IBADAN: The City of Brown Roofs.

I am incurably attached to Ibadan. I was born and bred in that city and I'm always so nostalgic about that city of brown roofs. Apart from the hospitality of the people, one reason I'm in love with the city is the cost of living.

On Saturday, I took about 10 people for lunch at Mama Ope.If you don't know, Ibadan has many fantastic local eateries with specializations in different delicacies. For Mama Ope, no one in Ibadan does rice and beans like she does. Her fried stew comes with a special recipe. It's the same quality and taste anytime and has been like that for years- right from when she started in a small kiosk opposite Veterinary at Mokola. Of course, she not only prepares rice and beans but
she has other varieties also.

Inastrait is the best Amala and Abula (Gbegiri with ewedu) restaurant in the whole wide world ( Gbegiri is made from ground beans). Inastrait (adapted from the world "illiterate"- the late founder of the restaurant who was unlettered described herself as "Inastrait" and the name caught on) is seated on Mokola hills beside the Cultural Centre. Life is not complete without her steaming plate of Amala, Abula and goat meat. You even have the opportunity of looking into the
steaming pot of meat and choosing the particular meat you want. Life certainly doesn't come better than that. The late founder's daughter who now runs that restaurant embarrassed me one day when she greeted me in the presence of colleagues who came with me from Lagos, "E ku Ojo meta" (it's been a long while).
My colleagues wondered if she was my facebook fan. Before I finished the meal, she had sent a souvenir of face towel and ceramic cup as my gift to my table. So much for loyalty.

Then, there's Mama Soji on the way to Eleyele- not far from Magazine Road roundabout. Her pounded yam is the best in town. Off Adamasingba/Mokola Road and not far from Fessy Electronics is Mama Samson. If you want Amala as early as 7am, Mama Samson is the place to be. You just won't mind the fact that she keeps pets and some dogs will stroll around as you relish the hot plate of Amala- and my, oh my, she uses a lot of red oil for her soup that I often wondered if she was given free of charge. The way she handles the serving spoon and divides the actual soup from
the palm oil is reminiscent of the way the Red Sea was
parted. Of course, Mama Samson is our own Moses.

At Bodija Oju-Irin, in one container beside a mechanic village is another woman whose crowd competes with the queue at GTB branches. On one occasion years back, I took my Branch Manager and some visiting superiors to that eatery and the shock on their face was just too apparent. All of us were on a long queue with bowls in our hands and we pushed and shoved as we shouted, "Emi lo kan, e da mi lohun" (It is my turn, please attend to me). One of the people with me was sure the woman must have used juju and he asked us to leave immediately. That was the last time I went to that place. Her own specialty is also Amala.

In downtown Oniyanrin area is the famous Laskabo. Laskabo(a loose translation meaning 'my plate is full') is as old as the city itself. I remember sneaking out of church on Sundays when I was a teenager just to have a taste of her 'Amala Lafun'. I sneaked out as the pastor announced the title of the sermon and I was usually back before the sermon was over- my father always asked me for the topic of the sermon after
church.

Time will fail me to talk about Iya Ila who has an eatery on Ojoo road leading to Agbowo/UI. Her stock fish is her stock in trade. The woman who runs an eatery on Polytechnic/ Apete Road (opposite WAEC) prepares the best "Ogunfe" (goat meat) in town. She usually kills about 3 goats per day. At a time, there were about 4 major eateries at the back of First Bank on Secretariat, Agodi. That was the rendezvous for most civil servants some years back. I wonder if that joint is still there. Classic Food Canteen has colonized Iwo Road axis. Some years back, there was the rumour that she puts juju in her food and she was even
invited to a local radio programme- but she survived. Was she a victim of people who were jealous of her success? At Challenge axis (not far from Fidelity Bank) is also a very famous local eatery. I've forgotten her name but I used to send a runner to buy food from there back in those days. In Agbeni Market, anytime I visited a particular customer, I never left without being treated to her hospitality- a steaming bowl of Amala with "assorted" meat. For theuninitiated, "assorted" meat means "orisirisi"- from "roundabout", "nnkan inu-eran", "abodi" and "ponmo". If you have not eaten "agemawo" (ponmo with a bit of meat), you need to repent urgently because the time is at hand. And not
far from Adelabu Shopping Complex at Orita was one canteen where the woman was very popular for her "bush meat". On my way to Babcock years back, we used to stop over every evening to have our fill.

I'm sorry for digressing but back to my gist. After about 10 of us had our fill on Saturday ( pounded yam, Amala, rice and beans with guinea fowl meat, "bokoto", beef, etc), I almost entered a state of shock when I saw the bill- a paltry N7,850. That's an average of N785 per person. All the people with me burst out laughing- of course, they were Lagos people. A few weeks back, a local mechanic fixed my vehicle and collected N13,000 from me- labour inclusive. One
major car repair outlet in Victoria Island billed me N70,000 for the same issue and couldn't even fix the problem after collecting the 70k. Prior to that, another major service centre billed me N270,000 for the same problem. My Ibadan mechanic fixed it for 13k and the vehicle has been fine since.

Just yesterday, I heard about a guy who protested to his landlord because his rent on his 3-bedroom flat was
increased from N100,000 per annum to N120,000 per
annum. Yes, just a 20k increment. I can attest to that
because in 2000, my rent on a 2-bedroom flat less than 50k per annum and I always boasted that I never saved for rent in my life until I relocated to Lagos. When I moved to a 3-bedroom bungalow that had such space in the premises I could conveniently park over 20 cars, my starting rent was 75k per annum and then it was increased to 120k over a period of 3 years. That was in 2006-2008/9 thereabouts.

And so today, I brought my car for periodic maintenance to Akinloye, my Ibadan mechanic. The last time it clocked 5,000km and I took it to the service centre in VI, my bill was over 50k. Thinking of whiling away the time, I took a taxi drop from the mechanic village to Ventura Mall at Samonda. The taxi driver initially said N650 but I haggled and eventually, he took N150. I couldn't believe it. Coming back,i decided to take a proper taxi. That one took N30. I
had to forgo my change of N20 because I gave him N50. He thanked me profusely. And now my mechanic, after outlining the cost of all the things he bought, charged me 3k for labour.

I just love this city so much.

WORDS OF ADVISE ON MARRIAGE FOR WOMEN

1. The wife that wins all arguments with her husband is not wise. The home is not a law court.

2. The wife that uses sex as a weapon in the home - placing embargo, going to bed in jeans shorts and trousers - lacks wisdom.

3. The wife that uses the modern trends and laws of
"women's rights" to insult or ridicule her husband simply makes a fool of herself.

4. A woman that makes her home devoid of peace through bickering, nagging and quarrels needs help. A man should be eager to run away from office to be at home, for that should be the safest and cosiest place on earth for him.

5. Modern-day equality in marriage does not mean
competition. It simply means partnership. Taking advantage of such equality to turn around and become the de facto head of the home and oppress the man is tantamount to playing with fire. If you destroy your home, soon you will be the boss of an empty home.

6. A wise wife makes the man feel so good that he assumes that he is the head. Once he gets that feeling, the woman gently wields her power and the head actually turns to wherever the neck wants without a protest.

7. A wife that does not pull herself away from friends'
influence and advice or even from the control of her mother and father will have herself to blame.

8. When a man is looking for a wife, he bypasses women of different shapes and sizes to choose a wife. But soon after childbirth, many women hide under the excuse of childbirth to let go of themselves. Many stop bothering about their looks, shape, dressing, etc. Within 5 years of marriage, people start wondering if the wife is the man's aunt, even though she is 7 years younger. Her defence is that if he truly loves
her, he should love her the way she is, but when looking for a wife, he saw people like the present YOU and ignored them and settled for the former YOU. Today, you go to bed smelling of onions.... You go to bed wearing grandmothers' clothes. Why are you playing with your marriage? Love is not
about looks - we know. But looks enhances love and
marriage. There is a difference between someone disfiguring herself and the person being disfigured by an accident.Please don't be complacent. As hard as it may be, work on looking like you were when he first saw you and began the chase.

9. If every night you are tired, sleepy, sore, down with
headache or fever, "not in the mood," you are a joker, a
serious comedian!

10. If your children suddenly become more important to you than your husband, you need prayers.

11. If you assume that as the woman, only you need to be pampered and fussed over while the man is a stone that has no emotions, you need to be pitied.

12. A woman that has the mind of a wife does not excite her husband. Wives are usually complacent and presumptuous. A wife must strive to have the mind of a girlfriend. A girlfriend is always nicer, sweeter, more loving and always thinking of ways to wow her sweetheart; a girlfriend does not try to win
all arguments, does not call the man a "useless man", is not careless about her looks or dressing, always smiles and laughs with the man, sends the man sweet messages and calls, etc. Are you your husband's girlfriend in word and indeed?

Mississippi school district fined $7500 for opening assembly with prayer

Allowing a school assembly honoring high-achievers to
open with a prayer made one Mississippi school district
$7,500 poorer - and a student who sued $2,500
richer. The Rankin, Miss., public school district was hit with the fine after U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves said it
defied his prior order barring prayers school events.

According to the judge, the prayer violated a 2013 court settlement that ordered the district to stop
"proselytizing Christianity." The alleged violation, which
came at an assembly last year for students who scored above 22 on their ACT college admissions test, prompted the judge to apply fines for that and another incident, in which Gideons International was permitted to hand out Bibles to elementary school students.

"The district's breach did not take very long and it
occurred in a very bold way," Reeves wrote in his
judgment. "Its conduct displays that the district did not
make any effort to adhere to the agreed judgment."
Reeves also ordered the district to pay the student's
legal fees, an amount that will be determined at a later
date, and threatened a $10,000 fine for any future
infractions of the order.

The assembly at Brandon High School in May 2014
began with a prayer led by local Methodist pastor Rev.
Rob Gill. Although not mandatory, the assembly honored the district's students who scored higher than a 22 on their ACT college tests

The school district first came under legal fire when the
same student took the school district and the school's
then-principal, Charles Frazier, to court in 2013 for
forcing him to attend a series of assemblies that
promoted Christianity.

Attorneys for the school district have argued that Gill's
prayer did not violate the 2013 orders or the student's
First Amendment rights because attendance at the
assembly was optional. Reeves, however, believes the
district has been trying to indoctrinate students with
Christianity.

“From the accounts detailed in the record, it appears
that incorporating religious script and prayers with
school activities has been a long-standing tradition of
the district,” the judge argued.

In a statement issued by an attorney, Rankin County
Superintendent Lynn Weathersby said that despite the
court's ruling, students and teachers will continue to
pray. However, district staff will have to adjust in order
to comply with the ruling.

How to prevent Saggy Breast

What Causes Saggy Breasts
For starters, breasts do not have muscle, they
are made of fat, connective tissues and milk-
producing glands, and they need proper care to
keep them in good shape. Though saggy breasts
usually start happening after a woman reaches
40, it can occur earlier. According to various
studies, it is understood that when a woman
reaches her late thirties, the skin can become
loose and begin to show signs of aging.

According to the Oregon Institute of Breast
Health Education, this is especially true in the
breasts, particularly if a woman has gone
through a pregnancy.

Apart from age & pregnancy, other factors that
cause sagging breasts such as menopause,
rapid weight loss or gain, strenuous exercise,
nutritional deficiencies, smoking, over-tanning
and wearing a poorly fitting bra.

Many believe that breastfeeding can cause
sagging, but this is FALSE according to a 2008
study published in the Aesthetic Surgery
Journal which concluded that breastfeeding isn’t
a risk factor for ptosis (a fancy name for
drooping). The real culprit is actually pregnancy
itself, as weight gain during pregnancy can
cause ligaments to stretch, which can lead to
drooping later. You can minimize this issue by
making sure you stick to a relatively healthy
weight gain while you’re pregnant,

Some diseases like breast cancer or respiratory
conditions like tuberculosis can also cause
breasts to sag. Excessive consumption of
nicotine, alcohol and carbonated beverages can
also contribute to the problem.

A wide variety of creams and lotions are
available on the market to tighten and tone up
sagging breasts. However, if you prefer natural
methods, there are many simple and easy home
remedies that you can try.

How To Firm The Breasts
There are a number of home remedies for
regaining the firmness of saggy breasts,
including regular pectoral exercises, massaging,
masks, plant oils and essential oils in different
forms.

MAINTAIN AN OPTIMAL WEIGHT
If you are someone who struggles with weight,
and if gain and lose weight continuously and
fail to stay at a steady optimal weight, it could
take a toll on your breasts. Your skin, especially
over the breasts, loses elasticity when
stretched. Also when you lose weight, you can
lose fat from the breasts very fast as compared
to other parts of the body. This continuous
stretching and relaxing of the skin makes it
droop and sag over time.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER
According to experts at the University of
Wisconsin Hospitals, the skin is
comprised of cells that are predominantly made
up of water. Lack of water takes a toll on the
skin, and can make the skin over your breast
look shrunken and dull. When there is less
water in your body the skin doesn’t receive the
requisite amount and might look flaky, dry and
get wrinkled. This could lead to premature aging
of the skin around the breasts making it lose
firmness and sag.

OKOROCHA BULLIES IMO WORKERS

Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, has
resorted to bullying as a way of getting striking
Imo workers back on their duty posts. The
governor ordered the striking civil servants to
resume work immediately or risk being
summarily sacked.

The Governor seized the space provided by
some youths who some say were hired to pay
him a solidarity visit at the Government House,
Owerri, following massive criticism that has
trailed his government lately.

Okorocha who accused the workers of reneging
on the recent agreement it freely entered into
with the state government said the strike was
“illegal and would not be tolerated next time”.

It was the considered opinion of the Governor
that “the strike was politically motivated and
principally aimed at rubbishing the good
reputation of his administration”.

He wondered why civil servants should embark
on strike “because of just months of unpaid
salaries” owed by his administration but failed
to disclose whether his own salary was also in
arrears. .

Okorocha was particularly irked that no other
state went on strike over non-payment of
salaries, considering the economic meltdown
facing the country but failed to mention the
case of Osun, another APC governed state the
workers of which were on strike for several
months..

“I do not know of any other state whose
workers went on strike as a result of unpaid
salaries. Imo workers treated me unjustly by
embarking on the current industrial action”,
Okorocha said.

Explaining why he took the decision to sack the
striking workers if they fail to resume, the
Governor said a lot of youths in the state are in
need of employment.

Meanwhile, labour leaders in the state have
considered this as an act of intimidation and
have advised civil servants to ignore the threat
issued by the Governor, stressing that labour
may completely shut down the state if
government failed to pay their unpaid salaries.

Labour also ordered pensioners not to appear
before any verification team set up by the state
government, stressing this verification had been
conducted several times by the present
administration, without paying the pensions

Let’s Talk Girl to Girl! Kris Jenner FINALLY Meets With Caitlyn Jenner

The highly anticipated meeting between Caitlyn Jenner
and Kris Jenner has finally happened.

The two exes met at Caitlyn’s Malibu house on Tuesday July 28 for their first face-to-face get together, undoubtedly an emotional moment for both.

The 59-year-old reality star’s black Cadillac Escalade
emerged from the 65-year-old transgender’s driveway at 4:30pm after she spent 2 hours inside.

Kris, who openly struggled with the news of Caitlyn’s
transition on Keeping Up With the Kardashians , is the
last of the family members to meet Caitlyn.

Kris was also noticeably absent at the 2015 ESPYs,
where Caitlyn accepted the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, but she was watching. A source said:

“Kris isn’t at a place yet where she wants her
first meeting with Caitlyn to be televised.
The whole thing is still so out of her comfort
level. The relationship between Caitlyn and Kris
will be heavily addressed on [I Am Cait].

There is a lot of drama between them both and
they are both hurt by each others actions.’

Chris Brown Finally Goes To Church After 15 Years…Says It Has Changed Him

Everyday, we as children of God struggle to find a sense of purpose. Most times when we look to other means of fulfillment and then we return feeling lonely and empty.

Chris Brown opened up on his Instagram about his first visit to church in 15 years, and how it has changed the person that he is.

In the post, he highlights a number of problems in his
life, and how he has been able to overcome them.

The singer wrote:

“I really wanna take this time to thank God for
everything he’s done for me over the years. The
lessons and my personal mistakes I’ve experienced.

I’ve done a lot in this short time I’ve been on
this earth. I’m 26 but i feel 46 and I understand
a lot more as a man and a father.

Before I left the states for this tour run I was
able to go to church. I haven’t been in almost 15
years. HillsongLA!!!!!

It’s making me a better person and I appreciate
all the fans across the world who love me for
me. I’m not perfect by any means and no one
has to be. From Gangs to fights to beefs to
drugs and anything else frowned upon I’ve been
able to learn my own way and love myself and
continue to spread positivity and SMILE.

I feel comfortable in my own skin because man
cannot judge man. I want to continue my path
to be a legend. I want to always put a smile on
the faces of people who think about giving up.
Life isn’t about self all the time. Life is about
“Love”.

I was able to be inspired by one the the greatest
two human beings who ever lived. “Michael
Jackson” and “2pac”! Understand that religion
and the color of skin doesn’t make u any
different from the rest of us.

Your walk of life is yours and yours alone. Help
one another and build life! Just want to show
my appreciation! Love yall!”