The Nation Newspaper

Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

  • NCC pays tribute to sportsmen

    Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) Director-General Mr John O. Asein has commended the power of sports in uniting and inspiring people to dream, innovate and create, while paying tribute to our sporting heroes and other creative persons as Nigeria joined the world to commemorate the 2019 World Intellectual Property Day.

    “We salute the sports men and women who, through uncommon courage, resilience and sheer determination continue to inspire us to always reach for gold. It is, therefore, with understandable delight that the Nigerian Copyright Commission joins the international community in this year’s celebrations. Nigeria occupies a unique place in the world of sports given its exploits and remarkable successes in various sporting events. We pay tribute to our talented youths, men and women whose sporting talents, particularly in football, boxing, weightlifting and athletics, continue to bring laurels and honour to the country,” he said.

    According to him, sports have “become a multi-billion-dollar global industry that creates employment, attracts investment and contributes to the growth of a whole chain of dependent industries”. He said: “Major sporting events such as the World Cup, Olympics, Grand Slams, Formula One, and international golf tournaments command huge spectators and contribute as much as 2.5 per cent to the GDP of many advanced economies.”

    For the full potentials of the sporting and associated industries to be realised, he called on countries to put in place adequate, responsive and effective legal frameworks for the protection, administration and enforcement of rights.

    “The intellectual property system, especially copyright, offers a practical and effective mechanism for achieving this. Copyright provides protection against unauthorised retransmission of broadcasts and underpins the relationship between sports, broadcasting and other media. Business relationships built on intellectual property rights help to secure the economic value of sports. It is estimated that intellectual property (particularly copyright) lies at the heart of the commercial exploitation of sports, contributing substantially to the growth of a community of players and fans whose net worth is over $300 billion.

    “The use of intellectual property rights through branding, merchandising, licensing of live broadcasts and retransmission of sporting events, represents significant streams of income in that sector. Brand owners seek to control their trademarks and other insignia which act as cognitive touch points for their customers. Innovations in the design of sports equipment have not only brought more colour and appeal to sports, but have also helped to boost allied and reliant industries. Apart from ticket sales and sale of hospitality rights, the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa generated US$2.4 billion from the sale of broadcasting rights while the sale of marketing rights accounted for another US$1.1 billion,” Asein said.

    He said with the mind of responding to the need to modernise its copyright system and to better address emerging challenges, the Federal Executive Council recently approved a Draft Copyright Bill that is forward looking and better suited for the digital environment.

    “As we mark this year’s World Intellectual Property Day, I invite stakeholders to continue to support Government in its determination to build a functional copyright system that would deliver the expected dividends to right owners and guarantee the sustainable development of sports and the copyright-related industries.

     

     

     

     

  • Symphony for Leah Sharibu, Joy Iyitor

    Poets capture life in their works. This was exactly what poet and preacher Nosa Iyamu did in his collection of poetry, A Symphony of Love Notes, which was unveiled in Lagos. He wrote about the plight of the abducted Dapchi school girl Leah Sharibu and the bereaved family of one of those who died in the 2012 Dana plane crash. The event was chaired by the late Chief Bola Ige’s son, Muyiwa, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.

    A cake with mixed raisins

    If the book, A Symphony of Love Notes, were a cake, it would be one with a blend of raisins … sad and sensual raisins. As guests feasted on its “love raisins”, they were equally treated to “sad” ones.

    It was an ambiance of mixed feelings when guests appraised the book by poet and preacher Nosa C. Iyamu in honour of the kidnapped schoolgirl Dapchi Leah Sharibu and victims of 2012 Dana Airlines crash (precisely Joy Iyitor Allison).

    The 103-page book, which contained 85 poems, was unveiled in Lagos in an emotionally charged event that was chaired by the late Chief Bola Ige’s son, Muyiwa. It paraded dignitaries from all walks of life, including the father of the late Allison, Dr Jude Iyitor; advocates for the release of Leah, led by the founder of Realm of Glory Int’l Church, Pastor Sam Aiyedogbon, and members of the Ubulu-Uku Royal House: Prince Ndubuisi Obanua, Prince Christian Ofulue, Princess Clementina Eze-Ikonie, Princess Helen Adigwe, Prince Reginald Chukwuma, and Princess Nkechi Bisan.

     

    Of ‘brave’ faith and ill-fated crash

     

    Guests held a one-minute silence for Leah, even as they remembered Allison. While decrying the country’s security challenges leading to Leah’s abduction, they made a case for her rescue. They described the 15-year-old Dapchi schoolgirl, who is still in Boko Haram net, for refusing to denounce her faith in Jesus Christ as “brave”.

    It would be recalled that Leah has been named the personality of the year by two major national newspapers (The Nation and The Guardian) along with many other awards.

    Pastor Leslie Bapetel, who represented Pastor Aiyedogbon, was of the view that more honours, were in the making, saying: “Leah will never be forgotten or forsaken” He added: “Her ongoing selfless sacrifice in the defence of the faith and the gospel of Our Lord Jesus and her present ordeal in the hands of her captors requires us to keep speaking for her and not be silent, but keep praying for her safe release and for her family, especially her father who we hear now has a stroke due to the trauma of her abduction and continued enslavement.”

    He praised the girl’s depth of conviction, saying it is worthy of emulation, adding that she has become “a symbol of the Christ’s kind of faith”.

    “We celebrate 15-year-old Leah who epitomises who a genuine Christian should be. Though abducted along with 110 other girls, she refuses to renounce her faith and is still being held captive till today. To us, she is a symbol of freedom in her soul and freedom of choice.

    “She has consequently become an award- winning witness of Christ and an icon of ideal prophetic/apostolic Christianity with the old time martyrdom mentality that pledges allegiance to the Lamb of God in the face of death by the tyrant’s sword,” Bapetel said.

    For the father of Allison, the memory is always fresh. He recalled his last moments  with his daughter, who worked with Fed Ex, and the events leading to the day the crash happened and immediately after. While decrying the decay in the aviation industry, he called for better monitoring systems to check the lapses.

    “It is indeed a very unfortunate situation that shouldn’t have happened. I had a premonition, but did not know it would be Joy. I called her brother who was supposed to pick her up from the airport that day and he was okay. But I called her lines several times, no response, only for her friend to come to the house to ask for her. We even checked the manifest for her name … We are yet to get over the incident. We thank you for immortalising her like this. The people who collected her compensation what have they done to immortalise her,” he recalled.

     Read also: Easter without Leah Sharibu

    Motivation behind the book

     

    The author’s move to immortalise Leah and Allison was deliberate. He has, in the collection, a poem written in honour of her bravery entitled: For Leah,“challenging the readers especially people in power that the price Leah is paying is the price of a nation”.

    On his motivation for dedicating A Symphony of Love Notes, the author said: “For me, Leah”s story is heart breaking and also inspirational, heart breaking in the sense that all she wanted was to go to school, but all she got at the end was to be kidnapped. Her crime was just that she went to school to get an education, her story is also motivational in the sense that she refused to renounce her faith even when such demands were placed upon her, which she knew might go a long way to determine her freedom. Her decision to go with her faith and conviction is something that is lost on a lot of us at this time.”

    There is a poem, Just One hour, also written in honour of Allison, the other personae the book is dedicated to, that underscores the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate incident. “For Allison, who is a blood relation of mine, I have known her since she was a child, so when she passed on in the ill-fated Dana air crash, it came as a shock to me and it took me a long time to come to terms with her passing, this is my own way of immortalising her in our hearts,” Iyamu said.

     

    A book for all ages

    Published by “Beyond the River Publications”, the book was reviewed by Silverbird Television “Politicscope” host, Kayode Ladeinde. Pastor of Agape community, Ubong Emmanuel Ebong, spoke on “Love and Words”; while the author of Roses and Thorns, who is the founder/coordinator of Think Right, Choose Right Initiative, Mr. Obiorah Momife, focused on the Art of Poetry and the Power of Words.

    While recommending the book for all ages, the book reviewer said the poems are very romantic but not erotic.  He said: “It is impressive that the author chose to dedicate the collection to Leah and Joy. The book underscores that true love may not necessarily be sensual as revealed from the book. Music Notes typify the lyrical notes of the poem collections. It also underscores the view that some of the lines in the poems could become popular lines in songs, both in secular and religious gathering.”

    Other guests in attendance were Pastor Simeon Afolabi of First Love Assembly; Pastor Christian Ike of The Latter Rain Assembly; Pastor Biola Adeyoola of The Latter Rain Assembly and wife of Gen. Raymond Ochei.

    Besides the speeches, guests were thrilled with diverse poetic and dramatic performances by Evelyn D’Poet and her crew (Jide and Sheriff Atanda) and The Power of God theatre group.

    The event was powered by Findrex Travels, Findrex Aviation Business school, JIS CLEAN, First Love Assembly, Domestications, The Faithful seed Assembly, Global Apostolic Impact Network(GAIN) and Ubulu-uku Royal House.

  • The dream killer called procrastination

    Do you know that for the average human ‘I will do it tomorrow’ is their most used word. Everyone thinks we have time and tomorrow is still there, after all January has 31 days and February has 28 days and March has 31 days and we go on and in, till the year comes to an end, then we ask ourselves where did all the time go? What did I achieve in 365 days, then we enter the next year in regret.

    In my experience as a life coach, I have realised that when it comes to coaching people on goal setting a lot of people encounter what I call the goal killer AKA procrastination.

    Procrastination simply defined means leaving what you can do today to tomorrow, tomorrow in the case of a procrastinator never means the next day.

    A lot of people are chronic procrastinators and do not even know. To the regular Joe, procrastination may seem like just an habit, but I have realised that procrastination involves a special level of living in denial and daily lying to one’s self, it may be the number one reason why people say the grave is the richest place on earth.

    When I began coaching talent in organisationsespecially to overcome procrastination, in order for them to live their best lives the first phase which is diagnostic led me to formulate what I call the different types of procrastinators, I realised that as broad as procrastination sounds there are many underlying reasons why different individuals procrastinate, most of the time knowing what makes you procrastinate why you solves half of the problem.

    In this article I will be sharing on just four types of procrastinators.

    1. The Perfectionist: It seems very unlikely that someone like this will procrastinate, but most perfectionists will keep pushing back on a task simply because they want everything to be a certain way before they start, if it’s not up to a certain standard they refuse to continue the project, a peek into this persons closet shows skeleton of unfinished projects and we soon learn that perfectionism is just a cover up excuse for the persons inability to master the task given. Most times this person has an unrealistic picture of how the task is supposed to go, and would not start until this unrealistic picture is in the reality, this person forgets that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that starting small is the key to a perfect project. If you do not bother starting, how will you even attain the picture of perfection you have in your head.
    2. The fearful procrastinator: This person delays in taking action because of the fear of the unknown, or the fear of what others may say if failure occurs. This person most likely seeks validation from those around him and, the thought of ‘what if this task flops’ is his or her mantra. This person unlike the perfectionist procrastinator doesn’t even bother starting the project, so most of his ideas are stuck in his brain and he will probably go to the grave with the ideas, if he doesn’t get professional help.

    This person doesn’t know that courageous people have mastered the art of going forward despite the presence of fear. A tip for the person is ‘failure is nothing but feedback’ change your perception of failure and watch yourself achieve what you didn’t know you were capable of doing.

    1. The overwhelmed procrastinator: To the passer by, this person is very efficient, and is quick to action, whenever there is a task to be done, this person is usually the first to volunteer his or her service, what no one knows is that this person in a bid to seem efficient and up to the task has taken on more they can bear. This person takes on way too much tasks and appears to be at the fore front of all tasks, unknown to most this person is crumbling beneath all the tasks, the person most likely has a mountain of uncompleted tasks, because they are tired and can’t juggle it all. What this person needs to realise that it’s ok to say no to anything that is a burden to you. Be more interested in results than activities.
    2. The last-minute procrastinator: This person’s most used phrase is ‘I work better under pressure’ the highest level of self deceit. This person leaves tasks till the last minute and begins to rush to complete tasks just at the last minute. What this person doesn’t know is that things like sleep, health, family time and many other things will suffer for this behaviour.

    The good news is that it doesn’t matter what type of procrastinator you are, it is possible for you to overcome in my practice I have recorded a great success of talent who increased productivity, wrote books, started huge projects after a few coaching sessions. With constant work and follow up through coaching a procrastinator can well be on his way to becoming a goal getter. For more information you can follow me on Instagram @coachgbemz or email me at gbemieobadan@gmail.com

    In the interim here are some tips to help you if you procrastinate:

    • Forgive yourself for opportunities lost from procrastination
    • Write down the tasks you need to complete and allocate a reasonable time to complete them
    • Attach a reward to each completed task, this way you can look forward to completing tasks because of the reward attached to it
    • Get an accountability partner to keep you in check, this could be a mentor or a coach
    • Eliminate all distractions
    • Celebrate your progress as you watch yourself become a goal getter

    A friend once said PROCRASTINATION is the only NATION where her citizens are denied visa entry into their DESTINATION. It’s time for you to get your visa entry into your destination, but first you must divorce procrastination.

     

     

  •  ‘I am co-owner of No Budget’

    Nigerian film producer, director, cinematographer and technical director, Asuelime Ojie Eniola has raised the alarm over right of ownership of the movie No Budget.

    According to him, apart from being the story owner, producer, director, he is also co-executive producer of No Budget.  He added that he and Mr. Victor Olagbegi of Vicolad Farms Nigeria Limited are joint owners of the said movie.

    Ojie stated this in a statement made available to reporters.

    “This is to bring to notice of the general public that Mr. Victor Olagbegi of Vicolad Farms Nigeria Limited is not the sole owner of the movie titled: No Budget. In accordance to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed before a Law firm for the movie, he cannot enter into any contractual agreement for the distribution, sales, advertorial, private or public viewing right on the movie No Budget with any person, group or organisation without the physical presence of Mr. Asuelime Ojie Eniola of Ojis Production Company, the story owner, producer, director and co-executive producer of No Budget movie,” the statement reads.

    Ojie started his journey into the entertainment industry almost two decades ago. He has worked on several projects ranging from movies, documentaries, and reality shows, musical videos/concerts, corporate events within and outside Nigeria. His film credits include: No Budget, Entreat, Child Abuse, Quest For Justice, and Twale For Ladies.

  • ‘Old age not disability to artist’

    One of Nigeria’s renowned contemporary artists, Mr. Roland Udinyiwe Ogiamien, has said artists should not consider old age as a disability or hindrance to their studio practice.

    The septuagenarian stated that like in every profession, an artist at a particular age must obey the instructions of his body in response to the urge to create artworks.

    “I don’t work any longer at the same pace as I did in my 40s. Today, I don’t work more than two to three hours a day. In fat, old age can only be a disability when an artist refuses to obey the instructions of his body to the urge to create works,’’ he said.

    Ogiamen who spoke in Lagos during a sneak preview of his forthcoming exhibition, Journey Through Time, urged younger artists to make the best of their creativity in improving themselves and the society in general. He noted that if he had not gone back to art when he relocated to Benin City, the Edo State capital, he would have remained a poor man.

    “Unfortunately many artists die in poverty because when they were active, they never listened to what the spirit told them. Art is an elephant. When you kill it, you don’t share it. You call everyone to take their share because it is abundant to go round,” he added.

    Journey Through Time, which will open on Saturday April 27 at The Resource Place, Ikeja Lagos by 3pm will feature 30 trado-contemporary sculptural pieces in bronze and woodby Ogiamen and about 10 sculptures by guest artist Pa AdebanjoFasuyi, who turns 84.

    Interestingly, the exhibition Journey through time is a reflection of Ogiamen’s trajectory through the arts landscape and it is the first time he is introducing bronze sculptures into his collection for public display, which he described as a new innovation. He disclosed that bronze casting has been part of his roots in Benin as his grandmother was from the famous Igun Street bronze casting guild.

    But, his association with the late Erhabor Emokpae Art Studio as a Studio Assistant between 1967 and 1972 greatly contributed to Ogiamien’s worldview of art, especially wood carving, exhibitions and marketing.

    Ogiamen was born into a family of educationists. His father was a teacher and so were his siblings. In his time, teaching was a highly honorable job to engage in and the society treated them with a lot of respect. No wonder Roland’s father and many people at that time, saw sculpting as degrading.  He told Roland that he was engaged in a job that was the preserve of the disabled.  His father wanted him to embrace the new respected professions introduced with the dawn of colonialism and did not see art as worthwhile. In his words, “my father was against my work. He said I was doing the job reserved for disabled people.” He was made an object of ridicule in the family but this did not dampen the spirit of this great artist.

    His works embraced classic forms and dynamic compositions. For him, it is important to identify the right wood. Hard woods are more difficult to shape but have greater longevity. Soft wood have less resistance to damage, even though they are easier to carve. Ogiamen however, did carve either across or with the grains and never against the grains. The art of carving is intricate and requires a lot of understanding. The wood he works with determines his ideas and direction. He engages in a lot of abstracts and semi-abstract on Benin folklores and contemporary issues of the day.

    His artistic exploit have indeed gone through three stages. In the early 60’s was his period of apprenticeship and between 1969 and 1973 was his period of houseman ship under ErhaborEmokpaewho made a lot of beautiful designs for them to carve and work on, under his supervision. This gave him a wider horizon of contemporary art. Between 1973 and 1978, Ogiamen had developed his own ideas that were abstract and semi-abstract, though inspired by the spirit world. According to him, “I did not invite or worship the spirit. It just visited and inspires me from time to time.”  When he picks a piece of wood, a voice tells him how to carve a beautiful piece. But from 1979, his love for Christianity changed his approach. He started sculpting realism and this was the time he sculpted Blessed virgin Mary; Loving Couple; Mother and Child; Father and son; Night Romance etc. These pieces now reflect his new mood centering around love of fellow human being and joy, although some are also traditional sculptural pieces.

    Since he relocated to Benin City in 2002, he took along his R. U. Ogiamien  Art Gallery where he continues to practice wood carving, and occasionally travels round the country and beyond to supply, exhibit and handle commissions.

    Fasuyi’s sculptures for the exhibition are abstract pieces made from calabash and plastic that reflect issues in the society such as whistle blower, which the present administration is using to execute anti-corruption fight.

     Journey Through Time will run till May 4.

  • Kien & Friends holds at MUSON Centre 

    Kien & Friends, the yearly classical music concert that provides children the opportunity and stage to exhibit their musical skills, will hold on Saturday, April 27, at Agip Recital Hall, MUSON Center, Onikan, Lagos. Cocktail for the concert starts at 3.00 p.m.

    Kien& Friends, classical music concert, is a not-for-profit project held yearly as music, especially classical music performances, help children’s brains to develop better.

    Science has shown that musical training can change brain structure and function for the better. It can also improve long-term memory and lead to better brain development for those who start at a young age.

    In fact, longitudinal studies show that children who do 14 months of musical training displayed more powerful structural and functional brain changes.

    Studies have also proved that “learning a musical instrument increases gray matter volume in various brain regions; It also strengthens the long-range connections between them. Additional research shows that musical training can enhance verbal memory, spatial reasoning, and literacy skills,” John Rampton writes in an article in which he reveals that playing music helps your brain more than any other activity.

    This year’s edition of Kien& Friends promises skilful performances on different orchestral musical instruments and on the pianoforte.

    Parents are encouraged to attend the concert and also bring their children to be inspired as they watch their peers perform on stage. Admission to the concert is free.

     

  • Moremi … Easter bouquet on Terra stage

    After a huge sell out of December to Remember show last year, the trio of Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, Chief Olufunsho Amosun and Bolanle Austen-Peters made a big return to the  stage this Easter season with Queen Moremi The Musical.

    Beginning from last Thursday at Terra Arena in Terra Kulture, Lagos, till May 5, Lagos theatre buffs are being treated to special Easter bouquet that celebrates great contributions of Olori Moremi of Ife to the sustenance of Yoruba race and the emerging narratives of feminism and women leadership.

    Queen Moremi the Musical is a revolutionary show as it has evolved from being an entertainment to a critical awareness tool promoting the narrative about feminism and women leadership. It was created by Princess RonkeAdemiluyi and directed by award-winning Bolanle Austen Peters with Mrs Olufunso Amosun as Executive Producer.

    The musical retells the story of Oloori Moremi, who lived in the 12th century and was married to the then king of Ile Ife, a kingdom that is said to have been at war with a neighbouring tribe described as the Forest people led by the Olu-Igbo (Femi Branch). To stem these invasions, the Ifa oracle was consulted by the Ife people and the finding was that the hunters should undertake a journey into the forest to get animals for sacrifice to the gods.  Unfortunately,the efforts of the hunters who journeyed into the forest for 24 days in search of live lion, elephant and leopard proved abortive.

    The Head hunter declared timidly: “We journeyed for 24 days without losing our lives, and none of the animals caught. We came back just as we went.”

    Worried by the persistent invasion of Ife people by the warriors from the forest because the priests have no answers and the sacrifices by all priests  have failed, Moremi (Tosin Adeyemi) offered to give herself up as captive in order to save his people. While taken as a captive by the warriors, due to her beauty, she married Olu-Igbo, the ruler of the warriors as his anointed queen. After familiarising herself with the secrets of her new husband’s army, she escaped to Ile-Ife and revealed this to the Yorubas who were able to subsequently defeat them in battle.

    Earlier in the musical, Moremi challenged the Ooni Obawinrin (Bimbo Manuel), saying that in two years, Ife has lost four virgins as sacrifice yet, evil spirit continued to torment the people. “What if the gods refused to accept these sacrifices? Sad days will continue if nothing changes … Kabiyesi give us hope,” she cried.

    The Kabiyesi was more than devastated by these happenings. With heavy heart, he screamed: “For how long will Ife suffer this plaque? A king who cannot protect his people, what kind of king is that when Ife is desolate? The solution is in us. We only have to dig deep. I will continue to carve the images of those we lost until God answers us.”

    For Moremi, no price is too much to save Ife and Yoruba race. She sought the help of a river goddess Esinmiri in her search for solution. In order to fulfill the pledge she made to Esimirin before embarking on her mission, her son Ela Oluorogbo (Moshood Fattah) was given in sacrifice to the goddess because this is what it asked her for when she returned to its shrine. With this, Moremi lost her marriage and her only child to save Ife.

    In the midst of the agony that befell Moremi, her son Ela told the mother never to grief over Esinmiri’s demand.

    Thematically, the performance’s preoccupation was sacrificial leadership that gives all to the service of the people just to build and have a better society. Effects and costuming were adequate and effective.

    Little wonder Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ooni of Ife, said of Moremi. “Moremi is indeed a goddess of liberty. Beyond the Nigerian shores, the basis of Moremi beliefs and values is the foundation that has been used to build one of the greatest states in the world, which is the United States of America. They have the statue of liberty that actually has a very strong link to all the beliefs of Moremi.”

    Princess RonkeAdemiluyi, the Global Ambassador to Queen Moremi Ajasoro said “the actual story of the amazon Moremi encourages young women to take up leadership roles and identify themselves with greatness.”

    She said “Moremi was a true feminist and was the ultimate girl power. She was a woman in charge of her own destiny. It is a story worth telling indeed to inspire young women.”

    Ademiluyi added: “Queen Moremi The Musical enables us to tell the story of Moremi in a way that appeals to the new generation of millennial.”

    According to her, “the story of MoremiAjasoro signifies great leadership.What makes it more unique is that she was a woman. Great leaders always put the love of their people before themselves and that is exactly what Moremi did. She was indeed a true feminist who saw the opportunity to save her people not minding the fact that she was a woman. Feminism is not about waiting for something to be handed over to you because you are woman it is about getting up and going to earn it similar to what Moremi did. And that is why that courageous act that she did 1700 years ago is still remembered today.

    Also, the story of Moremi shows us that female leadership did not just start with the influence of western feminism, it started with the sacrifice Moremi made 1700 years ago. She took that bold step of allowing herself to be captured by the invaders of Ife who were taking her people as slaves.”

    Established by the Ooni of Ife, The Queen Moremi Ajasoro Initiative, she added, gives  the opportunity to mentor young  women in a way that will enable them to become great leaders of tomorrow as we believe that we have a moral obligation and duty to do that.

  • Birds of a feather

    An interesting study was conducted by Solomon Asch in 1951 to test how people’s beliefs affect one another. He invited people to sign up for a psychological experiment. When the volunteers arrived, he allowed a person to enter into a room where six people were already seated, with an empty seat left for the newcomer.  All the participants were shown a standard line and allowed to examine it.

    Sometime later, they were shown three lines and asked to select among them the standard line they had seen earlier. The first participant chose a wrong answer, the second participant chose the same wrong answer and so did third up to the sixth participant. When it came to the turn of the newcomer, he probably reasoned that six people could not be wrong though he felt differently, so he also chose the same wrong answer to avoid being the odd one out. He was, however, not aware that the other six participants had earlier agreed on their answer because they were part of the experimental setup. The newcomer’s opinion was the only one being measured, and his action confirmed that human decisions tend to be affected by that of the people around them.

    Supposing someone tells you that the people you have around you everyday are directly related to your success or failure, how many of those people would you keep around us? If the newcomer in the experiment above could be influenced within a limited period of interaction and in such a subtle manner by people he never knew, imagine what happens to us through the people we see, listen to and interact with everyday? Here are a few suggestions of the kind of people we need around us:

    1. We need mentors: Les Brown usually puts it this way, “Always have someone in your life who sees things in you that you cannot see in yourself, because you can never see a picture when you are in the frame”. A good mentor should be able to identify our potentials and help us develop them.
    2. We need change-oriented people: a wise man said,”If you change things but you don’t change people, things will return to the way they used to be”. Remove termites from a room, clean out the debris, re-stock the room with new books and furniture then put the termites back in the room. What would you expect? Unless people change, nothing really changes.
    3. We need positive minded people: Life is full of challenges, we all know that, but it is also full of blessings. It is what we look for that we find. Les Brown told the story of someone who saw a man about to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge. He rushed to the man and said, “Please don’t jump; tell me about your problems”. Two hours later, however, they both jumped! Don’t let anyone offload depression on you; you need a joyful spirit to see opportunities. It is alright to listen to people’s problems, but make sure they have a positive disposition about the problems being solved.
    4. We need people who value us: a lot of people always feel inferior or unimportant, but that is because they are not with those who value them. If we stay around those who merely tolerate us, we will feel unwanted all the time. If we stay where the demand for our skill or talent has been “over supplied” by other people, we will merely be “another one”. However, if we go to where we are needed, we will be “the one” and feel wanted. You are too valuable to be treated as an option; you are the real deal.

    Thanks for reading my article today. I would really love to hear from you. So, do share your views with me by sending SMS to 07034737394, visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu. Remember, you are currently nothing compared to what you can become. This can be your year if you want it to be!

  • Baba London turns 90

    A stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Lagos, Chief Remi Williams, has joined the nonagenarian club. To celebrate the event, his family and friends held a party in his honour. JOSEPH ESHANOKPE reports.

    The calibre of guests that gathered at the Ajeromi Local Government Council premises speaks volume of what was going on. It was a birthday bash in honour of a staunch member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Remi Williams, who recently turned 90.

    Expectedly, the august ceremony was graced by the party’s bigwigs in the area, including the council Chairman, Alhaji Fatai Ayoola, his Ifelodun counterpart, Alhaji Fatai Ajidagba, former council chairman, Kamal Bayewu, former House of Assembly Deputy Speaker Kolawole Taiwo, former House of Representatives member (representing Ajeromi-Ifelodun federal constituency), Comrade Olusegun Ogunbanjo, and first Ajeromi-Ifelodun council chairman Dr Abiola Ajijola. There were also friends and family members of the celebrator at the event.

    Williams, popularly known as Baba London, according to the first daughter Gbemi, looked calm and splendid in his white agbada. The weather was sunny and breezy. Williams sat, on a settee, bestrode by his wife,Yemisi, in an all-white tent, specially designed for the ceremony. It was here he took photographs and received “visitors”.

    Gbemi, who read his father’s biography, described him as loving and supportive. Even in her dull moments, she said, her father was always there for her. She prayed to God to grant him more years on earth.

    In his response, Williams, a London trained lawyer, who was all smiles, went down memory lane.  He said he was glad to attain the rare age with his wife and all children alive. He also thanked God for his good health and achievements, adding that he never regretted any part of his life.

    Among his friends, one man stood out. He is former Lagos State governor, Alhaji Lateef Jakande. He praised him, saying that they are always in touch, despite their leaving government over three decades ago.

    Williams surprised guests when he remained on his feet for the over 10 minutes that he spoke. Better still, later he and his beau went from table to table, thanking them for gracing the occasion. When Pa Williams was asked to sit, he quietly rebuffed them and continued with the greetings.

    In an interview with The Nation, Williams said: “I feel happy to witness this day. I am happy to be in good health. It is a day I have been looking forward to.” On the secret of his good health, he said he devotes his life to God. He abstained from many things, including drinks, smoking, meat and women. He eats fresh fish, but not too much of it.

    Also, he said: “I relax a lot, especially at the beach at his town Agbowa.” His message to the youth: comport yourselves to the ideals of the two main religions: Christianity and Islam. He urged pastors to preach God’s message, warning that there is too much emphasis on money. “They expect the congregation to bring money. Where will they get the money? Do they care where the members get the money from?” he asked.

    On his plans, he said he only reflects on the past mistakes and thinks on how to correct them. How about building more houses or… ?”No, no, no …, he said, adding: “If I had wanted to, I would have done that along time ago.”

  • NGO empowers women, seeks end to sexual abuse

    A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Exhale Nigeria Imitative, in conjunction with Community Advancement Youth Empowerment Network (CAYEN), has organised a women and girl’s empowerment programme and sexual abuse awareness in the community at Iwaya community in Yaba, Lagos State.

    The event, held at the Redeemers Nursery and Primary School Hall, featured training on baking, shoe making, makeup and gele tying, making of drinks, soap and air freshener making.

    The participants were also trained on financial literacy and business seminars, including how to get business grants, start business with a small capital, as well as save and invest.

    On Saturday, the sexual abuse and awareness campaign held. Participants clad in black top on blue denim met at Iwaya Primary Health Centre Hall. It featured film show- a documentary on rape, seminars, talk on sexual abuse, pledge signing and rally.

    According to the founder, Exhale Nigeria Initiative, Eniola Akinyemi, the empowerment was necessary having realised that a lot of women are idle because they lack the skills and finance to cater for themselves.

    “At the free empowerment, women have been trained to start business with little or no capital. The skills they have learnt is what they can start business in with the resources they use daily and the business can begin in their homes. They will also be able to provide for their homes and they will no longer have time for gossips. The young girls that participated too will be able to assist their parents financially. They will no longer have the time to unnecessarily hang out with boys and the rate of promiscuity will reduce because they have added value to offer and get money rather than offering their body. With this, I hope to achieve a better society,”

    Akinyemi said the campaign was to commemorate the sexual abuse awareness month, let people know it, how to curb the menace, what to do when abused and how to support survivals.

    “Someone abused is already going through psychological trauma, the community must be ready to support anyone that is sexually abused and we want everybody to take a stand against sexual abuse because the act affects not just one person but everybody. We must all support the abuser to get justice and be with them till they are fine.”

    She called for more sensitisation on the act, adding that survivals should be helped. “We all should understand our rights and help others to achieve theirs. Perpetrators should also be well punished and go through psychological counsel to walk them through the process of healing,” she said.

    CAYEN Community Engagement Lead, AderonkeAkinola-Akinwole, said the event was necessary following the rise in unemployment and sexual abuse, especially among women.

    She added: “Women cannot make decisions on their own because they are financially incapacitated. For a woman to be able to take care of herself she has to be financially capable and this can be achieved if she has a skill that can be used to make her money, hence the need for the empowerment. “

    She urged the participants to take the training as an opportunity to learn and invest in themselves. “They are now knowledgeable and equipped and we expect them to start doing something that will yield money for them,” she said.

    She noted that the participants had also being taught how to start small and meet funders.

    The Balogun of Iwaya, Ibrahim Balogun, said the community appreciated the empowerment, describing it as the NGO’s way of giving back to the community that has made them.

    He said the event was good, adding that the participants have a lot to learn. Babafiro of Iwaya, High Chief Gabriel Akinsola, said the participants had a lot to benefit from the programme, noting that the community would now have more entrepreneurs.

     

    “I expect them to use what they have learnt to better their own lives like starting up business and being able to fend for themselves and their family,” he said.

    One of the participants, AwoniyiOpeyemi, said she came for the training to enable her to become self-employed.

    “I learnt how to bake, I intend to be able to bake on my own, sell and make money for myself. This is not the first time the ngo will empower women and girls. About four years ago, I learnt how to make beads and I still make it and make money from it.”

    She thanked the ngo for the free training which has enabled her meet her financial needs at age 14,” she said.

    From fifth right (standing on black top): CAYEN Community Engagement Lead, Aderonke Akinola-Akinwole;  Founder, Exhale Nigeria Initiative, Eniola Akinyemi;  The Balogun of Iwaya, Ibrahim Balogun and Babafiro of Iwaya, High Chief Gabriel Akinsola, at the event.