15 flirty things men should be doing ALWAYS

Get Romantic

15 flirty things men should be doing ALWAYS

Ayoola Adetayo

If you are interested in making your woman happy, these are the 15 romantic gestures you should never get tired of doing

 

» Be a real man, make your woman happy all the time  (Favim)

Every woman loves to be pampered, and to be shown that you have them in your heart always.

If you really love her, or if you are really interested in making her happy, don’t hesitate to try these 15 flirty, sweet and romantic. 

Plan getaways

Plan a weekend away together. You don’t need to go abroad or too far. A resort will do. Keep it a secret; all she needs are basic details so she’ll know how and how much to pack.

Play to your strengths

If you have a way with words, write her a poem. If you can sing, sing her a love song. If you are good with music, compose a love tune.

Basically just do something you’re good at. She’ll appreciate the effort to impress her.

» more Let your girl mess up your face with makeup once in a while. It's all good.  (Loupiote)

Offer to help her with errands

Help run some errands for her. Call her to ask if there’s anything she might need from the mall [market, if we are actually being accurate here.]

Clean up the house

Yeah, I know. This is not really something most of us guys enjoy doing, but since girls are usually finicky, believe me, she’ll appreciate this.

Join her during her beauty routine

We understandably hate the detail and time makeups take; but hey, if you love her, you should do this every once in a while. [Once in a month maybe.]

Surprise her by joining her for that beauty ritual she does almost always. You might even ask her to paint… sorry… put makeup on your face. She’ll most likely laugh all through, which is exactly what we are aiming at here.

Cook with her

This is an alternative for cooking for her, which you actually should do, if you can.

Get her chocolates and sweets

Candy bars, gummy bears, cookies, dark chocolate and ice cream; the list of sweet things you can spoil her with is endless.

Make a playlist

Whip up a list of her favourite songs and upload it onto her phone. Experts [It’s actually just me] say you might want to include a lovely voice note.

» moreJust kiss her for no reason. This is always magical  (GMTM)

Send her love messages or love quotes

Building a successful relationship takes time. In fact, you'll be required to put in more than you bargained for. So, if you want to build a good relationship, there's no harm in learning from others who have done the same by studying their quotes.


In this post, we'll be learning some love quotes on building successful relationships. If you can grab an idea or two from these love quotes, then you should be able to have some positive impacts on your love relationships. Read carefully, and enjoy some of the quotes below.

1. In love you take the focus out of yourself and put it on the other person, while the other person is expected to do the same. Winning relationships are built by partners who make reasonable sacrifices.

2. If you do not bring anything into your relationship and expect to have a smooth ride, then you're probably joking. No one will serve you for the long-term without expecting anything in return.

3. For me, a person who's falling in love in order to avoid something is likely not to have anything to offer.

4. You have to think deeply and ask yourself what the importance of love is. Why do people fall in love and why do you want to fall in love. If you cannot find a unique answer that represents your values, then you cannot build a successful relationship.

5. I've seen many sweet relationships fail due to one partners feeling entitled to be taken care of and provided for all the time. I've also seen perfect couples breakup due to one partner wanting things to be done their own way.

6. If you think love isn't work, you better forget about it. Fact shows that it take more energies to love a person than to climb up the stairs of a 20-storey building. Think about that.

7. Love is not freestyle and it isn't free either. Find something you can share before finding the person you can share with. 

Dedicate a love song on air

Pick up your phone, call a radio station and dedicate a song she loves to her [make sure it’s her favourite show though, else, it’ll all be a waste of time.]

Create a video

Forget about making a sex tape. [Except if you really must.]

Instead, create a video detailing your time together. You’ll find plenty of sweet ideas on YouTube. This project will take plenty of time on your part, so plan ahead and present it to her on a special occasion like her birthday or your anniversary.

Massage her

Just give yourself the task of rubbing her foot at the end of a long day.

Apart from relaxing her, this will also turn her on [and you know where that leads, right?]

Kiss her for no reason

This needs no explanation. Just do it.

Body contact

Never in the history of creation has there ever existed a woman who does not love being touched. Women love being touched, so indulge her, won’t you?

Naughty lingerie

I personally think this one is the ultimate flirty thing to do. Be careful not to pick something trashy though. [Except, of course, if she likes it like that.]

Top 5 signs that he sees no future with you

For Ladies

Top 5 signs that he sees no future with you

Ayoola Adetayo

Where is your relationship headed? Is he taking things as serious as you are taking it? This article will help you answer that question.

If things were always normal, every person we want to be with will want to be with us

Unfortunately, that's not usually the case. We all know now, that some people are in a relationship with people that are not in a relationship with them. [Lol, right?]

Well, you might be in that kind of relationship, too, who knows?

There are signs to look out for if one needs to be sure of where they stand on their lover’s priority list.

Here are five of them:

He never makes concrete plans 

If he doesn't see a future with you, he won't treat you like there's a future. Period.

This might make him sound like a heartless dick, and that's not always the case. Sometimes this behaviour can be unconscious. But that doesn't mean you should put up with it.

He doesn't call you his girlfriend 

If a guy finds it hard to introduce you to people as his girlfriend, you better know It isn't labels he has a problem with, it's you.

Forget all that talk about not wanting to go public with the affair just yet. Any guy that’s looking to go the mile with you will not find it hard to introduce you as his lover, especially to people that matter in his life.

You’re going to be with him for the long haul, right? So what’s the point of hiding it now?

He won't introduce you to his family 

If a guy sees no future with you, what’s the point of introducing you to his parents? Why should he go through the clumsiness of introducing someone to his family with whom he has no real intention of going the distance?

He only wants to see you when there’s a chance of getting laid

This is not to say that a guy that desires to have sex with you will not be interested in a future with you.

The point, on the other hand, is that, if a guy sees a future with you, he'll jump at the opportunity to be with you, whether he’ll get some ‘sugar’ or not.

He never talks about the future 

A guy that does not see a future with you will surely have some difficulty talking about it.

I mean, why talk about something that’s not even there?

And you, being all lovey-dovey, decides to ask, all you’ll discover is that as far as he is concerned, there isn't one.

However, it is advised that you ask if he isn’t forthcoming about what the future holds for you both. Don’t be scared of making him uncomfortable.

Photos: Key Niger Delta Avengers Commander and his fighters surrender arms as Gov. Okorocha assures of amnesty

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Photos: Key Niger Delta Avengers Commander and his fighters surrender arms as Gov. Okorocha assures of amnesty

Forty-Eight hours to the expiration of the deadline given to the remnants of the Niger-Delta Avengers fighting in the Oil Producing Areas of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta, a leading Commander of the Militants, General Felix Omereji Wednesday, September 21, 2016, surrendered with his fighters and embraced peace.

The event which took place at the Imo International Convention Centre (IICC) also saw the Security Chiefs in the State in attendance with General Felix stating that they boycotted the first phase of the disarmament programme last week to see what the State Government would do with the Commanders and their fighters who had surrendered their weapons at the event.

He explained that he was encouraged to surrender their weapons and embrace peace when they saw the Sincerity of Governor Rochas Okorocha with regard to the first disarmament programme. General Felix and his fighters had surrendered guns including AK47 and explosives.

General Felix regretted all they did in the Oil Producing areas of the State and prayed that God would also forgive them, thanking Governor Okorocha for his approach to the whole development which encouraged them to come out from the forest to embrace peace.

He assured that they would ensure the sustenance of the peace already achieved in the Oil Producing areas of the State with the Militants dropping their guns and embracing peace.

In his speech, Governor Okorocha told General Felix and his fighters that he has granted them Pardon like those before them while the President, Mohammadu Buhari would grant them amnesty, adding that they had done well by not waiting for the deadline he gave to them to elapse.

"We are here to receive our children who have been living in the forest for years killing many people. I am your father. I will pardon you, while the President would grant you Amnesty. We have gathered to dramatise life for those of the Militants who have dropped their guns to embrace peace. They have been pardoned"

The governor expressed happiness that since the last disarmament programme the people of Ohaji/Egbema and Oguta who abandoned their homes and ran away for years or months have begun to return to their homes and assured that he would do all within his reach to ensure that the peace achieved in the areas is maintained.

More photos below...

E-money poses with his mum, shows off his bedroom

Thursday, September 22, 2016

E-money poses with his mum, shows off his bedroom

The Chairman of 5 star group, E-money showed off the furniture in his bedroom at his Five-star mansion. He also posed by the pool with his mum and brother, K-Cee. That bed and wardrobe are gorgeous pieces of furniture! More photos after the cut...

Woman caught begging with borrowed baby in Onitsha, Anambra State

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Photo: Woman caught begging with borrowed baby in Onitsha, Anambra State

A woman identified as Mrs Blessing Ubom was arrested with two babies at the MCC Pedestrian Bridge, Onitsha.

The suspect, who hails from Calabar, Cross River State was brought to Anambra Broadcasting Service (ABS) last week by residents who suspected that the two babies were not hers because they had been seeing her with only one baby.

On interrogation, the woman insisted that she gave birth to the babies on third of August this year at Army barracks where she lives with her blind husband, Mr Ubom Glory Emmanuel. He confirmed that the suspect is his wife, however, he said that one of the baby boys belonged to them and that his wife had borrowed the other baby boy from their relative to attract sympathy and more money from the public.

Mr Emmanuel, who pleaded for pardon as begging was their only means of survival, claimed to have told his wife to take only their baby but she  told him that people do not give her money so she had to borrow another one.

The teenage single mother of the baby boy, Happiness Emmanuel who later appeared at the police station said she gave out her baby boy for begging in order to sustain herself, adding that the woman gives her one thousand, five hundred naira whenever she takes baby to beg for alms. The suspects are currently in police custody.

We are working hard to address the needs of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria - President Buhari

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

We are working hard to address the needs of Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria - President Buhari

President Buhari Monday assured the international community that his administration was already implementing several people-oriented programmes to meet the humanitarian needs of the over two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria.

The President, who disclosed this at the High-Level Summit on “Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants” on the margins of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71) in New York, United States, said such intervention programmes include: the Presidential Intervention Committee on Rehabilitation of the North-East; the Victims Support Fund; the Safe Schools Initiative and the proposed North-East Development Commission currently undergoing legislative process.

President Buhari added that, “we are making concerted efforts to meet our citizens’ immediate humanitarian needs by reducing their risk and vulnerability and increasing their resilience through vocational training and skills acquisition programmes, particularly for IDPs in camps.”

The President said any discourse on refugees and migrants in the case of Nigeria, “will be incomplete without reference to our internally displaced persons, victims of Boko Haram’s terrible atrocities,” which also rendered 600,000 persons homeless in Nigeria’s neighbouring countries.

He noted that in order to find a lasting solution to this regional challenge, Nigeria in collaboration with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, recently hosted a regional conference on displacement of persons within the framework of Regional Protection Dialogue on the Lake Chad Basin.

At the global level, President Buhari said Nigeria has equally shown appreciable concern on issues of global human mobility using such control instruments as the National Migration Policy; Labour Migration Policy; Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Laws, and Nigeria Immigration and National Drug Law Enforcement Acts.

The Nigerian leader condemned all new forms of racism, xenophobia and hate ideology targeted at “undermining the considerable benefits that migration can deliver to global efficiency.”

He said such divisive tendencies only lead to violence and avoidable loss of lives in a world that requires cooperation, adding that “globalization should mean free movement of goods, services and people.”

Nigeria, he said, “believes that without deliberate and collective commitment and action, the issue of large movement of refugees and migrants may impede our aspirations toward achieving the Programme of Action of the Cairo Agenda +20 and global determination to leave no one behind in the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

FEMI ADESINA
Special Adviser to the President
(Media & Publicity)

I did not say rice is expensive because Nigerians eat too much rice - Min of Agriculture. Audu Ogbeh

Thursday, September 15, 2016

I did not say rice is expensive because Nigerians eat too much rice - Min of Agriculture. Audu Ogbeh

Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, Audu Ogbeh has dismissed media reports quoting him as saying 'Nigerians eat too much rice, that’s why it is expensive'. Some media platforms quoted him as saying this yesterday. The minister dismissed the report in a statement signed by his media aide, Aishat Ayijimoh Onusi. The statement reads;

The Hon. Minister of Agriculture and Rural development – Chief Audu Ogbeh has dismissed news report quoting him as saying 'Nigerians eat too much rice, that’s why it is expensive'. "This is totally false, misleading and a sheer display of irresponsible journalism, reckless sensationalism, and poor ethics," the minister said.

He noted with disappointment that the mischievous headline in question was completely at variance with the content of the news story. The Minister decried the deliberate misinformation by the media which has become a frequent occurrence and calls for caution, self-censorship and ethical compliance by journalists and social media activists.

For the avoidance of doubts, the minister stated that during a recent meeting he held with an indigenous Agro Company investing in the production of Irish Potato in Nigeria, he did talk about the health risk associated with the excessive consumption of rice and advised Nigerians to occasionally substitute rice with potato for improved diet.

Chief Ogbeh wondered how the statement attributed to him in the headline came about when no supporting statement or quote was provided in the content of the news report. He advised Nigerians to beware of misleading headlines; pay close attention to media reports that come with such and should challenge the Press to abide by their professional ethics.

Comedian Koffi says Kiss Daniel's career might be shortlived if he doesn't cut his "double face act"

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Comedian Koffi says Kiss Daniel's career might be shortlived if he doesn't cut his "double face act"

In an open letter which he shared on his IG page, Comedian, Koffi, says the career of singer, Kiss Daniel, might be short-lived if he doesn't cut his "double faced act". Read his open letter which he titled "Who will wake Daniel with a kiss?" below

First artiste to ever have a number 1 and number 2 video on the MTV Base countdown for weeks. First new artiste to ever drop an album without any major industry collabo. First artiste to blow up within a short period of time yet like Burna Boy hardly headlines any major shows, why? Let it be known that Mr 'Jombo' truly did not come into the music scene to 'woju', he proved his mettle 'Laye', and has been having a 'Good time' with his 'Mama' from 'Sin City'. This express ride might be short lived however if our favourite fine boy does not cut the double face act.

The fans see a sweet young man on the tube but behind the works the G worldwide king's manager is killing the brand. A facade of humility is sold to the public, but the arrogance beneath is as hot as magma flowing from an expired volcano. Hot but soon becomes ash or turns solid stones that go nowhere when it cools off. I don't know how these Actistes suddenly get the airs of "I too mush" and throw caution to the winds. They surround themselves with sycophants. Milking maids in the name of managers. How can a young man see such breakthrough in life and gradually poke posterity in the eye. Laying bad tracks along your career path that you won't be able to thread upon on your way back. Right now we all know that like Mr M chairman I, King Tuface (2Baba) is barely churning out any hit songs but humbility has got them going even if their concert wowo small. Here you are an advanced 'Photocopy' version of 9ice and you ain't picking points from what happened to your original progenitor despite his huge success(only Naija nigga to play at Mandela's birthday) . Album is a few weeks away and the management of an artiste turns down major interviews, over bills clients for gigs and would rather arrogantly stay home on each of those days and loose mileage, connect and some rabar. Go and ask D'banj if he would dare make such a mistake again in his life.  

This write up is not to attack the Lion but to let the people around him know that if care is not taken a wounded dog like Chuddy K, W4, Ice Prince, Ikechukwu, D'Prince (who is no longer here) will be better than a dead Durella. Wake up my dear dream interpreter let God not judge you wrong. Shaddout to humblesmith too for not coming anything close to his name whilst a veteran like Ras kimono is turning up at every show killing it and staying on fleek. Oritsefemi be careful, it was not a publicity stunt, you and Danku got whipped due to his dumb managerial ability, retrace your steps before the 'Mercies of the Lord' abandon you finally. I don talk my own but as usual my mouth dey smell, make I run go back studio go tidy up recording on my#CollaboraShunz album, all of una dey craze with the yeye social media frenzy wey dey make una loose common sense. Wait till African china koboko flog you na dat time your eye go clear maybe you sef go become video director like Banky or just dey nowhere like J.Martins wey Alhaji Tekno dey use hin style dey humbly take collect mula. 1! #IDGAF @koffithaguru aka Casper aka Beast ‎is Nigeria's most versatile comedian, actor, singer, producer, orator, righter! .

Nigerian man caught at Dubai Airport with 100 capsules of cocaine in his stomach jailed

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Nigerian man caught at Dubai Airport with 100 capsules of cocaine in his stomach jailed

A Nigerian transit traveller, who was caught at the Dubai International Airport with 100 capsules of cocaine in his stomach, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.

 

The Court of First Instance convicted the 42-year-old Nigerian man of the charge of smuggling drugs via transit, and ordered him to pay Dh100,000 worth of fine. He was arrested on April 17th, 2016.

 

The sentencing will be followed by deportation, the court ruled, and ordered confiscation of the drugs.

"I was assigned to stand guard on the accused at the hospital. He had just been referred by the airport police officers after he was suspected of smuggling capsules containing drugs in his stomach," a policeman told the prosecutor, adding that he entered the operation room and witnessed as the doctors operated on the defendant to take the drugs out of his stomach. As many as 100 capsules containing drugs were found. I seized and handed them over to the anti-narcotics department," the police officer said.

According to a report from the General Directorate of Criminal Evidence, the 100 capsules seized from the accused contained cocaine and weighed 1.9 kgs.

 

The verdict has been appealed.

 

 

Source: Khaleej Times

Elderly man brutally murdered in Anambra State

Monday, September 5, 2016

Photo: Elderly man brutally murdered in Anambra State

Alex Ifeacho was brutally murdered in his home at Urukpaleke, Enugwu-ukwu in Anambra State. According to sources, unknown gunmen stormed his house, dragged him out and hacked him to death with machetes.

Photo: Super Eagles player, Ahmed Musa, shares food to the needy in Jos

Monday, September 5, 2016

Photo: Super Eagles player, Ahmed Musa, shares food to the needy in Jos

Super Eagles player, Ahmed Musa, over the weekend reached out to the needy at his home in Jos, Plateau state by sharing raw rice and other food items to them. So nice of him!

Photos: Alamieyeseigha’s N2.8b hotel taken over by EFCC and handed over to Bayelsa govt rots away in Abuja

Monday, September 5, 2016

Photos: Alamieyeseigha’s N2.8b hotel taken over by EFCC and handed over to Bayelsa govt rots away in Abuja

Almost seven years after EFCC handed over the N2.8billion Chelsea Hotel built by former governor of Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha to the state government, the hitherto revenue-generating hotel is rotting away in Abuja. Alamieyeseigha was governor of the oil rich state form 1999-2005.

He was standing trial for corruption in 2007 and lost possession of the property and some others after a ruling by a court in a Federal High Court, Lagos. Asides the hotel, the EFCC sold other Alamieyeseigha assets in Nigeria and realised N3, 128, 230, 294.83billion; $441,000; E7, 000 and £2,000.

The forfeited properties were then handed over to the then state governor, Timpreye Sylva by Former EFCC Chairman Farida Waziri on September 7th 2009 .

The antigraft agency had thought that the properties, if utilized, would serve as a source of revenue for the state government. Seven years after the asset was returned to the state government, the hotel has become a haven for miscreants, men of the underworld, rodents and reptiles.

An EFCC source who spoke in confidence to the Nation about the forfeited properties said:

“As at the time we handed over the hotel, in 2009, the asset was worth N2.8billion. We returned the hotel to Bayelsa State with another asset at No. 2 Marscibit Street, Off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse II Abuja which was valued at N210million. We took a step further by instructing Diya Fatimilehin and Co., former managers of the hotel to provide the state with detailed inventory of assets of the hotel. It is unfortunate that nothing has been done in the last seven years. The land where the hotel is sited attracts either up to N800million to N1billion in Abuja. Yet the asset is allowed to lie fallow. To the source, the fate of the once throwing hotel is a typical case of how the anti-graft war is being “frustrated and rendered meaningless. A former Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Nuhu Ribadu worked day and night to bring Alamieyeseigha to justice but the efforts have come to naught,” he said.

The source added that the antigraft agency cannot query the state government on why the forfeited properties are not being utilized.

“Well, there is not much we can do because we have done our best. The state’s funds were looted and used to buy the hotel; we traced the loot and recovered the assets. It is left to the state to live up to its pledge to make judicious use of the asset or sell it. We have been expecting a status report from Bayelsa State on how it has spent the recovered funds and the utilisation of the returned assets.” Upon the receipt of the hotel in 2009, the then Bayelsa state governor, Timpreye Sylva said the state government would not be able to manage the assets by itself

 “The Bayelsa State Government will not be able to manage the assets by itself. The fund that the state government will receive will also go to building what is called the Transparency Plaza, in the middle of the Yenagoa Central Business District, so that this plaza will be a monument that will be a constant reminder of today. As soon as the fund is accessed, we will like to ask you to come to Bayelsa State to lay the foundation of this plaza. We will welcome your close monitoring of the expenditure of this fund, after all without the instrumentality of EFCC, we would not have accessed this fund, so it is only good that you know exactly what we are doing. We are running an open government; our budget is on the website, anybody can access it. We are fully committed to transparency and to partner fully with EFCC.”

Super Eagles have a good chance of qualifying for the World Cup- Gernot Rohr

Monday, September 5, 2016

Super Eagles have a good chance of qualifying for the World Cup- Gernot Rohr

After Nigeria's 1-0 win over Tanzania, a match Nigeria should have won by 5 or 6 goals if not for the goalkeeper's heroics, Nigeria's foreign technical adviser Gernot Rohr has said he believes that the Super Eagles have a good chance of qualifying for the Russia 2018 World Cup.

Nigeria needed a late goal by Kelechi Iheanacho to go past Tanzania on Saturdaynight in Uyo, but Rohr believes Nigeria could qualify for a sixth World Cup ahead of Algeria, Cameroon and Zambia.

“I’m happy I won my first match,” said Rohr to journalists.

“We have a good chance of qualifying for the World Cup.

“A team that failed to qualify for the AFCON need confidence and the confidence is coming back gradually.

“We played well and any team who created 12, 14 chances in a match, that tells you it’s a good team.

“We were wasteful but we will work on our finishing.” "We are a new team and just getting to know each other but I know my players have the quality to play good football," 

"We played against Tanzania who put many players behind the ball and we needed time to break them down.

“Their goalkeeper was excellent. He denied us many opportunities to score. But our quality is not in doubt.

"We had a Tanzania team with a very good goalkeeper and there was need for patience, the players had to wait for the good moment to score the goal. We want to build a team with a good defence, a good spirit, who can win games."

Leicester City players set to customize the smart BMWs they received as presents for winning the league

Saturday, September 3, 2016

Leicester City players set to customize the smart BMWs they received as presents for winning the league

The cars may have come in blue to reflect the club's colours but they aren't staying that way. Leicester City players are personalising the BMW sports cars they received as gifts for winning the league and the first results are jaw dropping. Defender, Jeffrey Schlupp led the way by wrapping his ride in a cool matte black finish, the job which cost a reported £2000 was done by AC13 Premier, a Nottingham-based vehicle personalisation firm co-founded by former footballer Marlon Harewood. Other players quickly followed suit and have handed over their cars to Harewood for a pimped out version, he was seen standing with six of the cars in his garage.

The cars are said to belong to Riyad Mahrez, Demarai Gray, Danny Simpson, Ben Chilwell, Andy King and Wes Morgan. In addition to its hefty price tag, The personalisation process takes between three and four days. 

What is President Buhari doing with the economy? Garba Shehu writes

Saturday, September 3, 2016

What is President Buhari doing with the economy? Garba Shehu writes

In the face of the recent report by the National Bureau of Statistics that the economy is in recession, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu,  wrote this article explaining what President Buhari is doing with the economy. ‎Read below: 
LET me start by asking an important question: who wants to kill racy introspection?xxx There is a cacophony of voices telling the Muhammadu Buhari administration to close its eyes to the past; that given the enormous tasks that lie ahead, history and its consequences for our nation should be the least of the government’s preoccupation at this juncture.

I disagree. Let us keep a fiery memory of the past so that we don’t repeat its mistakes. Look back, look ahead. The future must of necessity be built on the foundations of the past.xx The Conservative Party took power in Britain six years ago from Labour. Check the British press, they are talking about Labour 24/7, is anyone complaining?

Japheth Omojuwa, one of Nigeria’s top three influencers seemed tasked in his patience reacting to calls that we must stop talking about the immediate past administration in this country.

“People are still talking about who ran governments in 1865 you want us to forget those who left government last year? (Expletive)”

Music icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, who many agree was a philosopher disguised as Afro-musician taught in one of his songs that without knowing where you are coming from, you won’t know where you are going. Wise men say that the empty can doesn’t disappear by simply kicking it down the road.

To avoid repeating the past mistakes, Nigerians must come to terms with what went wrong with the past, how bad were things, what was done wrongly, what the past government should have done, before we come to what needs to be done to right those wrongs. Believe me, episodes from the Jonathan era can fill books, and other possibilities such as courtroom drama thriller. Against this backdrop, I sought to hear our erudite Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun on where we are coming from, vis-a-vis the administration’s chosen path to recovery and accelerated growth. What is the administration doing to revitalize the economy? She spoke at length on the many measures being put in place, many of which are not glamorous. They of necessity come with pain. Why should Nigerians be asked to endure pains? Why should they be asked to make adjustments?

The simple explanation is that the economy was broken, and just as they do the broken leg, you must bear the pain of fixing it. The current situation was caused by years of mismanagement and corruption. As explained by President Buhari again and again, trumpeted by Madam Adeosun and other senior officials, we solely relied on oil, the price of which was as high as US$140 per barrel. Government simply reticulated oil revenue through personal spending by corrupt leaders, wasteful expenses and salaries. This was done rather than investing in what would grow the economy. Economies grow due to capital investment in assets like seaports, airports, power plants, railways, roads and housing. Nigeria has not recorded a single major infrastructural project in the last 10 years. In short the money was mismanaged.

In addition to failing to spend money on what was needed, no savings were made by Government unlike other countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Norway. To compound the problem, the previous government was borrowing heavily and owed contractors, and international oil companies. When this government took over we had accumulated debt back to the level it was before the Paris Club Debt Forgiveness.

All these factors were building up to Nigeria heading for a major crisis if the price of oil fell. Nigeria did not have fiscal buffers to withstand an oil shock.

The oil shock should and could have been foreseen. These are matters that both the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and Professor Chukwuma Soludo, both of them eminent former Central Bank Governors had occasions to warn the government of the day about, but they were clobbered. The dire warning was written all over the wall, but they were ignored by Nigeria’s economic managers.

What should they have done?

They should have had the courage and vision to do as the present administration is doing through the Economic Team, the Ministry of Finance under Madam Adeosun and the various agencies of the state to envision a better future by first of all fighting corruption. Look at what a civilian administration is today doing to the military, investigating their finance and accounts that the military could not do to themselves.

See what the current administration is doing sanitize the huge salary bill by eliminating payroll fraud. So far, the federal payroll has been rid of about 40,000 ghost workers. More than eight billion Naira stolen monthly has been saved.

We are also saving on wasteful expenses like First Class Travel and Private jets for official trips.

The federal government is not limiting the reforms to the centre but forcing State Governments to reform their spending and build savings or investments.

Government is also increasing spending on capital projects especially on infrastructure needed to make Nigerian businesses competitive and create jobs. The administration is at the same time blocking leakages that allowed government revenues to be siphoned into private hands.

Currently, there is focus on key sectors (apart from oil) that can create jobs and or generate revenue such as Agriculture, Solid Minerals and Manufacturing. If these things had been done when the oil price was as high as US$140 per barrel, Nigeria would not be in the current predicament. We would not be suffering now if we had no cash reserves but we had regular supply of power, a good rail system, good roads and good housing.

Now that the oil has fallen as low as US$28 per barrel, it is very difficult to do what is needed but they must be done to save Nigeria. There is no other way if we want to be honest.