The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Adeyinka Akintunde

  • Building true unity among Nigerian Christians

     Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    There is lack of unity amongst Nigerian Christians today. Many churches exist in Nigeria, all with different doctrines, beliefs and ways of approaching the same God. From the Orthodox churches, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Anglican, the Catholic church, the white garment and to the Pentecostal churches, different thoughts are served from the very many pastors and general overseers, to the expectant members.

    Some teach that God is so holy that he cannot behold sin, and as such, members must continually examine themselves, whether they are still in Him, in order to avoid His anger and judgement. Others say that the grace of God is sufficient, and so, it is not for man to be conscious of sin all the time, but to stand firm in the liberty and righteousness of Christ.

    From time immemorial in Nigerian Christianity, different issues have reared their heads, with questions on its rightness or otherwise hovering around it. A quick example is whether it is right for a woman to put on trousers, ear rings and make up. Another is on the question of tithes, and who receives it.

    This is a proof of the divisions that exist amongst Nigerian Christians. It is sad to note that people, most especially women, go to church just for miracles from their “man of God” in their various churches. No one wants to have a close relationship with God, learn his ways and live on earth like Him again.

    Another unfortunate observation reveals that a member of a church like the Redeemed Christian Church of God can give justifiable reasons why he should not be found in Christ Embassy, and a member of the Celestial Church of Christ should not worship in the Deeper Life Bible Church, or the Catholic Church. The list is endless.

    The big question on the unity of Nigerian Christians continues to linger. When will the divisions among Nigerian Christians end, such that true love and acceptance becomes truly evident?

    Like Jesus Christ prayed in the Holy Scriptures, it is for the benefit of all if Nigerian Christians will be one in faith, doctrine.

    Paul the Apostle, in writing to the Ephesian church, also urged them to “endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace”. He further stressed that there is only “One body, One Lord, One faith and One baptism.”

    This is one sure way to fulfil a line of the Nigerian national anthem “one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity”

     

  • GODWIN KIENKA: How we dragged Venus, Serena Williams to Lagos

    Seven years after world renowned tennis sisters, Serena and Venus Williams’ paid a historic visit to Nigeria, GODWIN KIENKA, ITA Director, finally reveals how he managed to convince the legendary duo to come to Nigeria. He spoke with Adeyinka Akintunde.

     

    The visit of tennis super stars, Venus and Serena Williams, in 2012 remains fresh in the memory of Nigerians. The sports icons were in Lagos to inspire women and youths to follow their dreams and achieve success.

    While in Nigeria, they had an interactive session with girls from selected schools in Lagos and also played against each other at the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club.

    The brain behind their visit, Godwin Kienka, director of the International Tennis Academy (ITA), said their visit to Nigeria was in response to a campaign against the bad publicity black players were suffering. Though he refuses to take credit for bringing the ladies to Nigeria, he, however, revealed that he started the process of achieving that feat.

    “I cannot claim that I brought them when they finally came, but it was me that started the process. I was covering international events, so I set up a magazine called the Tennis Africa Magazine, which was promoting black players all over the world

    “They really appreciated it, and we became family, because the father was appreciative of the fact that Serena and Venus Williams, James Blake, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and others, were not getting the kind of credit that they needed to get.

    “The Williams sisters were seen as ‘black monkeys’ and all kinds of bad pictures in Europe. The Tennis Africa was the one countering those bad images and they were shocked that that kind of magazine was coming out of Africa. I could ask anything and they would do it. So, when we wanted to bring them to Nigeria, they were close to getting into the plane and coming from Dubai when Serena fell sick, after playing her last tournament. So that initial plan was botched.

    “Then some promotional company took it up from there and followed through and brought them a year or two after. They raised the funds in good time, but the stage had been set. We are glad they came, and whatever impact they made is left to be seen. We are glad that they visited their motherland,” Kienka said.

    He speaks further on growing up, passion for tennis and other matters. Excerpts:

    Growing up and passion for tennis

    Some of us were lucky to belong to parents who were into sports and education. My father was a school headmaster, but we lived in missions where the sports facilities were readily available to us. You come out of the staff quarters and you see the fields and courts. I was also very lucky to have my father posted to schools where there were very good sports facilities; the primary schools had football fields and volley ball courts, the missions had tennis courts, so it was very easy for me, and it was a very early start, being introduced to all sports, not just tennis. We did every sport in my family, very early in life. Football was everybody’s sports and we were good enough to play for our schools and clubs.

    In the secondary school, I became my state (Rivers State) captain. We did the all secondary school tennis championship and I was in class three or four, and I won it. That was where it started.

    We had good coaches. To see how organised it was then, the state coach was coming to my school every weekend (because we had two tennis courses then) to coach me. My studies were not affected.

    When I went into the university, I had a choice to play football or tennis. We had a friendly and I went with my school (University of Ibadan) to the then University of Ife.

    After we finished football and we came back, the coaches took all our football kits, boots, but the tennis team had all their rackets and kits with them, such that the next day, they went to training with them. I was angry, and I went to the tennis captain and told him that I wanted to join the team. He said there were five people in the team, that if I could beat the number four or five, I was good to go. I beat the number four, they were shocked and we did the trials and I beat my opponent too.

    So you see why I chose tennis, and I have not regretted it, because I went on to do my NYSC based on tennis. I had a year intensive coaching from one of the best coaches in Nigeria at that time, and became a top national player.

    Impact in Nigeria tennis 

    I don’t know about me being a ‘big name.’ I am only doing my little bits, working as hard as I am with the kids, because basically I had other options. I did not study physical education or coaching, I studied English grammar, literature and philosophy at the University of Ibadan. I did masters in public administration, human resources management. I have done post graduate courses in sports administration, but nothing like coaching.

    But I was working for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), and I was covering international events like the Wimbledon, the US Open and all that and I saw the opportunities that were in sports. You see parents guiding their children, so I was more interested in what were happening at the back scene and I was following the parents, coaches, working with these young players, and talking with them. We had to devote our time to make the children the stars that you know today. I came back and I was in the middle of changing jobs from NAN to Total, then I told my patron and mentor that I was going into tennis for children. He was shocked.

    Here I am today, we have had a Clara who won the national at 14, we have had MaryLove. Through our programmes, who had also gotten to the finals at age 14 at the senior level and is now preparing to become a pro; we had a programme where we had all the genius. We can tell who the geniuses are from ages 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18.

    Our aim was to get teenage champions, and we did that with Thomas Otu, Joseph Imeh, Sylvester Imawo. That generation came through all the ITF circuit tournaments that we started when they were 10 and 12. So we broadened the phase.

    Now we have good junior programmes, tournaments and good junior transition programmes which we are advocating for all the sports to adopt. So once you have a transition programme, it takes time, but some of them will come through.

    Nigeria future stars 

    Oh yes, as I said, it takes a while; but we have good potential if we start at a very early age who can make the top 50, or top 20. We have MaryLove, we have Oyinlomo. For the guys, we have Edna, Philip Abayomi, Jebutu, and others. The rest may get into the ranking, but if we work hard on these ones that are below 17, by the time they are 25 they could get into the grand slams, and then the ones coming behind them are even better. We have Serena Teduwo, Nene Yakubu, Oiza Yakubu and others; they are more likely to go further.

    Once we have a transition plan, the people coming behind will get better until we hit the point when we have great talents.

    I am interested in the young ones because that is the future of tennis. The older ones will have to keep helping them stay competitive because they are the target for those we are producing from behind. At age 25, to 30, there is not so much they can do any more. It is like football. Why are we not doing well in football? It is because we are promoting so much over-aged players. Our U-17s are already 25, our U-21s are already 28. By the time they finish doing well at that level, they are done. You are only cheating yourself. It is called pyrrhic victories.

    But if you have a true programme like I have established in tennis, then you still keep those ones there, that is why you have the national tennis league which provided a lot of competitions. And they were making good money, seven million naira for the winning team.

    My aim is to make sure that the national senior champion can make like 10 million naira a year, comfortably. If he is number one at the end of the year, he should be able to make enough money.

    We will get there, if we continue with the tennis league. Most of them are becoming millionaires, they earn seven to ten million, and the sponsors pay them sign-on fees, so they are very comfortable. But they provide target for the junior ones coming up; most of the teams now have juniors in their teams. It was Oyinlomo that won the league two years ago, when she beat Sarah in the finals. As a junior, she beat the number one player in the country at the NCC.

    With that kind of integration, you get the junior ones to play against the senior, and you use them as targets to see how far they can go. We can access how far the junior will go when they compete against the seniors, so that works.

    It has to be like a pyramid; you have a big base of juniors and hope that some of them come to the top.

    Tennis family

    My children were national champions at the junior level before they left for America. They were all captains of their school teams in America.

    Meeting his wife 

    Unfortunately, I did not meet my wife on the court. People think that is where it should have been, but I have another passion and that was where I met her.

    Philosophy

    Do what you can, and leave the rest to God.

  • ‘I do not mean to disturb you’

    Nigerians are used to seeing beggars on the streets. They include the physically challenged, mentally deranged, or others suffering from terrible sicknesses and diseases. But a new crop of beggars is fast spreading their wings around the land. ADEYINKA AKINTUNDE reports

     

    “Excuse me; can you spare me a minute, please? I am going towards Ajah and I need to be there before 10 am. I don’t mean to disturb you, but I don’t know if you can help me with N500 to complete my transport fare, as the one with me is not sufficient to take me there.”

    In another instance, a woman approached a young man, asked whether he was a Yoruba or Igbo and after confirming that he was Yoruba, she begged for some money to pay her fare home.

    Moved with pity, you might want to dip your hands into your pocket to help “a man or woman in need”. But further probing has since shown that it has become a business of some sort on the street, as it is possible to find the same person begging another “victim” for money.

    Welcome to the ‘world’ of ‘corporate begging’, where someone, who is neatly dressed and looking trim and proper walks up to you on the streets, and asks for your financial assistance citing one reason or the other.

    This has become a regular rhyme among passers-by in various streets of major cities across the country, while people go about their daily activities.

     

    Other methods of corporate begging

    There are various styles of corporate begging. A story was told of how a man was persuaded to buy a disc from a hawker in the traffic, hoping to enjoy some good Nigerian music. He got home to play the disc, and to his shock, he found Indian movies in it.

    Internet begging is also rampant today. This is when a person comes online to beg for money, or assistance, giving excuses of wanting to pay school fees or assisting someone else, or in urgent need of cash to execute a time-bound project.

    Well-dressed women are also seen in various places, backing their babies and asking for financial assistance at bus stops, especially in the morning and evening, to either buy baby food or as transport fare.

    People buy things in the market or get services rendered to them on credit, pleading with the seller to be patient for a while, till he or she has money to pay back.

    Ladies and girls are not left out in corporate begging, as they beg their boyfriends or other men for money, for various reasons. There are also young men, who beg their ladies for money to survive. Colleagues at work beg each other for money, leaving questions of pride and dignity unanswered.

     

    Poverty statistics in Nigeria

    Going by World Bank statistics, millions of Nigerians are living below the poverty level defined by a minimum daily earning of $1.90 or N700. In June 2018, the World Economic Forum disclosed that about 90 million people, which is half of Nigeria’s population, live in extreme poverty. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) also put Nigeria’s unemployment at 23.1 per cent. The data indicated job losses of around 3.3 million between December 2017 and September 2018.

    On February 14, 2019, The Cable, a Nigerian online newspaper, quoting Brookings Institution, reported that 91.16 million Nigerians are living below a dollar a day, adding that six people fall into poverty every minute.

    Speaking at a workshop tagged: “Breaking the Resilience of High Unemployment Rate in the Country” in May 2019, Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Chris Ngige noted that if nothing was done to address the challenge, Nigeria’s unemployment rate would reach 33.5 per cent by 2020.

    He, however, calmed frayed nerves when he said “it is a thing of joy to note that Nigeria has not been resting on her oars over the years in terms of dedicated efforts to curb the unemployment problem”.

    These scary statistics have since pushed people, who are poor or jobless into corporate begging. As it is said in local parlance, “man must survive”. And so it can be argued that the quest to stand afloat in the challenges of life pushes them to this act. But some people have gone on to make it a daily business.

     

    Encounters with corporate beggars

    Temitope Adegbemile is an agropreneur. In a chat with The Nation, he said he has had several encounters with corporate beggars, and has given them money out of pity. “But one day, I found the same person who I once gave N200, begging with the same method again.

    “The other experience was funny. The man asked me for money to transport himself, and I told the guy to enter the bus, and I will pay the conductor the money. He just apologised and walked away from me.”

    Victoria Simon, a music artiste and teacher, told The Nation that she was sensitive in helping ‘corporate beggars’. “I have been stopped and asked for transportation and help in other areas. I only help when the person is boarding the same bus as I am, or when I feel I should give or when there is a child involved. I know the child can be rented to lie and deceive people, but I just shut my mind to that possibility.

    “Other times when I don’t give, I just apologise for not giving or I just ignore when the character is suspicious,” she said.

    Elizabeth Purple, a student and fashion designer in Ibadan, had gone to Shoprite to buy some things for herself when she was approached by a well-dressed corporate beggar.

    “I was surprised because the beggar wore a suit and spoke good English to me. I wondered why a fine gentleman like that would be begging me for money. I just ignored him,” she said.

     

    ‘I was once a corporate beggar’

    Amodu Kingsley, a software manager told The Nation how he found himself in the unfortunate situation to beg. “In 2017, I was going to the Corporate Affairs Commission for something. I was dressed in a presentable manner.

    “Unfortunately, I misplaced my wallet on my way and I found myself needing help urgently because I had no ATM on me to withdraw money, and my bank was far away.

    “I had to beg the driver to take me to the bank, as it was quite a distance, so I could withdraw money from the counter. The driver embarrassed me in the presence of other passengers. It was shameful, but I had to bear it,” he said.

    Similarly, a lady who pleaded anonymity disclosed how she was once stranded and “ had to swallow my pride and asked a man for transportation fare because my journey was really far”.

     

    Sanctions against corporate beggars?

    In 2016, the Senate described street and corporate begging as embarrassing to Nigeria, and  moved a motion to make it illegal.

    Also moving against the act, the Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said in January 2019: “Begging under whatever guise is not legitimised in Islam and I am determined to stop it at all costs. All those that see begging as Islamic are ignorant of Islamic law.

    “I have made it explicitly clear that my government is on course to introduce compulsory and free education at primary and secondary school levels in the state.”

    This measure against begging has elicited mixed reactions among Nigerians. Amodu said while there are many fraudulent beggars around, some are genuine as it once happened to him in 2017.

    “I agree that there are many fraudulent corporate beggars around. I once met one who asked me for money, and I gave him, only for me to catch him begging minutes later in another environment. I challenged him. However, there are genuine ones in need of assistance.”

    For Udoh Ima-bong, a student, provision of skills acquisition programmes and job opportunities will eradicate corporate begging. “Even if anyone is arrested, they should be helped, instead of putting them in prison. Many people that do corporate begging are unemployed, and so they beg because they don’t want to steal.

    “I just think that corporate begging is a wrong mentality that should be corrected without the application of severe punishment,” she said

    Victoria agreed that corporate begging should be classified as a criminal offence but she asked: “How do we separate the ones that are genuine from the ones that are not? I think the Police and LASTMA (Lagos State Traffic Management Authority) officials should be placed in strategic positions and empowered to help people like that. But then again, the problem of corruption will still continue. It is delicate.”

    Adegbemile tagged the act as criminal as it tends to exploit the people’s emotion. He recommended that those caught should be arrested and prosecuted. To him, “the task force should be deployed to curb the menace, as it is an act of indiscipline. Monkey dey work for office, some baboons are on the streets begging,” he said in pidgin.

    Supporting this claim, Tayo Grace, a business development marketer, said: “I think it is laziness that makes people beg. It is not that they cannot do anything but they have turned it into a habit and I feel they make money from it. I suggest that some officials should be put in place to arrest and prosecute corporate beggars on the street.”

  • Between food security and food safety

    In celebration of the World Food Day, ADEYINKA AKINTUNDE examines roadside food in Nigeria, its benefits and risks

     

    Two days ago, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Sabo Nanono, government functionaries and delegates from the private sector started activities to mark this year’s World Food Day.

    The Day, an annual event established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) since 1945, is celebrated on October 16 every year in no fewer than 180 countries. This year’s theme: “Our Actions are our Future, Healthy Diets for a #ZeroHunger World”,  addresses United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No 2, which is “Zero Hunger”.

    “The essence is to promote worldwide effective action to end hunger, malnutrition and poverty and ensure that everyone at all times and place has physical and economic access to nutritious food.

    “This year’s theme calls for action across sectors to make healthy and sustainable diets affordable and accessible to everyone.

    “The World Food Day celebration in Nigeria has been a laudable event that highlights the government’s strategic support and assistance both in addressing emerging challenges and promoting far-reaching interventions to guarantee food security in the nation,” said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    Two days ago, there was a sensitisation walk to create awareness on the need to ensure food security and demonstrate the government’s commitment to the course.

    Other activities include schools quiz competition, symposium and colloquium, photo exhibition, among others.

    An Agric Show and Exhibition will be held today in Abuja by the ministry. The show is to showcase and exhibit agricultural potential and establish synergy with current realities in the sector.

     

    The roadside food vendors

    For the government, the emphasis has always been on food security. But to nutritionists and other medical experts, attention should be given to hygiene.

    The craze for food has made food vendors, especially roadside sellers, scattered around in the business. Everywhere you go, from Lagos to Ibadan, Calabar, Kano, Abuja and all over the country, roadside food vendors exist. They are called Mama put in local parlance. They sell all kinds of food, ranging from rice, beans, yam, bread, plantain, eggs, fish, meat, salad and ‘swallows’ like garri, semovita, amala, fufu and others.

     

    Mode of operation

    People at all levels gather at various mama puts. These food sellers operate throughout the day closing  around 8pm. Some close earlier than that if their food finishes earlier and proceed home to rest and prepare for the next day.

    While some work for five days, some run their businesses from Monday to Saturday, using Sundays for worship if they are Christians. Others, who are none Christians, do run their trade seven days a week, not minding public holidays.

     

    Why Mama Put ?

    Various reasons abound why people patronise roadside food vendors. For Iyabo Murtala, who sells beans and bread in Mushin, Lagos, poverty can be a major reason.

    “Is it possible to get a standard meal with just N200 at home, especially if you don’t have gas cooker or kerosene stove? But you can get a quality food for that amount in a canteen. This is a major reason people eat out,” she said.

    Ogochukwu Isaac, also a food vendor, told The Nation that people eat outside for various reasons. “People sometimes eat outside because they are in a hurry. It may be they need to attend urgently to something; they will just rush and eat before going on their assignment.”

    A  customer, who simply gave his name as Johnson, said:  ”Eating roadside food is cheap for me. I can spend only N200 to get rice, plantain and fish and I will be satisfied. I don’t have much money. I only live within my means.”

     

    “Market is poor”

    In spite of army of those patronising food vendors every day, operators still complain that sales have gone down and  they are not making much profit.

    A vendor, Abake Oyebode, lamented that the sky-rocketing increase in the price of rice has spoilt business for food vendors.

    She told The Nation that she sells “rice, eba and others such as “okele” also known as swallow. “Market is dull, rice is expensive. In fact, it is the most expensive in the market right now, as others are a little cheaper. It is 400 naira for a De-Rica of rice now,”she said, adding: “People don’t buy much food again, because they don’t have the money. I tell those, who complain that my food is small to buy more if they are not satisfied. The rice I used to sell for N70 is what I now sell for N100. It is becoming unbearable for us.”

    A lady, Miss Isaac, commenting on sales, said: “People only buy N300 or N100 food. They hardly buy food for N500. They eat as they can buy, whether they are satisfied or not. The country is hard for everyone now.”

    Murtala added: “I cannot buy rice in the market because it is very expensive, so I do not sell it. I am contented with this bread and beans that I sell.”

     

    Health hazards

    According to a 2007 study from the Food and Agriculture Organisation, 2.5 billion people globally eat street food daily. Roadside food saves people from the pangs of hunger, but there are questions on the hygienic conditions of the environment where the food is sold.

    Many food vendors do their business anyhow. They do not cover their food items, just as they sell beside dirty gutters and refuse dumps. It is common to see flies perching on roadside food items and passing vehicles increase its hazards by adding dust and smoke from exhaust fumes.

    These traders, according to observers, are uneducated and not knowledgable on how to keep their environment clean and the dangers of food-borne diseases.

    ”There is a woman in front of my workplace who sells roasted plantain and surprisingly her food is very popular, especially for those eating it with groundnut. People around patronise her daily, including those from my workplace.

    “But I cannot see myself eating one of those things. Whenever I think of it what first comes to my mind is the fact that the woman’s or anyone else’s hands, in whatever condition they are (unwashed, dusty, dirty) help to turn  what I will put in my mouth,” said a man on the street.

    A doctor, Dr Idi Martins, warned against eating roadside foods such as plantain and bean cake. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Martins described them as unhygienic, as they pose serious threat to health of consumers.

    “These foods are usually sold by the roadside, and are exposed to a lot of pollution, dust and smokes emanating from vehicular and pedestrian movement.

    “Even though some of the hawkers use polythene bag to cover the food, it still poses a threat to consumers, which causes food poisoning, infections and other serious diseases.

    “Some of these hawkers or vendors  often wear dirty aprons, have their hair uncovered, with some of them using unclean hands and utensils to serve customers without washing them,’’ he said.

    However, die-hard patrons of mama put claim they are conscious of what they buy and whom they buy their food from, holding to the belief that they are safe.

  • #BBNaija: Like Tacha, like Cee-C

    With Big Brother Naija 2019 edition ending today, ADEYINKA AKINTUNDE takes a look at two controversial housemates lovers of the show cannot forget in a hurry.

     

    Cynthia Nwadiora and Natasha Akide will remain in the memories of fans of Big Brother Naija for a very long time. It is safe to call these two ladies definitions of their respective seasons, even though neither walked away with the ultimate prize.

    These ladies brought on board all the drama, suspense and controversies Big Brother fans probably subscribed to – it would have been one long bore if those two were not in the house. The difference however is that while one of them got to the final, the other got her dream cut short by a sudden disqualification.

    It will be difficult to forget the fight in the 2019 “Pepper Dem” edition, between Natasha, popularly called Tacha, and Mercy Eke, simply Mercy, which took place on Friday, September 27, 2019.

    That fight has since been dubbed ‘the dirtiest fight in the history of Big Brother Naija.’ It was replete with both housemates spewing hurtful words at each other, pulling at each other’s hair, pushing and exhibiting unprecedented violence on the show. But for the intervention of other housemates, they most likely would have inflicted physical injuries on each other.

    Tacha said to Mercy “You can fool yourself, but you cannot fool the world watching, they know you need someone to clout chase. I do not need anyone to clout chase. I am not a virgin; I will not say what I am not.

    “I am Natacha, I am me, I am bold, I am black, I am beautiful. I don’t tell lies. I am not fake like you.  You are an ambassador of black knuckles.”

    Big Brother, addressing the issue later in the evening, said “Tacha! Big Brother finds you guilty of breaking the house rules of physical violence and of intent to harm, the moment you shoved Mercy, and the moment you pulled her hair on two separate occasions.  Such physical violence has no place in Big Brother’s house.

    “You are hereby automatically disqualified from the Big Brother House. You must leave the house immediately.”

    He went on to issue Mercy with two strikes, warning that “One more strike, and you will be disqualified from the house.”

    Apologising to her fans on Instagram, 23-year old Tacha, who calls herself, “Port Harcourt first daughter,” said “……..Coming out of the Big Brother House disqualified was never my intention. Unfortunately, my weakness played against my strength and cut short what should have been a grand ending, with or without the prize.

    “I sincerely apologise for every action on my part that led to this point and I take full responsibility for it all. I am an adult and ought to be in control of my emotions, but I am human and I failed time and again. Please, forgive me.”

    As for Cynthia, widely referred to as Cee-C, housemate of the 2018 “Double Wahala” season, there are also many talking points. Like Tacha, she was at the centre of the worst fight of the season with another female housemate, Alex Asogwu. No one can tell specifically the cause of the fight, but during the verbal exchange, Cee-C told Alex that she was way below her. She also reminded her that she was yet to finish school, and advised her to learn from people higher than her.

    Rounding up the season, 26-year old Cee-C got into another scuffle with her former romantic partner, Tobi Bakre, on which occasion she hurled insults at him. She glided past him and called him “a useless man, miserable fool, and a fuck boy.” She also called him “a man who cannot stand on his own.”

    In her words, “Tell me about your likeness that is supposed to shake me. When you become a man, come and we can talk. Shut up and stop gossiping.

    “Respect yourself. When we go outside, you will cry, idiot. You are proud to have all these girlfriends. Your bitterness is obvious. You didn’t want me to be head of house. I told you I cried for you and you believed? Stupid boy.”

    Reacting later on, Big Brother removed the head of house title from Cee-C, and issued her a strike.

    This is just a few of the many fights the ladies got involved in, in their different editions, not forgetting the quarrel with their “love partners” in the house – Cee-C scuffling with Tobi Bakre, and Tacha quarrelling with Seyi Awolowo.

    Arguments have continued to trail who brought more fire to the house between these two in their different seasons. A point to remember is also that both ladies received two strikes during their stay, and both got pardoned later on, with Cee-C getting another strike following her brawl with Tobi, and Tacha getting disqualified just ten days to the end of the show.

  • The other side of Big Brother Naija

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    NO reality show on television has received wide condemnations and criticisms like the Big Brother Naija reality show. Many are even calling for its ban. Many parents have even banned their youths and young ones from watching the show.

    Sexual immorality remains the major reason many people have asked the Federal Government to stop airing the programme on any of the Nigerian television stations. The epic reaction from popular evangelist, and Founder of Mount Zion Ministries, Mike Bamiloye, in 2017 comes back to mind, shortly after Efe Ejeba walked away with the 25 million naira grand prize. On his social media handle, he said “They kissed, they romanced, before the cameras of Africa, and they were honoured and glorified. At times, the glory of this world makes the children of the kingdom look stupid. I hope some Kingdom children will not begin to envy this type of worldly glories.

    “What does this teach our youths now? glamourizing and glorifying immorality before the cameras of the world can fetch you millions and make you a celebrity overnight? I hope some pastors will not begin to make reference to this as a work of God’s grace.”

    A Nigerian politician,  Segun Adekoya, also called for its ban in 2017, saying that Nigeria, despite her development, remained a conservative society, and as such, allowing ‘immoral’ shows like the ‘Big Brother Naija’ to aired on television could corrupt the minds of the younger generation, especially teenagers.

    But there are arguments that show some advantages of the reality show, that the critics are not seeing. A few may include:

    It remains the “realest” and richest reality show on television. Unlike other reality shows where contestants rehearse how to live their lives, the ‘Big Brother Naija’ show is one where housemates come as they are, and live their lives all in the open, for the period they remain in the house. There are many cameras to capture every moment and every housemate, so there is no place to hide for anyone.

    Again, the stakes get higher every year the show is hosted. From the winner getting 25 million naira in 2017, to walking away with 45 million naira in 2018, and 60 million naira up for grabs for the winner in 2019, no show on television beats the Big Brother Naija show financially. This is apart from other juicy prizes housemates will walk away with from winning tasks and challenges, during the course of the show.

    It has produced successful friendship and marriages: In 2014, Nigerian Kelvin Chuwang-Pam, got married to Tanzanian, Elizabeth Gupta, and they have a child in their marriage. They met in 2009, as housemates of the then “Big Brother Africa”. In 2017, Olurishe Deborah Ebun (Debbie-Rise) and Bassey Ekpeyong met in the Big Brother House. Though they are not married, but they remain close friends till date.

    Read Also: BBNaija: Seyi becomes Head of House again

    And most recently, on September 7, 2019, Tope Adenibuyan aka Teddy A and Bamike Olawunmi, popularly called BamBam had their introduction, as the world waits for their white wedding. They officially got engaged on August 4, 2019. They met in the Big Brother house in 2018.

    Every participant of the reality show is an instant celebrity. It is always a thing of pride for one to feature in the Big Brother Naija show. That calls for the reason why millions of youths scrabble to get into the house, during the auditions.

    New cultures and exciting things are learnt in the show: One major aspect of the Big Brother Naija show is the Thursday night presentation show. Here, Big Brother brings a task for the housemates, asking them to showcase the cultures and lifestyles of various cultures of Nigeria , and other parts of Africa. This is an avenue for viewers to learn one or two things they never knew from other cultures of the world.

    Now hosted in Nigeria, the show will be contributing to the Nigerian economy. Though it is focused primarily on entertainment, it has an effect on other industries with significant impact on Nigeria’s GDP, which is currently worth $397.472 billion.

    Again, MultiChoice has always insisted on an all-Nigerian production crew, which means, jobs will be created for Nigerians, courtesy, Big Brother Naija.  With foreign cameramen, and DJs, artistes and journalists flown in to the country to perform and cover the event especially the eviction weekend, Nigerian hotels would be smiling to the banks.

    But are the critics seeing this?

     

    Akintunde, an online journalist sent this piece from Lagos.

  • Xenophobia: Don’t retaliate against South Africa – Adeboye appeals to Nigerians

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Following the Xenophobic attacks in South Africa, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye has appealed to Nigerians not to retaliate.

    He said that it is better to leave the matter for the government to handle, and not for citizens to take laws into their hands.

    He made this appeal on Friday night, at the monthly Holy Ghost Service of the church, tagged “Lifted into Glory.”

    Nigerians had during the week attacked business and firms of South African origin in major parts of the country, in retaliation of attacks suffered by Nigerians living in South Africa.

    It is alleged that the people of the rainbow nation were against the Nigerians because they believe that the foreigners are overtaking their jobs in their own land.

    Adeboye, speaking to his congregation at the Redemption Camp, recalled what happened in 1966, just before the Nigerian civil war, when the former leader of the Republic of Biafra, Odumegwu Ojukwu announced that he could not guarantee the safety of those who came outside the eastern region, asking them to return back home.

    Read Also: MTN board rejects xenophobic attacks

    He recalled that the people of the east were nice to the strangers, as the university authorities made plans to transport them back home, until they got information that the students of the University of Ibadan were holding their people from the east hostage, saying they would not be released until everyone from the western region had returned.

    “You don’t know what it means to be in another man’s land, not knowing what will happen. Be careful. Don’t retaliate against South Africa because of the Nigerians who are still in South Africa,” Adeboye said.

    Speaking further, the General Overseer said “Anytime they say that a university is rioting, the people who are rioting are usually ten per cent of the population of the university, the rest of us lock ourselves in the room, reading.

    “The average South African is a decent person, I know that. Those who are causing the trouble are not many. If you have a South African living near you, show them love, protect them from any harm.

    “If the government was to repatriate all Nigerians from South Africa, they will be back in the next two months. Do we have enough jobs for those who stayed back in Nigeria, in the first place, not to talk of repatriating people back?

    “For the sake of your kit and kin, don’t retaliate against South Africa, let us leave this issue for government to handle, while we pray for God to give them wisdom and understanding to handle the situation,” the revered cleric appealed.

     

  • The good, the bad, the ugly of sports betting

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    Sports betting is big business in Nigeria today. Statistics show that Nigeria is the leading country in Africa involved in sports betting.

    People take to betting on various sports such as football, basketball, Table Tennis, Athletics and others, not forgetting ram-Sports where people bet to see which ram wins during a fight.

    Given the high rise of the internet and technology, even amongst youths, Nigeria has got various betting companies.

    It all began with Nairabet, being the only domestic online sports betting website in Nigeria.

    Many others like Bet9ja, Sporting Bet, Bet365, Sportybet, Betting, Merrybet, Surebet247, Betfarm, 1960bet, Betking, 9japredict and the rest of them, have since joined the business.

    They all attract customers with high odds, assuring them of big wins if their predictions come true.

    Statistics further tell us that over 60 million Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 40 years engage in sports betting.

    They spend about three thousand naira a day, betting, hoping to gain profits when they predict correctly. It is therefore not surprising to see a betting shop, in almost every street in Lagos State.

    More interesting is the fact that it is possible to predict who wins the first corner kick, first goal, first throwing, first attempt at goal, first free kick, first yellow card, first red card and others, and this would translate to extra cash.

    One may want to check the rightness or otherwise of engaging in sports betting but betting restricted to Nigerian citizens below 18 years old, sports betting is legalised with the National Lottery Act, 2005.

    Lagos State on its parts has set up a body known as Lagos State Lotteries Board (LSLB). The body is responsible for regulating lotteries, sports betting, scratch card & interactive games, casino, gaming machines operations, pools betting, promotional competitions and other gaming activities within the state.

    Read Also: Nigerians spend N730bn on sports betting annually

    There are different reasons people engage in sports betting. One of it can be that they want to gain rewards from the sports they are passionate about.

    It is one thing to celebrate your team’s victory in a match, it is another thing of joy to gain rewards because your team won.

    Other people see sports betting as a source of extra income. Given the rising rate of unemployment in Nigeria, people bet in sports, hoping to win, so that they can use the money to take care of themselves and their families.

    Thanks to sports betting, many are beginning to show more interest in sports. Besides the money made, it has also aroused their interest, in that they keep close tabs on games that they have staked on.

    Sports betting is known as the fastest way to make money today. It is stress free, and a direct access to cash.

    Greed is however associated with the act, looking at the negative side of it. One engaged in sports betting always wants to win and will get addicted to the act, seeing it as the only source of livelihood available.

    It can also lead to violence amongst the involved. When someone lose and would not accept defeat, it could lead to a big fight that would cost lives and properties.

    People use money meant to cater for other things to bet, with the aim of winning, and if they lose, they have nothing to show for it.

    This is the case with a young boy who would rather use his school fees to bet or a youth who would bet with his house-rent, or all his salary, hoping to double their monies. If they lose, what happens next?

  • 2019/2020 UCL: Real Madrid meets PSG, as Chelsea draw Ajax

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    The 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League will see Chelsea face Ajax Amsterdam in the group stages of the competition.

    The draw, conducted on Thursday in France will have the defending champions Liverpool, battle a familiar SSC Napoli in Group E, as Real Madrid will also have a date with Paris Saint-Germain

    The Spanish and French giant, paired in group A,  will be joined by Belgian top-flight runners-up Club Brugge and Galatasaray.

    Group F is tagged the group of death, with reigning La Liga champions Barcelona paired with Borussia Dortmund,  Inter Milan and Slavia Prague.

    Last season’s finalist, Tottenham Hotspurs have been grouped with Bayern Munich in Group B, Olympiacos and Red Star Belgrade completing the number.

    Read Also: Chelsea season not a failure without UCL – Sarri

    Group C will have another group stage rematch, as Manchester City will face Shakhtar for the second straight year. They are joined by Atalanta and GNK Dinamo.

    Meanwhile in Group D, Juventus re-unite with old foes Atletico Madrid.  Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow joins the giants in the group.

    Group G features Zenit, Benfica, Lyon and RB Leipzig.

    The group stage of the 2019/2020 UEFA Champions League kicks off on September 17, with teams competing in six match-days until December as they attempt to progress to the knockout stage.

    The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey will host the final on 30 May 2020. It is the same ground where Liverpool won the 2005 UEFA Champions League, coming back from 3-0 down to defeat AC Milan.

    THE GROUPS

    Group A:              PSG, Real Madrid, Club Brugge, Galatasaray

    Group B               Bayern Munich, Tottenham Hotspurs, Olympiacos,  Crvena Zvezda

    Group C:              Manchester City,  Shakhtar Donetsk, GNK Dinamo,  Atalanta

    Group D:              Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Lokomotiv Moskva

    Group E:              Liverpool, SSC Napoli, Salzburg, Genk

    Group F:              FC Barcelona, Borussia Dorrtmund, Inter Milan, Slavia Praha

    Group G:             RB Leipzig, Zenith, Benfica, Olympique Lyon

    Group H:              Chelsea, Ajax, Valencia,  LOSC Lille

     

     

     

     

  • Strengthen education, demonetize politics, NIM urges FG

    Adeyinka Akintunde

     

    President of the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) Professor Olukunle Iyanda, has urged the federal government to strengthen education of her citizens and de-monetization of politics as a way of strengthening democracy in Nigeria.

    Iyanda, speaking in Lagos at a press briefing on Wednesday, said that people voting for those with a good track-record during elections, and demonetizing politics, to make it less financially attractive will encourage good people to go into governance.

    The erudite scholar also spoke on the issue of national unity, asserting that “our problem may be that we have not adopted a structure suitable for Nigerian characteristics. Our characteristics include the fact that we are large in terms of size and number, and we are heterogeneous.

    “We need to adopt a structure in which all the constituent units can adopt their peculiarities without compromising their national interest. It is the lack of these that causes disharmony and conflict in the country.”

    Iyanda further urged the federal government  to address the infrastructure deficit, security issues and political inconsistencies suffered by the country.

    Read Also: NIM demands release of Sowore, to go ahead with planned protests

    According to him, it is possible to lift people out of poverty “but we need to adopt the right policies, focus more on people than on politicians and be less partisan.

    “If you want to lift people out of poverty, do not give them money, but empower them with jobs. The only way to create jobs is to be productive and you cannot be productive without electricity and good roads,” Iyanda said.

    On the issue of food security, Iyanda wondered whether Nigerian would ever attain development if she keeps importing food from other countries.

    For him “no grain of rice or tomatoes should be imported into Nigeria. We can produce rice, as well as tomatoes, and even export then to other countries.

    “We should encourage agriculture in this country. If we do, we will not import from outside.”

    The President and Chairman of Council, NIM, told journalists that the institute, as part of its contribution to nation building, would hold national management conference with the theme: “Managing the Challenges of Democracy”.

    He said the conference, which is scheduled to hold from 15th to 17th September, in Abuja, hopes to proffer various solutions to improving Nigeria’s democracy and making it impact more on citizen’s welfare.

    He said that at the end of the conference, the institute would send a position paper to the government to help in tackling the challenges of governance.