PDP steals N100 from every litre of kerosene – Oshiomhole

The Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday accused the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government of duping Nigerians by selling kerosene N150 per litre instead of N50.

Oshiomhole, who said this while receiving defectors from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress in Benin, the Edo State capital, also said that Nigerians had been suffering since the PDP assumed power 16 years ago.

This, he said, was because of the PDP’s dedication “to preserve the privileges of the few.”

Oshiomhole said the Federal Government had been doing this by not allowing the masses to enjoy the benefits of the natural resources bestowed on the country by God through shady subsidy deals on petroleum products.

The governor said, “The man who has a shop must close by 6 pm. If he operates beyond 6pm, he must put on a generator, and buy petrol or diesel. For 16 years, the PDP can’t give us light. But if they leave us in peace even in the dark, it will be bad enough but for them, that is not bad enough.”

“From Otuoke to Benin City, to Lagos, to Ekpoma, to Iyahmo, to Sokoto, kerosene is now between N150 and N160 per litre. For every N150 you spend in buying a litre of kerosene, the PDP steals N100 because in the books of the NNPC, they have it on records that kerosene is N50 per litre.”

Oshiomhole also commended the quality of the defectors, who he described as knowledgeable.

He said, “Today is not just the fact of the huge number in this hall but it is also about the quality of the brains that have now join us; and in a world that is knowledge-driven, it is only the party that can parade the best brains that can drive the sustainable change that Nigeria is currently battling with in order to bail our country from its present political quagmire.”

The governor also likened the ruling party to “an impotent man.”

Friendship Categories and Classifications: What's Your Friend's Type?

Parents typically discuss the importance of being careful with the selection of friends with their children. Some parents go even further to warn their children that some 'so-called friends' aren't really who they claim to be. This last guidance is something that's often learned too late after expecting a friend to be available (e.g., physically, emotionally, spiritually) in a time of need. It's at this point that individuals can be faced with the reality that their expectation(s) won't be met.

Individuals within someone's social circle(s) aren't always friends, but are usually an:

• Acquaintance or Associate -- there is familiarity with someone, but there isn't a personal relationship.

Unfavorable friends can be classified as a/an:

• Appendage -- friendly because there's a possibility that an individual's success will help them;

• Conditional -- a requirement placed on a relationship that's dependent on a certain need being met;

• Counterfeit -- gives the impression of being a friend, but isn't someone who can be trusted;

• Evaluative -- determines the significance of a relationship based on the last thing(s) provided or done;

• Fair-Weather -- disappears during a time of need, but will return once a bad time or situation passes;

• Leech -- drains an individual of their energy, essence, or desire to move forward;

• Occasional -- friendly during certain times, but suddenly stops being friendly without any reason or notice. At a later time, the person will be friendly (again) on their terms;

• Negative -- considers themselves to be a friend, but is always pessimistic about things related to the friendship or the things that their friend does;

• Noncommittal -- goes back-and-forth on their belief(s), support, assistance, etc.;

• Situational -- an individual suddenly becomes friendly once a certain event occurs that there might be a personal benefit;

• Spiteful -- jealous of someone's efforts to achieve or actual success;

• Toxic - gives an impression of providing support, but actively works to undermine their efforts.

Favorable friends can be categorized as a:

• Cheerleader -- provides direct moral support for someone's work and activities;

• Good-Time Charlie -- hangs out with an intent to have a good time or for stress relief;

• Kindred Spirit -- provides emotional, spiritual, or moral support;

• Strategist -- assists with helping to develop, think through, and achieve a goal.

These categories and classifications are important to understand; however, the type of friend that's preferred is a:

• True Friend -- someone who doesn't place a classification, condition, value, or limitation on a relationship; someone who will provide emotional support and will also remain friends during good and bad times without exceptions.

The categories and classifications provided are partial lists of the various types of good and questionable friends, respectively.

Anyone who reviews this information will hopefully not have to examine it closely to determine the categories which describe their friendships. If so, then there might be a need to review the classifications carefully as a guide to reevaluate a relationship.

A friendship should be based on mutual beliefs, attitudes, desires, and sometimes future goals that won't easily be impacted by certain moments, situations, or conditions.

After reviewing these categories and classifications:

Are you okay with the types of friends in your environment? If not, then it might be time for replacements.

Make your relationship last

For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, what is it that makes a marriage last (and last)? To answer this age-old question, family sociologist Karl Pillemer, launched the largest in-depth survey of long-married couples ever conducted, interviewing 700 people who had been hitched an average of 43 years. Their sage advice is collected in his new book, 30 Lessons for Loving
Here, a few of our favorite practical relationship tips from husbands and wives who’ve discovered the true meaning of commitment.
Start the day with a small kindness
“When you wake up in the morning, think, What can I do to make his or her day just a little happier? The idea is you need to turn toward each other and focus on the other person, even just for that five minutes when you first wake up.”
—Antoinette Watkins*, 81
Remember that being close doesn’t mean you’re the same
“You have to be able to try—and sometimes this is very, very difficult—you have to try to understand what the other person is thinking in any given situation. The main thing is that everybody—including your partner—has their own ideas about their world. Even though you’re in a very intimate relationship, the other person is still another person.”
—Reuben Elliot, 72

Stop worrying about your wrinkles
“Somehow as you get older you kind of get blind to the infirmities that affect the other party. And you always see them the way they were. You don’t see aging. It’s a wonderful thing. I don’t know if the brain is wired for that, but that’s the way it is.”
—Alfredo Doyle, 77
Find your “fight number 17”
“This may sound like a flip thing, but it works for us. We came up with it at some point along the way: We call it jokingly ‘fight number 17.’ … It means we’ve had this one at least 16 times before. We’ve decided we don’t even bother to have it anymore. We see it coming and we just shut up and don’t even start with it. Because it’s not going to go anywhere. My theory is that in every marriage there is one of those issues.”
—Ralph Perkins
Nurture the friendship
“I think it’s hard when you’re young and hot on one another to back off and say, ‘Do I like what is behind these hands and these body parts?’ But that is the piece that doesn’t wear out, that grows and deepens. The sexual aspect deepens, too, in its own way, but it becomes less important and the friendship becomes more important as the years go by. It will be challenged by kids and hardships and losses of parents and changing interests and patterns, but an abiding friendship is at the base of a solid marriage.”
—Lydia Wade, 73
Surround yourself with happy couples
“If you’re hanging around with negative people, find some positive people and hang around with them instead. You know, success imitates success. So if you see people who seem to have a very successful happy marriage, well, you hang around with those types of people. It does rub off. Avoid the ones with a defeatist attitude—get out of there before they drag you down.”
—Jeremy Bennett, 80
Repeat back to each other
“We realized early on that disagreements often came about when we weren’t really understanding where the other person was coming from. So I will say, ‘Are you saying….?’ Or ‘Do you mean…?’ Because sometimes we really are in the moment and we say things that we really don’t believe. So I always repeat back to him what I think he’s saying and then he’ll either say yes or he’ll say, ‘No, where’d you get that idea?’”
—Lucia Waters, 75
Divvy up chores based on your strengths
“You just need to share at home…It needs to be cooperative. And here’s the way to do it: Whatever needs to be done, the person who can do it best is the one who should do it.”
—Dixie Becker, 84
Take breaks
“If conflict occurs, well, there is the Chinese saying, ‘Take a step back, and you can see the whole sky.’ Just step away, a little bit. Just step back and then you see other things.”
—Chen Xiu
Know that there’s always more to learn
“It seems to me that marriage is a process. You never get there; you’re always in process. It’s always more work than you can possibly imagine. In my case, it was worth it.”
—Samantha Jones, 80

Escape the friend zone

Developing romantic feelings for someone who only sees the relationship as just being friends can be frustrating. These tips will help you escape the friend zone

Ask for a date

Asking to go out on a date will suggest you do not just want to remain in the friend zone. This could take a lot of convincing as the person may not be used to going on a romantic date with you.   Be patient and look for ways to convince the person. Also, do not expect things to drastically turn out the way you want after the first date. Be consistent and keep at it. Also, keep an open mind and do not feel bad if things do not work out.

Improve yourself

Increase your chances of leaving the friend zone by improving yourself or looking attractive. For a lady, it might be losing some weight or wearing slight or more make-up. Guys could consider toning and firming up their muscles. Attraction plays a huge role and one way to get what you want is to look attractive for that potential partner.

Make a move

Action they say, speaks louder than words. Except one practices what is being said, one will still remain in the friend zone. Make a move to get out of the friend zone if you want to enjoy a romantic relationship. Make plans and put things into action and proper perspective. Also bear in mind that not all friendships will lead to a romantic relationship, so do not be disappointed when things do not work out to your taste.

Value the person

Some people get stuck in the friend zone because they value the relationship more than the other person. Valuing the other person gives you a guide to the relationship and lets you appreciate the strengths of your potential partner. The individual has to come before the relationship. If there is no person to crush on, there will be no relationship to build.

Start early enough

The best way to avoid being in the friend zone is to make your intentions known from the outset. Make it known to your friend that you are interested in him/her. This may be difficult especially for a lady because of societal values. Pay attention to things around them and compliment them when necessary. They will get that clue of interest and follow suit.

Take some time off

People may prefer to keep others in the friend zone because they are used to having them around or tending to their needs. There is a popular saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Take some time off, but engage in meaningful activities. Chances are that a friend who keeps you in the friend zone may want to step things up when they start having you around again because they miss you.

Create competition

Your friend may value you more if he or she thinks he/she could lose you to someone else. Go out, make other friends and do not restrict yourself to the person. People usually sit up when they know they have competition. But be careful with this as competition could spark up some jealousy. It is natural for partners to get jealous of someone they love and too much of it is not healthy.

Reciprocate gestures

You may not be the right choice for someone who wants to take a friendship to the next level if you always take and never give back. Be grateful for gifts you receive, and when you have the opportunity, give back. Don’t stop at that; be attentive and affectionate. This encourages them to spot the qualities they would want in a potential partner.