Category: Entertainment

The Republic of Lithuania has celebrated its 22nd National Independence Day in Lagos. Its Honorary Consul in Nigeria, Mr Goodie Ibru, was the host. AMIDU ARIJE reports.

LITHUANIA. Where is that, you may be tempted to ask. It is a country with three million people which ceded from the defunct Soviet Union in 1991. It became an independent nation that same year.

Sited in the Northern part of Europe, south of the Baltic Sea, the country shares border with Lativa to the North; Belarus to the Southeast, Poland and the Russian enclave of Kalinigrad to the Southwest.

Since its cession from the Soviet Union on February 16, 1991, Lithuanian has set aside that day for the celebration of its independence.

Last Saturday, the Consulate of the Republic of Lithuania in Lagos, marked its 22nd independence anniversary.

Guests were hosted by the Consul of Lithuania to Nigeria, Mr Goodie Ibru. They were treated to a cocktail party to mark the Day at the Ballroom of the Federal Palace Hotel, Island, Lagos.

Only invited guests were allowed in. They arrived long before the commencement of the programme.

The timely arrival of Mr Ibru marked the beginning of the event.

Guests were resplendent in their attires. Nigerians and Lithuanians were there in their numbers. Though there was no uniformed attire, most Nigerians were decked in agbada and buba. Some of the foreigners were decked in casual shirts and trousers and suits.

Some men came with their wives. The gaily dressed women stole the show with their gorgeous clothes.

The hall was ornamentally furnished with yellow, red and green balloons. The bright colours added glamour to the occasion.

An eye catching ornament was the strategic placing of African traditional bands on all the tables where the snacks were placed. The gangan traditional drum, with its sticks was placed on the table. Other artistic works were also used to emphasise the rich Nigerian culture.

There were no chairs. So, guests stood all through the two hour event. They conversed in low tones and new friends were made. The avenue served as a fertile ground for them to discuss business and other national issues.

Mr Charles Idomah, who anchored the occasion, introduced guests.

In his welcome speech, Mr Ibru described the relationship that exists between Nigeria and Lithuania for the past 12 years as progressive and has helped the two countries tie business relations and made it easier to register Nigeria with the Business Council, enabling citizens of both countries to transact business easily.

He said: “I am delighted to report that relations between Republic of Lithuania and Nigeria have improved in the past 12 years. I am happy to inform you that we have now successfully registered the Nigeria- Lithuania Business Council.

“This council, we hope will provide a platform for activities which will promote economic, social and cultural co-operation and integration between members consisting of nationals of both countries”.

The Consul spoke of his plans to keep exploring avenues to better the political, social and economic relationships between Nigeria and Lithuania.

Background music from the DJ made the occasion convivial. Guests enjoyed every moment spent as they shook their heads in consonance to the tunes from the music.

Communication is a dynamic process of exchanging meanings. Messages are sent by a party to another who interprets them and sends a feedback, indicating that the initial messages were understood. Last week, we examined intrapersonal communication. In that type of communication, you are both the sender and the receiver. Can you send an involuntary intrapersonal communication? Definitely yes! If, for instance, you have a challenge in your place of work and you begin to tell yourself, “I hate this job,” chances are that you will soon be considering quitting. Your productivity will wane, your joy at work will reduce and you will become impatient. You will see more of the faults of your organization than its virtues and you will wonder why you didn’t notice them sooner. What you don’t know is that your words, “I hate this job,” have gone into your subconscious to switch off your tolerance and switch on your resistance. So, mind what you tell yourself.

Today, our focus will be on interpersonal communication. The word “inter” means between or among. So, interpersonal communication takes place between you and one or a few people. In this context, the word few is a little difficult to define. This is because interpersonal communication can take place among people on a dinner table or an auditorium full of people. How then can we identify interpersonal communication? Let’s check out the following elements:

•It is direct: in interpersonal communication, whether you are communicating with a single person or thousands, there is a physical bound that holds you together. In most cases, they can see you and you can see them. You can ask them to physically participate and they can interrupt you if they so desire. In this kind of communication, it is pretty hard to pretend. That is why business deals are closed in person. Your personality and motives are judged and every word you say is evaluated. Even if you are using a microphone to speak to a crowd or you are talking on phone, it is interpersonal communication because you are in direct contact with your audience. I have heard people ask if face book chatting is interpersonal. Well, yes it is a variation of it. Whoever you are chatting with is responding to you directly and that keeps the conversation going. But this is different from having a website and not knowing who does or doesn’t visit.

•It requires conversational skills: to succeed in interpersonal communication, you must be good at engaging your audience. You must be able to discuss a subject that is interesting to the other person. Some people are poor conversationist. When they meet a friend or an acquaintance, the conversation goes something like, “Hey, hello, long time no see.” “So, how are you?” “What have you been up to?” and after that, they go blank, wishing someone else would carrying on. Some people find it difficult starting a conversation with a fellow passenger while traveling because they can’t imagine what to say to last the duration of the journey. What you need is the ability to identify what interests you partner. You also need to learn how to derive interesting topics from your environment. Not that I encourage you to talk all the time, but friendship is one of the greatest assets one can have.

•It requires listening skills: imagine a phone conversation in which the caller is talking about premiership football and the receiver is talking about the Nigerian politics. What if I told you that they were conversing for ten minutes? Won’t you insist that it will only happen if they are not listening to each other? Exactly! You cannot succeed in interpersonal communication without listening to your audience. The richness of your conversation will depend on how well you can listen. So, interpersonal communication is not about how much you can say, but how much you hear.

•It determines your career/business success: while discussing intrapersonal communication, I mentioned that your personal development depends largely on what you tell yourself. In the case of interpersonal communication, you career/business success depends on what you tell others around you. This also applies to every other aspects of your life involving other people. Imagine what will happen if you always say the wrong things to your spouse, children, parents, siblings, bosses, clients, customers, etc? Better imagined than experienced right? Now imagine what will happen if you can always say the right things to all these people! So, to achieve success with other people, you must learn interpersonal communication.

The Chinese community in Lagos has marked the beginning of its calendar year at China Town, Ojota, a Lagos subburb. The event attracted businessmen and members of the diplomatic corps . MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE was there. 

THE venue was changed this year. The event used to hold at the Chinese Consulate. This year, it was taken to China Town in Ojota, Lagos. It is a tradition for the Chinese to mark the beginning of their Calendar year. Their calendar runs from February 10 to January 30 of every year. So, the International Cooperation Industry Nigeria Limited brought Chinese nationals together last Saturday to mark yet another calendar year.

Since the festival heralds the beginning of the Chinese new calendar world over Chinese nationals mark it with fanfare.

For an event slated to begin by 2pm, guests started arriving at by 11 am.

China Town, a shopping centre, where Chinese products are sold, was closed for business. Those who came for shopping were turned back at the entrance by security personnel.

Canopies were erected to shelter people from the sun.

Some guests played cards for the fun of it. Bets were placed in the version of the game called poker.

The event began with the arrival of the Consulate General, Mr Liu Xianfa and other staff of the embassy. On his arrival, everybody stood up for the National Anthems of Nigeria and China.

Xianfa described the relationship between Nigeria and China as legendary and historical.

He said: “You are all welcome to the celebration of the beginning of the New Chinese calendar year. We have always marked this festival yearly and let me thank the Nigerian government and the people for the cordial relationship that exist between us.”

“Let me equally thank my people for obeying the laws of the land, I want to urge you to continue in this spirit of being law abiding while going about your legitimate businesses,” Xianfa said.

After his speech, he was ushered to his seat by two young Chinese Masters of Ceremony (MC), a woman and a man. The handling of the event drew large applauses from the guests.

The cultural troupes from Nigeria and China in resplendent costumes took their turns to perform. Some Nigerian artistes who sang in Chinese language electrified the occasion as they were urged to continue but had to leave for lack of time.

There was no table that was not filled with assorted drinks and food ranging from Chinese cuisine to Nigerian for those who preferred the local dishes. Waiters replaced one course meal for another throughout the event.

The General Manager of International Co-Operation Industry Nigeria Limited, the manager of Chinese Town, Mr Julius Solomon gave an insight into the essence of the gathering.

“We have lots of Chinese in Nigeria and the festival has brought them together more than before. That is why this one held at the China Town is very unique. It heralds a new beginning and dawn. It is the celebration of the unity of the Chinese people in the country,” Solomon said.

According to him, the festival is being held across the world simultaneously.

“This is not the first time Nigeria is participating in the festival but it is mostly celebrated at their embassy or the mission but this one attracted unprecedented guests than previous ones,” he said.

Other side attraction at the event was the raffle draw which was announced intermittently. Winners went home with bags of rice and other items like fridges and deep freezers.

The remains of Mrs Abigail Olatutu Obe (a.k.a Mama Obe), a retired school headmistress, have been buried in Igbara-Oke, Ondo State.DAMISI OJO was there.

It was an event that will be remembered for long in Igbara-Oke, headquarters of Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State. People gathered in the ancient town for the funeral of a community leader and retired school headmistress, Mrs Abigail Olatutu Obe.

The matriarch of the Obe extended family died on September 20, last year. She was 80.

The late Madam Obe was born to the late Anglican Priest, Revd E.A Babalola, the Veteran School Master of Kudeti, Ibadan fame who later became a cleric that secured and supervised many churches that now constitute part of the Lagos Mainland, Lagos West, Badagry and Awori Dioceses of the Church of Nigeria(Anglican Communion).

She attended Kudeti Girls School, Ibadan before gaining admission into the famous United Missionary College (UMC) Ibadan where she passed out in January 1951 as a Grade 11 Teacher.

She won a Federal Government scholarship to study Frobel abroad, but rejected the award because the course of study would limit her evangelical thrust to Domestic Science Centre.

It was because of her sterling qualities that family members, friends, church members, children and numerous admirers bid her farewell at St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Igbara-Oke penulitmate Friday.

A day to Twenty four hours before the funeral, there was a Christian wake keep.

The remains of Mrs Obe was carried inside a black hearse in a glittering orange colour silver casket by pall bearers, followed by her children and sons-in-law decked in pink Aso-Oke. They were led by the Boy’s Brigade Band of St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Esa-Oke.

The casket was wheeled into the church where it was received by a retinue of clergy men.

This was followed by reading of the Bible verses in sequence with organ music at the background, as the corpse was placed before the altar in a long procession of clerics led by the retired Bishop of Ife Diocese, Rt Revd. G.O Oloniyo.

As the Bible passages were read, the Anglican Hymn 542 “All hail the power of Jesus name’’ was chorused by the congregation.

In his almost one hour sermon entitled What is Man? Rev Oloniyo recalled that when God created the Garden of Eden with sufficient comfort, man unfortunately disobeyed God, emphasising that it was not the Biblical Satan that deceived Adam as erroneously believed.

The cleric said: “Whether you are a President or Governor or anything in life, you will die one day, even who assures you the possibility of seeing tonight?.

Bishop Oloniyo asked’’ why are you arrogating yourself, you should endeavour to remember counting your days, so as not to incur the wrath of God’’ He noted that charity begins at home, urging Christians to move closer to God since nobody can determine the end time.

Revd Oloniyo described the late Mrs Obe as an upright, devout and wonderful woman of high integrity who lived an exemplary life full of Godliness.

According to him, she was born into Christianity and practiced it with zeal, calling on the children she left behind to emulate the virtuous woman.

In his tribute, one of her children, Mr Tunde Obe described Mama as a special breed who had a large heart saying’’ you are a responsible mother throughout your life,we will continue to extol you.”

Her son-in-law and Vicar, St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Esa-Oke, Osun State, Ven. Lawrence Kupolati said: ‘’Mama was an ideal woman who displayed good virtues without blemish, she regarded all of us as her children; she was a celebrated Christian and woman endowed with enviable character.”

One of the grand children, Marvellous Kupolati said: “You have left us as a beautiful and solid legacy; you walked uprightly and left your footprints on the sands of time’’

After thanksgiving and special anthem rendered for the deceased by the choristers and Sunday School Children of St. Paul’s Church, Igbara-Oke, the late Mrs Obe’s remains were lowered into the grave around 2.30 pm at the church cemetery.

Guests were entertained at Anglican Church Grammar School play ground, Igbara-Oke with assorted food, drinks and music.

Dignitaries at the funeral service included the former Chief of Staff to Late Governor Adebayo Adefarati, Mr Foluso Aminu; Immediate past Managing Director, Owena Press Limited (OPL) and Baba Ijo of St Paul’s Anglican Church, Esa-Oke, Mr Folorunso Babajide; Mr Bayo Olaitan; Mr Femi Fasade; Ven. Idowu Falode among others.

The remains of the late Mrs Cordelia Olubunmi Irele were interred in Lagos last Friday. A funeral mass was held for her at St Leo’s Catholic Church, Ikeja, Lagos. NNEKA NWANERI reports.

The died peacefully in her sleep, less than 24 hours after receiving the Sacrament of Holy Communion. A devout Catholic, Mrs Cordelia Irele died on January 28. She was 85.

Last Friday, her children, grand children and great grand children gave her a befitting burial. Sis Yinka, shortened as Siyinka, had eight children, 28 grand children and 12 great grand children. She was the bond of the dynasty she had built for 85 years.

Toyin Street, Ikeja experienced an unusual traffic as exotic cars made their way into St. Leo’s Catholic Church. The church’s open space was filled. Others parked on adjoining streets and on the road side to meet up with the ceremony.

The undertakers were relived of their duties for a while. Her grandchildren carried the brown casket themselves out of the van and wheeled it into the entrance of the church, where the presiding priest, Msgr John Aniagwu and Fr Michael Hose met it. They did a procession carrying the cross, candle, holy water and a white cloth to the church entrance where members of the Christian Women Organisation (CWO) of Lagos State Diocese and other family members stood waiting around the casket.

Her immediate family stood out. They wore cream coloured lace and brown caps and gele. Others wore purple attires.

The white cloth was placed on the casket and a Bible placed on it. The white cloth signified her baptism and the Bible, the book of the Gospel which has been her rule and guide during the life of the deceased.

The remains were wheeled through the central aisle and placed at the centre of the large church hall. People kept trouping in till the expansive church was almost full.

Msgr Aniagwu, in his homily, told the family that their mother’s life is one worthy of celebrating, thus, their vestments were white, not purple, despite the funeral being held during the Lenten sober mode.

The celebration of the life of the deceased began a day before during the wake service with fun, laughter and a few emotional tears.

The priest urged the family to thank God for the many things God did in the life of their mother. For making her live to a landmark age; and one who God showered with blessings within those years.

“Mama’s large family is bound by a love which she upheld. Her manner of exit was calm and quiet. She went to bed and went to God. She was a committed Christian and her faith and belief in God was second to none.

“Despite being an octogenarian, she kept coming to church punctually and regularly from Obanikoro and had a regular seat.”

The cleric urged the congregation to maintain the faith the late Mrs Irele had. “It is faith that will determine the success and failure of our lives. It is in living a life of faith that we can be able to see God.”

The late Mrs Irele and her husband were foundation members of the St Leo’s church. She was many times the matron of many societies and associations in the church and the catholic archdiocese of Lagos.

The deceased’s first son, Bolaji said he discussed with his mother three days before she died.

“Little did I know that all we discussed and all the things she made me put in place were in preparation for her final exit. She made me get her final resting place three days before her departure. We, her children were the centre of her life and I miss her a lot, especially our mourning chats.”

Her remains were interred at the Ikoyi Cemetery, Lagos.

A reception was held at 10 Degrees Events Centre, Oregun, Ikeja.

In attendance were board member, Macmillan Publishers and sister of the deceased, Mrs Francesca Emmanuel; Senior Pastor of House on the Rock Paul Adefarasin; Mr Jimi Agbaje and former Secretary of Health, Prince Julius Adelusi Adeluyi.