Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

The 2022 Hudgens Prize winner, Olu Amoda, is teaming up with his former student and equally talented artist Kelani Abass, in an art show holding at O’DA Art Gallery, Lagos. 

As you walk into the gallery, Amoda’s lady welcomes you into the premises. His Ram series made from different metals and his balls in the courtyard are sure to catch your eyes. And as you move inside the gallery, you are greeted by Abass’ historic odyssey of sort into the world of Man and Machine.

The two award-winning artists are spotlighting the role of “Man and Machine” in human advancement.

With the theme of the exhibition, “The Ascendancy of Machine”, both artists are bringing together their artistic prowess to interrogate the paths Africa should begin to take in the new normal. The exhibition, which opened last weekend October 29, has Sunshine Alaibe as curator. It will run till November 19, 2022.

According to the exhibition’s curator, “The exhibition calls attention to the important role the collaborative force between man and machines. Although some of the works have been featured in different exhibitions, the theme is relevant today.

“Looking at the works of the two award-winning artists, you would find that there exists a conversation  between their works. In a sense, both artists call for a shift in ideals, focusing primarily on encouraging a more progressive and forward-thinking environment. We are excited to share this art project of the artists with the world.” 

Indeed, the influence of modern technology has paved the way for multi-functional practices that ultimately make life easier for the masses. And in the face of the new normal, the world is constantly evolving in its distribution of information, styles of creation and social engagement. In this exhibition, both artists, although highly distinct in style and subject matter, share a common focus in which the evolution of modern and contemporary practices affects their interpretation of socio-political and environmental discourses in today’s Africa.

In Kelani Abass’ work, he revisits the history and relationship between Man and Machine as it pertains to Africa’s potential in capitalising production and industrialisation. Similarly, using repurposed objects to create his work, Amoda’s sculptures intersects past and present contexts as a means to measure cultural value and encourage appropriate structural reforms in Nigeria. His motifs focus on the workers at local construction sites juxtaposing them with construction machines. “Using these motifs was deliberate. I wanted to celebrate the dignity of labour. Even as I highlight the need for industrial advancement, I am also urging African leaders to focus on building the labour force by equipping them with necessary skills that will make them relevant in today’s and tomorrow’s world. I call myself a conceptual artist, who uses paintings and other media appropriate for any work per-time. For this group project with Olu Amoda which happens to be my lecturer. We decided to pick from the body of work called man and machine, which I began in 2011. It is more from my childhood experience in my father’s printing company,” Abass said.

 Born 1979, Abass has won several awards, including the Caterina De Medici/3rd Black Heritage 1st Prize in painting in 2010. His recent solo exhibitions include if I could save time at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos (2016), Aso Igba at Art Clip Africa, Lagos (2016), Asiko at the Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos (2013), Man and Machine at Omenka Gallery, Lagos (2011) and Paradigm Shift at Mydrim Gallery, Lagos (2009).

On his part, Amoda has worked consistently over the past three decades to create a sculptural language that has unique character and beauty. Working as a sculptor, muralist, furniture designer, and multimedia artist, Amoda is best known for using repurposed materials found from the detritus of consumer culture. His works often incorporate rusty nails, metal plates, bolts, pipes, and rods, that are welded together to create figures, animals, flora and ambiguous forms. Amoda uses these materials to explore socio-political issues relating to Nigerian culture today, from sex, politics, race and conflict to consumerism and economic distribution. His seminal body of work, Sunflower, explores the connection between mass industry and the organic, winning top prize at the DAK’ART Biennale in Dakar, Senegal in 2014. More recently, Amoda was named the 2022 Hudgens Prize winner at the Jacqueline Casey Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth with a cash prize of $50,000. Born in 1959,  he has participated in exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK), the Museum of Art and Design (New York), Skoto Gallery (New York), Georgia Southern University (USA), Didi Museum (Nigeria), WIPO Headquarters (Switzerland), and Art Twenty One (Nigeria), among others.  His work is included in many prestigious art collections including the Newark Museum and Fondation Blachère.

Amoda has taught Sculpture and Drawing at the School of Art, Design and Printing at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos since 1987. Olu Amoda currently lives and works in the US.

Located at 10 Sir Samuel Manuwa Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, the gallery will be opening its doors to the art lovers and collectors Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm.

Five years after it launched the Tour Nigeria brand, the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) is deploying technological solutions for the growth of tourism value chain with the launch in Lagos last week of an app Tourism Hackathon Nigeria.  

NTDC Director-General, Chief Folorunso Coker, said NTDC has come up with Hackathon to provide unique and innovative solutions to identified challenges to identified challenges and gaps across the tourism value chain in Nigeria, using digital tools that will be developed at scale within the next 18-24 months.

He identified such challenges to include proper pricing; safe payment channels; access to market;  customer service and retention; bookings and reservations; data collection and analytics;  distribution setup; supply chain and logistics. He disclosed that the initiative is a collaborative effort of the private and public sectors noting that the private sector would bring the intellectual capacity while the public provides the enabling resources that would help the idea to thrive

“Our goal is to improve the country’s ranking on the World Economic Forum competitiveness index by harnessing the growing popularity of digital technology to solve prevalent problems across the tourism value chain in Nigeria.

“We want to be able to imagine a future in which a tourist’s journey experience is fully enhanced by the digitization of all support activities (from the pre-booking stages until the destination experience), with more digital interactions supported by data shared in a customized, secure and private way between the different players within the tourism ecosystem.

He stated that to achieve this desired objective, NTDC is seeking ideas that are scalable and sustainable on a use-case basis. He noted that such ideas should encompass smart integration of information (smart city), multimodal mobility services, customized route optimization, ideas with sustainability in mind, virtual and augmented reality. According to him, the opportunities are limitless through technology which is why we’re reaching out to the tech community to come up with new ideas for the sector.

Coker explained that these efforts are necessary to upscale the tourism industry considering the enormous potential inherent in the industry, recalling that going by the theme for the 2022 World Tourism Day, Rethinking Tourism, there was an urgent need to reflect and rethink operations in the industry over the years.

One of the partners in the project, Chief Executive Officer, Bycep, Mr Ayoola Gbade-Bello, disclosed that a mini-campus would be created for participants during the forthcoming United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Conference holding in Lagos from Nov. 14 to Nov. 15.

He said this would enable interested individuals to rethink tourism in a digital technology space, as the application portal (www.bycep.co/tourismhackathon) had been opened for submission of entries. “These individual will be engaged to develop technological apps, for instance like Uber, travel advisor and all, the idea is that whatever application developed should be such that will aid tourism growth.

“For the days, the participants will be housed in an accelerator where they will develop the applications. It is opened to everyone in the tourism space, from the six geo-political zones of the country. Top best five individuals will be picked at the first stage while the overall winner will be rewarded with an all-expense paid trip to Madrid Spain who will have the privilege of representing Nigeria at the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) innovation challenge in 2023,” he added. Intending applicants, who must be above 18 years, are expected to log on to www.bycep.co/tourismhackathon to enter for the competition.

Present at the event were South-West Coordinator, Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) Mr. Tunde Kolade, National Financial Secretary, National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr Yinka Ladipo, Founder/CEO, Storm 360, Obi Asika, Director International Tourism promotion and Cooperation, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Dorothy Duruaku, and the President, Nigeria Association of Travel Operators (NATOP), Ime Udo.  

Perseverance and determination were the words as Samson Ejiofor refused to be discouraged after many attempts at winning the coveted overall best prize at this year’s annual Life In My City Art Festival. Last Saturday, he went home with a cash prize of N500,000. Venue was the International Conference Centre, Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

After seven attempts, a 2016 graduate of Fine and Applied Art, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Mr. Samson Ejiofor, has won the overall best prize of N500,000 at the grand finale of this year’s Life In My City Art Festival (LIMCAF), held at the International Conference Centre, Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu on Saturday.

The 15th edition of the annual festival, which returned to its physical hosting format, after the hiatus occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, had as theme: Paradox of muted echoes.

Ejiofor’s entry, Cold mineral, cold pure water (an installation), beat other 24 contestants’ entries that made the final shortlist for the contest, which attracted an initial 270 entries from across eight zones of the country. This is, however, lower than the average entry of 400 recorded each year in past years and it is due to the eight-month ASUU strike. The universities and Polytechnics are the hubs of activity that feed the competition since its inception in 2007. 

Of the 25 that made the final shortlist, 14 got consolation prizes of N20,000  each while others got special endowment prizes ranging from N100,000 to N250,000 .

The winners in this category included Odo Chikaekwu (Enugu zone prize), Ajibade Adebayo (Lawrence Agada prize), Essang Effiong (Mfom Usoro prize), Atere Olubunmi (Pius Okigbo prize), Mbaeri Stephen (Justice Anthony Aniagolu prize), Abiodun Emmanuel (Textile /Fashion prize), Adebayo Segun (Video/Photography), Idowu Abayomi (Graphics/Digital art), Joy Ogiri Joseph (Ceramics prize) and Hector M. Nnamdi (Painting prize).  

The jurors were Prof Jerry Buhari, Dr. Odun Orimolade, Dr. Timipre Amah, Okechukwu Nwafor, Mariagoretti Eze and Olumide Oresegun.

The winning entry is a sculptural piece that interrogates how a country with much potentials and mineral resources can seem not to be working.

“In our government, it has always been the same people, the same technique, and the same game. These same circles of old people has led the country since their younger age but kept on insisting that the upcoming ones are too young to rule.  So as we sober reflect and pray for a better country, now the big question is are we to see a better government come 2023 or we are to be completely finished,” the artists said in a statement.

Reacting, Ejiofor said his participation in this year’s Dak’Art Biennale in Senegal courtesy of LIMCAF, broaden his horizon particularly on emerging trends in the art. The elated Enugu-based wood sculptor said: “My participation in Dak’art biennale this year opened my eyes to new things about art. I have gotten what I wanted from LIMCAF. I can now go ahead and explore and grow in my art. This is the base. I am very glad to be the winner and I can’t thank the sponsors enough especially MTN Foundation and Ford Foundation. They should n  n ot get tired of supporting the art.”

 Chairman of the occasion and former Group Managing Director First Bank Holdings, Elder U K Eke urged organisers of the festival to continue to give voices to the young talents as the festival may be the platform needed to replace the old art masters. He said the festival remains an opportunity to see expression of talents by young Nigerians, which he has been part of for about 12 years.  

“What LIMCAF is doing is to create platform for youths to express themselves, speak to reality in our environment. Great minds come from festivals like this and it reminds one of masters, such as EL Anatsui, Prof Bruce Onobrakpeya and Prof Bem Enwonwu. There is need to encourage them by collecting their works. To you all, you are winners,” he added.

Chairman, Board of LIMCAF, Elder Kalu U Kalu described this year’s edition of the festival as a very remarkable one, adding that the festival sponsored 18 past winners to Dak’Art biennale in Senegal in May courtesy of Prof Anatsui. According to him, the result of the experience as reported by the artists is very rewarding as many of them have found economic and professional succour in and through LIMCAF.

“Some of them are now internationally recognised professionals, some others have set up their own studios and galleries, while many have, by their own testimony, discovered themselves in many new ways through participation in LIMCAF events. Other LIMCAF platforms such as the School Children and Teachers Workshop and the LIMCAF’s lectures constitute other success stories. They fill the gap in art education in our schools. We plan to expand the school workshop to include special needs children and schools in remote areas,” Kalu said.  

Director MTN Foundation Mr. Dennis Okoro described Nigerian youths as one of the best in the world as they are ready to learn and contribute to the growth of the country in so many ways.  He reiterated the foundation’s commitment to supporting the art and drama, adding that MTN Foundation has not regretted sponsoring the festival ever since.    

He, however, tasked the youth to pay serious attention to their communication and presentation skill in order to market their works to the globe. “Failure shouldn’t dampen your spirit. However, communication and presentation are very key to market your art. Art teachers need to work on this area of the school syllabus,” he said.   

Present at the event were Enugu State Commissioner for Lands, Nze Chidi Aroh, who represented Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,  Ambassador Stanislaus Kamanzi of Rwanda,   Ford Foundation West Africa respesentative, Mr Dabesaki Marc-Ikemenjima, former GOC, 82 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Adamu Ibrahim (Retd), and Chief Kalu Ndukwe. But, the patron of the festival, His Majesty, Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe, the Obi of Onitsha spoke via video as he was unable to attend the festival.

Theme for next year’s festival is Fix it!.  

Twelve days to the opening of this year’s National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST), Lagos State Government has confirmed its readiness to host a memorable festival that will be difficult to surpass. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

he rot that defaced parts of the National Institute for Sports, National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos for the past 25 years has given way to renovated facilities. No thanks to the intervention of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who rehabilitated parts of the sporting facilities as venue for this year’s 35th edition of the National Festival for Arts and Culture (NAFEST) slated to hold between November 7 and 13.

Sanwo-Olu directed that nothing should be left to chance in the hosting of Eko Nafest at the once-famous soccer destination.

Lagos State Commissioner of Tourism, Arts and Culture Uzmat Akinbile-Yusuf assured that preparation for the 35th edition of National Festival of Arts and Culture, dubbed Eko Nafest has reached 99 per cent while appreciating Sanwo-Olu for the moral and financial support towards a successful hosting of the festival.

From security to transportation, accommodation and sundry logistics commitments, Akinbile-Yusuf disclosed that Lagos State was ready to host an unforgettable festival.

“We are excited and can’t wait to welcome Nigerians from all works of life to our city of aquatic splendour and excellence.  We shall more than bring glamour to this iconic festival, with a special outing of Eyo masquerade. And believe me, the opening ceremony slated for Onikan Stadium, will unveil the full entrainment entrapment ever seen anywhere,” she noted.

She assured that Lagos would make a significant difference to Nafest, which Lagos last held in 1988.

The renovation of the rest rooms, lighting, and cleaning of concrete seats that service two-mini sports venues at NIS complex, has given needed fresh breath to the hosting of the festival.

She said Sanwo-Olu had promised to make this year’s NAFEST a festival to beat in the next 10 years. She noted that the facilities on ground showed that the governor meant business.

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According to her, the accommodation that has been provided by the Sanwo-Olu-led government, can accommodate the participating states, as the number keeps on increasing by the day.

She added that apart from the facilities visited at Bariga Area, there were other facilities earmarked by the state for the participants but that the Lagos State NAFEST team was waiting for them to register and know the numbers.

“Lagos State is 100.1 per cent ready as the host state for the 35 edition of NAFEST. The Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has promised the nation that he is going to keep this year’s edition of NAFEST as a story that will be very difficult in Nigeria to beat in the next 10 years. With what you saw today it is clear that Lagos State is not just saying it by words of mouth, but it has put it into action. Like the first place we visited, Lagos State has been able to rebrand our iconic National Stadium and today it has become a new edifice that all of us as Nigerians can be proud of.

“He actually asked all agencies of government that will participate in NAFEST to roll up their sleeves.  We are all here not only the Ministry of Tourism that is the hosting ministry, the LASTMA, Neighbourhood, security agencies and everybody we are all ready to host the nation.”

Speaking to reporters shortly after an inspection tour of facilities, Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe, said with the quality of facilities he saw, the state was fully ready to host the 35th edition in a unique manner, typical of its name. He added that with the facilities, Nigerians should brace up for a surprise package, that would be one of its kind.

On the level of Lagos State Government’s preparedness for the festival, Runsewe said when he toured the facilities, he never believed that the quality of facilities he saw could be found in Lagos.

“Basically, when I was asked to come and visit some of the facilities in Lagos State, I thought it was a joke. I came first with the Permanent Secretary and then the later Commissioner of Tourism with the team, and I could not believe there is this kind of facility in Lagos State. Firstly, there is an upgrade to the standard of receiving delegates. You can see some of the rooms are air conditioned and the quality of toilets.

“For me Lagos State is ready to spring a surprise and I see the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as a governor, who matches his words with action and is fully ready to receive the country.  Lagos State is fully ready to host NAFEST. The commissioner just told me that there will be an entertainment city, medical centres among others. I am still waiting till next week to see these things come to reality but as of today Lagos State is over 85 per cent ready.”

The changing dynamics of the 21st century requires managers with a modern mindset in the work place. They must be agile, proactive, analytical, self-directed, problem solvers, team players and technologically savvy.

These were the highpoints of a two-day retreat organised by the National Gallery of Art in Abuja.

Speaking on the topic, Traits of the 21st Century Leader, the Managing Consultant, Prime Functions Consultants, Mallam Garba Ganger, said the 21st century required managers who should encourage strategic thinking and innovation, cross-cultural communication and inclusion, ethically minded with large appetite for knowledge acquisition.

“You cannot learn without unlearning,” he said, adding that learning keeps your mind out of misconception and bias.

He lamented the lacuna in the public service today of problem solvers, data analysts, numeracy experts, hi-tech professionals and self-directed learners to cope with the times.

“The world is changing. We are not changing as fast,” he noted.

He was optimistic, however, that the knowledge acquired at the retreat will afford National Gallery of Art the opportunity to fill the identified gaps.

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On his part, Prof. Tonie Okpe, who spoke on Coaching and Mentoring for Peak Performance, said mentorship provides employees with the opportunity to develop and become more competent in their roles as well as prepare for growth in the future while “coaching, encourages communication, reflection, and self- correction as well as helping to develop a more confident workforce with the right skills to perform.”

Managing and Consultant, Rockedge Consulting, James Bulus, gave illuminating insights on Succession Planning” and Team Building for Organisational Productivity. On succession planning he said “you need to identify and understand the developmental needs of your employees and ensure that all key employees understand their career paths and the roles they are being developed to fill. You need to focus resources on key employee retention.  You need to be aware of employment trends in your area to know the roles you will have a difficult time filling externally,” he said.

 The Director-General, NGA, Chief Ebeten Ivara, in his opening address challenged the participants to take advantage of the retreat “to think deeply on how NGA can move forward.” 

Fifteen Nigerian artists under a not-for-profit organisation, The Art of Healing (TOAH), have teamed up to raise awareness on mental health.

With the theme: “We See; We Dream, We Hope”, TOAH held an exhibition in partnership with Alliance Française de Lagos, which  ended yesterday.

The exhibition, the organisers said, was part of a charity project that aimed at reaching people with mental health disorders across Africa, through art as a form of therapy.

They added that it also served as a fundraiser to enable the project completion at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and to refurbish the interiors of mental health institutions in Africa.

It featured the works of Akanimoh Umoh, Deborah Segun, Edozie Anedu, Gerald Chukwuma, Kelani Abass, Kwadwo Asiedu, Nengi Omuku, Nzubechukwu Ozoemena, Olayemi Fagbohungbe, Olumide Onadipe, Niyi Okeowo, Richardson Ovbiebo, Roanna Tella, Tega Akpokona, and Yadichinma Ukoha-Kalu. It will be curated by Tony Agbapuonwu.

According to the TOAH founder Ms. Nengi Omuku, the pandemic had contributed to an estimated 25 per cent global rise in depression and anxiety, hence, the exhibition was to create awareness about unnecessary stigmatisation of people living with mental health conditions. She has installed four murals in the ward and engaged service users and staff in a series of therapeutic art workshops.

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 “It would be recalled that earlier in the month, World Health Organisation announced that more than 116 million people were estimated to be living with mental health conditions across Africa even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health patients need all the help they can from the government and all sectors of society, and we’re pleased to step in through the arts. We help people in challenging circumstances by painting hospital rooms with art created by leading contemporary artists to provide wholesomeness and hope and generally improve their experience as patients. TAOH took on its first project at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), where it is working on transforming the interiors of the Psychiatric ward into one that would become the benchmark for other healthcare environments across the African continent. We are targeting the minds of mental health patients through what they see by creating an environment that helps them heal. We thank our partners and artists for their support and invite art enthusiasts and members of the public to be part of a worthy cause,” Ms. Omuku said.

Asiedu, a Ghanaian who has lived in Nigeria for 29 years alluded to the fact that these individuals in question are no different from everyone. According to him, this opportunity will serve as a way to probe the importance of the arts to mental health. He said: “I feel like this is a great opportunity to assess how we can further explore how art can be very good for patients. For me, these experiences are highly enlightening. I find it quite interesting that they (patients) are no different from us. They have hopes and dreams and aspirations. So this is a great opportunity to further delve into how we can see and document over an extended period how art can work as a form of therapy within these institutions.” 

No fewer than 105 artworks of various compositions will be showcased at the grand finale of the yearly national Life In My City Arts Festival (LIMCAF) exhibition in Enugu, the Art Director of LIMCAF 2022, Dr Ayo Adewunmi, has said.

Adewunmi stated this at a briefing in Enugu to mark the beginning of this year’s festival taking place between October 13 and 29     with the theme: “Paradox of Muted Echoes”.

He noted that the yearly national art festival, which promotes young art talents, had empowered more than 1,500 young artists across the country for social and national development since inception.

The art director noted that the LIMCAF 2022 Arts Exhibition in Enugu would be gorgeous considering the quality of art entries and support received from MTN, Ford Foundation and some individuals.

“The overall winner of this year’s festival will smile home with N500,000; best painting/mixed media/drawing gets N250,000; best sculpture/installation art – N250,000 and best ceramics work – N250, 000.

“The best graphics/digital art will go home with N250,000; best photography/video – N250,000; best textile art/fashion – N250,000 and consolation prizes as well as endowment prizes from individuals and family ranging from N200,000 to N100,000.

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“LIMCAF is the biggest youth art event in Nigeria featuring visual art competition, festival lectures, school children’s and art teacher’ workshops as well as multimedia workshops.

“The gala and award night is the climax of the festival in Enugu, Nigeria in October every year; and this year will be held on October 29,” he said.

Adewunmi revealed that for over 15 years, LIMCAF Art Exhibition had sustained a pan-Nigeria art through the annual competition that offers young people an avenue to showcase and commercialise their productions and interact with larger art communities nationally and internationally.

According to him, we have involved young people in a national interactive visual art fiesta in various centres across the country, which enables them to meaningfully express themselves in the state of their lived environment through their art.

The Executive Director of LIMCAF, Mr Kevin Ejiofor, said that the selection process for LIMCAF 2022 was in three stages.

Ejiofor, a former Director-General of Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria(FRCN), said: “The first stage was online selection by a national jury of works that are suitable for regional exhibition in eight regions in the country.

“The second stage is the physical exhibition of selected entries in the region and stage three is the grand finale exhibition of the top 100 artworks in Enugu.

“At this stage, the national jury will assemble in Enugu to review and rank the top 100 and decide the various awards.

“The grand finale will open on October 22 and award night will be held on October 29 at the International Conference Centre of Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu.”

 Title:            The spirit of truth brings the everlasting testament

Author:         Stephen Lampe

Pagination: 363

Publishers: Millennium Press

A 363-page book, The Spirit of Truth Brings the Everlasting Testament, by Stephen Lampe dwells on many beliefs among, which include that the Bible cannot be the last word and that this is on the authority of the Lord Jesus, considering  

 His promise of the Spirit of Truth (John 14:26 and John 16:12-13). Also, it is that the power received at Pentecost was not what Jesus meant and that there was the need to await the Message of the Spirit of Truth was confirmed by Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13:9-10).

Many of the Chapters indicate why, indeed, the Bible as has been handed to us in its various versions, cannot be the last word. Chapter 5 focuses on “Challenges to the Literal Truth of the Bible” while Chapter 7 is on “Contradictions, Inconsistences, and the Matter of Inspiration”. Chapters 8 and 9 on misconceptions and misrepresentations of God in cited Biblical passages; and Chapter 10 on “What Jesus Might Not Have Said or Meant”. Chapter 11 is dedicated to “The Son of Man and the Son of God”.

Among the earliest Christians, there was no consensus regarding whether or not the Son of God (Jesus) was also the Son of Man; this was the case even among the twelve Disciples. Indeed, it was such disagreements among the twelve Disciples that compelled Mark to embark urgently on writing an account of the words and deeds of Jesus for posterity. It became the oldest Gospel and was used extensively by Matthew and Luke as source material. With reference to Biblical passages, Stephen Lampe shows that the Son of Man is a different personality from the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. In His conversation with Nicodemus, Jesus refers to the Son of Man Who is in Heaven; a statement that logically implies that Jesus was Not the Son of Man (John 3:12-13). The Son of Man is the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit (who, like Jesus, is a Personality, “the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity” as stated in the book A Catechism of Christian Doctrine published by the Catholic Truth Society); He is responsible for the Last Judgment.

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Chapter 12 deals with “The Age of the Holy Spirit and the Everlasting Testament”.  The Chapter expatiates on the promise and mission of the Spirit of Truth, the time of His coming, and suggests that we stand on the threshold of the Age of the Holy Spirit. The Chapter also discusses the Everlasting Testament as the Message of the promised Spirit of Truth and the same as the “Everlasting Gospel” spoken of in Revelation 14:6-7.

Chapter 13 summarizes the earlier Chapters and illustrates the new knowledge in the Everlasting Testament, including an explanation of one of the Ten Commandments stated in Exodus 20:12 and Deuteronomy 5:16 (the fourth Commandment in Catholic and Lutheran Churches, which is the fifth in Protestant Churches).

It is a well researched and compulsively persuasive book, in terms of quantum of up facts and information garnered mainly from ecclesiastical writings including the scriptures itself and other sources of knowledge over epochs, with lucid explanations and forceful arguments driven by unrelenting logic.

Lampe is also the author of Christian and Reincarnation,  Building  Future Societies: The Spiritual Principles, Thinking About God: Reflections on Conceptions and Misconceptions,  as well as The Primordial Laws of Creation: Keys to  Joyous Achievement of Life’s Purposes.

Come Friday, all roads will lead to St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Lagos, for an international trade expo.

  The two-day trade expo, put together by St. Finbarr’s College Old Boys Association (SFCOBA) Business Group, will hold at the college grounds on October 28 and 29.

Established in 1956 by Father Joseph Slattery, St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, was the first technical college in Nigeria; and is also well known for sports and academic excellence.

In line with keeping the tradition of innovation and industry alive, the fair will highlight and recognise the crucial role played by small and medium-scale organisations, start-ups, and innovators within and outside the association, according to the organisers. 

For Mr. Bosede Odelusi, the founder of the business group, the purpose of the expo, is to lay the foundation for good policies, including new ideas and best business practices, particularly for business start-ups. 

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“The expo’s main objectives are to create an avenue to showcase and advertise individual businesses and to network and share ideas and to get aspiring entrepreneurs to compete favourably on the global stage,” Odelusi, who is the immediate past second Vice President of SFCOBA and sponsor of the trade expo, said.

According to Mr Lekan Badejo, the Trade Fair Expo coordinator, “The fair will set the scene, create domestic opportunities for the small business sector, and enhance global competitiveness. It will also forge relationships and produce a viable environment whereby small businesses can compete and thrive. The overall idea is geared toward entrepreneurs more interested in doing than dreaming. The event will also involve cultural activities, music and other side attractions.

“Incidentally, the trade expo will be a first of its kind in the history of old students association in Nigeria. Conference papers will be delivered by distinguished international speakers from the school who will share insight and valuable experiences on different spheres of the economy. This will be followed by exhibition of goods and services by various vendors and service providers with rewards and incentives. This maiden conference and trade expo will hold at the prestigious St. Finbarr’s College, Akoka, Lagos.”

While the group is inviting the public to the fair and conference, the Badejo says, other targets include the business community, financial institutions, the Catholic Community, St. Finbarr’s College PTA (Parent/Teacher Association), students from Catholic schools in Lagos, and members of Secondary Schools Old Boys and Old Girls Associations.                                       

The Ikorodu Zone of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has said insecurity, climate change are hampering increased egg production and limiting output.

  Ukraine- Russia war, and high cost of input are other challenges highlighted to be hindering smooth running of poultry production.

  To commemorate the World Egg Day celebrated every October, the Zone held a rally to sensitise the public on the importance of egg.

  It also visited the Home of God’s Grace Orphanage at Agbowa-Ikosi with eggs and other food items as part of its social responsibility while teaching the children the importance of egg. 

  The zone’s out-going president, Alhaji Taofeek Suleiman, said egg remains important ingredient of nutrition that Nigerians cannot afford to neglect.

The day is set apart by the global community in 1996 to celebrate the power of the egg with this year’s theme, “Eggs for a Better Life’ which celebrates the incredible egg’s power to support human health outcomes.

He said: “Egg production is one of the vital components of Agriculture sub-sector that produce a lot of employment for unemployed youths and women alike and also helps to bridge the gap of protein intake in the country.

“The increase in the price of egg is not peculiar to Lagos alone, it is in the entire country and even the world.

Because there are so many things that are involved,our production costs have risen. You know, it is only when we calculate our production costs, we put our margin and if the cost of raw material is high, there is no way you would want to sell below because you still want to remain in business.

“And there are so many things that are responsible for this insecurity, climate change, the Ukraine-Russia war because that’s where we get some of our raw materials; the wheat for the feed, and maize, our farmers cannot go to farm.

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“Sometimes we import, and even for the local consumption, before the insecurity that has driven farmers  away from farm, we imported, because human beings are now  in competition with animals. We eat Semovita, so many things that they use maize to produce now. So consumption rates of those raw materials have increased.

“How many people are going to farm? The core North where they do the farming, Boko Haram have displaced them.

“The government should please help us. We want  insecurity to get out of the way, so that our farmers can go back to farm and get more farm produce. More people can even come into farming and it will generate employment. A lot of people are leaving the business now because many people cannot really afford the cost of production is so high.”

On importance of eggs, out-going chairman, Ikorodu Zone, Mr Olaoye Ayodeji said: “Eggs contain a lot of very important nutrients such as selenium, Vitamin A and E, Folate, Riboflavin, Choline and Lutein which help boost the immune system.

“One hard-boiled egg is a complete meal as it contains nutrients needed.

“Eggs have lots of nutritive benefits to health and play a vital role in the health of growing children.”

According to the World Egg Organization, World Egg Day is all about recognizing the humble “egg” as an incredibly unique source of protein and essential nutrients, all within an accessible and affordable package.