The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • ‘African writers have a market in German-speaking countries’

    ‘African writers have a market in German-speaking countries’

    Almost 400 books of African prose fiction have been published in the German-speaking countries of Austria, Germany and Switzerland in the last five years. Indra Wussow is in the heart of an advocacy for re-visitation and reinvestigation of the “fractured” relationship between Africa and Europe through the lens of the arts.  Wussow, who lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, is the editor of AfrikAWunderhorn, a series of contemporary African fiction in German. She is also a curator, literary translator, journalist and director of the Sylt Foundation. Evelyn Osagie spoke with her when she visited Nigeria. 

    How do you marry the many parts of yourself?
    All the different parts actually work together because you would write first and you’d read. So you can easily become an editor. And then when you travel, you’d meet with writers, and conduct interviews that you sell as a journalist. You’d also translate, so, you can write literary reviews. As a curator, you’d know people, visit places, so that all your parts fit into these different capabilities. And that, I guess, is how we all work nowadays. We don’t only have one job. I know a lot of people that have had to do three or four jobs.
    What do you think of African literature?
    Africa has young nations, who had their Independence mostly in the 1960s and later, and out of these are very interesting generations of literature. Both the old and the new are capturing the past and finding a new way to deal with who they are. And it is a very interesting environment because it deals with various literary groups and traditions, like the oral traditions birthing the spoken words. The many talents that you find in African countries are amazingly huge. A French-speaking country would offer another form of literature than the English-speaking one, but it is a wonderful mix of very new voices which should all be heard.
    Are there similarities between South African and Nigerian literature vis-à-vis German literature?
    They are different literatures. There are lots of oral traditions in those literatures that we in Europe forgot. And it is also what unites them. It is like a political urge to address issues that in Germany are usually not. I think it would change now with the right wing people because we have to become political again to fight that system. I guess the urge to write to make social changes is something that is more African. And to tell the stories out of that perspective makes them extremely realistic and down-to-earth which I very much like. In Germany, a lot of literature – not all of course but if there is a tendency that is what we talk about – is art for the arts sake. You’d flavour language and experiment with language. They are often not very interesting stories you’d tell because you’d feel your life is rather boring which would change now. These stories become very important so you’d deal with your past.
    In the last five years almost 400 books of African fiction have been published in German. Does that mean there is a market for African literatures and writers in the German speaking countries of Austria, Germany and Switzerland?
    Definitely. Just the sheer number of titles is incredible. And of course, there are readers who are really interested in a diverse idea of African countries and African identities that is different from the perception before which was rather “Oh that is the third world”. And now it is very interesting to see that a lot of Nigerian writer, books are translated. For example, “Lagos” is a literary topic and a city, which many people know from books even though they’ve never really travelled here. And isn’t it amazing that you have a Nigeria whose landscape is so different from the German one?
    Is there room for new African writers to have their works translated for the German market?
    There is always space for new ones. Although I think you can’t publish much more as before. However, you can change the older ones whom you have published but don’t publish anymore for new ones coming up.
    So how does a new African voice find space in the German market; how easy is it?
    That is very difficult, because you have to have a publisher before; otherwise, you are not even sure of somebody recognising your work. So most of the people that are translated into German are actually well-known – they have won awards and prizes. The Caine Prize, for example, influences publishers worldwide to focus on works in Africa. So if you are not published at home it would be very hard.
    So if a writer is not well known or wins an international prize, it would be difficult for that writer to get published in Germany?
    Definitely, because how do you find them? I live in South Africa and still have the possibility of finding writers that haven’t been published in South Africa that I might consider, because I know they would be. But you can’t be that knowledgeable in other literary scenes. So, it would be mere coincidence if you find one, but it would be very difficult. And one has to also say that those writers published in German-speaking countries are very good writers and you already have a big choice of those who are published to choose from.
    What is your take on prizes and their effect on the development of literature globally?
    I do believe awards are not only important for those who win them to get contract or are translated, it is good for literature itself. With the emerging of a Chimamanda Adichie, there is suddenly a boom in Nigerian literature. And now there are so many others coming; and because the perception that “there is an interesting literature out there”; it also affects the growth of literature, and not only those winning awards but others as well.
    When a book wins a prize, it becomes the next best book. Some critics believe that it doesn’t quite represent the literary space because the continent has lots of great writers, whose works are worthy of being promoted.
    I am not so sure. For example, Etisalat Prize for Literature has wonderful winners. Fiston Mwanza Mujila’s book, Tram 83 is originally written in French. Winning the prize in 2015, I am sure he would have now found an English translation so that more African people would have access. And this is amazing; and would not have happened without these awards. I find them, the awards, extremely important. It should be a mix out of different things, but awards means there is money that is brought into the literary scene, and this improves it.
    Besides awards, writers’ residency has also helped the development of literature and writers. You established the Sylt Foundation African Writer’s Residency in your hometown. Could you tell us more about it?
    One of my projects is the Sylt Foundation. And we have a residency space on the Island of Sylt off the coast of Hamburg, which is the North of Germany. And there, we host writers and artists to stay for a month or two to focus on their works, and sometimes to work on projects that we curate as well. It has been on for 15 years now and we have hosted more than a hundred writers.
    What inspired the move?
    It came out of the idea that I always feel we limit ourselves constantly when we deal with our groups by saying: “this is my culture, this is my people and this is my country”. I never liked that. I always felt that we are so much more. We are where we are because we are born there. And so I felt it is very important we marry the idea that our differences are things to explore and cherish. And the success of the programme teaches me that it is the right thing to do. People are constantly building walls, trying to separate people; but I feel it is very important to unite. Different as we are, in the end, we are all human beings. And I think we want the same out of life. So it is important to build bridges.
    What is your experience bringing writers and artists to the residency yearly?
    It has gone very well. The good thing is these people are grownups so they know best what they want and actually utilise the opportunity because they have quality time to focus on their works. And out of it comes friendships that last longer than the residency which is lovely because we like the idea that a network have arisen out of it over the years.
    How do you choose the residents?
    Some win awards, others work together with us on projects. And we work with institutions. For example, we have partnership with a bank, which now belong to the Barclay Bank. And they have a competition and they book for the space for one of their winners as is part of their prize which is lovely. And this year out of a competition, there is a Ugandan visual artist coming. He would actually be with Abubakar Ibrahim, winner of the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature at the same time. So it is very funny that on this little Island in the North of Europe, two African brilliant creative minds, who have never met, will come together. And I am sure there would be an interesting conversation.
    Besides Abubakar Ibrahim, winner of the NLNG Nigeria Prize for Literature who will be in the residency this year, which other Nigerian writer has your residency hosted?
    Chika Unigwe was there and Helon Habila was also there.
    What do you have to say about Goethe-Institu’s Literary Crossroads and its importance in building bridges?
    It is very important. It is incredible that we are having these conversations across cultures. I was born into a horrible village in Germany where I mean I could have become a bank clerk. But it is amazing sitting with you here, talking about literature, your photography.
    Is this your first time in Nigeria?
    It is unfortunately my first time and only short because I would like to investigate more of this country. And because I read so many Nigerian writers, it would be wonderful to further go down and explore things. I would definitely come another time.
    What did you fantasise about Nigeria and what were you warned about it?
    First of all, it was Lagos. You’ve read a lot that that city is very chaotic. And you want to see for yourself. In Goethe, you are constantly being sent to differently posts across the world. And it is often said that Lagos is one of the few posts you can’t be sent to; you have to want to go there because it is apparently so difficult. You’d hear it so awful and difficult, but the interesting thing is that when you travel enough, you’d find the chaotic is the ones that are most creative. And you see it in Nigerian literature. Everybody does warn you, but it is a shame I leave in Johannesburg. And everybody talks about how difficult it is as well but I don’t find it so.

  • Chimamanda’s ‘Americanah’ for reading in New York

    Chimamanda’s ‘Americanah’ for reading in New York

    Chimamanda Ngozi-Adichie’s bestseller novel ‘Americanah’ has been selected as one of the five award-winning books to be chosen for the ‘One Book One New York’ programme.

    The concept of ‘One Book One New York’ is an initiative to bring together bookworms in the U.S. largest city to read the same book at the same time.

    New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment said a committee made up of “the heads of the New York Public Library, the deans of the major academic institutions, and leaders of the book publishing industry,” all helped to select the five books among hundreds.

    The Mayor’s office said the programme aims to get all of New York City on the same page literally adding, the idea is essentially a giant book club, or a “one book read campaign”.

    The office has planned at least six community-based reading events, some of which will be with the authors.

    “New York City is proud to be the creative capital of the world.

    “The ‘One Book, One New York’ initiative provides the perfect opportunity to bring city residents from all five boroughs together through reading,” Mayor Bill de Blasio, said.

    According to Julie Menin, Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, once the book is chosen, the city will host an author event at the New York Public Library, as well as a number of ancillary events at bookstores throughout the city.

    “We’re thrilled to celebrate our enduring literary capital with the ‘One Book, One New York’ program.

    “All five of the nominated titles are fantastic, and we invite New Yorkers from all five boroughs for the chance to vote for your favorite NYC read.

    “One Book, One New York” will help readers connect with one another while rediscovering their libraries and their independent neighbourhood bookstores.

    “Something that makes it incredibly timely in this moment our country is in is that all five of these books deal with themes of immigration, of race, oftentimes of being an outsider.

    “These books are incredibly timely. These are really thought-provoking books that really speak to the age that we’re in,” Menin said.

    The programme also features celebrity advocates who have all taped on-camera segments touting the importance of each book and urging New Yorkers to vote online.

    The book to be read will be chosen by city residents, who have been voting for their favourites online at nyc.gov/onebook and at subway platform kiosks, which will end on Feb. 28.

    The final book selection will be announced in early March, with events taking place around the city to follow through early June when the culminating event will take place.

    The culminating event, in June, will be something of a big book club meeting, with fans of the book coming to the New York Public Library to take part in a conversation between its author and the senior book editor at BuzzFeed.

    The publishers of the five nominated books have provided at least 800 copies of those books to New York City’s more than 200 library branches.

    According to chimamanda.com, Americanah is a powerful tender story of race and identity.

    Chimamanda’s works’ have been translated into over 30 languages and have won several prizes including the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, the Orange Prize.

    Others are, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and The Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Fiction as well as one of The New York Times Ten Best Books of the Year.

    Those works include, Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun which was also adapted into a movie.

    A recipient of a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, her works have also made a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist, a New York Times Notable Book, and a People and Black Issues Book Review Best Book of the Year.

  • Dolphin: Cold war in the estate

    Dolphin: Cold war in the estate

    In this report, Medinat Kanabe and Dorcas Egede take a look at the cold war going on between residents of Dolphin Estate Duplexes and their neighbouring High-Rise section

    In 1985, the then governor of Lagos State, Lateef Jakande began the construction of buildings in different parts of Lagos State. Those estates are now known, albeit unofficially, as Jakande Estate.

    One of such estates was built in Obalende, but after some years and the emergence of another governor, the Obalende estate was demolished and Dolphin Estate Phase 1 was built. That was in 1992.

    To compensate the victims of the demolished Jakande Estate, the then governor built a high-rise 2 and 3 bedrooms flats, which they called Dolphin Estate High-rise.

    Now residents of Dolphin High-rise are complaining that residents of the Dolphin Duplexes are segregating them, showing ego and not allowing them enjoy facilities located within their section. The chairman of Dolphin Duplexes however insists that the estates are not the same.

    Mr Taiwo Kosoko, Environmental Secretary for the Dolphin Estate High-rise, who spoke to The Nation said there is a big segregation, adding that it is a mere show of ego.

    “First of all, it is one C of O (Certificate of Occupancy) that covers the whole area; but over there, we have a lot of things in common, which is like a commonwealth and should be accessible to us. An example is the open spaces.

    “We have documents to show that the facilities therein are for the use of both the duplex and the high rise estates. The case is like winner takes all. They are making money through our commonwealth over there and use it for themselves. That is why you see that we are not able to get enough money to put our environment in order.

    “Because of this, we have no choice but to look up to the government to help put our environment in order and they have promised to help us with the road before the canal. There is also a piece of land that we have been given management by the government but to put it in shape, we will need like N 11 to N 15 million and we are looking up to some banks to support us as their part of their own Corporate Social Responsibility.”

    He lamented that at the duplex area, there are about three fields but because they fall on  side, they have monopolised them. “We have written to Lagos State Development/Property Corporation, LSDPC, and we were told that we must have unfiltered access to every facility within the estate but each time we call for a meeting for the commonwealth sharing, they will not show up. Although they come for security meetings, it doesn’t usually end well because we always bring the issue of the commonwealth sharing and the meeting will abruptly end.”

    Asked when the segregation started, he said this was from the onset of the new estate in 1992 but noted that it became very obvious during the last administration of the estate. “The last chairman ordered that the boundary between us and them should be closed, so that we will not have easy access to their side of the estate.

    They pretentiously told us that they were trying to drive their revenue, so we can allow them erect the gate. They told us that the gate will be opened and closed at certain time during the day, so we agreed and it was erected. But thereafter, we realised that their intention was to close the gate permanently so that we will be restricted to the Obalende exit while they use corporation drive.

    “So we fought it and ordered that there should be no barrier anymore, as long as we are covered under one C of O and are supposed to be one estate.

    “For you to know that it’s no longer a trivial issue, you will notice that we don’t have one security, we don’t have one shuttle, we don’t have one association, we don’t use the same PSP for wastes; we do everything separately. In fact, when you board a tricycle, you will stop in the middle and board their shuttle and if you don’t get a shuttle or vehicle to take you inside their own side, you will wait endlessly.”

    Continuing Kosoko said, “Recently they did something else; there was a gate by the police station, which is for everybody to access the dual carriage road which is a federal road; but they ordered the closure of that gate indefinitely as if they are the pioneer of the estate.

    “They claim this superiority all the time, but they’re not superior. They are not superior because we all purchased the houses from the same authority.”

    Even with all these issues, Kosoko insisted that residents from the two estates live in peace, claiming there is no rancour aside the ego that the other party is showing.

    An aggrieved resident of the high-rise section, who spoke with The Nation, said everything is about packaging. The duplex people package themselves very well, unlike us and that is because we don’t have the financial power. “The problem is that the Lagos state government has abandoned us.

    “They have deliberately refused to come to our aid in terms of demolition of all the illegal structures that are devaluing the high rise section. Most of the residents are benefitting from the structure by renting them off or using them for some other things.

    “We also have flooding problems because most of the drainage has not been emptied by the Lagos state government.

    “The drainage has been occupied by mechanics and a gas station called ISA-TEL GAS, without our knowledge and proper documentation. They said they have the back up of the Ministry of Energy officials. When you are entering through our gate, you will also notice that the gate is so porous, making it look really ugly.

    “We have written to the Ministry of Physical Planning, Ministry of Environment, and the Ministry of Urban Development. There was a time the Special Adviser to the governor on Urban Development, Mrs Yetunde Onabule invited us. We told her about abandoned vehicles on Ijeh Road and she promised to look into it and even said that they would dualise the road because it is the easiest access for us to town. She also said they will come and clear our drainage too but none of these has been done.

    “They also said they would reclaim the land being used by the police people as market and convert it to shopping complex for us; but since then, we have not heard from them. We have also been calling her since then, but she is not picking her calls and when we send her messages, she will not reply. This has gone on for over a year now.

    “Another effort we have put in is to reach out to the Surveyor General of Lagos State to come and erect a boundary between us and the police, so that the space will be demolished and we can build a complex there, instead of having our people build all these illegal structures as shops inside the estate that now make the place look unkempt.

    “We are calling the government to come and demolish the illegal structures, just the way it did in other estates in Lagos State like, Abesan, Isolo, Mile 2, Ifako Ijaiye and others.

    “We know that government officials have failed to come here because they have been bribed. I can categorically state here that the government officials that are supposed to demolish the structures have been bribed. They just defaced the whole place with shanties, shops that do not befit the estate.”

    A resident of Dolphin Estate Duplex, who prefers not to be quoted also insisted that there is no fight between the two estates; it is just that some people feel they are bigger than others so they insist on doing some things.

    My paradise is better than yours

    Tricycles used by the High Rise and shuttle used by the Duplex residents
    Tricycles used by the High Rise and shuttle used by the Duplex residents

    As far as I am concerned, the idea is not a welcomed one; it is only in this part of the world that we feel that we are different. We are all the same in the eyes of God. All these things are nothing; we are the ones that feel that some people are not in the same class as us. There is a road that is supposed to be a major road going to Osborne but the duplex people have refused the high-rise people to pass there. They claim that it is for them and the whole place has only one C of O. As a resident of the duplex, I don’t support what they are doing; same applies to many other people living in the duplex section.

    But a tricycle rider who conveyed these reporters from Ijeh Road to the Duplex entrance told his own version of the story.

    He said when former Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in power, he tried to work on the drainage without success. “When Governor Babatunde Fashola was in power, he also tried all he could to drain the water but he couldn’t. He was the one who did the canal side like that.”

    He said the water is coming from the river across the express, adding that sometimes it flows to the estate and sometimes it flows away. He however said it never dries up even during Harmattan. The rider said the duplex people have not accepted that the people in the high rise section are living in Dolphin Estate, as they usually refer to them as barracks people.

    “The duplex people call the high rise, barracks. In fact, they recently erected a gate, where the security men are stationed. But the high rise people fought and removed the gate. We (riders) are not allowed to enter the duplex area; that is why they have their own shuttle system.”

    He said even with the segregation, a 3-bedroom flat in the high rise section goes for between N1million and N1.2 million.

    Not the same estate- Chairman duplex section

    The chairman Dolphin Estate Association, Mrs Bisi Awoniyi, who also spoke with The Nation, said everybody is being very cautious about making comments on the issue and that is because to the best of her knowledge, there has never been a time when the two estates were meant to be the same.

    Speaking, Awoniyi said, “That is news to me because there has never been a time when the people in the high rise section are considered to be residents of Dolphin Estate. No! Dolphin Estate is Dolphin Upper Medium Estate. I don’t know how they are registered but they have never shared anything with us.

    “We have separate security, we have different associations, different executive members; so if it is supposed to be one whole Dolphin, how come we have all these things separated?

    On the claim that the estates are under the same C of O and that the LSDPC has given them the go ahead to use every facility in the estate, she said they had made that allegation in the past and they were told to show where it is written but they have not been able to.

    “Everyone just goes around with all sorts of stories. If that is what they said, let them show where it is so written. What exactly are we sharing? If you look at the layout of our estates, there is a distinct wall separating the two estates. In that Ijeh, I am made to understand that there are two or three fractions; now when you have people of different background and orientation and a little bit disagreement between them and we don’t want to be part of that.

    “To the best of my knowledge, what I am aware that they are claiming is the access way. You know there is an access way, which is our own Corporation Drive, which we allow them to pass through. We have never stopped them from passing through our gate because we know they use our estate as an access route to their own estate. Their own main gate is at Obalende.

    “Everything they do is different. They collect their dues themselves and we don’t look at what they collect because it is not our business anyway. They too don’t look into what we collect as dues because it is not their business. So how can you be selective in what constitutes one estate?

    On the sharing of a commonwealth, she said if that is the case, they should be sharing the same dues, liabilities and expenses?

    She said, “All the maintenance we do in our estate, we don’t involve them at all. When it suits them, they say they are part of Dolphin; when it doesn’t suit them, they say they are on their own.

    “I quite appreciate the word perception. The general perception, which is very correct to an extent, is that the people in this our estate, are of a higher income bracket. I want to believe that it is normal for people to want to associate with things that are nice or anything that is more organised. I know that they have provided something like a field or park for them and we are not associating ourselves with it because we know we are not a part of it.

    “They say success has many fathers and failure is an orphan. So this part of the estate is more organised despite the fact that it is not up to one third of what we bought into; and you cannot also say that the people that bought duplexes paid the same amount as the people that bought flats in the high rise section. So where is equity in the whole thing?”

    On being the pioneer inhabitants of the duplex area, she said she is not aware of that.

    “What I know is that the current administration is running what we met on ground and that is what we will continue. I am not going to dig into the past and start talking about things that happened donkey years ago. Of all the contentious issues that were raised at that time, I know the chairman at the time went to court and a lot of things were resolved. My administration is new; I cannot just come and start laying claim to things. I will not do that because there have been previous administrations in the past that have laid the foundation of Dolphin Estate.

    “So I am not sure they have given you the correct information. And if there is a story like that, then they have misinterpreted quite a lot of things.”

    Asked if her position is that the people in the high rise section are not living in Dolphin Estate, she said all she knows is that they don’t share anything with them.

    She also denied the allegation that the people living in the duplex section refer to those living in high rise section as ‘barracks people,’ saying they refer to the estate as ‘Dolphin high rise not barracks’.

    Her words: “I have never heard anybody call the place barracks; I have never heard people call them names. There is even no way people will call them names because we have some of our residents here who have second wives in the high rise and they are respectable men. Would we now be calling the high rise a barracks?

    On the allegations of ego tripping and superiority, she said she is not aware of this. “If anything, we always reach out to each other for security; and that is because they use our estate as thorough fare to theirs. I am not aware that we show off any ego. When they want to do their dues verification, they write to us that they want to have a lockdown and we cooperate with them.

    “When they want to do any major thing in their estate and require support from us, they write to us and we support them. When we also want to do our dues verification, we write them that we are going to have a lockdown and they support. But you can’t say we are the same estate because even in very little things, we are different.”

    Explaining further, Awoniyi said, “One thing I will want to advice is depending on who you are talking to, they are bound to come up with stories that they know nothing about. I will not say I know 100 percent the full story of what they are talking about, but I have read what I met on ground and I have never seen anywhere where they said we should share common things together; even our security is different.

    “Why is it that it is only when it comes to issues of the field that you think that you are the same estate with us? Why not in every other aspect? And the reason why we are very firm on the field is that we are the ones maintaining the field. We engage gardeners and sweepers to maintain the field. They are not contributing anything. They say you put your mouth where your money is, isn’t it?

    “And then the few times we have even allowed them to use the place, we have had very high incidences of theft. They cannot control the people that come here. We had area boys who came all the way from Mushin and Ajegunle, so we just had to stop it.” Awoniyi concluded.

    We don’t give permission for location of gas plant – Ministry of Energy

    On the claim by the gas company that it got permission from The Ministry Energy to occupy the estate drainage, the Public Relations Officer, of the ministry, Segun Olawoye, who spoke with The Nation said they don’t give permission for citing of gas plants. He said that is the job of the Ministry of Physical Planning and they are licensed by Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.

    “Our job is to make sure that they follow the regulations and we are trying our best to make sure that they get all the proper papers. I will advice that residents of the high-rise write a petition and send them to the Ministry of Physical Planning and copy us, so that we can go and verify it.

    Put your questions in writing- LSDPC

    When The Nation reached out to the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, LSDPC to confirm some of the allegations and counter-allegations, information, the Assistant Chief Legal Officer, Ajetunmobi Lolade told the reporters to put their questions in writing.

    She said: “Did they show you evidence that we said they should have access to the facilities. Ask them to show you the evidence that they have because all these things are based on evidence. They may have had a letter prior to this time regarding this issue… let them come to LSDPC.

    “If they have a response, they should have a letter because LSDPC will not give you a response by word of mouth; so let them show you what they have.”

    Until press time, every attempt to reach Onabule, Special Adviser to the government on Urban Development, to hear the Ministry’s side of the story failed.

  • Day at a Lagos motor park

    Aside commuters and intending travelers, motor-parks, known in the local parlance as garages, are no-go areas for most Nigerians. Notably, they hold an eerie opinion of the place and would not be caught dead there, except when they’re headed for a destination. Ruth Akerele recently spent time with guys at the Oshodi Mosafejo Park, and her memoirs are as interesting as they are revealing.

    Scenes at Oshodi motor park
    Scenes at Oshodi motor park

    For a first-time visitor, Oshodi Mosafejo Motor Park and environs is a noisy and rowdy place with little or no security. Save a pocketful on the roadsides and junctions, police officers are somewhat a rare sight in the ‘garages’. The environment is also littered and as dirty as they come. Smell of putrid human waste rent the air, evidence of careless and indiscriminate excretion and urination habits. But no one seemed to mind, as everyone seemed concentrated on their business, chief of which was to make money. Plenty of it.

    The conductors busied themselves with drawing attention to their various routes, as they shout themselves hoarse, almost like in a competition.

    At the edges and in between vehicles, petty traders engage in perpetual chatter, trying to convince commuters to buy their goods. Intermittently, auto mechanics and their apprentices could be seen, bent over, trying to fix one vehicle or the order. Their seems to be an urgency to get the vehicles back in shape for the next trip. Buses are arranged according their routes and passengers already seated looked at ease, even as they fanned themselves to melt the heat. The petty traders peddled products that range from confectionery to home-made food, drinks and even clothes. Phone accessories and home appliances are also not left out. And so are beggars.

    Although there is no time specification for business activities at the park; the environment remains well-lit even in the wee hours of the morning. The park is quite deserted and apart from the few early passengers boarding buses and a few drivers/conductors. Some drivers and conductors could also be seen cleaning their vehicles in preparation for the day. Aside the usual conductor/passenger squabbles, which was evident even in this early hours, the garage is unusually quiet.

    As the day broke and activities reached fever pitch, this reporter couldn’t but notice the gathering of people at different places. Further investigations revealed that they were gathered to play or check results of their sports betting, popularly called ‘Baba Ijebu’. Baba Ijebu is named after the founder of the betting game of numbers and sports results prediction.

    Here and there, commuters could be seen trying to locate buses going to their destinations, while others patronised the petty traders. Some men, in twos and threes, could be seen collecting money from the bus drivers/conductors as their vehicles fill up and they prepare to drive out of the park. On enquiry, this reporter learnt that the men were of the Road Transport Workers Union and were actually collecting dues for the union. One of the conductors could be seen arguing with one of the men. Things looked set to escalate into a fight, but other conductors quickly stepped in to make peace.

    One other visible feature of the park is the sight of ruddy and unkempt touts everywhere one looked. Some could be seen sleeping in broad daylight, while others lazed around purposelessly. Another set could be seen smoking and drinking, while others wandered aimlessly about. A little bird whispered that these are the ones who engaged in nefarious activities and have given motor parks their negative reputations.

    In the late evening, activities in the garage reduce drastically and the environment appears quite serene, compared to the afternoon. Except for night travelers and those returning from their various places of work, most activities are winding to a stop for the day. Although some petty traders could still be seen around showcasing their goods to commuters, most have closed for the day and disappeared, to resurface the next day. Naturally, the environment looks dirtier than in the morning, but the people carried on unconcerned, even as they chatted away in a relaxed mood.

    In all, it was a revealing experience for this reporter. Even though she did not experience or witness any crime or criminal activity, the whole environment still looked suspect, with people milling around in their thousands and some looking rough enough to arouse psychological threat in innocent people.

  • A-Z of Campus Leadership, launched

    A-Z of Campus Leadership, launched

    Recently, former editorial page editor of The Nation newspaper, Sola Fasure, publicly presented a book titled, A-Z of Campus Leadership (Volume 1) written by Femi Tiamiyu. The book which contains winning nuggets that will help campus leaders navigate, nurture and unleash their leadership skills in their institution and beyond, was presented at the Alumni Complex of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.

    While presenting the book, Fasure linked his relationship with the author to their thriving moments at the Vintage Media Venture and spoke highly of him, while encouraging the excited audience to see the book as a solution to some of the world’s problems. He decried the low drive of Africans to put historical events into documentation. He recommended the book to every institution, workplace and agency in Nigeria, Africa and the world at large. “The book is a good tool to train leaders, youth wings, instructors, students, organisations and is available for small and bulk delivery in major outlets in the country or by personally contacting the author’s social media timelines or website.” He said.

    The author, Femi Tiamuyu, a proud alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) retraced the circumstances leading to the birth of the blockbuster, as events that surfaced right from his 200-Level days back on campus and how the dream evolved from just a passion to a burden to see a generation of leaders come to terms and reality with the nitty-gritty of leadership. “Every functional society is structured by rules, values, mores and operated through effective leadership. Leadership, often the missing link, in some people’s toolkits; yet a basic ingredient to facilitate, compensate and manage progress.” He said.

    Meanwhile, Bola Adesope, a professional in Project Management & Organisational Structuring, while reviewing the book made comparison to the speed of development happening in United Arab Emirate and how the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum responded in an interview session of the essentials of an effective leadership. Mr Adesope linked the three factors mentioned by the Emirate Leader as major themes the Author mentioned in his piece – projects, delegation and communication.

  • Mirror mirror on the wall

    Mirror mirror on the wall

    Title: What it Takes
    Author: Lola Akande
    Reviewer: Samuel Oluwatobi Olatunji
    Pages: 316
    Publisher: Kraftgriots books limited, Ibadan, Oyo State

    Lola Akande’s What it Takes is a bold, moving fiction written with literary grace. This novel mirrors the ugly reality that characterises the PhD experience of probably most Nigeria’s universities. The story is so touching that it can draw tears out of one’s eyes; tears for the tortuous tale of the protagonist’s attempt at earning a PhD. Akande, who happens to be a lecturer in the Department of English, University of Lagos, has captured a saddening story that most PhD students or graduates don’t want to recount or remember.

    This is a story of Funto Oyewole, a seemingly narcissistic single mother, who seems to be obsessed with the vainglory of her facial finesse, as she regularly appraises herself using usually more than one mirror. After losing her job, she decides to earn a PhD. This decision becomes almost regrettable as it drives her into the disheartening politics of Nigeria’s ivory tower. She encounters her first major challenge in her attempt to get a supervisor in the National University of Nigeria, where she has “just secured admission for a PhD programme in Literature.”

    Her attempt to get a supervisor becomes almost a mission impossible. She is first directed to the raunchy Dr Durojaiye, who brings “his manhood out of his boxers” and wants her to “duro”, sexually “jaiye” with him before he can agree to be her supervisor. Irritated by this, she scrambles out of his office, and she is further directed to Prof. Lara Owoyemi, who, like her surname echoes, “demand[s] financial compensation.” Afterwards, there is Dr Raphael Douglas, whose amicability must have earned him the maximum required number of students and cannot supervise her. Her last resort becomes the ethnic bigot and eccentric, Prof. Charles Ephraim, who is said to be “an exceedingly hostile man with infinite capacity for hate.” Although, he agrees to supervise her, he ensures that she does not evade the hell it takes to get the possibly heaven of a PhD.

    As Akpabio, who spends about six years to get his PhD informs her, “no one gets a PhD without a story.” This makes one wonder the kind of stories other PhD students have to tell, maybe something more gruesome. Mr Oragui, “a clerical staff in the departmental office” succinctly summarises the PhD process in his definition of PhD to be “Prostrate, Hard work and Dobale.” According to him, as a PhD student, “you’ll do more of prostrating than hard work.” Funto soon proclaims in anguish that “my professor has become a god who I must not only hold in reverence but in absolute obeisance.” Her attempt for a PhD, which started in September 1998, only becomes successful in December 2009; that means it takes her over a decade to get a PhD.

    Fortunately, she is surrounded by characters that brim with kindness. Such characters include her closest friend, Folake, who chooses to sponsor her PhD programme and Shettima, who later becomes her lover. These characters become her fortress from the PhD frustration. And she appreciates their effort when she says, “perhaps I would have the opportunity to write my story some time, and it would be an amazing success story of a helpless parent flown sky-high by friends and associates.” Truly, hers is a success story amidst other “unsuccess(ful)” stories.

    Interestingly, there seems to be a strong interplay of fact and fiction in this novel. This leaves one wondering how much of the author’s personal life has been interwoven into this story. To what extent is it fiction? This however brings to mind, Bessie Head’s A Question of Power and Karen King-Aribisala’s The Hangman’s Game, and the words of Ralph Ellison, as he admits that “good fiction is made of what is real.”

    Therefore, apart from a few typesetting errors (like an irregular font on pg 13 and an open quotation on pg 293), this novel is indisputably good fiction that should be a recommended read in every university.

  • Youthful passions and the lifeline for teenagers, young adults

    Youthful passions and the lifeline for teenagers, young adults

    Title: Don’t Let that CRUSH Crush you
    Author: Funto Abioye
    Publishers: Fountain of Lyfe Books, Nigeria
    Reviewer: Charles Ayidu

    In this book, Funto Abioye delves into a matter in the heart of all young people and a nut many parents find difficult to crack—crush. She demystifies the myth surrounding crush, educates the reader on its purpose and highlights ways to handle it. By writing this book, the author makes an audacious attempt to paddle in waters many parents dread to sail, and indeed, she navigates through it with remarkable passion, brilliance and ingenuity.

    The book has six chapters. The first chapter, an introduction to teenage-hood, provides an overview of the physical, emotional/sexual, and physiological transformations everyone undergoes from childhood to puberty. In chapter two, she begins to deal with the heart of the matter, stating clearly that crush, “the feeling of attraction or longing for companionship with the opposite sex is so natural” because it is “God’s way of preparing you for the future. . . God placed it there” for a “beautiful reason”—marriage. However, she warns that crush is a temporary feeling, a fantasy upon which “you cannot base life-altering decisions.”

    In chapter three, Funto admonishes young people to focus on building their lives by discovering themselves, understanding their purpose in life, reading good books, getting an education and pursuing their dreams. She concludes the chapter by unequivocally stating that “you cannot discover your purpose without the purpose giver.” Those who want to build a successful life always begin with God, because “the spiritual usually affects the natural, if you really want to be successful, you can’t remove God from the equation.”

    She speaks privately to the girl-child in chapter four. She tells her she is beautiful and special, and explains how she can handle pressure from boys. She warns: “Don’t be a dog or a loose lady with no value. You are an expensive gift and expensive things aren’t thrown around.” She then speaks to the boy-child in chapter five, lamenting the lack of training for young men and the chauvinistic system that breeds “weak, spineless, lazy and bossy men.” In no uncertain terms, she blames parents for not arming young people “with the arsenal and defense mechanisms they need to stay unhurt in these dangerous and evil times.”

    She ends the book in chapter six, by arguing that although there is not a fixed age for marriage, “All-round maturity is a basic requirement for marriage.”

    She therefore advises her readers to put God first and patiently wait for His time, for there’s “nothing more peaceful than being where God wants you to be.” Interestingly, these six chapters are thrice interposed with survey reports of 58 respondents from eight countries, in which the respondents share their thoughts on crush, their experiences, the mistakes they made, and their advice for younger folks.

    Although the book is focused on teenagers and young adults, parents will find it an indispensable resource for counselling. The message in it is sound, strong and splendid. Its intellectual depth, spiritual balance and sociological relevance makes it a worthy read for everyone.

    Funto Abioye’s other books include Adolescents and Parents: you two can be friends and Appetizers for your Soul.

  • Nigeria’s polo gem, Neku Atawodi, on Glo-sponsored African Voices

    Twenty-eight year-old Uneku Atawodi, affectionately known as Neku, is this week’s guest on Glo-sponsored African Voices, as viewers will learn the uplifting story of the woman generally regarded as the world’s only active black female professional polo player.

    According to Globacom, Neku will feature on the CNN magazine programme, which goes on air at 10.30 a.m. on Fridays, with repeat editions at 2.30 p.m. on Saturdays, 12.30 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. on Sundays. Viewers can also watch the show on Mondays at 11:30 p.m.and on Tuesdays at 5.30 a.m.

    The company said two other sports icons, who are making waves on the continent -Bianca Buitendag of Victoria Bay, South Africa and Shehzana Anwar of Nairobi, Kenya  would join Neku on the programme.

    The polo queen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Equestrian Science and a Masters degree in International Business. She has a British Horse Society stage 4 riding accreditation. She is expected to take viewers through her journey into professional polo which started when she fell in love with horses at age 13 and how, despite subtle discouragement from family members, she stayed focused on realizing her ambition. Her interest in the game generally dominated by the men-folk was ignited by her fascination with “the smell of dirty leather.”  Neku is gradually growing into a legend on the sport. She has played professional polo in over fourteen countries, and represents Nigeria at the Federation of International Polo.

    Bianca Buitendag is a South African professional surfer. She was born in Western Cape, South Africa in 1993, and grew up near the beach of False Bay outside of Cape Town where she learned to surf at age 8 with her two brothers. Bianca qualified for the ASP world tour in 2013, and finished the year with the highly coveted ‘Rookie of The Year’ Award at the ASP awards ceremony. She credits her father with her success in the game of surfing.

    “My father was the one who pushed me into my first wave, and he has been supporting me ever since that day. He introduced me to what I know and call ‘my first love’, the ocean, and to a sport that I will do for as long as I can walk”, she stated.

    Shehzana Anwar is a female Kenyan archer born in 1989. She competed in archery at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics where she was the Kenyan flag-bearer. Shehzana, whose nickname is Kuki, is a human resource assistant. She started archery in 2002 and made her international debut in 2008. She is the reigning African Archery Champion, having won in Windhoek early in 2016.

  • ‘Our experience on the Moremi tour’

    ‘Our experience on the Moremi tour’

    The Crown Troupe of Africa, in collaboration with the National Troupe of Nigeria, recently toured some universities in South West, including Obafemi Awolowo University and  University of Ibadan. They relive their experiences with Dorcas Egede

    When members of the Crown Troupe of Africa were informed that they would be doing a tour of West Africa to stage the play, Moremi, together with the National Troupe of Nigeria, many of the members didn’t know what to expect. They nonetheless prepared towards it, rehearsing for two weeks at a stretch. And then came the trip.

    Playing different roles

    For Edo State born Esosa Eguamwense, the Moremi experience is one she would remember for a long time. Having just joined the group in June 2016, it was her first time to go with them on a trip.  This graduate of Theatre Arts from the University of Benin says, “It’s an honour for me to have played the role, Moremi. I wondered why Segun Adefila picked me to play Moremi because I’m not Yoruba and can’t even speak the language. I took the challenge, because as an actor when a challenge is brought to you, you should just take it on headlong. I got the script, and even though there was no Yoruba language in the script, I had to learn a couple of Yoruba songs. And thankfully for me, I’m the kind of person that easily adapts into cultures, having grown up in a face-me-I-face-you environment in Lagos, where you have different cultures and people living in one compound.”

    She also believes that “the thing about theatre is that getting roles isn’t about being old or new. Having worked with the director for a couple of months, he must have seen a quality in me, which could be physical that resonates with the character, Moremi. I heard that this play had been staged once or twice before now.”

     Did Eguamwense have any feeling of apprehension or anxiety when she was told she would be playing the role? “When I first heard that we are staging Moremi, even before I saw the script, the first thing I did was go online to read about the play. I recall however that when I was in school, we used to hear legendary stories from our lecturers, but I still read about her to refresh my memory.”

    How challenging was getting into the role? Eguamwense seems to already know the tricks of becoming the character you’re playing. “The first thing I usually do when I’m given a character to play is that I look for one thing that I have in common with the character, and there are different angles to a character from which you can pick because you can relate with it. When I was given Moremi to play, it wasn’t challenging. What I found challenging was getting into the culture, taking on the Yoruba intonation and learning those songs.”

    Gloria Oghenejakpo, who played the role of Subomi joined crown troupe of Africa in January 2016, after having left her job of three years with a content production company. “I was getting choked in the office, I didn’t want to do office job anymore. I wanted to practice theatre, so in December 2015, I turned in my resignation.” She said.

    Asked about the role she played, Oghenejakpo said, “Subomi was a corrupt Iya-olode. She and the king came up with a method of taxation, where they taxed the people and generated income for themselves. For me Subomi represents the present day corrupt politician who is in power, not to empower the people but to enrich herself. As long as there’s money in the coffers to please her, she doesn’t mind how the people get the money. And whenever she feels that the money being generated from the people isn’t enough, she increases the tax.”

    How easy was playing Subomi? Oghenejakpo confessed that getting into the role wasn’t as easy as she imagined. “Getting into the role wasn’t so easy. But life’s experiences are the things we work with. Being a Nigerian, your desires, aspirations, the things you want most in life are basically being denied you. You have a lot of case studies and available research materials for you to use. The difficult part however, is not having been a politician yourself. You now have to stretch your imagination to make the role you’re playing plausible to someone, such that the person can believe that you’re actually the person you’re acting. So, it was quite challenging, but the good thing about challenges is that it improves you, and you go to new levels you never knew you could attain.”

    James Ayodele Ladeji, who has been with the Crown Troupe of Africa for eight years, played the role of Ooni and Obatala. Speaking of the character of Ooni, he said, “Ooni is like a contemporary political office holder, who is carried away by corruption and is very lackadaisical about what goes on in the lives of his people. He is more concerned about money coming in, profiteering, as it were, than the welfare of his subjects.”

    Was playing Ooni challenging? Ladeji admits that adapting to the role wasn’t all together easy, even though he believes it’s a privilege to have played the role. He said, “When you’re told to play a character that is the direct opposite of who you are, it’s quite challenging. I’m the quiet and gentle type, so playing the role of a corrupt person was quite challenging. During the rehearsal, the director had to cut me off a lot of time, and you know in a play, you have to respect the director’s approach and do what he wants.”

    Like Ladeji, Uche Enechukwu has also been a member of crown troupe of Africa for eight years. While staging Moremi, he played the role of Oluorogbo. Oluorogbo, he said, “Represents the voice of the youth; a vibrant and agile youth leader, the son of Oranmiyan and Moremi’s only child.

    Asked how long it took him to get into the character of Oluorogbo, Enechukwu’s response was, “Before I’m given a new role, I first check up on the role. I try not to play me in a role. I try to check characters in my environment; pick one or two traits from such characters and add it to the role I’m playing. You’re never done with getting into a role until you’re done with a particular play. You can tend to see a particular trait today, and by the next time you have to play the same role, another trait shows up. So, for me, getting into any role isn’t always difficult.

    The trip and its thrill

    Going on tour is something every theatre artist is completely at home with. Eguamwensewa, who says she also does travel blogs as pass time, said, “I love road trips. I’m scared of heights, so I always prefer road trips. Moreover, I’m a travel blogger, so I love trips a lot. When I was told I would be travelling with the troupe, I was very excited. It was my first time of travelling with the group. And it was pretty exciting for me, especially because I was travelling with people. I also love taking photos, not of myself, but of people and places. If I wasn’t in theatre, I’d have been a war photo journalist.”

    Continuing, she added, “I love the thrill of being in a new place. Now, in the places we visited, accommodation wasn’t so comfortable, but I didn’t care about it. Maybe it’s about the way I was raised. I adapt very easily. It was easy for me to adapt. I didn’t really see a big deal sleeping on the floor, as long as we were going to perform. For me, the thrill of being a part of a group that I’ve always felt welcome in was huge.”

    Oghenejakpo too enjoys traveling; the only snag about trips for her however, is putting her stuff together for the journey. “A trip is always fun, but one thing I hate about trips is packing. So, for me, the first challenge was to pack. We went on the road trip. It was fun being with the people you work with, we chatted, quarreled, all that made it fun. But getting to the venues where you had to perform, say by the following day, things become a bit more difficult, because this is a new space which you need to familiarize yourself with, and you really do not have enough time to do that. By the time we got to the school, students were going for classes, and it is only when they are through that your venue for performance would be free. Even though you’d have rehearsed somewhere else, it isn’t the same as rehearsing in the space you want to use for the actual performance. That was a major challenge for us. But we were able to surmount this challenge because we’ve worked together as a family, and understand what we are supposed to do. So, even though there was no time for proper rehearsals in the performance venue, all we did was pressured rehearsals, the play still turned out well. Almost same thing happened in the other places we went.”

    Enechukwu, who was thrilled to no end by the audience’s reaction to their performance, said, “We started from OAU. The experience there was mouth-stirring. The audience was wowed by the performance. It looked like they had not seen such spontaneous theatre before. It was also fun working with fellow actors before the show, the whole activities back stage, our disagreements and agreements, it was all fun. For me, it’s not very easy working with other people; sometimes you want to have it your own way, but then you actually find out that you can’t have it your own way. You just have to do a team work.”

    Ladeji, who has been on several trips with the troupe, said compared to other trips he’s embarked on with the troupe, the Moremi trip was, “Crazy and exciting at once. The journey was interesting. We had the opportunity of visiting places we had been looking forward to visiting.” Asked how fulfilling his eight years in Crown Troupe has been, he said, “Permit me to quote Segun Adefila who says, ‘a true artist is one that sits with a king today and shares a table with paupers tomorrow.’ So, sometimes it’s rosy and at other times, it’s not so rosy. But I think that’s what shows if you’re really passionate about what you do. Being in the troupe has afforded me the opportunity of meeting many people, and being on different stages.”

  • Culture minister advises stakeholders on tourism

    Culture minister advises stakeholders on tourism

    MINISTER of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, has called on tourism stakeholders to move the industry to the next level.
    He made the call at the presentation and launch of a book titled: “Redefining tourism in Nigeria: The real issues and challenges Vol. 1-3” at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
    The Minister, represented by the Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality & Tourism (NIHOTOUR), Mrs. Chika Balogun, said: “This effort must be collective and should attract the best of public-private partnership.’’
    He added: “Nigeria has strong comparative advantages in the hospitality and tourism industry because of its diverse cultural heritage that are all disposed to what is commonly referred to as the Nigerian hospitality.
    “This great nation is, indeed, blessed with abundant natural and cultural resources that are well-blended for tourists’delight and, might I add, a strong emphasis on domestic tourism. It is against this background that the Federal Government is committed to repositioning tourism as one of the levers for economic growth and development in the country,” Lai Muhammed said.
    Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC) Director-General Mrs. Mariel Rae-Omoh restated her commitment to ensuring that youths embraced tourism.
    This, according to her, informed the efforts of the corporation to promote youth tourism.
    She said:“I have always been a crusader of youth tourism, even before I became the Acting DG. And now, the efforts have been geared up as the corporation under my administration is committed to heightening the interest of the youth in tourism, making them appreciate the inherent rewards of the money-spinning sector.”
    Mrs Rae-Omoh, who noted that the book would educate youths on the importance of tourism, added that the book was long overdue.
    The tourism book is centered on changing Nigerians’perception on the place of tourism to the national development.