Stephanie Linus – Why I waited 3 years before getting pregnant

                     

Waiting this long to have a baby is a personal choice, and God ultimately decides. You have to be ready mentally and physically. I had a film I was shooting and I was traveling a lot to, My movie is out now, and I cannot even promote it across Africa like I wanted to, because am stuck in one place. It’s also Gods timing, neither my husband nor I were pressurized. I feel this is the right time for it to happen. Right after we got married, I was on set shooting. but this year is different. It’s the perfect year for me to get pregnant."

[Photo] Pilot And Co-pilot That Died in the Lagos Helicopter Crash

Captain Joseph Wyatt (left) from Oklahoma, USA and First Officer Peter Bello (right), were the pilot and co-pilot of the Bristow Helicopter that crashed two days ago. Both men died. According to a statement signed by Bristow’s Regional Director Africa, Duncan Moore, ​Captain Wyatt, joined the company in 2006 and has spent his entire career flying with Bristow Helicopters out of Africa.

Peter Bello joined Bristow in 2014 after graduating from the company’s Academy’s helicopter flight school. May their souls rest in peace, amen.

 

Eminent Nigerians storm Ile-Ife For Oba Okunade Sijuwade's Burial

                                     Thousands of people headed to the royal palace in the Nigerian town of Ife, Osun -State which is the ancestral home of the Yoruba ethnic group, for the funeral of the Oba Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse.
The actual burial of Okunade Sijuwade Olubuse was a traditional ceremony only witnessed by a small number of family members and royal officials.
According to tradition no-one utters the words, "The King has died". They instead say he has joined his ancestors and believe he will be reincarnated.

Both Christian and Muslim leaders attended the funeral service, before the private burial of the Nigerian monarch, the Ooni of Ife.
Nigeria's Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo was among the dignitaries who attended the service to pay tribute to Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the foremost traditional ruler of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, Benin and Togo. The practice of burying someone alive with the king had long been abolished, said Mr Madagali, the leader of the Hausa ethnic group in Ife.
Now comes the task of finding a successor. Only the kingmakers and members of the royal households in Ife know exactly how that will be done.

 

FCMB: Sustaining quality services

                     
Meeting customers at the point of their needs. So, when the bank posted an increased revenue earning of 11 per cent or N77.4 billion in the first six months of the year with a pre-tax profit of N9.6 billion, many saw the performance as a bountiful reward for hard work.

The period also saw an increased business momentum, with total assets growing 15 percent year-on-year to N1.22 trillion and up five percent Year-to- Date (YTD). Equally, customers’ confidence in the lender remained strong, as deposits grew by four percent during the period to N785.8 billion, just as its diversification across commercial investment banking and wealth management, provided a cushion as earnings from non-banking activities proved more resilient.

FCMB Limited, the commercial and retail banking subsidiary of the grou has continued to validate its increased drive into retail, contributing 21 per cent (N1.7 billion) of FCMB Limited’s Profit Before Tax. The retail group also grew deposits by 21 percent year-on-year to N431.2 billion, or 54 per cent of total deposits. The bank continued its drive of inclusive lending, granting over 9,100 new loans to micro-enterprises, even as its credit card offering saw increased patronage, with over 17,000 cards issued in the first half of this year.

Corporate banking was, however, constrained by scarcity of foreign exchange and tight monetary policy, which affected trade finance, foreign exchange trading and lending. In the first half of the year, the bank’s UK wholesale banking subsidiary, FCMB Bank (UK) Limited, broke even after 14 months of taking off as a deposit-taking institution. The investment banking group of FCMB Group Plc – comprising financial advisory (FCMB Capital Markets Limited (FCMB-CM)) and stockbroking (CSL Stockbrokers Limited (CSLS)) – delivered a six percent increase in Profit After Tax (PAT) of N414 million, driven by financial advisory, equity capital raising and asset management fees.

The Managing Director of FCMB Group Plc, Peter Obaseki, acknowledged that, ‘’the economy has entered a higher risk level with inflation climbing to 9.2 percent, fiscal and trade deficits. Declining GDP growth rate below four percent as at Q1 2015 from 5.94 percent as at Q4 2014; broad money supply (MM2) contracted by N380 billion in June, from N19.19 trillion in May, to N18.81 trillion. The group results for H1 2015 reflects a deliberate conservative stance aimed at maintaining robust capital buffers in the face of a tough macro-economic and regulatory environment. Group Managing Director/ CEO of FCMB Limited, Ladi Balogun, said the "first half 2015 was characterised by significant macro-economic and policy headwinds."




Bond issuance

FCMB Limited has listed its N26 billion Series 1, 7-Year 14.25 per cent Fixed Rate Unsecured Bond on the Financial Market Dealers Quotations (FMDQ) Over-the-Counter (OTC) Plc platform its platform. The bond, which is due in the year 2021, is under a N100 billion debt issuance programme. FCMB Capital Markets Limited, the investment banking subsidiary of FCMB Group Plc, is the issuing house and sponsor of the bond.

The bank informed that proceeds of the bond will be used in strengthening its capital base, enhancing its capital adequacy ratio, expanding its distribution channels and infrastructure as well as growing its risk assets with a view to enhancing income.

Speaking during the listing, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of FCMB Limited, Mr. Ladi Balogun, said: ‘’The significance of listing the FCMB bond on the FMDQ platform is hinged on the availability of a readily accessible liquid market to the bondholders, where the value of their investments can easily be determined and monitored on a daily basis. It also provides a platform to realise their investment when necessary’’.

He added: ‘’The bond provides a long term capital that will help us to reinforce our commitment to our customers.’’




Mr. Balogun praised FMDQ’s efforts towards creating more depth in the debt market, while applauding the platform’s seamless processes and its drive to achieve market transparency by deploying technology driven initiatives.

Reward for excellence

The various valued added initiatives being driven by FCMB Limited at enhancing its operations and customer experience have continued to receive positive affirmation. This follows the rating of the Bank by KPMG, a leading international consulting firm, as the fourth most customer-focused bank in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with a score of 74.94 percent and fifth in retail banking with 73.16 per cent by bank customers surveyed nationwide.

This performance, which is coming barely four years after the bank transformed to become a retail and commercial banking-led lender, is an improvement when compared to 2014 where the bank occupied the eighth and seventh position in the SMEs segment and retail banking space.

The rating, as contained in the 2015 report of the KPMG Banking Industry Customer Satisfaction Survey (BICSS), was on the basis of Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), which took into account convenience, product/service offering and value for money and customer care.

The KPMG BICSS survey was launched in 2007 to heighten the consciousness of service delivery among banks. The survey has evolved over the years and in the year, it covered over 23,000 retail customers, 2,800 SMEs and 400 corporate/commercial organisations across the country.

 

BRISTOW HELICOPTER CRASH: AN EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT

                    

HELICOPTER CRASH: AN EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT
-Rescue officials Say Four Dead, Six Hospitalized


An eye witness who was at the scene when Bristow Helicopter crashed into the Lagoon on Third Mainland Bridge has detailed a graphic picture of how the Chopper went down after it struggled in the air for some minutes.

"On my way back home I and my colleagues saw the Chopper,struggling to land about four times and then it sank,infact the hazard light was on and we saw it live, it was around 3pm. People were even watching from Oworo bridge, it was my colleague who called our attention to it, we saw the hazard light was on"

Earlier today six people were rescued from the debris of an helicopter crash in Lagos, according to Rasak Fadipe, the head of NEMA, he confirmed that four dead bodies have so far been recovered from the scene of the accident. "So far, we’ve learnt that 12 people were aboard the helicopter," Mr. Fadipe said. The helicopter, belonging to Bristol Helicopters and with registration number 5NBGD, was coming from Escravos in Delta State and exploded before crashing behind the King’s palace at Oworonsoki, Lagos, emergency rescue officials said.

The Lagos State Police Command’s spokeswoman, DSP Patricia Amadin, also confirmed the incident to NAN. According to her, the commercial helicopter plunged into the Lagoon, behind Oworosoki Police station, immediately it took off. Amadin said the helicopter was carrying 12 passengers, adding that as at press time (5:19pm), six persons were rescued, while the police and other rescue teams were still searching for two other persons in the waters.

CBN confirms Somefun as Unity Bank MD

                         
The Central Bank of Nigeria has confirmed the appointment of Mrs. Tomi Somefun as the new Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Unity Bank Plc.

The confirmation came on the heels of the departure of the immediate past MD, Mr. Henry Semenitari, who resigned his appointment with the bank last month.

Somefun’s confirmation, according to a statement by Unity Bank, was contained in a letter dated August 10, 2015, and signed by the CBN Director of Banking Supervision, Mrs. Tokunbo Martins.

An experienced professional with a depth of experience and knowledge of the Finance Industry, the statement said Somefun had over three decades of cognate experience of which 26 years were in the banking sector.

She was said to have started her career in Accounting and Financial Consulting with Peat Marwick & Co, and subsequently Arthur Andersen & Co (now KPMG).

Somefun was also said to have worked in several areas across the industry, spanning Treasury and Institutional Banking, Investment Banking, Retail and Commercial Banking.

Prior to her appointment, she was the Executive Director responsible for Lagos and South West Regional Operations, and oversight on Treasury and Financial Institutions Division.

10 Reasons Married Couples Should Have s*x Regularly

                    
Unfortunately, a lot of couples fight about s*x without realizing the great things it can do for their relationship (and for you personally). There are lots of other good reasons to be having s*x often. Here are ten:

1. s*x is a metaphor for the rest of your relationship

When a couple is having a good relationship they’re usually having a good s*x life, too. And the reciprocal is true as well. That is, if they’re struggling in the bedroom, they’re usually struggling in their relationship. The bedroom and your relationship are inseparably connected. So connecting in the bedroom as often as you can will force you to connect outside the bedroom more often, too.

2. It’s better than browsing Facebook

Think of all the time you spend browsing Facebook at night. Sure, it’s nice to catch up with old friends and see what everyone’s up to. But when you think about it, no one is more important than your spouse. And even though you may see silly videos of pets or cute videos of other peoples’ kids, you can’t emotionally connect on facebook as much as you can with your partner in the bedroom.

3. It’s good for your health

It’s true. Several studies show that s*x has many health benefits. For example, s*x increases your heart rate, burns calories, helps you sleep better and is even associated with less stress. Not to mention that it promotes a stronger immune system and may even help you live longer.

4. It brings you closer together

s*x is the one thing that sets you and your spouse apart from being roommates. And it’s the only thing you share uniquely with each other that you don’t share with anyone else. Because of that, it becomes a unique way for you and your spouse to express romance, love and passion to each other in ways you can’t express anywhere (or with anyone) else.

5. It’s like going on a date — at home

If you have kids, you know how hard it is to go out. You have to find a babysitter, find a place to go that you both like and then be back in time to get your babysitter home. And even when you do go out, there’s no promise that you’re going to like the movie or the restaraunt that you end up going to. But having s*x often is like going out on dates that you’re sure to like. And you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home. Plus, because you don’t have to leave the house you can do it as often as you like — without having to find a babysitter.

6. It forces you to communicate

In addition to being a lot of fun, s*x is an exercise in communication. During s*x, you’re regularly communicating to your partner about what you like, what you don’t like or what you want them to do. There’s nothing more intimate and vulnerable than the communications you’re having inside the bedroom. And the benefits this has outside the bedroom are great as well.

7. It’s fun

Sure, it might be fun to watch one of your favorite shows before you go to bed. But making love to your spouse is a lot more fun.

8. The big "O"

During climax, a neurotransmitter called oxytocin gets released into certain parts of your brain. And scientists are finding that oxytocin is one of the key ingredients for humans to form love, trust, bonds and reduce fear. It’s also one of the reasons that orgams feel so pleasurable.

9. It helps you grow as a person

In an healthy intimate relationship, you have to be comfortable with yourself. If you’re embarassed abour your appearance or shy about asking for what you want, the bedroom can help you overcome these difficulties.

10. It helps you feel like more like a man/woman

As a woman, it’s hard to feel feminine when a good chunk of your day is spent wiping boogers and making sure toothpaste splatter is cleaned off the mirrors. And as a man, it’s hard to feel masculine when you’re being a chauffeur and servant to your kids. s*x helps you feel like you. It reminds you of your femininity and masculinity. And it reminds you of your unique relationship with each other.
-Scoop.ng