Construction of Lagos to Abidjan Expressway Begins 2014: President Goodluck Jonathan. Muhammad Bello. The stretch of international roaad linking Nigeria's economic hub, Lagos with Abidjan, the Ivorien capital would commence next year President Goodluck Jonathan intimated Saturday.
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Monday, 4 March 2013
Nurturing Democracy in Kenya through the Arts
Nurturing Democracy in Kenya through the Arts: Guest Post by George Gachara
2010 YouthActionNet® Fellow George Gachara recently co-founded the NEST Arts Company
in Nairobi, Kenya as a forum for artists, writers, youth workers,
actors, and citizens to express themselves and nurture the creative
spirit. In advance of Kenya’s national elections on March 4, George
shares his reflections on the vital connection between the arts and
2010 YouthActionNet® Fellow George Gachara recently co-founded the NEST Arts Company
in Nairobi, Kenya as a forum for artists, writers, youth workers,
actors, and citizens to express themselves and nurture the creative
spirit. In advance of Kenya’s national elections on March 4, George
shares his reflections on the vital connection between the arts and
Zero Tolerance
Zero Tolerance:
I had a shocking experience several years ago noticing a neighbor’s young daughter would constantly cry in the morning while her mother was bathing her. Upon inquiry, the young girl’s senior sister casually told me in Hausa that “An yi mata kachiya ne” (she had a circumcision). To say I was shocked by what I heard is an understatement. I could not believe my ears. I had heard about such practices but thought they had long been stopped. When I asked my mother about it, she told me it is alive and still practiced in certain communities. Further inquiries showed the principal reason given in most cultures for this practice is “to prevent the girl from becoming promiscuous” while others regard it as an important rite of passage.
Thankfully the international community has risen up against this harmful practice. Thus, the designation of February 6 each year as the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation. It is quite interesting that the observance of the day was initiated by then Nigeria’s first lady on behalf of the first ladies group consisting of Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry and Mali in 2003. They made an official declaration on “Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)" during a conference organized by the NGO, Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children. It is, however, not surprising African women spearheaded this fight considering the fact it is most commonly practiced in sub-Saharan Africa.
What is FGM? It’s a procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. This is usually done by untrained trado-medical personnel without the use of any kind of anesthesia. Apart from the pain and trauma, it could result in bleeding, infection, birth complications and even death. Sadly it is estimated over 100 million women around the world have undergone this procedure and millions more are at risk.
In December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution, titled "Intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation," calling for international efforts to eliminate the harmful traditional practice. Last year, then U.S. Secretary of State Clinton hosted the first-ever event at the Department of State to commemorate International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. She noted “we cannot excuse this as a cultural tradition… We cannot excuse it as a private matter because it has very broad public implications… And as we think about the rights of young girls to be free from both physical and mental violence, we can understand why this is such an important issue that deserves attention from the United States Congress and from leaders across the globe.”
Thankfully the international community has risen up against this harmful practice. Thus, the designation of February 6 each year as the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation. It is quite interesting that the observance of the day was initiated by then Nigeria’s first lady on behalf of the first ladies group consisting of Burkina Faso, Guinea Conakry and Mali in 2003. They made an official declaration on “Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)" during a conference organized by the NGO, Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children. It is, however, not surprising African women spearheaded this fight considering the fact it is most commonly practiced in sub-Saharan Africa.
What is FGM? It’s a procedure that involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia. This is usually done by untrained trado-medical personnel without the use of any kind of anesthesia. Apart from the pain and trauma, it could result in bleeding, infection, birth complications and even death. Sadly it is estimated over 100 million women around the world have undergone this procedure and millions more are at risk.
In December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution, titled "Intensifying global efforts for the elimination of female genital mutilation," calling for international efforts to eliminate the harmful traditional practice. Last year, then U.S. Secretary of State Clinton hosted the first-ever event at the Department of State to commemorate International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. She noted “we cannot excuse this as a cultural tradition… We cannot excuse it as a private matter because it has very broad public implications… And as we think about the rights of young girls to be free from both physical and mental violence, we can understand why this is such an important issue that deserves attention from the United States Congress and from leaders across the globe.”
Catholic Church: Black Pope?
Catholic Church: Black Pope?:
It
can seem to the contemporary mind that the papacy is a purely European
institution, and predominantly an Italian one to boot. In fact, the
early popes reflected the diversity of the early church — a community
that was born in the Middle East and spread around the Mediterranean
basin, from Greece to Rome and the Iberian peninsula and with great
success to North Africa.
"North Africa was the Bible Belt of
early Christianity," said Christopher Bellitto, a church historian at
Kean University in New Jersey. "Carthage was the buckle," he added,
referring to the city located in modern-day Tunisia.
So it
should be no surprise that three early popes hailed from that region:
the 14th pope, Victor I (circa 189-198 A.D.); the 32nd pope, Miltiades
(311-314 A.D.); and the 49th pope, Gelasius I (492-496 A.D.).
According to the sixth-century Liber Pontificalis, the earliest known
record of the popes, Victor was from North Africa, while Miltiades and
Gelasius likely were born in Rome to families of African origin.
Interestingly, Victor was the first pope to speak Latin because
Christians in Rome were still using Greek in the liturgy. As one
historian has written, it was "remarkable ... that Latin should have won
recognition as the language of African Christianity from the outset,
while the Roman church was still using Greek."
But were these three African popes "black" in the sense that we would define race today? And did it matter back then?
The Rev. Cyprian Davis, a Benedictine priest who is a leading
historian of African-American Catholicism, notes that by Pope Victor's
time, the Roman aristocracy had large holdings in North Africa. It's not
clear, however, whether these so-called African popes came from those
families or from the rural, somewhat darker-skinned indigenous
population known as the Berbers.
Davis said the best bet for
what we would consider a "black" pope is probably Victor, but he added
that the church and the empire of those early centuries were a mosaic of
colors and ethnicities.
"It's important for us to look and
say that yes, the early papacy was not white. No, it was much more
diverse than you might think," Davis said.
Moreover, race as we think of it today did not have quite the same meaning back then.
"When you say 'black pope,' you have to think Roman Empire, not
African-American," as Bellitto put it. Some popes in those days — along
with many renowned saints and martyrs and bishops like St. Augustine of
Hippo — probably looked more like modern Arabs than any pontiff of the
last millennium.
Still, if the cardinals elect Turkson or another
cardinal from sub-Saharan Africa, any of them would represent a historic
first for the church, geographically and racially. Africa is one of the
fastest growing centers of global Catholicism.
"I don't
want to say that we blacks have arrived again, and what was once, now
we're back!" said Davis with a soft laugh. But, he continued, "I'm sure
black Catholics like myself would think it's a wonderful thing."
An article I found on USA today. Read below...
'The early papacy was not white, it was much more diverse,' says a historian of African-American Catholicism.
Ghanaian cardinal Peter Turkson is frequently mentioned amid all the speculation about who might succeed Pope Benedict XVI. If picked, some would see him as the first African and the first black pontiff in the nearly 2,000-year history of the papacy.
But in all that time has there really never been a black pope? Or anHmmmm. Continue reading...
African pope? It depends on what you mean by "black" and by "African."
It
can seem to the contemporary mind that the papacy is a purely European
institution, and predominantly an Italian one to boot. In fact, the
early popes reflected the diversity of the early church — a community
that was born in the Middle East and spread around the Mediterranean
basin, from Greece to Rome and the Iberian peninsula and with great
success to North Africa.
"North Africa was the Bible Belt of
early Christianity," said Christopher Bellitto, a church historian at
Kean University in New Jersey. "Carthage was the buckle," he added,
referring to the city located in modern-day Tunisia.
So it
should be no surprise that three early popes hailed from that region:
the 14th pope, Victor I (circa 189-198 A.D.); the 32nd pope, Miltiades
(311-314 A.D.); and the 49th pope, Gelasius I (492-496 A.D.).
According to the sixth-century Liber Pontificalis, the earliest known
record of the popes, Victor was from North Africa, while Miltiades and
Gelasius likely were born in Rome to families of African origin.
Interestingly, Victor was the first pope to speak Latin because
Christians in Rome were still using Greek in the liturgy. As one
historian has written, it was "remarkable ... that Latin should have won
recognition as the language of African Christianity from the outset,
while the Roman church was still using Greek."
But were these three African popes "black" in the sense that we would define race today? And did it matter back then?
The Rev. Cyprian Davis, a Benedictine priest who is a leading
historian of African-American Catholicism, notes that by Pope Victor's
time, the Roman aristocracy had large holdings in North Africa. It's not
clear, however, whether these so-called African popes came from those
families or from the rural, somewhat darker-skinned indigenous
population known as the Berbers.
Davis said the best bet for
what we would consider a "black" pope is probably Victor, but he added
that the church and the empire of those early centuries were a mosaic of
colors and ethnicities.
"It's important for us to look and
say that yes, the early papacy was not white. No, it was much more
diverse than you might think," Davis said.
Moreover, race as we think of it today did not have quite the same meaning back then.
"When you say 'black pope,' you have to think Roman Empire, not
African-American," as Bellitto put it. Some popes in those days — along
with many renowned saints and martyrs and bishops like St. Augustine of
Hippo — probably looked more like modern Arabs than any pontiff of the
last millennium.
Still, if the cardinals elect Turkson or another
cardinal from sub-Saharan Africa, any of them would represent a historic
first for the church, geographically and racially. Africa is one of the
fastest growing centers of global Catholicism.
"I don't
want to say that we blacks have arrived again, and what was once, now
we're back!" said Davis with a soft laugh. But, he continued, "I'm sure
black Catholics like myself would think it's a wonderful thing."
Abia State University revokes former governor Orji Kalu’s 1st degree certificate
Abia State University revokes former governor Orji Kalu’s 1st degree certificate:
Abia State University released a statement yesterday Saturday March 2nd saying that they have withdrawn the degree certificate they awarded the former governor of the state, Uzor Orji Kalu.
The school said they took the decision after they found out that the former governor's admission was flawed. Orji Kalu enrolled at the university when he was governor of the state but only spent two semesters there.
The school is now saying his admission and graduation violated the school's rules and regulations. They didn't know before giving him the certificate? Lol and SMH!
The school said they took the decision after they found out that the former governor's admission was flawed. Orji Kalu enrolled at the university when he was governor of the state but only spent two semesters there.
The school is now saying his admission and graduation violated the school's rules and regulations. They didn't know before giving him the certificate? Lol and SMH!
Big A Entertainment artist, Ruffcoin, releases his first album
Big A Entertainment artist, Ruffcoin, releases his first album:
Ruffcoin has just released his first album under Big A Entertainment.
The Album titled "Diamond in the Ruff, features several top acts
including 2face Idibia, Iyanya, Timaya, Flavour, Ruggedman, M. I Abaga,
Phyno, Sound Sultan, and More. As a sneak peek, listen to 2 songs of the
album, "30-40" (ft Phyno and Baller. The album is on the streets and on
Itunes now. See sneak peak HERE
See the album track list after the cut...
The Album titled "Diamond in the Ruff, features several top acts
including 2face Idibia, Iyanya, Timaya, Flavour, Ruggedman, M. I Abaga,
Phyno, Sound Sultan, and More. As a sneak peek, listen to 2 songs of the
album, "30-40" (ft Phyno and Baller. The album is on the streets and on
Itunes now. See sneak peak HERE
See the album track list after the cut...
Nigerian Award-Winning Model Otu-Ekong Ukpanah Reveals Some Bedroom Secret (Not For Kids).
Nigerian Award-Winning Model Otu-Ekong Ukpanah Reveals Some Bedroom Secret (Not For Kids).:
Otu-Ekong Ukpanah is a Nigerian award-winning model who has landed magazine covers, and has featured in various local and international fashion shows. mHe has been a model for fourteen years and has bagged the Nigerian Model Of The Year award in 2008, and also, Nigeria's Most Outstanding Male Model award in 2011.
Check out some bedroom lectures he titles "P*ssy Eating 101"
Reader discretion advicedPussy Eating 101
1. You must have gentle hands, you must rub the p*ssy, get her good and warmed up. Foreplay is must.
2. When you get to the p*ssy, it would be wise to plan to spend a lot of time teasing around the clit. Suck on her inner thigh. Something that works for me, is: I lick very close to the clit and around it. She starts to moan and I tease a bit more with my tongue.
3. You should think of it like this. You must kiss the clit, you must make love to the p*ssy with our mouth. You must have it very gentle. If you don't like eating the p*ssy, its best that you stay away from the p*ssy. Trying to eat just to get your foot in the door (D*ck in p*ssy) is a BIG NO NO!!!!!! Now, back to the lecture at hand:
4. After licking around the clit for a good period of time, its time for kissing the clit, french kiss the clit. Don't be afraid, open your mouth and extend your tongue as far as it will go and lick from the entry of the pussy all the way to the hood of it.
5. By now she is probably squirming, you can now place your hand under her ass and squeeze. Trust me, she will love it.
6. Now, this one is tricky. As you are sucking on her clit. Keep the clit in your mouth and your tongue must start to move in a twirling motion. Kinda like if you work sweeping your tongue up and down her clit.
7. Now you can take two fingers and insert them in her, cause now she should be fucking and grinding on our face. With your two fingers, massage her G-spot- you do this by motioning your fingers in a come here motion.
8. While massaging the G-Spot, your tongue should still be sweeping across her clit. And her clit should start to swell in your mouth.
9. Once her clit swells, whatever you do, don't stop. You are liable to be punched in the face if you do.
10. At this point , she is about to explode. So with your tongue, keep sweeping up and down, like your tongue is bouncing up and down on her clit. Don't be afraid cause she will start to slow moan, and she may even squirt. If you have followed the above tips, you will have her juices oozing down your face if you aren't ready to suck her all up.
11. Once, she starts to wind down. Do the alphabet with your tongue on her p*ssy. This is the deal, or if you have a signature move, here would be a good time to use it.
12. Now you can f**k or do whatever is your flavour. What I like to do is f**k, and eat and f*ck and eat. When we are done, I will go and get us some water or gatorade and eat again.
1. You must have gentle hands, you must rub the p*ssy, get her good and warmed up. Foreplay is must.
2. When you get to the p*ssy, it would be wise to plan to spend a lot of time teasing around the clit. Suck on her inner thigh. Something that works for me, is: I lick very close to the clit and around it. She starts to moan and I tease a bit more with my tongue.
3. You should think of it like this. You must kiss the clit, you must make love to the p*ssy with our mouth. You must have it very gentle. If you don't like eating the p*ssy, its best that you stay away from the p*ssy. Trying to eat just to get your foot in the door (D*ck in p*ssy) is a BIG NO NO!!!!!! Now, back to the lecture at hand:
4. After licking around the clit for a good period of time, its time for kissing the clit, french kiss the clit. Don't be afraid, open your mouth and extend your tongue as far as it will go and lick from the entry of the pussy all the way to the hood of it.
5. By now she is probably squirming, you can now place your hand under her ass and squeeze. Trust me, she will love it.
6. Now, this one is tricky. As you are sucking on her clit. Keep the clit in your mouth and your tongue must start to move in a twirling motion. Kinda like if you work sweeping your tongue up and down her clit.
7. Now you can take two fingers and insert them in her, cause now she should be fucking and grinding on our face. With your two fingers, massage her G-spot- you do this by motioning your fingers in a come here motion.
8. While massaging the G-Spot, your tongue should still be sweeping across her clit. And her clit should start to swell in your mouth.
9. Once her clit swells, whatever you do, don't stop. You are liable to be punched in the face if you do.
10. At this point , she is about to explode. So with your tongue, keep sweeping up and down, like your tongue is bouncing up and down on her clit. Don't be afraid cause she will start to slow moan, and she may even squirt. If you have followed the above tips, you will have her juices oozing down your face if you aren't ready to suck her all up.
11. Once, she starts to wind down. Do the alphabet with your tongue on her p*ssy. This is the deal, or if you have a signature move, here would be a good time to use it.
12. Now you can f**k or do whatever is your flavour. What I like to do is f**k, and eat and f*ck and eat. When we are done, I will go and get us some water or gatorade and eat again.
Dating Is An Opportunity To Assess A Person's Suitability For You. "Assess, Not Accept".
Dating Is An Opportunity To Assess A Person's Suitability For You. "Assess, Not Accept".:
One thing people in relationships seem to ignore is the fact that a relationship(courtship) is not a do or die affair. It is a time to spend studying each other to know if you can be together for the rest of your lives. No one is perfect, we all know that. So there are times we have to learn to adapt to certain attributes in our partners. But if these 'things' are things you can't stand or that bring up arguments consistently then its better you have a rethink!
Marriage is forever and there are times where you would need more than love to get by. In times like this how would you cope? Do you want to be in a type of marriage where 5/10 years into it, you guys can barely tolerate each other? Now that's the essence of dating. Its not just about going out to all the cool events and being picture perfect. Its a time to talk to each other about your past, your future, goals etc. Can your various plans merge together to become one. All these and much more are things you should also do when dating. Assess the person in all honesty, would you truly be happy in the long run with this person. If the answer is yes, then yaaaaay! but if not, it might be time to reconsider that relationship.
So, you meet this really cute guy and your heart skips a beat. The chemistry is strong and things heat off. You feel this might just be the one. Along the line, you notice certain things; you don't like the same food, he has a bad temper, he threatens you, he is nonchalant about some things that are important to you... whatever it might be. What are you to do? this bothers you, but you really love him and have been dating for a while.
One thing people in relationships seem to ignore is the fact that a relationship(courtship) is not a do or die affair. It is a time to spend studying each other to know if you can be together for the rest of your lives. No one is perfect, we all know that. So there are times we have to learn to adapt to certain attributes in our partners. But if these 'things' are things you can't stand or that bring up arguments consistently then its better you have a rethink!
Marriage is forever and there are times where you would need more than love to get by. In times like this how would you cope? Do you want to be in a type of marriage where 5/10 years into it, you guys can barely tolerate each other? Now that's the essence of dating. Its not just about going out to all the cool events and being picture perfect. Its a time to talk to each other about your past, your future, goals etc. Can your various plans merge together to become one. All these and much more are things you should also do when dating. Assess the person in all honesty, would you truly be happy in the long run with this person. If the answer is yes, then yaaaaay! but if not, it might be time to reconsider that relationship.
Rihanna Starts Anew With Chris Brown
Rihanna Starts Anew With Chris Brown:
The Barbados born super star Rihanna has unveiled herself inside this month Elle UK Magazine. Riri revealed her clothing from her collaboration with River Island, her desire to have kids, Her new single titled “Stay”, Her great friendship with Chris Brown, her mother’s reaction to her nude photos, her difficult side in a black mask for one of her four Elle UK Magazine covers among other things.
She speaks about her new single ‘Stay’ being very personal to her:
Her fresh start with Chris Brown:
The Barbados born super star Rihanna has unveiled herself inside this month Elle UK Magazine. Riri revealed her clothing from her collaboration with River Island, her desire to have kids, Her new single titled “Stay”, Her great friendship with Chris Brown, her mother’s reaction to her nude photos, her difficult side in a black mask for one of her four Elle UK Magazine covers among other things.
She speaks about her new single ‘Stay’ being very personal to her:
Stay [new single] is a story about having love that close and wanting it to last forever. You don’t have that feeling with everybody so when you have it you don’t want to let go of it. I would definitely say that he [Chris Brown] is the one I have that kind of relationship with.What made her forgive Chris:
I have my own reasons, very very private reasons. Very personal. A lot of things. Bottom line is, I know him. I had a lot to think about and I had a lot of time to think about it.
Her fresh start with Chris Brown:
Right now that’s just what we want, a great friendship that’s unbreakable. Now that we’re adults we can do this right. We got a fresh start and I’m thankful for that.Her side gun tattoo:
Everybody wanted to know what was happening in my life. Is she a drug addict? No. Is she an alcoholic? No. Is she a victim? No. That’s when I got the gun. It was a symbol of strength. I’ll never be a victim.Telling her fans the absolute truth about her life:
That’s why I’m posting pictures of myself smoking pot, to tell the truth about myself. I’ve got so much to think about, why bring all this extra sh-t by being dishonest?’What she hoped for in five years:
I will probably have a kid. And I’m praying I can go on vacation for a good month. And I’ll have set some things up so I don’t have to tour for the rest of my life, even though I love touring. I want health and happiness in five years. I want to be healthy and happy.How she uses Instagram to reveal the current events of her life:
Well I instagram everything about my life, whether it’s smoking pot, in a strip club, reading a Bible verse – how crazy, I know! – or hanging out with my best friend, who happens to be Chris.Riri's mom’s reaction to her naked pics:
I’m not afraid of any person in this world but her. I’m terrified of her! She called me two days ago and reeled me in about two naked pictures Melissa [her best friend] put up on Instagram – a sneak-peek from a photo book she’s making about me. My mom, she went crazy on me. I was like embarrassed. I felt like I got my ass whupped in front of my class in school! She said, ‘This was like a private moment and you’re just parading this around. She humbled the f**k out of me.
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