The Nation Newspaper

Tag: beauty

  • Beauty and brain

    Beauty and brain

    The Students’ Week of the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Akoka, Lagos ended with a beauty pageant, where the most handsome boy and most beautiful girl were picked. OMOLARA OGUNWALE (ND II Journalism, Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba) reports.

    The girls looked gorgeous in their colourful dresses, which either modest or skimpy. The men looked cute in well-tailored suits. Their gait attracted applause from their colleagues as they walked one after the other on the run way. All of them aspired to win the beauty pageant held to mark the Students’ Week at the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Akoka, Lagos.

    The event was organised by the Social Director of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), Damilola Adeniji, a 300-Level Computer and Inter Science student.

    The weeklong event, sponsored by Sulcata Entertainment and Google Student-Ambassadors, featured freshers’ orientation, career talk and a beauty pageant, where models were chosen in categories, such as Mr and Miss FCE, Mr and Miss Jambite, Mr and Miss Photogenic, Mr and Miss Tourism, Miss Bright Future and Miss Model.

    The campus was agog throughout, with management declaring free-lecture week. Students had the opportunity to meet their lecturers to discuss their challenges.

    The pageant started with the Jambites’ Night, where freshers rubbed minds with their senior colleagues. Upcoming artistes on campus spiced the event with their dancehall beats.

    During the contest for Mr and Miss Jambite, contestants appeared in casual wears. The ladies were on skimpy dresses, which exposed their bellies; the guys were clad in jeans with polo.

    They entertained audience with different steps as they danced to the song titled Shake Body by Skales, a hip-hop artiste. Each contestant performed song, dance and rap.

    Afterwards, the contestants appeared in traditional attires, showcasing the rich culture of their states. The judges assessed the participants’ sense of dress and asked questions when necessary.

    At the end, Oluwatosin Fagbaide, a student of Primary Education Studies, was crowned as Miss Jambite while Donatus Nwanko a Computer and Chemistry student became Mr Jambite.

    Zainab, a student of Agricultural Science, was chosen by the judges to be Miss Model, while Damilola Ajibade, a student of Primary Education, became Miss Bright Future.

    Donatus thanked his colleagues for considered him worthy of the honour, saying he would use the opportunity to acquire new experience and knowledge, which he said would help to live up to the billing. He said he would meet people with shared values to step up awareness against cancer through entertainment.

    Oluwatosin said she intended to educate her colleagues about skin care and hold campaign against skin diseases. She said she was happy when the judges declared her as the winner of the freshers’ category.

    The outgoing Mr and Miss Jambite, Babatunde Kukoyi and Zainab Sodeinde crowed their successors amidst applause by the audience.

    The following night, the students held another pageant to choose Mr and Miss FCE, where 14 female and contestants jostled for the position. The participants’ intelligent quotient and knowledge in different fields were tested before winners were declared.

    Tayo Lucky, a 100-Level Primary Education student, who lost during the contest for Mr Jambite, won the male category of the Mr FCE contest.

    Hannah Inino, a 100-Level Integrated Science Biology student, emerged Miss FCE, while Richard Friday, a Computer and Integrated Science student, won Mr Tourism and Chibueze Nkwocha, an Integrated Science and Physics student, Mr Photogenic.

    Lucky, in his speech, described the feat as uneasy. “I feel happy about winning the contest because there was a notion that a fresher could not win. With this, I believe some modeling deals are coming and I thank God for this feat.”

  • My five beauty secrets—Oduduwa varsity VC Olajumoke Olayiwola

    My five beauty secrets—Oduduwa varsity VC Olajumoke Olayiwola

    The Acting Vice-Chancellor of Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State, Prof. Olajumoke Abidemi Olayiwola, is a professor of Analytical/Environmental Chemistry and one of the few women to have emerged as vice-chancellors in Nigeria. She spoke with GBENGA ADERANTI about her style, family, the goings on in the education sector and other issues. 

    Where were you before you became the Acting VC of Oduduwa University?

    I had opportunities of working in the pharmaceutical industry where I learnt the practical aspect of chemistry. I also had the opportunity of teaching in a polytechnic where I started my career as a lecturer. I was exposed to academic and administrative works here.

    If you were not in academics, what would you have been doing?

    I think it should be academics. Well, if it were not academics, I would have preferred going into business. But you know it would be painful for someone to do her best while in school to become an academician but unable to see her way through. She would feel that life is cruel to her.

    My dad was an academician before he died. And you won’t believe it that my siblings are all into academics except one who is into an education-related business. It is funny. I discovered that when parents are academicians, they always put their children through the path to follow.

    How do you cope as a mother, wife and VC of a private university?

    I told you that when you are bent on doing something, you would not allow anything to distract you. My husband is not an academician but a business man. He had opportunities to work in many government establishments, coming first in most of the interviews he attended, but because he never knew anybody to help him, all efforts to get employed failed. He finally became a business man and he is happy today.

    He is not an academician but he has the blood in him because his dad was an academician. He sees nothing wrong with my being an academician. At home, I am a loving, caring and well disciplined mother to my children. I give them all the attention they need. They know I don’t tolerate nonsense. I communicate a lot. Even when I am not at home, I call my children to know what is happening. It is not always the best for a woman to be a full-time housewife. One should think of the children; their present and future.

    You will also agree with me that men don’t want to marry liabilities. As a wife, I am a submissive, loving, caring, peacemaker, faithful and diligent woman to my husband. I do everything expected of me as a wife. My husband too is a workaholic. My being a vice-chancellor does not disturb him. In fact, he is my mentor. He supports me and I am who I am today because of my parents and my husband. When a woman is submissive to her husband, the sky is the limit. Most husbands would not want their wives to progress. My husband is one in trillions.

    As the Acting Vice-Chancellor of this great university, I think I am doing my best and God knows this. The President/Pro-Chancellor of Oduduwa University, Chief (Dr.) R.A. Adedoyin, would be able to say much about me. I am a person that is easy to work with I don’t tolerate laziness because I was brought up to be hardworking and well comported. I received a prize for this in my secondary school days. If I see people who can work with me positively and in line with my vision, we become friends.

    What are the secrets of your marriage?

    I don’t have any secret than submissiveness. This is supported by the two holy books, the Quran and the Bible. It is something that men cherish a lot. These days, women are not submissive and that is why you have unsettled marriages. One thing we should always teach our female children is that they should learn how to be submissive to their husbands irrespective of their family backgrounds. It is a secret that cannot be bought.

    Has there been any time you felt like quitting your job?

    No. And I give glory to the Almighty God for that. There is no day I would wake up and would not read. There is no day in my house where you will wake up and will not read when it is even compulsory for you to recite the Holy Quran. I have never taught of quitting lecturing except the time comes to quit.

    How do you relax?

    When I am not doing anything, I like reading the Quran and any book that comes my way. I watch movies, inspirational ones, once in a while. I don’t have friends. I have office colleagues. I learnt many lessons when I was young on why it might be bad at times to keep friends. Friends can make you or mar you.

    What is your wardrobe like?

    Perfect. Not too expensive. It is moderate. I like some colours.

    Tell me your beauty routine

    You want to know my secret (laughs). It is simple. I have a bath before I go to bed in order to have a sound sleep. I join my husband to go out and jog on Saturdays and Sundays. I watch what I eat; I don’t just eat anything. Anything that is going to affect me adversely, I will not eat it. I don’t drink alcohol. I discuss politics but hate being into it.

    What informs what you wear?

    I sometimes look at the event of the day and the weather before I wear anything. Most of the time, my husband chooses for me. And when he is not around, my children take over. I choose for him at times too. It’s funny.

    How would you define your fashion sense?

    It is moderate and I blend with time.

    What are those things you would not be caught wearing?

    Any clothe that is not decent for a good Muslim, I will never wear it. I cover my head all the time. The Quran taught us this.

    How do you define an African woman?

    An African woman is a decent, well cultured, well comported, caring, loving, submissive, easy going, God fearing, cool, calm and collected person. The African woman looks in a direction where everything will be positive irrespective of the situation or circumstance she finds herself.

    It must be pretty difficult for a bookworm like you to have time for ‘trivialities’. How did you meet your husband?

    It is true I am a bookworm. They called me Efico when I was in school. I don’t want artificial distractions. I don’t want anything that would disturb my reading. I told you my dad was an academician before his death. He was a disciplinarian. He must not see you with any man. We didn’t just go out. He would give you one assignment or the other. Even when he was travelling, he would give you an assignment you would not be able to finish till he returned. We thought that he was wicked. This developed into me and made me to have the choice of man that I would marry.

    I never had a liking for medical doctors because they are exposed to female parts. My dad read engineering and was a lecturer, and I married an engineer. Although it took some time before he succeeded, he knew what he went through and so would not want to take me for granted. He went through so many quarantine tests before passing. Good things are not easy to get. I never regretted marrying him and we are blessed with children.

    What was your growing up like?

    I grew up as a well trained girl. My dad and mum were disciplinarians when they were alive. I went to Township Primary School in Jos and Obaseeku High School, Eruwa. I had my B.Sc, M.Sc and PhD degrees in Chemistry from the University of Ibadan. I got married to Engr. Rahman Tunde Olayiwola and we are blessed with children of inestimable values.

    Tell me your good, bad and ugly experiences as a university teacher?

    One of the good things as a university lecturer is that I have been able to impact knowledge on people and contribute to the development of education through the various scientific research works I have carried out. The bad things are that some people challenge your authority out of envy. It is one of those things anyway. The ugly one is when people lie against you.

    If you had a choice, would you still have worked in a private university?

    Yes. Private universities prepare you for the future. They don’t tolerate laziness, and this is what one needs for the future. It teaches people on how to be realistic in whatever they are doing. A lazy person cannot work in a private university. I had opportunities to work in other private universities nearer to me than Oduduwa University, but I prefer Oduduwa University. Most lecturers in public universities in Nigeria are cultured to be lazy. No private university’s vice-chancellor would allow their lecturers to get engaged in other activities.

    Many professors in Nigerian universities are politicians parading themselves in Abuja at the detriment of the students that paid millions for their education. Public schools should charge like private schools, but government should sponsor them. All these ASUU, NASU strikes will not be in existence if more discipline is introduced in public universities. The government must treat public schools like private schools.

    What is your attitude to polygamy?

    It is not acceptable even though I am a Muslim. But to comply, my husband is free to marry another wife when he is 99.

    People complain that there are too many private varsities in the country, what is your take on this?

    Actually, private universities are there to help students that federal and state universities cannot admit because of limited access. More universities, more access. This is part of the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan on education. When the President assumed office, only about 400,000 students had opportunities of getting admission into universities in Nigeria. But with the approval of more private universities in Nigeria today, about one million students have access to quality university education. This has been one of the many advantages of private universities.

    Private universities also assist the federal and state governments on employment. Since the inception of private universities, the issue of under-employment for our graduates, especially the Ph. D holders, has reduced drastically. Private universities are not too many. We still need more because there is a limit to which you can admit. Where will the students go? The Federal Government has promised again that more universities will still be established.

    One would notice that there is nothing like strike in private universities. A student that was given a four-year course programme will spend exactly four years. Most of our federal or state universities have been given nicknames; that when you are given admission for a five-year programme, you must add one or two years or more due to internal crisis in public institutions. I think this is not the best for us, and it is one of the major reasons why some parents prefer to send their children to schools overseas. We can do better here, I know. The private universities are changing the tempo.

    You only assumed office recently. How has it been since you started?

    It has been fine. One does not expect everything to be straight though. Through the help of God, there is unity among us in the school and there is support from the staff. We are a family at Oduduwa University. We work as a team and there is this spirit of togetherness. God has made this possible through our President/Pro-Chancellor, Chief (Dr.) Ramon Adegoke Adedoyin. He is an educationist to the core with years of experience. He has been into this ever since his undergraduate days. His love for education and his country made him to establish this giant university. Let me also tell you that he is the first Nigerian to establish a private polytechnic, The Polytechnic, Ife. He started as a remedial school teacher.

    Nigeria has very few female VCs. What could be responsible for this?

    We all know the role a mother plays in the home. Women are trustworthy and hardworking. They are caring and they are peace lovers. It is not only in schools that you would find a female as the head. Because of the nature that God created us, we seem to achieve wherever we are. I know that the present Vice-Chancellor of University of Uyo is a woman and she is doing well. The former Vice-Chancellor of the Covenant University, Ota, is a woman and she did well.

    There is always one thing with female vice-chancellors, we want the best for the school as the head of academia and as administrators, because only the best is good enough wherever we are. The issue of gender discrimination is everywhere. Ever since I assumed duty, any woman in academics that comes into my office would say: ‘You will be the next vice-chancellor because the men don’t want a female to be there.’ That means it happens everywhere.

    What are the challenges you face as a female VC?

    There have been so many challenges, but God has helped me to conquer with good team work and sound organisation. I believe it is natural and human. I have always been supported by colleagues, students and the trust that the proprietor has in me.

    How easy has it been to manage the institution?

    Managing the institution has not been a problem. I told you my President is an educationist. He is an experienced person in this field, so no constraints. I believe when you have the interest of a place at heart and you see that thing as your own, you will not think it is a constraint, because if it is your own, you will definitely find a solution to it. Our President has not been disturbing me in the general administration of the school. Salaries of staff are paid as and when due and the students are being taken care of.

    What edge does Oduduwa University have over other private universities?

    Oduduwa University is a private university that is known for quality. We don’t compromise quality at all. We cherish our students. We don’t tolerate nonsense. The students know that they cannot just misbehave. There is a disciplinary committee for students and staff. We treat these students as if they are ours because we are here because they are here too. We also have students’ advisers in all departments. We understand the general situation in the country and the President/Pro-Chancellor has been so magnanimous to introduce scholarship scheme in different categories for students that need help, for the best students, for students whose parents are retired and they find it difficult to pay school fees and for students who cannot afford to pay the full fees. If the reasons are genuine, they will get scholarship ranging from 25% to 100%, many thanks to the proprietor.

    Your e-library is regarded as one of the best around. What is it all about?

    Yes it is. The e-library is managed by intellectuals. The e-library allows you to get information by surfing the internet. There are so many merits to be derived by students and staff through the use of e-library. This is a common thing in the ICT world now. Students get information in their areas of study through this. Our President/Pro-Chancellor and I visited the number two university in the United States, the University of Chicago, and we are trying to import the idea from their university on how you can sit down in the library and get a book physically on your table. In other words, you don’t have to stand up to pick books. This looks like the only university that has this concept. We have started and Allah helping us, we must achieve it. Other universities in Nigeria will come to see ours as a model.

    The school is now introducing computer-based test for courses in General Studies. Oduduwa University was one of the centres used by JAMB for the 2014/2015 UTME, and JAMB commended us for this. We thought we were wasting money when JAMB asked us to prepare our centre for CBT for UTME. It is now useful to us. Our school has now been chosen by JAMB as one of the centres where students will register for JAMB because registration at cyber café is about to be cancelled.

    Moreover, the next UTME will be by CBT throughout the nation. The library is fully equipped with so many systems that can accommodate a large number of students. We made it mandatory for our computer students to be IT compliant by registering them for many of these certification examinations before they leave school.

    The school will be producing another set of graduates any time from now. What are you doing to prepare them for the future in terms of employment?

    We will be producing our second set of graduates very soon. This year marks our fifth anniversary. Before graduation, our students are exposed to different vocational trainings which can help them when they are out of school. We strongly uphold our vision and mission. We also have centre for leadership training, Institute of Cultural and African Studies, centre for sports, and so on. Our vision is to provide a well-balanced university education without discrimination, for the production of versatile graduates with capacity for entrepreneurship for the development of the nation. Our mission is to create a learning environment for students as well as cultivate and nuture the qualities of human beings with a view to contributing towards meeting the economic, scientific and technological needs of humanity.

    Most of them practise this when they resume after the three months entrepreneurial training exercise. We have students who have sewing machines with which they sew for some of their colleagues and make money. Oduduwa University has a school of vocational studies for students and outsiders, for those who wish to learn one trade or the other. This will make them not to be idle after school. We don’t want our students to look for jobs, we want them to be employers of labour too.

    What has been the focus of your administration since you assumed office?

    When I assumed duty, I actually looked at things that were yet to be put in place by the former vice-chancellor. The former vice-chancellor was also a good administrator because he finished from the University of Ibadan. University of Ibadan products are always good administrators wherever they are. I am also a product of the premier university, University of Ibadan. I focused on staff welfare and so many things have been put in place.

    It was when I assumed duty that we made it mandatory for staff to always wear their ID cards. Students too were mandated to do the same and must be corporately dressed. Before I assumed duty, visitors came in and out of the school without being properly identified. Since I assumed duty, there have been so many ways of identifying visitors. So many innovations which were not in existence before have been made. I have also tried as much as possible to make sure that qualified and experienced lecturers with PhD are employed. We are just five years old. By the time we are 10 or 15, no university will compare to us.

    When private varsities started, many parents could get their children into these schools and go to sleep. But today, things are changing. What are you doing as an institution to make sure these students do not stray?

    As I told you earlier on, discipline is one of our core values. We cherish discipline very well because we see these students as if we gave birth to them. Our members of staff have children in this school. Even if some staff don’t have children here, their cousins, nieces and some family members are in Oduduwa University and so we will not want to do something that will be shameful to us in future.

    Private universities are still the best because students’ welfare is the sole responsibility of staffers. Parents rely on we staff for the welfare of their children. Here in Oduduwa University, we have hostel mothers (for female hostels) and fathers (for male hostels), who see to the day-to-day activities of these students. They sleep with them and take care of them. These hostel mothers and fathers are also monitored by the hall chairperson who happens to be an academic staff.

    It is a big family and indiscipline is not tolerated. Riot in a private university recently witnessed was traced by me as lack of attention to their students and some obnoxious rules. A Yoruba adage says if you push a goat to the wall, the goat will turn back at you.

    When is your Law course likely to take off?

    As you can see, the faculty of law is under construction. We are getting prepared to start law programme. By the special grace of God, before the end of next session, we will invite the National Universities Commission to come for resource verification of our law programme.

    Where do you see this institution in the next 10 years?

    It is going to be great by the special grace of God. I see Oduduwa University turning into an Harvard University, all things being equal. International linkage programmes to bring the school into limelight are in the pipeline. When we got the licence to run this university, instead of just starting like others, we questioned ourselves on what difference we wanted to make. Why is it that no Nigerian university has a good position in the committee of universities in the world? Even in Africa, only two of the seven oldest Nigerian universities managed to have positions. We then went to the best seven private universities in the world to case-study them. We visited Harvard University and Horward University in Washington DC. Very soon, Oduduwa University will be the best in Nigeria. With the way we are moving in Oduduwa University, the sky will be our limit by God’s grace.

    There is a rush for foreign degrees among Nigerians. What could be responsible for that?

    Well, I think it is because of the strike action embarked upon by most of our federal and state universities. I think that should come to an end very soon with the implementation monitoring committee that the Federal Government has set up to monitor the special intervention fund given to government-owned universities. People will not go outside the country to earn foreign degrees again.

    Private universities would have been of help but they are not enjoying the TETFUND enjoyed by government universities. The Federal Government should see the proprietors of private universities as saviours and lovers of education and their countries, because if they decide to diversify the fund used in establishing universities to other sectors, where will these students not admitted by federal and state universities go to? How will about one million students get admitted into the universities? I wonder what would have happened to these innocent souls.

    The only way that the Federal Government can commend them is to let the students enjoy TETFUND. If they allow private universities to enjoy TETFUND, school fees will be reduced. You know private universities don’t go on strike. So a four-year programme will be four years and no extra years. Most people going outside the country will still come back and look for employment in Nigeria and they are not better than our students here. TETFUND money should be given to university students who want to study in private universities but they could not afford it. The money may not even get to private universities as cash but infrastructure.

  • Why I offer free reconstruction surgery for the poor, by Modupe Ozolua

    Why I offer free reconstruction surgery for the poor, by Modupe Ozolua

    Thirteen years ago, when Modupe Ozolua ventured into the world of beauty enhancement therapy, many Nigerians were quick to dismiss her projects. But years after, with many body reconstruction and humanitarian activities, Ozolua is set to move into the next phase. Seun Akioye reports.

    There is something that glows about Modupe Ozolua, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Body Enhancement Limited and Founder, Body Enhancement Foundation.

    It also leaves one with conflicting emotions about her identity and personality. At least that was the consensus in 2001 when she appeared on the social scene and announced that her company would be involved in helping women enhance their bodies, especially the breasts.

    There were as many Nigerians that dismissed the gorgeous Ozolua as there were that embraced her body enhancement therapy. She held on to the belief that women who are not satisfied with their bodies deserve a second chance at looking young and beautiful.

    In the years following the opening of her cosmetic surgery centre, her clientele grew in leaps and bounds, many of them society women and business tycoons who wanted the anti-ageing therapy that Ozolua offers.

    But two years after opening the first cosmetic surgery centre in Nigeria and West Africa, she jolted her critics by doing the unusual: she founded the Body Enhancement Annual Reconstructive Surgery (BEARS), a charity organisation which specialised in helping the indigent in need of life-saving body reconstruction.

    Ozolua’s charity endeared her to many Nigerians who began to see her in another light. Her motive, she said, was to help the poor and the needy regain their lost body features.

    In the 11 years that BEARS existed, the organisation helped many indigent children and adult reconstruct either the face or other body parts. It was like regaining their humanity, pride and life. Using modern day medical technology, technique and skills to safely perform reconstructive surgical procedures to restore the lives of thousands of underprivileged people suffering from various types of physical congenital, developmental deformities, such as Vesico Vagina Fistula (VVF), cleft lip, cleft palate, burns and lacerations, cataract extractions, hernias, removal of tumors, cysts and fibroid.

    BEARS was also engaged in other humanitarian activities outside surgery, such as provision of relief materials and donation of food and clothes.

    This year, Ozolua again changed her strategy by changing the name of her highly successful humanitarian organisation from BEARS to Body Enhancement Foundation to better reflect the connection to her body enhancement company.

    “There isn’t a better time to draw people’s attention to what BEARS Foundation actually stood for. The acronym BEARS represented Body Enhancement Annual Reconstructive Surgery. Many people didn’t realise it was the charity arm of Body Enhancement Ltd, the company that pioneered cosmetic surgery in Nigeria, 13 years ago,” Ozolua said.

    But she insisted that the group did not change its name but only shortened it. She said: “When you look at what the acronym BEARS stood for, you will realise the name did not actually change, but has been shortened to Body Enhancement Foundation. In addition, as we conduct various types of humanitarian activities outside of surgeries, such as donations of items, exchange of skills, etc., and these are done more than once a year; it makes sense for the change.”

    The organisation has had its hands full in its 11 years of operation, especially from those in need of one body reconstruction or the other who can’t afford to pay for the usually expensive operation. Using volunteer doctors and funds from her other businesses, Ozolua has immersed herself in this life-saving venture, giving hope and life back to the poor and the needy.

    Her foundation is not only involved in free reconstructive surgeries, but also in helping other organisations cater for the poor and the needy. She said: “In the last few years, we have been quietly supporting other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in their causes by donating money, books, toys and clothing to them. We also send money to different parts of the country to pay the hospital bills of patients who can’t afford to pay them. This year is no different. Our dedication to helping the underprivileged in our society still remains the primary focus of this foundation.”

    The beauty therapist also has a consideration for the victims of bomb blasts and her organisation is open not only to treat them but to feed them. “We come in and identify those who can benefit from us and try to impact their lives as positively as we can. Not just surgical, but means of feeding too. After all, a bed ridden person cannot go to work and earn an income.”

    Ozolua has memories of some of her clients. There was baby Funmi who had a cleft lip, Jude, a young boy with severe burns all over his body and Sulaiman who had a terrible and unusual growth at the back of his head. They all came and were restored. Operations like these, Ozolua said, give her happiness.

    But an experience with a particular patient had stuck with her for a long time. She was only a little girl with cleft palate problems which had been operated on several times.

    ”She must have been about eight years old when we did her surgery. About three years later, her mother brought her to visit me in the office. I will never forget how beautifully dressed she was and how big she had grown. I thought she wouldn’t recognise me as the woman who had been part of the team that restored her body to wholeness and who was in the operating room with her; but as soon as she saw me, she ran straight into my arms and held me tightly,” she recollected.

    Ozolua also held on to her tightly and to confirm she recognised her, the child said: “You are Aunty Modupe who did my surgery.” Such experiences, she said, were clear reminder that though many people may not appreciate her efforts, but for the little girl, for Jude and Sulaiman, ”all effort and sacrifices on our part is worth it”.

    Also in addition to the name change, the Foundation has a new Board of Trustees, which include the Director-General, National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Dr Paul Orhii; Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki (SAN); the Adviser, World Bank, Edith Jubunoh and Prince Oluwaseun Ozolua.

    Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the patron of the Foundation. The new website address is: www.b-efoundation.org.

    Ozolua said her foundation is open for business of saving lives and restoring pride to the poor. “We will soon start publicised advertisement of our treatments,” she said.

  • I’ll only ‘fall’ for a woman with inner beauty—Nollywood star Fred Amata

    I’ll only ‘fall’ for a woman with inner beauty—Nollywood star Fred Amata

    He is regarded as a very talented actor and creative director in Nollywood. Fred Amata, one of the few who are blessed with good looks in the industry, is a household name. Since his emergence on the movie scene, he has featured in a number of award-winning flicks. In this interview with MERCY MICHAEL, the respected thespian speaks on his new move, family and relationship, among other interesting issues.   

    I know you are a little above 50, but you don’t look your age. Is your gene responsible or is there something you are doing right?

    Honestly, I must say it is genetic, though I love to play football. I have very poor stamina; so, for me to play for five minutes, I have to exercise regularly. I don’t think I work out much, but I do work out. Every other thing, I do normally. In fact, now days, I’ve discovered that I eat too much late at the night. I still have my regular bottle of drinks.

    Movie-wise, what have you been doing? Or have you suddenly decided to slow down?

    I think that is a good way of putting it. There is a deliberate retrospection or introspection so that what we are coming out with next might match up to my own personal expectations.  The truth is that, in the past years, the challenges have become a little less. In the last eight years ago, there is nothing I haven’t done seriously.

    Does it mean you are no more passionate about films?

    I don’t do anything in my life. My passion is films; my work is films. So, I really wanted to do something different, but the environment was changing differently from what I expected. So, the kind of budget I was looking out to achieve this was becoming almost unattainable. As a result, I just kept staying on the working board. And then, the system has changed. The industry has really improved. Therefore, you now have to take it to a higher level. There are a few of us who are really capable of taking it to a higher level and I’m proud to be one of them. That’s the truth. Even if you look at the antecedents, you will find out that, there are certain key people who changed the trend. In other words, when they do something at this level, everybody wants to look up to them. I’m lucky to have had that kind of influence on the industry. But at this level, what is coming out next is world-class, which we are all looking for.

    When are you doing your own production?

    Another thing is that I did a lot of productions as a director for hire. So, I probably have the larger percentage of my works as a director for somebody else’s production. But I’m also a producer.  I’ve done all aspects of audio-visual, TV commercials, films and even talk shows like ‘Inside Out with Agatha’. That was most challenging because there was nothing like it then. It took a visionary to be able to even do it, not to talk about sustaining it. But we managed to find a formula, which I introduced and that will never fail. But that was then. I discovered recently that, it’s like a trend with the Amatas. They want to do something new and something bigger than the usual. We’ve tried in that aspect. And knowing that that level exits, we have got to keep raising the bar.

    Having done this much in the industry, what would you say is your dream role then?

    I don’t think I can have a dream role any more. It’s just a dream production, so it encompasses everything. I have a story I am working on like that. Ironically, it is the story of my father. He was a great guy in this country and a few don’t know much about him. Apart from the fact that he did the first film in 1957, he was part of a lot of things happening today. He was the first elected students’ union president in Nigeria. But nobody knows that. The University College, Ibadan is another part of the story because he left six months to his graduation.

    Why?

    He left with an ideology that was so powerful. It moved him out of school and that’s how he made his first film ever, Freedom, which became so successful. He travelled the world. The film has been translated into 120 languages. So, after many years, in the 60’s, he decided to come back to Nigeria. He tried to put all the ideas he had acquired all over the world in Nigeria and then he ended up being the principal of a secondary school. He was so good that in Warri, the governor of Mid-West State then, Ogbemudia, recognized him. He would be like this one wey no get certificate, na him be principal? So, there was this huge campaign, which led to the operation show your certificate. That was when it started. And he didn’t have a certificate. So, he went back to University College, Ibadan to continue from where he stopped. But unfortunately by then, it had become University of Ibadan and they didn’t have his records anymore. The only option he had was to do a four-year course. That same point in time, his first son had just gotten admission into that school to study Theatre Arts. Guess what he did? He went to school, sat down in the same class with his first son and they both graduated four years later. That was Zack Amata. They both graduated with 2:1 and they did their Masters and everything. There are lots of other things we shouldn’t be saying here because they will be in the film. There are lots of other things that will both be controversial and engaging. For instance, Prof. Wole Soyinka, my father and a few others formed the Pirate Confraternity that has now ‘scattered’ Nigeria

    Is this a family project or just your own production?

    It’s a family project. The idea now is that for the first time in the world, a family is telling a story of its patriarch. The story is written by one of his sons, directed by another son and performed by another Amata. So, it’s an Amata movie.  It’s a complete Amata movie. Jeta is coming in, Ruke is coming in and Zack is doing the script, as we speak. So, it’s huge. I wanted to play both parts when he was younger and when he was older, but I’m getting old. Luckily, we have some other Amatas.  My 16- year old daughter is going to be a filmmaker.

    How do you feel knowing your daughter is taking after you?

    She is travelling to go and study films. How it feels? I’ve never received any piece of news as sweet as that. She told me on my birthday that she had chosen to study films. I think it is the greatest birthday present I ever got. She has always been interested in the arts. We are Amatas. My father was an actor and my mother an actress. We took after our parents; so, the fact that my daughter is taking after me makes me feel good.

    How would you describe the changes in Nollywood in the past few years?

    Nollywood has always been capable of doing great. Unfortunately for the system, in its evolution, mediocrity came in, like every sphere of endeavour in Nigeria, and choked it. So, the real filmmakers couldn’t express themselves until the budgets became leaner and leaner and then mediocrities became more and more. Despite the fact that there are still changes in technology, the art of filmmaking is beginning to come out from filmmakers in Nigeria. And so, in the past few years, there has been a tremendous change. The introduction of cinema changed the industry entirely and that change is actually the key to the great Nollywood that is coming out of Nigeria. If you look at our works now, you will see that the sound quality is better, including pictures and directing. It was never because of the lack of AMP that we didn’t capture proper sound; rather, it was because it was cost-effective to use the camera mic, instead of going to spend N150,000 to get proper sound recording equipment- and the audience liked it. Now that the audience is changing and is asking for more, I would say there are very positive moves that have happened. The industry truly is breaking into fractions. The filmmaking itself is breaking into factions. We now have films made for mass consumption. Then, we had films made for television, which is now called cinema films.

    Since the last three years that a woman took over the leadership of AGN, how would you assess it?

    Before Ibinabo( Febresima), the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria was bedeviled with a lot of crises. But somehow, Ibinabo has been able to manage that. Call it a woman’s touch; women are powerful. For me, whether it is because of Ibinabo that we have a president who is interested in the industry, I don’t know. But the truth of the matter is, even the President understands the need for the development in the sector. In the next few years, Nigerian films will be competing so vigorously on the world stage. I have predicted this several years ago.

    Are you going to ever give love a second chance?

    Of course, I can’t stop believing in love. I’m a product of love. I think we are made of love and greater love than we generally understand it to be.

    Who is your idea woman?

    My idea woman is a woman whose beauty is from the heart; so, physical prowess has never been my strongest point in forming a bond in a relationship. It is a woman’s inner beauty that actually attracts me. They say some people like Lepa and I like Lepa; they say some people like Orobo and I like Orobo and they say some people like them tall and I like them tall. But as I said, it is not your physical beauty that does it for me.

    How do you unwind?

    I’m that kind of person who uses every opportunity to celebrate life.  You should have seen me dancing here. I have always been extroverted.  You can leave me alone in the room and I will find a reason to be excited. That’s my kind of person, unless there is one major problem.

    Do you have your low moments?

    I’m extreme on both ends. I’m a happy- go-lucky guy, but you must be careful not to push me. There are some certain little things that I do not tolerate. I’m extreme; I don’t like injustice. I fit dey dance here now and somebody say oh boy…I fit fight. But over the years, we’ve learnt how to maintain the happier side of life.

  • Showcasing the beauty of Islam

    Showcasing the beauty of Islam

    An Islamic shop, Baytuzzeenah owned by a former banker, Hajia Saidat Otiti, has re-opened its Lekki branch on another street. TAJUDEEN ADEBANJO was at the ceremony.

    Lekki residents have got a new neighbour, coming in last Sunday with 13 years of exquisite taste such as one-stop Islamic shop is back for good.

    But, Baytuzzeenah is not that new in Lekki. It was there all the while until it took a break because of the Lekki-Epe Expressway’s and its massive traffic.

    The shop stocks trendy wares, uncommon decors, specially-made phones with multiple Islamic applications, including audio and video lectures, An-Nashid (rhymes) and many more.

    Many Muslims shelved some of their programmes to attend the opening of the ‘returnee’ branch.

    On Saturday, the Mufti (Grand Sheikh) of the Conference of Islamic Organisations (CIO), Sheikh Dhikrullahi Shafi’i led others to pray for a successful outing.

    By the time The Nation got there, Baytuzzeenah Chief Executive Officer Hajia Saidat Otiti and some of her workers were hanging some of the wares, espcially clothings on their stands. The place had barely been opened when people started trickling in, in ones, twos and threes. In no time, the shop was filled up.

    A cheerful Hajia Otiti took time to attend to their needs. Christian customers were not left out.

    Alhaja Teslimat Akinwande, former Tutor-General, Education District VI in the Lagos State Ministry of Education, came all the way from Ogba in Ikeja with a friend.

    “What are you doing here Ma?” The Nation asked her.

    “I am here because of the interest I have in the owner of the shop and the products. Our relationship dates back 20 years,” Alhaja Akinwande said.

    She went on: “Baytuzzeenah has really exposed people to the knowledge of Islam and serve several purposes with varieties of goods, especially for people who do not visit common markets to shop for their wares; Baytuzzeenah has filled that space due to its quality taste.”

    Ambassador Hamzat Ahmadu described  the shop’s return to Lekki as good.

    He said he attends Baytuzzeenah’s functions because he is sure to get books to read.

    “Whatever book you want, you will get it here. It is a good decision to have an outlet in Lekki. I like reading, so coming to buy books here is something I treasure,” Ambassador Ahmadu said.

    Ms Khadijah Ilavbare, a lawyer, she discovered the place through a friend while looking for quality Islamic books on diverse subjects.

    “Since then, I have been shopping with Baytuzzeenah for over nine years now. When you talk about authentic materials, this outlet is the right place,” she said.

    Ms Ilavbare described Hajia Otiti as a focused business-minded person, who always strives to achieve her goals.

    Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Terminal Public Relations Officer Mrs Shakirat AbdulMajeed described the shop as a place to get quality Islamic materials. “Anything you buy here is original,” she said.

    Hajia Otiti described Lekki “as a major hub of our clientele”.

    “We have our target markets here, so we decided to come back,” she said.

    She said the outlet objective is to showcase the beauty of Islam.

    The former banker said Baytuzzeenah offers modesty with style.

    “Baytuzzeenah is set up to cater for a niche market and it promotes Islamic culture,” Hajia Otiti said.

     

  • A showcase of beauty, talents

    A showcase of beauty, talents

    Youths from Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State proved their mettle as they showcased their talents during the annual music concert and beauty pageant sponsored by the Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Eze Madumere.

    This year’s contest is the fourth in the series. Organised by the PEZE Foundation, the event witnessed a large turnout of up-and-coming artistes and beauty queens from the council area as they jostled to win some of the attractive prizes.

    At the end of the event which lasted into the night, about 30 promising youths were chosen to be sponsored by the foundation to enable them to develop their careers in music, dancing and comedy.

    Among the nine pretty ladies who took part in the beauty contest, Miss Chinaza Ukwunna became the Mbaike Queen for 2014 and was crowned, amidst cheers from the audience, by wife of the Deputy Governor, Adaego Madumere.

    Speaking at the occasion, the Deputy Governor said the PEZE Foundation is concentrating on human development, adding that the essence of this year’s beauty contest and music fiesta is to hunt for talents among Mbaike youths.

    He assured that the youth would be given the necessary support and leverage to achieve their God-given talents. He said that the strategy was to reach out to the youth through their fellow youths, noting that such responsibility would bring to the fore their leadership qualities.

    He said the programme also aimed at reviving and redefining the Igbo culture which, he said, is at the verge of extinction. He urged the youth to remain focused and committed to their talents. He added that ‘discovering one’s talent and utilising it is simply a shortcut to achieving success”.

    Contributing, wife of the Deputy Governor, His Worship, Adaego Madumere challenged the youth and participants of the pageant not to betray the trust reposed in them, stating that qualities of good leadership have been instilled in them.

    She advised Imo youths to shun drug addiction, cultism, robbery and other social vices that are capable of truncating their future. She also advised them  to vigorously pursue their talents as they are the surest way to attain success.

    The organiser of the event which is usually held during the Yuletide season, Mr. Philemon Nnaji-Ibe (aka Yellow Mouth), said he has produced many talents that are among the big names in the entertainment industry.

    He further stated that the culture of hard work and self-confidence has been inculcated into the youth who he said have discovered themselves through the medium.

    Scores of national and international singers and dancers, including Phyno, Slow Dog, Scatter and Sons Dance Group, among others took turns to entertain the huge crowd.

     

  • Beauty and the beast

    Beauty and the beast

    The irony of the relationship between beauty and the beast is that power resides in the beauty. The beast is powerful, no doubt. It has all the qualities of the conqueror. The beast is primitive, raw, uncouth, greedy, fierce, unforgiving. On the other hand, the beauty is fragile, vulnerable, built to seduce. On the surface, that is.

    The Nigerian beauty today is not the winner of Miss Nigeria, but oil. It is not for nothing that crude oil is called black beauty. It is sleek, glistening, and takes on all the dazzling shapes we want of it. It can be willowy, it can be fat, tall, short and long. It is the malleable beauty of the age. It is vulnerable in that it cannot hide for long. We seek it, find it and use it. It flirts and plays hard to get while ensconced in its wells in the same way a damsel eludes the suitor. It is the quintessential target of the lusty.

    In the end, it falls. But does it? Just as we know that it is not Samson who is more powerful than Delilah and King Kong cringes at the sight of the vixen, we all are at the mercy of the beauty of the age: oil. The intriguing thing about beauty is that it can be humble about its appeal and its superiority. Like a smile that melts muscles, it cows nobility. It fights without effort. Some psychologists have called it passive aggression.

    We are the beasts, the Nigerians, the raw exploiter. Oil, the beauty, does not propagate its charms. It is just there, loud in its silences, in the well of abundance. We have fought wars over it, just as the beauty Helen of Troy inspired hatred among the Greeks. We have built palaces and skyscrapers in its name just as Taj Mahal was a monument of love for a woman. It can be the hub of corruption as men have defiled their dignities all through history for the love of women. All the graces have issued from it: chivalry, heroism, piety, patriotism. Also the vices: debauchery, murder, theft, parricide, hypocrisy.

    The tragedy of any great life comes from how it handles its beauty. Nigeria has not done well by her beauty. We have oil, the beauty, in abundance, and it has been faithful from the first time we set our eyes on it in the 1950’s. We have not been faithful. We have fought wars, denied our history, oppressed the poor, corrupted the rich, encouraged laziness and abandoned learning, and above all abandoned God. When we call God, it is because we want him to give us access to the fruits of this beauty, its shapely profits, its giddy joys, its extravagant lifestyles. Other than that, we have acted like Samson and forgotten the God who gave us this willowy empress.

    Recently, we went to war as a nation over this beauty. Some persons, they called them young Turks, abused this beauty by taking advantage of subsidy. They bought private jets, palaces abroad, choice boats, and their families know Nigeria only as leisure visitors. In exploiting this beauty called oil, they kept others in penury. When they spent one million naira, the ordinary folk managed one naira. They abounded in luxury and hauteur.

    The ordinary folks decided to shut down the country. Who says this beauty is not more powerful. In fact, the poet Y.B. Yeats describes it as “a terrible beauty is born.” Beauty is terrible, but the rest of the ordinary folks wanted to follow another characterisation of beauty by Russian author Dostoyevsky who said beauty will save the world.

    Well, soldiers were sent to fight against vulnerable men and women who went to the streets to fight for their own share of this great beauty. The leader of the country, Goodluck Jonathan, loved the beauty so much that he would not be part of sharing her glories with the common folk. The leaders of the protest, however, wilted and succumbed because they were offered a little of the beauty’s holy of holies, and they promised us that they would make things better.

    They would build new refineries so that the beauty, powerful as she is in her crudity, can be refined into sophisticated glory. That is, we shall have new beauty salons known as refineries. But what of the old ones? The person in charge called Diezani Alison- Madueke, a woman in charge of our beauty, promised that the new refineries also known as beauty salons will be upgraded so our beauty cannot only serve us but will be less terrible, will save us. A consensus seemed to have been reached between Yeats and Dostoyevsky, as terrible can also be saviour.

    We quietly exulted. Beauty is not only a charm, it is a great tease. She teased us and we fell for it. Then just recently she said the refineries will now be sold. The same refineries that would be upgraded and used to make our beauty more profitable for us?

    Well, it seems we can do nothing about that. Yar’Adua had turned it from private hands when he said the process was dubious but Jonathan said no, and it had to come back to private hands again. All of us know that the beauty called oil has always done well outside the suffocating hands of government. Its sense of romance lies only in exploitation. If it has happened to telecoms and PHCN, why not refineries?

    If it will go into private hands, at least the beauty should be allowed to pick who will refine her. Media reports have it that they want to give the refineries, the beauty salons, to fronts, or favoured sons. This will be another abuse of the beauty. Let all the suitors be allowed to make their cases before the beauty, and we call that transparency.

    Obasanjo sold them cheap and Yar’Adua reversed it. We want it transparent, and let the best suitors win. There are four refineries. Let whoever gets it be the person who did the best for the beauty. We have to look at their competence, history, capacity. It is like the wrestling match to determine the best suitor. Everyone, including the loser, cannot dispute the winner, because all are witnesses. We want transparency, not fronts.

  • Calabar: The beauty, thrills and memories

    Calabar: The beauty, thrills and memories

    From all perspectives, a recent tour of Calabar was very delightful, justifying the tourists’ assumption that the ancient city is always a tourist delight.

    Although the visit was for the National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Library Association (NLA), it gave the conference’s participants the opportunity of knowing more about Calabar’s tourist sites and their potentialities.

    The Cultural Centre, Calabar, the venue of the conference, displayed some of the tourist expectations of the rich cultural values in other parts of Cross River state.

    The well-paved roads leading to the centre were beautified and they showcased some elements of the abundant tourist attractions in the state.

    The conference of librarians also attracted exhibitors, publishers and friends of the association.

    During the conference, 14 papers were presented, while three celebrities, including Governor Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom and Chief Emeka Ofor, a prominent businessman, were honoured with NLA Merit and Eminent Personality Awards.

    The participants savoured the aesthetics of the neat and well-planned city but their ecstatic mood switched into to a sombre mood when they visited some places.

    They visited some places of interest such as the Marina Slave Museum and Tinapa Business Resort, among others.

    The visit to the museum brought back the memories of the horrific Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, which was then perpetrated by European slave traders and their African collaborators.

    The visitors walked in a single file formation to re-enact the way the slaves were forced to move in chains to “their destinations of no return’’.

    Viewing some of the antiquities and artworks was quite emotional and, in fact, some of the visitors broke down in tears.

    Some of the artworks reflect the slaves’ voyage to faraway places, during which they were forced to lie down in a way that made it virtually impossible for them to communicate with one another.

    In the artworks, the weak and sickly slaves were isolated from the healthy ones, while some were thrown into the sea.

    The emotions of the visitors could have lingered for a longer time if they were allowed to take pictures of the revealing artworks.

    One of the chambers of the museum contains the chains and shackles used in tying up the slaves to prevent them from escaping.

    The visitors were told that the slaves were exchanged for valueless items such as guns, hot drinks and mirrors, while each of the items could be exchanged for ten human beings.

    Another chamber contains the slave-masters’ rods, which were used for stamping identification marks on the slaves.

    Some of the artworks contain images such as white men flogging fleeing slaves and bull dogs, used by the white slave-masters to hunt down slaves.

    One of the artworks depicts slaves groaning under the yoke of heavy chains, while working on sugarcane plantations.

    Some of the artworks provoked strong feelings in the tourists, as some of them, who could no longer control their emotions, burst into tears, recalling the striking instance of man’s inhumanity to man.

    Some of the visitors asked thought-provoking questions such as: “How could the people who brought Christianity to us unleash this kind of bestial acts on our people?

    The visitors, however, found solace in a chamber of the museum in which the statues of Rev. Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a former slave who later became the first African Anglican bishop in Nigeria, and William Wilberforce, who fought for the abolition of slave trade, are erected.

    At the Tinapa Business Resort, a magazine — Waka About Africa — carried a cover story, “Badagry: A Walk Through The Slave Route’’, which caught the attention of the visitors.

    The publication argued that before Africans could blame Europeans for the atrocities of the slave trade, they should first investigate the involvement of various community leaders, who searched the hinterland and captured the slaves for the European slave merchants.

    The magazine, however, noted that after the proclamation that made slave trade illegal, the trade stopped in British West Indies in 1863 and in Brazil in 1818, while Africa followed in 1870.

    It noted also that long after the abolition of slave trade, the inhuman trade in persons still flourished in Badagry until 1886.

    The general consensus among the visitors is that other forms of slavery still exist nowadays, citing human trafficking and child labour as examples.

    They underscore the need for governments and relevant agencies to make concerted efforts to eradicate any form of modern-day slavery.

     

    •Ejiogu is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

     

  • City of art, beauty

    City of art, beauty

    The nation’s capital is not all about high cost of living. Nor do bulldozers and demolitions define it. The city also has an enchanting core fed by creative hands and minds.

    Wuse II probably boasts one of the most interesting places that will blow your mind. And it is right inside a building not different from the next bungalow. It instantly launches you into a beautiful world of art and creativity.

    The work of art therein is so overwhelming that this correspondent was momentarily arrested by what she saw–the exquisite and irresistible work of a creative mind. For instance, the kitchen is made of wood, from top to bottom, with a sink that is designed in the form of a huge cup with cupboards having different designs. The bathrooms are designed like a typical resort on a beach or the mountains.

    A section of the corridors and living-room looks like a semi cave with paintings scattered all over the white-washed wall. Another section of the living-room wall is covered in a recycled newspaper divide with another made from used drinking straws that look so impossible. This scenario is created by different gifted artists with sculptures standing majestically by ankara-styled hand-made sitters.

    Ifesinachi, one of the artists and architects of the great house, explained that his theme as an artist and what they are trying to portray is working with recycled materials, which is basically encouraging an environment that is clean and sustainable.

    For instance, the coffee tables, beds and most of the furniture items were made from wood that was found in the bush which ordinarily would have passed for firewood.

    The artist, who has been in the profession for upwards of 15 years, said that he is an environmentalist who works towards environmental sustenance and prefers working in Abuja because his raw materials are found in bushes and the mountains around him. Besides, he enjoys working on things that are contemporary and African.

    He explained that art in Nigeria is not mainly seen in terms of the monetary value but the relationship that one has with art lovers that appreciate one’s work.

    ‘’Even if a particular work of mine is given a N6 million tag and I find someone who genuinely loves it, I can give it to the person for free or sell it 10 times less the price. Most of us artists do not always sell all our works, sometimes a friend or even stranger may genuinely love your work but may not be able to afford the price and you end up giving it out for free,’’ he said.

    He said that one sad thing is that a visit to most hotels in Abuja will reveal pictures that were mass produced in China but has no relevance with our culture hanging.

    He explained that art in Abuja is still growing, adding “a lot of people living in Abuja often travel to Lagos just to be in the world of art, art is more vibrant in Lagos because the city has more exhibitions which is the life-line of the artists and Lagos already has an art community which Abuja is yet to have”.

    He said that the idea is to make Nigerians think environmental and recycling and also make people who enjoy going to Dubai and China to purchase works of art realise that great and cheaper art work can be done in the country by local artists.

    The owner of the house and partner in the conceptualisation, Uzor, who is a writer, explained that he had decided to transform his house into something spectacular and a private gallery. He explained that if you walk into a lot of houses in Nigeria, you realise that the finishing is often very bad and boring, So he thought to himself that “if you want to live in a place and be there, then you should enjoy the place, a place where you can come back to and feel very relaxed and having a place like mine is a very interesting way of doing just that.’’

    The reserved and quiet writer explained that when he was young, he visited museums a lot and his mother collected art, which actually opened his mind to greater things. In his words, ‘’We have lots of talents in this country, it’s like a lot of people are technically gifted but lack the vision, like how to make things out of what is surrounding you, is what really makes it interesting.

    ‘’The problem is that Nigerians are more concerned about what is more practical and can make money within a short time which is certainly not art’’.

    He said that art is not about how much you can make but how you show people your ability to reason. He explained that Nigerians are gradually beginning to appreciate and invest in art now unlike before.

    There is no thorough fare in the house as visit is strictly by invitation, and when asked how they sell their work under such strict rules, Uzor said this should not be thought as selling but more of coming to enjoy the pleasure of looking at art because there isn’t enough places in the city where people can just sit and say, “you know what? This is something beautiful, let me take my mind off the things that are bothering me and enjoy something beautiful that is not stressing me.”

     

  • Here comes Finnest

    HE comes across as a young, vibrant and talented young man, but Omoge Master, Finnest, says that the world is yet to see the best of him. Born Herbert Onyebuchi Patrick, the young artiste was discovered by the Sound and Meknitz Rekords.

    At the unveil of the artiste which took place at Sunfit Hotel, Festac, Finnest explains that he got the needed break he had always wanted and that was how his song, Omoge, was born.

    A member of Deeper Life Bible Church choir at some point, Finnest says that his musical career professionally started a few years ago. He was signed to the Soundz and Meknitz Record in September 2012 and since then he has been enjoying the contract with the record label.

    The unveilling of the artiste also featured the release of his mixtape which has four tracks, Omoge, Despicable me, Why you dey form as well as an all instrument track. The 26- year- old native of Imo State is a graduate of Business Administration from Lagos State Polytechnic.