Friday 28 December 2012

*A REASON TO SMILE-DAMMIE.



                        *A REASON TO SMILE.

The Song.
'Feyin e',an afrosoul spiced with rich guitar roots, is Dammie's official debut song. 'Feyin e' is a very inspiring song about having a positive mental attitude towards life's many challenges and getting you into the happy mood. This is a new year gift ‘cos its set for release on the 1st of January, 2013.

The Singer.
Dammie
-Damilola Ogungbeje-a graduate of Geology and native of Ondo State crowned this year with emerging the winner of Ondo State Talent Hunt 2012(with a cash reward of 2 million naira). Truly,the sky is the starting point for Dammie,who began music at a tender age of 9. The multi-talented Music Director not only sings but  also plays the drum kit and guitar. He leads the music band,

Signature .

The Source.

The anointed and inspiring Dammie is a strong believer in the Unseen God who controls the seen who gives everyone a reason to smile even in the midst of life's difficult situations.
Do enjoy the song!


’FEYIN E’ is a Yoruba phrase that means ‘do smile’.( Download the song from hulkshare.com,notjustok.com,mp3raid.com)

Contact DAMMIE on any of these paltforms:


+2348034084059,
BB- 33041125,
twitter- @dammie_steve,
facebook- Ogungbejedamilola,
email- damilolaogungbeje@yahoo.com




*By Dotun Adesua,a Poet,Public Speaker & Writer.

Thursday 2 August 2012

MONEY SPINNING BUSINESS IDEAS.

  Lets talk Nigerian Money

By Damilola Bamiro


¡  The Nigerian Rules
        There are no Rules
        There are no structures
        We have freedom to choose
        There are consequences

Warning: Contents of this lecture is not to be consumed wholeheartedly. Not all examples will apply to everyone and not everyone will understand the content the same way. The rule is simple. There is no singular approach.

¡  Numbers

        The TRUTH in Numbers
        Random Orders
        Historical
        Research
        Knowledge
        Statistics
    The eTC Example.


¡  The Perception of Money
¡  Exercise: 1 Billion, 1 Million
¡  eMoney versus Cash: Numbers in Money.
¡  Emergence of a new world
¡  Accepting your position
¡  God and Caesar (Jonathan?).
¡  What's the importance of Worldly riches?

¡  Nigeria
Do we really understand Nigeria?
Points to Consider before moving forward:
•Nigeria may not change YET. What will change before then are our personal situations and circumstances.
•Sphere of Influence
•A Call to Morality
•Working Hard and Working Smart
•The makeup of Nigeria: Domination, Knowledge and Business
•What’s the future of Nigeria?
•What are our buying patterns?
•Materialism in Nigeria
•What are our values?
•NEEDS versus WANT
•The element of Nigerian Risk
•The element of Long Suffering in Nigeria:
¡  My Rules for Nigerian Businesses
        Entrepreneurs and Pioneers
        Market Based Products
        Product Based Markets
        The Degrees of Separation
        Riches by Association
        The new world of Representation
        The Numbers! (Research, Knowledge and Opportunities)
¡  Types of Businesses
        Necessity
    Food
    Clothing
    Shelter
    Transportation
    Communication
    Death e.g. Caskets etc.
    Life e.g. Hospitals, Events Management
    Fashion e.g. Aso Oke
¡  Types of Businesses
        Luxury
    Car Wash Liquid example
    Electronics e.g. The iPad.
    Beautification e.g. flowers etc.
    … and many more around us!

Items that usually dont add to social status.
    Please note: It doesn'tt mean they are not making money!


¡  Interesting Stats in Nigeria
¡  Nigerian Breweries – Sept 2011. N160B.
¡  Ticketing and travel: N240B yearly
¡  Nigerians outspend US in UK Shopping yearly: China, Russia, Middle East. Nigeria number 4. US is 6th.
¡  Blackberry
¡  US Visa Lottery
¡  LG




¡  Local Exercise:

Lets find a business right now
              Choose a statistic/Industry
              What is the base?
              Who is there right now?
              Who is at the top of the chain?
              What is the market share?
              Positioning

Interesting areas: Idumagbo, Computer Village
Calculators Required
¡  Foreign Exercise
              Choose a statistic/Industry
              What is the base?
              What is technological and sociological transfer? Fashion, food, tech, design etc.
              How long will it take to reach here?
              How does representation come in?
              Who will benefit?
              Positioning for the eventuality


¡  Advice to all
              Money is EVERYWHERE AROUND YOU
              Know your position in the chain
              Lay in wait: Multiple Streams of Income
              Gaining and Dissipating KNOWLEDGE
              Its true the rich get richer
              God needs a FOUNDATION to build on
              God needs your knowledge so riches wont go to WASTE

¡  Thank You. I wish you all the best in your Ventures!
PS.
I really love the rendition of ‘Occupy till i come...’ in some other versions. One says ‘do business till i come...’ so i charge to do same. God’s best!



Monday 16 April 2012


NYSC-APRIL 18/BAUCHI 10: Is This Nation Worth Dying for?

It was a sunny Monday afternoon. Having had a great time at my place of primary assignment I left for Alhaji Omar Hassan’s residence where I teach his kids(it’s popularly called PP-Private Paroll). Sooner than later I began to receive phone calls from house mates asking of my whereabouts. I could not juxtapose the extremely calm town and its warm people I used to know with the news of hostility and inhumanity that was reaching me. In little or no time, I rushed out of my host’s residence to find out that the roads have been deserted. So petrified and jittery, was I. At the peak of my desperation to get to a safe haven, a man who has just moved his family to the Army barracks, rescued me, a stranded stranger.
How can I forget in a hurry how I fled for dear life from Zubuki village in Itas Gadau local government in Bauchi after I was given free knocks on my head and humiliated in my NYSC uniform at the polling station I was posted to as an Independent National Electoral Commission ad-hoc staff and later rescued by a God-sent motorcycle rider. Through it all I got to Bauchi at 11 o’clock at night. Few hours after, the town was literally on fire. Bauchi LGA INEC office was set ablaze, bon fires at major roundabouts, roads and even wanton destruction of properties. The fear of these and unfavourable security reports and rumours locked me behind walls and gates for 3 days and 2 nights. Hot, consistent and persistent fear-propelled prayers and intercession flowed ceaselessly from my heavy lips and discombobulated mind. 
How can I also forget in a hurry how friends and acquaintances were sent to early graves like poultry birds? The brilliant and visionary president of Banking and Finance departmental body, Kehinde Adeniji who was my set in Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State. Our last moments at Gadau(where I was posted for the elections)-we ate lafun(a local food  made of cassava flour) and okro and stew prepared in the same pot. He later gave me passport-sized photograph to deliver to another friend of ours in Bauchi LGA. I passed the night in an adjacent room to his, shared thoughts of our spectacular experiences and bade me farewell-and that was his last. As for Ayotunde Ebenezer Gbenjo and Anslem Nkwazema our paths crossed at Nigeria Christian Corpers Fellowship (NCCF). Ayo’s story is very pathetic in the sense that he with some other corps members were rescued from Tafawa Balewa LGA’s communal clash that claimed lives and properties and even a corpers lodge. Yet death was lurking around the corner and finally made away with him during post presidential election crisis. As for the gentlemanly Anslem ran for safety into a police station but was smoked out and butchered thereafter. Should I wake the painful memory of the newly married and pregnant Gift Anyanwu who was badly burnt and  gave up the ghost days after at the National Hospital Abuja.
Other lives lost are Teidi Tosin Olawale, Okpokiri Obinna Michael, Adowei Elliot, Adewunmi Seun Paul, Ukeoma IKechukwu Chibuzor and Akonyi Ibrahim Sule. I called this politically motivated with religious colouring the height of man’s inhumanity to man, although I expressed an unusual optimism in an interview with a reporter with May 2011 edition of 234next online newspaper, which was attacked by many readers. I captured my thoughts in the poem I titled ‘TRIBUTE TO OUR MARTYRS’(April 2011)
“With shouts and doubts I greeted
The phone call announcing your home call
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Are probably three decades of gain and pain, sweet and sweat, favour
and    labour, thick and thin, ups and downs disappeared into thin air?
My mind replied me with full emptiness...
Dear Naija why drink the blood and sweat of them who served you selflessly
Cover your face in shame ‘cos you gave them no defence
Oh! Your parents and loved ones longed to have you in their waiting arms
But you have journeyed to the land of the quiet ones
You even returned home but ‘dead on arrival’
Oh! See corps members receive NYSC discharge certificates
But your exit gave birth to death certificates
Ocean of hot tears from bleeding hearts
Has refused to wake you up
Then our hearts are made up
To live our lives on purpose
Impact lives of people
And serve God with sincerity and passion
We remove head-dresses
Cos your nation’s clarion call you heeded
We remove head-dresses
For these great leaders, visioners,bread-
winners,educationists,professionals,parents...
Who are gone into early graves
Courage and fortitude we ask you dear Comforter
Forever you are inscribed on our hearts
Good night! Good bye!! ”

NYSC is compromised. A scheme that dances to the tune of the highly connected, mighty and wealthy. Their children and wards serve in choice cities like Abuja, Lagos, Kano as well as big companies or organizations while the other choice-less corps members wallow in despicable conditions. Wicked employers absorb cheap labour, some even serve ‘legislooters’ kolanuts during meetings at the National Assembly(The Punch; Mar Fri9,Pg 16). What of those militants kidnap, even the Osun ‘royal rape’, what of avoidable road accidents that claim some lives,etc. Little wonder the acronym NYSC is sarcastically redefined as ‘Now Your Suffering Commences’. What a compromised NYSC!It is a pity that the Gowon-conceived NYSC paramilitary and unifying scheme has become  a laughing stock. The BIG question is that- has NYSC over stayed its welcome? Or considering its purpose/vision of national integration, cultural cohesion, inter-tribal marriage, job opportunities to mention but a few. Is it that it needs a complete repositioning?
A foundation in their memory, sincere insurance scheme for any corps member who suffers any kind of loss, being unmindful of the gestures of the FG-Donation of 5 million naira to the families of the 10 slain corps members, automatic employment for a sibling from each of the families, 2 million naira donation by Bauchi state government, state burials and condolence speeches. Besides, the Brigadier General Okorie-Affa led NYSC is saying corps members will now serve in four key areas(education, agriculture, health, etc), a policy that is believed to be ill timed. Also, there is tracking device for their security.
A year is come and gone, I do not want to believe that a critical lesson learnt is that you can perpetrate and sponsor evil and get away with it. What a nation! A nation that turns a deaf ear to the yearnings of its citizenry. When will greed for money, fame and power become a thing of the past in this corner of the world? How I wish that those children tied to their mothers’ apron and fathers’ deep pockets wake up, face the realities of life and embrace hard work and shun mediocrity. However, all thanks to the scheme for the scattered Hausa language I speak, imparting knowledge and values into young Secondary School students of ATBU International Secondary School, adventure to the northern part of Nigeria but no thanks to the crisis for truncating my plan to visit Yankari Games Reserves. A nation that eats its future destiny in the present is not worth a drop of my blood(QED). Nevertheless, I believe in the Nigerian dream of the emergence of a great nation. In Dr Tunde Bakare’s word “Nigeria will prosper in my lifetime”.                                                                                               
OLUDOTUN ADESUA
                                                                                    Ex-Publicity CDS President,Bauchi LGA
                                                                                                08060399540
                                                                                                dotunadesua@gmail.com
                                                                                                20 Ajibodu street, Karaole Estate,
                                                                                                Ifako Ijaiye, Lagos.