WHO WANTS TO BE A BILLIONAIRE?

 I went to visit one of my clients recently and overheard him shouting at his bank’s Account Officer threatening to withdraw all his funds from that bank. I understood that the bone of contention was the extra N1o.50k that bank charged him on a transaction. I was amazed at how distraught my client got just because of a little difference and besides, the Account Officer is his very good friend who introduced him to the bank. I considered that reason alone should make him soft pedal. When I probed further, he told me point blank “Uloaku, in every transaction, every 50k is as important as One Million naira. This is how I have been able to make it. How should I patronize a bank at a higher expense when I know that I can get the same service at a cheaper rate? There is no sentiment in business and anyone who intends to make it financially in life must be frugal.” he concluded and I pinched myself wondering how many of us could be so stringent to our friends in situations like this. I might overlook that money because I know I have bigger money somewhere but that is not the same with millionaire/billionaire minded people. Billionaires/ Millionaires make up just two percent of the population. They get a bad rap during recessions for being wasteful with their money and are frequently used as examples of excess. Many people who became millionaires have one thing in common. They have read biographies and autobiographies of people who made it and how they made it. They have been smart with their money all along and have not lost it all and had to remake it. These are the kind of people you want to learn from when it comes to spending your money. Billionaires/ Millionaires are just like us only that they have a lot more money. They do not cite anything rare as the secret of their success but rather the steady application of wise investing strategies, hard work, and, believe it or not, a degree of frugality. Nearly 70 percent of the economy is based on consumer spending. To keep the economy going we need to keep spending but not waste money in the process. This is where the millionaire lifestyle comes in. Frugal millionaires are unique thinkers when it comes to spending money. They can easily delay their need for gratification when purchasing. They are resourceful in getting what they want by carefully timing their consumer purchases. They make living below their means painless. They do not like wasting anything (especially money). Their sense of “self-entitlement” is highly minimized and spending is alright with them depending on what they are buying (appreciating versus depreciating assets). The millionaires keep more money than they spend. That is why they are rich. Their tactics work for them so they will work even better for anyone that wants to attain their status. They do not look at shopping as a sport as most people who are still struggling with their finances do. They shop efficiently and spend their time doing more important things with their lives. Here are some of the things that Billionaires/Millionaires do not just to attain the status but to increase and remain there. Start early to avoid financial pitfalls. People often get into trouble by racking up personal debt early on, which acts as a big drag on their earnings. Learn how to live within your means and how to delay gratification; these are the habits that you need to maintain on the way up, so you can keep your millions when you get there. Believe that you can do it. Before investing in real estate and becoming a millionaire, Alan Corey, the author of ‘A Million Bucks by 30’ read as many biographies and autobiographies of millionaires as he could find. According to him, he was searching for a common characteristic that could help him in his own quest and discovered that all those who made it had an incredible self-belief that they would be financially successful. Embracing that level of self-confidence can help one get to the top. Articulate your vision for success. Everyone wants to be rich but saying “I want to be rich,” is too vague. Instead imagine what your ideal life as a millionaire will look like. For example: “I want to have N2oo, 000,000 invested so that I can live off of the interest. Then I will quit my job, have enough time to do volunteer jobs, travel, exploit new fronts and enjoy vacations with my family.” Practice smart budgeting. Track down how much you spend each month, and do it religiously. Every month, download your transactions into a spreadsheet to keep your spending on track. Invest against the grain. Making investment decisions based on the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing can be helpful so long as you are investing for long term purpose. Right now, for example, stocks are relatively cheap because of the crash and so many people have sold off shares. Anyone buying can get them at a discount to their values from a year ago. Shop around for best bargains. Like my client rightly said, there are no sentiments in business. Shop around for better interest rates, conditions of service and good quality at discounted rates. Remember that loosing the money you consider little is enough to destabilize you. ds from that bank. I understood that the bone of contention was the extra N1o.50k that bank charged him on a transaction. I was amazed at how distraught my client got just because of a little difference and besides, the Account Officer is his very good friend who introduced him to the bank. I considered that reason alone should make him soft pedal. When I probed further, he told me point blank “Uloaku, in every transaction, every 50k is as important as One Million naira. This is how I have been able to make it. How should I patronize a bank at a higher expense when I know that I can get the same service at a cheaper rate? There is no sentiment in business and anyone who intends to make it financially in life must be frugal.” he concluded and I pinched myself wondering how many of us could be so stringent to our friends in situations like this. I might overlook that money because I know I have bigger money somewhere but that is not the same with millionaire/billionaire minded people. Billionaires/ Millionaires make up just two percent of the population. They get a bad rap during recessions for being wasteful with their money and are frequently used as examples of excess. Many people who became millionaires have one thing in common. They have read biographies and autobiographies of people who made it and how they made it. They have been smart with their money all along and have not lost it all and had to remake it. These are the kind of people you want to learn from when it comes to spending your money. Billionaires/ Millionaires are just like us only that they have a lot more money. They do not cite anything rare as the secret of their success but rather the steady application of wise investing strategies, hard work, and, believe it or not, a degree of frugality. Nearly 70 percent of the economy is based on consumer spending. To keep the economy going we need to keep spending but not waste money in the process. This is where the millionaire lifestyle comes in. Frugal millionaires are unique thinkers when it comes to spending money. They can easily delay their need for gratification when purchasing. They are resourceful in getting what they want by carefully timing their consumer purchases. They make living below their means painless. They do not like wasting anything (especially money). Their sense of “self-entitlement” is highly minimized and spending is alright with them depending on what they are buying (appreciating versus depreciating assets). The millionaires keep more money than they spend. That is why they are rich. Their tactics work for them so they will work even better for anyone that wants to attain their status. They do not look at shopping as a sport as most people who are still struggling with their finances do. They shop efficiently and spend their time doing more important things with their lives. Here are some of the things that Billionaires/Millionaires do not just to attain the status but to increase and remain there. Start early to avoid financial pitfalls. People often get into trouble by racking up personal debt early on, which acts as a big drag on their earnings. Learn how to live within your means and how to delay gratification; these are the habits that you need to maintain on the way up, so you can keep your millions when you get there. Believe that you can do it. Before investing in real estate and becoming a millionaire, Alan Corey, the author of ‘A Million Bucks by 30’ read as many biographies and autobiographies of millionaires as he could find. According to him, he was searching for a common characteristic that could help him in his own quest and discovered that all those who made it had an incredible self-belief that they would be financially successful. Embracing that level of self-confidence can help one get to the top. Articulate your vision for success. Everyone wants to be rich but saying “I want to be rich,” is too vague. Instead imagine what your ideal life as a millionaire will look like. For example: “I want to have N2oo, 000,000 invested so that I can live off of the interest. Then I will quit my job, have enough time to do volunteer jobs, travel, exploit new fronts and enjoy vacations with my family.” Practice smart budgeting. Track down how much you spend each month, and do it religiously. Every month, download your transactions into a spreadsheet to keep your spending on track. Invest against the grain. Making investment decisions based on the exact opposite of what everyone else is doing can be helpful so long as you are investing for long term purpose. Right now, for example, stocks are relatively cheap because of the crash and so many people have sold off shares. Anyone buying can get them at a discount to their values from a year ago. Shop around for best bargains. Like my client rightly said, there are no sentiments in business. Shop around for better interest rates, conditions of service and good quality at discounted rates. Remember that loosing the money you consider little is enough to destabilize you.

BUILDING A POSITIVE GLOBAL NIGERIAN BRAND: THE PLACE OF FILM

Can you remember very well one of the topics you were taught in the primary school more than ten years ago? Can you also remember the exact topic and quotation your pastor used for sermon on the first Sunday in June 2005? Can you remember what the Imam said two years ago during the Sallah festival? Or maybe you will remember vividly the words of General Sani Abacha when he addressed the nation during the Independence Day celebration of 1997? Certainly no one will answer an emphatic yes to these questions. However, can you remember some series of ‘The New Masquerade’, ‘Bassey and Company’, ‘The Village Headmaster’, ‘Cock Crow at Dawn’, ‘Ripples’ and some other rested soap operas you were opportune to watch even as a kid? Almost everyone will emphatically answer yes. This is the power of pictures. It has been scientifically proven that what the eyes take in lasts longer in the mind and can influence an individual’s attitude.

 

The place of film in building a positive global brand can never be over emphasized. Recently as a country, Nigeria was re-branded with the slogan – ‘Good People, Great Country’. For us to build a positive global brand, it must go beyond the razzmatazz of representatives of various sectors coming out to make promises to change the way they had handled things in the past.

 

Prior to this time, what does Nigeria stand for? What picture comes into the mind of the Nigerians and foreigners anytime the name of the country is mentioned? Many people especially outside the shores of this land developed their perception about the country based on what they read, heard or watched. Suffice it to say that the current information order of the world has done much harm than good to the developing nations especially Nigeria through imbalanced report. Many of the reports flying all around the world via the likes of CNN and BBC are the bad things about Nigeria while little or no attention is paid to the noble and worthy things that come from the country. Does this mean that the country is utterly bad? No. we are being consistently judged by the information people have access to. For this reason there has been a consistent call for a new world information order, advocating that news flowing from the developing countries to the developed ones and vice versa should be balanced.

 

The film serves as the opportunity to correct the anomalies of imbalanced news reporting, views and opinions created by the old information order of the world. The birth of ‘Nollywood’ in 1992 was a very huge breakthrough which came when everything that relates to culture in the country was relegated to the background. The theatres and cinemas were not functional despite the huge talents that were on ground to facilitate the development. Like a wild fire the fame of the budding industry spread across the globe and earned us a place as the most vibrant film industry in the world where more than forty films are released into the market every week. The Nigerians in Diaspora contributed immensely to the fame. America became interested in Nigerian films, so did Europe, India and several countries in Africa. The audience of the Nigerian film is no longer within the boundaries of the country and they are continuously increasing. This without any doubt has placed the Nigerian film in a vantage position and made it a vital tool for building a positive global brand.

 

For the film to play this exalted role impeccably well, serious attention must be paid to the content. Seeing that we have a huge audience who can get their first hand information and impression about Nigeria through the films, what picture are we painting? What is the film talking about? What is its thematic relevance? What is the message that is passed to the viewer of these films? As a Nigerian, what do you think of Nigeria during and after watching a Nigerian film? This will tell us how a foreign will think also.

 

More than seventy per cent of the content of Nigerian films presently, represents everything that is wrong with the Nigerian society. Foe example, the Nigerian Police has been so rubbished in the films. In the advanced countries, the Police job is for the best brains and the smart people with high intelligence quotient. After watching the Nigerian films, you do not need anybody to tell you that the police in Nigeria is a job for people who could not make it in better fields in life and just had to make do with the job. Most often they rarely depict them as people who have some levels of intelligence. Compare this with some American films that were done basically to showcase their Police. After watching ‘Beverly Hills Cops’ and the others, the viewer will be moved to have some levels of respect for the American Police. Most people in Nigeria speak so well about the American Police. It is not because many of us had been to the United States to see them perform but the opinions formed in our minds after watching such movies. Or do you think that some of them are not corrupt. In their movies, they play down on the corruption part and enlarge the productive aspect hence they become super heroes in our eyes.

 

After watching ‘Airforce One’ and ‘Airforce Two’, you will undoubtedly admire any American President. Whether the president can actually lay down his life for that of the citizens, we cannot tell but we believe so because that was how American Presidents have often been depicted in movies. The Nigerian film makers depict our president as someone whom everyone should die for while trying to protect. Should there be any emergency situation, he runs for dear life first before any one else. Some one might argue that the films depict the status quo. If it is so, of what relevance is it? Why cannot the film makers turn it around to depict how it is supposed to be so that our leaders can learn and conform thereby? Has showing the Police as being corrupt in films stopped the corruption? No. A change in strategy and methodology might be all we need to build a great brand.

 

Still on content of the film, how do you feel after watching a typical Yoruba movie? It is a pity to say today that any Yoruba film is not complete without the fetish side being introduced to it. Does this mean that the Yoruba race is a fetish race? No! But in the name of adding traditional flavours to the film, the producers of such movies have sent out wrong signals to the viewing public. The Yoruba tribe embraced education and civilization more than the other tribes in Nigeria and are known to have renown academics of international repute. Of what effect is this to the tribe? We are yet to see that through the film.

 

Presently, the content of the Nigerian films mainly depicts reterogressiveness while you can predict the future through the content of their American or European counterparts. America has long produced space films before people started going to space. They have done robots and cloning before we came to see them in reality. Infact, if you want to look at the next level of technological breakthrough of these developed countries, watch their movies. They set the precedents for developments in science and technology.  Can this be said to be true of Africa? Africa has always been taunted as the Dark Continent. We have been called black monkeys and other weird names not because we lack the intellectual capacity to match them but because we have not been able to articulately demonstrate the stuff we are made of. For example, Phillip Emeagwali who has made so many breakthroughs in the computer world is a Nigerian. We have contributed immensely to the degradation through the content of out films.  We know that we value our culture and traditions, but must we show the world via our films that we are backward? The world does not need to see pictures of us jumping about naked or killing and sacrificing people in the name of show casing our history. Our history despite its importance should be over ridden by our future. Through our films, we have shown them where we are coming from. This is the time to let them know where we are going and this cannot be achieved without a destination in mind.

 

Our destination is to build a global brand that will be acceptable by all. Our films must be made to have global appeal. Creativity must be played upfront. We are living in the high – tech and pyrotechnic age. This must reflect in our production. We must go beyond the amateur stage of using fake guns, fake blood, too obvious film tricks and gimmicks. The film production must be left in the hands of the professionals. No one shows up in Hollywood today claiming to be a producer, director, actress, actor, script writer and so on without proper training. The comparison of ‘Nollywood’ to ‘Hollywood’ is made basically because the former has a lot to learn and gain from the latter who has become very profitable and a strong brand.

In Nigeria, every one is a director, producer, actor or actress. It is appalling to see a local musician who could barely speak English language feature in a film. These untrained people can never interpret roles better than the trained ones. The script can be a powerful script that can sell anytime, any day, but wrong interpretation makes nothing out of the script. The same also applies to a situation where you have great actors and actresses but bad script writers, producers, directors and so on. Every role in film production compliments the other. If our target is to build a global brand, we must use the best.

 

Nigeria is so blessed that the talents required to drive this industry are not scare. Due to of lack of funds and insufficient support by the government and private sector, the industry has been driven into the hands of opportunists who because they have the funds, have assumed the roles of professionals. The producer with all his excellent ideas cannot do much without the necessary funds to back him up. He is therefore faced with the alternative of stepping down his excellent ideas to take orders from the man who is ‘bank rolling’ the production. A clear case of who plays the piper dictates the tune.  The government should rise up to the challenge and take this industry to the next level having seen its relevance in nation building. The professionals should be encouraged and be made to take their rightful places in the industry by providing sufficient funds for them to work with. A conducive atmosphere should be created to enable them pursue the proper focus. Providing funds is not enough, the government should also be strict about the content and quality of films that are released into the market. They must meet international standards and depict what we are working on – building a positive global brand. Anything short of that should be rejected. The government should also look into the marketing aspects and ensure that our films get maximum exposure to the international community. Piracy is the bane of the film industry. Stringent measures should be put in place and enforced to ensure the success of this industry.

 

The private sector also has a part to play. This industry is viable and the success of it will spread to other sectors too. If the film industry in Nigeria begins to turn in high revenues for the country, the economy will be better. After all there are countries that thrive only with the income generated by film, arts and entertainment.

Also, when film industry successfully helps to build Nigeria as a positive global brand, it will attract foreign investment and partnerships will help improve our economy. This will certainly rub off on all the sectors of the economy. Some time ago, ECO Bank Plc., one of the banks in Nigeria sponsored some productions and they do not have a bad story to tell as some of those films were rated among the best in recent times.

Finally, the onus of building a positive brand through the film lies on all of us. The consumer must demand for the best and the producer must give out the best. We must believe in our country and also believe in ourselves and render services that reflects our integrity as an individual and as a nation. We must be at our best even when on one is watching. Only then can we beat our chest and say that we have made indelible marks in the sands of time and give the generation coming after us a future to look up to.

 

NWOSU ULOAKU

08050535514, 07028367843, 07070174239

banky4up@yahoo.com

www.changeunleashed.wordpress.com

 

HOW TO SAVE YOURSELF FROM THE SWINE FLU

With the fatal outbreak of the swine flu in Mexico, which is also fastly spreading to diffeent parts of the globe, we must take high precautions.

You must know that the flue is:

• Highly contagious
• Spreads through tiny particles in the air
• Can be contacted by tiny liquid droplets that are airborne like sneezing and coughing or by toch something with the life virus on it and then touching your mouth or nose
• Spreads by direct contact
• Considered endemic in the United States
• The virus can combine with human flu virus or mutate on its own into a transmissible form
• There is no guarantee that the vaccines prepared for seasonal flu will protect against swine flu
• There is no vaccine available to prevent specific strains been seen now but anti flu drugs work once someone is sick
• Wearing surgical mask does not proffer 100% solution of contacting the virus.

In view of the above stated facts, take the following measures to ensure your safety.

•  Wash your hands frequently and if you are using surgical mask, wash your hands each time you put on or remove the mask.
• Avoid public events and locations until virus is contained.
• Do not go to school or church if you are not felling well.
• Avoid direct contacts with pigs
• Ensure you cook pork products up to the internal temperature of 160 F before consumption
• Cover up coughs and sneezes
• Stay away from family and friends who have the virus. They must be isolated.
• Do not go to Mexico now!

Be Vigilant! Be careful! Stay alive!!

RAPE EXTRAORDINARY! Girl 18 recounts her ordeal in the hands of a 32 year old woman.

I thought that with the sky rocketing speed civilization is spreading all through the world that infamous issues such as rape will become  things of the past. Recently, during one of my voluntary counselling session in my neighbourhood, (a voluntary service I run to make impact in the lives of the young people around me) I came across this charming young girl with a pathetic story.

Gladys is a very quiet and reserved girl that rarely goes out except when necessary. She just finished from high school and is still waiting to be admitted into a university for further studies. being a withdrawn child, it is difficult to tell when something is wrong with her.  Some weeks ago, I noticed that she had been absent from the weekend personal development training sessions I conduct for them and I went looking for her.

During my entire stay in Gladys’s house, I perceived that there is something she is fighting to keep within her. As I probed further, she burst out in tears. It took two long hours before she could tell me what really went wrong with her. In her words “I was raped three weeks ago. I do not know what I have done to deserve this kind of treatment. This is why I have not been attending the seminars. I want to be left alone. Right now, I do not trust anyone again. I thought ladies could be raped by the opposite sex but a woman raped me.”

what? The questtion flew out of my lips. A woman raped you? Holy Shit! What has this world turned to? According to her, the lady in question called her into her into her apartment and started telling her that she is a beautiful girl. before she knew what was happening she was all over her. She screamed for help but no one was near enough to hear her. This bulky lady overpowered Gladys and inserted her fingers into her vagina thereby disvirgining her. This is the worst part of the story for Gladys who had preserved her virginity all through high school because she wanted it to be her suprise package for Kennedy her Boyfriend whom she had agreed to marry. Now everything has gone down the drain because of a randy woman who could not contain her inordinate sexual desires.

My question is why rape? What satisfaction will a woman derive raping another woman? I know about the lesbians and bisexuals but I supposed that same sex romance is enjoyed better when the parties involved love what they are doing. Can a woman achieve orgasm when raping another woman? What have we turned this world to in the name of freedom and liberty?

This calls for sober personal reflection. Is this a sign of civilization? Can we genuinely say that we are making progress? What if it was you, your daughter, your wife, your sister, your mother, your friend, or even your enemy?Think about it.

banky4up@yahoo.com

+2347028367843 

G-20 SUMMIT : NIGERIA’S ABSENCE ENOUGH FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR NIGERIAN LEADERS.

Nigeria is one of the economies that has great potentials to be ranked among the greatest economies of the world. Like we all konw, you may have the greatest potentials to become anything in life but when you do not mine your potententials or harness them to bring out the best in you, you will remain an ordinary person. In times past, Nigeria made the G-8 Summit. What could be said to be wrong with this country. Nigeria has been refered to as the heart of Africa, the giant of Africa and so many names that leaves one wondering … No matter whatthe case might be, one thing remains obvious. This Giant is really sleeping.

What makes a nation? What makes Nigeria? On what Ideology is Nigeria formed? What is our purpose or our focus as a nation? I wonder if the leaders of this great country can answer these questions. It is high time everyone of them realized that we have a major thing at stake. The politics of looting and kill and divide has brought the country to ruins and if we continue like this, we might not make the G-50.

Recently, Nigeria launched a rebranding campaign. Can the average Nigerian accept that Nigeria is good? Can one take a look at the situation of the economy and the attitude of those in leadership and believe that something good can come out of this country. Rebranding of the country is good and well needed here but change can only come from within.  Like the saying – charity begins at home, change starts from the individual before it could spread to the society. The society is made up of individuals. If every individual member of the Nigerian society can change his or her mentality and attitude, then we can say that we are going somewhere. If the politician can decide not to be corrupt and serve the country with sincerity of purpose, then we are making head way. If the youth can renew his mindset and recognize that it does not take crime to solve societal problems, then we are making progress. If the government can decide to take positive action that will make positive impact  on power supply, refining of crude oil , harnessing of other mineral resources God gave us freely and pay attention to agriculture, then will our economy start the journey of recovery.

I believe in Nigeria. I believe that we can still see light at the end of this very dark tunnel. I believe that the labours of our heroes past will never be in vain. Most of all, I believe that this is the time for change. We need radical change in our thinking, methoodologies and strategies. In extreme situations, extreme measures are taken.  The time to make extreme changes is now and it begins with you!

Uloaku Nwosu

+2347028367843

banky4up@yahoo.com

Hello world! it’s time to make a change starting with you!