GIVE IT UP!!!!!!!!!! TO MY 28TH FEBRUARY PEOPLE!!!

In recent times, I’ve been posting on Facebook and Twitter on how much a tradition it has become for people to celebrate their loved ones only when they die. All over the Social Networks on daily basis, you read of people telling their dead ones how much they loved them. Unfortunately, these dead people can never read nor know how much they were and are still loved. So it’s better to celebrate people, tell them how much they meant to you, how much they’ve imparted into your live and other things about them you admire including funny ones, etc.

I want to dedicate my writing pen today in Celebration of some special people who today marks a special day in their lives; I’m using this space to celebrate them now they can read me. It can’t be possible for me to write everything I know about these people, I’ll need to write a book to achieve that.

These special people were born today (28th February) some years ago.

Here are somethings about them starting from my younger Sister.



(Mrs. Ezinne E. Iheoma)

My younger Sister Ezinne Iheoma (Nee Elekwa) known as Ezy or Ada Papa (by my Dad) is one special person I came to know from when she was born (My twin brother and I were already there before she arrived). As the only sister we had, it was great having her around. She’s so caring, hardworking, detailed and a lover of good things.

When we grew up, she took over the kitchen from our mum, and I must tell you, she learnt to do everything just as our mum did them; preparing Moi-moi, and other family delicacies became her specialty. Granula, Tom-brown and other must-have at home where always there at our disposal because she would always get them ready. When my mum was busy with work, she would be the one to prepare the Soap for the house. My Mum’s baking habit was also transferred to her. She could bake anything you can think of. Along the way, we (the men in the house) will always list what whoever will marry her will pay us, that she is a bunch of talent made in our house.

We shared our childhood together and part of our grown lives before she got married on the 27th day of November 2012. To the glory of God, she is plus one today! May the name of the Lord be praised because of this gift of a year He has given to her, may God bless her and her husband and add more wonderful years to them in Jesus name amen.

(Mrs. Hope Otugo-Nkemakolam)

Daa Hope as we grew to know and call her was and is still one of our big sisters. We grew up in the same yard and knew her as our ‘no-nonsense’ aunty. I can remember when my twin brother and I were admitted in the Primary School (She was already leaving the school for the next level) during our first day in school after our Dad registered us, she took good care of us that day. She bought all buyables for us as well as did to us what any other big aunty does to her younger ones.

At home, she and her sisters (the sisters were actually in charge of my twin brother, they were also identical twins) would always take care of us as their younger ones. I can’t forget all those Ede (Coco yam), Nsisa (asharasha), Abacha, Orange, Grape (very big ones) and the other goodies they used to give to us in those days; whenever Daddy (their Dad) travelled to village, we are always assured that whenever he arrives, Daa Hope and our other Aunties (her sisters) will supply us with so much goodies. To partake in these goodies, there’s one thing you must do and that is – stay around when Daddy arrives, help in offloading his car and all these goodies shall be added unto you. I can’t forget those memories.

Even when I got admission into the University in 03/04 Session, Daa Hope was already through, the few days she spent around; I felt her Big Sister impression around.

I thank God so much for the life of Daa Hope, today she’s plus one to the Glory of God! I pray that the Lord will bless her and her husband with many great years ahead in Jesus name amen.



(Mr. Kingsley Ahuruezemma)

The BlessedAkins! As my twin brother and I always call him is someone I hold in high esteem. We got admission in the same year and that year, He, Katchys (Onwuegbuchulam), I and my twin brother were four in one. We even formed a singing group then (that never performed for once lol!). I can remember when he made me study more without knowing it; that was when we went for an ECC NAAS (East Central Conference, Nigeria Association of Adventist Students) Evangelism at EBSU (Ebonyi State University) during the second semester of our first year (03/04 Session). The night after the Evangelism, we were chatting and joking, we even threw some banter, during this time, instead of joking with normal things or normal words, he was joking with words from one of the big books in ABSU known as ABSU Bible (Philosophy of Science). That book was so big and covers every department, it crosses across Science and Arts, so it was kind of a nightmare to students, I haven’t gone far in the book, but here I was standing, and my fellow student is lifting words and quotes from that book to joke! I had no other option than to go and study hard!

Blessed Akins is a very intelligent and cool fellow; he takes his time to study the environment and the people around him. When you meet him, you can’t help but admire him. He’s a friend to many, he’s loved by many and also admired by many; this could be seen from the day he was sent off from our fellowship in ABSU, Fellowship members showered him with so many gifts that we needed some trucks to pack them for him.

He is called Pastor by many because He was the Chaplain at Adventist Students Fellowship ABSU for a long time and served as the Evangelism Coordinator of East Central Conference NAAS. There are so many things about that I would need to dedicated a book for him to be able to get all those down on paper.

Today is his birthday! I pray that the almighty God will bless him abundantly with great testimonies and a good wife (as I can’t wait for his wedding IV) in Jesus name amen.



Arc Jane Oji

During my first year in the Department of Architecture of Abia State University, Uturu, I was a loner. I was always on my own but very observant. I knew almost all my course mates and knew who was who. Jane was one of the ladies I knew in the class, always around in class for lectures and always somewhere around the front seats. She was among the few women I couldn’t but admire because Architecture is not an easy course to study for men let alone the women. Of a truth, Jane and the other ladies in the class got me motivated to study the course, I always told myself that since ladies can, I won’t I.

When I started getting close to my course mates later in the years, I got to know her as a reserved lady who always respected herself and others around her. She was always free with everyone including myself who had few friends then. I can always remember her and her clique of Oge whenever they walkabout with their T-Square and those sleepless nights we all spent in the studio. When I couldn’t attend her Dad’s burial in our final year, I walked up to her and explained to her, she just took it coolly, I expected her to start like some people would’ve done by telling me “you no try” but she took it coolly and thanked me for the words.

Today, Jane is Plus 1! I pray that the almighty God will bless her with more years in ahead and great testimonies in Jesus name amen.



Mr. Uche Isiguzo

I met Urchman for the first time in 2005 at the Biennial Convention of East Central Conference NAAS hosted in ABSU; there I started admiring him because of something he achieved. I can remember that Friday night while we were packing things, one of the Organists (Henry) asked him if he could sing a certain song and he said no, he told the organist he can still learn it. He took the song sheet back to the hostel and the next day being a Sabbath, he presented to my admiration “The Holy City” I was amazed, I was like, so this guy was able to learn this song in the evening and present it this morning? That made me come closer to him, from there I came to like so many things about him.

He’s a great musician, sings very well, reads the staff very well (I can remember once I rehearsed with him at Ikwerre Etche) , He’s just blessed by God with Music and other great qualities even as a leader too.

We’ve had so many escapades together. I thank God for his life and for adding this New Year to his life. May God continue to bless him more in Jesus name amen.



Mr. Uchechukwu Vine Nweze

Uche is one of the persons I knew via NAAS. A cool guy and fun to be with. He’s talented in many spheres. One memory of him I can’t forget was at the ENUM Youth Study Camp at Oba where he led their Band (The Sound Masters) their performance was so great that they made me remember my days as a Band Player in one of the Best Bands in Adventist Church Nigeria (From 1997 till some time, thought I joined the Band in 1999). I admire his strength on his trumpet too. He’s also a Madridsta like me.

Urchman, as you celebrate, may the Lord bless you more in Jesus name amen.



Mr. Collins Nwulu

I call him Elder Collins. I actually met him last year, but he knew me before then. I knew him more while we were at Behold He Cometh Evangelism last year in Ikwo, we shared the same room. He’s a cool and friendly fellow, takes his time to study people around him. He has his specialty when it comes to working and has works he detests… He was the Evangelism Coordinator Adventist Students Fellowship, Nigeria Association of Adventist Students Michael Okpar University of Agriculture.

Elder Collins, as you celebrate today, may God bless you more in Jesus name amen.

Maybe, You Were Not Ignored...

Olukayode: I've been mentioning your handle on twitter, but you've not been replying. You won't tell me you've not been on twitter because; I've been seeing your tweets. If not that I know you, I would've said you’ve been ignoring me or ... I don't know what to say…

Chioma: Are you sure you've been mentioning me? I go through my mentions regularly, but I've never seen any of your tweets. Are you sure you spelt my Handle well?

Olukayode: of course, I’ve been mentioning you. How can I miss the spelling of your handle, is it not @chyoma0023? …


Have you ever mentioned someone on twitter, and spent countless hours expecting their reply (when you know they have few followers) only to be seeing their tweets on your timeline, but no reply to yours? If so, your case may be the same with that of Olukayode and Chioma.

When they met each other, she saw that he was not lying, as a matter of fact; she saw the tweets on his profile page as well as her handle well written. Then the big question, why weren't the tweets showing in her mentions? That's the basis of this post.

They made so many conclusions which didn't help. They later realised that he was typing without giving any space between the handle and other words. That was exactly why she wasn't getting the tweets.

So many people on twitter have this same issue to sort out. In certain cases, the two parties end up not finding out what really happened but go on believing they were being ignored.

Here are things to note while typing your tweets so they can get to whoever you mentioned.

* Whenever you want to mention someone's handle, make sure you give at least a space between the sides of the handle. Here's an example, the first example will be delivered to whoever you mentioned while the second won't.
Eg. 1. What was the score of Madrid's game last night @Realmadrid @Rmadridinfo

Eg. 2. Where can I download some movies online?@Ebaykalu@d_uche

In the first example, there're spaces between the first handle (@Realmadrid) and the word before it (night) and the handle (@Rmadridinfo) after it. In the second example, there are no such spaces. So, @Ebaykalu and @d_uche may never answer the question because it won't be appear on their mentions. They can only see it by accident on their TL if they are following you and were online when you tweeted but it won’t be on their mentions.

* Another case occurs in situations where a tweep is tweeting more than 140 words.
Certain twitter clients like twitlonger, writelonger, tmi.me, tweete.net, etc enables more than 140 words on twitter. But as the case maybe, after the 140 mark, the rest of the tweet can only be viewed by a link. Only the first 140 would be visible to your followers and only twitter handles that appeared on the first 140 would be delivered to the mentions of the tweeps you mentioned. So, if you are tweeting more than 140 or you don’t know if it will pass 140 or not, start the tweet with the handle you are tweeting.

So don’t be surprised when you tweet more than 140 words and no one replies - it’s because, they never knew you mentioned them.
In recent times, during chat on twitter with some of my tweeps, I wait for long without getting any reply only to go to their profile and see that they replied but realized that my handle was either typed without being spaced from other words (eg. I will be around@Elexharry) or the tweet was more than 140 words with my handle among the words that came after 140.
So to enjoy your twitter experience the more and get your message across to whomever you have in mind, it’s good to always learn to do it the right way so as to get the intended results.

Tweet Right!
@Elexharry

Secrets By Nature - (You'll Get the Call Soon)

While we were growing up, there were certain issues that were Natural-Secrets, you don't need to be told "don't tell anyone" about them. Such issues include Family plans for the future (Eg. Mummy telling us during Family hours that Daddy said he'll buy so-so things, etc,), getting a very-poor result in tests, wetting the bed at night and other funny and serious secrets.

Now that we've grown up, certain things are still secrets. Eg. Someone traveling abroad, most people seeking for employment, most people in relationships, most people supporting certain Political Parties.

Why do people keep certain secrets?

In recent times, someone you took as a friend will just email you and tell you he is in another country, some may not even tell you until you see it on their Facebook location.

My friends and I, in order to avoid surprises (after so many of them) figured out a way to find out those traveling abroad. It has been working for us.

Certain friends who traveled abroad without informing us till they got there or until the night of their departure all went through the same process so we are now at least 65 0r 70 percent sure that when what I have in the next paragraph starts happening, someone is about traveling.

One of our friends would always travel to Lagos from time to time, it wasn't for Holiday nor for business because we knew each other well. When you ask him, what's up? he'll tell you nothing much. Until one night he called from Lagos, informing us that he was leaving Nigeria that night. Other friends who traveled to Lagos that way too ended up emailing that they've left Nigeria.

So when your friend who's not working in Lagos, not seeking for work there travels frequently at a time you know he's not going for hols, then brace up to get the news of them leaving Nigeria maybe later from them or from other people/

So for us, when such things happen we know that someone will soon leave us in Nigeria for greener pastures.

A Question for you: Why do people traveling abroad make it a top secret?