remember that the entire world applauded. They applauded our withdrawal as an act of great statesmanship. It was a bold act of peace.

But ladies and gentlemen, we didn't get peace. We got war. We got Iran, which through its proxy Hamas promptly kicked out the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinian Authority collapsed in a day -- in one day.

President Abbas just said on this podium that the Palestinians are armed only with their hopes and dreams. Yeah, hopes, dreams and 10,000 missiles and Grad rockets supplied by Iran, not to mention the river of lethal weapons now flowing into Gaza from the Sinai, from Libya, and from elsewhere.

Thousands of missiles have already rained down on our cities. So you might understand that, given all this, Israelis rightly ask: What's to prevent this from happening again in the West Bank? See, most of our major cities in the south of the country are within a few dozen kilometers from Gaza. But in the center of the country, opposite the West Bank, our cities are a few hundred meters or at most a few kilometers away from the edge of the West Bank.

So I want to ask you. Would any of you -- would any of you bring danger so close to your cities, to your families? Would you act so recklessly with the lives of your citizens? Israel is prepared to have a Palestinian state in the West Bank, but we're not prepared to have another Gaza there. And that's why we need to have real security arrangements, which the Palestinians simply refuse to negotiate with us.

Israelis remember the bitter lessons of Gaza. Many of Israel's critics ignore them. They irresponsibly advise Israel to go down this same perilous path again. Your read what these people say and it's as if nothing happened -- just repeating the same advice, the same formulas as though none of this happened.

And these critics continue to press Israel to make far-reaching concessions without first assuring Israel's security. They praise those who unwittingly feed the insatiable crocodile of militant Islam as bold statesmen. They cast as enemies of peace those of us who insist that we must first erect a sturdy barrier to keep the crocodile out, or at the very least jam an iron bar between its gaping jaws.

So in the face of the labels and the libels, Israel must heed better advice. Better a bad press than a good eulogy, and better still would be a fair press whose sense of history extends beyond breakfast, and which recognizes Israel's legitimate security concerns.

I believe that in serious peace negotiations, these needs and concerns can be properly addressed, but they will not be addressed without negotiations. And the needs are many, because Israel is such a tiny country. Without Judea and Samaria, the West Bank, Israel is all of 9 miles wide.

I want to put it for you in perspective, because you're all in the city. That's about two-thirds the length of Manhattan. It's the distance between Battery Park and Columbia University. And don't forget that the people who live in Brooklyn and New Jersey are considerably nicer than some of Israel's neighbors.

So how do you -- how do you protect such a tiny country, surrounded by people sworn to its destruction and armed to the teeth by Iran? Obviously you can't defend it from within that narrow space alone. Israel needs greater strategic depth, and that's exactly why Security Council Resolution 242 didn't require Israel to leave all the territories it captured in the Six-Day War. It talked about withdrawal from territories, to secure and defensible boundaries. And to defend itself, Israel must therefore maintain a long-term Israeli military presence in critical strategic areas in the West Bank.

I explained this to President Abbas. He answered that if a Palestinian state was to be a sovereign country, it could never accept such arrangements. Why not? America has had troops in Japan, Germany and South Korea for more than a half a century. Britain has had an airspace in Cyprus or rather an air base in Cyprus. France has forces in three independent African nations. None of these states claim that they're not sovereign countries.

And there are many other vital security issues that also must be addressed. Take the issue of airspace. Again, Israel's small dimensions create huge security problems. America can be crossed by jet airplane in six hours. To fly across Israel, it takes three minutes. So is Israel's tiny airspace to be chopped in half and given to a Palestinian state not at peace with Israel?

Our major international airport is a few kilometers away from the West Bank. Without peace, will our planes become targets for antiaircraft missiles placed in the adjacent Palestinian state? And how will we stop the smuggling into the West Bank? It's not merely the West Bank, it's the West Bank mountains. It just dominates the coastal plain where most of Israel's population sits below. How could we prevent the smuggling into these mountains of those missiles that could be fired on our cities?

I bring up these problems because they're not theoretical problems. They're very real. And for Israelis, they're life-and- death matters. All these potential cracks in Israel's security have to be sealed in a peace agreement before a Palestinian state is declared, not afterwards, because if you leave it afterwards, they won't be sealed. And these problems will explode in our face and explode the peace.

The Palestinians should first make peace with Israel and then get their state. But I also want to tell you this. After such a peace agreement is signed, Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian state as a new member of the United Nations. We will be the first. (Applause.)

And there's one more thing. Hamas has been violating international law by holding our soldier Gilad Shalit captive for five years.

They haven't given even one Red Cross visit. He's held in a dungeon, in darkness, against all international norms. Gilad Shalit is the son of Aviva and Noam Shalit. He is the grandson of Zvi Shalit, who escaped the Holocaust by coming to the -- in the 1930s as a boy to the land of Israel. Gilad Shalit is the son of every Israeli family. Every nation represented here should demand his immediate release. (Applause.) If you want to -- if you want to pass a resolution about the Middle East today, that's the resolution you should pass. (Applause.)

Ladies and gentlemen, last year in Israel in Bar-Ilan University, this year in the Knesset and in the U.S. Congress, I laid out my vision for peace in which a demilitarized Palestinian state recognizes the Jewish state. Yes, the Jewish state. After all, this is the body that recognized the Jewish state 64 years ago. Now, don't you think it's about time that Palestinians did the same?

The Jewish state of Israel will always protect the rights of all its minorities, including the more than 1 million Arab citizens of Israel. I wish I could say the same thing about a future Palestinian state, for as Palestinian officials made clear the other day -- in fact, I think they made it right here in New York -- they said the Palestinian state won't allow any Jews in it. They'll be Jew-free -- Judenrein. That's ethnic cleansing. There are laws today in Ramallah that make the selling of land to Jews punishable by death. That's racism. And you know which laws this evokes.

Israel has no intention whatsoever to change the democratic character of our state. We just don't want the Palestinians to try to change the Jewish character of our state. (Applause.) We want to give up -- we want them to give up the fantasy of flooding Israel with millions of Palestinians.

President Abbas just stood here, and he said that the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the settlements. Well, that's odd. Our conflict has been raging for -- was raging for nearly half a century before there was a single Israeli settlement in the West Bank. So if what President Abbas is saying was true, then the -- I guess that the settlements he's talking about are Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jaffa, Be'er Sheva. Maybe that's what he meant the other day when he said that Israel has been occupying Palestinian land for 63 years. He didn't say from 1967; he said from 1948. I hope somebody will bother to ask him this question because it illustrates a simple truth: The core of the conflict is not the settlements. The settlements are a result of the conflict. (Applause.)

The settlements have to be -- it's an issue that has to be addressed and resolved in the course of negotiations. But the core of the conflict has always been and unfortunately remains the refusal of the Palestinians to recognize a Jewish state in any border.

I think it's time that the Palestinian leadership recognizes what every serious international leader has recognized, from Lord Balfour and Lloyd George in 1917, to President Truman in 1948, to President Obama just two days ago right here: Israel is the Jewish state. (Applause.)

President Abbas, stop walking around this issue. Recognize the Jewish state, and make peace with us. In such a genuine peace, Israel is prepared to make painful compromises. We believe that the Palestinians should be neither the citizens of Israel nor its subjects. They should live in a free state of their own. But they should be ready, like us, for compromise. And we will know that they're ready for compromise and for peace when they start taking Israel's security requirements seriously and when they stop denying our historical connection to our ancient homeland.

I often hear them accuse Israel of Judaizing Jerusalem. That's like accusing America of Americanizing Washington, or the British of Anglicizing London. You know why we're called "Jews"? Because we come from Judea.

In my office in Jerusalem, there's a -- there's an ancient seal. It's a signet ring of a Jewish official from the time of the Bible. The seal was found right next to the Western Wall, and it dates back 2,700 years, to the time of King Hezekiah. Now, there's a name of the Jewish official inscribed on the ring in Hebrew. His name was Netanyahu. That's my last name. My first name, Benjamin, dates back a thousand years earlier to Benjamin -- Binyamin -- the son of Jacob, who was also known as Israel. Jacob and his 12 sons roamed these same hills of Judea and Sumeria 4,000 years ago, and there's been a continuous Jewish presence in the land ever since.

And for those Jews who were exiled from our land, they never stopped dreaming of coming back: Jews in Spain, on the eve of their expulsion; Jews in the Ukraine, fleeing the pogroms; Jews fighting the Warsaw Ghetto, as the Nazis were circling around it. They never stopped praying, they never stopped yearning. They whispered: Next year in Jerusalem. Next year in the promised land.

As the prime minister of Israel, I speak for a hundred generations of Jews who were dispersed throughout the lands, who suffered every evil under the Sun, but who never gave up hope of restoring their national life in the one and only Jewish state.

Ladies and gentlemen, I continue to hope that President Abbas will be my partner in peace. I've worked hard to advance that peace. The day I came into office, I called for direct negotiations without preconditions. President Abbas didn't respond. I outlined a vision of peace of two states for two peoples. He still didn't respond. I removed hundreds of roadblocks and checkpoints, to ease freedom of movement in the Palestinian areas; this facilitated a fantastic growth in the Palestinian economy. But again -- no response. I took the unprecedented step of freezing new buildings in the settlements for 10 months. No prime minister did that before, ever. (Scattered applause.) Once again -- you applaud, but there was no response. No response.

In the last few weeks, American officials have put forward ideas to restart peace talks. There were things in those ideas about borders that I didn't like. There were things there about the Jewish state that I'm sure the Palestinians didn't like.

But with all my reservations, I was willing to move forward on these American ideas.

President Abbas, why don't you join me? We have to stop negotiating about the negotiations. Let's just get on with it. Let's negotiate peace.

I spent years defending Israel on the battlefield. I spent decades defending Israel in the court of public opinion. President Abbas, you've dedicated your life to advancing the Palestinian cause. Must this conflict continue for generations, or will we enable our children and our grandchildren to speak in years ahead of how we found a way to end it? That's what we should aim for, and that's what I believe we can achieve.

In two and a half years, we met in Jerusalem only once, even though my door has always been open to you. If you wish, I'll come to Ramallah. Actually, I have a better suggestion. We've both just flown thousands of miles to New York. Now we're in the same city. We're in the same building. So let's meet here today in the United Nations. Who's there to stop us? What is there to stop us? If we genuinely want peace, what is there to stop us from meeting today and beginning peace negotiations?

And I suggest we talk openly and honestly. Let's listen to one another. Let's do as we say in the Middle East: Let's talk "doogri". That means straightforward. I'll tell you my needs and concerns. You'll tell me yours. And with God's help, we'll find the common ground of peace.

There's an old Arab saying that you cannot applaud with one hand. Well, the same is true of peace. I cannot make peace alone. I cannot make peace without you. President Abbas, I extend my hand -- the hand of Israel -- in peace. I hope that you will grasp that hand. We are both the sons of Abraham. My people call him Avraham. Your people call him Ibrahim. We share the same patriarch. We dwell in the same land. Our destinies are intertwined. Let us realize the vision of Isaiah -- (speaks in Hebrew) -- "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light." Let that light be the light of peace.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Friday, September 23, 2011

THE PHILOSOPHY OF UNDER ACHIEVEMENT

Excerpts from Leke Alder's book MINDING YOUR BUSINESS


1 The shortest route to underachievement is called nothing. Just do nothing. This is the first rule of underachievement. Fold your arms and just sit down. Stare into the skies, twiddle your thumbs, tap your knees; and if those seem too strenuous, meditate on Nothingness. Let your mind wander and day-dream but by all means do nothing.

2 Make indefinite plans. And each time you miss an opportunity to prove your worth, remind yourself of your grander plans.

3 Put in half effort into every job you have knowing that the man who said “Whatsoever your principle of efficient allocation of energy resources.

4 Always wait for perfect conditions before you start anything. If the conditions aren’t right, don’t even think of starting.

5 Spend your time hanging out in your friend’s office during working hours, but if that seems a little extreme, spend evenings at your club or your friend’s house telling tall stories. The more effusive your stories and plans, the better. Do what Boys do: hang out and gist!

6 Wait for the perfect contract even if it takes 3 years. Why waste your time starting on small jobs when the real ones will soon come along?

7 Love process very much and don’t focus on productivity. Indeed, the preparation for the assignment should be more than the assignment. Gather data, prepare to start and shuffle papers. You should indeed be commended for how far you’ve pushed the file through the bureaucratic labyrinth of your desk.

8 Always take ‘No’ for an answer. There is no need to argue. You are a liberal and a gentleman. You don’t want to be crude.

9 Blame your past and if that doesn’t work blame your parents, your wife, your girlfriend, past governments and even Mr. Alder’s dogs. It really doesn’t matter who; just blame someone.

10 Wait for inspiration to do your work. Always wait to be inspired before you do anything.

11 Do just enough in anything. Don’t follow up.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Beware of 419 (1)


Hi folks, i will be sharing with you telephone styles 419 guys use. This is to safeguard you from falling prey in the future.

Enjoy this: A call from a 419 guy with caller ID hidden:

Mr. 419: Hello, how are you?

Ayo: Fine. Please, who am I speaking with?

Mr. 419: Haba, don't you remember me? Who do you know in UK that
could be calling?

(Sensing a scam, I threw in a trap…)

Ayo: Johnson! Is that you? (meanwhile, I don't know any Johnson in UK .)

(Thinking it's a break, he swallows the bait)

Mr. 419 : Of course, this is Johnson! How come you didn't recognise
my voice initially?

(Certain it's a scam, I decided to punish him verbally and
financially. I had the time that morning so I was going to assist him
waste his call credit.)

Ayo: Jooooooohnson! Kai! Omo buruku gbaa ni o! (You are a specially
bad boy) Your father died, you didn't so much as show up or send a
note. Omo a se iru e fun e! (Your children will repay you with such).
Didn't you hear about his demise? He was so bitter and full of
original curses for you.

Mr. 419: (Obviously subdued) I didn't hear. I would have come.

Ayo: Too bad. You heard your mama is leprous too? You didn't hear
about that, abi?

Mr. 419: (Now uncomfortable) No, I didn’t hear.

Ayo: (Enjoying myself thoroughly). Too bad. Is your wife that
foolish too? Not even a word from her after you folks married without
our blessings? If the husband is not wise, is the wife lame-witted
too?

Mr. 419: She's fine. I'm certain she'll get across to you. There's an issue…

(, breaking in before he begins his story)

Ayo: Johnson, O se mi o: (you offended me). I sent you money to buy
me a car and you just disappeared. When am I having my money back?
You want me to curse you too like your father did? I don't have his
kind of patience I'm sure you know. I won't wait that long before I
give you what you deserve.

Mr. 419: (Grunted). This issue is important,

Ayo: Shut up!!! When are you sending money home? Haba! We sent you to
school, clothed you and sent you abroad, Are you now a 419?
Stealing from me your friend too. Your father was right to curse
you, And you can't escape it if you continue like this. It's not a
curse.

Mr. 419: I'll repay you.

After about 15 minutes of moves and countermoves…I owned up.

Ayo: See Mr. 419, I don't know any Johnson in UK . I just needed to
teach you a lesson. Go get a proper job.

Mr. 419: Were! Oloriburuku! Lo ti n sepe fun mi lat'aaro! (Madman, and
you've been cursing me since morning!)

Disconnected


Beware of 419 and greed.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Increasing Your Sales by 500%


Marketing Products by offering it for Free to Potential Customers for Trail appears to be the new trend.

Last week Saturday I went shopping at a popular retail outlet on V-I; on my way out, I was given some sachets of Hypo detergents – for free. This gesture not only took me by surprise, it got me thinking about the “wisdom” in this marketing technique.

As if this was not enough; yesterday, I got another surprise during lunch hour when a team of Indomie Box Noodles came to my office on Awolowo road, they set up camp and started handing out cooked box of noodles to all staff in the high rise building – again, for free.

These are organizations that have spent a fortune on advertising campaign. Sometimes, desperate situations require desperate measures. It is one thing to see a product over and over again and yet another thing to test, taste, trade cash for the product.

If you test/taste/trade cash for a product, you get a chance to form an opinion and probably become addicted to it or know for sure that you don’t like or want the product. For the first, I eat Indomie box noodles and can confirm that it is as delicious as the traditional Indomie noodles. I have also been able to verify that Hypo is as effective as it claims.

Next time I feel like eating noodles, Indomie box noodles would easily come to mind; first that a company could act generous by giving out her items for free, second and most important, for the delicious taste I got from eating it. Same goes for Hypo detergents. Of a truth, I probably wouldn’t have bought either item, but making it free has given me a firsthand experience of the products. Now am telling you, then you will spread the news, I wouldn’t be surprised if you decide to buy either item also for trial – word of mouth marketing they call it!

What are the products, services, skills you have to offer? Can you volunteer them for free to select and relevant market?

Are you looking for job? Would you consider volunteering – for free? Don’t just wait for something to happen. Make it happen.

Happiness is not something that happens to us. Happiness is something you create. Hypo go wipe o

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

UBA Foundation - Scholarship Programme

United Bank for Africa, UBA, Plc, through its Corporate Social Responsibility arm, UBA Foundation has concluded arrangements to invest in human capital development in Nigeria and other countries in Africa.

The new initiative — the Essay competition, is part of its corporate social responsibility and is designed to cater for the educational needs of bright young scholars.

Speaking during the launch of the UBA Foundation National Essay Competition, in Lagos, Managing Director, UBA, Mr. Philips Oduoza, represented by Mr. Kennedy Uzoka, Deputy Managing Director designate, explained that winners of the competition, which is opened to only students of secondary schools in Nigeria, will have UBA as their life guardian, with the bank providing for their educational needs throughout their stay in any Nigerian universities whenever they secure admission to further their studies.According to him, winners will be expected maintain a consistent and impressive academic performance if they are to remain beneficiaries, adding that it they drop below the required academic requirement, they will be cut off from the benefits.

The idea behind it, he said, is to ensure that the students do not become lackadaisical and distracted in their academic pursuit.

Also speaking, Miss Ijeoma Aso, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, UBA Foundation, said the bank plans to conduct the essay competition across the Africa continent, but is starting it in Nigeria due to the pivotal role played by Nigeria in the continent.

She explained that students who wish to participate in the competition are expected to submit at the head office of the bank, a 750-word long essay about themselves and their career, on or before October 31, 2011.
She said the essays will be vetted and judged by three renowned professors from three higher institutions in Nigeria, who will then pick the winners.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Problems, Problems Everywhere but non to Solve




A wise man said “a problem is an opportunity in disguise”. One thing that is prevalent around us in "Naija" is different problems. Problems in themselves are resources or opportunity to leverage on.

Today, some organizations are feeding fat on our electricity shortage, inadequate supply of cement, a demand for wheat that is ever increasing. Waste disposal is now a money-spinner for some PSP operators. Insecurity in certain or all parts of the country has provided opportunities for security companies, body guards, Israeli security details to earn additional income.

Bad governance is an opportunity for outstanding leaders to emerge. Darkness is an opportunity for light to shine. Failures in National exams such as WAEC, NECO, JAMB, etc is an opportunity for outstanding schools, teachers to flourish. Low employability skills displayed by graduates in the labor market is an opportunity for training institutions to thrive.

Many people in the society are fraudulent and dishonest; another opportunity for the honest to get opportunities on the platform of integrity. Their is food shortage and famine in part of East and North Africa. Is this not a good time to venture into agriculture?

The National Cake (or Problem) is big enough for all forward-thinking people to bake and share. What sector are you going to play? This is the time to think, identify, research into the sector and take the plunge.

What do you have to offer?

The problem is not the mirage of problems. Your problem is to identify the problem you can proffer solutions to profitably.

I am resolute that i wont just be a public affairs analyst but continue to play an active role in the real sector.

The transfer window is still open!

Friday, September 09, 2011

MTN Football Scholar





Hi folks, I believe this information may be useful to someone.


*Introducing MTN Football Scholar*

*MTN Football Scholar* which was officially launched on Monday, September 5, following a press conference with major stakeholders. This initiative will further
consolidate MTN's leadership position among the youth segment through
connecting with their passion for football and aspiration to acquire quality
education.

The MTN Football Scholar is a youth programme aimed at discovering talents
who can combine active football and education at the tertiary level within a
scholarship scheme. It is a unique platform for the discovery, training and
exposure of budding soccer talents, providing them with access to
scholarship opportunities in soccer oriented universities in the United
States as well as links to international soccer academies.

The MTN Football Scholar programme is open to students within the age
bracket of 16 and 20 and is designed to strike an equal balance between
soccer and academics. Students who make it into the scheme will progress
through a series of knock out soccer competitions and mock exams to gain
entry into the Academy, where they will undergo intensive football and
academic training for one month.

The month-long training will prepare students for SAT (Scholastic Assessment
Test) and TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) examinations. Those
who succeed in crossing this stage will play a final football competition
under the watchful eyes of international soccer scouts who will select the
top winners.

The programme will kick-off with auditions in eight key cities. To
participate, interested contestants are required to send an sms costing N50
to the short code *4000*, stating their name, age and location. Online
application forms will also be available on the MTN website and at the
various auditioning venues.

Thursday, September 08, 2011

Celebrity Status; an Asset or Liability?





A celebrity is a person who has a prominent profile in the media and is easily recognized.

According to Wikipedia, Some careers are associated with celebrity status; such as the top tier of the modelling, acting and sports industries. While people may gain celebrity status as a result of a successful career, in other cases, people become celebrities due to media attention for their extravagant lifestyle or wealth (as in the case of a socialite).

People like Prof Wole Soyinka, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu are examples of celebrities not from the entertainment world. Some people actually aspire to become celebrity.

Imagine someone saying that my life ambition is to be a celebrity. Hmmm, One thing is sure, and that is, it takes a lot of hard work (a little luck too) to become a celebrity in any sphere of life. It also takes extreme hard work and character management to remain a celebrity for life. Some people have become celebrities by being the first in the nation or category to attain an accomplishment, rank or status. You can become a celebrity by doing something noble like returning 5,000,000 million dollars you found on the road or toilet to the police etc.

Benefits of Celebrity Status
Endorsement deals
Product ambassadors
Access to other great individuals
Creating your own product line i.e fashion, perfume etc
You can be an advocate for a cause, red cross, NGOs
Platform to be a role model
free products or services
special welcome and reception in gatherings etc

Challenges of Celebrity
Loss of privacy
Rumor
security risks
cost of providing security
kidnapping potential (especially in Naija) etc
Why am i writing about celebrities. i have a hunch you will end up a celebrity. So i decided to help prepare you for that phase of life ahead. Many people don’t set out to be become celebrities in life, and when they are as a result of a grand achievement, the euphoria gets the other side of them out, they end up worse than their little beginning.


Scripture says "Have you seen a man diligent in his business, he shall stand before kings and not mere men........"

Tuesday, September 06, 2011

Power of Persistence

What do u do when it seems like all hope is lost - Give up or Stay focused on your vision?

Did u know:
That Soichiro Honda: was turned down at an Interview with Toyota? He was jobless for so many years. He began making scooters in his garage and today is the founder of Honda..yes! The Honda u know!

Akio Morita: many of u don't know him. His 1st product was a rice cooker. It failed to cook and burnt the rice instead. It sold only 100 pieces! Guess what? Today he's the owner of SONY...yeah, your TV and DVD maker..worth Billions!

Harland David Sanders: He invented a secret chicken recipe and tried to sell it cheap just to feed himself. It was turned down 1,009 times before a restaurant reluctantly accepted it..Well..Have u heard of Kentucky Fried Chicken? thats him!

Walt Disney: He was sacked by his boss at a newspaper because he "had no good ideas". He tried many other businesses and failed...He was bankrupt for many years. But you know the end don't you? Disney's 1 of the richest companies worldwide today...

Oprah Winfrey: she had to endure a rough and abusive childhood and suffered low self esteem. She was fired from her job because her boss said "you're not fit for TV"...well, she's now the richest and most influential woman alive and TV's greatest personality. I wonder how her boss feels now..

Sir Alex Ferguson: he was sacked as manager in 1978 cos they said he was a "managerial failure"... Guess I don't need to say more..Google him

Richard Branson: was called a dummy in school, is a dyslexic and never succeeded in his studies. Today he's worth $4.4 Billion and owns 360 companies.

Please don't write yourself off. Continue trying because the Lord is not giving up on you. The Lord is waiting on you too. Get up and make that bold move. The host of heaven is waiting to celebrate you.

Culled from the internet

Monday, September 05, 2011

Audition for Shakespeare's Globe Theatre


As part of its Globe 2 Globe Project, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre presents a once-in-a-lifetime celebration for the London 2012 Festival.

37 International companies will present all Shakespeare’s plays in a different language over six weeks. The Nigerian entry is “The Winter’s Tale” produced by Renegade Theatre and directed by Wole Oguntokun. Presentation to be on 24th & 25th May 2012 at Shakespeare’s Globe, London.

Auditions @1, Akinwunmi Street (Top Floor), off Herbert Macaulay Way, by Casino Cinema/Rowe Park, Yaba, Lagos.
Date – Saturday 10th September.
Time – 10am prompt.

Actors MUST be fluent in English and Yoruba.

For lucid enquiries, call Anike Alli-Hakeem on 0808 123 9477.


Thursday, August 25, 2011

Profile of Speakers @ Yabatech Taking Advantage of Change Summit



Hi folks, Just to show the profile of two of our speakers at the Seminar Taking Place this Saturday in Yabatech.

OLUTOYIN DANIEL OGUNMOLA
Olutoyin Daniel studied Computer Science and Economics in Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. He has a Masters Degree in IT Management and Organisation Change from Lancaster University Management School, UK where he finished with Distinction and has an award of the most collegiate student in a class of 58 students from 18 countries. His work was also awarded the best Masters Dissertation in the course for his set.

Olutoyin had worked as Software Developer, System Integration Analyst and Technical Business Developer for telecoms and aviation industry. As a seasoned IS Strategist, he presently work as the Group Technical Officer for MTECH a technology firm with branches in West and East Africa. Raised from a humble background, he has intense passion for supporting the less privileged youths in an all-rounded way through inspiration, motivation and knowledge.

DAMOLA GIWA
Giwa Adedamola studied Economics in University of Ilorin . He has an MBA from Obafemi Awolowo University , Ile-Ife. He is a Chartered accountant, a Chartered banker and is in the process of becoming a Certified Information Systems Auditor, haven passed the required CISA examination administered by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association of the USA .

He is currently the head of business operations of Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers Limited which is the leading stock broking firm in Nigeria . As the business operations head, he provides leadership for the client services and operations teams of the company responsible for the delivery of excellent service to the company’s clients. He is passionate about people development, nation building and believes he is called to be a channel of blessing to the less privileged.

Note: This is a great opportunity. Please invite your friends to this epic event. Wont you rather be in the gathering of the great?