The Carrot and The Itchy Situation

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Monday, May 22, 2017

I’ve been off this blog for waaaay too long!

But I’m back again thanks to people who keep attacking me for not blogging anymore and to that writer’s itch that needed to be scratched. I’ve always been a writer and no matter how much I delve into other things, my first passion will never elude me.

Talking about the itch that I’m now scratching, there is a pressing matter which precipitated my coming up on my blog today.

It has to do with carrots.

Yeah….Carrots.

It started on a Monday (May Day precisely) when I was driving home from an outing. Along one of the network neighborhood roads that led to the estate where I lived, I saw this Hausa guy selling carrots, cucumbers and other types of vegetables. I actually wanted carrots as I had a plan in which I was adding vegetables to my diet.

I initially thought of buying in large quantity but when I thought of the fact that some of it might spoil and waste away as I wouldn’t be able to finish it on time, I opted for just a small batch that cost me just N100.

After dinner that evening, I chewed on two small carrots before relaxing to go through my mails and social pages.

Sometime later that evening my body began to itch me. First it started with specific sensitive parts then spread to various areas all over my body. Then I noticed that the itching areas on my skin were partially swollen; it was clear I was having an allergic reaction to something.

The itching was bad.

I tried to find out what was behind the itching and started tracing my steps back.

The Premier Cool soap I used in the bathroom when I took my shower that evening was suspect. I sniffed it carefully and compared it with another I just bought from another shop.

The newer soap smelled stronger and its wrapping design had some differences to the suspected one. 

Could it be that this soap was expired or fake?

I threw away the soap and decided to use the new one instead.

Meanwhile, the itching continued and I did all manner of things to quell it – rub my body with palm oil, bath again and cover myself in medicated dusting powder. The itching was driving me nuts.

It wrecked my sleep that night but subsided by the following morning.

Getting ready for work the next day, I packed all I needed – the laptop in its bag along with my lunch bag which consisted of breakfast and lunch and a couple of fat carrots (I usually leave early for work so I don’t eat till I get to the office).

I had a hearty breakfast, ate my carrots and got to work.

Somewhere in the middle of work, my arms began to itch.

I suddenly realized that the strange reaction had started again. The swellings appeared all over my arms and I was confused.

Why was this thing relapsing? I thought it was gone….

My mind raced trying to figure it out…it couldn’t have been the new soap. If it was I should have reacted not long after my bath. Besides I had changed the soap…

Then it hit me…

The Carrots!

It was after I consumed the damned things that I started having these reactions minutes later.

The carrots must have been contaminated with some chemical during planting, harvesting or preservation.

Not long ago someone warned me that I should be wary of just buying apples as it was said to have been discovered that people use wax to either preserve or ripen it.  I don’t know how they do that but 

I must say that the thought of it made me start thinking twice about buying vegetables.

It wasn’t that I didn’t rinse the carrot before eating it…

Maybe because I didn’t wash it in well enough and in salty water…

Whatever the case, be careful what you consume, even if it’s organic, wash PROPERLY with water and if necessary salty water. In my own case, I just passed the carrots under running tap, rubbed it through a few times before eating it.

Well…I’m staying away from carrots for a while…that itchy experience has scarred my memories

The Accident that Wasted Precious Fuel At Anthony Oke [Photos]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, April 01, 2016

I was wrapping up some late night work at my office at about after 10pm when I got the news that a Diesel tanker had had an accident very near the office. I had the opportunity of doing a report that night – talking to the firefighters and rescue workers that had arrived on the scene finding out details et al but I had a snagging headache, a terrible cold and I needed to get home and sleep badly, so I just drove past the scene of the accident – the same area I had passed around 9pm when I came back to the office that night. Talk about God’s saving grace.

The tanker after being moved from the Corona School Compound

The incident happened at Anthony-Oke turnaround junction; the axis where you connect the Gbagada express to Anthony Busstop of Ikorodu road. Two prominent schools are situated in that location – Greensprings School and Corona School. 

The last time a tanker burst and let out its petrol all over the place, Greensprings School had to evacuate all its students away from the danger zone as the petrol flowed into the school environs. They were kept at a safe location till it was all contained (You can read the report on that incident here). This time, Corona School was the unlucky victim. Fortunately no one was on the school premises since it was during their holidays and this happened late at night.

The part of the Corona School compound where the tanker crashed through

The tanker had rolled down the valley that led into a nearby estate and crashed through the wall of Corona School, leaking its content into the school compound. What a pity that at a time when fuel scarcity is everywhere, a tanker lies here leaking away this precious cargo, giving area boys a field day to scoop the liquid booty

I was at the scene briefly this morning to capture shots. By that time the tanker had been moved out of the Corona School compound and situated nearby. It was still leaking diesel and area boys were all over the place with kegs scooping as much as they could. Police, LASTMA and firefighters were up and about controlling the situation. 

I must commend the fire service on their quick response, they had been there since the night before working to keep danger at bay. The police as usual were there supposedly securing the place but then I saw one of them accost of woman taking pictures and taking her to meet his boss…hmm…Naija Police sha…I wonder for what reason.

One other thing I saw about the scene where people interviewing rescuers with phones and audio recorders - definitely bloggers who wanted to capture information for their sites no doubt. It got me wondering...maybe if I had done some coverage last night, I might have had the upper hand with night-time pictures of the accident still very fresh before the tanker was moves this morning...I guiess blogging breaking news does have its sacrifices.

Convicted Felon sings Adele-inspired “sorry” to Seek Judge's Favour

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, March 18, 2016

I came across this amusing bit of odd news in which an American convicted felon attempted to serenade the judge of the court hearing his case by rendering his own version of Adele's 'Hello'.

Below is the excerpt of the report from Sky News:

A Michigan felon tried to sing his way out of trouble at his sentencing on a weapons charge, offering a musical apology inspired by singer Adele's Hello.

Brian Earl Taylor, 21, adapted the hit ballad to express his contrition to the judge at Washtenaw County Trial Court, reports the Ann Arbor News.

"Hello there, your honour," Taylor sang in the 10 March exchange, which was recorded on courtroom video.

Taylor was sentenced to up to 17 years in prison

He continued: "I want to say I'm sorry for the things I've done and I'll try and be stronger in this life I chose, but I want you to know - that door, I closed.

"And your honour I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry."

Reacting to Taylor's soulful plea, Judge Darlene O'Brien said he was "obviously a talented young man".

But she sentenced him to up to 17 years in prison for unlawful imprisonment and carrying a concealed weapon. 

I can't say the Judge was harsh...afterall she had a job to do and she had to do it without obstructing justice. I just hope her eventual sentencing was not because he is black...with all the racial tension sprouting about the place in the US.

The Pregnant Corper & JSS Student Gossip: A Blogger's Costly Lie

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Monday, March 14, 2016

It was just about after 3pm at work and my office colleagues were using their free-time to surf the web for information or updates pertaining to the industry or entertainment when a female colleague (who’s equally a Youth Corp member doing her Youth service in our company) gasped at her computer screen and called everybody’s attention to the crazy thing she had just come across.

It was a news item or rather a gossip bit on some blog that talked about a female Youth Corp member who had gotten pregnant for a JSS 1 or 2 boy in a secondary school. It originated as a tweet and became blog gossip.

My colleague's picture as placed  shamelessly on the blog

Whoever had put up this information had deemed it fit to include a photograph of a female Corp member and her male friend along with the article. The problem was that the lady in the picture was my colleague right here in the office gasping at her screen!

The link to this site was forwarded to her by a friend who saw it. Apparently people had begun to wonder whether she was actually the one referred to in the brief write up. She wasn’t the person being referred to in the write up but the placement of that pic inferred it.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to illustrate your post with a Youth service picture for such a crazy news item provided you do it with some SENSE.

The blogger who stupidly put this up must have been ignorant and was just a troublemaker.

Out of curiosity, I decided to google the news headline and see how many bloggers had equally done stupidly. The result was a number of blogs that posted NYSC photos with SENSE.

The site 234today.com placed a group picture of NYSC members, Trennewsng.com and Olufamous.com put the picture of a female Youth Corp member with a friend but cut of the face area so you couldn’t say who it was. Informationng.com also did likewise. Naij.com put up the NYSC logo only…

All these blogs did it with SENSE unlike the blog Vibercent that put my colleague’s picture all out there wrongly. You need to see how guys in my office were discussing about how to sue for damages.

The captiom as captured on Vibercent's page after placing my colleague's
picture the secomnd time

This Vibercent blogger even went ahead to place the picture TWICE and scream out the headline in the popular way many rubbish blogs do it - JS1 STUDENT GIVES NYSC FEMALE CORPER BELLE. (SEE PHOTOS OOO) – He/She, whoever the ‘admin’ is had the guts to insinuate that the picture that was put up was the actual person in the tweet gossip.

What a load of crap!

Please beware of such bloggers…blacklist Viberscent.blogspot.com!

The Rise of the Dollar and the Price of Akara

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, February 26, 2016

They said the value of the naira is falling.

I ignored it and refused to worry myself over it. I’m usually good at that – ignoring issues that would give other people sleepless nights and high blood pressure - after all, life must go on...unless you have a death wish. God knows I don’t!

So, I wasn’t buggered about the naira devaluation for a while until the morning I went to buy me some Akara for breakfast.

Akara – that traditional fried bean cake that’s a darling to the appetite of every Nigerian, the one true snack or meal that brings Nigerians of all classes together. When you happen upon an Akara joint which in many cases is just a woman sitting at some street corner frying and selling Akara, you get to see customers from all these different categories. Akara has this strong uncontestable and distinct aroma that even puff-puff (another Nigerian favourite) cannot rival. If you ever buy it and want to hide it from colleagues at work, the sweet smell will snitch on you; everyone will notice Akara is in the house.

Okay, so before I wander too far, I was talking about naira falling…what has this got to do with Akara?

Well, there’s this buoyant Akara Joint not far from my office where I work and its owned by this Calabar or Igbo woman and her friend or sister. They sell both Akara and Pap of which some people eat right there (there were benches and tables for that purpose) while others buy take-away to their offices.

Akara and Puff puff sharing the same tray. Akara is the bigger one.

The Akara was usually sold 10 naira per piece. This meant that with 50 naira, you could buy 5 pieces; enough to eat with bread or with any other accompanying food item that goes well with Akara. So people were shocked when they got there one morning to hear that Akara was now 3 for 50 naira.

Why?

Because dollar now costs more.

We (the customers) all began to question how on earth the dollar is affecting Akara, one of the cheapest things anybody could buy and eat. It became a fact-finding discussion and we learnt that it was the groundnut oil being used to fry that had gone up in cost.

I was baffled. Groundnut oil? Are we still importing groundnut oil? Don’t we make that here in Naija?

So we threw up another suggestion – why not use palm oil then? Isn’t that made in Nigeria?

The suggestion lingered in the air like a rhetoric as no one answered it.

Later on I got wind of another info that made me fall flat - that we import beans and that the cost of beans had gone up. For real? I thought we grew beans? As at the time of writing this I cannot yet confirm the truth of this info though.

Meanwhile, there’s another Akara joint nearer to my office which is the off-shoot of a small Moimoi specialist restaurant called No Left Overs which suddenly changed their own price of 10 naira per piece of Akara to 50 naira per 3 pieces last year before the dollar issue arose. They had been having high patronage but for some reason they decided to hike the price and reduce the size of the Akara. This made me and many other customers shift to patronizing the Calabar woman whose Akara was way bigger and sold for 10 naira per piece.

Now the naira has fallen and she has switched the price too.

Anyway, the Calabar woman is still preferable because she managed to make the Akara slightly bigger since its now 50 naira per 3 piece. I’m now wondering what No Left Overs will end up doing about its Akara, now that dollar has gone up. Will they start selling it 20 naira per piece?

As for me, I’m still baffled…I still don’t get how Akara is affected by the dollar.

Seven Types of Women to Beware Of in Ministry

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, February 19, 2016

I came across this interesting article by Pastor Joe McKeever. I think anybody who is just starting  or is already in a ministry should read it.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and smoother than oil is her speech.” (Proverbs 4:3)

Before there was a folk singer by that name, James Taylor was a professor of preaching. This veteran teacher of preachers held forth in classrooms at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary for many years. One day, in a room filled with young preacher boys, Dr. Taylor cautioned us about the temptations we would be facing.

“The day will come when a woman will sit in your office and proposition you. She will make herself available to you sexually. If your marriage is in trouble or if you are not up-to-date in your relationship with your Lord, you could get in big trouble fast.”

I raised my hand. “Dr. Taylor,” I said, “do you really believe that every one of us in this room will face this?” My mind was incapable of imagining a scenario in which a woman–any woman–would sit in a pastor’s office and try to seduce him.

“Yes, I do,” he said. “Even you, McKeever.”

That got a laugh.

I lived to see that day. (Fifteen years after she sat in my office making herself available to the young preacher, while preaching in another state, I spotted that woman and her husband–the same husband whose antics had given her cause to seek my counsel originally–in the congregation. I was thankful I had gotten this thing right in my office that day.)

The writer of Proverbs tried to do the same thing Dr. Taylor did for us in seminary that day: prepare the young lad for what he would be facing down the road.

“My son, give attention to my wisdom, incline your ear to my understanding;

That you may observe discretion, and your lips may reserve knowledge.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey, and smoother than oil is her speech; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.

Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of Sheol. She does not ponder the path of life; her ways are unstable, she does not know it.” (Proverbs 4:1-6)

Many pastors have paid the ultimate price for sexual sins.
If temptation would tell the truth, no minister would ever succumb to its enticements. If the allurement to commit adultery would adhere to a “truth in advertising” code, the “full disclosure” would read something like this:

“Subject needs to understand that by crossing this line and entering into a sexual relationship with this person, the minister will be despising His Lord, delighting the enemy, violating his marriage vows, disappointing everyone who ever believed in him from his youth until now, destroying his family, and ending his ministry..”

No one would ever commit adultery if he was required to sign that!

The devil, however, has no intention of ever revealing a list of side effects. Listen to him and you would think to disobey God is the way to fulfillment and happiness.

The sinning minister fools himself into believing all kinds of lies, most of them originating with the one Jesus called “the father of lies” (John 8:44). He convinces himself that “I deserve this, no one will ever know, I can have all the wonderful things in my life and this forbidden fruit also,” and then, there is the clincher–“This feels so good, it can’t be wrong.”

Too late does he find out the truth of the old adage, that sin will take you farther than you wanted to go, keep you longer than you wanted to stay, and cost far more than you ever intended to pay.

Here are 7 women, pastor should watch out for in your ministry.

1) The woman who wants to be your wife.
She is unhappily married. Her husband has disappointed her in a hundred ways. Sitting in church week after week, it occurs to her that you are everything she has ever wanted in a husband. You are kind and gracious, thoughtful and spiritual. You love the Lord and are devoted to your family. You earn a good living and you do not drink or smoke or hang out in bars. So, she fixates on you.

Now, if she were rational, she would know that by seducing you–or winning you, however she would put it–all of those wonderful qualities she admires would suddenly go away: your ministry, your family, your income, the respect with which you are held in the town, your joy in life even.

In most cases, she thinks clearly enough not to actually try to break up your marriage (although that has happened often enough). She merely feels a strong attraction to you and puts herself in a position for you to pick up on it. Consciously or unconsciously, she becomes a trap for the unsuspecting minister.

2) The woman who wants to be your mother.
She will smother you with attention, inundate you with goodies she cooked “just because I knew you liked these,” and make life miserable for you. If you never suffered from claustrophobia before, you do now.

It’s not so much that she poses a sexual danger to you as that by allowing and encouraging this attention from her, you will give occasion to gossips to ply their trade. Avoiding “the appearance of evil” is always a good principle (I Thessalonians 5:22).

3) The woman who wants to be your lover.
This one has a particular allurement to the minister whose relationship with his wife has grown  stale. This really is the woman the Proverb-writer describes. And, in case one wonders, I seriously doubt that Solomon wrote this. The man with 1,000 girlfriends is in no position to offer such advice as we find in Proverbs 4! (Although he surely knew the truth of it!)

Such a woman seems to be amoral, without a sense of wrongness about anything she does. She justifies making herself available to the minister by statements such as: “You deserve this,” “God wants all of us to be happy, don’t you agree?” and “No one ever has to know; I certainly won’t tell.”

The thing to keep in mind, pastor, is that this woman making herself so available to you with no strings attached–that’s what she says, although we know better!–does not look like a Jezebel, painted and padded and bejeweled. You will not know her by her adornments.

She may be the pretty wife of  a deacon, the friend of your wife, or a church member who came to you for counsel. No one would ever pick her out of a crowd as a party-girl. But she is your biggest enemy.

4) The woman who wants to be your best friend.
She wants to confide in you as to who is doing what with whom in the church. She is a gossip.

She wants you to (ahem) “feel free to come to me anytime you need to talk to someone.” She wants to be your counselor.

In order to pull that off, her primary tactic involves a) spending a lot of time around you, perhaps volunteering in the office but more likely volunteering as your personal assistant, b) telling you intimate things about her own life, and c) asking you to unburden yourself with her.

If she cannot worm her way into your life any other way, look for her to befriend your wife and begin showing up in your home on a regular basis. Unless your wife is on your team, nothing about this is good from that moment on.

5) The woman you want.
There she is, the girl of your dreams. Maybe not the most beautiful woman in the world, but all things considered–her looks, her personality, her laughter, her spirituality, and a few other qualities that defy description–she is everything you ever wanted in a woman.

You get all swimmy-headed around her. You wonder if she does not pick up on all the vibrations your body is sending out.

There are a few problems, of course. You’re married and she’s married, for starters. And so you wisely tell yourself this can never be, that regardless of how wonderful she is, she is off-limits to you.

The problem is you keep being drawn to her and thrown with her (committees, work projects, etc). Because proximity fosters intimacy, unless you do something quickly, you are a goner.

In most cases, you cannot tell your wife this. You need a mentor who will be tough with you. If you have none, find yourself one now! Confide in him before you make the mistake of your life.

6) The woman who doesn’t know what she wants.
In most cases, this mixed up lady has come to you for counsel, asking you to tell her what to do. You listen to her whole complex life story.

Nothing about her is your ideal. You have never fantasized about her or anyone like her.

So, how does she become a problem to you? By her repeated visits to your office.

It’s a matter of focus. In sketching perhaps a hundred thousand people over these many years, I’ve found that everyone has a certain beauty and attractiveness about them. By focusing on the individual and not comparing them with anyone else, we can see it.  In the seclusion of the counseling room, as she unburdens herself with intimate details of her life, the minister may feel emotionally drawn to her.

The problem then becomes you, pastor, and not her.

Pastors should almost never become professional counselors. When church members come to you for help with problems, if it cannot be solved in a session or two, refer them to a trained professional.

Pastor Ed Young of Houston’s Second Baptist Church told some of us pastors once that we should not counsel at all. “All you need is for someone–man, woman, or child–to run out of the office accusing you of something, and your ministry is gone!”

He’s right. Pastor Young said when someone says to him following a church service, “I need to talk to you sometime,” he says,”Let’s sit in this pew right now and talk.” It’s in public and it will be done quickly.

I hate that life has come to this, but it has, and we have to deal with it.

7) The woman you work most closely with in ministry.
Once again, it’s a matter of focus. The minister of worship meets with the organist (or pianist or his personal assistant or whoever) on a regular basis to plan the services. The youth minister has frequent conferences with his secretary or a young woman in the church who assists in programming. The pastor meets with his children’s director or ministry assistant or the head of the women’s ministry or the chair of his personnel or finance committee.

Beware, minister. You must be proactive in heading off any possibility of a compromised situation.

Billy Graham decided early in his ministry never to be alone with a woman at any time. Some might find that extreme, but say what you will, his long and very public evangelistic ministry was never tainted in the least by sexual scandal or innuendo.

The most important woman in the church to you the minister.

Your wife must be your lover, your intimate friend, your best adviser and strongest counselor, and your “mother” (the one who cooks your favorite dishes and is always there for you).

Let the home fires get cold and you are setting yourself up for trouble, pastor. This is why the writer of Proverbs urged the young man he was mentoring to “drink water from your own cistern, and fresh water from your own well.”  He says, “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth” (Proverbs 4:15-23).

A pastor I know makes frequent mention of his wife from the pulpit. He makes it abundantly clear that he loves her dearly and, may I say, you get the impression that their intimate relationship is strong. He makes sure the church knows and supports his devotion to his wife and family, which means (among other things) that his off-time is as holy as his time in the office.

When he counsels women in his office, my pastor friend takes care. The door has a small window which allows anyone to see inside. At an agreed-upon time, his assistant phones to allow him an excuse to end the session. He is not a hugger.

Resist the devil by being strong in the Lord!

Source

Nuff said!

Olajumoke's Public Speaking: Exploitation in View?

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Just as Ayo Shonaiya (if he really said it) said in the last post, it has begun!

Oljumoke Orisaguna has not lactated, but they have started milking her already!

Why?

Apparently, people are begining to milk this poor fortunate girl for their own gains because I don't understand how you are going to get a girl who was selling bread and doesn't even speak English a few months ago to do public speaking.

The even tagged her 'Motivational Speaker' on this poster. Do these guys understand what Motivational speaking entails?

I say this because I have done public speaking before and I know that its important to know how to deliver speeches that won't bore your audience.

Me suspects that she'd probably end up being used for window dressing or just a means of drawing crowd to the event.

Is Olajumoke ready for all this? All this exposure can really backfire if not controlled. Rather than put her all out on the spot, they should be thinking of helping to school her or refine her as Sujimoto planned to do for her.

Olajumoke needs prayers oh...before she falls into the wrong hands!

On Ayo Shonaiya's Concerns on Olajumoke Orisaguna's Breakthrough...

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Tuesday, February 16, 2016

I came across this article that featured on Snitchngr.com which was said to have been written by Nigerian Film maker and promoter Ayo Shonaiya on his Facebook page. Though I was unable to find anything like that on Facebook as it was claimed to have been culled from, the piece was however interesting and insightful.

The article surrounded the story of Olajumoke Orisaguna who was catapulted from grass to grace by accidentally photobombing a photo shoot being done for Rap artiste Tinie Tempah.

Her story is heavily trending with serious follow-ups on her progress hitting entertainment/showbiz tabloids and blogs.

Ayo Shonaiya

In the midst of all the razzmatazz, glitz and glamour, Ayo Shonaiya fears that there may be some things that could be dangerously overlooked and I very much agree with him.

There was a statement where he was said to have mentioned that in his line of work, he looks where no one else is looking. Now I liked that because its one thing I always try to do on blogosphere. I could relate with what he said very much because my line of work also had to do with working with models and artistes of all kinds from time to time. What he said was very on-point.

Check out the article if you haven't read it:

At the risk of sounding like a hater, I am genuinely nervous as I read and watch this amazing story of a bread seller, who unknowingly strolls into a Tinie Tempah photoshoot, caught the eye of photographer TY Bello, and almost overnight becomes a global talking point. I must say also, that I absolutely love it.
This type of story gladdens everyone’s heart and serves as inspiration to millions of people that despite your current situation, your good fortune is just round the corner and never loses hope in life.

But, I can’t help but look beyond the fairytale and feel a sense of apprehension at the same time. In my line of work, my job is to look where no one else is looking when it comes to negotiating contracts, maximising earning potential for talent, and pretty much protect such talent, and I pray to God there’s someone doing that for this girl. I have discovered and developed raw talent in my time, some from unknown status to superstardom.

I have met others half way in their progression and developed together, but one thing I’ve never done is base anything on sentiment or “eeeyah”, or “Na only Baba God o…” etc, I am sometimes the one to bring up the unpleasant reality, the reality no one understands until years later.

But I always feel it’s best to understand the whole picture and be prepared for whatever happens next.
When I saw that this Olajumoke girl couldn’t even speak or read English, my first concern was she’s going to be bewildered by a lot of things, especially in the fashion and modelling world in Nigeria. Then the sudden fame and spotlight, which often times can confuse ‘experienced’ talent. There’s also the clamour for her time, makeovers, interviews, and of course the good stuff, endorsements, jobs, goodwill offers and donations (I hear she has 2 kids already).

I’ve seen her take pictures, holding up a Contract (which I hope has been explained to her well as she can’t read it), then the makeovers with heavy make up and lipstick (she looks nothing like the sweet girl we all fell in love with).

Forgive me I’m not a designer o, seeing her dressed in some shine shine outfits, I start to wonder, firstly I hope she’s getting paid well at least, and secondly, most people are only absorbing her story, as most of us don’t really know much about characteristics that suggest a great modelling career.

I really do hope and pray that, whatever happens to Olajumoke from now on, she is well protected.
The fashion and modelling industry (in Nigeria or anywhere in the world) can be the worst place you wanna be when “they” decide you’re no longer happening or trending, or worse, not useful anymore.

You wanna bet that some other models are already beefing her already? And another thing, when the same people who are “tapping into her anointing” now, start to write really disgusting and hurtful comments about her (anonymously of course) on blogs because her own is now getting too much, I hope she has a strong support system in the people that really love and care for her. But for now, Olajumoke ride on and God bless you.
Anyway, that’s my own. Me too I need to go and sell my proverbial bread in the market.” - From Facebook acct of Ayo Shonaiya   

Like I said earlier, this article was claimed to have featured on Ayo Shonaiya's Facebook page but on visiting there, I saw no such thing there; in fact his last entry on the account was on March 10, 2015. So where did this post come from? Was it mentioned on somebody elses page or comment section? If it was then this report was not done properly. I just hope its not a fake story.

Nevertheless, a lot mentioned in there made a lot of sense. Olajumoke needs to be protected....moreso, she needs prayers that will preserve her testimony.

Happy 100th Birthday to My Grandpa!

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Yes! My one and only surviving grandpa just clocked a 100 years old on two days ago!

When my Mum called a month ago from the UK and told me to have a meet with my siblings and decide what we were gonna do for grandpa (who's also a great-grandpa to our kids - all my siblings, except the last born who isn't married yet have kids) since he was clocking 100 years, 

I was like 'Mum are you for REAL?? Grandpa is now 100?' Boy! That's a century old! And the man is as fit as a fiddle....I tap into that longevity anointing. 

Why I dey worry sef? It runs in the family - like my Dad who's seated next to Grandpa who would be clocking 70 this year and still drives himself, and moves and travels around a lot. When we walk side by side, I can't even keep up with him! Boy, I need to reduce my intake of pounded yam or something...lol.

I've not been blogging as I should thanks to many matters arising but I couldn't let this one pass by...oh I should have even posted it on Monday and today is wednesday...aaargh! Well, its the big 100 we're talking about here; even if I posted it next week its still a big deal...abi?

Happy Birthday once again and Many Happy returns to my awesome grandpa!

Monday Vs Friday [Funny Video]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Monday, March 02, 2015

Its Monday morning again and what's on most people's mind is OGIM - 'Oh God It's Monday' and they just can't wait till the end of the week to start smiling as its TGIF - 'Thank God Its Friday'. And so a couple of funny guys in my office decided to play out the truth in a very short and funny video. 

Its a good way to make ourselves smile amidst the bleakness of work.

Its actually meant to be a vine (Come to think of it, Naija folks instagram like crazy but hardly do vines). It got about 600 view on Facebook in one day I think...We should do more of these often...after all, all work and no play fit kill pesin.

LOL...did the camera lie? I think not...Don't we all feel like this a lot of times?

Yeeesssss we do!

Foto Friday: Early Momo Rainbow

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, June 27, 2014

There was a brief rainfall this Friday morning and when I stepped out of the house to head to work, I saw this awesome rainbow in full colors and full arc spread across the cloudy sky. If I had been upstairs in my apartment I probably would have gotten a better spread but I didn't want to risk going back up to do that; I didn't want to risk losing this spectacular scene.

So I whipped out my phone and took a shot.

I so wish I had a stronger and better camera.

An Igbo Boy And His Swag [Funny Video + Photo]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Monday, May 19, 2014

Its usually a general conception that Igbo guys like money, hence they love to hustle....and to the max they will hustle. But when these guys don hammer, they develop an amusing level of confidence and rustic charisma that could be quite entertaining or amusing.

I have Igbo friends and I always like studying the ones with zest for business. Its a calling that God seems to have bestowed upon that tribe.

Its amazing how many of them do it with charm and girls (both enlightened and not) fall flat for them. I came across this amusing video of an Igbo boy (a successful one with a chain of businesses) trying to woo an 'akata' (Nigerian chick that has been 'Americanised' either by orientation or by birth) and despite the girl trying to fall his hand, the guy still stands tall and maintain his swag. 

With all the jibes coming from the girl (who speaks with American accent) he never gets floored by talk. Check out the video below.

The Harrowing Experiences of Boko Haram Victims [Video]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Many heard about this news or read about it but never saw the video report. Sometimes I wonder how BBC is able to get reports that our local news channels can't seem to access. 

Boko Haram victims that escaped? How come no Naija news reported anything like this? Its shocking that we get to hear about this from a foreign news network. 

Check out the video if you never saw it:

Though I won't say not all our local News networks are not capable of bringing such coverage. I know Channels TV is able to such; its no wonder they are the only station to have lost a reporter on the scene of an insurgent attack.

The Siege of 'Ember' Months

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, November 20, 2013

As we move towards the end of the year through the dreaded ‘ember’ months, the obvious scary happenings have begun to take place and they’re all inspired by either of two things – the desperation for cash and the thirst for blood.

For the former, it’s just people desperate to make money for the burgeoning season and for the later, it’s a desperate move to gather surplus blood sacrifice to fulfill evil supernatural purposes and appeasing of demons. Many times it’s a deadly combination of the two which results in ritual killers all out to make money from human blood sacrifices.

What is more shocking is the level of desperation.

Last Sunday, a band of gunmen stormed into a government hospital in Ado-Ekiti and demanded for day-old babies to be handed over to them. On learning that there were no babies they beat the staff to stupor… refusing to believe and annoyed that they had met a dead end.

Take note of these two things: One – they were demanding for day-old babies (they had a spec for what they wanted), Two – they got annoyed on discovering there were none available and beat up the staff (they were angry they got none). These are signs and pointers that they are desperate ritualists. Where else can you get a day-old baby?

Then last Friday, I was on my way back from a church workers meeting at around 8.30pm and had climbed the pedestrian bridge at Obanikoro bus stop to cross the Ikorodu road expressway. As I was descending on the other side which was close to Sheperdhill Baptist Church, I suddenly noticed a taxi was parked some distance away from the bus stop and some people stood near it. One of them was a gunman who was threatening the others with his weapon. He smacked a guy over the head and ordered him to get into the car. I hastily retraced my descent from the bridge and went back up, warning other pedestrians descending that there was a robbery taking place below.

The pedestrian bridge (right) where I was descending before I witnessed
the incident on the service lane (right side of the bridge)

Well, it looked like a robbery and at the same time like a kidnapping taking place because the next minute we checked the location, the taxi, all the victims and gunman were gone. Were they kidnapped or robbed? Whatever the case, a crime had just taken place.

The Ikorodu expressway sidewalks from Idiroko bus stop all the way down to Obanikoro bus stop have always been locations of crime scenes, especially when commercial motorcycles popularly known as ‘Okada’ were still in operation. Okadas in the past were well used by men of the underworld to rob people at the bus stops.  

I was unfortunate at one time to be a victim of Okada henchmen back then at Savoil bus stop which is before Anthony bus stop.  I was seeing wifey off who at that time was my fiancé. We stood at the bus stop at about 8.00pm when two motorcycles each carrying a gunman cornered us and dispossessed us of our mobile phones, cash and wifey’s bag.

A couple of years ago a friend of mine was killed at Idiroko bus stop because he was reluctant to surrender his laptop to robbers who accosted in the very early hours of the morning.

After the ban on Okadas by the government, the crimes seemed to reduce. Also with the rehabilitation of streetlights on the road, the dark alleys became well lit making it hard for crooks to hide from the glare.

It’s no wonder this operation I witnessed from the pedestrian bridge took place with the help of a getaway taxi instead of an Okada; the absence of okadas and introduction of street lights seems to have heightened the desperation of robbers.

We’re in the ‘ember’ months – fast moving towards the month of the ultimate celebrations – December; but while getting into the fanfare we should be very vigilant and prayerful because there are people out there who want to do Christmas and new year or perform quarterly rituals by any means possible.

God help us all.

Niggas: Representing with Ignorance

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Saturday, November 09, 2013

Nigga.

That one word that sounds cool when 'representing' folk says it to each other.

Nigga.

That identification that fraternizes friends who share the same bandwagon beliefs.

Nigga.

A word that has a genesis in slavery but has migrated into an identity.

Nigga.

A word that's become a paradox because its both an insult as well as a compliment.

In a world where the bad is painted as good, we stand the danger of really ignoring the truth of certain things we've come to embrace. Just take a look at anything that surrounds the word 'Nigga' - they are all negative and backward.


Ever seen the cartoon series - The Boondocks?

Here's a scene from one of its earlier seasons in which Martin Luther is imagined to still be alive and come back to witness what he had struggled for. Though the cartoon is a parody, it says an indepth truth which is reflected in lifestyle of youth today and in music videos.



While it chastises the ignorance and misdirection of black America, a lot of what King says in the clip sounds so much like what's also happening in Naija. You just need to read between thee lines, take a look around you, listen to the news, watch and listen to endless filthy music videos with the meaningless lyrics to see how it applies.

And for an additional understanding of the Nigga syndrome, check out this 2nd hilarious clip also from The Boondocks which gives us brief funny lessons on Nigga moments. Its funny but the truth is strong and leaves its bitter residue in your thoughts.



One thing about the series The Boondocks is that it makes social commentaries on political issues, lifestyles and conspiracies. You may watch it and enjoy the humour and slapstick but if you take a second look at what is being said in some episodes, there are myriads of revelations being brought before our eyes, like the true nature of a 'Nigga'..

The Art of Spanking Kids - The Yoruba Way

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Saturday, October 19, 2013

Growing up as a kid in Naija is one heck of an adventure - that is if you're not some spoiled rich brat who passes through life in Naija without Naija life passing through you. The best times I always have with my 5 other siblings whenever we meet, are the times when we recount our past experiences living together as kids in a Yoruba household.

The harsh life and struggle to survive may not only have brought out the best in most Yoruba kids but also sometimes the worst in our younger years. Getting spanked or smacked for an offence the Yoruba way is somewhat an undocumented culture.

It is the characteristics of the ranges of spankings or slaps our mothers give us through our growing years. Most ‘Ajepako’ (Naija pidgin lingo for ‘born without the silver spoon’) kids that ever lived in the ghetto would be familiar with these ranges of beatings meted out by our hard-core parents for any misdemeanor we committed. But don’t be surprised, some ‘Ajebutter’ (born with silver spoon) kids have equally gone through it too; probably due to their parents’ background.

Yoruba mums are known to produce the best range of slaps or beatings namely the Igbati, Ifoti, Igbaju, Igbarun, Iforun, Ifakun , Ibadi and Abara.

These slaps will make you think you were adopted.

They are meted out with precision. Our mothers are skilled marksmen in dishing them out. You receive the stinging justice when you least expect; sometimes it happens so fast you are caught off balance.

The Igbati is that stinging slap that will make you correct your wrong immediately. It is the corrective slap that serves as a physical ‘autocorrect’ to return your faulty senses to its default settings of a well behaved state

The beauty of Ifoti is that you will be inspired to instantly confess your sins on the spot. This one is most effective for making lying kids spit out the truth.

The Igbarun, Igbaju and Iforun will make you snitch on all those who committed the crime with you without hesitation. This was probably adopted by Naija Police to coerce criminals to snitch on their apprentices.  

Iladi will make you pee in your pants! In fact I have a ‘testimony’ to a powerful Iladi that was given to a one-time schoolmate of mine. The beating was so hot; my guy literarily shat his pants.

Finally, Abara is the last and the worst...The best way to describe this one is that it will make you do all of the above at once!

No wonder foundations of home training for many Naija families are hard to destroy.

I’m a living example and a graduate of this spanking culture. And trust me; it wasn’t a piece of cake for me back then; especially with my Mum being an Air Force Military Officer.  


*Inspired by a circulated WhatsApp message.

Face of a Rogue Nanny

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Monday, October 07, 2013

A friend put this up on facebook after falling victim to the thieving act of the above pictured woman.
According to the information given by my friend, the woman was her nanny up until 25th of September. She stole a nu,ber of valuable items from their home and disappeared leaving the house all open. Her name was Kemi as at then and is from Cotonou.

Though I ask the following questions:

1. Was that the only name she offered? Just Kemi? No surename?
2. Was there no background check done on her before employment?
3. Where there no contact persons to be held responsible in case of any issue? No guarantors? 

This serves as a lesson for us to be wary of whom we employ as Nanny or Househelp.With the high rate of kidnapping in the country now, it is the more reason to be wary. Thank goodness this woman did not carry her kids along for a ransome.

Naija On Scotland's Currency [Photos]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Wednesday, October 02, 2013

The footprints of Nigeria's history will forever remain in textbooks, documentaries and stories passed down by our fathers. And then while some may appear in museums in the western world (as a result of stolen artifacts when the British invaded wealthy empires like the Benin Kingdom), others have remained as a pleasant memory on the faces of currency notes.

At this point I'm not referring to Nigerian currency but Scotland currency. A friend on facebook posted this heartwarming revelation he found on Scotland's £10 note. Many of us may not be aware of this. Here's what he wrote:

Last Year, I was in Scotland and whilst alighting from a Cab, the driver asked, are you from Nigeria to which I responded with a BOLD YES, he then GAVE ME A £10 Scotland Pound and said your towns are in there. In Scotland, currency denominations have different designs and one of the design they dedicated a Town In Nigeria called Calabar where Mary Slessor stopped the Killing of Twins.

Not only did this £10 note feature a picture of Mary Slessor with Nigerian children she helped rescue but also names of Calabar towns probably at that period.

How many of you ever actually noticed this on the £10 note?

Its nice to see that we are part of another nation's history.

A.Y. Joins Timi in School [Photos]

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, September 27, 2013

School's back in and the kids have all picked up their back-packs to storm the classrooms.

This Term, A.Y. resumes in Timi's School after concluding his days at the creche.

First we took the little fella for a haircut. He has this stubborn hair 

which likes to stiffen up in curls even after combing or brushing through.

A.Y. has the hair type that would result into dreadlocks if uncombed for days.

And on the day he sports his new uniform, 

he takes photos with Timi to mark a new begining.

These kids can pose! I didn't even tell them what to do. 

All I just said was 'say cheese!'

Maybe I should include them in my models' list 

when arranging a childrens' shoot sometime. 

They're so natural in front of the camera...lol.

Are You Involved With The Right Person?

Chronicled by Afronuts @ Friday, September 20, 2013

Someone sent this interesting and enlightening article to me by mail. Good stuff for both single and married folks to get a glimpse of. Read on....

By Bola Osareme

During one of our seminars, a woman asked a common question. She said, "How do I know if I married the right person?" I noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so I said, "It depends. Is that your husband?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?"

Let me   answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind. Here's the answer.

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse. You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard.Infact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love... Because it's happening TO YOU.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet." Think about the imagery of that __expression.  It  implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU.

Falling is love is easy. It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship. Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even   angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking , "Did I marry the right person?"  And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown. People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it. I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND. SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't "find" LASTING love. You have to "make" it day in and day out. That's why we have the __expression "the labor of love."

Because it takes time, effort, and energy . And most importantly, it takes WISDOM . You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work. Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger. It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable... you can "make" love.

Love in marriage is indeed a "decision"... Not just a feeling .

I couldn't agree more!

What do you think?



image courtesy
www.bossip.com