20 ways to be more creative.

Creativity isn’t a big deal. It’s like our breath as some people think. It’s just a part of who we are. Some of us don’t realize this. People who say, “Oh, I’m not creative,” or “I don’t have a creative bone in my body,” sound to me like they’re trying to convince themselves of something, rather than telling themselves the truth. They make the idea of creativity a BIG DEAL because then it will stay safely at arm’s length out of reach and require nothing of them.
In my experience, it’s a process. It is slow. Creativity is a way of being, and though it can’t be forced, it can be cultivated and allowed. It happens when I’m already open and my mind is receptive and quiet. There’s almost a joyful laziness to it.

As a graphic Artist, I will also say that it’s the way of life, the way we see things differently from each other. Some had trained themselves more on that part; they have learnt to see creativity as their source.
So, if you’re opening up to a more artful and creative life, know that it’s not something to push. It’s something to allow and live. Here are 20 Ways to be more creative. And be happy

1 – Stop watching television

Or better yet, get rid of the damn thing. Any time I teach writing or creativity, this is one of the biggies. TV is a mind-killer. It numbs you. It fills you with emotionally-charged images and over-simplified solutions. It dulls you. Turn it off. Even if this idea scares you, turn it off
.
2 – Take a 20-minute walk everyday

I do this a lot of times. It’s easy to become driven about exercise. You go to the Y. You go running. You think that a 20-minute walk isn’t productive or worth much. Take a 20-minute walk and allow the world to just be. Watch things. Stop and smell things. Notice birds. Let the world unfold and show itself to you.

3 – Write with pen & paper (or pencil and paper)

Keep a journal. Do morning pages. Write in long-hand. Typing on a keypad into a computer doesn’t always open up that tactile sense-loving part of us that loves to create.
5 – Dance around the House

6 – Walk in the rain

I haven’t owned an umbrella in about 10 years. I love the rain. I love walking in it. I wrote the song Everything Green after I hiked in the mountains in the pouring rain. I was journaling about how alive everything was, and I wrote “It was all just rain and mud and wild and green.” That’s how I got my CD title. Walking in the rain can be a happy thing. (Use an umbrella if you want. Rain on umbrellas makes a good sound.)

7 – Write a song

8 – Make a list of things you love
My song Loving Hands (on my first CD) was born out of a journal exercise I did where I just wrote a long list of all the things I love. That song remains one of my most requested songs. I had so much fun thinking of things that delight me in the world. Finding feathers, finding pennies, the sound of big flags flapping in the wind, the smell of my cat’s fur when she’s been out in the snow (she smells like a big box of wool mittens). I remember reading it to a friend of mine who just sat there smiling and nodding his head. Even though this was years ago, I still remember how much fun I had making that list.

10 – Get up early and watch the sun rise

11 – Listen to music you’ve never listened to before.

After I saw the movie Tortilla Soup, I downloaded a bunch of Latin music from iTunes. One of my favorite nights in my memory this year was a hot rainy night thick with humidity. My husband and I opened up all the windows and doors. We pressure cooked (I love our pressure cooker) some black beans, shared a froo-froo mixed drink and made a fantastic dinner while all of my new Latin and Tejano music was cranked up. It was one of those really happy nights, partly because I loved discovering new music.

12 – Eat with your hands
Be a kid again. Make a meal and put the silverware back into the drawers. Eat with your hands. Have some friends over for a silverwareless dinner.

13 – Be quiet and listen to your self
Light a few candles after dark and just sit. Don’t meditate if you don’t want to. Just sit quietly and listen. Watch the candles. Allow for more silence in your life.
We are a noisy people. I hear people say they can’t stand silence. But it is in silence where we can hear the voice of our creativity. Maybe not at first. But it will come.
Drive with no music on. Make dinner in silence. Pay attention to your hands as you slice the veggies. Just be quiet.

14 – Take a nap

15 – Take photos. Real photos. Not digital photos.
My favorite camera is a Pentax K1000. It’s completely manual, and it’s how I learned to take pictures. I’m not very good. When I first moved to Asheville, I used to walk around town on Sundays (the whole town was closed up then) and take pictures of all the buildings. These photos are now a treasure to me because nothing is the same anymore. (Every building has been bought, remodeled and now is filled with stores that sell trickly fountains, Buddahs, and things that smell grassy.)
Take pictures of anything. And have fun in the old method of actually getting your film developed and the excitement of flipping through photos you haven’t seen yet.

16 – Make an event out of watching the full moon come up

17 – Read poetry aloud

18 – Go see a play or live music or live anything

Get out of the house and experience creativity. Avoid mega-blockbuster-Hollywood movies whose trailers begin with the deep gravelly voice saying, “IN A WORLD…” (And then bombs go off and Mel Gibson appears)
Live performance is an exchange. As an audience member you get to participate. I know this because I perform. Every night is different. Everything is about the audience. You receive so much more energy from live shows. Go see the symphony, even the small local symphony. See a play. See some improve. There is so much life on a stage, so many improvisational moments, so much about authenticity. You can’t help but take it in.

19 – Visit a creative gallery
See another artist’s creation. The downtown of any city is bound to have some great galleries. You don’t have to buy anything. Just experience the artistry of someone gifted in glass blowing or pottery or woodwork.

20 – Write a letter
When was the last time you wrote a letter? I just got a long letter from one of the women who participated in my last retreat. It was funny. And it was fun to read. And I kept thinking, “Damn. It’s been too long since I’ve experienced this.” Every time I write a letter, I feel clearer and happier. Not only is it more fun to make something for someone else, it’s also just a way to get out of yourself.

Your wisdom becomes visible when you are peaceful on every side. #nugaville

People take advice from people they TRUST not with people that has wisdom. #nugaville

17 ways TO BECOME A BETTER PERSON

1. Get spiritual with your maker
2. Don't Make Excuses
3. Let Go of Anger
4. Practice Forgiveness
5. Be Honest and Direct
6. Be Helpful to people
7. Listen to Orders (give others a voice)
9. Always Be Polite
10. Be Yourself
11. Be Open to Change
12. Be Respectful
13. Don't Show Up Empty-handed
14. Educate yourself more.
15. Surprise People
16. Set goals for yourself
17. Compliment Yourself

- Be Inspired

CAN AFRICA EVER RECOVER? (NELSON MANDELA)

The South African activist and former president Nelson Mandela (1918-2013) helped bring an end to apartheid and
 has been a global advocate for human rights. A member of the African National Congress party beginning in the 1940s,
he was a leader of both peaceful protests and armed resistance against the white minority’s oppressive regime in a
 racially divided South Africa. His actions landed him in prison for nearly three decades and made him the face of
the antiapartheid movement both within his country and internationally. Released in 1990, he participated in the
eradication of apartheid and in 1994 became the first black president of South Africa, forming a multiethnic government
 to oversee the country’s transition. after retiring from politics in 1999, he remained a devoted champion for peace and
 social justice in his own nation and around
 the world until his death in 2013 at the age of 95.

NELSON MANDELA AND THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS
Nelson Mandela’s commitment to politics and the ANC grew stronger after the 1948 election victory of the Afrikaner-dominated
 National Party, which introduced a formal system of racial classification and segregation—apartheid—that restricted nonwhites’ basic
rights and barred them from government while maintaining white minority rule. The following year, the ANC adopted the ANCYL’s plan to
achieve full citizenship for all South Africans through boycotts, strikes, civil disobedience and other nonviolent methods. Mandela helped
lead the ANC’s 1952 Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws, traveling across the country to organize protests against discriminatory policies,
 and promoted the manifesto known as the Freedom Charter, ratified by the Congress of the People in 1955. Also in 1952, Mandela and
 Tambo opened South Africa’s first black law firm, which offered free or low-cost legal counsel to those affected by apartheid legislation.

On December 5, 1956, Mandela and 155 other activists were arrested and went on trial for treason. All of the defendants were acquitted
 in 1961, but in the meantime tensions within the ANC escalated, with a militant faction splitting off in 1959 to form the Pan
 Africanist Congress (PAC). The next year, police opened fire on peaceful black protesters in the township of Sharpeville, killing
69 people; as panic, anger and riots swept the country in the massacre’s aftermath, the apartheid government banned both the ANC and
the PAC. Forced to go underground and wear disguises to evade detection, Mandela decided that the time had come for a more radical
approach than passive resistance.



NELSON MANDELA AS PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA
After attaining his freedom, Nelson Mandela led the ANC in its negotiations with the governing National Party and various other South
 African political organizations for an end to apartheid and the establishment of a multiracial government. Though fraught with tension
and conducted against a backdrop of political instability, the talks earned Mandela and de Klerk the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1993.
 On April 26, 1994, more than 22 million South Africans turned out to cast ballots in the country’s first multiracial parliamentary elections
 in history. An overwhelming majority chose the ANC to lead the country, and on May 10 Mandela was sworn in as the first black president of
 South Africa, with de Klerk serving as his first deputy.

As president, Mandela established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate human rights and political violations committed by
 both supporters and opponents of apartheid between 1960 and 1994. He also introduced numerous social and economic programs designed to improve
the living standards of South Africa’s black population. In 1996 Mandela presided over the enactment of a new South African constitution, which
established a strong central government based on majority rule and prohibited discrimination against minorities, including whites.

Improving race relations, discouraging blacks from retaliating against the white minority and building a new international image of a united South
Africa were central to President Mandela’s agenda. To these ends, he formed a multiracial “Government of National Unity” and proclaimed the country
a “rainbow nation at peace with itself and the world.” In a gesture seen as a major step toward reconciliation, he encouraged blacks and whites alike
 to rally around the predominantly Afrikaner national rugby team when South Africa hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

On his 80th birthday in 1998, Mandela wed the politician and humanitarian Graça Machel (1945-), widow of the former president of Mozambique.
 (His marriage to Winnie had ended in divorce in 1992.) The following year, he retired from politics at the end of his first term as president
 and was succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki (1942-) of the ANC.



NELSON MANDELA’S LATER YEARS AND LEGACY
After leaving office, Nelson Mandela remained a devoted champion for peace and social justice in his own country and around the world.
 He established a number of organizations, including the influential Nelson Mandela Foundation and The Elders, an independent group of
public figures committed to addressing global problems and easing human suffering. In 2002, Mandela became a vocal advocate of AIDS awareness
 and treatment programs in a culture where the epidemic
had been cloaked in stigma and ignorance. The disease later claimed the life of his son Makgatho (1950-2005) and is believed to affect
more people in South Africa than in any other country.

Treated for prostate cancer in 2001 and weakened by other health issues, Mandela grew increasingly frail in his later
years and scaled back his schedule of public appearances. In 2009, the United Nations declared July 18 “Nelson Mandela International
Day” in recognition of the South African leader’s contributions to democracy, freedom, peace and human rights around the world. Nelson
Mandela died on December 5, 2013 from a recurring lung infection.

ALL ABOUT ALI (The king of the ring)

Muhammad Ali (1942-) is an American former heavyweight champion boxer and one of the greatest sporting figures of the 20th century.
An Olympic gold medalist and the first fighter to capture the heavyweight title three times, Ali won 56 times in his 21-year professional career.
 Ali’s outspokenness on issues of race, religion and politics made him a controversial figure during his career, and the heavyweight’s quips and
 taunts were as quick as his fists. Born Cassius Clay Jr., Ali changed his name in 1964 after joining the Nation of Islam. Citing his religious beliefs,
 he refused military induction and was stripped of his heavyweight championship and banned from boxing for three years during the prime of his career.
 Parkinson’s syndrome has severely impaired Ali’s motor skills and speech, but he remains active as a humanitarian and goodwill ambassador.


MUHAMMAD ALI’S EARLY YEARS AND AMATEUR CAREER
Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., the elder son of Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr. (1912-1990) and Odessa Grady Clay (1917-1994), was born on January 17, 1942,
in Louisville,Kentucky. It was a red-and-white Schwinn that steered the future heavyweight champion to the sport of boxing. When his beloved bicycle
was stolen, a tearful 12-year-old Clay reported the theft to Louisville police officer Joe Martin (1916-1996) and vowed to pummel the culprit. Martin,
 who was also a boxing trainer, suggested that the upset youngster first learn how to fight, and he took Clay under his wing. Six weeks later,
 Clay won his first bout in a split decision.
By age 18 Clay had captured two national Golden Gloves titles, two Amateur Athletic Union national titles and 100 victories against eight losses.
After graduating high school, he traveled to Rome and won the light heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics.
Clay won his professional boxing debut on October 29, 1960, in a six-round decision. From the start of his pro career, the 6-foot-3-inch heavyweight
 overwhelmed his opponents with a combination of quick, powerful jabs and foot speed, and his constant braggadocio and self-promotion earned him the
 nickname “Louisville Lip.”



MUHAMMAD ALI: HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE WORLD
After winning his first 19 fights, including 15 knockouts, Clay received his first title shot on February 25, 1964, against reigning heavyweight champion
 Sonny Liston (1932-1970).
Although he arrived in Miami Beach, Florida, a 7-1 underdog, the 22-year-old Clay relentlessly taunted Liston before the fight, promising to “float
like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and predicting a knockout. When Liston failed to answer the bell at the start of the seventh round, Clay was
indeed crowned heavyweight champion of the world. In the ring after the fight, the new champ roared, “I am the greatest!”
At a press conference the next morning, Clay, who had been seen around Miami with controversial Nation of Islam member Malcolm X (1925-1965), confirmed
the rumors of his conversion to Islam. On March 6, 1964, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975) bestowed on Clay the name of Muhammad Ali.
Ali solidified his hold on the heavyweight championship by knocking out Liston in the first round of their rematch on May 25, 1965, and he defended
his title eight more times. Then, with the Vietnam War raging, Ali showed up for his scheduled induction into the U.S. Armed Forces on April 28, 1967.
Citing his religious beliefs, he refused to serve. Ali was arrested, and the New York State Athletic Commission immediately suspended his boxing license
and revoked his heavyweight belt.Convicted of draft evasion, Ali was sentenced to the maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but he
remained free while the conviction was appealed. Many saw Ali as a draft dodger, and his popularity plummeted. Banned from boxing for three years,
Ali spoke out against the Vietnam War on college campuses. As public attitudes turned against the war, support for Ali grew. In 1970 the New York
State Supreme Court ordered his boxing license reinstated, and the following year the U.S. Supreme Court overturned his conviction in a unanimous decision.
MUHAMMAD ALI’S RETURN TO THE RING



After 43 months in exile, Ali returned to the ring on October 26, 1970, and knocked out Jerry Quarry (1945-1999) in the third round. On March 8, 1971, Ali
 got his chance to regain his heavyweight crown against reigning champ Joe Frazier (1944-2011) in what was billed as the “Fight of the Century.” The
 undefeated Frazier floored Ali with a hard left hook in the final round. Ali got up but lost in a unanimous decision, experiencing his first defeat as a pro.
Ali won his next 10 bouts before being defeated by Ken Norton (1943-). He won the rematch six months later in a split decision and gained further revenge
in a unanimous decision over Frazier in a non-title rematch. The victory gave the 32-year-old Ali a title shot against 25-year-old champion George Foreman
 (1949-). The October 30, 1974, fight in Kinshasa, Zaire, was dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle.” Ali, the decided underdog, employed his “rope-a-dope” strategy,
 leaning on the ring ropes and absorbing a barrage of blows from Foreman while waiting for his opponent to tire. The strategy worked, and Ali won in an eighth-round
 knockout to regain the title stripped from him seven years prior.
Ali successfully defended his title in 10 fights, including the memorable “Thrilla in Manila” on October 1, 1975, in which his bitter rival Frazier,
 his eyes swollen shut, was unable to answer the bell for the final round. Ali also defeated Norton in their third meeting in a unanimous 15-round decision.
On February 15, 1978, an aging Ali lost his title to Leon Spinks (1953-) in a 15-round split decision. Seven months later, Ali defeated Spinks in a unanimous
15-round decision to reclaim the heavyweight crown and become the first fighter to win the world heavyweight boxing title three times. After announcing his
 retirement in 1979, Ali launched a brief, unsuccessful comeback. However, he was overwhelmed in a technical knockout loss to Larry Holmes (1949-) in 1980,
and he dropped a unanimous 10-round decision to Trevor Berbick (1954-2006) on December 11, 1981. After the fight, the 39-year-old Ali retired for good with
 a career record of 56 wins, five losses and 37 knockouts.



MUHAMMAD ALI’S LATER YEARS AND LEGACY
In 1984 Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s syndrome, possibly connected to the severe head trauma suffered during his boxing career. The former champion’s motor skills have slowly declined, and his movement and speech are limited. In spite of the Parkinson’s, Ali remains in the public spotlight, traveling the world to make humanitarian, goodwill and charitable appearances. He met with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (1937-2006) in 1990 to negotiate the release of American hostages, and in 2002 he traveled to Afghanistan as a United Nations Messenger of Peace.
Ali had the honor of lighting the cauldron during the opening ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. In 1999 Ali was voted the BBC’s “Sporting Personality of the Century,” and Sports Illustrated named him “Sportsman of the Century.” Ali was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a 2005 White House ceremony, and in the same year the $60 million Muhammad Ali Center, a nonprofit museum and cultural center focusing on peace and social responsibility, opened in Louisville.
Ring Magazine named Ali “Fighter of the Year” five times, more than any other boxer, and he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990. Ali has been married four times and has seven daughters and two sons. He married his fourth wife, Yolanda, in 1986.

 - BE INSPIRED

OBASANJO, NIGERIA HERO?

?basanj? was born in Ogun State;[5] and grew up in Owu (Abeokuta). His first name, Olusegun, means "The Lord is victorious".[6]
The Oloye Obasanjo's first wife, Mrs. Oluremi (Remi) Obasanjo, is the mother of his oldest children, the most well-known being Dr. Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, a former Senator of Ogun State.
In 1987, his second wife/ex-wife Lynda was ordered out of her car by armed men, and was fatally shot for failing to move quickly.[7]
On 23 October 2005 the President lost his wife, Stella Obasanjo, First Lady of Nigeria the day after she had an abdominoplasty in Spain.
In 2009 the doctor only known as 'AM' was sentenced to one year in jail for negligence in Spain and ordered to pay restitution to her son of about $176,000.[8] Obasanjo has many children, who live throughout Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States.[9]
His son, Dare Obasanjo, is a Principal Program Manager for Microsoft.


CAREER.
At the age of 21, he enlisted in the Nigerian Army in 1958. He attended the 6-month Short Service Commission training at Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot in England, and was thereafter commissioned as an officer in the Nigerian Army.[11] He was also trained in India at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and at the Indian Army School of Engineering.[12][13] He served at 1 Area Command in Kaduna. Promoted to Chief Army Engineer, he was made commander of 2 Area Command from July 1967, which was redesignated 2 Division Rear, and then the Ibadan Garrison Organisation.[14] He was also trained in DSSC, Wellington. During the Nigerian Civil War, he commanded the Army's 3 Marine Commando Division that took Owerri, effectively bringing an end to the civil war.

                                                


Although Brig. ?basanj? did not participate in the military coup of 29 July 1975, led by Murtala Mohammed, he supported it and was named Murtala's deputy in the new government. As chief of staff of Supreme Headquarters, Obasanjo sought advice from Rogerlay of Akobi and gained support of the military. On 13 February 1976, coup plotters, led by Army Col. Dimka, marked him, Murtala and other senior military personnel for assassination. Murtala was killed during the attempted coup, but Obasanjo escaped death. The low profile security policy adopted by Murtala had allowed the plotters easy access to their targets. The coup was foiled because the plotters missed Obasanjo and General Theophilus Danjuma, chief of army staff and de facto number three man in the country. The plotters failed to monopolize communications, although they were able to take over the radio station to announce the coup attempt.
Obasanjo and Danjuma established a chain of command and re-established security in Lagos, thereby regaining control. Obasanjo was appointed as head of state by the Supreme Military Council. Keeping the chain of command established by Murtala, Obasanjo pledged to continue the programme for the restoration of civilian government in 1979 and to carry forward the reform programme to improve the quality of public service.


The second republican constitution, which was adopted in 1979, was modelled on the Constitution of the United States, with provision for a President, Senate, and House of Representatives. The country was prepared for local elections, to be followed by national elections, to return Nigeria to civilian rule.

The military regimes of Murtala and Obasanjo benefited from oil revenues that increased 350 percent between 1973 and 1974, when oil prices skyrocketed, to 1979, when the military stepped down. Increased revenues permitted government spending for infrastructure and improvements on a large scale; critics thought it was poorly planned and concentrated too much in urban areas. The oil boom was marred by a minor recession in 1978-79, but revenues rebounded until mid-1981.
The government planned to relocate the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja, a more central location in the interior of the country. It intended to encourage industrial development inland and relieve the congestion in the Lagos area. Abuja was chosen because it was not identified with any particular ethnic group. Olusegun Obasanjo during his tenure from 1999 to 2007 was Minister of Petroleum.
Industry
Industrialisation, which had grown slowly after World War II through the civil war, boomed in the 1970s, despite many infrastructure constraints. Growth was particularly pronounced in the production and assembly of consumer goods, including vehicle assembly, and the manufacture of soap and detergents, soft drinks, pharmaceuticals, beer, paint, and building materials. The government invested strongly in infrastructure from 1975 to 1980, and the number of "parastatals" — jointly government- and privately owned companies — proliferated. The Nigerian Enterprises Promotion decrees of 1972 and 1977 further encouraged the growth of an indigenous middle class.
Heavy investment was planned in steel production. With Soviet assistance, a steel mill was developed at Ajaokuta in Kogi State, not far from Abuja. Agriculture and associated projects generally declined, although the government undertook large-scale irrigation projects in the states of Borno, Kano, Sokoto, and Bauchi with World Bank support.



The oil boom revenues led to a rise in per capita income, especially for the urban middle class. Inflation, particularly in the price of food, promoted both industrialisation and the expansion of agricultural production. With the government encouraging food crops, the traditional export earners — peanuts, cotton, cocoa, and palm products — declined in significance and then ceased to be important at all. Nigeria's exports became dominated by oil.
Green Revolution[
The government embarked on a "Green Revolution", distributing seed and fertilliser to farmers to increase nationwide productivity in farming.
Education
Education also expanded rapidly. At the start of the civil war, there were only five universities, but by 1975 the number had increased to thirteen, with seven more established over the next several years. In 1975 there were 53,000 university students. Similar advances were made in the expansion in primary and secondary school education, particularly in those northern states that had lagged behind others. During Obasanjo's regime, universal Primary education was introduced nationwide.[15]
Political repression
Obasanjo was also accused of being responsible for political repression. In one particular instance, the compound of Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti was raided and burned to the ground after a member of his commune was involved in an altercation with military personnel. Fela and his family were beaten and raped and his mother, political activist Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, was killed by being thrown from a window. Her coffin was carried to Obasanjo's barracks as a protest against political repression.[16]

Transition to democracy

On 1 October 1979, Obasanjo handed power to Shehu Shagari, a democratically elected civilian president, hence becoming the first military head of state to transfer power peacefully to a civilian regime in Nigeria. In late 1983, the military seized power again, Gen. Buhari and Gen. Idiagbon took over and Gen. Babangida seized power from them in 1985.
Later career and second presidency
During the dictatorship of Sani Abacha (1993–1998), Obasanjo spoke out against the human rights abuses of the regime, and was imprisoned for alleged participation in an aborted coup based on testimony obtained via torture.[17] He was released only after Abacha's sudden death on 8 June 1998. While in prison, Obasanjo became a born-again Christian.[18]

In the 1999 elections, the first in sixteen years, Obasanjo decided to run for the presidency as the candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Obasanjo won with 62.6% of the vote,[19] sweeping the strongly Christian Southeast and the predominantly Muslim north, but decisively lost his home region, the Southwest, to his fellow-Yoruba and Christian, Olu Falae, the only other candidate. 29 May 1999, the day Obasanjo took office as the first elected and civilian head of state in Nigeria after 16 years of military rule, is now commemorated asDemocracy Day, a public holiday in Nigeria.
Obasanjo spent most of his first term travelling abroad. He succeeded in winning at least some Western support for strengthening Nigeria's nascent democracy. Britain and the United States, in particular, were glad to have an African ally who was openly critical of abuses committed in Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe at a time when many other African nations (including South Africa) were taking a softer stance. Obasanjo also won international praise for Nigeria's role in crucial regional peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and Liberia. The international community was guided in its approach to Obasanjo in part by Nigeria's status as one of the world's 10 biggest oil exporters as well as by fears that, as the continent's most populous nation, Nigerian internal divisions risked negatively affecting the entire continent.
Some public officials like the National Assembly speaker and Senate president were involved in conflicts with the president, who had to battle many impeachment moves from both houses.[20] Obasanjo managed to survive impeachment and was renominated.

Olus?gun Obasanjo with Donald Rumsfeld at The Pentagon
Second term[
Obasanjo was re-elected in a tumultuous 2003 election that had violent ethnic and religious overtones, his main opponent, fellow former military ruler General Muhammadu Buhari being a Muslim, who drew his support mainly from the north. Capturing 61.8% of the vote, Obasanjo defeated Buhari by more than 11 million votes.[21]
In November 2003, Obasanjo was criticized for his decision to grant asylum to the deposed Liberian president, Charles Taylor.[22]
On June 12, 2006 he signed the Greentree Agreement with Cameroonian President Paul Biya which formally put an end to the Bakassipeninsula border dispute.[23] Even though the Nigerian Senate passed a resolution declaring that the withdrawal of Nigerian troops from the Bakassi Peninsula was illegal, Obasanjo gave the order for it to continue as planned.[24]
Economic growth and debt payment
Before Obasanjo's administration Nigeria's GDP growth had been painfully slow since 1987, and only managed 3 per cent between 1999/2000. However, under Obasanjo the growth rate doubled to 6 per cent until he left office, helped in part by higher oil prices. Nigeria's foreign reserves rose from $2 billion in 1999 to $43 billion on leaving office in 2007. He was able to secure debt pardons from the Paris and London club amounting to some $18 billion and paid another $18 billion to be debt free. Most of these loans were accumulated from short term trade arrears during the exchange control period. (Point of correction). Most of these loans were accumulated not out of corruption but during a period 1982-1985 when Nigeria operated exchange control regime that vested all foreign exchange transactions on the central bank of Nigeria. The naira exchange rate to the US dollar and other major currencies during this period was highly regulated and artificially high. Nigerian importers paid local currency equivalent to the central bank through their local commercial banks but during the oil glut period of 1982-86 when foreign exchange was scarce the central bank did not have enough foreign exchange to pay for current imports. This resulted in short term foreign trade payment arrears. Short term trade arrears averaged about US$3.0 billion each year between 1983 and 1986 when the new military government of General Babangida floated the naira and imports were thereafter paid for on a current basis. Nigeria stopped accumulating short term foreign trade payment arrears beginning from 1986. Before then yearly accumulation of around US$3.0 billion created the foreign debt for Nigeria. Subsequent growth of Nigeria's debt was due to interest on the previous years stock of short term trade debt owed to export credit agencies and non-insured creditors

Seal of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Obasanjo made frequent changes to his cabinet of Federal Ministers and Ministers of State during his two terms of office, and periodically split or combined ministries. He made a major cabinet reshuffle in June 2000. In January 2001 he dissolved his cabinet, appointing Mr Mike Umealo his speech writer, who turned down the offer in favour of accepting a place at Leeds University to pursue a Post Graduate study in Philosophy.[25] In December 2004 he named 12 new ministers.[26] In June 2005 he reshuffled his cabinet again.[27] In January 2007 a few months before leaving office, he made yet another drastic overhaul

              - Be Inspired.

MORE ABOUT Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi is an Argentinian footballer widely regarded as the one of the greatest players of the modern generation. He plays for FC Barcelona and the Argentina national team. He has won FIFA world player of the year four times (a record already). He has often been described as Diego Maradona’s successor because of his prolific goal scoring record and ability to dribble past opponents.
“I have seen the player who will inherit my place in Argentine football and his name is Messi. Messi is a genius and he can become an even better player.”
His potential is limitless and I think he’s got everything it takes to become Argentina’s greatest player.”
– Diego Maradona

Lionel Messi was born, 24 June 1987, in Rosario, Argentina to a working class family. His father was a factory steel worker, and his mother a cleaner.
He began playing from an early age, and his talent was soon apparent. However, at the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This was a condition that stunted growth, and required expensive medical treatment, including the use of the drug Human growth hormone.
Local club, River Plate were interested in signing Messi, but didn’t want to pay for his medical treatment. However, Messi was given a trial with Barcelona, and coach Carles Rexach was impressed – offering Messi a contract (written on paper napkin!) which included paying for Messi’s treatment in Spain. Messi moved to Barcelona with his father and became part of the prestigious FC Barcelona youth academy.
“I made a lot of sacrifices by leaving Argentina, leaving my family to start a new life. But everything I did, I did for football, to achieve my dream. That’s why I didn’t go out partying, or do a lot of other things.”
– Lionel Messi


Messi progressed through the ranks and was given his first appearance in the 2004/05 season becoming the youngest player to score a league goal. In 2006, Messi was part of the double winning team which won both La Liga (Spanish League) and Champions League . By next season, (2006-07) aged just 20, Messi was the first choice striker and a key part of the Barcelona team – scoring 14 goals in 26 league games.
In the 2009-10 season, Messi scored 47 goals in all competitions, equalling Ronaldo’s record total for Barcelona. As the seasons have progressed, Messi kept improving and breaking his own records. In the calender year of 2012, he broke the all time world record for most goals scored in a calender year. His final total of goals in 2012 was 91 – beating the previous record of 85 by German Gerd Muller, and Pele’s milestone of 75 in 1958.
“My record stood for 40 years – 85 goals in a year – and now the best player in the world has broken it, and I’m delighted for him. He is an incredible player, gigantic.”
– Gerd Muller
At the start of 2013, in club football, Messi has scored 292 goals from a total of 359 appearances, and in international football, 31 goals from 76 appearances.
At the end of 2012, Messi turned down a very lucrative offer to play for an unnamed Russian side. It would have given Messi a salary of €20 million a year and made Messi the most expensive player in the world (Barcelona would have been paid €250million). He turned down the offer because he was unsure if he would be playing in major European championships and the difficulties in moving to Russia. Instead he signed a contract with Barcelona until the end of 1918. When asked about moving to the English Premier league, Messi revealed his sense of commitment to Barcelona.
“Barcelona is my life. They have brought me to where I am today. I could not leave, I don’t want to leave. I know the Premier League is very good. But I cannot see myself playing in England because my heart is with Barcelona, always.”
– Lionel Messi

International Career
Because Messi was brought up in Spain, since he was 11 years old, he has Spanish nationality. In 2004, he was offered the chance to play for Spain’s Under 20 side, but Messi decided to play for Argentina, the country of his birth. He led Argentina to victory in the 2005 FIFA Youth championship. Messi made his full international debut in August 2005, during a friendly against Hungary. In his first game, Messi was sent off for allegedly elbowing a player. The decision was contentious and not in keeping with Messi’s style of play which is not dirty, and has very rarely been accused of diving.
In 2006, he participated in the World Cup, becoming Argentina’s youngest player to play in the world cup. Argentina were eliminated in the quarter finals. In 2008, he won an Olympic gold medal for Argentina in football at the Beijing Olympics. Initially Barcelona had not allowed him permission to play, but new coach Pep Guardiola allowed him time off.
In the 2010 World Cup, Messi wore the number 10 shirt and played well to help Argentina reach the quarter finals, but Messi struggled to score and Argentina disappointingly lost 4-0 to Germany in the quarter final. Messi has admitted he is desperate to play in a world cup final. Success for Messi in the World Cup would be the last test of greatness. Pele by contrast was part of Brazil’s three times winning World Cup side ’58, ’62 and ’70.
Messi is widely regarded as one of the most exciting players of the modern age – in fact any age. He has a peerless ability to dribble and take on opponents. Maradona has described his ball control as supremely good. “The ball stays glued to his foot; I’ve seen great players in my career, but I’ve never seen anyone with Messi’s ball control.” Messi has said he wishes to retain the joy of how a child plays football
“I have changed nothing, my style of play is still that of a child. I know that above all it is my job and that I should approach it in another way, but one must not lose sight of the fact that football is a game. It is imperative one plays to amuse oneself, to be happy. That is what children do and I do the same thing.” (total Barca)
– Lionel Messi

After winning the Ballon d’Or for the fourth time in January 2013, Messi said:
“To tell you the truth this is really quite unbelievable. The fourth award that I have had is just too great for words. ” (BBC)
Messi and Ronaldo
Messi has often been compared to prolific Real Madrid goal scorer Christiano Ronaldo, but both have been keen to downplay the rivalry.
“Messi has his personality and I have mine. He has his game and I have mine. I also play in a big club like him. We are different in every aspect. But right now, he is the best.”
—Christiano Ronaldo, in September 2011

Messi’s goal scoring record
By any standards, Messi’s goal scoring record is exceptional. By February 2013, he has scored 301 goals in 365 official matches for Barcelona FC.
• In 2012/13, Messi set an all time world record of scoring in 21 consecutive games (33 goals from 21 games)
• He holds the Guinness World Record for most goals in a calender year – 86 goals during 2012.
• He is the only player to score in four consecutive Champions League campaigns.
• As of February 2014, Messi has scored 343 club goals out of 434 appearances (including Barcelona B team)
• His international record for Argentina is 37 goals from 83 appearances.
Messi major honours

Barcelona
• Spanish La Liga title(*6) : 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13
• Spanish cup (*2)– Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12; Runner-up 2010–11
• Supercopa de España (*6): 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013; Runner-up 2012
• UEFA Champions League (*3) : 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11
• UEFA Super Cup (*2): 2009, 2011; Runner-up 2006
• FIFA Club World Cup (2): 2009, 2011

Argentina
• Olympic Gold Medal: 2008
• FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
• 2006 World cup – QF                      
• 2010 World cup – QF
• 2014 World cup – Runners up.

Wealth and income
Messi has frequently been the target of other football clubs with big transfer budgets, but he has remained loyal to Barcelona FC. He is one of the highest paid footballers in the world. His base salary is estimated at €16 million net a year, until 2018. His net wealth is estimated at €110m.
Private life
By the standards of modern football, Messi has a relatively private and modest lifestyle. He makes efforts to keep links to his hometown of Rosario. He has an Argentinian girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo, and they have one child Thiago, born in November 2012.
Messi acts as an ambassador for Unicef, and also runs his own charitable foundation – supporting access to education and sport for children. Because of his own expensive medical treatment, he has also helped Argentinian hospitals with paying for similar treatment to his own.
World Cup 2014
Many commentators have stated that Lionel Messi has performed at his best in all competitions, except the World Cup. In both the 2006 and 2010 World Cup, Argentina were knocked out in the quarter finals, with Messi not at his best.
The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is an opportunity for Messi to make an impact on the highest stage of them all. In the opening game against, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Messi scored a great goal to give Argentina a winning start. He scored four goals to help Argentina reach the World Cup Final. In the final, Argentina lost 1-0 to Germany. Messi was awarded ‘Golden Ball’ player of the tournament, though the decision was not universally supported. After the tournament, Messi replied:
“I do not care about the Golden Ball. I am just upset by the wasted chances. We had the best chances. We knew we could not dominate the game but we knew what we wanted to do. Right now I do not care about my prize. I just wanted to lift the cup and bring it to Argentina. The pain is very great.”
Stats.
• Full name Lionel Andrés Messi
• Date of birth 24 June 1987 (1987-06-24)
• Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
• Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
• Playing position: Forward

TRUE FACT ABOUT CRISTIANO RONALD.

Cristiano Ronaldo was born in 05/02/1985 in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, a small island off the western coast of the country, in the family of Maria Dolores dos Santos Aveiro and José Dinis Aveiro. His Mother was a cooker and his father was a municipal gardener. Cristiano received his second name "Ronaldo" after then - U.S. president Ronald Reagan, who was his father's favourite actor. He is the youngest member of a big family - one older brother, Hugo, and two older sisters, Elma and Liliana Cátia. His great-grandmother Isabel da Piedade was from Cape Verde.
Ronaldo grew up in a largely working class neighborhood, his home a small tin roofed shack that overlooked the ocean. His early life was shaped by hardship - afther his father dead in 2005, Ronaldo's mother worked as a cook and cleaning person.

First steps in football
At the age of eight, his father was an equipment manager at amateur team Andorinha. This is Cristiano first play club. In 1995, Ronaldo signed with local club Nacional. Even at that age, Ronaldo was already recognized as a phenomenon - a kid who ate, slept and drank the game. After the winning ot the title, Ronaldo went on a three-day trial with Sporting CP.
Cristiano Ronaldo signed with Sporting Portugal in 2001. He became the only player ever to play for Sporting's under-16, under-17, under-18, B-team, and the first team, all within one season. In the summer of 2003 Ronaldo amazes everybody with his skills with the ball in match against Manchester United. Ronaldo was offered to Barcelona for less than the €15 million Manchester United paid, but the Catalan club could not afford him at the time as the club had already spent its budget on other players.







Manchester United - 2003-2009
 At the end of a summer 2003 Cristiano Ronaldo is transferred in Manchester United for over € 12 million a record fee for a player of his age. He is first-ever Portuguese player in the English Club. He received a shirt with number 7, which been worn by players such as George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, and David Beckham. Ronaldo said: "the famous shirt was an extra source of motivation. I was forced to live up to such an honour"
He made his team debut as a 60th-minute substitute in a 4–0 home victory over Bolton Wanderers. He scored his first goal for Manchester United with a free kick in a 3–0 win over Portsmouth on 1 November 2003. Until Ronaldo is in the English club: He scored United's 1000th Premier League goal, He scored ten goals in all competitions, and fans voted him to his first FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year award in 2005. Ronaldo scored the third goal in Manchester United's 4–0 Football League Cup final victory over Wigan Athletic and that won him second trophy in English football. He broke the 20 goal barrier for the first time and picked up his first league title with Manchester United in season 2006-2007.

On 19 March 2008, Ronaldo captained United for the first time in his career in a home win over Bolton, scoring both goals in the 2–0 victory. In a 5–0 win over Stoke City on 15 November 2008, Ronaldo scored his 100th and 101st goals in all competitions for Manchester United, both from free kicks.

On 11 June, Manchester United accepted an unconditional offer of £80 million from Real Madrid for Ronaldo after it was revealed that he again had expressed his desire to leave the club.
To Real Madrid - 2009 and the road to success

On 26 June 2009, Real Madrid confirmed that Ronaldo would join the club on 1 July 2009 from Manchester United for £80 million, after agreeing terms and signing a six-year contract. That makes Ronaldo the most expensive footballer in history.

Ronaldo made his Madrid debut on 21 July and one week later he scoring his first goal with a penalty in Madrid's 4–2 win over LDU Quito. An ankle injury suffered on 10 October, while Ronaldo was on international duty with Portugal against Hungary, kept him out until 25 November, so he missed both of Madrid's Champions League group stage matches against Milan. On 5 May 2010 Ronaldo scored his first Real Madrid hat-trick in an away game against Mallorca.
In summer of 2010, Ronaldo was handed the No. 7 jersey for Real Madrid, after the departure of Raúl Gonzàlez.
at the 2010 FIFA World Cup played in South Africa, Ronaldo captained Portugal, but the team was eleminated in the last 16 by future champion - Spain.
In season 2010/2011 scores 41 goals in La Liga Spain, which is record for him and which ensure him the winning of European Golden Shoes ones again.

On 17 August 2011, Ronaldo scored his 100th goal with Real Madrid against Barcelona with a first-half equaliser. He opened the 2011–12 La Liga season on 27 August 2011, with a hat-trick in a 6–0 win at Real Zaragoza.

The season 2012/2013 Ronaldo started by lifting the Supercopa de España with Real Madrid, scoring two goals in a 4–4 away goals aggregate win against Barcelona.
The success of the fenomen Cristiano Ronaldo continue through the season 2012/2013. On 9 April, Ronaldo scored twice to send Real Madrid to the semi-finals in the Champions League.
In the first weeks of September 2011, Ronaldo's physical performance was subject to scrutiny by world media, after Castrol released a television film named Ronaldo: Tested to the Limit. He was put to test in several fields, including mental and physical. Conclusions from the movie and doctors in the weeks following claimed that Ronaldo was one of the best athletes in the world, excelling in football and outstanding in almost every other category.

When the tsunami hit South East Asia, Cristiano flew to Indonesia to help those in need. He auctioned off a few stuff to help raise funds for charity. He hopes to get involved in more charity projects in the future because he believes his star status will help him reach out to others for help.
Cristiano Ronaldo has offered to bring a seven-year-old Indonesian boy who survived alone for three weeks after the Indian Ocean tsunami to England to watch the Red Devils in action. "When things are more calm it will be my pleasure to invite him to spend a few days with me, either at my house or at a hotel, so that he can attend a match," he told SIC television late Sunday.

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