ON THE ISSUE OF ROADS IN EBONYI STATE: THEN & NOW!

The feeling I had while plying through Ngbo-Effium express-way eh😳🙆‍♀ (especially from Ngbo Court to Ndiegu Odeh).
The last time I passed through that road was sometime in 2014. The road was so... Well, not that bad (compared to most Ngbo roads), but it is heavenly now😎
I had the same feeling while passing through Presco Junction last weekend. Not like I don't pass there often; maybe  the thought of how dust seriously dealt with us along that road, few years back made the whole feeling sweet.
Right inside the bus I prayed that other Ngbo roads be remembered, especially Otinyi road😄. The thought of how dust used me to prepare "ökwö-nri" along Umuogudu Osha road, few years back, makes me really sick. The thought of visiting places within Ngbo communities this period, makes me scared.

But something so strong told me to be patient. That we will be remembered soon. For a moment, I paused. I remembered that some years back, a lot of us suffered the effects of bad roads in many parts of this state. I remembered that during dry season, dust gives us a natural make-up not just on the face but on our pretty dresses.
"Ihe di mma di mma", I said to myself.

Now, this is not a political speech/article. This is me being sincere to admit that Yes, our today is better than yesterday. Our problem not just in this country, but as humans is that we tend to see only the bad sides of a person without considering the good sides. Since I was born, I am yet to see any government that doesn't have an opposition. Sometimes, the same people that sang their praises, still criticizes them. Take it from me, I have no problem with criticism so far it is not character defamatory.
Here in Nigeria, we blame the government for everything, even when your father married many wives & couldn't train you or your siblings in school. I tire🙆‍♀.
Our government has disappointed us severally, agreed. But we still need to encourage them in the few good works they do.
I shared a post this morning on my timeline. I think the guy wants Ebonyi State Government to perform a magic. Bros, this is not Camelot and we don't have people like Merlin here. Thank you sir🙏

Meanwhile, I am really hoping that more roads be remembered by the present administration, starting with the Otinyi road😄. Eziokwu m, any day I see that road under construction eh, the whole world will hear about it; trust me.
Sirs/Mas, make una remember us, biko🙏🏼

I didn't know this "short" piece will be this long. Thank you for your patience.

PS: Biko if you are close to Ebonyi State GH, talk to them on our behalf🙏🏼
Feel free to Share this article, please.

LOCAL DISH: HOW TO MAKE WATER-YAM BALLS (AKARA MBALA)

Water-Yam Balls is one meal that I will advice anyone to try. It is very easy to prepare and super-delicious. This meal is made from grated Water-Yam with the addition of very common ingredients.
Where I come from, akara mbala is one of our local delicacies prepared by every home and sold in various local markets. Even though it's a local dish made with the commonest ingredients, one can decide to spice up the dish by adding additional ingredients that he likes.

For this recipe we will need:
- 2-3 inches of Water-Yam
- Sliced Onions
- Pepper (Grounded Dry Pepper, Red Bell Pepper or Green Bell pepper.
- Salt
- Vegetables (Optional)

Procedure:

• Carefully peel the Water-Yam and wash thoroughly. Cut into big sized cubes.
• Use a clean grater to grate the Water-Yam. Your grated Water-Yam should be like in the picture below.

• When you're done grating, add the sliced Onions (The secret to the taste of akara mbala is enough onions, so feel to add as much as you want. Don't tell another person, please😉) 
• Add the pepper  (You can  choose to add the 3 peppers listed above to add colour & more taste to the meal) 
• Add Salt to taste. 
• If you're using vegetables, add it after adequate washing & slicing.
• Mix together with a strong cooking spoon or with clean hands. I usually taste the mixture for salt by touching the tip of my tongue with one of my fingers.
• Add enough vegetable oil in a dry frying pan and heat up for about 7-10 seconds or until you're sure the oil is heated up enough. 
  
• Add a little amount of Fresh Palm Oil.
• With your hand, immediately take the mixture little by little and add to the pan.
  
• Allow to fry for about 1minute, then flip the balls over so that the other side can as well fry.
  
• You will notice the balls turn from the former semi-solid form to a thicker form like in the picture below.
• Scoop out from the oil and place in the sieve to drain excess oil.

And our super-delicious Water-Yam Balls is ready🍨
Serve with any drink of your choice🍷

Your comments encourage us. If this recipe is of help to you, kindly appreciate us via the comment section.
Share a picture of your meal with us; we will be ever glad to enjoy it with you😉
Ask questions; we are not far away to attend to you.
Make your suggestions; we are open to learning new things.
Lastly, if you need Fresh Ebonyi Palm Oil, kindly let us know and it will be delivered to you before you know it.

Cheers to a better life🍷

ABOUT THE EBONYI GUY CAUGHT WITH HUMAN PARTS IN ANAMBRA STATE😰: A SHORT MESSAGE TO THE WORLD.

I am not here to lay curses on him because I'm sure by now, he has received enough of it. I am here to talk to us, who may be nursing the intention of following same part.

Engr. J said something the day we were coming back from an event held in one of the eastern part of Nigeria and with the recent development, what he said is beginning to make a lot of sense to me: Ögwü ego (money ritual) does not favour an Abakaliki man. The soil of Abakaliki is totally against it and there's always a huge consequences.

A typical Abakaliki man is known for hardwork. 

An Abakaliki man works very hard to take care of his family. An Abakaliki man cares so much about human lives as well as pays so much respect for the dead. 

Recently, a lot of evil acts is taking place in our communities. This also reminds me of what one of the Ngbo Princes said last week: Before now, an Ngbo man cannot shed the blood of an Izhiangbo man or that of an Izzi man and vice versa, but these days, our youths shed the blood of their brothers on daily basis & this is one the reasons why youths die increasingly. In his words, "ö bürü le iphe i metaru e gbudu ghu, ke onye özö metara e gbuo ghu", which means, "if you don't die as a result of what you did, then what another person did can as well kill you." 

I and a list of others does not support killing of any sort. Things are difficult, yes we know that. But that does not justify killing a fellow man to make things easy for yourself. Kpö ihe öjö ihe öjö!

Brothers, when such evil comes to your mind, resist it and command it to flee.

Pull yourself away from friends that will convince you to commit any form of crime.

We shout with a loud voice NJHÖ JEKWA EZHI O!

Njhö jekwa ezhi!!

Njhö jekwa ezhi!!!

We refuse to associate with evil; It's unfavorable to us.

And whether we accept it or not, nothing pays like hardwork.

People of the world, embrace God!

Nigeria, embrace God!!

Ebonyi State, embrace God!!!

Ö ga-adiri anyi na mma. It is well with us.

Peace!

Written By Chinenye Omogo-Igwe

✍ 17/11/18

THERE IS A GOD WHO LOVES US

So, about 2 weeks back, I dedicated my social media wall to God in 7 days thanksgiving for His numerous deeds. That means I had to try & control myself and not make any other post apart from the thanksgiving post.

The first day I attached my picture to the writeup, most of my friends ignored the intention & focused on how my hip has increased. How we attach pictures in a post to get attention & people ignore the writeup & focus on the pictures instead! I decided not to reply any of the comments because I needed my intention to be clear.

I expected fellow believers to join in the thanksgiving but only few people joined.

Brethren, God is not meant to be ignored. He deserves our attention. Not like our attention adds anything to His name, but any form of relationship where one of the partners remembers the other only when he needs something from him, then there's something so wrong with that relationship. We should be able to relate well with our Maker even when we are not asking Him for any favour. Even though His mercies abound, but He still deserves our devotion because He's our God.

I pray God performs a miracle in your life that will make you know that truly He is God.

I am a testimony.

There are times that when I start to talk about the deeds of God, I just couldn't control my emotions. Till tomorrow, I am still shocked on how some group of people say there's no God.

In my life & in my family, there's a God who refused to let us go even when we are unfaithful to Him. There's a God who's not ashamed to have anything to do with us even in our worst state.

There's a God who's always at the forefront to fight the battles we are not aware of, only for Him to come back with victory & place it in our palms. There's a God who refused to fail even when the world continuously fail us. There's a God who loves us so much that He died & rose for us.

There's a God who called us by the name, Victory.

And if you choose to ignore this God or fight Him or deny His existence, I really don't know what to say to you, beloved but I pray you experience Him one day & tell the world the kind of Being He is.

My King Reigns🙌

Blessings🍷

SLAY WITH YOUR LITTLE CHANGE - A Short Message to Every Lady Out There.

If you call yourself a slay queen but you still depend on a man to satisfy your little need, then I think the 's' in the 'slay' should be removed; feel free to call yourself the remainder.

My dear Lady,

Once in a while,

Have a very good bath,

Put on your makeup,

Wear your best dress,

Then carry yourself like a queen & enter an executive Keke.

When you get to your favorite eatery, order anything of your choice, eat, pay & carry yourself back home. You can never know the feeling until you try.

So that next time, when one "yeye" "chewing gum" dude starts to make mouth on how he bought one plate of something & one bottle of something for you, tell yourself, "oh baby, I'm bigger than this." For in this act lies the beauty of a slay queen.

Slay on top of your little change.

In summary, take care of yourself in your own little way & be proud of it. Don't let anyone insult you for what you're sure you're bigger than. Keep your head high. You are a Queen. Behave like one.

Cheers🍷

BIGGER LYRICS

Never seen this kind of God before

Awesome God you are in all your ways
Undisputed no one can contest

Your love it gives me comfort deep within
Demons flee they tremble at your name
Every knee must bow and tongue confess
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is your name
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is your name

You're greater
You're stronger
You're higher than any other

You're bigger than what people say
Bigger than what people say

Who is greater than the Lord most high
I've searched and searched and yet we cannot find
Defender, Protector, My Rock, My Shield and Strength.
Lover of my soul and Peace within
Demons flee they tremble at your name
Every knee must bow and tongue confess
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is your name
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus is your name

You're greater
You're Stronger
You're higher than any other

You're Bigger than what people say
Bigger than what people say

You're greater
You're stronger
You're higher
Bigger than what people say
Bigger than
what people say ohhh!!! Bigger than what people say

SONG BY TIM GODFREY
Click Here to Watch the Amazing Video

HOW TO PREPARE DELICIOUS YAM-PLANTAIN-BEANS COMBO🍷

As we are growing up, I remember mum prepares yam-banana combination as a special delicacy. It is so special because it's one of those foods we don't get to eat often. I mean, like the way we are used to rice or Eba. The method of preparation is the same; the only difference is that I used plantain instead & I added beans to my recipe.
This is a very yummy meal you can't afford to miss for anything in the world😄😉, trust me.

Before we continue, it is important you know the benefits of the major ingredients (Yam, Plantain & Beans) so that you will be fully aware of what you're about to enjoy😄😋

Yam as we all know is an energy giving food by virtue of its high Carbohydrate content. Apart from being a good source of energy, yam is said to contain Vitamins like Vit. A, B-complex & C which help to perform functions like improvement of our vision, reduces inflammation, helps in body building, skin smoothening, enabling the immune system to function perfectly, aids in wound healing, etc.

Plantain is known to be a good source of energy. It contains a high amount of dietary fibre which helps ensure healthy bowels and reduces constipation.  It also contains several vitamins & minerals.

Beans has a lot of health benefits which include but not limited to:
providing the body with soluble fiber, which plays an important role in controlling blood cholesterol levels;  contains a wide range of cancer-fighting plant chemicals, the consumer has a lower risk of heart disease and the seeds are fully packed with protein.

You can use any type of beans. I used the black eyed beans for this recipe.

Below are the list of ingredients I used for this recipe:

• 3inches of yam
• 1 small sized unripe plantain
• 2 small sized ripe plantain
• 1 cup of Beans
• Ebonyi Palm Oil (or any palm oil of your choice)
• 1 Onion bulb
• 5 pieces of green beans (optional)
• 2 seasoning cubes
• Grounded fresh pepper
• Salt (To taste)

Procedure:

• Parboil your beans, then cook until it's very soft (I like my beans very soft).
• Peel the yam & cut into cubes.
• Add about 1 teaspoon of salt, add water, then cook until it's almost done. 
• Wash the plantains and add to the almost cooked yam & cook till it's very soft (you can see them about to tear apart from the skin). 
• Remove the plantain from the water, allow to cool down so you can be able to touch it with your hands. 
• Remove the peels, then cut into desired sizes/shapes & set aside. Otherwise, leave it & mash together with the cooked yam, afterwards.
• Pour the cooked yam in a sieve to drain excess water. Use your wooden spoon to mash it. Please don't make it look like pounded yam. Don't mash completely. We need to have small pieces of yam in them.
• Add the palm oil (you don't need to overheat it. 3 seconds is okay) & sliced onions. 
• Add the pepper, salt & seasoning cubes & turn with a wooden spoon.
• Add the plantain, mashed yam & beans.
• Mix very well with the wooden spoon.
• Taste to see if you're good or if you still need to add other things.

And our yummilicious😋 yam-plantain-beans meal is ready. Yeaaaaaaa💃👯

Please Note: If you want, you can scoop out some of the fried oil & onions (I added 5 pieces of green beans) for a light garnishing.
Enjoy🍷

Please feel free to ask questions.

If you are interested in enjoying Ebonyi Palm Oil like I do😋😁, drop a message Here

Thank you!

Read Today's Reflection

http://www.acatholic.org/wednesday-october-31-2018-once-the-bill-comes-its-too-late/

WE ARE AMAZED

In humble adoration
We bow before Your throne
Opening our hearts Surrendering our will Calling out to You oh Lord

Author of creation
True and living King
Worthy of all praise Perfect are Your ways Ever loving Prince of peace

We're amazed
At the wonders of your grace
Merciful and mighty
You are great in your power
We give thanks
As we enter in Your gates
Splendor of Your presence
As we stand in awe of You

Alpha and Omega Beginning and the End
Holy is your Name
Above all other names Jesus You're my heart's refrain

We're amazed at the Wonders of Your grace Ever flowing fountain
You are great in Your power
We give thanks
As we enter in Your gates
Splendor of Your presence
As we stand in awe of You

We cry holy are You Lord We cry holy, holy
We cry worthy are You Lord
We cry worthy, worthy
Simply awesome are You Lord
Simply awesome, awesome
You are mighty in your power
You are mighty, mighty
You are high and lifted up
You are high and lifted

We are amazed...
🙌🙌🙌👏👏👏🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Song By Dr. R. A. Vernon & "The Word" Church Praise Team.