Rising hip hop act :Olaniyan Damilola popularly known as Damoche was shot dead this afternoon at LASU gate, OJo by suspected cultist. He was shot twice in the head and hand after he finished writing a test at the faculty of management sciences. May his soul rest in peace.
Can you beat it?….the best and most paid player in the world messi on a blackberry curve?……..wow!
The family of Facebook murder victim Katie Wynter have spoken of their “living hell” – to warn about the dangers of social networking sites.
Katie, a talented young art student, was duped into dating twisted loner Tony Bushby after he created four fake Facebook profiles.
His phoney friends all got to know the shy, church going young man online and the messages he sent pretending to be them persuaded her to trust and like him.
Chillingly, at the same time, karate teacher Bushby was also watching violent “submissive black girl” porn and rape websites — and Googling murder methods for burying a body.
Six months after he convinced her to go out with him, Bushby killed Katie, stabbing her 23 times in a frenzied knife attack while she babysat her young nephew and niece — then tried to pin it on one of his fake Facebook friends.
Her grief-stricken mum Joy Briscoe warns: “Facebook is a dangerous thing, especially for young girls. As a parent, you don’t know what your child is getting up to.
“I wish I’d kept a closer watch on her. You just expect your kids to be safe in your own home.”
It is a year since Katie’s funeral, but for support worker Joy, 57, and her elder daughter Sabrina, 31, their pain is still raw.
The brutal murder took place in Sabrina’s home in Borehamwood, Herts, where Katie was staying overnight to babysit her niece and nephew, then aged four and five.
Joy went round to check all was OK and walked into a bloodbath.
She says: “I could hear the children chattering. I called out their names and they ran to the door.
“They were shouting, ‘Grandma, Katie’s dead’. My heart dropped into my stomach.
“Then I saw bloody footprints and, poking out from under the door frame, were Katie’s feet.
“I ran into the kitchen and was confronted by something like out of a horror film — my little girl, covered in blood. I tried to lift her but she was already cold and stiff.”
As police arrived Joy called Sabrina to break the terrible news. Sabrina, who has asked that her children are not named, says: “They still talk about it. It hurts so much to think of them carrying this image of their auntie in their heads. My daughter still draws pictures of Katie covered in red.
“I hope the memories of what they saw will fade one day — they remember it so vividly.”
Katie had met Bushby, 19, at West Hertfordshire College in Watford, but their relationship developed online. He was in the year above and considered an outsider. After he had gained her trust through his Facebook lies, they started secretly dating in June 2011.
Joy had her suspicions about Bushby from the first time she saw him with Katie. She says: “His eyes were glazed. I had this horrible gut feeling about him. He seemed strange, anti-social.”
Sabrina adds: “He was her first boyfriend so I thought she’d be excited to talk about him. But she would shrug off any question.
“We imagine she was told to keep quiet about their relationship. He wanted to cover his tracks.”
They believe Bushby planned to kill Katie on De
Seems like am in the Gaba-alone mode today. Here is another poem dedicated to my brothers and sisters in the struggle (the Gaba-alonians). Cheers!
BY : ONYEKABA N. CHARLES
The once bright future; suddenly becoming unstable,
Coerced to sleeping on hard beds made of table.
Hopes disintegrating easily,
Life etching on one’s face gradually.
This weather and circumstance beaten fellow,
Striving and struggling for a degree to follow.
Yet after four years of an enduring endless race,
There are no medals for his grace.
Yet obsessed with the passion to succeed,
He fought with others to have their fears denounced.
Marred by uncertainties, their unity was threatened,
And their fate disillusioned.
To their cries for help; God listened,
Arrogance was humbled and justice restored.
The end came and the price of resilience paid,
Light at last for the Gaba-alonians, after all done and said.
ONYEKABA N. CHARLES ©
August, 2012
BY GUEST WRITER: Emekoma G. Ugochukwu
For long spells, our return was anticipated,
After we got the wind, that we had been accredited,
Eventually our return was warmly greeted and heralded,
But, sadly, we wished it had earlier ended,
After so much schemes, games, and power play, we got started.
Friendships were on offer for the bargain,
Near-dead ones alive, but with naught to gain,
Relishing fond memories, one i recalled with pain,
After so much effort, the master’s verdict: ‘Begin Again’
The new dispensation had no wits to feign.
We were well behind time,
Long would I have gone, then in my prime,
But for a new chip, from a close clime,
With the master’s thinking, your ‘Bias’ must rhyme,
Or, you are adjudged guilty of a crime.
Like a whirlwind we scampered from pillar to post,
Chasing nothing, not even a ghost,
New courses, topics, supervisors, a new regime for a smooth coast,
But ‘not in the heat of the game, do you change the goal post’ was the toast,
Poor us, we were set for the roast.
So much work was set in place,
Tipsy-Turvy, to pull one out of the race,
‘Bias’, ‘Otikpo’, ‘Case Studies’ moped at my sullen face,
Ah! The Working Drawing we must trace,
Surely, the bigger Master gives me grace.
Studio-Sleeping was by compulsion the culture,
Fun we made it, though with so much torture,
‘Double Skin’, ‘Blending’, ‘Towards’, . . . . and ‘Niboish’ gesture,
‘Researches’, ‘Chapter Submission’, ‘Bias’, all in the picture,
Interestingly, you need a bit of everything in Architecture.
The elders met the studio-thingy with fierce resistance,
Some other characters by it sought and gained acceptance,
The master demanded routine visits to show obeisance,
Clash of egos, interests, . . . . often caused some nuisance,
Anyway, our Holy Graile had Zammy saddled with its maintenance.
Of course, hard work does not kill,
Timed Sleeping, yet without a pill,
Running the ‘Temp. and Perm. Site’ like a treadmill,
Programmes, Time-Tables, Agreements, broken at will,
To the coming group, you or your group may over spill,
‘After rain comes shine’ gave us hope,
We saw in each other reasons to cope,
Cautiously, we walked the tight rope,
To please him who was as revered as the Pope,
String Immunity, a tough skin against mosquitoes, a hunch back, i did develop,
The date is known, but the participants are not known,
After so many juries, seemed we had not grown,
A new cliché had emerged, ‘Gaba Alone’,
Some chicks to the Permanent Site had flown,
But we must all get our own.
The day must come to be liberated
After eternity, it did come and we participated,
The results and proceeds of hardwork were demonstrated,
Failure, Frustrations, Friction, and all, graciously abated,
The good news is that we finally graduated.
Dedicated to all Gaba-alonians
Ugo Emekoma ©
August, 2012
ARCHITECT : ONYEKABA N. C (FORM-ANNEX ASSOCIATES)
LOCATION : Ngo, Anambra state
DATE : 2012
BUILDING TYPE : Religious
CONSTRUCTION STYLE : Masonry and Steel
CONTEXT : Rural
STYLE : Modern
The proposed 1000 persons capacity catholic church represents the culmination of efforts to give each building whether religious, residential or commercial its unique architectural identity and elements.
unlike the majority of catholic church buildings in Eastern Nigeria, the roof plan of this rectangular shaped church spanning 17,933mm by 28343mm gives it a unique character. The lean-to roof as it is commonly referred to, spans over a the terraced gallery at it’s peak and then continues to the double volume (6metres) of the church’s congregation seating area. Other features of the church that gives it a unique religious treatment are the use of arches, brick facing, its window mullions, stained glasses and the Tabernacle at the altar of the church. It is important to state here that the tabernacle is the holiest part of the catholic church.
See pictures below :
A. Perspective view showing the Entrance of the church.
C. Aerial view of the church
C. Perspective view showing the Tabernacle
D. Section of the church
E. Roof Details showing how rain water drains
F. Details showing how rainwater drains at the Natural ground level
What’s your thought?
Incase you’ve had a stressful and serious weekend, you can atleast loosen up with this : http://video.ak.fbcdn.net/hvideo-ak-prn1/v/757352_129676670539761_2023260371_n.mp4?oh=b654e8600407f41dcf798df2fea82be0&oe=512C2A65&__gda__=1361907873_7dd2c8ba6d0d093eff3f553526db6ed9
Enjoy!
I watched this hilarious comedy video by BOVI and I haven’t stopped laughing since then.
Click on the link to watch: http://www.amebortalk.com/videos/2013/february/thefish.3gp
See how these women messed their natural beauty with failed plastic surgery….so please think well before you go for that one you are planning for. What do you think?
I have eye-witnessed some accidents and even got involved in a few. I have seen all forms of accidents and have lost close friends and family members to accidents. Accidents like auto crash, air crash, bike crash, factory and occupational accidents (e.g cuts and electrocution), sports accidents, domestic accidents, etc are commonplace in Nigeria. By the way, the Chambers Concise Dictionary, 2009 defines an accident as an unexpected event which causes damage or harm; something which happens without planning or intention. When an accident occurs by someone’s irresponsibility, complicity, complacency, indifference, action or inaction, then that accident was intended or planned. I therefore wish to introduce a new kind of accident called INTENTIONAL ACCIDENTS. In Nigeria today, accidents are conceived, planned, orchestrated and executed successfully on daily basis. Lives are wasted, blood is spilled, dreams are shattered, our youths are cut short at their peak, and we are very quick to say ‘God knows best’. Probably God knows why a driver will not repair his brakes when they fail, or why a car-owner will not replace worn tyres, or why a driver should drive under the influence of buzz, or why an airline will fly passengers with a plane that is not too fit to fly, . . . . ,well, God Knows Best. As hasty as some of us are in spiritualizing these ugly events, we forget that we pray in church and ask God for forgiveness through these words: ‘we have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and have done those things which we ought not to have done, . . . but thou Oh Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders’!
While the nation still grieves the loss of lives in the Dana Air Crash of 3rd June 2012, we are woken up every Sunday morning very recently to hear of bombing & attempted bombing of churches in Nigeria’s North. Unfortunately, our leaders can neither find a solution to this menace nor comport themselves in ways that foster peace in our society. When the life-style, utterances and protocols of a leader puts the lives of his people in danger, then that society is doomed. When our activities and way of life threatens the life of others or becomes inimical to their livelihood, then we are either planning or packaging accidents and disasters.
This worry is highlighted copiously in the lives, style and protocol of our elected leaders, who pose very quickly as the chief mourners when a national disaster befalls us. Yes, I am referring to our Governors, their wives, children and aides, our Ministers and their aides, Directors and aides, our Honourables, the Lawmakers at state and national levels and very pitifully, our very flamboyant, colourful, extravagant and opulent pastors. I watched the Minister of Aviation and our President shed tears publicly in the wake of the Dana Crash that took the lives of beautiful Nigerians. While we condemn bad roads, poor traffic regulations and road signs, driver-illiteracy, unfit vehicles and aeroplanes, poor infrastructure, very slow emergency response, etc, we must also vehemently condemn the activities, lifestyle, protocols and all such paraphernalia and ethos of public officials and elites in our society which threaten the lives of other users of our roads and airways.
Some years ago, my dear auntie lost her life in a ghastly motor accident. The accident involved the then Governor of Bayelsa State in his full convoy, on the highway. I could imagine the noisy sirens, the lights in full beam, the intimidation and red-eyed soldiers wielding guns and koboko, and the breath-taking speed of this convoy that ran into my auntie, and killed her. She was driving herself, and was alone. Incidentally, no other person died in that accident. As expected, her family was ‘seen’ and that ended the story. Of course, God again knows why! On daily basis, okada men are knocked down, keke drivers are trampled upon, pedestrians are overrun, and all that happens is that the families are ‘compensated’. No monetary compensation can be equated to human life. But unfortunately some poor people wish that a phantom Rolls Royce runs into them, or Rochas hits their keke, or a jeep runs over their wares, howbeit, sparing their very wretched lives, so that they get ‘settled’. Poverty is a disease really. I recall very aptly, some power-seeking politicians who promise to use a small convoy without sirens when elected, but after going on to assume office, they renege on the promise. Their wives, children and aides go on sirens in very rough and fast convoys that will hardly spare anyone that comes close to them. Even a driver whose Oga is not statutorily empowered to use sirens, will oppress other road users with it owing to the immunity he enjoys in the green number plate and tinted glasses. Yet in Lagos State drivers are subjected to psychiatric tests on the road to ascertain their mental state. It is very worrying too to find the Police driving against the traffic with impunity and at unimaginable speed, getting involved in accidents with other road users. While security in our country has hit an all time low, a good fraction of our police personnel are busy following politicians around. Why for God’s sake should one man, I mean one individual with one head, better still a human being, move around with 20 policemen and soldiers? Some of the military personnel assume the position of drivers. What a hell! It is however not too worrying to find a lawmaker breaking traffic regulations at will, since they have been proven to be very corrupt. Even our pastors and spiritual leaders having become unsatisfied with the ‘glory’ on land, have now started acquiring private jets, commercial airline operating licences and helicopters for their short hauls. I guess that’s part of their mandate all in a bid to ‘help the ministry move’.
In advanced societies (the same people we look up to and want to be like by the year 2020), politicians are very accessible, their security to a large extent borders on their accountability to the electorate. The cost of governance is considerably low when compared to ours. The British Prime Minister does not have more than 3 cars on his fleet, but the average governor in Nigeria moves in an average of 20 cars. Of course every government will buy a new set of brand new jeeps and ‘discard’ the ones used by the past administration. I remember again, when a governor (in South-East Nigeria) or one of his boys thoroughly flogged a Reverend Father for failing to pull over on time for his convoy to pass. That is the barbaric level we have condescended to. In Nigeria today, reports of probes and independent investigations are neither seen nor implemented. The laws are not obeyed by any, including the lawmakers; they take gratifications and inducements in hard currencies, the police is deeply corrupt and drive against traffic and elected officials overrun hapless citizens.
While we condemn the madness on our roads, we must as well condemn the expensive joke in the air, yes, our airways. This is worrying because the oppression in the air is only by one family, or one office. This is terrorism re-defined. A friend of mine had his Enugu-bound flight diverted to Owerri because the President was to land in Enugu. He could not meet his appointment and as such made a very futile trip. As if that was not enough, another friend of mine, a nephew to a one time Vice President of Nigeria was returning to Lagos very recently from Owerri only to be thrown into unnecessary trauma.. As they approached the immediate vicinity of the MMA airways, they got news that the President was in flight to Lagos to visit the scene of the Dana Crash. My friend’s plane had to hover in the air for about thirty extra minutes and almost ran out of fuel. This brought so much anxiety and tension to a group that already had too much of both. Some other pilots had to go back to Port-Hacourt to re-fuel. All this because our President was still in the air! Remember this is happening at a time when the people are still mourning the death of their friends and relatives; at a time when so many people were too afraid to fly; at a time when the state of our air planes have been questioned; at a time when most of our adults are hypertensive and susceptible to cardiac failure; at a time like this! Why do we consciously brood accidents? I recall again when our President’s wife, the Dame, visited Owerri on one of her very colourful outings; the major streets in the city were closed down one hour to her arrival, when as a matter of fact she was still in the lush comfort of her Aso Home in Abuja. The state stood still, activities were paralysed. I felt for the inter-state businessmen, I felt for the keke drivers who had a lot of passengers but no road to ride on, I felt for people in transit, I felt for myself. I asked myself a question, ‘if I were a President or a Governor, will I also do these’?
When the lifestyle of the elite, especially their movements on our roads and airways makes it difficult for the average man/woman to stay alive for those who truly love him/her, then that is another form of terrorism. Let’s stop making accidents in Nigeria.
Written by: Ugochukwu EMEKOMA
mekugo24@yahoo.com
Charleyrosu 