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  • Living A Successful Life

    Living A Successful Life

    BY ELIJAH UGANI

    Success in life is not by shanks, it is a deliberate planning that requires lots of sacrifices anchored on self discipline, self denial and making unrelenting efforts to see to its realization. It is what you consciously plan for.

    Some say they want to be an embodiment of life, some move in the direction of life, moving without bearing and course.

    All round success is not professional or academic, it is not a game of shanks, you have to program a mindset to achieve an all round success.

    Some may be successful in business and fail in marriage, others succeed in marriage and fail in other aspect of life. To have an encompassing all round success, you can attempt to observe the following:

    1. Consciously make up your mind to be a happy man – Happiness is an ingredient to a successful life, do not allow societal issues to make you sad or withdraw your happiness, even when your superior don’t want to see you, do not allow that to take your happiness. Some people’s days of glory is near, you just need to be a little patient.

    2. Be humble in everything you do – Humility is a virtue and should be extolled. No matter the situation, position acquired, the higher you become, the more humble you should be. Do not allow anything to put on you the garment of pride, for pride goes before the fall. Pride will take away from you what ordinarily belongs to you while humility will give you what you don’t deserve.

    3. Be hardworking – some persons are so enticed to their comfort zones, no serious person will look for lazy people, what sustains and make you stand out among your equals is your output. Get new skills routinely, try and venture into innovative areas, try the unusual, that could be your celebration point.

    4. Be honest – The quest for material acquisition and to live like others if not more has resulted in the complete absence of honesty among us. You have to make honesty your watchword, be honest to a fault.

    What heaven has not given you, when you collect it by crook or by force with one hand, you will loose it with another hand.

    Honesty is a long term investment, when they are looking for honest people, even your enemy will recommend you, a honest person is a bold individual. When you alter figures, you will never have peace.

    5. Be holy, making Holiness your watchword – We can strive daily for Holiness, for without it, no one can see the Lord. In our efforts to be holy, God sees our heart and compliment our short comings.

    In our travails and challenges, remember that you can not get testimony without writing a test.

    6. Be heavenly conscious – Periodically, ask yourself, where do I go to after now, when this is done, most of these fightings, killings, man inhumanity to man we mate on ourselves daily will either be reduced or completely eradicated. If we fully rely on God, he will guarantee our success.

    7. Make holidays your hobby – Many people work and pursue money without rest, the stress they undergo will kill them before their time, take some time off, don’t allow your struggle to the detriment of your health. Recreate yourself, the money you are pursuing, you only met it and you will leave it one day. You can’t finish it.
    So, give yourself rest.

    Wishing you a splendid day ahead and an all round success.

    Elijah Ugani is a
    Development/Humanitarian Consultant
    Public/Motivational Speaker
    Writer/Publisher
    Public Analyst/Commentator
    He writes from Calabar.

  • C’River NYSC Set To Commence Home Grown Feeding Programme

    C’River NYSC Set To Commence Home Grown Feeding Programme

    By Elijah Ugani

    The State Coodinator of NYSC in Cross River State, Mr Zemoh Andrew received the Project Task Team PTT, and Members of the ongoing National Home Grown Feeding Programme NHGFP, of the federal government led by the Stats Team Focal Person who doubles as the Commissioner for Humanity and Social Welfare, Hon. Blessing Egbara in his office.

    Speaking during the visit, Egbara stated that corps members will be fully engaged in the next one month for the training, and emphasized the need for them to prepare ahead of time.

    She presented to the following items to the NYSC State Coordinator; over 160 iPads with chargers, power Banks and scanners.

    Responding, the State NYSC Coordinator, Mr Andrew Zimoh commended the team, and maintained that, “NYSC is used to accelerating successes of other Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies, this assignment will also be successful”

    The NYSC focal officer for the feeding programme, Mr Emmanuel Obot assured the team that corps members of the scheme are equal to the task, and noted that the programme will be carried our in line with government’s outlined procedures.

    He added that the training will hold in phases, in the four NYSC Zonal formations in the state.

    “Corps Members will converge at their respective Zonal headquarters as they will serve as enumerators for the programme across schools in Cross River State”, he added.

    Other members of the entourage include; Madam Elizabeth Odu, Zonal Monitor/Representative of the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Mr. Sunday Okoh, Net Trix State Consultant, Mr. Eric Egbe, Representatives from the National Orientation Agency, NOA, State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Ministry of Education, National Bureau of Statistics, NBS and the National Population Commission, NPC.

    The official launch of the training will hold at Calabar Municipality council by 10.00am on Monday, 19th July 2021 by the State Coordinator, Mr Andrew Zimoh.

  • Zemoh Takes Over C’River NYSC As The 28th State Coordinator

    Zemoh Takes Over C’River NYSC As The 28th State Coordinator

     

    Mr Andrew Zemoh has taken over the mantle of leadership from Alhaji Mohammed Nakamba as the 28th State Coordinator in Cross River State.

    Addressing Staff at the NYSC Secretariat, Calabar, Zemoh hinted that his administration is open for constructive criticism from both Senior and Junior officers, adding that his coming to Cross River State is divine, aimed at changing the narratives for good.

    He called on Staff to distance themselves from gossip and join hands with him to achieve the target set for the scheme by the Director General.

    Zemoh admonished staff to be punctual, while tasking heads of Departments and Units to always delegate responsibilities as a way of providing learning grounds for their subordinates. He said much is expected from the Secretariat for his success.

    Earlier in his welcome remarks, the out gone State Coordinator, Alhaji Mohammed Nakamba congratulated Zemoh and also acquainted him with the working model of the Secretariat. He called on the staff to extend the cooperation and support given him to the new Coordinator.

    Nakamba expressed optimism on the capacity of Zemoh to take the Secretariat to another level.

    Until his posting to Cross River, Zemoh was a Deputy Director, Career Management Division at Human Resource Management Department of the NYSC Directorate Headquarters, Abuja.

    Zemoh holds Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, and a Masters Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the University of Jos in Plateau State.

    He was a member of NYSC Corps at Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State during the 1991/92 service year and is proudly from Kaduna State

  • Centre For Clinical Care And Clinical Research Confers Child Rights Ambassador On Linda Ayade

    Centre For Clinical Care And Clinical Research Confers Child Rights Ambassador On Linda Ayade

    By Elijah Ugani

    The Center for Clinical Care and Clinical Research (CCCRN), has conferred Child Right Ambassador on the wife of the Cross River State Governor, Dr Linda Ayade, in recognition of her commitment to the welfare and development of children in Cross River State, during the official launch of the Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award (ICHSSA), LOT 1 project, phase 2 cash transfer to 250 project beneficiaries.

    The project is supported by the Cross River State Government and funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief through the U.S. Agency for International Development, implemented by CCCRN, in partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), alongside other local Community-Based Organizations in Cross River state.

    Delivering the keynote address, Dr Linda Ayade thanked CCCRN for the official Launch of the Phase 2 Cash Transfer to 250 beneficiaries worth forty million Naira, and for the opportunity to further dialogue on issues affecting children and how best to provide and sustain the impact on Orphans and Vulnerable Children OVC.

    Ayade maintained that she shares the same plight and commitment through her various projects and initiatives in the state, addressing the needs of children to ensure greater future for them while supporting and advocating for the realization of Sustainable Development Goals, through one of her pet projects, Mediatrix Development Foundation.

    Ayade averred that “I fill fulfilled discussing and sustaining opportunities that will improve the lives of children and other vulnerable population in the state. This can only be achieved, if we work in collaboration with other stakeholders. Let me use this opportunity to call on stakeholders to play their roles, no matter how misunderstood they may be, they should be ready to pay the price, not about just giving money, but to give their time and together they can make a change”

    She acknowledged the commitment of all arms of government, from local government to the state especially the host Ministries, Departments and Agencies that are saddled with the responsibilities of providing partners with strategic direction and coordination in line with the Governor’s agenda.

    She commended the efforts of the American people through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for providing funds and support to the Center for Clinical Care and Clinical Research (CCCRN) to cater for the needs of vulnerable children and their caregivers in Cross River State.

    Ayade stated that “despite the successes recorded, AIDS-related illnesses are still among the leading causes of infant mortality among children living with HIV. Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission (PMTCT) programmes needs to be given priority attention and coverage, including access to early infant diagnosis after birth and during breastfeeding.

    “As a priority, greater investment and commitment is required from Government and stakeholders to ensure optimum care, dignity, and safety of the vulnerable children and their families. Let me call on partners, the public, private and community sectors to support government in the stride to make lives better for children in Cross River State”

    Speaking earlier, the Chief of Party, Dr. Peter Adekoya welcomed participants to the official launch of the second phase of the Center for Clinical Care and Clinical Research (CCCRN), Integrated Child Health and Social Services Award (ICHSSA1), LOT 1 project cash transfer to 250 beneficiaries from 15 LGAs in Cross River State, and the launch of the OVC case dialogue.

    Adekoya maintained that, the cash transfer initiative was aimed at cushioning the effect of the economic difficulties faced by the beneficiaries household which has been aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic while the OVC cased investment dialogue is to deepen discussion on sustaining the gains of the project in the state.

    He stated that the project’s goal is to ensure that Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) are cared for and protected by their households, communities, local and state governments, to achieve a reduction in their vulnerability to HIV.
    .
    He stated that the the Integrated Child Health and Social Services is a 5-Year Project funded by the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS, through the U.S. Agency for International Development USAID, and is to last from December 19, 2019 to December 18, 2024.

    “The project is been implemented by CCCRN in partnership with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), alongside other local Community-Based Organizations in Cross River states”, he added.

    On their part, the house Committee Chairman on Health of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Dr. Ekpe Ekpo Bassey, and the Commissioner, Ministry of International Development Cooperation, Dr Inyang Asibong, took turns to eulogize USAID for the unwavering support to the state government.

    The event was attended by Local Government Chairmen, led by the Chairman of Yakurr LGC, and those of Calabar South, Odukpani, Biase, Ogoja, and Bakassi LGAs.

    Highlight of the event was the decoration of the wife of the Governor, Dr Linda Ayade, as Child Right Ambassador by the Chief of Party, Dr Peter Adekoya, unveiling of the phase 2 project by Dr Linda Ayade, as well as presentation of success stories and testimonials.

  • Wait! You need to make a move

    By Hannah Olubode

    Today, on my way to visiting a place in Akpabuyo, the rain started so I had to stay under a shield. Then I sighted a bucket placed along the roof side but the water was flowing to another spot. Patiently, I thought of what could have went wrong.

    After a while, I discovered that when the rain started, the bucket was placed in the exact position where it flows to, unfortunately, the rain increased and changed its direction of flow but the bucket remained on a spot.

    Relating to reality, Positioning is being available in the right place at the right time. Every individual have to learn the principle of right Positioning. Success will not jump at you, you have to position yourself rightly; leveraging on the available platforms to reach your goals.

    “SHIFT” is a concept of Positioning, from the story of the bucket and the rain, the flow of the water shifted from one point to the other but the bucket remained on a spot. In life, everyone will have to identify what matters each season, moving when necessary, waiting when necessary.

    The actual flow needed for it to fill up quickly wasn’t there, heavy downpour went directly to the ground and tiny drops went into the bucket, What a waste!. Do not settle for crumbles, you aren’t a dog. You deserve more and better if you Position yourself well.

    Understanding time and season is a rule of Positioning. Anyone that seems to get things right must have mastered the principle that work for each season. Being wise is being positioned rightly. The wise virgin positioned themselves by being at the right place at the right time with the necessary resources.

    It is essential to know that nobody is responsible for your growth and positioning. It is your responsibility to own your story. You have the strongest weapon to push yourself to the right place. Your Mind is that weapon, embrace the right mindset, position yourself from your mind, determine in your mind to work towards your goals and you will see success flow towards you. EXPLORE!!!

  • Linda Ayade Unveils Training And Empowerment Of 3600 Rural Maidens In Cross River

    Linda Ayade Unveils Training And Empowerment Of 3600 Rural Maidens In Cross River

    By Elijah Ugani

    The wife of the Cross River State Governor, Dr Linda Ayade has today 16th July, 2021 unveiled the training and empowerment of 3600 maidens in Cross River State through the Cross River Urban to Rural Women Mentorship Program.

    The pilot phase which held at Obanliku Local Government Council hall had 200 maidens drawn from the ten wards of Obanliku.

    Declaring the event open, Dr Linda Ayade thanked the Chairman of Obanliku Local Government Council for providing the enablement for the pilot phase and used the opportunity to acknowledge the unwavering support of her dear mother, Mrs Mary Akpo who has been the pivot of all her programs and initiatives.

    She averred that “It is not by my power, God gave me this vision and I’m happy today, it is has come to fruition. We are poised to change the narratives of the girl child in Cross River State through the Cross River Urban to Rural Women Mentorship Program”.

    Referring to the maidens, she said, “We deliberately gave you the color you are wearing and as you can see, if any one enters here, you can be identified. It beholds on you to ensure that as you go out, let your lives stand out positively. You have to behave differently, for the fruit of this training needs to be visible in the manner at which you live you lives. There should be a different you from who you were before this training.

    “Obanliku maidens, you are a very special people, that we are starting from you, it is not by accident that you are the pioneer beneficiaries and you must always be at the forefront.

    “As we start from you, you are going to be in front and dishing out instructions to others. If you go down the trauma and challenges the girl child goes through in life, you will weep, but God has given you the strength to come out victorious.

    “Reminiscing on the challenges faced by the girl child, we have put this program for you to assist you realize your dreams. If we continue with the trend that is going on currently, it will be very difficult for you to realize your God given potentials. We want a paradigm shift from thinking that the only thing a woman should do is to give birth. You have to realize that you have enormous potentials to contribute to the development of the society.

    “Please take this opportunity very seriously, you don’t know where it will take you to. The training is to lay the foundation for you, go and explore other ideas that will reform you. We are trying to invest in your future, kindly take it very seriously.

    “By the time our evaluators will come here, we want to have positive reports. The intellect God has given you, you can use it to achieve anything. This is your opportunity, come out, don’t be afraid. We are looking forward to a different Obanliku using you as a contact point”.

    On her part, the State Coordinator of Cross River Urban to Rural Women mentorship program, Hon Agnes Atsu, thanked Dr Linda Ayade for the initiative to mentor the rural women.

    Atsu maintained that “Our joy knows no bounds as you could join us in this program, this shows your commitment to the program”

    She used the opportunity to commend the team that was carefully selected for the program. “We are carrying out the pilot face here in Obanliku, as we progress to other LGAs, we hope to achieve perfections”, she said.

    Speaking further, Atsu noted that “I present to you, the 200 maidens in Obanliku for the mentorship program. We are glad that they are showing serious interest to the mentorship program.

    “We have not recorded any resistance in the course of the training. We assure you that at the end of this training, you are going to have a brand new and reformed maidens in Obanliku.

    “In line with your aspirations which seek to outlive your stay in office, we are going to have a team of monitoring and evaluation officers to ensure that what we are starting here today, will be followed up and sustained”.

    On her part, the Chairman of Obanliku Local Government Council, Evang Mrs Margaret Inde, welcomed and thanked the wife of the Governor for choosing Obanliku among other LGAs for the pilot phase of the Cross River Urban to Rural women mentorship program.

    Inde maintained that “The maidens of Obanliku have been very vulnerable to teenage pregnancy, early marriage. Dr Linda Ayade is very passionate about the plight of women. A woman who looks at the child and imagine how she was growing up, and had put together this program for self realization for our maidens, I must commend her.

    “I also suffered the cruelty of the pains of the Obanliku girl child. I only meandered to come out by God’s grace. I never had someone to mentor me”.

    She used the opportunity to reiterate the fact that every Obanliku child needs to be mentored.

    Referring to the wife of the Governor, she said “I want to assure you that for the 200 mentees in Obanliku, they will not disappoint or forget you”.

    In a goodwill message, the Deputy Leader of Obanliku Legislative Council, Hon Raymond Eperypa commended the wife of the the Governor for the program initiated to train 200 youths in Obanliku. He used the opportunity to request the wife of the Governor to continue to think and remember Obanliku as the only thing that distinguished Obanliku is the mountain that surrounds it”.

    Speaking to The Lumine News, the Coordinator of the maidens in Obanliku, Unyour Daniel Ikweng thanked the wife of the Governor for finding them worthy of the training and empowerment and pledged the commitment of other maidens to sustaining the gains of the program.

    The Cross River Urban to Rural women mentorship program was recently launched by the wife of the Governor, Dr Linda Ayade with the view to identify, train, empower and mentor 200 rural women in each of the 18 local government areas of the state.

    Various training topics were put together for the maidens including agribusiness, business plan, marketing strategies and business opportunities.

    According to the Secretary to the Committee, Mr Fred Abua, the training will be held in all the 18 Local Government Areas of the state.

  • Nigeria Idol: Reactions trail result of 6th edition

    By Favour Izukah

    Few days after Kingdom Kroseide was announced winner of the 6th edition of Nigeria Idol 2021, Nigerians have continued to react on the results as announced by the panel of judges. They believed that it was a well reserved and transparent judgment.

    The competition which was premiered on the 14th of March 2021 saw the participation of contestants across the country who came for the audition.

    Reacting to this win, Nigerians who followed through the show intimated The Lumine News that the winning was a well deserved one for Kingdom.

    A banker, Uche Ikpeama said ” It’s a well deserved win. He and Francis were far ahead of the rest of the contestants and I’m glad they both made it to the finals. And that was where it got tough. I couldn’t even vote again because anyone of the 2 deserved to win and I was going to be happy for anyone that emerged as the winner”.

    For Solomon Gerund, a Software Engineer, who said he rooted for Kingdom as he was one contestant that caught his attention averred that: “For Kingdom particularly, I followed his journey from the very beginning. He caught my attention from when he made Seyi Shay to cry. I knew he’d go far but I became almost sure he was going to win on his first live audition. He was just consistent in wowing us all through the show.”

    On his part, Agozie Chukwubundu, A student of the University of Nigeria said that she had to follow the show because of her love for music. She said she streamed the show online because of the social media presence Kingdom had while he was on the show. “I figured Kingdom would win. His fanbase was way bigger than Francis’s and that was what got me interested at the beginning”, the UNN undergraduate said.

    Tina Atunwa, A graduate of the University of Nigeria said Kingdom deserved the win as he had always proved himself in each of his performance. “He deserves it… His voice and choice of songs were spectacular, the vibes and everything gave him an edge.”

    Although Kingdom won, some people still had different opinions on his win. And according to Domshak Sunday, “First of all I will like to congratulate kingdom on his success. But on a personal level, I feel francis had what I liked in a singer. Kingdom has the voice yes but Francis had a better voice for me because he could use both the lower octave and higher octave comfortably.

    “Again, I think kingdom had more social media presence than any other contestant in the competition which is an edge for him, and that is what companies love.”

    For Adeola Thomas, she felt kingdom won because of his fanbase. She however believed that Francis was a better option for the win. “Francis had it all but I guess your social media presence on the show matters too and that was what gave Kingdom the edge over Francis.”

    Recall that after the audition, 68 contestants made it to theatre week and from the theatre week, the 69 participants were streamlined down to 17 contestants.
    Each week saw the contestants performing in line with the theme of the week to make it to the next stage. And for the 16 weeks, contestants who couldn’t make it to the next stage were evicted on weekly basis.

    Interestingly, only two contestants; Kingdom Kroseide and Francis Atela made it to the grand finale. And at the end of it all, Kingdom Kroseide was announced as the sixth and latest Nigerian Idol.

    It is worthy to mention that apart from emerging as the winner of the sixth edition of the Nigerian Idol Music Competition, it was also announced that Kingdom would be going home with the grand prize, which included a cash prize of N30 million, a brand new SUV, a six-track EP recording deal with three music videos including an all-expense-paid trip to Seychelles, and a weekend getaway to Dubai for two.

    Other gifts include a wide range of Tecno products, Bigi branded refrigerator plus one year supply of Bigi drinks, and a DSTV Explora fully installed with a premium subscription for 12 months.

  • EFCC Launches App For Online Reporting Of Economic Crimes

    EFCC Launches App For Online Reporting Of Economic Crimes

     

    The Economic and Financial Crimes commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, launched an App, Eagle Eye, designed to ease the process of reporting economic and financial crimes in Nigeria.

    Speaking during the launch, the Executive Chairman of the Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, described the App, being the first of its kind by any law enforcement agency in Nigeria, as a product of ingenuity by a staff of the Commission, being an application that was conceived, designed and developed by the EFCC.

    According to the EFCC chairman, the initiative is a clear demonstration of his pledge on assumption of office, to run an agency that is technology-driven. “The Eagle Eye represents a new experience in information sharing and crime reporting between the public and the EFCC”, he said.

    Apart from complementing the existing channels for reporting economic crimes, the unique advantage of this application, the EFCC Chairman further explained, is that it eliminates direct person-to-person interface in the reporting process and guarantees anonymity which is an added incentive to effective whistle blowing.

    While appealing to members of the public to take advantage of the App in bringing cases of corruption and economic crimes to the knowledge of the EFCC, Bawa said, “with the App, those who hitherto were afraid to report corruption cases to the Commission either for fear of being identified by the culprits or having their identities revealed, can now do so with the assurance of full anonymity”.

    He emphasized that the Eagle Eye App, will go a long way in aiding the reportage of fraudulent activities of individuals particularly in the case of Money Laundering through Real Estate. “With the Eagle Eye, Nigerians and Non Nigerians can easily take a picture of a property suspected to have been fraudulently or corruptly acquired and report through the App seamlessly”.

    He also said that as media practitioners, journalists occupy vantage positions not only in helping to bring the knowledge of the application to the public, but also making use of it and helping others to understand how it could be deployed to further the fight against economic crimes including corruption. “With the Eagle Eye, you have at your fingertips a device that will ultimately ensure that there is no hiding place for the corrupt in Nigeria”, he further explained.

    On how it works, the EFCC Chairman said, Eagle Eye is a user friendly application, with features that can be navigated by any literate person. The first step, he said, is to download it to device from either the Apple of Google play store.

    For those who want to key into the Whistle Blowing Policy of the Federal Government and obtain reward for reporting corruption, the EFCC Chairman said such persons should indicate in the information they are providing; just as he said that there are penalties clearly stipulated in the laws, for giving false information that could mislead the Commission.

  • ECOWAS Court Awards N30million Against Nigerian Govt For Illegal Detention And Inhuman Treatment Meted Out On Agba Jalingo

    ECOWAS Court Awards N30million Against Nigerian Govt For Illegal Detention And Inhuman Treatment Meted Out On Agba Jalingo

     

    ECOWAS court in its judgment just awarded N30million against govt of Nigeria for illegal detention and inhuman treatment meted out on Agba Jalingo

  • Prophet Bags Life Imprisonment For Raping Woman Who Came To His Church To Seek Solution To Her Barrenness

    Prophet Bags Life Imprisonment For Raping Woman Who Came To His Church To Seek Solution To Her Barrenness

     

    Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, July 1, sentenced a self-acclaimed prophet, Olakanye Oni, to life imprisonment for manslaughter.

    According to the prosecution team, the convict sometimes in March, 2017, invited one Gbadamosi Omowale from Lagos to Ado Ekiti on the pretence that he has solution to her barrenness.

    On getting to his Church at Palace of Mercy, in Ado Ekiti, the convict hypnotized the victim and lured her into his room. He thereafter spread a white cloth on her and raped her.

    The convict used white handkerchief to clean the victim’s private part and inserted a substance believed to be potash into her vagina. He also collected a sum of N52,000 from the victim.

    The victim’s vagina got decayed as a result of the substance inserted into it by the convict and this resulted into the victim’s eventual death.

    In his judgement, Hon. Justice A . A. Adesodun held that the prosecution proved the case beyond reasonable doubt. Justice Adesodun pronounced the defendant guilty of the offence of manslaughter and sentenced him to life imprisonment.