The Guardian Life Magazine

Cover Edition 230, March 28 - April 3

2010-05-10T04:48:00.000-07:00

The colours of ‘Mr. President’

2010-05-10T04:46:00.000-07:00

HOW did Acting President, Goodluck Jonathan, affect our affections that we have secretly adopted his style and colour? Open any paper and there he is, welcoming everybody to his style.
Mr. ‘President’ has managed to entice everybody into his corner with his rich Ijaw regalia, without any crinkled look of a worried man, even though the load on his head is very heavy — economy, dilapidated infrastructure, lack of social amenities, crisis upon crisis, crises, so to say.
There’s a popular saying that he has patience, no pun intended, Patience is his wife’s name, and so he has been able to mark himself out as a man of style and colour.
Accessories and ornament complete an outfit and help to personalize a person’s look. For the acting president, it’s the jewel-encrusted buttons on his long robes, which have made dramatic statements for him.
Writing in Smashin’ fashion, thewashingtonmistress.com, the acting president’s style was described as vertical. The fine striped shirt (by Rocawear) reveals his sense of style. “Everyone knows stripes are the way to go, but how often do you see them rocked in such vertical proportions! Yes, the black sewed-down shirt with white vertical stripes might be a fashion sin for most, but not for Goodluck Jonathan. In fact it only complements his gold string…thing…with…circular things on it…”
The hat is an essential part of his fashion ensemble! The solid black Fedora, a low, soft felt hat with a curled brim and the crown creased lengthwise, never leaves his head is a statement all on its own.
So the fedora, like his striped shirt, has helped him appear hip, hot, and intimidating, no matter what anybody says.

I am non-conformist’

2010-05-10T04:40:00.000-07:00

HIS love and passion for music made him set up the — Toyin and Friends, a musical group , when he came back from the United States in 2005. Born on January 11, some decades ago, Toyin Adebola, who is from Ogun State, had his secondary education at Government Secondary School, Gwammaja, and ended up at the Government Technical College, Wudil, Kano. His tertiary education was at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he read technical education. The Chief Executive Officer of Lakeside Energy Limited, who started his musical career as a drummer in 1990, recently organised the Toyin and Friends concert. Themed Worship Unscripted, it featured a lot of gospel artists, including Cohbhams. He tells DAMILOLA ADEKOYA what fashion means to him.

Family background: I’m from a polygamous home. I’m the first born of my father. My father worked and retired as a staff of the Ministry of Education, Kano and my mother worked with The Nigerian Aviation Company (NACO), also in Kano until she retired about two years ago.

Fashion: It has different interpretations depending on who is creating it, but for me, I think fashion is an expression of who you are, well expressed in what you are wearing. I don’t go with what’s in vogue, for what is in vogue for me is what I am comfortable with!

Style of dressing: English; a shirt and a tie, that’s me! But occasionally, I do some native stuff.

Uniqueness of style: Everything about me is basically different. My carriage stands me out. I also hate conforming to what’s in vogue.

Favourite colour: I love brilliant colours, to be precise. I like black and red. I also like white and purple because they are sweet and strong. I love them combined not specific.

Favourite piece of clothing: A nice shirt and trouser.

Stylish icon(s): Maxwell, he dresses so beautifully. Most times, he’s always on a nice shirt on trousers with jacket. When you see him, one has no choice but to love and respect him.

Role model(s): Rev. Sam Adeyemi, he is my ultimate role model and then musically, it’s Fred Hammond.

Favourite food: Vegetable Salad.

Favourite designer(s): Base London, because they are not the regular designers. They have very unique designs of Wristwatches and Shoes and I love them because they are not very popular.

Most expensive item: My house!

Most cherished possession: God.

Describe yourself in three words: Passionate, powerful and simple.

Turn on: When everything is just in order

Turn off: Disorderliness.

Happiest moment(s): When I got a job in Conoil because I waited almost 15 years for that.

Embarrassing moment(s): When my visa to United States was turned down the second time.

Favourite food: Vegetable Salad.

Favourite designer(s): Base London, because they are not the regular designers. They have very unique designs of Wristwatches and Shoes and I love them because they are not very popular.

Philosophy of life: Life is like one’s best currency. It’s ones most valuable asset, so spend it wisely, do not waste time and be as productive as you can.

If you were given an opportunity to change something in Nigeria, what would it be? Our mindset, it is terrible!

2010-05-10T04:37:00.000-07:00

BY EKWY P. UZOANYA
GROWING plants indoors is one way to make a space feel inviting and warm. This is normally done in containers. This type of gardening offers flexibility for people with limited garden space or lack of time for elaborate gardening outdoors. Plants can be attractive decoration that add a softness of line and provide a bit of nature indoors.
Bringing the plant indoors may mean that the ideal location of a plant for decoration may not be the ideal spot for plant growth. This therefore means that inadequate lighting may be a problem that the gardener may be confronted with. With more and more number of people working outside the home for long hours, there may be little sunlight penetrating through the window or exposure of the plants to sunlight if not taken outside.
At some periods like the rainy season, there may be a stretch of humid days during which time there is absence of sunlight. Supplementary lighting through electricity can go a long way for the plants. Electricity is a way to provide light for plants that do not receive adequate natural light.
Flourescent tubes are good sources of artificial light available for plants in the home. Cool-white fluorescent tubes are more desirable. Fluorescent tubes come in different shapes and sizes such as u-shape, circular, square or straight.
Avoid incandescent light bulbs because they are not particularly good for this purpose. They are a good source of red rays but a poor source of blue. The heat they give out is too much for most plants. But if they must be used, they should be located away from the plants, thereby reducing the intensity of the heat the pants receive.
For indoor plants, a large variety of containers are available. Plant should be done in tubs, pots, crocks, sacks, bowls and wooden boxes that have good drainage.

Charly Boy... Oh Gawd!!!! I Am Pissed Off...

2010-05-10T04:31:00.000-07:00

Recently, maverick Charly Boy embarked on his six-year old dream of publishing. His magazine Charly Boy is in its third edition come April 2010; and the multi-skilled artiste told Anote Ajeluorou recntly in Lagos that th new project is all in the process of consolidating the Charly Boy Brand. Lagos. Excerpts:

How has the experience as a publisher been?
It’s been most profound. Like I always say, we will continue to be students in the school in life as we indulge in different experiences, and because of the people who have come before, people like Kunle Bakare, Mayor Akinpelu, Seye (Kehinde); because of their tenacity, I’m inspired. And, I have always known one thing: no matter how a thing might appear, no matter the stumbling blocks, the obstacles you encounter, that if you are consistent, you will definitely come out tops.
So it’s been challenging; the magazine or publishing business is not a child’s play but like you know, I have always been somebody that will never run away from challenges. I’m facing it squarely; in fact, a lot of people who have seen the magazine get back to me to say it’s a good start. And if it’s a good start, it can also get better. They like the quality, and they like the direction. What is left is by my staying power and how I approach matters.

What exactly is the direction?
Well, it’s geared towards the upwardly mobile, young Nigerians; for the first time, it’s not a masses thing I’m doing. It’s for those between the age range of 18 and 40. The magazine represents all the values that the brand Charly Boy stands for —doggedness, consistency, humble beginning.
It doesn’t matter what background you are coming from, whether it’s the most wretched background, as long as you believe in your dreams and follow your dreams with doggedness and consistency and you remain focused, then whatever your dreams may be, you’re likely to succeed. So failure should never be an excuse.
The magazine seeks to find young, enterprising people who, from nowhere, through hardwork and initiative, are carving a niche for themselves.
We want something to inspire, we want something to motivate; and you know that the reading culture in Nigeria has dwindled so badly. So our style, our approach is a little laid-back; it doesn’t look too serious. It looks playful, which is my forte. I don’t take myself seriously even with deep and profound things. I like to do them from a very playful perspective; so that is what you have in the magazine.
The approach is very visual from one page to another; it has pictures and an outlay that will hold your attention and we don’t want to make it too wordy; very few words but very deep content because Nigerians don’t have that discipline. So this is what the magazine represents.
Those are the people we are targeting and, so far so good.

There is a column titled ‘Pissed’ and there is another ‘Street University’. What are they about?
Ok ‘Pissed’; the column is run by me. It’s about all the stuff that upset me about Nigeria and being Nigerian. They are the things that piss me off about living in this country, about being part of a system that is not working. I’ve given so much to the development of this country; I’ve done so much yet I don’t understand why I feel I am useless.
I have said so much but I don’t understand why nobody is listening to me. I have been behind so many campaigns, and I have fought so many wars yet I don’t understand why I feel I have done nothing. So I’m pissed. It’s my anger about being a Nigerian living in Nigeria that is on that page and, I think to a great extent, it expresses a lot of people’s anger because we are angry at the same things.
We are angry that you and me should be better off than what we are today if we have an enabling environment. But the point is that we don’t have an enabling environment, and why don’t we have an enabling environment? Is it your fault or my fault? No; it’s the leadership fault. But then again, does that exonerate us? We are all guilty of inaction and the little action that I have done, I don’t know whether it is worth anything and so it keeps me wanting to do more.
Some of the people you have addressed with the project are alsocurrently local government chairmen, members in Houses of Assembly, and even governors. And they have also failed.

So where does that leave this bracket of vibrant Nigerians for whom you collaborate?
You see that is what I’m saying. Sometimes I feel I haven’t done anything. I don’t know why I keep feeling there is nobody listening. I don’t know why each time I turn around, the few people that I think I can trust, who I think can hold the candle, and do the right thing, suddenly go bad just because they got into the system and they have been corrupted by the system, they have been polluted by the system.
And I’m thinking, Is it going to happen to all of us? I’m trying to hold my own but I do know that I have met a few exceptional Nigerians, who have held their own and have insisted that unless you come and kill them, they will not change from their position from what they know is right.
Now, I don’t know how this is going to happen but I know that one thing they are building is to keep reinforcing the call for followership because Charlie Boy has moved from just being a celebrity or a very popular person to some kind of iconic image. Now what to do with that is to keep building that followership not because I want to run for anything but because as an agent of change, I’m also involved in the politics of change. I know and I pray that at one point or the other, we will get our own Obama.
How, I don’t know but when he does come we will be ready and I have an army of youths to fall behind him. Or we will get our own Jerry Rawlings. How, I don’t know but I think a Jerry Rawlings will be better now because a lot of people need to be lined up and shot for the atrocities they have committed against the youth of my generation, the youth of this country. They have stolen their future; so imagine the kind of youth we will be breeding in the next 15 years. They will have been affected and polluted by the system. Our values have derailed; everybody now is in the mad quest for money. We are all acting like we are all bewitched.

Back to your magazine, was there a shock in transiting from music to magazine, and have you abandoned music as well?
I have never really been a musician!

What? So what have you been doing in music?
I have never really been a musician. I believe a musician is someone who plays, reads and interprets music. I cannot do any of that; so, I’m not qualified to be called a musician. I’m an entertainer! I just use different media, different fora to express myself. I’m a communicator, and a good one at that. So I use different media. I use the medium of music but that doesn’t qualify me to be a musician. I don’t believe I’m a singer. I can open my mouth and hold some notes. I can’t play any instrument so I can’t claim to be a musician because I’m not.
But then again, it’s all about communicating. And who is my audience; my audience is the youth and music is part of what we do to keep that brand on top because that was how the brand started and that was how people identified that brand as a musician. So that doesn’t qualify me as a musician; that is a great injustice. It’s more than that; it’s gone way beyond that.
You published your book biography a few years ago. How was it received?
I don’t do things to judge how people will receive it and I don’t do things because of patronage I’m going to receive for it. I do things because my spirit tells me that it is the appropriate time to do something. Just like some people asking me, how is your new album with Dr. Alban?
For some people, there is a cost factor for them. But I’m not a business person; maybe that’s probable why I can never be rich. And, I don’t want to be rich; I just want to comfortable enough in life to pay my bills, and finish training my children and that is it; and have a small cubicle to retire to.
I’m not driven by money. So when I say, which one is my own, it’s not because I’m stupid. It’s just that I’m not wired as a business person, and I don’t think business. I’m a creative soul and I want to remain like that but I thank God that He has managed to put in my path things to sustain the things I do.

Between magazine and Charly Boy brand
You tell me! Of course, it’s the most misunderstood brand but who gives a damn really about what people think. It’s about what you believe; and what I believe is pure and wholesome. What I believe is very positive.
So if the brand was set up to shock timid, myopic, backward Nigerian out of their ways, and those Nigerians are still myopic, timid and backward why should I reduce the value of the brand? Sometimes you see me running around with okada people, with area boys, how does he understand their language?
So the beauty of that brand is the fact that it can blend with anything, any situation and with anybody. And, there has never been a brand like that in the history of this country. We know people to stick to one thing and only one thing. But that brand can be used for different things; so I don’t blame people who misunderstand its intention.

The invention of lying

2010-05-10T04:29:00.001-07:00

BY WOLE OGUNTOKUN
YOU’RE probably wondering what kind of subject title this is, so, I’ll explain. It’s lifted wholesale from a Ricky Gervais acted and co-directed movie I watched on the plane as I left the country on Wednesday morning (By the time you’re reading this, I would have been back in Nigeria a few hours. I have a show to run)
So in the movie, Mr. Gervais lives in a country where nobody lies, they do not have the ability to. Waiters tell you they took a sip of your drink as they brought it down to you, your secretary tells you you’re a loser, women tell you they do not find you attractive the moment they meet you, or one woman tells another on sight, “I find you threatening”.
It’s a strange movie, one that stretches the mind that makes you think “What if?” What if we all were unable to lie? What if we were compelled to tell the truth to all we met, to all those who asked us to have relationships with them, to all those we were engaged or married to, what would we really say?
There are relationships based on pity, on fear, or on mutual convenience; there are people of indeterminate sexual preferences in relationships designed to please the judgmental eye of the world. But on a planet where we had to tell the truth, what would we really say if lying had not yet been discovered?
Man says to woman: “I really would like to have a relationship with you. I think you and I are a perfect match.”
The woman replies like Jennifer Garner did to Ricky Gervais in the movie, “I do not find you sexually attractive and do not think we are genetically compatible. You are fat and will give me chubby children with snub noses.”
In some ways, in all our minds, we all have these conditions, which we never really spell out. “We do not come from the same social background”, “Your father is a rustic farmer and would be a terrible in-law”, “your family would embarrass mine in public.”
Some of these excuses might appear shallow to a few people but we all have ours in varying degrees. One that The Whisperer was affected by in the past? If you shared genes with a strange person, that is you had a sibling who was garrulous, too loud, too offensive, too in-your-face, I would feel you were tainted in some way and would be unable to have a relationship with you.
Odd, but it affected many situations I was in then. In some way, I would feel you were tying me to someone I would rather not have wished to make personal acquaintance with.

IT has been three years since I began to write this column. Three years since I stood with Jumoke Verissimo and Ayo Arigbabu on a quiet Festac Town road at dusk and spoke with them of my desire to write a column on relationships with a different style, three years since the editor of The Guardian on Sunday, Jahman Anikulapo, joined that conversation being the man who had the final say and whose only fear then was that I would not be consistent in meeting deadlines because I was a busy man. I am glad for the opportunity I have had to reach many people, for the people who have written in to say the columns have been of help, have added perspective. I do not claim to be a Dr. Phil and have no desire to become one. The idea is to tell it like it is.
What would you tell your partner today (or a prospective partner) if you lacked the capacity to lie? Some of us should be called “ever-ready”. I have met people, both male and female, who could reel off lies the same way others switch channels on a television with a remote control. But what would you really say to your partner of two years if you lacked the capacity to tell a fib? Would you say “this has been the most beautiful experience of my life and I hope we have another fifty years of it” or would it be “Let me out of here this instant! I’m catching the midnight train to Georgia”
Ricky Gervais, in that movie, became the first man in the world who could tell a lie. I have told myself I am going to tell my truth as much as I can. Where it might cause unwarranted pain, I might hold my tongue but generally now, I won’t be restricting the “flaming sword”.
If I do not want your company, I shall tell you so (I lie in this matter. I have always told anyone whose company I did not want, of the exact nature of my thoughts. It appears cruel but it pays all the parties concerned in the long run)
The Whisperer has directed ‘The Ultimate Face-Off’ — The V Monologues versus The Tarzan Monologues” every Sunday for three weeks now and it has sold out show after show. Now I understand the true meaning of rave reviews. A columnist I hold in esteem wrote to say I had “arrived” as a director and a scriptwriter. That made me smile.
I ‘arrived’ a long while back; but he’s only just taking notice. Remember it’s my inability to lie since I saw the movie that makes me say this and not my legendary arrogance. I have learnt the truth of the lines in Rudyard Kipling’s poem, ‘If’. “If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat both impostors just the same, then you will be a man, my son.”
In the monologues, which close at Terra Kulture this Sunday, at least for a while, I have triumphed mightily but I look at success now with the eye of a sceptic. The success of the Monologues is not what makes me who I am. I have always been this way; it just took some people a while to find out.

NEXT time you are having a heart to heart talk with your partner, remember to tell it like it is. Life is too short to be saddled with a situation you are in just for the convenience or because the world might look at you funny if you are alone for any length of time. It’s your life, live it like you know the true meaning of that phrase.

laspapi@yahoo.com

Who gets Terra Kulture’s nod for phase 2?

2010-05-10T04:25:00.000-07:00

BY AYODELE ARIGBABU
I SPIED him out there on the lawn through the glass façade he must have once sketched while designing the building, Goke Osibodu of design / identity assets company MOE with his children, chatting away with Bolanle Austen-Peters of Terra Kulture.
It is on rare occasions that you meet the prime accomplices to a crime on the very scene where it was perpetuated.
I walked out of the restaurant to say hello and then asked the most mundane question I could think of just to stir up something. If you had a chance to change something in this building you did here, what would it be?
Trying to sound all smart and spontaneous without revealing that I’d just paraphrased a similar question asked of a totally different subject by a totally different person just moments ago. He thought for a moment and confessed that he wouldn’t change a thing, granted that the client — Mrs. Austen-Peters had added a few thing after he’s handed the building over to her, but he was happy all the same.
Austen-Peters was just as happy, particularly with the African themed furniture in the restaurant, which she confessed would be carried over into their new project, an extension to the present facility, being planned for the adjoining plot which had been recently acquired and cleared for temporary parking space.
Nosy-so-and-so that he tends to be when it comes to design matters, the design sleuth seized the opportunity to ask who would be designing Terra Kulture Phase 2.
While Mr. Osibodu glossed over the question, Mrs. Austin-Peters was straight and direct. The South African firm @126 Group, an integrated design firm led by the dup of Nick Ristic and Jack Neeves, which had made a few incursions into the Lagos design scape were doing the honours while MOE Identity Assets would be handling the interiors… Mr. Osibodu didn’t seem to have her time when she needed his architectural expertise she sort of intoned, while the architect looked away sheepishly.

GEEZ, in a recession bitten third world economy, some architects still have the luxury of being too busy for certain clients, especially clients like Terra Kulture - a prime culture venue in the country’s hippest city that could and did allow some leeway in terms of quirky notions like African themed furniture and ramps that curve to the first floor like primeval suspension bridges… is MOE still that busy building all those Guaranty Trust Bank branches they chew their way through like school kids chewing through their favourite wafers?
When I grow up, I want to be like Mr. Osibodu and be too busy to answer briefs from clients like Terra Kulture, busy enough to let a South African firm do it while I concede to squeeze in the time to just do the interiors… for old times’ sake.
But it wasn’t only Goke Osibodu that was in the building on that night, there was also Alan Davies of James Cubitt Architects who the design sleuth was too happy to say hello to though I can bet my spectacles he was struggling to remember where we’d met before (he can be forgiven, he’s come a long way) and Theo Lawson of The Lawson + Odeinde Partnership, who graciously took the design sleuth down memory lane on an old pet project that had found a life of its own.
Meeting one’s former bosses at a book launch is not something that happens to you every day especially when you are a layabout like the design sleuth, but if there’s vodka and campari and red wine and small chops and Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80 band and good company peppered with delectable ladies to go with it, then it gets all that more significant. It was the book presentation for Outsider Inside — longtime serving expatriate, Keith Richard’s book on his experiences in and out of different board rooms in Nigeria and…the Design Sleuth was nicely snuzzled…you must have figured that out already.

dreamarts.designagency@gmail.com, www.designpages.blogspot.com

Ogbazi… From runway to studio

2010-05-10T04:19:00.000-07:00

Nigerians living abroad, whether in Hollywood, Paris, London or Milan, are breaking barriers in the movies, music, fashion industries and sports, too. Many of them have etched their names in gold. The story of Jason Ogbazi is no different. In a few years, he has transited from the art studio to the runway, along the line, becoming a famous photographer and a model for international labels. MARK EHIDIAME JOHN speaks with him.

Background
My name is Jason. Jason is actually ‘Son of God’. If you pronounce it the way it should, it becomes Jah son — the son of Jah — that is, Jesus from the Greek mythology. You know our names have a lot to do with what we are and the way we act out our destinies. I mean, look at the acting president, Goodluck Jonathan, and how he has managed to get to where he is now. He is Goodluck and he has had good luck in his political career, I’m not saying I’m Jesus Christ, I don’t even know how to pray, but because I have great belief in God, certain things just come to me naturally.

So, as a painter, how did you get into modeling?
Well, while I was in London, I used to go to the gym a lot to keep shape. So, when I was working out in the gym one day, somebody approached me, asking if I would like to model. And I answered in the affirmative, yeah! They organised a photo shoot with a major photographer called Darren Paul. So, he shot my first portfolio and sent them out to a lot of modeling agencies and eventually, I got hung up with one, BMA Models, in the outskirts of London. So, everyday they send me articles, to cast a particular product in fashion line or something; that was how I started modeling. I did a lot of fashion campaigns for companies such as London fashion, Adidas, Guess Jeans and Costa Coffee among others.

What about the photography...?
In retrospect, I think the whole photography thing just came natural to me, you know at a point I decided that I will not model anymore; I will rather be behind the cameras, that’s how my whole photography career started. With some training and advice, I started. I have worked with top photographers in England such as Paul and a whole lot of fashion photographers in London.
What is your area of specialisation?
I do creative photography. It is the kind of photography, where we pick different pieces of photographs to create something beautiful. I’m somebody, who likes to be original in what I do; I started adding my own originality, so, whenever you see my photographs, you know it’s me.
What was your experience as a student in England?
I was a normal Nigerian youth living in London and trying to make it. You know, going to school and working in some of the offices and then, somewhere along the line, this modeling thing started to happen and somehow, my life had a shift in focus. It got a major shift that took me towards art, art is all I could think of, is all I could see and everything about me became art, you know I couldn’t do anything else but art! I mean I sleep and live art, I can’t imagine a day without doing art.

Has photography been rewarding?
Of course, it’s been very rewarding, but I guess in Nigeria here, if you’re a mediocre, you won’t get anywhere. You have to do top photographs for advertising, billboards or working for large companies to make big money. But just shooting normal people won’t give you the money. Well, if it were abroad, you could make so much money with that but here, it’s not so. You cannot really sell your photographs for good money because importance are not attached to it apart from the learned and exposed ones who know the real value of photography. My customers are mostly people, who have traveled wide and see what photography is, they can pay big buck for paintings and photographs.

Partying MTV Africa @ 5

2010-05-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

BY CHUKS NWANNE
All of a sudden, Tribeca Nite Club, Victoria Island, Lagos, has become the choice venue for most event organisers. Just few months after the opening, the club has already hosted major shows including Femi Kuti’s Grammy reception party, Mr. Nigeria contest, Beat FM party and numerous album launch gigs.
One wonders why the building has suddenly taken over top rated concerts in Lagos. Could it be for the location or the state of the art equipment, which the club boasts of? Well, the reason is best known to event organisers, who seem to be bent on staging their gigs there.
However, Tribeca club got more than it could handle recently, when MTV Networks Africa and LG Mobile teamed up to celebrate the fifth birthday of music channel, MTV Base.
The celebrity-studded show, which featured notable Nigerian artistes on stage, also witnessed the official launch of LG Chocolate phone series – BL40 and BL20.
By 8pm that evening, Adetokunbo Ademola Street was jam-packed with all sorts of vehicles ranging from SUVs to posh cars… just name it. The packing that night practically reduced the roads to single lane each; in fact, there was no parking space. Most guests had to make do with Bar Beach, but not without settling the area boys, who must have made enough cash that night just keeping watch over the cars.
From the main gate to the poolside where the performances held, the whole place was filled to capacity, yet hundreds of guests were still at the gate with their IVs, struggling to gain access into the venue. It got to the point that the organisers had to temporarily shut the gate in a bid to create more spaces in the already jam-packed venue; it was a night of ‘who is who’ in the country’s entertainment industry.

With frontline DJs such as Jimmy Jatt and DJ Humility on the console, you don’t expect anything less than the best. Regarded as the best in the country, both DJs surely gave good account of themselves.
The stage, which was constructed on top of the swimming pool, came under heavy performance from the likes of Mr. Capable Banky W, Eldee, Omawunmi, MI and Naeto C, who were specially contracted by MTV to thrill guests all through the night. Other entertainers at the party include DJ Zeez, Azadus, Kevin Chuwang Pam (Big Brother Africa), Mode 9, Djinee, Knight House, Sound Sultan, YQ, Jesse Jagz, Lamii, Kel, Kanayo O Kanayo, Dakore Egbuson, ID Ogungbe and other distinguished guests.
Though not a night of Long speech, the General Manager, LG Mobile Communication, Mr. Steve Koh, congratulated MTV Networks Africa for delivering high quality entertainment through its MTV base channel over the last five years.
Koh noted that the partnership between LG Mobile and MTV is part of efforts to enhance the visibility of LG Mobile as a trendy, hippy and fashionable brand, stressing that both brands have a lot in common and much more to deliver on the platform of this partnership.
“We at LG Mobile are very passionate about what we stand for as a brand — innovation, stylish design and reliability. The partnership between LG Mobile and MTV Networks Africa is pursuant to these values. There is no better place to restate these values than a place like this. This is gathering of stars, respected for their excellence in service and performance especially among the teeming population of Nigerians and people from all walks of life.”
According to the GM, “the Chocolate - BL40 and BL20 are precious mobile devices specially designed to accentuate your statement of class. We reckon that Nigerians, and indeed Africans, fans and friends of MTV and the array of stars here present, deserve a touch of class and the Chocolate phones from LG Mobile comes handy, on time and on this day to spice this celebration of achievement that has redefined entertainment in the past five years.”
A complete touch screen mobile device and fourth in the Black Label Series of mobile phones, Koh informed that, “the LG Chocolate BL40 phone has a 4.0 inch wide HD LCD screen with 800x345 pixel resolution to maximize visual experience. This allows combination of a range of natural colours, create sharper photos, make videos more true-to-life, games more natural and documents are more readable. With its 5mega pixel camera, the LG Chocolate BL20 combines state-of-the-art technology with beautiful designs features such as auto and flash that enable it deliver the highest performance.”
Banky W, Eldee, Omawunmi, MI and Naeto C were among the first set of Nigerians to own the sleek mobile phone; they got it free of charge at the event; though Banky W gave out his freely to one of his fans just few minutes after the presentation.

HOMEFRONT

MUSON Choir recreates St. John Passion
The MUSON choir accompanied by the MUSON Symphony Orchestra, will today recreate Johann Sebastian Bach’s St. John Passion. Scheduled to hold at the Agip Recital Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, the concert will kick off at 6pm, under the baton of Emeka Nwokedi.
In the cast for the the work that tells the story of the death of Jesus Christ, are seasoned artistes including Oguchi Egbunine, a fine tenor who plays the role of Evangelist linking other principal characters and the choir. Others are John-Paul Ochei (Bass) who acts Jesus; Taiwo Jayeola (Bass) playing the role of Peter and Uzo Emenanna (Bass) playing Pilate’s role.
Other soloists are Francesca Boyo (Soprano), Mary-Ann Agetu (Soprano), John Eclou/Stanley Okoli (Tenor) and Obinna Ifediora (Bass), while Tosin Ajayi, and Alaba Akinselure, will man the organ.

Black Night with Mode Men
All is set for this year’s edition of the Mode Men magazine’s anniversary show tagged Black Night. Now in it’s fourth edition, the show, which is conceived as a black carpet show, is billed for Saturday, April 3, at the Marque, Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, with a special dinner for guests.
The event will be spiced with music performances, fashion show, comedy and a raffle draw, with proceeds from the auction going to charity.
According to the publisher of the bi-monthly lifestyle magazine that celebrates men and their achievement, Abubakar Tafewa Balewa, the celebration will not be only about eating and drinking as funds will be raised for charity purposes as part of its social responsibility.
“Nigeria being the most populous black nation in the world, we are iconic in the celebration of the African/Nigerian man. We also intend to use the occasion to raise funds for an orphanage in Lagos, as a way of our social responsibility.”
To be anchored by the duo of Leroy Owugah and Bimbo Akintola, notable among entertainers billed to grace the event are the King of comedy Ali Baba, Julius Agu, Basket Mouth and AY, J. Martins, Jesse Jagz, Jaywon, Femi Adeyinka, Silver Saddih, Lim Gizzy and Emco amongst others. Five top Nigerian fashion designers will also showcase their new collections on the runway at the event supported by Wisemen Apparel, Federal Palace Hotel and Cytech communications.
It would be recalled that last year’s edition of the show raised funds for the purchase of goods for Pacelli School for the Blind, Surulere, Lagos and Dooshima Education Foundation in Makurdi, Benue state.

Nigeria artistes back Yaw’s Private Lies
Top rated Nigerian artistes have thrown their weight behind broadcaster Steve Onu (Yaw), who will be staging a play, Private Lies, today at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos. The artistes are expected to spice up the event with performances.
Written by Tyrone E. Terrence and produced by Yaw, the four man casts will feature the popular broadcaster, Steve Onu and actor Jude Orhorha (Gbenro of the award winning sitcom, Fuji House of Commotion). It will also feature the duo of Sontonye Green and Kaybee Emokpaire, up coming acts, who were discovered during an auditioning for the play.
According to Yaw, a Theatre Arts graduate of the Lagos State University (LASU), the play is being staged as part of his efforts to revive live theatre in the country.
“Live theatre cannot die because it has been there for ages and will continue to live. Also, the message of the play is very vital to us as Nigerians, whih informed my choice of selecting it.”
With Emma Uduma as director, Private Lies is a story of love told via an intricate web of lies, hatred and betrayal. Two couples; Jeff and Barbara on one side, and Sam and Rose on the other, find themselves locked in a familiar but yet complicated situation that will see them sacrifice years of friendship as well as nuptial vows to satisfy their most pedestal passion.
The first show is expected to kick off at 4pm, with performances from Ruggedman, J Martins, Jaywon, Dagrin, Obiwon and General Pype. While the second show billed for 7pm will feature Ali Baba, Basket Mouth, Teju Babyface, Koffi, Owen Gee, Klint Da Drunk, Ay, Tee A, Seyi Law, Emeka Smith, 9ice, Banky W, Weird MC and MI.
For every ticket purchased, the audience will have the opportunity to shop at Sixth Sense between April 2 and 5, at a discount rate, while designer OUCH will be giving away lots of gifts for every VIP ticket. There will be free Power Horse drinks, while ten lucky guests will get return tickets to Abuja courtesy of DANA Air.

Teeth 4 Teeth

2010-05-10T04:10:00.000-07:00

BY JUSTIN AKPOVI-ESADE

Wande Coal ‘Watches’ Yaw On Radio
CAN someone please tell Wazobia FM to either take off hip-hop act Wande Coal’s promo on presenter Yaw or edit it? Wande at the end of the skit advised everybody to keep ‘watching’ Yaw (watching on radio o?) every morning. Nice work Wande Coal, but since when did people start watching programme on radio? You need to be flogged, anyway, the hip-hop act has a history of goofs. Wande, at one time, wanted to shower praises on Guinness Nigeria Plc. for their good works on the entertainment industry at an event, but ended up thanking Nigerian Breweries; it took the compere some efforts to whisper to him before he came back to his senses.
Verdict: Wande Coal needs to be frog-jumped for him to be wise.

Ateke Tom: The Leo Mezie connection
YOU will be wondering why I have been on Nollywood star, Leo Mezie’s case for quite some time now, especially since he got married. Well, if you are indeed concerned, then tell Leo to stay at home because as long as he or other celebrities come out, they will be spotted by eagle eye T4T. Last week Friday night, Leo was restless, making calls after calls. Then at about 9.30pm, he raced down the staircase and shortly appeared with some stern looking characters, all looking like actors out of a Marlon Brandon Godfather movie. The bowel of the celebrity hangout stood still as ex-militant and Niger Delta warrior Ateke Tom walked in with his large entourage. The aura of power will make even Goodluck Jonathan go green with envy. In fact, I won’t go into the details of things that followed. So, ex-militants can groove that much? Well, you won’t blame Tom, after years of being in the creeks and fighting; amnesty has made all free and so, it’s time to show the stuff one is made of.
As for Leo, hmmm, I trust he can take care of himself bcos dis new friend wey Leo get so na big frend o o.

... And talkative was in the groove
COMEDIAN Talkative was one of the people that made the Ateke Tom’s groove thick; a knife would have issues cutting through. He was all smiles as expensive drinks and rich food found their way to the reserved table for the former warlord. Who no go smile for dat kain situation?

Talkative and Goodluck Jonathan
ACTING President Goodluck Jonathan is perhaps not the only person that will share from his good luck. Comedian Talkative, reports say, have relocated from whereever he had been hibernating to the seat of power, Abuja, since Jonathan assumed office as ‘Acting President’. It’s no news that Talkative and Jonathan have been enjoying a father/son relationship since the latter’s days as Governor of Bayelsa State. The rumour mill revealed that as soon as Jonathan was announced ‘Acting President’, Talkative was on the plane the next minute to Abuja, of course, with several proposals. One of his oncoming films on Niger Delta first known freedom fighter, Adaka Boro, was top on his brief case. When T4T accosted him last Friday, he denied the report. But there is a noticeable change in his body features since Jonathan became the nation’s top man. Talkative was lean some months ago, but now, he looks as fresh as eja aro (point and kill fish). Advice: Talkie, make hay while the sun shines because your Godfather has just some months on that seat, that is if Yar’Adua and Turai do not pull another stunt like they did with the return from Saudi Arabia. No be me talk o, na amebo people dem o.

E-Money, KC Presh and The Sengemenge Family
I FEEL happy writing this report on the hottest and youngest millionaires in town. Who are they? You have not been moving around if you are still asking this question. Hip hop stars KC Presh and the elder brother of the K in KC, Emeka alias E-Money are the people making Lagos tick at the moment. They are called the Sengemenge Family (just like in the Mafia, where you have the Gambino, Corleon etc families). They move about in a large convoy of Hummer jeeps with revolving lights. If they happen on your club any day, you can go to sleep for the next three days because you definitely will run out of drinks and foods since they invade often with about 30 people excluding mogbo moyas (gate crashers) at the place. While Ateke Tom was holding the celebrity hangout in Surulere to ransom that Friday, the Sengemenge family was some metres away, just by the stage, showing the stuff they are made of. At intervals, E-Money would cause rain to fall on the in-house band, a wad of N1000 bills. It got to a point, the leader of the band was so confused, he almost fainted. Ateke Tom on his part will reply with two wads of the same denomination. It was a ‘contest’ of no winner. T4T’s wife was forced to ask, at a point, if those bills were real money. My dear, they are real money, being spent by real people. My initial excitement evaporated as we drove home in my rickety Tuke Tuke car. Show me the man that won’t feel slightly worried when he just witnessed young people spraying N1000 notes. But, I was consoled that Jesus is still lord and we shall make it in His name… Amen.

D’ Lecturer at it again
SINCE comic act D’ Lecturer bought his car that many say is not better than T4T’s Tuke Tuke, he has since stopped coming to celebrity hangouts to search for who to drop him at the next BRT bus station for onward transmission to Akute, a suburb of Lagos, where reports say he is planning to buy his country home (he currently lives in a flat at a ridiculous low rent a bad belly says can only pay for a single room’s rent in Surulere).
Saw the petit comedian when he came to town (as if na anoda state im dey stay). He was all smiles, spotting a designer shirt with his name inscribed on the breast pocket, the comic declined all entreaties by his friends to buy some shacks. He rather began a systematic thumbing of cigarettes from people’s packs on the table. You can take the man from the ghetto; you cannot take the ghetto from the man.
Na talk I talk o.
ogbuus@yahoo.com

Ubaka… Return of the ‘rejected stone’

2010-05-10T03:59:00.001-07:00

BY SHAIBU HUSSEINI
HIS story is like that of the rejected stone, which ended up being in the head corner position. The filmmaker, JOSEPH UGOCHUKWU UBAKA, did all he could to be accepted as a filmmaker in the country, but no one gave him a chance. In frustration, the Enugu-born filmmaker, whose debut feature, Trapped Dream, received the special jury prize at the 29th edition of the African Cinema Festival in Verona, Italy, left for Senegal, where he was accepted. An actor, screenplay writer, director and producer, Ubaka was born and raised in Enugu. He had his secondary education at the National Grammar School, Nike, Enugu. It was while in school that he nursed the ambition of emerging a top entertainer. Ubaka sang, danced and acted and was a regular feature of the school and most off-school dramatic, music and literary events. But it was music that appealed to him the most. The tall, well built filmmaker wanted to become a successful rap musician in the mould of L.L Cool J. So far, the alumnus of the Berlin Talent Campus, who has worked extensively outside the shores of the country and received commendation abroad, speaks with Moviedom.

The AMAA 2010 nomination
Well, I am glad that the movie, Lilies in the Ghetto, made it to the very last round, which is the nomination stage. I understand that the academy received well over 500 films and for your work to get to that level and even get nominated means a lot. So, I am happy, though I was expecting that I would be nominated in the cinematography category. I think we did our best there but again, you can’t have it all and perspectives are different. I mean, I looked through the list and discovered that there were some quality jobs there. So, I look forward to a good outing at AMAA, and like I said, somewhere, there is no better recognition than the one from home.
Decision to become a musician
My elder brother won’t hear of it. He hollered all day and told everyone how I wanted to end up on the streets. And true, at that time, those who were musicians were not taken seriously even by the society. It was just like football then. Today, everyone is encouraging his or her ward to either be a musician or a footballer. Way back then, it was looked down upon. So, my elder brother objected and I had no option than to obey.
Living in Bondage inspired me
So, when it was time to choose a course of study upon admission, I finally applied to study Political Science at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. But that decision didn’t keep me away from the arts. As I took classes in Political Science, I wrote scripts and sought acting opportunities. It took the success of the phenomenal Living in Bondage -- a film that is believed to have spurred interest in home video production -- for me to rediscover my love for the arts. It rekindled my interest in the arts. It got me thinking seriously about filmmaking as a career. That was when all those things I did during my early school days came in handy.
I wrote my first film script in my second year
By the second year into study, I had a script ready. That was when I wrote my first feature screenplay titled End of the Road that has not yet been produced. The story treats the highest level of cultism in our higher institution of learning. It was my own way of campaigning against the vice. But I couldn’t get anyone to breathe life into the script. So it remained with me until I left Zaria with a degree in Political Science.
No one gave me a chance in Nollywood
Upon graduation, I left for Lagos. To be relevant and to have your art aired, Lagos was the place to be. I looked out for acting and or scriptwriting opportunities but no one wanted to give me a chance. I was not known enough to pen a script to be produced or not a selling face for a movie role. Once, I had a nasty encounter with a notable producer, who in spite of the quality of my proposal, blatantly refused to understand my vision and passion for cinema. I had gone to see a so-called executive film producer in Nigeria, who had not gone to university, let alone, attending any film school; he talked me down, without knowing what I could offer. He said I was good enough to play waka pass (extra) and that I should forget about talking to him about script writing or any other thing about filmmaking. It was so devastating. I was tired of everything and I thought the best way out of it was to go train and return.
I got a break in Senegal
A year after, some Pan African filmmakers, who are resident in Dakar, Senegal, and I, created a legal film association called Filmi Gët (atelier des recherché cinématographiques). This was in 1999. It was the same year that Filmi Gët, in collaboration with Forut Media Centre de Dakar, produced our documentary fiction titled Ganaw Keur. I worked as assistant director on the set of the documentary that was selected at the festival d’ film d’Amien. In 2000, I got directing and co-production credit. That was when I directed and co-produced my first short written fiction film titled Jungle Justice, in collaboration with Bureau Pan African Communication, Media Centre de Dakar and Filmi Gët. My long stay in Senegal paid off when in 2003, I was among 12 young filmmakers that were sponsored to receive filmmaking training program at the Media Centre de Dakar, under the Tutorship of Fred Rendina, an America-trained filmmaker, who has worked with HBO television station. A year later, I was in Germany on the bill of TV5, a France based Television station. I was sent to Berlin to receive training at the Berlin Talent Campus, a major skill acquisition programme of the Berlin International Film Festival. I returned from Germany and made it straight to France for an exchange programme on filmmaking in Lile, France, under the sponsorship of Masion Jeune de la culture (MJC), Valencia, Spain. My turning point as a cinematographer came in 2003. That was when I directed and co produced my first documentary film project titled L’homme D’ Gardio in collaboration with Filmi Gët and PeriPlan International Africa Film Festival in Lile, France. It was my first time experience as a cinematographer. In 2005, I signed an international co production deal for my first fiction film titled Europe by Road. The film was released in April 2008. The film came two years after I directed and co- produced my third short fiction film titled Hearth Break in collaboration with Filmi Gët and Media Centre de Dakar.
Trapped dream is my word to African Youths
My award winning Trapped Dream is a call to African youths to have a rethink as the future of Africa lies in their hands. Since the 1930s, the dream of African youths is to migrate to the western world in search of greener pasture or fabled Golden Fleece. This dream, over the past two decades has unfortunately taken a dangerous and frightful dimension. So I want them to see and learn from the movie that there is no easy life anywhere. The future of Africa lies in their hands and they have a duty to salvage it and make it a better place for everybody and generations yet unborn. Individual families, organisations and governmental agencies, too have fundamental roles to play in reversing this ugly sore festering the youths.
I look forward to doing something here
Now back home, I look forward to working on home soil. I am open to collaborations. And I am willing to contribute my quota to the growth of the development of the industry. And you see Nollywood will rise again. It is only going through a phase that other industries have gone through. It will come out of its present distressed state. I know that for sure and I hold strongly that filmmaking is a serious professional business not all comers’ affair, so there is still hope for Nollywood.

Around and about Nollywood...

CFC showcases films n Switzerland
COMMUNICATING For Change (CFC), the non-governmental organisation that has since 1998 being in the forefront of raising awareness of environmental and social issues, was invited by CARITAS, the African Mirror Foundation, Nigerian in Diaspora Organization Europe, the Swiss African Forum, and the Afro-European Medical and Research Network to present their films on female genital mutilation (Uncut! Playing with Life), democracy and good governance (Film Democratic), and HIV & AIDS (Bayelsan Silhouettes). The films, according to information contained in the e-newsletter of the organisation, was presented to a diverse audience of stakeholders in Bern, Switzerland. CFC’s Executive Director, Sandra Mbanefo Obiago, gave a presentation on how media can positively impact development by showing excerpts of CFC’s films and sharing lessons learned and research findings from national behavior change campaigns in Nigeria. A lively discussion ensued regarding the need to address harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), within migrant communities in Europe, the need to ensure open dialogue and collaboration between experienced development groups in Europe and Africa, and the need to keep up the pressure in calling for anti-FGM national legislation in Nigeria. The audience commended CFC for projecting a balanced, homegrown view of local development challenges to a global community by producing films that portray issues from a positive standpoint.

Gyang, CFC partner is Producer of the Year
THE CFC, through its e-newsletter, has announced that one of its partners and talented writer, producer and director Kenneth Gyang was awarded Screen Producer of the Year 2010 by the prestigious Future Awards, at a ceremony recently held in Lagos. Kenneth has worked with CFC on various projects, including co-Directing CFC’s Democracy and Good Governance films with Tunde Kelani in 2006, whilst completing his films studies at the National Film Institute (NFI) in Jos. Kenneth also worked on CFC’s Bayelsan Silhouettes film series as an Associate Producer in 2007 to 2008, and most recently directed one of CFC’s latest films on Nollywood, as part of the Red Hot! Nigeria’s Creative Economy series, which will be launched this year. “I have huge confidence in the quality of my work so it was great to receive the award”, Kenneth said after being named Screen Producer of the Year. ‘Since 2006, when I crossed paths with CFC, I have been grateful for the team’s encouragement and support, which has helped me to develop my skills and progress in my career.’ ‘Kenneth is one of Nigeria’s most talented young filmmakers’, commented Sandra Obiago, Executive Director, CFC, upon hearing of his award. ‘We are very proud of his achievement and believe that empowering youth like Kenneth has enriched the Nigerian media landscape and given an important voice to our creative youth to tell their own stories.’ Besides partnering with CFC, Kenneth has also worked with the Goethe Institut, the BBC World Service Trust, the Society for Family Health (SFH) and Johns Hopkins University, USA, and is currently working on his first feature film, Confusion Na Wa.

...And Innovating for Africa gets AMAA nomination
INNOVATING for Africa, the 22-minute documentary from the stable of Communicating for Change on Dr. Oluyombo Awojobi, who built a clinic from scratch with no government assistance and external funding, is on the nomination list of the 2010 African Movie Academy Award dubbed AMAA 2010. The documentary, as directed by Deji Adesanya, is in contention with four other documentaries – Wamba Ngoma from Tanzania, Peace Wanted Alive from Kenya, Bariga Boys from Nigeria and En quette d’identite from Burkina Faso. The documentary — uncommon service tells the remarkable story of Dr. Awojobi, who has served over a hundred thousand Nigerians in an area (Eruwa in Ogun State, South West Nigeria) where access to quality healthcare facilities and equipment is scarce. The AMAA award proper comes up on April 10 at the Glory Land Cultural Centre, Yenegoa, Bayelsa State.

It’s 71 entries in all for Zuma 2010
THE Nigerian Film Corporation has announced the receipt of 71 entries for all categories of the film festival at close of submission of entries.
Entries closed on February 28, 2010. A statement from the secretariat of ZUMA Film Festival (ZFF) 2010, which is in its fifth (5th Edition) indicates that the quality of entries received are encouraging going by the timely response by both Nigerians and foreign filmmakers to participate in the festival. A breakdown shows that of the 71 entries, Nigerian filmmakers account for 51 while 20 are foreign. The number of potential exhibitors for the film market of the festival, the statement added, is also encouraging as everything is being done to ensure that it is a success. The 2010 edition has Global Images: Global Voices, as its theme and it seeks to strengthen the bridging of existing gabs between developed and developing film cultures. The focus on the Global nature and impact of film as a medium of expression is to encourage filmmakers and film making nations to undertake the globalization of their films without losing the rhythm and practices that make each artistic culture distinctively different. ZUMA Film Festival (ZFF) 2010 holds at the Nicon Luxury Hotels, Abuja from May 2 to 6.

Waka pass…

Producer- Amebo A. Amebo
Director- Mr. Gossip
Actors- Nollywood Celebrities

Chioma Chukwukah Akpotha’s watching her weight
WE have not seen leading Nollywood actress and Glo Ambassador, Chioma Chukwukah Akpotha, lately. One waka pass, who attended a presentation ceremony organised by Glo recently in Lagos, said the actress looked so trimmed that it would be hard for anyone to tell that she had ‘downloaded’ twice. In fact, we were told that the AMAA 2007 best actress in a leading role appeared in a size ‘small’ polo as against the size ‘extra large’ observers think she should be wearing based on the fact that she had visited maternity ward twice. True, waka pass was told that the Chioma that attended the presentation ceremony that day was looking as kinky as the Chioma that oga Akpotha married about four years ago. Nne, you may have to give ladies of your type a talk on how to look trim fit like you oooo. We don’t want to mention names, but I think people like … and ... will benefit a great deal from the secrets of your kinky look. We are sorting out issues of venue and date. But you can call us, as we will need your abstract for pre-workshop publicty. Nne, am sure you still have our numbers. Try the MTN or our NITEL line if you can’t reach us on Glo.

Segun Arinze is Omoni Oboli’s biggest fan
LEADING Nollywood actress, Omoni Oboli, should count herself lucky that she has a huge fan in the deep actor and President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) Segun Arinze. The singer, voice over artiste and actor, whose real names are Segun Aina Padonu, admires Omoni acting abilities greatly. Or what else would make an actor, who should be concerned that he didn’t get a nomination or mention, call the secretariat of AMAA 2010 to find out why Omoni did not get a nomination in the leading actress category? In fact, the waka pass, who sold this gist to us, hinted that presido was on phone for several minutes on the matter. The only reason he advanced was that Omoni ought to be nominated since the movie, Figurine, was nominated in the best film and best directing categories and even Ramsey Nouah that sparred with her got a nomination. Anyway, we were told that he hung up when he was asked to see the other movies in contention and compare Omoni’s performance with those in nomination. We gathered that Presido laughed out loud when he was told by another waka pass, who saw the movie that the only time Omoni was prominent in the film was when she started ‘fighting Figurine’ and after that she slept for the better part of the film until the point she opened her eyes at the end of the film’. They said Presido was just answering ‘hum, hum’ meaning that himself fit never see the film wey him dey do lawyer on top so’. Not to we talk am ooo. But like dem dey say here:
shaibu70@yahoo.com

The city of garden

2010-03-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

BY GREGORY AUSTIN NWAKUNOR
IN September 2009, I was in Port Harcourt on two occasions, and something kept drawing me to the city. Last week, I had opportunity to be in the city again.
It was in the afternoon when my phone rang. It had gone on for some time before I picked the call. I was in the peak of production and was not ready to be distracted. My phone rang again. The caller this time was my friend in Port Harcourt.
After some exchange of pleasantries, he asked: “Greg, how about seeing Port Harcourt this weekend?”
In a spontaneous fit, I accepted an invitation to see the Garden City once more. But I was incredibly nervous. The image that flashed into my head was that of militants wearing headscarves and bandana dancing (maybe bobbing back and forth at best) in small tight circles, in a completely belligerent manner. There had been arguments as to whether security had really returned fully to the city.
I remembered that only recently Warri was rocked by bomb from a set of people, yet to be unmasked.
It was an opportunity to unplug, perhaps, step away from life in Lagos and explore the Garden City.
By the time the plane touched down on the tarmac, my mind was fully prepared for the Garden City experience, which has always been exciting. I got into the city and everywhere was cool.
The country had witnessed relative coolness and many flights had been cancelled these past weeks.
As soon as I got to GRA, my mind went straight to the roast yam, plantain and fish, a favourite menu in this part of the country, which I ate the last time I came.

RIVERS State has a landmass of 11,077km? Its capital city Port Harcourt is one of the fastest growing metropolitan cities in Africa; is strategically situated, making it an economic hub servicing the South East and South-South regions.
The state has two major refineries, seaports, airports including an international one, and is easily accessible by land, air, rail and sea.
Politicians seeking territorial relevance without building any basis for sustainable legitimacy resorted to encouraging misguided youths to form violent gangs, which they branded as “cults”.
These criminal groups unleashed terror by day and night on law-abiding citizens in Rivers State. Indiscriminate killings, kidnapping and molestation of people where brazenly carried out.
Above all these were the inexplicable failure of the state (government at all levels) to enforce the law. The government was unwilling or unable to enforce the law. In consequence, near anarchy ensued and miscreants became laws unto themselves.
This was the regrettable state of affairs before Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, assumed office in October 2007.
Upon assumption, the government had no doubt in its minds that the principal task before it was to restore law and order in Port Harcourt and in Rivers State as a whole.
It was clear from the on-set that the provision of security through the enforcement of law and order is the primary constitutional basis for the existence of government.
Ensuring the security of lives and property of its citizenry is therefore the highest responsibility of government.
Port Harcourt, with its robust nature, has a vibrant social life with booming entertainment that is well entrenched. Just like its steaming commercial pulse, its social life is on the upswing with numerous outlets.

In the evening, my friend was in my hotel room. The time was almost 10pm and fear gripped me that I was going out in the city where “your next door neighbour may be a ‘kidnapper’, so I thought. The adventurous spirit in me urged me on.
As soon as we drove out, my friend asked, “where do we go now?”
I was silent for some minutes. “Circular Avenue,” I heaved, remembering the place I stayed when I came for the Garden City Literary Festival.
Suddenly, the car came winding down the narrow Circular Avenue GRA, and rolled up to a halt in front of a popular hotel on the street. I was excited when I saw a troupe of ladies ‘mounting guard’ on the road. It was as if the whole girls in Port Harcourt had milled down to Circular Avenue. They were all there — all shades of colour and height.
“These people will make I good story,” I muttered aloud.
“I know you wanted to see the other side of Port Harcourt; its seamy side, but nonetheless a perfect way of saying that the Garden City is safe. Don’t you think so?” my friend said.
I nodded, “Yes!”
The night was crawling in gradually and I didn’t want to miss out of the human traffic in the avenue.
Later, we moved and our first shot was D’s Place, a sit-out in D-Line. We guzzled wine for the two hours we spent there; as we waited for the night to wear on.
We sat in a far corner of the table and watched, as people streamed in and out.
There was a characteristic note of intimate conversation between everybody. I was just interested in my drink.
My friend left his seat to join them. My heart almost leapt out of mouth. I thought I would be introduced as a journalist, it would have meant there won’t be opportunity to have a little knowledge of nightlife in the city.

WE left D’s Place about 12midnight for some other clubs, Baracuda, Casablanca, name them. We were everywhere. It was more like a rehash of previous visit. The clubs we visited were all located in almost the same enclave in GRA. Actually fees are not just fixed in Port Harcourt’s club. However, every good one has its fancies. Bongainvilea is not entirely on fees, it’s about being classy and there are few restrictions. Casablanca is really all-comers, but sometimes operate on moderate fees. Casablanca is one place to catch real fun.
With a well established clientele and right balance. The girls are all gold diggers, like any place you get a mixed crowd so be firm, pleasant and select wisely.
Wine Bar is elitist and classy; The Wish is all-comers so also are Baracuda, Little Angels and Illusions. However, in all, your money tells your class and the class of girls you hang out with.
Besides, a bottle of beer or energy drink costs a baseline of N500 while a good wine or whisky goes for at least N6000; champagne is minimum of N30,000. The girls are very friendly, very hot, mostly clean, good fun and up for anything... at a price.
Some go as high as N10,000 per night, but those that enter Port Harcourt from Aba go for N5,000 or slightly less. You can drop into any of the clubs from Friday and it will be a pleasant environment to socialise.
At Casablanca, we had great time. The music was pretty good, with the DJ offering up a mixture of local hip-hop and the standard rotation of RnB/Top-40 nightclub hits. We saw a lot of ladies, who looked like drug addicts, skin weathered by crack, with bodies squeezed into body-hugging dresses. There were girls shimmying their hips to hard-hitting hip-hop bass on the dance floor, and those flinging themselves, wholeheartedly.

At about 4am when I got to my hotel, I was totally fagged out. I had somehow forgotten the reason for my visit. Port Harcourt now peaceful, come and enjoy the city.
Maybe the governor will confirm it. I was eager to hear from him the next day, which actually was when he will make a presentation to members of the Diplomatic Corps on security in Rivers State.

Amaechi: Why I go out at night without escort
THE governor said one reason he goes out to public places at night is to reassure residents of Port Harcourt that peace and nightlife have been restored to the state. Governor Amaechi,, who stated this Sunday night during a dinner with foreign envoys in Government House, Port Harcourt, said his free movement at anytime of the day was an indication that the security challenges were virtually over.
“If the security challenge is as bad as I hear, I will not take the risk of driving out in the night without escort,” Governor Amaechi said.
He cited instances of his late night movements to visit places and people. He said that as a young man, he attends nightclubs sometimes, stressing, “I do that also to reassure the citizens that they are protected, first by God, and through human instruments put on ground by the state government for the safety of their lives.”
The state’s Chief Executive thanked the envoys for honouring the state with their presence as they would exchange knowledge, which would lead to changing the perception about the state, adding that the assumption that whatever happened in the Niger Delta was in Port Harcourt was wrong.
He gave an example of the bomb blast in Delta State, which was ironically said to be in Port Harcourt in some quarters, while the kidnap incidences in the neighbouring Abia State was also painfully attributed to be in Rivers State.
Responding on behalf of the envoys, the Ambassador of Czech Republic to Nigeria, Mr Jaroslav Siro, said Rivers State and Niger Delta are very important to Nigeria, which is a major economic as well as business partner to their countries.
Mr Siro said the international community appreciated the handling of the recent constitutional problem in Nigeria and hoped that future issues would be addressed maturely, especially the forthcoming general election in 2011, which they hope to be conducted in a transparent manner.
He commended the Rivers State government for the initiative, and for what they are doing in the state, and urged the people to support the governor in achieving his laudable objectives.

From Ikenga, honour to entertainment icons

2010-03-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

MD Ikenga, Chris Nwandu presenting the plaque to Shaibu Husseini at the Rutam House. In the background is veteran broadcaster and journalist, Benson Idonije

BY CHUKS NWANNE
For their role in building the country’s entertainment industry to its present flourishing state, Ikenga Entertainment recently honoured some Nigerian media practitioners. Tagged the Society Entertainment & Style Editors Nite Of Honour (SESE Nite), the event, which was held at the White House, Toyin Street, Ikeja Lagos, brought together forerunners in the country’s entertainment industry under one roof.
Spiced with music performances by some up-coming artistes – a deliberate move by Ikenga to give young talents that desired opportunity to showcase their talents on a big stage – the award ceremony, which is in its first edition, was divided into four different categories; Sese Pointmen, Sese Icons, Sese Czars and the Post Humous award.
Among the 13 Sese Pointment awardees at the event include Ogbonnaya Amadi of Vanguard Newspapers, The Guardian’s Shuaibu Hussein, Azu Arinze of Encomium Magazine, Charles Nwagbara of Hight Society, Justin Akpovi-Esade of HiTV (formerly of The Guardian), Bola Salako of Silverbird, Tope Olukole of Nigezie and others.
Recipients of the Sese Icons awards include Kenny & D1 of Primetime Africa, Femi Akintunde Johnson (publisher Treasure magazine), Jacob Akintunde Johnson of Silverbird, Femi Sowoolu of Radio Continental, Kunle Bakare of Encomium magazine, Mayor Akinpelu of Fame Magazine and Ruth Osime of Thisday and The Guardian’s Jahman Anikulapo,
Bashorun Dele Momodu (Ovation Magazine), Ladi Ayodele, Bisi Olatilo and Muyiwa Adetiba were among practitioners that got the Sese Czar awards, while Post Humous awards were presented in the memory of broadcaster Steve Kadiri, Ifeanyi Ikennor, Hakeem Ikandu and Wale Olomu.
Some dignitaries at the event include DG, Nigeria Film & Video Censors Board (NFVCB), Emeka Mba, Charles and Amaka Igwe, Emma Ogosi, Dele Abiodun and a host of others.
Speaking during their visit to The Guardian to present awards to the duo of Jahman Anikulapo and Shuaibu Hussein, who were on official assignment as at the time of the ceremony, the president of Ikenga Entertainment, Chris Kehinde Nwandu, informed that, “the initiative is borne out a genuine need for us to identify media practitioners who have over the years, remained in the vanguard of promoting the phenomenal growth we have noticed in the entertainment industry in the area of movies, music, fashion and style, society and even comedy. Most of them have remained unsung, so we felt there is the need to celebrate them.”
In his acceptance speech, the Editor, Anikulapo, commended the initiators for their foresight, which he noted, would encourage young journalists in their quests for excellence in the field.
“Chris is one of the people that played a vital role in music reporting in the country and I’m happy that he came up with this initiative. I don’t usually participate in awards events or fancy awards and generally, but I’ve watched Ikenga Entertainment for long now and I know their contributions to the industry. It feels good to be honoured by people from your constituency; I feel honoured by this award.”
Anikulapo also charged the organisation to do more in the area of training for young reporters in the field.
“That’s the only way we can get the best out of them. I think Ikenga can do more in terms of organising workshops and training for practitioners. A lot of the entertainment journalists concentrate more on writing about celebrities instead of reporting music and movies. I believe there’s urgent need to re-focus practitioners towards the part of professionalism and Ikenga is in the right position to do that,” he said.

New laws of power

2010-03-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

(Life Coach)
BY AGBOLADE OMOWOLE
THE world will stand still and listen when powerful people step to the centrestage and speak. Powerful people know their onions and seem to possess what makes other people to flock around them in numbers. If you care to learn the laws of power, then this article is written for you.
Few days back, a friend of mine was in my room and after we discussed over some issues relating to my business, I went outside for a moment and returned to see my friend reading a copy of this article.
He was so fascinated about the article that he began to ask me questions. He told me that he had been wondering why people like to flock around me; and that this article has answered the question.
If you are ready to be a people’s person, if you are ready to talk and people will listen to you, if you are ready to make friends and influence people positively, then read on. I will share with you principles that will work for you because they worked for me.

Go the extra mile for others. I realised that in life, the people that are more inclined to help you are those you have helped in one way or the other. This is coherent with the equity theory, which states that in every relationship, people evaluate their gains and pains. An average person wants to be friends with people that are better than them. That is, people they can gain from. A powerful person learns to make positive imbalances in his/her relationship with others by giving more than they receive.

Be a giver. When you are always giving, the other person may feel indebted to you in some ways. Moreso, understand that every human may be selfish or self-centered by nature. Therefore, you may not expect others to make sacrifices for you when you have never sacrificed anything for them.

When you help others, you help yourself too. Remember that when you point a finger at the other person, the remaining fingers will be pointed at you. Renowned motivational speaker and writer, Zig Ziglar, says this: “You can get anything in life by helping enough other people get what they want.”

Make history. Be a part of someone’s history. Some people come into our lives and go like that, while some come into our lives and make us better. Your success story may be incomplete without some people who gave you a helping hand when you felt like throwing in the towel.
Few years ago, I was at an event and Professor Pat Utomi was a guest speaker. He said: “There are two types of immortality; seeing God face to face, and living in the heart of men.” You can be immortalised in the hearts of men. It will be bad if after your physical death, everything about you dies. You can die physically, and still be alive, only in the hearts of men.

Be principled. One thing common to powerful people is that they are principled. They don’t just do something for the fun of it. They do everything they do for a reason. They know what they want in life and know exactly how to get it.

Discipline yourself. Let people know your core values. Start now by identifying things that matter most to you in life, and prioritise that list.
Remember that being powerful is not about manipulating or oppressing others, but by understanding the new laws of power.
agboolaa_coach@yahoo.com

Your New Year resolution is still achievable
(Biz tool Kits)
BY BRIDGET OLOTU
THE third quarter in the year is almost drawing to a close, and you might still wonder if there is need to talk about your New Year resolutions at this time.
If you ever set a goal at all for 2010, this moment might just afford you the opportunity to pause and take a look at how much success you have made in reaching your objectives at this time.
One thing is clear: we all woke up into the New Year thinking of how to better run our lives, make more money, achieve more success and make fewer mistakes.
This means that New Year’s resolutions are decisions made to commit to change programmes in certain areas of our lives.
Whether you believe in making New Year’s resolutions or not, two things are clear: if you must leave where you are now, you must stop living the way you’ve been living your life or stop doing what you’ve been doing.
Jim Rohn put it strongly, “If you don’t like your life, change it. You’re not a tree!” You, as God’s created being, have the in-built capacity to change and transform your life. Two, even if you don’t make New Year’s resolutions as such, as long as you plan on the things to achieve for yourself in 2010, this article will be useful to you.
Things you can do to still achieve your New Year’s resolutions in 2010.
Be specific and reasonable with the goals you set. Know what areas you want to change in your life in 2010 and then be reasonable about how you intend going about them. Set priorities. Start with small goals and work your way up to the big ones.
Don’t bite more than you can chew: Take it easy on yourself. You’re human, not a machine. Don’t set too many goals, which will then be hard for you to keep and cause you to fail and feel disappointed and hopeless. Make about two to three goals at a time.
Be very clear about the bad habits that you wish to kick out of your life or goals that you desire to achieve.
Write your goals down: After you’ve clearly realised and defined your weaknesses and bad habits, write them down in a notebook. Write down all your goals in a notebook. This will make you mentally and physically committed to taking action. Bad habits are all the behaviour and personality traits that block your way in life and make it difficult for you to achieve your dreams and ambitions.
Picture your goals daily: Read your goals at least twice a day, first thing in the morning and also before you go to sleep in the night. Mentally picture your goals. See yourself in your mind’s eye succeeding with all your goals and ambitions. Smile and tell yourself all the time that you have the willpower, the self-control and discipline to run your life and to achieve all that you desire. This is a good way to programme your mind and thoughts.
Go for and obtain tools/resources that can help you actualise your goals and ambitions: You need to obtain the necessary tools and resources you require to make your goals and ambitions succeed. Information and its correct application is power. To search and obtain the right information is going halfway to solving your problems.
Read good books on subjects that can help you achieve your goals: The more you read good books, articles and magazines the more educated, intelligent and sharp you’ll be. You can find time to read. Any time you have free time, read a good book!
Network with family members, friends and colleagues: Go out and meet your friends and discuss solutions to their problems as well as yours. Join clubs, associations and groups and mingle with others. Make friends with those who share in your passion and are going your direction! Be bold and communicate with others.
Olotu is the CEO/Lead Consultant, DeAim Innovative Resources Ltd, bridgetolotu@yahoo.com

Students protest at French Village

2010-03-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

BY DAYO ADESINA PETERS
ACADEMIC activities were paralysed in the Nigeria French
Language Village, Badagry, Lagos on March 15, when students
from different tertiary institutions undergoing their Year Abroad Programme, module and diploma studies staged a protest
against the authorities of the institution.
The students, who were demanding for a better living conditionbegan their protest in the late hours of Sunday, March 14. It first started as a mild protest, which grew into a big one the next day, as students were unable to bath due to power outage and scarcity of water.
The angry students closed the two gates leading into the school while they threatened to disrupt lectures until their demands are met.
A student, who spoke to Life Campus, said: “This has been going on for long, since we resumed in January. Power supply has been unstable, and no water for us to do anything. We students are treated like dogs. We are packed in the hostels. Everything is so bad and yet we have paid our school fees, which covers all these facilities.”

(Dayo is the E-in-C of the Union of Campus Journalists, UI. )

Panel on UNN riot submits report
BY MOHAMMED ABUBAKAR, ABUJA
THE Administrative Panel of Inquiry set up to investigate the immediate causes of the January 16, 2010 violent students protest at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) recently submitted its report to the Federal Government. The panel also assessed the extent of damage caused by the demonstration.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi, while receiving the report on behalf of the government, expressed appreciation to the Governing Council and the management of the university for rising up to the occasion to pre-empt a situation, which would have meant a very long time closure of the university, and probably more devastating physical and psychological impact than it did.
Though details of the recommendations contained in the report were not made available, Afolabi gave the assurances that the report would be studied and all necessary assistance will be given to the authorities of the university with a view to promoting conducive learning and teaching environment that would enhance academic activities.
The report was in two volumes. Volume one contained the panel’s full report of investigations and recommendations, while the second volume contained the 34 Memoranda received by the panel.
While commending the panel for timely submission of the report, Prof. Afolabi urged the management to be firm in implementing the panel’s recommendations.
He also urged the Governing Council and management to pay priority to security in the university community to forestall such occurrences in the future.
Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Samuel. O. Igwe, while briefing the Permanent Secretary, had said that what had been a peaceful demonstration by the students against rumoured increase in fees turned violent because some disgruntled elements in the university used the occasion to settle their grievances against the authorities.
He confirmed that the institution had resumed full academic activities as well as started the implementation of the recommendations of the panel. Giving insight into the recommendations, the panel chairman, Chief Patrick Adaba said the recommendations when implemented would contribute immensely to the achievement of a better teaching and learning environment in the university.

Nigerian scholar visits UA Fort Smith
BY TOPE TEMPLER OLAIYA
FULBRIGHT scholar, Dr. Femi Faseun will be at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith on March 29-31 to work with university and high school students and to perform at the International Festival on March 30. Dr. Henry Rinne, chair of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, said one of the purposes of Faseun’s visit to the local campus is to conduct a workshop for student percussionists.
“He will discuss how the drums function as a communications tool in the African culture,” said Rinne, “and he will also speak to an African history class. In addition, we have scheduled him for appearances at area civic clubs, where we expect him to address the Nigerian political climate as well.”
Faseun will appear at International Festival 2010, scheduled for 5:30 to 8 pm on March 30 in the Stubblefield Center. Takeo Suzuki, executive director of international relations, said Faseun will be a special guest at the event and will perform on the drums. The festival has a $2 admission, with optional food tickets available.
Faseun is currently a visiting Fulbright professor in the Department of Music at North Carolina Central University in Durham, where he teaches African music courses. He is a renowned music scholar who has published in both local and international journals and is the founding head of the Department of Theatre Arts and Music at Lagos State University, where he still lectures.
Faseun, who has taught music in the university system across

Investing in women

2010-03-27T07:58:00.000-07:00

BY OMIKO AWA
Directing the affairs of a one-stop-travel shop, Dynax Travels and Tour, is Rachel Kayode-Adele, whose passion is to empower women so that they can engage in productive enterprises.
The lady, whose encounter with two Christian preachers, Jessy Dupliantis and Rod Passy, in her hospital bed in the United States of American made her leave her boutique business for travel agency, shares her experience with other women through the Thriving Business Women Fellowship (TBWF), a Christian interdenominational group.
Born the fifth child in a family of 12, nine girls and three boys, and a Business Administration graduate of the Federal Polytechnic, Ida, she says, “my encounter in 2004 with Dupliantis and Passy, whom I listened to through a TV set while on hospital bed, made me leave clothes selling to establish Dynax in 2005.”
Beaming with smile, she says, “though, I had flair for traveling and visiting places, that singular encounter made me to rediscover myself and start working on my passion for a living.”
Married to Oluwakayode-Adele from Ondo State, the Esan, Irua native, came back home with little or no experience of travel trade, but had to go to a friend who put her through.
Armed with the right knowledge, she launched out her passion, working through the ranks to a level she now empowers women and single ladies.
Apart from being a successful businesswoman, Rachelsays “I love motivating people and reproducing myself. In fact, I believe a candle has nothing to lose by lightening up another candle, so, I encourage women to set up business outfits to help themselves and contribute to the finances of their homes. Many, who knew how I started, have come to understudy me and I have equally helped some of them to set up their businesses.”
This she has done through the platform of her fellowship, the TBWF.
Why work with only women?
The mother of two says, “at TBWF, we also mentor single ladies, who are in courtship and getting ready to marry. We make them see reasons why they should be hardworking in their careers; and while pursuing their careers, how they can engage in meaningful business, no matter the size, instead of depending wholly on their husbands for every kobo that comes into the house.”
Filled with emotions, she rells out reasons why women should to be empowered.
“I was privileged to know of someone that depended on the husband for everything she needed, but unfortunately, the man passed on. The in-laws, not minding the woman’s grief, sent her packing out of her matrimonial home with no means of livelihood. Also, women are always susceptible if the man’s economy is down, so, to avoid this we try to teach women how to catch fish instead of begging for it. We mentor young ladies to start on time so it could be part of them,” she says.
“We equally teach girls never to feel they are inferior to boys because they are girls, but to face the challenges of life as they come,” she says. “My father taught us to be confident and work to attain any height we desired in life; and that, I pass to the young ones.”
Would this not make them to be headstrong to their husbands and abandon the care of the home and children?
The lady answers ‘no’. She says, “there has to be a balance between work and the family. Women should take time to attend to their family needs — home, children, husband and relatives. They should have time for the children; see to their home and school work, and not leave them to the whims of nannies or the school authorities. In fact, working will not make you lose trends of the home.”
She adds, “some businesses could be done without the woman leaving her home. Take the case of running a crèche or other services that could be provided to people in the neighbourhood. However, what matters is identifying your passion and working to fulfill it.”
Using the virtuous woman of Proverb 31 in the Bible, CEO of Dynax Travel Agency says women are to honour and be submissive to their husbands to attend great heights.
“I don’t believe in women liberation or wife being equal to the husband, though God created us equally, He did not assign the same roles to us. Women are to be submissive to their husbands, no matter the height attained in business or in life. We are to honour and obey them, for any woman that disobeys this, has limited place in life. This is what we teach ourselves while impacting on the women.”
And the economy?
“Yes, there is recession, but this is not the first time it’s happening, and in spite of it, people are embarking on new projects. It’s during this period you build confidence and hope in the people, to strive for excellence. This is the main reason prayer should not be separated from business. In the fellowship, we combine praying and business; we also include our husbands in our prayers because a woman on her kneels puts her husband on his heel.”
On challenges faced so far, Rachel, who has through her motivational talks improved the lives of many of her members and those close to her, says, “ the most women are easily discouraged, when they try one or two businesses without success, they give up without knowing that profits come with efforts. They don’t know how to think outside the box. Business entails trying and trying.”
She adds, “electricity and getting funds from banks are challenges we face. Rachel adds, power outage makes us to run on generator, which increases our overhead cost thereby making output to be on the high side. The banks, too, are not making things easy, as loans are not always given to us. When we approached them, they promised to help, but ended up doing nothing. However, we have been raising our funds internally and things are working, but slower than it would have been if we had access to soft loans and regular electric power supply.”

How was growing up like? “I had fun. My late father was editor-in-chief of Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Benin; he instilled in us confidence to succeed in life very early. He made us to believe that being girls do not make us less human. He made us to know that ‘we can be all, we want to be.”

Cover, Edition 229, Sun Mar 21 - 28

2010-03-21T05:26:00.000-07:00

Fruit confectionery market

2010-03-21T05:24:00.000-07:00

(Biz tool Kits)
BY AGBOLADE OMOWOLE
LAST week, we started our series on fruit packaging business. This is the concluding part. The fruit confectionery market also consists of four product categories: Jams, jellies and preserves; Fruit rolls, bars, and snacks; Pie fillings and Fruit butter.
Liquid fruit juice drinks
These come in four different forms:
• Frozen concentrate: This is diluted with water after purchase.
• Dry concentrate: This is also diluted with water after purchase.
• Reconstituted liquid: This has been concentrated but is diluted prior to sale.
• Unconcentrated beverage called Not From Concentrate (NFC).
The latter two types are also known as Ready To Drink (RTD) juices.

The Manufacturing Process
The process is as follows:
• Harvesting/collection
• Cleaning/Grading
• Extraction
• Concentration
• Reconstitution
• Pasteurisation
• Packaging/filling

Byproducts/waste control
Byproducts from fruit juice production come from the rind and pulp that is created as waste. Products made with these materials include dehydrated feed for livestock, pectin for use in making jellies, citric acid, essential oils, molasses, and candied peel. Certain fractions of orange oil, for instance, known as d-limonene, have excellent solvent properties and are sold for use in industrial cleaners.
Quality control
Quality is checked throughout the production process. Inspectors grade the fruit before the juice is extracted. After extraction and concentration, the product is checked to ensure it meets a number of the nation’s quality control standards.
Target market
• Individual consumers: Infants, school children, adults —. Young adults, nursing mothers, working professionals, etc.
• Corporate Consumers: Schools, business organisations, worship centers, marketplaces, eateries, posh and local restaurants, hotels, formal gatherings and events, parties and celebrations
Technical and other requirements
NAFCDAC’s registration is important and inevitable to operate in this industry. Some manufacturers of bottling water machines have made the machines in such a way it can be used for both water and fruit juice production. But this has to be done under stringent supervision and care to avoid contamination of both products.
Income Potentials
Let’s take for instance Lagos State with an unofficial population of about 18 million people (from the state’s website). If 25 per cent of this number take one form of bottled fruit juice product, this translates to 4.5 million potential customers. If this market consumes a bottle of fruit juice once a week, it means this market equals the sale of 18 million bottles a month and 216 million bottles a year from one state government in the country. Now, if you as a company produce 200 cartons of 12 bottles daily for 20 days in a month and 10 months in a year (to factor in capacity underutilisation) at N600 per carton, your monthly income would be worth N2.4 million and N24 million per annum and a profit in the region of about N11 million. Imagine if you’re selling your products in 6 more states in the country? And like I hinted earlier, you can combine this with your packaged water business.

Additional Information/Value Added
AS a value added for consumers, the addition of vitamins and other essential health-promoting minerals can help to further promote your brand in the market, making you the brand of choice for many Nigerian families who use your products for beverage and health purposes.
For space constraints, to make a success of this business, you’d need a comprehensive business plan to guide you in the area of marketing, branding, technical and business architecture for the business, etc, so you can experience competitive advantage from the start.
The Future
Future processing improvements are likely to come from the use of computer controlled sizing and grading of fruit. Fruit juice formulations will see changes as the trend towards adding more nutrition-oriented ingredients, such as antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, continues.
In addition, future formulas are likely to be blends of fruit juices with other more exotic fruit flavours, or even vegetable juices, like carrot, like what is being done by fruit juice producing companies in the country today.
bridgetolotu@gmail.com, Olotu is the CEO/Lead Consultant, DEAIM Innovative Resources Ltd.

You have all it takes
(Life Coach)
BY AGBOLADE OMOWOLE
JOHN Foppe, a renowned motivational speaker, has no hands. He has developed himself so much that he uses his leg to drive his car. His core message is that there is ability in disability.
In the context of this article, a disable is someone, who is not using his talents to make a positive difference in the world. Nobody is disabled except the person, who has not discovered his place in the world.

What limits you is you. There are no limits anywhere. We only have limits in our minds, based on how we have been conditioned from childhood. When you don’t challenge your proposed limits, you will limit your ability to perform and achieve extra ordinary results that are mind blowing.

You are here on a mission. I told participants that they are created to solve a problem, and not to be problem to others. In other words, there is something only you can do. There is a problem that only you can solve. There is a solution that only you can provide. You need to uncover all your latent talents.

Don’t limit yourself. If you don’t limit yourself, then nobody can limit you. No one can limit you without your own permission. Do all it takes to achieve your dreams. Fly. If you can’t fly, run. If you can run, walk. If you can’t walk, crawl. If you can’t crawl, get someone to carry you. By every positive means, make something of your life.

Discover the real you. Who you are today may be a shadow of the real you. The real you is a champion. The real you is a celebrity. The real you is a superstar. The real you is a hero. The real you is a winner. The real you is unstoppable. You may not look like a success now, but time will reveal the real you.

Create the future you want. Everybody leaves either by default or by design. Living by default means living your life the way it comes. If you wake up in the morning without a plan of how to spend that day, then you will be on the receiving end in the sense that things will happen to you.

Make things happen. You can either be the object or the subject in life. When you are the subject, you determine what exactly you want. You create the circumstances that you desire. When you are the object, someone else is in charge of your life. Decide to happen to things. Don’t wait for things to happen to you.

Be in charge of your life. Your life is your life, and when you don’t decide the kind of life you want to live, the society will decide it for you. Learn to live your own life positively. You can inspired by others. You can learn from others. But when you begin to look at other people’s life to determine your own, you are trying to become another person, and not you.

Focus on what you have. The way to become successful is by capitalising on those things that you already have to live a better life. What you don’t have, you don’t have. So it is important to commercialise what you have a natural flair for. If you like to sing, you can make money from singing.

Get customers. The profit you will earn from developing your natural endowment and making it profitable is dependent on how effective you are at getting people to be interested in your product/ services.

Learn to advertise. Let people know what you have to offer you and they will patronise you.
Take action. Marketing yourself is not about knowing what you can do to make money alone. You have to wake up earlier make some calls, some handbills and send some e-mails. By all means, market your skill, and then you will smile to the bank.

agboolaa_coach@yahoo.com

How not to teach Nigerian students

2010-03-21T05:20:00.000-07:00

BY ISMA’IL ADAMU ISHAJOBI
THE day was Thursday, March 4. Time was 10pm. That was when Bimbo Aduke, 100 level student of the department of Human Nutrition, University of Ibadan, realised she was lying on a sick bed and was actually on drip at the University College Hospital, UCH.
She had fainted while receiving a Chemistry lecture, CHE 157, which was supposed to last for an hour from 5 to 6pm.
From an eyewitness account, Bimbo stood in front of the dais because she could not secure a sit.
Suddenly, she started feeling dizzy and as she tried to excuse herself from the pool of students, she fainted and was rushed to Jaja Clinic from where she was transferred to UCH.
Four days later, a similar incident also occurred at the Agric Large Lecture Theatre, when Ife, another 100 level student of Forestry, fainted while receiving a lecture, Mathematics for Agric and Forestry (AGE 112).
CBN is a lecture theater situated between Faculty of Science Lecture Theatre and department of Computer Science at the premier university.
A structure built from a Central Bank of Nigeria grant of N30 million and commissioned on October 31, 2003 by the then governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja.
Seven years later, it does not look it. The facilities and furniture are in their end time. The reason is not farfetched. From its inception, it has always housed more than its capacity.
Bimbo and Ife’s stories are just the tip of the iceberg of how hostile some lecture theatres could be when student converge for lectures.
The irony of the whole issue is that those responsible cannot claim they do not know how the lecture theaters are always overstretched beyond their capacity.
Prior to Bimbo’s incident, Prof. Adebowale, Dean of the Faculty of Science, had made several attempts to split the 100 level students receiving lectures in CBN into groups for conveniences, but this is yet to be realized.
After Bimbo’s incident, Dr. Babalola, a lecturer from Chemistry department came to make the same announcement. The question then is; why wait until a casualty is recorded before taking a pragmatic step. After all it is lecturers who come to lecture in this same lecture theater and they see students packed like canned fish when they are supposed to sit comfortably as undergraduates.
CBN is a true reflection of how the educational system in Nigeria has dwindled over time.
In a situation where a student leaves his/her hall of residence as early as 6am for a class starting at 9am not because he or she wants to read but to secure a comfortable sit in the acclaimed ‘First and Best’ university is a tragedy.
niyas1985@yahoo.co.uk

Lords of campus on the prowl
By Opeyemi Dibua
NIGHTLIFE on campus begins at sunset. In a way, the night fits into some people’s lifestyle such as attending shows and night parties, visiting female hostels, etc. It is the time when lectures are on hold and another life begins.
These days, students don’t wait for the Student Union Government (SUG) to organise shows before they catch their fun. They hits the clubs every night, while those who do not fancy going outside the campus at night organise small hostel parties, which is always fun too. For the churchgoers, there is always a programme to attend every evening.
At the dawn of late evening, different types of cars in different shapes and sizes invade the campus. As always, the owners have come to see their loved ones.
Cars are parked at every dark corner, especially those close to female hostels daily between 7 and 11pm such that any day cars are not sighted, it is always glaring.
Just recently, the student’s vigilante committee caught a man coming out of a lady’s room long after the deadline for male visitors. He claimed to have spent the night in his car and had only seen her host off to her room.
According to the leader of the vigilante committee, Mr. Femi Ishola, “what he was doing at that time of the day in a lady’s room is better imagined than said.”
Another incident occurred when a guy beat his girlfriend after she disappeared for two days. He asked where she was coming from and the lady said she was coming from her uncle’s place. “Oh, so that was your uncle who brought you back and kissed you for three minutes?” Before she could say anything else, a slap had landed on her face.
During examination period, you are sure to observe a different chain of activities at night. These include suya and toasted bread joint, just to mention a few. There is also an astronomical increase in students’ population, also is the upsurge in joint and couple tutorials. Many others take delight in burning the midnight candle in the quest for academic excellence. They read until the night turns to day (TDB). Bukateria and cafeteria operators also join in the TDB, as kola nut sellers hawk till daybreak.
Of special mention is the change in student’s appetite. Rice, which most males claim to be bird’s food because of its inability to quench hunger, becomes the number one staple for everybody, while heavy but sleep-inducing foods like bread, beans and yam records low demand. Those in the habit of eating eba twice a day re-adjust their diet, as all is at stake to scale the exam hurdle.
Nightlife on campus is something that everybody looks forward to at the end of the day.
magodoboy@yahoo.com

Winners emerge on Zain Africa Challenge
BY TOPE TEMPLER OLAIYA
ZAIN Nigeria has announced the first batch winners in the Home Viewers Game segment in the on-going pan African television quiz show, Zain Africa Challenge.
The segment is a feedback platform created to allow viewers test their intellectual aptitude during the quiz contest, also affording them an opportunity to win fantastic prizes such as high-end phones, Internet data card and airtime.
According to Head, Corporate Communications of the company, Emeka Oparah, nine winners emerged from the first episode after providing the correct answer to a singular question asked during the show, adding that the answers were sent as SMS (Short Message Service) to the short code: 35056.
While commending the winners for the feat, Oparah said the initiative is designed to excite Nigerians as well as give customers an opportunity to win big in the academic competition, stressing that his company will always look for opportunities to reward Nigerians in the contest.
The winners from the first episode were: Oluwadamilare Sadiq, Shodipo Lekan, Dayo Adebayo, Stanley Okeke and Yeni Ajayi. Others include Ubani Michael, Olubiyi Sunbi, Nnabuife Ikechukwu and Adebimpe Obadan.
The fourth season of the Challenge is televised every Monday on STV by 8pm; Wednesdays on NTA by 8:30 pm and Thursdays on AIT by 7:30 pm. The contest is also broadcast across the whole of Africa on the DSTV satellite platform on Magic World on Monday at 7:30 pm; on Africa Magic Plus on Tuesdays at 9:20 am and 6:20 pm, and Wednesdays at 12:30am.

For the poet, they gathered

2010-03-21T05:15:00.000-07:00

(L-R) Odia Ofeimun; Guest lecturer, Prof. Mahmood Mamdani; Prof. Wole Soyinka, Chairman of the event; and Ambassador Segun Olusola, Chairman, African Refugees Foundation.

FOR the poet, Odia Ofeimun, it was a birthday well earned last Tuesday, March 16, 2010, as the world gathered to celebrate his 60th birthday. The event, which drew elite, artists, family and friends was organised by Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilisation (CBAAC), in collaboration with Odia Ofeimun Committee of Friends.
The celebrations started in the morning with a lecture at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.
The Director General of CBAAC, Prof Tunde Babawale, in his welcome address, explained the parastatal’s primary decision to collaborate with the Odia Ofeimun Committee of Friends, “in recognition of the celebrant’s sterling qualities and his contributions to scholarship, arts and culture.”
The CBAAC head went on to underscore Ofeimun’s contribution to human capital development.
“As a poet, Ofeimun’s verses initiated a paradigm shift in the ethics and aesthetics of the poetry of socio – political engagement in Nigeria,” he said.
Entitled Sudan and Congo: What lessons for Nigeria? and delivered by the Columbia University, USA, scholar, Prof. Mahmood Mamdani, the lecture renewed the search for all-inclusive reforms in all key institutional frameworks that hold the country together.
The guest lecturer was unequivocal in his recommendation: “One lesson of Congo and Sudan is that it may be time to rethink the legacy of both the colonial past and the reforms you (Nigerians) undertook to end the civil war.”

The evening event was a festival of culture, poetry, music and dance. There were poetry renditions by Chike Ofili, Jumoke Verissimo, Toyin Akinoso and Remi Raji. There was also dance drama presentation by Crown Troupe of Africa led by Segun Adefela and performance of The Feast Of Returns — a drama by Odia Ofemiun and directed by Felix Okolo
Highpoint of the event was cutting of birthday cake by the celebrant and a few friends and colleagues.

Odia, a native of Iruekpen in Ekuma, popularly known as Ekpoma, was influenced by his grandfather to embrace education at an early age. This marked the beginning of his obsession for knowledge.
With his exposure to literature and works of critics of religion and society such as Tolstoy, Rousseau, Obafemi Awolowo, and Wole Soyinka, the bible and even quoran, he became an accomplished writer.
Odia, who wanted to be a Chemical Engineer, but was forced to abort that dream after the death of his father, won the Nichols Fonlon prize in 2010.

If it is comfy, it’s...Biola

2010-03-21T05:13:00.000-07:00

BIOLA Boris is a model. Her career on the runway started when she left secondary school. While still waiting for admission into university, the Lagos State-born lady and the last of her parents’ five children had begun to strut the runway with ease and confidence, which surprised many . The graduate of Industrial Relations and Personnel Management (IRPM), who is pursuing a master’s degree in Public and International Affairs at the University of Lagos, began her modeling career with Dakova, who gave her the first break because he liked her shoulder, which he called Hanger. The multiple awards winner — The African Face (LASU), The Best Runaway Model in Abidjan and an achievement awards from the Nigeria Next Super Model in 2009 — tells KEHINDE OLATUNJI what fashion is to her.

What is fashion to you?
It is embedded in style. It is a trend that builds an individual’s personality; it says who you are and what you represent.

Style of dressing
My style is less or more. It’s what makes me comfortable, but I prefer make up from professionals.

Favourite piece of clothing
My little black dress, couple with my high heel sandals.

Signature scent
D&G.

Favourite designer
Dakova. His style is embedded into a whole lot of sense.

Turn on
Honesty brings tears to my eyes; it humbles my spirit and gets me drawn to people even if the truth hurts.

Turn off
Stealing, I hate a thief with passion.
Your opinion of the country’s fashion industry
It evolved from where it was to where it is now.

Role model
Naomi Campbell, Mrs. Joan Okorodudu, Dakova, Modella and Frank Osodi. These people have made huge contribution to the industry and to the life of the upcoming models and I also wish to make greater impact.

Social life
I enjoy dancing, so, I do it in church and sometimes, once in two months, I go clubbing and also I like meeting people. However, I’ll say I’ve got a limited number of friends and countless acquaintance.

Leisure time
I play basketball, dance, listen to music and read books. I also give back to the society by giving free grooms to upcoming models in the country.

Philosophy of life
Silence is golden. The less you say, the more intelligent you appear.

What would you like to change in Nigeria?
I will wage war against corruption. The war will start from tertiary institutions and end up at government parastatal.

Code for work

2010-03-21T05:08:00.000-07:00

BY KEMI AMUSHAN
DRESSING for work, sometimes, is very difficult, as there are tendencies to dress down or exaggerate appearance.
Clothes that work well for beach, dance clubs, exercise sessions, and sports contests may not be appropriate for a professional appearance at work.
Many offices, however, to save situation, draw up dress codes for their employees. These are actually issued out on assumption of office. Items that are not appropriate for the office are listed, too.
The list will reveal what is generally acceptable or not as business casual attire.
No dress code can cover all contingencies, so employees must exert a certain amount of judgment in their choice of clothing to wear to work.
If you experience uncertainty about acceptable, professional business casual attire for work, ask your supervisor or your Human Resources staff because they are the ones that lay down the rules.
The following rules should be considered when thinking of work clothes.
• Clothes that reveal too much cleavage, your back, your chest, too much of your legs, your stomach or your underwear is not appropriate for a place of business, even in a business casual setting.
• Clothes should be well ironed and not rumpled. Torn, dirty, or shabby clothing is unacceptable.
• No thread should be hanging out from your dress.
• Any clothing that has words, terms, or pictures that may be offensive to other employees is unacceptable.
• Clothes that have company’s logo are encouraged.
Certain days can be declared dress down days, generally Fridays. On these days, jeans and other more casual clothing, although never clothing potentially offensive to others, are allowed.
• Slacks and other makers of cotton or synthetic material pants, wool pants, flannel pants, dressy, capris, and nice looking dress synthetic pants are acceptable.
• Inappropriate slacks or pants include jeans, sweatpants, exercise pants, shorts, leggings, and any spandex or other form-fitting pants such as people wear for biking.

SNAPSHOTS on runway

2010-03-21T04:59:00.000-07:00

BY OYINDAMOLA LAWAL
SNAPSHOTS, the creative Unit of Covenant Christian Centre (CCC), recently, organised a fashion show for 15 new and upcoming designers who are members of the church at the Lagoon Restaurant, Ozumba Mbadiwe, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Tagged X, Y & Stars, the event, conceived as one of the creative projects of the Church, aimed at augmenting existing efforts that would raise the fashion industry in the country.
Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FADAN) also supported the programme while Iman Cosmetics provided all cosmetics.
The Coordinator, Dr. Gbenga Kuponiyi, said: “X stand for Ladies, Y for men and little stars for children. The church is a part of everyday people from all walks of life. Our models and designers are taken from the church. Consistently, we want people to learn how to fish and not to fish for them. This show is giving them a platform to learn in the fashion industry and network.”
Held on St. Valentine’s Day, the show started with an Orange Carpet, which lasted for about two hours (3-5pm).”
He added, “ we have not restricted the designers to the colours of Valentine, rather we have left them to their imagination.”

Stars on the runway
APART from showcasing creative and artistic works of up-coming designers, the show had celebrities such as Yinka Davies, Rooftop MCs, Obiwon, Chioma Chukwuka, Iretiola Doyle, Folorunsho Alakija, Segun Arinze, David Uba, Bayo Haastrup, Omowunmi Akinnifesi, president of FADAN, Prince Oyefusi and Bouqui, and others on the runway in trendy designs.
They all rock the runway in glamorous and mouthwatering outfits-- from different designers.

The Designers
THE designers that showcased their outfit include partner Aduka Design, Wunmieo Couture (WC), Rhobes Couture, Lisk Couture, El-Karis Clothing’s Accessories, Ikole Creations, Nu Studios, Simple and Beautiful Collections, JLM Clothing, Diadem Finishing “Ethel Bunting”, Nude fashion, Ay- Fad’s Bespoke, Beauty John (BJ Design), DM Pieces and Bhezhaleel Options.
Each of them showcased mouth blowing outfits ranging from ruffles to high waist, patches, empire, boubou, kaftan, flare, one-shoulder dress, suits, drippy dress, shirts, pants, pleats and puff to mention a few.
There was good use of colours combination; fabric mixing and the designs were exclusive.

Jos keeps talking

2010-03-21T04:55:00.000-07:00

(Strictly for the young)
BY TOSYN BUCKNOR
ON Tuesday, March 16, several young men and women travelled to Abuja, and joined those already in Abuja, to say, Enough is Enough.
These young men and women left school and work, took the day off, went to the National Assembly, and demanded to be heard. Enough is Enough they said. We do not have electricity (we would have said stable electricity but really!), water, and more.
And now, when there isn’t some form of violence in Jos, it is State Houses getting blown up. As if that was not enough, nothing is ever said to us. Not about the state of the President’s health, nor what steps are being put in place.
Enough is Enough was not only a peaceful rally in Abuja. It was also a trending topic on twitter, as those who were there kept those who were not there updated, while those, who could not be there physically, showed their support on the social networking site. There were facebook status updates and notes, and blog posts.
The Nigerian young adult was speaking.
And they were demanding to be heard.

DID they get heard?
Not by the people they were trying to talk to. Sources say the speaker of the House left the building, possibly to avoid speaking with the teeming youth at the gate, who were first cordoned off by police, but managed to fight their way through (peacefully, thankfully).
But they were heard!
They were heard by their peers who were either supported or felt it was a waste of time. They were picked up by conventional media, including Channels Television, this paper, and CNN. And they were definitely heard everywhere else!
They will keep talking. But some say talk is cheap.
The other day on my radio show, I asked a simple question. What can the young person in Nigeria do, to be heard, to get change, to move Nigeria forward?
I will s.h.a.r.e with you some of the answers we got!
• Vote. Even when it feels like it does not matter. Vote. We didn’t vote the last time. So can we really talk now?
• Keep talking. Talk is cheap, and so it should be used. Seminars! Symposiums! Every medium open to us! Talk about it
• Stand for election. This is interesting! For we see young people in law, in music, in movies, in fashion... but where are the policy makers? Where are the young people in governance and politics? (or politricks)
• Pray. Seems so simple, and possibly too simple. But it never hurt anyone to get down on their knees, or stand up, or raise their arms up and just offer up a simple sincere prayer.
• Listen. And learn. So how did we get here? Are we asking? Are we learning? Or are we just accepting the status quo and imbibing the very habits we condemn. How many of those at the rally have paid, will pay, or will collect, a bribe? How many have cheated their fellow man? How many young people abuse the positions they are in? How many people cheat during JAMB? How many? How many pay taxes (even though we do not see the corresponding rewards. If I pay, I should be paid!). How many young adults are truly ready to change the status quo? How can we be a voice where words are short?

THINGS seem futile sometimes, and in all honesty, there are days I sit and wonder what will happen, and how I fit in. But I do know that we cannot fit in by burying our heads in the sand, not speaking out, and hoping it will all blow over.
We must sing, speak, stand. Do something.
And as for Jos... It could happen to any state. So with this, we plead-
• Jos’t stop the violence
• Jos’t keep the peace
• Jos’t see the bigger picture
tosinornottosin@yahoo.com

‘Stucked’ and other Nigerian words
(Just Life)
BY OMOLIGHO UDENTA
IN one of his songs, the musician, Lagbaja sings ‘English no be your mother tongue ... so ta bon...’ and sometimes, it seems quite clear that some of us take this seriously and proceed to ‘ta bon’ almost gleefully.
Take for instance the time I first heard this new word, ‘stucked’, I was sure the speaker had made a mistake and was soon going to correct himself, but I waited in vain.
I am sure that if we’d been talking about the weather or something equally mundane, he might have been able to notice his error, but alas as we were talking about our very own ‘man in Purdah’ (to quote a newspaper headline), otherwise known as ‘The ‘Sicking’ President’ (as against ‘The Acting President’), his emotions got the better of him.
‘I really feel for the man. He has been ‘stucked’ to machines and being in one place for over three months now,’ he said.
‘Em, oh yes,’ I muttered mainly to myself as I struggled to unravel and ‘re-piece’ (my Nigerian word) together the sentence.
‘And where did they ‘bought’ the billion naira ambulance for him, eh? They have ‘waste’ so much money,’ he continued as he gesticulated furiously.
By this time, he was getting more agitated and I was sure this could only get worse because usually most of us are less able to control ourselves when we get worked up. I didn’t have very long to wait before he continued.
‘Prices of everything have go up because fuel queues is everywhere, people are died in Jos and the man (otherwise known as ‘The ‘Sicking’ President’) have not even ‘spoke’ to us!’
I quickly found something that needed my urgent attention because trying to decipher what he meant whilst also trying to keep a straight face was almost killing me. As soon as I left, I heard someone else say, ‘Yels oh! The whole something is just ‘disturb’ me!’

LATER that day, my little boy, aged three, asked ‘Mummy did you ‘bought’ this for me?’ and I laughed and laughed especially when I remembered the 40-plus year old man I had been speaking with earlier who could very well have made a sentence like this one.
As I corrected my little boy, I couldn’t help thinking that it just goes to show the level of decay in our educational system along with everything else.
Electricity supply is ‘babbas’ (another Nigerian word), we lack good, affordable healthcare for all, we have arguably the worst roads in this hemisphere, etc.
Last week, I was speechless when I saw the horrible photograph which was making the rounds showing a scene from an accident/robbery attack.
This week the photographs from Jos have been indescribable. To think that we could do this to ourselves is mind-boggling, shocking.
We have so very many issues to deal with in this nation and the last thing we need is a ‘Sleeping President’ who perhaps needs a kiss from his ‘Mrs Charming’ to reawaken.
omoudenta@yahoo.co.uk

Art...weapon against imperialism

2010-03-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE
Having devoted nearly 20 years to a cause, Peju Layiwola looks forward to using Nigeria’s 50th Independence Day celebrations to showcase her ancestral link to global cultural objects.
Called Benin 1897.com: Art and the Restitution Question, the show will feature paintings and installations.
To be declared open by HRH, Edun Akenzua, the Enogie of Obazuwa, the show runs from April 8 to 30 at University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka and would continue in Ibadan and Benin till the end of the year.
Layiwola, grand-daughter of Oba Akenzua II (1933-1979) and daughter of sculptress, Princess Elizabeth Olowu, says, “they, who once enjoyed the splendour of the palace, are now trapped behind glass walls in foreign lands.”
The year 1897, she recalls, “means much to me and my people. It was the year the British invaded our land and forcefully removed thousands of our bronze and ivory works from Oba Ovonramwen’s Palace, my great grandfather.”
She may not possess the skill of Hollywood’s John Rambo to break the glass walls of the so called “universal museum” and rescue the objects, but she has got art to give the captors enough sleepless nights.

In such works as the installation, Unpainted Calabash, an assemblage of large gourds; 1897.com, inlaid copper, brass, wood, animal horn, and paper; Long live the King, painted version of the calabash series; Layiwola adds art as a resilient medium against modern day imperialism.
And just in case you are not seeing enough of the visual art venom, “a colloquium and publication by nine scholars drawn from across the globe” is part of the tour.
Layiwola, in recent times, has added her voice to this cause at a global event, which had her ancestral subject in focus. The event was the closing ceremony of the exhibition, Benin Kings and Rituals: Court Arts from Nigeria held in Chicago, U.S. two years ago, where she delivered two lectures.
On return to Nigeria, she revealed that, in the US there were several protests against the persistent refusal to return Benin works held in foreign museums.
According to her, “the protests in Chicago brought about a decline in the number of art forms showing at the Art Institute.”
Layiwola argues that similar pressure groups can be set up in Nigeria. She notes that collaboration between Nigerian government and Benin Royal family, is all that is needed to bring the antiquities back to Nigeria.
Strengthening that cause back home is her effort to take 1897.com on tour. “After the Lagos show, is “Ibadan from August 19 to September 19 at the Museum of the Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan, Oyo State.” And at a date yet to be announced, Edo State government will be hosting the show”, she explains.
The message, she adds, is also important for the youths, as such, the show will run for about two months, to enable as many primary and secondary schools pupils and students to partake in it. Workbooks for students, she notes will be made available for free at the venue. And in the painting, Long Live the King, the young ones are not left out, because it’s child friendly.
Supporting the project are; The Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC), Edo State government, the universities of Lagos and Ibadan, and the National Commission for Museums and Monuments, Abuja.

Growing annuals

2010-03-21T04:47:00.000-07:00

ANNUAL plants are easy to work with, and can liven up any garden with an infusion of colour. They are garden flowers that complete their life cycle in the span of one growing season. Some examples of annuals include geraniums, petunias and sunflowers.
A starter can follow some simple steps outlined by gardeners for successful growth of these plants. To grow annuals, it is important to first start by making good choices.
Determine whether to start the annuals from seed or from established plants. Established plants are fastest and easiest but cost more and are available in a limited variety. Starting from seed takes a bit of skill and more time but hundreds of flowers can still be got for what is spent on just one flat of established annuals.
Look carefully when buying seeds. Beginners should choose annuals that are touted as being especially easy or that perform especially well. Also look for those that germinate fast.
Look for short, stocky (not leggy) established plants that do not have roots coming out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. Blooms indicate that the plant is putting too much energy into the flowering when you want it first to put energy into root development at planting time; roots coming out of the bottom of the pot is a sign that the plant has been in the pot too long.
Read the label or packet carefully and note the plants needs for sun soil, water and other conditions. Ensure that conditions can easily be met.

Planting annuals
PREPARE the planting area well. Prepare a flowerbed. Also work a little slow-release granular fertilizer into the planting area if desired. Fertiliser can help fast- growing annuals reach their maximum height and bloom. Follow the required directions. Pinch off any flowers on the plant. (There will be some in most cases). This will help the plant get established and produce more flowers in the long run
Plant annuals close together. It helps the plants to attain good health in addition to the providing visual effect. Plant in groups. Most annuals look far better when grouped in plantings of 12 or more.

Caring for annuals
USE mulch such as grass clippings or wood chips. Mulch suppresses weeds, conserves moisture and prevents some soil-borne diseases. Apply a layer one to three inches thick.
Keep annuals appropriately watered. Most require one inch of water per week, either as rainfall or watering. It is better to water them deeply and occasionally rather than giving them just a little water here and there.
Remove deadhead from most annuals regularly. This means trimming or pinching off spent blooms every few days. This not only keeps the plant looking tidy but it also encourages more flowers.
Fertilise regularly during growing season, using food formulated for flower production, following label directions.
Tear out annuals when they are spent. Dispose of healthy annuals in a compost heap. If disease has been a problem, put them in a separate area or in the garbage.

Seafood delicacy

2010-03-21T04:40:00.000-07:00

By FABIAN ODUM
GOOD buffet or cocktails usually present a variety of dishes. The-serve-yourself style and in any manner of mixes leave the dinner plates wonderfully coloured as some could dish rice, spiced with carrot (in coleslaw) and topped with savoury egusi soup. Such is the beauty of the merry-go-round on tables.
However, sometimes you will notice that guests gravitate around particular dishes. It is not without a good reason.
It could be a snack of beef or vegetable samosa or in the case under consideration, well made shrimps or prawns.
Tasty
Ordinarily, fresh sea foods are not commonly available or when in cocktails and buffets, shrimps (or prawns) are served, it is only a matter of few dips of the fork and the plate is emptied.
Getting the nutritional best
As good tasting as shrimps/prawns may be, experts say much could be lost if the right kind of cooking is not applied.
Deep frying (in oil) of foods especially in this case can unto their benefits. Best methods should be by baking, broiling and steaming. This way the nutrients in it would be preserved better and rendered to the body more beneficially.”
Brain Boosting Power
Researchers have shown that eating some sea foods with other low fat and carbohydrate foods (potatoes or bread) or alone creates energy—boosting chemicals in the brain.
It is reported to increase mental alertness by sending a dose of body chemical known a tyrosine to the brain, Shrimps (prawns) are analysed to be low in fat and carbohydrate and mainly of pure protection.
Proteins, the studies say, delivers large supplies of tyrosine (amino acid) which is later transformed into two chemicals, dopamine and norepinnephrine, which mentally energies the brain.
Function Of Tyrosine
The study also found that taking about the required quantity becomes of none effect. In addition, tyrosine works to create the alertness chemicals only when the need to produce more only comes to the brain is already using them up.
However, it found out that the consumption does not take the brain beyond its capability.
Health Benefits
Shrimps are rich and dense in nutrients. It is an excellent source of selenium and unusually low-fat, low-calorie protein as well as a good source of vitamin D and vitamin B12.
Shrimp and cholesterol
It’s the total fat profile of a food, not the food’s cholesterol content, that most impacts your cholesterol readings, the study reveals.
With increasing health consciousness focused on total fat intake rather than on dietary cholesterol, there are few objections to eating shrimp. According to the Rockefeller study, shrimp can be included in heart-healthy nutritional guidelines.
Storing raw product
When storing any type of seafood, including shrimp, it is important to keep it cold since seafood is very sensitive to temperature. Therefore, after purchasing shrimp or other seafood, make sure to return it to a refrigerator as soon as possible. Take the sea food in ice box until ready storage in freezer to avoid spoilage.

Snow peas
(Food Value)
BY CHINELO NWAGBO

(Good for a healthy heart)
ARE you one of those who carefully separate peas from other foods on your plate to avoid eating them? If so, you are missing out greatly. They are very nutritious and have health benefits / healing power.
If you want to prevent coronary disease or perhaps, you are suffering from heart disease, snow peas are good for you. They are a good source of protein, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, dietary fiber, foliate, provitamin A (beta-carotene), E, phosphorus, niacin, magnesium, copper, zinc and contain significant amount of carbohydrate. Additionally, they are a good source of B group vitamins (vitamin B1, B2, B6) vitamin C, potassium and iron all these nutrients are essential for proper functioning of the heart and nervous system.

Uses and preparation of snow peas
Cooked: Snow peas should not be cooked for more than five – 10 minutes. Longer cooking times destroy almost the entire vitamin content, therefore, it is recommended that you briefly boil or steam them.
Dried: They may be stored for a very long time than fresh ones, as they contain very little amount of protvitamin A and vitamin C.
Frozen: They are eaten after being thawed and briefly heated.
Canned: They may also be canned. In fact, canned ones are available all year round.

Healing power/health benefits
Good for a healthy heart (help prevent heart disease): They contain nutrients that are necessary for proper function of the heart. Additionally, they do not contain fat and sodium, which are two substances that are antagonistic to heart health when taken in excess. They are also rich in fiber that helps to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Prevents nervous disorder (depression, anxiety, insomnia and irritability): The seed is very nutritious and rich in B group vitamin (vitamin B1, B2, B6) and magnesium. These nutrients are necessary for proper functioning of nervous system.
Good for pregnant and lactation: This health benefit is as a result of its high protein, vitamins and mineral content, which are very appropriate for pregnant and lactating women. They also contain float, which prevents fetal nervous system malformation.
Good for healthy bones: Snow peas and other green peas serve as a very good source of folic acid and; vitamin B6. These two nutrients help to reduce the buildup of a metabolic byproduct called homocysteine, a dangerous molecule that can obstruct collagen cross-linking, which results to poor bone matrix and osteoporosis.

Gives energy and contribute to overall wellness: They are one of the most important foods to include in the diet when one feels fatigued and sluggish. This is because they provide nutrients that help support the energy-producing cells and systems of the body. They are very good source of thiamin-vitamin B1 and a good source of vitamin B6, riboflavin-vitamin B2 and niacin-vitamin B3, all of which are nutrients that are necessary for carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism which provide energy to body.

Prevents Cancer: They provide nutrients, including vitamin C and antioxidant vitamins that inhibit formation of cancer-causing compounds in the body such as the nitrosamines — chemicals produced when the body digests processed meats containing nitrates. Also, high intake of vitamin C has been shown to reduce the risks for virtually all forms of cancer, including lukaemia, lymphoma, lung, colorectal and pancreatic cancers as well as sex hormone-related cancers such as breast, prostate, cervix, and ovarian cancers.
Boost the immune system: Vitamin C in snow peas is important for keeping the immune system primed to fight off infection and plays an important role in wound healing. It also keeps skin and joints in great shape.

chineloeby@yahoo.com

A talk with Funmi, Chris Dada

2010-03-21T04:32:00.000-07:00

Funmi on a ride with Area Fada, Charley Boy

BY CHUKS NWANNE
THIS morning, she looked sweet. She’s just had a production meeting and was relaxed. She appeared as sweet as morning angel.
For so many years, she had come to the living room of every NTA watcher with the best of television presentation. Her interviews had drawn many to her side. Suddenly, when the ovation was getting loud, she announced she was quitting the show. Many wondered why.
Was it the end of a dream to see quality talk show? May be yes. May be no.
Suddenly, the news filtered across that Funmi was indeed cooking a new meal. What was it?
Talk With Funmi, which was premiered exclusively on DStv’s Africa Magic channel on February 7, at 7pm.
The first time I called to fix this interview, Funmi Iyanda didn’t take the call that day. Suspecting that she might belong to the growing list of Nigerians, who don’t pick ‘unknown’ mobile phone numbers, I decided to send her a text, detailing clearly my aim of ringing her that early morning.
Few minutes later, my phone rang. Just as I predicted, the broadcaster said.
“I’m really sorry, I’m always careful with unknown phone numbers.” And she adds: “It’s ok, we can do the interview, but I will give you a phone number to call in case there’s any change in plan. I will send you the address right now.”
Just as she promised, we scheduled to meet in two days time, but she added, “I will also like you to speak to the producer of the show (Talk With Funmi); I will get him to be part of the chat.”
Her Maryland, Ikeja, Lagos office, is an insight to the taste of the team; simple but detailed. In fact, if care is not taken, one could easily mistake the well-kept apartment for a home; there was no signpost.
Not long after we stepped into the reception, the secretary ushered us into an office, where Chris Dada, producer of the TV show, Talk With Funmi, was waiting with about two laptops and a desktop system on, ready to show clips of the show; he’s more like a practical guy; no long story.

THE first child of her parents, Funmi was born and bred in Lagos. After her secondary education at the Methodist Girls’ High School, she proceeded to the University of Ibadan for a degree in Geography.
Yes, Funmi studied Geography not broadcasting, though she had a stint with studying International Law and Diplomacy.
Fresh out of university, Funmi explored her deep passion for sports and, for people when, between 1995 and 2003, she became an active member of the NFA. It was during this time that she was consulted to act as chaperon to Nigerian sports legend, Charity Okpara as well as Chioma Ajunwa, who, two years later, went on to win an Olympic gold medal.
She reported the 1999 female World Cup, the All Africa Games in Zimbabwe, as well as the Sydney Olympics in Australia. She also worked on a documentary on the team that participated in the African Cup of Nations in South Africa 1996.
However, with encouragement from the likes of Tunde Kelani and Tunde Agboola, Funmi subsequently took up TV production and presentation, starting with a syndicated programme, Good Morning Nigeria, on NTA. She was a presenter with Saturday Sports, Milo World of Sports and Guinness World of Sports. Funmi had also done Concert Fever, Heart To Heart, and a musical programme that ran for over a year before she moved to MITV, where she presented MITV live for more than two years. Her adventurous spirit soon moved her to leave MITV for the NTA where she anchored the breakfast show, New Dawn On 10, a show that introduced a new era in breakfast television.

AFTER eight years of producing and hosting the acclaimed studio talk show, Funmi announced the end of the New Dawn, with a broadcast of the final show in September last year.
“What I’d like to say though is this: I was done on the Dawn, done with inspiring people (which I never set out to but honoured to have achieved). I am set now to ignite those who would like to come along with me to exciting new possibilities the beginning of which will be a brand new show,” she wrote on her blog.
Funmi’s decision to rest New Dawn was a thing of concern to her fans. But just as many were still wondering if she’s retiring from broadcasting, she returned with yet another show tagged, Talk With Funmi, which was premiered exclusively on DStv’s Africa Magic channel on February 7, 2010 at 7pm.
“When we stopped New Dawn, I thought of what next to do. I wanted something else, but I wasn’t clear on what I wanted to do. I wasn’t sure of what to do, but I knew that the best thing to do was find the right producer and director to work with. You might have a great idea on you mind, but most times, it’s better to find someone who can help actualise those ideas.”
Just as Funmi was still toying with the idea, a close friend linked her up with Chris Dada, who as at then, was based in London.
Chris, a Nigerian born producer had always wanted to return to the country to do some productions and here’s a Funmi, searching for the right partner.
“He flew in from London and we started talking. I had this idea of a road show, but I didn’t really know how it was going to work. How it all started and got this far, is his idea. I wanted to do outdoor, but it wouldn’t have worked without him; I think he wanted to do something similar, I don’t know… Chris talk now,” Funmi busted into laughter, nudging Chris to speak.
“From my point of view, when she came to see me, and we started talking, I thought to myself that the original idea Funmi had in her head was fine. But I kind of wanted her to do more, because she could actually do more. We were seeing a situation where we kind of go out on some road show to bring out things people don’t usually bother to do or show to the world. We talked for three days and then finally arrived at a conclusion. I was like, ‘let’s get rid of the constraints and just go out and meet the people.”
He continued: “I really didn’t know much about Funmi until I met her. But looking at New Dawn… the things that really struck me were the obvious kind of fan base she had built for herself and I told myself, ‘she was worth it and good to work with,” Chris said.
On his own part, Chris had always wanted to tell the stories of those people whose stories don’t normally get told. Meeting Funmi was like a lifeline to that idea.
“I saw her as someone who was doing just that, and that kind of informed the marriage of ideas. It was one of the main things that brought me back to Nigeria and I felt it was a way to get at it.”

CHRIS left Nigeria many years ago, working in the production sector. He had toyed with the idea of bringing back his wealth of experience back home and Talk With Funmi did just that.
“It was strange, everything was happening at the same time and within a week, I got a phone call. I knew that she (Funmi) is somebody, who shared my ideas and I could confidently work with,” Chris said.
No doubt, there’s so much life in the show.
“Its not like the Nigerian thing where people take stuff for granted. We are looking at a situation where people will meet us, watch and hear things about themselves and have the ability to pick up the next question and not be emotional,” Chris said.
“I think that was also a joint effort thing,” Funmi added. “I remember when we started talking in the house and I said I wanted to know what Joel (her gateman) thinks, what the baba next door thinks, what Umoru thinks and what’s going on in their own world. At a time with New Dawn, I just wanted to hear from everybody; everyone was important.”
The idea of featuring Charly Boy on the show was actually by accident.
“I actually wanted to do Okada in Lagos and someone said, ‘ha, Charly Boy, Area Fada of Okada riders.’ That was how the idea came and we followed up. The principle behind it is to give a voice to everyone, especially those without a voice; usually not heard. I sat in the studio for years talking to politicians and celebrities. No matter how skillful you are, there is something they are not going to tell you, even sometimes, they have an agenda and they want to come and use you to push such agenda. It’s all well and good. I also want to hear from those who don’t have anything to lose in their mind,” Funmi said.

TO prove that the show is actually for all no matter the social class, Talk With Funmi was also in Ajegunle. Till date, a lot of people still wonder how Funmi and group coped in that jungle part of Lagos.
“We had finished Lagos and gone to other states and he (Chris) was like objecting. Initially, Ajegunle wasn’t in our plan, but he kept saying we have to shoot Ajegunle. Even Ifee (my assistant producer) kept talking about Ajegunle; the different dancing styles that have evolved from there and the creativity of the people from that locality.”
“At a point, you discover that much of the talent of Nigeria have evolved from that locality,” Chris said. “At least, five of the national football stars are from there. You talk about their music, their life style … I just wanted to show these beautiful people to the world. It was a burning dream. For example, the reigning alanta dance, I heard evolved from there and has its origin by reason of many mosquitoes in the area. You know the steps and how you kill mosquitoes,” he said with laughter.
You might think that Ajegunle residents are hostile, but Talk With Funmi has a different story having recorded in that location.
“The people are also friendly,” Funmi quipped. “I remember in 1995 when we went there; some boys came together to form a vigilante group and we had gone to film in the night. They saw us and started shooting at us. I didn’t know what Ajegunle was like then, but what followed was interesting then. I grew up in Mile 2, so, I know much about AJ,” Funmi disclosed.
“Even in their poverty and unhealthy environment, they are some of the most happy Nigerians and are always happy to be doing what they are doing,” Chris observed. “I remember a situation in which we had to go there to record at the football field, a jolly young fellow brought her wine. He opened it and was so happy to be entertaining us; it’s amazing the kind of life you experienced when you go there.”
To Funmi, Ajegunle is a place full of strength.
“The women are always so cool in their gele. Every Sunday, you see them proud and happy not minding the slum and swamp. I remember this girl I had an encounter with, so pretty, looking beautiful in her dress and I was like, ‘where did you get this dress from.’ She said, ‘na Okrika, second hand now, from boundary market.’ The pride and dignity with which she said it alone was amazing. I attend a lot of celebrity parties and the women there in all their affluence and wealth don’t exhibit the kind of carriage you see these poor Ajegunle women exhibit. I think we ought to do an urban renewal of that community. It also reminds me of the story of Nigeria where the average people are the most inspiring and hard working.”
According to Chris, the show, which is currently running on DSTV, will definitely get to terrestrial TV stations.
“It’s in our plan, we will definitely show it on TV stations across the country. We are still talking to them, but expect it on either NTA or AIT.”
“If we have our way, we will put the show in all the TV stations in the country,” Funmi said. “We want everyone to see the show because it’s for the people.”
For your information, this is not a re-branding Nigeria project.
“Before the government came up with the idea, we had already started conceptualizing the programme. We are interested in telling the true story of Nigeria to the world. When you travel out of Nigeria, you see proud Nigerians working hard. Nigeria is not about bad news; there are more good people here than bad ones. You can’t believe the development in some of the states we’ve visited just because of this show. This is not re-branding Nigeria; we are just telling the true story of Nigeria.”
For those who are excited about the show so far, just fasten your seat belt; the best is yet to come.
“I don’t even know where the show is going; we can’t say now. But what we are promising is quality and interesting productions,” Funmi said.

One-on-one...with Anason

2010-03-21T04:29:00.000-07:00

Orifayo Anasifayo (aka Anason) relocated to Lagos from Bauchi as result of the crisis in the state in 1991 to pursue his childhood dream — music. The reggae artiste from Ugboshi-Ele, Edo State, is set to launch his debut album titled Okada Man. He speaks with DANIEL ANAZIA.

How did you get into music?
Music runs in my family. My father is a musician, but not a professional. I have been in music for over 20 years. I was with the Police Band, Ikeja, Lagos, before I moved to Bauchi, however, I had to relocate as a result of the 1991 crisis in the state.

Why music?
Music is life, without it, life will be boring. Music rejuvenates soul and helps keep the spirit alive, especially philosophical ones such as reggae, afro-beat and highlife.

What’s your genre of music?
I play reggae with a fusion of afro-beat. At a time, I was doing highlife, but switched because of its deep philosophy and rhythms. It enables you pass messages to people and edifies the mind.

Why Reggae?
Reggae artistes are like prophets, they tell the future, using present happenings. Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Lucky Dube and Majek Fashek others are still relevant to the society. Their music is evergreen because of their messages. The music enables one to think deep.

With your album, what messages are you trying to pass on?
The eight track-album is loaded with words of exhortation to both elders and youths. Parents should take care of the children, train them to be useful to themselves and the society and never to be a problem to anyone. Youths on the other hand, should listen to the elders and their parents, accept their godly counsels to become better persons in life. Okada man is one of such tracks. It talks about the safety of the riders; and why they don’t need to be reckless on the highway.

Influence
Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, Majek Fashek and Peter Tosh. The music of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti also gives me great inspiration.

Performance so far
Though, I am yet to feature in any big event, I strongly believe with my album launch, concerts and tours will come knocking for me.

When is the album hitting the shelf?
Hopefully July, when all would have been set.

How would you like to be remembered?
Like the Catholic Nun, Mother Theresa, I want to very close to the poor and down trodden.

What’s your philosophy of life?
Live for mankind.

Teeth For Teeth

2010-03-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

BY JUSTIN AKPOVI-ESADE

At last, they got Paulo
T4T told you sometime last year when trouble was brewing for president of the Association of Movie Producers, AMP, Nollywood actor, Paul Obazele, popularly called Paulo, was embattled. But he quickly denied the claim, as he, alongside producer Zeb Ejiro, stuffed in large quantities of grilled fish at O’jez. Well, the bubble has finally bust. Alleging Paulo’s Abacha-like style of administration, nearly all Nollywood big and small producers have decided to jump ship and form a new body called Association of Nollywood Core Producers, ANCOP. The media unveil is planned for end of this month at Rita Lori Hotels, Lagos. The president of the new body, Alex Eyengho, gave all these details. Without mentioning names, no known producer is still with Paulo’s AMP anymore. At the moment, the song that is apt to play for the now embattled president of AMP, is Azizat’s Lonely. One needs a crash course on how to blindside somebody from these ANCOP members.
Paulo is truly embattled this time, no doubt.

Segun Arinze’s sweat
IF someone told me that president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Segun Arinze, has so much sweat in him like what I saw recently, I would have argued blindly. But thank God I saw it with my koro koro eyes. As usual, I had finished my round at a hangout in Surulere and I was just by the parking lot, heading to my tuke tuke, when another car pulled up and Black Arrow, as Arinze is popularly called, alighted. He was clutching about four mobile phones. But that is not the issue. The way sweat was dripping from his face actually scared me. His shirt was soaked. T4T thought he would pass out the next minute, but thank Jehovah, he didn’t. He hailed your darling T4T and hurried away to the VIP section to no doubt be cooled by the air-conditioners.
The import of this little story is that presido’s car no get air condition or the many wahala for AGN dey make am sweat like no man’s biznes. Anyhow sha, na so life be.

D’banj And Genevieve?
WHAT have I been hearing in recent times? That hip-hop star D’banj and Nollywood screen idol, Genevieve, are doing what...? Someone swore he read an interview where D’banj was praising ‘Gene baby’ as well as extolling her virtues (D’banj has extolled many women’s virtues, so that is not news) but what keeps rearing up is that they are... I can’t say the word, just fill the blank spaces.
Hmmm, if it’s true, then D’banj don fall in love tru tru dis time. No be me talk o o.

Ernest Asuzu Rebrands, Now El Grin
NOLLYWOOD star turned hip-hop act, Ernest Asuzu, has finally re-branded. He appears to have left movie and now into hip-hop music full time. He launched his debut album recently. So folks, when you come across a CD with a grinning face of Ernesto on the cover sleeve, but with the name El Grin, do not get confused, it is the same fella.
Na so life be, no be one road peson dey take enta maket.

Revealed, how Dadi Monso was caught
NOLLYWOOD star, Dadi Monso... you don’t recall Monso? Hold on, let me refresh your memory a bit. The actor was the same person that T4T reported had resorted to hiding in a spot inside the National Stadium premises where cheap beer is sold after declaring he was tired of playing the star and drinking beer at high prices at celebrity hangouts. Yes, it is the same Monso, but this time, he did not go to drink beer or eat goat head at reduced prices, he was seen at about 11.30pm at Yeside Bus Stop, Aguda, with a friend (if you like say na man or woman, na you come talk o). They were walking to the bus stop and from the way the ‘friend’ was dressed, you will know that the ‘friend’s’ house is not far from the location they were sited. I met Monso days after and told him I would let the world know that he was seen at that ungodly hour of the night (as if Curfew dey Lagos) and if he has any explanation, he should send his disclaimer to the Editor, The Guardian Life magazine.
Truth is he attempted to appease (or bribe) me with a bottle of ... but sorry, T4T has kicked the drinking habit. Monso, epele o.

Desmond Elliot, the star
NOLLYWOOD star actor turned director, Desmond Elliot, was at the National Stadium recently on location. They used the Chinese restaurant there as set. But that is not the issue, after the shoot, to show people in the open air section of the popular hangout in the vicinity that a star was in the vicinity, Elliot came out in full glare, making loud jokes with crew members by a white bus. Desmond boy laughed the loudest among the people there that evening and some of his detractors were quick to say, he wanted to be noticed.
But the Desmond I know is not a notice me kind of person, but then, people do change sha.

Lolo, the caterer
THE actress,Oby Okafor, popularly called Lolo, may have bidded acting farewell. Why did I say so? On Monday night, someone was distributing a complimentary card at Ejike Asiegbu’s permanent table at one popular hangout, a careful look at the card showed Lolo’s picture and the information that she is into professional catering. Her company’s name is De Giggles, so in case you see a card with Lolo’s picture bearing that company’s name; you know who it is. However, her decision to delve into catering may not be unconnected to the global economic meltdown that has refused to leave Nollywood alone.

Chuma Onwudiwe again
NOLLWOOD comedian and Secretary General of Actors Guild of Nigeria, Chuma Onwudiwe, has done it again! Recall I told you how Chuma single-handedly devoured a baby whale at a popular hangout in Surulere some weeks ago, good. Last Friday, he was at it again at the celebrity hangout. It was some minutes past 8pm when the waiter brought the gigantic grilled fish with lots of chips that can feed four people, but it took Chuma and his female companion just 15 minutes (dis T4T na timer o) to demolish the fish obstacle. Attempts to document event for posterity was rebuffed by Chuma, as he kept blocking the camera view with his wide hands.
But did it stop T4T from telling the world even if he has no pictures to show? Whoosai.

ogbuus@yahoo.com

Tricia’s Bold face again

2010-03-21T04:17:00.000-07:00

BY SHAIBU HUSSEINI
AS Nollywood actress and popular television hostess, Tricia Esiegbe, now Tricia Kingsley Kerry, sauntered into the room, where the organisers of a new reality television show, Street Champz, were performing a special media unveiling ceremony, all eyes turned on her. It was her first major outing since her marriage. Moviedom had a chat with her after the ceremony.

Congratulations on your wedding
Thank you very much. I want to also thank God because it was a day I wished for in my life. At a particular point in a woman’s life, she wants to settle down, otherwise, it becomes a problem, especially when the age is almost on the older side. I want to thank God again for His favour. It came at a time I did not expect. Before I got married, things were a bit shaky because there were a couple of stories making the rounds about marriage break-ups and what have you. I became scared and prayed never to have such experience.

Now with marriage, will you still do your stuff?
My husband is different, he is very unique in his own way. He told me even before we got married that I should not be scared because nothing will change except my name. He assured that I was still going to be the Tricia people knew and that it would not affect my business. He said the marriage would even enhance my business, because he is a trained motion picture director. So far, he has put all that to test on my programme Bold Faces and we have been receiving lots of calls from African Magic and outside the country. He got all the software and background to build Bold Faces to the level it is today.

Marriage is good, but love first
It is safe to marry someone in your line of business if the love is there. Not love based on popularity, fame and wealth, but unconditional love. It should be love for who you are and not what you are. People are always afraid of marring people in the entertainment industry because they feel they are prone to all kinds of immorality. However, one has to pray to God for a decent, God fearing and homely husband. My husband is one of such.

When will you appear on screen?
Very soon! We are coming out with some new television shows, which will equally be shown abroad. We are talking to African Magic on some of them. We are also going to be doing home movies and television soaps. My husband wanted me to act in one of them to cut cost. Since he is comfortable with that, who am I to say no? Acting for me is a passion. I am not into kiss-kiss type of acting, which of course, he knows. But even at that, my husband is not that kind of person. He is just God sent.

And Bold Faces?
Already, the programme has gone international. We are all over the stations in Nigeria. We are also in Europe. We have moved up in terms of technical details. It is now different from what you are used to. We will in no distant future spread to other continents of the world.

Maryam Babaginda
I cried when Maryam Babaginda died. It was a big loss to me. She was a mother and motivator to me. She gave a lot of mileage to my show. The interview I had with her would remain evergreen. Her death would also rank as one of the saddest moments of my life.

Regrets
None for now. If I have opportunity of living my life again, I will still be an entertainer. The only thing I don’t like about the industry is the publicity — you see people writing what is not true about you just to sell their papers; some even plant negative stories in the media to run people down. I have had doses of it. It was once rumoured that I dated a footballer, which was nothing, but falsehood. I have never dated a single footballer in my life. Because these people are difficult to get on set, people just conclude that to get them you must be dating one. But that is not correct. I am happy that God has elevated me. I have even gone past African footballer. I now talk to big time footballers in Europe. Will they say I am dating the foreign footballers such as David James, too?

Street Champz
This is a reality television show being put together by a team of credible people from the United Kingdom and, my husband, Kerry, happens to be one of the directors. He is also the operations and technical director of the show. Though based in London, the team will be coming to Nigeria to discover talents on our streets. One thing that makes the show different from other is the four-art category they talked about. There is a music, drama, comedy and dance part of it. I think this is quite different considering the background of those behind it.

Around and about Nollywood...

Zuma gets Jury for 2010 festival
THE jury for 2010 ZUMA Film Festival has been announced. With seasoned filmmaker, Rahmatou Keita, as head, it has Prof. Adamu Abdalla Uba of the Bayero University Kano; Dr. Femi Shaka of the University of Port Harcourt; Mr. Bond Emeruwa, President of Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN) and Mr. Jahman Anikulapo, Editor of The Guardian on Sunday as members. Meanwhile, the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) has announced the receipt of 71 entries for all categories of the film festival at close of submission on February 28. A statement from the secretariat said the quality of entries received is encouraging. A breakdown showed that of the 71 entries, Nigerian films account for 51 while 20 are foreign. The number of potential exhibitors for the film market of the festival, the statement added, is also encouraging as everything is being done to ensure that it’s success. The 2010 edition with the theme Global Images: Global Voices seeks bridge the gabs between developed and developing film cultures.

… As organisers secure partnership deal
MORE organisations (private and government) have indicated interests in partnering with the Nigerian Film Corporation (NFC) for a successful edition. Some of them are the Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Abuja; Consolidated Media Associates; Babylon International; Terracota Awards; Teens Resource Centre; Nicon Luxury Hotel Limited, Abuja; and Silverbird Communications. The festival holds from May 2 to 6 in Abuja. A statement from the organisers said that while the Consolidated Media Associates, Nigeria’s largest Television content provider on entertainment (Televista, Soundcity, Spice TV, Village square TV) would use its network to educate, propagate, mobilise participation and support as well as coverage and reportage of events, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry would, in addition to providing financial support, take advantage of the platform to promote the commercial and industrial aspects of the motion picture industry. Meanwhile, the EU Media backed Babylon International Workshop (on Film) being promoted by Scripthouse (Germany), Scenario films (UK), Playfilms (France) and Media International, which began last November, and also held from February 16 to 20, in Berlin, is scheduled to end next month in Nigeria. The workshop holds from April 26 to May 1. Selected film projects are billed for screening during the festival in Abuja. Similarly, the Terracotta Awards promoted by Classic Events and Teens Resource Centre, promoters of International Children Film Festival, have also signed on to use ZUMA Film Festival 2010 platform to promote, recognise and reward excellence and creativity in the film and television industries. Also, Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), based in the United States of America is to fully participate in this edition.

BOBTV ends fest, Akunyili assures Fund
THE 2010 edition of the Best of the Best Television and Film Market, otherwise known as BOBTV, ended on Friday. The festival, which started on March 16, held at the Ladi Kwali Hall, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja. At the opening , former Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. Dora Akunyili, reiterated government’s resolve to establish a film fund for the Nigerian film industry. Also, the Chairman and Founder of Galaxy Television, Chief Steve Ojo, Chief Zebulum Ejiro, Opa Williams and Emem Isong were among those honoured for their outstanding contributions to the development of television and film in Nigeria. While Ojo was recognised as a producer, director, entrepreneur and broadcaster per excellence, Ejiro, who is popular as the movie sheik, was honoured for his pioneering work in the film industry and enduring work on TV. Isong was honoured for her role in the shooting of indigenous language films particularly the Efik and Ibibio languages. Every year BOBTV recognises hardworking professionals, who have contributed to the growth of the movie industry in Nigeria.

Waka pass…
Producer- Amebo A. Amebo
Director- Mr. Gossip
Actors- Nollywood Celebrities

Has any one seen Tonto Dike for us?
AS hard as we have tried, we have not been able to get hold of the popular Nollywood actress, Tonto Dike. We have called, sent short messages and emails, but whooooooosai, we have not been able to get across to the charming actress, who we are told, used to have something to do with the main dude at Mo’ Hits records. Anyway, if you know someone, who knows where she is, please do let her know that we need to ask her a few questions. One waka pass wants us to believe, even when we know it can’t be true, that the reason our own darling Tonto has not been mobilised for youth service is because she needs all the time in the world to cement her relationship with, ‘a Nigerian international whom she met at Tricia Esiegbe’s wedding last year’. And the question we want to ask Tonto? Was she at Tricia’s talk of the town wedding? Is any Nigerian international on line? What has her intention to cement a relationship got to do with her educational pursuit? Questions, questions, questions! Our number? No, Tonto knows how to reach us…

We saw Uche Jombo
WE thought we should mention this here before some waka pass begin to sell fake gist to us. We ran into Nollywood actress and Glo Ambassador, Uche Jombo, in the United States, last week. The now chopped up Jombo was on a movie location with Desmond Elliot and Van Vicker when we saw her. In fact, yours sincerely watched with his mouth wide opened, as the threesome stepped out of one ogbonge Limousine that brought them on set. Don’t know now when they are due back, but Uche and Desmond send their love. And to say the truth, if na me dem carry for that limousine, I no go return again. I for seek asylum. True, Oyibo dey respect them artiste.

Remy Ohajianya is busy
THOSE who think that former Lagos State chapter chairman of Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Chief Remy Ohajianya, will walk out of relevance once he leaves office should go and eat their hearts out. The former teacher turned actor has landed a big job. Put differently, Chairman, as he is popularly called, has ‘arrove’. The bulky actor has been named Project Manager of a new reality cum television show dubbed Street Champz. Ohajianya’s task is to manage the reality programme and to ensure that they deliver. And if we know Ohajianya very well, then ‘delivery’ is certain, not even when the folks behind the reality programme are all based in the United Kingdom. Meaning that Chief may be paid in pounds and he is likely to even visit London before the end of the show… Kai! This is good. But Chief we go wash am ooo. But abeg, try sign better contract ooo and make you shine your eyes ooo. One waka pass think say na shine wey you no shine your eyes make small boys push you commot for your AGN seat ooo. Twice beaten for your case no go be twice shy at all. To God be the Glory!

Working with wife: Madness or miracle?

2010-03-21T04:16:00.000-07:00

By Femi Akintunde-Johnson
FROM The first day I noticed that my first serious male friend in the profession was going out with one of his female colleagues, I had harboured disdain for office romance that goes beyond the usual flings and tumbles now and again.
It didn’t make sense to me that one could sign off to share the rest of his life with a partner who not only does your type of job, but works in the same establishment.
I was certain, and few instances had since confirmed my stance, that such a union can only last as long as the woman waters the marriage with a huge dose of African evostic (voodoo or more precisely, juju).
I couldn’t fathom how anyone would be expected to be normal if you share your bed, home, leisure, and then your office with your wife…I was certain, one of us would be found dead…of accidental strangulation (most likely orchestrated from the dream world).
I know, because of the sedentary nature of some professions; especially if success is measured by the investment of personal passion and commitment to quality service, people in such “enclosure” usually marry each other.
Loved ones outside of a particular profession may find the demand and sacrifice of such a profession strange and unacceptable; thereby breeding resentment and disaffection.
So, often, it naturally follows that doctors, journalists, lecturers/teachers, missionaries, entertainers, and similar vocations with such creative or illustrative intensity, have a high incidence of intra-disciplinary wedlocks.
Even when this is so, a lot of people will agree that such marriages would likely survive if couples work in different locations, and meet up at the end of the day to cross notes and responses on happenstances of the hectic day.
But, to work on the same set, same project, same journal, clinic or parish is stretching it too far the dictum: ‘What God has joined together, let no man (aka work) put asunder’.
The modern man will likely be suffocated by such relentless proximity that he is wont to snap, now and again; and it will be difficult to blame either of the parties for the predictable tension, and possible collapse such a marriage would go through.

APART from sundry items of admonitions necessary for would-be couples, and even unlearned veterans to update and imbibe (an excellent list was published in this paper last month); there are very sensitive issues that are best glossed over at the onset of the relationship.
As the union undergoes stress-tests and other inevitable ‘disclosure-shocks’, it is vital that the husband and wife have brief ‘absences’ from each other (going to work in different cars; romantic salutations on arrivals from work; phone-checks couched as ‘just to say to I love you’ sweet-nothings, etc).
What man is there who has the opportunity and the good fortune of being young, upwardly mobile, ambitious…and the graces granted only a few, and would refuse to stray far from wide-eyed co-combatants whose circle of influence shares borders with him?
That was why when I got married more than 18 years ago, I followed scrupulously my long-held persuasion: Don’t marry your colleague, and work on the same spot!
Don’t get me wrong; I was not a party to the idea that because you have your life stretched well ahead of you, what you then need is a woman who will fill certain spaces in your house: the kitchen (to cook meals which may not rival the club’s bukateria); the bedroom (to produce your children); lounge area (to welcome unwanted guests). Such a woman will crash your dreams and suffocate your ambition. You’ll probably end up in each other’s throat. That was 18 – 20 years ago.
Today, I have since changed my position, without any shame. This is the thirteenth year of working together with my wife, and loving every part of it. Next week, we will discuss the twists and turns; it will be crass tomfoolery to insinuate that it has always been heavenly. No, it hasn’t; but now, I won’t want it another way. We’ll share why men miss it when they want space between them and their women. And others!

fajswhatnots@yahoo.com or faj-alive@blogspot.com

A gathering of black heritage in Lagos

2010-03-21T04:07:00.000-07:00

BY ANDREW IRO OKUNGBOWA
COME April 3 to 9, Lagos State will attract attention as it throws open its doors for the ‘Black Heritage Festival’. This is the third time it is holding.
Other celebrations of the black African heritage include Root Festival, which holds in The Gambia and PANAFEST in Ghana.
These celebrations, over the years, have grown to big cultural tourism events, attracting massive following from across the globe.
Lagos State first staged the Black Heritage Festival in 2001. The second edition held in 2002.
Themed Memory and performance in the Return to Source, the week long feast will hold in selected venues in Lagos, with Badagary as home of the festival.
The formal opening ceremony is at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) on April 3. Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, who is the special consultant to the festival, succinctly paints a picture of the goals of the festival and what to expect. “A festival of Reconnection, Revaluation, Revindication – this is the feast that Lagos State plans to serve up to the discerning palates from within the country, the continent and The Diaspora of the Caribbean and the Americans.’’
On the package, Soyinka has this to say: “Inspired by the spirit of convergence for which Lagos remains pre-eminent, the Lagos Black Heritage Festival celebrates the creativity of Lagos within a carnivalseque of traditional and contemporary dance, music, theatre, a children’s heritage village, a regatta and other artistic offerings both inter-state and international.’’
Soyinka speaks of the expectations of the organisers, which among others, is to attract thousands of people to the city and the ancient enclave of Badagary inspired by the muse. “The Lagos Black Heritage Festival is a seven day cultural manifestation during which hundreds of performers will animate the ancient city of Badagary and cosmopolitan Lagos in a blend of the traditional and the modern, welcoming thousands of visitors with a feast to entrance the senses and linger in the memory for years to come.’’

TO realise the theme of this edition and fulfil the essence of the festival, the organisers are celebrating three of the continent’s eminent personalities. They are Aime Cesaire, Aliqune Diop and Leopold Sedar Senghor. Cesaire, a renowned poet, dramatist, cultural activist and pan – Africanist, along with Senghor, promoted the Black race through the Negritude and Beingness of Black philosophy. His plays would be presented during the festival at the same time, readings of his poems.
A major part of the festival’s offerings is a painting competition. About 25 selected artists are participating in the contest themed City of a thousand masks.
Each artist is expected to choose a preferred location in and around Lagos and occupy him/herself with painting out the theme all through the festival.
The various works, alongside with the winning entry, will be presented at a gala night billed for April 8 at Nike Art Gallery.
Prizes and awards (Gold, Silver, Bronze) will be presented to the winners by the Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, with Soyinka who is the initiator of the awards, as special guest.
The painting competition is being done in conjunction with the Caterina de’ Medici Africa, Caterina de’ Medici Company in Florence and the Lagos Black Heritage Festival.
The first edition of Caterina de’ Medici Painting Award was held in 2002 in Florence with artists from all over the world including three Nigerian artists in attendance while the second edition held in 2009 still in Florence with a Nigerian, Samuel Ebohon emerging top.

Outlook of the festival’s packages
Colloquium: Provides a platform for academic discourse on tenacity of memory in the quest for identity and explores the relevance of traditional mores and values to contemporary society and rescues the authentic history of African peoples from Centuries of denial and distortions. The session will also explore the integration of traditional healing and scientific intelligence in society and its imperatives for the present.

Arts and Crafts: Artisans of Lagos extraction and their descendants will exhibit and offer their products for sale at designated locations in Lagos and Badagary zones. Display hours are between 10am and 9pm.

Music: Performances will encompass musical modes associated with the city of Lagos from apala, juju to jazz, reggae to afrobeat. The legacy of Steve Rhodes, the first African winner of the Welsh Eistedfodd Music festival, will be featured in both choir and orchestral concerts.

Theatre: The plays of Aime Cesaire will occupy centre place, supported by African drama on the festival theme. These plays would reawaken, revaluate and rekindle our sense of the pride of the black being.
Dance: The festival aims to expand the knowledge and enjoyment of audiences in the experimental advances of African dance through a display of original and imaginative choreography, centred on historic and contemporary themes.

Boat Regatta: The boat regatta is ancient manifestation of this culture, a combination of grace, rhythm and colour.

Publication: A rare display of publications in the promotion of African history, cultures and philosophy from around the world, this segment also constitutes a tribute to the memory of the protagonists who dedicated their lives to this task of race retrieval.

Slavery Artefacts: A selection of the actual devices used to contain and degrade African humanity, reminding us of a brutal passage but also of the human resistant will. This section will feature the documentary of a West African festival that celebrates the defeat of slave raids on the African soil.

Art: A gallery dedicated to how artists have interpreted their grasp of the African past. It will also feature canvasses from the competing artists on the selected theme: ‘City of a thousand masks.’

Fitila Procession: Fitila means lamp, the traditional oil – lamp of the Yoruba. A day of contemplation is dedicated to the memory of those who left these shores, never to return. Their spirits will be evoked and placated through a solemn procession with invocations.

Attractions of Badagary
The town was founded around 1425 A. D. It is the second biggest commercial town of Lagos State and it is about one hour drive from Lagos barring any traffic gridlock. It is the gateway to the Republic of Benin and Ghana, among other, neighbouring West Africa countries on the coastal area of the state.
Slaves were ferried from the west coast of Africa through Badagary to America around 1500s with no fewer than 550, 000 slaves transported through the town

Palace of Akran of Badagary: The seat of the traditional ruler of the town is based here and holds a lot of attractions for people, as it is the custodian of the enduring and rich tradition, cultural values and history of the people. There is an ethnographic museum with age-long relics and artefacts housed in it.

Missionary Cemetery: It is the burial for many of the missionaries that served in the town.

The First Storey Building: This is one of the most extant relics of the town, an ancient building, which is believed to be the first of such structure in Nigeria. It has over the years been renovated and preserved. It was built by the Anglican church. Bishop Ajayi Crowder, a Nigerian and former slave once lived here. The wooden stairs, Missionary trust fund, a copy of the Bible translated from the English language to Yoruba can still be found in it.

Vlekte Slave Market: This was the location where slaves put on display and traded off to different slave buyers.

Other locations: This include the slave port, cannons of war, Mobee family slave museum,“Agia tree”, under which Christianity was first preached in 1842 and Badagary museum, which host a rich and vast relics and artifacts depicting the slave trade era.

Hank Mobley… middleweight champion of the tenor

2010-03-21T04:02:00.000-07:00

BY BENSON IDONIJE
WHEN the great critic, Leonard Feather described Hank Mobley as “the middle weight champion of the tenor,” he did not mean it in a pejorative sense. It was not intended to rubbish Mobley’s musicianship, neither was it intended to denigrate his efforts. It was a mere metaphorical phrase to describe the quality and situation of Hank Mobley’s tenor saxophone in relation to the others.
As a critic, Leonard Feather was only trying to paint a vivid picture as a means of expressing himself. Yet, it has come to be construed implicitly as meaning lightweight in both sound and content. And this is sad, considering the legendary stature of Mobley on the instrument.
Feather dubbed Mobley the middleweight champion of the tenor because his tone fell between that of Rollins at the heavy end and Lester Young at the other. All of these musicians have their brilliant qualities, depending on the ideas driven into the saxophone. True, the intensity of the sound and its tonal concept are important, but these qualities appeal to people in different ways. Paul Desmond of the Dave Brubeck Quartet had a light tone on the alto saxophone and was admired by many people.
Maybe this is carrying the argument to a ridiculous extreme, but let’s come to terms with the tenor saxophone where Mobley was rated highly, ranking shoulder to shoulder with some of the tenor giants.
It would be wrong however to compare Mobley with Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and the likes as tenor titan, but he could certainly hold his own alongside pretty much anyone else. His tone was lighter than any of them including Lester Young, yet it was substantial enough for his purposes. In a number of respects, it was similar to early ’50s Rollins, though it was round rather than big, self possessed rather than assertive, warmly smooth rather than brightly burnished.
Lacking in opinion of their own, several critics have denied Hank Mobley a place in the company of tenor greats. In my opinion, Mobley is one of the most lyrical saxophonists I have ever heard. I have been listening to him from the days of the Jazz Messengers when he occupied the tenor saxophone chair with Horace Silver on piano; Jackie McLean, alto saxophone and Donald Byrd on trumpet. He created brilliant phrases as a soloist. He sang into his horn.
In addition to the misconception that Feather created with the metaphorical expression, Miles Davis, who was difficult to please, also contributed to this unfair assessment of Hank Mobley who was one of a series of caretakers of the saxophone post in Davis’ quintet after the departure of John Coltrane. There was the often-reported occasion on which, during one of Mobley’s solos, Davis peered out at the audience and announced, “Any time Sonny Rollins shows up with his horn, he’s got the job.” Davis was quoted as saying in later years in his auto biography, “the music was starting to bore me because I didn’t like what Mobley was doing in the band, he didn’t stimulate my imagination.”
I guess this says more about Miles Davis than Mobley, who successfully stimulated the imagination of devotees like me and fellow musicians such as Benny Golson, the great composer of I remember Clifford, a tribute to the trumpeter Clifford Brown and a song that has become a classic. Mobley was greatly admired by a host of other musicians including the trumpeter, Donald Byrd who rated Mobley alongside Rollins. Mobley was also adored by the management of Blue Note, for whom he made numerous fine albums as both leader and sideman.
Never the most patient of men, Miles Davis was always in the process of reaching out restlessly to higher levels of creativity, an obsession which in fact almost blinded him to the reality of the authentic jazz played by his sidemen. He was also still bitter about John Coltrane who had left to form his memorable quartet of himself on tenor and soprano saxophone; McCoy Tyner, piano; Jimmy Garrison, bass; Elvin Jones, drums. It is likely that the depression and dissatisfaction with the music created a vicious spiral, and Mobley got sucked and spat out by it.
Hank Mobley, one of jazz’s tenor giants, came into the limelight in the ’50s, when, after working with many established up-coming figures, he spent 1954 with Dizzy Gillespie. By the time of his last recording with Gillespie in September 1954, he was preparing to join pianist Horace Silver’s new quartet for an engagement at Minton’s.
Soon after, Silver was asked to put together a quintet for a Blue Note session, and brought Kenny Dorham and Art Blakey to join Mobley and Dong Watkins from the Minton’s group. They first went into the studio on November 13 and cut Room 608, Creepin’, Doodliln’ and Stop Time. Four more tracks – Hippy, To whom it may concern, Hankerin and The Preacher were made on February 6, 1955.
Initially issued under the banner of the Horace Silver Quintet, all eight would eventually appear on LP under the title… and the Jazz Messengers, an album widely regarded as an canonical document in the genesis of hard bop.
Between the Messenger’s sessions, Mobley recorded with sextets led by Durham and Julius Watkins. Then, on March 27, 1955 came the first session under his own name, a quartet comprising the Messenger’s rhythm section: Silver, Watkins and Blakey.
Mobley played alongside Coltrane on a number of occasions, and whilst Coltrane was the stronger voice, he by no means eclipsed Mobley. He had to compete with a ravishingly beautiful solo by Coltrane, and did so effectively with a lighter-toned, less voluptuous but elegantly-phrased and well-constructed solo. If Mobley hadn’t yet established a unique personal sound, his solos were fluent, bristling with enthusiasm and interesting ideas. This was in 1956.
Mobley held his own in 1957, when in April, he appeared as part of the Johnny Griffin Septet sessions for Blue Note issued as Blowing Session, with a frontline of Lee Morgan, trumpet; Johnny Griffin, tenor saxophone; John Coltrane, tenor saxophone. Mobley’s mature sound was now developing and there were further strong hints of his later, more oblique manner of phrasing in relation to the beat.
I started admiring Hank Mobley from his stint with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, but my admiration became heightened with his membership of the Miles Davis quintet and the two albums recorded at San Francisco’s Blackhawk Club in April 1961. These sessions are among my favourite Davis efforts on account of Mobley’s contribution as a soloist of no mean feat. As a contrast to Coltrane’s long winding choruses which could sometimes be boring, Mobley’s well instructed solos are refreshing.
This concert featuring Davis’ quintet in 1961 with Gil Evans Orchestra was taped secretly and against Davis’ wishes by producer Teo Macero. Davis felt that both the quintet and orchestra programme was already adequately represented on record; as well as pieces from Miles ahead and Sketches from Spain several of the quintet numbers duplicated those on Someday My Prince Will Come and the Blackhawk sessions, though the Carnegie hall versions generally have much more of an edge than the studio performances.
Mobley plays superbly on all the tracks where he is featured – Teo, Walkin’, I thought about you, No blues, Oleo.
One finds it hard to accept Davis’ criticisms as valid, especially since he was happy enough to employ Sonny Stitt before and George Coleman after. Neither of these men was any less stuck in the bop rut than Mobley.

Musical chairs

2010-03-21T04:00:00.000-07:00

BY WOLE OGUNTOKUN THE Whisperer has been busy all month directing rehearsals of ‘The Ultimate Face-Off’ – The V. Monologues versus The Tarzan Monologues.
Featuring Carol King, Bimbo Manuel, Katherine Edoho, Kenneth Uphopho, Ireti Doyle, Kate Henshaw, Sola Roberts Iwaotan, Ego Ogbaru, Ayo Orobiyi, and others, it has proven to be a very exhausting but extremely fulfilling task.
Today, and as we sat resting from a session of ‘Monologues’ recitals, Katherine almost in an off-hand manner, remembered she had met someone, who considered The Whisperer very arrogant. The person speaking had no idea Katherine knew me and had vented her spleen.
I cast my mind back wondering what category this angry person might fall into. She might have been one of those The Whisperer parted ways with in the long-gone days of musical chairs, where you moved from partner to partner like changing seats in that party game of the same name.
Either that or a relative of one of those whose love was spurned in those “days of rage”.
It could have been someone who had read a few of The Whisperer’s articles and had come to the conclusion that he was not a likeable person (yes, the world is made up of all sorts and there will be people who are contrary, taking delight in swimming upstream).
Don’t forget some people read the English language like they are reading Arabic.
They start the sentence at the right of the page and read it all the way to the left. It is why you wonder how people can arrive at the most amazing conclusions from a column you read earlier and found no trace of the wild speculations and dangerous theories they begin to expound.
Either that or they are reading the page upside down and do not care to admit reading has never been their forte.

I THEN thought this person with the caustic song might have been someone who had attended one of my shows and had decided I appeared too haughty for my own good. How is that you may well ask?
Well, as an eleven year old quietly strolling to my father’s home, I heard a man in his fifties exclaim in Yoruba — “You this Oguntokun boy, you are too full of yourself”.
If my memory serves me right, I had given no cause for this man to say this. So maybe something about me translates as haughtiness to the unlearned (those who know nothing of me but still speculate).
Still, I am not about to change my nature at this age because some troubled person has decided I should tone down what some might consider a lack of modesty.
I think the world is made up of many people who would rather you were diffident, self-effacing, timid and broke.
Yes, being “broke” qualifies you as a martyr in many minds, as someone who is humble and knows his or her place. I’m sorry, but if I run into money, I’m not going to walk the streets on dusty feet.
Send in the four-wheel drive they call the “Armada”. Yes, I’m buying that one when the good times roll. May that be soon.
Musical chairs. What game do people play that makes them unable to stay with one partner?
What is it that moves them from seat to seat looking for a partner who might never turn out to be the ideal one?
The game is simple, at least at parties. There are a number of seats that are one short of the number of people standing around them.
When the Deejay or whatever creature is handling the music hits the play button, you dance around the chairs until the music stops and then you rush for the chairs.
The person without a seat is out of the game, another chair is removed for the next round and the contestants are again one chair short. The winner is the one who gets the last chair.

WHEN I was younger and thought it great fun to keep scores, we would make mental notes of those we had “gone out with”, much like fighter pilots who wrote on their fuselage with each “kill” they made.
It is extraordinary but men keep scores (as do some women). Some notch bedposts, others keep journals and those who like to live life on the edge make videos of themselves.
As a teenager, I wanted to have a girl friend in every Federal Government Girl’s Secondary School in the country.
From the far reaches of Kazaure in the north to the not very far ones at Sagamu, The Whisperer sought to have “ambassadors”. It was a childish thing but some men never really grow out of it.
What is it that makes men (and women) play musical chairs? Why do they play a game they might lose, a game in which the end is never sure?
You might say you were good at the game musical chairs but you and I both know that those who were really good at this game were those who cheated a little and could bully you out of a seat you got to about the same time.
You might think life is a gamble and therefore love itself must be. I agree that there are few things in life without an element of risk (I cannot think of anything actually) but I am trying not to step into the zone known as absolute certainty.
The person who is in an “open relationship” had better be sure his or her partner is a nun or a priest. (These days, I hear even those professions are not guaranties) It is always better to define the parameters of your relationship.
You must be sure that you’re both on the same page as to exclusivity and other similar matters.
Do both partners agree that the relationship is only between two people and not a third party “who accidentally steps into the scene?”
What does your partner consider to be cheating? You might be having a relationship with a member of Bill Clinton’s school of philosophy, someone who does not consider a French kiss with another a no-go area. Remember always that it is better to ask dumb questions that make dumb mistakes.

laspapi@yahoo.com

Cover, Edition 228. Sun March 14 -20, 2010

2010-03-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

‘Why we are marching to Aso’

2010-03-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

BY CHUKS NWANNE
Tired of just sitting by their computers, tweetering their frustrations about the country online, young Nigerians under the umbrell of Enough Is Enough Nigeria, have finally resolved to take the campaign for change to the streets of Abuja, with the National Assembly as their final destination.
Billed to hold on Tuesday, March 16, with take-off from the Eagle Square, the decisions to embark on the peaceful rally is part of resolutions at an emergency meeting of the group held recently in Lagos, with the resolve to rise against corruption and bad leadership in Nigeria.
Based on comments from some members of this group, it appears the ailing president’s case, the unending poor power supply in all parts of the country, electoral reform, as well as the Jos crisis that has gulped hundreds of lives, are part of events that actually angered the future Nigerians into action.
Despite the order recently issued by the Nigeria Police Force, restraining individuals and groups from staging any form of rally/protest in the Federal Capital Territory – for ‘security reasons’ – the body, a coalition of prominent youth leaders and celebrities from across the country, insists that the proposed rally, which kicks off at 11am, must go on to save Nigeria from it’s hopeless state.

In her keynote address at the Future Awards, held recently in Lagos, the Managing Director of the World Bank, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had accused young Nigerians of withdrawing, amid a generally drifting state of affairs and growing tide of corruption in the country.
“Things are happening in the country and our youth are not doing enough to protest. I am not trying to excite anybody to go into violence, but in a country where things don’t work, the youth stage peaceful protest to address the situation. Nigerians are known to be aggressive in other countries, but when they come to their country, what do they do? Nothing! If you live here without doing something to uplift Nigeria, then you are not a true Nigerian youth,” the former Finance Minister said at the event that had thousands of young Nigerians from both home and abroad in attendance.
From all indications, it seems the youths have finally decided to raise their voice in accord against bad leadership in Nigeria. With the proposed Enough Is Enough Nigeria rally, it’s obvious they’ve resolved to save their future from the hands of corrupt politicians, masquerading themselves as leaders on the corridors of power.
“This is a coalition of individuals, organisations, and collectives, intended to be the most ambitious of youth initiatives aiming to effect peaceful transformation in Nigeria,” said Tolu Ogunlesi, winner of last year’s CNN Journalist of the Year awards.
“Most of us have only ever seen guns in the hands of armed robbers and armed policemen. Our weapon is anger, enlivened by a sense of history, and of destiny, and tempered by reason. And, very importantly, we are determined not to make the mistakes that those who went before us made, revolutionaries who ended up creating systems in dire need of revolution,” Ogunlesi submitted.
Actress Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, whose youth empowerment project, OYEP, is also part of the protest, said, “we’ve had cases of people who died as a result of generator fumes. We cannot continue to sit on the fence and allow just a few people in government eat up our future.”
For Toyosi Akerele, team leader of Rise Networks, “silence is not golden; we have to speak up! Our children will live in worse situations than we are in now if we don’t do something. It is a crisis of values for me to take up a job I cannot handle. The rallies we are doing are not an anti-Yar’Adua campaign but an anti system campaign. Look at what is happening in Jos… it’s a failure of leadership and we are angry!”
The Creative Director of Redstrat, organiser of the Future Awards, Chude Jideonwo, noted that, “the drama surrounding President Umaru Yar’Adua’s health has effectively derailed the country. But Nigeria is bigger than one man! The president should neither resume, resigns or be removed from office before the end of this month. And if he resigns, all those involved in these unconstitutionalities should be brought to book! There’s the issue of power supply, and then there is the issue of fuel… it’s just shameful. Enough is enough,” he harped.
For those, who would interpret the protest as an anti-Northern agenda, the rally actually involves young people from different tribes and regions; North inclusive.
“There’s no Northern or Southern demarcation here,” Alkassim Abdulkadir, formerly with the National Assembly stated. “Young people across Nigeria are one in their anger; Muslim or Christian, South-South or North-Central, rich or poor…we are all marching to Abuja in one accord; to take a stand, and let our voices be heard.”
“This is the important first step,” said Nze Sylva Ifedigbo, Abuja-based coordinator on the group. “Young people need to make a statement that we are an important voice in this country.”
Ifedigbo observed that more than 70% of Nigeria’s is below 35, adding: “We’ve had enough of this rubbish. Many young people have realised that it’s not enough to be angry on Facebook and Twitter; it’s time to walk the talk. So, all the young people who are tired of everything that is wrong in our country are going to show that we are not taking it anymore.”

Meanwhile, some older Nigerians such as Prof. Pat Utomi, Hon. Abike Dabiri, Chief Dele Momodu and others, have pledged their support for the rally, with some of them promising to join in the protest aimed at salvaging our great nation from the hands of a cabal, who view the country as their private property.
Other young celebrities involved in the protest include rapper MI Abaga, Timi Dakolo, the Rooftop MCs, Eldee, Banky W, Omoni Oboli, Matse Uwatse, Denrele Edun, Segun Obe, Ohimai Godwin Amaize and others, who will be joining from other parts of the country. Organisations involved in the initiative include the Rise Networks, the Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Abira Foundation, Gbagyichild Entertainment, Chocolate City, The Future Project, The Movement for Islamic Culture and Awareness, amongst others.
According to a release issued by coalition, the rally is only the first in a chain of actions leading up until the 2011 elections.
“We will be working vigorously to actively participate in the polls as well as mount pressure for electoral reforms. Enough Is Enough is a double-edged sword; it is a message both to us (that it is time to leave the comfort of our computer and mobile phone keyboards, and seek to exert authority in the real world) and to the powers-that-be (that enough is enough of taking Nigeria and Nigerians for granted,” the statement reads.
In his latest album, Germany-based-Nigerian artiste, Ade Bantu did a track with Azadus titled, Marching To Aso. A politically charged song, the track commented on Niger Delta and other issues affecting Nigeria.
“So often, you feel helpless; you feel like your voice is not being heard and that politicians have become immune to your words. The longer I stay in Nigeria, the more I get frustrated. For instance, I don’t tell my driver to buy fuel for me, I do it myself; I queue for about two to three days, so, I know there’s a problem,” Bantu frowned.
Oh yes, there are lots of problems facing this nation, most of which are man-made. But the good new is that the young people have woken from their slumber to say to the politicians, ‘Enough Is Enough!’

Africa on their minds

2010-03-13T10:23:00.000-08:00

THIS group of young people are bonded to enhance the lives and future of young Africans in war-torn countries. The project earned them the Team of the Year awards at The Future Awards held recently.

What made your group to win The Future Awards Team of the Year?
The judges would be in the best position to answer this question, considering the fact that all other finalists have also carried out brilliant initiatives. Having said that, it is noteworthy to say in 2009 AFYUCh was able to carry out change projects in three countries (Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi) in spite of our very busy schedules. This could only have been possible through the synergy of committed individuals that make up the team.

Have there been changes since you won?
There have been immense changes since we won the award. There is the attendant media attention as well as opportunities to scale up our projects through collaborations that have come our way.

Would you have continued with your quest for change had your team been disadvantaged in that category?
I would not like to see our not winning the award as being disadvantaged; to be shortlisted alone is significant. We are committed to our projects in-spite of any seeming challenges and would have continued with our initiatives regardless of the outcome of the judges. We are, however, encouraged by the award to do a lot more.

What does African Youth Unite for Change entail?
AFYUCh is basically a group of young professionals from different backgrounds. We have as focus, the building of leadership potential among young people in post-conflict African countries to enable them improve their personal circumstances as well as become catalysts of the accelerated development of their countries. We also aim at building platforms to engage young professionals across Africa to exchange ideas on conflict prevention, resolution and post-conflict reconstruction.

Where did the name come from?
AFYUCh was originally called ‘African Youth Unite for Liberia (AFYUL)’ at inception, because we set out to bring together young professionals from different African countries to contribute to Liberia’s reconstruction. We decided to change the name to ‘African Youth Unite for Change (AFYUCh)’ after our successful outreach to Bong County, Liberia in March 2008. The name change was to allow us extend the project to other post-conflict African countries.

You will agree with me that the word ‘Change’ is becoming a cliché these days?
The wind of change is rapidly sweeping across Africa with young people spearheading significant change initiatives. We can’t have too many of change initiatives because there is a lot to be done.

What makes your organization different from others?
We have very strict guidelines that guide our diplomatic disposition, when on our missions. This ensures that we portray Nigeria and Nigerians in very good light to our international publics. AFYUCh also maintains very close ties with LEAP Africa, which has oversight of our activities and allow us to use their proprietary modules and youth empowerment models.

It is perceived that a group of young people below 27, passionate about resolving other people’s conflict cannot be devoid of conflicts in this pursuit. What is your take on this?
We definitely have slight conflicts in the course of our activities, which are quickly resolved amicably. We have learnt to put aside personal preferences for the common good.

What significant change has your interaction with these young people brought?
We have been able to empower about 300 young people who were either victims of gender-based violence, forced co-option as juvenile combatants or those rendered vulnerable by conflict. The participants of our training programmes have also been encouraged to start change projects to impact their local communities.

If you were to paint Africa based on what you’ve seen in the places you’ve been, what would you draw, what colour will you use, and why?
I would paint Mother Africa green. In the lyrics of TY Bello, the land is indeed very beautiful and green with opportunities. In spite of our differences, we have what it takes to become the greatest continent in the world if we can overcome the issues of corruption and establish credible democratic structures.

Why would a set of promising guys be interested in a cause as this, while their mates take romantic trips to glamorous locations abroad?
Many of us are widely traveled, but still agree that Africa has some of the greatest locations to visit in the world. We, however, sacrifice our leave times and funds to impact on the lives of our brothers and sisters, who are not as privileged as we are.

How do you source your fund?
It’s from members, our family and friends. We also have a very supportive advisory board, which includes Dapo Odojukan of Rosaab International; Ms. Ngozi Obigwe of Leap Africa; and Mr. Foluso Phillips of Phillips Consulting.

Who are the key members of AFYUCh and what’s the structure like?
In Nigeria, we have a central working committee with members such as Joseph Mojume, Damilare Adeyeri, Lekan Akanbi, Esohe Okhomina, Tina Ugbebor, Oare Ehiemua, Aramide Abe, Usman Imanah, Vremudia Irikefe, Ismoila Alli-Balogun, Idonreyin Effiong, Kunle Odeyemi, Elizabeth Oghoro, Seun Adelusi and Akin Rotimi

What personal experiences or joint experiences that kick-started this undertaking?
AFYUCh (Then known as AFYUL) was inspired by the moving testimony of Baysah Corvah, a Liberian youth who experienced the war first hand and one of the 101 Young Africans that attended the African Business Leaders’ Forum in Accra Ghana in October 2007.

Would you say it’s worth the pains?
It has been marvelous to be part of this team. I have learned vital skills and exposed to continental issues, which I bring to bear in my personal life and career.

How would you assess the developmental process in Africa?
The comparative economic and human development indices are still not very encouraging. I am in support of the view that Africa’s development depends on Africans. We can do a lot more by establishing platforms for greater collaboration among African countries, especially developing strong trade ties. The emerging order is seeing African nations, urging western countries to establish trade ties with us and not just providing developmental Aid. We are, however, still being slowed down by political instability and corruption that’s why the advocacy for credible elections and good governance is gaining momentum. When we have the right leaders in place in Africa, the continent will develop faster.

What is your take on leadership in Nigeria?
We are still far from having the type of leaders that can rapidly improve the quality of lives of the generality of Nigerians. The starting point as I said earlier is credible elections. In a situation where we have a compromised electoral process, it becomes an exception rather than a rule to produce leaders, who have the interest of the people at heart. Another issue is civic participation in governance. The prevailing apathy of the generality of Nigerians to socio-political issues accounts for the reason a small fraction of the people, usurp authority, to do whatever they like. Leaders need to govern well, but followers also have a duty to hold leaders accountable and resist subversions of the constitution among other undemocratic moves.

In this part of the world we are faced with the problem of recycling bad leadership, how do these youths you’re equipping with leadership skills break through this political pipe to assert their destiny?
Young people all over Africa are indeed tired of bad leaders. There has been an upsurge in the number and variety of youth-led developmental initiatives across the continent in the last decade. The learned and shared paradigm within the vast network of youth organizations is that ‘youths are not leaders of tomorrow, but leaders of today’. This paradigm has also been our guiding principle in empowering participants in our programmes, we encourage them to be the change they want to see in their communities by starting a change initiative with what they have and where they are.

What is human relationship like in Rwanda, 17 years after the Genocide?
Rwanda known as ‘the land of a thousand hills and a millions smiles’ has recovered remarkably from the unfortunate genocide that occurred many years ago. The government and people have put in place veritable structures to mitigate issues that led to the violence. It might interest you to know that ethnicity has been outlawed in Rwanda in an effort to promote unity. This means that it is illegal to refer to someone as Hutu or Tutsi. The government of President Paul Kagame has also done very well in the development of infrastructure and creating conducive environment to attract foreign investment. The efforts of the people in rebuilding their country after the genocide has become a post-conflict reconstruction model all over the world.

Is there any re-occurring trend in the conflicts in all the places you’ve visited and why is that so?
Academics in the field of conflict analysis have identified significant conflict trends, especially in the Great Lakes region of East Africa . We can also see trends of conflict spread across geographies especially within the West African Sub-region. I share the view that some of the trends of conflict in many African countries can be traced to negative colonial imprints on our socio-political structure.

What are the lessons for Nigerians from your incursion into other African countries?
Nigeria needs to take conflict prevention very seriously. We cannot afford another civil war in Nigeria, though we seem to be dancing too close to it. Many families are still managing to cope with the negative effects of the over three decades ago war, yet we don’t take ethnic nationalities who feel marginalized seriously. Our leaders wantonly stoke religious sentiments among the masses for their own selfish gains. It is sad that 50 years after independence, we still have ‘conflict flashpoints’ in the country such as Jos crisis in Plateau State and the Niger Delta. Nigerians need to see our heterogeneity as a strong point and learn to live together peaceably.

What are the serious challenge(s) you’ve been faced with in your passion to unite African youths for change?
We have had such issues as language barriers in some countries. We have also had to scale down on some of our projects due to lack of funding.

If you are elected president of Nigeria, what would you do?
I would ensure the mainstreaming of youth and gender issues into every policy and programme including representation in various tiers of government. With a youth population of over 60%, Nigerian youths can no longer be ignored. The change would be replacing tired and compromised legs with dynamic and focused ones.

What will your manifesto look like?
A vote for me is a vote for you. Governance is a collective enterprise that involves both the leaders and the followers.

Do you agree with the axiom ‘what will be, will be’ to characterize the trend of problems plaguing the continent?
I agree to an extent because most African cultures encourage us to accept whatever happens as ‘destiny’. More people are, however, embracing the axiom that places the burden of determining our collective future at our own hands. This means that more people are taking responsibility for shaping our personal and collective destinies.

Where do you see Africa in 20 years time?
I see a continent that has begun to take herself seriously by taking proactive steps among her member nations, to ensure the development of her peoples. I see the end of violence as a means of conflict resolution and more importantly the economic advancement of most member nations.

Looking back 20 years from now, what would you be happy to have achieved?
I would be happy to have put in place structures that would ensure the continuity of the AFYUCh vision and to see our impact spread across geographies and thematic platforms.

Do you think enough has been done to overhaul the political terrain of Nigeria?
No, I don’t think so. The generality of political elite in Nigeria today are pseudo-leaders who are compromised even before getting to office. We are teaming up with progressive individuals/organizations to clamour for electoral reforms well ahead of the 2011 general elections in Nigeria . There are also several organizations like ‘The Future Nigeria’, ‘LEAP Africa’ and the ‘Nigerian Leadership Initiative (NLI)’ that we are affiliated to, who have as their primary objective instilling the right values and orientation for potential leaders.

For those who wish to take this same route as yourself, what advice would you give?
You would meet several challenges along the way, which would make you question the need to sacrifice for the common good or remain in your comfort zone.

Fruit juice packaging business... A money-spinner

2010-03-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

(Biz tool Kits)
BY BRIDGET OLOTU

Business Description
Fruit juice packaging business products made from choice fruits to the delight, entertainment, health and nutrition of consumers. Start-up cost as low as N10 million or more depending on the size of investment.
Can be jointly carried out with packaged water, as the machines for both businesses are almost similar.
• Potential first year earnings: N24 million
• Breakeven time from initial investment: very rapid (can be between 1 to 2 years)
• Future growth potential: very high
• Dynamic, fast-growing industry
• Possible for Small business or Cooperative-based organisations
• Not much staffing required, especially at the beginning
Now, the interesting world of fruit juice business is a whole breadth of product lines ranging from blackberry, apple, orange, pineapple, tangerine, banana, guava, mango, lemon, grape, coconut flavours/products, etc, or a combination of two or more of these fruits.

Fruit juice business in Nigeria
Nigeria is blessed with fruits of various shades, colours, names, multiple nutritional values, tastes, and health composition. However, we have not been able as a nation and people to exploit our fruit juice industry to the maximum.
My colleague and his mother visited their village in the eastern part of the country recently and he discovered that the grandmother’s orchard, which had been abandoned by the woman’s children — since every one of them now resides in the city — was littered with ripe but rotting fruit wasting away on the ground.
Fortunately, he and his mother were able to salvage some ripe ones on some of the trees, which they brought back to Lagos. The story is the same everywhere. We are wasting resources as a nation in every sphere of our human life. From Benue (which is incidentally, the Food Basket of the Nation) to Bayelsa, Aba to Abeokuta, our fruits are wasting away and denying us of the monetary and nutritional values they would have given us as a nation, industry and peoples. Fruit juice business therefore is an investor’s haven, as there are still untapped markets and opportunities in that industry.

Fruit juice products market
This market consists of three often-overlapping product classifications: Storage method, flavour, and juice content. The storage method classification includes refrigerated, shelf-stable bottled, frozen concentrate, aseptic, canned, frozen fruit juice bars, and shelf-stable liquid concentrate.
The flavour classification includes orange juice, fruit drink, apple juice, fruit juice blends, grapefruit juice (including 100 per cent grapefruit juice and grapefruit juice cocktails), tomato/vegetable juice, lemonade (including limeade), and grape juice. The juice content classification includes 100 per cent fruit juices and fruit drinks.

Packaged fruit market
The packaged fruit market consists of four product categories: Canned and bottled fruit; dried fruit; frozen fruit; and maraschino cherries. The canned and bottled category includes applesauce, peaches, pineapple, mixed fruit, pears, cranberry sauce, and citrus. The dried fruit category includes raisins, other mixed fruit, prunes, dates, and glazed fruit.

bridgetolotu@gmail.com

The Devil’s Highway
(Just Life)
BY OMOLIGHO UDENTA
SOME years ago, when I first started writing this column, I found myself often having to explain what it was all about.
After a while, I was able to fine-tune my response to questions about the column by saying, “Just Life”, is about life even if only it’s from my perspective. Some weeks I might find, really quite easily, topics to write about but some weeks are tougher. Some weeks all I have to do is just go about my normal daily stuff and usually something happens which can be built into a story. Some weeks I get the proverbial ‘writer’s block’ and need to really work at getting a story out.
I have also found that whilst some issues can be looked at humorously, some cannot. Issues like child abuse, breast cancer and a few others are really quite serious and should be treated as such.
Now, last week has been particularly tough because I came across something so horrifying I was left speechless. I, like many other Nigerians, came across the shockingly gory photograph of the robbery incident along Lagos-Benin Expressway, which many have said should be renamed ‘The Devil’s Highway’.
I don’t know how that would sound, you know, would anyone of us want to say to anyone ‘Oh, I’ll be travelling on ‘The Devil’s Highway’ tomorrow’? I know I wouldn’t.

IT was such a shock to see the extent some otherwise supposedly ‘happy’ Nigerians among us were willing to go to get money and how merciless they could be to those who didn’t have any.
The irony was that the robbers (who usually are thought to be people pushed by desperate circumstances to crime) could not find it in their hearts to have pity on those whose situation may very well be the same or similar to theirs. But then again, which robber (except perhaps Robin Hood) could be said to have a heart?
Some reports state that the photograph is actually an accident scene and not a robbery attack. Whatever it is, the fact is it’s horrible to even imagine such a thing could actually have happened.
For a long time now Nigerians have complained about the deplorable state of the road and the regularity that brutal armed robbery attacks occur on that stretch of road.
Not much has been done about it. Do we need Einstein to tell us that without jobs for the unemployed, security measures put in place and a provision of basic needs for all, this mayhem will continue?
And when we talk about more security on that road we do not necessarily mean more police checkpoints. There are already too many as is and all the policemen seem to be doing is lining their pockets and filling their stomachs.

PERHAPS, the government awaits a time when Nicodemus will predict the death of a few more thousand souls, which will hopefully include a few ministers and a handful of governors, perhaps, something will then be done.
But since this isn’t likely to happen, is there going to be any action then? We can do little else but to wait and see.

omoudenta@yahoo.co.uk

Small space gardening

2010-03-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

BY EKWY P. UZOANYA
FOR reason of lack of space, many homeowners feel it is almost impossible to have a garden around the house. They contend that a small space will not accommodate most of the principles and rules laid down in gardening manuals. True, small garden spaces present their own challenges, but it needs not be limiting.
A small space garden lends itself to personal expression. Smaller gardens are extensions of your home and go a long way to capture the sensibilities and taste of the gardener. If at any time the taste and inclination change, reworking a small garden is much easier.
From wanting to make the space look larger or just squeezing as many plants in as possibly can, plenty of small gardening help comes handy.
In a small garden, the gardener needs to pay attention to details. It is easier to manage in terms of maintenance, while still having time to sit and enjoy the small garden. Another benefit of a small garden is that the gardener gets to know every space and plant. Any plant that is out of place or not thriving can be spotted and corrected quickly.

Limited space means having to make choices. Every plant or feature will need to serve a purpose. There is no room for wasted space or underperforming plants.
In fact, it takes fewer plants to make a dramatic effect.
Growing every plant you love in the available space is out of it. There is need to check the inclination to buy a plant on impulse and assume that a place can be found for it in the garden.
It also means that colour should also be limited, so as to give the small garden cohesion. Less is more. Subtle colours will make the garden appear larger. However, this can compensate for the limited colour pallette with a variety of textures. The textural contrast will help blend the plant material and allow the garden to flow.
Growing plants in containers is useful in achieving the dream of gardening in small space.

If it’s simple n’casual... That’s me, thanks

2010-03-13T10:04:00.000-08:00

WITH a whole lot of fun growing up, the Esan native Thelma Okodua was born into a closely knit, God fearing family with so much love and affection. She and her siblings, she says, have always been like friends and this made it all the more fun for her. The Uromi, Edo State-born lady is from a large family. She grew up in the East and Studied Computer Science in the University of Port Harcourt. The actress, who also holds a diploma in theatre arts, and currently features in soap operas such as Family Ties and Spider, tells DAMILOLA ADEKOYA how fashion can be so trendy.

Definition of fashion
Fashion to me is any prevailing trend.

Favourite piece of clothing
My favourite piece of clothing is my D&G pair of jeans

Style of dressing
Simple casual, basically anything I’m most comfortable in

Uniqueness of your style
Less is more

Most cherished moment and why
When I had my baby girl because I realised how much God loves me

Most cherish possession
my wedding ring.

Most fashionable or stylish icon(s)
My friend Rita Dominic and internationally, Victoria Beckham

Turn on
Honesty.

Turn off
Liars

What you won’t be caught dead wearing?
Iro and Buba

Favorite body product(s)
Black opal’s body exfoliator

Role model(s)
My late mother

Acting and you
Acting is something I’m very passionate about and I love every moment I spend working

Latest and next projects
My latest project is a TV series, family ties and my next project is a movie shoot in Ghana at the end of d month.

Signature scent(s), by who and why?
Rose Essentielle by Bvulgari. I Love it because it has an extraordinary scent.

What is the essence of your style?
Comfort

Uniqueness of style
Not trying too hard but still look good and confident

What is sexy on both men and women?
It’s really not about what you wear but how you wear it but I don’t think you can go wrong in a crisp white shirt and blue jeans.

What is fashion flop to you?
Too much makeup n accessories

Fact about your style
I try to be as simple as possible

Most expensive item (s)
My Chopard wristwatch

Describe yourself in 3 words
Simple, elegant and down to earth

Favorite food
Afang soup and catfish

Favorite colour and why
Black, because just like White, u can never go wrong because it’s classy and timeless

What do you do at your leisure time
Watch movies

Favourite spot
Swe bar in City Mall, Lagos

Hobbies
Reading, playing scrabble and traveling

If you were given a chance to change something in Nigeria, what will it be?
The poor power supply

Projection into the future
Having my business run itself n being active on d international scene

Who would you like to work with in the fashion and music industry?
Deola Sagoe & Asa

What else do you do, apart from acting and how do you merge the two together.
I just got married and had a baby, so my major priority has been taking care of my home but I still do business on d side so when I’m not on set, I’m either doing my business or with my family

Who and what inspires you
God and my wonderful husband

Favourite designers and why
In Nigeria, Deola Sagoe, her work is creative and truly beautiful

Philosophy of life
Live your life one day at a time.

Amobi and friends bring charity home

2010-03-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

By Tope Templer Olaiya
A Katy resident and Houston Texans football player is returning to Nigeria for his third annual trip to promote education, American football and health awareness in Africa. Amobi Okoye, who left Nigeria for the United States at the age of 12, will be joined by teammate Frank Okam, Kasia Muoto and Africa Cancer Center doctors and nurses for the trip to Lagos, Delta and Abuja from March 12 to 20.
“I know that in order to get things accomplished in Nigeria, one will experience frustration,” Okoye said. “After the first year, there was a lot of frustration, and second year had its own problems, but every year has become better, and I am looking forward to this time every year.”
Part of this year’s mission includes delivering approximately 30,000 new and gently used books and school supplies to two local communities in two Nigerian states. The Books Abroad collection drive was a four-month community effort sponsored by the Katy Rotary Club and the Katy Independent School District.
“Books Abroad has been a rich and fulfilling service learning project for students in every part of Katy. Together they have discovered the joy of sharing, and the satisfaction of creating opportunities for others who have so much less than they.”
In addition, the foundation is hosting Kickoff 4 Kids for the second consecutive year to teach the children the game of American football and promote better athletes through physical activity.
“I hope to see a smile on a kid’s face through football camp, knowing he has another side of hope,” Okoye said. “My goal is to bring back a higher level of athletics in the school system, because that seems to be a little forgotten. I think athletics is a real good way for kids to learn discipline and be involved in a team sport.”

The Foundation is hoping to build a prep school through the Athletes in the Diaspora Community Intervention programme to introduce the concept of American football to the continent of Africa. “We have partnered with the federal government, local and state governments of at least five states and the interest levels of everybody is very high,” Okoye said.
Funding for the goal will be through the Foundation’s scholarship programme, Changing Africa Through Education (CATE). Last year, the foundation awarded 28 scholarships to the gold medal finalists of the Nigeria Universities Games Association. This year, the foundation is hoping to award five $15,000 scholarships.
And with the help of the Medical Bridges Organization, a team doctors and nurses from the Africa Cancer Center will be delivering a 40-foot container of medical equipment and supplieas to treat cancer and other illnesses. They will also host workshops for Nigerian medical professionals through the “train the trainer” programme.
“We want to provide healthy kids in the community of Africa, starting with Nigeria,” Okoye said. “In the community, we’re going to be having free medical clinics and to create more cancer awareness.”

Ononogbu, Mr. Lipids, signs off at UNN
By Tope Templer Olaiya
University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN)’s Mr. Lipids, Prof. Ikpendu Christopher Ononogbu, took the first step to retirement from the University after 39 years service with a valedictory lecture organised by the Faculty of Biological Sciences.
Students and staff rose in accord to honour the distinguished retiring don at the revamped Princess Alexandria Auditorium. The air was festive as tradition mingled with academic formalities. The Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien was in attendance alongside the Vice Chancellor of UNN, Prof. Bartho Okolo.
Many prominent Nigerians notably Ononogbu’s peers in the academia attended the event, including the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike, Prof. Ikenna Oyudo, and his counterpart from the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Prof. Cyril Onwuliri, who was represented by his wife, Prof. Viola Onwuliri.
The professor of lipid biochemistry spoke on “The Cycles of Lipids and Morality: Four Decades of Lipid Studies in Nigeria”. He recalled his experiences working on lipids and promoting specialisation by African scientists through various international and local seminars. Lipids are a group of fats and fat-like substances that constitute a major class of tissue components and a major foodstuff.
Ononogbu’s research efforts have included work on the differences in lipid and lipoprotein levels between black and white populations and their contributions towards Ischemic heart disease; initiating the Nigerian Lipid and Lipoprotein standardization programme aimed at harmonizing lipid studies and methodology in Nigeria and gathering together a body of African scientists to specialise in the study of lipids through the establishment of the African Conference on the Biochemistry of Lipids of which he was the first President.
He continuously propagated what he calls the gospel of lipidology, leading to the establishment of 18 centres of lipid research in Nigeria, supported by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.

Scientist, poet and writer, Ononogbu has written several books, including an anthropological analysis of his native Nkpa community in Abia State, a book of poetry from his travels around the world and his sojourn in Malawi as visiting professor. There are several books on his area of specialisation including the acclaimed Lipids in Human Existence.

Prof Ononogbu’s long association with the University of Nigeria commenced with his enrolment as an undergraduate. He holds the B.Sc of the university and a PhD from the University of London.
Vice Chancellor, Prof Bartho Okolo, testified of his former colleague in the Faculty of Biological Sciences: “In addition to giving honour to a deserving researcher, teacher and administrator, an event of this nature serves to remind us of our main mission as academics – teaching and research. It is on record that Ononogbu went after his duties as an academic with both passion and dedication.
He promoted the knowledge about lipids, trained many young academics and attracted many grants to the university. He contributed in no little measure to the profile of our university. In return, he achieved self-fulfilment as a mentor and received both national and international acclaim as a biochemist. I am truly happy to be part of today’s event in his honour.”

Rewarded for passion to humanity
By Daniel Anazia
She stood straight in line, head and shoulders above the more than 5,000 fellow corps members that were passing out with her, after a year of civic duty to the fatherland. Beaming with smiles, 28-year-old Olusola Abodunrin, a medical doctor by training has touched many lives through her initiative during her service year in Lagos.
Sola, with the support of the Medical Mission Initiative (MMI), organised, a one-day health-screening programme at the Isokan Public Health Centre, Ojokoro Local Development Council as part of her community development project, while serving with the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
The programme had in attendance 500 respondents from the community, with the Chairman, House Committee on Health, Lagos State House of Assembly, Samuel Adejare, also gracing the occasion.
Highpoint of the programme include health education and counseling, de-worming of children, screening for diabetes and hypertension, voluntary counseling and testing for HIV/AIDS, oral health hygiene education and examination, basic eye examination, treatment of minor ailments and referral of major/chronic conditions.
The project was adjudged one of the best of all those carried out by corps members serving in the state. Hence, a certificate of honour was issued to Abodunrin.
Speaking at the occasion, Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties, Tola Kasali, who represented the governor, thanked the corps members for their service and wished them well in their future endeavour. He encouraged them to take advantage of the entrepreneurial skills they acquired and help themselves with the loan facility the Central Bank was extending to outgoing corps members.
Members of Abodunrin’s family, whose presence added glamour to the event, said the Abeokuta, Ogun State indigene, had always have it in her heart to help people.
Elated with so much joy for the honour done to his name and family by his daughter, Balogun, told Life Campus “I am proud of her and we are very happy to be associated with her.”
“She cares for people,” Adeoye Abodunrin, her husband said. “She gives people 80 per cent of her NYSC salary. I always ask, ‘what is wrong with you?’ But this is how God rewards people who actually care for other people,” he added.
For the lady of the moment, she desires to do more and hope the report on the screening will help the council spend the money meant for healthcare for the right purposes.

Ilube’s Foundation supports gifted African students
By Tope Templer Olaiya
Tom Ilube’s African Gifted Foundation (AGF) is working with Professor Deborah Eyre, Vice President of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, to select gifted African students for its first ever Academy session in January 2011.
The Academy will be based in a leading university in Uganda, and in its first year will bring together 40 to 50 exceptionally talented students aged from 14 to 19 years old from Nigeria, Botswana and Uganda, growing rapidly in future years to 1,000 students a year from across the continent.
The Academy will focus on mathematics and I.T and students will be immersed in a variety of stretching subjects ranging from space exploration, cyber-security and global commodities trading. Specialist experts from industry and leading universities from the UK and various African countries will engage these brilliant young minds in stimulating debate on how these areas can enhance the continent’s future.
Once the students have completed the Academy session and returned home, they will continue to receive support from AGF through an online virtual academy, where students will be able to access a number of online resources, take part in online discussions that spread across the continent, and engage in pan-African project work.
Across Africa’s 53 countries and a billion strong population, there are a staggering estimated 20 million gifted young people. AGF intends to create a network of these top 5 per cent talented students, guiding Africa and the world’s most eminent universities towards them. AGF also hope to inspire and motivate schools and governments to provide specially tailored and enhanced education to all their gifted students.
Tom Ilube, AGF Chairman said: “In cities, towns and villages across Africa, there are young people who have been blessed with the intelligence of an Einstein. Our mission is to find them, invest in them and unleash their talents to the benefit of the whole continent.” More information on African Gifted Foundation can be found at www.africangifted.org

Day Basket Mouth, Banky W, Eldee, MI others rocked O2 Arena

2010-03-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

BY CHUKS NWANNE
You recall the prestigious O2 Arena in London? Yes, the same venue where the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, had planned to stage his This Is It concert before his painful exit? That was where Nigeria’s comedy merchant, Bright Okpocha, otherwise known as Basket Mouth, staged the maiden edition of his comedy show, Lord Of The Ribs.
The Abia State native was not alone on the trip to the Queen’s territory; Mr. Capable, Banky W, Eldee, 116, JJC, Ice Prince and Jesse Jagz joined him in the concert that attracted hundreds of guests - mostly black - to the venue, which had in the past hosted concerts by superstars such as Madonna, Spice Girls, Kanye West, Elton John, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Celine Dion, Steve Wonder and others. Aside for the 500 spaces mandatorily reserved in case of emergency - in line with the agreement in the insurance policy he bought for the show — the 2500 capacity hall was filled to the brim.

The stage came alive with 116 Squad, who opened the show with their captivating performance, followed by the popular JJC group, before Big Boy crooner, Eldee took over the stage. Eldee was at his best, belting out songs from his repertoire, but it was his hit track, Bosi Gban Gba, that caught the fancy of the audience.
Hip-hop/R&B singer, Banky W gave good account of his rating as he rocked the large crowd with some of his popular tracks. Strong Thing, one of Banky’s latest works, is currently enjoying massive airplay on radio and TV stations across the country. No doubt, the returnee artiste has succeeded in winning the hearts of most young Nigerians, which is slightly different from the usual hip beat. His brand of music has earned him several awards within his short period of playing in the industry.
Rave of the moment, MI took over the big stage after Banky W. The black, short boy from the crisis-torn Jos led the audience through his usual interactive session with his unique rap lines. The petit rapper proved to whoever cares, that Nigeria could hold it’s ground even outside her shores. MI got several rounds of applause for his rap, which is not too far from Sage’s spoken word; both men sound alike in most cases.
Ice Prince and Jesse Jagz also got their slots to gig the audience, but comedian Basket Mouth was the center of attraction for the evening. The crowd went wild in excitement at the appearance of the dreadlocks-wearing comedian; of course, he was impressive. His jokes were fresh, most times painting a picture of the real life situations in the country.

To cap the colourful night, Basketmouth teamed up with MI, Banky W, Eldee the Don, Ice Prince and Jesse Jagz in a rap track that got him a standing ovation from the excited crowd. For the host comedian, who started his entertainment sojourn with rap music, it was a nostalgic moment that almost brought him to tears.
“After resting Basket Mouth Uncensored, starting bigger and upping the ante is the best way to start Lord of the Rib. The show was big, successful and profitable, which is very rare in the history of comedy show. The show meets every parameters one uses to measure successful shows. I thank God and my team for the success story,” the Globacom Ambassador boasts.

ONE-ON-ONE... with EL-BLAZE
CHRISTENED Lawrence Agbo at birth, but known as El-Blaze in the music industry, the Benue State native is a delight to talk with. El-Blaze, who holds a National Diploma in Accounting from the Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, began his romance with music at an early age, but cut his proverbial teeth in the industry, when he won talent hunt show, Public Delight Musical Show in Zaria. From there, his interest in music was bolstered. He tells DANIEL ANAZIA his plans for the future and his upcoming album.

How was growing up like?
It was fun, loving and memorable. I’m from a family of three, two boys and a girl, who we lost when she was eight years. My father is a farmer and my mother now late, was a petty trader. My brother and I are jolly good fellows; though sometimes, we disagree on some issues.

Why the name EL-BLAZE?
The word blaze means fire, brightness and brilliance. Looking at all these, I told myself, ‘Lawrence you are like fire, set the world aflame with your lyrics and beats through your style and shine like a diamond.’

How did you get into music?
I have always loved music from my childhood; I always loved watching musical videos. Basically, I started writing songs in my secondary school days. Every Friday, during free class periods and after school hours, I entertained my friends with my songs. I’ve been involved in some musical groups and I’m a member of my church choir.

What brand of music do you play?
I play hip-pop, R&B with native flavours.

Why native?
When I say native flavour, it doesn’t mean I don’t do songs in English. What I’m saying is, if you look at the Nigerian music industry now, you will see that those making waves now are artiste with native flavours in the style of music. Look at 9ice, Tuface Idibia, Nigga Raw, MC Loph, Sound Sultan and host of others, they have remained relevant and their songs still maintaining a place in the chart. One good thing about this is that, it has helped to bring out the originality and creativity in us.

Your track, The Guy is Mine, what’s it all about?
It’s about the fights among ladies over the male folks; I wrote the song after witnessing one of such fights sometime ago. It’s like an advice to them to desist from that show of shame.

What’s the title of your upcoming album?
No title yet, but it is a call to patriotism, change and unity among the people. It’s a 10-track album and I’m hoping to collaborate some top artiste. I’m currently discussing with my big brothers, Tuface, Blackface and Da Natives on the album. If things work out the way I expect, I hope to have Sound Sultan, Mode 9, Ruggedman and Jona Da Monarch.

Who are your Influences?
I’m fascinated by good lyrics and beats. Tuface Idibia inspires me more; each time I see him, I reassure myself of making it to the top someday.

Any major performance/concert so far?
I hope to be in some of the mega concerts like Star Trek, Star Mega Jamz, MTN Music Fiesta and others very soon. This is the main reason I’m working very hard for the album and with the right people.

What would you wan to be remembered for?
I want to be remembered as the guy that made impact in peoples’ lives, especially the youths.

With a wife like Turai…! (2)

2010-03-13T09:05:00.000-08:00

By Femi Akintunde-Johns
IT was a lovely garden we entered; white lovely Brazilian lounge chairs and assorted outdoor furnishings here and there. Few praying mats dotted the left section of the garden designed like an alcove.
We were forced to sit on the ground. No one else was in the garden, as far as I could see. Then, a little child walked over, tentatively… with more courage, he cantered over to where my son was sitting glumly wondering what was next.
The little child was pulling at my son’s hands; obviously perking for tumbling game around the garden. It was all so quiet for a toddler in that huge glorious mansion.
Turai came out, resplendent in while flowing gown-dress favoured by Asian aristocrats…she was taken aback at the tug-of-war prattle between the little child and my son.
Her frown dissolved…she smiled, revealing a pleasant set of teeth on a well proportioned face, if a little chubby. She actually looked beautiful, I thought to myself, as I morosely glanced at my wife whose beauty had been severely diminished by the horrors we had gone through in the last 15 minutes.
“Mr. Man,” Turai broke my thought.
“Stand up, tell your people to sit down properly… “
She turned to my son, “Please, feel free, play with my grandson, don’t be afraid…just stay within garden.”
In sweeping musical movement, the little woman changed the course of the drama, sending us into different state of action and inaction.
And in a string of high-pitched and recriminating Hausa, she spoke long and harshly to the soldiers, and then the men in suits… all scampered around and about apologetically, and a little incredulously.
“Don’t mind these security people, sometimes they do what you do not send them,” she switched to us in English, with hardly a pause.
“I have gone through the security tapes of the past one hour, they should have noticed that you people were genuine strangers looking for fun.
Of course, it is strange, about the tape, but then if you are after information, you would have noticed as soon as it fell from you. Me, a simple woman, I saw all that.
So, it means they don’t do their work well. You should not have been allowed to pass their Point 2. So, very sorry, ko?.”
“Thank you, madam for your kind words. Thank you very much.”
“Don’t mention. So, you are a press man?”
“Well, I’m planning to retire, the wahala is too much.”
“Ah, it’s everywhere kuma! If I tell you all the wahala your people give us in this place you will be sorry for us.”

REALISING she was in a mood for bantering, I decided to ride my luck. With long practice snooping for news, I’ve sharpened my memory as a backup for the tape-recorder. I plodded on.
“But madam, how can anybody want to give you wahala, when you have the power of life and death.”
“Ah, no, no. No one but Allah has that kind of power. And then the military. You see, if it was the military that has this kind of problem, all your colleagues would just be looking. No one would dare write all this rubbish they have been writing.”
“But then,” I got carried away, “on the other hand, if it were during military period, the over 80 days you stayed abroad would have led the boys to Gowoned you.”
“Te he he… what is that?” By now, bottles of non-alcoholic wines had emerged with glasses and assorted kebabs…my tongue had totally lost its bridles, to the consternation of my still bewildered wife.
“Have you forgotten that Gen. Yakubu Gowon was in Kampala for OAU summit in 1975, when he was over-thrown? So democracy has its good points too.”
“I know, I know, but your people are too annoying. Ok is it a curse to be sick? Why don’t they want to wait for him to get well? Is it not his own tenure?”
“People are saying any government official who falls sick usually hands over to his assistant, and goes to his hometown to get his strength back. Some people say he can no longer recognize you…”
A moan and firm nudge stopped my flow; it was my wife waking me to get my pillow off her head!

fajswhatnots@yahoo.com or faj-alive.blogspot.com

TEETH 4 TEETH

2010-03-13T09:02:00.000-08:00

BY JUSTIN AKPOVI-ESADE

Princess’ bomb
COMEDIAN Princess shocked many of her fans last week when on a brief appearance on TV programme, she pronounced the word ‘bomb’ with the B loud! Geez, Princess, were you not thought in school that the B is silent? Coming from a comic act such as Princess, who has been on the scene for quite some time, this is inexcusable. Advise to dear Princess: go back and read your Brighter Grammar booklet.

Leo’s new married habit
NOLLYWOOD star, Leo Mezie, is married, that is no longer news. He got married on February 28 in crisis-ridden Jos, Plateau State where he braced the dangers of gun-totting ethnic warriors (see wetin love dey cause) to marry his Delta-born heartthrob. But T4T has noticed that since the star joined the married men club, he has picked up a new habit. For some time now, he has been under close observation by T4T (dis T4T na doctor?) and it has been noticed that anytime he comes to O’jez, he now orders for two big bottles water and a plate of chips/chicken. It takes him less than 10 minutes to down the water and he calls for more water, haba. This is Leo that used to cuddle a bottle of a beer in a green bottle before he got married. We dug deeper and found out that perhaps madam has ‘ordered’ ‘ole Leo to kick the beer habit and become a responsible husband and father that he would be in the near future. That is nice of madam but Leo’s case brings to the fore the general belief that once you are married, the woman begins to rule the man’s world. We all are victims; I mean the married ones o o.

Paul Play’s rough rider
IT was on Tuesday, March 9, at exactly 7.32am. T4T was minding his business inside his Tuke tuke car just by Police College, Ikeja, when a BMW X5 SUV raced past driving against traffic. The car was really in a hurry going by the kind of speed level the driver was going. A peep at the registration revealed the customised number plates ‘Paul Play’. And that car could be owned by just one person, Afro-highlife singer turned hip-hop act, Paul ‘Play’ Dairo. Where was he rushing to at that time of the morning? Why would the singer who is supposed to be a role model decide to drive against traffic at a time school children were going to school? And in front of a Police College of all places! Well, he got away with it that day, he may not be lucky next time. So, if you per chance see the music star being dragged and rough-handled by LASTMA traffic officials, please do not pity him because whatever you sow... (fill in the blank spaces).

... And Tony Tonero’s Gone
STRUGGLING music act, Tony Tonero, is dead, according to a report in a national newspaper. He was reportedly hit by a hit and run car as he attempted to cross a road in a Lagos suburb. Tony, according to reports, was on his way home from where he went to watch a football match. See what all these foreign football will do to us? Tony did not go and watch Enyimba Vs Sharks, he must have gone to watch a Chelsea Vs ... Well, the Delta State-born artiste is gone, with unfulfilled dreams of becoming a star. His closest to being a star was his Yoruba rap in Paul Play’s Moserire. Such is life.

Zik Zulu’s it
NOLLYWOOD producer/director, Zik Zulu Okafor, is a made man, and this piece of news is authoritative. Zik would win the award (if there is any like that) of the Nollywood practitioner with the highest taste for exotic cars. For years, the producer has been driving top of the range cars. T4T saw him at an office in Ikeja recently and he was amazed. The BMW X6, maroon red colour pulled over and the small figure behind hailed T4T. Lo and behold, it was Zik. The wonders on wheel zoomed off. Geez, the cost of that car can conveniently build a country home in the village. Bros, when I grow up, I will like to be like you.
Please, remember the young ones like us o.

Bankuli hugs New York
AS you read this piece, artistes’ manager, Seun Abisagbola, popularly called Bankuli, is in New York. T4T got a Blackberry message from Bankuli detailing his itinerary. See how life be? This is Bankuli some years ago that we were always sitting down near an Aboki shop on Airways Road, Surulere, talking about the good life in future. Now that good life is here, he is busy travelling all over the world. Well, but his detractors have just one advice for him: he should get married now that he has everything going for him. But wait o, Bankuli, an unmarried man, is as heavy and big as a 10-ton truck, if im come marry join am? Hmmm, but e no stop peson, at least Howie T marry and born pikin sef.
ogbuus@yahoo.com

...On Jungle Ride

2010-03-13T08:55:00.000-08:00

BY SHAIBU HUSSEINI
STARTING from this weekend, Jungle Ride, Lilian Uchenna Amah-Aluko’s new film on unemployment among youths, will be screened at major cinemas across the country. She hinted at a special premiere of the movie about three Sundays ago that it would also make some festival rounds before finally hitting homes on DVD. The Ojoto, Anambra State-born actress speaks to Moviedom about the film and her future plans.

Culmination of a dream: Jungle Ride is culmination of a dream, which started about five years ago. Ajua Dickson and I had numerous discussions, back then, about our dreams for the industry and desire to produce movies that would make a difference. To this end, she brought a script, Jungle Ride, written by Segun Michaels. It was a beautifully written treatise about virile jobless people.

Making it work : In realising this project, we had to call in a lot of favours. We are very grateful to everyone, who contributed in bringing this project to life — the cast and crew, my parents, my husband, family members, friends, Michaels, whom I am sure will let out many more beautiful stories to fuel our creative energies, EXP marketing agencies, Wired Entertainment and others. Their contributions to the success of the movie even with the global economic meltdown is a tribute to their determination to help the Nigerian youth and also movie industry.

Why are you the absent from the screen: I hadn’t much time until September 2005 because I was working full time in the bank. But outside Out of Bounds, Hit and Run and others such as She Devil and Rough Edges, I have done only a few works in recent time. I did Mnet’s Doctors quarters a while back. I am in Jimi Odumosu’s The Head of State, which just started airing. Tunji Bamishigbin’s Valley Between and Oliver Aleoghena’s Husbands and Wives have still not been released. I also did Okey Ogunjiofor’s Cyberia, which I think is still running on Africa Magic and a few others I can’t readily remember. But Out of Bounds will remain my most memorable, because it was my first.

Why I quit banking: I quit banking because entertainment is what I enjoy doing. My incursion into banking was as a result of my desire to prove that I could hold down a serious job. I did that successfully for about 10 years then decided it was time to do what I enjoy most. But I have no regret quitting banking at all.

Pains and gains of being a celebrity: Well, I don’t have any pains as such because I really don’t consider myself as one. The only downside of that to me is the loss of privacy and the gain is the ability to make a difference in the lives of others.

Marriage and Moviedom : My marriage had nothing to do with whether I was running away from being talked about in the press. On the contrary, I didn’t even marry early. Even while I was single, I tried to conduct myself properly. My parents are very important to me and I know they value their good name. It would break their heart if I ruined that name. I also have my husband’s name to protect. He is also an artist and appreciates my job. I only go to places where I have business and don’t indulge in unnecessary talk or frivolous action.
As for whether people get harassed before they are given roles; oh well, it has never happened to me. I hear it happens and I feel people should believe in themselves. Don’t be too desperate for anything. Do your best and let the Almighty handle the rest.

Regrets? No regrets at all. If I had to live this life again, I would still choose the same path with a few minor changes. Also, I can’t choose between writing and acting. Both of them feed different parts of my soul.

Around and about Nollywood...

AMAA 2010: Nigeria, Ghana, Malawi top nomination list
TWO of Nigeria’s leading actresses, Stephanie Okereke and Bimbo Akintola, are in for the coveted top prize of best actress in a leading role at this year’s UBA/AMAA award. Okereke and Akintola have the trio of Jackie Appiah, Lydia Farson and Naa Ashoku Mensa-Doku (Perfect Picture) and then Flora Suya (Season of a life) and Akofa Edjeani Asiedu (I sing of a well). Meanwhile Kunle Afolayan’s Figurine and Izu Chukwu’s Nnenda were among 30 films that made the nominations from over 280 entries received across Africa. Chairman of College of Screeners, announced the nominees on Saturday March 6, in Accra, Ghana. For Nigeria, Okereke, Akintola and their Ghanaian counterparts Appiah, Farson and Mensa-Doku are top nominees for the Best Actress category for their role in Nnenda, Freedom in Chains and The Perfect Picture. In the best actor category, Ramseh Nouah, Lucky Ejim, Majid Michael, Odera Ozoka and John Osie Tutu for their roles in The Tenant, Sin of a Soul, The Figurine, Soul Diaspora and I sing of a well. In the same vein, Afolayan, Shemu Joyah, Shirley Frimpong- Manso, Leila Jewel Djansi, Jude Idada and Ejim will slug it out for the Best Director category. Speaking at the event, Peace Anyiam Osigwe explained the symbolism in hosting the event in Ghana on the eve of the country’s 53rd Independence Anniversary, adding that with the awards, Kwame Nkurumah’s quest for oneness of Africa through his Pan-African ideology is being realized. The Ghanaian government’s delegation to the event was led by the country’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Mrs Hannah Tetteh, who said the creative industry in Ghana is evolving while calling Africa governments not to neglect the sector. Bayelsa State’s Commissioner for Special Duties and the State Director General for Tourism, Mr. Nathan Egba led the state’s delegation while Mr. Seun Soyinka and some senior staff of the United Bank for Africa Ghana represented the bank. Eminent artistes and celebrities at the event include Delta State Commissioner for Tourism and Culture, Mr. Richard Mofe-Damijo; Rita Dominic; Segun Arinze; Osita Iheme; Paul Obazele; Ejike Asiegbu; Dickson Iroegbu; Kunle Afolayan; Steve Ayorinde; Muma Gee; and J Martins among others.

Benson’s High Blood Pressure in local cinemas
THINGS are beginning to look good for Nigerian movie artistes. They now have an opportunity to air their works in major cinemas in the country, contrary to the widely held view that offerings of the industry are not good enough to attract such offers. From Stephanie Okereke’s Through the Glass to Emem Isong’s Guilty Pleasure and much later Kunle Afolayan’s The Figurine, the cinemas are opening up to filmmakers, who have somewhat upped their game. While the industry awaits the cinema airing of Lilian Amah-Aluko’s Jungle Ride after an impressive premiere at the Silverbird Galleria last Sunday, one of the most sought after creative minds in the industry, Teco Benson, is set to air his latest movie, High Blood Pressure, in major cinemas across Lagos. Benson is working alongside his executive producer/financier, John Okonkwo, of GoodLife Production to have as many film buffs as possible see the film across the country. According to Benson, the film, which features Kanayo O. Kanayo, Clarion Chukwura, Lilian Bach, Yemi Blaq, Jibola Daboh, Jim Roach and several others, will be seen by movie buffs at upscale cinemas, such as Silverbird, Genesis Deluxe, Ozone in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and in other state capitals.

Celebrities, Lagos State endorse Walk Against Rape
THE much awaited Celebrity Walk Against Rape has finally got the nod of Lagos State’s Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Joke Adefulire, who pledged her full support for the event. Various celebrities such as Abike Dabiri, Kenny Ogungbe, Dayo Adeneye, Ara, DJ Jimmy Jatt, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Fela Durotoye, Stella Monye, Bolaji Rosiji, Titi Adelagun, Tara Fela-Durotoye, Tosin Bucknor, Ashionye, Ego, Steve Yaw Onu, Timi Dakolo, Ofunneka Molokwu, Funke Akindele and Toni Payne and others have also showed great interest to participate in the walk. The walk is a special demonstration that will bring together Nigerian actors, actresses, sport men, media practitioners, musicians, comedians and showbiz personalities together to lend a voice to sexually abused women in the society, particularly young girls between the ages of 3 - 18 years. The campaign is also strategically aimed at helping the women folks fight against rape and sexual violence. According to the Project Coordinator, Esther Ijewere, “Our aim is to encourage victims to speak out and reduce the stigmatization attached to the victims of sexual abuse as well as use “Walk Against Rape” as a platform to inform the society about the soaring scourge of sexual abuse especially as it relates to young girls and women”. Packaged by Rubies Ink and Acada Magazine, the walk will start by 7am on Friday, April 16, at the Police College, Ikeja (the point of convergence) and end at the Ministry Of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Secretariat, Alausa – Ikeja (point of departure) where a speech, Rape: its effects, consequences and the role of Government, will be delivered by Esther Ijewere.

Waka pass…
Producer- Amebo A. Amebo
Director- Mr. Gossip
Actors- Nollywood Celebrities

Dickson Iroegbu battles Fatai Rolling Dollars
THERE was a time he locked his hair, I think in protest over the state of affairs in the movie industry. Later, he shaved it, when he realised he had to wear the locks till thy kingdom comes because people were not willing to make things happen soon. Oh well, movie director and producer, Dickson Iroegbu has dared into a trademark reserved only for the legendary and 80-something-year old highlife musician Fatai Rolling Dollar: that is wearing dark shades even at night. It was nomination compere and President (yes oooo, Presido) of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Segun Arinze, that called our attention to this at the AMAA nomination event in Ghana. Arinze actually recognised the presence of Dickson’s dark shades at an indoor event. No one told oga Dickson to take off the shades and he remained without it until he returned to naija.

Memuna Yahaya heads to Idah
BY the time you would be reading this, popular actress Memuna Yahaya (nee Abaji) would have touched base with her people in Idah, Kogi State, as she commences the process of getting her pet project, a film on the legendary Inikpi off the ground. Before she left, the actress of After the Storm fame hinted that she was going to visit the stature of the legendary princess Inikpi, who gave up her life for the liberation of the Igala people. There is something that Memuna mentioned before she left: that people still drop monies at the Inikpi statue in Idah and you know what came to mind — that since sponsors are difficult to come by, may be Auntie Memuna should seek the permission of the local authorities to gather all the monies there as seed money for the film project! no, be laffin mata ….. na advice and as they say in my place, advice no be curse.

Akume Akume is a dancer
WHO said Akume Akume is just a filmmaker? Oh, well waka pass can authoritatively confirm that Nigeria’s Akume is also a confirmed dancer. For the fact that he has an already confirmed ticket and didn’t have prior plans to relocate, waka pass was sure that most Ghanaians, who were at the after nomination party organised as part of AMAA event held in Ghana last Saturday, would have asked Akume to stay back in Accra and show them more of those dance steps. True, we are not making this up: Akume swaggered and gingered. Ordinarily nylon shirts are not supposed to hold back sweat, but the yellow nylon shirt he wore that evening held back sweat as a proof of the Akumetious steps exhibited that evening. One waka pass said: ‘e be like say Madam Peace (AMAA CEO) go consider including award for dancing in the nomination list’.
shaibu70@yahoo.com

… A Tourist Bird Eye View Of Okomu

2010-03-13T08:53:00.000-08:00

BY GEOFF LOCKWOOD
IF all you think of when you hear the word Nigeria is “drugs, 419 scams and winning the Nigerian lottery again …for the eighth time this year” then maybe, like me, you need to think again!
I have just returned from a trip to Lagos and to Okomu National Park, one of the largest conserved areas of lowland forest in Nigeria and the birding experience of a lifetime.
Any trip to a new country — let alone a new region, is always exciting and the prospect of new and spectacular birds had me anxiously waiting for confirmation that my visa had been granted and that the trip was on.
Our small group flew into Lagos on the scheduled SAA flight on Friday 12th January and, taxing up to the sprawling terminal in Lagos International Airport, I saw first hand the effects of the Harmattan — the dry wind blowing off the Sahara which, for two months each winter, turns Nigeria’s skies a hazy, dust-laden yellow.

…OUR arrival in Okomu National Park after a four-hour drive was heralded by a spectacular change in scenery. The forest had been logged historically but is still largely intact and the height, structure and density of the tree cover are breathtaking.
In addition to a spectacular range of birds that was our primary target, it is still home to a number of forest elephant and buffalo, as well as a large variety of primates including a small (and very wary) troop of chimpanzees. It is also home to over 700 different butterfly species and the roads and paths through the forest were ablaze with colour and movement.
The drive through the forest to the lodge at Okomu Eco-resort was at midday and fairly rushed but we still managed great sightings of Fanti Sawwing and Eurasian Honey Buzzard plus spectacular views of the inappropriately-named Black Bee-eater — a gorgeous bird with a crimson throat and turquoise blue — streaked body.
The Okomu forest is characterised by a number of shallow lakes scattered through the forest and these have formed clearings of between 80 and 150 meters in diameter.
As two of these, viewing platforms have been built high into Cotton-Silk trees overlooking the clearings and we made for the newer of these after lunch.
The climb up is not for the faint-hearted or for anyone with a fear of heights – 36 meters straight up inside a lattice-work of wooden struts, and, with the 70 steps placed 450 millmetres apart, a great cardio-vascular workout. Once on the platform however it was all worth it. The view over the canopy was spectacular … and the birding was even better.

OVER the next two hours, I added sightings of numerous new birds. Most striking were the enormous White-thighed-, and Black-, Yellow-, and Black-and-White-casqued Hornbills whose heavy wing beats were clearly audible even across the clearing. Numbers of Piping-, and African Pied Hornbills brought the number of new members of this family to five for the trip and a host of smaller species – Velvet-mantled Drongo, Blue-throated Brown-, Buff-throated-, and Superb Sunbirds, (along with the more familiar Collared’s) plus Purple-headed Glossy-Starlings added colour and excitement.
Just before dusk forced us down from the platform, a series of calls echoed across the clearing. Parts sounded similar to those of a Red-, or Yellow-billed Hornbill but these were interspersed with a variety of eerie hooting sounds — creating for me one of the most vivid memories of this trip. Seconds later I was looking at my first Great Blue Turaco — a breathtaking bird that in spite of its large (about twice the size of our louries) size bounded with effortless grace through the canopy of an adjacent tree.
As we carefully descended, the plaintive-sounding whistles of a Fire-crested Alethe rose from the darkening forest below.
The following morning had us heading for the second platform – even higher at 38 meters above the forest floor. On the way we stopped to observe a large colony of Bristle-nosed Barbets nesting in a large dead tree stump.
There must have been at least 60 pairs of these strange dull-brown birds buzzing around and, with the possible exception of the Naked-faced Barbet, which we saw later; these have to be the ugliest members of this usually colourful family.
Great views of White-tailed Ant-Thrush feeding in the road and a tantalizingly brief glimpse of an African Pitta that flew out in front of our vehicle kept the list ticking over.
Our luck continued and our sojourn on the new canopy platform brought great views of
Cassin’s Hawk Eagle as well as the diminutive Lemon-breasted Crombec, Boiko Batis and a stunning Rufous-crowned Eremomela – a bird that makes our members of the genus look really dull and boring!
Speckled Tinkerbird – a rather large and strange-looking tinkerbird was next but this was followed by stunning views of a pair of Yellow-spotted Barbets, surely one of the most strikingly coloured members of the family.
Piercing whistles announced the arrival of a trio of African Grey Parrots and they repeatedly circled close overhead in response to Phil’s whistling.
What a difference seeing these birds in their natural setting – instead of a cramped cage! We decided to walk back to the lodge and added Red-headed-, Gray’s-, and Red-vented Malimbes an
Maxwell’s Black Weaver; Blue-headed Wood-Dove, as well as stunning views of Blue Cuckoo-Shrike and Green Hylia to the growing list.

OUR last morning saw a return to the first platform where we were treated to a spectacular show by five species of hornbill feeding opposite us. A party of Spotted Greenbuls and a single Mona Monkey later joined them.
Cassin’s Spinetail flitted through the canopy across the clearing, and the calls of Red-rumped Tinkerbird had me searching the trees – but unfortunately the bird remained elusive.
The walk back to the lodge brought great views of Red-tailed Greenbul and a brief stop at a fruiting Oil Palm gave us great views of all four species of tiny Negrofinch – Whitebreasted-,
Chestnut-breasted-, Grey-headed-, and Pale-fronted and then it was time to pack up and head for Lagos and our flight back to Johannesburg.
A Western Bluebill feeding on the road verge before we left the forest plus a flock of the local race of Village Weaver nesting with Veillot’s Black Weavers at a refuelling stop wrapped up a stunning five days.
The list for the trip stood at 127 species, but of these 56 were lifers! Not bad for a winter trip when birding is supposedly more difficult.
I can’t wait to get back to Okomu, and this time I want to also get up to the mountain forests of Cross River and, hopefully see my first Picathartes!!!

Mirror-ing the master in young art

2010-03-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

Work that won the first prize at Benin Zone by Osamagbe Aiwekhoe

BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE
IF you are still wondering how child art influenced one of the most celebrated artists, Pablo Picasso, a five-month-long art competition and show, which ended recently in Lagos, gives a clue.
Held at the Nike Art Centre, Lekki, visitors to the show, entitled Mirror the Master, mostly adults, had opportunity to share Picasso’s thought process.
Among the visitors were two regulars: Rasheed Gbadamosi and Sammy Olagbaju; Osogbo artist, Jimoh Buraimoh; and Jerry Buhari, art teacher at Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria.
A collaborative initiative between the United Kingdom-based outfit, Kambani Arts, and Access Bank, the project began in October in four cities -- Osogbo, Benin, Zaria and Nsukka.

TOP three works from the zones: Oladigbo Oladiran, 16, Babatunde Folasayo, 13, Tola Akinriola, 13 (Osogbo); Osamagbe Aiwekhoe, 16, Augustina Obi, 15, and Deinma Imabibo 9 (Benin); John Cross Omeke, 13, Oluchuku Okorie, 11, and Ifeanyi Agbo, 13 (Nsukka); Abdulhamid Aminu, 15, Abdulakim Alkasaim, 13, and Ibrahim Isa, 15 (Zaria) were on display.
Gbadamosi, a member of jury, noted that the works “are surprisingly marvelous to believe that these are from children” in the said age group.
It was a keen contest, as it took the panelists a tough time to pick Omeke as winner.
Young Omeke, according to the organizers, will visit some exclusive art galleries in London and participate in an accompanied viewing to see the works of Enwonwu and U.K-based portrait painter, Chinwe Roy.
The enthusiasm shown by these young artists indicated that there would not be a dearth of masters in the future.

At the Oba Akenzua Cultural Centre, Benin zone where participants set up mini canvases of about 20 by15 inches, each, student’s work gave an insight into “inspiration drawn from the master.”
For Omeke, the confidence noticed in his painting of a mask, using acrylic on canvas, absolutely vanished, when he was announced as winner. From his smooth touch to the fragile draughtsmanship displayed in the painting, young Omeke’s work has confirmed the novelty that attracts adults in child art.
According to organisers, the thrust of the project is to help develop African art by celebrating established masters through talent and aspirations of younger and future artists.
Buraimoh said that the initiative was similar to “our early days when I joined Mbari Mbayo at a one week workshop organized by Uli Beier, which was conducted by Georgina Beier.”
Head, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Access Bank, Omobolanle Babatunde, noted that despite the enviable achievement of such masters as Enwonwu, Akinola Lasekan, Gani Odutokun, among others, “Nigerian art remains a victim of poor transfer of knowledge,” hence it was imperative to have Mirror the Master as a “modest step towards filling the gap.”
A documentary of the initiative would be produced to enhance Fine Art as a viable discipline and career for students as well as promote the legacy of the chosen master, Enwonwu, Ezeilo assured.

Jimmy Smith…Organ too big to fit

2010-03-13T08:46:00.001-08:00

BY BENSON IDONIJE
IN European music history, the organ is looked upon as the king of all instruments; and its place is the church.
To deploy the organ as a jazz instrument was seen as a mark of desecration in those days, but it took the likes of Jimmy Smith to remove the instrument from its sacred habitat and make it an accepted vehicle for the execution of jazz and rhythm and blues.
And that is why, since his death, tributes have continued to pour in for Jimmy Smith from critics and reviewers of jazz and rhythm and blues, hailing him as the king of the instrument.
This acknowledgement is further strengthened by the new trend where the distinctiveness of the organ has completely disappeared from jazz; having been shrouded in the configuration of the advanced technological device called the ‘keyboard’.
Five years have passed, and the jazz scene is still waiting for “a new organ king to step into his shoes”.
But this has proved a difficult task. While some other person can easily succeed a departed king in ordinary life, through appointment or selection, a successor to Smith would need to work hard to qualify for the position.
Smith’s shoes are awfully big to step into. He took the organ from church and situated it in the club. Smith was such a dynamic force that his death on February 8, 2005 of undisclosed natural causes at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona, United States of America, was a great shock.

SMITH started recording for Blue Note and other record labels nearly 50 years ago, and during this period, he completely transformed the jazz organ.
Through his mastery of the Hammond B-3, which was regarded with awe in those days, Smith has reduced the organ as a vehicle for jazz improvisation to ordinariness.
Perhaps, the most emotionally expressive tributes have come from jazz organists.
He paved the way for such semi-giants of the instrument today as Chris Foreman, Brother Jack McDuff, Ronnie Foster, Jimmy McGrift and Dr. Lonnie Smith whom I met for the first time at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Cape Town, South Africa recently.
They all have beautiful things to say about the different ways in which Smith influenced them.

Ironically, the people who are likely to pay genuine tributes to Smith in recognition of his organ virtuoso in Nigeria are mostly devotees and enthusiasts.
The late Sid Moss would sing Smith’s praises because he doubled on the piano and organ and adopted some jazz licks from Smith.
But the real Smith adherents were Austin Emodi, an insurance manager, who, in the 60s, provided us the avenue to hang out and dig the groove because he had all the Blue Note records; Taiwo Okupe, the mechanical engineer who also played the alto saxophone in the Charlie Parker mould and style, even though Billie’s Bounce and Now’s the time were the only tunes he always exploited; Kunle Maja who was responsible for organising the latest albums for our appreciation and listening; and of course, Bola Marquis from whom I first saw The Sermon, one of Jimmy Smiths greatest recordings for Blue Note — even though I had heard it on Willis Conover’s Jazz Hour on Voice of America.
Incidentally, like Jimmy Smith, all these admirers including Fela Anikulapo Kuti who enjoyed Jimmy Smith’s organ as a result of the background it created for Lee Morgan’s trumpet (Fela was playing trumpet at the time) have all gone to meet their ancestors.
As a matter of fact, most of our listening hours were dominated by The Sermon, which Smith recorded with all the jazz stars of that period, including Lee Morgan on trumpet; Lou Donaldson alto saxophone; Tina Brooks and George Coleman, tenor; Keny Burrell and Eddy McFadden, guitars; Art Blakey and Donald Bailey, drums.

SMITH was an advocate of ‘ funk’ the way pianist Horace Silver was.
This element characterised his organ playing but he perhaps exhibited it more copiously and forcefully on The Sermon than any other groove.
He carried the theme of this twelve-bar- blues song and sustained the mood by taking the first solo.
There were numerous other Blue Note records comprising The Incredible Jimmy Smith, House Party, Plays Pretty, At the Organ, Midnight Special, Back at the Chicken shack and others.
He established trio format always consisted of himself, a guitarist and a drummer with horn players making guest appearances. Stanley Turrentine played prominent roles in his recordings for Blue Note Records as a soloist on tenor saxophone, while he worked with such great guitarists as Wes Montgomery, and Kenny Burrell who in fact gave him the backing he was looking for.
But he also worked successfully with other guitar players like Eddie McFadden and Thornel Schwartz while at the same time enlisting the services of drummer Donald Bailey on regular basis.
Smith perhaps made a more significant impact with Verve Records where he met Oliver Nelson as a key collaborator.
The arranger put the organist in front of a big band, as a contrast to his usual combo format on such albums as Hoochie Coochie Man and enhanced his singing on the blues hit Got My Mojo Workin which became popular in Nigeria in the seventies.
Smith’s combination of standards with rhythm and blues, as well as gospel, helped create what became known as soul jazz; and he influenced virtually every organist who followed him. Few dared challenge his stature.
He modeled his melodic style after saxophonist Charlie Parker, a feat that was considered difficult for the keyboard instrument.
But he mastered the organ’s percussive switches and created the ideal shimmer on ballads, his resolute bass lines on one hand contrasting with rapid fire solos on the other.

AFEAT that characterised Smith’s playing, and an innovation that demanded extra energy was his ability to derive bass lines from the left-hand side of the organ by himself.
This ability informed the non-inclusion of a bass player in all his aggregations - either in the studio or live setting.
But a few months before he passed on, Lonnie Smith, one of the celebrated organist’s greatest disciples saw him perform at New York’s Iridium; and noticed that his friend was not looking well.
He was also surprised that he had a bass player supporting him on stage. Obviously, his energy was failing.

SMITH started out learning stride piano and dance under the tutelage of his father outside of Philadelphia.
After a stint in the United States Navy and formally studying harmony and theory, he began working in clubs when he heard organist Wild Bill Davis in the early 1950s.
Davis inspired Smith to commit himself to the instrument.
And because Smith had great talent, he immediately caught the attention of Blue Note’s Alfred Lion and Francis Wolff when he played in New York, at Smals Paradise, for the first time in 1956.
One month after, they brought him into the studio for the recordings that were released and appropriately titled, A new sound... A new star, Jimmy Smith at the organ. The seven years that Smith spent with Blue Note Records produced many classics.
Smith has his kind in every jazz instrument. At the organ, he would be comparable to Charlie Parker on the alto saxophone; John Coltrane on tenor; Wes Montgomery on guitar; Elvin Jones and Art Blakey on drums; Ray Brown, bass; Oscar Peterson, piano; Miles Davis trumpet; Jay Jay Johnson, trombone.
These men were the kings of their various instruments.
Smith was the king of the organ. And in the words of foremost disciple, Chris Foreman, “those are awfully big shoes to fill.”
benidoni@yahoo.com

Archie and Veronica

2010-03-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

BY WOLE OGUNTOKUN
IF you have a hard time comprehending why there are two names as my column title, you missed out on an experience that was a major part of the childhood of many people all over the world.
It was the comic simply known as ‘Archie’ featuring a young man of the same name and his friends. They were all students of the same school, Riverdale High, lived in the same small town and wore bright, colourful, smart clothes, styles which I tried to copy several times when I was in my early teens but never quite succeeded in.
As an adult now, it strikes me that the clothes ‘designer’ for those comics was adult and the style pre-meditated, not anything easily accessible from the junk I possessed then.
There was a love triangle in the comic book series with Archie having a permanent crush on the dark-haired, rich beauty, Veronica Lodge and not realizing how much Betty, her friend, cared for him.
Betty was a blond-haired girl of about the same age, no less good looking than Veronica and my personal favourite. (For all those who take issue with her hair colour, feel free to substitute blond with Ghana-Weave).
At that time, all I wanted to do was meet a caring girl like Betty and live life happily ever after. As I write now, it strikes me that was probably the desire of the creator of the comic book series as well.
They had a company of friends too, Jughead who loved food, was rake-thin but could eat hamburgers like others eat very light biscuits. Moose, hulking in strength and who would do anything to protect his lovely girl, Midge, from the attention that other men might give.
There was Big Ethel, who had a crush on jug-head, she was probably the least good-looking in the Riverdale community (it was a community where everyone was stunning) and Dixon (?) I think, the egghead who was a whiz in the sciences. I almost forgot Reggie, Archie’s archrival (excuse the pun) for the affections of Veronica. I was never able to comprehend why Archie just never gave up on Veronica, leaving her to Reggie and starting a sunny life with Betty Cooper.
I suppose that is the way life really is. We never really appreciate affection when it comes too easily, preferring the one we have to cut swathes in jungles for or climb rocky, precarious hills to reach.
Veronica was not a simpleton, neither was Reggie malevolent in his smugness but I always thought they suited each other and that Archie was better off with Betty.
Many of us have over-looked the most amazing people because they gave themselves too readily to us. It’s an amazing thing about life and sad to say, speaks volumes of the level of development of a man, for instance, who thinks less of a girl because she was the first to express her affection.
By the way, ‘Girl’ for The Whisperer covers any female from ages thirteen to ninety. There are many women, who are... well, advanced in age but are still involved in, or seek loving relationships. This is legitimate. Your life does not come to a screeching halt because you have children or they go on to have their own children. There are 36-year-old grandmothers for those who care to know.

SO on to the Betty Coopers that abound in so many lives and whom we do not care to give a second look because they expressed the way they felt about us before we spoke.
I do not think less of any female who expresses the way she feels about a man before he indicates his intentions.
Some men border on being obtuse and like wheel-barrows need to be pushed to a point where they will come to the realization that the lovely person whose company they had always found so enjoyable might have a thing for them. This has happened to The Whisperer many times before.
Now, no one is compelled to start a relationship with another merely because the other party expressed an interest in a relationship or in keeping the relationship ‘exclusive’.
You might not like the person “that way” but if you do, it should not be to the girl’s advantage that she raised the matter first.
The Whisperer’s submission is that you do not lose respect for the person who dared tell you she “liked” you.
It is a fact of life, people caring for each other, and the man who feels uneasy about being told this should submit himself to therapy. People like people.
And sometimes we have an uncontrollable urge to tell them so before we lose the moment. Carpe Diem.
I think I spent my entire life looking for Betty Cooper and I must have found her several times in different people when I was in my teens.
People are so beautiful at that age, untainted by life’s vagaries and bitter experiences.
For many reasons, Veronica Lodge is never short of the attention of men. She comes from a wealthy background, is self-assured and used to having her wishes met at every turn.
She is also not as openly affectionate as one might desire. Unrequited love does it for many people. Not so for The Whisperer.
You had better love me at the same time. Life is short and I no longer have time for people who give love as if it is a currency that you cannot spend.

THE self-effacing Betty Cooper will always run into trouble. Sometimes you should stand up for what you want, for what you believe in.
Ask for the moon and get it, is what I have heard. When we do not speak up, things tend to pass us by.
The Whisperer loves women; it is the only reason this column has gone on for three years. It is not an untoward interest in the opposite gender (well, not always) but a wholesome love for the form of the opposite gender.
For the way their minds work, for their beauty, their intelligence and their capabilities.
The world would be a more beautiful place if all communities were like Riverdale, but that is an impossible task.
I will try my best to make my immediate surroundings a place of calmness, a place of beauty, and hope that others try to do the same with their spaces too.
It really is a wonderful world, when we allow it to be.

laspapi@yahoo.com

Cover, Edition 227. Sun March 7 - 13, 2010

2010-03-06T11:19:00.000-08:00

All for their hubbies

2010-03-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

BY OMIKO AWA
THE Thriving Business Women Fellowship (TBWF), an interdenominational business fellowship platform that empowers women for wealth creation alongside prayer, organised its yearly U and I Event on February 27 with the theme “Just the two of us.”
The event, specially meant for married people and singles already in courtship, started in 2008 under the umbrella of Daystar Christian Centre, until March 2009, when it became the business arm of Victorious Praying Women Ministry (VPWN).
The gathering spiced with games and Bible principles on marriage amidst serenading background music that could rejuvenate marriages is aimed to bond, appreciate and celebrate spouses in cozy, and relaxed atmosphere.
According to the Co-ordinator, Mrs. Mayokun Oreofe, “the feast is to tell our husbands that no matter the height of our success, in business and in life, we still remain loving and submissive wives to them.”
This year’s gathering, being the third in the series, marked the group’s second anniversary.
To celebrate this, prizes were given to hubbies of members, for encouraging their wives whose immense contributions have led to the increase of members and better service.
The fellowship, which is divided into sub-groups for effectiveness and efficiency gave out prizes to some group members, which include Mr. and Mrs. Salawu of Abigael group; Mr. and Mrs. Esada Igwe (Deborah); Mr. and Mrs. Niyi Alake (Esther); Mr. and Mrs. Sammy Ekpeyon (Hannah); Mr. and Mrs. Akinwande (Elizabeth); and Mr. and Mrs. Adebisi. Others are Mr. and Mrs. Oni (Dorcas); Mr. and Mrs. Olunuga (Naomi); Mr. and Mrs. Adetola Mafe; Mr. and Mrs. Olaniyu (Praise team); and Mr. and Mrs. Kuti; while leadership award went to Mr. and Rev. Ogunleye.
Holy Mallam anchored the programme while Perception band thrilled guest with titillating tunes.

Tope’s drum of a life

2010-03-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

BY OMIKO AWA
Obanikoro Street in the suburb of Lagos is roused from its serenity by sounds filtering out of the Breath of Life Church auditorium, venue of the Wonder drums Live-In-Concert.
I’m ushered into an empty seat in the almost filled hall, as the sound from the drum sets on stage continues to enchant the audience; watching the drummer hit the gadget in a tutored rhythm.
Within seconds, “pam, pam, gre…gre…gree…greee… pam, pam, pam” and a lady springs up from behind the drums.
“You are welcome to my show,” she says gasps for breath as a result of exhaustion.
“I am Tope Odebiyi (a. k. a. Topsticks) of Wonder Drums; with me in live-in-concert is Emeka on keyboard and Philips on bass,” she informs, bowing in obeisance.
Her last word, which is not far from ‘thank you’, is drowned by applauses that sends her off the stage for another performer to step in. Topsticks’ performance is almost cyclic, as she comes on and off stage giving room to other invited upcoming artistes performing.
“I feel so great, so good that the event was a success,” she says after the concert. “Putting things like this together was not easy for me with my limited resources.”
She adds, “I thank God for the audience, I never knew the turn-out would be this much even with the little publicity given to it.”

TOPE’s joy reflects on the way she responds to greetings. She hugs some, shakes hands with others and almost kneeling to acknowledge the greetings of an elderly woman.
What’s next with this outing?
“I cannot say for now, but definitely there is going to be another outing before the year runs out,” she says looking satisfied with the just concluded one.
“I look forward to having an all-female band, where all the instruments would be played by ladies; though I have not started putting things together in that direction, I must mention that it has been penciled as one of the things to do this year.”
As if not satisfied with her response to the question, Tope in emotion-laden voice reveals her other plans.
“I also want to mentor upcoming drummers to play the instrument better and to tutor interested youths, who want to come into this aspect of the art form.”

WHAT is your relationship with ( K-Sticks), Kunle Ponmiloye?
“He is my mentor and coach. He advises and directs me on drums, and I hold him in high regards. He is like a father, a teacher and mentor. He is all put together,” Tope says with a giggle
But people say he is your secret lover.
“No-o-o-o! Our relationship does not go beyond mentoring. He is more experienced than I am, and guides me professionally. Besides, the gap between us is too wide for him to descend so low, to be involved in extra-marital affairs with me. Please, it is not true.” Her otherwise happy mood is changing already.
And the men, are they coming?
Tope, drummer girl, not yet recovered from the last question, says, “let’s keep that for now. “They have been coming and God in His infinite mercy has been giving me the wisdom to handle them because I can’t give everybody a chance. It is not that I do not want to marry, but I want to use this period to concentrate and acquire more musical skills, so, that I could be firmly established, like some of the men, in the field.”

THE queen of drums, a product of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, is not in a hurry to be joined in matrimony, in fact, she is more interested in building her musical career and mentoring the youths than settling down to make babies.
So, when would the bell ring for you?
“I will let you know when the time comes,” she says amidst laughs.
And your leisure
“I enjoy listening to music or being around drums. I hardly go out to leisure places on my own, except to shows. I’m always thrilled by music, especially the sound of drums.”
Just like always wanting the best for herself, Tope is not in a haste for the market…
“I am not in a haste to bring out a CD, I am taking my time and as soon as the guys working on it is through, I will push it to the market. Surely very soon,” she enthuses.
Your parents”
“Oh! I have their backings for all I do as you can see that they came to cheer me up. When I started, they never supported me because they found it difficult to see their daughter drumming, but seeing my dedication and success, they, especially my father, had no choice than to support me.”
Talking to the parents, the elated father the father, Odebiyi, an engineer, says, “I was not willing to allow Tope to take to drumming as a career because nobody in my family does that. But with what I saw this evening, she has won my heart, I never knew she has gone this far; her confidence, prowess and following are what I never expected. I’m happy because she has made me and my family proud.”