PREGNANT WOMAN ON HER WAY TO REFILL GAS, KILLED, OCCUPANTS INJURED, AFTER A CAR SOMERSAULTED AT OBADARE, LAGOS

XENOPHOBIC ATTACK: FG BLASTS S-AFRICA MINISTER

Senior Special Adviser (Foreign Affairs) to the President, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, , has described as insensitive the suggestion by Mr. Malusi Gigaba, South African Home Affairs Minister, that diplomacy is the solution to attacks on Nigerians in his country.

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In a personally signed statement issued on Sunday, Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa said “It appears that Mr. Gigaba would rather dwell on and entertain himself with diplomatic niceties when the welfare of Nigerians resident in South Africa are at stake now more than any time in recent history.

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.His response to the xenophobic attacks, which has now become a recurring decimal on Africans, most especially Nigerians living peacefully in their host country of South Africa was indeed unfortunate.

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While it’s no longer news that law-abiding Nigerians in that country have borne the major brunt of these attacks, the news by the Home Affairs Minister that his country is trying to get rid of criminals in his country at the time when indiscriminate mayhem and looting of law-abiding Nigerians is very suspicious, to say the least.

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Even if this unguarded statement must be taken in its face value, we wonder if wanton destruction and indiscriminate killing of their African brothers is the most sensible excuse to give.

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.The home affairs minister should have been more guarded and introspective in his statements so as not to further fan the embers of xenophobia that may get out control if care is not taken.

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Nigeria and South Africa have a long-standing diplomatic relationship in which the former played a critical, if not a pivotal role that culminated in ending apartheid, among so many of her positive interventions.

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Indiscriminate killings, in which 116 deaths have been recorded of her people MUST not be how Nigeria should be paid back. Xenophobia is such a debilitating social disease, based mostly on ignorance, in which its carrier also suffers.

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.I therefore suggest that the home affairs minister should engage in the mass education of the South African people about the debilitating effects of this disease with immediate effect.

The Nokia 3310 is back - and it even has Snake

The ‘indestructible’ handset returns, complete with one-month standby time, colour screen and bags of nostalgia

The rumours are true – the Nokia 3310 is back, and it even has Snake. The updated version of the early noughties icon, famed for its seemingly indestructible qualities, was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Sunday.

Anticipation of the device, a phone that doesn’t even have 3G, has been high ever since news of its release leaked earlier this year. The relaunched 3310 is produced by new mobile firm HMD Global, which licensed the Nokia brand last year. HMD is filled with key ex-Nokia people, and the phone appears to have lost none of the charm and identity of the 17-year-old original.

“This is what consumers have been asking us for, and so we decided that we’d just do it and have some fun with it, said Florian Seiche, president of HMD. “That’s the unique opportunity we have here at HMD with the Nokia brand.”

The phone has a slightly bigger screen than its namesake, and in colour this time. It also has a camera on the back, which the original did not. It does have a removable back cover and battery, and runs an updated version of the original’s S30 software. The software behaves so much like the original and followups you might think you were caught inside some sort of time loop. The phone will cost about €50 (£42) when released in the second quarter of 2017. The original cost in 2000 was £129.99 on pay as you go.

HMD promises that the new Nokia 3310 will be as durable as the old one, often seen as practically indestructible by the teens of the 2000s. The new 3310 is about half the thickness of the original and has 10 times the talk time, with 22 hours, and twice the standby time: one month – a duration almost unheard-of in 2017.

It’s charged via microUSB, so there’s no need to carry the pin Nokia charger of old, and there’s even a headphones socket in the bottom. Cynics might see the new 3310 as merely a marketing exercise but some analysts are more optimistic. CCS Insight’s Ben Wood says that out out of the approximately 20m phones sold in the UK each year, 1m of them are still feature phones such as the 3310.

Wood said: “There is a segment of the population that just wants a basic phone. From the stereotype of builder that just wants to call and text and if it gets broken it doesn’t matter, to the festival phone and the backup phone.”

Whether nostalgia, the desire for a less connected, but still contactable life or simply a budget phone is enough to drive meaningful sales of the new 3310 remains to be seen. The Nokia brand run by HMD was the number two global manufacturer of feature phones in 2016, with 35.3m handsets shipped for a 9% share of the market, according to data from Strategy Analytics.

Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics said: “Nokia has struggled in smartphones, but it maintains a very good reputation for delivering user-friendly feature phones at competitive prices, such as the Nokia 230 dual sim.”

Perhaps the most interesting thing the Nokia 3310 tells us is not about feature phones, but rather the state of the smartphone market dominated by Apple and Samsung.

Wood said: “It’s an absolutely damning indictment of the state of the smartphone market that the world is so excited and obsessed with a retro feature phone that shipped 17 years ago.

“The 3310 is poised to be the biggest story of Mobile World Congress this year, where we’re surrounded by the most cutting edge technology available on the planet. Where phones have artificial intelligence in them, 4K screens that most people don’t even have on their TV at home, cameras that are more powerful than we’ve seen. And we’re all getting excited about a 17-year-old feature phone.”

For its part, the 3310 isn’t the only phone HMD is unveiling at MWC this year. Three Android-based smartphones, the competitively priced, mid-tier devices the Nokia 6, 5 and 3 – there is no Nokia 4 now nor has there ever been as the number is considered unlucky in China – each with aluminium unibody designs, a bloat-free Pixel-like Android experience and guaranteed updates for two years from release.

HMD hopes to achieve its aim of democratising smartphones and bringing high-end features and quality to mid-tier prices. Chinese rivals such as Huawei are already saturating the market at scale with quality devices.

For Wood, as nice as HMD’s new Nokia Android phones are, it’s all about the brand. He said: “If someone walks into a shop and they want a mid-tier phone, do they buy a Huawei, or a OnePlus, a Xiaomi or a Vivo or Wileyfox or something else they’ve never heard of, or a do they buy the Nokia, the brand they know?”

Ibrahimovic takes Manchester United to EFL Cup final win over Southampton

Zlatan Ibrahimovic 19

Jesse Lingard 38

Zlatan Ibrahimovic 87

In the end, perhaps it was just inevitable that Zlatan Ibrahimovic would insist on having the final say. Southampton had given everything to drag themselves level and, for long spells, it had felt as if Manchester United could fall to one of the more improbable comebacks of any Wembley final. It would need a flint heart not to sympathise with the losers but this is why José Mourinho was so determined to sign Ibrahimovic: the decisive moments on the occasions that really matter.

The clock had ticked into its 87th minute when United’s new talisman applied the header that spared them the possibility of losing a game they had led 2-0. The same player had opened the scoring with another reminder of his eye for the spectacular and his late winner brought a measure of relief as well as jubilation, bearing in mind the determination of Southampton to fight back and give their opponents an almighty scare.

Amid all the fireworks and ticker-tape, Mourinho is certainly entitled to wonder why his side made life so difficult for themselves once Jesse Lingard had doubled their lead seven minutes before half‑time. Southampton deserve immense credit because the paradox of this match is that United, as Mourinho acknowledged, were the inferior team. It is possible to lose while also playing with distinction and Southampton did just that on a day when Manolo Gabbiadini, their £14m signing from Napoli, had his own credentials to be recognised as the game’s outstanding performer.

Gabbiadini’s first goal arrived in first‑half stoppage time, followed by another three minutes into the second half, and he could conceivably have been reflecting on a hat-trick and an entirely different outcome had it not been for a trigger-happy linesman raising his flag to rule out an early effort, with the game goalless. United supporters of a certain generation have spent many years grizzling about 

about Bobby Stokes’s winner in the 1976 FA Cup final – a goal once described as so far offside Stokes was almost in Hendon – but this one went in their favour and it will be little consolation for Southampton that football’s law‑makers convene at Wembley on Friday to discuss the merits of video replays.

Nobody will ever know what would have happened had that goal stood but Southampton left with a smouldering sense of injustice. Eight minutes later, Oriol Romeu scythed down Ander Herrera 30 yards from goal and Ibrahimovic’s spearing free-kick deceived Fraser Forster to give United the lead in a game that, by rights, they should have been losing.

Ultimately, though, there was another reason why Southampton’s players finished the match with only despondency. They moved the ball around confidently, there was not a hint of stage-fright in their first final since 1979, and Nathan Redmond and James Ward-Prowse were difficult, elusive opponents on either side of Gabbiadini. Defensively, however, they were unable to demonstrate why they had become only the second team in history – Tottenham in 1981-82 being the other – to reach this final without conceding a single goal.

Forster chose a bad day to suffer a lapse for the opening goal. Ibrahimovic was afforded far too much space for the winner and Lingard’s goal was another case in point. Southampton had plenty of players in defence without anyone getting close to the ball as Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Marcos Rojo exchanged passes to create the opportunity. Lingard’s precise finish went through the legs of Maya Yoshida and, at that stage, it was difficult to see any other conclusion than a straightforward United win.

Instead, Claude Puel’s players shook their heads clear and came back with a level of determination and skill that seemed to surprise their opponents. Gabbiadini’s first goal came from close range, clipping the ball through David de Gea’s legs when the United goalkeeper might have been better advised going for Ward-Prowse’s cross with his hands rather than his feet. Puel had been facing the ordeal of a half-time team-talk at 2-0 down, but the goal dramatically changed the complexion of the match and when Southampton came out for the second half they were quickly on the attack.

As well as Gabbiadini’s second goal, Southampton could also reflect on the header Romeu, getting the better of Paul Pogba, directed against the post from one of Ward-Prowse’s corners with the score at 2-2. Gabbiadini’s movement and anticipation made him a regular threat and his equaliser was superb, waiting for a header to drop in a congested penalty area before firing a swivelling volley past De Gea, despite the close proximity of two United defenders. Mourinho described it as “phenomenal”. It was Gabbiadini’s fifth goal in three games for his new club and from that point onwards there was no doubt Southampton fancied themselves to complete the recovery.

United looked disorientated and, just before the hour, Martial and Pogba could be seen leaving a cross to one another when both players had the chance to score. Mourinho has never lost a domestic final but that record was under serious threat and it was not until the final 20 minutes that his team started to threaten again.

Even then, there were times when Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly looked vulnerable in the centre of United’s defence. Pogba had a difficult afternoon and it was tempting to see if Mourinho was wearing Puel’s initials on his top when he started his press conference afterwards by expressing his sympathy for Southampton’s manager. They were, he said, the better side and deserved extra time.

What Southampton did not have, however, was someone marking the player who might yet win the season’s individual awards. Ibrahimovic was alone, six yards out, when Herrera’s cross picked him out, heading in his 26th goal of the season to put Mourinho level with Sir Alex Ferguson and Brian Clough with his fourth League Cup triumph.

AUDITION! AUDITION!! AUDITION!!!

Sweeping Danfo off Lagos roads

THE announcement that plans are afoot to “remove” the ubiquitous yellow-painted minibuses from Lagos roads hit Lagosians like a bolt. Coming directly from Governor Akinwunmi Ambode,

 the news compelled attention since the state government, unlike its federal and state peers, has built a reputation for bold action in the last 17 years. The move is long overdue and the government should remain steadfast in its pursuit of the megacity status for Lagos.

Like many observers, we are sceptical of the timeline: ridding Lagos of the menace of the yellow-painted buses may require time. Notice that the phased withdrawal of the Molue, another malevolent denizen of the roads, is not yet complete. But there should be an urgency to evict Danfo from the city, especially from the main highways, and realise a modern inter-modal transport system befitting of Africa’s largest city.

True, the minibuses provide a vital service, moving hundreds of thousands of people and goods daily; but they have become a nightmare, a primary cause of gridlock, accidents and fatalities, according to LASTMA, the state’s traffic agency. They speed excessively, load excess passengers and goods and disobey every rule in the book. Only about 20 per cent of the Danfos carry genuine mandatory documents, estimate traffic officials.

 Worse, like their newer and equally deadly cousins, the Okadas, they are used extensively to commit crimes – robbery, kidnapping, and electoral violence. The drivers and conductors are often rude, dirty-looking, violent and thuggish.

Ambode was short on details, but he captured the angst of Lagosians in his lamentation over the out-dated transport platforms. “When I …see all the yellow buses, Okadas (commercial motorcycles), and all kinds of tricycles, I feel that the claim that we are a megacity is not true.” Actually, 

Lagos is a megacity, at least by the United Nations’ designation of metropolitan areas with over 10 million people as such. It ranks 13th with an estimated population of 21 million, after cities like Delhi, Beijing and Sao Paulo. Where it falls short is in the quantum and quality of its infrastructure, especially public transport, which the state has been making brave efforts to reverse since 1999.

It is the Nigerian story of neglect, incompetence and poor leadership writ large that brought Lagos to this sorry pass. Between 1984 and 1999, investment in infrastructure was very little and did not keep pace with the city’s population explosion, which the loss of its status as the country’s political capital in 1991 did not halt. About 25,000 persons move into Lagos daily, according to a study, with about 8,000 staying put for varying periods. Of the 10.6 million

 vehicles registered in the country as of 2016, says the Federal Road Safety Corps, a quarter are in Lagos, plying its 9,100 federal, state and local roads. The phenomenal increase in human and vehicular traffic is seen in figures showing that there were 20,000 mini buses, 6,000 medium-sized buses and 30,000 taxis in the city in 1985. Estimates put the number of minibuses in Lagos today at over 100,000.

With the collapse of public transport through the bankruptcy of the bus, ferry and road networks, mini buses, motorbikes and the ugly Molue and Okadas came in to fill the void. The famed “go-slow” gave way to gridlock. According to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, the state suffers economic losses of N250 billion annually due to traffic congestion. At major points and routes, the lawlessness of minibus drivers causes traffic snarls and accidents. Despite the massive investment of the state government on roads, bus stops, bridges, pedestrian flyovers, the Bus Rapid Transport System, traffic management and law enforcement, Danfo drivers remain a major hindrance to free-flowing traffic.

The state government should press faster ahead with its Strategic Transport Master Plan being spearheaded by LAMATA, the semi-autonomous agency that enjoys World Bank and state counterpart funding.  While road repair interventions are moving steadily, its goals of six metro rail lines, one mono rail, 14 BRT routes, 26 water transport routes and three cable cars are sluggish. The first rail line from Mile 2 to Marina has missed several deadlines just like implementation of the water transport segment.

We recommend immediate eviction of the yellow buses first, from the Central Business Districts, the federal roads in the city precincts and the major highways. Given that many more roads need expansion and more investors lured into the system, Lagosians have to live with the Danfo for some time until the state’s master plan comes into full fruition. In the meantime, enforcement of the Lagos State Traffic Law 2012 should be reinvigorated to knock discipline into all road users and flush Okada from the 475 roads they are forbidden from plying.

Other megacities should serve as models: London (pop. 13.84m) provides efficient public transport through buses, the underground train system, light rail, tram, water ferries and taxis. The underground carried over 3.7 commuters daily in 2013. Tokyo (pop. 38.8m) has the world’s most extensive urban railway network with 158 lines and 4,714 kilometres of track, interconnected with buses, boats and trams. With efficient subway train network, extensive bus routes and taxis, 54.2 per cent of New York’s 23.63 million residents don’t bother owning cars, a departure from the American “car culture” and 41 per cent use the subway, 12 per cent take buses and 10 per cent walk to their offices! Johannesburg (pop. 4.43m) is investing $1.1 billion to modernise its metro rail system in addition to spending on bus routes.

The road map is, therefore, laid bare: the megacity dream should be pursued with vigour and the eyesore of Danfo consigned to the museum.

BBNaija: Eight housemates nominated for eviction

Eight housemates were on Sunday night nominated for eviction from the Big Brother Naija reality show.

The figure represents the highest number of housemates ever nominated at once to leave the show.

Bassey, TBoss, Efe, Marvis, Debbie-Rise, Kemen, ThinTallTony, and Uriel were all shocked to find out that they could possibly leave the show.

Choosing to stray from the tradition of Monday night nomination show, Big Brother introduced a fresh twist.

The housemates were invited into the arena and asked to each pick from several red envelopes.

Surprisingly, all the housemates picked envelopes confirming their nomination.

Host, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, announced that in place of Monday night’s nomination show, there would be a head of house task.

The winner of the HOH task will gain immunity from eviction, he said.

Bisola and Bally were exempted from nominations as the latter had the green card advantage while the former had a pre-existing immunity.

Ese Eriata and Jon Ogah, the two fake housemates, were evicted from the show after two weeks in the house.

Singer Lola Rae on nudity in music videos

Davido’s Davido Music Worldwide music protege, Rachel Akosua Funmilola Garton, professionally known as Lola Rae is a class act music beauty who will shake any room full of men.

The Nigerian-born British-Ghanaian recording artist and dancer who gained recognition following the release of her debut single “Watch My Ting Go” in 2013 is also sexy and could work up her videos to be one of the most sensual pieces around but it seems rubbing her sensuality with flashes of nudity on the faces of her fans is something Lola won’t be too quick to do. 

In a chat with Potpourri, the mulatto singer said nudity is something her fans should not expect from her but assured them there will be enough to see to keep their amorous imaginations going “I don’t agree nudity is encouraging and it’s exactly what has taken over the entertainment industry because everybody wants to sell his/her song. 

But it’s just a way of giving a bite different from your day to day personalities. I’m not saying one should get naked but you just have to give your fans the best. For instance, the way I dress when going onstage is quite different from the way I dress on a normal day. I always like to look sexy while performing and it’s a way of giving my fans the best,” she said. Talking about the kind of guys that could rock her boat, she said, “I like guys that can make me laugh, genuinely kind and God-fearing because my family is very religious.”

Bukky Abaniwonda on a mission to fight violence against women with movies


Riding on two successful outings in the movies, Bridges and The End, in which she played lead roles, Canada- based thespian, Bukky Abaniwonda has promised to bring her game to the Nigeria movie industry, saying acting is much more than just interpreting roles

According to the actress, the decision to return home stems from a need to be able to explore Nollywood and what it’s got to offer. “I’m trying to network with producers and directors in the industry and just getting a feel of the industry from the insiders, what it takes to stand out, to carve a niche for myself. Acting is something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said.   

Although she holds a Masters in Finance and works as a Financial Advisor with a reputable bank in Canada, the actress intends to address a lot of societal issues that have always been close and dear to her heart through her craft.   Among those issues, she says, is the rising incidence of violence against women. With the advent of social media, more of those cases have been brought to light and, according to the actress, there is a growing need to stem it in its tide.  

 Citing the movie, Dry, by Stephanie Okereke, as an example of a flick that addresses societal ill, she says that her desire is to be a part of productions that could help to give light to some of those issues. Only recently, she featured in a commercial, alongside actor/singer, Falz Tha Bad Guy.

YOU ARE CLEVER BY HALF, BUHARI’S P.A LAMPOONS DELE MOMODU OVER HIS ARTICLE ABOUT THE PRESIDENT

Personal Assistant to Pres. Buhari on social media, Lauretta Onochie, has tackled Dele Momodu for crediting Acting President Yemi Osinbajo with the improvements in foreign exchange and engagement with the public.

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Momodu had in his weekly column tagged ‘Pendulum’, urged President Buhari to pick a number of lessons from his deputy whenever he returns to the country.

PHOTOS: SIMI CLAPS BACK, GOES ON BLOCKING SPREE, AFTER BEING TOLD TO GET HER FASHION GAME UP

TALLEST ACTOR WHO PLAYED GIANT MAG THE MIGHTY IN GAME OF THRONES, DIES OF HEART FAILURE, AGED 36 

Britain’s tallest man who stood at 7ft 7in has died aged 36. Basketball player-turned-actor Neil Fingleton suffered a lethal heart failure on Saturday. He most famously played the giant Mag the Mighty in the HBO TV series Game of Thrones.

JESUS IS LORD........TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT SOMEONE WAS SERVED, YESTERDAY, AT A WEDDING

 

PHOTO: FULLY FORMED ABORTED FOETUS ATTACHED TO ITS PLACENTA, FOUND DUMPED IN IMO STATE THIS MORNING


Women can be stupid sometimes... who in her right senses would do this to this Growth. This is pure Wickedness. i pray Heaven forgives her, bcos she took out a soul that doesn't belong to her. She is a MURDERER.

PASTOR SULEMAN’S WIFE, REV(DR.) LIZZY JOHNSON, GIVES OUT 3 CARS AND CASH GIFTS TO THOSE ON HER SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME, TO MARK HER BIRTHDAY 

NYSC MEMBER, EVERY OTHER OCCUPANTS DEAD AFTER A JEEP VEERED OFF ITS LANE AND RAMMED INTO A CAR ALONG WARRI / SAPELE ROAD, DELTA, TODAY

BUHARI HAS NOT DISAPPOINTED ME, OBASANJO SAYS

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said the current Nigerian leader, Muhammadu Buhari, has not disappointed him since he assumed office in 2015. Mr. Obasanjo stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria at his hilltop residence in Abeokuta. 

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While reflecting on the Buhari administration since 2015, Mr. Obasanjo said that the president had done his best to move the country forward. “Whatever anybody says, President Buhari has not disappointed me from what I know of him,” he said

He said the president had delivered on his core areas of strength and ability, particularly in the anti-corruption crusade and the war against insurgency. “In my book, I have said that Buhari is not strong on the economy and I did not write this to run him down.

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I also used to think that he is not strong in the area of foreign affairs, but I have realised that he has improved very well. He has actually done his best in the areas where we know him to be strong,” he said.

POLICE RESCUE 3-YR-OLD GIRL BEING TORTURED BY HER PARENTS BASED ON WITCHCRAFT ALLEGATIONS

According to CRARN, Sarah from Amichi, Nnewi, Anambra State, underwent terrible torture from her own parents on account of flimsy witchcraft accusation. She went through horrific abuse and torture because they believed she’s a witch and caused spiritual attacks in the family. 

She was beaten with sticks, kept outside to suffer in a cold weather as rain continue to drench her in the nights and days, sometimes she is merely locked up in dark room with no food or water.

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However, according to Sam Itauma, the Anambra State Police Commissioner, Sam Okaula, has rescued her and also arrested her parents. The police boss said the child was hospitalized and now undergoing intense medical treatment. 

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He revealed that the little girl also has mental challenges, which could be one of the reasons the parents were tired of her and possibly made her to pass through such horrible circumstances. He said investigations were ongoing on the aspect of abuse on the child. Crdt: Sam Itauma

NIGERIAN COMEDIAN REVEALS HOW HE WENT FROM BEING A BUS CONDUCTOR LIVING UNDER OSHODI BRIDGE, TO BECOMING A MILLIONAIRE AT 24 AND A LANDLORD 

WHEN YOUR MAN CHEATS, BUY HIM CONDOMS INSTEAD OF WALKING OUT OF THE MARRIAGE — ACTRESS SEYI HUNTER 

Actress cum producer, Seyi Hunter, has advised her colleagues walking out of their marriages to get a legal separation from their estranged husbands if they are not willing to resolve their lingering marital crisis. 

In a chat with Vanguardngr, she condemned the manner in which female entertainers take a walk out of their marriages instead of coming to terms with its realities. According to her, there are lots of single ladies ready to jump at Ubi and Churchill immediately they decide to put an end to their crisis-rocked union. 

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She said: “It isn’t right for any lady to walk out of her marriage for any reason, except domestic violence is involved. I am not talking about occasional slaps here and there. If he beats you like he’ll beat a thief, my dear sister you need to run for your life because he might kill you one day or disfigure you. 

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But if you leave because of cheating, then you’re the most foolish person alive and you’re not going by the Holy Bible. The Bible says man shall not live by bread alone. You don’t expect him to eat Egusi soup the rest of his life; he has to eat Afang, Ogbono, etc, once in a while. 

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Let’s not forget men are polygamous in nature, it’s been there right from the days of Abraham and it cannot be changed. The way entertainers are ending their marriage is alarming. If these ladies left their marriages because of their partners’, it means this generation is worse than I thought, because we’ve lost it.

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No patience, understanding or endurance to allow the man test the waters once in a while. I hope they settle their issues, but if they won’t, let them hurry with the divorce, so that single girls can make their moves on these guys. 

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Before the women eat me raw, women are not allowed to cheat. The men are to love us, care for us, support us in everything and provide for us, while we do all these and more for them. 

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Every smart woman will provide her man with condoms and lubrication and pray that the Holy Spirit guides them to use it on their side chicks, so they don’t bring infection home to us.”