Soji Bello is one of the hottest socialites currently making waves in the South West. The ex-banker now resides in Akure and has become one of the biggest contractors in the Sunshine State. That Soji is one of the richest young men in Nigeria is like stating the obvious. With a garage that boasts of numerous state-of-the-art cars of different shapes, sizes and colours, Soji powers around town in the in the fleet.
Celeb Watch findings revealed that Soji is not just a hard rocker he also wields a lot of influence in the corridors of power. Legendary and long-standing is his friendship with the incumbent governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko. Their friendship reportedly dates back to the early 1980s when the politics of that era brought them together. They have since remained inseparable like conjoined twins.
Soji’s friendship with the governor is said to be legendary and comes with its perks.
Category: Saturday Magazine
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The rise of Soji Bello
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How being sociable can boost your brain
A study has shown that bits of the brain are bigger and better connected in people who have lots of friends.
And the more sociable they are, the bigger the brain boost.
The finding comes from Oxford University scientists who asked 18 men and women how many friends they had met, spoken to on the phone or emailed in the past month.
The average number of friends contacted was around 20 but some were in touch with more than 40 people. Others only made contact with ten pals.
Scans showed that around half a dozen brain regions were bigger in those who were more sociable – and the more friends someone had, the larger the areas were.
One of the sociability regions was the anterior cingulate cortex, an area we use to keep track of what other people are doing.
The scans showed that connections between this area and another that we use to work out how others are thinking and feeling were particularly strong in sociable types.
The Society for Neuroscience’s annual conference also heard that there were strong connections between the various areas involved in sociability.
Researcher MaryAnn Noonan said: ‘In more sociable humans, perhaps these communication pathways are more like motorways than windy country roads, making information processing more efficient and better.’
With earlier work in monkeys producing similar results, the researchers think it is not the case that sociable people are simply born with brains that are better wired for friendship.
Instead, they believe that people with lots of friends use certain brain regions more often, leading to them growing to keep up with the social demands.
Dr Noonan said: ‘If I hedged my bets, I’d say the brain is changing in response to social network size.
‘But that is not to say that there isn’t a genetic influence, so that if you come from a sociable family, your brain is predisposed to that.’
It is hoped that learning more about how the brain reacts in social situations could lead to new treatments for autism, schizophrenia and other conditions in which people struggle to interact with others.
However, sociable types should note that the finding doesn’t mean that they have bigger brains overall.
It is thought that other brain regions, which aren’t used when they are out socialising, shrink in compensation.
Called from Daily Mail
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Splendid wear
Have you ever noticed why ladies are always conscious of what they wear or going to wear to occasions like parties, dinners, weddings and other outings. This is because they want to look their best, and this makes it easier since ladies have fashion sense. Men also try as much as possible to look great and glamorous so as not to be left out in their world. This makes fashion interesting since both parties want to look gorgeous everywhere.
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The mistress (2)
I stared warily at Frank’s visibly angry wife, mentally preparing myself for a ‘battle royale’. But the woman ignored me, instead focusing all her anger on her husband.
“Frank, is that all you can say? I catch you in the act with your girlfriend and you say I’m disturbing you? The last time I checked, I’m still your wife and we are still married! As your wife, I cannot put up this!”
“Well, you know what to do if you can’t cope with the situation. Just get out! And leave me alone!”
To that, she retorted:
“I should leave you alone, abi? So, you can have the freedom to go around carrying anything in skirts! Well, I’m going nowhere! I’m your wife, the mother of your only child! You can’t kick me out! Never!” No way….!”
Frank, who seemed to be getting more worked up by the minute, fired back at her and soon, a full-blown quarrel ensured.
As the quarrel between the two intensified, I quietly left Frank’s lap and picking up my bag, headed for the door. But the woman, sighting me, blocked my path.
“And you, where do you think you are going? Stay o! Since we are now mates and are sharing the same man! Stay so I can tell you what this man really is- a chronic womaniser! You are feeling cool now because you think he loves you. Well, listen up girl! He will only use you and dump you like he did to all the others! You think you are the first mistress he has kept? I feel sorry for you! I will advice you to go and look for your own man and leave my husband alone. Little bitch! Ashawo! Husband snatcher!” she screamed at me. She continued to rant and pour more invectives on me, ignoring Frank’s words to her ‘to shut the hell up!’
I did not reply her and at last, I succeeded in getting away from her and left the office hurriedly. It was not that I could not withstand her if it came to a verbal or physical combat that I left. I just did not want to create any scene that would embarrass my Frank. So, I let ‘sleeping dogs lie’ and went my way.
Later that evening, Frank came to see me at my workplace. He was full of apologies about his wife’s behaviour, assuring me that there would never be a repeat of the incident.
“You see why I don’t like going home? She’s so quarrelsome and aggressive, always spoiling for a fight,” he grumbled as we sat in his car outside the hospital gate.
Turning to me, he took my hand in his and said:
“One of the things I like about you is that you are so cool and calm. Some other girls would have stayed and fought with her! But you walked away. Thanks, love,” he stated, kissing me on the cheek.
It was on our next date that he told me about his wife and the state of his marriage.
“We are having serious problems in our home right now,” he said. The problem, he explained had to do with her inability to have more children.
“Sometime ago, she had a serious health problem and her womb had to be removed. Now, I want more children especially sons and she can’t give me that. It’s really frustrating!”
I sympathised with him, stating:
“I’m really sorry to hear that,” I said with some sincerity.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” he replied.
Sometime later, he said something that really surprised me:
“I love you Nicole and I want you in my life. Always. As soon as you get pregnant, I will marry you,” he promised. I was really taken aback by his proposal. I knew Frank loved me but not to the extent of marrying me. And what about his wife of eight years, I wondered. What was he going to do about her? I was not too keen on being a second wife and knowing my parents, especially my mum, they would not be in support as well.
But Frank allayed my fears saying:
“Don’t worry about my wife. I will take care of it. So, leave it to me. Just give me a child, especially a son and you will see what I will do for you.”
Baby news
I believed and trusted Frank and based on that and the love I had for him, I decided to give him what he wanted. I got pregnant about three months later and when I broke the news to Frank, he was so happy, he was like a man who had won the lottery!
“Wow!” That’s great news!” he stated excitedly. He immediately began making plans for my delivery which he insisted must be outside the country.
“I don’t trust our hospitals. Nothing must happen to my boy. So, you will be going to the U.K for the birth later,” he declared as he fondly caressed my tummy.
“Boy? What makes you think it’s a boy? I’ve not even done a scan!” I said, smiling.
“Who needs a scan? From the shape of your tummy I can tell its a boy,” he said. I laughed, feeling happy at the way things had turned out.
My joy at my baby news was however short lived. When I broke the news to my parents that I was expecting Frank’s child, the reaction was not good. My mother expectedly, hit the roof at the news.
“Pregnant you say? You see yourself? So, that’s how you will end up, as a second wife! I warned you but you would not listen. Stupid girl!” she stated angrily.
As for my father, all he was concerned about was that Frank should do the right thing by paying my dowry.
“Dowry ke!” my mother countered. “That’s all you are interested in- money! Go ahead! Marry her off to Frank because he is rich! Just count me out of this! I’m not a party to this nonsense,” she said, fuming…
•What next? Join us next Saturday for the rest of Nicole’s story
•Names have been changed to protect Nichole’s identity and other individuals in the story
•Send comments/suggestions to psaduwa@yahoo.com, psaduwa007@gmail.com or 08023201831
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Black and white office wear
FOR some people, black and white combination is known to be good for spring, but for others, it is a choice that can be used all year round.
While it is almost a wrong choice to wear white shoes when the weather gets cold, you will find some of the combinations of black and white quite traditionally pleasing for office wear. Contrasting is a style that is quite common when it comes to making choices between black and white. Without a keen eye on fashionable choices and combinations, it can prove a difficult task to select a few outfits with just black and white without ending up boring and repetitive. So, how can you look great and fresh every other day with black and white clothing in the office?
Black and white suit with black shoes
Almost no one can forget the impression created by a white suit. It can be coupled with a black top and black shoes to make a dramatic statement. The advantage with this suit is that it is all round and you can use its pristine background to show off some coloured shirts and blouses such as orange, red green and even prints and stripes of any hue. You can also choose to combine this with black accessories, especially during the cold season. For spring, try on some black patent leather shoes, while in summer, you could try some strappy patent leather sandals, black in colour, if your dress or suit has a bold print with black.
Combinations with jackets
With black and white, it is also possible to adapt well for the weather using, some additional accessories. A black jacket can be worn on both black and white pants and black and white dresses for the office provided you choose a good fit for your body size. You can opt for a black bottom and a white top combo that can be accessorised by almost any colour of a jacket. This will look not only uptown, but also very comfortable for the office, especially when you wear it with a Chanel-type collarless jacket that is trimmed with some white braids or a white banding on the neckline and front edges.
For a black and white style, you can find almost anything you want, from stylish gowns, pants, sandals, shoes to any kind of accessories that will work perfectly for your choice of dress. To look unique and coming with a fresh style all the time, try to accessorize your dresses and suits in a different way each time.
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Salute to service: A walk with Aregbesola
GOING to Osun soon? Just a piece of travel advice: pack a pair of track suits and trainers. Reason: you may get conscripted into the monthly Walk to Live army. But, that shouldn’t be a bad idea, if you have been finding it difficult to rein in a bulgy tummy.
This reporter got drafted last Saturday by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, governor of the State of Osun, during a visit to Osogbo, the state capital. I got some perfect fit kits, courtesy of Special Assistant Biyi Odunlade whose job is, among others, to ensure that all is well with the monthly programme that has grown from a mere keep fit routine into a large canvass on which the administration’s philosophy- integrity, endurance, hard work, honesty and more – is etched.
Nature was friendly last Saturday in the capital city. The skyline was a bit dull, the clouds caging in the sun as it was struggling to break loose and signal the beginning of a bright day. By the time the long convoy of vehicles ferrying the participants to the starting point got to Ikoyi, Isokan Local Government Area, it was as clear as day that it was going to be sunny.
Then, the crowds began to gather, first in trickles and then in droves. By the time Aregbesola led in members of the state executive council, Ikoyi was already throbbing with a sea of heads, most of them in white shirts emblazoned with the Walk to Live inscription. There were dignitaries-traditional rulers, judges, civil servants and frontline politicians. There were students of higher institutions and pupils of primary and secondary schools. There were young boys and girls; old men and women. There were the physically-challenged, who trudged on in a symbolic manner that exhibited the resilience of the human spirit.
A sea of people. Muslims. Christians. Traditional religion adherents. And atheists. No class. Rich and poor. Just people.
The walk began slowly, like a locomotive engine humming to gather enough steam at take-off. It became intense as the crowds found space to stretch out. On guard were members of the O- Yes, the group of youths trained in paramilitary tactics to tackle many civil problems, such as crowd control at state ceremonies.
There were signs that it was all going to end in a carnival. A group of women, backed by some youths banging away at some rugged drums, burst out in a song. As if to tell those who were yet to make up their minds to join the walk, they chorused:
B’o ba Aregbe lo o
B’o ba Aregebe lo o
Iwo lo mo
B’o ba Aregbe lo o.
‘It’s up to you if you don’t follow Aregbe
It’s up to you if you don’t follow Aregbe.’
As if by some strange connection, the crowd swelled as the women sang. Loudspeakers mounted atop a bus blared forth some Fuji music. Amid the din, there was excitement on the faces of the people who smiled and cracked jokes, even as they wiped sweat off their faces.
Galloping beside this reporter was a physically-challenged young man. “I’ll surely finish up,” he said when asked if he could do the five kilometers. In a few seconds, he was off, slicing through the crowd onto the side of the road to gain space for better speed.
An old man held his pair of slippers in his right hand, a skull cap that has seen days perching on his head and his off-white lace dress drenched in sweat. He walked on briskly, acknowledging greetings from fellow participants who hailed him, obviously, out of curiosity.
“Take it easy, sir,” I said as the old man bumped into me. He was pushed by some youths who held one another by their hands apparently to have none of them missing in the crowd. Their uniform announced their identity. They were automobile mechanics.
“Why are you walking, baba?” I asked Pa Basiru Amusa.
“I think this is history and I won’t want anybody to tell me the story. I don’t want to be a spectator; I want to participate,” he said.
Pa Basiru is not sure of his age. “When Nigeria got Independence, I wasn’t married, but I was a grown up man,” he said.
“You must be well over 70,” a young fellow interjected.
“Yes, yes; you’re right,” Pa Amusa said, his face wreathed in smiles.
He said members of his family asked if he was, indeed, serious about joining the walk. He assured them that he was for it. They then wished him good luck. As the walk was about to begin, according to Pa Amusa, his people sent an emissary to confirm if he was doing fine. He waved them an exciting bye.
Asked why he thought the people trooped out to join the programme, Pa Amusa said he thought it was because the governor had done well in many areas. “But, let me tell you, I think it is also spiritual. It is between him and God,” he said.
As the long train rolled on, meandering through the long road from Ikoyi to Apomu, old women stormed out of their homes, brooms held aloft, to hail Aregbesola. Kids threw their hands in the air, screaming: “APC!”. By the time the long train rolled into ADC Grammar School, Apomu, where the walk terminated into a session of physical exercises that preceded a revelry, the sun had become a bit harsh. It was biting.
To the participants and the massive crowd of spectators that had massed on the school’s soccer pitch, the burning sensation of the sun’s rays was no demotivation. The session was as entertaining as it was instructive.
A group of movie stars staged a drama sketch to advise the people on how to choose their leaders. A politician with a protruding tummy urged the people to vote for him because, according to him, a vote for him would end their poverty. His tummy, which he kept on slapping menacingly, he said, was full of cash. “What are you going to do that our governor has not done?”
The ‘politician’ replied: “Look at the sky. It’s dark. We will repaint it, change the colour and make everybody happy.”
“What are you going to do for women?” he was asked. “My deputy will handle that,” the big man with a big tummy replied.
Said the deputy: “My people, don’t worry; just vote for us. Women will have a nice time, enjoying the good life.”
“How about our mothers in the market?”
“Hmmm…it’s okay for them to be selling vegetables now. What else do they want?”
“How about students?”
“Students? They should just stay on their campuses o, peacefully.”
Apparently confused that the duo could do them no good, the people chased them away and resolved to stay with their leader who had done a lot for them in education, commerce, agriculture and others.
The crowd roared in salute of a great parody of our contemporary politics and its unreliable players to whom the people’s interest means nothing and their selfish interest is everything. The Nollywood group was led by Toyin Adegbola (Asewo to re Mecca, who introduced herself as Aweso to ni NAFDAC number.
A group of pupils- boys and girls -drew a loud ovation for their gymnastics. Their agility amazed the audience who sighed and clapped at the same time. So impressed was Aregbesola that he stood up to shake hands with the youngsters.
Another group enthralled the audience with their acrobatic displays. In the background, bata drums sounded as the audience kept screaming.
In the cheering audience were Deputy Governor Otunba Titi Laoye-Tomori, Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti and Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo.
The Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, was represented by his wife, Alhaja Kafayat. There were also party chiefs Elders Lowo Adebiyi and Peter Babalola.
By the time Aregbesola mounted the podium, the party had hit a feverish pitch. He was all smiles as the crowd hailed him on. But, Ogbeni would not be in a hurry; he would like to dance onto the podium. The Oranmiyan Band dished out his favourites. As he raised his hands, swaying from side to side, his wife Alhaja Sherifat sprang up to her feet, throwing her hands sideways and rolling her waist. The crowd, in salute of a First Family’s grand performance, rose to sing and dance.
Aregbesola spoke about the importance of the walk to health, saying a healthy body and a sound mind are necessary for development. He spoke of his achievements and told the people that they had a great future in the All Progressives Congress (APC).
By the time it was all over, the crowd that was leaving ADC Grammar School was so thick I could not find Pa Amusa whom I last saw at the school’s gate. How did he feel? Did he walk home? Did he mount a commercial motorcycle?
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AMAZING – How Americans now crave Yoruba language
The language is studied in 47 American varsities, says UI don
While there is no incentive for the promotion of Yoruba language and more and more native speakers of the language are losing their native tongues, American government and its citizens are ironically spending huge resources and time to gain both fluency and immersion in the languages and cultures which the natives are ditching. Assistant Editor ADEKUNLE YUSUF reports.
IT was early in the day, but the young lads were already thirsty to sip from an array of the menu that formed the business of the day. From the exultant mood boldly etched on their faces, it is obvious that they had all kept the date jealously in their diaries. They were all tenth graders, drawn from public schools in Dane Country, Madison, Wisconsin, United States (US), all eager to gain from a week-long event to make them more knowledgeable about other cultures. That was July 28, 2011, and the event, a yearly ritual, was to let students have a sip of the languages, foods and cultures of the Yoruba, Swahili, Chinese, French and Russian. This reporter, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) at the time, who was recruited to lead the enthusiastic teenagers on a walk through the fringes of Yoruba cultural mores and folklores, was filled with amazement by the time the curtain was drawn, as these American kids were happily reciting some Yoruba folkloric songs, which some of them recorded to enrich their mementoes.
The above event is not by happenstance. Every summer, it is the ritual for the Language Institute at the UW-Madison to assemble some select American pupils with the aim of introducing them to other cultures and concomitant educational utility therein. Although the essence of the weeklong summer carnival is to catch them young as far as deepening the interest of impressionable Americans in cultures and languages from other climes is concerned, at more formal levels, there are plans specifically designed to give impetus to students who wish to further explore their curiosity in the study of African languages, especially Yoruba.
Luckily, many of those pupils who have sipped from the summer initiative do later move up in life to enroll in undergraduate programmes in universities in the states and its environs. Thanks to the requirement that makes every American college undergraduate to gain proficiency in at least one international language (second language) before being certified worthy in learning and character; there exists a cooperative agreement between the University of Ibadan (UI), Oyo State, and the American Council for International Education (ACIE), Washington DC, US. Enacted in 2009, the agreement is planned to give fillip to the desire of American students who wish to pursue their interest in other cultures another notch, especially in Yoruba language and culture. And the product of that agreement is the Yoruba Language Flagship Programme (YLFP), which gave birth to the Yoruba Language Centre (YLC), operating since 2010 as a non-degree awarding unit at the University of Ibadan.
So, every year, American students travel down to the University of Ibadan for immersion in Yoruba language and culture, made possible by the exchange programme.
Essentially, the YLC renders services in Yoruba language acquisition and capacity building, among other things. It achieves this by running a specialised summer, semester, and academic programme of study in Yoruba language and culture for both undergraduate and graduate students from American universities, training them in Yoruba from the novice to superior level of proficiency, with emphasis on interpersonal communication skills- speaking, reading, listening and writing. That is where the good tiding lies; for some of YLC’s alumni, after gaining proficiency in Yoruba language, are now literally stealing headlines anywhere they go. Kevin Barry, otherwise known as Kayode Oyinbo, is one of such new enthusiasts of Yoruba language and culture. So is Cara Harshman, known as Titilayo Oyinbo.
The duet, who derive their Nigerian nicknames because of their uncanny ability to speak the Yoruba language without code-switching, are so proficient and fluent in Yoruba that a conversation with any of them is bound to leave many a native speaker green with envy. And all the immersion in the language is through their participation in the exchange programme at the University of Ibadan in 2010, aided of course, by previous course offering in the language at the U-Madison, their alma mater.
Currently, 10 students from first-rate American universities are completing the Yoruba studies at the University of Ibadan. But of the five Americans that benefited from the exchange programme when it started three years ago, Kayode, who plays the African talking drum and bata, has become a Yoruba language ambassador who is enjoying a rising profile, having visited Nigeria a number of times since then. On June 19 this year, Kayode took members of the Lagos State House of Assembly and guests by surprise when he addressed them in undiluted Yoruba, urging them to ensure that legislative business is conducted in Yoruba, not English.
Anytime the young American jets into the country, he hobnobs with Nigerian celebrities and top-notch politicians. Recently, he played one of the lead roles in You or I, a film by ace actor and producer Saidi Balogun film, which takes a look at marriage from the perspectives of what makes or mars it. The cast of You or I is entirely Caucasian, with the exception of Balogun. Aside Barry (Kayode), other Caucasians in the film are Elizabeth Croydon and Shira Oyive.
Like Kayode, Titilayo is another passionate Yoruba language enthusiast. Anytime any opportunity presents itself, she encourages native speakers not to ditch their language. In her productions, some of which are posted on YouTube, she constantly uses her journalistic skill to condemn the code-switching that has become the order of the day among Yoruba native speakers who live in the city.
Titilayo, in an article entitled ‘The beginning of the end’, said: “As the fateful day the Oyinbos will leave Nigeria draws nearer and nearer, the number of send forth parties gets higher and higher. Our Yoruba Flagship Center hosted a party for us on Wednesday. The party was a typical Yoruba function with a high table with distinguished guests, lots of prayers and people who spoke on forever about the importance of speaking Yoruba. Kayode and I gave short speeches in Yoruba and the five of us even sang a song that went : O digba, O dabo; Ki Olorin sho pade o; Ka rira pe layo; Ka maa ma sunkun ara wa.
“An incredible cultural troupe from Ibadan performed astonishing bata dances and Kayode joined in with his own Yoruba drums. People told us a local television station broadcast the party on TV but unfortunately-like all of my prior television appearances here- I never catch them.
“The send forth parties still continue in a non-formal setting with us and our Nigerian friends. Saying goodbye is a long process here because I am bombarded with questions from random people such as: ‘Will you take me back to your country with you?’ ‘When are you coming back?’ The prior question I get almost everyday. I have started giving responses like ‘No, because I am not a customs official and cannot give you a visa,’ or ‘I can take you if you can fit in my luggage.’ And to the latter question, I simply say ‘Mi i ni pe’/‘I will not be long’.”
Another Occidental boost for Yoruba language is from the US Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Through an initiative called Foreign Language Teaching Assistants, young speakers of Yoruba and Hausa languages who have educational background in English or language arts are recruited as teaching assistants to teach their languages and cultures to American students in the US universities and colleges. Olugboyega Adebanjo, lead translator, XML Language Services Limited, says this is a testimony to the immense value of Nigerian languages as veritable export commodities.
“If there are no Nigerian goods to be exported, and there are no Nigerian innovations to sell to the world, our languages and cultures can be our economic exchange with the Occident and the Orient,” he added.
Over the years, scores of young but talented Nigerians have used this scheme as springboard for greater educational achievements, serving as teaching assistants and all the concomitant benefits of tuition waiver and so on that come with it to climb higher education ladders.
One of them is Kazeem Kehinde Sanuth, who left Nigeria some years ago to teach Yoruba language and culture. Now a doctoral student in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) at the UW-Madison, Kazeem still teaches Yoruba every summer at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Asked about the prospects awaiting the Yoruba language, he enthuses that the sky is not even the limit, adding that Americans will always value the richness and cultural values imbued in the language.
Besides recruiting young minds to teach the language, Yoruba, among over 2,000 African languages, is one of the most widely learnt as a second language in Europe and America. The long list of top American universities and colleges that run ambitious, full-fledged programme in Yoruba language and culture include: Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornel University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Massachusetts, Indiana University in Bloomington, Ohio State University, Michigan State University, Ohio University, University of California at Berkeley, University of California at Los Angeles, University of Florida, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Howard University, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, among others.
Ironically, as Yoruba language is winning converts in droves abroad, its native speakers are fast ditching it. As if speaking in mother tongue is a plague that needs to be avoided, many parents have stopped talking to their children and wards in their mother tongue, ignorantly believing that it is both primitive and uncivilised for their children not to be able to speak good English, thus allowing the language to rank in the category of endangered languages compiled by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). And going by the findings of a survey conducted two years ago in Nigeria’s six geo-political zones by a team of linguists led by Prof. Ahmed Amfani, more and more Nigerian parents are not handing over their languages to their children, for an average of 25 percent of Nigerian children of nursery and primary school ages do not speak their parents’ languages.
To worsen the situation, a recent directive from the National Education Research Council (NERC) is like an arrow that further pierced into the heart of indigenous languages, including Yoruba. In 2012, NERC, citing the need to drastically reduce the number of subjects students offer, ruled that indigenous languages should be removed from the list of compulsory subjects offered at the secondary school level. This, says Prof. Akinwumi Isola, poses a serious challenge for the continued survival of the mother tongue in the Nigerian schools.
Does the trend signal the near demise of Yoruba language? Not all experts share such pessimism. While insisting that Yoruba language will not die, Prof. Kola Owolabi of the University of Ibadan concludes that the language will only relocate abroad.
“Let us analyse the way the language is being taught and learnt in Nigeria and United States. I was told reliably that American universities studying Yoruba are up to 47. Now let us come to Yoruba land. How many federal institutions in Yoruba land are studying Yoruba as a subject? And if they are studying Yoruba as a subject, how many students do they have there? How many private universities in Yoruba land are studying Yoruba as a subject? So, you can see that the language is getting relocated to that place, whereas people here don’t pay attention to it at all. Yoruba language is dying daily because everybody is learning how to speak English. People abroad are concentrating on how to speak your language for you. So, the language will not die. In the next 50 to 100 years, those who speak the language natively will have gone, may be it may be limited to the countryside. By that time, Yoruba language will have been so entrenched in the US such that in 50 to 100 years’ time, it will have become a household study there,” he said.
Sadly, the import of this trend is that Americans will have gained so much fluency and mastery of Yoruba language that they will not just be communicating in it, they will also be sending experts to train and teach the natives what is supposedly their mother tongue!
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Designers abroad can’t sew better than us; their only advantage over us is modern tools-Tailors & fashion designers association chief
In this interview with PAUL UKPABIO, Chief Tajudeen Ogundele, the First Vice-President of the Lagos State Tailors and Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (LASTFADAN) speaks on his mission for the association and the fashion world.
You are the incumbent first Vice-President of LASTFADAN, why do you seek to be President?
Leadership is about selfless service. I have served the association in many capacities in the past, starting as a branch chairman, Governor General of Professional Tailors and Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria in Agege Local Government before I moved to the state level. PTFDAN merged with several fashion associations to form LASTFADAN in response to the Lagos State government’s directive. I am now the First Vice-President of LASTFADAN and by God’s grace hope to become the president at the forthcoming election. We are very happy with the success so far. I have worked with other executives of this association day and night to build this enduring union with over 50,000 members in Lagos.
Being the only recognised fashion association by the government of Lagos State; we strive daily to better the lot of our members. It will be my happiness if the association assumes a national status. My desire is to lead our ever conscious members to make our association great by building on existing gains achieved through our collective efforts. I know together we can lead our association to the promised land that will be the envy of others God’s willing. This I believe will strengthen the hope and our collective aspiration for the future prosperity of the association.
Your association is fast growing, how do you intend to ensure free flow of communication to members?
First and foremost, if elected, I would establish an excellent rapport among the leaders of the Amalgamated Tailoring Association and the Trustee Elders with the Local Government executive. No man is an island. You need the knowledge and contribution of everybody in the day to day running of the association. One needs to carry everybody along. There is strong need to bridge the communication gap within the branches chairmen and their leaders, improve cooperation with the local governments and also to support them in their activities that will aid development and progress in LASTFADAN. We also have to generate funds towards our own secretariat and similarly to make a very good welfare package for our past leaders and elders. You cannot ignore the past contributions of leaders and elders. This is what will make those in power to strive towards efforts that will bring economic development to all members because they know their efforts will not be in vain after leaving the office.
How do you think your association’s effort can add to the economic development of Lagos?
Under my leadership, there will be conscious efforts to improve on the collaboration with the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, including all other relevant agencies of government. I commend the Lagos State government for its interest in the association. The government has provided us with a Vocational Education and Training Centre. With a population of not less than 50,000 members, the government has accepted us as stakeholders in the Lagos project. We are very grateful. Whatever progress that comes to our members will impact positively on the economy of the state. I believe if branding is introduced into our work, it will attract the young educated ones who can easily combine their level of education with skills acquired to promote the image of our country. I know there are so many agencies of government doing this but with the support of experienced practitioners, I believe our fashion world can change a great deal. There are so many designers abroad; they can’t sew better than us. The only advantage they have is that they have modern tools which improve their finishing. We have members who travel abroad and are exposed. So we know all these. What we require is institutional support and capacity; a continuous empowerment scheme to make our job neater and perfect. This ultimately will uplift the living standard of our members. And the Lagos State government has set the pace.
With a population of not less than 50,000, your association is a big one. Won’t it be difficult to manage them?
Our members are well exposed and mature. So they are not people you can push around. To lead them, you must have a clear vision and direction. You also need to enhance unity, transparency, accountability, prudence and sincerity among members. A good leader must promote cordial relationship among all members of the various organs of the association for general interests. To achieve this, he must maintain law and order by following laid down rules and regulations. The key to the success of a president as a true leader is to have a listening hear and always subject himself to corrections at all time. Marthin Luther King said: ‘He that lacks decision lacks true vision’. It is therefore incumbent on the president to take good decisions for the progress and development of the association.
With the level of education of some of your members, how does it feel when people call you locals?
It is ridiculous referring to fashion designers as local tailors when we have master’s degree holders in our folds appearing in runways all over the country. I can remember when the then Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, under the Unity Party of Nigeria, introduced free education in primary and secondary schools in the Second Republic. Our members then did not have enough apprentices as parents were sending their children to schools. I took it upon myself to educate several of our members on the importance of that education policy. I told them it would enhance the industry as people would learn faster and be more creative after graduation. We all can see the importance of education in the industry today. I advise our members to seek more education and training to ensure they can compete with their counterparts anywhere in the world. This is why we have always told those referring to our members as ‘local’ to leave their uninformed zone. Things have changed a great deal today. Many of our members are highly educated; this has translated to high quality designs. Our members design for high flyers in the society today.
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Timi Alaibe shuts down late wife’s business
Former boss of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Timi Alaibe, has shut down the business of his late wife, Alaiere Alaibe, bringing the era of the once a flourishing business to an end. Until her death, the late Alaiere ran a multi-million naira beauty shop called Pretty Woman on Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos.
Many people had expected the business to wind up as soon as Alaiere died in 2009, but her husband reasoned that closing down the business would amount to erasing the legacy of enterprise for which Alaiere was known. He left the business to run and appointed someone to manage it.
According to an inside source, the business started experiencing financial troubles just a year after the transfer of its management. Timi was said to have come up with the idea of selling the business at the time because he was too busy to oversee it, but the late wife’s family and friends appealed to him to keep it open. They told him that the financial troubles experienced by the business would abate in a few months when the new handler would have got used to it.
But year after year, Pretty Woman became an ugly shadow of its old self. The place became deserted and the equipment began to rot. Timi could not take it anymore and decided to close down the business once and for all. The building now houses a branch of Enterprise Bank.
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Low-key 70th birthday for Ndubuisi Kanu
How do you know the quintessential gentleman? One of the ways is to check and analyse his lifestyle, family, friends and associates as well as the kind of people he surrounds himself with. Those are some of the yardsticks that have distinguished Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu.
It was payback time for the former military administrator of Lagos State as family and friends rallied around him last Sunday to make his 70th birthday a memorable one. He marked the day with a family harvest and birthday thanksgiving at the Methodist Cathedral, Tinubu Square, Lagos. This was later followed with a breakfast.
His wife, Gladys, was in her elements, radiating beauty.