The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • My dad, by ace music writer Makinde’s son

    My dad, by ace music writer Makinde’s son

    Ace music writer and Odessa File colunmist Olutade Makinde, 71, was a committed and selfless journalist. In this tribute, Odunayo Ogumola writes on the life and contributions of the late Makinde to entertainment journalism.

    His death shocked his family members, professional colleagues, kinsmen, friends and associates.

    He was his lively self till about 11.00 pm on Friday when he hosted many friends and guests who came to pay their ‘homage’ as usual.

    The story changed about one-and-a-half hours later when he suffered some breathing problems and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead about three hours later.

    That was the story of prominent entertainment journalist Mr. Olutade Makinde who died at 3 am penultimate Saturday. He was 71.

    Many people who saw him some days before his death could not believe that the journalism icon was gone.

    Since the news of his death broke, sympathisers  have been trooping to his residence on Ilawe Road, Ado-Ekiti to pay their last respects.

    Makinde is a big name in entertainment journalism.

    He worked hard to promote musicians, theatre arts practitioners, film makers and others.

    The late Makinde contributed immensely to the careers of artistes, such as the late Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, the late I.K. Dairo, Sunny Ade, Ebenezer Obey, Shina Peters, Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, Kollington Ayinla, Oliver de Coque, the late Rex Lawson, the late Eddy Okonta, Sir Victor Olaiya, Dele Abiodun, the late Hubert Ogunde, Chika Okpala (Zebrudaya), and Moses Olaiya (Baba Sala).

    These artistes respected him and used to consult him on issues concerning their careers because he was an authority in the field.

    His homes in Lagos and Ibadan were a Mecca for the artistes, with some of them  sleeping in his house because of the closeness.

    The late journalist worked at New Nigerian and Daily Sketch both rested, where he dazzled on the entertainment desk.

    He rose to the pinnacle of his career as Editor of The Entertainer newspaper which was a big hit in the early 90s.

    The late Makinde was also a columnist with the Nigerian Tribune where he ran a popular column known as ODESSA FILE for about seven years.

    His son, Tade, described his late father as a committed and selfless individual who pursued any cause he believed in with vigour.

    Tade, Head of Entertainment Desk at Nigerian Tribune, said the “Fountain of Knowledge” sobriquet of Ekiti was the brainchild of his late father.

    He said: “I should be proud of that legacy. After Ekiti State was created and they were looking for a sobriquet for the state, it was my father that came up with the idea of ‘Fountain of Knowledge’ which has since been adopted.

    “My father was not in journalism  for awards or prizes but to make his mark and for the cause of expressing himself and pushing his ideas.

    “In his Odessa File column, he wrote an article which influenced the decision of President Olusegun Obasanjo to give Ekiti a senior cabinet position, which resulted in Prof. Tunde Adeniran being appointed Minister of Education.

    “He also wrote an article on the Ewi throne of Ado-Ekiti which made Obasanjo to send an emissary to the Ewi. As a journalist, he always told me to do what is right and expect nothing in return”.

    Tade explained that though his father had been practising journalism before he was born, the highlight of the late septuagenarian’s career was his editorship of The Entertainer when the weekly sold 500,000 copies.

    He said after his father retired from Daily Sketch, he published a magazine Variety Entertainment for about five years before being forced out of business soaring cost of newsprint.

    Tade also revealed that his father pioneered voting through newspaper coupon to determine the best performer in the music industry.

    The first of such awards through voting  determined by music fans saw the emergence of Sunny Ade as the King of Music. The music legend was crowned by the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi in 1977.

    “My father came up with the idea of voting to determine who is the best musician or artiste of the year by cutting coupons from the newspapers. These coupons through which interested readers voted were counted at the palace of the Alaafin of Oyo who is a neutral person.

    “Sunny Ade came first, Ebenezer Obey came second, Dele Abiodun came third and Fela Anikulapo came fourth after the coupons through which people voted were counted,” Tade added.

    “My father used to tell me that people fear you because of the power of the pen but the moment you leave the profession, people will no longer give you the respect you used to command while in the profession.

    “He made friends as a journalist and that is why people came here to pay homage to him even after he retired and was serving as a consultant to people who needed his services.

    “He used to tell me that don’t expect anything in return and he told me to always make friends and never to pursue money.

    “He also used to say do your best and get on because you are the voice of the people. My father also used to say publish and be damned.

    “He was a selfless individual who used his influence in the media to assist people to get jobs, admissions, connections with people in high places. He was an unusual individual and we shall all miss him”, Tade said.

    Pa Makinde, who was born on August 25, 1943 will be buried on March 13.

     

  • ‘Save my boy with shattered hip’

    ‘Save my boy with shattered hip’

    David Sopuruchi Chibuzo is not a happy teen. He dreams of being not just a pastor, but an evangelist who would traverse the world, breaking strongholds and converting souls. But, he risks not fulfilling his dreams.

    David has cerebral palsy (CP). A fall  during seizure has left him with a dislocated hip and shattered bones. Thus, he needs N5 million for brain and hips surgery at Vikian Specialist Hospital in India.

    CP is a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement and motor skills. It is caused by brain damage that occurs before or during a child’s birth, or during the first three to five years of a child’s life. According to studies, about 50 per cent of children with CP have seizures, where abnormal nerve activity disturbs the functioning of the brain.

    David’s ordeal started in 1999, when he was just nine months old. He and his two siblings were diagnosed of cerebral malaria, but David’s case proved more severe. He was in coma for eight days after which he was resuscitated but at that point things had gone awry; he had lost his memory and since then, living has been a struggle for him.

    At 17, David cannot live a normal life like his peers; he still lives like a baby under age one – usually aided to do his activities. He is unable to perform a simple function as helping himself to the restroom and it pains him that as a teenager, he still depends on his parents and siblings to help him with all activities of life.

    Every little opportunity he gets, he tells you of his dream of being a pastor, how his present predicament is standing in the way and how he wished he could be well and save his family of their suffering. And everywhere you find him; there is always his Bible by his side. Although unable to pronounce most of the words, he still clings to it.

    Recounting how it happened, his mother, Mrs. Christy Chibuzo said: “David was born hale and hearty on August 7, 1998. As at nine months, he had started to hold things to stand and move about the house like every normal baby. But one Monday in May 1999, his two older siblings took ill and were admitted at Oredugba Specialist Hospital, Ikate, Surulere, Lagos and were later diagnosed to have cerebral malaria. That day, he was healthy and presented no signs of any illness. But on Tuesday, the doctor in charge called me and said he wanted to place him on malaria treatment because he wouldn’t like what happened to his brothers to happen to him. I obliged and they started giving him injections. It was like that night, the injections brought out all the temperature; if you put wet towel on him, it would dry. So that Wednesday morning, I reported our last night’s experience to the doctor and he said he was going to change his drugs. I agreed and told them that I will come for the drugs after the other two might have been admitted in Havannah Specialist Hospital – a hospital recommended by one of our sisters in church when no impressive improvement was seen in their health.

    “On the way, I discovered he was having the same experience his brothers had. By the time we got to Havannah, he couldn’t breathe again; so they took him directly to the theatre and placed him on oxygen and we started praying and after a while, he regained consciousness and they placed him on observation. After two days on oxygen, he started convulsing hard. The drip stopped going, but after 45 minutes, God stopped the convulsion. However, after sometime, he entered into final coma that lasted for eight days. It was just by the grace of God that he survived.

    “They even brought surgeons from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), who took samples from his brain and spinal cord to check if it was meningitis,. They did all sorts of tests after which they concluded it was CP. At a point, they put drip through his nose from where they fed him. He was not responding to anything apart from needle at the sole of his feet which kept our hopes high that he was alive.

    “Having regained consciousness, they started giving him treatment. At a point, he started desiring breast; they said I should give him; they started putting syrup and light pap with raw egg from the pipe. Gradually, he kept responding and so on the 16th day, they discharged us but at that time, he had lost every memory. He couldn’t even recognise anyone; he was just like a log of wood. We took him home and we were going from home to the hospital, and after sometime, we started going from LUTH, to Havannah and numerous other hospitals that were recommended. That has been the journey so far,” she said.

    At age one, Mr and Mrs Chibuzo Onuegbe registered their child at the Children Development Centre (CDC), Surulere, Lagos. There he was taught motor skills and a host of other things but today, David is out of school as a result of the dwindling resources of his parents.

    David’s father, Pastor Chibuzo Onuegbe, is a pastor with the Assemblies of God Church, whose income depends on what the church pays; and managing CP is not any easy task for an average income family. Thus, the illness has ended up leaving the family’s purse dry.

    Aside from his inability to help himself with anything, David’s case is worsened by recurring convulsions, a symptom associated with CP patients. Each time this happens, the family spends days or even weeks in the hospital, depending on the severity of the attack. Aside the money spent in hospitals, the recurring pains he goes through is pathetic. Sometimes when it happens while alone with his siblings, or mother, all they will do is to watch him groan in pains or left at the mercy of mature male neighbours to help lift him into a car so they could rush him to the hospital. All these things the family has been shouldering. Though burdensome, what would they do? Stay and watch him groan and die in pain?

    “The journey has not been an easy one but God has been gracious. We were told that once a week physiotherapy in LUTH will not solve the problem. So, we had to engage a physiotherapist that came thrice a week and worked on him for seven years. With the help of the massage, David started learning to hold his neck. We started to teach him how to sit down by putting him in a carton and guarding it with clothes and pillows; we taught him sounds – how to open his hands. Today, his hands are good only that they are a bit weak but he can grip biro and spoon. At a point, he started rolling and they told us it was still part of movement. Then, he started sitting, moving with his buttocks and even attempted to stand by grabbing things,” explained Mrs. Chibuzo.

    While the parents were excited about his improvement, another tragedy struck. David at 15 had a fall while playing with his siblings and this changed the course of the improvement. At first, he showed no sign of injury or pain, but after two weeks, he started screaming with pains and when taken to a General Hospital in Lagos, he was checked and certified okay, but unknown to his parents, his right hip was dislocated. He kept screaming with pains in the right leg, which in time started to get thinner and shorter than the other.

    The family ever since then has been praying and getting help wherever they could, but the leg situation seems not to be improving. They were advised to go for x-ray, and the result showed that he had a dislocated hip and some broken pieces of bones. Since then, this young lad had been in severe pain.

    At a General Hospital in Lagos, he was given a caliper which was sooner discarded because rather than help improve the situation, it caused bruises. They were then referred to the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi. From Igbobi, they went to a hospital at one of the Army cantonments in Lagos. There, the doctor said they could not handle such a situation and referred them back to Igbobi.

    It was at Igbobi that they got the highest discouragement ever. They met a surgeon who said he could carry out the surgery for a million naira, but said he had a 50/50 survival chance and his parents agreed. When they came back at the next appointment day, he chased them out “like dogs”, asking if they could not see that the leg was irredeemable.

    However, a little ray of light came their way when one of their members, who went to India for heart-related surgery, took the x-ray with him. There a team of experts examined it and assured that they could correct the problem. They had also consulted other hospitals, but have settled for Vikian because of their known records in surgery success.

    According to medical analysis done by the Indian doctors, David has got a good chance of recovery. The brain surgery will work to completely eradicate the seizure attacks, leaving it with greater chance of correcting all the imbalances caused by the attacks, while with the hip surgery, David might be able to walk with time. But in all, the severe pains this young lad is feeling will be completely gone.

    With respect to this hope, the Onuegbes are passionately appealing to whomever the story of David has touched to come to their aid in their quest to save the life of their son.

    “This issue has drained our resources and also put us in debt, yet we cannot afford to keep watching him groan in pains. He has been recommended for multiple surgeries abroad, which is estimated at N5 million and my family cannot afford it. We are therefore, passionately pleading with all whose heart God will touch after going through the agonies of our boy to please assist us with whatever amount God has laid in your good hearts to support us with the surgical operations,” appealed Mrs. Chibuzo who fought to hold back tears.

    Should you want to support David in his battle for survival, you may render your support through this bank account: Onuegbe Chibuzor N. Account No: 2018357079; First Bank of Nig. Plc. Or call any of these mobile numbers: 08033284171, 08035137845 or 08085853139.

  • A legacy of possibilities

    A legacy of possibilities

    In less than two months from now (April 23), Port Harcourt, Rivers State will hand over its World Book Capital title to Incheon, South Korea, which won the 2015 UNESCO World Book Capital. A city has only a year in which to implement its agenda for books as outlined in the bid that won it the coveted title.

    After the highly publicised opening ceremonies last year it is stock taking and evaluation of the impact of the Port Harcourt Book Capital project whose ambition is to create an army of change agents informed and empowered through reading.

    A visitor to most parts of Port Harcourt since April last year, will be greeted by big colourful signs declaring ‘Port Harcourt World Book Capital: Partner School.’ As part of the programmes for children and youth, with a view to developing their reading and language skills, 200 book clubs have been set up in 100 schools. Working with both public and private schools, the clubs cater to senior primary as well as Junior and Senior Secondary School students and have a total of 2,500 students as members.

    At the primary level, the club members read a book a week while those at the secondary level read a book a month. These books were carefully selected and range from timeless classics to African folk tales as well as contemporary literature.

    The books that are read during the club meetings are donated to the school and on completion of a club meeting are kept in the school library. As a result, a total of 66,500 books have been donated to the libraries of the 100 schools participating in the programme. This means other students who are not part of the book clubs also enjoy these great stories. It also means the book clubs can continue to run after the World Book Capital year.

    To man and monitor the book clubs, 300 teachers, making an average of three teachers per school were trained on how to run and coordinate the clubs. They are assisted by a team of volunteers. About 100 volunteers have been trained to handle different aspects of the Port Harcourt World Book Capital (PHWBC) programmes, including coordinating and running book clubs. These trainings have equipped the volunteers, who are mainly young university graduates and the teachers, with skills on how to setup and run book clubs which skills they can now use to earn an income for themselves.

    Adults were not left out of the reading campaign, the book-of-the month programme, which highlights 12 outstanding books in the 12 months of the PHWBC year is the equivalent of the adult book club. Every last Sunday of the month, students, writers and the general public meet at the Hotel Presidential to hold conversations on the book in focus. These discussions are followed by a drama performance which is usually based on the book being discussed. Through this programme we have promoted the books and their authors and in collaboration with the Arts Institute, University of Port Harcourt, 5 of these books have been adapted for stage and performed.

    Through the PHWBC programmes, 73 writers both aspiring and established have been celebrated and promoted on the national and international stage. Many more writers have had their works showcased and introduced to a wider audience, through the publication of two books; ‘Nigerian Literature; A Coat of Many Colours’ (I and II). These books are a compilation of 100 authors in Nigeria and their work.  Another 2 publications, 100 Years Around Port Harcourt and I00 years Around Nigeria were a result of 600 secondary school students and 60 teachers from around Rivers State and Nigeria, participating in a writing exercise to commemorate the centenary of the city and that of the nation.

    In a bid to get the community involved 4 book donation drives were embarked upon, here the general public was invited to donate new or fairly used books for the benefit of indigent communities. Through this exercise over 6000 books were received and 6 ‘seed’ libraries have been planted in the city to benefit orphans, prisoners, out of school children among others.

    Rainbow Book Club has also taken the reading campaign to the world stage by participating in 4 International Road Shows showcasing Nigeria’s rich literary heritage. Twice the project was represented at the London Book Fair (2013 and 2014), and also present at the Cape Town Book Fair and at the world’s biggest book fair, the Frankfurt Book Fair. In all these tours, Nigeria’s literature and authors were exported to these countries by organising events with Nigerian authors and also selling their books.

    As Port Harcourt counts down to completing her tenure, mechanisms are in place to leave a lasting legacy whose ripple effect will benefit generations to come, not only in Port Harcourt or Nigeria but the continent as whole.

     

     

     

  • Foundation sponsors 5001 displaced children

    Belief came the way of over 500 displaced children in one of the Internally Displaced Persons Camps in Yola, Adamawa State.

    The Modupe Ozolua Body Enhancement Foundation has sponsored the education of children between the ages of one and 14 at the Lamido Lawal Model Primary School, in Girei Local Government Area (LGA), of the  State.

    Following a visit,  the team discovered the children were not in schools unlike some camps where temporary schools are provided.

    At that point, the foundation immediately provided funds for school uniforms, shoes, books, writing materials, boards, writing chalk, rulers and hired teachers amongst the displaced Nigerians at the camp to commence teaching the children. The foundation has also taken up the responsibility of paying the teachers monthly salaries. All the children between nursery and primary six ages at the camp are beneficiaries of the foundation’s benevolence.

    Last Wednesday, the items were presented to the students at a ceremony, which held at the camp. The first lady of Adamawa State, Mrs Hasana Ngilari, who gave appreciation speech, joined in distributing the school materials to the pupils.

    Ozolua thanked the governor, the first lady, officials of state SEMA and other relief organisations that have worked tirelessly towards providing different forms of assistance to displaced Nigerians all over the country.

    She informed the displaced families that they should be hopeful because God has not forgotten nor forsaken them. She also told the children that their destinies are not tied to a refugee camp, so they should not feel they can’t be as great as they wish to be.

    Ozolua said the Body Enhancement Foundation’s sponsored school programme is part of the organisation’s rehabilitation plan for the internally displaced Nigerians, which will impact all camps in Nigeria.

     

  • Insurgency shame

    The plangent vociferation of the Northeasterner torments my soul.

    My sleep has taken flight for the anguish of Boko Haram victims.

     

    My nights have been consumed by the distant wailings of orphans living with strange families.

     

    My humanity has been violated by the slaughtered innocence of hapless girls dispersed asunder by brainwashed ragtag terrorists.

     

    My heart bleeds for youths running errands in Sambisa Forest for the abductors of their future.

     

    My days are pensive with unanswered queries about who is in charge in my country.

     

    I have grown weary of fanciful peroration of government officials: ‘we will soon end insurgency’.

     

    The taste of lies must be sweet in the ears of the conscienceless.

     

    Who is enjoying the perfidious oration of the godless politician dancing Azonto and shedding crocodile tears on the graves of his people?

  • Colleagues hail NIPR chief

    Colleagues hail NIPR chief

    The Chairman of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management, the worldwide body of public relations institutes and associations, Prof Anne Gregory, has praised the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) President, Dr Rotimi Oladele, for his support for the global body.

    Quoting a letter from Gregory, a statement by the Coordinator of International Collaboration of the NIPR, Mr Kunle Ogedengbe, said she thanked Oladele for the support of the NIPR.

    Gregory said: “I’m  writing to thank you personally for your continual membership and support for the Global Alliance. Our continued alliance presents a unique opportunity for public relations and communication professionals to think, speak and act together to raise the status of our global profession.”

    “Last year has been exciting. We have continued to build a vibrant, global professional community more able to realise its potential and in a stronger position to achieve the recognition it deserves.”

    While emphasising that more of these could not have been done without the support of the NIPR, she underlined the success of last year’s World Public Relations Forum in Madrid, Spain where Oladele chaired one of the sessions.

    Gregory said: “It was wonderful to see your association represented among those delegates” of 750 from 65 countries in Madrid.

    She thanked Oladele for being in Madrid and underlined the need for public relations practitioners to be leaders not just in building communicative organisations but also in contributing to society as the hallmark of the Madrid Forum with the theme: Communication with Conscience.

    The Global Alliance, Gregory said, the organisation initiated several projects last year, adding that these projects would be moved forward this year.

    The Global Credential is an international team of committed volunteers comparing professional qualifications and educational standards from around the world including Nigeria; Global GAP Survey, a comprehensive study on how public relations and communication management are evolving in different parts of the world including Nigeria; and The Association Leaders’ Workshop where different public relations institutes in the world including Nigeria meet and share knowledge for the growth and development of the profession with the next meeting being Milan, Italy this June.

    Gregory said NIPR made these global activities possible, adding that Nigerians membership of the Global Alliance by is vital to the advancement of public relations globally.

     

     

  • A Nordic view of Nigeria

    A Nordic view of Nigeria

    After four years in Lagos, a Norwegian artist, Bente Vindik will tomorrow offer art collectors and enthusiasts a parting gift of a solo exhibition titled  A Nordic view of Nigeria. The event holds at the Quintessence Gallery, Parkview, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    Bente, who will return to Norway in May is eager to share her artistic experiences via the exhibition that will feature 16 paintings of birds, people, environment and sceneries.

    At a sneak preview of her works, Bente said it is a mixed feeling for her, but she is happy to share her experiences through the art.

    “I enjoyed the life here. I am impressed by the people I encountered all these years. I just wanted to show my art works before leaving,” she said.

    Some of the paintings include The Past, which captures a fading memory of slave trade on the West coast of Africa showing a disappearing ship on the ocean. Independent is a painting of a young woman who exudes confidence and pride as an African. Enriched with bold colours and strokes, the viewers cannot but take a second look at the female figure despite showing her back side only.

    Also for display is a painting of two colourful birds facing each other. The work, according to the artist, is one of such views captured while looking through the window.

    Little wonder she said ‘from my window I see out on the canopy of the remains of the forest that once covered our part of Ikoyi. I see colourful birds that inspire me to recreate them on canvas but not like a photo.’

    To her, the many colours of Nigerian dresses give her inspiration that sometimes lead to non-figurative image in her head. “There is activity everywhere and that energy is also inspiring. The colours and energy of Lagos gets transformed into images. Some may see only colours in my pictures. Fir it is so connected to what inspired me that I see both colour and images,” she said.

    Until coming to Lagos, Bente was in Angola for three years during which she participated in exhibitions in Luanda, Angola. She studied Art History at the University of Bergen, Norway, Art Design at Telemark University College, Norway. A Nordic View of Nigeria will run till March 14.

     

  • Enterprise Challenge opens for entries

    The British Council, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Zenith Bank are organising an online competition tagged ‘Enterprise Challenge’ is open for entries.This year’s competition is open to Nigerians within the 18 to 35 age bracket.

    It is an online competition which seeks to giveyoung, brilliant entrepreneurial minds the opportunity to further develop their skills in this area and bring their innovative ideas to the fore for possible future development.

    Interested participants can check out the competition rules and regulations and criteria for qualification will be available on the British Council, Nigeria’s corporate website from May 31, 2015; enquiries can be sent to eduk.enquiries@ng.britishcouncil.org.

    Last year, a total of 10 finalists (Nigerians based in the United Kingdom and at home) battled for the top two spots and Eseoghene Ise Odiete and Nasir Yammama emerged winners of the competition. They have since had the opportunity to meet with and be mentored by one the UK’s foremost entrepreneurs and Chairman of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson.

    Eseoghene Odiete is an award winning young female fashion entrepreneur and the brain behind Hesey Designs, (an African inspired accessories label).

    Nasir Yammama just concluded his postgraduate studies in creative technology at Middlesex University in London and he is currently developing an agricultural themed mobile application which he hopes to launch before the end of the year.

    Other prizes won by the top two include, a five day entrepreneurship foundation course at the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship in South Africa and a business support grant of N1,500,000.00 for each individual. The grant will be used to either support an already existing business or develop a business idea.

  • Wanted: Honourable leaders

    Wanted: Honourable leaders

    Kwara State University (KWASU) Vice Chancellor AbdulRasheed Na’Allah is a passionate and determined scholar. He is not only passionate about his job and country, he is determined to etch his institution’s name on Africa’s scientific map. Interestingly, he is an ardent fan of the Nigerian Film Industry. In this chat with Evelyn Osagie, Na’Allah shares his thoughts  on the industry and other issues.  

    who is Prof AbdulRasheed Na’Allah?

    AbdulRasheed Na’Allah is the Vice Chancellor and  Chief Executive, Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete. I was born on December 21, 1962 in Ilorin. I studied at the “Better by Far University”, “the Greatest” University of Ilorin, obtaining BA (Hons) in English and Education and MA in Literature in English, and taught there for some years before I went to Edmonton, Canada, for my PhD at the University of Alberta.

    I write poetry and have finished a draft of two plays that I will soon get reviewed, edited and hopefully published. I see myself as a scholar, critical thinker, creative writer and performer and I have published quite a number of poetry books, Almajiri (2001), Ahmadu Fulani (2004) and Ilorin: Praise Poetry (2011). I love the drum, but I cannot say that I am an expert in it by imagination, but can make it sound a bit beautiful to the ear.

    I also taught for many years at the Western Illinois University where I became Full Professor and Chair of the Department of African American Studies. I was appointed Pioneer Vice Chancellor of Kwara State University in 2009. The Kwara State House of Assembly after public hearings changed the law establishing the University to give me a second term as Pioneer Vice-Chancellor, as was recommended by Council and approved by the Executive Governor of Kwara State, and now I am in my second term as KWASU’s Vice Chancellor.

     

    Experience as Vice Chancellor

     

    Well, it has been rewarding. Our university has, within its few years of existence, made tremendous strides for our state and for Nigeria. Even at five years old, we are proud of being a pioneer university in many areas! We are focused in achieving the ambition of the state government in setting up the university; to be a different kind of university, in creating wealth for our state and nation, in developing our students without exception with entrepreneurial skills and ensuring that none of them roam the streets upon graduation, to assist our nation in realising its vision of scientific and technological development and much more. KWASU is the only university in Nigeria with a degree programme in Aeronautic and Astronautic Engineering, it is the only university in Northcentral and if not the only one, then one of the very few ones in Northern Nigeria with a degree programme in Tourism. We are the only Nigerian university, being the leading one in Entrepreneurship, to develop a programme to produce teachers for secondary schools in Entrepreneurship Education. The university is the first to create a Film Village, as we have created the Malete Film Village for assisting Nollywood and African filmmakers to acquire more sophisticated training and produce films using the MFV facility, from beginning to finish, and the list is really long.

     

    Inspiration behind the university’s scientific feats

     

    Well, as Vice-Chancellor, I am the leader for all academic programmes in my university and it doesn’t matter whether a Vice-Chancellor is in the arts or sciences, his or her job is to understand all the rudiments of the academia and be knowledgeable enough to articulate and represent very clearly and unambiguously the thrusts of all academic disciplines in his University, including any new ones that might be established. A VC must be a defender of academic vigour and academic sophistication and even beyond that, he or she must know how to ensure that the university focuses on helping the immediate and larger community to grow and develop according to the aspirations of the people and the government. In the area of science, technology and aerospace, KWASU wants to be the Georgia Tech of Nigeria, where people that matter in Aviation, Air Force, Space research and many more for Nigeria would be products of KWASU! We collaborate with the Georgia Institute of Technology, the US University with the largest aerospace engineering programme in America. We are similarly determined at KWASU’s energy research. Our energy team is working on solar energy and many areas of alternative energy research, and we can’t wait for the new solar company, RanaPower, to start producing solar plants and solar farms and distribute electricity from here in Ilorin. KWASU is UNESCO Chairholder in Alternative Energy and other members of our energy research team are collaborating with Heifel University in China and working out strategy for joint work with the energy team of Georgia Tech. With research support from industries and others, we will lead the way for Nigeria in energy research.

     

    Interest in the film industry

     

    We are indeed, excited about our new Centre for Nollywood Studies, and I am proud to announce that Dr Carmen McCain was recently appointed as Director of the Centre. We are mindful of the existence of various film traditions in Nigeria, from Yoruba movie to Hausa, Igbo, Nollywood and Kannywood, and more, and the film traditions across Africa and beyond, and KWASU’s Nollywood Studies Centre is dedicated to all film traditions, and has started creating digital archives for all sorts of films. As you know, the Nigerian Film Industry is now the second largest in the world and that reality has automatically given the Nigerian academia an enormous responsibility. The KWASU’s Film Village, the annual African Cinema Conference and the KWASU Nollywood Studies Centre, all are dedicated to attracting the world to our state, our nation and helping to shape the industry of whatever language and tradition to attain its utmost best in the world.

     

    His philosophy of life

     

    The philosophy that life is for service, to God, to your family, your people and your community, and the philosophy that selfless service, dignity and integrity are direct products of personal happiness, fulfillment and favour of the Almighty Allah.

     

    Literature’s economic viability

     

    Literature is useless if it’s not concerned with or relevant to life, and especially African literature is primarily concerned with life and social being. So, literature and culture have been in many parts of the world and can be for Kwara State and Nigeria sources of abundant wealth. We are particularly interested because it’s the vision of our state government, to ensure that KWASU is creating wealth, huge wealth, and empowering our young people to create wealth.

     

    Creative muse

     

    Just thinking about my childhood does that for me, and interacting with my childhood friends, with family, and driving the streets of my community early morning or in the evening, at Oja Abayawo, Ita-Ogunbo, Oja Omoda, Oloje, Oja Oba, and more, attending cultural events in Ilorin, and listening to recitations from the Qur’an in Ilorin voices, all these and many more ignite my creative muse.

     

    Growing-up

     

    Growing up was very memorable. First in Ilorin, attending the Ansarul Islam Primary School, after a very brief stint at Baboko Primary School; later, in Sokoto, Koko and Yelwa-Yauri and Birnin Yauri. In Sokoto, I attended the Demonstration I Primary School located between the Sultan Abubakar College and Sokoto Teacher’s College. In Koko I attended Mala Salihu Primary School, and in Yelwa-Yauri and Birnin Yauri, I attended the then Government Teacher’s College, Birnin Yauri, now Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri. When I started in Yelwa-Yauri, at its temporary site, Yauri was in Sokoto State. It is now in Kebbi State. It was marvellous being born into the multi-cultural tradition of Ilorin; a city of knowledge. It is even more extraordinary acquiring Islamic and Western knowledge first from my Ilorin home and later from cities across the Northwestern Nigeria. I feel proud and privileged to have lived my early lives in Ilorin and Sokoto and Koko and Yelwa-Yauri and Birnin Yauri, and whatever I become in life, all these cultural upbringings and especially, the Ilorin tradition of multi-culturalism and its identity as a multi-cultural and multi-lingual Muslim, is responsible and has defined me.

     

    Upbringing that inspired the man I became

     

    The confidence and dignity of an Ilorin person is from his or her upbringing and the peaceful nature of his or her cultural life. I am grateful to Allahu Ta’ala for this Ilorin upbringing that I enjoyed. It has inspired the person I became. I started from Kewu wala, the Quranic School, where we used wala, the slate to learn and memorise the Glorious Qur’an. I remember how at completion of any major chapter, we would celebrate the wolimat, and felt proud of our knowledge and our Islam, and our Ilorinness. We will go around the community and sang with pride, “Toba sepe aiku laye o/ Ababa Muhammadu/ Ababa Muhammada/ Oke mefa legbaji/ Awa o bakan ma laye/ Toreta ti Musa o/ Injila fun Yisa/ Sebura Fun Dauda/ Al-Kur’ani fun Onsenla! Meaning in English, If only no one dies in this World/ We would have met Muhammadu/ We would have met Muhammada/ Hundreds of them (who were Prophet’s companions)/ We met no one in this World/ Toreta is for Moses/Injila is for Jesus/ Sebura is for David/ Al-Qur’an is for the Seal of the Prophets!”

    The truth is that from that age, the idea of diversity of beliefs and religions through the various prophets were imbed in us, and we celebrate the prophets of religions, Moses, Jesus, David and Mohammed! It was an inherent culture transmitted to the young Ilorin person. “Talole de, talole de ohe/ Talole de/ Fila tannabi bo le/ Ta lole de/ Afi Iyanda Oni wolima/ Sohun lole de/ Who else can wear it, who can wear it/ Who can wear it/ The cap worn by Muhammed/ Who can wear it/ It’s only Iyanda the celebrant of Wolimat/ He (or She) it is that can wear it!”

     

    The leader Nigeria needs now

     

    What Nigeria needs now are leaders with honour, dignity, totally selfless and knowledgeable in commitment to the development of the country.  Nigerian businesses, social and economic sectors need leaders that would understand that abandoning the Oyo-Ogbomoso road for decades is not a good business sense, even if many of them are rich enough to fly and avoid those roads, or many of them have trailers that can bamboozle their ways sometime causing fatal accidents and many days of blockade on the way. Imagine the great business that could be attracted to Ilorin and Kwara State if that road was good, and if the roads in Mokwa and Jebba are good, imagine the great additional profits that can come to the businesses of our nation. A person once told me that perhaps if these roads are reconstructed and made perfect and enjoyable express-road all the way to Kano, Borno, Lagos and Port Harcourt, trailer owners would cease to make the kind of money and profit that they currently make. I believe this is shortsightedness and myopic thinking. With fixing of those roads would emerge even new and greater business ventures for the trailers as connectors of goods to shorter distances and markets, making their trips shorter and their profits greater, and the profits and productivity of Nigeria greater.

     

    Advice for those gunning for public offices

    My advice to them is to fear God Almighty, be sincere to our dear country and work truly towards building a robust future for many generations yet to come.

  • Rotary Club gives Smart canes to blind

    Rotary Club gives Smart canes to blind

    The Rotary Club of Lagos Palmgrove Estate, Lagos Mainland has flagged off the distribution Smart canes to the blind. The club’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ravindra Kamat, said it takes pleasure in inaugurating the special project in empowering the blind community by providing them with the Smart canes.

    He said: “This is the first time Smart canes are being donated in Nigeria and we are happy to be the ones to take up this initiative towards supporting the blind community. Smart cane is a battery operated cane, which vibrates on sensing any obstacle, thus assisting the navigation and guiding of the blind.  As a club we have decided to donate 100 smart canes and the flag off to the first set was given to members of the Nigerian association for the blind at Ojuelegba. The project is a gesture from our club in honour of our Past President, Rotarian Naran Bhai Patel, on receiving a National Honours. By the support of the members and the community we do plan to continue to drive this as a major project done every year.”

    The Smart canes, according to him, cost more than $1,000. “We have the blind in mind and so far, 18,000 eyes have been operated on, and in order not to ignore those whose eyes cannot be operated on, who had been confirmed blind, Smartcane is given to them to aid their movement,” he said.

    Mrs Nike Abdul Azeez, who spoke on behalf of the District 9100 Governor, Bamidele Balogun, said the Smartcanes are devices that will allow the blind live independent lives and in carrying out the normal things of life.

    The club, according to Kamat, also distributed artificial limbs, adding that, the club always distributes free artificial limbs every first Saturday of the month and about fifty of such artificial limbs have been distributed. He said: “Those with artificial limbs also come weekly for maintenance.” According to him, the cost of a limb is 250,000 naira, but it is done freely to help people.

    A beneficiary of the limb, who identified herself as Rose Ominiyi from Benue State, said  she knew what it took to live without a limb and with the acquisition of an artificial limb, courtesy of the club, she would be able to pick any job to help herself, “because it is giving me a new lease of life. I am no longer limiting myself. And once I have the financial capability, I, too will like to help people with similar problems”.

    Kamat said the next project by the club is the completion of “Rotary Eye Hospital”. According to him, it is a N300million project. The site is located at Airport road. He said doctors would be brought from India to work permanently at the hospital to serve the public.