EMBER MONTHS

The period between September 1 to December 31 every year is usually referred to as ember months.
This segment of the year is mostly characterized by anxieties such as how to raise funds to celebrate the Xmas and New Year, as well as how to meet up other expenses thereby pushing many people to get involved in all sorts of nefarious activities.
In today's news analysis correspondent writes on how to prepare for the ember months to avoid stress and tension during the period.
The ember months are September, October, November and December.
These months are mostly characterized by all sorts of events and increased rate of social vices.
Some religious bodies usually organized different prayer programmes to avert death and other calamities during the ember months.
In ember months, public and private schools open for the new academic session from September and end the first academic term in December.
Most parents and guardians during these months are so anxious to pay their children's school fees, buy Christmas and New Year clothes, as well as raise money to meet other needs such as buying of gift items for in laws and friends.
Transporters during these months tend to be in a hurry to cover most trips so as to make more money thereby indulging in over speeding which often leads to accidents and deaths.
In ember months, most youths try to please their female friends and sometimes pushing them into stealing and other crimes.
Some of them want quick money with which to enjoy the Christmas but sometimes terminated their lives by being killed or when caught they are imprisoned.
What many people fails to understand is that ember months require adequate planning, budgeting and hard work, so that goals and aspirations can be actualized.
Therefore parents and guardians should endeavour to budget and plan for their children' s school fees, as well as cut their coats according to their available materials rather than incurring debts to celebrate Xmas or New Year, because life continues after the yuletide.
Furthermore, commercial drivers should make sure that their vehicles are in good conditions and also avoid over speeding which leads to loss of lives and property.
Young men who are in relationships with the opposite sex should be engaged in productive ventures, rather than being idle and looking for free money by committing crimes.
The Nigerian Police and other security agencies should come up with more proactive measures in curtailing crimes and social vices and also beef up security in the nooks and crannies of the society.
Road safety officials should intensify their efforts at preventing road accidents during the ember months.
All stakeholders should contribute their respective quotas to ensure that the ember months are stress free, accident free and crime free

NAIRA NOTES ABUSE

The daily abuse of the Nigerian Naira has become worrisome, thereby necessitating urgent steps to be taken towards ensuring respect for the Nigerian National Currency.
In today's news analysis correspondent examines ways by which some Nigerians have abuse naira notes vis a vis measures to put in place to prevent the abuse of the naira.
Money as a legal tender, is a currency that is generally accepted as a medium of exchange or means of payment.
Apart from being a means of transacting business, the currency of a country is also a national symbol.
Nigeria as a country make use of the naira as her currency.
In the past, the Nigerian naira used to compete favourably with foreign currencies such as the U S Dollars, Euro, Pounds.
The Nigerian naira also in those days was highly valued and respected.
But today however, the story is different, as Nigerians themselves are the ones abusing the naira at events such as marriages, birthday parties, burial ceremonies, or even political gatherings by throwing naira notes in the air, as a way to show off or you honour a celebrant.
Money vendors now go to social events where they hawk the naira notes in different denominations openly for invitees or guests to buy and throw in the air or on the body of the celebrant.
This money being throw around in parties or events, are being trampled upon by dancers.
But this practice is not obtainable in developed countries, as one hardly see a Briton, an American or a French citizen debasing the U S Dollar, Euro and Pound the way Nigerians abuse the naira in public.
Furthermore, some Nigerian traders, transporters, and other Nigerians rough handle or squeeze naira notes when transacting businesses or even when giving offering in places of worship.
To address this ugly trend therefore, the Federal Government through the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN, should put measures in place to prevent the abuse of the naira.
Penalties should also be spelt out for those hawking naira notes at social events and for those throwing the naira in public places.
Nigerians must learn how to package their naira notes neatly in their wallets, pockets or purges.
Those Nigerians who are of the habit of throwing the naira notes in parties or events should refrain from it.
They should learn how to neatly package their naira notes in an envelop or present the naira notes by hand to the celebrant, thereby preventing the naira notes from being trampled upon by dancers.
Taxi drivers, traders and other Nigerians involved in one form of business or the other, should learn how to arrange their naira notes properly in their hands or pockets.
Bankers who are in the habit of selling naira notes to money vendors for them to hawk in public places, should stop it or be made to face the wrath of the law.
The State Assemblies and the National Assembly should rise up to the occasion by legislating against the abuse of the naira notes.
Local Government Chairmen, State Governors, and the Presidency should come up with policy statements that will help to criminalize the abuse of the naira.
Enough is enough to naira notes abuse in the country.
Be warned.

Eid El Kabir

Eid El Kabir a Muslim festival known as the feast of sacrifice is celebrated by Muslims faithful all over the world.
Correspondent in today's news analysis underscores the significance of Eid El Kabir  celebration to the Muslims communities and Nigeria as a Nation.
The Holy Quran defined Eid El Kabir as the celebration of Ibrahim willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael on the mount of Moriah, as a sign of obedience and devotion to Allah.
Eid El Kabir also known as Eid al Adha is therefore a festival or feast of sacrifice.
It is the second of the two Muslim festivals celebrated worldwide every year and it is considered the holier of the two.
Eid El Kabir honored the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his beloved son Ishmael, as an act of obedience to Allah's command, before Allah's intervention by sending his Angel to provide a ram in exchange for Ishmael for the sacrifice to Allah.
The celebration is observed by Muslims worldwide to render service to Allah the merciful.
The date of the celebration varies in accordance with the Islamic lunar calendar.
It falls on the tenth day of the twelve month known as Dhul Hijja.
In Nigeria and other part of the world, it is customary for the government to declare a national public holiday, so as to avail Muslim faithful the opportunity to celebrate the feast.
The festival usually begins with prayers in various praying grounds, which is followed by exchange of food and gifts as well as visit to love ones, family get together among others.
Muslims are also expected to give alms to the less privileged to enable them take part in the celebration and also to have a sense of belonging.
Muslim Worshipers are expected to slaughter animals that have blemishes, as a sign of purity towards Allah, as was exemplified by Ibrahim in the Holy Quran.
The meat of the sacrifice animal are shared into three parts, with the family retaining one part, the second part goes to relatives, friends and neighbors and the third part goes to the poor or needies in the society.
As Muslims in Delta State, Nigeria and the rest of the world celebrate Eid El Kabir it is expected that they should emulate the habit of complete submission to God and the law as demonstrated by Ibrahim in the Holy Quran's account.
It is also expected that Muslims should show love not only to their fellow Muslims but to Nigerians of other religions, which will help go a long way to enhance national unity and religion tolerance.
True Muslims should use the occasion to condemn Islamic extremists by Boko Haram insurgency,armed bandits among other vices in parts of the country.
Eid El Kabir should be used to condemn corruption that has post the most singular threat to national growth and development.
Muslims in position of authorities at all levels government as well as those heading different sectors of the nation's economy should shun fraudulent acts and figures manipulation practices, so that Nigeria can move forward.
All Nigerians irrespective of their religion affiliation should learn how to rejoice with their Muslims neighbors.
That way Nigeria will not only be a geographical entity but indeed a nation of one people with common history.