The Nation Newspaper

Category: Saturday Magazine

  • As Kwankwaso’s Northwest University takes off

    By the time you are reading this piece, the Vice Chancellor of the Northwest University, Kano, Professor Dato Mohd Razali bin Angus, is perhaps leading 97 other qualified academic staff of the university to matriculate the pioneer students today.

    Today, the administration of Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has recorded yet another streak of success in the area of education. The achievements of the present administration in education within the period of two years cannot easily be enumerated, let alone be fully explained, perhaps because of their enormity and space constraint. I need not ‘bother’ you with the issue of the establishment 21 training institutes, nor distract your attention from observing the matriculation oath with the issue of the establishment of 44 technical schools sited in each of the 44 local government areas of the state.

    From the basic level to the advanced level, Kano records a milestone in education. The massive infrastructure and manpower improvement is unprecedented in the history of Kano. So far 388 blocks of classrooms, making a total number of 1,552, classrooms have been built and fully furnished by the present administration. While new schools are built, 170 existing schools (hitherto porous and encroached) have been fenced so far. With a view to strengthening the foundation, 14,976 teachers have been trained.

    Like the idea of establishing the first ever state university in Kano, the Kano University of Science & Technology (KUT), Wudil, the idea of Northwest University was mooted, conceived and after brief gestation hatched today.

    When Gov. Kwankwaso mulled idea of establishing the first state university during his first tenure in office between 1999 and 2003, doubting Thomases, even within the government, were pessimistic about the concept. But the governor remained steadfast and see to the realisation of the dream. The rest is now history as 2,163 students have so far graduated from KUT. What would have been the fate of these 2,163 graduates had he forgone the idea?

    After about eight years of neglect by the preceding administration, the founder of the KUT rediscovered and resuscitated the institution. Library, lecture theaters, students’ hostels are being built in KUT. Massive infrastructure and manpower development are concurrently taking place in KUT and Northwest University. Both universities are getting equal degree of attention.

    In order to record success in the Northwest University project, Governor Kwankwaso appointed an astute academic in person of Professor Hafiz Abubakar as the chairman of the implementation committee. Burning candle on both ends, the implementation committee ensured that everything went according to the vision of the governor. After meeting the requirements of the regulatory authority, on 27th March, 2012, the National Universities Commission (NUC) granted licence to Northwest University.

    Announcing the endorsement, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Professor Julius Okojie, said the the university has satisfied all criteria for recognition, expressing satisfaction with the speed with which the new university is being developed.

    After rigorous scrutiny, informed by the governor’s desire to set standard, Professor Dato Mohd Razali bin Agus was appointed as substantive Vice Chancellor of the university. Professor Bin Agus, who was until his appointment, the Vice Chancellor/Chief Executive of Twintech International College of Technology, Kuala Lumpur, has been a vice chancellor in three different countries.

    Today, we are witnessing another history. Another brainchild of our visionary leader is taking off with unprecedented bang. The Northwest University is unique in many respects, just as it is a pacesetter in many areas of learning. A large number of the lecturers, carefully selected on merit, have First Class degrees, while the matriculating students meet the requisite criteria for admission. By this, the students are on the pedestal of taking after their lecturers. A witty Hausa proverb observes that if an antelope will run, its calf will certainly never crawl. This is moreso when there is conducive atmosphere for learning, or in the case of the proverbial antelope calf, a space for running.

    Northwest University is unique in many respects. It is the only university in Nigeria that starts its maiden session with 1,000 students, four faculties, 17 departments, 24 programs and 97 lecturers offering courses in natural sciences, environmental sciences, social and management sciences, arts and languages. Even the NUC attests that these qualities are above average for a take off.

    In just the temporary site, the lecture halls and offices are fully air-conditioned. It is the first fully ICT-driven university that boasts of the latest interactive whiteboard technology, an established e-library and computer laboratory with state-of-the-art ‘nComputing’ technology. There is also fast, reliable and uninterrupted Internet connectivity, the offices are equipped with branded computers, abundant computers for staff and students. As obtained in top flight ivory towers across Europe and America, students of Northwest University can obtain lecture notes online on the university’s portal.

    Now, watching the resplendent assembly of students dazzling, like peacocks, in full academic regalia, one can see raw hopes and aspirations exuding from the matriculating students, who by this time next year, will become proud sophomores and a few years later become the pioneer graduates of this prestigious citadel of learning. Not only the visitor of this university would be happy for this but all other partners in progress, cutting across all spheres of life.

    The concept of the university was explicitly stated by its name. Certainly, this university will bridge the education divide that defines states in the North West region of the country with a colloquially offensive monicker Educationally Less-Developed States (ELDS).

    If some cynics didn’t get the Northwest University concept today, one day the entire Northern region will see the merit of Kwankwaso’s vision.

    Without a leader with foresight who remains steadfast towards actualising his dreams, Northwest University project would have still been in the formative stage. Without such a leader, who brooks no delay and takes the art of governance serious, effort would not be made to bridge this education divide.

    Jaafar is the Special Assistant to the Kano State Governor on Media & Public Relations

  • My tongue ached for three days after my first kiss – Ex-Governor Victor Attah

    My tongue ached for three days after my first kiss – Ex-Governor Victor Attah

    Obong Victor Attah is an accomplished architect and former governor of Akwa Ibom State from 1999 to 2007. A man who does not believe in sitting on the fence over an issue, he once led a protest as a student at the Ahmadu Belo University Zaria, Kaduna State over alleged frustration of Nigerian architectural students by the then British lecturers. Long before then, he had protested against his parents’ church, Qua Iboe Church, by opting out to join the Catholic communion for refusing him baptism because he was too young to raise the required dues. In this interview with Assistant Editor, LINUS OBOGO, in his Abuja office, Obong Victor Attah spoke about his journey in life, regrets, his first kissing experience and sundry issues.Excerpts:

     

     How would Obong Victor Attah describe his essence?

    There is really no one essence to describe a man. Your question is a multi-dimensional one. That is, if you were to ask my staff what kind of man I am, they will define me as a type of employer that they know me to be. And if you ask any member of my family what kind of man I am, they will define me differently by telling you that I am the kind of husband, father and grandfather that they have known me to be. Similarly, if you were to ask my political associates what kind of man I am, they will also tell you that I am that kind of politician that they know me to be.

    So, you asking me about my essence, all I can tell you is that I try to be a decent human being with principles that will stand me before my Creator and I can only say that I have done my best.

     

    How would capture the kind of family were you born into?

    Without sound immodest, permit me to say that I was privileged to have been born into the family of educated parents. My father, the late Bassey Attah was the second Nigerian ever to have a university degree in Agriculture and the first to obtain a Master’s degree in the same discipline. My wife also, was an educated woman who was a school teacher. So, I can consider myself born into a privileged family.

     

    Coming from a background where you father was Nigeria’s second graduate of Agricultural Science, and the country’s first Master’s holder in the same discipline, how were you inspired or influenced by all of this, educationally?

    I was positively inspired. I grew up to realise the value of education in human development. My father believed so much in the importance of education. When he returned to Nigeria after completing his education in the U.S., he was sent to Moore Plantation in Ibadan and later to Oil Palm Research Station (OPRS), which is now called NIFOR, in Benin, Edo State. Much later, he was sent to the Cameroun. This was a time when Quinine was our only cure for Malaria. So, my father was the one who developed and grew all the Quinine plantations used for the treatment of Malaria then as well as the banana plantations in the Cameroun.

    The reason I am telling you this in relation to education is to let you know that I was born at a time when he was leaving for his studies in the US in 1938. He returned to Nigeria in 1945. He studied through the Second World War years.

    Upon his return, to Nigeria, he was moving his children of whom I was one of the seventh from one part of the country and from one station to another. I remember that in those days, even when you studied English as a language, you actually taught in the mother tongue.

    So, at Moore Plantation in Ibadan, we were trying to study Yoruba, which we eventually did not speak. In Benin, we were also at the OPRS trying to speak Edo, which we also did not speak. It was the same situation in Cameroun, trying to learn one of the languages, which we ended up not speaking.

    With this unsettled life, my father felt if we went on like that, we were not going to be educated if we continued like that. So, he sent my mother along with the rest of my siblings back to Uyo so that we could live a settled life and pursue our education. His decision was a demonstration of how much he loved education. He made sure we did not only have to go to school, but a school good and decent one at that. He was determined to push us as far as he possibly could, educationally.

     

    How was your growing up like?

    I must say that it was quite interesting. When you grow up in what could be described as a privileged family, certain things come your way naturally or as a giving. There is this story that I am going to tell you without mentioning names. There was this incident in which someone, in an attempt to abuse us, told my siblings and me that we were trying to be like the joneses. But someone else who was listening, quickly stepped in and said the family we came from, were the real joneses and so we could not be trying to be like the joneses.

    While we were growing up, one of the enduring lessons our father taught us was humility and obedience to law as the essential ingredients, if we were to grow up as complete personality. As a child, my father preferred I studied engineering, but I was rather excited studying architecture because it was more of a creative endeavour than engineering.

     

    Given the kind of family background you belonged, what sort of awe or respect would you say you inspired in your peers and neighbours?

    Fear, definitely not! We did not have to use our position to intimidate anybody. But sadly, I see that happening today. If you are truly and sufficiently educated and you are sure of yourself, then, you do not need to intimidate anybody. However, you can inspire by offering the right thought and the right direction. You must enjoy the benefit of being taken into consideration and being consulted. That is what people expect from anybody in any society. Honestly, if you try not to open your mouth too wide when you are sure of your subjects, people will definitely respect and look up to you.

    While growing up, I found out that this was not too difficult to do because people just expected that I should know everything under the sun. So, even when I did not know, I would ask questions until we arrived at a solution.

    Our father taught us three things that would help us go through life: always say please; always say thank you when someone does something nice to you, even when you paying someone for doing something and finally, do not ever hesitate to say I am sorry to even the most lowly because you can do something wrong to him or her who is the most lowly in your midst.

     

    How rascally was young Obong Victor Attah?

    To be honest with you, I really do not know whether to call it rascality, but I was very firm on my principles. So, I do not know if that was rascality. Today, I am a Catholic and a knight of the Catholic Church, but my parents were Qua Iboe and they died Qua Iboe. I can tell you the story quite simply. I was Quo Iboe, grew up in Qua Iboe where I did my baptismal exams and passed successfully, but on the day of baptism, I was told I was too young and too small and would not be able to pay the church dues and stuff like that. Before then, I could not recall ever crying like I did following that disappointment of not being baptized. I was still in elementary school and was quite young then. I returned home that day and looked at my parents in the face and told them ‘if your church baptizes people simply because they could afford the church dues, I am not accompanying you to that church again. So, if you want to call that rascality, so be it. But I will describe that as standing on principle. From that day, I stopped being Qua Iboe. After that I went through different Christian denominational churches until finally, I decided that I wanted to be catholic.

     

    So your leaving Qua Iboe was more of what could be described as a rebellion or protestation?

    My Catholicism was not because I was born into it, but to borrow your word, it was more of protestation. That protestation marked a certain milestones in my life. That protestation also went with me when I was a student at the Nigeria College of Arts, Science and Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State, which is now the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU.

    At Zaria, I discovered that architecture was one subject Nigerians were not doing very well in. they could pass in several other subjects, but in architecture. So, I embarked on a protest. I went to our student union leader and said to him that something was wrong. How come that they would admit about 30 of us and that number would suddenly drop to half when getting to our third year and then to about three in our final year? Even then, some of the three ‘surviving’ ones would still not pass very well.

    So, what made me to protest very strongly was that most of the young Nigerian architectural students who were purportedly not passing their architectural exams found their way to England and did very well, even better than some of the English students in the same architectural course. Do not forget that at Zaria, we were being taught by British lecturers. So, I put two and two together and came to the conclusion that there must be something fundamentally wrong somewhere. If it was that we could not do very well in architecture, then these Nigerian students who left Nigeria for the UK should also not do well over there. So, I protested.

    So, I acquired the distinction or reputation, if you like, of being the first person to engineer a students’ protest in Zaria, which later became ABU in 1960. Following the protest, there was a major inquiry at the end of which it was recommended that the British lecturers in ABU Zaria would never allow me to pass out. I was a private student because my father was paying my fees. That was how I was sent abroad to study.

    So I found myself in a British school in the UK and I did very well. It was discovered that my protest had a basis. It was only when we had our independence that for the first time, a Nigerian became Head of the Department of Architecture, in the person of Professor Adeyinka Adeyemi, that we got know what the secret was. It was clearly established that the British were finding it difficult to graduate African professionals, but mostly in architecture and the building industry not only in ABU but everywhere.

    The reason for this was simple. The British had just returned from the war and could not all be absorbed in the workplace. So, they were being sent abroad. The implication was that if we qualified too early and too many, there would not be room for the British war returnees. That was why we were failing and failing and failing but would go to the UK and do very well.

     

    Given the nomadic life your father lived, having to be moved from one part of Nigeria to another a result of his profession as an agricultural officer, you must have imbibed many cultures. How much of these varied cultures would you say shaped your worldview?

    Well, the word nomadic, as you used it, would be rather too strong. But that being said, I will say that the experience exposed me very early to the country, Nigeria. We had been in the west, east, north and even as far the Cameroun, the Southern part of Cameroun. That is why when I tell people that I know Nigeria very well, I am not just making an empty boast.

    I did not speak any of the languages of the areas we lived. But the experience, however, made me to appreciate the richness of our vast cultures. It also made me to understand why certain people do certain things in a certain kind of way. I can almost certainly anticipate what their behaviour and reaction will to be.

     

    So what values would you say the different cultures you have had romance with inculcated in you?

    They inculcated tremendous values in me, because the different cultures made me a lot more tolerant of other people’s attitude and idiosyncrasies and their way of life. It taught me to be more accommodating of others, just as it has helped me to be a lot more understanding of the various people. It has also been helping me whenever I want to argue for or against certain things. For instance, if there is an issue and which I need to make an input, I should be able to say to whomever, that from the part of the country you come from, your culture does not support your position on this or that issue. And owing to my interaction with different cultures, I can afford to look at anyone in the face and say to him or her without any fear of contradiction that your action would not be permissible in your culture if you were to do that back home.

     

    As a Christian and a catholic for that matter, how often would you turn the other cheek if wacked on the other one?

    (Prolonged laughter) The scriptural requirement of turning the other cheek has been very severely abused. When God said we should turn the other cheek, He did not say we should be timid. He did not say we should be cowardly. He gave us the spirit of strength and of good understanding. If you are confronted with evil, will you close your eyes to it and turn the other cheek simply because the Bible says we should turn the other cheek? If you do not confront it, I do not think you are going to have any kind of success at all.

    Christ came and confronted the evil that he saw in the world, which led to His crucifixion and resurrection. If he had not confronted what he saw, we would not have had redemption. Let me tell you this and in all honesty, much as I do not like to be confrontational: I do not run away from taking a stance. I can take a stance and as a matter of fact, a very firm one.

     

    But was there a time that you had had to turn the other cheek?

    Very many times I have done so. We have a saying in place which goes thus ‘ekpe tuk, edu guduen’, which translate as ‘do not think the lion as cowardly just because it panics at being frightened’. Do not mistake the lion’s first reaction for cowardice as it might growl and pounce on you after realising that you are just a prey.

     

    Nigeria has continued to have more than its fair share of collapsed buildings. As an architect, what would you adduce as factors responsible for this?

    It is a phenomenon of the non-patronage of professionals in the building sector of the economy. Nigerians like to cut corners and they will always cut corners. If you go to an architect, he is going to charge you his professional fees because that is what he lives on. But if you have to deny him his professional fees, then you must seek the services of a quack. Or better still, you may decide to do it your own way, after all, who cannot build a house? That is what I often hear people say, I know how to build a house. But does that make them professional in the field of building and civil engineering? We have tried in this profession to tell the government that this is all wrong. There should be a dividing line building professionals and suppliers.

    Today, the man who sells sand sees himself as a contractor, another who supplies water at building sites is also a building contractor. So, they are all building contractors and engineers without professional expertise or skills. It is an all comers’ affairs and the government appears to be helpless. Even those who give design approvals do not insist on the design being handled by professionals.

    Occasionally, there is professional negligence on the part of the professional because he does not supervise adequately. And often, it is because the man for whom he designs says he does not want to pay you fees for supervising because he can supervise himself.

    In building, there is a cement/sand ratio for sandcrete blocks, but today, a tipper of sand is mixed with a bag of cement to produce 5000 blocks. The implication is that the building was already designed to collapse. When you build without enough reinforcement, buildings are bound to collapse.

    I can say it with all the conviction and authority that less than two per cent of our built environment is today under the design and supervision of professionals. The rampant incident of collapsed buildings must be looked at from two or more perspectives: we are building so much more now and so, the phenomenon seems to be larger than ever before; secondly, there is media spread so much more widely done now than it was in the past. Then, the media has a role to play by assisting us to tell this government and subsequent governments that the last lawyer to have ever set his foot in any Nigerian law court was Sir Dingle Foot (QC). It was a serious issue raised by the late Chief Obafemi Awolow (May his soul rest in peace), who said then that the man had no business entering the Nigerian court to practice.

    The lawyers have succeeded and the doctors have also succeeded in stamping out infiltration by non-professionals and non-Nigerians. Unless you are licensed to practice law in Nigeria, you cannot set foot in the country to practice law in our courts. For the doctors, unless you are licensed to practice medicine as a foreigner, you are not allowed to prescribe even APC. You cannot prescribe APC unless you are licensed by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA). It is a serious matter, but when you come to the building industry, people who are not even qualified to practice in their own country are bringing designs and drawings which we are accepting.

    There is no regard and respect for professionals in the Nigerian building industry and there is no enforcement of our building code.

     

    What would you consider as the high point of your architectural career?

    Have I gotten there yet? In truth, I am looking for things to do now that will be my signature project and I will retire home to the Lord. I am 74 and going on 75. Soon, I should stop practicing. As creative an endeavour as architecture is, your success depends to a very large extent on the client. If your client is very understanding and is able to indulge you and you are able to produce a good design, it becomes a reference point in a long time to come. I am still looking for that client.

    The problem with most of our clients in the building industry is that they are too impatient. Why is it that projects take long years to complete and often abandoned by contractors, yet architects are rushed to produce designs? Professionally, it is difficult to shift a line on a design than to have a structure demolished.

    The closest that I came to agreeing that I have designed a good structure that could be a reference point is the NDIC head office building here in Abuja. And funnily enough, it is the only one among several buildings in Abuja that I can point to as my design.

    What interest me about that building is that a British architect who practices here in Nigeria, and whom I met at a social function said to me that he would tell me what would interest me. I asked him what would be? He said some of his foreign colleagues from the UK came on a visit and he was taking them round Abuja, and as they were going, they saw the NDIC building and asked him to stop, according to him, they said the building looked like it was designed by an architect. They drew closer and took a look at the building. That, to me, is something to be proud of. It turned out that way because my client allowed me enough time to experiment with designs.

     

    Do you have a habit and if yes, what would that be?

    Yes, I have a habit and the habit is hard work. It is a habit that people have complained about. The fact is that I enjoy what I do. But that is not to say that I do not recreate. I go on vacations every year. I do that with my family so that when we come back, we have things to talk about together. But once I return to Nigeria, nothing else takes the place of work.

     

    What has been your saddest moment in life?

    My saddest moment was to have lost my wife to the cold hands of death. That was the best companion that I had who made life very meaningful to me.

     

    Despite that there were many beautiful Nigerian women, why did you have to settle for a woman from the Barbados?

    You should have asked me where we met. Anyway, I will give a simple answer. I met my wife while in the university in Leeds, England. Again, let me borrow your word, after my protestation at ABU, I was sent to continue my university education in England. I was so young then that my father tried to persuade me to return after my graduation to marry a Nigerian lady, but my younger brother had to personally write to my father asking him to leave me alone to marry whoever that my heart agreed with. He told my father that it was a matter of market availability. He said if I had reached marriageable age and the only available market to me then was what surrounded me in the UK. So be it. That is the kind of family I come from. So it was a matter of market availability.

    If I was in Nigeria at the time I wanted to marry, it would have been a Nigeria because I would not have left Nigeria in search of a wife in Barbados. But I have no regret at all that I found the kind of wife I did. She was a wonderful woman.

     

    How disappointed was your father with your decision?

    He was not disappointed. Rather he was so pleased that I married someone he came to regard as a daughter. He was extremely happy with the choice I made.

     

    If you had a second chance, where would she come from?

    (Cuts in) Are you suggesting that I marry again? But if that were to happen, this is the available market now. There will certainly be no need of going back to Barbados to marry another wife.

     

    So, has His Excellency started receiving applications from suitable applicants from the available market?

    (Cuts in with prolonged laughter) Do you advertise for this? No, nobody places an advert for a wife. It was just a few months ago that I buried my wife. So let us leave that for the time being.

     

    What was that invaluable piece of advice that your father gave you and which you have taken along with you up to date?

    He told my siblings and me to always remember three things: to say ‘please, thank you and sorry’. He added another: remember that hard work has never killed anybody. But if you do not work hard, you might die of starvation.

     

    What is your biggest motivation in life?

    I am motivated by the desire to succeed. If I accomplish a task and it turns out successful, I feel like doing more. Success is my biggest motivation.

     

    If you were to go back 45 years, what is that thing that you would have loved to do differently?

    Please, I will beg of you not to go back that far. Just take me back to 2007 and I would have insisted that Nigeria should elect the kind of president she should have. I just regret the fact that Nigeria has never been allowed to elect freely the kind of president she ought to have. Do not get me wrong, I am not saying that the leadership we have at the moment is bad or anything of sorts. That is not what I am saying. But the fact remains that we have never been allowed to choose our president freely. It is only then that we can make progress as a country. That is all I am really insisting on. I listen to former President Olusegun Obasanjo saying the last time that Nigeria lacks good leadership material. That is not true and he knows it. Why I said he knows it is because it was in his time that we said Awolowo was the best president we never had. Why did we not have him? Yet he was the best material. It was because he was not allowed to be president. It was also in his time that we came up with this theory of twelve two third. Over the years, we have been manipulating and manipulating to ensure that the best man does not get the job. Nigeria has abundant leadership potential and possibilities. So, his statement was not correct.

     

    How was the experience the first time you kissed a woman?

    (pauses) Wait a minute, wait a minute. Please don’t laugh. If you are asking about kissing someone passionately, it was something I did while I was in the UK. It was a feeling I can never forget. I kissed and kissed and kissed that after three days later, I complained to my roommate that I wanted to go and see a doctor because my tongue was aching. I told him I did not know what was wrong with my tongue. I had kissed for so long that my tongue started aching. That was how wonderful it was. It was the person who eventually became my wife. The experience was absolutely fantastic.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Baga paralysed by fear after invasion

    BAGA, Borno State, a few residents stand amid razed houses and charred vehicles in the fishing town of Baga, still mostly deserted nearly two weeks after fierce fighting between troops and Islamist insurgents.

    The bloody events of April 16 and 17 in the remote town which left almost 200 people dead are still murky and mired in heated debate.

    “The soldiers can claim they did not burn our homes because it happened in the dark,” resident Gaji Bukar told AFP on a tour of the village under military supervision.

    “But (my) area was burnt the following morning in broad daylight by soldiers who went door-to-door setting fire to homes and everybody saw them.”

    The military has denied accusations it deliberately shot civilians and set the blazes that razed nearly half the town, which lies near Lake Chad in the northeast corner of Borno State, the stronghold of radical Islamist group Boko Haram.

    Scores of people, including soldiers, insurgents and scores of civilians were killed, according to rescue officials and local leaders, making it the deadliest-ever episode in the Boko Haram conflict which has cost 3,600 lives since 2009.

    Bukar’s account was supported by statements given to Human Rights Watch by residents who say that the morning after brutal fighting between soldiers and insurgents on April 16, the military returned to Baga and set fire to homes.

    “We had no hand in setting the fire,” Brigadier-General Austin Edokpayi told AFP as his troops guided journalists through the dusty streets, the blackened rubble of destroyed buildings visible throughout.

    He said a four-hour gun battle started on the evening of April 16 as soldiers tried to thwart an impending attack by the insurgents. A military statement explained that troops returned the next morning to “mop up.”

    Edokpayi commands a multi-national force that includes troops from Chad, Niger and Nigeria, which is responsible for the region where porous borders allow criminal and insurgent groups to freely flow between countries.

    Parts of the state have fallen under Boko Haram’s control, he told journalists, a rare admission from the security services which typically seek to portray the Islamists as being on the defensive.

    “Some areas are now dominated by these terrorists and people live under their laws,” he said.

    He described Baga as a town paralysed by fear, where “nobody dares say anything against (Boko Haram) because if you do that, they come after you.”

    Dripping sweat under a searing sun as he piled up the wreckage of his burnt-down home, Usman Mohammed, 42, told AFP that scores of his neighbours are still in hiding, fearing the fighting could resume.

    “Many people are still in the bush,” he said, adding that Boko Haram had sent word to stay away from Baga as more attacks were coming.

    Certain neighbourhoods were declared off-limits to journalists by their military chaperones, areas that residents said had been the hardest hit.

    AFP reporters visited one area where two rows of freshly dug graves protruded from the desert terrain, each marked by a series of small sticks.

    “They should allow you to visit the two other cemeteries where most of the victims were buried,” said resident Adamu Bulama.

    The military has said that the absence of mass graves in Baga proves the death tolls have been inflated, insisting that only 37 people died, including 30 militants, six civilians and one soldier.

    Senator Maina Lawan, a Baga native who represents northern Borno, told AFP that he visited a series of graves last week and provided a death toll of 228.

    The Red Cross has said that 187 people were killed.

    The Boko Haram conflict, which the insurgents say is aimed at creating an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has seen scores of deadly attacks across the north and centre of the country, Africa’s most populous and top oil producer.

    But the level of destruction in Baga appears unprecedented.

    Nigerian lawmakers have called for an independent investigation, while Human Rights Watch said the events of April 16 and 17 needed to be probed by the International Criminal Court.

    The rights group warned of signs that Nigeria “has tried to cover up” the abuses in Baga, publishing satellite images identifying 2,275 buildings apparently destroyed by fire, a figure the military has categorically dismissed.

    A relief effort has been launched, with 642 people being sheltered in a makeshift camp, according to the National Emergency Management Agency.

    But residents and Lawan, the senator, told AFP much more is needed including food supplies as normal trade in the area had stopped following the attacks.

    Mohammed, the 42-year-old resident, said some of his neighbours had no plans to come back.

    “Even those who are willing to return have stayed away,” he said, “because they have lost their homes to fire and have nowhere to stay.”

    Source: AFP

  • Epe day unites oloja, olu

    Epe is blessed with rich culture and alluring landscape, most especially overlooking town from the upland area, a little further from the waterfront. That might have informed the town’s history of past wars to wade off adventurist invaders.

    Two major festivals,Eebi Epe and Kayo Kayo, in the town signpost the rich culture. So, when the town sent out invitations that there was going to be a combined celebration of the Epe Day. It was not out of place to expect a display of rich and diverse culture that underlines the town’s history.

    For those interested in cultural tourism, the Epe Day offered ample opportunity to experience the people’s rich culture and to visit some of the notable tourist sites like their famous fish market.

    The day turned out to be unprecedented. One did not only experience the culture of the people, but became eyewitnesses to the history of the town.

    In the area of cultural display, there were no dull moments, as various cultural groups were on hand to perform. But the culture paled into insignificance when the town’s indigenes used the opportunity to open a new chapter in their history. By virtue of the events that took place on the last Epe Day, what used to be the biggest problem of the town might turn out to be its strongest asset, if the gains made on the last Epe Day were to consolidated.

    To understand Epe, one needs to understand certain peculiarities of the town. The indigenes of Epe are divided broadly into two: the Ijebu Epe and the Eko Epe. The Ijebu-Epe, according to the history of the town, were original inhabitants of the place before the Eko Epe people came to settle there when King Kosoko was dethroned as the King of Lagos in 1851 and he moved to Epe.

    But what the Epe people have decided to do, using the last Epe Day celebration was open a new chapter of peace and unity that would usher in positive developments to the old Epe Division.

    The event that sealed this historic occasion kicked off in the afternoon with different masquerade and traditional groups, performing and generally entertaining the huge gathering.

    The Ijinla Group, in their all-white outfits, came dancing round the arena and paying homage to top dignitaries that were at the event.

    The first monarch to arrive was the Olu of Epe kingdom, Oba Shefiu Olatuni Adewale. His entry was electrifying. A retinue of traditional dancers, horsemen and women accompanied him singing dancing and generally making merriment.

    Some minutes later, the Oloja of Epe, Oba Hamarudeen Ishola Animashaun, came also with the accompanying singing and rejoicing. He made his way towards the high table. As the Oloja danced towards the high table, the tension became even more palpable.

    He made his way to the Olu and suddenly smiles enveloped their faces as they embraced. The arena erupted in shout of appreciation and thanksgiving to God. To many indigenes, they watched the whole scenario with a certain air of disbelief. Many said they never believed such an epoch-making occasion would happen in their life time.

    This brought to an end the strained relationship between the Ijebu-Epe and the Eko-Epe people.

    Probably the happiest person that day was Otunba Teni Zacheus who was the chairman of the organizing committee of the Epe Day. He and some close friends in Epe midwived the peace truce that culminated in the united Epe Day celebration.

    He had this to say: “We have targeted this day and have worked towards achieving this goal: the unity of Epeland. History has brought us together collectively as a people. All that had gone on before now-bitterness, fractiousness, polarization and disputations-cannot detract from the fact that we are, to all intents and purposes, one. There have been a lot of intermarriages and other forms of socio-economic and cultural collaborations between us for generations that we are not practically intertwined.”

    He continued: “ As Epe citizens, let us forget our differences. Let us think about the future of our children and generations yet unborn, and let us work together, hand in hand, for our own common good.”

    The chairman of the occasion, former military governor of Osun State, General Leo Segun Ajiborisha, was passionate in his call that the Epe new-found unity should be sustained, saying it was the only way that development would spread to the whole of old Epe Division.

    He asked two rhetorical questions: “ Why do we discriminate against one another? Why do we fight against what has been divinely ordained by God and cannot be changed by any mortal till eternity?” He explained that no corporate organization would invest in an area that is bedevilled by strife.

    The Oloja also spoke in the same vein. He said: “Let me call on all the people of Epe, both indigenes and non-indigenes, to come together in unity, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliations. It is in unity that we can achieve the much-desired development for our town and local government area.”

    The Olu described the occasion as a milestone in the history of the town and advised the indigenes to “use this atmosphere of peace and unity to chart a new course for our land, so that we can properly harness the anticipated development coming to Epe, the proposed airport, seaport and many other developmental projects.”

    As a kind of endorsement of the peace, top sons and daughters of Epe were on hand to witness the epoch-making occasion. The included the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly,Hon. Adeyemi Ikufiriji, the Lagos State Commisioner for Education, Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye, Chief Lanre Razak , retired Justice George Oguntade and other dignitaries.

  • Building a sound relationship

    Dear Reader,

    You are welcome to another new month in our year of Next Levels. I want you to be rest assured that God is going to visit you this month. All through this month via the Word of God, I will be sharing with you, Building A Sound Relationship.

    Today, I want to start by looking at what relationship is and why we need to build a sound relationship. Relationships are vital to destiny. Your association defines your destination. The relationships you are into never leave you the same; they either add to you or take away from you. They either increase you or decrease you.

    The Word of God says: He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed (Proverbs 13:20). The scriptural understanding of how to build and keep sound, healthy and Godly relationships is very vital in the fulfillment of destiny.

    To relate means to connect. It means to contact and interact. To relate means to be involved in or with; to connect, to interact, to link up and to be involved in. Therefore, relationships can be defined as the way in which two or more people connect. A sound relationship is one that is free from defect, decay, damage. It is a relationship in good condition. It is unshakable, healthy and valid. These are the kind of relationships God expects you to get involved in.

    Why Relationships?

    In order for you to build relationships that will positively influence your life, you must have a full knowledge of the reasons why God wants us to be involved in relationships. There are two basic things that you must understand here: First, God by nature is involved in relationships. The Bible says: For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one (1 John 5:7). There is a powerful relationship between the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that these three are one. That is, they agree in one. This is a vivid picture of God’s relational nature.

    In the Garden of Eden, God related well with Adam, before the fall of man. Out of His relationship with him, God knew that Adam would need a helpmeet for the work in the garden and for companionship. Also, on the day they ate the forbidden fruit, He came in the cool of the day to see to their welfare. God believes in relationships and He Himself is into strong relationships. If He is involved in relationships, then, it is necessary for us to also get involved.

    Second, Man is created to relate. Genesis 1:27 says: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Man is created in the image of God; therefore, he is expected to relate and connect. Nobody can ever live successfully in isolation. We all need one another. You need people to help you get to where you are going in life, no matter what level you find yourself. You cannot live in an Island of your own, no matter who you are.

    Every part of the body works and relates together (Ephesians 4:16), so also you are created to relate. In actual fact, man is created to be inter-dependent and that includes you. God made man to …dwell together… (Psalm 133:1).

    To effectively build a sound relationship, being born again is the only sure foundation. To be born again, you have to confess your sins and accept Jesus as your Lord and personal Saviour.

    If you are ready to be born again, say this simple prayer with me, in faith: Dear Lord Jesus, I come to You today. I believe You died and rose again for my sake. Forgive me of my sins, take over my life, make me Your child and let Your peace reign over my life. Thank you for saving me. Now I know I am born again.

    Congratulations, you are now born again! I believe that you will begin to experience the reality of the price that Jesus paid for your sins at Calvary. All-round rest and peace are guaranteed you, in Jesus’ Name!

     

    Call or write, and share your testimonies with me through:

    E-mail: faithdavid@yahoo.com Tel. No: 07026385437; 07094254102

     

    For more insight, these books authored by Pastor Faith Oyedepo are available at the Dominion Bookstores in all Living Faith Churches and other leading Christian bookstores: Marriage Covenant, Making Marriage Work, Single With A Difference, Building A Successful Family, and Success In Marriage (Co-Authored with Bishop David Oyedepo).

     

  • My boyfriend has changed and it is difficult understand

    I am 19 and a student yet to gain admission. I have a boyfriend who used to be very caring and loving but he suddenly changed. He used to be the first to call me and the last to tell me goodnight, but all this have changed. When I told him my observation, he said it is going to be very hard to understand him. I also told his only sister and she said I should be patient with him. Please ma I need your help, I’m confused. Thanks and remain blessed.

     

    Dear girl, I think I like this your guy. I mean, he told you pointblank that it will be very difficult to understand him. He’s a very sincere person and I think you should respect that. He needs space, that’s what it means. That he’s gone off you for now doesn’t mean he’s gone off you for life. For now, he wants it that way, so adjust to the way things are now. When people require space, it may mean many things. He could be trying to sort out his life, and this relationship just doesn’t fit in for now. He might have found another love interest and if that is the case, to make him respect you, leave the shadows and give him time to study this new person. Chances are, if you’re a good person, he will soon start comparing your good points with hers and see you as an angel and come back. Whatever it is, give him the space he is silently asking for.

  • I am a girl 16, but I look 26 and I’m embarrassed when people call me ‘aunty’

    I’m Bukola. I have a little problem concerning my age and stature. I am a girl 16, but I look like a 26-year-old person, it’s not that I’m very robust nor very tall, but I look big. I always feel embarrassed when everybody calls me ‘aunty’. Ma, What should Ii do? Would cutting my hair short will make me look young?  Thanks.

     

    Dear ‘Aunty’ Bukky, first, let’s look at the advantages of having a big stature. It means that somehow (to a large extent), you’re protected from those small boys who may want to ‘chance’ you. You’re not in their class, so they may not try to take advantage of you. It also means that from your young age, you are being accorded some form of respect, which if well managed, would make you have self-confidence and make you grow into a beautiful woman.

    Bukky, you’re still growing and by the time you’re in your twenties, everything will blend and you would be glad you grew fast. I have a son who is very young but already 6 feet plus. He’s about your age but he towers over most men in the family. I guess he’s probably the tallest in his father’s family and he loves being so tall. In fact, he loves the feeling. He’s going to his second year at Babcock University now and I bet when he came in as a freshman, he couldn’t be ‘chanced’ by anybody because of his height.   Be confident in your stature darling. Confidence helps us deal with the challenges such as this and others in life. If we are confident, we believe in our abilities and feel hopeful that we can achieve our goals. We are also more willing to try new things, and this helps us to learn. Having confidence also means we are more likely to feel comfortable with ourselves and that we have something worthwhile to give. Confidence helps us interact with other people, which makes it easier for us to form relationships. We live in a social world, so our relationships with others are of considerable importance to our wellbeing. Look at yourself as that young, beautiful young woman and carry yourself with joy. Don’t go cutting your hair. Weave it into different beautiful styles and shine. Go girl!

  • I was faithful to him, yet he broke my heart

    A guy I dated for 3 years and was faithful to broke my heart and now I cry all day. I even feel like ending my life just to stop thinking about him and stop being in pain. What should I do?

     

    Yes, I know how you must be feeling. You wouldn’t like to get up from your bed in the morning because you don’t want to face the world without him and your nights are long and filled with tears. You’re probably asking yourself where it all went wrong and may be blaming yourself. Cry some more. I tell you, it will help you cope. Share with friends and allow them to point out the guy’s faults and stupidity. Deliberately talk about his not-so-perfect points and laugh about it. Spend time with people who love you and tell yourself you deserve a better person. Tell yourself that the vacancy he just created is for you to find a man deserving of your love. However, do not go into a new relationship now. Shed all feelings of bitterness and learn not to mention his name after a while. Wait until you have healed before you consider going into a new relationship.

    No, don’t be suicidal because of him. He has taken his love away; he shouldn’t take your life too. Learn to love yourself and be happy. Sit in front of a mirror and apply make-up. Sing new songs and tell yourself that you don’t need a narrow-minded person like him you dumped the good thing that you are. Shine baby. Shine!

  • Be wild in animal print

    Be wild in animal print

    ANIMAL print is still the in-thing with the in-crowd! Exotic animal prints of different shades, styles and patterns seem to be the new look of this season. They have magic of their own that add some sparkle to one’s look. Striking leopard prints are sexy, wild and at the same time stylish.

    They feature in all sort s of fabrics. Ankara, adire, chiffon, satin, silk cotton, velvet etc. And they are flaunted in variety of designs, as tank top, tunic top, dinner gown, boubou, nighties, corset, shirt and what have you.

    Whether used with accessories, clothes, bags, shoes, belts and what have you, look special and different in a crowd this season – go for animal print. When you feel like showing off your wild side, nothing speaks like a sexy animal print.

    Animal print do’s and don’ts

    *Be sure to keep it simple. Begin the trend with just one power piece, like a dress, handbag, blouse or scarf.

    *Stay with just one animal print. If you mix leopard with zebra, or leopard on leopard, it makes you look funny.

  • Rules for colour blocking

    Rules for colour blocking

    COMBINING colours from the same family creates harmonious look. You can create some amazing combinations by pairing bright pinks with vivid fuchsias, or turquoise with royal blue.

    Stick to the same tone by keeping warmer tones like orange and red together

    Think of colour combos that you find on opposite sides of the colour wheel. Try putting a regal purple skirt with a contrasting fiery orange blouse – the result will be amazing

    If you would like something to go with the spring pastel trend, try lime green with melon or rosebud pink for a pleasantly jarring combination

    With all these colours in your outfit, it’s totally fine to throw in a splash of neutral. Whether you are wearing coloured denim or a complete colour-blocked outfit, the best way to balance it all out is with a pair of neutral shoes; think of nudes and blacks. Once you have mastered the art of colour blocking, you can start exploring different shoe/bag options, but as a beginner, we believe that neutrals are the way to go!