Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

Key stakeholders in the book ecosystem converged on Lagos for this year’s 20th Nigeria International Book Fair last week to awaken the giant in women for the growth of the book industry. The 3-day fair featured conferences, discussions, book launch, exhibition, workshop and competitions Assistant Editor Arts OZOLUA UHAKHEME reports.

 

There are worries that Nigeria may not meet most of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 following its abysmal performance on most global indicators measuring gender equality and women’s empowerment. Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi said if care is not taken, Nigeria might not meet most of the SDGs in 2030 either as millions of women and girls in Nigeria still suffer from the feminisation of poverty, lack of access to basic resources, disease, violent conflict and the use of culture, religion and tradition to render women second-class citizens. “Crimes against women, young girls and children are on the rise. Gender-based violence, femicides, rapes, sexual assaults, harmful traditional and religious practices, voluntary and involuntary commercial sex work, trafficking, sexual exploitation, institutionalised gender-based discrimination and kidnappings, make private and public spaces in Nigeria very unsafe for women and children,” she said.

Mrs Fayemi spoke last week in Lagos at the opening of this year’s 20th International Book Fair organised by Nigerian Book Fair Trust in collaboration with the Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) held at Harbour Point Event Centre, Victoria Island Lagos. This year’s fair, which was both virtual and physical, has as theme, Awakening the giant in women for the growth of the book ecosystem. According to her, Nigeria continues to record unacceptably high levels of maternal and infant mortality rates, one of the highest in the world, adding that there are approximately 10.5m children out of school in Nigeria and 60 per     cent of those are girls.

All these issues, she added, continue to hinder the progress of Nigerian women due to entrenched patriarchal power, lack of legal and policy frameworks, violent conflict and displacement, endemic poverty and lack of political will.

Her Lagos counterpart, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu called on Nigerian women to intensify efforts at scaling up reading culture among the younger generation in order to build an army of highly literate citizens. She stated that the call became imperative because a society with a high number of literate citizens will experience development and exponential transformation.

“For me, I have always supported the school of thought that believes that women have a key role to play in shaping the worldview of their children. This is because women are the closest to the children and can deploy their influence at the home front towards deepening the culture of voracious reading, thereby helping to advance the frontiers of knowledge. We must all contribute our quota towards reviving learning and reading culture in our dear country,” she said.

She noted that Nigeria is ranked among the countries with low reading culture but that readers are leaders and there is a clear nexus between reading, knowledge and ability to apply intelligence in dealing with issues generally.

“It has also been established that reading greatly helps to enhance mental health by imbuing readers with emotional intelligence to handle both difficult situations and issues generally with the needed calmness and wisdom, among other benefits including self-worth, self-consciousness, responsiveness, and fundamental skills to relate with people and situations,” she added. Representing her at the event was the wife of Lagos State Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Mrs Edith Egube.

Keynote speaker, President International Publishers Association (IPA) Bodour Al Qasimi who spoke via video said women leaders in the industry are now the x- factor of the publishing world, noting that bringing more women into decision-making, means that discourse at the highest level is going to change. She stated that new perspectives will be heard and a fresh new publishing world will see the light of the day.

“That is what we call resilience. More than ever, the publishing industry is realising the pivotal role women play in ensuring its resilience and long-term sustainability. Despite monumental challenges due to the pandemic, women have been instrumental in supporting the homeschooling of millions of children, making sure engaging content reached global readers during lockdown and quarantine, and providing free access to research in order to fast-track the healthcare response to Covid.

“It’s an accepted fact that the fallout from this pandemic has been particularly damaging for girls and women. For example, in Africa, as schools had to shut down in response to the pandemic, 250 million students had  transition to remote learning. As African educational publishers struggled to embrace digital transformation, a significant number of remote learners dropped out of school. A high percentage of those students are girls,” she said.

In addition, she noted that socio cultural factors such as early marriage and domestic work mean that a disproportionate number of African girls are unlikely to return to school. So the challenge before us is clear to everyone, and the solution lies in cooperation and solidarity at a global level.

“It also lies in bringing more awareness to the underlying issues, by giving women platforms to tell their stories and make their voices heard.

To unleash the full potential of women in publishing or otherwise, we must address the root causes such as book accessibility and the broader issue of keeping girls in education. We must also support the up skilling of educational publishers so that they can digitally transform their businesses and adapt to remote learning. This is true to Africa, as it is true for many regions in the world,” she added.

 

Chairman Nigerian Book fair Trust, Mr. Gbadega Adedapo described women as builders and any industry that fails to actualise the potentials of women would be far from swift advancement. He noted that women involvement is very critical and germane to our mandate to promote and improve the reading culture among Nigerians and Africans in the book industry.

He observed that from experience ‘we have not been showcasing our women in the book ecosystem enough. Most publishing firms are largely dominated by male CEOs, but in actual sense, the backbone and thriving growth witnessed by these firms are made possible by women.’

“Since the Nigerian Book Fair Trust is a non-profit organisation, let me use this medium to encourage institutions of government and stakeholders in the industry to continue to support our initiatives and make conscious efforts to respond to our clarion call for support in subsequent events,” he urged all stakeholders.

Title: For the good of the nation – Essays and Perspectives

Author: Sanusi Lamido Sanusi

Reviewer: Ozolua Uhakheme

Publisher: Alfa Communications Limited

Pagination: 509

Going by every measure, For the good of the nation-Essays and Perspectives, a compilation of writings of the former Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and 14th Fulani Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, is a rare book of our time.

It was in the works for about a decade until this year when it was formally released. At the conceptual level, the content of the book was to focus on Sanusi’s papers and articles between 1998 and 2005, but that was not to be.

“Although I agreed in principle, I did not believe I was ready yet for this publication. Many years later, after leaving the Central bank of Nigeria in interesting circumstances, becoming Emir of Kano and going through similarly interesting experiences, I decided the time is now right for this book to come out,” says Sanusi in a preface to his book.

The five-part book published by Alfa Communications Limited takes the readers on a journey into the mind and thinking of the banker-writer, who had his first ‘published’ article at age 14 as a form four student of the famous King’s College, Lagos in the 1975/1976 academic session. The book offers the readers a plethora of topics and issues of national interest.

The foreword and introduction to the book were done by Governor of Kaduna State Nasir El Rufai and the late Prof Pius Adesanmi (who passed on in 2019) respectively. These set the tone for the comprehension of the collection that spans identity, politics, and democracy, reflections on Shari’ah, SLS and gender question, Islamic theology and philosophy, and three critical interviews. From his discussions and analysis on Western or Islamic philosophy to history, anthropology, Nigeria’s politics of ethnicity and religion, you will find that Sanusi is at home with all these issues that are hitherto perceived as contentious. As a courageous public intellectual, a trait he nurtured at the feet of his father diplomat, Ambassador Muhammad Aminu Sanusi, he tells the story of his chequered route to manhood, and the trajectory of Nigeria’s postcolonial development.

Reading through most of the articles and writings, one question readily resonates, that is, is Sanusi one of the credible voices for the voiceless and defenders of the oppressed? He dares where many tremble. As a background to understanding his criticisms against the elite as well as speaking truth to power, it is imperative to have in-depth knowledge of his training. A trained economist from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; training in Islamic Studies and Shariah at International University of Africa, Khartoum, Sudan.

Despite his radical social background, Sanusi adopts a social-scientific approach to religion. ‘’I don’t take a religious studies textual approach but the approach of contemporary social theory, basically applying general rules of interpretation and discourse to the study of Islam. I am cautious of the fact that the knowledge that is produced in Islam is the knowledge that is produced in the historical and social context and therefore does have a robust secular content though on the face it looks like religion. And that has been the source of tension between me and traditional scholarship,’’ he admits.

Part One of the book Identity, Politics and democracy, features articles such as Issues in restructuring corporate Nigeria, Values and identities in the Muslim north, In defence of Reverend Father Kukah, The northern cross in Nigerian politics: Ethnic bigotry and the subvention of democracy, ISLAM, Christianity and Nigerian politics; Tribute to Thomas Paine (1737-1809.) among others.

The 509-page book, which is an auto/biography is a compendium of history, politics, economy, identity and socio-graphy of nationhood. It contains some 36 essays and interviews spanning about two decades. Some of the essays and interviews were written as op-eds in national dailies, as lectures delivered while others are responses to critics.

The diversity of its contents makes the book irresistible to many readers.  Expectedly, the opening essay of Part One talks about the recurring national question: Issues in restructuring corporate Nigeria (earlier published in Weekly Trust October 1, 1999).  Sanusi treats this topical issue with frankness and inclusiveness thus providing evidence that he is not a discriminatory speaker of the truth only to the elites and intelligentsia on the other side of Nigeria’s ethno-religious fault lines.

In analysing the topic, he identifies both objective and subjective variables such as viability of federating units, structure of First Republic, Shariah and religious intolerance in the north, the Yoruba elite and Area boy politics, Igbo marginalisation and Niger Delta and need for justice.

Sanusi believes strongly that notwithstanding the challenges and differences, all Nigerians have a right to maintain their diversity, but this should only be based on the respect of the same rights for other Nigerians. His hope however rests on the younger generation that will pick up the pieces and eave those coming behind with a legacy far more progressive than the one we inherited.

Similarly, another issue he addresses is the criticism against Reverend Father Mathew Kukah’s appointment as Secretary, National Political Reform Conference. Prompted by two articles by Garba Deen Muhammad and Kabiru Yusuf, Sanusi in his response In defence of Reverend Father Kukah picks holes in their criticisms saying ‘we owe it to ourselves and to this this country, to announce our faith in one Nigeria, a nation in which we can be Muslims without being enemies to fellow nationals. We have had decades of Muslim leadership that brought no benefit to Muslims, and the false promises and fears that are raised to deceive Nigerians need to be exposed.’Part Two consists of articles mostly on Islamic laws and Shari’ah such as Politics and Shari’ah in northern Nigeria, The Shari’ah debate: A Muslim intervention, Thinking aloud: How not to debate the Shari’ah, Democracy, human rights and Islam: theory, epistemology and quest for synthesis, and Shari’ah in Nigeria: The intellectual roots of Islamist discourses among others. In particular, Basic needs and redistributive justice in Islam: The panacea to poverty in Nigeria, offers readers insight to Sanusi’s propositions on how to end widespread poverty in the land using Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s concept of the ‘radical democratic imaginary.’

The article stresses the fact that the people responsible for the plight of the Muslim northerner are no other than the northern Muslim elite, adding that ‘we must never let this elite forget that and we must remind our people that their true enemy is not the Nigerian constitution which guarantees their freedom and equality, not the poor Southerner or Christian, but their rich fellow Muslim who has dehumanised them and kept them in perpetual deprivation.’

According to Sanusi, the panacea to this is effective participation of civil society- the press, the universities, professional associations and NGOs by unraveling the mystification and unveiling the pretenders, though is difficult to do in an environment in which every northerner or Muslim is being demonised.

In Part Three, gender and women issues form the thrust of the topics of the five essays. In Shari’ah and the women question, Sanusi says that the introduction of Shari’ah in Nigeria comes with lots of confusion, noting that if Shari’ah is to be relevant, new priorities must be set, options reevaluated as society changes and evolves.

He observes that the flexibility and evolution needed for the law to be applicable and relevant to every time and place are denied the Shariah by the very failure to contextualize rulings in their historico-cultiural specific milieu.

He notes that the wholesale adoption of Shari’ah law and its forced implementation on modern society has the effect of seeking to turn back the clock of history and revert us to the cultural conditions, value systems and even ideological priorities of medieval Arabia. This, he says, is more evident in the obsession of all modern attempts at implementing Shari’ah with the woman question.  “Of a certainty, the prophet of Islam and Quranic Revelation did come up with guidelines for women in terms of conduct, dressing and the regulation of cross-sexual interaction. But there is no evidence that the prophet was obsessed with the woman question as we seem to be or that it formed the corner piece of his message. By comparison, the degeneration of political values and the emergence of new hereditary monarchies in the Muslim world came with a shift in the focus of Islamic discourse in the realm of public policy,” he says. He maintains that the interest of the Holy prophet and his companions where women were concerned lay in freeing them from bondage to man, giving them rights in marriage, inheritance, participation and economic empowerment as well as Rising their status to one of equality with men. Sanusi warns that if care is not taken, the wholesale adoption of the legal rulings and priorities of this milieu will lead to the religion of Islam being used as a divine license for inherently unfair gender relations, which are a part of the northern social formation.Supporting his position with what Shehu Usman Dan Fodio says about woman, which was driven by a desire to improve her lot, Sanusi advises states adopting Shari’ah to take responsibility for the conduct of uneducated and fanatical youths whose actions can give Shariah a bad name. “These youth need to be controlled. Secondly, the states implementing Shari’ah need to take bolder public strides in defense of their women. Policies on women education, job opportunities and reverse discrimination have to be put in place. Stiff penalties should be meted to adults who subject girls to forced marriages, underage marriages, child-labour etc. It is these practices coupled with a lack of education and a weak economy, which are at the root of vices like prostitution,” Sanusi says. In his usual bold and courageous manner in speaking truth to power, Sanusi disagrees with D.S. Yola on the status of a non-Muslim in a contemporary Islamic state. Non-Muslims in a contemporary Islamic State, is one of his articles in Part Four of the book that dwells on Islamic theology and philosophy. While Yola believes in the validity and feasibility of the paradigmatic construct in contemporary Nigeria, Sanusi does not accept it has a valid interpretation. To him, ‘does paradigmatic construct reduce Nigerian Christians to second-class citizens in an Islamic polity? Or is it a blueprint for war undertaken in the name of religion or is such an interpretation merely an exercise in galvanizing cheap frenzy as Yola assets?’ Sanusi admits that historically, Islamic society was a major advance in human civilization long before women ad inheritance in the West. He however noted that despite these freedom and liberties, Islamic society never equated the Muslim citizen with the non-Muslim, the freeborn with the slaves and the man with the woman in terms of social and political rights. The former CBN Governor seems to reaffirm what the late Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia once said that:”until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; that until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation; that until the colour of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes; that until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race,’ world peace will be a fleeting illusion. Part Five contains interviews such as I speak truth to power, and tow interviews with the Financial Times.  

The book is for any Nigerian that desires to learn the plain truth about Nigeria, its contradictions and possibly the way out of its national malaise.

Seventeen-year-old US-based artist, Ayomide Fadase, has stolen the heart of Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya renowned for his bronze works. Her debut art exhibition, “La Vie”, has not only caught his eyes but has earned her the sobriquet “young artist with a heart of gold”. Ayomide is raising funds for Cerebral Palsy Centre through art, while championing the cause of children living with cerebral palsy, reports EVELYN OSAGIE.

Onobrakpeya’s stroke of approval

Renowned printmaker, painter, and sculptor Prof. Bruce Onobrakpeya studied each work with great concentration. He analysed the motifs; discussed the medium and the layers of paints used as well as the stories behind each piece as he moved from work to work. He was hooked.

But it was not the 350 long hours or almost 15 days production time that made the debut exhibition of 17-year-old US-based artist Ayomide Fadase priceless to the point of stealing the hearts of guests; it was the passion with which the artist talked about her cause.

“From every angle, this is a success story,” began Prof. Onobrakpeya. “The beautiful works and the motivation to create are very well founded. She has started very well and the sky is just the start.

“I praise her but I would also praise the background (parents) and the school for mentoring her. Most of us didn’t have this kind of encouragement growing up.   Youths are important and need mentorship. We want other parents to do what Ayomide’s parents have done for their daughter.

“This is how mentorship starts. If properly mentored, they will grow right. I believe in the youth; and that is why I have opened up my house and studio to receiving and training them. I have also have an institute that trains the young ones, students and those who have never been to school at all.”

“All the works impressed me. They all have interesting subjects and focus; but this one (Seasons) has a free colour and it’s beautiful. I would keep it in my house, because it shocked me. It has freedom and it’s appealing,” Onobrakpeya said

The piece is one of the 26 paintings of Ayomide, a US-based final year high school student. According to her, it took hundreds of layers of both acrylic and oil paint.

“I am delighted that one of her art pieces has found a home with Sir Bruce Onobrakpeya. And this precious piece called “Seasons” started out as an abstract painting and slowly developed into a meaningful story in the society. The seasons symbolises the various challenges and seasons that people face in life, particularly those living with disability, as well as the perseverance required to overcome them,” Ayomide said.

 

The artist’s mission

 

Call her a young “artist with a heart of gold”. The 17-year-old artist and founder of Ayosays, a brand which focusses mostly on giving back, is on a mission to support children living with cerebral palsy through her art.

Tagged:  “La Vie” (a French word for “The Living”), the art display was also a fund raiser for Cerebral Palsy Centre (CP Centre). It drew people from all walks of life, including artists, art enthusiasts, students, and government officials. The audience was also treated to cocktail and beautiful music.

The highlight of the day were the comments of Onobrapeya.

The passion with which the artist talked about her cause and the artistic delivery of her works evoked compassion and caught the hearts of guests.

Determined to use her voice to raise awareness and support persons with cerebral palsy, the artist said the proceeds of the exhibition would be donated to CP Centre in Surulere.

“The CP disorder has no cure and its cause till today is still unknown. Founded by Mrs Nonye Nweke, the centre was set up in 2010 to care for children with the CP disorder. However, they are constrained to move from their present abode to their purpose-built centre on the Ajah axis; and they need support from well-meaning Nigerians and global citizens for the completion of their new site.

“But the exhibition isn’t only about donating to them; it is also an awareness campaign. I  feel good that I’ve put it out and people are now more aware through my art. I didn’t know about cerebral palsy or that so many people have the disability all over the world. It is unfortunate that kids with it often do not have proper care. I always wanted to donate to charity through art and decided to use this exhibition for the cerebral palsy centre as a strategic way of aiding immensely the work done by them to boost specialised therapy, care, and accommodation for children with cerebral palsy in Nigeria and at no cost to their families,” she said.

Although the young artist majors in painting – oil and acrylic; but she hopes to into other aspects of visual art. I’d usually start with pencil. She said: “Hopefully, I’d go into sculptures, photography which is what I also love but I haven’t taken serious. All the pieces of exhibition today are all on canva. Majority of them have acrylic paint, oil and all of them starts with pencil, Colour pencil, markers.”

Asking the artist about her inspiration she said her parents, family, imagination and environment inspired her paintings. She also sighted that growing up in Nigeria art in school was more of an academic thing and not detailed enough. “Moving to United State exposed me more to art and more creativity. Started this about 3 years ago when I started taking art seriously,” she stated.

 

Her parents’ wish

 

In a chat with the artist’s mother, Mrs. Busola Fadase, said: “Art is a passion for Ayomide. Ayo’s delivery of her artwork is a function of who she is she is selfless, happy and kind that is why all of this is most especially to support the cerebral palsy centre which is been handled by Mrs. Nweke who cares for children that have cerebral palsy and cannot afford to care for themselves. This event was to help her raise funds for her centre. Every penny made from this exhibition will be donated to the cerebral palsy centre.”

Moved by the praises of guests, the artist’s father, Ayodele Fadese, urged parents to encourage their wards. “What I am seeing today is a fruitful future growing, bright future. All I will do as a parent is to encourage and bring out the best of her as well as guide her. I’m from an engineering background; but my vision for my children is to support and guide them.

“Art is one which she has discovered now and doesn’t limit her to that alone. The passion of our wards should be built up from an early stage. When you see your seed starts to grow, that is when you will see the beauty of encouraging them,” he said.

 

 

 

 

From fashion to a billionaire businesswoman, Apostle Folorunso Alakija has unveiled her over three-decade voyage into the worlds of business, fashion, marriage and more as she turns 70. Dignitaries thronged the Wheatbaker Hotel, Lagos for the unveiling of her five new books to mark her birthday, EVELYN OSAGIE reports.

She was named Nigeria’s richest woman by Forbes with an estimated net worth of $1 billion in 2020. Her first company was a fashion label with bigwigs as customers; she went on to become an oil magnet with an exploration company with a stake in Agbami Oil field. Welcome Nigeria’s billionaire businesswoman and woman of faith, Apostle Folorunso Alakija, who recently joined the septuagenarian club.

Like a wine that grows sweeter with age, the dotting mother of four and grandmother, who is also the vice-chair, Famfa Oil and director, The Rose of Sharon Group, grows older with grace. She had a unique glow when dignitaries thronged the Wheatbaker Hotel, Lagos, to celebrate her.

To kick start activities marking the milestone, she treated guests to mouthwatering offerings from her acumen in diverse life’s endeavours with the unveiling of five books.

The books included an autobiography, entitled Blossoming with the Hand that Gives the Rose which chronicles her life’s journey over the last 10 years in five major sections. It also signifies the different hats she wears and her close shave with death on Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos.

The other four books included Mysteries of Marriage Unveiled, The Master Key: The Power of Prayers, Lamp Unto My Feet and Answers to Marital Hiccup.

“Money is not everything,” said the philanthropist whose foundation has empowered thousands of widows.

Values must be at the core of transactions

For the Dayspring Properties Development Limited and Digital Reality Print Limited, values should be at the core of transactions. “Money is not always the answer to our problems. Money cannot buy happiness. If you have items in your home that you have not used for two years, there is someone out there who is in dire need of it.

“I have come across business deals that I had to walk away from because they would have caused me to compromise my values as a Christian. This is difficult for most business people to do especially in Nigeria but even those who end up compromising in most cases cannot account for tangible things they have achieved with the money,” she said.

The event featured book readings with a blend of tributes and comments on the celebrator. It paraded women who are highflyers in diverse fields, including the First Lady of Ekiti State, Mrs. Bisi Fayemi, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa; former Deputy Governor of Lagos State Mrs. Sarah Sosan; former First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola; the first female and immediate past Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Mrs. Ibukun Awosika; celebrated musician Onyeka Onwenu and Aisha Babangida.

The unveiling

The Regional Evangelist, Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Johnson Tomisin Kalejaiye led the formal presentation of the five books. He was in the company of Ita-Giwa, Sosan; Chief Tunde Ponle and his wife, Otunba Titilayo; Erelu Fayemi; Mrs. Fashola, Onwenu and Hajia Babangida. Other guests included  Resident Pastor, KICC Church, Pastor Femi Faseru; Social Entrepreneur & Special Adviser to Governor of Ondo State on Entrepreneurship, Summy Smart Francis and award-winning producer and journalist, Peace Hyde.

The review of Apostle Alakija’s autobiography, Blossoming with the Hand that Gives the Rose, took a little twist. It was read and reviewed at a panel session with Awosika; Onwenu, Francis, Hyde and Pastor Faseru. During her discussions with the panelists, the author reflected on her experience across different areas of her life.

Power of collaboration

Calling attention to the power of collaboration likening it to a relay race where collaborative effort is essential to achieving success, former bank Chair and motivational speaker, Mrs Awosika read and also reflected on the author’s leadership style and her Junior Chamber International (JCI) connections where she had the rare opportunity of being a speaker twice.

Deep sense of stewardship

Pastor Faseru highlighted the author’s ministry and calling, and the need to walk closely with God, while Francis read from the chapter titled entrepreneurialism, which emphasised Alakija’s deep thoughts on compassionate capitalism, her generosity amid fear and uncertainty and how she shows astute stewardship towards God’s resources.

On her part, Hyde reflected on the gift of family and how a subtle intertwining will help create a balance for the multifaceted roles that women play.

From passion to business empire

The last reading was taken by Onyeka Onwenu from a chapter, Fashion my Passion. She recalled her encounter with the author as a fashion designer, praising commendable successful strides into other businesses that have become a business empire.

A decade’s voyage documented

Investment banker and convener, Abia League of Professional Initiatives, Mr. Sonny Iroche reviewed Apostle Alakija’s four other books.

He named mentorship as a major vehicle for passing down values to younger generations. On this front, he observed that author is not lacking. Highlighting her dedication of various activities geared inspiring the young, he drew attention to the author’s use of language in her books, particularly those on marriage, are instructional materials.

Iroche, who is also a former Executive Director, Finance & Accounts at the Transmission Company of Nigeria, said: “Apostle Alakija is an epitome of simplicity and this reflects in the book.  She appropriates some self-made coinages to articulate her views, such as ‘Out-laws’ to describe in-laws that are destructive elements in a marriage. While the author used “in-love” instead of “in-law” to suggest “family members” without hopes of being dragged to court someday.

“The two marriage themed books, (Answers to Marital Hiccups and Mysteries of Marriage Unveiled), are compilations from Apostle Alakija’s university of marriage retreats and conferences convened quarterly and annually; while Master key is a prayer guide and Lamp unto my feet, a 100-day Bible study guide.”