The Tumultuous Year of 2016 in Pictures

The Major World Events of 2016

As we head into 2017 next week, lets reflect on the major world events of 2016. One such event occurred in November 2016 as political shocks humbled pollsters after the US elections which has created the potential for a fundamental change in the current world order.

Close to 4,000 refugees trying to cross into Europe died in the process. Many refugees attempted the journey over land which resulted in some European countries closing their borders.


See the tumultuous year of 2016 in pictures ...

The Tumultuous Year of 2016 in Pictures

IKOT EKPENE CONTROL POST ABANDONED BY AKWA IBOM STATE GOVERNMENT

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MESS AT IKOT EKPENE CONTROL POST?

By Tom Okure, Ph.D

(Dr. Okure is an Ikot Ekpene Indigene based in the USA

and a Public Policy and Economic Development Consultant/Advisor)

Picture in article courtesy of Ubong F Essien

Dated August 2, 2016

It would have been better to do nothing rather than turn this historic CONTROL POST location (Site) into the SORRY STATE depicted in the pictures in this article. 

Ikot Ekpene Control Post Road Project Abandoned by AKS Government

Someone should tell/advice the AKS government that this is appalling and very unacceptable. Control Post is the very heart of Ikot Ekpene and a very historical spot where the British Colonial Government began the mapping of the town and administration of the province. This is the locus point of Ikot Ekpene village (Usug Ikot Ekpene) which the town and local government derives it’s name. This is also the central point of the author’s village and a very important junction point in Annang nation.

Policy Advice on Construction Projects in Akwa Ibom State

Construction projects should never be started without a special dedicated budget fund to accomplish the task over a period of years. Budgetary revenues would be released annually as planned project targets are accomplished until the planned infrastructure/project is completed. The dilemma that Akwa Ibom State is facing as we witness the abandonment of many planned projects that the administration of Akpabio undertook like the Tropicana Plaza in Uyo and dualiization of Uyo/Ikot-Ekpene Federal road is the lack of capital planning foresight and the failure to build into the government capital budget for projects a contingency budget to accommodate unforeseen circumstances (like the fall in oil revenues) as we are experiencing throughout the country. Moreover, in civilized countries in Europe and the United States infrastructure projects are funded from dedicated funding revenue streams which in New York State budgeting is referred to as Special Revenue Funds (SRF). Initial funding for specific infrastructural projects can begin by issuing specific capital bonds guaranteed by the Federal government as a debt to the state. When the specific bond funded project is completed, it could be utilized to generate specific revenues to repay the long term bonds associated with the project.  

The Need to Establish Dedicated Special Revenue Funds (SRF) in AKSG Budgetary System.

Special Revenue Funds (SRF)  are dedicated revenues in government budgets to accommodate specific activities like road construction and maintenance, education, sanitation etc. SRFs are derived from sources outside the General Funds (GF) account of government budgets. In Akwa Ibom State, the government can institute a road tariff (or toll) and other user rates/fees (at the airport, parks, etc.) specifically aimed at generating dedicated budgetary Special Revenue Funds (SRF) to maintain and beautify the existing road networks in the state. The state is blessed with a good road network that are already in place which were built by the previous Akpabio Administration.

SRFs cannot be used for other than the purpose they are setup for. They can be established by the Executive governor or by the State Legislature to fund a specific project. Such funds are untouchable (outside politics) and cannot be used by the Legislature to pad the annual state budget. Over the years SRF can grow to enormous amounts and properly administered, can be employed to start, complete and fund magnificent projects. It is high time Akwa Ibom State should in earnest start generating significant internal revenues and reduce its dependence on federal allocations. In addition to creating industries in the state, focus should be placed on utilizing existing state assets to generate special revenues which should be utilized for specific purposes. The establishment of a State Lottery is a good example which can benefit the public and could generate a lot of funds for the state.  Dedicated lottery funds in a SRF budgetary account could be used to maintain our primary, secondary schools and Universities.  This is how proper state budgeting should work in a properly functioning state budgetary system.

Conclusion

Unless Akwa Ibom State policy makers start “thinking outside the box” and begin to explore setting up various SRF accounts to accommodate newly planned projects and the maintenance of existing projects like the abandoned dualization of Uyo Ikot Ekpene road, we will witness a slow and steady deterioration of the existing infrastructure which is already in place in the state, which is clearly exemplified by the mess we are seeing in Ikot Ekpene’s control post.

Origins of the use of Paramount Chief titles in Africa.

Brief History and Insight on the Use of Paramount Chief Titles in Nigeria and Africa.

ICMS, Inc Educational Series
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
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A paramount chief in the African context is used to describe a very powerful chief of the highest order. In Nigeria as in many parts of West Africa, the British Colonial Governors and their administrators created Chieftaincy systems which transformed local societies they governed by empowering a set of Paramount Chiefs as the sole authority of local government in the various Protectorates that they British controlled.

Chief Mutondo (of Zambia) who 

was declared paramount chief of Nkoyas

A paramount chief unlike a local chief has power which extends over an entire governing region. In British Colonial times, the term was used to designate the highest level political leader in a colonial regional or local polity or country administered politically with a chief based system. Such a ruler had great authority which transcended multiple chiefdoms or the rulers of exceptionally powerful chiefdoms that have subordinated others. 

The title of Paramount Chief was a convenient formal title established and used by the British colonial administrators during the 19th and 20th-century in Africa, India and Asian colonies to describe very powerful local rulers equivalent to "kings" in Europe. The term was coined and used because of necessity as a substitute for calling local tribal leaders "King." Calling a supreme local leader King was prohibited because only the "British Monarch" was entitled to be called King. Since the title of chief was frequently used to describe local rulers and by British district and town administrators, it became necessary to add "Paramount Ruler" title to a very powerful regional Chief in order to differentiate such a ruling tribal monarch from a local aristocracy (chief).

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Execution of Nigerians by Foreign Countries is Appalling

ICMSINC Commentary
July 29, 2016

By Tom Okure, Phd

Execution of Nigerians by Foreign Countries is Appalling and Unacceptable.

Indonesia executed three Nigerians and an Indonesian citizen today for drug related crimes despite the worldwide outcry over the executions. This is not the first time or second time this has happened. While the peddling of illegal drugs is bad and a crime worldwide, executions of drug criminals is not the solution and has not been proven to be a deterrent. The European Union (EU) bands the death penalty and forbides the execution of prisoners. Executions are babaric and has no place in a modern and civilized nation which Indenosia aspires to become.

Indonesian Firing Squads

The Nigerian Government should protest to the Indonesian government over these barbaric execution by a firing squad. At the minimum, the government of Nigeria ought to recall it's ambassador to Indonesia in protest. As we attempt to restructure our economy and government in general, we must standup to decency and reject mistreatment of Nigerians by foreign countries. We cannot have our citizens executed at will by countries likes Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Life imprisonment is a better option.

Do Page Likes Still Matter on Facebook?

Did You Know That ….Your Facebook
Likes end up or become part of your profile. Likes are quantified and matched against other users to determine patterns and correlations, relations between your interests that can provide detailed insights into what type of person you
are and the type of things you are interested in…...Now You Know

Read more on this subject at:  Do Page Likes Still Matter on Facebook?

The Dark Side of Ikorok [The Traditional Annang Communication Drum]

The Dark Side of Ikorok, the traditional Annang communication drum

By Tom Okure, Ph.D
ICMS, Inc Reports

(Photo Credit of Ikorok Drum: Courtesy Gabriel Ette )
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The manufacture of Ikorok [the drum] for many Annang clan heads (Chiefs) typically began by sending a selected individual to search the clan forests to find a big tree of hard wood. When such a tree was found, laborers were sent from surrounding villages to assist in the work of cutting the tree down and removing it to the place where the drum would be utilized. 

Ikorok - Annang announcement drum

Each village would send a representative wood carver. They would carve on the drum, figures of all the animals they could remember they had ever seen and the figures of important village people on the drum. The carving work on the drum was very hard and was known to take up to three years in some cases.

Upon completion of the Ikorok drum, a great feast would be held in which all the villagers were invited to join. During the feast, a sacrifice would be made so that the drum should be set apart for its special work. In Ukana clan, two men were killed and their heads placed one at each end of the drum. So many other animals would also be sacrificed on that day for the Ikorok drum.
During the feasting, the villagers would be told that they must run to the drum at once when they heard the sound or big voice of the mysterious and magical drum. The Ikorok drum is cut out of the tree in the form of a woman with head and legs.

During the yam harvest, after the seed-yams have been selected and stored, the Ikorok drum was beaten and there would be a lot of feasting. Thousands of yams would be placed in an enclosure and put together in rows of twenty upright and fifty rows horizontal. 

Ikorok [The Drum]

Two men were always killed and their bodies were hung at each end of the enclosure. No one was allowed to go near the place of the sacrifice until the flesh on the sacrificed individuals was gone from their bones. The historical significance of this sacrifice was to warn would be yam and farm thieves. During the next planting season, three men would be caught and sacrificed and the drum was beaten. Two of the men were sacrificed for Ikorok [the drum] and the third person was sacrificed for the seed-yams. The body of the sacrificed third person was cut into pieces and the blood sprinkled on the yams before they were planted.

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Muhammad Ali 'The Greatest' dead at 74

ICMS, Inc Breaking News
Reporting: Tom Okure Ph.D

Date:June 4, 2016

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Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, an American boxing heavyweight legend and a phenomenal civil rights activist who stood his ground against the US government war in Vietnam by refusing to be enlisted, succumbed to a respiratory ailment and died today in a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Born as Cassuis Marcellius Clay Jr, he publicly announced his conversion to Islam a day after his championship bout with Liston.  His conversion to Islam did not please his fans and the general public.  He was convicted and jailed for three years for evading the draft into the U.S. army. During the 1996 World Olympic Games, Muhammad Ali exhibited his strength and determination to the world and his fans in fighting the debilitating impact of Parkinson's syndrome that afflicted him.  His family was at his bed side during his demise.

The Greatest

The famous boxer who often referred to himself as 'The Greatest' had been suffering from Parkinson's disease since 1984. Tributes have been flooding social media and news outlets around the world from athletes, celebrities and politicians including U.S. President Obama.







Learn more about Muhammad Ali in “A Biography of the Famous Boxer” By Jennifer Rosenberg…...Muhammad Ali - A Biography

Excitement, Motivation and Call for Action in a Chinese Detergent Advertisement Gone Wrong

ICMSINC REPORTS
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
Date: May 30, 2016


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Any advertisement seeking to generate an emotional audience response should always consider the impact on its audience and viewers. This recent Chinese detergent advertisement was perhaps intended to be humorous but had the unintended negative consequence of generating an uproar in social media and around the world and resurrecting a long time assertion about inherent and arrogant Chinese racist tendencies especially towards black people.


Was the motivation of the Chinese’s advertising firm behind this racist advertisement sheer ignorance or purposeful, blatant racism? And what about the Chinese regulatory agency that approved this advertisement, in view of the increasing role of China in the global world stage as a world economic power house of ideas promoting tolerance and equality of persons. Is this the image that China wants to promote globally? Should the Chinese’s regulatory agency consider implementing new rules and setting advertising boundaries of what is acceptable or not acceptable in advertisements, or is this a deliberate ploy and attack by foreign media to simply to mistreat China? You decide.

Insight into efforts to stabilize Nigeria’s economic crisis under the present Buhari’s administration

Trying to stabilize Nigeria’s economic crisis under the present Buhari’s administration. Understanding the problems of long lines at gas stations, dwindling foreign exchange, reduction in crude production capacity due to militancy in the Niger Delta, etc. in Nigeria. Embeded

Rescued Chibok Girl meets with Nigerian President Buhari

ICMS, Inc Reports
Rescued Chibok Girl Meets Nigerian President Buhari
Tom Okure, Ph.D
May 19, 2016

Amina Ali Nkeki

Amina Ali Nkeki, age 19 is the first to be rescued among the 219 missing Chibok girls that were abducted by the Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram from a secondary school in the town of Chibok in April 2014.

She was found by an army supported vigilante group with a baby on Tuesday May 17, 2016 around the dense forest of Sambisa near the Cameroon border.

Rescued Chibok Girl meets
with Nigerian President Buhari

Amina was flown with her four month old baby, by the Nigerian Air Force to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state on Wednesday and later flown to Abuja to meet with Nigerian President Buhari. The President expressed delight that she was back and could resume her education.

It will be recalled that immediately after the Chibok girls were abducted in 2014, about 57 of the girls successfully escaped, but 219 of them have remained missing for the last two years. Amina was found with a young man who indicated he was her husband and her baby’s father. He stated that he too was kidnapped by Boko Haram.

He allegedly met and married Amina while in the Sambisa forest stronghold of the militants. The Nigerian army has completely separated him from Amina and her baby and he remains in military custody undergoing intense interrogation.

How a Cancer of Corruption Steals Nigerian Oil, Weapons and Lives

"Corruption killed my best friend (my wife)" ~ Godwin Ekpo
A PBS documentary
Published on You tube Dec 2, 2015

In Nigeria, where corruption is part of daily life, police officers routinely demand bribes, local government leader’s pocket money meant for schools and the former national security advisor is accused of stealing billions from the military.
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US Casino Operator Mohegan Sun, has been chosen to build Inspire Integrated Resort in South Korea.

ICMS,Inc Reports

Date: March 2, 2016

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A United States Indian tribal casino operator Mohegan Sun has been chosen by the South Korean government to build a new world class resort on Yeongjong Island region of South Korea. 

Inspire Integrated Resort

Mohegan Sun partnered with KCC Corp, a South Korean chemical company to apply for a casino license. The objective of the project is to help boast the Korean economy.

Yeongjong Island region is a sparsely populated region in South Korea, but is strategically close to the Incheon International Airport which acts as a gateway to the western world. Yeongjong Island was likely chosen for the project due to its closeness to the Chinese Mainland China and it’s potential to draw a large number of Chinese, Asian and western tourists.

The Inspire Integrated Resort project by Mohegan Sun is anticipated to begin next year and open sometime in the early part of 2020. The resort complex will huge and expected to include a combination of a luxury hotel, a 215,278 square foot casino, a theme park, entertainment and convention spaces, a K-pop arena, shopping venues, and food and beverage outlets. The developers anticipate to open resort project in stages with initial focus of the development centered on entertainment in order to support Korea’s thriving entertainment industry.

The South Korean government has been encouraging companies to invest into the Korean casino industry. Several companies showed interest in the offer and applied to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for a casino license.

Read More ...

• South Korea To Make Decision Soon On Awarding Foreign Casino Licenses To Operators
• Mohegan Sun Inspire Integrated Resort Gets Korean Casino License

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The Mysterious Sailing Rocks in California’s Death Valley's Lake Bed

Posted by Tom Okure
Date: Febuary 25, 2016

The Self Moving Rocks of California

Moving Rocks of California

Mysterious moving rocks are a geological phenomenon where rocks travel and carve long tracks along a smooth valley floor without any physical intervention by humans or animals. This phenomena has been observed in certain parts of the United States such as Little Bonnie Claire Playa in Nevada and the Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park in the state of California the tracks are said to be most noticeable in their number and length.

Moving Rocks of California

Since the early 1900s, this mystery has been observed and studied by scientist without a scientific resolution.  However, sometime in August 2014, a timelapse video footage of the sailing rocks moving at slow wind speeds inside the flow of thin, melting sheets of ice was recorded and published.

Notice the in the pictures the grooves in the parched dirt soil tracing the tracks of the moving rocks. It is difficult to see the forces behind the sailing stones when they are in motion. However, the secret of the moving rocks in California’s Death Valley's lake bed has since been resolved. 

As stated earlier, many concepts and explanations regarding the mysterious phenomena have been offered over the years.  Then, San Diego California Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s (SIO) paleobiologist, Richard Norris and his cousin James Norris a research engineer asserted that they had a scientific explanation explaining the mystery based on a timelapse video footage of the sailing rocks moving. They are alleged to be the first people to photograph the moving rocks.

The secret forces behind the moving rocks across the surface of Racetrack Playa in California's Death Valley was captured on a timelapse video footage:

Watch the self-moving rock Video:

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Reality Check Moments: Back Stabbers

Reality Check Moments

By Tom Okure
Date: Febuary 24, 2016

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Do you have any friends who are Back Stabbers?

Explanation: Friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc., who “Smile In Your Face” all the time, but in reality what they really want to do is stab you in the back, either as a result of spite (vindictiveness) or because they want to take your place etc. Can you relate to that?

Well let me refresh your memory with a real Old School Music on the subject by:

The O'Jays - Back Stabbers

Back Stabbers ©1972 Philadelphia International

Enjoy the Music. Your comments are welcome

Learn more about the O’Jays

Source: Wikipedia.org

The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert (born June 16, 1942), Walter Williams (born August 25, 1943), William Powell (January 20, 1942 – May 26, 1977), Bobby Massey and Bill Isles.

The O'Jays: An American R&B Group

The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with "Lonely Drifter" in 1963, but reached their greatest level of success once Gamble and Huff, a team of producers and songwriters, signed them to their Philadelphia International label in 1972.

With Gamble and Huff, the O'Jays (now a trio after the departure of Isles and Massey) emerged at the forefront of Philadelphia soul with "Back Stabbers" (1972), and topped the Billboard Hot 100 the following year with "Love Train".

Numerous other hits followed through the 1970s and into the 80s and 90s, and The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.



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Abraham Lincoln: A great example of persistence which leads to success

By Tom Okure

ICMS, Inc Reports

Abraham Lincoln was a civil rights activist, U.S. representative, U.S. President and lawyer.  

But Did You Know That:

U.S. President Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty, and throughout his life he encountered defeat and various setbacks. He was defeated in eight elections he contested, his business failed twice and he suffered a nervous breakdown. 

If you want to learn about persistence, you don’t have to look any further. He refused to give up and give in even after so many setbacks. In the end his persistence paid off as he became one of America’s greatest presidents in history. Below is a review of his personal and career struggles which eventually led him to the White House:

• 1816 ..His family was forced out of their home. He had to work to support them.
• 1818 ..His mother died.
• 1831 ..Failed in business.
• 1832 ..Ran for state legislature - lost.
• l832 ..Also lost his job - wanted to go to law school but couldn't get in.
• 1833 ..Borrowed some money from a friend to begin a business and by the end of the year he was bankrupt. He spent the next 17 years of his life paying off this debt.
• 1834 ..Ran for state legislature again - won.
• 1835 ..Was engaged to be married, sweetheart died and his heart was broken.
• 1836 ..Had a total nervous breakdown and was in bed for six months.
• 1838 ..Sought to become speaker of the state legislature - defeated.
• 1840 ..Sought to become elector - defeated.
• 1843 ..Ran for Congress - lost.
• 1846 ..Ran for Congress again - this time he won - went to Washington and did a good job.
• 1848 ..Ran for re-election to Congress - lost.
• 1849 ..Sought the job of land officer in his home state - rejected.
• 1854 ..Ran for Senate of the United States - lost.
• 1856 ..Sought the Vice-Presidential nomination at his party's national convention - get less than 100 votes.
• 1858 ..Ran for U.S. Senate again - again he lost.
• 1860 ..Elected president of the United States.

In the end, Abraham Lincoln persistence paid off as he became the 16th president of the United States. He is credited for preserving the Union during the U.S. Civil War and brought about the emancipation of slaves. Learn more about this great American hero.

Link: Biography of Abraham Lincoln


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Did You Know That ....

ICMS, Inc Business Tips And Insighs: By Tom Okure, Ph.D


Remember This:

In Business..."There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else" ~ Sam Walton





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The United States lifts 40 Years Oil Export Ban and US Companies Immediately Start Competing For Latin American and Caribbean Crude Oil Supply Contracts

ICMS, Inc Reports

By Tom Okure,Ph.D Date: February 16, 2016

The US lifts its oil export ban and plans to become a major crude oil competitor in the global oil market.

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Late last year President Obama signed a bill into law which lifted a 40 year oil export ban on oil exportation by the United States (US).  The lifting of the ban was praised by the head of Producers for American Crude Oil Exports, George Baker, who stated that "Now that we have levelled the playing field, the United States finally has an opportunity to compete and realize our nation's full potential as a global energy superpower." 

Picture of Oil Tanker

Analyst at the time indicated that lifting the ban was not expected to lead to any large US oil exports for months or even years due to the current global oil glut in the market.  Because of opposition to the lifting of the ban by opponents who asserted that the lifting of the ban would lead to the loss of oil refining jobs and would be bad for the environment, the legislation included a trade-off in the enabling legislation which included tax breaks as incentives for the development of solar and wind power and a pledge by Republicans not to block a $500m payment to the UN Green Climate Fund.

Today, this milestone legislation is quickly changing the dynamics in the global world oil export market as US companies are realigning themselves to begin exporting crude oil and competing for market share in the global oil market.  In fact, on New Year’s Eve the first US oil export tanker left the port of Corpus Christi, Texas headed with a shipment of crude oil for Europe.

There are also new developments indicating that US companies are now competing head to head against struggling oil exporting African countries like Nigeria and Angola in Latin America and the Caribbean countries for lucrative supply contracts to provide light sweet crude oil which many Latin American countries need to blend with their heavy soar crude oil which is difficult and expensive to refine into gasoline.  When prices are right US companies still plan to buy from Nigeria and Angola.

Learn More....Watch this Video:

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Is Epigenetics Weird or Awesome Science:….Do Our Genes Have a Memory?

ICMS,Inc Educational Series

Posted by Tom Okure, Ph.D
Dated January 30, 2016

Epigenetics Research....Could what you do in your lifetime affect the lives of your grandchildren many decades from now?

The standard scientific view has been that the human DNA transmits all our heritable information and that nothing an individual does in their lifetime will be biologically passed to their children.

Background and Epigenetics Research

EPIGENETICS

Epigenetics evolved as a broad research field in the mid-twentieth century by famous scientists including Conrad H. Waddington and Ernst Hadorn that concentrated on combining genetics and developmental biology. In 1942, Waddington coined the term epigenetics, supposedly derived from the Greek word “epigenesis” which originally described the influence of genetic processes on development.

In plain language, the term epigenetics refers to the study of biological mechanisms that can switch genes on and off.  Scientist say epigenetics controls genes. Certain conditions in our environment can supposedly cause genes to be silenced or expressed over time. Stated differently, it means our genes can be turned off (becoming dormant) or turned on (becoming active). Scientist say epigenetics is everywhere in our environment in what we eat, where we reside and who we interact with, when we exercise and sleep and even as we age. 

Do our genes have a 'Memory?

The events in our lives (good or bad) eventually can cause chemical modifications around our genes which can turn those genes on or off over time. In certain diseases such as cancer or Alzheimer’s, various genes can be switched into the opposite state, away from the normal/healthy state. Epigenetics, is the study, in the field of genetics, of cellular and physiological phenotypic trait variations that are caused by external or environmental factors that switch genes on and off and affect how cells read genes instead of being caused by changes in the DNA sequence. (Wikipedia)

Epigenetics research seeks to describe dynamic alterations in the transcriptional such as:

Could the genes of our children be shaped
by our ancestors' life experiences?

Could our genes and that of our children be shaped in part by our ancestors' life experiences? Do our genes have a 'Memory'? Does the lives of our forbearers or grandparents: the food they ate, the air they breathed, and their environment and even what they saw directly impact our lives decades later, in spite of the fact that we never experienced these things ourselves. 

According to the new insights of behavioral epigenetics, traumatic experiences in our past, or in our recent ancestors’ past leave molecular scars adhering to our DNA (See Grandmas experiences leave epigenetic mark on your genes). In short, grandparents of Jews who were chased from their Russian shtetls; Chinese whose grandparents lived during the devastations of the Cultural Revolution; young African immigrants whose ancestors survived massacres; adults of all races who grew up with parents who are alcoholic or abusive potentially have just more than memories embedded within their genes. Is that weird or awesome science? You decide.

Read More:

What is epigenetics - fundamentals

The Ghost in Your Genes

Grandma's Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes

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In Eritrea, Men Must Marry Two Women Or Go To Jail

In Eritrea, Men Must Marry Two Women Or Go To Jail

ICMS,Inc Reports
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
Date: January 27,2016

After years of war, Eritrea has been left very short of eligible men to marry its overpopulated female population requiring the Government of Eritrea to mandate men marry at least two wives or face imprisonment.

Government of Eritrea Polygamy Law:

Eritrea Polygamy Law

“Based on the law of God in polygamy, and given the circumstances in which the country is experiencing in terms of men shortage, the Eritrean department of Religious Affairs has decided on the following:

"First that every man shall marry at least two women and the man who refuses to do so shall be subjected to life imprisonment with hard labour. “The woman who tries to prevent her husband from marrying another wife shall be punished to life imprisonment”





 Read More.....Marry Two Wives Or Be Arrested

Buka Roadside Restaurants: Nigerian Indigenous Fast Food Restaurants

Nigeria indigenous fast food restaurants called Buka Joints.

ICMS,Inc Reports
By Tom Okure, Ph.D
Date: January 26, 2016

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Food Business, especially the indigenous restaurant and food service business is a lucrative and thriving industry in Nigeria. Buka joints as they are called are found everywhere in Nigeria, in big cities and small towns and are local fast food restaurants that serve indigenous dishes unique to the local community, culture/tribe or state they are located. They are profitable business ventures typically operated by women and generally are unaffected by economic cycles whether hard times or boom times. Bukas are of various grades and quality from tasty road side cuisines that cater for the poor to higher grade restaurants that cater for individuals with more money. In large cities like Lagos, Abuja etc, Bukas attract serious patronage and operators are more numerous and competition is intense. Many Buka food operators resort to operating mobile services, using carts to push the food around the area where their customers are to gain a competitive advantage.

Sample of  Buka Munu

The food quality is very good, spicy, colorful and relatively cheap when compared to western type restaurants and fast food restaurants. The menus are varied and depend on the time of day that the restaurant is open. A typical Buka joint (restaurant) has a dedicated following of clients that visit the joint for either breakfast, lunch or dinner or a combination. They are regularly visited by single individuals, office workers, taxi drivers, students, travelers etc., who need to eat and go back to work or home and don’t want to worry about the hassles of cooking and cleaning of dishes.

Photo Credit: JujuFilms

Buka indigenous restaurants have always existed in African countries and have unique features as stated earlier that reflect the culture and location of the restaurant. Everybody needs food at some time of the day regardless of the state of the person’s finances whether buoyant or broke, employed or unemployed. Buka food operators announce the availability or readiness of breakfast, lunch and dinner menus by simply putting out a sign post announcing to the public that “Food Is Ready.” As soon as clients see the sign that food is ready in front of the food joint, they start coming into the restaurant to order their meals. Buka joints cater for the needs of those with little means who need to satisfy their hunger and have little money within their reach, even if it means borrowing to eat. There is a base price for basic food. Any extras like extra meat, extra garri dumpling, beverage or alcoholic drinls can be added to a customer’s order at an extra cost. A popular local saying is “Man Must Wak” meaning a person must eat. These business are all season and operate all year round.

Nigerian Buka Food Joints: Read More:

Taste of the buka


 Niger Delta Restaurant located in Abuja Nigeria is a popluar buka type restaurant.

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Biafra is dead and will remain dead

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo who spoke in Abuja recently during a round table discussion organized by Nextier Advisory, a public sector advisory firm stated that:

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo

 “only those who did not experience the Nigerian civil war would embark on such a malevolent exercise….. “No right-thinking person who has experienced the horror of war will ever agitate for more wars. Most wars stem from real and perceived injustices and dissatisfaction and invariably wars emanate from a desire to correct or redress such situations. Our civil war wasn’t any different.” ~ Former President Obasanjo 

Comments By Dr. Tom Okure:

I completely and totally agree with the remarks by former President Olusegun Obasanjo who recently directed his remarks to the protagonists of Biafra. Why? The youth that are agitating for the revival of Biafra lack a sence of thier history and the consequences of war. When it come to war, "any war" the best option is to avoid it.

Those who started the civil war that engulfed Eastern Nigeria did not pay the price for that war, it was the common people of Biafra, mostly children, the poor who suffered from starvation and homelessness. Most of the influential people responsible for perpetuating that conflict fled Biafra to greener pastures with their children when the tide turned against Biafra. My family (The Okure Family) among others and my beloved hometown Ikot Ekpene that paid a hefty price for that civil war and still bears the scars of that brutal civil war till today.

We all are stakeholders in Nigeria’s future and those who fail to learn from their past are condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past. We cannot let agitators and selfish and corrupt politicians drag Nigeria into the path of war again.

General Gowon

To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. General Yakubu Gowon was Nigeria's head of state at the time and prosecuted the Nigeria civil war with the slogan that bore his name and still holds true today….GOWON: meaning “Go On With One Nigeria.” Let’s keep Nigeria One. And that is my take on the issue. 

Read more ...http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/bombshell-biafras-dead-obasanjo-insists/

I Like The Way (Official Music Video) - Timaya | Official Timaya

Timaya presents the official music video for his song "I Like The Way".

Economic Woes Are Weighing Heavily On Nigeria’s Foreign Reserves

Analysis and Reporting by: Tom Okure, Ph.D

Date January 14, 2016

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Nigeria, the largest economy in Africa is facing major economic and financial challenges as a result of the sustained decline in world oil prices. Oil on Thursday January 14, 2016 traded at below $30 a barrel for Brent crude oil compared to $125 to $140 just two years ago. The Naira is losing its exchange value daily with major world currencies like the pound and dollar. The nation’s currency, the Naira exchanged at $1 to N300 in the parallel market today while the government unrealistically continues to peg the official government exchange rate at $1 to N197.

Nigerian Central Bank

Nigerian policy makers are desperately attempting to diversify the country’s revenue sources.  The impact of the falling oil prices is reflected everywhere in the economy and the foreign reserves of the country has fallen significantly to $28.bn. Today, the country’s foreign reserves is 18% lower than it was one year ago. This foreign reserve loss is supposedly the largest drop according to the Central Bank of Nigeria since the central bank began to implement the use of Bank Verification Number (BVN) in forex trading.

During the festive holiday season in December 2015, the central bank was forced to close the interbank foreign exchange market on December 21, 2015 in order to conserve forex for an opening on January 4, 2016.  This left the parallel market as the main avenue for forex during the holiday period.

A couple of days ago the CBN announced plans to stop the sales of foreign exchange (forex) to Bureau de Change (BDC) operators accusing the BDC operators of causing the draining of scarce foreign exchange reserves of the country. According to CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, the BDC’s were profiteering from the forex market, Irrespective of prevailing official and interbank rates, and were equally financing unauthorized transactions with foreign exchange procured from the CBN. Apparently, according to experts, Nigeria is alleged to be one of the few countries in the world that sells dollars to BDC’s and such practice should have been stopped a long time ago.  The immediate direct consequences of the CBN action to stop sales of forex to BDC operators will most likely be an increased pressure on the parallel market which will increase the exchange rate of dollar to naira even above 300 Naira. ...Read more

Links:

CBN halts direct sales of FOREX to Bureau de Change operators

Nigeria’s external reserves now $29.1bn

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All rights reserved by Inter-Continental Mgt. Systems, Inc (ICMS, Inc). The information included in this publication may not be used, reproduced, transmitted, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written permission of ICMS, Inc. 

Thinking Out Of The Box: Making Money By Recycling Trash

ICMS,Inc Business Start Up Series
By Tom Okure, Ph.D

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When times are tough, you have to think creatively and find ways to make money while solving problems for the community and environment. This CNN African startup video features Bilikiss Adebiyi-Abiola who started a business called Wecyclers and is making money from trash and employing many unemployed youth at the same time.

Today January 13, 2016 Will Mark The Highest Lottery Jackpot In USA History: A Massive $1.5 billion.

Powerball Jackpot Drawing tonight is a massive $1.5 billion
Source: Forbes/Science
Date: January 13, 2016

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It’s long been said that lottery tickets are a tax on those who can’t do math, and now you’ve seen the mathematical proof of that. If you want to buy a Powerball ticket for fun, by all means, go right ahead. Just be aware that for every $2 you spend, you’re donating about $1.15 to whatever government programs that Powerball supports, and only betting $0.85 on whatever you might win in an otherwise “fair” lottery.

Playing the lottery is the ultimate low-risk, high-reward scenario. If you lose, you’re only out a few dollars: the cost of your bet. But if you win, even though the odds are stacked against you, the payoff is a lifetime of easy living. This evening, Wednesday, January 13th, will mark the richest lottery jackpot in history, with the current Powerball jackpot at a whopping $1.5 billion, a new record in lottery games worldwide ~ Forbes

Comments

Did You Know That....If you win the Jackpot tonight, it could mean more than half a billion dollars for you before taxes. However, your odds of winning the Powerball drawing tonight are about 1-in-175 million ~ Dr. Tom Okure

Read More.....

Link: The Science of Power Ball

Global Benchmark Brent Crude Oil Price falls to a twelve year low

Global Benchmark Brent Crude Oil price continues to fall
ICMS,Inc News Journal
Source: CNBC/Reuters
Posted Januray 7, 2016

Global benchmark Brent crude fell as much as 6 percent to nearly $32 a barrel, its lowest level since at least April 2004, as another free fall in the Chinese stock market rattled investors already concerned by the world glut in crude.

Crude Oil Barrels

China allowed its yuan currency to slip on Thursday, sending regional currencies and stock markets tumbling globally.

Stock market trading was suspended less than half an hour after opening after sharp falls triggered a new circuit-breaking mechanism for a second time since its introduction this week.

U.S. government data on Wednesday showed a 10.6 million-barrel surge in gasoline supplies, the biggest weekly build since 1993, rattling investors already concerned by near-record production and massive stockpiles around the world......Read more

Link:  Oil Prices and stocks hit session lows on speculation of more China devaluation