The Nation Newspaper

Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

  • I’m just too much

    Motorola is a world class brand, no doubt. The company started as Galvin Manufacturing Corporation in 1928 after two brothers, Paul V. and Joseph E. Galvin, bought over the battery-eliminator plans and manufacturing equipment of the bankrupt Stewart Battery Company at an auction. When its first product, battery-eliminators, became obsolete due to advancement in radio technology, the company began the production of inexpensive car radios, which became a huge success. This success led to the rebranding of the company as Motorola.

    The Motorola Company pioneered several technologies such as the first hand-held walkie-talkie in the world in 1940; hand-held AM SCR-536 radio that was vital to Allied communication in World War II; radio equipment for most NASA space-flights for decades beginning in 1958 with Explorer 1(the famous words of Neil Armstrong from the moon “one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind” were said on a Motorola transceiver in 1969); the world’s first large-screen portable transistorized cordless television; the world’s first commercial cellular device; and of course, the world’s first wireless cable modem gateway in 2002, among several other landmark achievements.

    With such seemingly unbeatable number of “firsts” recorded by Motorola, the company should top the list of the world’s leading companies, don’t you think? Well, that is where we are wrong. According to Forbes’ list of the “World’s Largest Companies 2016”, which measured companies based on revenue, profit, assets and market value, Motorola was not in the first 500. What could have caused the fall of such a great company? There may be several factors responsible for the company’s fall from prominence but here is a major one:

    First doesn’t mean best: it is a feat to pioneer development. It takes vision and foresight to conceive and execute ideas that others pass up as fantasies. It also requires preempting the future needs of customers. To pioneer means to think differently from competitors and to take risks while others are hiding in their safe zones. Though it also involves making mistakes that others get to learn from, which may be costly, it also helps that pioneer to own the process and determine the rules.

    In spite of all these glowing attributes of a pioneer, however, blazing the trail is only one side of the coin; the other side is to stay ahead in the process. Of what use is leading if the advantage is yielded to competition? Each time Motorola came up with a new invention, other companies followed suit. That wasn’t a bad thing. The problem came when those companies started to do it better. Hence, it is not good enough to be the first; you must remain the original and the best. Never wait too long on an achievement; always look out for the next big thing.

    I look forward to reading your stories of great successes and your comments.

    Share your views with me by visiting www.olanreamodu.com and following me on twitter @lanreamodu.

  • Freemuse promotes artistic freedom at Felabration

    Freemuse promotes artistic freedom at Felabration

    Freemuse, an international human right organisation advocating and defending artistic freedom, hosted a group of artists, Chicoco Sound Club, in Lagos, to promote Fela’s legacies at this year’s Felabration.

    The organisation, which has its Africa Office based at the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) in Lagos, was represented by the Regional Programme Officer for Africa, Ayodele Ganiu. According to Ganiu, Freemuse was at the 2017 edition of Felabration to support and encourage the Chicoco Sound Club in advancing artistic freedom of expression, a key legacy of the late Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti.

    Led by Mark LeVine, Chicoco Sound Club is a revolutionary collective of musicians, singers, rappers and DJs from the US, Europe, Mexico and Africa, based in the Orkika waterfront shanty in Port Harcourt at the Chicoco Media Centre. Joined together by a love of Fela Kuti and the Afrobeat he created, but steeped in the music of the Niger Delta, from traditional rhythms and dialects to the highlife created by the Delta’s favorite son, Cardinal Rex Jim Lawson, for the last three years these artists have reimagined and recreated Fela’s most important songs, including “Zombie,” “No Agreement,” “Lady,” “Coffin for Head of State” and “Shakara.” With grooves built around the original beats, bass, horn and guitar lines inflected by local styles and rhythms, and lyrics inspired by Fela but sung and rapped in local languages ranging from Arabic to Amazigh, Farsi to Tsotsil, the resulting songs remind a new generation that Fela’s genius and insights are as relevant today as they were two generations ago.

    The project began literally in a hail of tear gas and chants, during the Egyptian revolution of 2011-13, when Grammy winning guitarist and arranger Mark LeVine and Egyptian “Singer of the Revolution” Ramy Essam realised that Fela’s Zombie described the situation in Egypt today as well as it did Nigeria in Fela’s time. Revolutionary artists from Morocco, Syria, Egypt and Iran joined in, as did Seun Kuti, with the music performed by the Bologna-based Afrofunk group Voodoo Sound Club. So impressive was the energy and creativity of this song that the international artists’ rights organisation Freemuse chose it as the official song for International Music Freedom Day, 2016 and was performed at an historic show by many of the artists involved at the Music Freedom Day festival in Harstad, Norway. Next Malian supergroup Songhoy Blues, inspired by “Zombie,” did their own remake of “Shakara,” singing in Bambara and Touareg, with a blazing sax solo provided by Femi Kuti. Once again, “Shakara” was chosen as the official song for the 2017 International Music Freedom Day.

    LeVine met with the amazing young artists and activists of the Port Harcourt Okrika Waterfront and surrounding Niger Delta communities in his travels through the Delta. Inspired by the profound similarities of their experiences of oppression and dispossession and the Kalakuta-like struggles of the Chicoco community centre (built out of the ashes of the original neighbourhood, where 9,000 homes were destroyed by the government in a single day in 2009), the artists working with the centre immediately took up the challenge, recording a new version of “No Agreement” with lyrics dealing with the struggles of young women against sexism and harassment.

    This became the first collaboration of the “Sessions at the Shed” project, which brings well known artists to the Chicoco community centre to work with the young artists of the area. For their first performance at Felabration, Chicoco Sound Club is thrilled and honoured to be joined by Nigerian highlife singer Adekunle Gold and Ghanaian highlife and Afrobeat pioneer Ebo Taylor, one of Fela’s oldest friends and collaborators who first performed in Lagos half a century ago, as well as fellow Ghanaian seprewa and xylophone virtuoso Aaron Bebe Sukura.

    The performance at Felabration was made possible by the British Commonwealth Foundation, Amnesty International and Freemuse which have provided funding and other support for recording for this project and for travel and other expenses related to the performance at Felabration.

  • REPRONIG applauds ratification of copyright treaties

    Copyright advocacy group, the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG), has commended the Federal Government on the ratification of four copyright treaties.

    It praised FG’s deposit of instruments of ratification for four copyright treaties: the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT); the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT); the Beijing Treaty on audio-visual performances (Beijing Treaty), and the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled (Marrakesh Treaty).

    “We at REPRONIG, on  behalf of our members and the millions of authors and publishers that it represents, commend President Muhammadu Buhari, his Federal Executive Council and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN), for their commitment to the use of intellectual property as a tool of national development. We also laud the Nigerian Copyright Commission and its Director General, Mr. Afam Ezekude, for initiating the Copyright Reform programme that was launched in 2012.

    “In today’s knowledge and information driven society, most countries are paying closer attention to their knowledge capital. Nigerians have shown immense talents in virtually all aspects of the creative industries. Nollywood has become a global brand, providing employment and contributing significantly to the country’s GDP. Yet, the protection, administration and enforcement of rights remain weak due to the absence of appropriate legal frameworks. Internet piracy and digital downloads continue to pose real threat to authors and publishers while the job of enforcement agencies has been made more arduous.

    “Unlike other copyright treaties that are essentially norm setting, the Marrakesh Treaty deserves special mention, as it is the first treaty in the field of intellectual property that is dedicated to exceptions and limitations. It addresses the peculiar challenges faced by the blind, the visually impaired and the print disabled who often have to wait for longer to gain access to books and other print materials. Even where they do, the cost of access is exorbitant and outside the reach of the average student.

    “As a reproduction rights organisation dedicated to promoting access and rewarding authorship, REPRONIG is confident that the implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty will push back the book famine in Nigeria and ensure quality education for a large section of the society. It is our hope that Government will identify with the broader objectives of the Treaty and seize the opportunities offered under it to also address the infrastructure deficit in the education of the blind. “Urgent attention should be paid to the training of special education teachers for the blind and visually impaired. Federal, State and Local Governments should invest in the provision of Braille embossing machines, recorders, text-to-speech applications, and other modern cost-effective facilities that provide solutions to reading disabilities. With an estimated 4.25 million adults above 40 years either blind or visually impaired, it is imperative that Nigeria addresses the needs of the blind and visually impaired to enable them realise their full potentials and live normal lives like every other citizen.

    “While we commend Government for ratifying the four treaties, we know that the real gains can only be realized if their provisions are promptly domesticated and effectively implemented. There is therefore an urgent need to conclude work on the on-going process of amending the Nigerian Copyright Act. Fortunately, the Draft Copyright Bill, which has received impressive reviews from national and international stakeholder groups and experts, adequately conforms to Nigeria’s obligations under these treaties.

    “Finally, REPRONIG hereby calls on the Federal Government to consult with the dialogue with the Nigeria Association of the Blind and other stakeholders with a view to redesigning and equipping a section of the National Library in Abuja, when completed, to stock print materials in accessible formats for the use of persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled.”

     

    • Asein is executive director of REPRONIG
  • ‘Govt’s promise to fund libraries shouldn’t be mere rhetoric’

    ‘Govt’s promise to fund libraries shouldn’t be mere rhetoric’

    The President, Oduduwa University, Ile-Ife, Dr. Ramon Adedoyin, has called on the Federal Government to site a modern library in Osun State.

    The Ife high chief and educationist described library as an indispensable resource for any nation.

    Emphasising the importance of library, he said it is a centre for collection of information or similar resources, which is made accessible to a defined community for reference or borrowing.

    According to him, “before the digital technology age, a traditional library consisted a building, room(s) or virtual space(s), where a vast array of information resources are stored and accessed for study. In its simplicity, a library is a basic necessity for school and other educational institutions for the purpose of acquiring knowledge.”

    Adedoyin said effective and result-oriented school system always have libraries that house books, newspapers, periodicals, maps, films, prints, documents, CDs, cassettes, videotapes, DVDs, e-books, audio books and databases.

    The OUI chief commended  Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola over the renovation of dilapidated schools’ structures, and building of model schools to replace  older ones. “When I visited these new schools, they made sense to me.

    ‘’The governor has committed billions of naira to the Elementary and Middle School buildings that will accommodate 900 pupils, and the High School buildings which reportedly will also have capacity for 3,000 students. The state, we are also informed, will deliver a 100 of such buildings at the Elementary, 50 at the Middle, and 20 at the High school levels – making a total of 170 in all, in the governor’s tenure in office.”

    Adedoyin  is unhappy that only very few private schools maintain some semblance of good libraries. “Public libraries in schools, from federal to local governments have disappeared. In fact, the national library project is the most neglected project scheme in Nigeria,” Adedoyin said.

    He insisted that the government’s promise to fund libraries shouldn’t be mere rhetoric, considering that there had been similar impromptu promises that were not fulfilled. “Again, we would like to call on the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who promised the library revival project during the 2017 National Readership Promotion Campaign, organised by the National Library of Nigeria in Abuja, to be a promise keeper. Education is on the concurrent legislative list. And so, all the 36 states and 774 local governments that actually have more schools should not be left out. They should be reminded that without quality education, there will be no development on any fronts. They should therefore pay attention, not only to the equipment of libraries, but should also equip the schools and teachers to have an all-round development in education.

    “Education administrators and policy makers should also be more aware that traditional libraries, that greatly enriched our educational development years back, are not common anymore. But instead, what is in vogue is the development of virtual libraries known as e-libraries, which can be accessed from any locations through the Internet. Though, it is the direction the world is going and Nigeria should not be left out, but the traditional library should not go into oblivion, but be made to complement the modern technology. After all, it is said that, ‘a library is the great gymnasium where we go to make our minds strong’.

     

     

    But ultimately, there should be commitment to funding education in a radical manner that can deliver employable products of our schools for development,” Adedoyin added.

  • Media urged to drive urban agenda narratives

    Media urged to drive urban agenda narratives

    Following Habitat III, the United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, that took place in Quito Ecuador 2016, and the emerging need to further build the capacity of the media in reporting housing and sustainable urban development, the UN Information Centre (UNIC), Lagos, and the UN-Habitat Nigeria, organised a media workshop on Post-Habitat III Conference/New Urban Agenda.

    Speaking on the role of the media in the New Urban Agenda, the National Information Officer of UNIC, Oluseyi Soremekun, called on the media to drive the new narratives about urban development in Nigeria by getting acquainted with the New Urban Agenda (NUA) as well as relevant policies and plans of the government on housing and urban development.

    “If you are not conversant with the necessary NUA frameworks; the National Housing Policy as well as other National Plans, you cannot hold the government accountable to its commitment to a new urban agenda that will redress the way cities and human settlements are planned, financed, developed, governed and managed,” he noted.

    “Media should give prominence to issues of sustainable housing, urban development and slum upgrading,” Soremekun said. “Media should rise above sensationalising and politicising issues of urban development. Rather, they should interrogate the existing housing and urban development policy, and plan and juxtapose these with government actions.”

    The workshop held on Thursday, 26 October 2017, in Abuja, and attended by twenty-five participants from the media, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (FMPWH) and the UN system, was aimed at strengthening awareness among journalists and media professionals of the challenges of urbanisation and global efforts to address them, notably the outcomes of the Habitat III conference in Quito; developing the capacity of journalists to engage constructively with policy makers, professionals and government functionaries to actively follow-up on implementation of the New Urban Agenda; and facilitating citizens’ participation in the New Urban Agenda.

    In his presentation, the Program Manager of UN-Habitat Nigeria, Mr Kabir Yari explained that the New Urban Agenda is an action-oriented document which sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and live in cities through cooperation with all levels of government, relevant stakeholders, and other urban actors such as the private sector.

    He noted that the agenda also “provides the underpinning for actions to address climate change and reaffirms our global commitment to sustainable urban development as a critical step for realising sustainable development in an integrated and coordinated manner.”

    Mr Yari added that the shared vision and commitments include: “Cities and human settlements must be for every one; referred as the “right to the city”. It entails equal rights including the right to adequate housing; gender equality, basic urban services etc.; Urban equity and inclusiveness leaving no one behind and addressing issues of poverty, deprivation in cities, socio-economic and cultural diversity.”

    Discussing the Challenges and Response to Urbanisation in Nigeria, Mr Lana Olalekan of the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing (FMPWH), the Director of Urban & Regional Development (URD) Department of the ministry, Mr Chike Anikamadu, explained that: “Nigeria boasts of more than ten regional centres which have established status of ‘millionaire cities’. In addition, she has several other fast growing population centres which have assumed very strong urban identity due to administrative, commercial, ethnic, transport connectivity and other intrinsic peculiarities.”

    Mr Anikamadu noted that as urbanization creates hordes of cities and townships, several intimidating challenges of different shades follow in its wake. “Perhaps most significantly, urbanization has created a huge class of ‘urban poor’ who live in unimaginable conditions, abject misery and lack of basic necessities of life,” he added.

  • ‘Democracy can’t thrive without press freedom’

    ‘Democracy can’t thrive without press freedom’

    Democracy cannot thrive where there is no press freedom, United States Consul General in Nigeria, Mr F. John Bray, has said.

    According to him, the media is key to holding the government accountable and in setting public agenda.

    “We strongly believe that media freedom is vital to a thriving democracy,” he said.

    Bray, a former journalist-turned diplomat, spoke in Lagos during a two-day workshop for media practitioners.

    Its theme was: Basic tools for investigative journalism in the digital age.

    It was organised by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate and was facilitated by a Senior Investigative Analyst Jeffrey Young and Digital Managing Editor Kathleen Struck, both of the Voice of America (VOA) .

    Bray said: “As a former journalist, I understand that your work as a reporter carried a tremendous amount of responsibility.

    “As reporters, you aren’t just gathering and issuing reports. You set the public agenda by what you publish and the frequency with which you put out stories of social importance.

    “World over, journalists have used their craft to call government and corporations to account for wrongdoing, secret practices, and even corruption, often leading to reform.

    “Good journalism shapes public knowledge about key social issues. Doing this job effectively, in a fast-paced, technology-driven world requires cutting edge skills.”

    Bray, who has a Master of Science degree in Journalism from Northwestern University, said the U.S. Mission has funded training programmes for journalists on topics such as investigation, election reporting, and media ethics.

    “The US government is committed to initiatives that build media capacity in Nigeria. These workshops and US-based training opportunities such as the International Visitor Leadership Programme and other programmes demonstrate our commitment to deep partnership that we have long enjoyed with Nigeria,” he said.

    Participants, drawn from broadcast and print media organsations, were exposed to online tools that aid investigative journalism. They were taught data driven-journalism, use of social media platforms in news distribution, video editing, among others.

     

  • Foundation mentors artists on health

    Foundation mentors artists on health

    Art-based organisations have been asked to establish medical insurance scheme for artists.

    The need for the scheme and lifestyle and health management of artists came under the radar as the creative-driven non-profit organisation, Beyond Borders Artists Association of Nigeria (BBAAN) held a mentoring programme for artists in Lagos.

    At the one-day event, which had in attendance participants from across states, artists were advised to pay more attention to their health along with pursuing their passion and trade. The event, which was in collaboration with Omooba Yemisi Adedoyin Shyllon Art Foundation (OYASAF), featured diverse sessions by experts on health management; legal issues, particularly (copyright); and branding/marketing, etc.

    Recounting the unfortunate loss of some brilliant minds in the art sector, the founder of OYASAF), Prince Yemisi Shyllon, warned that death is not by age, while urging Nigerian artists to plan their health care early. According to Shyllon, who hosted the artists at OYASAF conference hall, health is “one area that is often overlooked by all, especially artists, yet it holds an important place in the pursuit of one’s career and calling.

    He said: “Health management is very essential to the progress of every aspect of life. It is one issue artists need to get right. I have lost my dear friends, uncles and brilliant minds, such as Rasheed Gbadamosi, Sam Olagbaju, Ben Osagie, to the cruel hands of death. Artists need to take health seriously by constantly going for medical check-up, even as they pursue their career.”

    For Mr Gabriel Esiegbuya of AXA Mansard Health Limited, health management holds a non-debatable place of importance in the overall wellbeing of the artist, hence should be given utmost attention so as to avoid complications. He enlightened participants on salient areas of health issues, encouraging art-based organisations to start a medical insurance scheme for artists. He said: “At AXA Mansard Health Limited, we believe that health is not just wealth but a wise decision.  To be a successful artist, you need to stay healthy. As an artist you spend hours drawing and painting in a still position. Soon there will be no flow of blood in your arms and legs; before long you may start experiencing the medical condition called “arthritis”, and wondering “How did this happen?”

    “Medically-speaking, there is no sickness that is hereditary. When it looks like heredity is when you make the same mistakes that your forefathers who had it made. Proper and conscious health care and management is meant to take care of such issues. And it is never too late to start.”

    A legal practitioner, who specialises in the corporate commercial law, Seun Aliu, spoke on the importance of an aspect of corporate commercial law – copyright. His presentation addressed the questions: “Why should you bother about copyright”; and “What happen when ones artwork is used for projects and commercial purposes without ones permission”.  She advised members to start the process of documenting and registering their artworks with the Nigeria copyright commission.

    According to BBAAN President, Clara Aden, the event, which was in its maiden edition, was aimed at empowering artists with the medical and legal knowledge to help in their artistic endeavour. “We aim to be the most active and effective group in Africa, adding value to our members and imparting lives in the society. This is the first of the series of the mentoring program that would cover many area of our artistic practices, ” she said

     

     

     

  • Teecoks writing contest calls for entries

    The Towunmi Coker Literary Initiative, organisers of Teecoks writing competition for secondary school pupils, is calling for entries in fiction and poetry for  this year’s edition.

    The theme of the competition is: “Flipping the scripts: An Unemployment story”.  Submission closes on Friday, November 10.

    Participants are expected to submit a creative work with a story focused on “turning the tide of unemployment” in not more than 1,000 words, and poetry in not more than 30 lines, according to the organiser. The prizes range from cash, tablet, novels to T-shirts.

    The initiative, founded by Dr. Towunmi Coker, is promoting the reading and writing culture among pupils.

    According to her, the desire for this came from her courage to continue to write after winning ANA/NECO (Association of Nigerian Authors/National Examination Council) 2007 prize as a secondary school pupil. She wanted other pupils who love to write not to stop, but develop their  flair for writing.

    Coker said: “The aim is to inspire, develop, promote and support pupils in  secondary schools who have a flair for writing and generally impact the environment through literature. It is driven towards promoting our own culture, reading and writing culture in our environment. The initiative began with Teecoks writing competition among secondary school students in Lagos State in 2013 which aims at improving the writing skills of the younger generation of Nigerians, their exposure to technology which can further equip them with modern skills of writing and introduce them to the world as young writers.

    ‘’This fifth edition, just like every competition, promises to be exciting. There is a school that would be willing to participate but don’t get a letter from TCLI can contact them through their website, phone numbers and social media platforms. All winners qualify for a writing masterclass from sparklewriters.Yetunde Sarumi Collection; an African inspired fashion clothing is also supporting this writing competition encouraging students that they can be whoever they want to be. Emphasising the importance of an education while pursing your passion and letting students know both is possible. YS and TCLI earlier in the year organised entrepreneurship seminars for schools were a good number of students got empowered.

    “It is an interesting competition, so if you love to write and you are a secondary school student, inform your schools and send your entries. Schools interested should also feel free to participate. Every participating school also gets something.”

     

     

  • Ima Ozun: Sustaining heritage

    One of the traditional burial rites performed in IhuIyase, a community in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State, before a burial takes place is called Ima Ozunin in Ika language and necromancy in English.

    The Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary defines burial as the act or ceremony of burying a dead body.Necromancy is also defined as the practice of claiming to communicate with the dead in order to predict or learn about the future.

    IhuIyase is a community made up of about eight villages under the Iyase known as chief Iyase of Agbor. The villages are: Alihame, Aliokpu, Aliagwa, AgborNta, Oki, Ewuru, Alihagu and IdumuOza. The people that make up the community are predominantly farmers, with some engaging in petty trading. The population is about a million people.

    Ima Ozun started in the community some decades ago when strange and mysterious deaths became rampant. Young men and women who were the future leaders continued to die while the aged lived longer. The fear of losing the future generation spurred the youth into confronting the elders on the unusual deaths in the land. It was as a result of the need to curb the incessant, controversial and mysterious deaths of the young people of the community that Ima Ozun was introduced. This was to enable the community ascertain the actual cause of death of her people. Ima Ozun means finding out the actual cause of death with the help of a magical herb called ‘Ama’. This leaf called ‘okor’(scarce) is only known to the restricted few who are supposed to know it. The leaf is kept a secret to avoid its being compromised by evil powers thereby retaining its potency.

    The IhuIyase community believes that for every death there is a cause either through sickness, accident or someone slept and did not wake up etc. It is as a result of the compelling need to find the cause of such deaths and put an end to it that Ima Ozun was conceived. When a member of the community dies, the family of the deceased informs the elders who in turn summon the people appointed for the Ima Ozun rites.

    The process begins by announcing the death of someone by the town crier. This is followed by immediate response from the Idumu (quarter) that prepares the corpse before the arrival of the elders of the village. This includes bathing, dressing and placing in a casket for adults and wrapping with a mat supported with wooden sticks which are held together with ropes in the case of children. It is pertinent to mention that the tradition does not allow for the depositing of a corpse in the mortuary and also keeping of corpse till the following day. Ima Ozun is done to everybody irrespective of age, title, or background and when a person dies, the body is brought home no matter the distance. It is believed that once the body is kept in the mortuary, it may not say the truth again. The witches also might have gone to the mortuary to spoil the body to prevent detection of the true cause of death and protect the member who might have been responsible. On their arrival, the men who are assigned the Ima Ozun role are given the approval to begin  the rites. The magical leaf (ama) is placed in the the casket and two men from the Idumu in the okwanta age group are called upon to carry the coffin. The two men are then administered an oath to be impartial in the performance of the assignment, that they will only do according to the dictates of the corpse. At this point, members of the deceased family, irrespective of age or rank, are required to come out while all the women present are ordered to remove their head gears and shoes. In the same manner, the men are ordered to remove their caps. This is done as a result of the traditional belief that witches may hide their powers inside their shoes, head gears or caps. Nobody is allowed to stay inside in the house.

    When the casket is placed on the heads of the selected men, the men in charge of the Ima Ozun will make a circle on the wall with nzun (native chalk) where thebodyis supposed to hit in response to the questions that would be asked. They now continue with the rites by calling out the native names of the deceased e.g Ozugbo, this is then followed with the question. The first question normally, is: “Ozugbo, if your death is natural, you lived up to the age you were appointed to live indicate by hitting the marked circle”. If the corpse says no, it is indicated by vigorously shaking of the casket. They now proceed to the next question which is: “Ozugbo, if you were a witch and that is why the gods have brought your life to an abrupt end, hit the marked spot for all to see”. If it says no, the third question would then be asked. The corpse would be asked if he was killed by a witch. If it says yes by hitting the marked spot three times, the next question would be; “this witch that is responsible for your death, is it a male or female?” When the answer is given, it is followed with another question which is: “this female witch is she from your Idumu?” If the answer is “yes”, the next question would be; “this witch is she from your family?” If she is from the family, the elders will direct the corpse to be put down.

    At this point, consultations are made among the family members. All the female in the house are brought out and made to inquire from the corpse one after the other if she is the one responsible for the death. The one responsible is hit several times by the body and the watching crowd would boo her. Once she is identified, she would be asked to confess and thereafter appease the land which she polluted. It is also believed that only one person does not kill. The identified witch is made to identify her accomplices who are then made to point to where their charms are buried. The charms are then exhumed by the native doctors and neutralised. Once this is done they lose their power to kill.

    There was a period when soldierswere invited to drill and beat witches who were identified through Ima Ozun.

    In IhuIyase, the tradition of Ima Ozun, brought about significant reduction in the death rate of youths as no family wanted to be disgraced. However, the tradition also faced some credibility issues. Aggrieved families believed that the decisions were manipulated by the two men who were made to carry the coffin. In fact some of them faced a lot of insults which at times result in keeping malice with the aggrieved families.

    The tradition is also facing a lot of criticisms from the Christians who regard the Ima Ozun as fetish and magical which is against the teachings of Christ. They contend that necromancy is used as ultimate form of oracle consultation and divinity which should not be practised by Christians. This has polarised the IhuIyase community. The Ima Ozun tradition is gradually dying as a result of “clash of cultures” between the Christians and the traditionalists. Many have abandoned the practice and instead embraced the blind burial of members of their families who do not want the practice to be carried out on their deceased member. Such bodies were taken to the evil forest for burial but with the passage of time and more people embracing Christianity, the tradition is dying very fast and corpses are allowed to be buried at home on the payment of heavy fines.

    The corpses whose families refuse to pay the prescribed refuse to pay the prescribed fines are refused burial on IhuIyase

     

    • Mrs Okoh is of National Museum, Abuja
  • Encomiums as Korode presents book

    Encomiums as Korode presents book

    The General Leader of the Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church, Surulere District in Lagos, Prophet Funsho Korode, was overwhelmed with a stream of encomiums as a biography on his professional and spiritual voyage was presented at the Eko FM Marquee, Agindingbi.

    The book captioned Prophet Funsho Korode: The Glorious Narrative of A Quintessential Seraph drew the attention of former Ogun State Deputy Governor Segun Adesegun and the Elerinmo of Erinmo Ijesha, Oba Michael Ajayi among other dignitaries.

    Adesegun, who was the special guest of honour, described Korode as one of the few whose service to God is not centred on pecuniary gains or obsession for a leadership office.

    He observed that the life and content of Korode’s character epitomises godly values essential for enhancing the Cherubim and Seraphim frontiers.

    ‘’After the departure of the uncommon General leader, G. O. Fakeye, I said to myself that now we are going to see the real story about churches in Nigeria. Because there are some churches when their leaders depart, it is on the pages of newspapers like the primaries of we politicians. But surprising and smoothly a new leader emerged. I see you as what a prophet of God should be. You do all things not for the purpose of money making, not for foreign exchange or anyone to eulogise you but to honour your God and that is why I am so happy to be with you today. From what we have seen today, prophets prophesy for the sake of making money.” he said.

    On his part, Oba Ajayi described his spiritual rise as one preordained by God to elevate the church to another dimension of anointing.

    He emphasised the need for people to reflect on lives and times of remarkable leaders through study of their biographies, noting the harbour relevant lessons for future decisions.

    He said: “The reason why young people should read biographies, memoirs and diaries is because they provide the most valuable lessons in life. Every life has a beginning, middle and an end and how one has lived one’s life should be of great interest to those who are still at the beginning. As Christians, aside from the spirituality of the Bible, the Bible remains our primary source of biographical stories. Who can forget the lives of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Paul, and the life of God on earth, Jesus Christ? Looking at someone, such as Baba Korode, you can say he is a man of God stepping into the shoes that God has anointed for him to take this ministry to another height which is what has happened today.”

    The book’s foreword was written by the Vice Chancellor of Ajayi Crowther University,  Prof Folorunsho Dapo Asaju.

    Reviewing the 10-chapter compendium  Prof Wole Atere, said the book captures the transition of the prophet from an Anglican Christian dynasty to Cherubim and Seraphim setting following a contact with Prophet G.O. Fakeye.

    He added that both had a father son relationship, stating that: “He was born into a Christian Dynasty, who were forebears of true practice of Christianity and were prominently attached to the Christian Missionary Society in the olden days. He came from a background that is linked to Anglican Church. His Zaria’s experience brought him in contact with giants of Cherubim and Seraphim, such as Pa Gabriel Fakeye and Prophet Ayelusi whom he met through his brother. His primary days were an opportunity for training in leadership, seminars, choir ministrations and prophetic deals. As part of his tutelage SFK occupied some positions as elder, a member of the ecclesiastical council and Choir master for 40 years.”