Labaran Maku Versus Transparency and Accountability

Former Nigerian Minister, Oby Ezekwesili, who was also at one time "Madame Due Process is stepping up the national conversation. Last weekend, in her remarks during the convocation lecture at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, she accused the Nigerian government of squandering about $45 Billion in foreign reserve account and another $22Billion in the Excess Crude Account left after the last administration. Following the reports of her speech in the press, the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, accused Mrs. Ezekwesili of misinforming the Nigerian public, insisting she has doesn't have sufficient understanding of government finances.

According to SaharaReporters, "although Maku made these sweeping statements, he did not provide any substance to his attempted rebuttal of Mrs. Ezekwesili, who was briefly the Minister of Education before her departure for the World Bank. But Minister Maku did say of Mrs. Ezekwesili that she “collected” N352.3 billion as Minister of Education, suggesting that Ministerial budgets are normally “collected” by Ministers."

Dear Myne - My Boyfriend Does not Have a Degree

I met this guy of recent early this January. We've just been friends and from all indication he wants to be more than a friend with me. Anytime he is around me he keeps talking about marriage and all. The issue here is that I feel this guy did not attend a higher institution though his English is OK. He is a very nice guy with a good character.

To some extent, one can tell the kind of person a guy is with his relationship with his present family. I have seen him with his family and the way he cares for them. He is the first child with four younger ones. The way he relates with his family shows they are so close. The guy is God fearing.

I have not really had the liver to ask him about school issue, I don't want him to feel bad. There was a time we were talking and I was like for me, I want to go for my PGD this year and then my masters. He didn't say anything towards that so i sensed it and decided not to talk about school with him. I am the sensitive type so I acted sensitively that day by keeping quiet and not talk about school again till when am sure about his own school status.

Mom Holds down her crying Toddler to get a Tattoo

A shocking video was posted online yesterday which showed a woman, presumably the mother, holding down a crying toddler while he is being given a tattoo. No one is sure of the source but, you can hear the mother saying “mire, mire” – Spanish for “look” – as the distraught boy continues to scream and cry.

Some commentators have compared this to circumcision for boys, or piercing ear-lobes for girls as a way to excuse the act, but I'm not buying it. And while there are conflicting reports, it is believed this took place in Cuba where it's part of the culture, something to do with helping the boy to be a man or something.

Unless, that is the case, that mother and all those adults are simply abusing that child. After all, an American woman was arrested last year for giving her 11years old daughter a tattoo. What do you think?

Valentine Dinner Special For Toronto, GTA Residents

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How to Make Jollof Rice With Chicken and Plantain

Jollof Rice is one of the staple meals eaten in most Nigerian households. Put simply, it is rice stewed in tomato sauce. The method of preparation differs, and even I personally have about two ways I prepare Jollof Rice. In one method, I mix the tomato stew with stock and then cook the rice in the mixture. In the second, I cook the rice in plain stock with some chopped tomatoes, and mix when done with pre-fried tomato sauce. Using Chicken for my meat and stock, I'll outline the first method which I think is simpler.

Ingredients
3 cups of long-grain rice
1 pack of cut Chicken drumsticks
3 ladles vegetable oil1 can tomato puree - small size
4 small fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 medium size onion, chopped
2 Teaspoon of dry pepper
2 Knorr Chicken cubes
2 fingers of very ripe plantains
Salt and Spices to Taste

3rd Mainland Bridge Crash and the US Toyota Recalls

Over the weekend, the news outlets were agog with headlines of an overspeeding Toyota Sienna which crashed through the railings of the Third Mainland Bridge and fell into the Lagos Lagoon. Luckily, there was just one occupant in the car at the time of the accident, and he was rescued by Fishermen and others working on the lagoon. The man has now recovered a bit and spoke to the press saying he had not been overspeeding like had been earlier reported.

Reading this reminded me of the Toyota recalls of the past few years in the United States, of various Toyota brand cars with faulty accelerators. A crash with a recorded 911 call by an occupant who later died along with three others brought the sudden unintended acceleration fault to the public and national consciousness in 2009. Several other crashes involving Toyotas kept surfacing the issue up till 2011 when massive recalls by Toyota were launched, and the CEO appearing at a hearing before the American Congress.

In the Nigerian crash, the driver, Olusola Oladimeji, in addition to insisting that he had not been speeding, also commented that his airbags did not deploy after the crash. I had always kept half an ear on the Toyota faults and recall news since we also have a Toyota, and so this news report today made me try to check around for any connections.

Couple Love at Pastor Adefarasin's Birthday Dinner

When I look at red carpet pictures [see pics] of Nigerian events and awards, the shortage or complete absense of couples often strikes me. This time, it was an over-abundance, and that makes my heart glad. Most likely, the event being organized by a Pastor has something to do with it, or the older set of guests. Pastor Paul Adefarasin, the founder of House on the Rock, one of the more popular pentecostal churches in Nigeria, turned 50 recently and celebrated with family and friends. Some of the couples at the event are below.

How to be a Stay at Home Wife or Mother

Did you see how I used the stylish name and not the one most of us are used  to put up our noses at. Yeah, the H-word. I mean housewife. Another way to describe staying at home as a wife or mother is as a Homemaker, this I think is the best description. But whichever way it is put, a housewife usually does not have an external income, or she just does not earn as much as she would if she worked outside the home.

For this reason, a lot of stay at home wives and mothers will tell you, "I did not plan to be a housewife", but in my case I actually did. I mean we did, Atala and I. Let me start from the beginning. I am one of those never say never kind of people, I try to remain adaptable, and not to think in absolutes. For instance, it was never taboo in my mind for a woman to choose to be a housewife, the key word being choice. If a woman gets married and decides to stay home, either for the husband or the children, who was I to judge? Especially if it is working for their family?

Having a career or not is one of those topics that can get educated and socially-aware women up in arms, the debate being whether career women can be good mothers, and how much housewives contribute to the economy. I remember when Michelle Obama said at the DNC last year, “... my most important title is still ‘mom-in-chief.’” Some people were not happy about that, and feel that with all her degrees she should be out building on her career and not staying home.

Central Business District, Abuja - Picture Weekend

I lived in Abuja for just over six years, from July 2000 when I arrived for my youth service to September 2006 when I left for further studies in Scotland. It was the city where I spent the longest part of my adulthood, and where a lot of who I am today was formed. It's probably the only other place in addition to Seattle and Asaba that I consider home.

The last time I was in Abuja was in December 2010, I was there for the Infusion reading organized by Lola Shoneyin. It was a lovely time spent meeting new people, hanging out at some of my old haunts, revisiting some old friends, and generally chilling and fooling around with my sister.

As it was my first visit to Nigeria after a couple of years, I also ate voraciously of everything I had missed. As you can see from my cheeks and arms, I added like 10 pounds within the first week, LOL. But this post is more about the city itself and some the pictures I was able to capture for the time till I visit again.

I Dreamed a Dream - Les Miserables

After having assumed all this while that I Dreamed a Dream was a triumphant song, it was a double whammy to watch and listen to Anne Hathaway sing it in the Les Miserables movie. Too sad, I hope it doesn't make you cry. We watched the movie some weeks ago, and I have posted the review. Enjoy the song lyrics below..