Everyone has a best friend. Maybe you’ve met them at work, school, or any other places. Grown up together. A best friend is always someone that can make you happy when you’re sad or make fun times even more fun.

In fact, you don’t even need to read me ramble on about what a best friend is, because I’m sure you know what I mean anyways.

My best friend in the world is a guy( Alabi Oluwatobi Jesutobi ) and he’s one of the most handsome guy  I know by far. I’ve only known him three years, but in those 3 years , we’ve become the closest mates ever.

I know some might be worried why I have just tarry not to write on his birthday on Friday, I only use that to surprise him and present an article centered all around him.

We first met on the campus of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree just as a fresher in one morning, I think it was a Monday. I was by myself, sitting down outside the class, stranded of no lectures when I saw him. He walked closer  and introduced himself. Within 5 minutes of meeting I knew we’d get along great.

He paid me a visit to my house after the school hours, we communicated for more than hours, we shared feelings and ideas together. Days after days, our friendship started growing faster.

I could remember those days in school whenever we are on strike, we will never go home, we prefer reading and starving in school than going home and enjor merriment. I can not forget a day when we had nothing to eat since two days, I went to the school farm to cut off some banana.. All those are now stories today.

To tell you the truth, I have no idea on how we get along so well, seems as Comrade Safety and Comrade Ebby are, so we are.

He’s one of those people who is content with the people he’s familiar with and that’ll do. Infact, he can easily make friend with anyone regardless of religion, culture, belief or race. Along the line, we did have another friend( Owolabi Israel ), he is also a bookworm who loves reading anything but rather prefer going home whenever there is strike.

We’ve been angry at each other on a few occasions. But mostly our disagreement centered on food and books. For example, I remembered the day I cooked and asked him to get me salt outside but he instited, I hate the food without giving him out of it just for his negligence of answering me.

Mostly during the day, he’s quite the night owl and tends to often want to do fun stuff when I’ve gotta get up early. It’s a bit annoying, but we find a happy medium whenever we get home from school. He is a type who give regard to my religion despite he is a christian. We do try to spend as much time hanging out and playing in between getting home and going to bed.

There is nothing he’d prefer to do than to be outside, watching arsenal match. He can spend his last money to watch arsenal match. All to be mentioned but a few.

Above all, after we did have finished our ND program in the school, we still do communicate with each other. He is indeed a friend like a father, teacher, mentor etc.

I pray to Almighty God, as he celebrated his birthday yesterday, may all his dreams be achieved, may he live long and prosperity. (Amen)

From Sodiq Lawal

Your Friend

An Ado - Ekiti Customary Court on Tuesday dissolved the eight years marriage between one Rasak Bello and his wife, Aminat , over irreconcilable differences .

The President of the court , Mrs Olayinka Akomolede , who listened to both parties, dissolved the marriage, saying it had broken down irretrievably.

The union was dissolved on the grounds of lack of care for the petitioner and children, mismanagement of his business, fetishism , infidelity, stubbornness and frequent fighting .

The petitioner , Mr Rasak Bello , 43 , a businessman , and a resident of No. 7 , Basiri Street , Ado- Ekiti , had earlier told the court that he had known the respondent for eight years and they conducted a traditional marriage.

According to him , the marriage was later blessed with three children– Abideen, Idayyat and Mubarak – aged seven , four and one respectively.

The petitioner, however , expressed regrets over his marriage with the respondent , saying she does not cook for him neither does she take care of the children.

The father of three told the court that when the respondent refused to perform her duties , he employed a housemaid to cook for him.
He, however , said the respondent often beat the house maid mercilessly .

Rasak also alleged that the respondent contributed to the collapse of his rice business because she was selling on credit to friends and siblings.
The petitioner further said that the respondent was fetish, alleging that she often brought a native doctor and clergyman to his apartment without his consent and in spite of the fact that she is a Muslim .

He said the respondent later confessed to him that the pastor caused the petitioner ’s former wife to pack out of the house .

Rasak said the respondent underwent a “family planning ” without his approval, adding that he had to take her to the hospital for proper treatment after she experienced some complications.

He also told the court that the respondent often received love messages from men whom she claimed were her ex- boyfriends .

The petitioner prayed to the court to dissolve his marriage with the respondent and award the custody of his three children to him for the sake of their future .

The respondent and 29 - year- old trader from Ughele in Delta, however , denied all the allegations levelled against her by the petitioner.
She blamed the mismanagement of the rice business on the calibre of sales girls that the petitioner employed .

Aminat also denied the allegations of fetishism , adding that she did not bring any native doctor or pastor to their matrimonial home.

She, however , admitted smacking the housemaid because she was rude and refused to take corrections .

The respondent explained that the maid was fond of indecent dressing and had always refused to change .

Aminat consented to the request by the petitioner that the marriage be dissolved .

Akomolede , in her ruling , ordered that the petitioner be given custody of the two eldest children while the youngest remains in the custody of the respondent until he attained the age of six .
The president also added that the respondent should release him to the petitioner for proper care and monitoring once he is six years .

Akomolede ordered the petitioner to be paying N 4 , 000 to the respondent as monthly upkeep allowance for the youngest child.

She also ruled that the petitioner should be responsible for the education of the three children at all levels .

The magistrate further ruled that both parties should have unrestricted access to the children in their custody .

(NAN )

A 25 - year - old undergraduate , Fatimo Akinwunmi, on Thursday, begged an Agege Customary Court to dissolve her four - year - old marriage to her husband , Sadiq Akinwumi, over alleged lack of love and constant battery.

Fatimo, an indigene of Oyo and a mother of one , resides at Fadahunsi St . , Okeira, Aguda -Ogba in Lagos.

In her petition before the court , she said: “my husband constantly beats me and no longer cares for me and our child’’ .

The petitioner, a 200 - level student of the National Teachers Institute , Kaduna , alleged that the respondent was no longer in support of her quest for higher education , as he had promised when they got married in 2014 .

She alleged that her husband was irresponsible and often demanded sex from her at will.
“My husband refused to be responsible , living my care and that of our child to his parents .

“All he does is to sleep with me , without any form of protection, and wanting me to conceive another child , while he remained jobless,’’

Fatimo said she moved out of her house due to his constant beatings and lack of love and care from her husband and his people .

She also told the court that her husband neither cared for her upkeep nor that of their child .

Fatimo also accused her father - in law of always taking sides with her husband and “demanding that I give birth to another child, and wondering why should l have just a child for his son’’ .

She told the court that she had to move out of her matrimonial home to her parents ’ home , to be able to remain alive.

The petitioner , who described her husband as an irresponsible and violent man , pleaded with the court to separate them, saying, “I am no longer interested in the union.

She prayed the court to dissolve the marriage but to give her custody of their child and to award her other consequential orders as the court may deem fit.

“This our marriage has broken down irretrievably, as there has been no love and peace since the inception of the marriage,
“My husband does not care for me and beats me habitually . He doesn ’t know his responsibility in feeding and clothing his family,’’ she said.
But Sadiq was absent in court and had no representation.

The court president , Mr . Philip Williams , however , adjourned the case till Sept. 14 , for further hearing .

(NAN )

If you have doubts about what stage your relationship is, here are six guides to help you out , as posited by experts .

• A lack of excitement and communication. Leading dating coach and psychologist, Jo Hemmings , lists the top reasons that a relationship has come to the end of its course : “Rowing over inconsequential things that never bothered you before.

Or if really bad , not actually arguing at all , because you or your partner simply can ’t be bothered even to row; a growing lack of communication or disconnect, both in and out of the bedroom ; not feeling concerned about who they are with or what they might be doing; increasingly enjoying or looking forward to spending time without your partner ; noticing flaws in your partner , where before you weren ’t aware of them or even loved them for it; feeling that sex is a chore or lacks intimacy, and so begins to lack excitement . ”

• Boredom . James Preece – otherwise known as ‘The Dating Guru ’ – says that one of the most common reasons for couples splitting up is boredom: “If you don ’t get excited about seeing your partner anymore, then something is wrong .

You ’ ve both stopped making an effort and are stuck in the same routines . You go to the same place , do the same things and have the same conversations over and over . It ’s possible to save a relationship by mixing things up again, but if you don ’t want to, then your days are numbered. ”

• Resentment. Resentment is also a strong (and strange - sounding factor ) in a break- up, says James. “If your relationship is strong, then you are a team . Your partner ’ s successes and happiness are yours too ,” he says .

“If you are heading towards a split, then you’ll start to feel these are personal slights against you. Every comment or action they take will begin to annoy you, no matter how well meaning they are. ”

• Arguing . Of course, arguing is also high on the list . “Most couples bicker from time to time and it’ s usually a healthy way to express your feelings.

However, if you find yourselves doing it much more , then there are probably built up issues bubbling away . You ’ll begin to snap at them for the tiniest little things,” comments James.

• Not arguing . But a lack of arguing can also be a bad sign , according to James. “ Even more worrying that arguing too much is when you completely stop. If you can’ t be bothered to fight for what you want then you won ’t be bothered to fight for your relationship. ”

• Your gut feeling . Sometimes, your gut feeling is right : “If your relationship has run its course then you’ll both know deep down , even if you don’ t want to admit it. It will be a nagging little voice telling you that things aren ’t quite right . In this situation , it’s best to talk about what ’s happening and plan a separation as amicably as possible. ”

Yahoo !

Usually , couples mark landmark anniversaries such as the fifth, 10 th , etc . , wedding anniversaries with stories of love and pledges of eternal togetherness .

However, a Florida woman is marking the 10 th anniversary of her HIV infection , instead of what otherwise should have been her 10 th wedding anniversary .

Unknown to her , the man she was married to was HIV - positive but had refused to disclose this to her .

She only got to know that she had been infected when she had HIV screening a few months after their wedding .

On her social media page , Renee ‘LadyByrd ’ Burgess - Benson narrates her story , “10 years ago on this date was the first time I was exposed to his HIV .

“Before this date , we had never had unprotected sex . I was very adamant about it.

“Your wedding night is the time to consummate the marriage. Well , my wedding night we did that , but it also knowingly exposed me to his HIV.

“I trusted him with my life and he took my life into his own hands and chose to lie in the most explainable way …”

She went on to divorce the man .

Renee, who was born and raised in Jacksonville , Florida, United States of America , is the mother of four children — three girls and a boy .

She says she became HIV activist in 2008 a few months after she was diagnosed with HIV at the end of 2007 .
She is currently the Chief Executive Officer at LadyByrd Live Foundation , Inc .

In one of her motivational posts, she advises people : “Being HIV Positive does not mean BE DESPERATE! I am so tired of men and women with HIV thinking that the world is going to end if they don ’t have a girlfriend, boyfriend , or spouse .

“The biggest turn off for me is someone in love with me before they even know if I got all 10 fingers and toes LOL. Both of us having HIV does not mean we are compatible and if you are “ hiding ” or not open with your status, then we definitely can ’t be together .

“I will NEVER stop my awareness! Get to know someone before you just jump to “Let ’s get married ”.

“Oh and STOP making the conversation always about sex! That … is NOT cute! Sex isn ’t going to make someone want you. If anything, it pushes people away . Because if you talking about sex with me, you talking about it with everyone you talk to and that ’s just ugh!”

See her post and picture below:

There are plenty of tips and tricks men can practise to spice things up in the bedroom .

From orgasm - enhancing sex positions to libido -boosting foods , there are never - ending discussions on ways men can enhance their partners ’ sexual experience .

But what are women ’s biggest turn- offs during sex?

To find out what behaviours men should avoid, Daily Star carried out a poll.

“What’ s the most off- putting thing a man can do during sex ?” it asked .

The poll , of 1 , 700 people revealed the following:
• Farting is the most off- putting thing a man can do during sex ! A whopping 47 per cent of participants said farting during the act is the fastest way to spoil the mood .

Other bedroom faux- pas include the following :
• Orgasming and then rolling over . This was revealed as the second rudest bedroom habit with 41 per cent of the votes .

• Boasting about (sexual ) performance came in third, with 12 % of women saying it was a turn -off. This complaint is tricky, though; as a new report titled, “Do Women ’ s orgasms function as a masculinity achievement ?” reveals that men feel more manly and sexually empowered after a woman orgasms .

The study , published in the The Journal of Sex Research, asked 810 men to imagine that a woman had orgasmed or not orgasmed during sex with them.

They then had to rate how masculine they felt after the act . Results revealed that men who imagined women climaxed felt more manly .

These feelings were “ exacerbated for men with high masculine gender role stress, ” meaning that men who adhere to typically masculine gender roles were more likely to feel like superheroes after getting a woman to reach a climax.

While him doing a little celebratory dance about making you orgasm might be seriously off putting , there are some benefits too .

It could encourage men to work harder to make a woman orgasm. This could result in more foreplay and more oral sex .

However, women actually find men boasting about their sexual skills one of the most unattractive things, so be careful not to big yourself up too much .

It’ s better just to put on a good performance and then be quietly content with your achievements .

• Make the first move . Men love it when women make the first move. So, initiate sex and take control. Take your time and set your own sexual pace to increase your own pleasure.

• Dress to impress . Experiment with dressing up to boost your sexual arousal . If a man in uniform turns you on , get your partner to dress up. Why not meet your lover at the door dressed in a tight skirt and blouse with stockings and killer heels to get his attention ?

• Use toys . Regular sex toy use has been shown to increase sexual experience and satisfaction , rather than be a threat to a relationship and can lead to more satisfying orgasms. Many men love to watch their partner use a sex toy on themselves.

• Love lubricants . Using lubricant during sex can greatly increase both your sexual pleasure and that of your man and make sex last longer too.

• Stop worrying about your body . Men are attracted to the whole package ; so , become more confident with your body . Loving the way you look will make you irresistible to your partner .

• Change position. Being on top is extremely pleasurable for many women and will excite your partner too . Using a vibrating cock ring will stimulate both of you; or try a small bullet vibrator against your clitoris to achieve a mind - blowing orgasm.

• Change it up . Make sex more fun by having it in other places, either inside or outside . Have a steamy shower , soaping each other with perfumed soaps or oils. Try having sex in the morning to keep you smiling all day or arrange to meet for lunch to have one .

• Read erotic fiction. Reading a few chapters from a short steamy erotic story will coax the first sparks of sexual desire in you and give you some ideas for your own sex life too .

• Tie me up . Blindfolding your man or being tied up and blindfolded yourself , using only your sense of smell , touch, taste and hearing can be intensely sexually arousing .

• Talk to each other. Open up a conversation about what makes you tick and what turns you on sexually . You may be pleasantly surprised about what your partner fantasises about .

Some kinds of vaginal bacteria may interfere with a gel meant to curb the risk of contracting HIV, which infects more than one million women worldwide each year , researchers said Thursday.

The findings in the journal Science were based on a 2010 study of women in South Africa who used the microbicide drug tenofovir , in vaginal gel form , to assess how well it worked at preventing transmission of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV ).

The drug has shown success in preventing HIV in high- risk men, but studies involving women have been “ disappointing ,” said the report.
A 2010 randomised trial called CAPRISA 004 showed that tenofovir gel , applied before and after sex, reduced HIV incidence by 39 percent .
Researchers examined a subset of women who were infected with HIV during the study , even though they used the gel regularly.

Women who became infected with HIV tended to have a dominant bacteria known as Gardnerella vaginalis, which “ could rapidly metabolise and break down the active form of the drug, ” said the report.

Gardnerella vaginalis is associated with a condition known as bacterial vaginosis (BV).

BV is known to increase the risk of HIV because it increases inflammation, disrupts the vaginal wall and impairs wound healing , and women from sub- Saharan Africa have high prevalence rates of BV, according to background information in the report.

Women with healthier vaginal bacterial compositions — those dominated by the bacteria Lactobacillus — showed three - fold higher protection against HIV than women with different dominant vaginal bacteria compositions.

An accompanying Perspective article in Science pointed out that the research sheds some light on the reasons for the trial’ s shortcomings, but fails to offer a solution.

Even if women were tested for vaginal bacteria , it remains unclear whether the microbiome could be changed to allow for better performance of the gel, since BV returns in nearly 60 percent of women one year after treatment, wrote Susan Tuddenham and Khalil G. Ghanem of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

In the meantime , the study serves as a reminder that “without a deeper understanding of the structure, function, and dynamics of the vaginal microbiome , successful interventions to optimise it and improve women’ s health will remain elusive.
”
AFP

Despite the global campaign for its use , less than one per cent of women in Nigeria use female condoms, according to the Programme Officer, Reproductive Health and Family Planning (Pathfinder International ), Dr . Sekina Bello.

She, therefore, advocated the inclusion of men as advocates of female condoms to create more awareness for women.

According to her , the acceptability of female condoms has been very low in both the northern and southern parts of the country.

She said this on Thursday in Abuja , during a stakeholders ’ meeting on the review of female condoms counselling tools organised by the Association for Reproductive and Family Health.
Bello, who is also the focal person implementing the female condom project of the RHFP , said that the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey showed that less than one per cent of women in Nigeria use female condoms.

“In Northern Nigeria , it is almost non- existent . The commodities are available , but because the healthcare providers themselves don ’ t know how to use it not to talk of educating others, it is just left in the stores or drawers,” she said.

While calling for the inclusion of men as advocates of female condoms, Bello hinted that the latest brand has gone through modifications , making it near natural , thin and comfortable.