The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

Art for the love of children

As ten Nigerian artists exhibit for charity for the Ovie Brume Foundation, Edozie Udeze writes on the nexus between art and development.

From the word go, visual arts have been used as the best format to mirror the society. Most artists find it very encouraging to explore their world using impressions that appeal to the eyes. This was what took place last weekend in Lagos when 10 Nigerian artists displayed their works in a group exhibition tagged The Genesis – a charity art exhibition. The 10 artists were Abraham Uyovbiere, Akinola Ebenezer, Bimbo Adenugba, George Edozie, Gerald Chukwuma. Others were Joshua Nmesirionye, Kunle Adegborioye, Osagie Aimufia, Segun Aiyesan and Wallace Ejoh.

The exhibition was put together by the Ovie Brume Foundation essentially to raise money to help young people in the area of education. As the arrangement was made by the organizers of the show, 40% of the sales of the works would be channeled into the foundation to ensure that the young ones are developed intellectually, emotionally, socially, spiritually, physically and educationally. This was why each artist was made to present 4 works each.

The works were among the best done by the artists and from the responses and appreciation shown by dignitaries that turned up for the show, it was clear that the works indeed appealed to the people. The art works came in different sizes and styles just to display a variety that represented the beauty of the society. And it was easier to see works that dug deep into the nuances of the Nigerian society. The artists themselves are among the best the nation can boast of.

In her statement, the founder of Ovie-Brume Foundation, Evelyn Oputu said, “this foundation is delighted to present an exhibition of Nigerian art to showcase the works of contemporary Nigerian artists. It is also to raise funds for the continuation of our programmes. While art is sometimes relegated to a secondary role in human development, it is important in a number of ways. Every culture develops some form of art which gives identity and purpose to its inhabitants through mutually understood symbols and serves as a means by which values and attitudes are passed down from one generation to the next,” she said.

She reiterated the need for people to appreciate works of art due to their role in promoting the cultures of the society. “Art thus plays an integral role on how a nation’s cultural identity is defined and perpetuated,” Oputu decided. To her, art is also an avenue for expressing emotions and ideas and this can serve as a means of communication that cuts across cultural, social, educational, and economic barriers.

Oputu whose love for the art is unequivocal, opined that if properly articulated, “Art is a language that we as human beings can all understand and this resonates with us all in some form, be it music, dance, drama or painting, just like those on display today.”

A former Managing Director of the Bank of Industry (BOI) Oputu reminded the people that her deep love for good etchings, profound paintings and rich sculptural pieces, has led her to make art an integral part of the Ovie Brume Foundation. “In addition to holding weekly fine art classes for budding artiste at the Ovie Brume Youth Centre, we have funded the art scholarships in 3 leading art schools across the country. This is so because we believe that the young ones should be encouraged to explore art as a means of self-expression. They should also be taught to begin on time to appreciate art and recognize its importance in defining our cultural identity just as much as our music or fashion does.”

The artists coming under the aegis of the Alpha Art Group did not present works that point to the same communality. The ideas expressed in the works vary in order to also pinpoint the deep cultural diversities in Nigeria. In his work titled Horsemen at dawn, Uyovbiere did a deep impression of this sport that is widely known in the Northern part of Nigeria. With deep etchings that showed his love for colours, Uyovbiere depicted the total beauty and aura of Horsemen in the throes of their game. Highly valued as one of the best works on display, Uyovbiere opined that he loves to capture his works in feminine, romantic elegance. “I love to portray natural movement as seen in this horsemen at dawn. I love also to present works in soft, smooth curves with plenty of energy of light.”

Indeed, his 4 works deeply explored the true nature of people in their natural ways of life. However, the works of other artistes threw more light on human nature, human existence and the like. For instance, Ebenezer, an Ibadan-based artist whose works were more of portraitures, dwelt on the need to explore nature. In wanderers, he depicted a people in search of succour; people who needed to settle down; but when there is no place to settle down so quickly, what is the next option? Ebenezer is often guided by his love for colours, in which he does so much as to deepen people’s appreciation of his numerous portraitures.

In Edozie’s works, one is compelled to see the exclusivity of the marks of Benin art. Having been schooled in that form of art at the University of Benin, Edo State, Edozie uses his paintings to impose some sort of elegance on the people. His works are sharp, easily distinguishable, with special appeal that radiates. This is why in Eko si Kwalu ike, he warns that Lagos is tough indeed. It is this assemblage of these rough edges into one form that makes it easier for one to see the toughness of Lagos. It is an array of confusion made into one; its form is therefore in its total beauty. But the collective will of the people goes on to show that with resilience, one can survive in Lagos. It is then a city of all sorts of odds; odds that can be made into one big whole, for the total good of the people.

Moreover, Adegborioye’s works seemed to have captured most attention. Now resident in London, Adegborioye took his time to explore the world of children in his works. As a matter of fact, most of the guests wished to see him in person to explain the ideas behind his expression. Unfortunately, he was not present. However, in children of paradise, he gives hope to the hopeless and points the way forward. He showed that the children love the life in which they are given the opportunity to explore. Let them be allowed to grow into meaningful citizens of the world. This is why they are children of paradise and this theme suits the motives of Ovie Brume Foundation as epitomized by Evelyn Oputu and her team.

March 27, 2016
‘Only new mindset can change Nigeria’

Femi Adetayo is the initiator of the Academy for Talent, Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development, an organisation that is determined to groom the younger generation of Nigerians for a better future. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde he talks about his passion, catching them young and the things that inspired him.

What is the focus of the academy?

My core area is leadership, talent and entrepreneurial development. Talent development in the sense that we can also recruit for people. Also we are looking forward to developing young talents and sponsoring them to develop themselves. I have been doing this seriously for about four years. We train for corporate organisations; we train for schools, companies and everything that has to do with training generally.

What do you think can be done in terms of nation building?

We need to develop the mind of the young people. Our slogan is renewing minds for exploits. If you renew the mind of people, automatically you have someone whose mind is renewed for business. He would use his mind profitably for business, he would use his mind profitably for leadership and when he does that, everything goes back to nation building. When the leadership structure is strong, the academic structure is strong and the entrepreneurial structure is strong, then you would have a great nation.

What inspired you into all this?

It is the decay in the society. When I drive on the road and you find traffic, you would discover that it is because something was not done well. Some of these things have been discussed over time but they still remain the same? They are not done because people do not have the passion to get them done. A lot of people go into politics to make money, not because they want to serve. I believe that politics is too important to be left alone to the politicians. This would help the average man on the street to know what it should be. Everybody is a leader in their own right and we should all strive to do the right thing. I may be working under you, but at my level, I am an effective leader. If everybody is effective, it goes a long way. But if I am not effective, then I cannot expect the next person to do magic. The leaders that we are talking about came from here (the society). A leader that has not passed through the process and emerges as governor would not understand the system.

I work with organisations, companies and young people a lot. My focus is young people. I believe that if we can catch them now, as they grow older they, would have formed that culture; and then they would not struggle to adjust. Most of the leaders we have do not have this mindset.

You also have things like godfatherism affecting the choice of leaders?

You cannot take away party structure. But you can have a party where the men in the party have strong values; they would not want to break the rules and bend the laws because of selfish interests. If all the people in the party have it right, things would be better and that is what we want to achieve. This godfatherism thing is the same all over the world but there is positive godfatherism and negative godfatherism.

What are the other things that occupy your time?

In my personal time, I read a lot. I grew up in Calabar. My dad was in the army; we lived in Lagos before moving to Calabar. I went to the Army school for primary and secondary education before moving to the University of Calabar, served in Lagos, went back to Calabar and back to Lagos. I studied Business Education and majored in Marketing. I also did Applied Economics and Entrepreneurship. I also have an MBA in professional health and safety management, and another on Safety and health.

On the job, I work as a health and safety manager. I have two masters’ degrees but there comes a time in life when you have to prune. Truly, I trained in safety too but I do not want to focus my time that, because that is not where my passion is.

What are some of your achievements in the past four years?

We have done a lot of things on campuses. Right now, we have a campus organisation called Atled. We started one this month in Ladoke Akintola, Ogbomoso; from there we went to Ilorin. We also have a radio program every Sunday on 106.1 FM, where we talk about leadership, entrepreneurial and talent development. It is a complete mindset renewal.

What is your take on gender and leadership?

I believe there is nothing like male and female. You were created as human, we were all created as man and there is only a different species of man. One specie is male and the other specie is female. The only difference is the sex organ and everything else is just a bias, not the real thing. It is just culture that caused it; politics also caused it and greed. In the real sense, what a man can do, a woman can do. We have seen a lot of great women today, the likes of Margaret Thatcher and Hilary Clinton.

Something must have inspired you to think this way?

The human mind is made of brain cells and the man and woman have the same kind of brain. Really, I have seen my mother to be a very hard working woman. My father was in the army and my mum was a very independent businesswoman. She had more money and that did not affect their home. The first car that was bought in my home was bought by my mother and it was not a problem. I have two kids, a boy and a girl. The truth is that we can’t build Nigeria without a new mindset. If you do not believe in something, you can develop it. It is all a function of the mind.

Women just don’t rebel, men push them to rebel. The woman usually wants to help; she is a helpmate, and so a good man would see this. She wants to ride on to her purpose and some people would think that she is rebellious. Most times, the red flags are there but we allow our emotions to becloud our judgement. Others think ‘well, I can change him’ or there is pressure from the family to get married.

Are there challenges doing all this?

Yes, there are many challenges. The First is time constraints. Most times, I have to work late in the night. A lot of travels and sometimes financial constraints. There would always be challenges but you have to find your way through it. Start from the smallest point and grow gradually. I am working on a book titled, ‘the Secrets of successful people.’ In it you have topics like reading, good health and your friends. We also have thirteen principles that helped them, not just money. That is the problem with Africa; we always link success with money.

What other business do you do?

Right now, I do more of exportation. We import clothes at the moment, casual clothes; in the next few months we are going into our own brand. We are using Onestopmotivate, a motivational company to put messages on these shirts.

What does style mean to you?

I like dressing good. It says a lot about you. I also thought that I could us simple cloths to affect the minds of people using inspirational quotes on them; belts heads with different motivational logos…. When I travelled recently, I found that the business was quite massive. I am taking my time because it takes a lot of grace to believe in Nigeria. In terms of infrastructure the development is massive. It is our leaders’ fault, especially as a student of history. When we had plenty money, they were busy doing Udoji Award. Instead of working on infrastructure, the head of state was giving civil servants four times their salary. They were buying cars and marrying wives.

Did we learn from that?

We didn’t learn from that. That’s why I was so happy when I heard that Buhari said he was not going to give out the N5000 allowance. A lot of people would have taken the money and used it to buy recharge cards and nothing would happen to their lives. I am not a fan of Buhari, I did not vote for him but I like that decision. We need a leader that would take Nigeria to the promise land. I also do not believe in the national quota thing; the man that is qualified for the job should have it.

If you have to advise young people, what would you tell them?

I would tell them that with what we have in Nigeria, they should look inwards. They should not go through university for four years and start looking for jobs. They should create jobs. Everybody has a potential, everybody has a talent. So it is important to convert your talent to a product and take it to the marketplace.

What are some of the changes you hope to see in the next five years?

First of all, I hope that the average Nigerian would have a change of heart about how they see Nigeria. We have a project that we call ‘God Bless Nigeria,’ it is coming up soon. Most Nigerians can’t say that. Usually they say what is the blessing about Nigeria. We would be going round Nigeria to schools, companies and churches with the message. Here, we would make them understand the concept, the brand known as Nigeria. ‘God bless Nigeria’ would be on stickers, billboards and we are going to flood the online media with it.

March 27, 2016
Buhari should watch his back- Primate Olabayo

Archbishop Theophilus Oluwasanu Olabayo, founder and primate of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh, Worldwide, turned 70 recently. In this no-holds-barred interview with Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf and Taiwo Abiodun, the controversial man of God reminisces on his life and times, regrets and dream for a better Nigeria.

How do you feel at 70?

I feel fulfilled. I thank God I have been able to train my children in the way of the Lord. They’ve gone to the best schools. Not only that, in my family life, we’re okay and the church of God is moving, spiritually. The only area is my country. I’m very sad with the situation because I had prophesied these things a long time ago. These are perilous times.

What are your regrets?

My regret is that one should not trust any human being but get closer to God, because it’s only God that can do all things for you. You see amongst your workers, people whom you have done everything for, betraying you. The more you try your best for people, the more you discover that they do not appreciate you. They stab you behind your back. Even the man in power now (President Muhammadu Buhari), the people who surround him don’t like him. He has to watch it.

How do you see the things unfolding?

Everything happening is by the grace of God. For our man (President Buhari), coming to power is by the grace of God. I advised the former president (Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) when they were distributing dollars. I thank God they did not come to me. I spoke at the time but they never listened. Then I said God is going to raise a leader, who will expose all these things and President Buhari is that leader.

Many didn’t expect the former president to lose that election…

If you’ll recollect, I advised the former president not to try his luck. I said if he tried to come back, it might lead to anarchy and the country would be divided.

But even with the new government, Nigerians are saying they are yet to see the much expected change

Nobody can get it right this time around because these are evil days. Things have been very bad before this man came to power. But at the same time, he cannot do everything by himself. We can only pray for the intervention of God for he who is coming to cleanse this society. A man of destiny will soon come. But we have to support this man with prayers for him to go further. The only thing is that he should not be one-sided. That’s my advice.

You spoke about a man of destiny. Are you saying President Buhari is not the man?

He is just like John the Baptist. I will not say more than that. A new dawn is coming; a new Nigeria will be born very soon.

In time past, people looked forward to your yearly predictions because they always came to pass. But in very recent times the reverse has been the case. Is your well of prophesy drying up?

You see, that’s where God is different from man. I’m not God. When we prophesy that something is going to happen, we can only pray to God to avert the evil. But they will now call us prophet of doom. It’s not that it doesn’t come to pass. It is what God says I should say, I would say. One cannot say 100 per cent in prophesy because I’m not God.

How did you come about your power of prophesy?

It is one of the gifts from God, a divined gift from God. Anybody can be gifted. I got the power from birth. It’s all documented in my book, I advise you to go and read it.

You said you were born with prophetic grace, is it something that one can inherit?

That is where many people make mistakes. It’s not hereditary. I don’t own a church, I just have a calling. There are men of God who minister. Whatever I see, I say as a prophet but it is the pastor that ministers to people. There is division of labour in our church. You cannot just say you know it all because you’re not God Almighty. Many pastors because of money divide the church. But we’re different.

In other words, are you saying none of your wards have taken after you?

No. I have children that are doing God’s work. But they are not in charge of my church and they are not going to take over. God did not tell me that.

Years back, your prophesy about Prof Wole Soyinka resulted in a controversy…

Not everybody accepts prophesies. Some people don’t even believe in God, so you cannot advise them. There are people I have advised they should pray to avert impending evil but they never did and such came to pass. I had a friend, the late Archbishop Benson Idahosa. When God said to me that he should pray, I told him but he got very angry.

But when he was coming from England and I met him, before he died, we met and ironed-out everything. He said at the time that I should have told him privately rather than openly.

You once described yourself as one of the most misunderstood prophets. Can you shed more light on this?

Samuel did not go and seek recognition anywhere. If the federal government has not deemed it fit to appreciate me despite all that I have done for this country through fasting and prayers, it’s unfortunate. It’s not by monetary gratification because I go against looting. I have talked so much about looting and part of my prediction then was that those involved will be uncovered. Today you can see the secrets being exposed everywhere. We have to thank God and pray for President Muhammadu Buhari to do more because there is still more to come.

At the beginning of the year some people said the president was going to come under attacks. Do you share such sentiments?

Concerning the president, I pray for him privately. His enemies are those surrounding him. He has to be very careful. He has to watch his back. The two people that are saving this country are the wife of the president, Hajia Aisha Buhari and the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo. They’re prayer warriors. These are the people that I appreciate so much because God revealed it to me.

For a man of your acclaim, one would have expected great men of influence to honour you with their presence on your 70th birthday celebration…

If I had invited someone like IBB, or any of these people you talked about, they would have been there. There was a day 12 governors met in my house and they were asking each other, ‘So you also come here?’ I knew Awolowo, Zik, and virtually all the big names that have ruled this country. But the truth is, I don’t want to have anything to do with all these people in government because of what may happen in the future. I don’t want someone to say ‘you also partook in their looting’ and all of that, because the judgment of God will soon come. And when it comes, I want to be able to wash my hands clean.

As I said before, I’m Samuel, the prophet. He was a very humble man. People went to him for prayers. I’m not Rev. Fr. Mbaka. God has been sending me to President Muhammadu Buhari but I haven’t gone to him. Rather, I have been praying for him.

At 70, you’re aging gracefully. What’s your secret?

(General laughter). I don’t know what you mean. But I’m an old man. By having this attack, may be God wanted me to slow down.

What kind of attack?

It’s stroke.

To quote a popular verse in the bible, ‘Physician heal thyself.’ Why have you not healed yourself?

That’s why I’m not God. You remember Elijah, who was a very great prophet in his time? He also became sick. All I can say is that there is nobody who is an immortal. Anything can happen to anybody at any point in time.

You come across as a very humble person.

You’re only just interacting with me, how do you know I’m humble? (Laughs). Well, it’s because I’m from a very poor family, though from royalty. I was brought up to be humble. I believe that whatever position you are in life, you should not be arrogant. Humility is one of the finest qualities any man can have.

What’s your relationship with other men of God?

It’s very cordial. We’re a member of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). If you were at the birthday colloquium, you will see that many bishops from the Pentecostal churches honoured us with their presence. They also brought different gifts. Many of the ministers, I’m sorry to say, have sold their conscience; and because we don’t belong to the same caucus of these so-called ‘men of God,’ the government may not even like us. But righteousness exalts a nation.

There are many so-called men of God who’re bad examples to the church like Rev. King, who was recently sentenced to death for his many atrocities. What is your take on this?

The bible says, by their fruits we shall know them. You see, when power gets to some people they don’t remember the son of whom they are. As far as I’m concerned, I think pride led him (Rev. King) to his predicaments. I pity him. But I will not say more than that.

Corruption they say has eaten deep into the nation’s fabrics. Do you see Nigeria getting out of this mess anytime soon?

(Laughs) Even among the people working for President Muhammadu Buhari, some are not clean. Though he is fighting corruption, most of them are thieves and don’t like the way he has been going about his anti-corruption war. That is why we need to pray for Mr. President to live long. But God has told me He is going to intervene in the affairs of men, in Nigeria and He is going to cleanse this society. I have predicted for long that there will be famine and that people are going to be selling their children for food. The fuel crisis we’re facing now is a child’s play compared to what we’re about to face.

The secrets and revelations have not come out yet. Major secrets would soon be revealed and it will shock everybody and people will begin to ask can this be possible in Nigeria?

What’s your philosophy of life?

Whatever I have, I share to people. If you’re rich and other people are poor, it’s a sin. Do the little you can to help others. That’s my philosophy of life.

What’s your happiest moment?

I’m a sportsman. So I’m happy when my club, Real Madrid wins.

What is the state of the church now?

We thank God everyday because the church of God is growing. Right now you see young people learning music and all that.

As a prophet, at what point did you get the call to start a church?

It was not my intention to start a church in the first place. We were praying on the mountain when the spirit of God fell on one of my brothers and he prophesied that we’re going to establish a church and the name of the church would be Evangelical Church of Yahweh. At that time I was no longer going to church because of all the atrocities that was happening in churches at the time. I had never heard of Yahweh before; even the brother who prophesied about the church then had not also heard about it.

Do you wish to have a university like other churches around?

We’re going to have our own university by the grace of God. But it will be different from the ones these looters are having, which many of their members cannot afford. (Laughs).

What legacy would you like to leave for the church?

My prayer is that when the time comes for me to go home, the people of the church will serve God to the end. My wish is that the church will not die. My prayer is that for people that are coming behind, God should equip them with greater powers than He gave me to be able to serve Him.

When you breathe your last, what would you want to be written on your tombstone?

That this man who served God has gone back home.

March 27, 2016
MTN backs efforts to end maternal mortality

One of the enduring misfortunes in history is a woman’s death during pregnancy or child birth. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in conjunction with most countries is battling to end the scourge.

As part of this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, MTN Foundation, the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of telecoms gaint MTN Nigeria, joined forces with JNC International to unveil its Maternal Support Project to back the government’s efforts in reducing maternal mortality.

The objective of the partnership, according to MTN, is to create unhindered access to affordable health care facilities and services provided by skilled healthcare professionals, particularly for the safety of pregnant women and their children.

Present at the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) were Commissioners of Health from the six beneficiary states; Abia, Cross River, Kaduna, Niger, Oyo and Sokoto that were selected for the first phase of the project. The six states were chosen following a thoroughly rigorous selection process, to become beneficiaries under the first phase of the MTNF Maternal Ward Support Project.

Explaining the rationale behind the beneficial partnership, Ms. Nonny Ugboma, Executive Secretary, MTN Foundation said: “We are concerned about how maternal health can be improved. We also believe that the private sector must work with the government and the public sector to help reduce maternal mortality and ensure that our mothers and children lead healthy lives.” Ugboma, who noted that a sizeable number of these deaths are from preventable causes while others occur due to lack of access to pre-natal care, further explained the huge benefit that the initiative brings “This is why we started the MTNF Maternal Ward Support Project. Through this initiative, we seek to contribute to creating unhindered access to health care systems and skilled health professionals for pregnant women in Nigeria.”

The goal, under the first phase, is to renovate and equip maternal wards in at least 24 hospitals across the six states. Each maternal ward would be equipped with, 20 hospital beds; 20 standard hospital mattresses; 20 standard hospital bed pillows; 10 four-way foldable ward screens; 20 metal bedside cupboards; 20 visitors’ chairs; 10 drip stands; 20 hydraulic over-bed tables; 10 height adjustable baby cots and two Carl Novel baby incubators.

Following the launch, the Foundation hopes to sensitise women in these states to visit the maternal wards, so they can get easy access to the right care in a conducive environment.

Assuring the foundation’s continuous support, Ugboma said “guided by our discussions with our stakeholders in the private and public sector, we will continue to invest in improving the quality of life of Nigerians in the areas of health, education and economic empowerment. “We are also grateful to millions of Nigerians, who continue to support our parent company – MTN Nigeria through easy or tough times,” she said.

Expressing appreciation for the initiative, a member of the House of Representatives, Abass Tajudeen, thanked MTN Foundation for taking a bold step in supporting the government’s efforts in addressing issues of primary health care delivery.

With the launch of the initiative, the MTNF and JNC hope to continue complementing government’s efforts to reduce child mortality with areas relating to focus on Primary Healthcare, retraining and re-orientation for birth attendants, especially in the rural areas and equitable distribution of healthcare facilities around the country.

It will be recalled that the Foundation has invested over N18 billion into key projects spread across health, education and economic empowerment. Recently, the foundation commenced the implementation of another 200 new projects, tagged: MTNF What Can We Do Together initiative. These projects are being executed based on nominations by members of the public last year and have been making tremendous impacts in communities around Nigeria.

Experiences have shown that the birth process is perhaps one of the most dangerous journeys that most women are likely to make. This is especially troubling as worrying statistics revealing the extent of loss of lives emerge by the day.

According to 2015 reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth every day and 99 per cent of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries like Nigeria. An even more specific representation is provided by UNICEF, which reports that “every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 children under five and 145 women of childbearing age. This makes the country the second largest contributor to the under–five and maternal mortality rate in the world.”

Due to the fundamental role a mother plays in the life of a child, Nigeria’s current statistics of 53, 000 deaths per year during childbirth is indicative of inherent lapses in the critical aspects of the healthcare delivery system. A recent UNICEF reports said every 10 minutes, one woman dies on account of pregnancy/childbirth in Nigeria. These worrying statistics reveal the extent of damage that is being done and dim any hope of a possible solution if urgent steps are not taken. It also shows that financial and geographical access to care and good quality healthcare delivery service is becoming scarcer by the day.

March 23, 2016
Succour for the elderly

The old men and women dressed in their best attires. Their average age should be 65 years, and they were in high spirits. They danced to the music in the background while some moved their heads to the music and others shook their legs. They were in full gyration. Their lively faces masked their age and, like children, who just discovered that they were adults, they threw banters. They giggled, chuckled and shared jokes. Intermittently, one or two of them would stand up to sing.

That was the scene when Caring Hands International (CHI), Nigeria, celebrated its 10th anniversary in Osogbo, Osun State. The group focuses on promoting the welfare and well-being of the elderly in the society.

The group, in the last 10 years, has been supporting the elderly by providing care and support and also ensuring their full integration into the society.

So, when the group rolled out drums to celebrate the 10th anniversary, the elderly came in droves to celebrate the group that has given them succour in the last 10 years.

According to the senior citizens, there was a cause for them to celebrate CHI. They said most of them would have died out of loneliness or ill health but for the platform provided for them by CHI to bond.

According to the founder of CHI, Mrs Fehintola Obilomo: “The condition of the elderly citizens in our society has become a matter of great concern. Many of them live in abject poverty; while a large proportion are confronted with problems of societal neglect and frustration. Apart from emotional distress and psychological trauma, a high percentage of elderly people are also exposed to various health problems without proper medical care thereby increasing the mortality rate. Against this background, Caring Hands International was established in order to improve the lives of elderly people and enable them live fulfilled and dignified life.”

When these elderly started giving their testimonies, it was a story of triumph in the face of tragedy.

Narrating his experienced, Pa Fariyibi, a retired soldier in his 70s who walks with the aid of a walking stick, said he is alive today because of his chance encounter with CHI. The man had an accident in 2014, a situation which nearly took his life. Even after he had been discharged from the hospital, he battled with other health challenges associated with old age.

”When a car hit me in 2014, I spent a year in the hospital. After I was discharged from the hospital, Obilomo visited me; I never knew her visit was divine. She asked for the condition of my blood pressure, she advised me to go and do checks. She did the tests for me. She said my ailment had a remedy, she referred me to a doctor who referred me to another hospital. There, I was admitted for five days and all manners of tests were administered on me there and then, solution was found to my health challenge,” he said.

According to the 70-year-old man, it was the wise counsel from CHI, coupled with the medical attention he got that kept him alive.

Eighty-two-year-old Ayegoro Oladipupo Olabode, who was in very high spirit said she belonged to the first set of people to join CHI about 10 years ago. ”It was Mr. Obilomo, the husband of the Executive Director of Caring Hands International, Mrs Fehintola Obilomo, that introduced me to the organisation, about 10 years ago. For the past 10 years, Mrs Obilomo has been taking care of our wellbeing, she provides food during our monthly meetings, she also does medical care for us, especially in the areas of medical checkup be it high blood pressure, urine test or any form of diseases, she would refer us to the hospital if necessary.”

The 82- year-old man while disclosing that Obilomo uses her money to take care of the elderly, was full of praises for Obilomo and said if the CHI Executive Director had been a politician, life would have been better for Nigerians. “The aspect of medical checkups has really helped, she would tell us the type of exercise to do and the type of food to eat. It will surprise you that she does it free of charge. We hold our meeting once a month,” he said.

For Mrs Felicia Olubunmi Akintaro, who is also one of the early members of CHI said she clocked 70 in January,adding: “I have been enjoying different benefits from this association, even while in service, I went to treat my tooth in the hospital, they told me to pay N500 to remove it. I made them understand that I was a widow and I had children in school and could not afford it. But when it became unbearable, it was Obilomo that came to my aid by paying the dentist and since then I have been okay.Many would have been dead, especially me, if not for the medical advice. The doctors would come to advice us and tell us what to do, they check our blood pressure and at times give glasses to people that need it.”

Evangelist Oluwaremilekun Abiona said: “I had the privilege of knowing Caring Hands International many years ago. I didn’t know about them before. It was somebody that advised me that there was a place where they take care of the aged people, that was when I went to their office. I was registered with No 350, since then I have been going every month and we do exercise at Technical College Osogbo on first Saturday of the month. During our meeting days, they normally give us moi moi, water. I’m not ashamed to tell you that anytime I take this moi moi home, I would tell them to prepare pap for me and I would take the moi moi and pap. I’ve benefitted a lot from this organisation, I remember when I had challenge, they did eye test for us and the organisation gave me eye glasses without taking a dime from me.”

The plight of the elderly gave birth to Caring Hearts International. Though, the group has been taking care of the elderly in the areas of medicine, treatment and visits the fact that as they grow, age related diseases should be addressed, “that was when we said we should put a structure down where we can take care of the elderly especially, defecting early the onset of debilitating diseases, related to old age, that was how Caring Heart started in 2006.”

March 23, 2016
Our school, our pride

The Federal Government College, Warri, Delta State, is 50. To mark its golden jubilee, the old students association, FEGOCOWOSA, held a dinner in Lagos to raise funds for an endowment for the school, reports NNEKA NWANERI

Golden jubilee celebrations are usually marked with pomp and ceremony.

So, it was when the Federal Government College, Warri in Delta State, turned 50. To celebrate the milestone, the old boys of the college, FEGOCOWOSA, organised a week-long anniversary.

Among the activities to mark the anniversary were thanksgiving, interdenominational services, lecture, awards, road walks, a novelty match, concerts and other competitions.

Last Wednesday at the MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos, the alumni held a gala night, not only to fraternise with one another, but also to raise funds to enable them carry out some philanthropic works in their alma mater.

There was a cocktail. The turnout was large enough to fill the hall. Men and women decked in dinner outfits exchanged pleasantries and banters, which went on into the night. They hadn’t seen for years. It was, therefore, an opportunity to relive good old memories. While some women wept on sighting their friends, others screamed in excitement.

Every graduating set had a table or two to itself.

It wasn’t unusual when the two Masters of Ceremony tried to get the gathering to order. The discussions continued until the school song was rendered. It was sung gleefully with the old boys raising their heads high; this was folowed by a hip-hop beat and a disco tune for them to dance to.

The first head boy of the school was at the event. So, also were other ex-students from all walks of life- actors, clerics, poets, governors and others alike. Also there were alumni representatives from the North American, London and other Pro Unitate schools old students’ association branches.

Chairman of the occasion was the Special Adviser on Power to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Joseph Makoju.

National President of FEGOCOWOSA, Chief Chyna Iwuanyawu, who succeeded Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, said the reunion was borne out of the need to tackle the decay in the school and restore its past glory.

The President, National Council of the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE), Mr Aigboje AIG-Imoukhuede, who gave the keynote address titled: “Rekindling the vision of the founding fathers”, lauded the dream of the founding fathers of unity schools, who, he said, aimed at imbibing in young boys and girls from various parts of the country, the spirit of co-existence.

He added that the outcome of training pupils, who passed through the institution is versatility in character, lamenting the decadence in the trend lately due to widespread corruption.

March 23, 2016
‘Telling Niger Delta story from eye of the vulnerable’

To commemorate this year’s International Women’s Day, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) organised a four-city travelling performance of Prof. Ahmed Yerima’s Little Drops. NDDC’s Acting Managing Director Mrs Ibim Semenitari speaks with ASSISTANT EDITOR (ARTS) OZOLUA UHAKHEME on the need to tell the Niger Delta story from the eye of the vulnerable; the essence of the Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science (GEMS) programmes and Queen Kambasa awards, among other activities of the commission.

How would you describe the traveling drama project, Little Drops, sponsored by your commission to raise awareness on women empowerment?

The play was well put together. We did have exceptional talents on stage; so, it was not a surprise that we put up a good show in terms of acting. Technical quality was top-of-the-game. But again, you are dealing with the best in the trade, so you can’t have that quality and not enjoy it. So, it was very enjoyable. In terms of interpretation, I think the actors and actresses interpreted their roles quite succinctly and as you listened to the audience, you find that the audience was able to relate to, and interact with the play. So, yes, generally speaking, I think we had a good show.

Beyond the drama, which you have used, what other forms or approaches would you take to the local communities where most of the militants are operating?

Well, the first thing we did, if you look at the story of Little Drops, was to offer the story for everybody. But it challenges the establishment to rethink the whole concept of militancy and review it. It does a deconstruction of the militancy situation so that those in decision-making positions can take a second look to figure out what to do. So, in terms of messaging, we are quite targeted. But also, it speaks to the generality of the people and the whole idea was can we tell this story from the eye of the vulnerable populace? That way, we will be able to get not just empathy, but also action. So, I think that worked well.

But beyond this, as you asked, the good thing about the NDDC is that we are in all the nine states of the region. Over and beyond this, part of what we are starting very soon is our youth engagement series addressing the issue of militancy and criminality. Other issues in the region will come from how we address not just the leadership, but also the youthful populace. We are going to be doing that. I am going to go around the states and we’ll be having youth engagement, community engagement, which we have already started. We have engaged the community rulers, but we are also engaging CSOs and then we will engage community people because they are the ones, who have to understand why there are better ways to deal with these issues that challenge the place.

But then, it’s one thing to talk about it and preach it, it’s another thing to ensure that there is development because the more we increase development, the less people will feel inclined to feeling like they are separate or not important. When development is brought to their doorsteps, they will then realise that they too count and matter. A major thing we are planning for 2016 is that we will do a lot of wealth creation and entrepreneurship. That’s one area that you can deal with the matter of ‘no jobs, no employment’. So, basically, we’ll focus on creating wealth, creating jobs, but also driving development and youth engagement.

What are the modalities for the commission’s Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science (GEMS) programmes you spoke of in your speech? How do you intend to realise that?

We have already started. We have done a screening. I have some pictures….

Will it move from zonal level or what?

It’s moving from the zones in each state. We are starting from the state. We did a call out and people responded and indicated their interest. We shared the forms and the Ministry of Education was very helpful. We used the internet and the state Ministry of Education to put out the adverts and we were able to get schools that participated at the state level. We’ve done the initial examination that led to the screening – the first level screening. Now on Wednesday, in all the states, we’ll have a state fair. From the state – 10 persons per state – we will move on to zones. There are three zones; the East, the Central, and the Western zones. Ten students per state will move to the zone and then we’ll have them move to the final, which will take place in Port Harcourt and there will be a major science fair at the final.

How about the theme?

Our theme for this year is Jewels of the Niger Delta. That’s why we’ve done this play. We were picking our talented girls from engineering. You would notice that during the performance of the play, we showcased our poets from the region. And then for the Queen Kambasa awards, it’s really about creating role models for girls in the region. Very often, the stories of some girls of the region are not known by many. We want to start a mentoring programme. So, for those who will be the winners of our Queen Kambasa awards, they will form the first crew of our mentorship programme where we get women talking to girls and raising another crop of leaders so that we will grow the leadership thing in the Niger Delta.

Was this aspect of the commission’s mandate less attended to before now?

Well, I think that everyone comes with a different perspective to it. The commission has always handled matters of gender. The commission has always celebrated International Women’s Day. This year’s theme is one that pledges for parity. Quite frankly everyone should notice that this year’s theme has actually become a movement. Everyone is catching on because of many reasons. The social media component of it and because you are talking about something that is at the heart of every woman in decision making, and you have major women who are in decision making roles who can relate to the quest for priority. Also, of course, being a woman and understanding the need for balance, we always say that development that is standing on one leg is not even. And so if we want issues of development and we want development in the region, we have to ensure that everyone is on board. So, there is a bit of equity in how we drive it.

Considering the state of the economy, do you think the commission would drive its master plan to logical position?

Well, I don’t see any reason why we should not. It’s gradual. We are not going to do everything at once. The master plan is a development plan, which means that everyone keys into it little by little so it’s not going to happen all at once.

The theme: Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality, how does it impact on women’s life in the region?

I think it’s you that will interpret it for us. We are from the Niger Delta. The interventions in the region have always been done from the perspective of the male folk. The perspectives of the women have never counted on issues of how you address the matters in the Niger Delta. The people, who bear the brunt of crime and criminality are the women and the children. Unfortunately, their stories have never been told. So, if we are going to begin to try to address this matter; whether in the Niger Delta or the North East, you have to look at it from the eyes of the worst hit in the population. And that is the point I am trying to make.

March 23, 2016
ITAN mounts Muson stage at Easter

After a thrilling performance at the University of Lagos Auditorium at this year’s Lagos Theatre Festival, Ayo Jaiyesimi’s ÌTÀN (The Story) will return to Agip Hall, Muson Centre in Onikan, Lagos on Saturday and Sunday.

The production is led by Jaiyesimi as executive producer, theatre veteran and journalist Ben Tomoloju as artistic director and Lookman Sanusi as productions director.

ÌTÀN, which is another amazing 90-minute production from THESPIAN Family Theatre & Productions, features a talented 60-man cast and crew, which include Norbert Young; Wazobia FM’s ‘LOLO 1’- Omotunde David; Sam Uquah; Nissi George and Segun Dada, amongst others.

ÌTÀN is a rich blend of cultural and contemporary drama, music and dance. It captures the modern day relational tension that crops up between the different age -generations as Àsìkò (‘Time’ personified) intervenes by taking ‘old school’ – die-hard -village-elder, Pa Latinwo and his newly discovered city, roller-coaster grandson, Dee-Kay, on a journey into the past and future. They discover dark secrets shrouded by the veil of time and come to terms with the fact that they need each other to make the best of the present.

With ÌTÀN, (The Story), Jaiyesimi believes that many families and work teams are frustrated because of the lack of generational understanding. Beyond the visible youth culture – dress, music and dance that the older generation and corporate bodies exploit to their advantage, how tangible are the investments that are being made in youth issues? How well are young people engaged and being involved in crafting corporate and national strategy in a world that they would form majority of the population? On the other hand, how have young people tapped into the experience and structure that older ones have to offer? These are some of the contentious issues that the play subtly throws up. It calls on all of us to question and fashion a way to bridge this gap before it leads to further disintegration in our society.

Jaiyesimi disclosed that THESPIAN Family Theatre & Productions intends to undertake a foreign tour with the play and that there are moves to form alliance with other partners. She noted that her outfit has produced plays that are tremendously good and those that could be better. “In fact, some have been quite profitable,” she added.

The playwright, who has produced and staged plays, such as The Five Maids of Fadaka and Mad King of Ijudiya, is very passionate in trying to minimise the challenges that multi-generational relationships pose in families and the workplace, and the disharmony it causes in families or teams within corporate organisations or communities.

“Historically, the generations consist of the old-timers and the young hotshots. But today, one can identify five different generations of people influenced by major historical events, social trends, and cultural phenomena of its time.”

Tomoloju said the intellectual bend of the play remains one big attraction that sets the play apart. He said ITAN has the profundity and philosophy that many cannot ignore as it takes from the tradition and the past for projection into the future.

On why he accepted to direct the play, Tomoloju said: “This is my first time of directing a play with the Thespian Family or a new theatre outfit. It has to worth the while to accept directing a play. People invite me to direct most of the time. And ITAN is not just a play for today, but for tomorrow.” One thing that must be allowed to flourish according to him, is the new enterprise in the theatre business because theatre is not getting enough boosts apart from media efforts.

March 23, 2016
Like Niger Delta, like Northeast

After a tour of Abuja, Port Harcourt and Benin City, Prof Ahmed Yerima’s Little Drops berthed at the Transcorp Hotel, Calabar to round off the traveling command performance. At the grand finale that also witnessed cultural performance as well as signing and pledging for parity, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC reaffirmed its call for all to ‘work and create a region of our dreams.’ And the message was unequivocally passed across in words and drama presentation that was attended by distinguished guests. Among them were Wife of Cross River State Governor Mrs. Linda Ukwuye Ayade, wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Omotunde Ivara Esu, Cross River Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Stella Orem Odey, some local council chairmen, women leaders and activists.

Mrs Ayade who was special guest enjoined every woman to be goal- oriented adding that ‘whatever you think of, follow it.’ She said that everybody is created for a purpose, but that failure does not mean limitation. She however assured that though the road is rough, ‘we will be the voices of those who have not risen. Get your goal right and don’t follow the crowd.’

Acting Managing Director NNDC Mrs Ibim Semenitari described the Calabar leg of the event as the most exciting and fulfilling noting that it was worth the grand finale. “Calabar is the fourth stop, and it is the brightest and best,” she said. Semenitari said the race is by no means ending in Calabar because the campaign to gender equity is a continuum.

“As we rebuild every facet of our national life, especially the Niger Delta and the Northeast regions, as we set Nigeria on the path to change, under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, the marginalisation of women must change. Women, all over Nigeria have shown great capacity to drive the course of development. In more and more homes of the Niger Delta, they have assumed roles of bread-winner, holding society by the scruff of neck and demanding to be taken seriously,” she added.

March 23, 2016
When dance preaches love

Wassa and Games Village Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Abuja bubbled with life recently when the National Troupe of Nigeria performed to entertain them. Edozie Udeze was there

Dance has been discovered to be one of the best ways to reach out to people across cultures and climes. A lot of people feel more at home when some certain messages are disseminated to them through theatre. In most cases, dance-drama becomes the best way to do this. This indeed is what the National Troupe of Nigeria led by Akin Adejuwon has been doing in the past one year or so.

For every clime or terrain in Nigeria, the Troupe has discovered the kind of dance-drama that suits them. It is with this sort of approach that Adejuwon and the Troupe have been using to disseminate the message of love, oneness, peaceful co-existence and tolerance so as to curry for togetherness in the society. It is also for the youth to embrace dance.

With Murna which is an Hausa name for love, Adejuwon has just concluded a tour of two Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The two camps were Wassa and the Games village. At Wassa where about 4,600 IDPs are kept, most of who are from Borno and Yobe states, their joy knew no bounds when the artistes arrived with pomp and pageantry. The camp came alive as soon the first dance was introduced. The rustling and acclaim among the people showed how much they missed home. Murna epitomized love; love anchored around folklore, moonlight stories and the tendency for people to live in unity, where communality holds sway.

This was why Adejuwon told them that in spite of the Boko Haram crisis which caused their displacement, Nigeria has not forgotten them. “This dance is to let you know there is a future in dance-drama as a profession. Music is good, not only to make you happy, but for you to make it your means of livelihood. We are here today to dance to make you feel a sense of belonging. This dance therefore is for you, it is to show that we still appreciate you as fellow Nigerians”.

The Troupe danced with flourish, using different settings in the social lives of the people to manifest affection. For assistance, the drama of the classroom during which a session in school was depicted drew unprecedented attention from the crowd. Both mothers and children became part of it that at a stage, it appeared it was truly a classroom session. The enthusiasm was too much. The teacher taught in Hausa and English while the drums beat away to elucidate the scenes.

The hilarious responses of the people proved how close the drama was to their immediate needs. Beyond what the dances proved, both to the young and the old, they all swayed and moved their legs and waists to the rhythmic tunes of drums. Both the visit of the officials of government to douse the political development in the community and the basket dance to show love and communality, all proved the need to bring the people closer to one another. In this, music became a unifying factor.

This euphoria followed the Troupe to the Games village camp, Abuja, where the inmates equally staged their own dance. It was to show that they have not lost touch with home. As soon as the Troupe finished their own performances, they mounted the stage with a dance-drama tagged Mandras dance. Mandras dance is owned by both Gwoza and Gamboru indigenes who often use it to unwind when the farming season is over.

According to Tanko Bintu from Gwoza, “this is made up of the branches we carry in our hands. The tree branches symbolize peace. Then the cricket-like noises we make is to usher in the beauty of the dance itself. We dance to show love, to show that farming is over and it is time to relax. That is why you can see both the old and the young involved in it. Today we did it to show our appreciation to the National Troupe of Nigeria.” Bintu himself is also a dancer.

When the management of the Troupe donated food items to the IDPs, the joy in their hearts knew no end. The gesture was to help augment their maintenance and to ensure that the inmates do not really feel left out by Nigerians. Speaking on behalf of the Artistic Director of the Troupe, Bisi Ayodele praised the IDPs for their resilience in the face of hardship caused by Boko Haram. “But we are here to do the best we can,” he quickly added.

“Our being here today is part of the Federal government project to reach out to all of you to show that we care.”

And truly the government cared because even as the drums stopped beating and most people were set to go, the crowd still lingered on, expecting more shows to happen. Some of the children in the camp were pleased to watch the show. One of them by name Usman Halilu told The Nation that he would like to be a dancer in future.

He said “what the Troupe did today is good for the youth. Many of us did not realize the importance of dance as a profession until today. When I finish secondary school I would like to come to Lagos to enlist with the Troupe.” Halilu is just 12 years old but his eyes and attention are already focus on dance as a way of life. This is the whole essence of what the Troupe has been doing by using dance and drama to solicit for peace, unity, love and tolerance in Nigeria.

March 20, 2016