The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

  • ‘Prominent ministers wanted me to join their cult’

    ‘Prominent ministers wanted me to join their cult’

    The general overseer of Christ Anointed Church Peculiar International Ministry Lagos, Prophet Jeremiah Hephzibah, is different things to different people. He spoke with newsmen last week on his many curious acts. Sunday Oguntola was there

     

    Many people have argued you have no roots. Let’s begin with where you actually came from

    Is there any man without roots? I was born into the family of Tunde Ogunjimi of Ilesa, Osun State. But I was born in Lagos. I left Lagos for Ibadan in 1980 to continue my primary school education. I later went to Ilesha to complete my secondary school.

    I also attended CYNDICO seminary in Ibadan. I am from a polygamous family but my father was the first man to marry more than one wife and it was for a peculiar reason. His first wife only gave birth to female children, about six of them.

    In his prayer for a male child, a prophet in a community called Olatunbosun village then told my father that he would have to marry another woman before he could have a male child. Though such announcement did not go well with my grandfather and father because they were Christians, they eventually succumbed.

    The prophet told my father that he would meet my mother here in Lagos at Mushin market. My father came to Lagos from Ibadan searching for my mother and later met her. They got married secretly without the knowledge of the first wife.

    Several years later, my grandfather asked my mother to bring me to Ibadan and I was taken to my step mother house to greet her but I was told she poisoned me to the extent that I was unconscious for three days.

    But one of the family members insisted that I would not be buried until the arrival of Prophet Olatunbosun, the man that prophesied my birth. But I regained consciousness few minutes before the arrival of the prophet.

    That is why a majority of my family members respect the call of God on my life because they all testify to series of attack that I encountered as a teenager and how God miraculously delivered me.

    In 1995, I came to Ibadan to start plank business and I was one of Briscoe Company suppliers. Then I lived a free life because I realised lot of money from the business.

    Then, how did you get into the ministry?

    I went into ministry in year 2002. Before then, God told me that He would use me for His work but I declined and God told me that I would  be blind if I did not yield to His instructions.

    Eventually I got blind and I had to call one of my stepsisters to help me out and she tried her best. All proved abortive until 2002 that God Himself asked me if I was ready to be His prophet and take the gospel to wherever He would send me and I replied that I was ready to obey. Immediately, He restored my sight.

    Around 1:30pm of that very day, my eyes opened after being blind for two years and the next day I started preaching the gospel even though I didn’t know how to preach, I forced myself.

    Since then I have a strong belief and faith in God. I do not believe in impossibility and that is why I can speak authoritatively today because I have the backing of the Almighty God.

    Did you undergo ministerial training anywhere before you started the church?

    I started in my father’s church, Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) in Ibadan as an evangelist and when God asked me to start my own ministry, I told the ministers of God and they gave me their blessing.

    From there, I went for a nine- month special prayer and in 2003 I started Christ Anointed Church Peculiar International Ministry.

    In 2006, I started coming to Lagos for revival.

    How much of challenges have you faced since?

    There are lots of challenges. When I started, I could not afford to pay N5, 000 monthly rent for the apartment we were using. One Sunday morning, the man came and closed the place despite the fact that I was not around. It was very painful and I went back to the mountain crying why God called me when at least I was doing fine with my plank business.

    There was nobody to assist or help me but one thing that kept me moving was the assurance that I had from God He will use me mightily.

    You mentioned Jesus does not care much about miracles but your church advertises more of miracles. How do you reconcile this?

    Jesus Christ said that these signs shall follow those who believe in His name, that they shall cast out demons, heal the sick, raise the dead, amongst others, but the number one thing we preach here is the Kingdom of God and all His righteousness. After sermon then the work healing, restoration and others will begin.

    What brought about the name ‘Baba Peculiar’?

    It was when people started witnessing what God is doing through me that they gave me that name. I am a young man but they gave me the name Baba peculiar.

    Any regret?

    I do not regret coming into the ministry. I was only sad when I did not have anyone to assist me in the ministry; then I questioned God but I did not regret.

    Have you come across shocking developments among ministers that saddened you?

    Yes, I must be honest. There was a time some ministers of God asked me to join their occultic group. Many prominent ministers are involved but they threatened to deal with me. I was ambushed several times but God delivered me from their hands.

    Who is your mentor?

    I do not have any minister as my mentor; Jesus Christ is my role model. Although I respect and honour these ministers of God.

    I respect late Pastor Obadare and Pastor Enoch Adeboye. Pastor Adeboye is a true man of God but God told me that he may not make heaven because of people that surround him. He also refused to tell these people the truth again.

    Have you ever prayed for someone and such did not receive healing?

    I have experienced such several times because God is the only healer; He only uses me as His vessel for His children.

  • The vocation of Christian business leaders

    Lighting up the world

    If the Church would truly witness to the life of Jesus Christ she must bring forth light in moments of darkness for Jesus called himself “light of the world” (Jn 8:12).  The Church, here, is more than the four walls of a building. It is the living people of God, on pilgrimage to her heavenly home.

    This is the people to whom St. Paul addressed his admonition in his letter to the Colossians: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col. 3: 1-2).

    Between theory and practice

    Numerous parts of the Scripture remind and exhort Christians to stand up and be counted for Jesus Christ at critical moments, given the opportunity to witness to their commitment. Numerous as well are the clear occasions of failure where in spite of professed Christianity, little difference is seen in the conduct and character of Jesus’ followers. Mahatma Ghandhi, the great Indian leader is often quoted that he would have been a Christian if only Christians were like Christ.

    Bridging the Gap

    The Church still challenges her members at all levels to shine out like light in the world. In fact, the template for the Church’s call to all Christians exposed to public life is found in the words of Jesus:  “For what does it profit a man if he gain the whole world and loses his soul” (Mk. 8:36)? Recently, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, with the mind of the Church, published a reflection entitled “Vocation of the Business Leader”. In the executive summary to the publication coordinated by President of the Council, Ghanaian-born Peter Cardinal Turkson, these very significant words appear:

    “Obstacles to serving the common good come in many forms – corruption, absence of rule of law, tendencies towards greed, poor stewardship of resources – but the most significant for a business leader is leading a divided life. The split between faith and daily business practice can lead to imbalances and misplaced devotion to worldly success.

    The alternative path of faith-based “servant leadership” provides business leaders with a larger perspective and helps them to balance the demands of the business world with those of ethical social principles, illumined for Christians by the Gospel.

    This is explored through three stages: seeing, judging and acting, even though it is clear that these three aspects are deeply interconnected”. The main focus of the said reflection is inspired by the current business situation whereby we seem to be having “more private goods but are lacking significantly in common goods”. It is very clear from here where the Church’s bias lies.

    One humanity and one destiny

    The Church’s concern and interest in these issues is the geowing gap between the rich and poor, the have and have-nots in the contemporary world. God simply did not plan things that way. The Scriptures emphasise that people are meant to feel responsible for each other and for God’s creation. Jesus said “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded: and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (Lk. 12:48).

    If the Church will ever make an impact on modern society and Christianity fulfil its mission, business leaders too must live up to their roles as co-responsible participants in the developing of a more just and equitable world. Conscientious Christian business leaders could encapsulate the entire reflection of the Pontifical Council with a few questions which have always been central to Catholic Teaching, viz: Do I promote human dignity and the common good? Do I support the culture of life, justice, transparency. Labour standards and the fight against corruption? Do I promote the integral development of the person in my workplace?

    Standing up and standing out

    It really all boils down to the important difference between businessmen who are first businessmen before being Christians and those who are first Christians before being businessmen. Clarity about these conceptualizations makes a world of difference. It incarnates the difference between Zacchaeus before he met Jesus and Zacchaeus when salvation entered his house and life. The latter obviously is the true image of the Christian businessman (Luke 19: 1-10).

    Badejo is the Catholic Bishop of Oyo and  Chairman Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) Directorate of Communications.

  • NOSCEF rises against terror

    NOSCEF rises against terror

    Hemmed on all sides by terror attacks, Christian leaders and traditional rulers met in Abuja last week to chart the path of peace, reports Sunday Oguntola 

    They came with anguished hearts and dampened spirits. They had been bruised, battered and brutalised. But there was a glimmer of hope in their strides and eyes as they walked into the Ecumenical Centre, Abuja last week. It was at the national conference of the Christian Elders Forum of Northern States (NOSCEF) where they had been invited to deliberate on the ceaseless attacks against their communities.

    Some of them were ordinary northerners; some community leaders. They were also traditional rulers, policy makers, church leaders and leaders of interest groups from the north. Their mission was simple: compare notes on their attacks against them and devise means of getting peace at all costs. This was the atmosphere at the Christian centre last week.

    NOSCEF’s chair, Olaiya Philips, welcomed the delegates to the conference, saying it was most timely and strategic to endanger peace in the troubled northern states. “We need to come together and provide a strong voice for our communities. We need everyone on board,” he charged.

    From Borno with fear

    To get a firsthand experience of how badly the terror war has affected the north, Prof. Nuhu Gworgwor, recounted how the insurgents have practically taken over the whole of Borno State. The villages and hinterland communities, he pointed out, have been raided, razed and deserted by locals. Of the five roads that lead to Maiduguri, he said, only the Damaturu road remains accessible. The others, according to him, have been overrun by terrorists, making them impassable for residents and travellers.

    “The moment they take it, we are completely siege off and anything can happen to us,” he warned. On the modus operandi of the Boko Haram sect, he said: “They send us notices and when they come, they won’t be protection for us. Our freedom to free worship has been contained. We are all terrified”.

    He lamented that churches might no longer open for services in Borno State, going by the numerous attacks against them. He solicited for government’s support to arrest the tide and prayers of all believers to scale through the stormy challenges.

    Forgiving the attackers 

    The Secretary for Inter Religious Affairs for the Church of England, Rev. Dr Toby Howarth, who delivered the keynote address, called on Christians never to retaliate the many attacks against them. Forgiveness, he counselled, is critical to winning the terror war. Using the Egypt’s experience as an example, he said the country is still standing because Christians have refused to retaliate in the face of needless provocations.

    “We must never strike back. That is the way of Christ. That is what Jesus did himself. We must refuse to retaliate because that will give the attackers enough reasons to do even much worse,” Howarth began. “We must tell our kids that they must not hate because the way of Christ is the way of love.”

    Admitting this could be tough in the face of ceaseless attacks, he pointed out that Christians worldwide are praying for their Nigerian counterparts to pull through and demonstrate their faith in the face of strongest oppositions. “God is with you. Jesus knows about your persecution and challenges. He won’t leave you and we are praying for us. That is the best anybody can do in this circumstance,” he added.

    Combining force and dialogue

    Olaiya, in his speech, called for application of maximum force and dialogue to resolve the nagging terror war. According to him: “The army must start putting effective pressure on Boko Haram to stop the massacres.  They should stop being timid and harness military, intelligence and police support. With the situation so dire, our communities need all the help we can get.

    “They need to use the mailed fist of force to put the killers on the back foot. At the same time, they need to reach out with the hand of peace to end this conflict for good in the way that Jesus taught us.”

    This combination, he assured, will win the terror war. He also said every Nigerian must raise their voices against increased violence across the nation. “It’s time to stand up and speak out. It’s time we stood up and spoke out – about the importance of religious values and the religious freedoms of our people.

    “Time we stood up and spoke out – about the importance of protecting minorities from persecution. Time we stood up and spoke out – about the provision of equal access to education, healthcare and justice for all Nigerians.

    “Time we stood up and spoke out – about preserving the secular state and the integrity of the nation.

    “I do not fear the consequences of taking this approach whatever the controversy, but I do fear the consequences of war without end and terror enduring, for we have seen it for ourselves.”

    Olaiya warned: “There is a terrible price to be paid for silence in the face of violence; for apathy in the face of oppression; and for indifference in the face of injustice.”

    Winning the terror war

    The National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, said the Boko Haram malaise is the current manifestation of a long-standing demon that has been afflicting the soul of northern Nigeria.

    Lamenting the thousands of churches and Christians destroyed by the sect, Oritsejafor said every peace-loving Nigerian must be committed to ending the group’s demonic attacks.

    To end the insurgency, the CAN’s helmsman said the country must begin to be truthful in its classification and analysis of the sect’s activities. “We must face the truth that Boko Haram underlining ideology is religion. Don’t tell me it is political or poverty because it is not. Until we accept this, we have not started winning the war,” he stated.

    He also challenged Muslim cleric, traditional rulers and politicians to engage the sect’s radical ideology with a “superior, stronger ideology that promotes peace”. An ideology, he said, cannot be shut off by guns but a superior ideological orientation. “We need our Muslim brothers to help and engage the insurgents with superior ideologies,” he appealed.

    Olaiya announced the formal take-off of the computers for Christians’ project aimed at improving education for northern school children. The initiative, he stated, also include the emergency preparedness and response plan for pre and post-attack responses among churches and Christians.

    “While we continue to raise our voices for investment in jobs and businesses – we will provide opportunities for people to learn new skills and trades and start their own businesses.

    While we continue to raise our voices for the protection and safety of our community – we will provide assistance in helping our churches prepare for disasters, so that should the worst happen, they will be ready to respond,” he explained.

    Traditional rulers from northern communities pledged to serve as peace agents in their localities. The Agom-Adara 111 in Kaduna State, His Royal Highness Dr Maiwada Galadima, said they would stop at nothing to promote peace coexistence among their subjects. The Osana of Keana in Nasarawa State, His Royal Highness Emmanuel Elayo, promised he and his colleagues would form a powerful consensus against violence and attacks in their domains. “Everyone is our subject and we have what it takes to direct them towards the path of peace,” he assured.

    The conference ended with the signing of a charter for peace by NOSCEF. The charter appealed to government officials to step up security and called on everyone to collaborate for peaceful coexistence.

  • Adaeze Yobo’s profile soars

    Adaeze Yobo’s profile soars

    Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (2008), Adaeze Stephanie Yobo, has joined the echelon of world class super celebrities on the Africa Fashion Week Ambassadors List.

    Adaeze joined the ranks of other Celebrity Ambasadors on the AFWL platform such as Ghana Ex Beauty Queen, Menaye Donkor, Congo DCR Ex Beauty Queen, Supermodel and UN Ambassador for Peace, Noella Coursaris Musunka, Bassist and lead vocalist of the Noisettes British Band, Shinghai Shoniwa, Sky Tv Presenter, Lukwesa Burak, and Ugandan Born Editor of the London-based New Africa Woman Magazine, Regina Jane Jere.

    In her capacity as AFWL ambassador, Adaeze will be working closely with some of the world’s best celebrities of African origin such as Yinka Shonibare, artist and Member of the British Empire (MBE) and director of the Tiwanis Art Gallery London, and Princess Fifi Ejindu, Nigerian-born, world class architect and real estate entrepreneur and life patron of Africa Fashion Week London. Together, they will all gear-up efforts towards increasing and strengthening the pedestal for launching the careers of young African-inspired fashion designers globally.

    Married to international soccer star, Joseph Yobo, 24-year-old Adaeze achieved her childhood dream of becoming the most beautiful girl in Nigeria in 2008, at the age of 18, beating 29 other beautiful Nigerian women to the crown. She also represented Nigeria at Miss World 2008 in South Africa, making the top 20 list in Miss World Talent, and placed second in Miss World Sports. In 2011, she was ranked 92, in a list of 101 sexiest soccer wives and girlfriends, according to Bleacher Report.

  • Churches can still ban weapons after Georgia’s open carry gun law takes off

    The Georgia Safe Carry Protection Act went into effect last Tuesday but legislators allowed certain institutions to continue to restrict weapons in their buildings.

    Bars, churches, government buildings and schools are now the only Georgia establishments that can legally stop someone with a Georgia Weapons Carry Permit from bringing a gun into their facilities.

    But the decision is optional.

    Faith Worship Center International pastor Norman Hardman is one of the church leaders that opted to ban the weapons.

    “I think that if we let people go loosely, we’ll have a vigilante spirit,” he said.

    “So now we have to control what’s in our churches. I’m glad that at this point, we can put up a sign that says, ‘You can’t bring this in here.’”

    The Muscogee County City Services Building is requiring all persons to enter through a back entrance so that they can be processed by security.

    Georgia governor Nathan Deal signed the Safe Carry Protection Act into law on April 23.

    The National Rifle Association called it the “most comprehensive” gun law in the state’s history and Americans for Responsible Solutions Senior Advisor Pia Carusone called the law dangerous and irresponsible.

    “Among its many extreme provisions, it allows guns in TSA lines at the country’s busiest airport, forces community school boards into bitter, divisive debates about whether they should allow guns in their children’s classrooms, and broadens the conceal carry eligibility to people who have previously committed crimes with guns,” she told CNN.

    She also stated that Georgia law enforcement agencies, local politicians, and the Transportation Security Administration find the law “potentially harmful” to citizens.

    Governor Deal said that the legislation actually protects citizens.

  • Aviation sector needs prayers, says Otubusa

    The Coordinator of the Christian Fellowship of National Airspace Management Agency, Funsho Otubusa, has solicited prayer supports for safety in the aviation sector.

    He spoke at the bi-annual National Prayer for the Safety of Nigeria Airspace organised by the African Children of Peace Club of the African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives at the Murtala Muhammad Airport, Lagos.

    The event tagged trusting and standing on the promises of God attracted over 50 students and featured prayers, drama presentations, bible teachings and prophetic ministrations.

    Though he noted aviation mangers have done a lot to boost safety, he said prayers would ensure the sector does not record any disaster.

    Otubusa said: “Prayer is not too much because we have seen that God is working and doing a lot in terms of keeping our airspace safe.”

    The founding President of AFPLI, Rev Titus Oyeyemi, challenged Christians to remain firm in trusting God for protection.

    He said: “Whether we are walking on the pathways, driving on the highways, flying in the airplane in the airways or sailing in the ships on the seaways, we must continue to trust the promises of God for our protection and safety.”

  • Omatseye advises aspiring journalists against stereotypes

    Omatseye advises aspiring journalists against stereotypes

    Chairman, Editorial Board of The Nation newspapers, Mr. Sam Omatseye, has advised young aspiring journalists to avoid stereotype and always tell the truth in defence of justice, fairness and equity.

    Omatseye made this appeal at the fifth edition of Student Acquiring Media Skills (SAMS) organised by African Foundation for Peace and Love Initiatives in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Education and Metro Fm, Lagos, held recently at Metro Fm, Broadcasting House, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    The programme tagged, ‘Peace Education for the Growth of Inter-religious, Inter-ethnic Dialogue in the Media’ brought together over 150 students, teachers and schedule officials from six education districts in Lagos and featured talks and practical sessions on newspaper publishing, radio and television presentation skills and radio production.

    Omatseye also said that the need for fair and balanced reporting of news and events in the media is apt, timely and germane for peace and sustainable development in Nigeria. He cited the Spanish-American war and the Nigerian civil war as examples of crisis that were orchestrated by media practitioners who were biased and one sided in their report on issues, opinion and views.

    Earlier, the founding president of the foundation, Rev Titus Oyeyemi, called on Nigerians and the aggrieved insurgency group to toe the path of mutual dialogue and put an end to the ongoing violence ravaging the country.

    He said: “I am calling on the group to release everyone in their captivity including our girls.”

    He applauded the efforts of the international community for sympathising with Nigeria at this time, while cautioning everyone to be mindful “not to escalate the troubles but instead to use your maturity and advanced technology to benefit the victimised at every strata of the affected society.”

    He also warned against retaliation or paying evil with evil.

    The Head of Department of Mass Communication, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Mr. Jide Johnson, advised media owners to put in place greater safety measures for journalists, and their families against hazards. He also appealed to journalists to perform their duty with all sense of responsibility.

  • How to curb abortion, social vices’

    The Order of the Knights of Saints Mulumba (KSM) Maryland Sub-Council has reiterated that responsible parenthood will help to curb abortion, homosexuality and other vices in the society.

    It said anti-life practices such as use of contraceptives and same-sex practices are against godly and natural mandates.

    This was the consensus at the pro-life seminar organised by the group, which attracted secondary school students drawn from institutions in Lagos.

    The theme of the seminar was “The human family: A fountain of Grace.”

    The Grand Knight of KSM Maryland sub-council, Mr. Bernard Nkwo, noted that the group’s battle against abortion, which started four years ago, has become very challenging due to the erosion of cultural values.

    “Our values as Nigerians have been westernised,” he lamented.

    In his keynote address, a Catholic cleric, Rev. Fr. Nwachukwu, stated the family is a reflection of the society.

    He emphasised that human life is of a fundamental value.

    Nwachukwu noted all deadly acts aimed at deliberately destroying human life are offensive and evil.

    Every life, he added, is sacred and should be protected at all costs.

    He frowned at the legalisation of abortion in several countries as pills, contraceptives and other sophisticated equipment from the western world are allowed to thrive.

    “The church and the larger society also should strive harder to imbibe good morals in the children who are tomorrow’s future.

    “Above all, we must pray to God to transform the lives of those who commit such a deadly act and help them to realise that abortion is evil,” he said.

    Giving an Islamic perspective, Alfa Awwal Muftau, noted that abortion is bad and against the injunction of God.

    He said: “Do not kill your children for fear of poverty for Allah would provide for them. Killing of children both born and unborn is a great sin.”

    To arrest the situation, the Muslim cleric said Nigerians must go back to their God.

    Muftau said: “If we can do what God has commanded us to do, we would not have any regret.

    “It is regrettable that we have abandoned God’s way and chose to follow the ways of the western ideas and ideologies and borrowed everything from them which is alien to our culture and that is why they are selling anti- God ideologies to us.

    On Boko Haram, he condemned the endless killings and attacks carried out by the sect members.”

    According to him: “If you have grievances, you seek redress in the law court. We have the Islamic Sharia Court, High Court, Court of Appeal and if you are not satisfied you go to the Supreme Court and its judgment is the final.

    “So, no one must take laws into his hand since we have the judiciary. God said we should respect constituted authorities and they have put up a procedure for aggrieved persons to seek redress.”

  • ‘I see Pidgin English as a valid language’

    ‘I see Pidgin English as a valid language’

    London-based Ruona Agbroko-Meyer is a Nigerian whose Nigerian nuances – especially her passion for the popular Pidgin English – have continued to wax stronger. She recently took that passion a step further when she launched Reason Am! – a Pidgin English audio service which simplifies complex news and current affairs for the benefit of African audiences. She shares her passion and exploits with Gboyega Alaka

    HOW did you develop your passion for Pidgin English? You seem to be quite an apostle?

    I would say Pidgin English found me, actually. I picked it up as a matter of routine growing up in Lagos. My parents, for some reason, did not speak our native language, Urhobo, a lot at home. It was mainly English, but my mother’s siblings who lived with us children at the time regularly spoke Pidgin. So I picked up “Waffi pidgin” from home, and consolidated it whilst schooling and working in Lagos. But English remained my first language. It was not until I moved to London that I sort of unconsciously rebelled and began to speak and write Pidgin English a lot, as a way of connecting to home, I am sure. And if I seem to be an apostle, then it isn’t intentional, I can assure you; it is only because I see Pidgin English as a valid language, one which speakers should not be ashamed of.

    What’s about Reason Am!? Is Reason Am! an online media site or radio? Who are you targeting?

    Reason Am! is a Pidgin English audio service which simplifies complex news and current affairs for the benefit of African audiences. So we have podcasts which help people understand policies like the Lagos Cremation Law, Nigeria’s Freedom of Information Law and even economic concepts like GDP rebasing and privatisation. We aren’t limited to policies; we’ve also tackled new events where public awareness needs to be raised like INEC’s Voters Registration and CBN’s Bank Verification Number. These podcasts can be listened to on www.reasonam.com and they are free; meaning anybody can download them and make use of the audio, provided they ensure complete attribution. This project is currently self-funded but we hope to make the shift to radio in the shortest time possible. The grassroots are the main target, so they can be informed in a language they can relate to. We made this an entirely audio product to eliminate issues of literacy. Our main target is native speakers of English, and even people who have Pidgin English as a second language. Pidgin is spoken by millions of people in West Africa and we want to hopefully go beyond entertainment and deliver current affairs content to Pidgin English speakers because they deserve to be as knowledgeable as other audiences. We have also collaborated, and are collaborating with NGOs in Nigeria, where we have recently translated articles into Pidgin to raise public awareness on Local Government Budgets, for example.

    A lot of people still think that pidgin is low-class; do you really think there is a future in glorifying Pidgin English?

    I always say this is a narrow-minded view that would be very laughable if it wasn’t so dangerous. In fact, you hear people having pre-conceived notions of Pidgin English speakers and treating them as second-class citizens, yet these same people get excited to see people like “Kayode Oyinbo” and other foreigners speaking Pidgin English. I daresay if we were not colonised by the British then we would have likely had Pidgin and our mother tongues as our only languages! There will always be people who speak Pidgin in our midst, and while I am not a fortune teller I can say there needs to be more content, more programming for this audience demographic.

    Tell us a bit about your background and other stuffs you’re currently engaged in.

    I’m a journalist, with a first degree in Microbiology from the University of Lagos, and Postgraduate degrees in Media Studies and Broadcast Journalism from Wits University, South Africa and Westminster University in London respectively. I have worked for over a decade in journalism, starting with Thisday newspaper, moving to GTBank for a brief stint in Corporate Communications before moving to NEXT newspapers. I have worked for global news agency, Reuters in South Africa, and the Financial Times in London. I currently live in London and freelance as a corporate writer, blog for SabiNews and periodically contribute to Nigerian organisations like Premium Times, The Cable and BudgIT. When the finances allow, I try to do my bit and offer free journalism training programmes in Nigeria.

    With your academic and work background, one would expect you to be all Queen’s English and prim and proper….

    I have to laugh at this point because I can actually be like that, but there is a time and a place for every language. I will never waste my time speaking “through my nose” when the person I need to deliver information to needs to hear it as fast and as accurately as possible. As a journalist, my pledge is to inform; and if for instance my audience speaks Pidgin and the brief calls for it then I definitely would not be showing off my impeccable Queen’s English just because I can, see? Reason Am! started because I reported on the Shell/Bodo case in London and after writing all the “big grammar,” I realised that the villagers who had sued Shell would never be able to understand the legal arguments of the case. My mentor, Mr Taiwo Obe, who is a staunch advocate for Pidgin encouraged me to report the case also in Pidgin. And so I recorded an audio summary of the Shell case in Pidgin alongside the English copy. So, yes, people get shocked when they hear me speak English and two Reason Am! listeners who I spoke to via Skype confessed that they expected me to sound different. There are other people that are surprised to hear I have won awards for journalism and all that…. I remain true to my craft and where needed, I will “blow Pidgin” or switch to being Ms Prim and Proper English.

    You once spoke about writing a novel in pidgin….

    I am very keen on Pidgin English and a lot of the time I think in Pidgin; yes you can take the girl out of Nigeria but you cannot take the Nigerian out of this girl. Some experiences just refused to come out on the page until I started writing them out in Pidgin, encouraged by Mr. Obe. So I am collecting my thoughts and working on this novel which has a subject I don’t want to mention publicly just yet. It is going really slowly because I have other work commitments, so it’s 50-50. If it ever gets published, I promise you will be the first to know!

  • Justin Bieber wants ‘open relationship’ with Selena Gomez

    Justin Bieber wants ‘open relationship’ with Selena Gomez

    Justin Bieber doesn’t want to commit himself to Selena Gomez as he’d like to date other women as well.

    The 20-year-old singer has recently rekindled his romance with the ‘Come & Get It’ hitmaker, but he’s now decided he doesn’t want to commit himself to just her.

    A source told the HollywoodLife.com: “He wants an open relationship with Selena, and he actually thinks he can make it happen. A lot of the guys he hangs out with now get away with that kind of thing, they talk about it all the time and that’s got in Justin’s head.”

    The ‘Baby’ hitmaker – who has been in an on/off relationship with Selena since 2010 – has been spotted with a string of girls recently, including his former fling Chantel Jeffries, who he took on vacation in February.

    However, Selena’s friends believe the brunette beauty, 21, isn’t fazed by Justin’s flirtatious behaviour with other women because she’s brain-washed by him.