Amosun’s wife urges support for provision of amenities (Read full details)

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Mrs. Olufunso Amosun

Wife of the Ogun State Governor, Olufunso Amosun, has urged indigenes and residents of the state to support government to provide amenities for the people, especially the less privileged ones.

She made the call in Shagamu while commissioning the free school ride buses donated by the leader of the state House of Assembly, Asiwaju Yinka Mafe, to students in the five local councils that make up the old Remo Division.

The governor’s wife lauded the lawmaker for pledging to also hire the crew and fuel the buses for the use of the students.Mrs. Amosun said it had become necessary for the private sector to support government’s efforts, because the state does not have enough resources to make provision for everyone.

Mafe explained that she donated the buses due to her concern for pupils who trek to and from school everyday even in the rain.The Deputy Speaker of the state assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, wife of the Speaker, Oluwaseun Adekunbi, the Oba of Makun, Emmanuel King and the state Commissioner for Sports, Afolabi Afuwape attended the event.

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Engineers harp on industrial, workplace safety

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Oil worker

Following lack of attention to safety of lives and property in industries and among professionals, members of the America Society of Safety Engineers, (ASSE), Nigeria Chapter have pledged to promote safety in Nigeria construction sector.

President of the society, Herbert Nwaka who made this known in Lagos stressed the need to enforce safety in some of the critical sectors of the Nigerian economy for increased productivity.

In line with this, Nwaka said ASSE Nigeria has established partnership with the United States Embassy and some other stakeholders towards hosting a safety summit in the country.

He said: “We are partnering with the U.S Consulate to discuss issues around collaboration in our forthcoming Safety Summit, which will hold in Lagos next month. Wnership with Brickwall group, which is also a real estate company was necessitated by the fact that the company is safety compliant.

The association expressed optimism that the summit to be attended by Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) and 15 other international speakers will address the incessant cases of building collapse in Nigeria.

President of the America Society of Safety Engineers, Thomas Cecich, is expected to attend the event, while the Minister for Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola will chair the occasion.

The Group Managing Director of Brickwall, Ahubelem Uche said building collapse has become a trending issue in Nigeria, which professionals in the built industry must work hard to end.

He explained that a lot of people find it difficult to align with standards because they do not realise its importance in service delivery.

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Kwara revenue body earmarks N664million as expected IGR

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Kwara State Internal Revenue Service

The Kwara State Internal Revenue Services (KWIRS) has projected for the year 2017 a sum of N664 million as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the entire 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The KWIRS is a body constituted some two years ago by Kwara state Governor Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed to replace the state’s internal Revenue Board, in order to boost the revenue collection capability of the state.

Due to the efficacy of the KWIRS at opening up more collection points in the state with a stunning turn over of more than 300 per cent in its first year of existence, the revenue collection body in February 2016 sealed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the 16 LGAs to collect IGR on their behalf.

The development like it existed under the state, saw an upsurge of about 200 percent in the IGRs of the councils. The high point of the soul of the MoU with the councils is the sharing formula between them and the KWIRS put at a ratio of 30 per cent (KWIRS) to 70 per cent (councils) under an arrangement christened Joint Treasury Committee (JTC).

According to the Chairman of the KWIRS Dr Muritala Awodun at the weekend in Ilorin after a meeting with the 16 chairmen of Transition Implementation Committee (TIC), the parley became imperative due to a recent change in leadership at the councils. The TICs took over from the elected chairmen but whose tenure oof offices had since expired. The meeting equally have in attendance supportive staff at the councils such as Revenue and Budget Officers.

Awodun said, “the new TIC chairmen came in towards the end of last year but they promptly looked at what we had done in the past year making them to consent to the existing formula to enable us prepare for this new year.

“Therefore KWIRS as a body for harmonisation of revenue collection in the state to boost its revenue capacities needed a renewal of relationship with the TIC Chairmen hence the reason for this meeting. Already, we have earmarked the collection of a sum of N664 million this year as IGR for the 16 councils. All the relevant supportive staff of the council were also at the the meeting.”

Awodun while reminiscing on how the initial parley with the councils’ chairmen on the need to allow the KWIRS to collect their IGR on their behalf had hit the rock due to its unprecedented nature, said the relative success on the experiment had at present made the councils to cede to the body 100 per cent revenue collection rights on their behalf.

On some of the staff of the councils who still duplicate the efforts of the KWIRS in revenue collection, Awodun faulted the development just as he disclosed that only the experienced ones and technically competent councils staff are retained to collaborate with his staff during revenue collection exercises.

In his reaction, the state’s Chairman, Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) Alhaji Isaka Danmeiromu praised the collaborative gestures on revenue collections just as he believed that the develoment would assist greatly in churning out the much needed dividends of democracy to the rural dwellers.

Danmeiromu while describing as nauseating the haphazard springing up of motor parks in some parts of Ilorin, said the concerned councils would intervene via the provisions of modern motor parks in order to stem the tide.

 

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Abia government Afreximbank parley on state’s economy

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President, AfreximBank, Dr. Benedict Oramah

Worried about the declined economic fortunes, Abia State government has enlisted the support of African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in its quest to tap into growth opportunities in the state.

Led by the Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, the state government at its visit to Cairo-based Afreximbank, he solicited support to boost state’s industrialization plans.

He said the state intended to leverage on its competitive advantage by tapping into the industrial clusters that already existed in the Aba area of the state.

According to him, there are some 250 clusters in Aba, each employing about four people, which have been actively engaged in producing garments and other wears that are exported and then rebranded with foreign labels before being sold in the international market, including Nigeria.

He noted that Enyimba Industrial City had been conceptualized, where infrastructure would be provided and other support structures made available to catalyse industrialisation in the state and in Nigeria’s Southeast region.

President of Afreximbank, Dr. Benedict Oramah, said that the state’s approach resonated with the bank’s new strategic plan, which had the promotion of intra-African trade as one of its key pillars.

Under the Bank’s Intra-African Trade Strategy, it was supporting the development of industrial parks, export processing zones and special economic zones, he said.

It was also supporting the creation of export trading companies to help take the goods manufactured in the industrials parks, such as the one envisaged in Aba, into the export market.

Oramah said the bank is working to establish certification centres in Africa, with the first planned for Nigeria.

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Amalgamation, Nigeria and poor leadership

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Nigeria Flag

I refer to the article ‘Why 1914 amalgamation is Nigeria’s bane’ by Charles Ogbu published in The Guardian of February 6, 2017 and all I could say was “here they go again.”

Opinion pieces such as his, instead of educating, informing, analyzing critically and providing solutions ended up with the same oblique thumping of regional and ethnic pabulum. The shifting of blame without introspection. Cessation of state or a system of government (true federalism) for most writers is the answer to Nigeria’s problems not failure of leadership and of domestic governance.

Homogeneity for most people is a fanciful model. A parley between the South West and South East and the North on its own. The falsity in such argument is that no part of Nigeria is monolithic and homogeneous. I will come back to this later. And how has the relationship been between the South West and South East since the infamous spat between Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as a result of the election into the Western House of Assembly? Don’t the people in one region see the other as quislings? The suspicion between the two regions rages on in our day. What ideology even binds the two regions together?

While I concede the North has its problems that need to be lain, and which sadly have not, it is out of character for a writer of opinion pieces on a world class medium to stereotype northerners as killers. You would get the impression that all northerners are good at is serving Molotov Cocktails. We need to be able to distinguish between mob actions encouraged by bad people, made worse by a weak state and the actions of very civilised people. Wouldn’t it be out of place for me to stereotype the people of ALUU community as murderers because a senseless mob in that community with royal blessings carried out by royal flunkeys scorched the lives out of four University of Port Harcourt students in 2012?

Amalgamation isn’t the cause of the glut of problems that this country has.
Colonists all over the world never asked the views of subjects they planned to colonise or had already colonised. The Roman empire subjugated the British people without their consent for more than three and a half centuries. Regardless, that country (Britain) is great today despite not being homogeneous. The people in that part of the world are of mixed heritage, the Belgae as well as members of Germanic tribes who immigrated into Britain such as Jules, Angles and Saxons. The Greeks were even once rumoured to be in Britain courtesy of archaeological discoveries.

Unlike many a country – our founding fathers even though they didn’t pursue independence on ethno-religious sentiments – never fashioned a national philosophy for Nigeria like the founding fathers of the United States of America.

That is the major problem and the lack of that philosophy instead of being corrected, has now birthed the destructive sentiments that are taking us under. This is the reason that even in so-called homogeneous enclaves there is fierce competition among people who should supposedly be one. We need to also differentiate between state policy and the policy of a few irresponsible people heating the polity which governments over time have not been able to use the bully pulpit to deal with.‬

Allow me share a personal story. I got married a decade ago. Shortly after, I went to Enugu for the burial of a friend’s wife. He introduced me to his kinfolk as “our in-law.” “Really?” They chorused. “Which part of Igbo land, did you marry from?”

“Ngwa” I replied. They looked at me pitiably and hissed. I blanched and had to ask what the matter was.

The group took time to educate me. “We Igbo, the sensible ones don’t marry from Ngwa and Mbaise. Marriages only work best amongst themselves. We are also wary of marrying from Umuahia and Owerri, they are a fun loving people who make Cuckolds of their husbands. The best place to marry from is Enugu State.” That was the first culture shock I have ever had. Even now, folks that way say the same thing. I have stopped letting drop where she is from.

You know I met a clergyman from Owerri not long after and recounted my shocking experience in Enugu.”Don’t mind those Enugu and Anambra traders. We (Owerri) people are more educated than all other people in Igbo Land. Outside Osu, the Anambra people have an outcast system called the Oru. Who discriminates more than them?” I expected a lecture on unity but got a raucous claque. My friend in her mid-sixties is hoity-toity despite being an evangelist. She is from Anambra. I engaged her on “oneness” and she told me heart-on-hand that the Anambra people are more urbane than all other Igbo and that the “Ebonyi and Abia Igbo are not well-tamed Igbo.” I am an Igala, a cultured one. But for the age difference between us I might have asked her, “who tamed you” “should accident of birth make you superior?”

Do you know that the Egba man doesn’t like the Ijebu man and vice versa? Are you aware of the wars between the Oyo and Ibadan people or those of the Modakeke and Ife people?

Which is the perfect city in Nigeria where non-natives aren’t called strangers? Is amalgamation responsible for why companies are closing shop in Nigeria?

Do we have an interstate commercial policy so as to have an integrated economy? Except Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, how many governors invest in states outside theirs? What does a state in the South South produce for the people of the South East in commercial quantity in a 360 degree manner?

America was only a colony of 13 states until they land-grabbed the rest from Mexico. Today she is the greatest country in the world despite its checkered history. Homogeneity didn’t make America great. Thought leadership provided by people who aren’t future-blind did. Yet America is a country of many nations.

When people bandy federalism I ask them: How many countries in the world practice federalism? Out of the more than 200 countries, less than ten practice federalism.

Indonesia, a unitary state, is the tenth largest economy in terms of GDP. System of government doesn’t develop a country but the ingenuity of her people and the quality of leadership provided.

The solution to the problems of this country is simple: The establishment must fashion a simple national philosophy, not a gobbledygook. The political parties must throw up people with openness of character, well-tested and with integrity only for elective offices. The candidates must be leaders with values ready to propagate these values to the new-fangled generation. Leaders who know their purpose and whose reason for being have been revealed to them. Leaders who ought to be insiders and not outside – those that have succeeded in industry, interacted with different bodies of men without discrimination and understand importance of thinking and living towards ‘Heaven’ where our sublime/ spiritual, infinite self-dwells, and where all enduring inspirations come from. The parties must be strong and idealistic, and the citizens of this country must have the will to demand accountability.

To think federalism, homogeneity, cessation are the answers to our problems is an imaginary Shangri-la. Nigeria is not beyond repairs but must groom leaders who accept responsibility.

Abah wrote from Port Harcourt.

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And after many days… Jowhor Ile’s resonating family testament…Read full details

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Jowhor Ile

Debut novels are not the easiest to write. What with the issues of harmonizing theme and style, managing and sustaining mood and narrative points of view and moderating all these to yield a unified whole for the sheer pleasure of reading? It is never easy, but Jowhor Ile has managed these disparate aspects admirably in his debut novel, And After Many Days, a family narrative that has a resonance and echo of 1980s and 1990s Nigeria, with its history of military jackboots, students unrest, academic disruptions, communal agitations as a result of the activities of oil companies and the fatalities inflicted on local communities and the brutal murder of environmental rights activist and writer, Kenule Saro-Wiwa.

But it is a tale of police brutality, told in non-hysterical manner, of the brutal murder of a youth and how it knits the story together. Like its Lagos counterpart story and Toni Kan’s The Carnivorous City, Jowhor Ile’s And After Many Days is the story of a missing boy, set in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The Itu family is a middle class one, which is staggered by the tragedy of its lost first son, Paul, who strolled out one day and never returns. However, one of the men who witnessed how Paul was hit with a riffle butt walks into their living room, after many years, when the family has dispersed, and it heightens the sense of loss, of a young life senselessly cut short at its prime. And the family, now without the father, finds redemption in the exhumation and final burial of a member lost at his prime.

“Paul floundered by door as though he had changed his mind; then he bent to buckle his sandals, slung on his backpack, left the house, and did not return.

“At least that is one way to begin to tell this story.”That is how Ile starts the story and he introduces the Itu family: the father, Bendic, a lawyer, whom the children call by name; the mother, Ma, the only daughter, Bibi, and the last son, Ajie. Ile’s family portrait is so realistically rendered that he takes the reader into the living room of the Itus to experience firsthand the siblings’ rivalry between Bibi and Ajie, Paul’s leadership as first child, Ajie’s attachment to his elder brother, Paul, Benedict’s disciplinary measures, the children’s pranks and everything that goes with family. It is a happy family, the Itus, until the tragedy of Paul’s disappearance hits it, and the family begins to reel from the strangeness of the situation. For Bendict, Ma, Ajie and Bibi, a new, surrealistic world dawns on them and they are least prepared to cope with it. But cope they must.

But until Paul disappears, the Itu family is a model one. They live in Port Harcourt, but like most city dwellers, they regularly visit their hometown, Ogibah. Ile illustrates the link between city dwellers and their remote villages, how Bendic, the city man is easily the mediator in disputes whenever he visited with his family that takes part in all the village rituals and customs. Ile’s portraiture of Ogibah gives readers a village’s slice of life, the joys and the disputes that sometimes flare out of hand to consume everyone. Bendic finds himself always intervening on behalf of Ogibah in court to ask for compensations from the recalcitrant oil company and fencing off police and military assault on his community for affronting the oil company.

Like most local communities in the Niger Delta, Ogibah is an oil-producing community. Thus the stage is set for a great showdown with the oil company operating in the town and government. It soon happens and lives are inevitably lost. Ogibah is a ghost town after the soldiers take it over to usher in a reign of terror. The oil company’s style is to stoke conflict with its divide and rule tactics that set the people against themselves. Ile has an eye for the local politics of oil operations in communities so blessed and its disruptive power to corrupt an innocent community into needless conflict that leaves it drained and prostrate.

Bibi and Ajie grow up under the shadow of a lost brother looming over them. When he comes of age, Ajie is whisked abroad to study; having lost the first son, the Itus do not want to risk the only son left. Bibi studies at home to become a doctor. It is also at this stage that a policeman walks into their living room and announces the evil deed of years ago to reawaken an old, unhealed wound.

A policeman, who witnessed Paul’s death years ago in the hands of his colleague, is now a repented man, a man of god, and has come to atone for his sin. “It is not enough to confess your sins and receive forgiveness from God,” the man sitting before Ma began. “Even though the blood of Jesus washes away your slate of sins clean, you have to go back to the people you’ve wronged in the past and try to make things right.”

Ile’s narrative has silent power behind it. Unhurried, powerful and incisive, And After Many Days sheds quiet illumination on what is an ordinary story and elevates it to a height unbelievable and unimaginable. Like Lagos, Port Harcourt has a new book that maps its streets and intimate contours in a warm way. This is a novel of quiet beauty and power. Ile’s And After Many Days is a lush addition to the supple narratives of the Niger Delta region in its subtle tracking of the region’s socio-political undercurrents. Through Ile’s rehash, the reader is able to relive the 1980s through the 1990s’ Port Harcourt and Nigeria’s harsh socio-political history. This book has haunting, even if memorable, resonance.

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‘I am an unconcealed reflection of sacrifice for a cause,’ says artist…Read full details

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Gerald Chukwuma

Gerald Chukwuma is an artist, but a first class graduate of Applied Science from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Gerald believes he was born an artist, as everything he did as a child pointed to art.

“I just have this uncanny belief that every artist could have been born an artist,” he said. “I grew up discovering I was made like that and I have come to accept that how one becomes an artist may not really matter.”

Although his parents did not support his idea of becoming an artist, he did not relent in his quest, noting, “I only had an option to study courses like medicine, law, engineering, and accounting.  My love for art was considered illicit and unacceptable. I later did an OND in marketing at Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, where I graduated as second best, but I was far from being fulfilled. My father could not allow me become the man of my dreams – an artist.

“For this reason, it took me about 10 years to enter University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I had to come to terms with the reality of my parents’ refusal to pay my school fees should I remain recalcitrant about my burning desire. Rather than return to Nekede to complete my HND, I secretly enrolled to study art at Nsukka, where I graduated cum laude in 2002.”

At some point, Chukwuma turned to making cards and posters and painted portraits to survive through school. “I remember how I left school a number of times to hawk my art in Enugu and Port Harcourt. It was a tough one but I was living my dream. Art has been a fantasy and everyone, who knew me, saw how much I loved and enjoyed what I was doing. Perhaps, the man I have become today may just be an unconcealed reflection of how far I have sacrificed for a cause I have greatly lived and adored.”

However, the artist lamented the low level of art appreciation in Nigeria, adding, “In pristine Nigeria, like in virtually all of Africa, art was life and life itself was art. There truly may not have been any questions about its appreciation since it was naturally participatory and revolved around all facets of life. Colonialism later baited us with commerce and the new religions, turned us to strangers within our homesteads and art was later to abruptly become an esoteric exercise.

According to him, “There is obviously a bit of disconnect between today’s artists and the general public and the reason may not be far-fetched. The average Nigerian may have to grapple with the exigencies of life’s basics – food, shelter, clothing – before getting excited about the rejuvenating values embedded in the art of his beleaguered society.”

Although he said he has enjoyed a certain amount of patronage from Nigeria, it is a far cry from what it should be.“I recently read a line from Tokeni Peterside, founder of Art-X Lagos, where she expressed her disbelief that Nigerians do not appreciate art because by nature, we are a bunch of art-loving audience. I agree, there are sweeping opportunities of appreciating art in Nigeria,” he added.

A few years ago, Chukwuma and a group of artists, after a group exhibition, agreed to start a gathering of artists with focus on international exhibition. On whether his upcoming exhibition with a Ghanaian artist is in line with that agenda, Chukwuma said, “There is this flush of enthusiasm that comes with knowing that you could be a critical actor in a creative process. The gush gets even more intense when you encounter other young, seemingly undeterred ‘creators’ who just want to explore explosively. We have straddled a mélange of dreams in the past but art lances from imagination to internalisation and thereafter, execution gives it the voice that it craves.

“I have participated in a number of international shows since then, although they may not have been borne out of the same measure of bias or energy that buoyed our decision from the outset. Certain opportunities have sprouted out of appreciation or sheer awe from enthusiasts and art lovers and as an artist, it is important to key into some of these looming interests and tactfully embrace the pivotal ideals.

“I would not easily say that this show is not a brainchild of that agenda. The manifestation may have been betrayed, as it were, but the core of that hunger to speak to the international audience remains the same.”

Chukwuma, whose works are mostly known as panels with burnt parts and paintings of motifs, said his upcoming exhibition is likely to take a different form because art is evolving and there is need for a paradigm shift.

“I just love to work the way I do but I understand the values embedded in flexibility,” he said. “This show is expected to clearly manifest an embroidery of what I have done in the past with fibre glass and ink drawings, metal pelletes mangled in earth colours, audacious textures, intruding hues and sacrosanct creative presence. Expect a mixed grill of the old and new.”

On a lighter note, the artist said if he were not an artist, he would have been a cook, saying, “I just love food, food, and more food and the poetic kind of nuances and measures that surround it’s processing. Whatever transpires between the assemblage of recipes and utensils and the actual cooking reminds me of the artistic pleasure of planting a seed and watching it blossom. A cook, like the artist is a therapist, an intermediary whose role takes full shape after the interspaces between soul-stirring and quintessence has been wholly filled.”

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Beachmore Homecare honours diligent worker

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Mr. David Balogun host (left), Dr. Babatunde Olofinjana, Medical Director, Beachmore Homecare for the elderly, Prince Adegboyega, Mrs. Florence Babatunde-Olofinjana, Managing Director, Beachmore Homecare, the awardee, Oluwaferanmi Roland and other guests during the presentation of award to the best caregiver of the year.

Beachmore Homecare for the elderly recently honoured one of its caregivers for dedication and passion towards duty. It has become a yearly event for the organisation to celebrate the best among its staff for the particular year.

So, it was the turn of Oluwaferanmi Roland to shine, as she was nominated and given the recognition award at a ceremony held at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. David Balogun in Ogudu GRA, Lagos.

Mrs. Florence Babatunde-Olofinjana, Managing Director, Beachmore Homecare, captured the essence of the programme in her speech, where she underscored the need to recognise hard work.

“Caring for the elderly and vulnerable requires compassion, commitment and interest, all of the requisite qualities a professional caregiver must possess to be able to deliver quality service,” she said. “Our organisation believes a labourer deserves a reward, which is the purpose behind this event.

“And to ensure that only the best receives the award, we have put in place certain criteria. These include diligence, hard work, presentation, feedback from clients and colleagues, as well as the family and background of the celebrated worker. The awardee must have worked for at least one year in the organisation. Every purpose must be established and when there is passion for something, you don’t feel exhausted.

“Oluwaferanmi has demonstrated passion, dedication and diligence in the course of her duty, as attested to by our clients, her colleagues and family.”

Saying the Lord has endowed everyone with specific abilities to impact positively on the world and its inhabitants, Pastor Akin Dare, exhorted the awardee and other members of staff to always put in their best.

He said: “The earth belongs to the Lord and every business therein. And He has given something to everyone so that His Name can be exalted. Individuals must, therefore, develop their God-given talents to His honour and glory, so that the world can become a better place to the joy and wellbeing of all.”

While presenting the award, together with cash and other gifts to Oluwaferanmi, Prince Adegboye urged today’s youth to show more commitment in all their endeavours.

“It is not enough to just do what is required. Individuals must be ready to go the extra mile in order to make a mark and excel in whatever they do,” he said. “Today’s youths must be ready to persevere and be willing to put in their all to succeed.”

Dr. Babatunde Olofinjana, Medical Director of Beachmore Homecare, expressed delight and appreciation to all that have contributed to the realisation of the dream and vision of the organisation. “Through the organization, we are hoping to contribute our quota to the betterment and development of society,” he said.

The host, Mr. David Balogun, was full of praises for the awardee, whom he described as compassionate, dedicated and untiring in her duty.

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Tiwa Savage, P.Diddy, Emeli Sande, others attend DJ Khaled’s album gig

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Home girl and Mavin Record queen, Tiwa Savage was among the personalities that attended DJ Khaled’s album title announcement event at Los Angeles. The Kele Kele Love singer was captured hanging out with Sean Diddy Combs, Emeli Sande, and DJ Khaled, whose label Roc Nation organised the event to announce his next album titled Grateful, following his Grammy nominated album Major Key.

Tiwa attended the champagne popping celebratory party held in Los Angeles, the city where the recording academy’s 59th Grammys will be holding and where she also has been selected to perform at the 8th Annual Essence Black Women in Music Festival as part of the Grammy week event.

The pre Grammy Awards event, which held on Thursday, February 9, saw Essence honoured veteran American singer, Erykah Badu. Tiwa in an interview disclosed that it was quite an honor for her to have been invited to the event, which is running for the eighth time.

She declared that she wasn’t representing her music genre alone, but the African women in general. Getting such an opportunity has not been a walk in the park for her as she has successfully proved her impressive skills as an artiste.

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Davido, Falz, Baseone, Skales, excite at Joor Concert 2

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Falz

It was fun-filled night as over 5,000 audience were entertained and thrilled with old and latest Naija hit by Davido, Falz, Oritsefemi, Skales, CDQ and others at the DJ Kaywise ‘Joor Concert’.

The event was the second edition of concert, and held at the Ehi Gardens in Akowonjo area, Lagos. Fans from far and near came to catch a glimpse of these favourite artiste.

Organised by Rashdimu Records and supported by Nigerian Breweries Plc‎, the concert is was aimed at bringing people together to have fun, while also showcasing the talents of budding artistes in the area.

From 7.00pm on Saturday, when the gate of the venue was flung open till 5.45am the next day, when the stars exit the stage, the excited audience, were practically on their feet, rocking the fun.

The artistes line include, the home boy, DJ Kaywise, Baseone, Segun Wire, Small Doctor, Niniola, Dremo, Zlatan, Mayorkun, Jaywon, SugarBoy, Q Dot, Wale Turner, Oladips, YQ, Yung6ix, Yung L, Koker, Joel, Sheliroy, Que Peller, Air Boy, Toby Grey, and Flex B among others.

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AFRIMA makes case for culture, as AU elects new chairperson

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President and Executive Producer of AFRIMA, Mike Dada

The International Committee of All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has called on the new leadership of the African Union Commission (AUC) to forge a deeper integration of Africa through cultural exchange, as a way of creating a brighter future for her teeming youth and future generations.

This was contained in part of the congratulatory message from AFRIMA on the successful election of President Alpha Conde of the Republic of Guinea as the new Chairman of the African Union and Foreign Affairs Minister of Chad Republic, Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat as the Chairperson, African Union Commission.

Other officials were also elected during the final round of elections held on Monday, January 30, 2017, at the 28th Ordinary Session of Heads of State Summit at the AUC Headquarters, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Reacting to the outcome of the election, the President and Executive Producer of AFRIMA, Mike Dada, said, “We are pleased to receive the news of the newly-elected AUC Chairperson, His Excellency, Moussa Faki Mahamat and pledge our support as we foster peace and unitzv y on the continent. AFRIMA remains committed to her partnership with the leadership of the AUC to promote the pan-African agenda of integration for Africa through the instrumentality of music, culture and entertainment for prosperity for its entire people.”

Dada added, “It is worthy of note that African artistes and personalities are breaking stereotypical and geographical boundaries to make their mark on the music, culture and entertainment scene around the world.”

The African Union and AFRIMA share a common belief that the African creative industries such as music, film, sports, publishing, live performances and craft form a remarkably healthy branch of the global economy. The music, culture and entertainment industries, when properly structured and showcased, can help national economies diversify and avoid an over-dependence on limited natural resources.

“Africa’s culture and entertainment is a largely untapped resource that could give its economic development a welcome incentive. Artistic and cultural activity is also proving a driver of democratization and can help prevent violent conflict,” Dada said.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2kCxJRP

Gaza’s ‘Spider-Man’ contortionist enters record books…Read full details

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Mohammad al-Sheikh. PHOTO: The Times of Israel

A young Palestinian contortionist known in Gaza as “Spider-Man” has entered the Guinness book of records, his trainer said Thursday.

The 13-year-old, Mohammad al-Sheikh, broke the record for the most full body revolutions maintaining a chest stand in one minute, Mohammed Loubbad told AFP.

The move involves lying on the chest, bending the back to put the feet in front of the head then rotating the hips to run the feet in laps around the body.

“Mohammad al-Sheikh set the record by performing 38 laps around his body in one minute. He beats the previous record, which was 29 laps,” Loubbad said.

A team from Guinness World Records was planning to visit the small coastal enclave to see the attempt but it has been subject to a tight Israeli blockade for 10 years, he said.

Instead, the attempt took place in Amman, Jordan.

Neither Sheikh’s mother nor his trainer received Israeli permission to leave the Gaza Strip, so he travelled with another adult.

But those obstacles did not dampen his trainer’s determination.

“We are preparing another three record attempts,” said Loubbad, who has been working with Sheikh for three years.

“He has received invitations to competitions and shows in several countries,” he said.

That is a bright prospect for the youngster who, says his trainer, fears returning and being “buried” in Gaza.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2kOhNuh

Witness admits Justice Ademola has several sources of legitimate income (Read full details)

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Justice Adeniyi Ademola

Prosecutor withdraws from Ngwuta’s trial
The trial of Justice Adeniyi Ademola and two others continued yesterday with another prosecution witness confirming to the court that the Federal High Court Judge has several other means on earning legitimate income aside government’s provisions.

Awoyemi Kazeem Adisa, an accountant with the Federal High Court had, in his evidence in-chief before Justice Jude Okeke, stated that Justice Ademola came into the pay list of the court in 2004 and that his salary comes right from the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

He later read from a document, which was tendered as an exhibit, the annual salary of the judge and some of his official allowances, including furniture, car, leave as well as medical, which entitles him for an overseas medical checks annually.

The witness gave instance of last year’s medical allowance, which was $6,300.

But under cross-examination led by the defense counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the witness however admitted that there were other sources of income available to the judge and which were not contained in the payment mandate from the court.

These, he admitted, include proceeds from shares, properties and inheritance from father and grand-father. They also include estacodes from foreign trainings and conferences.

He further admitted that though estacodes are usually paid in dollars, nothing however stops one from converting to a currency of choice.
The court has adjourned till today for continuation of trial.

In another development, the lawyer engaged by the Federal Government from the International Criminal Court to conduct the prosecution of Justice Sylvester Ngwuta, Mr. Charles Adeogun-Philips has withdrawn his service as counsel in the trial.

Adeogun-Philips, who was engaged because of his vast experience in the prosecution of high profile corruption cases, unceremoniously announced his withdrawal yesterday without giving reasons for his action.

Shortly after court resumed sitting, the counsel announced before told Justice Tsoho that he was withdrawing his appearance in the matter for his client.

Justice Tsoho commended the lawyer for the courtesy to physically come before the court to announce his withdrawal.

Afterwards, a new counsel from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mrs. Hajara Yusuf, quickly announced her appearance as replacement for the ICC Lawyer to lead the prosecution.

The prosecution witness, Chukwuebuka Linus, during cross-examination led by the defence counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), told the court that he carried out legitimate jobs for the judge.

He also stated that he would not have accepted payment for his services if he had suspected the money were proceeds of crime, adding that he went ahead with the job after the defendant explained the sources of his money.

When asked if he reported Ngwuta to the police or any security agency, he answered in the negative.

The matter has been adjourned till February 13.

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2kOjXtO

“Inspiring change initiative wants to impact young girls positively”

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Sunmbo Ajaba Adeoye

Sunmbo Ajaba Adeoye is a multi-passionate Entrepreneur, a Goldman Sachs scholar and an Alumna of Lagos business School. She is a multiple award winner with impeccable result in the events planning industry. She is the CEO at Esobevents and the founder, Esob Academy, where she trains budding event managers, the events planning and styling business.

What is inspiring change initiative all about?
The Inspiring change initiative is a vision born out of my ceaseless desires to support entrepreneurial ideas, through mentorship, Advisory services, Free Trainings, and capacity building.

This initiative was established in 2013 as a platform where women can interact, learn, grow and those striving to take the lead in their respective businesses and career can be well informed and empowered.
Throughout the year, we offer a variety of free programmes that enhances knowledge; impact lives and ensures the girl child is educated deliberately.

‎What was your vision as a young woman and how did you to get to where you are today? As a young lady, with close to a decade of active service in the banking industry, my dream was to further become a successful business owner. In 2011 I resigned from banking and applied for scholarship at Lagos Business School, under the Goldman Sachs 10,000 women initiative. I was awarded the scholarship and graduated with a certificate in entrepreneurial management.

This experience did not only change my life, but it also improved how I do and structure my business. Having benefitted from such a huge opportunity, I purposed in my heart to pay it forward and that’s how I got to where I am today.

What prompted ‎the idea and
‎What special benefit does your initiative bring?
Over the centuries, It’s been observed that only a very few women ruled the entrepreneurial frontier. And history hasn’t been fair enough to celebrate the ones who have stood out with impeccable results in their male dominated industries, especially the pioneers. Haven’t realized this, the initiative not only celebrates this women but also brings the knowledge of their achievement to others who are most definitely going to be inspired by their success stories. We’ seek to fill the gap between the leading female entrepreneurs, and the common woman who sees them as mentors but from afar. This we achieve with the annual conference that allows attendees the privilege of meeting these great inspirations in person, listen to them share from their vast knowledge and ask questions based on the areas of their expertise, all for Free.
‎
Your vision is centered on empowering women and educating the girl child. Are there programs you have in place to empower women and how do you go about educating girls deliberately?
Yes, apart from the Inspiring change annual conference that seeks to inspire women, we also offer several outstanding programs, to further intensify our impact. Programs such as:
Mentor Meets Mentee: A Bi-Annual mentorship programme that was introduced in September 2015, with the aim of educating undergraduate’s about entrepreneurship and its many stages and intricacies. We have since, reached out to students in polytechnics, college of educations and university of Lagos, in January and September 2016 respectively.

GCE & JAMB SCHEME: A program that pays for the procurement of forms and tuition for young school leavers, to encourage their pursuit towards achieving their dreams of becoming successful female graduates.

Inspire Me Deliberately: A movement that offers series of free trainings by experts in various fields and sectors, teaching entrepreneurship and donating free educative items to pupils at various public schools in Agege and her environs.

What was the feedback like during the first year?
During our first year, the turnout was remarkable. It was as if, many had been longing for such a program as this, where women can interact, learn and grow. The goal was surpassed and the impact of the conference, either via our free seminars or active online engagements, cannot be overemphasized.

This year’s conference with the theme ‘Rethink’, holds on Saturday March 4th What’s the aim of the theme and what issue are you trying to address with it?
It’s been observed that many people do not understand the concept of entrepreneurship, the risks involved and the hurdles they will cross to achieve outstanding success. Many believe it’s in just starting something for the sake of making a living, and they venture into it without adequate preparations against the challenges that may occur along the journey. The aim of this year’s conference is to balance the knowledge of entrepreneurship and inform attendees about how to generate ideas, recognize opportunities, and understands the need to manage the business of their talents; ideas and innovations for investors buy in and to ensure it is sustained beyond a livelihood.

What prompted the choice of your guest’s speaker/panelist?
Every year, the initiative invites female guest speakers and panelists, all of whom have bridged gender gap in their respective fields, dominated by male counterpart. These women are leading female entrepreneurs with proven track records of impeccable achievements in their various fields. We’ve had in conference, women like Pastor Nomthi Odukoya, Ibukun Awosika, Kemi Adetiba, Toke Makinwa, to mention a few. This year, we have invited Mrs Jumoke Adenowo, a multiple award-winning architect with over 3 decades of experience in the field of architecture; she’s also the pioneer recipient of the New African Woman, Business Woman of the year 2016 award.

What’s your projection for the future of the initiative?
We are looking at setting up an entrepreneurial centre in Lagos Nigeria. That will cater to the increasing need of globalized education in information and communication technology. A go to place for programs that will inform students about how to manage their talents/idea/innovation and pitch it for exportation /investors. Many budding entrepreneurs face the problem of Market Entry, infrastructure and finance; we hope to build an institution that will fill that gap.

Is the empowerment package limited to only women in Lagos?
No it’s not limited to only the women in Lagos. Several female entrepreneurs, irrespective of their religion, state of origin or location has benefitted from the free empowerment packages, which comes in form of Cash, work Tools, Free Trainings and Mentorship. We’ve had beneficiaries from outside of Lagos, like the fish seller from Kaduna, who was flown in to Lagos last year alongside her “corper” son and given some funds to acquire a deep freezer and scaling machine to further enhance her business, and several other women from other states including Lagos. Apart from these donations, we believe the knowledge impacted and continuous mentorship benefits received by beneficiaries of the grants, is much more valuable and it keeps them on track and ahead always.

Are you looking at partnering with government agencies and supporting entrepreneurs?
Yes. We are also looking at partnering with the Lagos state chamber of commerce as well as other state agencies, to further increase our impact and achieve our future goal.

Tell us about how you fund the initiative. – The initiative has solely been funded from my personal savings, and of course funds from my ever-supportive Family and friends.

Do you think the Nigerian economy encourages entrepreneurship?
The Nigerian economy as we grew to know has depended so long on Oil, and recently Agriculture. The increasing need to diversify from its dependency on oil has now caused the government to support entrepreneurship with initiatives such as “YouWIN” Youth enterprise with innovation in Nigeria that encourages and supports aspiring entrepreneurial youths in Nigeria to develop and executive business idea. I am also aware that Lagos state through the Lagos state employment trust fund is also trying her best to encourage indigenous businesses.

What is the toughest part of your services and how do you overcome it?
The toughest part of this service is convincing some people that there’s no political agenda backing the initiative. For example, some top leaders of public schools, with this opinion about social initiatives, deprive their pupils the privilege of some of our educative materials within rural communities in Lagos. We are often subjected to writing several letters and moving from one desk to another for approval. This process sometimes takes forever and it can be frustrating, but we remain committed till it gets to the hand of the intended beneficiaries.

What will you say is your biggest achievement so far?
We haven’t yet attained where we long to be but I’m most grateful to God almighty, for where we are, the several lives that has been transformed. The many businesses that the inspiring change initiative has given hope to, and the common woman on the street that now believes she can be anything she wants to be against all odds.

Who are the women that inspire you?
First on the list would be my ever-industrious Mother, who at 78 is still very active in the trading business. She taught us by example, at a very tender age, the need to be independent and always have something doing even as a girl child. The truth we later grew to discover is the way forward in life. My Mentor, Pastor Nomthi Odukoya, an educationist and life coach. Her wisdom, mentorship and shared influence, has helped me a great deal. Other women who inspire me include The former first lady of the united states of America, Michelle Obama, Chimamanda Adichie, Oprah Winfrey, and most recently Hilary Clinton, who broke the glass ceiling by winning the democratic presidential candidate slot and running relentlessly against Donald Trump, who eventually became the 45th President of the united state. This shows that there’s great hope for more female leaders to emerge and take their place in destiny.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2jNda12