Here is a story written by Mr Chris Kehinde Nwandu of CKN Nigeria when he paid a visit to Pastor Chris Okotie’s Household of God church in Ikeja Lagos this past Sunday.

Kenny gave a funny narrative story of his encounter at Pastor Chris Okotie’s church in the article below:
When i decided to worship at Chris Okotie’s Household of God on (Sunday 29th December 2013),i knew i was going to have a lifetime experience. I have heard so much about my namesake and his exploit that i was so eager to visit his sanctuary today. For those of you who do not know, Household of God is situated along Oregun road Ikeja Lagos.
Chris Okotie owns all the land and buildings on that street. His Church shares the same fence with Chris Oyakhilome’s Christ Embassy Headquarters.
Arriving Church was easy.. I made my way into the Church after the normal searching at the gate. The first thing that will hit you, were the bouncers, whose chest were as huge as bags of cement, even the devil in his wisdom dare not make a move near that Church at this time.
The inside speaks of the taste of the man, sparkling, well decorated to taste.
Parked outside was not his new Rolls Royce but another Mercedes Benz Limousine with customized plate number.
As it is customary, my seat must be beside a fine babe. Kai, they were not in short supply at Household. Infact this Church has the highest concentration of fine babes that i have ever seen in any Church.
Chris Okotie must have selected them himself. The organizers of Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria will envy what i saw today.
chris Okotie can successfully organize ten good pageants with what he has in that Church.He even said ,they accuse him of marrying fair babes.
See shape,tall,short,dark,fair,half caste see catwalk, see stepping, see mini skirts, see fine steps, see clean smooth skins. See nails,i say come see cloth. Brazillian hair,no be that type wey all those Lagos babes dey do under Ikeja bridge.
It was like a competition.
Abeg if you no get designer clothes ,shoes, bags etc no come Household, because, dem go think say you be steward or waitress.
After taking my seat, beside my lovely damsel,i quickly adjusted my lens and snap some pictures while people were settling down.
Within minutes,a very huge guy that will make Hulk Horgan look like a baby wrestler walked up to me asking me to follow him.
My heart sank,wetin i do now..who i offend,who send me make i come chris Okotie’s Church..Na today i go see wetin my eyes dey look for.
I asked my latest catch to kindly look after my seat while i followed the guy outside

Okotie’s Church on the day of visit
On getting there,i was shocked by what the Chief bouncer said..”CKN ,we know you. We ve monitored you since you entered this Church. We don’t allow any camera work or taking of pictures in this Church or premises.. Please let me see the pictures you just snapped ,because our CCTV camera caught you taking pictures”..Who wan argue with this kin person..i opened my folder and showed him the singular picture on the folder..He asked me to delete it..which i did..His next words,”As i said CKN ,we like your job and what you are doing, just relax and have a nice service with us at Household, God bless,you can go back in but no more pictures please”
I was relieved, from that moment, i just respected chris Okotie and his security agents, these guys were not being paid for nothing.
On resuming my seat,my concentration now focused on the Service of songs which was being led by a lady..it lasted for close to an hour before the man of the moment finally came in, ushered in and surrounded by six huge bouncers,the type that will make Goodluck jonathan’s guys look like kindergatens.
He made straight for the pulpit.Three of the bouncers took their positions in front of the alter, just like you saw in that picture that was in circulation last week.
Okotie looks more like a pop star than a pastor.He has not changed one bit from what i saw of him about ten years ago..His jerry curled hair was shinning.He wore a golden colour Jacket with black patches over a black trouser.You will mistake him for one of those Hollywood actors.
Immediately he picked the mic,he went into solo songs..Okotie does not have a choir or back up singers. He is the Choir,Choir master and chorister all put in one.His is the only Church i have visited that does not have a choir.
He was moving from one song to another, for over one hour he didn’t stop.
I was forced to ask the babe beside me,if it was a service or Song festival. She didnt even bother to answer me, all she was saying was give it to me,give it to me Pastor,i can feel it ,give it to me as she sang along..Haaa,give it to you.give you what i asked..
She took a long look at me and continued in her frenzy,i say give it to me my pastor.Oti o.
This is another level,since i didnt want to be left behind,as Okotie was singing i joined her in saying,Give it to us,give it to us pastor,give it to us oooooo.biko give us,give her,give me too lalalalalala.
The lady suddenly stopped and pinched my hand .Keep quiet,you are not singing like someone that is in the spirit she told me.I asked her what she meant,after all i just wanted pastor chris to give it to us and you are asking me to keep quiet.
Please give it to you us,infact kill us Pastor i continued.
By now she had kept quiet and was watching me.
The whole church was in a frenzy,estatic ,singing and dancing.all dance steps were on display,skelewu,konkon below,kukere,name it,even apala dance join.ewooooo
Some were jumping up and down like people possessed by spirit. Some were even running from one end of the auditorium to another.
The beautiful ones that occupied all the front rows,stood up and were dancing close to the alter,as if to say Man Of God,we are still available o.
But chris Okotie must have been used to it because, he no even look their side. He was singing in languages that i never understood.
I even saw a popular actress among them
After over an hour of singing,Okotie now prayed for two nations,Nigeria and Israel (why Isreal,i don’t know) but i heard those were the two countries he prays for weekly.
After the prayer which lasted for about five minutes, he entered gear two,he kpet on sining,singing,singing and sing.
Haba,which kain Church be this nah,no wonder all these people are trooping here,they came to see Okotie perform every week, definitely not his preaching.
After he must have satisfied himself, he now settle down to speak on the birth of Jesus Chris and the three wisemen that came to visit Joseph and Mary.
It’s was easier to understand Patrick Obhiagbon and Wole Soyinka than listening to chris..At a point i i asked the babe beside me what chris just said,she said she didnt know,i then asked how,how come you were shouting Praise the Lord.
She told me that i just have to accept what he is saying with open minds without questioning.na him i tell am say ok,i hear.
The average age at the Church was 40 years.
chris Okotie has die-hard converts who from all indications are ready to do anything for him. he is to them,a role model of a sort.
The babes are well polished. Not the type you see at most of these orthodox churches like Anglican and Roman Catholic.
Okotie went on to say, Love without Money is not complete.
According to him, shower a woman with money and see how she ll cherish you for life.To him,love is not enough.it must be backed with money and big time gifts. According to him,that is why he buys the latest expensive cars.
When i asked the babe beside me who don dey already squeeze my hand whether she believe that, she said ofcourse,i can’t go out with a guy that cannot take care of my needs. Who is not ready to change my car every other year
With that i kuku gradually remove my hand, before the girl go collect my car key and i come take leg waka go house.
She asked me if anything was wrong i told her no, that i was just feeling dizzy and would need some fresh air outside.
To add to my stress, chris Okotie now shared free birthday cakes for people born in different months of 2014 (yap 2014).
He only shared it among ladies; no single guy was allowed to pick a cake.
He also conducted quiz among us, he only allowed women to answer the quiz and each of them were given cakes and gifts.
Of the over 20 gifts chris Okotie gave away today,no single man or guy was given any.
He said his gifts were ONLY for women.
At that point, i knew i have over stayed my welcome. I told the babe that i wanted to go and take some fresh air outside; from there i disappeared and drove off.
It’s obvious that chris Okotie and his babes still have a lot in common.
If you need fine babes,go to Household..If you need superlative Music,chris Okotie will give you several doses, but if you need serious preaching, i doubt if Pastor chris Okotie will be my first Church,maybe because of the big big grammar and effizy.
By Chris Nwandu, CKN Nigeria
READ MORE:  http://news.naij.com/55610.html

6 Fundamentals That Can Make You A Better Manager In 2014

Photo: Wikipedia

When it comes to management, I’ve always been a bigger believer in fundamentals than fancy.  Sure, there’s nothing at all wrong with, say, presentation skills that spellbind an audience of thousands, but when it comes to operational effectiveness, chances are that will be determined by how well you execute fundamentals day in and day out.  In that spirit, here are 6 fundamentals that can make you a better manager in 2014.
1. Be open to new ways of looking at things - The best managers are flexible, adaptable, and closely attuned to their environment.  They’re always looking for opportunities.  Be a good listener.  Many of the best process improvement ideas routinely come from employees in the trenches, as they’re the ones closest to the actual work.  Rigidity is the enemy of progress.  Don’t be afraid to shift the paradigm and move away from, “This is the way we’ve always done it here.”

 

2. Expect excellence – Set high but not unattainable standards and expect your employees to meet them.   The best managers are ultimately not those who are “toughest” or “nicest,” but those who get the best results from people in their charge.  Once your employees recognize you have unfailingly high standards, that’s key data they won’t forget.  If your employees know you demand excellence from yourself, they’re more likely to find it in themselves.
3. Make sure your employees know – clearly – where they need to focus -  About those high standards just noted in point number 2… be sure your employees’ job objectives clearly reflect them. Well-conceived, measurable employee objectives are a manager’s best friend.   They move job performance from the realm of the subjective into – no surprise – the objective.   If created thoughtfully at the start of the year, objectives will be a valuable guide for both employee and manager as the year unfolds.
4. Protect your time as if it were gold (or perhaps Bitcoins?) – Time is an underrated but crucial management asset, essential to thoughtful decision making.   Managers are routinely pulled in too many directions.   I know I was, which often resulted in just getting stuff done…rushed work rather than optimized work.   The most effective executives I knew protected their schedules vigilantly.  They did what they needed to do, of course, but they prioritized well, delegated effectively, and left themselves with enough time to carefully think through what they most needed to.
5. Communicate regularly by providing meaningful feedback in real time – Sure, effective communication may sound a little trite, but that’s because it‘s so fundamental to sound management.  Strong managers invariably are excellent communicators.  Providing ample feedback – both positive and negative – is a core skill.  Make yourself readily available to those you manage.  Be there, be present, be accessible.  Even if you’re managing remotely, you’re still easily reachable by phone, email, text, etc.  Better to be physically remote and easy to communicate with… than to be physically nearby but a distant communicator.
6. Don’t duck conflict, but deal with it directly and fairly – As any manager knows, the workplace environment is a fertile breeding ground for conflict.  Interpersonal issues, compensation, recognition, cost-cutting, layoffs, management-employee relations… there’s never a shortage of emotionally charged issues that can lead to conflict.  As much as it’s often tempting to look the other way, the best managers aren’t “conflict avoiders” – they address problems quickly and fairly.  Employees are keen observers; they note who takes action when needed and who doesn’t.  They respect managers who confront difficult situations, just as they’ll lose respect for those who chronically avoid them.
Management is a complex endeavor requiring a diverse skill set.
Mastery of  fundamentals provides a solid foundation on which to build everyday operations.
These are six basic ones, by no means an exhaustive list, but six reliable old ones to help get a new year off to a strong start.

15 Quotes To Inspire You To Greatness in 2014

Sometimes we need an extra push to follow our dreams in the new year. Great quotes can inspire us, motivate us, and help us get through hard times. In 2014, it’s time to take your career to a whole new level.

No more making excuses for why you can’t go after your dream job or the title you know you deserve. Let these quotes from some great thinkers inspire you to pursue your dreams and make them a reality in 2014:

1. “Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its troubles, it empties today of its strength.” – Corrie ten Boom

Lesson: Identify what has been holding you back from your career success. Most likely, it’s been worry and fear. In the new year, it’s time to leave fear behind. The things you are afraid of are often the things most worth doing.

2. “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” – Alan Kay

Lesson: You can’t wait around for good things to happen this year; you need to make them happen yourself.

3. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein

Lesson: Bringing value to your company is the best way up the corporate ladder. Don’t play office politics, just make sure you bring as much value as you possibly can to your organization.

4. “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth

Lesson: You can learn and grow from your mistakes if you see them not as mere errors, but as opportunities to grow as a professional and as a person.

5. “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four hours sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

Lesson: Honest Abe’s productivity hack is a good one. Before you start a job hunt or a new project, make sure you’ve sharpened your skills so you can succeed.

6. “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne

Lesson: In 2014, you should try to frequently do things which scare you and push you outside your comfort zone. Take on a complicated new project, offer to do some public speaking, or learn a new skill. You’ll never rise in your career if you don’t take the chance to fall.

7. “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” – Henry Ford

Lesson: Sure the bottom line is important, but it’s not the only thing. A business should be more than dollar signs, it should give something back to the world and inspire passion in employees.

8. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” – Winston Churchill

Lesson: In the new year it’s important not to let the little things get you down. You won’t hit a home run every time, but if you bounce back you’ll come back stronger.

9. “Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve had everything to do, and you’ve done it.” – Margaret Thatcher

Lesson: You might sometimes dream about a slow day in the office, but you know you thrive when things get crazy. In 2014, don’t rest on your laurels when you could be challenging yourself to do and be better.

10. “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela

Lesson: Nothing is ever impossible, even if it often feels that way. If you give up too soon, you’ll never know if you could have actually achieved your dream.

11. “Successful and unsuccessful people do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to reach their potential.” – John Maxwell

Lesson: Don’t write yourself off before you actually try. If you put in the hard work and effort this year, you’ll be closer to achieving your dream.

12. “When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one that has been opened for us.” – Helen Keller

Lesson: There will always be negatives in your professional life. If you focus on the negative instead of the positive, you’ll miss out on great opportunities.

13. “Without ambition one starts nothing. Without work one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lesson: The best way to succeed in 2014 is to marry pie-in-the-sky ambition with hard work. If you dream big and work hard, you’ll be able to make those dreams a reality.

14. “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.” – Roger Staubach

Lesson: Going the extra mile in 2014 is really the best way to arrive at your dream destination. No one ever made it to their dream career, got their dream job, or started a business without going above and beyond.

15. “Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.” – Gloria Steinem

Lesson: It’s hard to get anywhere in your professional or personal life without a little bit of dreaming. You need a destination in mind to start the new year out right, so don’t be afraid to dream big in 2014.

What are some of your favorite inspirational quotes? Share in the comments!

Image Design by Nathan W. Pyle; Open Me

8 Ways To Practice More Positivity In 2014

Posted by: tosin on January 2, 2014

Below, find eight ways to practice more positivity in 2014. Then tell us in the comments, what are some positive habits you’re planning to adopt in the new year?

1. Go outside.
Research proves that going outside helps reduce stress, increases your levels of serotonin and elevates your mood.
2. Log some time with your nephews (or nieces, siblings or neighbor’s kids).
Little kids can have the best outlooks on life.
3. Meditate.
Plenty of research shows that meditation can help promote positivity and happiness. Bonus: It can even lower your blood pressure.
4. Play with your pet.
Pet ownership has been proven to boost happiness and banish stress. Thanks, Fido!
5. Unplug every once in a while.
Facebook, texting, Twitter, Snap Chat… we’re bombarded with information daily — and not all of it is good. Studies have shown that spending time on social media can actually make us feel lonely and bad about ourselves. Turn off that computer and let yourself be happy.
6. Say thank you.
Gratitude can help you focus on the positive aspects in your life. Send a thank you note to someone you care about, just because. You’ll feel happier for it.
7. Read more books.
Aside from their unconventional health benefits, good books can put your mind in another place — perhaps, even, a positive place.
8. Dance (or sing) it out.
Ever notice how when you’re grooving to your favorite tune or screaming lyrics as you drive down the road, your mood elevates? Turns out that’s no coincidence. Studies have shown that singing and dancing can be an instant, positive mood booster.
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Africa's Richest Man, Aliko Dangote, Joins Twitter

Aliko Dangote

Africa’s billionaire philanthropist and the richest Black man in the world, Aliko Dangote joined Twitter yesterday using @AlikoDangote as his Twitter handle.
The business mogul’s Twitter account was verified before he even tweeted and in less than 24 hours after joining Twitter, he already had more than 16,000 followers. The billionaire philanthropist used his inaugural tweet to express his sentiments on joining Twitter and to wish his followers a happy new year. He also used his first tweet to encourage his followers, using one of this favorite quotes.

 

“Glad to be on Twitter. Wishing you all a prosperous New Year. Stay positively committed to achieving your dreams, nothing is impossible”
Africa’s richest Black man has since followed the official Twitter account of his company, Dangote Group as well as fellow billionaire entrepreneurs, philanthropist and global thought leaders including Kofi Annan, The World Economic Forum, Jeff Immelt, Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Gordon and Sarah Brown.
Other billionaire entrepreneurs, philanthropist and global thought leaders from Africa that are active on Twitter include Folorunsho Alakija, Strive Masiyiwa, Tsitsi Masiyiwa, Tony Elumelu, Winnie Madikizile Mandela, Ashish Thakkar, and Mohammed Dewji
More and more of Africa’s billionaire entrepreneurs and industry captains are joining social media platforms to give business and professional advice and share their wisdom, personal life experiences, news updates, opinions, funny anecdotes and pictures.

12 events, issues that will shape 2014

January 1, 2014 by Simon Ejembi

   

 

Jonathan and Sanusi

As Nigeria moves into what many have said could be a decisive year for the unity of the country, SIMON EJEMBI highlights some of the key moments expected in the year

The year 2013 is gone. It was an eventful year – of scandals and open letters. It was the year of the power sector privatisation and the ‘great merger’. It was the year the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressives Congress and the All Nigeria’s Peoples Party merged to form the All Progressives Congress and (attempt to) throw a spanner in the works of the Peoples Democratic Party. Yes, 2013 was an eventful year, but it is gone and 2014 is here.

With so much brewing on the political scene and Boko Haram still roaring now and then, it’s hard to predict how the year will end. More so, with the likelihood that a plane could suddenly fall out the sky as has been the case in the last two years. However, from the signals spotted in 2013 and the ‘events schedule’ for 2013, the following are expected to shape 2014.

1. National Conference

Since 1999, there have been calls for the convocation of a sovereign national conference, a gathering of Nigerians from across the country to determine its fate. The calls failed to yield any result until, well, now. The national political reform conference organised in 2005 by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration failed as a result of Obasanjo’s alleged third term agenda and an apparent decision by delegates from the South-South and their counterparts from the North to disagree on virtually everything. Subsequently, the calls for the conference were subdued. However, in 2013, President Goodluck Jonathan surprised many when he announced that a national conference would be held. Since the announcement, many have discovered that the conference, once widely supported, is no longer considered the ultimate solution to the growing divisions in the country. Nevertheless, the Presidency says it would be held early 2014. Whatever time it is held, the conference is bound to have a huge impact on 2014 and on the country. In his ‘infamous’ open letter to Jonathan, Obasanjo wrote of the conference, “Your later-day conversion into National Conference is fraught with danger of disunity, confusion and chaos if not well handled.” However, it turns out, the conference remains one of the major events that will shape 2014.

2. Passage of the 2014 budget

When it comes to the passing of the country’s budget, there is always one controversy or the other. In the last two years, the National Assembly has not been satisfied with the implementation of the budget and economists have not been happy with parts of it. Even the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, feels it should have more allocations for capital expenditure, but recurrent expenditure has continued to increase; and is set to rise if the 2014 budget proposal is passed as it is. In addition to these shortcomings, increasing animosity between the Executive and the legislature, particularly the House of Representatives, means ‘sparks’ will fly before the budget is finally passed. A major indicator was when the Minister of Finance, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, presented the budget proposal to the Reps. They sent her away after a heated exchange with 50 questions to answer. That appears to be just the beginning.

3. The exit of Mallam Lamido Sanusi

Many in the banking industry heaved a sigh of relief when Dr. Chukwuma Soludo was denied a second term as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria and the Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria Plc (at the time), a certain Mallam Lamido Sanusi, was appointed to replace him. While some where happy for the right reasons others were happy that the man who had sent them chasing N25bn capitalisation, failure of which caused some of them to merge their banks with others, would trouble them no more. Few months and several failed stress tests later, smiles disappeared from a few faces as Sanusi fired number of  bank bosses in a reform that would leave people, who once controlled empires to face the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The reforms aimed at strengthening the banking sector have continued more recently with the decision to increase the Cash Reserve Requirement of banks to 50 per cent and the CBN maintaining a monetary tightening stance. Beyond the reforms and the fallout, Sanusi has courted controversy and conflict with his bold pronouncements. He has been in conflict with members of the National Assembly more than once. It was so bad that the lawmakers considered stripping the CBN of its autonomy. In 2012, he got labour leaders angry when he reportedly urged the government to fire 50 per cent of civil servants. He was in the news recently for accusing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation of failing to remit funds to the government. After years of controversy and progress, his tenure ends in June and he has made it clear that he is not interested in a second term. For those eager to see his back, it is time to heave a sigh of relief once more. But for others, who believe that the banking industry and the economy have benefitted from his policy, his exit and the choice of who replaces him, would determine which direction the country’s fiscal policy takes.

4. Elections in Osun and Ekiti states

The appointment of Prof. AttahiruJega as the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, ahead of the 2011 general elections was accepted by several stakeholders. The general elections, which he guided INEC to conduct, were also accepted as a fair attempt by many. Two years later, one shambolic election in Anambra State appears to have changed the perception of many about him. Calls for his resignation or removal were rife in some sectors, but he survived. In 2014, governorship elections will be held in Osun and Ekiti states. Both elections are vital in more than one way. For one, they will be one last tests for INEC ahead of the 2015 elections. On the other hand, they will provide an avenue for the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party to battle for control of the South-West. The outcome is bound to lead to more than just court cases. They could lead to the exit of Jega or political upheavals. And more.

5. Centenary celebrations

In 2013, news broke that the Federal Government had ordered gold-plated, Coat of Arms-inscribed iPhones as gift items ahead of the country’s centenary celebrations. With the government already considered wasteful by many Nigerians, the social media and opinion sections of several newspapers were filled with comments and articles reflecting the disappointment of the electorate. Even though the government denied the report and the source also recanted his claims, the centenary celebrations, which will be held in 2014, remains a controversial topic. And it will surely affect how the year turns out. Already, beyond urging the government to avoid wasting more resources to celebrate looth anniversary of the amalgamation of the North and South in 1914, some have argued that instead of celebrating, Nigeria should be considering undoing the actions of colonial masters long dead.

6. APC/PDP tussle and the House of Reps

The emergence of the All Progressives Congress has presented the PDP with what appears to be its biggest challenge in years. Governors and lawmakers elected under the PDP platform have defected to the APC at an unprecedented rate. As it stands, the APC now has the majority of members in the House. Not ready to lose control, the PDP is making efforts through the court to have the seats of Reps that have defected declared vacant, but if that fails, the APC will in 2014 have to produce the key officers of the House. Should that happen, permutations in the National Assembly and nationwide politically will take a new direction. Beyond the effect of the tussle in legislature and in the states, reports that the likes of former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, could join the APC in 2014 indicate that the tussle is set to continue.

7. Sports

Sports have always been a unifying factor, especially football. This year, what is considered to be the biggest ‘show’ on earth – the FIFA World Cup – will take place in Brazil. And Nigeria qualified for the tourney. Preparations for the tournament and the performance of the Super Eagles in the tournament will do more than determine the fate of Head Coach, Stephen Keshi, and his players. Having emerged victorious in the Africa Cup of Nations, there is hope that the country will surpass its woeful performance at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

8. Government’s automotive policy

A new national automotive policy announced last year by the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, is expected to take effect in 2014 and it is expected to be a factor in the year.

This is because car buyers will be made to pay more. The impact of such a development, according to some could even extend to transport fares.

Under the policy, duties on both new and used cars were upwardly reviewed to 70 per cent (35 per cent levy and 35 per cent duty), from the previous 20 per cent flat rate. Duty for fully built buses meant for commercial purposes will now be 35 per cent instead of the previous 10 per cent duty.

9. Voter registration

In November, INEC Chairman, Jega, said there would be no new voter registration for the 2015 general elections because the commission had no money and facilities to do that.

However, the high number of names said to have been missing in voter registers during the Anambra State governorship elections and their role in the low turnout for the supplementary elections, makes the issue of voter registration a major one in 2014 – ahead of 2015 general elections.

10. Oil theft and dwindling national revenue

Oil theft remains a major challenge in Nigeria due to the country’s reliance on oil revenue. Increased oil theft and bunkering often affects the country’s revenue and power generation. Gas shortage at power plants has often been attributed to the activities of pipeline vandals. In 2013, the CBN governor accused the NNPC of failing to remit billions to the government. Though he later reduced the figures, this issue is not going away anytime soon.

11. Jonathan’s ambition

Some political analysts believe that President Goodluck Jonathan could shock the opposition by opting out of the 2015 race, but many others believe it is only a matter of time before he declares his intention. Many believe the majority of the president’s actions are calculated to make his second term ambition a reality. Whatever, the President decides, it will have a huge impact on the year.

12.  Boko Haram, insecurity

The activities of Boko Haram remain a threat with the once-thought-to-be-dead Shekau releasing video recordings once more. As the country navigates what is believed to be a decisive year ahead of 2015, the terrorist group and other issues of security and how the country handles them will be vital, considering the prediction that the country will disintegrate in 2015.

D’banj & Genevieve Nnaji Planning Marriage?

Ex-lovers D’banj & Genevieve Nnaji are back together and are more serious than ever.
Reports claim that the actress is currently staying at D’banj’s Lekki house, and that the couple are very serious, with marriage a topic between them.
They had dated unsteadily for 2 years until Genny had broken it off in 2011.
This is pleasant news to fans of the duo, who had always wanted them to reunite and form a super celebrity couple.
Best of luck to them!

Happy New Year!!!!