Cover, Edition 194, July 19 - 25 2009

Chimamanda comes to town

THAT Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of the most successful writers of her generation is not in doubt. Last week, when Adichie settled down to read from her recent collection of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck, it was no less an adoring audience that defied the distracting noise from disco decks to listen to her. The event, which held at Silverbird Galleria, Victoria Island, Lagos, saw some students from University of Nigeria, Nsukka thronging the venue to see Adichie, who once lived in the building vacated by Prof. Chinua Achebe. The strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had made their coming easier. Soft but firm, her voice ran through the walls of the events’ venue to sink into the minds of the young ones, who had come to identify with their own. While Nigerian writers resident in the country may find the country an open wound, Adichie sees it as immensely irritating but interesting nonetheless. The apparent contradiction she offers was enough raw materials for creativity. She, however, sues for a change in the way things are done in the country. “There are times when I despair about Nigeria,” she wails, “and times when I have hope that Nigeria will get better if only we believe in what we say – stay in queues, let’s not throw things out the window and such things.” YES, like every writer Adichie believes literature has the power to preserve history, to record and preserve communal memory for posterity. Her Half of a Yellow Sun is ample testimony to that belief. For her it hurts that the Nigeria has a short memory, especially about the brutal civil war for which ominous silence hovers. “There’s a formalised silence about the civil war,” she moaned, “many people know little about the war because at the end, knowledge matters. Biafra is about us as a nation not just about Igbo people. The war was a senseless waste; it took the best of human beings.” THE award-winning novelist, a self-confessed feminist, Adichie describes herself as “a happy feminist”, and advises women to continue to be self-assertive in things that make them unique. She believes men uphold culture when it holds down women but this should not be so. According her, being feminist meant women should tell themselves the truth about their sexuality and not gloss it over as was often the case. “Sex is the way women are believed to push themselves upwards in society,” Adichie regrettably states. “The way to combat it is to bring up our children to see things differently. Women’s attitude to it is the problem.”















For Kongi, they gathered
PROF. Wole Soyinka was the subject last week as politicians and media practitioners gathered in Lagos for the second media lecture series of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism. Held to commemorate the 75th birthday of the Nobel Laureate, the lecture re-echoed the earnest call for the quick passage of the Freedom of Information Bill by the National Assembly. In his lecture titled Narrating the Nigerian Story: The Challenge for Journalism, Dr. Olatunji Dare, an Associate Professor of the Bradley University, Illinois, United States, advocated for a special designated fund to be instituted for journalists to investigate deeply the problems of the country. In his words, “investigative reporting is one sure way to move the polity away from dictatorship and secrecy into an ethos of democracy and openness. The culture of corruption and impunity for which Nigeria has become an international reference point can be improved with a media space that promotes investigative reporting of public affairs, with an independent and dedicated fund, which will assist journalists in investigating reporting.” ALSO speaking at the lecture, the Action Congress gubernatorial candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, said there could be no justice without transparent and credible elections in Nigeria. According to him, “Prof. Wole Soyinka has consistently insisted that justice is the first condition of humanity, but how do we have justice if we don’t conduct credible elections.” Fayemi, who was the manager of Radio Kudirat, a clandestine media outfit during the regime of the late General Sani Abacha, described Soyinka as an icon in the struggle for freedom of expression and human rights all over the world. He said, “in the course of Nigeria’s history, few individuals have epitomized the spirit of freedom as Wole Soyinka, who is unarguably the zeitgeist of Nigeria’s post-independence challenge with freedom, justice, humanity and democracy. “I have worked with him almost all my life, he is very passionate about change, he has done incredible things for this country and has always insisted on justice, he continues to be an icon to many of us; but we also have a generational responsibility, what are we doing in our own generation about transforming the society?”

Blood Builder

BY FABIAN ODUM

Too many people tend to lean on the usual drugs – blood tonic and iron-containing capsules, among others when it comes to replenishing of the blood level in the body. While not condemning it or doubting the efficacy of these remedies, the employment of leaves (vegetables) will remain relevant for as long as man lives. The vegetable of importance here is the leaf of the fluted pumpkin with the botanical name, Telfairia occidentalis. Ugu (Igbo), Iroko (Yoruba), and Ubon (Efik) are some of the local names given to this highly popular vegetable that has taken the pride of place in replenishing of blood in many homes. It is a blood builder and even the seed has been found to contribute to doing justice to the blood. Ugu has undergone scientific researches in some Nigerian research institutions and its effectiveness as a blood tonic has been proved and confirmed. The plant has been known to boost blood levels up to 90 per cent within a short time. Its effect, according to reports, is rapid and does not have any negative effect either on the short or long term. The University of Ilorin arm of the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Physiology and Biochemistry established the haematological activity of the leaves of Telfairia occidentalis in animals. Cases have been reported of patients who resorted to the use of this leaves when they needed blood transfusion. In most of the cases, their blood levels were restored in three weeks of use. Other benefits The use of herbs and herbal products has been on the increase lately that consumers are seeking products that leave little or no side effects in the treatment of disease. Even in developed economies of the world like the US, herbal products can be found on the shelves of supermarkets in various dosage forms – tablets, creams, ointments, syrup, etc. In the country, herbal preparations or direct consumption of vegetables and fruits is commonplace due to a number of factors like: • high incidence of fake, substandard adulterated drugs • slow and non-response of some diseases to current drugs • high cost of drugs and • high poverty level. Due to its use, it is known to contain protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, B2, B5, B12 and thiamine. It is found useful in the treatment of anaemia, used as tonic and can expressed as juice and consumed as such. The leaves can be used to prepare savory yam or potato pottage, as side dish in several meals and in preparation of local Nigerian soups like egusi, okra, ogbono and vegetable.

The Great Music Debate (4): Letter to Naija hip-hoppers

BY CHUKS NWANNE

Bros, please help me, I’m a hip-hop artiste. I just finished my single and I’m working on the full album. You know I need publicity to sell my music.” These are the typical words of some of the up-coming Nigerian hip-hop artistes whenever they come to the newsroom or the reporter’s home seeking media recognition. Most times, you have lots of CDs to listen to and you are expected to write ‘good reviews’, else, you are tagged ‘bad reporter.’ I will confess that some of the songs made a lot of senses; however, a good number of them is just far from it; in terms of lyrics and instrumentation. Yet, as an ‘understanding’ reporter, you are expected to give pass mark to help a ‘hustling youth.’ Sometimes, your hands are tied between being objective and helping a brother make a living. Yes, most of these guys depend solely on these beats for livelihood, as well as taking care of their ‘poor’ parents in the village. Now, you see why it sometimes becomes very difficult to water down that production with just one paragraph, especially as a young person? This is what we go through on a daily basis as music reporters, in fact, I still have CDs lined up, waiting for my attention, with reminder calls coming every now and then. “Your car is always filled with CDs. Can you spare me one; I want to wipe it to save an important data,” a friend once requested as we rode home. Of course, I can’t give out such CDs; the owners depend on them for daily breads. However, some of these guys are so talented that you want to do justice to the album as soon as you could. But funny enough, after going through pains of fishing out positive sides of the recording for your story, once published, it’s ‘bye, bye” to you. You are on your own; they’ve moved on, till their next release. Yet, there are some of them, who would surely call to say, “ah, bros, thank you so much. I saw the story, I appreciate.” A good number of Naija hi-hoppers are not really out to be artistes; it’s about stardom. For them, to hell with sensible lyrics –– whatever comes to their mind, they sing. Of course, with one or two interview on TV, radio or print media, they are stars, appearing on red carpets in dark goggles and blings and winning multiple awards, many of which are themselves questionable in intentions, every now and then. When Dr. Reuben Abati made his observations on the Nigeria music industry, I expected my artiste friends to read in-between the lines to see where the man was coming from. Instead, they saw it as an attack. To be honest, Abati has a lot to think about in his head. Yes, I know him; always busy. So, for him to have devoted an edition of his well-read Crossroads column to the music industry should be a thing of great concern to the artistes’ fold and music lovers alike. Let me not go into details of his points; after all, I’m not his attorney. Let’s take the movie industry as an example. How many of us are still enthusiastic about Nollywood movies? Do you still spend long hours watching them at home? Do you still go crazy meeting a Nollywood actor? Well, keep the answers to yourself. The truth is that the cinema is gradually taking over; go to Silverbird Galleria and Palm Shopping Complex and see how Nigerians struggle to squeeze in their vehicles, just to see a Hollywood movie. Have you asked why the sudden drop of interest in Nollywood? Of course, the audience is beginning to see loopholes; same actors in every movie; poor or repetitive story lines; poor production quality; life style of some actors, lack of message… it has become an all comer’s affair! If you observe well, the music industry is toeing exactly the same line. Yet, people are busy calling those who out of genuine love have expressed their concern about the future of the music names; and getting hysterical when they should be brooding the various observations made. They want to shout down the voices of the critics of their works. Nollywood is shaking right now and the actors are beginning to look towards the music industry. You know a lot of them now sing? Yes. Stella Damasus-Nzeribe, Omotola Jolade Ekehinde, Kate Henshaw-Nuttal, Bob Ejike, Jim Iyke, Ernest Asuzu, Tchidi Chikere, Genevieve Nnaji… the list is long and; we are still counting. At the Nigeria Music Award (NMA) organised by former President of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, PMAN, held in Owerri, actors outnumbered the musicians in attendance! Yes, we’ve done well in making the industry what it is, but we are not done yet. We have to look at the message we are dishing out. It’s very important. That’s what you will be remembered for when you are long gone. Your children, grand and great grand children will one day listen to their grand Pa’s music. What will be the content? They will surely watch those videos with half-nude ladies exhibiting their bodies shamelessly in the name of dancing; and they will want to know the content f their father, grandfather’s character. Yes, they will definitely lay their hands on those lousy videos some day. By then, you may not even be there to file your defense. I understand what you go through to make your beats, oh yes, I do. You need our support to develop and we wish you well. But asking for good lyrics, I believe, is not too much a request to ask for. There are some songs that will surely take time to go out of fashion–– African China’s Mr. President, Edris Abdulkareem’s Nigeria Jaga Jaga, Femi Kuti’s Sorry Sorry, Sunny Neji’s Oruka, Onyeka Onwenu’s One Love… even Tuface Idibia’s For Instance, P-Square’s No One Like You, D’Banj’s Fall In Love… quite a good number of them. Where will your songs be grouped, Mr Hip Hopper? Thank God, the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) is hosting a Hip-Hop Conference on Sunday, July at the Main Exhibition Hall, National Theatre, Lagos by 2pm. Lets get-together and brainstorm for the future of our industry. For now, let the debate continues






Music, critics and a nation’s identity
By Lasunkanmi Bolarinwa

In recent times, I have read two very interesting and stimulating articles by two distinguished men of the pen and ink trade in The Guardian. The first is by ace music and broadcasting commentator, Benson Idonije titled: ‘Nigerian Music in Search of Definite Identity’. It appeared in the Friday, June 5 2009 edition. The second is by the respected columnist, Reuben Abati. His own is titled, ‘A Nation’s Identity Crisis’. It was in the edition of Sunday, June 21 2009. Both are about music. Both are about a fear — of the loss of our ‘identity’ as a nation.
The two pieces dwell on a similar and particular aspect of Nigeria’s current popular culture — music. They both express reservations about the limitations of the current hip-hop genre to: ably capture our aspirations and yearnings as a people with a particularly glorious past and tradition, and to; equitably and justifiably represent us as a nation of serious people.
I take on the arguments of Benson Idonije first.
His piece read as interesting and engaging as most of his seminal articles on music and broadcasting. It captures some of the frustrations of the oldman about the attitude of the Nigerian nation to the state of our musical heritage. You cannot blame him, the man lives the trade and, at over 70 years, he is still going strong. The piece captures our inability to evolve a definite and guiding pattern that can distinguish our rich musical heritage as we have in Ghana, in the make of hiplife, and in other African countries in different guises. The article captures the failure of the ruling elite in protecting and harmonising what ought to be our greatest asset in the comity of nations.
The article captured me to the extent of agreeing and disagreeing with some of his assertions at the same time. Confusing? Maybe. Contradictory? Definitely not.

BI, as I shall henceforth refer to Mr Benson Idonije, in this article, expressed his disappointment that in49 years of independence and 10 uninterrupted years of “democratic” governance, music which is a nation’s most powerful expression of cultural heritage has been left to subjugate itself under foreign cultures. It is hardly possible not to have this. As it is, there is hardly an aspect of our culture that is immune to foreign influence. We wear foreign dresses, we grow on foreign diets, we go on holidays in foreign lands, we watch and kill ourselves on foreign football leagues, we speak foreign languages and in fact, we are foreigners in our own country. What is more?
The claim that the past 10 years have been a democratic one is suspect. Our stark reality speaks better than that conditioned expression of historical fallacy. In a proper democracy, where the will of the people is paramount, where government officers are in positions based on the trust of the people expressed through their votes, the quality of our discussion about an issue as dear to our heart as music would have moved beyond this pedantic level.

Quite early in his piece, BI suggests that the solution to this specific problem is for government to legislate that the airwaves be compelled to devote three quarters of its broadcast time to Nigerian music as played by Nigerians; and not foreign music as played by Nigerians —the way it is happening now. I guess that would mean Sunny Ade, Victor Uwaifor, or maybe not just the very old ones, we could also have the likes of Asa, Nubia, Femi and Seun Kuti, Seyi Solagbade and so on enjoying tremendous airtime. So what would happen to all this burst of energy in other forms of the musical scene? Is it possible to have a population of very active young men and women in their prime confined to music as legislated by a supposedly democratic government?
My grandfather before he passed on at about age 120 could never understand the very early Ayuba and the guy called Yoboroyobosky among other contemporary artists. That is even permissible, to tune the radio to anywhere where the likes of Felix Lebarty, Dizzy K Falola, who I guess is now doing gospel music in either UK or USA, is to incur his wrath as he would ask if barking like a dog is synonymous with singing and order you to find a station where Haruna or Yusuf was crooning. That to me is an attestation to the fact that the popular music of today were also either music of protest or measures of a shift in taste in times gone by.
My hypothesis in terms of the expressed difficulty in identifying any particular form of music with Nigeria as BI says is because of the highly heterogenous nature of the country. Also because what we had in the 60s was possible because the spread of technology was limited. But don’t forget also that even what you refer to as indigenous highlife music is a fusion characterised by more outside influences. The horns that were the most visible and audible of the highlife genre were not familiar to this land and clime till cultures were ready to open up to themselves.
Bongos Ikwe sang country music and he was popular even when the use of technology was not this wide-spread. In instrumentation, if not in lyrical composition, he had to take something from other lands. Highlife music on the African coast took something from the big bands in the west as well. Highlife did not just become West African; it was a synthesis of the traditional and the new. Then also, highlife was the music of the elite, the young and the upwardly mobile. It was fighting the older forms of music and used the affinity between it and technology to maintain an edge. The older forms that managed to survive were the ones that also realised that they had to fight to survive. For some of them, their survival was for anthropological and historical reasons as the crowd stuck in the highlife mode gave only occasional and concessionary glance the way of the other form.
It was even easier then because the gap between the different economic groups was not as wide as we have them today. Thus, the adoption of highlife as a national music, according to BI, could only have been done by the corps of the elite who would have thought that they were the only group that mattered. That was the oppression of the literati.
BI goes on to say, very much as Reuben Abati (RA) came later to say, that with the overwhelming influence of imitative hip-hop, the country has lapsed into a state of confusion as far as its identity is concerned. Two things that this indicate for me is the dislike of imitative hip-hop and I try without much success to see or understand how art, of any form is not imitative. In fact going by the theory of mimesis, the first tendency to create in any human being is borne out of the urge to copy; to speak like, to walk like, to do like some other character that we either see physically or whom our imagination has created for the sole purpose of copying.
The second is that identity in this age and time is static and we must guard against its change. There seem to be a negation of the understanding that an individual’s or a nation’s identity, especially in a world like ours is the intersection of multiple cultural identities. Constant change and mutation is a constant feature of modern identity.

What is happening in Nigeria at the moment can only be a necessary evolutionary trend given the world of today. Culture itself will cease to be once it is not reacting to external stimuli. Even China that is renowned today as a strong alternate force in global reengineering has a hip-hop sub culture where the genre is called C-Rap and like you have here, it is a fusion of the home grown and the international. Today, the reality of hip-hop in a global and post colonial world is the reality of hybridity. It could even be more than that when you consider the multiple layers of infusions you hear in it from country to country and from culture to culture. It could be validly labelled a polygenetic art with conflating and intersecting interactions.
The traditional Yoruba music of fuji and apala have also over time indicated a need to adapt not only to meet the yearnings of their traditional audience as determined by position on the economic ladder and cultural background, but also that of a growing younger audience, for them to stay on top of their game. Progressively, the artists were not even researching into traditional music forms, especially in terms of lyrics. The most consistent changes were the banal, the slangs, the lewd and lurid references to women; the uncensored praise singing that reduced from the moral on the flip side or the next track. It was also an art form that promoted the obscenity of throwing or spraying money and the general manhandling of our currency, the most common symbol of our identity.
There were allegations and counter allegations about one artiste reproducing the song of an older one with little or no decoy. A lot of them abandoned the agidigbo as it gave way to the keyboard. Before then was the mouth organ, something Dauda Epo Akara of the Awurebe fame used to distinguish his art. Olowonyo, to give Haruna Ishola a run for his money brought in the guitar. The bands started saving up money to introduce the disco drum set into their rhythm. Then the keyboard came and I thought there would be no end to it. I actually once had the fear that juju and fuji were going to end up as one genre in due course. Right now, a good trumpeter that you see behind Seyi Solagbade today may be the same young man doing the trumpet for King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall the next day. Such is the blurred and dizzying edges of these art these days. In the case of Apala music, I can recall that the last record of Haruna Ishola was titled apala disco. A reflection of the need to adapt to suit a growing audience in search of something new. I doubt its success in terms of appeal and commerce. I am sure however of the success of the remix of Soyoyo that Haruna’s son later came to do with a strong hip-hop blend.

I am in no doubt that if any of the gods of old were to show up now on a mission from heaven (or wherever they come from), they would come a in space jet. The story tellers of old are not likely to repeat their stories the same way they did years ago. The rhythms would change. The imageries would adapt. We can be sure it would still be the same old theme, but the elements would have to speak in imageries that the audience can understand. That is where the young people on the streets come in.
Have you not noticed that the language on the streets has changed? A simple example is in the song titled O4 ka sibe, which could mean blow your mind. Somehow, collocates that were associated with possibly serious and violent interpretations are now deconstructed to stand for everyday subtle prodding. We could come back to meanings and interpretations later. But let us begin to imagine that this is the age that requires some interpretation first before dismissal. It is changing here as it is in other lands. I am not yet in a position to say whether this change is good or bad; not until we have studied it beyond car radio and street jamz tolerated assessment. That is some form of cultural change, which we have to study well before making our prescriptions.


The critical section amongst us have knocked us repeatedly about how in the feast of globalistion, we, as a country have not collectively contributed anything that has greatly removed from whatever gains we could have made from the entire process. Right now, we have some mutations that is almost original to us. I know that part of the argument in the air now is about the quality of originality in our current trend of music but the least we can do is not to study what we have on our hands properly right now and just throw it away as unworthy pastime. We can also revisit the issue of originality later.
The Americans from whom we are copying this music have not also always done hip-hop. Hip-hop is as much a reaction to social realities in America as it is here. These realities may differ but they are cogent and valid. At the end of the day, what we make of the transformation of the musical genre is what matters. The situation will suit us better if what we have is not a contrived democratic circus. That is one of the fundamental errors BI makes in his argument. That is to presume that this government as constituted has a moral base and an intellectual faculty to prospect for a beneficial and home grown cultural direction. Let us not forget that we did not just get here. We did not find ourselves here overnight. It has been a gradual process of lethargy, of cultural poisoning. Our culture today, poor as it may be, is nothing but a mirror of our immediate past and a projection of our future.
I will therefore not advocate a blanket castigation of the hip-hop genre as we have it in Nigeria today. For me, in its current state of evolution, it has huge promises even of a cultural revival in language and general performative.
This genre is developing the technical knowledge and marketing strategies of the music sector. That is one thing that would have been tough were we to legislate on the old form of music.
I can hardly fault some of the suggestions of BI because they are well reasoned and backed by years of experience in the industry but I cannot but feel some queasiness about his expectations, especially from a government that he keeps suggesting has the interest of the people at heart.
Clearly, without a cultural policy that captures the bigger picture and presents it to all stakeholders, all interested parties would keep on describing this elephantine project from the angle of elevation or depression where they are positioned. In the meantime, we should, just like we provide our own schools for our children, dig our own drainages, sink our own boreholes, generate our own electricity, begin to evolve a cultural policy of our own now. Let us not lose sight of the fact that this is a deregulated government running a deregulated system. We might be the ones to use what we have to forge what we need.
Some older forms of music from other African countries are accepted in the west (as exemplified by BI) but why should we be after products solely accepted by the west out of anthropological interest and in the name of balancing cultural geopolitics? I am more interested in the prospects that some of these young men and women are exploring. That is to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with any other artiste in the world in this same genre. I can see Akon. I am waiting to see Tu Face Idibia and by God, there are a whole lot of others as good if not better. In the absence of a heaven that can help them, they would do better to help themselves.
laskyb@yahoo.co.uk

‘Iroand buba made me a laughing stock in school’

Christiana Oluwaseun Cole, Born April 2, 1986, had her primary and secondary school education in Lagos before moving to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, for an OND in mass communication. The Lagos Island indigene of Lagos State who is currently a final year HND student of the Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, is a debut presenter with101.9 FM. She tells DAMILOLA ADEKOYA what fashion means to her.

Definition of fashion
It is anything that makes one comfortable and presentable.

Style of dress
Casuals; trousers and blouses with flat shoes.

Most favourite piece of clothing
My bracelets.

Uniqueness of style
It is determined by my thought line rather than what I am wearing.

Describe yourself in three words
I’m highly sensitive, composed and friendly.

What can you not be caught wearing?
Anything with purple colour because it looks horrible to me.

Anchoring and you
It was a dream I nursed right from my childhood though I wasn’t a TV freak. But the dream soon materialised with my voice, which gave me the leverage to venture into the media, presenting programmes.

If you were given the chance to change something in Nigeria what would it be?
Maybe people’s mindset, if it’s possible, because I do not see Nigeria as a country that has a problem.

Turn on
I like being straightforward.

Turn off
Lies and when I discover that someone is trying to take undue advantage of me.

Favourite colour(s)
The colours I put on depend on my mood. Though I have more of white than any other colour because I find it very comfortable to wear white.

Most embarrassing moment(s)
That was about five years ago, when I wore iro ati buba to school. I was embarrassed because I found it very difficult to walk properly.

Happiest moment(s)
It was the day The Polytechnic, Ibadan, organised an award day for me, for representing the school twice in a speech competition and coming out first on the two occasions.

Favourite designer(s)
I wear anything as long as I like it.

Favourite body product(s)
I equally wear anything, sometimes I even go off cream and at times I use shear butter.

Inspirations
I get inspired from the things I see on the road.

Most cherished possession
My voice.

Most expensive item
My Laptop.

Philosophy of life
Whatever you lay your hands to do, do it with all your might, because one day, it will turn out to be a blessing for you.

When Ojodu hosted creative muse

BY TAJUDEEN SOWOLE

RECENTLY, the Lagos art’s community moved out of its ‘exclusive’ Victoria Island to Baryoet Art Gallery, Ojodu, to witness the group show titled Home Grown, which featured Bola Oyetunji, Elder J.I. Akande, Kazeem Olojo and Adedayo Dada. The event had in attendance the leadership of the Art Galleries Association of Nigeria, (AGAN), art enthusiasts and promoters, who operate outside the Mainland. It was an occasion for Baroyet Gallery to prove that, even in the Lagos sub-urban, there is an art gallery that is equally active as those on the Island. The works on display explain this much. In Olojo’s familiar brushing comes another streetscape, Evening Mood, oil on board. Taking its strenght in the colour choice, the artists downplays sunset in the work. However, the rustic rooftops does not surrender its brownish look to the invading dusk so soon as they retain the tone of the fading sunset. And for the greens, neither sunset nor cloudy rendition makes much difference as the blossom offers a balance. FROM medium to large and miniature sizes, Oyetunji perfects the art of foil. In what she calls, The Mother that Prays, a work that is significant to motherhood, Oyetunji pays tribute to mothers for the troubles they go through, particularly in this hard times. The only metal artist in the show, Dada wants everyone to believe that elegance is the greatest attraction in a lady. In the works, Oleku, Iduro Omoge, and She Dey Pose, the artist, who is another emerging name in the medium, explores many areas as possible to justify his view. OYETUNJI says the ultimate goal of the show is to promote art in Ojodu and its environs. Quite a thoughtful one: art gallery business and appreciation should not be the exclusive affairs of people on the Island. Frank Okonta agrees and assures, “AGAN will always support art galleries anywhere they are established.” TRAINED in Health Records Technology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Oyetunji’s journey into art started in 1981– as wife of an expatriate — in the tiny, but oil rich South East Asian country, Brunei. “I was in Brunei with my husband for many years, during which I acquired skills in art under the programme organised by my husband’s employers, Shell Petroleum,” she reveals. However, running a gallery of exclusive embossed art, she says, is a challenge, “especially when I import the core materials I used in production as copper foil, for instance, could not be obtained in Nigeria.” Oyetunji does not settle for less, neither has she devise alternatives to avoid the stress of importation, as others, who are into similar art have done. She argues that the gold colour, which copper foil offers when embossed has superior edge over aluminium. Copper foil, she notes, gives designed works the shining and unique beauty that makes them 100 per cent perfect. Her form of art though belongs to the print family, differs slightly because of the embossed look. Whatever she has acquired today — as an artist in printmaking — is not all about the Brunei experience. There is the Nigerian factor as well. On her return to Nigeria in 1982, she met Bruce Onobrakpeya and worked as an artist-in -residence at his Ovuomaroro Studio, Papa Ajao, Mushin, Lagos. With works from other artists and of diverse mediums, Baroyet Gallery is expanding its scope to meet the mission of instituting major art attraction in that locality.

TEETH 4 TEETH

Justin Akpovi-Esade

Ochendu Now A Restaurant Owner?
PERHAPS, tired of going out to spend money on booze and food, Nollywood fringe actor and reggae singer, Ochendo, may have decided to open his own roadside restaurant in Aguda, Surulere area of Lagos. T4T saw a bare bodied Ochendo in front of a shack that serves as a restaurant recently. He was looking disheveled, like one who had been cooking. In short, he was rubbing his eyes like one who had been in a smoke-filled place — a kitchen, no doubt. The question now is, has Ochendo opened a restaurant? If he has, what kind of restaurant is that, that is like a falling house in Shanty Town? Well, we will find out soon. There was no time to actually come down from the moving car and ask the slim (some say haggard) artiste for confirmation (wen person give you lift for moto, you no get say), but it is just a matter of time. However, recall the last time we saw Ochendo near a barbecue spot (not far from his new ‘restaurant’), it caused a remix of his popular song, Ochendo On The Mic to Ochendo At The Barbecue Spot o o. Well, the new song will no doubt be, Ochendo At The Restaurant o o.

Asiegbu Vs K.O.K: The Titanic Battle Rages
THE ongoing battle for the soul of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) between two Nollywood stars, president of AGN, Ejike Asiegbu and ‘President’ Kanayo O. Kanayo, has continued to interest many watchers of the industry. While the ‘Board of Trustee’ members, Ifeanyi Dike, Emma Ogugua, are all backing ‘president’ K.O.K, the law court and police are saying the status quo should be maintained and Asiegbu should continue as president pending a legitimate removal. Who is the president of Actors Guild of Nigeria? The answer was got in Abuja last week when the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Prof. Dora Akunyili held a function. Busy bodies revealed that the two AGN presidents were there live but when it came for ‘Mama Dora’ to call on the president of AGN, she went straight to Ejike and invited him on stage to make a speech on behalf of Nollywood. K.O.K, the busybody said, was pale white. Im come vex, waka comot from the place. Hmmm, bros, dis una fight don dey affet many tins. For instance, K.O.K, a source said, no longer hangs out at the VIP section of O’jez (where Ejike has a permanent table), he prefers the open-air dark section. Now, so many people hardly see him. Na so life be, dis two na tite frends befor o o, see wetin power don do na.

Number Plate K.O.K
NOLLYWOOD star and ‘president’ of the Actors Guild of Nigeria has finally arrived. T4T was driving behind an SUV with the bold number that read K.O.K. I did not need a ‘sayer’ to tell me it was the same K.O.K, the AMAA award winning star and recently, the ‘new president’ of Actors Guild of Nigeria. The four-wheeler pulled into the wide stadium gate and further confirmation of the occupant of the vehicle was got. Well, the puzzle now is, when did bros buy this jeep? Was it shortly after his appointment as ‘president’ by the ‘Board of Trustees’ members? Anyway, that jeep truly befits the status of AGN ‘president’. Keep it up bros and congrats.

AY The Americana
IF you are not following the television reality show tagged Koko Mansion on HiTV at the moment, then you have missed a lot, especially last Tuesday when ace comedian AY visited the remaining 10 girls in the D’banj’s mansion. At first, I did not believe it was AY I was watching as he gave the ladies words of encouragement. I thought it was one African-American chap. AY, the Delta State University graduate; AY, the guy born and raised in Pidgin English-infested Warri, Delta State, now speaks ‘fonetic’ English like an American. Una helep me see how life dey be? Na AY my broda don turn like dis so. Money good o o o.

What Was Frank Dallas Doing At Midnight?
I am at loss on how to explain where and when I saw Nollywood star, Frank Dallas recently. T4T was driving his tuke tuke along Adekunle Kuye Street, Aguda, Lagos, at about midnight recently and who did he run into, trying to reverse his car in the middle of the narrow road? Frank Dallas!!! How did I know in the dark? The window at the driver’s side of the car is shattered (recall the robbery attack he suffered the last time). But then as one drove past, the unmistakable face of Dallas filled the view. T4T hailed him and he was shocked… the guilty are always afraid. There was another person on the passenger seat. Well, I can’t say if na man or na woman o o, anyhow sha, wetin Dallas with peson (weda man or woman) dey waka waka find for near midnite? But wait o o, the peson hair plenty like woman own sha... but men sef don dey carry plenty hair nowadays na. Anyway, I give up on that. Please don’t ask me what I was looking for at that time too, na work I dey do.

Help, Solid AC Has Started Again!
YOU may be wondering what comedian Solid AC has started. Recall the last time, T4T raised an alarm how the chap was going from table to table at O’jez thumbing cigarettes from people and even daring them to complain. A particular friend of the comedian now hides his pack of cigarettes anytime he sets eyes on Solid AC. Shuuuoooooo.

Still On Solid AC... Now A Waiter
PEOPLE have complained many times about the comedian’s dressence. Because he rides a power bike (O’jez photographer, Say What, says the bike is an ordinary okada, not a power bike), he usually wears thick black leather jackets and matching gloves (no helmet, if one may add). There was this occasion, he had a performance at Ikeja Country Club and he had to dress in a white shirt, black trousers and bow tie. That was his undoing because his dressing actually clashed with the male waiters’ uniform at the club. He got the shock of his life when somebody sitting with his girlfriend signaled him over. AC thought the guy was a fan who wanted an autograph, he was dead wrong. The fella needed a drink!

See What Traffic Has Done To Mudi
Super designer, Mudi, was sighted trying to take a seat at the dark open air section of a popular hangout in Surulere last Tuesday. His first give-away was his branded bus, then trained eyes searched the large crowd and there he was. Bros, next time you wan siddon for darkness, no bring moto wey dem write Mudi put. Na signboard be dat. Anyway, for sitting where the boys will not see you to collect their entitlements (as if Mudi dey owe the so called boys), the designer that clothes stars like John Fashanu, Okey Bakassi, Gordons etc, paid dearly for it in shacks and pepper soup. Mudi has the choking traffic in Lagos lately to blame for his coming to the hangout that evening to kill time. Anyway, I no dey among the boys o o, na look I look o o.
ogbuus@yahoo.com

USA: A Nation In Transition (2)

BY TUNDE FATUNDE
ONE of the highlights of my two sojourn to the United States was the visit to University of California, Irvine Campus, a suburb of Los Angeles. After few days in Amarillo, I headed for the airport to catch a plane to Orange Country Airport near Los Angeles. At Amarillo airport, officials of American Airlines, politely, informed me that I could not travel because of poor weather conditions at Dallas International Airport. I was obviously not happy. On the other hand, I was happy that American airport officials place serious emphasis on the security of air travelers. In this country, weather reports are taken seriously. On my way back home, I looked with admiration at the statute of Rick Husband, one of the brilliant astronauts who, few years ago, lost his life in a space shuttle. He is a native of Amarillo. He was born in this small American town on July 12 1957. He was the commander of a space shuttle who died on February 1, 2003 when the space vehicle disintegrated. And all the seven astronauts perished. What a pity. May his soul rest in peace. The next day, the positive weather conditions allowed our plane to fly safely to Dallas International Airport where I had to catch a connecting flight to Orange County airport. Before I forget, I remembered that the former American President, George Bush, is a native of Texas. I shall come to the Bush phenomenon in this second and last segment of my travelogue. After about two and half hour of smooth flight, the plane touched down at Orange Country Airport, near Los Angeles. The main purpose of this trip is to attend a graduation ceremony of someone at the University of California, Irvine Campus. Beauty campus. The various faculties are built in conformity with the natural topography of the environment. Irvine campus is recognized as one of the best centers for biological sciences in United States. On this campus, there was a cultural send-off ceremony organised by the small African and African American student community for graduating students. It was a night of solidarity between students from the two continents. One could see strong feelings of cultural and historical ties amongst these young boys and girls who were reminded by various speakers that they face strong challenges because of economic recession sweeping across the country. Many of the speakers talked about the significance of Barack Obama as America’s first African American President. THE next day, I attended two important graduation ceremonies: a ceremony for honors students and that of all graduands of the department of biological sciences. America has developed a sophisticated culture for graduation ceremonies: from kindergarten school, passing through primary and secondary levels and the university level. Parents, well wishers, friends and relatives take time to attend there ceremonies. As a graduate from University of Bordeaux in France, there was no graduation ceremony. French people do not accord any significance to graduation ceremony. Different countries, different graduation cultures. I was particularly interested in the honors’ list of Biological Sciences department. There were about eighty students who made the honors list for this academic session. To make the honors’ list, a student must consistently score very high marks right from his or her first year. This year’s honors list for this academic department was dominated by Asian students from China, India, Japan and South Korean. Some white American students also featured in the honors list. However, only one student from the African and African American communities was on the honors list. She is a Nigerian! She had four distinctions. For each distinction, her citation was read. She stood out distinctly amongst Asian and white American graduating students. One of the professors recommended her to apply for post graduate studies in environmental biology. She politely declined the offer. Instead, she accepted to read medicine in one of the prestigious universities in America. She was offered admission by seven medical schools. She symbolizes the culture of resilience, hardwork and determination amongst Nigerian students in American universities. After the graduation ceremony, I decided to back to Amarillo, by road. It took me two days. There was a need to break the journey of 15 hours transcending the states of Arizona, New Mexico and part of Texas. It game me an opportunity to get a first hard knowledge of part of America’s countryside. The countryside was peaceful and all green. Cattles were grazing and walking leisurely without any disruption. ALONG the road, something caught my attention. An entirely new phenomenon: the emergence of windmill farms. I saw several windmill farms dotting the countryside. In each windmill farm, there were hundreds of white painted windmills. The blade of each windmill was turning clockwise according to the speed of surrounding wind. Linked to each windmill was a pipe conveying energy to a central power station. America has, at last, accepted the fact that she can produce several thousands of megawatts of electricity by tapping the wind. In a flat and plain region without many trees, it is possible to transform wind into energy. My mind went back to an article I read on alternatives source of energy in American desert region. Obama administration in close collaboration with the private sector is investing a lot of money to convert the sun into energy in the desert regions of the country. Indeed, the slogan “Yes we can” is being translated into reality . This is a country where the intellectual and business elite is constantly using their thinking cap, trying to adapt to realities of 12st Century. All countries are in transition in this century. After two days of interesting journey by road, I arrived in Amarillo. I spent most of the time at home watching the television. So many programmes. I was interested in knowing how Americans views of the current economic recession. In virtually all the debates about the recession, many of the speakers did not give reasons for the recession. They described the symptoms and not the causes. Only one speaker analyzed the origin of what is now known as economic and financial meltdown. A jargon for closure of factories, lose of jobs and several thousands of families sleeping at parks and charity homes because they can no longer pay for their mortgage. This speaker is a Professor of economics and international relations in an American University. I did not get her name. I wish I had. I would have sent her an e-mail to further explain certain economic issues. She is very brilliant and articulate speaker. Let me summative her thoughts on the current economic crisis facing America. According to her, recession takes place in a war situation. She was referring to the economic crisis of Europe between the First and Second World Wars when factories were damaged, and millions of workers lost their jobs. It took the American government to put in place an economic stimulus called “Marshall Plan” before Western Europe could recover from the recession. She affirmed that the current recession is fundamentally different from the 20th Century recession. How? According to her, the current recession is taking place when there is global peace. No major world war. Factories are not destroyed. In fact, factories are overproducing, but no sale of produced goods. Why? Because credit facilities have dried up. The modern capitalist economy thrives on credit facilities i.e. purchase now and pay bit by bit. Why did the credit facilities dry up? I adjusted my seat with a view to listening to her brilliant explanations. The banks manage credit facilities, which are revolving loans, for consumers and industrialists. She suggested that the credit facilities were mopped up by American arms merchants who produced arms used in Iraq by American soldiers. She added that George Bush Jnr. administration has hoped that the war and restoration of peace would take place within a space of nine months; so that these arm merchants would return the money borrowed from the credit facilities. They has also hoped that they would recoup their arms investment through the purchase of cheap crude oil from Iraq, the second largest producer of oil after Saudi Arabia. Their calculation did not materialise. The war is still on. And they are yet to repay the money borrowed from the credit facilities. Meanwhile, other sectors of the American economy to wit, housing, automobile industry, building etc cannot properly function because the credit facilities have been exhausted in Iraq. “This is the major cause of the recession”, she said. THE other root cause of the recession is massive corruption in New York Stock Exchange. “Barnard Madoff defrauded, for 10 years, investors to the tune of about US 60 billion. He is not alone. There are many similar cases of massive fraud in America’s stock exchange. We shall know more about these fraudulent cases at the end of the current investigations undertaken by Obama Administration”, she affirmed. While listening to this interesting debate, there was a newsbreak. A 88-year-old while American racist supremacist, James Von Brunn shot and killed a 24-year-old African American security guard, Stehpen Tyrone at the famous Holocaust Museum in Washington D. C. This museum is not too far from the White House where Barack Obama and his family live. Several interpretations were given to this incident. I can only highlight two: racism still exists in America and, second white American supremacists do not accept the fact that an African-American is the President of the most powerful nation of earth. Racism is one of major problems facing America and the rest of the world as we all transit towards the 21st Century, which is nine years old! My two-week stay in America has come to an end. I must return to my motherland popularly known as Naija. I flew from Amarillo to Dallas. After a brief stop over in Dallas, I flew to Atlanta City and took a connecting flight to Paris, capital of France on my way to Lagos. One thing that struck me is that in all the flights I took, the travellers and members of the crew are made up of different nationalities, different cultures and religions moving peacefully(?) towards a given destination. One world, different cultures. The message is clear: America and the world are in transition in this century. No one can predict the outcome of this transition. There are issues that can unite or destroy the world. So, I concluded as I landed at Muritala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, economic capital of my dear Naija! Fatunde is a professor of Francophone studies, Lagos State University, Lagos, Nigeria.








Jo’burg Blues
BY CHRISTIAN OKPARA
SOUTH Africa held a kind of awe to me because of the diverging stories I had heard about the country.
The insecurity in the land was a legend that inspired fear to the first time visitor, who had been inundated with stories of the hatred the people had of Nigerians.
So, going to Johannesburg for the Confederations Cup presented a number of questions: What kind of people will one see in Mandela country? How would one go about covering the Confederations Cup when he had been warned that he could be killed for just for the shirt on his body if he ventured into certain parts of the country? Being a Nigerian he is the first target of armed gangs who still see Nigerians as part of the problems of their country?
Armed with safety tips and prayers from family members, I was ready for the worst in the former apartheid enclave. But I never bargained for what I saw on entering the county.
The first thing that strikes a first time visitor from a hot clime like Nigeria is how cold the weather in South Africa.
We arrived the country in the early hours of the day to the unwelcome embrace of winter. Not being prepared for the searing cold that greeted us at the OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, the first instinct was to run back into the South African Airlines craft that brought us from Lagos.
But my colleague on the trip, Ogbeni Tope Awe of South African Tourism assured me that things would get better once I get used to the weather. But it never got better throughout my one-week stay in the country.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by the other truths about South Africa, one of which is that it is one of the best countries in the world. The trip was as mind-blowing as it was quite revealing.
I was shocked at the developed state of the country’s infrastructure. I could nit imagine that a country in Africa could be as developed and beautiful as what I saw in Johannesburg. I make bold to say that South Africa has about the best roads in Africa, with streetlights that work to boot.
Still with the fear of the unknown my first instinct was to stick to taxis, which I had been advised was the safest way to travel in South Africa.
But my tour guide, Philemon Makola of Kgolare Tours, allayed such fears in me. He informed me that South Africa was gradually moving away from the violence that enveloped the country shortly after the end of the Apartheid era.
According to Makola, “I read about violence in South Africa and other crimes from the media because those who control the media has not come to terms with the fat that blacks are leading this country.
“They exaggerate the rate of crime and other bad things that happen in South Africa to portray blacks as incapable of ruling the country. The press is owned by the whites, so what we do is tell our guests to go out there and experience the country first hand and determine how violent this country is.”
So, with Sandton, which is like the Ikoyi of Johannesburg, as my base I went about exploring this beautiful city.

THE first place I went to was the Maropeng caves in Gauteng, an unbelievable store of history of the evolution of humankind.
The Maropeng caves are about a 50-minute drive from the centre of Johannesburg.
The Maropeng caves, also known as the Sterkfontein Caves, are world famous for their fossil finds.
According to one of the literatures on the caves, the monuments were given extensive face-lift in 2005, to scientifically showcase a reconstruction of a mined cave – versus a pristine cave – cave formations and geology, early life forms, mammals and hominid fossils, among other topics.
“It describes in detail important finds such as “Mrs. Ples”, the “Taung Child” and “Little Foot”, as well as providing information about fossilisation, palaeobotany and landscapes.

WORLD-ACCLAIMED and award-winning palaeoartist, John Gurche, whose exhibits can be seen at the Smithsonian Institute, the Field Museum and the American Museum of Natural History in New York and who worked on the film Jurassic Park, has produced all the lifelike hominid illustrations, from the seven-million-year-old Toumai fossil from Chad, through to modern humans.”
Chris, a student of archaeology, who is also one of the tour guides at the caves, informed us that the Sterkfontein Caves are owned by his school, the University of the Witwatersrand, whose scientists have been responsible for the main excavations of the World Heritage Site.
Inside the caves are mind-blowing claims about the evolution of humanity.
Chris informed his enthralled guests that scientists have discovered many hominid and other animal fossils, dating back more than four million years, to the birth of humanity.
“The most important and most famous of these fossils are “Mrs. Ples”, a 2.1-million-year-old Australopithecus skull, and “Little Foot”, an almost complete Australopithecus skeleton that is more than three-million years old. These fossils, both found in the Sterkfontein Caves in the Cradle of Humankind, tell us much about the precursors of modern humans, Homo sapiens.
He revealed that archaeological finds within the Cradle of Humankind also include two-million-year-old stone tools. “The oldest recorded, at Swartkrans, near the Sterkfontein Caves, is a collection of 270 burnt bones that reveals how our ancestors learned to master fire more than one-million years ago – a significant development and an early technological innovation.
“The ability to do this has taken us from the basic skills needed to keep ourselves warm and to cook our food, to being able to control and harness the power of fire to the extent that we can now create and burn rocket fuel to reach space and beyond,” he added.
Before entering the caves, the guide warned us to wear comfortable shoes, leave our handbags and other luggage behind to allow for easy movement.
There is also another caveat: “Because there are a number of tight spots and pathways to negotiate in the caves, it is not advisable to do the tour if you are claustrophobic. It is also not advisable for people who suffer from acute asthma or chest problems to do the tour as there are a lot of stairs to climb.”
Perhaps, the most fearsome part of the tour of the caves is the boat ride, which takes one through the streams to all the hidden parts of the place.
With so many different sounds emanating from unknown sources, the boat ride is not recommended for the faint-hearted. If what we saw in the caves were the truth about creation of humankind, it then explains why some of our compatriots look like apes.
The journey to caves was as educative as it was entertaining, but it has no place for the Biblical theory of creation.
One was left with the feeling that something is not right somewhere; either with the Biblical theory or the exhibits we encountered at the caves.
We wanted to see other parts of this beautiful country, especially the Kruger National Park, the Table Mountain and Robben Island, but time was not on our side.
But we visited the Mandela House in Soweto, one of the places every visitor to South Africa must see at least once.

LOCATED at 8115 Orlando West on the corner of Vilakazi and Ngakane Streets, Soweto, the Mandela House has become a tourist’s haven, which takes the visitor through the many turns in the life of a great African.
Visitors pay 40 rand, which is about N800, for the guided tour of the house built in 1945.
Explaining the history of the house, our guide revealed that Mandela moved into the building in 1946 with his first wife, Evelyn Nkoto Mase.
As explained by the tour guide, inside the house are historical documents depicting Mandela’s story both in the context of his home and the context of his life as a whole, in a manner that promotes human rights, democracy, reconciliation, mutual respect and tolerance among the peoples of South Africa.
Among the items on exhibition are gifts from people around the world in appreciation of the humanity of the great Mandela. There is a gift from Cross River State government, just as the retired boxer, Sugar Ray Leonard gave his WBC World Middleweight Boxing title to Mandela. All these items are in the main sitting room of the building.
A Nigerian’s journey to South Africa would be incomplete, if you have the heart, without a visit to Mariston Hotel, Johannesburg.
Located on Claim Street off Noord Road, Mariston Hotel is the den of Nigerian hustlers, who are in South Africa to make the fortune any which way.
The hotel, which also has a night club, is the meeting point of the harden, who spend much of their time playing snooker or drinking, while savouring the music from a giant speaker.
But that is as much as the eyes can see. A Nigerian, who took me to the hotel, explained that Mariston is haven for drug dealers and other type of fraudsters who come there to meet their clients.
“Half of the drugs that enter the streets emanate from this hotel, but you can hardly see it unless you know your way around. This guys here are survivors, whose contacts come from all over the country and even beyond,” he said.
The hotel is located at the Heabrow area, which is like Nigeria’s Warri. Only the brave dare to enter that part of town.
My contact warned me not to think of taking any pictures around the hotel because that could land me in trouble.
He also gave a little tip on how to survive in the country despite the ‘exaggerated’ crime rate.
The lesson: “Don’t walk around with lots of flashy jewellery on, or expensive camera, wristwatches and fancy cell phones.
“Try always to stick to together if you are tourists, if you must go somewhere on your own don’t go down small quiet side streets and try to let some one know where you are going and when you intend to get back.”

The Girl Whisperer: Loving Betty Irabor

BY WOLE OGUNTOKUN

THE Whisperer, while growing up in Lagos, had an interest in everything television. It didn’t matter if they were commercials or the news or Hammer House of Horror or Tales of the unexpected.
All were watched with equal fervour and his ability to speak the English language even passably, came from listening to those giants, Sienne All Well-Brown, Ruth Benamasia, Taiwo Ajai and a host of others read the Nigerian Television Network news, as much as it came from reading books.
Yes, you could let your child listen to Nigerian news, not just CNN and Sky, that was how good the television fare was in those days.
To be fair, I think the NTA Network news still meets that standard even if pseudo-affluence in the shape of cable television does not allow The Whisperer watch the news as much as he used to.
In the midst of all the amazing Nigerian presenters in those days, there was a man who looked like the kind of person you would want as an older brother and a friend. His name? Soni Irabor.
And for many years, the posse of Yinka Craig, Soni Irabor, Patrick Oke, Danladi Bako, Sadiq Daba and a few others easily straddled the world of male presenting.
Then out of the blue, at least for the young man who would become a writer who would become The Whisperer came a woman known as Betty Irabor, who declared an interest in publications.
She was wife to Soni, my favourite ‘brother’ whom I had never met, and so I paid attention to her activities while asking myself at the same time if she was good enough to be my “brother’s” wife. Yeah, The Whisperer was very protective of Soni Irabor from afar in those days.
She pushed into an area that was not easily negotiable, a la the world of publishing and seemed determined to make her mark there but our business here today is with the thrust of her Pink Ball which she started in 2005.
For those who only have a hazy idea of what a Pink Ball might be, it is some manner of social gathering created by Betty Irabor, which is in aid of breast cancer work and awareness.

AN admirer once described this column as a light-hearted one written for females. There was nothing derogatory about that statement but The Whisperer would prefer to think it a column which presents major life-affecting issues in a manner which will make you smile as you read it. Today, however, I am not certain if the topic in issue can be couched in simple terms.
I flipped through a magazine few days ago and saw pictures of beautiful women dressed in variances of pink at the ball (by now you must have realised The Whisperer is an ardent and unabashed admirer of the female form)
As I looked at still-shots of them strutting across red carpets and staring life confidently in the face, it dawned on me what Ms. Irabor and her guests were really doing, no matter how glamorous, chic and über-cool they appeared.
It was not just about the personalities there or the ex-governor who came as a mystery guest and played the saxophone.
All these people were bringing the truth about life, the tragedies and the victories of the world we live in, into private living rooms, into discussions in social gatherings, into quiet moments in otherwise unreachable bathrooms, into minds that could not have been reached before.

BREAST Cancer is a real and present danger to every female (even males have been known to be affected by it) and there is a tendency for us all to try to wish things away, to pretend it cannot happen to us or to our friends or to our family.
But it can happen and being prepared to stop it before it becomes life threatening is the key to peace of mind in the future.
A few weeks before I read the magazine, I stood with the female members of my cast before our weekly drama presentations talking about sundry matters and the subject of “real age” came up.
Apparently, there is your chronological age and then your ‘real age’. Your real age increases when you do not take preventive actions like examinations to determine the state of your health. I asked if any of these girls had ever had an examination for cancer.
None had, not even the savviest of the lot. It is essential that you listen to The Whisperer. You must pay attention to your health for your own sakes and for the sakes of those you love and those whom love you.
I shall go to the brass tacks – do not feel a lump in your breast while taking a bath and pretend it is nothing. Seek medical attention immediately. Please.
There are other forms of cancer humans are susceptible to and the advice I give females today is to check for everything.
The issue of health can be a depressing one many-a-time, but those who love us will love us and by God’s grace, nothing we cannot handle will come our way.
It was The Whisperer’s birthday on Wednesday and he was inundated with messages on facebook, by phone and by sms and it made him feel like a child again, like he had been tele-ported back to the days when one had friends, who truly cared, days without guile, without the calculations that inadvertently come with ‘growing up’.
The Whisperer says ‘thank you’ to all those who reached out from across the world, and his heart will forever be glad for friends like these.
People will leave their marks on the sands of time, in history, in life; by the things they do and are consistent at.
Betty Irabor, her friends, her collaborators, her supporters, those who get up from the comfort of their homes, wear pink and step out to give the war against cancer a united front continue to etch their names in indelible ink.
Someday, the war against this enemy will be won. But at this point, we cannot be weary. Leave no woman behind.
laspapi@yahoo.com