The Nation Newspaper

Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

  • Mentorship? Ask the ants! (11)

    Life is a journey that we have never taken before. It is full of twists and turns that we are not always familiar with. Life is like a river which they say you never step into the same one twice because it keeps flowing; after all, we all have only one life to live. As unpredictable as life is, however, it leaves in its wake lessons and patterns. In the words of Steve Jobs, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect them looking backwards”. Lessons are only learnt looking backwards. The only validated lessons are from the past.

    Where does that leave us in our drive for success? Does it mean we must suffer the consequences of poor judgement before we learn? No! Life is indeed a journey, but we are not the first travelers. Though we have different paths in life, there are some people who have gone ahead treading similar paths, whose experiences and wisdom can be invaluable. According to Sir Isaac Newton, “If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulder of Giants”. If your desire is to claim 100% credit for your success, your ego will hold your success captive. There are great people who will gladly pour out their hearts to you if only you are humble enough to ask.

    There is a saying that “when the student is ready, the teacher will appear”. I believe that in a world where people are trying to prove how much they know, we must redefine our values and start to realise how much we need to know. Mentors are people who have seen, experienced and learnt valuable lessons that can help sharpen our focus and channel our strengths. Les Brown says, “You can’t see a picture when you are in the frame”. You need someone who sees things in you that you don’t believe exist. Some benefits of mentorship can be learnt from the ants:

    1. The guidance: when a scout ant finds food, it takes some back to the colony to recruit others. The other ants submit themselves to the leadership of the scout to guide them not only because it knows the way but also because it has proof. There is a participatory relationship between the leader and the follower. According to Benjamin Franklin, “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”. A mentor does not only “show” the student but helps the student to “become”. William Arthur Ward puts it this way, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires”.
    2. Staying in touch: tandem running is a phenomenon in which a follower ant maintains contact with the ant leading to food or a new nest by touching the leader’s legs and abdomen with its antennae. This connectivity ensures that the follower is not lost and in the event that they are scattered by a predator, they are able to quickly reconnect. Mentorship is a process of continuous connectivity and not just a matter of contact. You never outgrow learning in a mentoring relationship. In fact, the more you progress in life, the more questions you are likely to have. It is wise to stay connected.

    I look forward to reading your comments and stories of great successes. Share your views with me by sending SMS to 07034737394, visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu.

  • King’s sadness as sex scandal leaves Nobel academy ‘in ruins’

    The body that awards the Nobel Prize for Literature has been rocked by three resignations over a sex scandal that widened with claims that winners’ names were regularly leaked.

    Jean-Claude Arnault, the husband of Katarina Frostenson, a celebrated Swedish poet and a member of the Swedish Academy, has been accused of sexually assaulting 18 women, including other academy members, their wives and daughters.

    Mr Arnault has denied the charges.

    Anders Olsson, a literary historian who has been one of the 18 members since 2008, said: “I want to believe that the academy can survive this crisis. I never thought that we were actually in such a severe crisis but I have come to realise it is worse than one can imagine.”

    King Carl XVI Gustaf, the academy’s patron, expressed his sadness as the dispute boiled over into the worst crisis in its 232-year history. He said the resignations were “a sad development that I hope will be solved”.

    The academy was founded in 1786 by King Gustaf III to advance Swedish language and literature. It began the literature prize in 1901 after being named in the will of Alfred Nobel and given the annual task of identifying “the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction”. It was one of the five Nobel prizes he created.

    Frostenson, 65, one of the country’s foremost poets, was elected to the membership of the academy in 1992. Her husband was accused last November of using his position as head of an influential arts venue, the Forum in Stockholm, to abuse numerous women. As a result, the academy cut its annual funding to the Forum, which is co-owned by Mr Arnault and Frostenson.

    The academy’s members, drawn from Sweden’s literary elite and appointed for life, then held an unprecedented secret ballot on a motion to remove Frostenson. The vote went her way, leading three of the members to announce their resignations on Friday. Technically they cannot leave, and those who have resigned in the past have been replaced only when they died.

    Mr Arnault, 71, denies all the allegations against him and most are not being investigated by police because they took place beyond the statute of limitations for prosecution.

    The academy now finds itself caught up in further controversy after the Dagens Nyheter newspaper, which first published the allegations against Mr Arnault but without identifying him, published claims yesterday that he had leaked the names of the literature prize- winners seven times, including that of the 2016 laureate Bob Dylan. This has increased the pressure on the academy, which has long prided itself on its top- secret selection process.

    Björn Wiman, the culture editor of Dagens Nyheter, said: “It is difficult to see how the Academy will be able to move on after this. The institution is in ruins.”

    Peter Englund, one of the three members who resigned, said that he had done so because too many members “have given too great consideration to the individual and too little consideration to the by-laws and the core ideals of the association.”

    The academy’s rules stipulate that a quorum of at least 12 members is necessary to make significant decisions such as electing a new member, although a simple majority is all that is needed to choose the prize winner.

    Another member, Sara Stridsberg, is also said to be considering resigning and, with two others already on long-term leave for reasons not connected with the latest scandal, the academy is on the verge of institutional paralysis.

     

    • Culled from The Times, United Kingdom (UK)

  • Ladele’s classic Yoruba works return to bookshelf

    THE classic Yoruba literatures Je n lo gbatemi and Igbi Aye Nyi of renowned YoruÌbaì author, the late Chief T. A. A.. Ládélé, have returned to the bookshelf.

    The works of the author are available for purchase by cultural and Yoruba literary enthusiasts across the globe, children of the late author have said.

    The late Ládélé was born  about 1920 at Iyalode compound, Bode, Okeho. He was one of the first generation of Yoruba authors who made mincemeat of the literary genre through his natural writing skills and wrote several books that have become academic successes.

    He was the pioneer headmaster of Baptist School, Iwere-Ile, Area Headmaster, Baptist School, Okeho, History master, Durbar College, Oyo, among others. He wrote many Yoruba literatures. He was appointed Justice of Peace in 1987. He passed on August 21, 2014 at 94.

    According to the son of the late author, Iyiola Ládélé, “the books have been published again because there are a lot of demands for them all over the globe by people who are interested in Yoruba cultural studies and the rich cultural dissertations that typify the works of the author’’.

    “The literary engagement of students and scholars in these old books would equally help to restore the lost values documented great writers like TAA Ladele.”

    “Efforts are on to ensure that other books by the author, such as ÀkójÍpÍÌ ìwádìíìjìnl¹Ì àcàYorùbá and Ìgbàl’ódé, for pedagogy and for discourse, among Yoruba literary enthusiasts, are reprinted. This effort was also done to preserve the literary legacies of the departed icon.

    ‘’There have been calls in several quarters, that the four requisite communications skills – writing, reading, speaking and listening – in Yoruba language are restored across the Southwestern states and these books would aid cultural renaissance,” he added.

    The books, which were earlier published by Longman Publishers and Macmilliam Publishers more than four decades ago, have led to critical discussions at various fora and they have been repacked in quality prints that conform to modern leading standards of publishing books by Gavima Press Limited.

    Je n lo gbatemi, sited in the city of Owo, is premised on the introduction of the Christian faith and Bankole, the head of the Masqueraders, acted the new found faith. His fellow initiates trailed him till he gave up Christianity. Upon establishing a school in the town, Deoti, the son of Bankole and his friend, Eesita, were enrolled in the school.

    Unfortunately, the wave of civilisation brought by the students to the town was not satisfactory to the religious groups in Owo and the mother of the two friends had contrary opinions. Deoti unwillingly yielded to the advice of his mother while his friend was doomed for joining the fad.

    Similarly, Igbi Aye Nyi is set in the town of Otolu, in the early days of colonialism where the Oba, Bankarere and his sons perpetrate unspeakable outrages against their subjects. Their excesses was based on the misuse of human bodies and properties which is a perverted parade of ‘wealth in people’. In the end, events set in motion by the defiance of two of the townsmen led the colonial authorities interfering and stopping their activities.

     

  • 14 countries, 20 states for African Drum festival

    NO fewer than 20 states, 14 countries and 70 private troupes will converge on Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, for this year’s African Drum Festival designed to bring together Black people from across the globe.

    The festival, which will hold from April 19 to 21, is being coordinated by Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka, who is chief consultant to Ogun State Government on the festival.

    The participating countries include Haiti, Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Benin, Senegal and Togo.

    Two years ago, in appreciation of the importance of drum in the life of the Yoruba, the Ogun State Government mooted the idea of celebrating African drums as a unique way of bringing Black people across the world together.

    On the festival theme, “Reviving our culture in drums”, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun underscored the importance of drums in the African traditional settings, saying the yearly African Drum festival has been structured to hold in the third week of April. He noted that the date has been etched in the festival calendar of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.

    “Africans have a rich culture. We have drums that predate African civilisations and this is what makes Africans to be great. The drum is very important beyond entertainment. Indeed, I want to relate it to or situate it with what the social media is, as important to us as with what drums did then. In the days of our forebears, it was the drums they used to disseminate information to talk to one another. They used drums during wars to say something that was about to happen. They have social drums. Even our traditionalists, the masqueraders, they have different drums because the way they will drum it will be different from others. “We can use drums for so many things. These days, different kinds of drums are used for different reasons. In Ogun State, we have chosen drums to showcase our richness when we started expanding them beyond the shores of Nigeria a year ago.

    “It was that small seed that we planted that has blossomed internationally. The festival is a way of bringing our black people together. We are happy it is happening here in Ogun state, the cradle of civilisation. We are using the usefulness of drums to tell the whole world their importance. We will continue to do this event annually. This is a unique platform for all Africans, may be, because we are blacks. And we have been doing great things to drive home our rich culture and tradition. Intellectuals, cultural enthusiasts and everybody will be coming to grace the occasion.

    “We use drums for so many occasions. There are some drums that it is only once that they beat them, especially coronation drums. So, we are using drums for so many things. And that is why we believe as a state, we should bring everybody here in our own little ways as an avenue to arouse the consciousness of our people as a whole. When we started in 2016, we started with the Nigerian drums. It was so hugely successful. We now sat down and asked ourselves, why should we limit it alone to Nigeria because we are Africans? And the next edition, we called it African Drum festival.

    Amosun assured that the festival would not only use drums for what they are, but to make a strong statement about Africans as well as to forge unity among the people. He extolled the contributions of notable artistes from Ogun State, such as Hubert Ogunde, Ayinla Omowura, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Baba Haruna Ishola, Jimi Solanke and Ebenezer Obey who used drum to make great impact on social life.

    Chairman 2018 African Drum festival, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga, who is also Deputy Governor, reminisced on the advent of the annual event which began in 2016.

    According to her, “the journey started two years ago. The maiden edition was in 2016 as Nigerian drum festival and the second edition was in 2017 as African Drums Festival. This is the third edition, which we are having as African Drums Festival 2018. This year’s edition will be bigger and better as it has assumed international dimension”.

    She disclosed that 20 states had confirmed their attendance, adding that more than 70 private troupes were being expected. “Also, 17 foreign troupes from African countries have also confirmed their attendance. On Friday, April 20, we will be having a conference/workshop and an exhibition, which will be convened by Soyinka at the Olumo Rock Tourist Complex. The conference is tagged Drumming for advancement. And this is to conceptualise the festival for better understanding.

    ‘’On Saturday, April 21, is the grand finale and the closing ceremony. All troupes will feature; also, traditional rulers as well as other important dignitaries will attend. Other attractions for the festival was an endurance trek,  with the theme Walking for drum. The festival promises to be the best  that has ever happened in Africa and beyond. I urge you all to be part of the festival. Let the drums roll,” Onanuga said.

    Representative of the consultant, Soyinka, Mr Jahman Oladejo Anikulapo highlighted the programme that has been lined up for the African Drum festival.

    He said the conference was conceived as a new dimension to the yearly African Drum festival, specifically to bring intellectual flavour to the character and content of the project. The main objective is to begin to position the drum as a tool for education, socialisation, cultural and economic advancement.

    “This session will hold in two formats: conference and workshop exhibition. The conference is to create a platform through which the very nature and character of drum and the vocation of drumming can be distilled in order to rediscover its potentialities as a significant instrument for advancing the cause of the society.

    “The theme Drumming for Advancement; sub-theme: Drumming for socio-economic development; and prologue: and ‘Drumming up for food security by Prof Wole Soyinka, the Festival Consultant. Everything great begins from Ogun State …well, take Fela’s AFRO-BEAT. It all began right here before he disseminated it to Lagos and the rest of the world. So, I am not surprised that Ogun State has initiated this festival that calls attention to the significance of the drum in the life of humanity, and especially the African world.

    “Many people do not recognise the centrality of rhythm, but rhythm is both entrancing and eloquent. It is a sophisticated possession of human beings. We all live on a world of rhythms, right from birth it is both heartbeat and pulse. Rhythm is simply-life,” he said.

    Resource persons expected at the occasion include Dr Sylvanus Kwashie Kuwor, Mr Laolu Akins Akintobi, Dr Tunde Adegbola, Dr (Mrs) Bukola Bello Jaiyesimi, Mr Muraina Oyelami, Dr Jeleel Ojuade among others.

    Expected to feature in the event are demonstrations, and interventions by Dr Olu Adewale Adeniran, Mr Akin Adejuwon, Chief Tunde Kelani and Mr Wanle Akinboboye.

    The rapporteurs are Lillian Amah-Aluko, Dr Tunde Awosanmi, Dr  Razinat Talatu Mohammed and Mr Mufu Onifade.

    For the workshop, the event is to impart knowledge about the various techniques of drumming, especially in the young ones, to ensure that the vocation begins to manifest its purposed education and entertainment values. Resource persons expected for this segment are Peter Adegboyega Badejo and Isioma Williams.

    Other activities being lined up are performances to be led by Olalekan Babalola and Eko Brass Band, while the exhibition segment, which will feature the archives and memorabilia of Fela Sowande, including his publications, recordings, and collection of photographs.

     

  • Seeking answers to Nigeria’s problem

    In 2014, Nigeria celebrated 100 years of cohesive unity. A celebration, which signifies the day the Northern and Southern protectorate came together as one. The celebration also served as a platform to ignite the sense of unity in Nigerians because at that time Nigeria was faced with threats that were militating against its existence as a country. Therefore, the centenary celebration was organised to commemorate 100 years since Nigeria was amalgamated. It was also used as an avenue to send a clear message to Nigerians and the outside world that nothing can break or separate Nigeria.

    Lord Fredrick Lugard was the brain behind the amalgamation of the Northern and Southern protectorate, which he joined together to form what is known as Nigeria.   Although his decision was met with criticism and divergent views, Lugard still went on with the amalgamation. And that was how the name Nigeria was created.

    Four years after the centenary celebration, Nigeria is still faced with the same threat it has been running away from. Today in the south, Biafra is agitating for self-governance, in the Northern Boko Haram is continuously fighting to Islamise the country and the West stands as the referee patiently observing which part to follow. This has been one of the major headaches of the Buhari administration since it came into power and that of the past administration.

    Nigeria Beyond Oil is a book coming at the right time in a period when oil seems to be the only pride of the country. The book written by General Sam Momah (rtd) is a projection of the possibilities that exist if Nigeria begins to look beyond oil which has become a cursed blessing.

    The author of the book has carefully looked into the future to search for answers into the problem of Nigeria. The problem of Nigeria is its inability to promote a united difference: United difference in the sense that it is a well-known fact that we are a nation of diverse culture but rather than this dividing us, it should instead unite us.

    ‘Nigeria beyond oil’ is a compendium of thoughts as seeking to explain ways by which Nigeria can solve this problem of disunity along religion or culture. The solution given by the author is that if Nigeria must remain Nigeria then restructuring must take place. Momah explained, backing it with examples of what is going to happen if Nigeria can restructure its system.

    According to the former army General, there are enough reasons  restructuring should be considered at the control of affairs of the country: A section of the book reads, “For Nigeria to avoid the above catastrophe and eventually be a strong, united and prosperous county, she should restructure and reduce the number of states to a viable and sustainable number.”

    Going further, the author carefully analysed other issues that must be considered with restructuring, like federal allocation of funds, part time allowances for legislator and no more salaries and constituency project, review of federal character policy, the need for ant- corruption war to be a mass movement, youth empowerment and also free and fair elections.

    A beautiful suggestion is the creation of a two-party system that would bring to an end the scourge of god fatherism. This is a thoughtful suggestion because god fatherism remains part of what is making Nigerian electorates not to vote competent leaders.

    However, the author rejects the creation of state police and he suggested that instead of creation there should be an overhaul of the police force. Although some argue that the creation of state police would ensure that crimes and insecurity issues are dealt with from the grassroots. This would help in dealing with security issue from the source.

    Above all, Nigeria beyond oil is a great medicine for the sickness currently ravaging the health of Nigeria. The author General Momah (rtd), is a former member of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council and Minister of Science and Technology. He holds a PhD in Strategic Studies and is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers. He once served as a Principal Staff Officer to General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd). General  Momah is also a Fellow of National War College.

  • Stretched Terrains: Art on wheels

    All roads lead to Dak’Art holding in Dakar. And the bus is the Molue Mobile Museum of Contemporary Art (MMMoCA).

    For the second time in a row, six artists will travel from Lagos to Dakar, this time under the theme: “Stretched Terrains”.

    The ‘bus’ art project is curated by Germany-based Nigerian artist Emeka Udemba. The bus started its journey on Tuesday, April 10, and will arrive in time for the opening of the 13th Dak’Art – Bienniale of Contemporary Art next month.

    Goethe-Institut Nigeria Director Friederike Moeschel introduced the project to the audience and gave a background into the MMMoCA’s first two trips to Cotonou and Dakar at a briefing last weekend.

    She said Goethe-Institut continues to collaborate with Udemba given the project’s relevance to art and to the artist community, particularly in the context of international and cross-cultural collaborations between German and Nigerian as well as African artists.

    Udemba described the curatorial outlook as being based on an exploration of how topography influences not just culture, but also impacts the social, the economic and the political, with an emphasis on the experimental.

    He emphasised the reason behind conceiving a Mobile Museum in 2004, as looking beyond a fixed address but offering a chance for contemporary art to be seen and appreciated by different people across locales. He related this to Goethe-Institut’s mission to bring art into the public space and how Dak’Art itself brings together artists from across the continent.

    “Art is also about trying to start up a conversation among people. Their minds and consciousness are awakened. The essence of being an artist is the collaboration, and interrogation of other cultures. Such resolve cultural issues and differences,” Udemba added.

    Supporting the Mobile Museum in showcasing art on the move are award-winning airlines Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines. “‘Stretched Terrains’ is a great platform to show the strengths of Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines in West Africa, working closely together and supporting the development of young African talents,” said Lufthansa General Manager Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea, Robin Sohdi. He described the project as much more than a museum, but in turn, “a moving blank canvas”.

    Monsuru Alashe, the Nigerian photographer, graphic designer and experimental artist, who was also on the 2016 Dak’Art trip, looks forward to profiling fellow participants, as well as the people and cultural differences to be encountered on the trip. The last trip had given him a chance to develop his writing skills. His work from that time has also been presented at the prestigious Harmattan Workshop founded and run by veteran artist Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya in Agbara-Otor, Delta State. First-time participant, Gabriel Goller, a German photographer, intends to transfer the photography style he developed in university into the project.

    He described the challenge as exciting. Other artists joining the bus are Souleymane Konate (Cote d’Ivoire), Ray Clever Agbo (Ghana) and Dame Diongue aka Bay Dam (Senegal). They will be picked up at “bus stops” along the way to Dak’Art. During the journey, artists will research and simultaneously produce their works, which will be presented at Dak’Art, and at the Goethe-Institutes in Ghana, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire and the German-Malian Cultural Centre, Mali.

    Ms. Moeschel thanked project co-sponsors Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines, as well as the media representatives for their support. She assured the  artists and guests of the bus’s resilience and the measures put in place to ensure that the road trip – while not a luxury cruise – would be smooth for the participants in terms of healthcare, security, and immigration.

    The press conference was followed by a tour of the Mobile Museum at the City Hall Car Park. Journalists and all present got the chance to hop on the solarpowered bus, and to see the facilities available to the participants.

    The entire Stretched Terrains: Mobile Museum Trip to Dakar can be followed on a dedicated web-blog www.goethe.de/stretchedterrains and across social media platforms with #StretchedTerrains Stretched Terrains: Mobile Museum Trip to Dakar is organised by Goethe-Institut Nigeria, in co-operation with Goethe-Institutes in Ghana, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, and the German-Malian Cultural Centre in Mali. The project is supported by Lufthansa and Brussels Airlines. This year’s road trip will end with the return of the travelling group to Lagos in May.

    Goethe-Institut Nigeria organises and supports a broad spectrum of activities that present the German culture in Nigeria and promote international cultural exchange through projects in cooperation with Nigerian partners.

    Through these partnerships, the Institut encourages local creative development.

    The MMMoCA to Molue Mobile Museum of Contemporary Art is a project developed by Nigerian-German Artist Emeka Udemba, in collaboration with Goethe-Institut Nigeria. It aims at making contemporary art more accessible to the public as a mainstream element of the Nigerian social life and to de-eliticise the locations of creative encounters. MMMoCA provides creative spaces that challenge perceptions, interrogates society and sees the world not just through our own eyes, but through the eyes of other.

  • Future Thinking? Ask the ants! (10)

    We tend to make better decisions when we ask ourselves, “What will be the effect of this choice?” or “If I continue on the path I’m treading, where will I be in the next 10 or more years?” We often fail to think far enough into the future to imagine the consequences of our actions. Some people believe that things will sort themselves out in the future but Albert Einstein said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results”. Keeping our eyes on the future keeps our present in check.

    Sustainable development, according to the Brunoltland Report that was commissioned by the United Nations, is “the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. This definition is quite instructive in this age of hyper-competition. Everyone wants to get ahead and a lot of people would do it at any cost.

    Beginnings are good, continuation is better and sustainability is the best. Some people start businesses but such services will no longer be needed in a few years. Some study courses that will be obsolete by the time they graduate from school. Some are in relationships that will turn out for the worst if current indicators persist. The big question is, “Is there a future here?” Ants are smart enough to do the following:

    1.Rescue the future: when ant colonies are destroyed, the priority of adult ants is to save the future of the colony- the larvae and pupae. The scouts seek out a new habitation while the workers struggle to protect the young from the sunlight. The greatest way to preserve the future is to protect the present. If the ants scurry to save their own lives instead of those of their young, they will become extinct. What we allow to die is not as important as what we allow to live; what is dead is dead after all, but what we spare defines our future. If we spare something temporal at the expense of something enduring, the future is at risk. We must determine to save the future at all cost. No immediate gratification is important enough to jeopardise the potentials for future benefits. With our eyes on our future desires, we can condition our present accordingly.

    2.Retrace steps: when scout ants fan out to look for a new habitation, they leave chemical trails. The more suitable a location is, the more scouts will select it by leaving a stronger chemical scent. Immediately a location is accepted, all the ants retrace their steps to align. Stubbornness is of no use when you are heading in the wrong direction. Time doesn’t make wrong right; the longer you stay on the wrong course, the farther you go from your real destination. One of the major ways to ensure that we don’t miss our steps is to engage in constant evaluation. It will ensure early detection of any issue and aid realignment.

    I look forward to reading your comments and stories of great successes. Share your views with me by sending SMS to 07034737394, visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu.

  • Girl, 17, gets admission into 19 top varsities

    A 17-year-old Nigerian, Oludamilola Oluwadara Adekeye, has reportedly been accepted by 19 of the world’s top universities, including Yale, Stanford, Columbia and the London School of Economics.

    Speaking with CNN, Oluwadamilola, who is a student of Brighton College, Abu Dhabi said she applied to 20 universities and was accepted by 19.

    Dami as she is fondly called also said she has a passion for music, but has not decided on what to study in the university.

    “I’m 17 years old and I’m a student at Brighton College Abu Dhabi. I was recently accepted into 19 out of the 20 colleges I applied to,” she said.

    “I’m very involved in music at my high school. I’m in three musical groups and I started a fourth,” she said on CNN.

    “I’m still undecided but I might double major in international relations and economics.”

    Lastyear, three Nigerian-born teenagers – Jude Okonkwo, Ifeoma White-Thorpe and Nina Uzoigwe – were accepted by some Ivy League schools.

    While Nina was accepted by seven Ivy League schools – Harvard, Dartmouth, Cornell, UPenn, Columbia, Princeton and Yale, Ifeoma, a New Jersey high school student was accepted by nine: Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton and Stanford.

    Jude, 17, based in the United States, also received acceptance letters from Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and Yale University.

     

  • Nostalgia opens at Omenka Gallery

    A solo art exhibition Nostalgia: Glimpses from Diaspora by Kunle Adegborioye opened last Saturday at the Omenka Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos. It will end on April 14.

    The exhibition is featuring his recent works in mixed media, acrylics and oils on canvas.

    The work shows the artist’s condition, his oeuvre: that is, his way of dealing with contrasting identities and influences on his life, having been born in Nigeria, but has been living and working in the United Kingdom.

    Several Nigerian artists share this condition of hybridity, many of whom have either been born, raised in the Diaspora and relocated to Nigeria or studied here, but now live and work abroad. Unlike many of them who feel a sense of shame, loss or displacement, Adegborioye depicts memories drawn from his childhood in Nigeria. But they are not always happy memories as the title of the exhibition suggests.

    Though reminiscent of his past in the country, a few of the works speak of persistent social ills and impoverishment brought about by the military dictatorship and corrupt politicians that have served the country for several decades. These hardships, the artist has accentuated in his canvases by the incorporation of texts gleaned from newsprint.

    Adegborioye said: “Text in my work allows a modicum of response to the creativity, as the process of creativity is endless. It also forges my identity, especially in our society that is full of riddles and puzzles. There’s never a shortage of ideas as the society evolves every day.Though complex in preparation but easy to understand, the text in my paintings gives clues to the title of each work.”

    Adegborioye established a trans-Atlantic practice shuttling between Nigeria and the UK to facilitate his research. Though his work is informed primarily by his experiences in Nigeria, the narrative is not concerned with a search for roots, but about maintaining a presence amid others who share his world. This world, he then creates and populates, perhaps by understandably casting himself in the characters.

    He said: “I have visited many cultural activities in Nigeria and the cultural leanings are the same. I witness the same spirit, energy, heritage and costumes.”

    He has completed a Masters of Art at the Camberwell College of Arts, London, but his works retain much of the strongly figurative tradition of Yaba College of Technology, which he attended.

    In all, the works are strongly individual and showcase an artist of sound technical ability and a deep understanding of society. Collectively, they capture our reality, offer hope and will remain powerful and relevant long past their time of creation.

  • Ayo Adebanjo’s tell it all memoirs

    How do you describe a man who, at 90, revisits political history by telling it as it is? In his memoirs, Telling it as it is, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, lawyer, politician and elderstatesman pulls no punches in dissecting burning issues. Call him a formidable fighter, a man of principles and a die-hard idealist of good governance, and you won’t be wrong. The book, which has been presented in Lagos, ignited debate on some national issues, especially restructuring, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.

    Picture a beacon

    Picture a light, a beacon in the midst of darkness. Picture a principled idealist in a corrupt political terrain and you have Chief Ayo Adebanjo. The elder statesman and chieftain of Afenifere is 90, but not intellectual weary. Though he turned 90 yesterday, he unveiled his 18-chapter book, Telling It as It Is: The Autobiography of Ayo Adebanjo, to commemorate the milestone, last week Tuesday at Harbour Point, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    Chief Adebanjo, lawyer, politician, political pugilist, party organiser, is seen as a beacon of hope by many. A follower of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, he was a member of the Action Group (AG) in the First Republic and the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the Second Republic. At the beginning of this Republic, he was a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

    The presentation of his book, which was chaired by Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (rtd.), drew distinguished Nigerians from diverse fields to Harbour Point. As a symbol of the struggle for good governance and a people-driven idealist, it was no surprise that the event became a cross-pollination of thoughts and ideas about the state of the nation and the way forward.

     

    Years of true federalism

     

    The need for a restructured Nigeria, true federalism and resource control were some of the concerns revisited at the event. Linking the persona of Adebanjo and his ideals to what good political leadership should be, the deliberations of former Commonwealth Secretary-General Chief Emeka Anyaoku, first Black African Rhodes Professor Wale Adebanwi and others set the tone of the day.

    “What is the problem of this country”; “who is to blame for where we are today”, “youths in politics” were some of the concerns discussed.

    While calling for a reversal to true federalism, Anyaoku urged leaders to draw from the political ideologies, such as the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s free education and free health, the late Michael Okpara’s agricultural system and the groundnut pyramid driven by the late Ahmadu Bello.

    Describing the nonagenarian as a “symbol of success for the Nigerian Project”, he said: “Adebanjo is indeed very passionate about this country. He is indeed very passionate that our country should do well. He often recalls the yesteryears of our country, when the country was doing well. It was a structure that allowed each region to develop at its own pace. It was a structure that made citizens of those regions feel proud to belong to the bigger Nigeria. Unfortunately, we had lost that basic structure of governance”.

    The book, with Foreword  by one of the author’s political associates, Chief Cornelius Adebayo, according to the reviewer, is “a compelling and frank narrative of life and politics spanning nine decades, seamlessly combines the personal and the political in a very readable, thoughtful, provocative and yet, witty style”.

    Adebanwi’s cerebral commission at the launch brought to light the relevance of the life, politics and ideologies of Adebanjo vis-à-vis the Nigerian Project. “Chief Adebanjo’s preternatural embrace of political conflict and battles and his unflagging boldness in the face of tyranny made him one of the most formidable and consistent political fighters this country has ever known… The Foreword succinctly describes the book as “a reminder of where we started as Awoists, how we have been shaped and a true assessment of where we are heading.”

    On the relevance of the book, the professor said: “But in case my drift is not clear enough and if there are still some people asking: “What do these old people want?” this book has an answer for you: A Nigeria, which, even if it is not a nation, even if it was born a mere geographical expression, is remade into an egalitarian instrument of human possibilities. This is why Chief Adebanjo continues to raise his voice even at 90. This is why this leader’s gentle voice can still be heard even today, beckoning Nigeria to take her rightful place in the comity of nations.”

    For its publisher, Bankole Olayemi of Bookcraft Africa, “There are lessons to be learned by many of our players. As publishers, not often does one have the good fortune to publish a book of this magnitude – one that has both historical and political relevance. This book is right-off-the-back important contribution to the political history of this country by a man that is principled, firm but fair.”

     

    The panel meets

    The major highlight of the event was the panel anchored by Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV, which had as panellists – the celebrator Chief Ayobanjo; professor of History Adebanji Akintoye; rights activist Pamela Braide; media guru Adebola Williams, lawyer and activist Saadatu Falila Hamu.

    While Williams and Hamu made a case for youths to be given more chances to rule, they decried the lack of exemplary political leadership like Adebanjo’s and the political class of old. “One of the greatest disservice done to our generation is not understanding it. We have that generational gap that nobody is trying to fill. We need a generational bridge and the leaders need to do more. Sir, in your days, you saw men of integrity; there were the Awos and the Ziks. Today, who are we seeing? In our generation who is Awo to us? All we see are looters. And what the society glorifies is what multiplies. The generations before it should move and give the youth a chance to rule… there are no examples to lead by,” Williams said.

    Urging more youths to be involved in politics, Prof Akintoye observed that “as long as that conflict is there, the younger people will stay away from leadership”.

    Hamu noted that offsetting of the system by the youth is already happening, saying the “not-too-young-to-run Bill” is an entry point. “But the real offsetting will happen when the young people will infiltrate the political parties with one mission — which is to take over. Being able to dominate within these political parties is the biggest fight we as young people will have to face. The barricades that exist are within the party system.”

    While Braide blamed old and young Nigerians for the problem in the country, Adebanjo urged youths to change their mindsets towards governance.

    Adebanjo said: “You say they don’t allow the youth but your generation is opportunistic. This country will not progress with bad leadership and bad followership. Many come into governance that they want to be this or that but Chief Awo ingrained in us to do better than the British. That is why it is difficult to change party. The way we are living in this country today, there is no reason for us to be poor. But governance today is no longer based on manifesto. If asked to choose from what to do to put food on the table and education, many will choose the first.”

    The event was attended by APC National leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; former governors of Ogun State Chief Olusegun Osoba and Otunba Gbenga Daniel; former Deputy Governors of Lagos State Mr Kofo Bucknor-Akerele and Mr Femi Pedro; business moguls Mr Tony Elumelu and Oba Otudeko; Chief Olu Falae, Prof. Tunde Adeniran; Secretary to Ogun State Government Chief Taiwo Ade Oluwa, who represented Governor Ibikunle Amosun, his counterpart from Ondo State, Mr Ifedayo Abegunde, who stood in for Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the wife of the Ogun State Governor,  Mrs Olufunso Amosun,  Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai and Chief Bakare Oluwalogbon.

    Others were Chief Kola Daisi; Dr Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu; Pastor Tunde Bakare and his wife; Mr. Sam Amuka Pemu; Mrs Nike Akande; Prof Pat Utomi; Mrs Bisola Clark; Mrs Ibukun Awosika; Mrs Omotola Oyediran; Dr. Doyin Abiola, Dr Kanyin Ajayi.