Tips To Start Your Business With Little to No Capital

Entrepreneurs will often have amazing business ideas, but they put them on hold due to a lack of capital. They assume that their idea will never get far off the ground unless they have major funding behind them.
It seems that every day there is a new startup receiving millions of dollars from venture capital firms, but what you don’t hear about is the several startup failures that burn through millions of dollars only to fizzle out and shut their doors forever.

If your idea and plan of execution aren’t well thought out from the beginning, no amount of money can turn it into a winner. Have a great idea but very little money? Don’t let that stop you! Yes, there will be ridiculously long days with little to no sleep. Yes, you are going to be stressed. But those that want it bad enough will make it.
Here are eight tips that can help you get your idea off the ground with limited funds.
1. Build your business around what you know. Instead of venturing off into uncharted territory, make sure that you build your business around your skills and knowledge. The less you have to rely on outside sources the better. When your business is built around your own personal expertise you can eliminate consultants and outside assistance.
Also, having that knowledge is sometimes all that is needed to successfully take the plunge into entrepreneurship.
2. Tell everyone you know what you are doing. Inform your family, friends, business contacts and past colleagues about your new business. Call, send emails and make your new venture known on your social-media profiles. Your friends and family members can help you spread the word, and past business contacts can introduce your brand to their professional contacts as well. This type of grassroots marketing can help introduce your company to a much larger audience.
3. Avoid unnecessary expenses. You are going to have plenty of expenses, and there are some that just can’t be avoided. What you can avoid though is overspending. Take something as simple as business cards. You could drop $1,000 on 500 metal business cards that give off the “cool” factor, or you could spend $10 on 500 traditional business cards. Being frugal in the beginning can be the difference between success and a failed business.
4. Don’t get buried in credit card debt. There is a smart way and a suicidal way to use credit when starting a business. New computers, office furniture, phones and supplies can all quickly add up. Instead of purchasing everything at once and throwing it all on a credit card, use your company’s revenue to finance your expenses. Eliminating the stress and burden of debt will greatly increase the chances of creating a successful business.

5. Make sure your receivables policy won’t sink you. If your business is a retail operation then this isn’t going to apply, but if you are providing services such as consulting or products to retailers you need to make sure that your payment policy is well thought out. Can you remain above water with net-15 or net-30 terms? Don’t base your receivables on what you think your customers will want. Base them on what is going to make your business operate successfully.
6. Build up sweat equity. When I first started my business I worked around the clock, handling every aspect of the business as well as the marketing and growth. All of the hard work and long days that you put in isn’t for nothing. You are building a brand and your hard work is essentially increasing the value of your business. Your sweat equity will come into play if you ever decide to sell off a piece of your company or take on a partner.
7. Take advantage of free advertising and marketing. There are several ways to generate a buzz for your business without breaking the bank. Social media is a great way to gain exposure and interact with potential customers. You can also reach out to local media and offer your expertise.
Make as many local media contacts as you can and be extremely responsive with their requests. This can lead to them to branding you as the local authority, generating plenty of free press for your business.
8. Get ready to hustle. Hard work is an absolute necessity, but when you are starting a business with little to no capital then you must be prepared to dedicate everything you have into making the business a success. This might mean cold calling, handling customer support, dealing with billing and accounting, and every other working part of your business. You will wear many hats and it will require the majority of your time and energy if you are to make it.
Don’t let limited capital prevent you from taking a great idea and running with it. Will it be difficult and will you have some stressful situations? Of course, but that is part of entrepreneurship.
Have you started a business with sweat equity alone? If so, let us know about your experiences in the comments section below.

Ways to Bootstrap Your Business to Success

Most first-time entrepreneurs seem to believe the myth that they need a minimum of a half a million dollars to start a business. At least that is usually the lowest number I see requested from our local angel investment group. In reality, over 80 percent of successful new businesses are self-funded for much less -- often as little as $10,000. I’m convinced this also reduces risk.

Starting a new business on a limited budget without investor involvement is called bootstrapping, and it’s the only way to go if you don’t want to spend months on the investment pitch preparation and delivery circuit. Also, with bootstrapping, you won’t have the added pressure and risk of an investor boss hanging over your shoulder and second-guessing your every move.
Over the years, I’ve accumulated a list of common startup practices from entrepreneurs who have managed to avoid the ironic pain and suffering of comfortably starting a business with a large cash stash from a rich uncle or a vulnerable investor.

1. Stick to a business domain you know and love.

Starting a new business in an area where you have no experience, just because it appears to have great potential, is a recipe for failure. There are unwritten rules in every business, and your lack of insider’s knowledge will cost you dearly. Good connections can get things done for very little cash.

2. Find team members to work for equity rather than cash.

People working with you need to understand their failure means startup failure, rather than expect money up front. Managing employees and contracts is difficult and expensive, and new entrepreneurs aren’t very good at it anyway. Equity is your best assurance of commitment and focus.

3. Build a plan around your budget, rather than around your wishes.

Entrepreneurs who start without a plan spend more money. Likewise, those who feel compelled to keep up with the popular media will spend most of their time courting investors. Most investors agree that too much money leads to poor spending decisions and lack of controls.

4. Defer your urge to find office space until you have customers.

Remote startup team members are the norm today and can be very productive with smartphones, video and the high-speed Internet. Office space costs money up front, requires equipment, staffing and travel expenses. With a website, your business can look as big as any competitor.

5. Ask for advance on royalties and vendor deferred payments.

If you solution has real value, future partners will jump on discounted future royalties, and many vendors and existing partners will understand your cash flow challenges. You may also be able to barter your services to offset theirs. It never hurts to ask. Practice your sales skills early.

6. Negotiate inventory management with suppliers and distributors.

For many products, suppliers or distributors will direct ship your product to eliminate your inventory. For services, don’t be afraid to ask for a retainer up front to offset your costs. Business terms are negotiable, but new entrepreneurs with plenty of cash don’t bother to ask.

7. Choose a business model to optimize your revenue flow and timing.

Popular examples include monthly subscription fees and optional service fees, versus one-time product sales. Another is the use of an ecommerce site, rather than retail, to facilitate product sales seven days a week, around the clock and around the world.
One of the biggest ways to reduce your budget and your risk is to use social media, which essentially is free, to find our whether you have an attractive solution, before you invest your time and limited resources in creating the product or service. Social media is also an invaluable and inexpensive marketing approach, since no one buys a solution they can’t find or don’t know anything about.
A limited budget can be viewed as your biggest constraint, or as an incentive to do things more creatively. With startups, there is a big premium on creativity and innovation. Big competitors are quick to copy a conventional solution with minimal risk. Let a limited budget be your driver to winning, rather than a curse.

The 5 Most Innovative Marketing Campaigns of 2015

The 5 Most Innovative Marketing Campaigns of 2015

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10 Skills Online Marketing Teams Must Have to Succeed

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The Nigerian Music star Tiwa Savage finally unveils baby’s face

After months of intensified suspense, Mavin first lady, Tiwa Savage has finally showed off the face of her baby. This is coming 6 months after the baby was delivered, which has led to several drama on the social media space with many calling out the diva for hiding her baby’s face.  As a Christmas gift to her fans, the ‘RED’ star moments ago unveiled the baby on her official Instagram account with the caption, ‘My Little Christmas Teddy Bear’....

fter months of intensified suspense, Mavin first lady, Tiwa Savage has finally showed off the face of her baby. This is coming 6 months after the baby was delivered, which has led to several drama on the social media space with many calling out the diva for hiding her baby’s face....

Read More at thenet.ng/2015/12/hollup-tiwa-savage-finally-unveils-babys-face/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

fter months of intensified suspense, Mavin first lady, Tiwa Savage has finally showed off the face of her baby. This is coming 6 months after the baby was delivered, which has led to several drama on the social media space with many calling out the diva for hiding her baby’s face....

Read More at thenet.ng/2015/12/hollup-tiwa-savage-finally-unveils-babys-face/ Follow us: @theNETng on Twitter | theNETng on Facebook

INTERESTING...What Your Number of Sexual Partners Says About You

STDs aside, what’s all the fuss about how many sexual partners you’ve had? According to many experts, it matters — and can say a fair amount about your sexual needs and even who you are. Here, with the help of sex researcher and adjunct professor of human sexuality at NYU Zhana Vrangalova, is an examination of what experts have found the number means for men and women, your personality, hormone balance, and whether you’ll cheat in the future. 

What Women Really Want“The differences [between the sexes] are not as they’re often portrayed in popular media,” says Vrangalova. “That all men want to have hundreds of partners and all women just want one long-term partner that they’re going to love and cherish for the rest of their lives. That’s B.S.” The numbers we often see are likely flawed due to a small number of men who give extreme answers, like 1,000 partners or 10,000 partners. When you look at the median numbers, rather than the average, what men want and what women want becomes much more similar.

As women’s role in society and perceptions of women are changing, so are the gender differences regarding the number. When younger people are surveyed about their number of sexual partners, the numbers reported by men and women are closer together than in older populations. Vrangalova says changes in social norms, like access to birth control and financial independence for women, are probably significant factors in this. These days, women who desire more partners (as some women always have) have fewer social barriers dissuading them.

Your Genes MatterSome people are more naturally inclined to risk-taking behaviors because of the way dopamine works in their body and have a tendency toward sensation seeking, novelty seeking, and impulsiveness. All of those tendencies often go hand in hand with a higher number of sexual partners.

People with a higher number of partners also seem to have higher levels of testosterone and possibly more exposure to this hormone in the womb. “We know from a lot of different sources of evidence that is correlated with more sexual desire, higher libido, and potentially more interest in multiple partners and casual sex,” says Vrangalova.

More Partners, More FriendsResearch, including some conducted by Vrangalova, shows that if you ask people, hypothetically, whether they’d prefer to be friends with someone who is promiscuous or someone who isn’t, they do prefer the non-promiscuous person. In practice, however, promiscuous people actually report having more friends and close relationships.

This is likely related to the fact that promiscuous people are often extroverts. "They’re more gregarious, get more energized around people. They’re often liked by others,“ says Vrangalova. "Because of their extroversion, they’re people that people gravitate toward.” These people also usually come off as more positive and happy.

Promiscuity and Mental HealthIncreased promiscuity is associated with some mental health issues. Chief among these are bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder. While it is true that people who have these mental health disorders are more likely to engage in promiscuous behavior, this relationship is driven by factors other than your typical promiscuity. There is no definitive link, however, between promiscuity and depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem. “The studies are really all over the place,” says Vrangalova.

Influences of UpbringingThere are some aspects of sexual history that often exist in tandem with promiscuity. Vrangalova says having sex at an early age is particularly well supported. It could be that some people are just more sexual, which leads them to have more partners and have sex earlier. It’s also the case that people who have been sexually abused are often more sexual. The opposite effect, reduced sexuality, is less common but also occurs.

There is also a theory that stability of the environment in which someone grew up may play a role in all of this. If you grow up in a place where you are cared for and there is little death, violence, or war, your body might respond by delaying puberty and sexual urges. “You spend more time as a child, maturing, and you enter puberty later and you’re more focused on quality, longer-term relationships rather than quantity, shorter-term relationships,” says Vrangalova.

lATEST NEWS ON IRAQI FORCES VS TERRORISTS; Iraqi forces to retake Mosul from Islamic State after Ramadi secured

Iraq's armed forces will move to retake the major northern city of Mosul from Islamic State once they capture the western city of Ramadi, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Friday.

Capturing Mosul would deprive the militant group of its biggest population center in both Iraq and Syria, effectively abolishing the state structure of IS in Iraq, depriving it of a major source of funding and dealing a blow to its influence.

The capture of Ramadi would give the army a major psychological boost in its move toward Mosul.

The cities are about 420 km (260 miles) apart by road. Iraqi forces started an attack on Tuesday to dislodge Islamic State militants from the center of Ramadi, the last district under their control in the city they had captured in May. Islamic State seized Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in 2014, in an offensive that forced government forces to abandon a third of Iraqi territory.The group declared a caliphate over the Iraqi and adjacent Syrian Sunni populated territory it controls."The liberation of dear Mosul will be achieved with the cooperation and unity of all Iraqis after the victory in Ramadi," Abadi said in a statement on the state media website on Friday.Army commanders said on Wednesday that the battle for Ramadi would take several days.

(Reporting by Saif Hameed; Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)

Nigeria Boko Haram: Militants 'close to defeat' - Buhari

The Nigerian military is close to completely defeating Islamist Boko Haram militants, President Muhammadu Buhari has told the BBC.

He said the militants could no longer mount conventional attacks against security forces or population centres.
"I think, technically, we have won the war," he said.
The president has given the army until the end of the month to defeat Boko Haram, whose six-year insurgency has devastated north-eastern Nigeria.
But the BBC's Bashir Sa'ad Abdullahi in the capital, Abuja, says that the deadline is likely to be extended as Boko Haram is still bombing areas despite losing towns under its control.








Critics of the government argue that it has exaggerated the scale of its success against the militants, and that each time the army claims to have wiped out Boko Haram, the militants have quietly rebuilt.
The insurgency is said to have killed some 17,000 people and left more than two million homeless.
The jihadists have been forced to cut back on suicide bombings as a result of the military action against them, President Buhari said.
"Boko Haram has reverted to using improvised explosive devices (IEDs)," he said. "They have now been reduced to that."
"Boko Haram is an organised fighting force, I assure you, [but] we have dealt with them."
He said the militants had all but been driven out from Adamawa and Yobe states and remained a force only in its heartland of Borno state.
They cannot now marshal forces and attack towns or attack military installations and so on as they did before.
"I don't think this is mad talking."
The president said that Nigeria had reorganised and reequipped the military. which had received training from the British, the Americans and the French.
"A lot is being done," he said.

---

Boko Haram at a glance:

• Founded in 2002, initially focused on opposing Western-style education - Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" in the Hausa language
• Launched military operations in 2009
• Thousands killed, mostly in north-eastern Nigeria, hundreds abducted, including at least 200 schoolgirls
• Joined so-called Islamic State, now calls itself IS's "West African province"
• Seized large area in north-east, where it declared caliphate
• Regional force has retaken most territory this year

Insights You Weren’t Expecting from Big Data

Many organizations often don’t realize how much value there might be in all of the content in their various information sources. But those organizations that do recognize this potential are generating insights from their own internal big data and advanced analytics techniques. In addition, they are turning those insights into increased revenue, improved knowledge worker productivity, and lower costs.
Here are several “aha” moments that could change the way you think about big data in your organization:

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• A major pharmaceutical manufacturer generated millions of dollars in new revenue by combining the latest research with previous research and drug studies, which introduced a new use and market for an existing drug.
• A global investment bank is generating significant new revenue using information access and analysis technologies as the hub of a knowledge management system, collecting, locating, sharing, synthesizing, and analyzing information across the globe around topics such as stocks and bonds, company analyses, investment reports, internal email, and even internal social media.
• A global research and development (R&D) company is using text analytics and information access and analysis technologies to automatically identify and extract skills and areas of expertise for knowledge workers based on the content they have created. This skills data is used by employees to find internal collaborators across the globe, yielding a significant increase in productivity and innovation.
• A provider of OEM service and repair information to the professional automotive service and collision industries is using text analytics technology to identify, extract, classify, and organize parts and repair information from all car manufacturers, yielding an improvement of almost 5,000 percent in data ingestion and processing. This has enabled the company to expand into new geographic regions (with multi-language support), improve its pricing model, and provide new insights to clients, which in turn enables them to improve inventory management or speed service delivery.
• An insurance company is able to respond to claims after a disaster much more quickly and with far fewer employees than its competitors using automated technologies for monitoring social media, phone calls, email, and text messages, providing a superior level of service at a fraction of the cost.
• A global consulting services firm is using an interactive semantic model that can investigate compliance violations by linking to and aggregating various client account activity such as Web logs, email, phone archives, IM messages, and other sources to uncover potential infringements of regulatory requirements as well as internal policy and procedure violations.
• A healthcare company specializing in pain management can now look at performance by an individual healthcare provider and create models for fully loaded cost per patient. Appointments scheduling and procedure data can be combined to recommend staffing levels. The marketing group is also able to access patient referral source data, formerly available only by having IT generate a custom query.

All of the organizations cited above recognize and are exploiting all of their information, both structured and unstructured. This content is locked in a variety of formats, locations, and applications made up of separate repositories that don't talk to each other. Combining this content and gleaning insights from it should be the goal of every organization but very few are actually getting all the value they should be. Some organizations lack the appropriate technology to so do; others lack relevant skills; yet others are simply not aware of the “art of possible” when it comes to accessing and analyzing the combination of structured and unstructured content.
Taking advantage of your own big data can yield immediate and tangible benefits to your organization. Insights and actionable knowledge are the lifeblood of many organizations, and leveraging all of your information silos can improve productivity, help contain costs, increase innovation, and increase revenue by using what you already own, but are not making use of.

Heal yourself at home with these around-the-house staples

Make Your Kitchen Your Medicine Cabinet
Almost 45% of everyone say they’ve relied more on home remedies to save money on doctors’ visits. While you should always see the doctor for serious ailments, you may be able to soothe minor complaints with these inexpensive products already in your pantry, from The Big Doctors Book of Home Remedies (learn more about the book here).

We shall be talking about some Home remedies below;



Salt
Use it for: Athlete’s foot

A saline solution provides a hostile environment for fungus, decreases excess perspiration, and softens skin so antifungal meds can penetrate deeper. Soak your foot for 5 to 10 minutes in a mixture of 2 teaspoons of salt per pint of warm water, recommends podiatric surgeon Suzanne M. Levine, DPM.

Tonic water
Use it for: Restless legs

A 6-ounce glass of tonic water before bed might calm symptoms of restless legs syndrome; the quinine it contains helps stop repeated muscle contractions.

Lemon
Use it for: Age spots

Cut a few wedges and place them directly onto your age spots for 10 to 15 minutes a day, suggests Audrey Kunin, MD, a cosmetic dermatologist in Kansas City, Missouri. “The acid in the fresh lemon juice may help lighten the age spots,” she says, but it won’t happen overnight. You’ll notice a difference in 6 to 12 weeks. Watch carefully; overuse may cause the upper layer of the skin to peel.

Honey
Use it for: Cuts and scrapes

This natural sweetener contains 3 powerful wound-healing components: sugar for absorbing moisture so bacteria can’t survive, hydrogen peroxide to disinfect, and the nectar-based compound propolis to kill bacteria. An added bonus: Honey dries to form a natural bandage.

Olive oil
Use it for: Eczema

Packed with inflammation-reducing antioxidants, olive oil is the basis of many moisturizers; used alone, it’s free of chemical irritants you may find in store-bought creams. Rub 1 teaspoon per square inch of skin, creating a seal that keeps skin from drying out. For serious cases, cover oiled skin with plastic wrap overnight.

Milk
Use it for: Anxiety

To calm yourself before bedtime, pour a glass of warm milk. “The old wives’ tale of having warm milk really does help,” says Bernard Vittone, MD, a psychiatrist and founder of The National Center for the Treatment of Phobias, Anxiety, and Depression in Washington, DC. Milk contains the amino acid tryptophan, which can bring on relaxation.

Apple cider vinegar
Use it for: Bruises

Apple cider vinegar is an excellent natural anti-inflammatory. Dab a little on a cotton ball and rub it directly on a bruise, or make a paste out of the vinegar and an egg white or petroleum jelly and smear it on the bruised area.

Chamomile tea
Use it for: Calluses and corns

If your feet are prone to bumps and lumps, soak them in a diluted chamomile tea bath, advises Levine. The tea will soothe and soften hard skin. The brew will stain your feet, but it comes off easily with soap and water.

Baking soda
Use it for: Urinary tract infection

It makes the bladder more alkaline, which prevents bacteria from multiplying, says urologist Larrian Gillespie, MD. Drink a solution made with ¼ teaspoon of baking soda mixed in 8 ounces of water at the first sign of symptoms. Continue this once a day until you see a doctor, get a culture, and start taking antibiotics. Find more ways to prevent UTIs.

Ginger
Use it for: Stomachaches

This root is well-known as a stomach soother, and rightfully so. It’s great for relieving just about any gastrointestinal illness, including motion sickness and pregnancy morning sickness. To make a tea, steep a tablespoon of ground fresh ginger in hot water for 10 minutes, then strain.

How social media could help grow your small business

A strategy for navigating a new frontier.


What does social media mean for your company? Are you using Facebook or Twitter to reach your prospects, and is it really worth it – especially for small businesses?

You must understand social media to use it effectively, says Christopher Carfi, vice president of Social Business Strategy at Ant's Eye View, a Mountain View, Calif., firm that helps organizations develop and implement social media strategies.

"Businesses must interact with individuals in a way that's meaningful," he says. It's about the quality of the community, authenticity of the content and depth of the conversations among people.

Provide customers with information that's of real value, Carfi says. Studies show that about 40 percent of people who initially sign up to follow a company's Facebook page drift away within months.

Businesses of all sizes can keep that from happening by following these experts' advice:

1. Start slowly and build a platform for success. An enormous array of social networking sites exist, points out Barry Libert, author of Social Nation, who warns that it's easy to become overwhelmed and diffuse all your energy – and time – trying to read and post at several sites. "Trying to excel at everything is a sure-fire way to be good at nothing," he cautions. Instead, focus on major sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube – and perhaps a niche site or two – and budget an hour ideally every day to read, post and respond. Find out which sites pay the biggest dividends and devote more energy to them.
Success story:A swimming pool builder in Virginia turned to YouTube to display video of completed projects. The firm trimmed advertising costs by 70 percent but increased web traffic by more than 300 percent.
2. Appoint someone as your "social media czar." If no one is delegated to manage your social media it's likely to fall through the cracks, Carfi warns. Ideally, find an employee who enjoys working with social media. Charge this person with reading and responding to Facebook posts, Tweets and more. "Ensure that this person understands that social media is not a broadcast medium," says Libert. "The focus is on two-way conversations and information sharing."
Success story: A travel agent in Southern California began Tweeting about travel bargains and watched sales grow by nearly 30 percent.
3. Take advantage of the nature of the Internet to promote your small business like a big business. You don't have to spend big bucks to achieve success using social media. Successful businesses find ways to engage and interest the community and become a trusted source of information. Try providing useful content via a blog and promoting it using social media. Similarly, provide help to others on Twitter. An axiom of social media: The more you give and help out, the more you get back. Use social media to create ongoing value through coupons, discounts, tips and more.
Success story: An independent caterer in the Northeast began personally posting recipes and party advice on a blog and then Tweeting about it. Her sales grew by 10 percent within weeks.
4. Put tools in place to track "mentions" and measure results. Free or low-cost software programs such as TweetDeck and HootSuite help monitor what's being said about your business, industry or topics of interest. In addition, establish metrics to understand things like new leads, the number of new sales or deals closed, customer satisfaction rates and other key business issues. Track discount codes and social media analytics to measure results. "The number of people who like your page isn't as important as what they do and what the business outcome is," Carfi says. Success story: A specialty jewelry maker created a Facebook page to show her products. By posting tips and offering discounts, she attracted thousands of "Likes" (where people choose to get Facebook updates on a business or organization) and grew sales.
In the end, Carfi says, small businesses can compete and win in the social media space. The key, he says, is to understand that this is a new era and method of connecting with customers: "You have to devote time and energy to building a strategy and you have to find ways to distinguish yourself."

Mass graves for '300 Shia Nigerians' in Zaria

Nigeria's military killed and quickly buried the bodies of at least 300 Shia Muslims in an unjustified attack in the northern Zaria city, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said.

The bodies were buried without family members' permission, it added.
The army denies killing hundreds of people but has not given any casualty figures.
The killings earlier this month sparked outrage among Shia around the world and Iran called for their protection.
HRW said Nigeria's army version of events "does not stack up" and called for an independent judicial investigation into what happened.
The Shia have rejected a committee set up by the government to look into the incident, saying it would be biased.
"At best it was a brutal overreaction and at worst it was a planned attack on the minority Shia group," HRW Africa direction Daniel Bekele said.
The military accuses the pro-Iranian sect of trying to assassinate army chief Gen Tukur Buratai, which it denies.
It also released images purportedly showing Shia with sticks and some throwing stones at them when they tried to pass through a makeshift roadblock erected by the group.
But Human Rights Watch says there has been no "credible information" that any soldiers were injured or killed.
It is difficult to determine an accurate death toll but the information was gathered from hospital sources and eyewitnesses, the campaign group added in a statement.
Nigeria's Islamic spiritual leader, the Sultan of Sokoto, has warned that the raids on the sect, known as the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), could spark a new insurgency.
Militant Sunni Islamist group Boko Haram has killed thousands of people in its pursuit of an Islamic state, and has attacked the IMN.
The IMN said the military had destroyed its religious shrine and the home of its leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky during the raid.
Sheikh Zakzaky is currently being held by the police.
Those killed during the incident include the group's deputy leader and its spokesman.
Last year, three sons of Sheikh Zakzaky were killed in clashes between the army and pilgrims in a religious procession.
 And from all indications the Nigerian President have said nothing on these happenings...most think it is so because he is of the Sunni branch of Islam...We just hope all these will not bring the middle east  war to Nigeria. 

I

3 Fast and Easy Ways to Kick-Start the Growth of Your Business!

Business growth is one of those terms that is thrown around a lot nowadays. For me, this used to simply mean increasing revenue.
As a business owner myself, I’m focused. My eyes are ‘on the prize’.
However, in my pursuit to continue to grow my own businesses, and start-up new ones – I have come to a realization. Actually a few… And I’d like to share these three quick tips that I hope you seriously consider taking on board, so that you can start growing your business a little faster in today’s market.

#1 – Give Stuff Away for Free!

Giving something of great value away for absolutely nothing is huge in today’s market. In his book ‘World Wide Rave’, author David Meerman Scott talks about creating a trigger that encourages people to share something, anything, with others – and people will naturally arrive at your doorstep. I followed his advice, wrote a number of free eBooks, and they’ve since been downloaded by over 15,000 people collectively – and I know for a fact that many, many people have passed them on to other people, and so – my own personal little World Wide Rave began, and is still if full swing!
Create something of massively high value. Something that you would SELL, to make money. And then simply give it away, baby!

#2 – Innovate, Don’t Duplicate!

Nobody likes a copy-cat! Seriously. Nobody. I spoke about this recently. Think about it – you’ve seen products or even service related companies before in the past, that have blatantly ripped off someone else’s idea… right? I know I have, and I have even had it happen to me, too!
Copying or duplicating someone else’s idea might, in the short-term make you a little cash, but long-term? Forgeddaboutit!!! (said in a Tony Soprano voice!).
To grow your business proactively, and with long-term in mind, you must be seen to be doing something differently. Or, at least doing something that other people are doing in a totally different way – whatever that may be.
If someone else has a dog walking company that is doing well, and you’re also passionate about walking dogs – by all means, start a dog walking company, too. But, perhaps add a little spice into the whole thing and promise ‘doggie aerobics’ as part of your sales package, or something similar. Business growth is about being different. Standing out. Making things happen on your own terms… and most importantly – its about PASSION!

#3 – Build a Personal Brand!

People want to do business with other people. Seriously. This is something that I go into quite a bit of detail on in my 7-Day ‘New Business’ Bootcamp – and for good reason.
The way we build and marketing our companies has changed drastically. We can build credibility, authority and genuinely help our prospective customers by solving problems for them, and inspiring them in different ways, in relation to what we can provide to them.
Getting active on social media channels, recording helpful ‘How To’ videos and uploading them to YouTube, even creating a podcast are all great ways to help people, and build a brand for yourself and your business.
It’s golden! Build a personal brand, people!

Escalating Syria conflict: Russia air strikes 'killed 200 or more civilians

At least 200 civilians were killed in Russian air strikes in Syria from 30 September to 29 November, an Amnesty International report says.

Quoting witnesses, the human rights group accuses Russia of using cluster bombs in civilian areas, and says such attacks could constitute war crimes.
Moscow insists it is targeting only the positions of "terrorist" groups.
Amnesty said in its report it is also researching concerns about the US-led coalition air strikes in Syria.
The US has rarely acknowledged civilian deaths in its air bombardment of the so-called Islamic State (IS), which began in September 2014, although some monitoring groups say the toll could run into hundreds.

Russia began air strikes in September this year, saying it was acting at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It is targeting IS and other groups it has designated to be terrorists, some of which are backed by the West.

'No military targets'

In the report, Amnesty said it had "researched remotely" more than 25 Russian attacks that took place in Homs, Hama, Idlib, Latakia and Aleppo between 30 September and 29 November.
It had interviewed by phone or over the internet witnesses to the attacks, and had audio and video evidence, as well as "advice from weapons experts". Amnesty said.
It said there was evidence that Russia's military "unlawfully used unguided bombs in densely populated areas and inherently indiscriminate cluster munitions".

Amnesty set out its findings into six attacks - each of which, it said, caused dozens of civilian casualties, but had no obvious military target nearby.
On 29 November, for example, it said at least one suspected Russian warplane fired three missiles into a busy public market in Ariha, in Idlib province.
A local activist group said a total of 49 civilians were either killed or missing and feared dead.
"It was a normal Sunday; there was nothing unusual. People were buying goods; children were eating," the activist, Mohammed Qurabi al-Ghazal, told Amnesty.
"First there was a loud explosion - dirt flying in the air - followed immediately by shock. In just a few moments, people were screaming, the smell of burning was in the air and there was just chaos."
He said the armed group Jaysh al-Fateh controlled the area, but did not have any presence inside Ariha itself.
"Some Russian air strikes appear to have directly attacked civilians or civilian objects by striking residential areas with no evident military target and even medical facilities, resulting in deaths and injuries to civilians," Amnesty's Philip Luther said.
"Such attacks may amount to war crimes," he added.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the defence ministry would be looking into the accuracy of the Amnesty report.
On Monday, when asked if Russia was using cluster bombs in Syria, Mr Peskov said it was "conducting its operation in strict conformity with principles and norms of the international law".
The Kremlin has previously described similar reports as "information warfare" aimed at discrediting its operations in Syria.
President Vladimir Putin said in October that reports of alleged civilian casualties had emerged before the first air strikes were even carried out.
More than 250,000 people are believed to have been killed and millions of people have been forced to flee their homes since the conflict began in Syria in March 2011.

Biafra: FG slams fresh 6-count charge against Kanu, 2 others

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri
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ABUJA -‎The Federal Government has slammed a fresh six-count criminal charge against the embattled leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mr. Nnamdi Kanu.
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Kanu was charged before the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court alongside two others, Benjamin Madubugwu and David Nwawuisi.‎
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The trio were accused of committing treasonable felony, an offence punishable under Section 41(C) of the Criminal Code Act, CAP C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
The charge which came up for mention before trial Justice ‎Ahmed Mohammed Tuesday, was endorsed by the Director of  Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr. Mohammed Saidu Diri.
Meantime, when the matter was called up by Justice Mohammed Tuesday, neither the prosecuting counsel nor the accused persons ‎were present in court.
‎However, one Barrister Ifeanyi Ejiofor announced appearance for the defendants, even as he queried the seriousness of the federal government to prosecute the matter.
‎Ejiofor insisted that the fresh charge was noting but a ploy by the government to ensure the continued detention of the accused persons, especially Kanu, who was earlier granted bail by the same high court.
Nevertheless, Justice Mohammed, explained that though the matter was slated in the court’s cause-list for mention yesterday, he said it was obvious that the prosecution was not notified.
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‎The Judge therefore adjourned the case Wednesday, saying a date for the arraignment of the accused persons would be communicated to all the parties.

Five Ways To Grow Your Small Business FAST

Interestingly enough, I notice patterns in the questions they ask me. Based on these I decided to share 5 easy ways to grow your small business without overwhelming yourself.
Hopefully this will help ALL who read.

HOW DO I GET TO GROW MY BUSINESS?

First thing first, growing a business does not always mean MORE PROFIT, as a matter of fact, often times, growth induces more spendings and overhead costs.

For growth to make sense, it needs to outpace the overheads so that it doesn't cripple the margin of profit.

The worst spot I find many businesses, is during the growing pains stages. They grow, not fast enough to hire quality help, but fast enough to have everyone stressed and overwhelmed!

PRO TIP: Have a strategic growth and plan for it. Start by improving your systems, make better use of your team and be more productive. Very much like a spring that contracts before releasing the energy to leap forward.
Every business is different, yet all have common grounds. So look into how to make better use of your time and your team's time.

• Create a daily plan and share it with the team
• Use a calendar that you can access on mobile and desktop and SYNC it.
• Know your deadlines but make them reasonable before having them set.
• Learn to say “No” -I brought that up in previous articles already-
• Prioritize your day in blocks 1 "TOP 3 MUST GET DONE STUFF"
• Use task-management and collaboration apps and platforms such as Trello, Asana, Basecamp, Doodle and Appointlet.
• Eliminate your time wasters but learn to take meaningful BREAKS!

NEVER EVER do yourself what you can get others to do for you faster better and cheaper!

Get focused on your RIGHT target market.

A lot of businesses, small or big as a matter of fact, waste ridiculous amounts of money and time chasing all the "potential clients" and the "awesome opportunities"
Well, it NEVER FAILS if a business owner decides to drill a vertical, go after the same clients, patients, customers, in the same category and offer the same products, the growth is always greater, the profit margins greater and satisfaction greater as well.

Why? Because all the processes involved in acquiring new clients, nurturing them and delivering the goods are refined. Everyone gets better at it.

Once that is flowing smoothly, THEN it's time to pick another target audience, new vertical and start drilling again, while the previously acquired customer base can be put into the "up selling mode"
Too many businesses neglect the clients that already brought and focus mostly on NEW prospects and leads. Change THAT and your business WILL GROW.

Think in Quarters:

The big NYE boys are doing it, the IRS encourages all to it... So should you! Instead of nebulous and evasive resolutions and goals for your business in 2015, divide the year into four. Eat your elephant, one bite at a time! -one quarter at a time-
This simple way of looking at your year, will make it easier to set realistic goals and therefore reach them, BUT if you were to NOT meet your expectations, no big deal, you can assess, learn and readjust for the next quarter.

Strengthen YOUR Online Reputation

This is no secret, we ALL go online, on our smartphones to check the reviews of businesses we are about to deal with. A dealership, a pizzeria, a plumber, whoever, and whatever, all are scrutinized by consumers before commitments are done.
If you do it, your kids do it, your grandkids do it, I guarantee you, your prospects do it too!

We ALL WANT THE SAME THING: the most amount of stuff for the least amount of money for the best quality...

Whatever you provide, others offer it too and your prospects will do business with the ones with the best online reputation. I am SHOCKED at how many business owners have NEVER considered investing in building, protecting and marketing their reputation, yet they invest hundreds of thousands in equipment, education, staff, marketing and insurance. Yet a single bad review can obliterate your hopes for growth as 80% of consumers will change their mind based on a negative item posted online...

Get on LinkedIn and Network!

View LinkedIn as a huge trade show, everyone is here... The big caveat of a trade show is to not be able to find all those that you could really mutually benefit from. Build a strong strategic alliance, talk merger, talk lead generation, talk products and services, at those shows, its often like a three ring circus. Distractions often times derail the best efforts.
On linkedIn you can easily find the right folks using the advanced search features, send a few enamels and you're good go... I may have it hyper simplified, but you get the gist of it. Here, on LinkedIn, it's easy to cut through the clutter and focus on your ideal clients, partners or suppliers, just do your research and reach out! etc

SAVE MONEY!

Bottom dollars ALWAYS beat top dollars, so, adding new business on the top and not maximizing the bottom dollars is... not wise or even stupid.
Stuff you'd never think about can add up quick in nice savings:
Laptop computers consume approximately 90 percent less energy than standard desktop computers!
This example is just to illustrate that savings are EVERYWHERE, you just need to pay attention.
Find ways to save money, every penny saved is a penny earned and READY TO BE REINVESTED.

Join "purchasing groups" this seem to be the easiest way to save money the fastest and therefore allow for growth.
Companies like CorpMatch save their 4000+ members 15% to 75% corporate discounts on products and services these small businesses were ALREADY using!

These purchasing groups leverage the buying power of their numerous members to offer AMAZING savings, some sound too good to be true, and yet are true...

• Corpmatch.com is 4000+ members strong
• UPG.org is another solid group to look into.

I sincerely hope these articles are helping you make the most of of 2015 leveraging LinkedIn and strategic marketing.
Best regards
Jerome Knyszewski

Fayose at it again...20 things Nigerians may experience in 2016 under Buhari’s govt, by Fayose

Barely nine days into the new year, Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has stated 20 things Nigerians should expect to happen under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government in 2016.

Fayose

In a statement personally signed by Fayose, yesterday, he said: “Fellow Nigerians, I want you to take note of the followings that will unavoidably happen under the Buhari-led government in 2016.”
1. Workers Strike: There will be so much industrial unrest, especially in the first quarter of the year.
2. Subsidy: There will be removal of fuel subsidy and petrol (PMS) will sell over and above N100/litre, leaving the masses in more serious hardship. Product will not be available and long queue in petrol stations will persist throughout the first quarter of 2016 and beyond.
3. Electricity: Power generation will drop to the lowest ebb. Still, Federal Government will increase tariff in 2016.
4. Unemployment: Millions of jobs will be lost in 2016 as against the three million jobs promised by the APC yearly. Most States and Federal Government will retrench workers as evident in the over 2,000 Federal University workers already sacked.
5. Economic Policy: Most private owned middle-class businesses will fold up because of bad economic policies of the Buhari-led government.
6. Devaluation: The Naira will continue to have a free fall which will take it to as low as N320 to one Dollar.
7. Economy: The Buhari-led FG will have no solution to country’s economic problems.
8. Security: Boko Haram will keep spreading and the Shiite Muslims will get more emboldened.
9. Human Rights: Penchant for dictatorship will rise with rampant human rights abuses and disobedience to court orders.
10. Anti-Corruption: Insincerity in the fight against corruption will continue and the fight will not only be selective and political, but targeted more at Southerners.
11. Elections: Attempt to forcefully control any of the South South States of Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa by the APC will lead to unprecedented deaths.
12. Economy: Crude oil price will fall to below and about $30 per barrel.
13. Anti-Press Laws: The masses, especially men of the media profession will rise against the FG’s plot to deny Nigerians of their rights to freedom of expression. There will wide condemnations by Nigerians and the International community against President Buhari’s human rights abuses and disobedience to court orders.
14. Polity: Renewed efforts will be made to remove Senator Bukola Saraki as the Senate President; this will not only fail, but will heat the polity.
15. Hardships: Nigerians will experience more hardships. The President himself attested to this (THE SUN newspaper Tuesday, December 15, 2015). This obviously negates the change Nigerians voted for.
16. Elections: Plot by the APC to take control of at least one South South State will lead to death of many people. Particularly, rerun elections in Rivers and Akwa-Ibom States will cause many deaths.
17. Corruption: Halliburton scam may be revisited in 2016.
19. Kogi State: Court will sack Governor-Elect, Yahaya Bello.
Bayelsa State: Governor Seriake Dickson will win the supplementary election.
Taraba State: Governor Darius Ishaku will be victorious at the Court.
20. Politics: There will be subtle political alignment and realignment before the end of the year ahead of 2019 elections.

Feminine hygiene tips: How to smell good ‘down there’?

It's dark, moist, and closed off most of the day -- yes, we're talking about your vaginal area! These factors can create a foul-smelling odor and can also make you feel embarrassed. Find out various techniques on how to keep it fresh 'down there'!

Feminine hygiene tips: How to smell good ‘down there’?

Read more to find out how to maintain good feminine hygiene and the washes available!

As soon as puberty strikes, along with having mixed feelings towards our newfound womanhood, responsibilities start pouring in too. One of those unavoidable responsibilities is feminine hygiene, which should be a priority for ladies of all ages.
When it comes to feminine hygiene, it’s important for women to be very meticulous and consistent with maintaining the cleanliness of their vaginas. Although, no matter how clean and healthy a woman’s vagina is, it will always have a distinct smell that’s natural and innate.
But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ll tell you different techniques on how to keep it ‘fresh’ in the vaginal area! Read the Feminine hygiene tips here:

How to smell good ‘down there’

Visit a gynecologist
Trips to the gynecologist can be pretty daunting. Nevertheless, they are still recommended and really help with the process of maintaining good feminine hygiene. More importantly, gynecologists offer valuable information on how to maintain the cleanliness of the vaginal area and also recommend feminine hygiene products according to a woman’s specific pH level.
On normal checkups, the gynecologist will just check the vaginal area for anything out of the ordinary. If any vaginal infections or sexually transmitted diseases come up, they will be treated accordingly. Sexually active women are encouraged to visit twice a year (minimum) for a routine pap smear.
One thing to keep in mind, if there’s ever an abnormal discharge with a foul, fishy smell, women are encouraged to visit their gynecologist immediately.
Trim it down
Pubic hair can cause the vagina to have a ‘funky’ smell. This is because the hair traps sweat and drops of body secretions. In order to have excellent feminine hygiene, women are recommended to shave or trim their pubic hair. For those who want to feel extremely clean, a full Brazilian is recommended. That hairless look is not just appealing to women but to their partners too.

Read how to keep your vaginal area smelling ‘fresh’ with these feminine hygiene washes!

Choose products wisely
There are a lot of feminine hygiene washes and products out in the market today. While all of these products claim to be the best, women are encouraged to be wary of them. Products that contain strong scents, no matter how hypo-allergenic they claim to be, can cause infections which leads to itching, swelling and foul-smelling discharge.
Women should stick to a feminine hygiene product recommended by their gynecologist or to the ones that they have been using for a long time. This will really help with maintaining good feminine hygiene.
Wipe it clean
After each trip to the bathroom, a woman needs to wipe the outer surface of her vagina clean. This eliminates the acrid scent of urine, sweat and natural discharge. Instead of using rough tissue paper, opt for baby wipes instead.
Wash often
Whenever possible, women should wash their private parts in order to smell good. Do not use regular soaps as it can be really drying and irritating. Utilise a feminine hygiene product for washing purposes and dry the area properly. Make it a habit to wash before and after sex to avoid any embarrassing revelations.
You are what you eat
Experts say, ‘you are what you eat’ and that can greatly influence how one also smells ‘down there’. Curb spicy foods as well as asparagus if you want to smell heavenly. Consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables to have a fresh smelling scent in the vaginal area. Drink lots of water, pineapple juice and cranberry juice.
Tell us what you’re doing to ensure great feminine hygiene and to keep it ‘fresh’ down there?

“Kaduna Governor El-Rufai Behind The Killings Of Shiite Muslims In Nigeria” – Sect Alleges

 Members of the Shiite group have released a statement accusing Kaduna state governor Nasir El Rufai as seeing them as enemies of the state. El Rufai had in a state broadcast last Thursday condemned the seeming lawlessness of the group in the state.

    “It is clear that the governor is more like an extremist anti-Shi’ite governor and not a state governor. Going by the concept and tone of the state broadcast on the extra-judicial killing of thousands of members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria by the Nigerian Army, delivered by the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir Ahmed el-Rufai, it is clear that the governor is more like an extremist anti-Shi’ite governor and not a state governor. Although the governor took his time in his speech to elaborate on rights to religion and social association, but he chose to deny only the Shi’ites such rights who he sees as his enemies. Clearly, he spent considerable time collecting propaganda details indicting the movement, which further buttresses the point that the state governor has his hands soiled by the blood spilled in the mass extra-judicial killings perpetrated by the Army. In that circumstance, no justice should be expected from a speech made up with details only provided by the antagonistic culprits without hearing from the other party who are the victims in this case. During the one-sided speech, he brought up a number of allegations that he said they discovered. We will take up these one after the other. He alleged that our centre had no building permit and such other allegations. One wonders why if the Kaduna state government felt the Hussainiyah was wrongly erected or breached planning permits, they did not resort to legal action rather than use of brutal force. Why not get a court order to effect an eviction? Or does the government mean there are no magistrates or Alkali left in Zaria anymore? For Governor El-Rufai to claim that there is no valid paper on the land on which Husainiyya was built as the basis for this military attack, only further proves that the attack was premeditated. We are equally astonished when the Governor in his broadcast claimed that “they had tried to forcibly acquire the property of their neighbours; this is apart from subjecting residents to an illegal curfew.” We challenge the governor to cite one particular case where we forcibly acquired a property, let alone a time when we imposed curfew. There had been tension in parts of Zaria since Thursday, 10 December 2015, when members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria were alleged to have attacked Gabari, a community on the outskirts of Zaria, in continuation of a dispute over a mosque. We would like to ask Mr. Governor how many disputes over mosques have been reported in the 37 years that the IMN have been there in Zaria? The idea that Shiites will go and take over a Salafi mosque is as laughable as the idea that Christian evangelicals will raid a Catholic cathedral and tell the adherents to get out. This big lie cannot stand any scrutiny. What happened in Gabari is not “Mosque snatching” as the governor claims. It was a case of some Salafist bent on attacking the Shiites in the neighbourhood. In the process they killed one person the week before and a further three Shiites on Thursday. The governor cleverly stated this in his speech as if to show that we were not the victims but the assailants. The Governor made mention of the Arbaeen symbolic trek as an instance where we blocked roads for four days when he stated, “In the last two weeks, the Islamic Movement of Nigeria has also illegally occupied federal roads. Over a period of four days, they took over one side of the federal expressway between Kaduna and Zaria, and the roads to Kano and Katsina. Clearly, this is a deliberate attempt to twist the facts. During the Arbaeen symbolic treks, we block only limited part of the road, and this is to protect persons from traffic accidents, control mass movement and avoid chaos on the roads. The governor here was trying to give the impression of a complete occupation of a lane for four days. That was not the case. Blocks were only from junction to junction on the roads. The public was informed about these little inconveniences with apologies on public radio and television stations throughout the trek. Road users during the period would be surprised by the governor’s statement. How does this compare with similar road blocks by others such as the Military itself that blocks from Jaji to Zaria, and at times from Kaduna to Zaria or within Zaria metropolis during their parades? Citing road block as the reason for this brutal attack is just laughable. Where in the law books is it written that those who block the roads should be massacred without trials?  In addition, members of the movement are alleged to openly carry and use offensive weapons.” They challenged the governor to mention those weapons they found when security agents razed Husainiyya to the ground or Sheikh Zakzaky’s residence. While the military involved in this operation said in its press conference that they did not find any weapons after all the mass killings they did in Zaria, the governor in his desperate attempt to blacklist the movement, still talked of offensive weapons. From the speech of the governor one can deduce that he did all he can to portray the movement as assailants. After leveling all allegations against the movement, the governor went ahead to talk of setting up a Judicial Board of inquiry. One wonders why he didn’t leave the inquiry to determine who are the assailants and who are the victims. Definitely the scope and mission of the inquiry could be problematic. The army is a federal institution. It would be difficult enough for a state judge to inquire into what they have done when they are not answerable to state officials. How will such a judge now also overturn conclusions already reached by the governor?”

Kate Hanshaw Not Happy With The Nigerian Police Force, Shares Ugly Experience

Story by Maryjane Ezeh/Nigeriafilms.com

Celebrated Nollywood actress is presently not happy with the activities of some Nigerian policemen and took to her twitter handle to recount her ugly experience with them.
? There have been countless reports from civilians who have been subjected to inhumane treatment, beatings and abuse in the hands of the officers of the NPF. And since the recurring issue is yet to be addressed by the NPF, Kate had to do her own bit on social media.
?The whole sad scene occurced while Kate was driving through the streets of Lagos and witnessed one of such shocking incidence. The Nollywood actress took to her Twitter page to narrate how the police officers stationed at Ligali Ayorinde caused a gridlock, and yet, proceeded to beat up drivers with their guns.?
Her tweets reads; "Shame to the so called policemen and soldiers @ Ligali Ayorinde junction!! Hitting people with guns. If this was a country where we all had guns..
Their brazenness comes from the weapons they use!! One is reeking of igbo.. just carried one young guy who questioned him!!
I'm in my car before dem release stray bullet, it's thier way.
This is madness!!! Now they have blocked the road and are beating someone!!! Lord!!!!
Ligali Ayorinde junction leading to Four points. Traffic jam that they pretending to clear but end up aggravating. Hmmm this my country needs more than prayers. This is just pure evil n intimidation of civilians!! So so wrong!!, she tweeted.

Nigerian jailed 330 years in the US for raping daughter

This holiday season, Emmanuel Ngene is spending his sixth year inside a South Eastern United States penitentiary. At 56, he has 225 years, five months and ten days left to serve for first degree rape of his daughter, a crime he continues to deny, supported by members of his network of friends and family. Few years after he was incarcerated, Emma Ngene had partial stroke from the stress of the trial and subsequent imprisonment.
Emmanue Ngene, like most aspiring young Nigerians whose lives were mortgaged to a battered inflation-driven economy of early 80s, sought survival overseas. He chose the United States as his destination for better life. He relocated in 1981. He would discover that life in God’s own country was just an imaginary tale. On arrival, Emmanuel desired education. But he had no money. Survival in a strange place, alone, was then important to him. He engaged in menial jobs to support his dreams of a better life here.
Years after he adapted to the lifestyle and surviving the culture shock of a different environment, Emmanuel returned to his hometown in Eastern Nigeria in search of a wife. He found love in Mary, a home girl. They married months after. Emmanuel became a regular visitor to his homeland from America; frequenting his village to be with his new wife and family. He returned every holiday, especially Christmas, to celebrate with his wife and other members of the family. Their first child, a baby girl, was born on November 9, 1998 in Nigeria. The couple would have two additional children after the birth of their daughter.
In June 2007, Emmanuel’s wife and children came to the United States to live in a two-bedroomed apartment with their father. Family and friends said that marital problems manifested when the wife was shocked at the strange standard of living in America as compared to what she was used to in Nigeria. She was also alleged to be disappointed that her husband was a Taxicab driver, an unsteady source of financial income. Emmanuel was gone all day, driving a taxi from morning and returned home at night with not enough income to support the family. Soon, the parents began arguing about money. Mary allegedly complained regularly of being bored at home, caring for the children. Emmanuel, frustrated by her daily musings about life in the United States and insufficient income, encouraged his wife to get certification for CNA: Certified Nurses Aid: she did, passed and got employed at one of the nursing homes as a care giver: providing ageing American population with daily assisted living and care. His wife’s new job, allegedly introduced her to a new social environment. She immediately began to explore her new found friends and friendship within her work place. Emmanuel suspected a change in his wife’s attitudes: she was no longer the charming obedient wife he had in Nigeria. She would refuse his sexual desires and appeals. The marriage became tumultuous.
They were drifting apart as husband and wife: Emmanuel complained to his friends that his wife was always gone and seemed no longer interested in the marriage. It also affected his taxi cab business. He often returned home midday to make sure the children were fed and cared for. Most times, he alleged the wife was gone. When he asked her where she had been, she yelled at him: ‘mind your business. I am a grown woman and I can do whatever I want to do.’ Emma was raging inside. He thought he had a decent beautiful wife that loved the family and the children. He thought it was until death do them part! A wife he married and suffered to bring to America. Their children were drifting apart too.
The circumstances that led Emmanuel Ngene into a lifetime jail are too complex. The stories are bizarre from both sides. Ngene’s family sources, almost seven years after he was found guilty, still believed he was railroaded by his wife and the judiciary. Their stories remain consistent, each alleging that Ngene’s wife, Mary, may have coerced her daughter to lie that her father raped and assaulted her. Part of the family version said that during one of Ngene’s lunch visits home to check on the children, he allegedly found his then young daughter in an explicit compromising position with a neighborhood boy, in the family’s living room!. He became agitated, asked the boy to leave immediately. Soon after the boy left, he grabbed his daughter and spanked her intensely. Mother allegedly walked in as dad was spanking their daughter. She jumped on him and began to scratch and scream. Their daughter, disengaged from the whip, cried profusely from the burns of the belt whipping. She had lacerations on her butt. Their mother, while restraining Emmanuel, instructed their daughter to dial 911. Few minutes later, police came to their door, handcuffed Emmanuel and took him down town. The police officer, noticing the lacerations on the girl’s body, requested for the ambulance to take the young girl and her mother to hospital for medical observations and interrogation. Emmanuel was hauled to jail!
However, in a court document filed, the court posited, “One day in August 2007, defendant asked Cindy(to protect the minor child, the court identified her as Cindy, not her real name) to help him check his email on the computer in his bedroom. After they had finished with the email, defendant told Cindy to stay in the room while he went into the bathroom. He came out wearing only his underwear and a T-shirt. He asked her if she knew what sex was and then pulled down her pants while she was lying on the bed. He pulled off his underwear, got on top of her, and had vaginal intercourse with her. On 31 August 2008, Cindy’s mother took Cindy to the emergency room at Wake Med where they met with a nurse, Kimberly Lewis, and a doctor, Dr. Chris Johnson. Ms. Lewis did a head-to-toe assessment of Cindy and observed bruises on her arms. Cindy told her the bruises came from a broomstick. Cindy also informed Ms. Lewis that she had been sexually assaulted many times.
“Dr. Johnson took a basic history and examined Cindy to determine if she needed immediate treatment. Cindy told him that defendant had been having vaginal and anal intercourse with her over the past year. Because she had not been assaulted within the past 72 hours, Dr. Johnson did not perform a rape kit. Dr. Johnson’s examination of Cindy was limited to her external genitalia and looking for signs of trauma, of which he saw none. He diagnosed Cindy with alleged sexual abuse. He noticed that Cindy appeared somewhat shy and that her mother was “appropriately concerned and worried.”
The hospital notified Wake County Human Services (“WCHS”) and the Raleigh Police Department (“RPD”) of the allegations. Katie Treadway of WCHS and Officer Harvey of RPD arrived at the hospital to interview Cindy. After describing the sexual conduct, Cindy also informed them that one time she bled after defendant had sex with her. She also stated that sometimes defendant “peed on her,” and she had to go in the bathroom to clean herself up. Ms. Treadway felt Cindy was very detailed in her description of the events.
Over the course of Cindy’s fourth grade school year, defendant engaged in vaginal intercourse with Cindy approximately 10 times. Approximately three of these times, defendant had her turn over on her stomach so he could also penetrate her anus. In August 2008, Cindy finally disclosed to her mother what defendant was doing.
At the hospital, the doctors during examination found that she had been penetrated. The police officer asked her who may have penetrated her; she looked at her mother, seeking protection. Her mother instructed her to answer that it was her father! She reluctantly told the officer that her father had penetrated her! The officer asked if she was sure, she bowed and fearfully said yes sir!”
However, Emmanuel Ngene denied the rape charges and penetration of his daughter. He contended that her daughter was sexually molested and penetrated by a boy at her school in Nigeria, the head mistress of the daughter’s school called him when the incident happened and he travelled home to remove his daughter from the school because of the molestation.
The court wrote thus:
“Defendant first contends that the trial court erred in not allowing him to testify regarding his claim that Cindy had been sexually assaulted in 2006 by someone else while in Nigeria. He argues that this evidence was admissible under N.C.R. Evid. 412(b) because it provided an alternative explanation for the paediatrician’s physical findings. Although Rule 412 generally excludes evidence of a complainant’s prior sexual behaviour as irrelevant, it provides an exception for “evidence of specific instances of sexual behaviour offered for the purpose of showing that the act or acts charged were not committed by the defendant.” N.C.R. Evid. 412(b)(2).
“Here, defendant testified during voir dire that, in 2006, he received a call from his wife that Cindy had been sexually assaulted at school, was walking funny, and was bleeding. He claimed that he flew home to Nigeria and transferred Cindy from Graceland Private School, where the assault had supposedly occurred, to another school.
“When Cindy and her mother were questioned on voir dire, however, each denied that any sexual assault had occurred. Cindy acknowledged changing schools, but her mother explained that she had moved Cindy to a different school because Graceland Private School was too expensive.”
Emmanuel remained in the county jail as prosecutors began to build a case against him. The prosecutor offered him a deal: Plead guilty and spend 15 years in jail or go to trial and if found guilty, could face 250 years to life. He refused the deal and sought to be tried because it was an abomination, in his culture, for a man to sexually molest his own daughter and penetrate her. He felt his innocence and said that he would rather die in jail than plead guilty to a crime he did not commit. It took one year for Emmanuel to go to trial. It only took the jury three hours to return with a guilty verdict. Emmanuel was sentenced to 300 to 369 years in prison. On December 3, 2009, Emmanuel Ngene began serving his sentence. He was preparing to travel to Nigeria to bury his mother when he was arrested.
“On 22 September 2008, a grand jury returned 15 separate bills of indictment, charging defendant with four counts of indecent liberties with a child, four counts of incest, three counts of first degree sexual offence, and four counts of first degree rape. Following trial, the jury found defendant guilty of all 15 counts and also found the existence of an aggravating factor: that defendant had taken “advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the offence or offences.” The trial court entered 15 separate judgements. The court sentenced defendant to four consecutive aggravated-range sentences of 300 to 369 months imprisonment for the four counts of first degree rape; three consecutive aggravated-range sentences of 300 to 369 months imprisonment for the three counts of first degree sex offence; four consecutive presumptive-range sentences of 16 to 20 months imprisonment for the four counts of incest; and four consecutive presumptive-range sentences of 16 to 20 months for the four counts of indecent liberties with a child. Defendant timely appealed to this Court.”
I recently contacted Ms. Mary Ngene for interview with regards to this essay. Her response:” If you write anything about me, I will sue you!”

Muslims to Buhari: We’ll defy any ban on Hijab

Some Muslim groups have said they will use every lawful means to resist any attempt by President Muhammadu Buhari to place a ban on veils for Muslim women in the country.
These Muslim groups which include the Muslim Rights Concern, Muslim Ummah of South-West of Nigeria and Muslim Students Society of Nigeria told SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday that the proposal by the Federal Government along with some West African leaders was unacceptable.
President Buhari along with other Heads of States and Government of the Economic Community of West African Countries on had on Friday called for a ban on all dress codes that tend to hide people’s identity.
The Federal Government was part of a meeting held during the week by the Economic Community of West African States which issued a communiqué on Friday after the two-day meeting calling for a ban on face veils as the region contend with the challenges of terrorism, particularly from Boko Haram.
This was revealed in a communiqué obtained by our correspondent on ECOWAS’ website, after the regional body held its 48th Ordinary Session in Abuja, which was followed by a ceremony to commemorate the 40th anniversary of its creation.
The statement said, “Similarly, the Heads of State and Government are of the view that certain dress codes, which make identification of the persons concerned difficult, may considerably hinder actions geared towards protecting people and properties. They therefore urge all Member States to take, in line with their national realities, appropriate measures to ban any dress code that may make it difficult to identify people.”
In separate telephone interviews with our correspondent, the various Islamic bodies stated that the proposed ban on Muslim dress codes was unacceptable.
The National Amir of the MSSN, Muhammad Jameel Muhammad, stated that the proposed ban or restriction would not be accepted by Muslims.
He said, “We are making our position known next week (this week). We will not allow our fundamental rights to be trampled upon. We will use every possible lawful means to ensure that the proposed ban does not happen. We are ready to take the matter to court to defend our rights.”
Speaking in a similar vein, the Director of the Muslim rights group, MURIC, Professor Ishaq Akintola, said that group does not agree with the idea of banning Muslims’ veils in order to fight against insurgents in the country. According to him, neither the Federal Government nor the ECOWAS has the power to stop Muslims from wearing veils.
“We do not agree with any ban on veil. Muslims are free to use hijab. Every Muslim woman has the right to. Banning of the veil is not a solution to countering terrorism. I don’t agree any form of such a ban will be acceptable to Muslims. The country’s security agencies should know what to do to curb terrorism.
“Banning a particular dress of Muslims is not the way to go. They do not have the power to ban it. ECOWAS does not have the power to ban the culture of a people,” Prof. Akintola said.
The Executive Secretary of MUSWEN, Professor Dawud Noibi, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the veil used by Muslims all over the world including Nigeria is sensitive to the values of Islam and Muslims.
Noibi said, “I would imagine that veil is something very sensitive to the values of Muslims and Islam. It is something Muslims hold very dear – proper dressing by women; it is part of the Islamic injunction.
“Some other ways of preventing terrorism should be sourced (by the Federal Government). I said this as a general comment because I have not read the communiqué. Religious values (as the use of veils by Muslims) require very careful handling.”
SUNDAY PUNCH’s efforts to reach the leader of the Nigeria Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs, Professor Ishaq Oloyede, were futile as telephone calls made to his phone were not answered and text message sent to him not replied.
Also, phone calls and a text message sent to the National Missioner of Nasrulahi l Fatihi Society of Nigeria, Azeez Onike, and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam were not responded to.