The Wordsmith Blog™

Many will agree that the release of the girls is all that matters. Distinguishing on the basis of religion obviously does no good to this cause. News has surfaced on the Internet that a list of names of the abducted Chibok girls has been released by a said evangelist (A pressumed member of CAN). It's yet to be clear whose interest he represents, the church in his locality or the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN). Below is the press release from "CAN" ; ABOMINATION! ABOMINATION!! CHRISTIAN GIRLS ABDUCTED IN CHIBOK, BORNO STATE. Daughters of Zion taken captive, to be treated as slaves and sold into marriage to unclean people. Abomination has been committed. Raise lamentation to High Heavens. What a shame on the Church of the Living God. FACTS: Chibok Local Government is 90% Christians. Majority of the girls abducted are Christian! Why did Boko Haram visit Chibok Local Government? Why didn’t they visit so many other Local Government Girls Secondary Schools in Borno

The latest Nigeria University Ranking is out with Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) still topping the list of best Universities in Nigeria. The Ranking was obtained from the 2014 webometrics World University Ranking results. The Ranking Web of Universities (Webometrics) is a rank of world universities web presence. And below is the Top 100 Best University in Nigeria from the 2014 edition of the webometrics results. Top 100 Best University in Nigeria for the first quater of 2014; 1   Obafemi Awolowo University 2   University of Ibadan 3   University of Lagos 4   University of Nigeria 5   University of Ilorin 6  University of Agriculture, Abeokuta  7  Ahmadu Bello University 8  University of Benin 9  Federal University of Technology Akure 10 Covenant University Ota 11 Auchi Polytechnic 12 Yaba College of Technology 13 Madonna University Nigeria 14 Bingham University New Karu 15 University of Port Harcourt 16 Landmark University 17 National Open University of Nigeria 18 American University

What is the ONE thing you would change about your body if you could?  Is it bigger boobs, smaller bum, a slender nose or nicely shaped calves? We all have something that we don't like about our bodies. Even that girl, who you think looks so perfect, has something she doesn't like. For me, it's the length of my legs.  I like the shape of my legs and as a pale skinned red head, I've even come to terms with the whiteness of them (if Nicole Kidman can do it, then so can I).  But oh to have long legs like Nicole, would be my dream come true. Well at least, I can wear high heels that will fake it, you may think. True…until this year. I have had such challenges with back and neck pain that just the thought of the high heels sends me reeling! It's not that I never wore flats, it's just that when I want to look my best, there is nothing like a pair of heels to make me feel on top of the world.  So with this new challenge, I set out to create a new look that didn't re

There are things good friends do that make them have many friends. What are these things? Could you be increasing your circle of friends by changing your behaviour? Some things good friends do instinctively Good friends keep things to themselves that were told to them in confidence. They are reliable about things such as prearranged dates, times, or contributions to a dinner party. They are not jealous if you have other friends. On the contrary, real friends are happy for you. Good friends phone or visit when you are sick, or your mother has died. They know when to listen and when to talk. They are of the few people to whom you can say that you are not well, and they don't feel uncomfortable. They know when to back off – sometimes you just need space and they do not interpret that as a personal rejection, because they do not see everything from their own point of view. They will tolerate your lively children, or your grumpy mother-in-law or you boisterous fox terrier. They will be

Since you broke up, your stomach has felt like a hollow pit of emptiness, but you still can't work up an appetite; your heart feels as if it's clamped in a vice and you haven't slept a wink all week. We've all been there before and there's no question about it: losing the love of your life is a miserable experience. But it's time to stop romanticising the past and agonising over what you've lost on the outside, because the real pain is coming from inside your head. The brain hates being dumped. The same area that's active when you're in physical pain also goes haywire when you suffer personal rejection, says psychiatrist Dr Marcelle Stastny – evidence, she says, that your head is the one telling your body that being dumped hurts and not the other way around. When you're in love, certain areas of your grey matter are awash in dopamine and oxytocin, hormones that give you feelings of pleasure and contentment, says Stastny. But when your love i

Unlike most plane stowaways, a teenager has survived a 5-hour flight from California to Hawaii. It is thought he went into a hibernation-like state during the flight. He only regained consciousness an hour after the landing. Stowaways on boats or trucks often die from lack of oxygen or from dehydration. Those on planes usually have a far quicker exit. Few people know how inhospitable conditions can be 10 000 metres up in the air. Why do almost none of these plane stowaways survive? - The hiding place is unsafe. Most stowaways hide in the wheel wells of aeroplanes. This is the area near to the wing recess where the landing gear retracts. Most wheel wells have enough space for a small adult to crawl into and hide. Access is gained when the plane is stationary. A stowaway would climb the landing gear into the area where the wheel retracts. Once the plane takes off a stowaway is protected by metal coverings that close over the wheel well opening. But if the landing gear does not retract pr

Reward is merited, a Gift does not have to be, As for Reward, the work's done already, but a gift will require its JUST reciprocation in due time, A gift is so humble it comes first, so sacrificial it throws itself first in the fore. The risk it takes, so commendable. It fears not iF it will get a return for its gesture. Reward on the other hand is secure, you don't get it until you have worked, you don't receive it until you have deserved it. Its no twist understanding here that with REWARD; "Your reward justifies your work". But with GIFT, "Its up to you to justify the gift with your work". Life's a gift, and you've got to justify it by living and living right. Life's a gift, let them who say they merited it, step forward and tell us how, so there'll be less death in the world as we can now work for lives. Life's a gift and we are the better for it Life's a gift that keeps on giving. Oh, what a beautiful thing! Lif

The flag of the Republic of Biafra - Courtesy of Wikipedia Here's a review of a movie am sure you're looking forward to seeing. This review was done by a friend and blogger of repute (Akin Akintayo) @ ; http://www.akinblog.nl/2014/04/half-of-yellow-sun-review-of-movie.html?m=1 Why not sit back and enjoy this review. A history missing I was born just before the first military coup in the fledgling Federal Republic of Nigeria, far away from the madding cacophony and chaos that presaged the breakdown of order, the massacre of Igbos in the North and the civil war. We returned to Nigeria, in the year the civil war ended, my parents excited and ready to participate in the new Nigeria led by the military leader Yakubu Gowon, whose surname became the reconciliatory acronym of Go On With One Nigeria. The history of Nigeria that I did in school ended just after Nigerian independence and took off again after the end of the Civil War. It meant we as Yorubas from the South-West of Nigeria c

Tragic events leave aftereffects, mostly upon those who survived to witness the aftermath. To fatal victims of such, there's no place for this experience. The after-effect of a damage can be highly educatiive and need I say, also very agonizing. Aftereffects make many wished they could turn back the hands of time. It has been found out that things become clearer only after they have been put to action. Like a typical classroom study, the example/illustration comes alive when it is acted or simulated. To teach about the athletic nature of a monkey without physically seeing one will at best remain head knowledge, theories that could be difficult to relate to. Away from the aftereffects, let's take a back slide to the moments before, "Moments earlier" I tag it. Unlike the aftereffect which is usually characterized by regrets, anguish, pain and lots of reflective thinking, the "Moments earlier" features a chain of DECISION MAKING, a battle between 'To do or

Ebola virus (abbreviated EBOV) was first described in 1976 by David Finkes. The name Ebola virus is derived from the Ebola River (a river that was at first thought to be in close proximity to the area in Democratic Republic of Congo, previously called Zaire. Ebola virus (EBOV) is the most dangerous Ebolavirus, which causes an extremely severe disease in humans and other primates. Here's some of what you need to know about the Ebola Virus: 1. It is a Central African disease that has traveled over countries in a living host to West Africa. It is easily spread by physical contact and eating contaminated bush meat. Major hosts are in 5 species of Bats but monkeys and apes are easily infected and killed. 2. It kills in a week, leaving no time to treat an individual. 3. It has no known vaccine or cure. 4. Known cases have been experienced recently in Guniea, Liberia and Central Africa Rep, spreading eastwards and westwards towards Nigeria. Death toll so far in West Africa is

Canadian smartphone maker BlackBerry Ltd has launched the BlackBerry 9720, the new phone will take a reverse mode as far as its operating system is concerned. Instead of the latest BlackBerry 10 platform, the new phone will run OS 7.1 version which last saw action in 2011. However plenty of BlackBerry’s punters can’t afford that: those expecting low-cost handsets in emerging markets. While BlackBerry promised that BB OS 10 would be available across all price points in 2013, it hasn’t been able to come up with the goods. Even the cheapest of the three BB OS 10 devices released to date -the Q5 - is still far too expensive to appeal to the $150 segment: it costs about ₦61,500 in Nigeria. Design and Looks: Blackberry 9720 is the successor of the Blackberry 9220. The phone comes with 2.8 inches IPS capacitive with 480 x 360 pixels resolution with ~214ppi pixel density. The device has multitouch support. The phone read dimensions are 114 x 66 x 12 mm and the device weighs 120 g. The phone

Earlier in the week I made this post on my Facebook page about mothers, and fortunately, only a few days after, it's Mother's Day. ..................... Its being found out that in the last two decades, the weight of shouldering a family has quietly and now even more noticeably shifted to the women folk. For reasons not too far fetched, the life expectancy of men has dropped drastically, leaving many homes without a father and in turn mothers to bear alone the cost of raising the children. A popular saying from South-Western Nigeria where I hail from goes thus; "the father's property is for all, but the mother's her children's". This notion has made mothers sit up, and rise up to work for the love of their children and the future too. #PleaseCheck "Every step a good mother takes, has the consideration of her children in it,  be it longterm or short.".  They think us round the clock. Children; sons and daughters might have been able to buy ca

"...I didn't find my way to the top of the 'food chain' only to be a 'vegetarian', nor was I created a predator to make friends. I know who I am, and I'll make the best out of me." -TW™ Its been so often said that no one can tell you so accurately than yourself. Of course none has the power to see the goings-on in your mind, what we see is what you show, and what you show, is what you wish and the ones you don't are the ones you chose to conceal or do not know. There's this tiny little detail about you that rarely comes to light. Most times not because you decided to keep them in the cool, not because you love them remaining dormant or unnoticed, but for some reasons we should know shortly, they languish forever in the dark. The words "Food chain" and "Vegetarian" used in my above quote are far from generic, and if you'll look closely, they are bothered by carets. In other words, they would fit into whatever situation it

MY beautiful friend and co - blogger Omowumi Agbonjinmi has poured her heart in this fact-finding, truth-chasing, mind blowing piece. Call her a feminist and you won't incure her wrath one bit. Not new to the game, Wumi has got a collection of explosive articles on her blog; www.omowumi-reddiary.blogspot.com Meanwhile, have a taste of this: WHEN ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED? THAT ANNOYING QUESTION FACED BY MANY YOUNG NIGERIAN WOMEN That annoying pressure on women to get married NOW! When a young woman in this country finishes her university education (if she’s privileged), she is expected to just go and get married. I have always wondered why? Many answers come to mind from the many reasons people cite to get young ladies married off as if that is the whole essence of their lives or the purpose of their existence. From research and experience, I have gathered many unbelievable and hilarious reasons why women must get married off early in life. One of the reasons is

The Federal Government of Nigeria on thursday released the names of delegates to the National Conference and also appointed three Assistant Secretaries to serve in the secretariat. A statement signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, said the National Conference will be inaugurated on March 17, 2014, at the National Judicial Institute in Abuja. Delegates for the conference were chosen from retired military and security associations, traditional rulers, political parties, civil and rights movements as well as women organizations amongst others. Bellow are delegates names: National Conference Delegates: - Justice Idris Legbo-Kutigi (chairman) - Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi (Deputy chairman) - Dr. Valerie Azinge (Secretary) - Dr. Akilu Indabawa (Assistant Secretary) - Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, (Assistant Secretary, Finance and Admin.) - James Akpandem (Assistant Secretary, Media and Communications) - Gen. Ike Nwachukwu - Josephine Anenih -

The silliest of questions I suspect it appears to many, but take no offence if you get to find out eventually that your knowledge of the meaning of a smartphone is laughable and/or way off the mark. Amongst a few things I suspect might be running through your mind is the question ; "I hope my phone is truly a Smartphone?". Enough of the assumptions, we should lay them to rest with this piece. Am afraid some would be discarding their (should be) smartphone after this exposition. Am so sorry you thought you had a smartphone. Without much Ado, what makes a phone smart? What makes a smartphone different from a regular cell phone. I believe you would love to know. Now what is a Smartphone? A smartphone is a mobile phone with highly advanced features. A typical smartphone has a high-resolution touch screen display, WiFi connectivity, Web browsing capabilities, and the ability to accept sophisticated applications. The majority of these devices run on any of these popular mo

With the Centenary Celebration and flag off still in the air, and amidst a host of rejection of awards by supposed awardees, there seems to be even more news to come from the seat of power this season. Sequel to the president Goodluck Jonathan's cabinet shake up, and eventual swearing into office at the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, the following persons will henceforth be ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Musiliu Obanikoro (Lagos) - Minister of State Defence Mohammed Wakil (Borno) - Minister of State Power Abduljelili Adesiyan (Osun) - Minister of Police Affairs; Aminu Wali (Kano) - Minister of Foreign Affairs Akon Eyakenyi (Akwa Ibom) - Minister of Land and Housing Lawrencia Laraba(Kaduna State) - Minister of Environment Tamuno Danagogo (Rivers) - Minister of Sports Asabe Asmau Ahmed (Niger) - Minister of State Agriculture Aliyu Gusau (Zamfara) - Minister of Defence Boni Haruna (Adamawa) - Minister of Youth Development Khaliru Alhassan (Sokoto State)

Taking little or no interest in the on going confrontation between the literary icon Prof. Wole Soyinka and one of the late General Sanni Abacha's sons and in turn, the late General's family. I couldn't but single out for amplification through this post, a beautiful piece of lesson (lecture maybe ). I believe this would add some value to a thinkers mind and improve his/her responses to life and matters. SADIQ WROTE; "If you want to think, speak and act logically then you should know all three. 1. The law of identity 2. The law of excluded middle 3. The law of non-contradiction. Now let’s look at each one of these and see what they mean in practice. 1. The law of identity The law of identity means that things are what they are, which at first doesn’t seem very illuminating, but wait; it implies also the following, that things are what they are, whether you like them or not, it implies that things are what they are whether you know them or not, it implies that thi

Now the 23rd richest person on earth according to Forbes list of billionaires 2014 edition, Nigeria's Aliko Dangote is not stopping at ensuring a Nigerian remains on the top list of the world's wealthiest. Here's how Forbes puts it; The ranks of the world’s billionaires continue to scale new heights–and stretch to new corners of the world. Forbes global wealth team found 1,645 billionaires with an aggregate net worth of $6.4 trillion, up from $5.4 trillion a year ago. The magazine unearthed a record 268 new ten-figure fortunes, including 42 new women billionaires, another record. In total, there are 172 women on the list, more than ever before and up from 138 last year. Microsoft founder Bill Gates is back on top after a four-year hiatus, reclaiming the title of world’s richest person from telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu of Mexico, who ranked No. 1 for the past four years. Also for the first time, an African, Aliko Dangote of Nigeria, breaks into the top 25. Worth $25 billio

Present reports reveals that South African athlete Oscar Pistorius has pleaded not guilty at the start of his trial for the murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Pistorius shot Steenkamp, 29, a model and reality TV star, at his home in Pretoria on February 14, 2013. State prosecutors allege the killing was premeditated, but he claims he mistook her for an intruder. For the first time in South Africa, parts of the trial will be televised live. Media interest is high. The arrest of the national sporting hero astounded South Africa. The 27-year-old double amputee won gold at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and also competed at the Olympics. Pistorius pleaded not guilty to all charges, including the “wilful and intentional murder of Reeva Steenkamp” as the trial began. His lawyer is reading out a statement from the athlete, giving his version of events of how Steenkamp died, saying he believed his girlfriend was in bed when he shot at the toilet door in the early hours of Valen