Labos Online!: Matters Of The Heart With Labos: The Triangle

Labos Online!: Matters Of The Heart With Labos: The Triangle:  It was like a dream, or a film, or a book. No, it was like none of those things, but something else, impossible to describe. I had beco...

Jenifa's Diary Premieres!

The long awaited and highly anticipated comedy flick of award wining Funke Akindele is now a household soap opera set to thrill the lovers of the actress to rib cracking humour of 30minutes...
Showing every wednesday by 7:30pm on AIT and on STV by 9:30pm on Fridays.
You don't want to miss any of the episodes...do you?

Unknown Disease Ravages Ondo Community...About 30 Dead.

An unidentified disease is ravaging the Ode-Irele community in Ondo State and has left 28 people dead in the past three days.

According to Premium Times, the disease broke out three days ago, and authorities say it is not Ebola.

State Health Commissioner, Dayo Adeyanju said “preliminary investigations show that the disease is not Ebola as it does not manifest any of its symptoms, but it attacks the central nervous system of the victims.”

Victims reportedly suffer from symptoms including blindness, and loss of consciousness, and then die within 24 hours.

Blood samples from the victims have been taken to a Lagos laboratory for examination.

Adeyanju says the situation is under control, and he has advised people of the area to avoid handling dead bodies at this period to help contain further spread of the disease.

A journalist who visited the area stated that some residents believe the disease is a spiritual attack.

“Community leaders said some people broke into a shrine, and the god became angry with them, striking all those people who have hands in the act,” the journalist said, asking not to be named. Our team also saw people performing rituals in the community. They believe that the ritual will appease the god and that the disease will end,” said the journalist.

State Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, has refuted the spiritual attacks theory stating that “all I can tell you is that medical experts are on ground, attending to victims and doing all the necessary tests. Government is working hard to contain the disease, and I can tell you that it is under control.”

Hearts And Flowers_Joel's Dilemma

I didn't believe in love. I prayed against it...well, not to contradict myself, I never believed in 'love', I had seen and being with people who thought they were 'in love' and nothing made me envy them, so I prayed in case there was indeed something called love! My sanity meant too much to me.
However, I never lacked a patner. I was always in one relationship or the other, neat relationships without promises without lies and with no strings!
I was a gentleman in all my relationships because of my respect for women. I respect women.
Nothing has changed much, I am still the Man I was before I met Lucy, almost. I met her on a duty flight from Akwa Ibom to Lagos, she was one of the flight attendants and I liked her immediately because she didn't show any haughty attitude. Despite her beauty, she had a geniune smile for everyone and even when she caught me with my cell phone, she smiled engagingly at me and adviced me to put it away. I did, immediately.
My name is Joel Afolayan a 36years old native of Ogun state, born and bred in Lagos. I work for globacom communications.
Lucy wasn't easy to woo...ha...it took me six months to woo her. She was always using her job as an excuse, she gave me several reasons to let her be but I only saw reasons why I wanted her. I never got tired of talking to her on phone whenever she had enough time.
When she accepted to be my girlfriend, I almost testified in church! Seriously, I was jubilant! However I never pretended to be in love, I just felt elated like I had received a rare gift... Lucy knew about my love life or lack of it yet she agreed to the relationship.

Lucy wasn't just beautiful, she was smart and intelligent too! I got the shock of my life three months into our relationship when Lucy told me she was a virgin...
"Is that your way of telling me 'hands off'?" I asked trying to hide the anger in my voice. I knew girls who played such tricks, they would sleep with various men and lie to one that they were virgins. It irked me to think Lucy was one of them. I waited for her to answer and her replying was as puzzling as her confession.
"Yes and No" she said
"Am I supposed to understand that elusive response?" I asked not hiding my disappointment. Lucy smiled and looked at me with her beautiful eyes.
"It could be hands off, but I'm only telling you because You should know" she explained but I still couldn't believe that a lady like Lucy hadn't being with a man sexually...
I expected to loose interest in her after that since I couldn't be with her the way I really wanted, but I didn't, I craved for her company everyday.
My friends said I was falling for Lucy but I denied it's possibility. Love? Out of the question!
To be brief, Lucy became the centre of my world. Despite the fact that we didn't have any sexual relationship, which wasn't easy for me, I was closer to her than to any of my exes!
I never thought of it as love, I didn't see the need to put a name to what I felt for Lucy... I felt lucky.

Six months ago, after a disastrous airplane crash, Lucy became scared of her job and when it was obvious that she was developing a phobia for flight, I asked her to stop and she did.
I was partly happy because I saw her more...when a new job did not come, my girlfriend became irritable and restless. It also turned out that she had no savings. I took care of everything- and I mean 'everything'
Then it dawned on me that in all the time I had being with Lucy, I hadn't thought of another woman, despite the temporary celibacy! I was in love with her! Shock! Instantly, I feared for my sanity. I also feared that she would leave me and she laughed at my pessimism.
"Joel, how could you even think that of me?" she accused
"I don't know" was all I could say and she laughed.
" Sweet, there is nothing wrong with loving a woman, it doesn't make you vulnerable and it doesn't make you less a man. I love you yet I'm not afraid of anything. I'd rather enjoy what I have than let what might not happen give me inhibitions. We'll be fine, I promise." Lucy's words reassured me and I calmed.
On my own, I began to make plans to marry. If I could love her, I should wed her.

A month ago, I got Lucy a job, a very fine job that would pay well...and two weeks ago, I asked for her hand in marriage. Well, pardon me if I expected too much, but I expected her to jump for joy while she said yes...considering that she loved me and I was crazy about her. She shocked me.
"No I can't"
"Of course you can" I laughed shakily and brought out the little box that housed the pretty little ring I got
"I'm sorry Joel, but I never said I wanted to marry you. We agreed to something different" she said and pushed the ring back into my hand. Was I hallucinating? Wasn't this the part where the lady should screech and start crying that the Man who loved her and whom she loved was 'putting a ring on it'?
"Lucy, what are you saying?"
" I can not marry you"
"You do not love me?"
"If you love me, then what..." she had started crying and I was confused. She loved me, I was sure. What then could the problem be? I let her be.
For a week, I didn't call, text or see Lucy, I decided to give her time and space.
Then she called me and when I saw her I got a big shocker. She wouldn't marry me because she feared her womb had been destroyed. She had had six induced abortions and the last one had been rough...Virgin?...my heart screamed.
"I lied to you and I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd stay long enough to find out..."
I was dazed.
"I'm sorry Joel, I love you and I couldn't bring myself to make you suffer for my sins"
Speechless.

I was too shocked and too angry. There wasn't any correlation between 'virgin' and 'abortion'. Lucy lied to me, i was gullible.
Yet I can't let her go, I love her.
I should forget about her but she's changed and she's living a new life. She thinks she can't conceive anymore but maybe she's wrong...
Dear Readers,
I think what I feared most has finally happened, I am now a victim of love.
Please help. I still haven't called Lucy. I haven't decided...
Would it make me crazy if I insisted on marrying her? I'm so optimistic about her fertility...but would it be a good thing? Considering I had never loved before her.
Thanks,
Joel A.

The Making Of A King_Muhammadu Buhari

General Muhammadu Buhari

 There is always a definite end to everything that has a beginning...sometimes the end means closure and it ultimately purges us of all emotions giving us what scholars of literature would call catharsis. To some, the end brings relief, to some; hope, to many; joy and as much as we want o deny this, the end brings sorrow, anguish and despair to many others.

The Presidential elections of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that was held nationwide on Saturday March 28 and Sunday in some cases is not an exemption in the phenomenon of 'beginning and end'. It has come and it has gone, leaving us with the consequences of the exercise to bear.

While the end of this exercise has left some jubilating and singing for joy, it has left others in anguish and possibly debt. However, this is normal for every competition, there must be songs of victory in one camp and looks of despair and in good case; submission in the other camp.

As expected, the intrigues that proceeded last Saturday's polls were numerous. On several occasions,blood pressures rose as heartbeats escalated. Through it all, patriotic Nigerians were at the edge of their seats watching with bated breaths the outcome of their patriotism.

Needless to say, there were acts of bravery and courage, also there were acts of cowardice on the part of the Nigerian voter. Paranoia got the best of so many, fear of the unknown made many shun the queue of the polling units and hide in their rooms with all doors barred!

Heavy collections of PVCs were recorded but on saturday, the cards sat smugly in wallets and purses waiting to serve other purposes and not the purpose for which it was provided. Who could blame us? The tension of the campaigns alone had drained us...less than half of registered voters turned out to vote.

Yet many braved the scorching sun, despised the cloudy skies and waited patiently even through the initial scuffles of the card readers.
Not even the blast in Gombe could thwart the patriotic Mallams, they were determined. They wanted change or continuity as the case may be.

Intrigues and more intrigues. We witnessed the Godsday Orubebe drama! An elder statesman and former Minister who turned himself to a troublemaker cum comedian for 20minutes. Some found it amusing, others found it aggravating and many found it interesting.

Jega became the center of attentionas his nama became a song on every lip; old and young. "Jega, Jega, Jega" our children sang. We hated him, then loved him, we got angry at some points then he pleased us again...in the end, his diplomacy endeared him to us. He saved the day.

The returning officer for Rivers state also made history, daylight, hi-tech lightning, the torches and his spectacles were not bright enough to help him read! Did we notice the halogen lamp that was fetched? How amusing indeed!

Pens were poised on papers, calculators waited for the large sums...we all became politicians in the making of a new President.
Alas, we couldn't wait forever, the deed was done and we saw it as president Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who is also the candidate of the PDP took his phone and gallantly accepted defeat! "Congratulations sir" He said and the die was cast! Here comes change!

General Mohammadu Buhari is the President elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria...and here, the quest ends.