The General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG worldwide), Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye has assured Nigerians that 2022 is a year of progress and joy for as many that will draw closer to God and shun all forms of sin.
Adeboye who, yesterday presided over the New Year service at the RCCG headquarters, Throne of Grace, Ebute-Metta and later spoke through the Assistant General Overseer, (Admin. & Personnel), who doubles as Continental Overseer, East Africa and Middle East, Pastor Johnson Odesola, said that the new year is a year of progress and joy for as many that would draw closer to God, adding that for those who make up their mind to be humble before their creator and turn unto Him fully, God would frustrate the efforts of anybody that wants to stand in their way.
He said that Nigerians who are ready to work with God will enjoy his manifold blessings from God, noting that God is always attentive to his children when they call on him at any point in time.
He called Nigerians to be patient with God because this year, there is hope but warned the masses when voting for their leaders come 2023 to vote for leaders with integrity, who believe in accountability and transparency, who are selfless and do not have ulterior motives
Adeboye advised Buhari to do more on security in the nation by curbing the activities of bandits through the service chiefs who should not only be held accountable for the bandits having a free day in the country but should be able to tell Nigerians from time to time what they are doing.
He also asked Buhari to ensure that his administration remains very sensitive and always takes action on security reports.
Presiding Shepherd of Harvest Centre, Prophet Wale Ojo David has called on Nigeria youths to rally round to support the Former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as God has anointedhim to take Nigeria out of its present predicament.
Ojo said this in a statement issued to The Nation recently, saying Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be the one to lead Nigeria out of the wilderness.
God, he claimed, told him that Tinubu will be the next president that will control the affairs of our nation, Nigeria, for productivity and enhancement.
He said “the surprising thing about God is that there is no leader that comes for any reason that is not in accordance with the purpose and will of God. Therefore, God knows his best reasons for choosing his leaders.”
He noted that all ministers should join hands together to pray for the instruments that God has prepared for his work without minding religion or tribe as God saw the nation as one and called the people there Nigerians
“Yes, I promise you through God Almighty, all the youth in this nation Nigeria including the people both home and abroad, believe God with me that Nigeria is at the top and we will surely rise to the Glory of God in delivering Africa in general.”
No fewer than 500 members recently turned up to celebrate the commissioning of the remodelled Western Nigeria Union Conference Administrative Headquarters of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Maryland, Lagos with a musical concert.
The Union which is one of three in Nigeria making up the 23 countries of the West Central Africa Division of the Seventh-day Adventist Church provided live streaming for members worldwide. Expectedly, the church auditorium was a kaleidoscope of colours as different musical groups turned out to glorify God.
The occasion also provided a platform for honouring pioneers and other leaders. Among these were 101-year old Pastor Awoniyi and his wife, Vertibelle as well as 96-year old Pastor Adeniji.
Speaking at the event, President of the WNUC, Pastor (Prof) Oyeleke Owolabi said that without doubt, God alone deserves all the praise and thanksgiving for the tremendous landmark accomplished so far,”
Owolabi said: “whatsoever we are celebrating today, kudos must be given to the dedicatory service of our pioneers who through thick and thin prepared the way before us.”
In his sermonette, ‘where do we go from here?’ President of the Eastern Nigeria Union Conference of the Church, Pastor (Prof) Bassey Udoh, called on church members to stay united.
He said that it was great to celebrate God’s leading thus far but reminded all of the need to form a united front against the enemy’s onslaught so the Church could focus on soul winning.
“As we dedicate this secretariat, we need to ask ourselves, is our concern part of God’s agenda?’” asked Pastor Udoh.
Quoting Apostle Paul from the Biblical book of Hebrews, he counselled, “Let us lay aside every weight of sin which so easily besets us and run with patience the race that is set before us.”
The Coordinator of Genesis Team International, Evangelist Davies Ekunola, has urged Nigerians to stop heating up the polity with negative comments, saying no investment will survive in a society without peace.
Ekunola made the plea while speaking with journalists at the ministry’s headquarters, Rehoboth Prayer Mountain, along Papa-Ilaro Expressway in Ogun State on Monday, ahead of the 22nd edition of Genesis Annual Crusade, which holds on Friday, January 14.
He said: “From the part of the leaders, the citizens, and in every home, we must constantly speak peace and avoid comments that could foster hatred and violence.
”No investment will survive without peace; we saw how the nation lost billions of naira during the violence that trailed the EndSARS protests. If we truly want to prosper, we need to be praying for peace and avoid comments that can heat up the polity and destabilise the nation.”
The cleric further said the Crusade is basically about the word of the Lord, revival, praise, prayer, and deliverance, “and it has been a pathfinder for positive things in the Celestial Church.”
According to Ekunola, the Crusade is bringing together more than seven ministers of God from the CCC and other denominations for the 22nd edition on Friday.
Speaking on the theme of the latest edition – “Abraham Obeyed My Voice” from Genesis 26:5, Ekunola said, “at Genesis 2022, we are going to be preaching the message of obedience to the voice of the Lord.
“One of the challenges of our generation is that we are so adamant and disobedient to sacrifice what we love for the Lord. Abraham did that, and he never regretted it.”
With COVID-19 restrictions still in place, Ekunola and his wife, Olayinka, while taking journalists on a tour of facilities at the 10-acre prayer mountain of the ministry, said the crusade would hold inside the 5,000 seater auditorium with provision for overflow seats.
It will also be streamed live online via the ministry’s digital platforms.
In his welcome address, Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee, Gbenga Alabetutu, said the theme of the crusade is an example of how total obedience and dependence on God can alter the destiny of not just one man but the entire world.
Secretary of the Organising Committee, Evangelist Gbenga Akinlalu, also disclosed that the committee has made provisions for free BRT buses at designated locations in Lagos to convey attendees to the venue.
Present at the media briefing were some of the ministers who would be ministering at Genesis 2022. They include: Lady Evangelist Olayinka Davies-Ekunola; Apostle Dan Ekunola, who would be leading the GTI Marvelous Choir in praise and worship; Prophet Samuel Bankole, and Evangelist Adebowale Adeboye, also took turns to talk about what participants should expect.
Also present were the Chairman of the ministry, Evang Olayemi Olaonipekun; Director of Publicity, Evangelist James Olusesi, Head of Works and Maintenance, Evangelist Adeyinka Adebayo, Head of Digital Media, Mrs Seyi Cole-Fijabi.
As the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) celebrates its 40th anniversary, Lagos State Chairman of the CAN, Bishop Stephen Adegbite met with selected journalists and bared his mind on the state of the nation, US delisting Nigeria from religious violators, lingering insecurity and sundry issues. Adeola Ogunlade was there.
CAN at 40, what is the state of the church and how can we tackle the lingering insecurity in our country?
We have to ensure that the body of Christ is protected and secure, especially in the face of numerous challenges we are facing in our nation today.
You will agree with me that the nation is going through more difficult times than ever before because of insurgency, banditry, and the lackadaisical attitude of our government towards protection of lives and property of our people. And the Church remains one of the most vulnerable.
A lot of kidnapping has gone on for so many months and years in our nation, particularly targeting the Church. I’m not saying that Muslims are not being persecuted or not being kidnapped, but the numbers of Christians who are victims are more.
Recently, about 126 of our children were kidnapped in Kaduna from a school, and the Baptist Convention had to pay 200 million to secure the release of some of these children; they are still holding on to four.
The bandits asked for motorcycles, foodstuff, bags of rice, bags of beans, tubers of yam and many as part of ransom payment. And because of all these, there is a need for us most importantly to pray, to remain steadfast in our Lord because he is the one that can fight our battle. The Bible says the weapons of our warfare are not canal, but they are mighty to be pulling down strongholds in high places and even imagination. And of course, when we come together, as a nation, the leaders will know that the body of Christ is one. And that’s the motto of CAN which l happen to be the chairman in Lagos for now.
And also, I know more about these things because of my position at the national level, as the Director for National Issues and Social Welfare. Recently, we visited the Sultan of Sokoto, we visited Kebbi State. We met with the governors and we told them the plight of our people, and also to identify with them as well because they are also being attacked. The day after we left Sokoto, these horrible human beings went to a market and they killed 30 people. They opened fire on people who were buying and selling villagers; they didn’t have anything.
Anything that will protect the church, anything that will look into the emancipation of people from poverty, from insecurity, from not being protected l will support and anything that is true and nothing but the truth will have my support any day.
Nigeria being delisted from the list of religious violators, what do you make out of this?
It is interesting. And that’s what they call international diplomacy. International diplomacy is just a way of having countries align together on certain principles, despite the reality on ground. And once it is diplomacy, you know that diplomacy is not biblical. If you are being diplomatic, you are not saying the obvious, you just want to cover the truth with whatever means. So, that is why I term it as international diplomacy, which America, Britain have been doing with Nigeria for a long time.
The root cause of our problem is the amalgamation of 1914. And everybody knows that even the first election that was conducted in Nigeria was rigged by Britain. 13 young graduates were recruited to come to Nigeria and rig that election. Only one of them refused to be part of that game, and he was the only one that was not given employment when they went back to the UK. And it just requires a good leader to lead Nigeria to the Promised Land. And that is the only thing we don’t have in our nation today. There is no reason for us to be poor. There is no reason for us to suffer. There is no reason for us not to live in peace. We want to make 1.8billion naira and you want to give a palliative of 2. Trillion naira plus. Does it make sense to anyone? But the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. So, leave America to whatever statement they have made. The president of CAN also went to America to attend that summit, but we were surprised to hear that. But the only thing I don’t want to be seeing and hearing in Nigeria is that we should not be meeting.
Romans 12:18 states that if it is possible, live in peace with all men. And we have agreed that if anything happens, there must be a joint statement from the Sultan of Sokoto and the President of CAN so that they will know that we are speaking with one voice.
If attacks were reported in Sokoto, let it be signed by two of them. If the same happened in Kaduna, Oyo, Ebonyi or Port Harcourt or Maiduguri, let it be condemned by them. And if the government has done anything good, they should appreciate them. That’s the only way we can face the government. They are the ones dividing us, but you won’t see any face. But with their actions and inactions, you will know who is fooling who. But let us know that you can fool some people for some time, you can’t fool all the people all the time.
The growing incidents of drug abuse in Lagos is worrisome, what is the church doing?
We are taking the gospel to the street now. Some weeks back, I happened to be the Chaplain General for the Boys Brigade, Ikeja, Lagos, we met recently with the State Excos and we talked about taking the gospel of Jesus to the street and the vulnerable people in a new way. When I was at Tinubu Church, we started to reach out to the Area boys and many gave their lives to Jesus and we have today some of them who have become pastors. We brought someone from the prison, rehabilitated him and today; he is a minister of God.
Lagos is a cosmopolitan city. Lagos is big in number not in size. We are struggling to manage what we have and everyone wants to live in Lagos. Our houses in the village are in ruins. It is sad that children of the elite class are into drug abuse and it is worrisome that in the next 20 to 25 years, the rate of cancer that will affect the children of today will be terrible
Oreoluwa Lesi is CEO of W. TEC. She is a social entrepreneur, economist and information technology expert. She has been empowering women and girls with ICT skills, organising residential camps across the country and influencing workplace policies. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talked about inspiration from her parents who are both engineers, team building, personal development, as well as mentoring women and girls.
What was it like at the beginning?
We will be 14 years in March next year. We started with just an idea and hardly any money, now we have been able to build partnerships. Our first camp had just 15 girls and it was for one week. Now at the last residential camp, we had 50 girls. It is now 2 residential for two weeks and working across ifferent states. We are not just in Lagos but in Kwara, Abuja, Nasarawa and Bauchi state.
Let’s compare when you started and now. What has changed?
There is a greater awareness of the issue of, the gender gap in technology. Over the years, we have been able to create awareness about the gender gap. We need more women in the space because they bring their unique perspective to development, technology and policy. It also encourages women who are in technology all ready to step out. So, we encourage the women we find to give talks to the girls so that there is visibility. It also encourages the girls to rise to the top to see these women as options.
When you started, there was nothing like the STEM campaign. What does this mean to you?
I think that some terms come out and they are very catchy within the academia and the research space. So that acronym has been around for a long time. But I think it just gained traction over the last decade or so. And then, there is now STEAM, which has the A for Arts. This recognises that creativity is also to be part of it.
What future do you see in all of this?
I see a bright future. Traditionally, we have had few women in this space. Globally in terms of people studying STEM subjects across the world, 35 per cent are women. In Nigeria, the figures are just about less than that. In terms of Women studying technology and engineering in Nigerian universities, you have about 25 per cent according to the figures from JAMB.
So, the gap is there but because there is more awareness of this disparity, efforts by organisations like W.TEC to create awareness about the opportunities in TECH, STEM and workplace policies have helped.
It is one thing to get girls to study these subjects, it is another thing to transit to the career and stay in the career. A lot of research shows that within the first ten years shows that women who are working in tech tend to drop out. So, the workplace must be also friendly to women. Things are changing but change also takes time.
Let’s talk about the girls that you have trained in the past 13 years?
We stay in touch with as many girls as possible. Nifemi, one of the ladies who attended the camp in 2014 is now working with us as full-time staff.24 per cent of our camp alumni are either having a STEM course or have completed a degree. 57 per cent of our camp alumni have also indicated that they can make money through website design, graphic design or photography using soft skills. Not every girl coming to our Program would end up working in STEM. But if they can apply that knowledge in some practical and useful ways, sharing experiences with other girls in their network, the impact will multiply.
It is important to grow people. To realise that people are individuals with their dreams. When they come into the Organisation we discuss what their goals are. If there is no alignment between their personal goals and the Organisations goals, then there is a mismatch. So, we try to see how we can support them and this leads to continuous learning and training. They are learning in terms of their technical skills and their soft skills as well.
How has doing all this impacted your life?
You have to keep learning, you can’t stay static in your knowledge. As a leader in an organisation, you need to do a lot. Sometimes, you are so busy and neglect your personal development.
I have learnt that I become more effective if I keep learning, so I create that time. I thought my life was balanced before I married, it wasn’t. By the time I had children, I just couldn’t spend 24 hours a day working. I had other things that demanded my attention. I learnt that this period is work time, after which my laptop will shut down.
Tell us about team building. How easy has this been?
The first thing is to recruit right. Make sure that you are recruiting people who have the heart for the business. Initially, we made the mistake of hiring for CVs. I had to learn to start looking beyond that, looking for skills that would give me the kind of information about the person and why they should be interested in the job. It is important to look out for those who have the skills and the temperament. If you do not have competencies in knowledge, you can train but if they do not have the right attitude it is not going to work.
Are there other areas that you have moved in since you started?
We still work primarily with girls and women. Initially, it was just the camp, we expanded to the after school clubs which we started in Lagos, expanded to Kwara and Ogun states. One of the different things that we are doing is that we partnered with an organisation in Surulere called the Children Development Centre to learn by using technology. So, we started a project and we have been doing that for 3 years now.
Let’s talk about the challenges of doing all this?
Most non-profits would tell you funding. That is number one. I think it is important to find the right partners. Understandably, people want to get the best paying jobs they can and non-profits cannot pay the best salaries. We may not attract the best talents. At W.TEC we have been blessed to get people who buy into the vision. Making sure that we are monitoring and evaluating our work is also important. I think that a lot of Organisations can be better in terms of taking time to document.
What are some of the changes experienced?
Last year, because of COVID-19 we were forced to move online. Now, we have participants joining from across Africa, the UK, Europe and America. That opened up our eyes because the focus had always been Nigeria. This showed us that we can work with girls around the world. The issue of the gender gap in technology is a worldwide problem. So, we will be doing more across Africa and Nigeria. More in terms of research. We have done some research in the past and we will do more because there is a lack of data in terms of credible statistics and documenting the impact of different interventions.
The outgoing year is one that many farmers in the North Central states would remember with sorrow and disappointment as hectares of their farmlands have been allegedly destroyed by herdsmen while many of the farmers are forced to abandon their farms as a result of deadly attacks by killer herders. JUSTINA ASISHANA reports that Plateau, Nasarawa and Benue states were the worst hit.
When Samuel Odey planted cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, green peas, carrot and other kinds of vegetable on his farm in Zarazum, Jos East Local Government Area early in the year, he took it for granted that things would turn out like they did the previous planting seasons
But by February when the crops were in the process of maturing, his farm was invaded by some herdsmen whose cows ate up his crops, leaving him with little to fall back on.
“My farm witnessed the brutality of the Fulani herders this year,” he said with a mournful gaze as he stared into the near-empty farmland.
“I started irrigation farming in January and my farm was destroyed in February.
“I had to plant again after the loss. But after re-planting, the farm was attacked by a disease which destroyed about half of it.
“Unfortunately, the part of the farm that survived the disease was invaded by herdsmen and their cattle and destroyed it completely.”
Odey recalled that the destructions were carried out as the herders marched their cows into the farm, stomping the crops and eating the ones they could.
“Most of the time, when they came to give their cows water to drink at the dam close to where I farm, they marched on our crops and ate our crops as they walked across the farm instead of taking the footpath,” he said.
Odey said the sum of N1.5 million he invested in this year’s farming season all went down the drain, thus ending his hope of returning to the farm.
He said: “My production rate before the attacks had been good.
“For my cucumber, I was harvesting nothing less than 300 bags. But after the invasions on my farm this year, I only got 50 bags.
“For the tomatoes, there was nothing to salvage because I lost everything. The price of fertilizers, chemicals, insecticides and other things I used, including labourers’ wages, all amounted to a total loss.
“I cannot bring myself to go back to the farm because I do not want to remember the loss and the pains these herdsmen have caused me and my family.”
Martin Agbo Audu-Doma, a retired civil servant, turned farmer no longer goes to his farm situated in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State. The farm, his lifelong wealth creation venture, could no longer support him following repeated herders’ attacks.
Before the crisis, his five-hectare farmland hosted yam, guinea corn, maize, benni seeds (sesame) and melon plantations.
Recalling his ordeal, however, he said: “I have stopped planting because there is no point going to the farm to plant only to have your crops destroyed by cows and their owners.
“One would struggle even to the point of taking loans from the bank only for some cows to come from nowhere and eat them up or destroy the ones that they cannot eat.
“The destruction of my farm has always been carried out at nights. I go home and come back in the morning to see the crops destroyed crops.
But Audu-Doma is only one of the numerous farmers in the state who could no longer return to their farms as a result of ceaseless attacks by herders.
Nigeria’s Benue Valley, which comprises Benue, Nasarawa and Plateau states, has been suffering the scourge of herder-farmer’s crisis, leaving most residents with pains, agony, and sad tales to tell.
The herder-farmer’s conflict, which became more intense during the outgoing year, has become a big threat to food security in the country. The affected states produce most of Nigeria’s staple foods like yam, maize, guinea corn, millet and vegetables.
A research report titled “Trends and Dynamics of Conflict between Farmers and Pastoralists in Nigeria’s Benue Valley” released by Zinariya Consults in March 2021 stated that no fewer than 2,539 persons were killed in 654 attacks in Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa and Taraba states while over 300,000 were displaced between 2017 and 2020 across the four states.
The report showed that 176,000 people were displaced in Benue, 100,000 in Plateau, 100,000 in Nasarawa and 19,000 in Taraba – all due to the surge of attacks and counter-attacks by the herders and farmers in those states.
The conflict involves contests over land and water as access to water and grazing have become more competitive, it added.
Millionaire farmers now unable to feed their families
With 250 hectares of farmland fully cultivated with maize, guinea corn, yam, rice, benniseed, acha, and millet, Williams Audu’s effort to create wealth easily placed him among the large-scale farmers in Nasarawa State. But his efforts ended in ruins as the herder-farmer’s crisis ravaged his rural community, turning him into an internally displaced person in a nearby refugee settlement.
A leader of Nyamadaga community in Keena Local Government Area of the state, Williams spoke to The Nation at the LEA Pilot Primary School in Kadarko North. The school has become his temporary abode alongside other members of his communities.
He said: “They were killing and condemning us when we stayed in the village, and that is why we had to run away. We had to leave all we had because we needed a safe place to stay”, he recollected.
“On my part, I have about 250 hectares of land, but I cannot go there now because herdsmen are settled there. If you go to Nyamadaga, they have taken over the whole place.
“I cannot dream of going there except I have a death wish.”
Recalling the good old days with nostalgia, he added: “For rice, I produce up to 100 bags per season, and I do two seasons every year. For benniseed, I produce about 80 bags, and others are like that too.
“I had so much money to spend then, but now I have to search for food by working for people to feed myself and my family. My children can no longer go to school.”
Another large-scale farmer, Adamu Hoss, a native of Riyam village of Tahoss Community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, recalled that before the herdsmen crisis, he was making about N900,000 annually from his farm produce. But after trying to salvage the remaining cucumber and corn that was destroyed by cows, according to him, “I could not get crops that were worth N50,000.
“I can no longer afford to keep my children in school because there is no money to pay their fees or purchase some basic things they need in school. Feeding has become a big problem in my family because if I do not farm, how can I bring food home or get money to buy food?” he asked.
For Dawon Kwon, his major plantations of maize, millet, cabbage and tomatoes attracted buyers from far and near in the recent past.
He said: “Before now, I used to get one pick-up vehicle each for my maize and millet crops. I sold the crops for about N500,000 to N600,000 annually. I planted this one (showing the reporter round his farm) and they came to destroy it.
“I don’t know how I will cope for the rest of the year and next year. I don’t know how I will feed my children.
“Even if I want to plant next year, I cannot afford to buy fertilizer which is about N20,000 per bag. This hardship is just too much to cope with.”
Empty stalls on market days
Doma farmers’ market in Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State plays host to traders and consumers from the length and breadth of the country. Known for its robust yams and delicious millets, among other farm produce, buyers and sellers converged on the market every Wednesday.
That, however, is no longer the case. Residents say the market has become very scanty in recent times as farmers no longer bring crops for sale. Audu-Doma did not hesitate to blame the situation on the herder-farmer crisis, adding that food crisis looms.
He said: “In the past, when you came to Doma market on Wednesday and saw the volume of farm produce meant for sale, you would wonder whether it was human beings that farmed the produce or robots. You would see trailers from the north, the east and the south with traders coming to buy yams, millet and other crops.
But now, it is different. Doma market is no longer functioning like before. I was there during the last market day, and it was virtually empty. All the vehicles that used to come to buy goods are no longer coming.
“No part of the country produces yams like Doma does. But if you go there now, you cannot find yams for sale because nobody farms yams anymore. After you have planted, these herders will come and remove the seedlings and use them to feed their cows.”
The situation is not any different at Kadarko Market in Keana Local Government Area of the state. Residents said farmers in communities that made up the local government area could no longer grow crops massively due to constant herdsmen invasion of their farms. Thus, buyers began to desert the market as they were often disappointed each time they came to the market, only to discover that there is no produce to buy.
Prices of food skyrocket
In the same vein, Plateau State is known for its large vegetable plantations, especially cabbage, carrot, cucumber, spinach and tomatoes. But a walk through the Jos Terminus Market in the Plateau State capital showed huge increases in the prices of foodstuffs, especially the vegetables and staple foods consumed by most Nigerians.
Traders who spoke with the reporter said while before one could buy all the ingredients needed for coleslaw for as low as N300 before now, a medium-sized cabbage now sells for N200 with a lot of haggling and pleading.
“Ten tubers of yam, which sold for between N1,500 and N1,800 earlier in the year now ranges between N3,000 to N5,000. Whereas maize sold for between N180 and N200 per mudu (a common unit of measure) in January, now it sells for N300 per mudu,” Mrs Anne Barau, a trader in the market told the reporter.
Hadiza Musa, another trader in the tomatoes section of the market, corroborated Barau’s claims. According to her, the cost of tomatoes and other vegetables are high. “As such, we always explain to customers why tomatoes, pepper or onions they bought for N200 yesterday are being sold for N300 the next day.
“For now, a basket of tomatoes is N5,000, but last month, it was sold for as high as N9,000 to N10,000. In contrast, a bag of onions is between N30,000 and N32,000.
“Cucumber goes for between N8,000 and N9,000 depending on the bag. Cabbage is between N8,000 and N9,000 per bag. Green pepper is sold between N12,000 and N13,500 per bag while a bag of Irish potatoes goes for between N18,000 and N20,000.
“These were sold at lower rates last month. Most of them increased by 20 to 30 per cent,” Barau said.
•A rice farm destroyed.the legs of the cows could be seen
Farms in ruins
Cabbage, rice, tomatoes and maize are the major crops planted in Riyam village of Tahoss community in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State. The reporter visited at least five farms in the village, most of which lay in ruins as they had been stomped upon and their crops allegedly eaten up by cows.
Residents said one of the farms – a cabbage plantation – was attacked days before the reporter’s visit. They claimed the affected farm was transplanted from the nursery bed to the main bed for maturity, adding that it would have matured in two months, but for the herders’ invasion.
Monday Andrew and John Danjuma whose farms were destroyed were brave enough to apprehend the cows who caused the damage while their herders took to their heels.
Aggrieved farmers, alongside Adamu Dalobo, the village head of Riyam, reported the matter to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) at a nearby station. The police, according to the trio, asked them to release the cows to the herders and report back to the station the following day to enable them resolve the issue amicably.
“The money I invested in farming this year is about N100,000, yet I do not see myself making any harvest this year. Just look at the crops I transplanted; they came yesterday and ate them all. These cows have brought me down. What will I produce? What will I sell? How will I recover my money?”
Dalobo also said that all the farms owned by residents of the community had been destroyed by herders who grazed their cows on the farms.
“This year, my people have nothing to harvest from their farms as these herders have destroyed all their crops.
“All the maize, rice, millet, cabbage, tomatoes and all the traditional crops they planted were destroyed.
“They come at night to destroy the crops. I do not know when they started rearing cows at night. Now, they do night rearing, which we have never seen or heard before unless it is intentional and deliberately done to cripple us financially.
“After destroying the farms and there is nothing left for the cows to feed on, the herders have taken to destroying our gardens at home.”
He lamented that even when the farmers apprehended the invading cows, the police often asked them to release the cows to their herders and come back for discussion. According to him, nothing comes out of such effort as the herders became fiercer in destroying the farmers’ source of livelihood after each discussion.
One-sided clash?
Most farmers who spoke to this reporter in Nasarawa and Plateau states believe that the perennial herder-farmer crisis is one-sided. The farmers believe that they are disadvantaged because they don’t go to the farm with guns, daggers or machetes.
They claimed that they are peaceful people who are only concerned with contributing their quota to food production in the country.
“In these attacks, the farmers are at a disadvantage side because you would not find any farmer with a Dane gun while some of these herders go about with AK-47. They also carry sharp daggers, which they use in threatening any farmer who dare confront them,” Audu-Doma said.
Williams also noted that a Tiv man does not move about with a gun. “We move with hoes and cutlasses when going to the farm, but these herders move about with guns and sharp daggers to kill and terrorise us.
“In most of the attacks I have witnessed, they have sophisticated weapons. They come into your farm with their cows, marching and eating the crops.
“At times they clear the land for their cows to feed and you dare not go there and question them else they will attack you with their daggers or machetes or shoot at you.
“Two of our youths were attacked recently because they tried to prevent the herders from destroying their crops. They shot one of them and used a machete on the other and left him for dead. Luckily, he survived and is currently recovering in the hospital”.
Audu-Doma and Williams believe that the clash is a deliberate attempt on the part of the herdsmen to create a crisis between the farmers and herders continually.
Audu-Doma said: “When people harvested benniseed and leave it to dry, the herdsmen do come to push the benniseed down, because they know that once the benniseed is dried and it drops on the sand, it is very challenging to pick them, and this makes it useless for the farmer. That is a deliberate act.”
They are not alone in their belief. Plateau State-based Odey, among other farmers interviewed, shared the same opinion.
Odey said: “There is nothing like a clash; it is just one-sided attacks because you do not see farmers going to their farms with guns. But these herders move around with weapons like guns and cutlasses. So, people cannot approach them to talk or confront them due to fear of being attacked or getting killed.”
They all lamented that they bore the brunt of the losses as herders often threaten and force farmers to pay compensation for cows killed if they dared retaliate over the destruction of their farms.
The farmers unanimously affirmed that they were often treated unjustly and differently when the herders’ cows destroy their farms.
“Most times, they do not pay any compensation. And if the security agents tried to force them to pay, they often pay an amount that won’t equal the capital invested in the farms. Even some herders go back to the farms to destroy them completely after paying such compensation,” they alleged.
Impact on Food Security
Data released by Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics on December 15, 2021, show that prices of food commodities are increasing geometrically. This may not be unconnected with rising insecurity, including herder-farmer’s hostilities reported in the North Central region of the country, known for its large production of food commodities.
The farmers who spoke with this reporter noted that hunger and starvation is looming over region and the country at large because of the herder-farmer crisis.
“When you talk about food production, mark my words, there will be hunger next year because of these attacks.
“Fear of being attacked on the farms and the shortage of rainfall this year have led to drastic reduction in food production.
“So, unless the government takes steps in addressing this, no doubt, the hunger next year will increase by 70 per cent,” Odey opined.
Dalobo’s argument too is similar to Odey’s thoughts. “These attacks will end up putting Nigerians in hunger, because in my community, we produce a lot, but this year, there was little harvested.
“This would make food scarce in the country because we no longer supply farm produce to other parts of the country, unlike before,” he said.
The leader of Tiv Development Association, a socio-cultural group, Comrade Peter Ahemba also believes that Nigeria will likely suffer famine in the coming year.
Ahemba said: “The clashes between herders and farmers have affected food production because Nasarawa is one of the states that produce food in large scale in the country.
“Benue is often described as the food basket of the nation, but I will tell you that Benue owns the foods. So, if anything is affecting Nasarawa, Benue and Plateau states, then we don’t need to be told that there will be problems in terms of food production in Nigeria and there is going to be hunger in the land.”
Both Nasarawa and Plateau state governments also acknowledged that the crisis have impacted food production in the states negatively.
Alhaji Nuhu Usman Bunu, the Permanent Secretary of Nasarawa State Ministry of Agriculture, said the quantum of farm produce grown across the state had reduced drastically.
He said: “In the North-Central states, the attacks have affected food production, especially during planting and harvesting. The price of food is very high now because of this.
“If farmers do not farm, there would be no food production; therefore, there would be scarcity which will lead to hunger eventually,” he said.
According to Hosea Finangwai, the Commissioner of Agriculture in Plateau State, farmers are afraid and are abandoning their lands.
“Farmlands are being abandoned and not utilised for farming. It is affecting farming activities, increasing the cost of food and discouraging the youths from going into agriculture,” he lamented.
State governments intervene in crisis
Both Nasarawa and Plateau state governments have, over time, intensified efforts aimed at addressing the perennial herder-farmer crisis, culminating in the signing of peace pacts, reports show.
Bunu said there had been relative peace in Nasarawa State in recent times due to several government interventions to ensure peace between the two groups.
“Government has taken measures to ensure peace in the state for farmers to farm and herders to do their job without molestation or attacks.
“There have been consultative meetings between opinion leaders of the farmers and herders’ groups to agree and look at the causes of the clashes to find a lasting solution.
“We are also looking at the drafting of agro-rangers to farms to help guide farmers during planting, harvesting and transportation of agricultural products as we believe that this will prevent attacks,” he added.
In neighbouring Plateau State, Finangwai said the state government was adopting the agro-rangers policy to mitigate the challenges posed by herder-farmer crisis.
“The pilot scheme of the agro-rangers programme was flagged off two years ago in Bokkos Local Government Area. Government intends to spread it to the other local government areas,” he stated.
He confirmed that the state government had also set up an inter-religious committee to sit down with all religious leaders to sensitise and educate them on the need for peaceful co-existence.
In addition, he said, the government was considering setting up a peace building agency. He noted that there is a law against land grabbing and land encroachment in the state.
Most of the farmers in Nasarawa State interviewed by this reporter acknowledged the state government’s efforts towards ensuring peace between farmers and herders.
But their counterparts in Plateau State opined that the state government was doing too little to curtail the attacks and invasions on farms by herders.
This reporter observed that the majority of the farmers in Plateau State, especially from Plateau East senatorial district, have become despondent on the crisis to the extent that they declined to speak when asked for comments regarding attacks on their farms.
They claimed that they had been talking to many people, including the media and civil societies but nothing has come off such efforts..
Will the National Livestock Transformation Programme solve the crisis?
The National Livestock Transformation Programme (NLTP) was launched in 2019 by the Nigerian government to curtail the movement of cattle, boost livestock production and quell the herder-farmer conflict in the country. The plan will be implemented in seven pilot states of Adamawa, Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Nasarawa, Taraba and Zamfara.
President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration came up with the plan following a wave of violence between herders and farmers, notably a surge in related violence which affected rural primarily dwellers in 2018.
The federal government said it has committed 80 per cent funding of the transformation proposals submitted by participating states and has taken preliminary steps toward putting the plan into practice, including providing technical support to help states prepare for implementation, such as help with field surveys and site mapping.
The programme has a ten-year plan with the target that by the end of 2028, there will be at least 119 ranches operating in all participating states, with over two million jobs created in the livestock production, processing and marketing chains.
Some state governments have allocated the sites they intend to use as grazing reserves.
For instance, in Plateau State, the government has designated the Wase and Garga grazing reserves as areas where herders and livestock can settle. Also, in Nasarawa, the state government has selected eight sites in seven local government areas: Awe, Keana, Doma, Mankwar, Konva, Gitata, Kurudu and Loko for the programme.
It will be recalled that the NLTP was launched in Nasarawa state on August 5, 2021. At the event, the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, expressed optimism that the plan, when implemented, would end the herder-farmer crisis in the state.
For Finangwai, he expressed optimism that the Plateau state government is committed to ensuring that the programme limits movement of herders from one place to another, which often leads to their cows entering into farms and destroying crops.
He noted that the NLTP, alongside other state government interventions, would bring an end to the crisis between the two groups in the state.
“The ranching system, especially this programme of the federal government, will be the best solution. It will make everyone be at peace and prevent the Fulani herders from encroaching peoples’ land and destroying crops worth millions of Naira”, Odey said.
Mojisola Alli Macaulay started as a broadcaster and enjoyed the experience for 17 years. She moved on to join politics in her constituency as a councillor and today she is a member of the State House of Assembly. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about her experience working with women and youths, a recent motion on cervical cancer, sex offenders register, memorable moments and more.
What has been your achievements in the past two years as a lawmaker?
We have achieved so much in the past few years that we cannot exhaust it all here. We have sponsored and co-sponsored quite a number of bills and prominent amongst them are the Call for Prosecution of Perpetrators of Indiscriminate Refuse Dumping across the State. (2019), Fatal Gas Explosion at Abule-Ado, Festac Town, Amuwo/Odofin. (2020), Call on the State Government to Regulate the Standard Operating Procedure in Administration of Road Projects in the State. (2019) and a bill on the need to curb incidences of Rape, Defilement of Minors and other Sexual Abuses in Lagos State (2020) just to mention a few.
Also, in terms of empowerment programs at different levels targeted at the different demography of Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1 such as youths, children, women, and even men. We’ve been able to carry out numerous empowerment programs with over 5000 beneficiaries from such and some of these includes Employment assistance, distribution of over 100 Jamb forms, distribution of over 100,000 writing materials to secondary schools in Amuwo Odofin constituency 1, support for various unions, interest groups and institutions in the community. Parley with artisans, skill acquisition programs for residents, modern empowerment for men, women and youths among others.
In terms of projects carried out and facilitated, we’ve been able to embark on some projects and facilitated some. Some of these projects have been done completely while some are in the pipeline and will be delivered soon enough. Some of the projects embarked upon include Supply of 25 personal computers to Festac Girls Junior Secondary School; another is in the pipeline for another school, construction of four boreholes in different strategic locations and repair of some dilapidated boreholes. I also facilitated the repair and construction of roads in the constituency as well as drainage repair and clearing.
Of course there are quite a lot more projects and programs to be facilitated and the process of getting that done has commenced and they surely will be delivered soon enough.
What motivated you to join politics and what has been your experience?
For me, it’s just service to humanity that propels me all the time. I understand the language of humanity and because I’m a Muslim, Allah also likes that when you have the opportunity to help people, you do your best to help them. I know how many calls I receive on a daily basis and how many people’s lives I touch on daily basis that for me is joy in itself. It gladdens my heart. For every good deed, there’s a reward both here on earth and in the hereafter according to the Holy Quran. So, these are what motivates me to do the things I do. The words of Allah, they help me, they guide my thoughts. I have no regrets so far, if you ask me I will still do it again. So, for my antagonists, well, I wish them best of luck because I’m here to stay.
The experience has been bittersweet. A good moment of course, you will enjoy the attention; you will have the opportunity of helping people, serving. I see people happy when I do things for them, women, children, adults, the elderly, widows, touching their lives in my own little capacity. I enjoy all of these moments, just giving back in my community where I grew up. Seeing that my dreams as a young girl came through as I’m also able to give back to that environment that moulded me to become what I am. But I must confess that it’s not all rosy as it may seem. Some people just want to deliberately pull you down because you’re smart intelligent, they just don’t like it. So you as the woman you’ve to brace up and put yourself together and make sure that you’re successful in the long run. With prayer and God on my side , I can’t have the good and not have the bad. So my advice to every woman out there is that you take it to your stride, and forge ahead. Those are the experiences and trust me it’s really not all rosy like I said.
Tell us about your recent motion on cervical cancer, and the recent bill that was just accented Establishment of Sex offenders register to tackle gender based violence?
Well, on that motion, we have started it, it’s in the pipeline. I’ve spoken to some people and we are already consulting with Dr Olaleye of the cervical cancer care at Surulere. We’ve gotten some facts and figures from you. We’re working on it, I’m currently doing my research on that but you know coincidentally it happened at the time of the budget season so we had to put it on hold but we’re working on it. First quarter of next year by the grace of God, we’ll do something about it.
So now that we have the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, we have that to the glory of God. I thank God that My name is also part of the people who brought that bill.
What are some of the memorable moments in your life and career?
So many memories! A lot of memories. Childbirth is a wonderful memory in any woman’s life going in and out of labour rooms, those are memories, and my wedding days are another memory. Memories of you know when I was young as a young lady, looking at the future, not knowing what it will give but still hopeful and working so hard. A lot of memories. Memories of how I started the journey into politics, people said we couldn’t do it and here we are, we thank God, we give God the glory for His never ending mercy. I love God so much, and He has never let me down, He gives me good memories and I hold them to my heart. The memory of winning my election, that one, I cannot forget it for the rest of my life. To the glory of Allah, I’m grateful and just grateful. I think at this point, I must say again, this memory couldn’t have happened, I’m talking about the victory without the support of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; my father, my mentor, my leader. He’s a great man; I want to thank him for also being a huge part of my success stories.
You are also a passionate philanthropist. Let’s talk about your memories of the Mega Empowerment that you did last December. Are you planning same this year?
Like I said, giving it’s very important to help your community and we’re not just giving, our empowerment is based on what the community needs. We’ve given boreholes, we’ve empowered women, we’ve given startup capitals, we’ve given so many empowerment items to lots of women, groups in the last two years or thereabout that I’ve been in office. We have another major empowerment coming up in February, it is going to be a major empowerment. We will be empowering over 500 women in Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1. We’ve reached out to quite a number of children as well, we’ve given so many items to children, some are on scholarships and just about three months ago to commemorate the Children’s Day, and we gave out over 100,000 writing materials to schools in Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1. We just had our Christmas party for 2021 and we fed close to 2,000 children in the community. It’s just a way of saying that we truly care.
What are some of the challenges?
There are so many challenges as a woman. First and foremost, as a woman we are vulnerable to a lot of things, so many things will come your way as unprintable as they sound, but as a woman you must stand firm with your head high up. I want people to understand what I represent as a woman, I keep my virtues, my self-respect and dignity and then this is how I see the challenges transforming or metamorphosing into blessings for me. However, as a woman, you cannot lead or be successful without having challenges, it’s not possible. Even for men they have their challenge but for a woman you have it three times more than that of the male folk. So it is a total package, you cannot separate one from the other. I just know and I’ve learnt just as I’m still learning how to manage it.
What has been the experience working with Women and youths?
Well, they have been very supportive I must say. It’s been a great experience working with them and I’ve enjoyed it all the way. There are challenges, and that is where tolerance, patience, perseverance, empathy comes in. I’m serving so I also understand that in service you must be able to keep your cool, be tolerant, patient, but I think in every field of endeavour, patience is needed, tolerance and perseverance is needed so it’s the same thing. It’s been a fantastic time and they have been supportive.
What inspires your Leadership style?
My upbringing. I come from a much disciplined family, my father was military personnel with the Nigerian Army, my mother was tough, and she was a disciplinarian to the core. So, it was discipline all the way. Discipline, religion, education and moral background inspire my style of leadership. There are things that I just must not be found doing because of the way I was raised and the name of my family. The teachings and doctrines of Islam guides me as well, there are things that I will never be found doing. So, the things you see me do are things that my conscience tells me that God is pleased with. Those are the things that I do.
What are some of the other things that occupy your time?
I sleep a lot, that’s how I relax. I engage in sporting activities, spend a lot of quality time with my children and my husband, these are my friends both home and then on vacation. I read a lot, I love education so I’m always studying. I read my law books, as a lawyer I’m always reading. Even early this morning I was still reading one of my law books on litigation so that’s how it goes. Then, I’m a very good cook. I make out time to cook for my family, I’m an exceptional cook. I make quality meals for my family.
Let’s talk about the people you admire?
Oh, quite a lot. Starting from the international community, I admire a lot of powerful women of Influence. First and foremost, the Vice President of the United States of America, Kamala Harris. She’s my role model. The wife of the former President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, these are women of strength and high level of intelligence. They have strong character; they’re so compassionate, highly intelligent and brave. Back home, I respect the wife of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Yeye Oluremi Tinubu, Hon Abike Dabiri Erewa, Dr Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, Mrs Ibukun Awosika. When it comes to legislation, I respect Honourable Nkiru of the House of Representatives and quite a number of women like that.
What would you consider as the turning point in your career?
I started as a broadcaster, a broadcast journalist, newscaster and full time broadcast journalist spanning over 17 years and I was called to serve as a counselor in my constituency. I never thought I’d ever like politics because of what I knew about politics growing up. But like I said, I always like to serve so when the time came for me to serve, I took it upon myself and that was just the turning point. Then again like I always say that 10% is your desire, 90% is your destiny.
Hilda Manyo Dickson is a chartered accountant working with a multinational. She speaks a bout her personal challenges. First it was infertility, then after giving birth to the baby the child was diagnosed with cancer. In this encounter with Yetunde Oladeinde she talks about how she is helping and supporting children with cancer.
How do you feel about launching your book titled Osunyameye today?
I just feel fulfilled. There is this emotion I struggle with how to express. It is more like a pregnancy you have carried for so long, longer than the regular nine months; then suddenly the birth comes and it is just perfect. I’d kept on postponing the launch date, not sure exactly how to approach or structure it. But one thing was certain I knew I wanted it at home. I wanted a close-knit event because it is a family story. I wanted a
location that would lock people in-home setting and I am excited today, it is all coming together.
Did anyone inspire the book apart from the process you passed through?
I would say that the situation inspired the book. But did anyone encourage me through the journey of birthing the dream; I would say yes, many people. What inspired the book was the vacuum I discovered while going through the childhood cancer journey with my daughter. I was looking for a book During the stem-cell transplant phase of her treatment, wanted a book I could read or someone willing to share their story with absolutely no filters. I needed to anticipate the full picture of what was ahead of us. I needed someone that would be vulnerable enough to share their experiences, emotions and everything in between but it was difficult. So, I had doctors giving me a prognosis. I had one or two people share versions of their journey but I needed that believer that would stand up and reignite that hope in me. I struggled to find that in the form I desired. It was from that point of need, where you know that there is a problem and you are like, what is the solution? That was when I made a vow to God that I would document my story to touch many lives and reignite hope. Subsequently, when I shared that dream, many could connect with the dream and nudged me on to follow it through. That was a vow I made in 2008 and it is coming to pass in 2021. So, you can imagine being pregnant with that dream for a long time. I am extremely grateful to God for this day.
What inspired your down to earth nature?
I would say my upbringing. If I cast my mind back on my background, foundation or the environment I grew up in, maybe I had every reason to act a bit differently or maybe even puffed up.
However, life has dealt me different blows at different times so I guess that’s been helpful. When I see how my parents lived I had no choice; sadly, I just lost my dad in August. Growing up, it was as bad as my dad would only drive a blue Peugeot 504. Each time he needed to change his car, he would buy another blue Peugeot 504. My dad was well to do but did not want his identifier to be material things.
I remember while in boarding school, each time I wrote a list of things I needed for school, no matter how little the bill was, he found a way to reduce the numbers and that forced me to think early on survival techniques while instilling discipline. We had an all-inclusive home that was open to everyone, not just the immediate family. We had a minimum of fourteen people under a common roof each time with no barriers or class segregation. That is probably the origin of being down to earth, accepting everyone and trying to make an impact on people’s lives. Tell us a bit about your professional background as an author?
I am a finance professional, that studied Accounting at university. Though I have had people say I write well on different occasions, maybe from mail exchanges or short articles; truth be told, I am not a writer. This is the first book I have written and who knows, probably the last. However, growing up I did a lot of reading. I could read several books in a row and not get tired. That’s probably where I gleaned from in becoming an author today.
What would this spur you to do next?
I have several plans ahead of me. Some of them were referred to during the launch like building a place where families with sick children can find refuge.
I was in LUTH last week to visit the children oncology unit to ascertain how we can support. Like my daughter shared when she was speaking earlier, it started with her seeing the draft of my book, doing a passion project in school and starting a charity to support children and youths between ages zero to nineteen, dealing with cancer. I was already writing the book to channel profits from sales to support families dealing with cancer so it only made sense to key into her charity initiative. The whole idea in the short term is to provide financial and emotional support to as many children as we can
that are dealing with cancer as well as support causes that could help put an end to the menace. Thankfully over 400 copies of the book had been sold before the launch. The plan is to have the book in as many hands as possible because 100 per cent of the profit is going out to attend to these children. Sooner or later we would be back at LUTH, we would start from there.
Can you tell us what you saw at LUTH when you visited?
I must be sincere, when I stepped into LUTH I had Goosebumps. I started by thanking God for provision. When you are opportune to experience Medical care outside this country then you see what the level we are, you just can’t help but wish for more. Wish for a bigger Nigeria, wish for a better Nigeria. When you are out of this country, at least where my daughter got her treatment, when you are on admission, if not that you are conscious you are in a hospital, you will think you are in a five-star hotel. Beyond that, the medical personnel are not just dedicated but are so professional and equipped. Here in Nigeria, we have a lot of dedicated people no doubt but how equipped are they for
the task ahead? Even in interacting with patients, they buy everything themselves, up to gloves, cotton wool, saline drips… just name it.
What advice do you have for our government based on your comparison now?
If you ask me, let’s start with the Federal institutions. Most of the Indigent and low-income earners; the majority of people that make up Nigeria would rush first to the government facilities. As a country, let’s put those places in order. I know that a lot of individuals assist for instance, when you get to LUTH you will know that a lot of work has gone in but there is room for more. The space there was too tiny for the number of cases. You had up to three people sharing a room. That would rarely happen when you are dealing with cancer in the developed world given the compromised immune system of a cancer patient. A lot of times people die not immediately from cancer but infections. Whenever cancer patients are being treated, because their immune system is compromised, the place needs to be almost sterile. It needs to be germ-free.
Ideally, sharing of rooms should be avoided because one person’s mistakes or filthiness could be life-threatening to the other person.
Let the government improve that sector, provide drugs, medical equipment, train expose the medical personnel and people taking care of the children. A lot of overnment official’s travel out of Nigeria often. Why can’t they be intentional about bringing what they learnt outside the country home? A lot of medical professionals love their job and are ready to impact lives, I will advise the government to equip the hospitals and help the medical professionals fulfill their call of saving lives.
You are an accountant, writer, author and sound like a health professional. What are some of the lessons learnt from the childhood cancer journey?
You forgot to add that I am a certified Coach and speaker (chuckles). I learnt so much. I learnt that staying positive and trusting God is important in fighting life’s battles. Today, courtesy of COVID, we are all wearing masks, well wearing masks is not new to me. After my daughter’s stem cell transplant, she was not allowed to mix with other children. Children love touching things and with little or no effort get in contact with germs. We had to have her isolated. I learnt that as little as the door handle looks, it carries a lot of germs. I learnt to use paper or tissue in opening doors and using my knuckles in choosing elevator floors, I learnt that the power of sanitizing and handwashing should not be underestimated. Beyond that, the power of networks should not be taken lightly. A lot of family members and friends stood by us. The first car I drove on the highways of America, was from my brother’s family friend I met in the US. She gave me a car which I drove for over four months. I tell people, it is important to deposit into relationships when things are going well. Don’t wait for things to go wrong because when they go downhill is not when to start making friends or calling for help. At that point, help will come naturally because you had sown in several ways earlier on.
IF sweet melodies are made of good memories, then the air of conviviality that pervaded everywhere at the just-concluded Muson Christmas Concert sponsored by the Mandilas Group, the famous household name in cooling, automobile and other allied products and services, will linger still.
The concert which held at the MUSON Centre with Mandilas as the official sponsor for the second consecutive year was indeed a showstopper and anyone in doubt had their doubts assuaged as the customary elegance and felicity expected of such a moment was there for all to see at the Shell/Zenith Bank Hall of the music city.
The two-part event began as the MUSON Choir and Chamber Orchestra led by Sir Emeka Nwokedi dished out a medley of songs and revues rendered in English and the various local dialects.
Among the repertoire from MUSON choir included, “Awon angeli tin korin, God is good, Amuworo Anyi Ou Nwa, Kaabo by Sam Ojukwu, Adeboye Banjo and Victus Eze respectively.
Then came the turn of the Mandilas choir to thrill the audience and they didn’t disappoint. The Mandilas Choir made up of 10 females and five males performed a class act to the admiration of all.The Mandilas Choral Team serenaded the audience with a beautiful rendition of Calypso Carol, Keresimesi O De and Oye – God is Good (a Ghanaian Song).
Speaking on the performance of the evening, the GCEO of Mandilas, Ms. Ola Debayo-Doherty, said: “Indeed, Mandilas has been here for over 70 years, and we are so delighted to share the joy of the Christmas season with beautiful voices and good music; it doesn’t get better than that. I enjoyed this evening very much.”
Upbeat, an elated Debayo-Doherty later remarked that the concert was a way of bringing people together. “It is said that music is the language of love. I believe that as human beings, we sing for everything. In every situation, there is a sound. When you invest in music, you bring a lot of joy and laughter to the people and give them a moment to forget whatever their fears are and what is out there. We see this as a way to give a little back to society and help train our people. And I believe it is good to empower young people, and particularly people with talent. That’s practically what we are about at Mandilas.”
Pressed further, she said, “Last year we celebrated our 70th and if you remember, it was a Covid-19 year. So there wasn’t so much we could do because we were all locked down for most of the year. This was the only avenue we could come together and say you know what, we thank God that we have been here for 70 years and opportunity came to partner with MUSON and so we did.”
The icing on the cake was the reenactment of the story of Mary prelude to the birth of Jesus Christ with all the cast resplendent just like the pristine times. The act was titled, ‘Maranatha, a Christmas Musical’ by Gabriel Angelo Ekum, an alumnus of MUSON.
The cast earned a standing ovation as Ms Francesca Chiejina, soprano solo, David Ihechukwu, who played King Herod in the musical also conducted the Mandilas choir.
The curtain closed for the evening with the rendition of the famous “We wish you a merry Christmas by Arthur Warrell and Feliz Navidad” with full audience participation.
In his closing remarks, Chairman of MUSON, Mr. Louis Mbanefo (SAN), thanked the sponsor for helping to put the event together. “I’m delighted that we were able to put up this event with the Mandilas Group. 38 years ago, we resolved that every Christmas, we will host a Christmas concert, and this has become a tradition for Muson.”
Mbanefo who later alluded to the abundance of talent in the country, urged government at all levels to find a way of investing in talents, especially the youths to encourage more productivity among the teeming youths.
