It’s a season of uncommon joy and celebration for the family of David Confidence Ezenwa popularly known as Confidence. Confidence who is now a proud father of a bouncing baby boy got married to his pretty wife in November 2014. He is currently the music director of The Radiant Church Int’l Headquarters in Lagos.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday commended President Goodluck Jonathan for Nigeria’s efforts at containing the spread of the Ebola virus in the country.
Ban gave the commendation at a meeting he held with Jonathan on the sideline of the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly.
The two leaders also discussed the security situation in the North-East of Nigeria and its impact on the sub-region.
He made inquiries about the fate of the chibok schoolgirls abducted in April, and reiterated his condemnation on the attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram.
The two leaders discussed preparations for the 2015 general elections in Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chulwu, confirmed that Nigeria was completely free of Ebola.
The WHO says more than 2,400 men, women and children are known to have died from the outbreak, and nearly 5,000 other people have been infected with the disease.
In a report also realeased by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.4 million people could be infected with Ebola by the end of January if action was not taken to stop the spread of the deadly virus in West Africa.
In a report released on Tuesday, the centre said the astonishing figure was the result of the CDC taking into account the under-reporting of Ebola cases.
According to the most recent numbers, the CDC also expects about 21,000 cases of the disease will have occurred in Liberia and Sierra Leone by Sept. 30.
Cases double about every 20 days in Liberia and every 40 days in Sierra Leone.
NAN
This thing called love is a very complex yet intriguing emotion. A lot of people go through series of unnecessary and avoidable heartbreak and failed relationships all because they thought their partner was the one or because they thought they were completely head over heels in love or for so many other mundane reasons. It is a fact of life that we will go through heartbreak, failed relationships, but a lot of these can be avoided if you are able to pick up on these mentioned qualities and traits. It is always easy to see the positive and good qualities of a person, but harder to see the negative and if at all we do see the negative qualities; we can easily come up with excuses for them. Try looking out for any of these qualities and traits in your relationship to know if you are on the right track.
There are so many other qualities to look out for. Does he/she include you in his/her family and friends activities? Be optimistic but don’t let your feelings cloud your judgement. When you see something wrong acknowledge it for what it is. Come to the realisation that any relationship you engage in could lead to marriage. With this, you will be able to delve in with seriousness because he/she could be your potential wife/husband.
Be truthful to yourself and one another. If the relationship is leading to a dead end, it is best you cut the journey short. A broken/failed relationship is far better than a broken/failed marriage. Find out if he/she cares about your wellbeing and see if he/she shows interest in your future.
Do not depend on your partner to meet all your needs in the relationship or else you should be ready for a disappointment at some point. He/she is human just as you are. He/she has flaws. Be ready for the good, bad and ugly.
Also, remember that many great relationships started on the basis of friendship. You will be able to evaluate and asses yourselves without the many strains that come with relationships. But above all, seek the face of God, for He is the only one that can guide you on the right part.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.”
Mark Twain
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.”
Vince Lombardi
“Success is about creating benefit for all and enjoying the process. If you focus on this & adopt this definition, success is yours.”
Kelly Kim
“I used to want the words ‘She tried’ on my tombstone. Now I want ‘She did it.’”
Katherine Dunham
“Really it comes down to your philosophy. Do you want to play it safe and be good or do you want to take a chance and be great?”
Jimmy J
“It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
J. K Rowling
“You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”
Albert Einstein
“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”
Harriet Tubman
“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.”
Bruce Lee
“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.”
Swami Vivekananda
“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.”
Dale Carnegie
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.”
Jim Rohn
“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”
Ayn Rand
“If you genuinely want something, don’t wait for it – teach yourself to be impatient.”
Gurbaksh Chahal
“Don’t let the fear of losing be greater than the excitement of winning.”
Robert Kiyosaki
“If you want to make a permanent change, stop focusing on the size of your problems and start focusing on the size of you!”
T. Harv Eker
Success doesn’t happen by accident; it takes persistent effort and calculated actions. No one is more gifted than the other; the only difference is our mental attitude towards life. If you truly desire to be successful, you must be ready to do what other successful people are doing. Nobody is destined to fail. Failure is caused by a person’s inability to maximize the seemingly small resources at their disposal. For those who aspire to be successful, here are some invaluable secrets that can drive you to success.
The mind is like a laboratory where ideas are created, processed, refined and birthed into reality. Every great success begins in the form of an idea. Oftentimes, these ideas appear as raw materials which needs further processing before they can materialize.
Creativity is a key to success. It opens a person’s mind to view things (situations and circumstances) from different perspectives in order to find alternative ways of solving problems. It also enables a person to discover new and better ways of doing things.
How often do you exert your brain? There are so many great results you can achieve by simply exerting your brain. It’s not all the time we have to depend on God. Sometimes, we can simply use our brain to create fascinating ideas and solutions.
Success doesn’t happen overnight, it takes some processes. The most important thing is to start somewhere, no matter how small. For you to be successful, you must learn to stick to your ideas and dreams no matter how small they may seem. Simply hold on and keep your mind open. Exert your brain more and more until you discover new ideas that can help you nurture and grow your dream.
If for instance you want to dig a well, it’s not the first attempt that will produce water. You’ll have to dig persistently and also pass through certain stages. If you stop at the first or second attempt, you’ll certainly not have clean water. This also applies to our daily pursuits in life. If you stop halfway in pursuing your dreams as a result of one difficulty or the other, you may end up losing it all. Instead of focussing on why things cannot work, look for alternative ways to get things done.
Learn to use your time wisely. Don’t waste your time on frivolities. If you abuse the little time you have now, you might never have a second chance to correct your past.
Every individual is endowed with special gifts which makes us unique. These gifts are the instruments that drive us to success. But it’s unfortunate that some people don’t want to use their own gifts, because they are afraid that their gifts may not be good enough. Consequently, they resort to copying others and end up limiting themselves.
The fact that Mr. A is successful at trading does not mean that Mr. B must also be successful in the same trade. Every individual have their own special area of calling. Though sometimes we may fail in the beginning, but what really counts is our ability to rise up and forge ahead.
Learn to be your true self. Stick to your own gifts and calling. Without believing in yourself, you may not be able to unleash the great potentials you carry within.
Handsome, cute, romantic, ‘killing’, are not enough adjectives to describe this super-creative dude who has kept African movie lovers on the edge. Vicker is popularly known for his smooth talking style, his pussy cat-like eyes and red, luscious lips which gets most ladies freezing. No wonder he often plays the role of a lover-boy.
Vicker was born to a Ghanaian Liberian mother and a Dutch father. His father died when he was six years old. Vicker attended Mfantsipim School, along with fellow actor Majid Michel. Mfantsipim School is the alma mater of Former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan.
Vicker started out in the entertainment world in radio as a presenter at Groove 106.3 fm (1999 – 2000) & Vibe 91.9fm (2001 – 2004) and as a television personality for TV3 (1997 – 1999) & Metro TV (2000 – 2004). Van Vicker appeared in the Ghanaian television series, Suncity, which depicted university life. He played the character of LeRoy King, Jr., a fine arts student born in the U.S. who arrives at Suncity to complete his education. The series ran for a total of 10 episodes.
Soon, Vicker was cast in his first film Divine Love as a supporting character. This film coincidentally was also the debut roles for fellow actors Jackie Aygemang and Majid Michel who were cast in the female and male lead respectively.
Vicker is usually cast as the male romantic lead, often alongside actresses Jackie Aygemang and Nadia Buari. He is often compared to fellow Ghanaian actor Majid Michel and Nigerian Ramsey Nouah.
Van Vicker is one of the renowned African actors Worldwide. He has directed, starred and produced 5 films under his sky + Orange Productions since 2008. 2012 has being his brightest year for his production house earning him best actor and director for his smash comedy ‘Joni waka’.
Vicker is married with 4 children. He is the CEO of “Sky + Orange Productions”, a film production house. Van Vicker Training facility is an entrepreneurship outfit where students are trained in the field of acting by professionals. The Van Vicker Foundation is an outreach program for the youth.
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THE PAST
History has it that the Nigerian Movie Industry aka Nollywood officially started with Ken Neube’s Living in Bondage. Although there has been a little controversy about this fact, it has over the years become acceptable. As we all know, the success of that movie inspired many other Nigerian movies that made headway in the mid 90s which kicked off a new era of Nigerian Home Videos.
In the past, Nigerians were engrossed with Indian Movies, American Movies and Chinese Films, not only because they were so interesting, but because there was no such thing as indigenous movies, apart from a few Soap Operas which were only aired on some local TV Stations. But with the emergence of Nollywood, its movies completely won its way into the hearts of the people within a very short period, from a stock of mere tapes and cassettes on shelves to a huge industry.
Although at first, the acting was quite unprofessional and its picture quality substandard, the sheer desire by the pioneers to tell Nigerian stories and showcase her cultures, a feat that the Nigerian people never had a feel of, quickly gained its popularity and acceptance across the nation like wild fire, making celebrities out of actors and actresses, giving birth to other sectors in the industry like Cinematography, Cosmetology, Soundtrack Production and its Market (Alaba Intl Market, Online Streaming Videos etc.), and then exporting Nigeria’s cultures across the world.
THE PRESENT
The Nigerian movie industry has evolved despite various challenges and set back. Within two decades, it has over-shadowed other movie industries in Africa to become the second largest movie industry in the world, generating over $100m annually and gainfully engaging thousands of youths economically. The production quality of its movie has tremendously improved from what we had in the 90s. Indigenous actors and actresses are now been recognized and awarded by international bodies. Other sectors like production, directing, script writing and shooting are now been handled by proven professionals. We have seen Nollywood movies span a whopping sum of N57m (Ije) in sales. Indigenous movies has become a house hold name in the whole of Africa. But in spite of all these accolade, there are still a lot of flaws and shortcomings, which insiders blame on inadequate structure and funding.
Nollywood has been heated with a lot of criticism from its conception. The industry is supposed to be the mirror of our society but its high display of rituals, witchcraft, crimes and most recently, soft pornography portrays Nigeria in a wrong manner and this makes us all wonder if that is really what we are all about.
The industry has grown from a hand full of favourite characters that virtually features in all the movies to a flock of talented and refined characters that can unarguably stand shoulder high with their foreign counterparts. The story lines and actions have relatively metamorphosed as most producers and directors have become more sophisticated overtime.
THE FUTURE
Although Nollywood has performed fairly well over these years, it still has a long way to go. The industry need lots of passionate and talented actors and actresses to completely fizzle out the half baked ones and extremely intelligent and creative directors and producers that will take their time to produce movies that would spur the viewers round intellectually and otherwise.
Nollywood also needs funding and a proper distribution network to cub Piracy which is its greatest challenge.
The future of Nollywood is definitely very bright, if within the last two decades it has been able to find its way to the big screen in major cities across the globe and imparting greatly on the economy of the nation, then the best is yet to come. With the funding issues gradually becoming resolved and the emergence of an amazing set of fantastic producers and directors like Kunle Afolayan (Phone Swap), Obi Emelonye (Mirror Boy), Jet Amata (Amazing Grace) and Chienze Anyaene (Ije) and a fine collaboration of a list of Nollywood stars and Hollywood stars in Movies, then the best is truly yet to come.
Starting a small scale business in Nigeria is becoming more and more challenging by the day. In spite the fact that SMEs are the driving force of Nigeria’s economy and provides on average, 50% of Nigeria’s employment, and 50% of its industrial output, successive governments has continued to make things difficult for SMEs, especially in the starting stage.
Imagine a situation where a person decides to start a small scale business due to lack of job opportunities, instead of getting government’s support; they are rather confronted with unfavourable policies that inhibits growth. How can a Small Scale Enterprise that is still in its starting stage survive in a state where beginners do not have access to tangible loans but are rather forced to pay Federal Taxes, State Government Taxes, Local Government Taxes, and so on. It doesn’t end there. They are also subjected to pay a very high fee for advertising their business on billboards or signages in the front of the office they rented with their own hard-earned money. To make matters worse, they also have to pay TV taxes, Furniture Taxes, etc.
I am not trying to speak against the importance of paying taxes. I am only speaking against multiple taxations. The most devastating part of this whole thing is the manner some of these taxes and levies are collected. In Lagos where I reside, local revenues and taxes are collected by touts who are popularly called ‘alaye’. If they barge into your office and you don’t have money to pay, in some cases, they may beat you up, seize your properties or lock up your office.
Story was told of how a pregnant woman was beaten to death by revenue collectors in Porthacourt, because she refused to pay a particular tax twice. There are so many similar stories in different part of the country.
If Nigeria truly wants to overcome poverty and unemployment, they must create favourable policies that will encourage Small Scale Enterprises to thrive. Considering the fact that Nigeria lacks basic infrastructures such as power, good roads and water supply, which makes it difficult for most SMEs to thrive, there is a need for the government to give tax holidays to beginners who are still struggling to stabilize their business. Starting a small scale business in a country like Nigeria comes with great challenges which includes hunting for customers, paying of rents, paying of workers’ salaries, purchasing PMS or diesel on a regular basis, and so on. So if a beginner is also forced to pay exorbitant taxes, they are likely to become incapacitated, and consequently remain small instead of growing.
Our journey as a nation since 1914 began like a blind folk’s trip to a no man’s land. Our British masters knitted us into what is today called Nigeria, and ever since, we have been struggling to remain strong and united, especially in the face of numerous ethno-religious crisis.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups. Each of these groups has their peculiar customs, beliefs and religion which make them unique from others. Each of them forms the ‘whole’ called Nigeria, and consequently strives for equal recognition and participation in the nation’s affair.
Our co-existence as a people in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society like Nigeria has proved to be successful and unsuccessful over the years. It has been successful in the sense that we have been able to at least stay together for about a century. And unsuccessful because we have fought, assaulted and cheated ourselves over the years, and have failed to reconcile our differences.
Although many still believe that the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorate by our colonial masters was a great error, it’s important for us to also agree that the merger is an opportunity for a greater good. At least, we are bigger; we have more man-power, versed resources and an opportunity to dominate the world economy. But how can we take advantage of this enormous opportunity in the midst of violence, lack of trust and hatred?
It’s so pathetic that our dear country has been engulfed by ethno-religious crisis as a result of corruption, religious extremism and tribalism. For how long shall we continue to fight ourselves? For how long shall we continue to remain divided in one nation? Division will never do us any good. The Christian Holy Bible says: ‘…Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.’ (Matthew 12:25)
At this point, I will like us to consider Patrick Henry’s speech, given in March 1799, in which he denounced the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions. Clasping his hand and swaying steadily, he declaimed, ‘Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into faction which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.’
Although this thought provoking speech was delivered several centuries ago, but if properly absorbed and harnessed, it can change our sense of judgment and outlook towards our nation and strengthen us as a people with a common goal, regardless of tribe and religious differences.
nwekesamuelchinonso 