The Nation Newspaper

Category: Arts & Life

  • Supreme Court director bags doctorate degree

    Supreme Court director bags doctorate degree

     

    The Director of Press and Information at the Supreme Court of Nigeria, Dr. Akande Aweneri Festus, was among the graduands conferred with the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the 44th convocation ceremony of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka last month. He has, by this feat, ranked among the first set of PhD holders in Public Relations in Nigeria; a programme pioneered in Africa by the University of Nigeria.

    Dr. Akande, a graduate of Mass Communication, holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration, MSc Degree in Public Relations and MBA Degree in Marketing from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He also has a BSc (Hons) Degree in Marketing from Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT).  He bagged the Chartered Professional Certificate and Diploma in Public Relations from Nigerian Institute of Public Relations and Business Education Examinations Council in 1990 and 1992 respectively. A Journalist, Public Relations Practitioner and Teacher of over 25 years, Dr. Akande had been involved in the training of Journalists and Public Relations practitioners in Lagos State University (LASU), Nigerian Institute of Journalism (NIJ), Times Journalism Institute, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations School (NIPR); and was the pioneer Director of Lagos Public Relations Academy (LAPRA).

    Dr. Akande also worked with the now defunct Abuja News Day Newspapers (the first print mediumin the Federal Capital Territory), Nigerian Tide Newspapers (Rivers State Publishing Corporation), and TELL Magazine, where he rose to management cadre. He also established the Special Project Unit of FAME Magazine in Lagos. He is an accomplished Speech Writer, Public Speaker and Author of robust international repute, having to his credit the following books: In-Road into Public Relations; Contemporary Media Relations Management; Effective Speech Writing and Public Speaking; Principles and Techniques of Public Relations; Application of Industrial Psychology and Sociology to Public Relations Management; Public Relations Strategy in International Marketing; International Public Relations Management; Dance of a Dead Man; Fela Anikulapo-Kuti: The Man, The Myth and The Mystery; Darkness At Noon (which was published in United States (US) and got the certification of the Library of Congress); among others. He has also published many research papers in different International Academic Journals and co-authored several monographs in the United Kingdom (UK) and the US respectively.

  • ‘It took me 10 years to write 10 per cent of my book’

    ‘It took me 10 years to write 10 per cent of my book’

    Director, Risk Management, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Folakemi Fatogbe, wrote Inspiring a Generation, a  motivational book,   to impact lives, TOYIN  OLASINDE reports.

    Before returning to Nigeria from the United Kingdom (UK) in 2009, Mrs Fatogbe had finished work on the first draft of what has now become her first book. But, she got a job that  slowed her down  getting the book published.

    While she was special adviser to former  Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, and later  Director of Risk Management, she practically had to give all her time to the reform being carried out in the  financial sector then.

    But the subject of the book was so dear to her that it could not wait forever. The publication derives from and builds on the success of President Barrack Obama in the 2008 election. When Obama was re-elected in 2012, Mrs Fatogbe could not  resist the urge to complete the work.

    “As I told my colleagues at the CBN, it took me just six months to write 90 per cent of the book, but the other 10 per cent took me 10 years,” she said.

    As the writer puts it, Inspiring a Generation  is a motivational book woven around the election campaigns of President Obama, which, many people believe, was unprecedented.

    She explained: “It wasn’t anything that anybody expected and whether we are  going to see a black man do that again in our own lifetime is extremely debatable. So, I in particular and many of those around me found it very inspiring; it motivated us. Following his journey, one could see that there were many lessons one could take and imbibe into our own lives. The fact that this man came from ‘nowhere’ and was able to beat the establishment; beat the Clintons and beat Bush, who was actually in power, to become the most influential man in the world is Phenomenal.”

    She believed that she is inspiring more than a generation with the publication. Quoting from Confucius, as she does at the beginning of the book, she noted that to put the world in order, you must first put the nation in order. Also, to put the nation in order, you must first put the family in order; while to put the family in order, one must first personally cultivate oneself.

    She added: “Essentially, it’s saying to make the life that we want to live, to have the country that we want to have, to have the family that we want to have, we must first cultivate and improve ourselves. So, it’s a motivational one.”

    Apart from telling the story, the author said it has quotations mapped into different sections, serving as a library of quotations for readers.

    “It also has lessons from Obama. It draws out elements from the man’s campaign, his life, personal attributes that could be beneficial to people. It has a section that has about 60 lessons and at the end of each lesson, it says what you and I need to do; that brings very practical advice on how we can imbibe some of the strengths of Obama into our own lives. It also has elements from my personal life because I have also walked the walk. When I was writing that book, my life was changing in a way that I had not expected. I had certain challenges so I needed inspiration and I got them from the book as well,” she explained.

    Even if she eventually has time, Fatogbe is not sure if she will ever write a literary book. But, she is convinced that the direction her pen has gone so far is apt, based on the need to get Nigerians into thinking right.

    “Look at our economy right now; 95 per cent of our foreign exchange comes from oil. If we had people who allowed themselves to be multi-dimensional, using different skills that they have. Yes, I’m the director of risk management. I love seeing the shock on people’s faces when I say I have written a book. They say it’s on risk management, right? So, their faces sort of look uninterested. But when I say ‘No’, that grabs their attention.

    “So why did I write on this? First and foremost, I did it before I came to the Central Bank. I started writing the book at the end of 2008. I joined CBN in October 2009, prior to that I worked extensively in the UK, in a number of banks, including the Bank of England. Even though I was doing banking in the UK, I was also doing other things; I was doing property development.

    “I didn’t write, but at that particular point in time, I had a particular challenge with one of my children so I had to stop working and I said, ‘This is not going to defeat me, I need to focus my brain on something.’ I took on two major things. I took on a major property to do and I also decided to write because that’s what I could do in that time when I had a child that was ill, that I had to be the primary carer for.”

  • Meet the Artist 2015 makes its debut in Lagos

    Meet the Artist 2015 makes its debut in Lagos

     

    Artists have been advised to  think less of pecuniary gains and embark on the expansion of ideas. Winner of the 2011 National Art Competition Uche Uzorka gave the advice at the maiden edition of this year’s “Meet the Artist”.

    Artists, he said, should create value in their works, adding that their efforts art will yield money. “Artists should always strive to explore and increase in knowledge and not  see themselves as an island,” he said.

    The event,  held at the African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) gallery in Ikoyi, Lagos was attended by artists and art lovers.

    At the event Uche Uzorka displayed his  works that include  Where were you when I was here? and It feels strange to pay for Nigerian food’. The works are products of his residency at the Iwalewa Haus, Bayreuth and Savvy Contemporary, Berlin in Germany.

    Where were you when I was here? is a collage achieved through cutting up images that represent works stored in the Iwalewa-Haus archive; works that are familiar, yet disconnected from their origins. Uzorka focuses on the simultaneous presence and absence of contemporary African art within and outside the continent.

    He hopes to raise questions bordering on daily relationships, consumption of archival art, and the problem faced in Nigeria and many countries where access to original works is limited.

    It feels strange to pay for Nigerian food is a  three-piece installation on his experience as a Nigerian in Berlin. According to him, the theme explores alienation, inclusion and the external perception of a subject by addressing anonymous authorship and the free archive that the web represents.

    He worked with phrases and search captions on internet search engines. The artist relied  on the internet for information about his chosen subject, Nigeria. By employing image re-presentation through shredding, the images gain a new form and meaning when grouped into smaller, more manageable quantities. The idea was to process images in multiples of small units and store them in bags and sachets for visual presentation.

    Uzorka said he was inspired by various environments. “Challenges have always been funds. So, materials like papers and fabrics I find around I use them to tell my story. So far I have worked with African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) and the Goethe-Institut”.

    He said he derives joy in making art pieces , adding that art makes him to reflect and understand things better.

    His words: “I decided to become an artist because I wanted freedom to express my imagination and not be an employee. I wanted to be able to dig into ideas and understand life better. It was all about freedom and not being caught up in an office setting. Whatever you do in life you have to find a way of succeeding. I enjoy making art first before the money comes in. Make the ideas macro and the money micro.”

    Uzorka  a mixed media artist,  lives in Lagos. He was born in 1974 in Delta State,  and graduated in 2001 from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, practice incorporates painting, collage, cutting, pasting, charcoal, and ink drawing in an examination of processes of urban street culture. Uzorka won first place in the National Art Competition in 2011 for his collaboration with artist Chike Obeagu. His first solo exhibition, The Organic, was held in October 2012 at the Goethe-Institut in association with AAF Artists’ Foundation. Line.Sign.Symbol, Uzorka second solo exhibition, was held at the AAF in January 2013.

     

  • Photography training begins April 13

    Aquarian Consult Limited is holding a photography training. in order to add values and change to lives positively, in collaboration with Africa’s influential photographer, Paul Ukonu.

    It will hold in Lagos  from April 13 to 16.

    At a  briefing in Lagos, Aquarian Manager, Business Development and Marketing, Mr. Ademola Balogun, said: “This  training is to raise photographer that will change the image of Africa and show the world the beauty that lies within, he added.

    “ The forum will help participants to sharpen up their skills of learning in their profession and also to empower job seekers”.

    “This  is a great opportunity for people residing in Lagos in order upgrade , in their photography.

    “The company plans to add a new  item to its training programmes.

    “ Mystery Shopping, which is among the new, is targeted at marketing research strategy used internally by an organisation in order to detect operational lapses and make recommendations to management, where necessary.

    “ Mystery shopping is right now only in use for  fast food in Lagos and Abuja, and we hope to extend it to telecommunication companies and the banking sector.”

     

  • ‘We reject the repression of a party’

    ‘We reject the repression of a party’

     

    Do you still feel safe here in the USA? The Turkish government demands your extradition of Barack Obama.

    The USA is a democratic state of law. Nobody can be convicted without any statutory regulations and there is no space for despotism here. There is no legal basis for the Turkish president’s extradition request. In this way international law is being violated and Turkey’s reputation in the world is being damaged.

    Once you have been a supporter of RecepTayyip Erdogan’s conservative-Islamic AKP. What has changed?

    When the AKP had been founded they promised democracy, human rights, the EU-membership, an end of corruption and stigmatization of dissidents, and economic upturn. In the first years all these promises were kept. That’s why participants of our movement supported them. However, after the AKP had come into power for the third time in 2011, they made a radical U-turn. Today we recognize political pressure on the media, sprawling authorisations for the intelligence agency MIT, profiling of citizens, contempt of judicial decisions, and mistreatment of protesters. Currently the government is trying to characterise me as public enemy in order to hide their corruptions and to form an authoritarian system. However we have got the saying: A liar’s candle only burns until sunset.

    Together with Erdogan you have forced back the influence of the army on the Turkish politics. Is this all forgotten?

    In the past Turkey has experienced four different military coups. Governments have been brought down, ten thousands of people have been interrogated and arrested, and many of them got tortured. In Turkey terrible things have happened which are not imaginable in the EU (which we want to join). In a 2010 referendum 58% of the Turkish population voted for a change in the law. This constitutional change allowed bringing officers who had attempted a military coup to a civil court. If the AKP hadn’t politicized the referendum so much, maybe 70% would have approved it. For the first time in my life I had voiced a recommendation back then. I had said, even the dead should raise and take part in this referendum. After the country had been freed from the repression by the military, the AKP consolidated all powers for the executive branch. They neutralised supervisory authorities and tried to eliminate the independence of judiciary. Earlier we had rejected the repression of the military. Today, in the same way, we reject the repression of a party. That’s why we are slandered as traitors.

    Where is Turkey heading for?

    Currently, the Turkish Republic conveys the impression that it is no longer a social, secular and constitutional democracy. It has rather become a one-party state and even a one-man state. The separation of powers has been suppressed except for the constitutional court which is still putting up resistance. Today, Turkey is experiencing a national polarisation and is losing its international reputation. Turkey is getting lonelier. My country’s situation makes me sad.

    Erdogan claims he wanted to bring up a religious generation. Don’t you want the same?

    It is not the task of a government to raise a religious generation. Such a policy gives rise to pressure on dissidents. Freedom of faith is part of the fundamental human rights. The state has to assure all individuals of the right to learn and to teach their beliefs – no matter which religion it is. In twelve years of government people have expected Erdogan to ensure these rights legally, making no discrimination among religious minorities. It’s open to dispute to which extend these goals have been achieved. Yet, a devout person should observe the law. With this in mind I wish a religious generation that has both deep spirituality and respects the rights and freedoms of all human beings. But if you mean a generation which has depth of understanding of its own religion, which discriminates and easily spreads hatred, then I say: No. And we don’t call such a generation religious in the first place.

    Recently you have taken a stand against the Islamic State in five major US newspapers. How dangerous is IS?

    In the history of Islam radical groups have repeatedly come up. In fact, these groups suppressed other peoples, murdered humans and hereby betrayed their religion. A few years ago there was Al-Qaida. Now there is IS; that’s all we needed! IS defiles the image of Islam. This is nothing but barbarism. Whoever was prejudiced against Islam feels vindicated now. This situation won’t let you sleep. Unfortunately, scholars in the Islamic World did not take an unequivocal stand in this matter, neither in Mecca and Medina, nor in Egypt and Turkey.

    Had you wished more protests on the streets?

    Sadly I haven’t seen any large demonstrations. Furthermore it is alleged that the IS is being supported from other countries with weaponry and logistics. If these claims are true, world peace and the future of Islam are in danger.

    Are IS fighters Muslims?

    They are victims of a mass psychosis. In Europe this phenomenon is well known. People had followed movements which later were responsible for massacres. The IS members are ignorant people who don’t know their own religion in the least. They make up a holy war. It is a system of madness.

    How can young Europeans be protected from this madness?

    Endangered youngsters should be better observed, although this might contradict the ideals of freedom in the Western world. One should enlighten them, provide workshops and conferences. In addition, young foreigners’ home countries should not escape their responsibilities.

    What do you recommend to the politicians of the Turkish government in this subject?

    I cannot recommend them anything. They will not listen to me. They have brilliant minds and know everything.

    How do you like Erdogan’s palace?

    Every state needs buildings that serve its needs. However, instead of erecting a palace with 1000 rooms, one could have renewed the existing buildings. A court had even decided to stop the new construction. The Prime Minister ignored it. Such a behavior shakes the citizens’ respect for the justice. In the Ottoman Empire the most splendid palaces were built during the time of their decadence. Today many heads of powerful states work in modest buildings. That’s why this magnificent building did harm to Turkey’s reputation. 60% of the Turks regard it as wastefulness. From a religious perspective this is waste, and waste is a sin.

    Erdogan accuses your movement of infiltrating justice and police.

    A citizen does not infiltrate the institutions of his own country, but he can take his rightful place in them. Everybody who provides the necessary qualifications can be a civil servant. Is it possible that they feel threatened because many people did not bow to the power? The current political system does not only stigmatise people who sincerely support our movement, but almost everybody who doesn’t stay close to their power and who doesn’t cooperate. They see us as harmful elements in the state. Such a thing is called witch-hunting.

    Thousands of civil servants have been moved and dismissed. How many of them were Hizmet-members?

    I don’t even know a tenth of the people who feel connected to this movement. After a certain time one will recognise that many of the concerned prosecutors, police officers and teachers have nothing to do with us. On the one hand, they try to present us as a big danger by stigmatizing so many people. On the other hand they want to get rid of everybody who doesn’t pledge complete allegiance to them. Most recently a vice-chairman of the AKP even admitted this strategy.

    The officials had collected corruption allegations against sons of ministers and pro-government businessmen. What do you think about these allegations?

    Despite concrete evidence that was publicised, the corruption proceedings have been closed. Because of that to this day, nobody knows what really has happened. In the West, governments would have resigned, if there were such charges. Ankara went so far to portray the investigations as an international conspiracy – again, a typical strategy in authoritarian regimes.

    Is your movement weakened?

    Indeed, it is hard to deny the effect of the propaganda by the state-controlled media. People who send their children to our schools and support us with donations are being threatened. But some day this propaganda,which relies on a web of lies,will eventually turn against their producers.

    The government plans to close down all your schools in Turkey.

    Our schools won high praise and several awards. If Turkey is a state of law, we expect that nothing bad will happen to them. Otherwise Turkey will lose.

    Recently Gülen-Schools have been closed down in Central Asia. Is the Turkish government’s influence responsible for that?

    The Turkish government tries to find different arguments against us in each country. In the republics of the former Soviet Union they say we were American spies. In the USA they call us religious fundamentalists and in Islamic countries they allege we were alluring their children from the religion. In fact, that is a very pragmatic strategy. Yet, in this way Turkey is breaking down bridges of friendship and is harming its international relations. Hereby the Turkish paranoia is being transported abroad.

    A former US ambassador once described you as second most powerful man in Turkey. How do you see yourself?

    I seek refuge in God from any such claim! Everybody who slightly knows me can confirm that I had never wanted to be famous. I have never tried to obtain spiritual or material benefits. My life of 76 years is a witness to this. If the successes of this movement deserve any praise, it is due to the many volunteers.

    Will this movement exist without Fethullah Gülen?

    People supported us who didn’t even share one percent of our worldview. But we shared universal values. In Africa people who I had never met, have co-financed schools and hospitals. They were rich people and you hadn’t expected their support. Every night when I go to bed I think for myself, maybe I won’t wake up again. But I am not worried in the least about the future of this movement.

    Do you think about returning to Turkey?

    I miss my country very much. I am an emotional person. I have got family and friends. And I did not come to this world out of nowhere. I was born to a family. Recently my brother passed away and I wasn’t able to attend his funeral. This was also the case with other relatives. I have spent 60 years of my life in Turkey. I easily attach to places and even to objects. The village I was born in, the graves of my father and my grandparents, the neighborhood in Izmir where I have lived for years, the books in my library there… All these are in my mind’s eye and I can’t hold back my tears. If I returned to Turkey today, some people working in the highest departments of the state would abuse this for their dark purposes.

    Can you imagine reconciliation with Erdogan?

    We didn’t start this fight. That’s why they have to make the first move for reconciliation. If some day Erdogan confesses to all his bald lies and slander he disseminated in rallies and in media, I will be ready to make my peace with him.

    Is there anything which makes you happy nowadays despite all difficulties?

    I have never been happy for a long time. After each military coup I was being persecuted. But what I experience today is even worse. Still, the bright side is that coal and diamonds get separated (Turkish saying). The world is recognizing the meaning of this movement.

    Many in America were amused about Erdogan’s recent statement that Muslims had discovered America before Christopher Columbus. What do you think about that?

    Scientists of different disciplines should decide what was discovered by whom first. Some people might say: “Who is Einstein anyway? And who is this Edison? We Muslims knew all this already in the fifth century, even the nuclear fusion.” It is absurd to say that these discoveries were only made by Muslims.

     

  • Behold ‘Mother Theresa’ of our day

    Behold ‘Mother Theresa’ of our day

    But for the sitting arrangement, the mood of guests and the decorations in the hall, the 50th birthday celebration of the Director-General to the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), Mrs Sally Uwechue-Mbanefo, at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos last Sunday would have been mistaken for an art exhibition or auction. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME was there. 

    About 10 large size-mounting boards on each side of the walls accentuate the all-purple coloured blinds. Displayed on them were over 150 paintings ranging from abstract to realism, impressionism, surrealism and landscape. The artworks done by Sally in over two decades were also rendered in small, medium and large size-formats. Complementing the arts were a three-volume coffee-table books on Sally and her daughter, Solange: The portrait of an artist; Life and Work and Introducing Solange-the architect and the photographer that were being presented to the public. Flanking the book stands to the right was a giant birthday cake, which symbolised the essence of the gathering. Banquet Hall, Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos was the venue of the celebration anchored by former newscaster at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Mr. Patrick Oke.

    Like an appetizer, guests were treated to large screening of The Sally Mbanefo Foundation vision, testimonials, goodwill messages and felicitations from friends and relations who showered encomiums on the celebrator who many described as kind-hearted and warm mother.

    The evening also provided opportunity for Sally’s close associates especially her brethrens from different Catholic Church Parishes across the country to appreciate and celebrate one of their own.

    Among the guests that attended the celebration included delegations from Holy Cross Cathedral (Catholic Church) Lagos, business mogul Chief Mike Inegbese, Mary Inegbese, Mr. George Uwechue, Jimi Agbaje, Mr. Victor Osibodu, Mr. JK Randle, Otunba Gani Adams, Oscar Onyema, Chief Ekesi, Mr. Wande Akinboboye, ABC Ojiako and Tonye Cole. Others were Atedo Peterside, Nike Akande, Alfred Okumagba, Nkiru Animodu, Mimi Akinkugbe, Joe Obiago, Greg Mbadiwe and Dr. Mrs A. Abakada.

    Rev. Father Anthony Oyeniyi of Holy Cross Cathedral, Lagos congratulated Sally on her 50th birthday anniversary saying ‘as you celebrate the gift of life, we ask the Giver of all life to bless you, keep you, guide you, guard you and shield you from all harm and may He multiply your days on the face of the earth. More so, I wish to thank you most sincerely for the great work you have been doing with the youths of Holy Cross Cathedral especially in the area of youth development and empowerment and the regular support you give to indigent students.’

    Proprietor St Paul’s School, Lessel, Oshungo local government area, Benue State, Rev. Father Okoro Onyebuchi Basil recalled that ever since meeting Sally in 2010, she has lifted the burden of running the school away from him. “She has consistently provided for the running of the school on monthly basis. That notwithstanding, she has reached out in many other charitable works that I am involved in. Sally, your power of love is contagious! Your ‘Christ-likeness’ is Eucharistic! Your Christianity is practical! Let me borrow the words of the Psalmist. ‘He wiped away our tears and taken our sorrows away’. You have literarily wiped away our tears and taken away our sorrows. Ride on daughter of Zion! …Mother Theresa of our day! Your lies are rare,” he said.

    To the celebrator, the 50th birthday anniversary is not a merrymaking event per se, but a time to give back to the society, especially putting smiles to the less privileged peoples’ faces. According to Sally, her  birthday celebration is designed to raise funds through art in order to give back to Southwest where she spent about three decades of her amazing career life. This, she said, would be through Youth Education Fund, supports to charities and empowerment programmes.

    “For over eight years in Delta State, we have been lending monthly support to two charities in building Refugee Homes for Widows, Rehabilitation Homes for the Mentaly ill and the empowerment of the youth. On a much smaller scale, we continue to support on a monthly basis eight other institutions and churches with charitable aspirations in Lagos, Abuja and Rivers States…

    “The proceeds from the sales of the books will be used to build schools for vocational skills acquisition for the under-privileged, starting with Lagos State. Subsequently, it is intended that the school will be run from proceeds of the annual auction of my paintings and sculptures,” she said of the foundation’s contributions.

  • Grassroots’ Heroes gets new queen

    Grassroots’ Heroes gets new queen

    After months of searching for culture advocates, winners have emerged in the culture-based reality show, tagged: Heroes: Back To The Roots.

    At the end of 60 days of co-habitation among other activities, Ms Happiness Udodang from Akwa Ibom State, has emerged queen and winner out of the 37 culture gladiators that the show began with.

    The 37 contestants, according to the organisers, were picked after 104-day of painstakingly traversing many states, adding that Ms Udodang won due to her in-depth understanding of her culture.

    Ms Udodang said she was more than happy she won, adding that emerging winner was more than a dream-come-true. According to her, in addition to having her dream of becoming a movie star, she went home with a car, N2million and a role in a film that will be shot with 10 finalists of the show.

    But Ms Udodang was not alone. Like her, the second and third place finalists – Luther Emmanuel Ikyobo from Benue State and Chelsea Chinenye Oguejiofor from Anambra State – each got N1.5million and N1million alongside roles in the film.

    The show, which was aired on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), is produced by Chinyere Ogbukagu, who also heads Plateau-based Havilla Timeless Production; and directed by famed filmmaker Ifeanyi Onyeabor.

    According to Ogbukagu, the folk reality TV show aims at promoting peace and inter-ethnic understanding, adding that it also highlight the various tourism potential abundant across the country.

    She said: “Apart from re-awakening the interest in our culture the show also highlights the various tourism potential abundant in the various states where the cast and crew of the show are visiting. After auditions, five persons were selected from each of the states and FCT for the final screening to arrive at the 37 finalists – one from each state and FCT- to compete in the house where they would co-habit for 60 days. Contestants who have great understanding of their culture are usually on an advantageous pedestal to emerge victorious.”

    The 2014 edition of the TV show also culminated in an award’s event to recognise individuals and institutions that have contributed in no small measure to a better understanding of our cultural legacies in Nigeria, with great emphasis on cultural tolerance.

    Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu  was honoured as the “Best Supporting Governor”; Akwa Ibom State Governor Godswill Akpabio as” Best Governor”; Cross River State got the “Cleanest State” award and Niger State was “Most Culture-Friendly State”

    “We award is our appreciation of their support. We also got support from other individuals and organisations and governments for this project to come to fruition. We especially thankful to Niger State for being a great host, IMO state for seeing the vision.

     

     

  • Sure Steps Towards Making Millions In Business

     

    Nations are made by individuals who believe. Mrs. Adenike Obayemi, the CEO of Her Excellency, a skills development centre at 8 Owodunni Street, off Allen Avenue, in the Ikeja area of Lagos State is one Nigerian who believes in the drive to make Nigeria great through the grooming of young entrepreneurs. She has just published the well-packaged book, Make The Millions In New Businesses, an exquisite guide specially put together for children and teenagers in junior and senior secondary schools, students and undergraduates in sundry tertiary institutions and universities, and indeed all who want to excel in life. The book is a treasure-trove aimed at enabling the reader to acquire the relevant skills, domestic values and the necessary sense of responsibility to make it through life.

    An English Language Education graduate of the esteemed University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University), Adenike Obayemi is a teacher, master trainer, mentor, motivational speaker and consultant. Through the publication of Make The Millions In New Businesses, Adenike puts on the front burner her abiding mission to empower and develop the inner potentials of Nigerian children and youths for positive results. The added dimension is to promote self-employment and entrepreneurial culture in the wider society. On the practical front, there is the pivotal mission to teach the young female children the art and skills of baking, cookery and the production of drinks.

    The essence of the book Make The Millions In New Businesses takes pride of place as it has been discovered that most of the vices and challenges today’s youths are faced with in terms of gross unemployment, under-employment, prostitution, fraudulent practices, idleness, lack of self-esteem, and self-worth are due to the fact they have not been properly exposed to a complete form of education. Adenike Obayemi strongly makes the case that for a child to completely fit into the present world, there is the need to include into the school curriculum some form of handworks and skills acquisition programmes. She stresses that the best time to do this is from the early years in school.

    Written in simple, straightforward language and unique style with a step-by-step procedure which makes it very practical and easy to follow, Make The Millions In New Businesses is designed to help the students and their parents alike. The author knows that the busy lifestyles of the present-age parents have not helped matters for the young children because a lot of the roles the parents are supposed to play have been neglected or completely transferred to the school. She avers that it will therefore be in the best interest of all concerned for the schools to take the bull by the horn and ensure that this aspect of the child’s development is properly addressed. Adenike knows the heart of the matter through direct personal experience because, in the past few years, several parents have during the long vacations brought their children to Her Excellency centre to be trained in cooking and food preparation, cakes and bread making, pastries and beads making. She feels fulfilled that these acquired skills form an addition to their educational qualification, therefore making these children to have an all-round education.

    Make The Millions In New Businesses is meant to serve several purposes such as wealth creation, youth and women empowerment, poverty eradication and skills acquisition in different areas; and “it is not gender biased”. It smacks of ignorance for supposedly educated people to underestimate handworks because they feel it is only meant for the uneducated and school dropouts. The book makes the crucial point that the days of education for white collar jobs are gone.

    It is meet to adopt the words of Akinniyi I. Sowunmi, Leader/CEO of Popeman, Lagos in his Foreword to Make The Millions In New Businesses, to wit: “Since March 27, 1944 when Asa Griggs Candler registered the Coca Cola patent and used his entrepreneurial skills to launch the Coke, a drink originally meant to be patient medicine by its inventor, John Pemberton, into the most valuable global brand available at all nooks and crannies internationally… the challenge is to get fired by the ideas in the book to launch a business bigger than the Coca Cola onto our tables very soon with the guiding designs here provided.”

    With spiraling unemployment, there is no escape for the young Nigerian who does not embrace the step-by-step methods made for practical use in Make The Millions In New Businesses. There is the shining example of Tolani who “graduated from one of the best universities in South West region of Nigeria” who was frustrated during years of unemployment and under-employment only to eventually become a very successful employer of labour after undergoing training in Cakes Baking and Decoration at Her Excellency Centre.

    Adenike Obayemi undertakes a hands-on step-by-step procedure in Make The Millions In New Businesses. One gets to learn how to prepare Small Chops such as Puff Puff, Vegetable Springroll and Asun (Goat Meat Barbeque). Cocktail Drinks like Chapman, Tropical Sunset, Pineapple on the Rocks, and Strawberry Sensation are ready grist to the author’s mill. Nigerian Indigenous Soups, notably Edikang Ikong, Egusi, Efo Riro, Afang, Banga and Oha Soup, are picturesquely featured. The richly illustrated chapters encompass Bread Making, Snacks & Pastries, Cake Baking, and Desserts.

    In all, by studying the recipes adroitly set out in Make The Millions In New Businesses and going ahead to practice and master the productions one will definitely be on the success-laden road of starting a fulfilling business that will help move Nigeria forward economically. I wholeheartedly recommend that Make The Millions In New Businesses be adopted as a textbook for junior and secondary school students across all the states of Nigeria.

     

     

  • Museum as an agent of change, innovation

     

    Museum has been defined differently by scholars. It is a place where heritage materials are kept for display, learning and relaxation and have been seen as a non-profitable institution where people view and enjoy the display of cultural heritage. In 1979, ICOM defines museum as a non-profitable permanent institution in the service of the society and its developments, opened to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits for the purpose of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of man and his environment.

    In 2004, as a rejoinder at the Curators’ seminar in Calabar, Cross Rivers State, museum curators countered the non-profitable ICOM definition of museum since museums are now generating funds for their upkeep.

    Changerefers to outcomes, results, accomplishments or preconditions. It can also be defined as a passing from one phase to another thus making a variety. Innovation on the other hand means, a new way of doing something: incremental, radical and revolutionary, changes in thinking, products, processes or organizations. Innovations are ideas applied successfully: in organizational context; it is linked to performance and growth through improvement in efficiency, productivity, quality, competitive, positioning, market shares. All organizations try to be innovative in their operations: hospitals, universities, governments etc. As individuals, innovation occurs when someone uses an idea or invention to change the world outlook;how people organize and conduct themselves. Innovation is distinct from improvement in that it permeates society and causes reorganization. It is also distinct from problem solving but may cause problems, in this view, it has positive or negative results but it is generally understood as a successful introduction of a new thing or method.

    Innovation is therefore an embodiment of combinations, or synthesis of original knowledge, relevant, valued as new products, processes or services which begins with creative ideas. Innovation can fail if it is seen as an organizational process whose success stems from a mechanistic approach because it has an emphasis on control, enforcement and structure, but it is the only partial truth in achieving development and can be used to counter an organization’s orthodoxy. However, space for fair hearing of innovative ideas is required to balance the potential of auto-immune-exclusion that quells an infant innovative culture.

    A newly born child in Africa, Asia, America or Europe is born without knowledge or culture. Education is designed to guide such a child in learning a particular culture, model his/her behavior towards his eventual role in the society. In pre-literate societies with no formal learning system the entire environment the activities served as school while the adults served as teachers.

    As societies grow more complex the quality and quantum of knowledge to be passed on from one generation to another hence, the more selective means and efficient means of cultural transmission. The outcome of this is formal education: the school and the specialists called teachers. Overtime, societies grew more complex and schools became institutionalized, experiences gained therefore became far less directly related to daily life: less a matter of showing and learning in the context of the work a day world, abstraction from practices, distilling, telling and learning things out of contexts.

    The concentration of learning in formal atmosphere allows the child to learn his/her culture through observation and imitation. The society attaches more importance to education, in that it also began to formulate the overall objectives, content, organization and strategies for education giving birth to education as a distinguished discipline that is constantly being refined and redefined in various countries to meet national goals and aspirations.

    The museum has as part of its roles to the society the duty of transmitting cultural roles from generation to the other; therefore museum education is the transmission of cultural information of a given society from one generation to another using the platform of museum exhibitions. From museum inceptions, one of the fundamental objectives of the museum is to educate by using its collections and exhibits. Therefore, it follows that museum education is an in-depth transfer of pertinent “cult” information using museum exhibits, this process should not be evaluated in terms of what is imparted, but also on how it received and further transferred. Therefore, the aim of the museum education to foster contact between people (children or adults) and its exhibits, not to teach the facts alone but to sow a seed of interest and a spark of inspiration.

    Purposes of museum education are many, among which are: promotion of public awareness, developing the creative capabilities of the visitors, interpreting museum collections to all categories of people; promoting the museum institution as a centre of public learning. Museum’s educational role therefore is to liaise with formal education authorities when school curriculum and scheme are prepared. Museum education liaises with formal education authorities to enhancing the planning of school curriculum. It can also provide space for teaching groups of people within museum premises. In this wise, it help the informal learning system. It is the function of museum education to improve the provision of facilities for visitors particularly for schools, families and even disabled people.

    The museum is an educational resource centre that aids in the field of human learning. A Chinese proverbs says “a look is worth a thousand words”, illustrates the values of viewing, teaching and learning. Having resource materials at hand results in a more effective learning process of facts, information and skills in a short period of time than verbalization. When properly used, resource materials can facilitate the following supplying of a concrete basis for conceptual thinking they making learning more permanent through reality of experience and self-activity thereby developing continuity. Resources like motion pictures, museum objects etc contribute to the growth of meaning and concepts. First hand experiences not easily obtained elsewhere are gotten from the museum resources and display. Museums all over the world are replete with many resource materials ranging from educational, archeological, ethnological, architectural, and natural history materials. The museum is a vital element in establishing a national cultural identity and the transmission of cultural heritage. The museum is a repository for many kinds of research, and in most cases it has a well equipped libraries, life specimen manuscripts, research results often very useful as educational materials.

     

     

  • Errors, omissions, blunders

    Errors, omissions, blunders

    For your Sunday amusement, Taiwo Abiodun profiles some mind-boggling errors as committed on signboards, billboards, banners and even vehicles, and also prescribes punishment for offenders.

    Call it comedy of errors and you might just be right on point. We are talking about the crimes of errors of spelling, as committed by the litany of amateur sign writers that characterise our society.

    Some call it printer’s devil; others label it oversight errors, but some out-rightly call it what it is, blunders. And yet, no one seems left out. And yet they all defend themselves; be it in the academics, the military, government ministries, churches, banking institutions; and of course the artisans who, many agree may make excuses of their poor education.

    For the refined or educated mind, seeing some of these words wrongly or ignorantly inscribed on vehicles, billboards, walls, stickers, banners among others can be disgusting. For those who have a reasonable dose of sense of humour, these spectacles are opportunities for a good laugh. Many a times, you burst into laughter, especially because of the ignorance of the ‘culprits’. Grim-minded readers may however be drawn to tears, as they consider such calamitous errors tell-tales of the deplorable state of Nigeria’s education.

    While some may argue that it is due to the poor teaching of English in our schools, some would say it is due to the lackadaisical attitude of some sign writers or proof readers, who fail to spot the mistakes and correct them.

    This story took roots as this reporter and other passengers in a public transport on his way to Ilorin, Kwara State, argued over the correct version of a wrongly written expression on a 911 Mercedes Benz lorry. On it was inscribed “SHAVE ME OH GOD.” Of course the first reaction to this was to have a good laugh. Some of the passengers attempted to argue for the blunder, saying the writer meant ‘shave’ in the real sense of it; others who are used to the expression but who are compassionate argued that it is the devil’s printer and should have been ‘SAVE ME OH GOD’.

    Curious, this reporter caught up with the driver of the vehicle and made efforts to point out the very conspicuous error to him. But alas, he was quite adamant and replied full of confidence that “My oga don see am, he sabi book, it is correct.’ Things however turned a bit dangerous when this reporter made to take a shot of the inscription. ‘Sege barawo!’ He screamed in Hausa language, reaching simultaneously for is dagger and giving the reporter who had already taken to his heals a hot chase.

    While traveling from Owo to Benin, this writer also beheld another expression “SHAME UNTO ME ENEMIES,” as against “SHAME UNTO MY ENEMIES” on a vehicle. Again when this reporter confronted the driver, he got a big frown and a tell-off: “Go away. It is not your business.”

    Other instances on stickers include “JESUS IS LOD” (letter ‘R’ is missing from LORD); “REPARE YOUR TELEPHONE HERE” (as against “REPAIR YOUR TELEPHONE HERE”).

    A sign post at mechanic workshop in Ogbomosho in Oyo State read ‘MERCEDISE’ BENZ, instead of MERCEDES. For this error, someone suggested that the mechanic should be fined 200,000 naira.

    WE SELL ‘BEAR’ HERE. This was a part of a notice on an informal sign post that read WE SELL ‘BEAR’ AND SOFT DRINKS HERE (The key word of course should have read BEER rather than ‘BEAR.’ Bear is a wild animal that lives in the forest, while Beer is an alcoholic drink.

    ORILE ‘RAOD’ 107. This was part of the address on a sign board of a school located on Orile Road, Agege, Lagos. Note that the spelling of ROAD here has been twisted. Therefore the school has committed a big blunder and the proprietor is here by fined 250,000 naira. The money should be paid into The Nation’s Newspaper’s account today.

    ‘TECHER’

    WE NEED A PRIVATE ‘TECHER’ HERE (note that TEACHER is wrongly spelt.)

    What manner of teacher or school manager would like to be employed in this school? In fact, his school should be shut down!

    ‘BEUATY SALON IS HERE

    The word ‘BEUATY’ here has been murdered. The correct spelling should have been BEAUTY. The owner of this salon should be arrested and her salon shut down. She can commit graver errors on customers’ hair.

    ‘LOWYER’

    WE WANT A ‘LOWYER’ HERE, (The principal word here should have been LAWYER and ‘O’ has erroneously replaced ‘A’.) This was found at a sign-writer’s workshop, but one would expect the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) to move in and arrest the sign-writer.

    ‘MEKANIC’ – THERE IS A ‘MEKANIC’ HERE

    This was captured on a wall at Ikeja Along bus stop. This wall should be pulled down as this big blunder is causing it to vibrating even as you read this.

    Churches, educational institutions not left out

    If one would excuse the mechanic, what becomes of churches, government ministries and the academic environment? Many lay the blame on the sign writers,’ accusing them of poor education; but what were those who commissioned the jobs doing? Didn’t they go through the finished work before hoisting or pasting them?

    Blunder at University of Ibadan!

    The big banner conspicuously hung on the University of Ibadan library in honour of  wait for it- Professor Wole Soyinka, winner of the prestigious Nobel Laureate in Literature. Two major errors: ‘UNIVERSITRY’ and ‘WEDNESSDAY’ stood out on the banner meant to announce the celebration of Prof. Wole Soyinka at 80. “ABADINA RESOURCE CENTRE celebrates Professor WOLE SOYINKA @80  VENUE: TRENCHARD HALL, UNVERSITRY  OF IBADAN, DATE: WEDNESSDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2014, TIME: 3PM.

    These blunders reminded this writer of the Biblical verse, John 3:3; and the questions they evoked were: Does it mean no student or lecturer saw this blunders? Or were they spotted but overlooked because of cost of reproduction? How will Professor Soyinka himself feel seeing this blunders? We think Abadina Resource Centre should be fined 5,000 dollars!

    On a College of Education form

    At Oba-Akoko Junction, on the way to Imeri, this reporter witnessed multiple blunders on an advertisement of College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti.

    2. Education (‘Secretariat’ Studies option) – as against ‘ Secretarial.

    3. Computer Science/Intergrated (the second word should be Integrated’ not Intergrated.

    12. Mathematics/Computer (the second word should be ‘Computer Science, ‘ which is a course, and not Computer.

    17. Agriculture Education (wrong)

    20. Economics/Politics’Science (the second phrase should read: Political Science.

    With all these blunders on a college’s form, the Acting Registrar who signed this admission advertisement should pay a fine of 500,000 naira.

    Bank premises

    At the entrance of Skye Bank, Owo, Ondo State are about six handbills pasted on the walls .The handbills read:

    ‘ENROLEMENT! ENROLEMENT!! ENROLEMENT!!!’

    BANK CERTIFICATION NUMBER (BVN) ‘ENROLEMENT’ EXERCISE IS IN PROGRESS IN THE BANK…

    Observation: the bank repeated the wrongly spelt word ‘ENROLEMENT’ five times, but it should have been spelt ‘ENROLLMENT.’ Note that this notice has spent over three months on the wall

    Verdict: The Bank Manager should pay 100,000 naira as fine for blunder.

    DEVELOMENT’

    At the Oyo State Secretariat is an official van meant for the MINISTRY OF PHYSICAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, but the last word was spelt DEVELOMENT, with the letter P conspicuously missing. Oyo State Government should please correct this as it paints the state government in bad light. In the interim, the commissioner in charge should ask for a refund from the sign-writer and also pay a fine of 120,000 naira to The Nation, for helping them spot this error!

    AIR FORCE ‘BA2E’

    At the entrance of SAM ETHNAN AIR FORCE BASE IKEJA is this unpardonable error boldly embossed: ‘SAM ETHNAN ‘BA2E’, IKEJA.

    The letter S in BASE is erroneously written as BA2E, with figure 2 standing in for the S. This has been there for a very long time and we think the Air Force Officer responsible for this error should come to The Nation newspaper and pay a fine of 500,000,naira for helping to spot this long standing error.

    Churches- ‘ISREAL’ and ‘SHEPHARD’

    Church of ‘Isreal’, and ‘The Lord’s ‘Shephard,’  were both found at Adeyipo village in Ibadan and Toll Gate, Lagos – Abeokuta Road, Ogun State respectively.

    The correct words are ‘Israel’ and ‘Shepherd’.

    ‘People’ Democratic Party

    A Commercial Danfo bus has a poster of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on it, and what was written on the poster is; ‘People’ Democratic Party’, with the writer omitting the very vital letter ‘s’.

    ‘SHOPING’ MALL

    Welcome to GSM VILLAGE, IHL ‘SHOPING MALL, IKEJA AIRPORT BUS STOP. The second ‘P’ in SHOPPING is missing.

    Verdict: All the workers at this mall should be made to trek 30 kilometres as punishment and gift this reporter an IPhone 6.

    ‘ACCOMODATION’

    ‘She second ‘m’ is missing. It should read Accommodation’. This error was spotted in Ipesi Akoko’ Guest House.

    Verdict: For spotting this error, this reporter should be allowed to spend two weeks as special guest at the guest house free of charge.

    No ‘PACKING’ here!

    It should be No ‘Parking’ (the letter ‘r’ was erroneously replaced with letter ‘c’).The company should be fined.

    ‘POUDED’ Yam instead of (Pounded yam)

    EXPAND YOUR SHOES NEATLY WITH ‘MARCHINE

    This blunder was spotted at a cobbler’s shop at Ajegunle bus stop. The sign writer obviously meant to write ‘Machine.’ The cobbler is sentenced to 10days of community work. And please correct the error!

    NO PEACE FOR THE ‘WEKIED’

    This was the graffiti on the bumper of a Lagos commercial bus. He definitely meant to write: ‘NO PEACE FOR THE WICKED.

    ‘GOD’ and SILVER

    Come and buy your ‘GOD’ and SILVER here read the amateur advert. The first word obviously should have been GOLD and not GOD, but the L is erroneously omitted.

    COME AND DO YOUR ‘HEIR’ IN THIS ‘BAEUTY’ SALON

    HAIR is wrongly spelt as HEIR. Please correct.

    WAIT & GET ‘DITITAL’ PASSPORT PHOTOGRAPH

    Note the big error in the word DIGITAL. This was spotted by Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos – Abeokuta Toll gate expressway.

    Verdict: This photographer should be sentenced to two weeks imprisonment!

    ‘BABOONING’SALON is here

    This of course ought to be BARBING Salon, not ‘BABOONING’ salon. We all know that Baboon is an animal. What an insult on humanity! All effort to correct the Barber was futile, as he argued that his elder brother wrote it.

    SLOW DOWN, ‘BOMB’ AHEAD

    The word BOMB was mistakenly substituted for BUMP, which is the right word. The above was boldly written and placed as a sign by a roadside. Surely if there was a BOMB ahead, people will not just have to slow down, they will turn and run.

    Who’s to blame?

    Mr. Niyi Satimehin, a Computer Graphics designer said “the sign writers are not at fault, but the owners of the jobs because they are supposed to cross check.” He added that sign writers “commit errors not blunders.” He also said they “sometimes correct mistakes that emanated from customers.”

    Mr. Yemi Ajayi a Senior Graphic Artists said “Yes, there could be typographical errors or printers’ devil but when discovered the job should be returned to its owner. It is difficult to make such mistakes because with the advent of computer, you don’t need to make such grave mistakes because it will immediately underline the error; but the road sign writers should have their dictionaries by their sides to check out spellings. “

    Continuing, Ajayi said “Many of the so-called roadside graphics artists are not trained. They simply jumped into the profession. Imagine if Professor Wole Soyinka’s 80th birthday banner could have errors and the banner was still placed in the University environment for everybody to see. What message was it passing?”

    Akinyele Kehinde, the Director of Isaiah and Company who deals in painting and decoration said “The Professor Soyinka’s error really pissed me off. I can’t imagine what the old man would say.”

    A school teacher who begs for anonymity said “This simply shows the lackadaisical attitude towards one’s job. If you give out a job and you find errors in it on delivery, naturally the job should be returned. But it is like the owners of the jobs don’t care, as long as the occasion holds. Some also don’t want to spend money to effect the corrections while some would even use corrective fluid. Above all you will hardly see any corporate organisation with such damaging errors.”

    It should also be noted that this reporter was chased with cutlasses, abused and threatened while taking some of these pictures.