The Nation Newspaper

Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

  • Head Start School wins Peak Art Challenge

    Head Start School wins Peak Art Challenge

    Head Start Private School, Ire-Akari, Isolo, Lagos has won the 2015 Peak Milk Vision Nigeria Art Challenge for schools. It beat nine others to win a cash prize of N250,000;  Deby Link Nursery and Primary School and Well Spring College got  N150,000 and N100,000 for coming second and third. The 62 schools which participated got N50,000 each as consolation prize, each of the 10 teachers that represented the top 10 schools got a Galaxy tab.

    The art competition,  held at the University of Lagos Sport Complex, was organised by Peak Milk to help pupils  create mind-blowing innovations from scraps, such as Peak cans, tins and sachets.

    Marketing Director, Friesland Campina WAMCO Mr Tarang Gupta  described the children as the future leaders, adding that more of Peak Milk would help them achieve their dreams.

    He said “Dream for your future, peak will also be there”.

    Head Start  won with an entry that captures a beautiful space station made out of Peak cans, tins and sachets.

    According to the art teacher of Head Start, Mr Solomon Amu, who represented the school, the choice of a space station was to look into the future of the country.  “We see Nigeria in years to come have a space station of its own since the developed world they have their own, we now thought of an idea, that we needed it, that we can go and see the galaxy of various planets, and they would like a station like this to be in Nigeria for them to go for vacation,” he said.

     He said it took his pupils three weeks to create the art work, noting that this is the first time the school is coming first  in an art competition in the state.

  • ‘Buhari’s victory is like I won the Grammy’

    ‘Buhari’s victory is like I won the Grammy’

    Ojetayo Oluwadamilare  a.k.a Ajakaye in the music world, hails from Oke-Igbo in Ondo State.A graduate of the College of Agriculture in Lafia, Nasarawa State, he is the brain behind ‘the Sai Buhari’theme song. In an interview with DAMISI OJO, the celebrated song writer and composer seeks compensation for his initiative from APC leaders and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He answers Ojetayo Oluwadamilare but his stage name is “Ajakaye,” which signifies the philosophy to use  his musical talent to globally win any war.Today,Ajakaye’s name is making waves as a politically-conscious Nigerian song writer, artiste and musician.

    How did you become a musician in spite of your career as an agriculturist?

    Like every other African child with various potential, and as a toddler then,I was told how I started responding to anything with sound and music orientation,and my parents also told me that the music craft is a talent that runs in the blood of every Oje(member of the masquerade society).This potential developed in me and continue to grow and overshadow all other potentials embedded in me.

    What prompted your linkage with the “Sai Buhari” theme song?

    That theme song is just my own way of thinking aloud and making my own artistic and critical contribution to positively impact on Nigeria.But as one of those Nigerian youths affected adversely by the mal-administration, mis-governance, ineptitude, corruption and political hostilities of the ruling PDP stakeholders in the past 16 years, I had  to do a clinical appraisal of the political situation and come up with that rendition.The Sai-Baba theme song was produced by the same Paul Runz and it was released on House-2 Entertainment Recording label. The man is today Nigerian’s oldest Hip Hop Artiste with stage name Dibio Dombolo.

    What other impact do you think “Sai Buhari” song has on the APC campaign?

    I can authoritatively tell you that in showbiz attainment and in the socio-political history of Nigeria,no political theme song has received such unprecedented admirers like the Sai Buhari song has. Even,the MKO Hope’93 theme song cannot match  it.The APC 2015 Presidential theme song officially released on-line in early November but became a hit and went viral immediately it was released on-line on Saturday, November 22,2014 by Naija loud speaker.com(NLS).This was preceded by another on-line review done on the www.abdusidiqu.com where the song was given serious review and attention as the writer predicted the viral effect the song will have in due course.The page has 36 tweets,50 Fb likes while it reached their 8,495 fb fans and 2,771 twitter followers simultaneously. Even,the selective and highly controversial Sahara Reporter.com could not overlook the creativity package, the ideological work,posted it and it also nearly shut down their site as the song received over 2003 likes and over 708 comments.

    With your successful outing,there is no doubt that APC leaders would have rewarded your robust initiative,let us know your gains.

    No compensation at all yet.The only thing the song has done for me is increasing my adrenalin in form of threats from the PDP supporters who at every opportunity tried to scare me,my family members and fans over the Sai-Buhari Theme song.The glory and fame that were expected to have been associated with that effort had also increased their envy.Let me state it here that the PDP supporters in the corporate world have been threatening me with fire and brimstone that if Gen.Muhammadu Buhari lost the election that would be the end of my musical career.So,you can see that the success recorded by Buhari/Osinbajo as President-elect and Vice-President elect is like I have won the prestigious Grammy and AMAA awards combined.

    Are you saying APC leaders are yet to recognise you for your musical exploits on the victory of Buhari?

    Yes,I can say it boldly that APC has not compensated me on Sai-Buhari Theme song.As you said,settling and acknowledgement are in relative terms.The only thing I am so happy about is that the song has continued to increase my physical and on-line rating as one of the best writers,a notable singer and performer in Nigeria. While I was toiling day and night to write and produce the song,some reactionary forces within the APC rank and file tried all they could to frustrate my efforts,but to God be the glory, it was a successful outing.

    What efforts have you made to seek relevance and get APC leaders to appreciate you?

    I have made frantic efforts to see the Ondo State Chairman of the APC,Isaac Kekemeke, who tried his best as a follow-up to the songs I composed for Mr Rotimi Akeredolu,during the 2012 governorship campaign under the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN).I also met the articulate spokesman of the APC,Alhaji Lai Mohammed whose promises I am still awaiting.Alhaji Mohammed exchanged his e-mail contact with me when I contacted him on phone.He spoke like a father to me for over 10 minutes and gave assurances that I will be rewarded as soon as possible.I also contacted APC leaders like Governor Rauf Aregbesola and Hon Bola Ilori. I have no doubt that these men of integrity will look into my case.

    What do you actually want from the APC now?

    The joy of every artiste is to be paid gratification for his musical exploits.I want the APC leaders to allow me perform on stage for the President-elect,Gen Buhari during his inauguration in Abuja on May 29.They can do me this favour since I was not allowed to be on the national campaign tour of Buhari/Osinbajo when it lasted,though my songs were blasted by different Deejays on their gramophone nationwide.I believe I deserve the recognition and reward.

     

  • Honour for ex-journalist

    Honour for ex-journalist

    The  select audience members were  drawn mainly from the academia.  And they belong to the same genre of the art-theatre. The mood at the Main Auditorium of Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State revealed the essence of the gathering – a celebration of service to humanity and marital bliss.

    It was a gathering in honour of the former Arts Editor, The Sun  and lecturer at the university, Mr Sola Balogun, who clocked 50. He was also celebrating 20 years of marital bliss.

    Expectedly, students of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts  performed Withered Seed, a play written by Sola Balogun, which uses the themes of love, tolerance in marriage, unity and peace to dramatise the current security challenges facing in the country, where the Boko Haram insurgents have used bombings to cause panic in northern Nigeria.

    But the Executive Secretary, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, described Balogun as a Nigerian whose commitment and determination to contribute to the development of Nigerian culture made him a successful culture journalist.

    He described Balogun as a versatile arts and culture journalist who rose through the ranks to become Arts Editor before moving over to academics.

    Ayakoroma said through his reportorial and editorial abilities, Balogun had contributed immensely to the Nigerian literary scene just as he did the culture sector.

    “I have known Sola Balogun (SB) for a very long time. He has this love towards arts and culture. I taught him in his second year in the Department of Theatre Arts, at the University of Ibadan. Then, as an arts and culture journalist in Nigeria, I followed up on his career. He is a good writer; he has determination to succeed in whatever he does; it reflects in his stories on arts and culture.

    “He is into advocacy and developmental journalism. I recall that when I was in charge of Bayelsa State Arts Council, we depended on Sola Balogun (and Patrick Nwagbo Obi), to see our news stories in various print media. With this, I can say without equivocation that, Balogun has contributed immensely to the growth of the Nigerian arts and culture sector. Furthermore, as an arts editor in The Sun Newspaper, he contributed invaluably to the growth of those who worked under him.”

    Continuing, he said: “Now that he is in academics, he is also doing very well. This is obvious in his play, “Withered Seed” that was staged as part of the birthday event. I want to congratulate the students for such a fine performance. You have celebrated the birthday, as far as I am concerned.”

    The event was attended by the Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Bakare Ojo Rasaki; Prof Bayo Oloyode, Pastor Chukwuemeka Eze, Dr. ‘Bifatife Olufemi Adeseye among others.

     

  • Rélè Gallery hosts Strip

    Lagos’ new art destination, the Rélè Gallery, has unveiled its fourth exhibition of modern and contemporary art entitled Strip.

    Strip is an investigation of the human anatomy, according to the gallery. The exhibition was a termed collection of nude art by a vibrant group of artists – Kelechi Amadi-Obi, Reze Bonna, Ayoola, Ibe Ananaba, Isaac Emopkae, Logor and Toyosi Kekere-Ekun.

    The exhibition, which is in various exciting mediums, such as plexiglas and photography on aluminium, attempts to provoke keen engagement, deconstruct myths and truths of power, shame, freedom, beauty and the different shades of attendant feelings that accompany an encounter with a naked body.

    The art show, which sponsored by foremost champagne house, Laurent-Perrier Champagne, curated by art/culture writer, Ayodeji Rotinwa and broadcaster/culture savant, Wana Udobang.

    Guests in attendance enjoyed glasses of Laurent-Perrier’s impressive range of Champagne (the Brut, Demi-Sac and Rose) as they took in the art on display. The exhibition was a curatorial debut for both Rotinwa and Udobang; and was praised for its triumphant start by guests in attendance made up of Lagos’s collectors, art enthusiasts, captains of industry, the lifestyle industry and social media influencers.

    Strip will run till this Sunday at the gallery opened for four months ago and has continued to garner accolades for its accessible and edgy exhibitions.

  • Policing Nigeria

    Policing Nigeria

    My brief is to introduce you to this compendium of 21 well researched book by scholars and experts from a wide range of discipline- law, criminology, security, history, law enforcement, counseling and general administration. These experts have, in concise manner, presented in 21 chapters different issues that reflect as well as capture the title of the book: Policing and        Crime Preservation in Nigeria.

    Today in Nigeria, few issues are as topical as those dealing with crime preservation and control. In fact, never a time in the history of this country, have we had the present level of insecurity kidnapping, insurgency, ethnic conflicts and robberies, among many others. With these myriads of security challenges, we are compelled to find solutions with the sole aim of solving them.  Among these solutions, one can identify the need for effective and efficient policing. This, the book describes as the bedrock of productive law enforcement. This book is therefore a modest contribution by the authors towards this effort.

    On the basis of the foregoing, the authors have endeavoured to explore the subject by hinging the work on three critical assumptions:

    First, policing is a necessary and inevitable aspect of modest society. The second assumption rests on the question of whether it is possible to have a police service that is modern, proactive and impactful in law enforcement. On the last and final assumption, the book has attempted to make suggestions which the authors strongly believe will help policing and crime prevention. In dealing with these issues, seriatim, I choose to address them under the following relevant aspects.

    On the issue of inevitability of policing modern society, the authors have argued that no modern society can exist without an efficient policing system. Policing is seen as a sine qua non for peace and the authors discussed the need to redirect the role and structure of the police, in particular the Nigeria Police Force, along the lines of modern professional policing paradigm for more impactful law enforcement. In the word of the lead editor:

    Whichever way we look at it, policing is important but telling career, full of toils and thanklessness. People find it so easy to derogate the police. This has been so even from the earliest times. The extent of police derogation is often expressed in all manner of nicknames given them by members of the public across the world. While some refer to them as vultures, olopa, flatfoots, yansanda, Babylon, bastards and lawdogs, the more nasty persons call them dicks, titheads, khaki, men in black, bloodgang, old bills, blue locust and drones, etc. Most of these appellations express dislike. But can we, for one second, imagine what our society will be like without the police. Of course there would be monumental anarchy.

    There is no doubt that most of these appellations express dislike, but despite this, the million dollar question pops up: “can we, for one second, imagine what our society will be like without the police. Of course there would be monumental chaos”, stated Bassey the lead editor.

    To the second assumption: it is possible to have a police service that is modern, proactive and impactful in law enforcement. In addressing the issue of the kind of policing we need, the need to redirect the role and structure of the police as discussed, in particular the Nigeria Police Force, along the line of modern, proactive and technologically driven. It argues strongly that the police must imbibe the culture of accountability and transparency, and more importantly in the case of Nigeria with more than 250 ethnic groups, effective policing system must recognise and take into account our straddled ethnic mores and peculiarities. The community, the book insists, must be made to buy into it.

    On the last and final assumption: the book has attempted to make suggestions which are strongly believed will help improve policing and crime prevention. These suggestions include:

    i. The need to put enlightenment programmes in place to educate the people or populace about ethics underling policing principle and practice.

    ii.The need for NPF to improve its management style, equipment and funding packages.

    iii. The need to bolster the morale of personnel of the force through the introduction of life insurance covers for police personnel.

    iv. Need for enhanced income, operational incentives disability benefits and recruitment entitlement.

    v. To check the level of police performance, an independent statistical evaluation of the NPF in crime prevention through crime survey needs to be introduced. This survey will provide an objective change to judge the police/law enforcement performance and change public perspective.

    This work certainly evidence ingenuity, organisational ability and a simple to read approach. Aside from the language and style of writing which is quite lucid, I am impressed with the thematic approach the editors have adopted in the treatment or discussion of the issues in focus. Right from the first to the fifth chapters, attempts were made to give us an insight into the origin, development and theoretical basis of the subject matter. Indeed, the evolution of the police force in Nigeria as well as the emergence of new crimes have been elaborately dealt with in these chapters.

    The next thematic approach is that which deals with uses of internal security concerns. In chaptersseven to nine, the entire fields of militancy, amnesty and peace in the Niger Delta as well as general issues of internal insurgency and national security have been handled with such panache and competence by the various contributors. Interestingly, specific attention is also paid to matters of policing internal conflicts.

    Another issue that has adequately been dealt with by the contributors is policing within the socio-economic relationship/human rights. –Chapters 10-17 cover issues of Peace, Youth, Spousal Violence against Women in Nigeria, Economic and Financial Crimes and Asset Tracing.

    Finally, there is the international dimension of policing that is treated under the topic ‘The police and peace-keeping operation’ by Dr. Okom in chapter 18 of the book. The last three chapters of the book, to wit: chapter 19, 20 and 21 deal with such key issues, Socio-situational Crime Prevention, Crime Information Management and Police and the Reintegration of Offenders in Society.

    Need I say more? The articles in this work are scholarly, characterised by intellectual depth and mind-stirring analysis and evocative arguments. Therefore, buying this book or keeping a copy will give you more than your money’s worth. The prints are good and readable. It is also in soft and hard cover. However, It is my considered view, indeed my suggestion, that the editors should make available to the reading public an e-version of this book. Furthermore, it is my hope and wish that at the next lunch of the revised edition of this book, the issue of state police should come up for discussion.

    I am honoured to recommend this book to you for your general reading and intellectual growth. For the lovers of Nigeria, this book is a must read.

  • Hellish Vortexes of life’s battles

    Hellish Vortexes of life’s battles

    When the sun fails to shine and there is drought at the same time, then it becomes obvious that one could die of thirst while never witnessing the warmth of the elements. This expression aptly describes the repeated challenges which resulted in deciding fates between moving forward or giving it all up.

    Michael Afenfia has put before his readers rhetoric that in this wise would attract countless answers; but how could one put to realistic use all of what the author has allowed his characters unravel when the hope that hitherto shimmers suddenly gets beclouded by the palpitations of gloom.

    Bubaraye Dabowei is the typical example of breaking free from the distasteful shackle of broken homes which is often synonymous with failure. His attitude makes him basks in existential advantages by believing in the scientific application of positivity of practice. This deals with bracing the odds of his parents’ separation and leveraging the gift that the heavens complemented him with on his journey to earth; he, dexterous in the round leather game rose to fame and fortune  first with Coach Belema McKay in Sharks of Port Harcourt and later at Tottenham Hotspur in England where he blossomed under the tutelage of Bryant Stewart. His is the typical story of grass to the lush meadow as regards success in England, becoming the cynosure of the passionate North London supporters and the darling football followers back home in Nigeria.

    The story of life’s delightful privileges may be told in half but then from the southern part of Africa comes Nikiwe Dlomo, a South African raised in London, whose meeting with Bubaraye Dabowei at first held the promise of a relationship that would survive until one could say no more; but whilst the star footballer thought he was done with the pains and misery that his late mother went through with his father,  he in fact sweetly walked into a whirlpool of the sort, with his eyes open but the mechanism of his perceptive abilities evidently dysfunctional.

    Conflict levels are always varied but when the duel being described is at the level of man against man, but attaining a god-man dimension then it calls for worry. A home divided against itself would fall no matter how long it is patched or padded. Such is the unravelling of the truth in the test of a couple’s character. Sweet was the song for the star footballer and his wife, the former Miss South Africa until her husband suffered a terrible injury. On a day that was meant to be the highlight of his career, having scored a great goal for his club against a Fredric Wood bridge handled Manchester United side. Bubaraye jumped into the crowd of cheery supporters only to wake to a dislocated hip and a definite end to a long-pursued dream. Hell was not let loose but the weighty impact of hades came crashing on the shoulders of the Dabowei’s leading to misery, secrets and mysteries of the human kind.

    Nikiwe could not forever basks in the euphoria of a successful husband and now that football was a no-no, her career MUST be a yes-yes, afterall she was the toast of the modelling circle and can still hold her own to a great extent. A mother of an adorable son –Sylvester – and manager of a home that cannot and should not fail, Nikiwe came up with ways of being useful to herself and her family. So she thought at first until her husband wanted none of a wife that would waltz tirelessly before cameras, while jeopardizing the sacredness of their home to some money spinning unrealities on reality shows.

    The desperation that comes with wanting a career so bad plunges Nikiwe into an adulterous affair with Nareej Praat, who is a subtle predator on willing preys. The colossal disappointment arising from not having her desires resulted in her frustrated resolve and return to Nigeria with her husband – Bubaraye.

    The psychological battle of the human mind has been given a commendable searchlight here. When one meets a brick wall having done everything one could, the quality of resilience could weaken while other distasteful options could be explored and dent to the psyche become several-pronged. Nikiwe battles the end to her husband’s career, struggles with her getting back on the career path, the unpredictable future and the loss of a once energetic and loving husband. On the other hand, Bubaraye is in fisticuffs with depression and all other negative emotions arising from an irreversible end to his career.

    In Lagos, Kemesese may have the privilege of a stable family, but the instabilities arising from a father who is too authoritarian creates chasm. Reverend Onari D’aziba and his wife, Maria D,aziba are clergy fellows who had their hopes dashed when their son chose football rather than the path of the chosen by his parents on a full time scale. The fact that he got a girl got pregnant when he could hardly feed himself meant he had crossed the momentary Rubicon of reconciliation with his parents.

    When kettle calls pot black, it is expected that the former is free of charcoal but Reverend D’Aziba may have a bigger mole in need of cleansing. He covered every track of his son’s misdemeanour, while warning all present to keep their mouths shut on the and away from members of his congregation. The didactic impact of this juncture is that humans are fallible and true to whom they are as just human beings. Kemesese leaves home, his pregnant girlfriend was packaged away to the Gambia while the waters appeared calm, but only for that temporary moment that truth could be kept under wraps.

    Michael Afenfia in this work explores the permanence of vicissitudes in human life and the challenges of managing these brick walls when it rears its head.  The error of repeated chasms in human relationships could well be described as a function of our many indiscretions couple with the hand of a superior force that prompts the several questions which may not be answered about the divergent convolutions in which human beings are found.

    Kemesese as a prodigal son later returns home to his parents, while Bubaraye is forced home with his family to Nigeria as well having been injured while playing in London. Time and chance bring both of them together and fortune smiles equally, affording its share of benevolence on the mentor Bubaraye and his mentee Sese, the latter having joined forces with the Lagoon Liners Football Club of Lagos.

     

     

  • ‘I bought my first camera with my wife’s school fees’

    ‘I bought my first camera with my wife’s school fees’

    Lukman Olaonipekun, popularly known as Lukesh, is the official and personal photographer of Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola. He is a documentary photographer, whose works remind the political class of their responsibility to the people. This photo-historian, who is holding a solo exhibition, Eyes of History, and unveiling a book today in Lagos, advocates the establishment of a photography archive department. In this chat with Evelyn Osagie, Lukesh speaks on his works on the governor, among other issues.

    How did you become the governor’s personal photographer; did you know him before he ran for the post?

    I have never met him until late 2006. The first day I was invited to meet with him, I did not want to go because his campaign manager who asked me to come owed me money. But when I met the governor during the campaign I was impressed at the way he was answering people’s questions. That was how we started. I don’t know why he employed me though. I was not the only one. I was told that politicians don’t fulfil their promises. I remember during the campaign, he’d told me when he becomes governor he would send me to study more on photography and he did. He sent me to the London School of Photography.

    What has eight years with Fashola taught you?

    To be more hardworking, diligent and the reward for hard work is more work.

    How is it like working with him for eight years?

    Working with Governor Fashola has been a very big task. You have to be on your toes, creative and, at times, think like him. He expects you to think the way he is thinking. I have never had vacation since I started working – we work every day, at times on Sunday, you can go for five events. The first term was the toughest to cope, because one was always expected to be on ground. But by the second term, I had got used to the job.

    How did your wife take your having to work seven days a week?

    I must be honest, it wasn’t easy. Any opportunity I have I always ensure I spend it with my family. Anytime the governor shuts down to treat files in the office, I make sure I go home every day to sleep. I spend six to seven hours every day with my wife and children.

    What do you like about your boss?

    I like his humour. And that is the most difficult thing for me to document on camera. I also like the way he speaks with passion. Whenever he speaks, one can see he is really hungry for change. Governor Fashola is down to earth, honest, hardworking and disciplined. I call him ‘Mr No Nonsense’. During my service with him, I got three suspensions. You can’t find ‘No’ in his dictionary. Being the way he is has really helped me to be more hardworking and more creative: now I do more research into my field – photography.  I now have a desire to learn more and develop myself more. I also call him ‘an unusual politician who has fuelled my love through his unusual and honest politics’

    Why call him ‘unusual’?

    From the start, he is unusual because he goes around Lagos without siren: he told his drivers the day he finds them using siren, they would be sacked. He is the first governor to make his direct line public; and people call and send him text and he picks and responds instantly, except he is busy.

    Has he changed from the kind of person he was before he became governor?

    That man can’t change.

    You have seen him in moments many never saw him in, what were your best moments with him?

    Indeed, I have seen him in various moments – sad, happy, under pressure and angry. I am Governor Fashola’s shadow. I move and work with him and sometimes, he forgets I am inside the meeting. I have very unique shots of him like when he was sleeping inside the bus during one inspection period in Ikorodu. He never tell me, not to take a shot but would rather say, ‘won’t you take that picture now, you might not be able to get it again’.

    However, my best moment with him was during the Ebola period, which was very challenging. I lost count of how many meetings we had. I was touched and surprised when he visited the Ebola victims. He could not even tell us the day he was going to visit the site so that he won’t scare us. (cries). He is a great guy. And I can tell you he loves Lagos and Nigeria and always want to do something to make them happy. There were also times we went for inspection and he’d tell the contractor to promise publicly that the project would be completed as at when due. Those were my best moments. At some point, seeing the challenges in front of him, I wondered why he became the governor, but he just have to decide. And in the kind of country we are, people hardly believe anyone even when one is trying to kill his or herself, until one dies before they’d believe.

    What was your worst moment with him?

    The only worst moment was during campaign period in 2006. I was having family financial challenges because I had worked for eight months without salary and I’m married with two children. I didn’t like that and thought of quitting. I am happy I didn’t.

    When was the peak of your career with him?

    The peak of my career with him was two years into his administration, when some of my old friends started calling me and searching me out on Facebook because I was with the governor. When we were at Aso Rock and the security said I should not go in and he said if they don’t allow me in he will turn back. That was when I first realised the power of photography. All that would never have happened but for the camera and my position as his personal photographer. That is why it pained me at times when I remember my late dad.

    Why?

    He wanted me to be a medical doctor even while I was studying accounting. But I said I love photography. I would have loved  him to see what God has done for me. Whenever I think of it, it always brings tears to my eyes. Through photography, I have been to different  countries and I have met with  so many world leaders. I am also inspired by my lovely wife, Remi. I got my first camera with her school fees. I am also inspired by my parents and  people like the governor, Tam Fiofori, Dapo Olorunyomi and Olasupo Shasore.

    What inspires your lens?

    I am inspired by different happenings around me. I tried to use my photography eyes to capture diverse moment of history. When one misses a shot, he/she may not be able to get that same shot ever that is what motivates me to shoot.

    How would you describe your style of photography?

    I think I have issues with this thing called ‘style’. I love to take pictures the way I see it. I am a documentary photographer with a difference, in the sense that I exhibit what we can call political photography with the mind of bringing out who the politician is, should be and the kind of work he has done and should do.

    I am an historian. Through my study of photography books, I have sharpen my brain and seen how photographers document world leaders and used photography to change the world. I am motivated to document for archive sake the period between 2007 till date as personal photographer to Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola from 2007 to 2015. I have noticed that there is no photography archive in Nigeria. Its relevance to the development of any nation is what inspires my exhibitions and books. It is what made me set out to do this second book, Fashola Years, a photo book that is that could serve as the governor’s scorecard and permanent documentation of his administration. It would serve as a handbook of a sort for people that would be governing this state in many years to come to see in pictorial form what their predecessor did while in office. Besides images, it has fact and figures of his work in the state.  I’ll be formally unveiling today.

    What is the unique blend that this exhibition is offering guests?

    Documentation is wide. It depends on what one is documenting. In Lagos: Being and Becoming, I exhibited 23 images. This time around I would be exhibiting 40 images carefully selected by my curator, Tam Fiofori, a great icon in the industry. This time I’ll be showing the world my skills as a photo-artist. The exhibition, entitled Eyes of History, is meant to present my documentation of history through the eyes of my lens. There is a photograph of the governor greeting a small boy; in the future that boy would cherish that photograph for many years to come. It is also meant to show that my photography skill goes beyond documenting the governor.  So you’d see my landscape, aerial view shots, nature, lightings, contrast, etc.

    Is this your first exhibition?

    No. I have had four solo exhibitions. In 2009, there was Then and Now in which I exhibited my images on Lagos in 2007 when Fashola started and those of 2009 for people to see and compare. In 2013, I held My Contract with Lagos, which wasinspired by a pamphlet, entitled My Contract with Lagos, containing the governor plans for Lagos distributed during his campaign period. I knew we were getting to 2015 when another administration would be taking over, I thought of showing Lagosians how far he has come to keeping real his promises made in 2007. It was meant to remind Lagosians and the governor of the promises made so that he can sit back and reflect on whether he is on the right track or not.

    Lagos Being and Becoming was also in 2013 was the third. This is my fourth. Early in the year, I was part of a group exhibition, Lagos: Hope and Hussle.

    How many images do you have in your collection?

    From 2007 till date I have six million images. I take about 500 images per day and when we have a state functions I can shoot 4000 images. During the governor’s father’s burial, I shot 8000 images.

    So what will happen to those pictures?

    That is why I said we need a proper archive where pictures like the ones I have taken can be donated and future generation and tomorrow’s leaders can go and see what history on the go on lens.

    What was it in your childhood that prepared you for the man you became?

    I am from Oyo State. I grew up in Lagos, Mushin to be precise. I didn’t then that I would one day be a photographer. As the only son of my mother, I knew I need to sit up. As a child I love being creative and doing things with my hands. And whatever I put my mind to learn, I learn it and become the best in it. So when I decided to go into photography, I was determined to give it my best to the point where I abandoned accounting for photography. And I have never regretted toeing that path.

    Have you always been a photographer?

    No, I started photography when I was in school during my ND programme. As a campus photographer then I used to snap my colleagues and classmate. I was studying Financial Accounting then. I have a Diploma in Financial Accounting.

    What was it that brought you into photography?

    I think I can link my going into photography to my sister wedding. While planning for the wedding, she had said she needed a photographer. As my contribution to the success of the day, on my way from school, I borrowed an Olympus camera from my friend and took the pictures. I was surprised that people praised the pictures I took as being professional because I did close shots with details. When I got back to school, I decided I was going try my hands in photography because it came easy. This was in 1998. I have spent about 17 years since.

    How has been your experience as a photographer these years?

    Starting out as a campus photographer wasn’t an easy task. There were so many challenges. Being an amateur didn’t make things easy. I had other competitors who were more experienced and had been on ground before me. Besides my classmates, not many people knew Lukesh. I was required to join the association then, and in most cases, the association ran after me, requesting that I abandon class to join them at the motion ground (a spot meant for photographers where they can take pictures).

    I got my break when one of my classmates, Jummy, told her mother to help me talk to her friends at the Students’ Affairs Department to give me permission and space at the motion ground. Before now I was barely squatting. And that was how the journey started.

    What are your future plans?

    I am first and foremost a photographer. Photography continues. I will continue documenting Nigeria and the world through my lens. I love festivals; I want to document festivals across the country.

    What is it that you do not like about your work with the governor?

    It exposes me so much and makes me popular. I lose my privacy. I am not a social person. I don’t like crowd. But I like the fact that it forces me to sharpen my skills.

     

  • Silverain: Many struggles of a people

    Silverain: Many struggles of a people

    In March, Silverain, a film by a Ghanaian playwright, Juliet Yaa Asantewa Asante, was slated for screening at the iRepresent Film Forum organised by iRepresent International Documentary Film Festival at the Freedom Park in Lagos. But, it wasn’t to be because of logistics. Asante speaks on the making of the film, her career and the business of movie-making, among others. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME was at the media parley in Lagos. 

    Silverain, set in the slums of Africa, is a “story of love, pain and the strength of the human spirit…Class struggle can only have one winner… In this gripping love story, Ajoa, a ‘Kayayo’ street girl from Accra, meets Bruce, the rich heir of the Timothy fortunes. Their friendship sets into motion a class war, as Ajoa struggles to cross the class divide and find love, Bruce struggles to find himself.” These were the high points of the film when it was screened recently before a select audience and arts writers at the Freedom Park, Lagos.

    How easy was it to bring together the cast for Silverain that encompasses actors from various parts of Africa?

    That was one of the most difficult things we did. First of all, casting from all of these countries is not easy. We had to try and reach out to these countries, we knew no one there. We tried to find their managers. To find the artistes we had to try and find their managers and get them to agree. There were several times when artistes got to the airport and decided, ‘I don’t want to go to Ghana or West Africa’.  We had the first artiste from Nigeria on a different project that interfered with our timeline; and even getting the technical team together because we are shooting with a red camera and the skill is not everywhere. Most importantly, getting people together who understood what we wanted to do and communicating that and trying to keep everyone together despite the difficulties. It wasn’t easy but I must say that things fell into place and we did it.

    This is not an individual effort; what you see with Silverain I am here speaking but it is not about me. I mean, the cast, the crew they were all amazing. I was lucky and all I did was to be able to identify the strength and bring it together and keep it as a collective throughout the process. There were many times when it looked like the seams were going to come apart because the issues were too many, but at the end of the day putting the team together was critical. In fact, we shot with two separate technical teams; we shot with the West Africa technical team when we shot in Ghana. We went to South Africa and assembled a new crew. It was quite an interesting journey but we got there.

    You also worked on Deadly Voyage with Omar Epps. How will you describe the experience?

    I was very young and starting my career. I think it had a lot to do with the molding of my perception and what I wanted to do as a filmmaker. It was a Hollywood production, it was a great feature film and it was a real story, too of Ghanaians trying to stowaway and they got killed on a ship. I think that also speaks to addressing issues through film. I have had conversations where I have said that many of us having travelled, maybe, we haven’t been to America, but our image of what America is, the strength of America is through its films. Whether it is Rambo or Chuck Norris or whatever, that is why when we think of America we think of powerful Americans; films with powerful Americans holding the American flag and doing amazing things. And I think that as Africans we have the responsibility to take our films and use it as a tool to sell ourselves, to connect and tell people about us. If we get a chance to work on productions like that it does help.

    In your opinion, are African films selling Africa positively?

    First of all, there is a business side of filmmaking and even I as a filmmaker, if I forget or ignore the business side of filmmaking, I am a dead filmmaker. So, the entertainment and that business side of it must be very high. I think that most of our stories seek to kind of portray who and what we are. I think where the gaps are is the packaging. You might have a good story but if you don’t package it well it might not come across because it is communication. The vehicle on which you put that message is very important. The way it gets to the end user is very important. So if you don’t package it well by the time it gets there, the person’s mind is closed towards it. And I think those are some of the things that have affected us.

    Could this be part of the reason why you went to Harvard for your master’s degree to learn how to package your films?

    Yes, I did go to Harvard but I am somebody who is very interested in policy and I did business at some point. So there are many things I am interested in. For me, at a point, I just wanted to take a break and prepare for this story and part of taking the break I said let me go and build myself up, let me go and nurture my soul because I had been in the system for a while. I had been doing television programming for a while and there was a lot I could learn because I am a student of life and we should always be seeking to learn. So, I went back to school. I went back to Harvard because it was an opportunity for me to learn and I did that.

    You were with Tinsel, why did you leave?

    It was a great production but I at a point felt that I had outgrown it. It was beautiful when we started and I loved being a part of it, putting it together. But at a certain point, I had to make a choice between Tinsel and something else that was present before I took on Tinsel. And it became even stronger in my life. It is a choice that I had to make and I must say that I am happy I made that choice.

    Any link between you and such production after you left?

    I have, I mean, Femi Odugbemi continues to be one of my greatest friends and from the beginning when I started to work on Silverain I went to him as a mentor and he would even technically; I would be like, ‘what do you think of this or that camera?’ He has been present and helpful. He has continued to do great works. I have also kept in touch with the actors.

    Is like there are more Nigerians now than actors from any other country?

    Yeah, well, I don’t want to go into Tinsel because the producers know what they are doing and I am not privy to the information so I cannot speak on the choices they have made. Whether the choices have helped the production or not is not for me to say but I am sure when they made the decision they made, they had very good reason for making those decisions.

     

  • Ode to Daddy Mo

    Ode to Daddy Mo

    Chika Yagazie Chukwumerije, son of the late Senator Uche Chukwumerije,  recalls some fond memories and intimate moments with his father who he described as the ‘best father in the whole world’. 

    Fewer pictures paint a more vivid picture of my dad than this one – ‘Comrade’ in his study room with his head bowed to work, surrounded by a legion of books.  As I look at this picture, images forcefully float upstream of my memory’s endless database. I see myself again as I stand in front of his study room, back home after a long day of training or from a competition in some faraway land.

    I knock gently on the door, and stay still as I wait a few moments to hear a bass-voice boom “Yes???” from the other side. Sometimes, the wait could last as long as five minutes, and one knew at that instant that there were a flurry of thoughts being furiously scribbled down on notes of paper behind the brown mahogany door.

    I opened the door, and without fail, almost always came face-to-face with this familiar scene – Daddy hunched over his table, writing furiously on whatever he was working on, with mountains of files and papers on all sides of his table, and walls of books all around him. His bald head seemingly reflected the white fluorescent light of his study room as he would remain fixated on the work before him.

    “Yes” he would growl again as he lifted up his eyes to see who had dared break his hollowed thoughts, the irritation in his voice unmistakably clear from having his work interrupted. His eyes would soften, and his writing hands, which still firmly held the pen poised on the paper, would relax as he saw it was one of his children. He would stay silent, and allow his eyes repeat his question, waiting patiently for me to state my case. At this moment, I knew he was trying to hold together his train of thought, while at the same time attempting to wrap up our discussion as quickly as possible so he could get back to his work.

    “Daddy Mo, I know you are very busy, but I need to talk to you about something. Can you please spare me five minutes?” I would gently ask.

    At that moment, there a mild inner struggle as he battled to choose between retaining his current thoughts or dispersing them temporarily in order to wholly focus on those I was about to introduce. More often than not, the latter choice won, and I watched as he let go and settled for ‘family first’, ‘work second’.

    “Alright then, Go on!” His deep voice will resonate in resigned anticipation. “I am very busy, but if it would take just five minutes as you say, it is ok. So what is it?” he would grumble under his breath, reconciled to his fate of playing his fatherly role.

    I would then use the next 15 minutes to pour out all my worries, issues, requests, demands or opinions to his poor ears, but he would patiently hear me out, never breaking my flow for even a second. As I talked and he intently listened, one was never uncertain that Daddy had heard every single word that had been spoken.

    At times, he would lean back on the broad black swiveling chair, throw back his head and close his eyes, as he stroked his beard while listening. At other times, if it was a very serious subject matter that needed further reflection, he would take off his glasses and use one of its hands to scratch his bald head as he kept listening, as if that very act was carefully parting the million thoughts running through his ever occupied head.

    Finally, I will be done, grateful that I had not been cut short 10 minutes ago.

    He would stay in his reflective position for a few seconds before opening his eyes to look at me. At that moment, I knew he had dissected all I had said, made careful analysis of the information. I had just given him, and was pondering the most effective way to deliver his response to me.

    He would begin by summarising all I said to him in 30 seconds, noting the major points.

    No matter what the talk was about – a request, an opinion or an advice – his response was always clinical, analytical and precise. If I had follow-up questions or opinions on the matter, he would again listen patiently before engaging in a brisk discussion until we had arrived at a logical conclusion. Ifit was something he needed to act on, he would promptly write it down in his notepad which was always by his side. It never took longer than 24 hours for him to act on it, and this he did for everything he inscribed into that notepad with his red pen.

    DaddyMo!

    I walked into his study after he passed on, and it just hit me that I would never speak with this brilliant mind again. I will never be able to tap into that vast knowledge, and experience, that bottomless pit of patience, love and support again. It was in this same study room that I had gleaned so much advice, strength, will-power and vision that formed a vital part of the man I am now.

    He would say to me, “You need to read about great men and be inspired by their stories, and learn from their mistakes,” waving his hands at all the books around him, and glancing around as he gave this advice, as if to drive home the point that one should not waste too much time on frivolities when one has all these resources within reach at one’s beck and call.

    He would say to me, “Go do your PHD and be the best student. You must always strive to be in the first position.”

    He would say to me; “Win the World Championships. Win the Olympics. You can if you put your heart and mind to it. But to win it, you must train very hard, morning and night and at no time must you lose sight of the goal, or be distracted by side-attractions. Quoting the bible, he would remind me that, often only one wins the race, but one must run in such a way as to win the prize, subjecting one’s body and mind to the set task”

    He would say to me, “You must always finish what you start and never give up,no matter how long it takes and the challenges you meet along the way”

    He would say to me, “Be disciplined and astute. Remain humble and meek, hardworking and committed, loyal and diligent, and God will elevate you from the lowly back seat to the high table at the very front.”

    He would say to me, “Be very careful about women; they could help you attain great heights, but could also be the end of you, and help you plunge from those lofty heights much faster than you had reached there.” He would look mildly embarrassed and avoid my eyes as he broached this topic with me, more at ease with topics in his comfort zone like politics, economics, religion and sports.

    He would say to me, “Hard work never kills. There is no shortcut to success.”

    He would say to me, “Your mates are struggling and working very hard. You must not depend on Daddy Mo or on what he has, but work even harder than your peers, so they would not rule over you tomorrow.”

    He would say to me, “You have many talents and abilities, but you need to be more patient Chika. You are at times very impatient and at other times a bit too over-confident for your own good.”

    He would say to me, “Anytime your things are all over your room, it is only a reflection of your state of mind. At times like this, you need to do a lot more self-reflection drills and keep the focus.”

    He would say to me, “Never procrastinate. There is no better time to do it than now. Time waits for no one, and though it seems to stand still, it runs faster than you can ever imagine. One minute, you are doing guy-man all over the place and fussing over your looks; then you will wake up one day and find out that you are an old man whom life has left behind. You will also discover that those your classmates who were at your level at some point are now far far far ahead of you.” His lips would be hard-pressed together as the words squeezed through, burrows will form on his forehead, he would dust both hands off each other, and then one of his hands will be thrust into the air like a plane taking off to better illustrate how far ahead your peers would be.

    He would say to me, “sometimes it seems to me that you pursue too many causes at the same time, thereby dissipating energy in too many directions. This reduces your overall effectiveness as well as efficiency in reaching major milestones of the individual causes. It is better to focus on your energy on one thing, but you must first prioritize to decide what that cause is.”

    He will say to me, “Be a good listener and keep developing a keen sense of perception of everyone around you, every one you meet or whatever situation you encounter. Remember not to form hasty opinions or make quick decisions, as it is unwise to judge a book by its cover. Be patient, listen a lot, watch a lot, and talk a little until you get a complete understanding of the content and context of the person or situation. Only and only then should you make your decision, after you have pieced together as complete a picture as is possible.”

    He would say to me, “Chika, when you decide to do something with all your heart,no one does it better. But when it is not in your heart, oh my goodness!” he would exclaim exasperated, and I would see his frustration as he remembered those moments when I was laid-back and non-committal to things that were to have been done. “You need to be more consistent” he would further admonish. He would say to me, “If I knew God in my younger days as I do now, I would perhaps have become President of this country.” With even more seriousness than his usual serious self, he would strongly urge me yet again, “take your fellowship with God very seriously. It is the master key that will unlock the hidden secrets of this world for you.”

    He  would say to me, “The greatest protection or security that a man could have in this world is his relationship with God. You must never seize to pray and be on your knees.”

    He would say to me, “Failure is an orphan,and success has many friends” [a popular adage], “but never be afraid of being alone, especially when you fight for a cause you believe in.”

    He  would say to me, “You cannot hijack a plane if you are not in it. So despite the state of the system, the only way to try and change it is if you are within and part of the system. Do not shy away from that responsibility”

    He would say to me, “Do not help people because you want anything back. Let it be between you and your God”.

    He  would say to me, “You need to eat more vegetables, “especially when he was passing by the parlour and I was munching sticks of suya, or eating a meal without any veggies. “A healthy lifestyle now will keep the doctors and huge medical bills away later in life. O well!,you can force a horse to the stream, but you cannot force it to drink,” hewould conclude with a sigh, apparently noting the passive look on my face as I gleefully stormed through my ‘unhealthy’ delicacies.

    He would say to me, “Bloody hell! I can afford to go and buy the biggest cars and houses, party all night long and make ‘ha-ha’all over the place, as I do big man all over town. But what then happens to all the school fees I have to pay for, the electricity and house bills that need to be attended to, the projects to be invested in? What happens to the hundreds of people dependent on me being responsible from day-to-day so that I would help create opportunities for them? What happens to the tomorrow, which as our people say, is pregnant, if today I make a one-time piecemeal of the seed corn to be planted? You need to sacrifice your today for tomorrow! Or do you think that if I had squandered all I made yesterday, you would have had this roof over your head today? You have to always live responsibly today with a keen eye on the uncertainties of tomorrow,” he would warn.

    He would say to me, “my own dad was a big and rich man of his own during those days, but I did not depend on one kobo of his money or influence to make it in those days. I wanted to go out there and carve out my own niche.” He will then challenge me to, “go and make your own destiny, which surely lies in your hands.”

    He would say to me, “I was so driven to succeed in those days that I would stay back in school to study during the holidays, while my mates were  holidaying and partying. I would burn so many candles all through the night just because I could not bear the thought of coming 2nd position in class, or not being relevant in my generation later in life. He would then repeat one of his favourite Henry Wadesworth Longfellow quotes – “The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained by sudden flight, but they while their companions slept, were toiling upwards in the night.” This one he repeated to me all my life.

    He would say to me, “There is a difference between loneliness and aloneness. Aloneness is the preserve of the successful man”. You must work hard and work hard and work hard, and not a soul could possibly ever know the sheer amount of hard work, effort and sweat you have put in, they would only see the benefits.

    He would say to me, “there are two main kinds of conventional power – politicaland economic. Most times, you need one or the other, or a combination of theboth to make a difference in society that you so desire to do.”

    He would say to me, “Know your roots. You need to know where you come from, asnothing builds your self-confidence more than knowing your roots and genealogy.”

    He would say to me, after I had asked him how financial stability and prosperity could be attained, “You know I am not a capitalist. Perhaps this is a question for your brother Chaka who is becoming quite a good business hand,” he would add,effectively deflecting the question. “But I can tell you this. There are two kinds of people – the first are those who have the ability, passion, and knowledge to do business and make money; the other kind are those  who have ’causes’ that they believe in and want to use their lifetime to fight for, but need finances to pursue these ’causes’. I belong to these second group of people. I do not know how to make money, so I just give my savings to those who know how to make money so they make money for me while I focus on the ’causes’ I believe in.You should first carefully think to which of these two groups you belong to.”

    He would say to me, “You must cut your coat according to your size. Do not spend more than you earn, but rather spend less so that what you save during rainy  times can sustain you when the drought comes”

    He would say to me, “a good name is better than riches”. Then using an open palm, he would repeatedly beat his chest and, with a deep sense of pride, declare”Go and ask anywhere about Uche Chukwumerije; I have never taken a kobo of anybody’s money.”

     

    He would say to me, “One day you will come back home and find out that I am gone;there will be no Daddy Mo waiting for you, and then everything I have told you will come back to you”

     

    Through all these, I would listen and nod, appreciating his philosophies but never really allowing it replay in my head because Daddy was always there to play it over and over again. The sheer potency of his presence, energy and aura was such that it was impossible to imagine him not around for at least one more decade. Now, he is gone, and I hear him more clearly than ever. Counsel ingrained into me over my thirty-one odd years on earth, and hidden somewhere in my sub-conscious, seemed to have broken their chains from the innermost depth of my soul and emptied all its loaded content into my conscious being. Now I understand and appreciate even more all he had said to me, his words turning into bright lamp posts placing themselves one after the other on the dark, long and slippery pathways ahead of me.

    I see him everywhere – in the music he listened to in his last days; in the faces of my beloved brothers  [Che, Dike,Chaka, Uche, Kelechi], sister [Azuka] and mother [Princess Nwoyibo]; in the peculiar smell of his perfume pervading his entire bedroom; in the vast swathes of white French suits that lined his wardrobe; in the competition venue where he often cut an animated figure in the crowd at that distance, and bridged the seeming gap with his distinct voice hurtling through space to urge me on without ceasing; in the multitude of his handwritten notes left behind; in dredged-up memories of his blunt and stern voice as he drove his house staff, work staff, family, friends, colleagues, opponents to work as hard as he did; in the dozen orphaned children that were the first to pay a condolence visit just hours after he passed away; in the tens of hundreds of people that sent me messages on what he had done for them at one point or the other; in the wrinkly tormented faces of the widows [he periodically assists] who came to pay their respects at the family house.

    When his brother [Authur] passed on last year in 2014, one of the things Daddy said to Uncle Arthur’s sons [my cousins] – Bosah and Chuka – were, “You are now men. This is life – it goes on – but you must now carry and shoulder all the responsibilities, and do it with such clarity of purpose, strength of will and personified dignity that would make your father proud whenever he is”. At the time, as he spoke these words, my insides shivered because I knew these very words would wrap itself around me one day. Now it has!

    DaddyMo! Dike-Ogu! Isi karaka!

    I asked you for fish, but you gave me a fishing-net. I asked you to walk a mile with me because I was afraid, but you held my hand and walked with me to my destination. I asked that you be my father, whenever I needed you, but you went one step ahead and became my friend. When I was in pain, just looking at you brought comfort because you made my pain yours, and you did everything to make it go away.

    This ache and tightness that has gripped my heart slowing down its rhythmic beat; this pain and discomfort that ravages through my chest leaving it eerily empty; this heaviness and tiredness that has wrapped itself around my legs causing it to be strangely numb; this banging and fuzziness that has made a home in my head refusing to go away; these salty miserable tears that gushes from eyes hindering my vision; who will take it away now? Where is Daddy Mo? Where can I find him?

     

    I went to the hospital, where he lay a lot these past couple of months, hoping that perchance, I would catch a glimpse of him. But he was not there. I came home looking out in cars passing by, just in case, I had missed him along the way. But he was not to be found. I got home, went through the front door, up the stairs to look for him in his study room, where he must surely be. Yet again, he was not there. I looked in the bedroom, straining my eyes to peek into the blue fluorescent-lit chambers hoping that he possibly still lay on his bed,tired after all those hours of writing in his study room. Behold, he was not there. Aha! He must be at the back of the house. He had asked me to train hard for the World Championships, even though I told him I might not be ready. Thus I went hastily to the garden at the back of the house, where he often sat and watched me in his last days as I trained hard on the basketball court. Perhaps, I would find him there, but sadly he was not there also. Alas! I could not find him anywhere. A ma ka mmiri si were baa n’opiugboguru?

     

    So I just sat on the front porch, staring blankly at the Prado Jeep I had carried him into just a few days ago en route to the hospital days before he passed on.My heart asked again where I could find Daddy Mo, but my head told my heart to allow reality embrace its excruciating anguish. Thus I closed my eyes and let the memories play – recollections of childhood, of teenage years, or adulthood;at each stage, the boy in me smiled back at a father who had always been there for him every step of the way. I felt the tears squeeze freely out the corners of my eyes, as reality beckoned my heart to embrace her.

     

    “N’eziokwu, oge adighi eche mmadu. Anyammiri juru na anya m, kama m ga-ekele Jehova; n’ihi na ? di nma. N’ihi na rue mb?e ebighi-ebi kaebere-Ya di. Anamahu Gi n’anya nke-uku, Jehova, bú ikem. Gi, Jehova, kam’nebuliri nkpuru-obim. Cheta obi-ebere-Gi nile, Jehova, ha na ebere-Gi nile;M’geji obim nile kele Jehova; M’gag?zi Jehova na mb?e nile: Mb?e nile kaotuto-Ya gadi n’?num. Jehova ka nkpuru-obim geji nyaisi: Ndi di ume-ala n’obi ganu ya, we ?uria ??u. Sonum me kaJehova di uku, Ka ayi buli kwa aha-Ya elu n’otù. M’gak? kwa akuk? oké ?lu-Gi nile. M’ga?uri ??u, obim gat?kwam ut?, nime Gi: M’gabùku aha-Gi abù ?ma, Gi Onye kachasi ihe nile elu.” O ga di mma.

     

    DaddyMo! Comrade! Dike-Ogu! Isi karaka! Olu Ndigbo! My Father! My Friend! My Mentor! My Inspiration! My Fan! My Patron! My Pillar! My Teacher! My Conscience! My Hero! My Counsellor! My Compass!

     

    “O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory”

     

    OnyeIsi’m, la n’udo.

     

    It is well!

     

     

     

     

  • UNIPORT honours Benson Idonije

    UNIPORT honours Benson Idonije

    ‘Late last year, Idonije, who was Fela Ransome-Kuti’s colleague at the then Nigeria Broadcasting Service, and subsequently his (Fela’s) first manager, released the pre-edition of his monumental memoir, DIS FELA SEF: The Untold Legends of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. The book, which he started writing six years ago as a recollection of his exclusive moments with the Afrobeat legend, is expected to be released later this year’

    Renowned broadcaster and music Critic, Benson Idonije, has been honoured with a fellowship of the Adam Fiberesima School of Music and Conservatory (AFSM) of the University of Port Harcourt. The award for the septuagenarian broadcaster, media trainer and avid commentator on Music, was contained in a February 19 letter signed by Joseph Ajienka of the School.

    The letter stated that the recognition was based on Idonije’s “commitment to the development of classical and indigenous music not only in Nigeria but throughout the West African region”.  The honour, according to the letter, entitles Idonije to “use the insignia FAFSM (or Fellow, AFSM).

    Born in 1936 in Otuo near Auchi in Edo State, where he also started elementary school, Benson Idonije studied communication engineering at Yaba College of Technology, Lagos. He joined the service of the Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (later Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN) in 1957 as Engineering Assistant but moved to mainstream broadcasting in 1960, when he became a producer and presenter of such famous programmes as the The Big Beat and Stereo Jazz Club.

    After retirement from the FRCN in 1992, Benjay as he is fondly called, began contributing critiques, opinions and commentaries to many major Arts-related journals in Nigeria and abroad. In1996 he was formally invited by The Guardian (Nigeria) to write for the newspaper; and he maintained three columns every week – “Evergreen” (Wednesdays), “Sound and Screen” (Fridays), and “All that Jazz” (Sundays). He is perhaps the only columnist in any Nigerian newspaper with such frequency and resourcefulness.

    The well-researched columns are individually widely acclaimed, attracting feedbacks — mostly commendations — from all over the world. The thousands of articles are currently being collated into volumes that will be published soon. In past two years, Benjay has however concentrated his weekly writing only on his most-favoured subject “Jazz”, still under the title “All That Jazz” every Sunday for The Guardian.

    Late last year, Idonije, who was Fela Ransome-Kuti’s colleague at the then Nigeria Broadcasting Service, and subsequently his (Fela’s) first manager, released the pre-edition of his monumental memoir, DIS FELA SEF: The Untold Legends of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. The book, which he started writing six years ago as a recollection of his exclusive moments with the Afrobeat legend, is expected to be released later this year.

    Aside writing so frequently in the newspapers and other international music journals, Idonije also maintains a busy schedule as a Trainer of broadcasters and serving as a resource persons to many broadcast organisations and some music institutions in the country.

    Idonije is also the grandfather of the popular hiphop act, BURNA BOY.

    The University of Port Harcourt honours letter, enjoined Idonije to do his “best in propagating and immortalizing the musical legacies of our heroes past, whose ideals, talents, philosophies and structural standardization of African music have remained a pilgrimage to many enthusiasts”.