The U.S government on Tuesday, had announced an additional visa reciprocity fee for Nigerians who have been granted visa into the country, saying the decision is as a result of U.S citizens paying higher to get visa into Nigeria.

The announcement had said U.S citizens pay $110 higher, to apply for a Nigerian visa, than what Nigerians pay to apply for a U.S visa.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mohammed Manga, spokesman of the ministry of interior, announced that the visa fee for Americans had been reduced, according to TheCable.

Manga said the fee has now been reduced to $160, the application fee for Nigerians to get U.S visa

The statement said:

The attention of the Ministry of Interior has been drawn to the introduction of reciprocity of Visa Fees by the United States of America. The Ministry acknowledges that there were engagements with the United States Embassy on the issue and in the aftermath, a Committee was set up to conduct due diligence in line with the Ministry’s extant policy on reciprocity of Visa fees.

The Committee had concluded its assignment and submitted a Report but the issuance of authorisation for its recommendations was delayed due to transition processes in the Ministry at the policy level.

The Honourable Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has approved the decrease of Visa charges payable by US citizens in line with reciprocity policy as recommended by the Committee.

Accordingly, the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Muhammad Babandede, has been directed to implement the decrease in Nigeria’s Visa charges to US Citizens with effect from Thursday, 29th August, 2019.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

If you constantly have skin problems, then you will need to feed your skin a lot from inside out. Some people use home remedies and products and get results fast, while you have tried virtually everything and it seems like nothing is working.

The difference between you and these people may be that they have good skin but lack of care, attention, an adverse reaction or some other factors gave them skin issues

If you do not fall in the category of these ‘lucky’ ones, it means you need to do extra work to get clear, healthy skin.

Today, we will be looking at an important aspect of skincare that could be a game changer for you.

Do not bath with ordinary water, make sure that there are herbs in your water more often than not

My favourite herbs for bathing include;

• Lemon grass
• Neem leaves
• Guava leaves
• Zobo leaves
• Rice water (parboiled or fermented)

Get your leaves, sort them to ensure that you are using very healthy leaves, rinse and then put in a pot and cover with enough water, bring to a boil and sieve out the water, add a few cups of this herbal water to your bath water.

Usually, I would advise that you discard the remaining herbal water but if you have a refrigerator, keep for at most, 3 days

If you keep using any of these herbs to take your bath once daily, gradually, your skin will become what you have always wished it to be
Do you bath with herbs? Are they working for you? Kindly share with us

The Enemy Within!
‘Hello Debbie, I am here to talk to you about my frustrations, all my customers are leaving, they want to be white and if I can’t give that to them, they will go elsewhere’

I see this every day. To some, I reply with a bible verse, to some, I give soothing words, to some, I shake them up to be strong and to some, I am too weak to respond.

To a large extent, we are the enemy we desperately seek to destroy because we are actively participating in self destruction. By us, I mean everybody, the society, you, me and anyone who is a stake holder in the skincare industry.

Is it the lady who decides to take skincare advice from a crowd that is untrained or the ‘professional’ who goes to a store, buys a hydroquinone and steroid based cream, mixes with different kinds of potions, adds a little bleaching liquid and a dash of hair relaxer. Mixes this and turns into a plain container and goes ahead to list its ingredients as neem, orange, mango and coconut oil

Or the woman who keeps troubling another to help make her baby white at all cost.

Is it the man who starts to threaten his woman with side comments, asking her why she is getting dark when she knows fully well that he is attracted to fair skinned ladies or the man at the bank who beckons to this lady to jump the queue and be attended to just because she happens to be the fairest of them all.

What about the people who are asking you to boycott store bought cosmetics while selling the same cosmetics to you but this time with deadly additives.

Enemies everywhere, yet you cannot blame anyone because when you attempt to point a finger, the other four are screaming your name.

Who are we then to blame?

Again, nobody is to blame. I try my bit and I hope you do same

So far, I have been able to get my tribe to the place where they no longer ask me questions like; “will this darken me? Hope it won’t make me dark?” They have understood that when I am treating the skin, I do not see colour, I see skin conditions that needs to be corrected.
All that my heart beats for is to get everybody to the place of compliments, where nobody sees the colour of your skin because they are spell bound by the glow your skin exudes

That is what people know about me, this is what they say about me, and this is what they attach to my name
As I drop my pen in a few moments, I want to establish the fact that you can make a difference in this fight. You can take a stand and you can shine your own light. You may find yourself in an environment where anything goes but your light can still make a difference

No bashing, no blames, no calling out, no hate, just make a difference and watch what happens.

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Debbie Ibiyemi, I am a skin business coach who works with people to help them get great skin and also shows then how to make money from it.

In the past one and a half years, I have been able to work with over 10,000 members of my Facebook community as well reached out to other communities as well.

 

Grace  is a Chartered Accountant turned Singles’ Mentor. She is a Certified Marriage Mentor from The Institute for Marriage and Family Affairs and host of #Whensinglesgather.
Grace answers our famous #7QUESTIONS below  ;

1.  What is your biggest fear?
The fear of not living my life to the fullest. Fear of under utilizing  my potentials and gifts to impact humanity.

2.  In your darkest moments, what do you do?
– I cry most times and then I pray and worship.  I have discovered that crying most times wear me and thus I have learnt to switch to worship mood. One thing I realised is that Gratitude and worship mood usually put me in a state of resourcefulness as I do usually have light bulb moments
3.  What is that one thing you would like to change about yourself?-My outbursts when I am stressed. I am learning to be more patient and to be quiet when I am over stressed so I won’t have to yell in response to anyone calling for my attention.

4.  Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I see myself hosting international conferences to impact singles across and beyond Africa
5.  What keeps you going?The mental picture of the future I dream of.

6.   What is your stand on feminism? Do you consider yourself a feminist?

-If feminism adjudicate for a female to attain the highest level she qualifies for in the public and the right to full education without any form of discrimination; and yet makes her understand that her husband is positioned as the leader of the home or family despite both of them having equal rights…Yes I agree to being a feminist.

7.  What keeps you up at night?
Reading inspirational fictions, biographies,  auto biographies and prayer keep me up at night.. And yes, writing down messages I receive via inspiration especially for singles,  keep me awake.

Send a mail to info@womenofrubies.com to be featured on #7QUESTIONS

Viola Davis is set to play former US First lady, Michelle Obama, in a brand new White House drama series, titled ‘First Ladies’ currently in the works at Showtime.

The network has given the prospective one-hour drama a three-script commitment, with novelist Aaron Cooleyon board to write and executive produce, Deadline reports.

The series will peel back the curtain on the personal and political lives of First Ladies throughout history, with season one focusing on Eleanor Roosevelt, Betty Ford and Michelle Obama. The series is from Showtime and Lionsgate Television.

 

 

Credit: Bella Naija

Amidst heightened pressure from FIFA, Iranian women fans will be allowed to attend the men’s soccer World Cup qualifying match in the Islamic Republic in October

While foreign women have been allowed limited access to matches in Iran, Iranian women have been banned from stadiums when men’s teams are playing since the Islamic revolution in 1979.

FIFA wrote to the Iranian Football Federation in June asking it to provide a timeline toward women being able to buy tickets for the qualifiers, or face consequences.

“Women can go to Tehran’s Azadi stadium to watch the match between Iran’s national team and Cambodia in October for the Qatar World Cup qualifier,” IRNA quoted deputy Sports Minister Jamshid Taghizadeh as saying.

The AFC, the Asian soccer governing body which has 47 members including Iran, said on Tuesday it was working to help world soccer governing body FIFA find an “amicable solution” that would allow Iranian female fans to attend future games in Iran.

Iranian female fans have long campaigned to be allowed to watch men’s soccer and occasionally a limited number of women have been allowed into the stadium. In June, some women were detained by security forces when they went to the Azadi Stadium for a friendly against Syria.

The 2022 World Cup will be held in Qatar.

Credit: LIB

Scarlett Johansson has been named the highest-paid actress for the second time in a row.

This was revealed by Forbes in its highest-paid actresses list of  2019.

Johansson dominates the list thanks to her Marvel paycheck with a salary of $56 million.

Second place goes to Sofia Vergara, who is officially the highest-paid television actress thanks to her work on Modern Family with a salary of $44.1 million.

Reese Witherspoon takes third place with $35 million, followed closely behind by Nicole Kidman with $34 million.

Notably this year, Angelina Jolie drops off the top ten list compared to last year when she made $28 million.

Sofia Vergara is also the only person of colour to make this year’s highest-paid actresses list.

See full list below

Forbes highest paid actresses of 2019

  1. Scarlett Johansson – $56 million
  2. Sofia Vergara – $44.1 million
  3. Reese Witherspoon – $35 million
  4. Nicole Kidman – $34 milion
  5. Jennifer Aniston – $28 million
  6. Kaley Cuoco – $25 milion
  7. Elisabeth Moss – $24 million
  8. Margot Robbie – $23.5 million
  9. Charlize Theron – $23 million
  10. Ellen Pompeo – $22 million

 

 

Credit: fabwoman.ng

Actress, Monalisa Chinda has revealed she endured domestic violence for five years in her first marriage.

In an exclusive with TopNaija, Monalisa revealed that she endured the violence because she wasn’t in a hurry to leave.

“I wasn’t in a hurry to leave the marriage, I gave it five years… Maybe if the marriage wasn’t violent, I would have stayed from day one from pushing of the head to slap to every slightest provocation….”

She also said that she expected the abuse would stop after the birth of her daughter, Tamar but it didn’t.

“When I had Tamar, I thought that would calm situations. But it didn’t. I knew this was not going to stop. So Tamar clocked one, the violence didn’t stop… So I said if I don’t go, this man is going to kill me and this girl. So I had to turn to God… I don’t believe in separation of any sort. I don’t believe in divorce. Why did I talk to God directly? Because I talked [sic] to in my church then, they didn’t do anything about it.

“I had a pastor. He didn’t do anything about it, not even calling him to order… And nothing changed. I turned to Holy Spirit now I said I’m going to leave. And I’m ready to face any consequences be it the media…

“One day, something happened… He came back and asked for something, it wasn’t available and next I heard was a bang on my head, slaps… My daughter was crying. Neighbours were screaming ‘you will kill her o! You will kill her o! Every day we no go hear something for this compound!’… That night… the friend came over and stopped it… The morning after, I’d packed my things and taken Tamar to go to my very good friend’s place… a colleague of mine who opened her home to me and my daughter… I had to go back again to get Tamar’s, few of Tamar’s things cuz I didn’t have any money…. and then he blocked me and immediately I went into tongue-speaking in my heart saying this man should not kill me today. And after that beating that day I almost died. I decided to never to come back there again.”

Credit: fabwoman.ng

In what seems to be an odd play out of marriage, a woman in the United Arab Emirates has asked the court to dissolve her marriage because her husband shows her ‘too much love’, helps with the housework and showers her with gifts.

According to reports, the UAE woman told a Sharia court in Fujairah that her ‘endearing’ husband has never argued or yelled at her and was always kind.

When she complained about his weight, the man embarked on a strict weight loss regime of dieting and exercise which left him with a broken leg.

But this did not please the angry wife who still complained of his many gifts and compliments, according to local media.

According to her:

“I am eagerly longing for a single day of dispute, but this seems impossible with my romantic husband who always forgave me and showered me with daily gifts.

‘I need a real discussion, even an argument, not this hassle-free life full of obedience.”

The husband begged the court to deny the divorce request.

He told the court:

“It’s not fair to judge a marriage from the first year, and everybody learns from their mistakes. I am and always wish to be a perfect and kind husband.”

However, the court has adjourned the case to give the couple a chance to settle the dispute themselves.

Meanwhile, back home in Nigeria, celebrity media personality Toke Makinwa has implored women to cause drama and “f**k sh*t up” so as to spice their relationship.

This new take on relationships makes us ask that old question, “What do women really want?”

The co-convener of the “Bring Back Our Girls” Movement, Aisha Yesufu, known for her fearless stance on National issues, is the latest cover lady of Guardian Life Magazine as she talks about being a girl child in Northern Nigeria, feminism, religious faux, marriage and being a “BBOG” warrior.

Born in Northern Nigeria, where the female child is expected to keep mute on certain issues, little Aisha Yesufu was already breaking the rules by speaking out whenever there was injustice.

Read excerpts from her interview:

On growing up, she says:

“Even though my parents or adults were angry at me for speaking up especially when it does not favour them; when they had that need to have someone that was unbiased to look at issues, they would call me.”

“I have the gift to look at issues from both sides even when I am involved and when I am not. I am able to tell people, “okay look at it like this”. My mother would always say, ‘nobody wins in your court’, but in that same court when they want the issues to be told plainly, they would come.”

On Feminism and Marriage:

“I am very, very lazy. My parents used to say, ‘Is everything book?’ Even when my husband proposed, I told him, I am lazy and I hate housework, I hate cooking and he was ready to go with it.”

“I set systems in place to work for me. I hire and pay people to make me jobless. By the grace of God, I will never work for anybody so I have time on my hands.”

“Being brought up to expect that a man that will take of you, it was my husband that taught me to be financially independent so that I can have control over my voice and not be dependent.”

On being a Bring Back Our Girls warrior;

“Growing up, the average Nigerian was taught that you should not question elders. They grew up with how not to question authority and it went on through school. Now that they have become adults, they have used government to replace parents so they don’t question authority.”

“Fortunately, we are seeing more movements like BBOG inspire them to stay on course. They are realising that the office of the citizen is actually the highest office in the land. They are realizing that we don’t need permission from the police to protest but protection.”

“Whatever I am doing today, I am fighting for that little girl that I was that yearned for help, that begged to be helped with a textbook so that I can read and pass my exams. If I ever give up that fight, I will be giving up on myself.

 

Governor Babajide Sanwoolu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat have been commended for appointing 32 per cent women to serve in his cabinet. According to the CEO of Women Radio 91.7, Toun Okewale-Sonaiya, Lagos State has shown a genuine political will that is deliberate and intentional and is worthy of commendation.

Speaking with The Guardian in Lagos, the CEO of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Mufuliat Fijabi, also commended the Lagos state government, saying it has done very well.

“The present administration has done quite well in terms of female representation in political discourse. It is very close to 35 percent, which is the required number according to the national gender policy. Though he didn’t get to the 35 percent we fought for, I am sure a lot of women around Lagos and the country appreciate this and we urge him to still do more for women representation and inclusion in policymaking and governance.”

Fijabi went on to add that her organisation, as well as many other women-centred organisations and groups, fought hard before and after the general elections to ensure the 35 percent derivative action goal was met. “Despite all our efforts, what do we have today? Barely 16 per cent. This isn’t good enough and shows a lack of effort and political will to include over half the country’s population in matters of national discourse and also flouts international agreements that the country is part of. This isn’t helpful for our democracy and shows we are neither growing nor improving as time goes by.

“If Lagos can do it, why can’t it be done nationally? The government must show political goodwill by including more women in our political discourse if we want to improve the economy, democracy and all other areas of the nation.”

Okewale-Sonaiya on her part said, “Good governance means an inclusive government and the appointment of 32 per cent women indicates that the state, through its party leadership, understands that good governance through fair representation leads to progress and that women matter.”

“Any government that is not inclusive is bound to fail. A government that shuts its doors to gender-sensitivity is setting itself backward and cannot progress. We urge other states and the federal government who are yet to appoint commissioners and boards of agencies and parastatals to emulate the Lagos State progressive approach.”

She added that the decision-making process of Lagos should be commended and urged the governor and party leadership to appoint 35 per cent women as chair of parastatals, agencies and board members. In the same vein, she urged the President and his newly inaugurated cabinet members to approach all national issues with a gender-sensitive perspective.

Sonaiya, who said it might be a bit difficult to achieve this because of the low representation of women in the cabinet, called for a conscious and deliberate effort to be gender-sensitive in setting up and implementing policies and implementation across the country.

Source: Guardian