BUNMILOFE'S MUSINGS

Have you ever wondered why the Easter holidays are not as celebrated as the Christmas holidays? Most people make major Christmas plans- vacations, parties, trips back home- the list is endless. Easter however is considered as a season  to rest or at best visit friends or hold family hang outs. Many say it could be because Easter happens during  a busy time of the year, such that it provides much needed rest for many. Christmas on the other hand comes at the end of the year when everyone is balling, generally happy and bubbling with the 'turn-up' spirit. Another school of thought is that Easter would have been celebrated more if it had a fixed date in the year one could look forward to and plan towards. It's even harder this year with the lack of power and long queues at the filing stations. Apparently, dampened spirits need more than two days holiday to cheer them, maybe a week will do it. So many reasons, what's yours? A part of me thinks we just generally like c...

In keeping with their promise of doing the tough job of economy building, Fidelity Bank Plc, in conjunction with Koinonia Ventures Ltd organised a one day Workshop to promote Export business in Nigeria.  The seminar themed: “ Key Trends and Opportunities in the Non-oil Export Sector ”  held at the Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja, Lagos and had in attendance the Hon. Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Hon. Aisha Abubakar, captains of Industry, organised private sector and other players in the industry. It was an enlightening and interesting time for all present.  L-R: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Koinonia Ventures & President, Koinonia Global Services Inc., Canada, Olufemi Boyede; Executive Director, Shared Services & Products, Fidelity Bank Plc, Chijioke Ugochukwu; representative of the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Alhaji Labaran Yinusa and Lead Consultant, ECOWAS, Professor Ken Ife at a one-day work...

How many of you remember the zoo at UI? You thought it no longer existed right? Well, it does, and it's still quite an experience. The animals look well fed and happy and there are so many of them, so many species, even lions. And they all have names, hearing the attendants call the animals human names is just too funny. Did you know that crocodiles need to open their mouth to breathe when they are not in water? I didn't know too. Tortoises are really as slow as they are rumored to be. It took this over over five minutes to drink the water that was right beside it. This giraffe is almost as tall as me when its seated. What, can't a sister be brief again? You are looking for more pictures? Nah, I just gave you a teaser, go there to see for yourself. There is so much to see in Nigeria!

So, unclebae and I took a vacation recently, and we went to Akwa Ibom!! The place is beautiful, the development amazing. From the comfortable hotels to the many attractions, Akwa Ibom is a work of art. I am particularly impressed that a state government invested so much in a state, especially the capital Uyo. From the hotels, to the library, art gallery, Ibom plaza, beaches and amazing stadium, there’s just so much to see. If you are a luxury lover, just visit Le meridian Ibom, it is five star treatment all the way. And if you are travelling on a budget, there are lots of affordable hotels in the heart of town and lots of things to do that wouldn’t cost too much. You don’t even need to rent a car, just hire a ‘keke’ and have a blast touring the land. Oh, make sure you stop by Ibom Tropicana, there’s a SIlverbird cinema there with box office movies as cheap as #500. The trip got me thinking, there’s really no reason to spend so much travelling abroad for...

So, everyone who knows me knows I’m one of the few people who ‘openly’ associate with and enjoy ‘Yollywood’.  Yep, I not only watch Africa magic Yoruba, I buy Yoruba movies too, I even watch Nollywood movies in the cinema and I’m not ashamed to say it. I believe in Nigeria, so I am buying or in this case watching Naija to grow the Naira. So, when work put me in the same room with the amiable Femi Adebayo, I just had to pose for a picture. And it came out so nice. #FamzingWIthTheStars P.S: 'Yollywood' is all rights reserved, to use the word, contact me. *wink*

Do you remember this fire accident? It was a disaster, such a grave one that completely grazed a major hang out spot for Lekki dwellers and visitors. I mean, Ebeano was it!  There’s almost nothing you couldn’t find to buy at that store, and that includes celebrities and frosh people from all works of life. It was even popularized as a major place to meet potential eligible and financially stable baes . Of course Daytona tried to fill in the gaping hole Ebeano left in our hearts but it couldn’t. Ebeano was just Ebeano and Spar is just too far. Well, our woes are over, Ebeano is back! No, they have not rebuilt their previous store, but they have opened a makeshift store just opposite the former one and it’s massive too, parking space and all. Last week, I visited the village store and its fuller than before. So guys, get your shopping lists ready, Ebeano is back! To think Ebeano is not paying me for this. SMH!

Everyone knows Tubaba. I mean, the dude is a legend. It’s not a small feat to have retained relevance from the days of Ayangba boys to days of lil kesh and small doctor (by the way, aint those boys too young for the X-rated words they spew?). Tubaba is a big deal any-day. And we loved that he married his tipetipe sweetheart, Annie. Their destination wedding marked the beginning of the continued reign of destination weddings. So, naturally we are glad it’s their anniversary especially as they share the same date with the Ekeindes, another adorable couple. However, fans want to Annie to take it easy. Seems like she’s always in the news for celebrating this or that. I mean, in the midst of all the ‘happy birthday to my husband’s first child from his first mistress’, we almost missed the anniversary shout out which is totally important! So happy anniversary Annie and Tuface, enjoy your getaway together. Just don’t tell us about it the next time your leg mistakenly hits a cha...

It’s really sad to think that NoMoreLoss is no more. When a colleague broke the news to me on Monday, I couldn’t help but sing his classic- Iyawo asiko. Talk about a fine song delivered in a fine voice by a fine man. Good music any day, that’s what he was known for. What’s even sadder is the battle of words going on among celebrities regarding his death. It began with Lepacious Bose (or shall we call her Slimacious Bose now that she’s slim) when she posted about all the ‘fakeness’ in the industry, how everyone is putting up ‘internet-downloaded-pictures’ of the deceased when they didn’t have his number on their phones or ask about him when they stopped seeing him at events. Of course there have been responses, Zaaki Azzay (the torch light guy that used to be a big deal) posted back online and Yaw responded via his radio show saying people cannot respond to things they don’t know. In his opinion, the people around NoMoreLoss should have reached out for help and Nigerians would have...

Although the Lekki-Epe expressway was uncharacteristically free yesterday evening, residents of Badore still couldn't fulfill their aspiration of getting to their houses early. Their commute was hampered and their journey stopped just a few meters from their house. What caused the fracas? A heavy duty vehicle, truck- most likely a container, toppled over, stretching across the road blocking motorists attempting to exit Badore towards the Addo roundabout. Motorists going into and coming from Badore hence had to manage a single lane. Coupled with the fuel queues at Forte oil and Oando filling stations, the accident resulted in a girdlock that kept many static for hours. Imagine seeing your estate gate just up ahead and having to wait hours on one spot when you should just have driven in in five minutes. Frustrating much!

Nigerians know how to cope and manage. It’s one of those things we picked up while growing up without anyone in particular teaching us. We learnt to create our own toys when we were very young, provide our own light via whatever means available, keep our roads motor-able and now we are learning how to survive and thrive with fuel scarcity. In Lagos, we use fuel for everything. Powering our businesses, powering our houses and our cars. So lack of fuel is a major problem threatening our existence and progress as a people. However, to keep the faith on, Lagosians have chosen to focus on the good side of fuel scarcity- free roads! Yes, as long as there’s no filling station near your house, you are not likely to encounter the unending traffic that used to be our constant companion. With many cars parked at home and many more stuck on fuel queues, the lucky few plying the road can have a free and fast ride to their destinations. If only there was a way to keep the road free whe...