Following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant social and economic challenges, many kind-spirited individuals and non-governmental organizations have been distributing foodstuff to the vulnerable to augment the palliatives given by the government.
One of such is Jamalife Helpers Global; a social and marketing organisation that lifted some vulnerable individuals who were identified by their community leaders recently. The beneficiaries converged on Ifako-Ijaiye, Ojodu-Berger and Sabo-Yaba local government areas to receive the packs of palliative.
According to the Director, JHG, Joy Amaechi giving back to the community is central to the objectives of the organisation, adding that many people have been pushed to the wall as a result of hunger and lack occasioned by the COVID-19 lockdown. She said: ‘’Our mission here is to cushion the implications of the stay at home order. We are aware we can’t give to the whole of Lagos State but we hope these three local governments we are extending help will go a long way.
‘’I would also like to call on fellow Nigerians to also develop humanitarian spirit in order to help our brothers and sisters as we are all one big family,’’ it’s really a test of humanity, she said.
Expressing her delight at the kind gesture, one of the beneficiaries, Beauty Omahenmen said: “For the past six weeks that we have been home, it’s been hell. I work as a private school teacher and I received my last salary in February and I’m also a nursing mother with a six-month old baby. I really appreciate these donors for helping out as words can’t express the gratitude I feel right now”.
Gabriel Michael, another beneficiary, said for as long as the lockdown has lasted, he hasn’t been able to feed himself and family. “We can’t blame the government as it doesn’t please them to lock us in too. We will only plead that they manage the covid-19 situation well so we can all go back to our daily work as I personally do not work under government as I am a daily wage worker,” he said. He, however, showed his gratitude to the organisation for helping out at a time when it is most crucial.
Title: Daily Manna – A Daily Devotional Guide (January-December 2020)
Author: W.F. Kumuyi
Publisher: Life Press Ltd, Lagos
Reviewer: Banji Ojewale
It has been said that you can tame each day if you give yourself to meditation and planning as you wake from sleep in the first hours of the day before sunrise.
The sages teach that in our troubled world, you can make or mar the day, you can influence the day according to your taste, independent of external circumstances which are not under your control.
The old wise men insist that if you diligently spend quality time in methodical meditation and placid planning before plunging into the day, you would have the world in your pocket.
They teach that the exercise projects one into the given day to enable you turn what it has in store into what you want it to be, in a manner of speaking.
In this book, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, General Superintendent of Deeper Christian Life Ministry, validates this power of proper meditation and its potential to let you align with the best of the day and escape its snares.
But he does not subscribe to the ‘universalist’ idea of a morning devotion devoid of the Bible and its Author, God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.
Therefore, being a servant of God who honours the Bible, Kumuyi inserts a caveat: your effort in devotion or meditation at dawn can only be rewarding and fruitful if it has the God and Bible input. God must be present in this early morning activity if you want it to unlock its mysteries.
Only He knows them. He unveils them to those who seek Him early through His Word, in quiet moments, in prayer, in study without distractions.
That is when man can hear from Him, Who can declare ”the end of (a day or year or season) from the beginning.” So if you open your day with Him, He reveals its course and conclusion, thereby enabling you to avoid its traps and dangers.
The book of this greatly respected cleric declares its mission thus: ”Daily Manna is an extraction of God’s Word, and mainly serves to draw the sincere seeker closer to God on a daily basis, through an insightful exposition and compelling analysis of God’s Word.
It sets out to provide spiritual nourishments for those who are truly committed to seeking God and walking closely with Him.
In this compendium of devotional readings are to be found gems of depths of God’s riches and grace which, if heartily received and obediently applied, have the capacity to transport us beyond the carnal realm.”
Kumuyi’s devotional book does more, according to Adesakin Olabode, an octogenarian resident at Somolu, Lagos. Pa Olabode’s position is that the writings in Daily Manna are prophetic and ”timely”, ordained to address the challenges of the day, despite their being written much earlier.
He supports his view by picking the entry of Friday, March 20, 2020, titled ‘Receiving Messianic Mercy’. Kumuyi concludes in the teaching: ”Today, a grieving world can also benefit from the mercy of the Son of David…Our age needs the Messiah for escape from…plagues.
Our era’s challenges are spiritual, leading to overwhelming disasters universally. The mission of the Son of David is to deliver a world trapped in the snares of sin, self and Satan. Let the people of the world approach Him for mercy…
”At a time the world lies helpless at the feet of COVID-19, isn’t it time to wake up each morning looking up to a Power beyond the earthly one for intervention and deliverance?
Pa Olabode alludes to two other excerpts in Pastor Kumuyi’s 2019 Daily Manna to prove that beyond the book’s function as a guide to navigate us through the day, its teachings serve larger catholic objectives.
He goes back to presentations of February 2019 that had these titles, ‘Reading the Word for Revival’, and ‘Shutting out the Prince of Peace’.
It was at a time of national misgivings and uncertainty concerning the general elections in Nigeria. Olabode concludes that, given this background, Kumuyi’s articles were ”too well chosen, timely and relevant to our nation and her situations.”
Another strength of Daily Manna is the ability of its short pieces to lead you gently and persuasively into their discourse. After the Bible text and a key verse, a typical one opens mostly with a secular anecdote fetched from history or with a profound philosophical statement.
It then uses it to link you to the early scriptural rendition. An explication is next, followed finally by a conclusion that is a veritable drill on how to apply the teaching to your life and the day’s business.
There’s a parting one liner capsule called Thought for the day, along with a column, The Bible in one year, that enables you to read both the Old and New Testaments in a calendar year.
But there are drawbacks. There’s no uniformity in writing of the ‘Word’ of God. Sometimes you have ‘w’ in upper case. Other times is lower.
Same with Gospel. ‘G’ comes in both forms. Also the book isn’t neatly bound; some pages are pulling out of the glue or stitching, an indication of poor finish suggestive of hurried packaging.
Kumuyi’s Daily Manna is recommended for every home, irrespective of one’s denomination or calling. It boasts a lofty goal.
In calling on the individual and the family to start each day with their creator, the author is saying man and his society can overcome their travails if they learn to begin and go through their journeys (and daily activities) by first committing them to the One Who knows ”the end from the beginning”.
He knows the close of the day before it even cracks open. If man and his family hear from Him before embarking on his day or on any project, they will be saved from the reckless misadventures that bring plagues and disasters upon mankind. If the family is the fulcrum of society, it follows that it will be well with society if it is well with man and his family.
The current global pandemic has further amplified the vulnerability of creators, the Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Mr John Asein, has said.
He made the observation while speaking at a webinar, with the theme: Strengthening Nigeria’s Creative Sector through improved rights for artists and performers, to mark the coming into force of the treaty.
The, event, which was held online, hosted by the WIPO Nigeria Office, in collaboration with the Nigerian Copyright Commission.
He expressed sadness that in recent times, well-known film and television actors faced with health challenges have had to appeal to the public for assistance which often came in trickles or a little too late.
“The current global pandemic has further amplified the vulnerability of creators – authors, musicians, actors and other performers – and it underscores the need to have a fallback system to sustain them beyond their active years and especially in time of economic downturn.
These are people who generate or bring life to the copyright works that we enjoy but in most cases they do not have access to any form of pension or gratuity”, he stated.
The webinar featured a panel of discussion featuring policy makers, as well as leading members of Nigeria’s creative sector.
It will explore the significance of this new treaty, and broadly afford an opportunity for engaging discussions and raising awareness on the significance of these new rights to the creative industry in the country.
According to him, Nigeria is taking steps towards the domestication of the provisions of the Beijing treaty on audiovisual performances, which came into force on April 28, 2020.
Expressing concern over the loss of revenue in the audiovisual industry, he assured that the commission would work with the guilds, associations and collective management organisation in the industry to develop appropriate mechanisms to ensure greater return on creative investment.
He noted that such interventions would necessitate looking into various aspects of the industry, including engagement contracts, distribution bottlenecks, online abuses and rights management issues.
The Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances was adopted by the Diplomatic Conference on the Protection of Audiovisual Performances, which took place in Beijing from June 20 to 26, 2012.
The treaty modernises and updates for the digital era the protection for singers, musicians, dancers and actors in audiovisual performances.
It upgrades the Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organisations (1961) and complements the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), which updated protection for performers and producers of phonograms.
The Beijing Treaty encompasses the performances of actors in different media, such as film and television, and also includes musicians when their musical performances are recorded in a DVD or any other audiovisual platform. It grants performers economic rights in fixed and unfixed performances, as well as certain moral rights, it was said
Panelists who examined the essence and prospects of the Beijing Treaty in impacting the fortunes of audiovisual performers were: Mr. Oluwatobiloba Moody, Programme Officer, WIPO Nigeria Office; Ms. Carole Croella, Senior Counsellor, Copyright Law Division of WIPO; Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun, Chairman, Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS); Ms. Omoni Oboli, Actress and Producer; Ms. Kate Henshaw, Actress; Mr. Justin Ige, Managing Partner, Creative Legal; Mr. Mike Akpan, Director, National Copyright Institute (NCI) of Nigerian Copyright Commission, with Dr. Chijioke Okorie, Lead Advisor of Penguide Advisory moderating.
In separate remarks, accomplished filmmaker, Omoni Oboli and veteran actress, Kate Henshaw called for intensified enforcement interventions against piracy to ensure sustainable development of the Nigerian film industry.
Ms. Carole Croella of WIPO said that the treaty provided an international framework and a balanced approach to guarantee the economic right of audiovisual performers, among others.
She noted that Nigerian authorities represented by NCC officials played a significant role in the negotiation of the Treaty.
Observing that Nigeria has a comparative advantage in the creative industry, Ms. Croella stated: “We are confident that the NCC has all the expertise for the success of the treaty but WIPO is willing to support the Commission”.
The Media Centre Against Child Malnutrition (MeCAM Nigeria) has urged parents and guardians to guard against any action capable of endangering the lives of their family members, especially malnourished children to curb the spread of Coronavirus.
Malnourished children are those under-five years suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) largely caused by a significant imbalance between nutritional intake and individual needs. According to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) experts, Nigeria currently has over 2 million children in this category.
MeCAM made this call recently following evidences of lack of adherence to the lockdown order by the Federal Government.
In a statement signed by the National Coordinator of MeCAM, Mr. Remmy Nweke and Director of Outreach, Mrs. Julie Ekong, the group said that the counsel became important following outcome of investigations and monitoring by the group on adherences by adults and families since the commencement of COVID-19 lock down in Lagos State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Ogun State.
MeCAM noted with dismay that some adults and parents in the name of strolling for exercise, take walk with their children, without realising the weight of danger they are putting such children to by mere exposure on the streets.
The group also gathered that in some instances, mothers have to back their children of less than five years to the markets during the shopping windows of 10am through 2pm for open markets and 10am to 4pm for shopping malls in closed communities like estates, as allowed by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19.
Equally, the National Coordinator of MeCAM, noted that these little actions as it may seem are putting children in danger, particularly now that many families are yearning for palliatives and nutritional meals at the same time.
The effect of this, he said, is that more families are being exposed and for already malnourished children, the situation spells double tragedy.
Nweke pointed out that once any child is affected, it’s no longer only that child that is sick as the mother would not afford to leave her child to die without attempts which does not preclude extreme contacts, at this era of social distancing.
He noted that there is possibility of having more malnourished people in the country at the end of this scourge if families do not get cautious of these situations and on what they consume as food.
He urged Nigerians to ensure they eat right and follow simple nutritious plans for their families in line with available economic powers.
MeCAM, therefore, enjoined parents who really love their families, to stop exposing these children and stay indoors as well, while sticking to all guidelines by the authorities including frequent washing of hands with soap and application of hand sanitisers where washing of hands becomes difficult.
Further, MeCAM advised parents to assist their children at this time with school home work no matter their conditions and show love to children who may be suffering malnutrition as they need to place them on special meal like the Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).
Government, MeCAM said, should make arrangement to ensure that malnourished children and mothers receive special attention at this time whenever palliatives are being distributed to our communities.
How does the implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 White Paper on the Report of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies also known as Oronsaye Report, affect the art and artists? Apart from being part of government efforts to explore internal sources to raise alternative funding for the over N2 trillion deficit in the budget, will the planned merger of culture agencies bring out the best in the nation’s creative forge? Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.
Like an Abiku, the 2014 White Paper on the report of the Presidential Committee on Restructuring and Rationalisation of Federal Government Parastatals, Commissions and Agencies headed by former Head of Civil Service, Mr. Stephen Oronsaye is back to life.
Last week, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the implementation of a report submitted by the presidential committee on restructuring and rationalisation of Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies.
She noted that the president’s approval has been forwarded to the head of civil service and secretary to the government of the federation.
Peju Layiwola
The 800-page report had recommended the abolishment and merging of 102 government agencies and parastatals. What does this portend for the creative industry at this trying period?
According to the report, government is not disposed to merging National Troupe and National Theatre with National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), while the merger of National Commission for Museums and Monuments (NCMM) with National Gallery of Art (NGA) gets government nod.
But, that was in 2014. Interestingly, the two bodies (NCMM and NGA) are by mandates charged to man different aspects of art; antique and modern art, so merging them will be a disservice. It is however, not clear if this administration will review the recommendations of the panel before it will be implemented.
The fate of other agencies such as Centre for BlackArtsandAfrican Civilsation (CBAAC), National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR), National Institute for Cultiral Orientation (NICO) and Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) may be determined by how this administration sees their contributions to national development.
Former Provost, Federal College of Education Osiele, Abeokuta, Dr. Kunle Filani believed strongly in pruning of federal agencies for optimal performance because there are lots of overlaps and redundancy.
“I agree that there is need to reduce the number of parastatals under various ministries in Nigeria. There are too many overlaps and redundancy among the agencies.
I, however, still believe that the present government lacks the political will to implement the Oronsaye report. Assuming this is done, the streamlining of parastatals under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism will surely suffer loss of limbs due to the administrative surgery.
“The question we should ask is what have been the use of these limbs when there was no merger? I make bold to say that except for a few initiatives ignited by very few parastatal administrators, the entire culture industry is a big failure in the hands of succeeding governments in Nigeria.
If not for the robust and dynamic involvement of individuals and non-governmental organisations mainly in urban centres in Nigeria, the culture industry would have been suffocated to death. Presently, there is no befitting,” he said.
Prof Peju Layiwola of the University of Lagos, said government should be thinking of creating more platforms for engaging with the nation’s unique and diverse artistic expressions, instead of shrinking the culture sector.
“Our tangible culture is highly celebrated outside of Nigeria but unfortunately, we are yet to truly appreciate what we have and so do not understand the potentials of the visual art to the development of our society,’’ she said.
She noted that Smithsonian Institute, which comprises 17 museums, is funded principally from federal vote in addition to donations.
The latest addition to this list is the museum of African American art. “So, we see a concerted effort to expand the reach of these museums for the benefit of the American society and people. In Nigeria, the case is different,” she added.
Artist and Proprietor One Draw Gallery, Lagos Mr. Segun Adejumo in his reaction tagged: Chasing Shadows, said Federal Government can do tremendous work if it focuses on governors and senators in order to cut cost. According to him, there lies most of our excesses.
“Governors should be held accountable for every kobo that is entrusted unto them. Ex Governors should not be paid any salary or given anything out of office because they are no longer in that office or offering service.
Senators’ salaries are more than adequate for them but have far too many allowances that is crippling the economy. There is an old saying that – don’t look for fresh air whilst your house is burning – the energy should be directed to stopping the fire,” he said.
Specifically, he observed that what is involved in the promotion of ancient (NCMM) and modern art (NGA) is too inconsequential in financial loss, to want to merge the two units. According to him, museum and monuments is history and preservation, which is in a state of dilapidation, uncared for and running at a loss.
“It must be sustained to look presentable. Arts and culture is just government office. Contemporary inquisition and execution of works are largely by private practice, making wonderful statements around the world but somehow has a government office presence,” he added.
Dean School of Art, Design and Printing, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos Dr. Kunle Adeyemi is not happy with the low performances of some of the agencies, saying they are working below capacity and underutilized.
“Some of the agencies and parastatals in the arts and culture sector run and operate exactly like Ministries thereby working below their full capacity, which to me undercuts and underutilize their mandates. Productivity in these parastatals dwindles on a daily basis.
Mediocrity and lack of economic drive in the rank and file fill the space. The workforce from the Director-Generals to the cleaners feel no stress for one bit because the national treasury is there to pay salaries and other expenses incurred on a daily basis. What a misnomer!
“In other climes Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, United States of America, United Kingdom to mention just a few, the culture, Arts, tourism, entertainment subsector earn visible foreign exchange to the extent that the governments of these countries do not joke or take the subsector for granted.
No doubt the proposed mergers in the arts and culture agencies will further collapse the sector to a level whereby it will become an image of its old self. It is going to be a bad signal and a downgrade of a supposedly boisterous and vibrant sector.
Adejumo
History will not forgive the past and present administrators in the subsector who are unable to turn the space into gold mines but instead go cap in hand on a monthly, quarterly, annual basis to cut from the national cake which they have indolently not contributed to,” he said.
Adeyemi said he is in support of the idea of a sizeable sector that will be efficient, effective, focused economically and creatively viable, adding that as the agencies are presently constituted, ‘I see a misnomer, so many misfits, political apologists, indolent leadership and shipwreck captains (except few hardworking ones) in the affairs of the subsector.
Realistically these administrators cannot take the arts and culture of this country beyond their mouth and stomach.
‘Let us collapse the system for practitioners to go back to the drawing board and design an economically viable arts and culture sector that will take the Nigerian nation beyond her shores and be a visible, viable contributor to the national economy and not a deplete of our common wealth.’
At the time when the report was submitted, there were 541 government parastatals, commissions and agencies (statutory and non-statutory) in the country and the report recommended a reduction in the number of statutory agencies from 263 to 161.
At present, the number of federal agencies has increased as new agencies have been established since the report was released in
Who owns the intellectural property right to Moremi Musical? This is the bone of contention between Theatre Director, Bolanle Austen-Peters and Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Assistant Editor (Arts), Ozolua Uhakheme
The hitherto cordial relationship between Theatre Director Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters (BAP) and Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi’s The House of Oduduwa Foundation, which gave birth to the production of Queen Moremi Ajasaro Musical in 2018, may be heading for the rocks. A planned streaming of the 50 million naira musical by Bolanle Austen-Peters last Saturday, April 26, on YouTube has drawn the ire of Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, who has warned Mrs. Austen-Peters to desist from any action which may breach the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two parties on September 21, 2018.
In a letter issued on his behalf by Lanre Alli of Citadel Partners Legal Practice, Oba Ogunwusi said showing Moremi Musical on YouTube or anywhere else and converting of the original contents, stories and the history from Moremi Musicals to BAP Moremi, was a breach of the MOU signed by the parties on September 21, 2018.
The monarch stressed that he has the exclusive and legal rights on the production, reproduction streaming, televised as live show or otherwise or any form of transfer of same to any third party or parties either for personal, organisational or economic gain, and that any actions in violation of these rights shall be treated as an act of insubordination and total disregard and disrespect, particularly, to the Ooni of Ife as well as a breach of the MOU signed by the parties.
The letter reads: “The history, stories and contents of Moremi exclusively belong to the cradle of the Yoruba race under the kingship of the Ooni of Ife, and the House of Oduduwa, and under no terms and conditions was the ownership to be ceded or transferred to you, your company or anyone else, these are clear and unambiguous terms.
“Please be informed that your company (BAP) was only engaged to produce the story and the contents in a stage drama of which a massive consideration in the sum of 50 million naira was paid to you your company and all considerations required from our clients have been duly fulfilled by our above clients. Kindly note that the purpose of your company’s engagement in the production of the Moremi Musicals was purely commercial and not for your company to use your position to scream or show it for free or use it for your personal or your company’s undue advantage nor take a unilateral decision in respect of same.
“Our above named clients have exclusive and legal rights on the production, reproduction streaming, televised as live show or otherwise or any form of transfer of same to any third party or parties either for personal, organisational or economic gain, and nay actions in violation of these rights shall be treated as an act of insubordination and total disregard and disrespect particularly to the Ooni of Ife as well as a breach of the MOU signed by the parties.”
According to Vice Chairman, The Oduduwa House Foundation, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, the successful performance of the musical on Easter 2019, and due to the popularity of the musical they decided to show it again in December 2019.
“We approached Mrs Austen-Peters about our intention in October 2019 and she agreed to work with us, but informed us that she would be showing her Fela and the republic at her venue and so there was the need to secure another venue.
“We went back to her with three options of which she chose the intercontinental hotel and we went ahead to pay for the venue. At the end of October Mrs Austen-Peters reached out to us, stating that she would not be able to direct the December performance and told us to cancel, we refused and she said for that reason she did not want to be associated with Moremi The Musical anymore and according to the Mou, we are not allowed to use her music or choreography. We pleaded with her but she was adamant and refused.
“We had done a lot of promotions for the show and had paid for the venue, so we had to audition for a new cast, a new music director, a new director. It was like starting over again as we incurred almost the same costs as when we started in 2018.
‘’It was brought to our attention that Mrs. Austen-Peters has been advertising the performance to stream online at 7pm Saturday and has rebranded it ,” she added.
In her reaction, Mrs. Austin-Peters said she owns the intellectual property right to Moremi the Musical from script to actualisation, adding that she was the driving force behind the acclaimed Moremi the Musical, which made its debut at Terra Kulture Arena in December 2018.
According to the Producer of Moremi Musical, Mr. Joseph Umoibom, The House of Oduduwa having tried several times to make a success of the historical figure into a stage play, approached Bolanle Austen-Peters to assist them.
“Mrs. Austin-Peters agreed to their request, part-funded and directed the play twice after an MOU was signed. However, she subsequently found out that the House of Oduduwa had plans, despite signed agreements, to replace her and take full ownership of her intellectual property. In December 2019, the House of Oduduwa, using BAP’s exact script and direction, staged their version of the play without recourse to BAP. Using a different Director and someone saying she was the creator. BAP is streaming her version of the play today on YouTube because it’s her intellectual property. Plays run concurrently on stage and in movies and as a matter of fact they feed off each other. Stage experience can never be compared to online experience if the product is good. House of Oduduwa should celebrate this development and are at liberty to continue with their own version of the play,” he said. There is every likelihood that the two parties may be heading for the court to settle the dispute.
After successfully producing and kitting some frontline service providers and various care-givers in the forefront of the battle against COVID-19 pandemic, Director-General National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) Otunba Segun Runsewe has disclosed that the council will soon launch a nation-wide campaign to encourage Nigerians to brace for the use of facemask in public places.
Last week NCAC produced and kitted security agencies, the media and a select group of professionals who are in the front line workers with branded facemasks made exclusively from adire and Ankara fabrics. It also gave out sanitisers made from the natural resources sourced locally in order to promote home grown efforts to the pandemic and also open certain cultural economy.
Explaining the need and exigency for the #protectnaijafacemask campaign, Otunba Runsewe said that there are empirical facts that wearing facemask has about 100 percent capacity to prevent the spread of the micro droplets, usually transmitted through the mouth and sneezing through the nose.
“We at NCAC are of the firm belief that a population-wide facemask wearing is very important and essential to the suppression and prevention of the community transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic, hence the frontal awareness efforts by NCAC to prepare and positively change the attitude and minds of Nigerians to facemasks lifestyle,” he stated.
Drawing key example from Czech Republic, which successfully adopted facemask strategy and thereafter, with the consequent low COVID-19 impact among European countries, Otunba Runsewe disclosed that the nation-wide awareness drive on the use of facemasks, will help create a post COVID-19 cultural economy that will see the Nigerian women, widows and youths producing facemasks as part of NCAC intervention.
“We are already grounded in providing skill acquisition as part of our cultural mandate and with this campaign in focus. We can through our various offices in the six geo-political zones empower the rural women and unemployed youths to take to tailoring and produce an average of 10 million facemasks in three days made from local fabrics according to our standard.
“This campaign is a must do and not talk and no action. This cultural agency of government is on strong footing to deliver on this expectations,” Runsewe assured, noting that as much as COVID-19 protocols of social distancing, strict hygiene are important, the desirability and importance of wearing facemask cannot be overemphasized.
“Indeed, the spread of the disease across our nation with a population of 200million people is a bit scary and despite that, we must be seen to be culturally supportive through this campaign, which also is not in any way the scientific solution to mitigating the scourge but as a knowledge and awareness based effort from NCAC to empower Nigerians to wake up and live with reality of facemasks wearing in public places as a new way of life.
On getting a national musical and entertainment response to the #protectnaijawithfacemask campaign, he noted that the possibility would be exploited and be given the face of We are the world musical extravaganza of the 80s to raise fund and awareness to mitigate poverty in the world.
“You can bet we shall adopt that musical effort but it shall be cultural in content and context and we may request musical and cultural troupes to come up with something unique that will appeal to national unity and consciousness.
“The artistic community shall be part of this campaign and we are definitely looking beyond the COVID-19 situation to the next level of truly responding and creating a new culture entrepreneurs that can challenge our collective national strength for a better cultural economic tomorrow, to project Nigeria to the world as a nation conscious of its richness in culture and with a people with strong resolve to overcome any challenge of life,” he added.
Berlin-based Nigerian artist Emmanuel Eni (aka Blackman in European kitchen) is one of the world’s most outstanding contemporary artists. Recently, he was listed in Forbes as one of the most famous and popular artists in 2020. Eni, who is famous for his fearless, soul-searching, philosophical art is described as an iconoclast of uncommon proportion. He is writer and performer of Blackman in European kitchen, creator of Basic Metric Scale For Art Products (BMSFAP) as represented in his Death of the Curator drama. The inventor of Light Paintings art speaks about his works and how he is creatively utilising his time in the studio during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown. Assistant Editor (Arts) Ozolua Uhakheme reports.
Artist as a philosopher
An artist ability to predict the future is a function of an inbuilt system where art works evoke the thoughts and coherence of things to come. The harder part is the philosophical laydown depicting the essence of artistic clairvoyance without necessarily relating the characteristics of such, as time always varies. Nonetheless, the table turns like in relation to the account of time its self. As at now it is most challenging, almost irrelevant to create, as emotions and happenings need more than spontaneous outbursts, to carefully understand the machinery of crises.
Then there is a bank that has been built by the artist as a seer, for example through my works with titles like The burning Earth I saw, Hope-fully and The Queen of loneliness and the sun all sculptures and Black Lisa’s jubilation under light in African beauty, among my New Light Paintings Art in 2020.
Studio activities
You cannot talk about life without talking about war. Life is incomplete without conflicts, pains, sicknesses and death. As I talk to you now, my studio is full of a thousand sculptures and a million notes in drawings on paper starched in giant wooden boxes and a hundred paintings. As my works and installations adorn several cities and countries, it has taken almost 30 years for Forbes and IMDB to rate me amongst the best and most popular artists in the world.
That is why art survives when all things fail.
Creating art in these trying times like other occupation is with great constrains and strains. Also, the fact that when countries unite in ideology like in European Union, with only trade and tax as aim, failing during war or plague make things difficult and almost impossible to run.
In the case of Europe, most member countries at early stages of the pandemic forgot the European alliance while many forgot their own folks.
It is hard to make art with such a reality. There were talks by European and western governments that the lives of the old be sacrificed for that of the young as medical equipment like masks, ventilators as advised were meant to be forfeited by the old in preference for younger citizens. In other words, the old can die in place of the younger generation because of inadequacy of health materials.
So, it was much of a twisted concept, non-logic and reasoning as any can be. At lockdown, people are still expected to go to work here in Germany, not only essential services. They are expected to pay their rents, health insurances, essentials services, water, light and all the 1001 taxes at this time.
Effect of lockdown on your art
I have been working on the composition, drawings, technical analyses and model sculpture for my new 2000 kilogram multiple- figure bronze composition, of a daring universal title- theme, that I want to cast and present this year in major museums of the world. I am also delving into the compilations and finishing the signing of my approximately 1 million paper works done over twenty eight years, with poetry writing and new philosophical literature.
Also, the lock down has allowed me to reflect all night by searching for the hidden meanings of a troubled and changing world, helping me to spiritually regenerate to activate unknown facets of my creative ability, like to produce this meaningful 2000 kilo bronze- piece, which will be a major gift in all terms to the art world. And for the creative artist, a piece encompassing beauty with its importance, among all recorded existing art, from the beginning of time.
The lockdown, which affected arts community and made material sourcing very difficult, was done individually with every European country closing its boarders separately without unanimous consultation or a united reaction. I was so disappointed and heart broken and I kept pondering on the question: Of what use is the EU?
Alas at night and day, citizens pay for every drop of water, every grain of rice, piece of bread, every form of artificial light, every form of warmth, every form of pleasure and fire.
Western powers can connive, betray and scam not minding their citizens when they want to. For example, they can form amongst themselves another order to gain total control.
Creating of artworks now is under reservation to save my energy from creating negative art because I have experienced that under a state’s power that is based solely on profit, gain and taxes. But an opponent like COVID- 19 is indomitable as the true cures cannot be found.
In the studio today, I’m stretching canvases, scaling frames and amateurs for sculptures and installations. In the evenings and nights I am writing texts and poetry, accessing and compiling them. Yes, I am signing hundred thousands of paper works, propounding on the basic metric scale for art products that I developed.
As an artist, the lockdown has assured me of my old knowledge – that when everything fails, art succeeds. Re-learning from the public that ask at all times, about the kind of art I’m creating. The people ask because they search for healing and reassurance at this trying time.
New Light paintings
“Which painting can light the night and bring sight to the dark? Who can see outer image from inside?
New Light Paintings art is not stained glass and not lithography. LightPainting is light painting art discovered and patented with Universal Sole patent awarded to me for this technique encompassing all works rendered and described as LightPaintings and drawing technique.
The style described has another material and technique different from all other paintings both in colours, materials and the canvas. I described it as ‘making a perfect picture that allows the ultimate freedom to play in the discovery of hidden aspects of pictorial composition and its reflection of the outermost and innermost feeling.’
Light Paintings art reveals what the light says in pictures when they are in the dark. It shows the kindest and visually most favourable images behind vivid pictures and strong themes.
In my Light Paintings, the source is its drawing and form. It is art that arises from the neutrality of their surface colour and reveal vibrant life behind neutral pictorial reference frames. Since 12 years, I have experimented and discovered Light Paintings art, which prys into the innate nature of my paintings, playing down aggressiveness of primary and secondary colours within the evocative genre of every particular work. Thus showing the soul of the colour and painting as the inner light surpasses the light outside of it. In my development and assessment of material durability, Light Paintings has been able to remove the memory of matter. In combine use of colour pigment and canvas and types of materials in conventional paintings, it develops multiple memories during ageing, making paintings wear down rapidly over prolonged time.
The special canvas and colour pigments used in making Light Paintings are combined to seal the memory of materials and enhance the life of the painting. It enables a painting in New Light Paintings art method to be folded and rolled without damage to the materials. My Light Paintings expand and contract to climate, weather, time and light. Like a healer, it diagnoses through vision of sight of the inner and outer self.
The Light Paintings evoke very happy surprising feelings, reserving the satisfaction of full-breed life behind delicacy of colours and light for the viewer, in the transparency of its pictures. They welcome the Audience with a gentle and bright fascination
Nigeria is to rake in at least $5 million (N1.9billion) foreign direct investment from the latest film production agreement between the Society of Nigeria Theatre Artists (SONTA) and a firm, Plume and Partners Limited, a creative content development company and parent company of campus prowler, it was learnt.
The MoU, which was signed in Abuja on project Hostage, is aimed at improving contents for the creative industry.
SONTA comprises theatre arts departments from more than 45 universities and 20 colleges of fducation.
SONTA President, Prof. Alex Osigbo and Samuel Bob-Manuel, Chief Executive Officer, Plume and Partners said the MoU will change the face of entertainment in the country.
The agreement, they said, is expected to produce over 35,000 hours of audio-visual programming spanning from 90 epic and contemporary movies of about 120 minutes, 45 minutes advocacy documentaries on various subjects and 45 campus series of 25 minutes.
Over 88 professors, a 120 doctorate degree holders of theatre arts and over 10,000 theatre arts undergraduate students are expected to participate in the project that will last for initial five years.
The theatre art students are also expected to participate in the auditioning in various set roles. The project, the duo said, will be aired on a soon to be launched student Lifestyle television channel.
Plume and Partners CEO, Bob-Manuel said the project is expected to attract foreign direct investment for the country, saying Nigeria is expected to rake in at least $5 million Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) annually at the initial stage with right partnership.
This Foreign Direct Investment is expected to grow astronomically over time given the country’s large viewing audience.
He said: “Conservatively, the country is expected to rake at least $5 million annually at the initial stage with right partnership. This, he said, has the possibility to grow beyond the $5 million.”
He said the firm is ready and willing to work on all the scripts from the schools as it is going to provide competition for the various tertiary institutions.
Consequently, each tertiary institution will provide one nominee while the firm will provide five nominees to form a strong academy of judges to rate performance. Besides, he said the selection process will be thorough and transparent with each school providing proper checks.
He also noted that the firm is set to go as it concerns the projects, adding that scripts are already been developed.
Prof. Osigbo said beyond providing mentoring for the students, the project will create thousands of employment opportunities for theatre art graduates.
“This would allow students to learn a kind of practical experience and generate employment opportunities for art graduates and other various classes of people,” he said.
The partnership, according to him, is going to generate a lot of content for student viewers and the entire country in general.
“The partnership is going to produce entertainment for campus and Nigerians at large. It is going to generate a lot of content,” he added.
Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) in collaboration with other national governments has continued to confront the challenges of illegal wildlife trade in Africa.
Director-General of the Foundation Dr. Muhtari Aminu-Kano expressed the need to raise awareness among the public about the negative impact of the trade.
He noted that initially illegal wildlife trade was criticised almost purely in terms of conservation of the species, but other considerations have arisen in the recent past including biosecurity and public health.
According to him, ‘The main challenge is to change attitudes and beliefs, which are major drivers of wildlife trade in Africa. This will be critical in tackling this trade especially at this period.
Africa needs to be proactive, as we tackle current health challenge of the COVID 19 – pandemic, we need to forestall possible outburst of any other animal infected disease by keeping our wildlife in the wild through strong enforcement of wildlife laws and legislation.
“In Africa, it involves trade and trafficking of elephant tusks and rhino horn, pangolin scales, bush meat, tropical timber and endangered birds, including vultures. Wildlife trade is increasingly driving species to extinction, and destroying biodiversity.
Moreover, wildlife trade threatens rural community livelihoods, hampers development efforts, and puts ecosystems at risk. Perhaps one of the frightening realities of this trade is the threat that it poses to the health of human beings, through spread of zoonotic diseases – diseases that jump from animals to human beings.
In recent past, the world has seen the emergence of animal-borne infectious diseases such as Sars, Nipah, Ebola and Lassa Fever,” he said.
He noted that the on-going COVID-19 pandemic that has wreaked havoc globally is suspected to have originated from a wildlife market in Wuhan, China. “China has taken commendable steps and banned the trade and consumption of wild animals, pending formalisation of this ban into law later this year. Vietnam also followed suit, banning the trade,” he added.
EV New LIFE Project Manager/BSPB Stoyan Nikolov said wildlife trade is reaching unprecedented levels and that while efforts are being made to combat this trade, government should enact effective laws that will clamp down on the trade.
This, according to him, will go a long way in ensuring protection and conservation of species and perhaps help reduce occurrences of zoonotic diseases in the future.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) provides a legal framework to regulate trade in wild animals and plants.
African countries party to the convention should consider mainstreaming various aspects of combating wildlife crimes, in line with CITES, into their national laws and drive strong enforcement of this legislations.
“Banning wildlife trade in addition to more public awareness on the impact of this trade on biodiversity and the risks that this trade poses to human health is important. As a result, decisive action to stop the trade should be taken,” Project Manager SCF, Cloé Pourchier said.
