The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CULTURE

  • Lagos monarch rallies support for culture

    The Oba of Ikateland, Oba Saheed Demola Elegushi has urged Nigerians not to jettison their tradition and culture for their religious beliefs.

    He spoke at the celebration of Elegba Day in Ikate-Elegushi in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos.

    Oba Elegushi said tradition and religion should not be mixed saying “the fact that I am a Muslim does not mean I should not perform my tradition” adding that there is no conflict between the two.

    He said the Jews and the Brazilians have their traditions which they cherish without hindering their biblical faith.

    He praised Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for providing the atmosphere for everyone to practice the religion they profess.

    On Elegba Festival, Oba Elegushi said the deity symbolises angelic Satan that requires to be worshipped annually for peace, progress and prosperity to thrive in the land.

    “There is need to worship ESU (Satan) in order to have peace of life. Some people have money but Satan will not allow them to enjoy it by inflicting all kinds of afflictions on them. But once you give what belongs to Satan, you will enjoy your wealth peacefully,” he said.

    According to the monarch, the Elegba is celebrated yearly by descendants of Olofin, who migrated from Ile-Ife to Lagos.

    This year, he said, Iddo and Oniru, who are off springs of Olofin, had made sacrifices to the deity and it is the turn of Ikate Elegushi.

    The Chief Priest, Safani Elegushi Ejuremoko appeased the gods before placing Odu Olofin Symbol on the forehead of the traditional ruler, which connotes long life and prosperity for the king.

    Later, Orisa Olofin took a dance round the shrine signposting the commencement of the festival.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business Districts (CBD), Prince Anofi Elegushi described the festival as unique in the life of the town.

    He said it heralds peace, love and unity and wards off evil.

    All the five Baales under Ikate Elegushi – Majegun, Iroko Awe, Itedo, Ologolo and Alfa Beach joined Oba Elegushi in the celebration.

    The seven-day festival witnessed scores of indigenes of Ikate-Elegushi thronging the shrine of Elegba to celebrate the deity on the first day amidst dancing, singing and drumming.

  • Using culture to foster unity

    Using culture to foster unity

    To foster unity and integration, children have been charged to appreciate individuals’ differences and peculiarities and condemn cultural discrimination.

    This, according to former Executive Secretary National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO Mrs Victoria Agodo will children understand and embrace individuals’ behaviours irrespective of tribe, traditions, attitudes and beliefs.

    Agodo who spoke on Culture: a Strategic Tools for Peace, Unity and National Integration at this year’s edition of Children Extravaganza in Lagos identified parents and teachers as major key players needed to train and expose the children to see value in life and people as every tribe has its different norms and traditions.

    “Your parents teach you how to greet and the actions that accompany greetings. We were taught to respect parents and elders within and outside the family and given the guidance as to relationship within the family.

    “The other values are honesty, sincerity, being our brothers and neighbours’ keepers. We were also taught to care for strangers and acceptable peer group relationship and taboos,” she said, charging the children to be tolerant and appreciate others culture.

    Director Training School, (NICO) Lagos, Mrs Brigitte Yerima who represented Acting Executive Secretary Mr Louis Eriomala said that the purpose of the yearly gathering to sensitize and educate the youths to understand the nexus between peace, unity and nation development for better future.

    She noted that the forum will provide a credible platform to correct the current trends of total negligence of our culture by younger generation who has wholeheartedly assimilated foreign culture, which has resulted to an upsurge of behaviours that are inimical to peoples’ existence.

    “Our youth need to be enlightened. This is why children’s cultural extravaganza is annually organized to demonstrate our appreciation of the strategic importance of children in the promotion and preservation of our cultural heritage.

    “The programme is designed to inculcate our cherished cultural value of honesty, hardworking, tolerance, patriotism among others whereby students from different schools are invited to display the beauty of our culture through fashion parade, dance, drama among others,” she added.

    Some of the schools that participated were God’s Own School, Ijesha, Police Children School II, Obalende, Biolak Children School, Abule-Okedan Isashi, His Goodness Private School, Orile, Tommy Hills Nursery and Primary School, Egbeda, Tender Grape Model College, Oworo, Bedrock College, Surulere, Kosofe Junior College, Ketu, Orire College, Orile and Araromi Junior Secondary School, Sari- Iganmu Orile

    Head NICO Liaison Office, Lagos Mrs Victoria Oparavera said the programme is a success and another stepping stone towards the achievement of the programme purpose of inculcating culture in the children. “Today, they have learnt something about our culture and what differentiate one culture from another,” she said.

     

  • Restoring the Balance Between Culture and Nature at Lake Chad

    Restoring the Balance Between Culture and Nature at Lake Chad

    Lake Chad is disappearing. The consequences of this ecological disaster reaches deep into the communities that are sustained by this ecosystem. This is as much a humanitarian and security situation as an ecological one.

    Last December, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that 2.6 million people face crisis levels of food insecurity and that the number is expected to rise. Add to this the presence of the armed group Boko Haram in parts of the region, and it becomes clear that these issues require an international and multi-faceted response.

    This will be at the top of the minds of decision-makers, scientists and civil society representatives as they gather in Abuja for the International Conference on Lake Chad this Monday. UNESCO will be among them to launch the Biosphere and Heritage of Lake Chad project.

    This innovative project draws on UNESCO’s 20 years in the region and will bring to bear all of the organization’s expertise not only in science, but also in culture, education and communication to develop innovative solutions from the ground up.

    Just as two strands of DNA are necessary for life, humankind and the ecosystem are bound together. This is why we will work with our partners and the concerned communities to formulate an approach to the management of the Lake Chad Basin, that will rely on the interdependency of people and the environment, blending science and local knowledge to create sustainable solutions to the restoration of this precious water resource, which supports 30 million people in the countries that share the lake.

    With support from the African Development Bank, and in collaboration with the Lake Chad Basin Commission, we will train local scientists in the cutting-edge imaging technologies to track changes in the environment.

    On the basis of these findings, we will pilot innovative projects for the restoration of damaged ecosystems, including the forest home of several endangered species and the nesting spots of dozens of species of migratory birds.

    UNESCO’s International Hydrological Programme will support Chad, Cameroun and Nigeria to integrate the African Flood and Drought Monitor system to ensure more agile coping mechanisms for seasonal variations.

    We will work with partners to protect the Yuri cow, which for generations has been emblematic of the people of the Lake Chad region and which is now under threat of extinction, because protecting the environment is a way of life and both a scientific and cultural endeavor.

    Lake Chad is as much steeped in the history of humanity as it is in the waters of the Chari, Logone and Yobe rivers, which form it. For tens of millions of years it has been at the centre of a delicate but rich web of life. It was once home to one of our oldest known ancestors, Toumaï, who walked these shores 7 million years ago.

    Which is why UNESCO will support all of the governments of the region to prepare the way for recognizing new trans-boundary sites of the basin as a UNESCO World Heritage site and Biosphere Reserves to promote reconciliation, resilience and, ultimately, peace.

    We need to act now to break the cycle of ecological disaster, livelihood disruption, mass displacement and political upheaval, which leads to further ecological disaster.

    These waters, among the largest waterways of Africa, provide a unique opportunity to build relationships between communities and across borders. This teeming source of life must be preserved to restore the bountiful resources that once surrounded Lake Chad and restored the people’s pride in our shared heritage.

    Azoulay is the Director-General of UNESCO

  • Culture, democracy and leadership

    Culture, democracy and leadership

    Let  me state clearly  from the onset  that  I believe democracy is a form  of  government that has outlived its usefulness in the modern world as we know it  today. I  do not buy the arguments of those who say the worst  form of  democracy is still  better  than a dictatorship. That  is just  plain  nonsense to me and it is not because  I am  angry  with democracy  as an ideology. It is because day in day  out,  we see good examples of why there should be a better way for human beings to govern themselves  than this  present   process   of periodic elections that   throw up leaders  who  are strangers to those who elected  them   into power even  before  they are sworn  into office. As  at  this week  the newest  president in the world is Cyril  Ramaphosa  the man   who  is taking over from disgraced former president of S Africa , Jacob  Zuma,  who  should face charges of  corruption immediately  and whose party should  be punished or admonished  for putting up with him  for  so long,  but  whose  party  has such a solid majority  that it will always win elections in that  nation  no matter  the quality  of leadership   it offers to   S Africans.  That is democracy  and that is a shame indeed  for any such ideology  which  conscripts  citizens  to the servitude  of avoidable poor  and bad leadership.

    Today  however  I  look at events in Nigeria  where the ruling   APC   has now admitted  that  it has dissent within its  fold and has now drafted  its most gifted  political  strategist  to  put its house in order in order  to  be  battle ready  for 2019  elections. Which   to  me   is  a great   distraction and a costly  diversion   of   talent  that  has been  hitherto ignored in  governance    and   is now being used    belatedly    for  a   fire   brigade  exercise.  We  also  look  at the USA where the president is on trial  as it were because he dared to say  that  a man  working for him  is a good man  even though  allegations have surfaced  that  he was a wife beater  who molested  his   two  divorced  former wives  We  also  look  at  Russia  where  a  presidential  election is to take place with  no one in doubt    that the winner will  be the incumbent  president  Vladmir  Putin who  is being  vilified   in the US   for  helping the current  US   president  Donald  Trump  win the 2016  presidential  elections in the   US.

    We  look  at these  nations  and their  democracies   in the context  of my  resentment against  democracy, its workings  and failure, in spite  of the laudable  objectives  of politicians in these  nations.   I  am  not blaming the inadequacies  of democracy  on leadership but on the environment of democratic  values  especially  emerging   political  cultures    and expectations tied symbiotically  to  a game of numbers   and  elections that  have  in many instances undermined  political stability and humanity without  which no political system  can  survive. Let  me   first  attempt   to highlight  the political  values   in these  nations driving their democracy   in  the directions they  have now found themselves.

    In  Nigeria  a  political  culture  of rigging at  elections is  a way  of life while the economic culture is corruption  and the sociological attitude  to work  is well  steeped in nepotism  and ethnicity. In   the  US   the political  culture is that of  ‘winner  takes all ‘ which  creates a no  prisoners taken approach   to the use and exercise  of power  without  consideration  for   the feelings or even  the existence  of losers  at  periodic  elections.  The  economic  culture  is laissez  faire capitalism  which  widens social  inequalities brazenly  till  the next  elections  and the sociological attitude  nowadays is  sexism or more  appropriately  sexual    harassment.  In  the UK  the cabinet  system  makes  the PM  first  amongst  equals and that creates leadership  competition which  can  at   times   be disruptive but the Parliamentary  system ensures great  accountability  and transparency. The  economic  system is rooted in social  insurance   and human rights  hold sway even at the expense  of state  stability  and security.  Again  like the US  sexual  harassment   is the major sociological  pursuit   of the moment along with  gay  rights and sexual equality.  How   all  these political   and socio –  economic considerations   and values  make or mar  the practice of   democracy  in these   nations  is what  I will  examine next.

    In  Nigeria  the present government  got  into power on an  anti-corruption platform  accentuated  by the discovery, on getting power that its predecessor  party  in power  had looted the nation’s treasury blind. The  new president had health  challenges,   which given  his age, were really  not unexpected  but he recovered but not early  enough for the   Catholic  bishops to tell  him to his face during a visit  that he has frittered  away  his goodwill  capital.  But  the government   from  the beginning  really  never  got   its  bearing  right as it was derailed by a  palace  coup  at the start  by a member  of the party who  became the President of the   Senate, the No.  3    position  in our democracy.  That  political  wound has been  untreatable   and I think   that would be part  of the reconciliation  assignment  of former Lagos  state  governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu  for the APC  on the eve of the 2019  presidential  elections.  But  that too  is like a political hemlock   to a leader  who  should be  in the forefront  of leading the nation    at  the next elections.  For  now crisis  management is a priority  for the ruling  APC. That  can  only mean that it has lost sight of the more  nagging issues  like  restructuring  and the killing of Nigerians  by  herdsmen  which  has made a   beleaguered   state  governor  to ask  his people  to arm  and defend themselves  if the central   government  can not do so  against  well  armed  herdsmen. This  issue  will  overshadow  any  fence mending in the APC because it is the party in power  and  its best  captain should  be deployed  to  nip  a   problem  with  high potential   to foment a civil  war  from going in that direction,  rather  than a protracted mend  fencing  which is like  closing the stable doors after  the horses  have bolted.

    With  regard  to the US  I  want to treat  their  democracy  on a comparative basis  with  that  of  Russia since  the US intelligence  community  has developed a rare paranoia   and sees Russia  lurking behind  any action  of   the US president  and has said Russia  aided his election  in  2016, which is something that annoys him  no end.  But  really  the US Intelligence  community  has short  changed itself  professionally  by playing  second fiddle to  Russia  on election  hacking. Sexual  harassment  too is fuelling   that  Russian  fiddling allegation.  But  it   also shows a moral  depravity heightened  by  Trump’s  background and unexpected victory. Surely  there  can  be no sexual  harassment in the fact  that his three former  wives  camapiagned  for  him. That  gives him a right to applaud  his aides  competence while  condemning sexual  harassment  in any  form.  Anyway  a political culture that makes great noise over sexual  advances  several  years  old is an unserious  and malicious  one. That  is what the US   has  become in spite  or despite the election of  Trump  and that is a sorry  situation indeed  without  much   political   value   or  respect  for  transparency  and    justice  as expected  in any democracy.

    At  the other  end Russia  is mocking the US’ political  and intelligence  establishments . Russia  under  Putin  is getting more  religious  and the Church  and the state  are partners on moral  values  while American  politics is dominated  by gay rights  and sexual  harassment. In  addition  Russians  are proud  that the mighty  Americans  cannot  manage their  elections  and insist  that  Russians intervened   to  elect  an  American  president with  all  the wealth  and technology  that  the Americans claim  to be at their  disposal. They  wonder what  sort of morality  Americans have,  given  the pursuit of gay rights and sexual  harassment.  So  who  has the better  democracy  between  the two worthy  of emulation?  Of  course  any  African  or Arab  will  favour  the Russian democracy  on  its    anti gay rights    posture  alone which is an anathema  in their  culture. Of  course  Americans  will scoff at that, while comparing   gay  rights with  civil   liberties but that  is an  insult  to such  people  and really  the Americans funeral. Once  again  long live  the Federal  Republic  of  Nigeria.

  • ‘Gani Adams will promote Yoruba culture’

    The National Coordinator of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC), Otunba Ganiyu Adams, at the weekend took the oath of office as the 15th Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yoruba

    The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, administered the oath of office at a historic event at the Durbar Stadium in Oyo town.

    Adams was being installed 20 years after the demise of former holder and acclaimed winner of the June 12 presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola.

    Incidentally, the date of the installation coincided with the installation of the first Aare Ona Kakanfo – the Kokoro Ganagan of Iwoye.

    Adams noted that Samuel Ladoke Akintola and Abiola, the 13th and 14th, used their political, educational and financial influence to improve the office.

    Thegeneralissimo promised to work with prominent Yoruba indigenes, regardless of political or religious affiliation, to advance the interest of the race.

    Adams said: “While it is estimated that there are 60 million Yoruba within Nigeria and about 200 million all over the world, as a starting point, the preservation of the culture of this race will occupy my attention.

    “The importance of the office still stands: protection of the interest of Yoruba race within the country and everywhere else people of the race exist.

    “Pitiably as a race, we are gradually losing our culture. In fact, from my travels around the world, it has become obvious that people of other races are becoming more interested in our culture, with Americans, Europeans and Asians now earning degrees in the study of our culture, beliefs and what they have come to terms with – the doctrine to fully realise this potential of the Yoruba.”

    The Aare Ona Kakanfo assured the Yoruba that his reign will lead to the promotion of culture, tradition and tourism potential in Yoruba land.

    He expressed reservation on what he called discordant tunes among the Yoruba.

    Adams promised to reconcile and promote peaceful co-existence among his kinsmen.

    The Aare Ona Kakanfo also promised to institute a foundation to award scholarship to indigent but brilliant pupils and students.

    He said the Oodua Progressive Union (OPU), which he established to give a voice to the Yoruba in the Diaspora, was in 79 countries.

    According to him, he will use the platform to invite successful Yoruba sons and daughters in the Diaspora to return home and use their expertise to develop the country.

    Oba Adeyemi, who led the installation rites, dismissed the myth of violent and sudden death associated with former holders of the title.

    The frontline monarch called for the unity of Yoruba race, saying the people have the potential to be great but need to sink rivalry and petty disagreements.

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi did not deliver any speech at the ceremony.

    But representatives of Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ondo governors delivered goodwill messages and applauded the Alaafin for choosing Adams.

    Also, the ancient town of Oyo continued the festivity of the installation yesterday as it remained agog for the second day.

    The world turned its attention to the town at the weekend during the installation.

    Some former governors, obas and other eminent personalities besieged the town to honour Oba Adeyemi and Adams.

    Almost all hotels in the town were fully booked by guests, including members of the OPC in Nigeria and in the Diaspora.

    They were in the town to honour their leader.

    Oyo indigenes outside the town and residents of neighbouring communities were also in town for the ceremony.

    Traders, including those dealing in charms and traditional items, took part in the ceremony. As at yesterday, many traders, hunters, traditionalists, groups and residents were still celebrating.

    The new generalissimo was at the Catholic Church at Asogo in Oyo town for a special church service.

    Yesterday’s celebration was the 47th anniversary of Oba Adeyemi on the throne.

    Liquor shops were filled with consumers, mostly OPC members and traditional worshippers, in continuation of the two events.

    A fuji musician, whose name was yet to be ascertained, was slated to perform at the palace yesterday evening.

    Sir Shina Peters, Wasiu Alabi (Pasuma), Adewale Ayuba and others performed on Saturday.

  • New Chapman Happy Hour inspired by Nigerian culture

    As an organisation that constantly strives to keep its customers refreshed and satisfied, Chi Limited has introduced a new variant of Happy Hour by Chivita into the marketplace. The new variant, ‘Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita’, will now join other popular variants from the brand’s stable to offer consumers more choices for refreshment.

    Widely considered the toast of most parties and consumed as a party starter,  chapman drink can easily be enjoyed by anyone. Being one of our indigenous drinks, the unique Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita  contains a blend of fruits and is poised to gain  huge acceptance by Nigerians because it infuses our culture and style in a refreshing mix.

    Hassan Mustapha, a brand analyst, stated that the new Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita offers a refreshing way to enjoy our favourite chapman drink.

    “It is interesting to see how this brand  has been able to coin a compelling narrative, “Refreshment Naija Style” to endear itself to consumers. It ticks the right boxes in this regard as it is made in Nigeria, takes into consideration our local taste, connects with our style and offers refreshing value that is in a class of its own,” he noted.

    An insurance broker, Ibiyemi Idowu, stated that chapman drinks are the favourite starters in a Nigerian party and a refreshing drink the average party goer looks forward to on the menu.

    “I believe the new Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita is a bold statement by the brand to complement our authentic Naija experiences through amazing refreshment. It has the unique Nigerian feel that I believe would resonate with consumers with respect to preference for a readily available chapman drink,” she said.

    Speaking on the new variant, Marketing Director of Chi Limited, Mr. Probal Bhattacharya, said that Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita is an indigenous drink ideal for its offer of an unrivalled burst of refreshment.

    “Chapman is all about refreshing taste and flavours deeply ingrained in the Nigerian mindscape. For us, this is more than just a regular refreshment offering – it’s a tribute to what makes us happy and refreshed in our own Nigerian way – hence Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita is truly ‘Refreshment Naija Style’,” he stated.

    First rolling out in 150ml juice boxes, each pack of Chapman Happy Hour by Chivita is full of tasty fruitiness that is guaranteed to keep the consumer refreshed and satisfied. By making this new variant available, it is certain that Happy Hour by Chivita’s control over shelf space will increase and with it, share of the market and the consumer’s mind space.

  • Towards a better democratic culture in Nigeria

     For many Nigerians, democracy in our land has not really lived up to its universally acclaimed status. Indeed, not quite a few people are of the view that democracy has failed the nation. So glaring is the failure and so painful are the betrayals of the true fathers of democracy in the country, some of whom had to pay the supreme price in order to ensure that democracy is deeply entrenched in our political culture.

    In a land that is abundantly blessed with enormous resources and potentials, it’s only a few that are connected to the powers that live in affluence while the majority wallows in abject poverty. Poverty , maternal deaths, unemployment , insecurity, corruption, electoral malpractices, unstable power supply, lack of good drinking water and poor road network among others have continued to be the blight of our beloved nation.  In some states, workers are being owed months of salaries while pensioners suffer same fate, leading in a few cases to needless deaths.

    Considering all this, it becomes quite essential for one to take another look at Abraham Lincoln’s simple, concise and universally recognized definition of democracy as: “the government of the people, by the people, and for the people”.  Lincoln’s definition is a theory that emphasizes the nitty-gritty of democracy, which is all about the people.  Hence, a democracy is built on the equality of the people; the freedom of these people to associate with one another for the realization of their ideals and the defense, promotion of their interests, giving the freewill to citizens to exhibit their legitimate rights. It is, therefore, a system of government that is absolutely centered on the people.

    The literal meaning of “democracy” comes from a combination of two Greek words, demos (people) and kratos (rule), and at its core is a concept that emphasizes “democracy is a form of government in which the people rule”. The term originated in Athens and was a part of the standard classification of regime forms that distinguished rule by one (monarchy), several (aristocracy) and many (democracy). However, beyond the literal meaning of democracy, there have been considerable debates over the criteria that distinguish democracies from non-democracies.

    It can be argued that democracy is a system of government that makes the opportunity to participate in the process of decision making open to all who are willing and interested. It is also a system of government that recognizes individual rights, as well as a system of representation and electoral system based on the principle of one man one vote and one vote one value.

    When the phrase “dividends of democracy” came in the nation’s political lexicon in 1999 after the termination of military rule, many did not realize its power to affect and infect the possibilities for political perception in Nigeria as well as Nigerians’ view of obligations and responsibilities in a democracy. Today, however, the phrase sits atop the hierarchy of politically significant and oft-deployed concepts; it enjoys the acceptance of pro-government propagandists and opposition intellectuals alike.

    The unfolding democratic experience in Nigeria provides a practical theory of autocracy being craftily deployed along with other performances of power that bastardize or mimic the democratic concepts of popularity, consent, and public acceptance. The mix of these symbols have forced blackmail and insinuation which led elected officials to invent and reinvent ways of performing power that are a depressing throwback to military rule and one-party dictatorships.

    When power is fully personalized as is gradually becoming the case in Nigeria, the result is that the destiny of the person of the leader and that of the state are conflated. And this is manifest not just in the occasional rhetorical outbursts of self-interested political officials, having at the back of our minds that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

    Corruption constitutes one of the greatest challenges and threats to the consolidation of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. The incidence of corruption in the country reached a crescendo in 2004 when a German based non-governmental organization called Transparency International in its 2004 Corruption Perception Index(CPI) report projected Nigeria as the 2nd most corrupt country in the world(132nd out of 133 countries surveyed).

    The way forward is for the war on corruption to be pushed beyond political propaganda, nepotism, intimidation and witch-hunting of political opponents. Government must muster sufficient political will to punish any corrupt public officer, irrespective of his or her status in the society. In addition, legislation should be enacted by the National Assembly, stipulating stringent penalty for corruption related offences.

    Also, aside tackling corruption headlong, our democracy must be able to guarantee all universally accepted norms of freedom. Democracy will not bear the expected dividends when voices of dissent are muzzled and government cannot be held accountable. Transparency in governance, freedom of expression, freedom of choice, respect for the rights of the minorities, and the legitimacy of opposition are among significant features of democracy. Therefore, everything must be done to ensure that these critical elements are well preserved in our democracy.

    It is also important that the people, who in real essence are the embodiment of democracy, take control of the entire process. They must understand that democracy is not just about election. Most often, the electorates go to sleep immediately after an election. But then, this is wrong. The people need to be alert and ensure that elected public officials do not take electorates for granted.

    The people must always insist on good governance while also putting on creative cap of self-empowerment. The family unit, social organisations, schools and colleges and the media must help people to overcome the shackles of helplessness in the face of our daunting problems.

    Yes, it is true that our expectations are not really being met in terms of dividends of democracy. Nevertheless, our democratic setbacks may not yet entitle us to reject democracy altogether or to be receptive to non democratic options. If democracy is working for other nations, it should for us. All we need to do is to play the game according to the rules and we shall get expected results. God bless Nigeria.

    • Erezi is a student of National Broadcast Academy, Ikeja, Lagos

     

  • Culture, corruption and civilisation

    To  show  the sanctity  of  human  rights as well  as its limitation, social  scientists  have always invoked the saying that  ‘your rights end,  where my nose begins. This, really,  is an antidote against anarchy  and     prevent   a situation of limitless or uncontrolled  observance, practice and operations of human  rights in any  polity.  The  aim of such checks and balances  is to promote  political  stability  while enhancing civil  liberties. This  really  is the kernel  of  libertarian  democracy or  western  civilization as we know it today.  However events happening in the western  world today show clearly  that this check  on human rights and civil liberties  have been   derailed   and developing nations which blindly copy western culture at the expense of their own tradition and values,  should  be careful  in  the  way and manner we copy  western culture  and civilization  hook, line and sinker. That  is our food for thought today, in all  its ramifications.

    Just  imagine,  that   in Britain  Sir  Michael  Fallon,  the Defence  Secretary   resigned because a lady  party colleague reported that he touched  her knee   indecently   sometime ago  and the Minister confessed that culture has changed and   norms   that were  in  vogue,  years ago are no longer acceptable  now.  The  PM,   Theresa  May   a lady quickly  accepted the resignation. More  interestingly, the cause  of the resignation, Ms  Hartley  Brewer later  lamented  that  if the resignation was because  of her knee it would be ‘the most absurd reason in the universe ‘for anyone to lose their job. Which  also sounded  like  a remorse or compunction of sorts. Which  means there is some confusion in the new resort to retrospective punishment  for bosses who flirt or oppress female employees   or  colleagues  in their places of work. That,  clearly  is objectionable but  it  has   also has degenerated  into   an  ugly  vendetta  as several  women  have now woken up from  hitherto selective amnesia  to settle  scores  with carefree  former Romeos in high places and  on accounts  of  past  and  long  wounded love in some cases.  Yet  western  civilization  today thrives on these retrospective sexual  abuse   allegations in the choice of PMs, Presidents and the powerful  and mighty in the EU and  the US. The  best  example  is the allegation  that Donald  Trump  won the US elections because he is a misogynist  and that  Hillary  Clinton lost  also  as a consequence of that. Which  is quite bizarre in a civilization where  same sex marriage  is becoming   the vogue and gay  rights observance are replacing old cultural  values. Really  if   men  can now marry  men  and women do likewise  what is the sense in punishing people, men especially for dubious advances to women several  years  ago?  That  to  me is a clear sign of cultural  confusion or befuddlement and the law  should not be used retrospectively and in  such  reprehensible  manner to destroy reputations and activities  which  were the norm at the time of consummation   of relationship  and contact between people  of different sexes. Especially  now  that the vogue is that gay  rights are  assumed  to be civil rights. Surely  the old  lady  senator in the US  who  foretold   long ago  that femininity  or women  rights  would  lead  to  gay  rights was right after all. What  she did not  see then  is  the attendant  vendetta and feminine glee that would attend  such a cultural  development and social  hiatus  as we  behold  today  on a daily  basis  on such  sordid  backward  looking  and vindictive revelations in  the western  news  media.

    A  rather  similar  case of misuse  of rights  and the application  of the law in the pursuit  of civilization  and justice appear  in the aftermath of the suppression of secession   in  Catalonia     by the   Spanish  state  as well  as the case  by  former  Nigerian Oil  Minister Diezani  Allison  Madueke  to be brought  for trial  in Nigeria, a plea  opposed  vehemently  by Nigeria’s anti-corruption organization, the EFCC. In  both  cases the  political  culture and the law are  being stressed and turned on their  heads as it were by  the political  actors  and personalities  involved in both secession  and corruption which  are really  both sides of the same  coin namely  political  and economic corruption. However it is unbelievable   how these  events  have unfolded in terms of the topic  of the day.

    In  Catalonia where  the Spanish  government  has taken over control  of the rebellious  state according to the Spanish  constitution which  says Spain  is  indissoluble,   the former  president  and Chief  rebel  has fled  to Brussels, Belgium  while his cabinet  has been arraigned on charges of sedition, treason and misuse of public funds in  pursuing secession. Yet, in exile, the former President Puigedon  reportedly  seen  in  a café  recently  said his cabinet  colleagues should  not be tried by the government in   Madrid. Most  surprisingly to me thousands are reported to be demonstrating in Barcelonia  against  the trial  of those  who fomented secession  in  Catalonia when they knew clearly  they  were flouting the law  and constitution  of Spain in this regard. This  to me shows  that there is a misconception  in Spain  and Europe  generally  on human rights, democracy  and the rule of law. That showed clearly  in the way Police violence was roundly condemned in Catalonia  when  the Secession referendum went on despite the Supreme  Court  ruling  it illegal. How  else  could the police in Spain  have  controlled  those who flout the law with impunity  without resort  to force, the legitimate  weapon  of any state to enforce its rule  or law? Similarly   thousands  have demonstrated against  the arraignment  of the ring leaders  even though they  are against  the failed secession  bid.

    • Continued online
  • Culture on display as Oniru clocks 80

    Culture on display as Oniru clocks 80

    Some traditional rulers and  eminent personalities joined hundreds of people at a colourful cultural celebration to commemorate the 80th birthday of the Oniru of Iruland, Oba Idowu Abiodun Oniru, on September 6.

    Several traditional masqueraders and deities entertained guests at the weeklong event. The monarch, a well known tradition and culture enthusiast, danced and prayed alongside other traditional rulers for peace, progress and development in Iru, Lagos and Nigeria. Asked why he chose a cultural fiesta to commemorate his birthday, Oba Oniru, who is also the Oluwo Iledi Osugbo of Lagos, among other traditional titles, explained that he sees it as a way of offering appreciation to Eledumare (the Almighty) and the deities for their protection and support over the years.

    His love for culture and tradition, showed at the event. There was an assemblage of Igunnukos from far and near; Zamgbeto came from Badagry and the Agemo and Celebe were well represented.

    Oba Oniru, Chairman of the Council of Obas and Chiefs in Eti Osa Local Government Area, said he was fulfilled to have lived up to 80.

    “If we pay good attention to the ways of our forefathers, many of the problems we are grappling with today will be easily handled. It is with confidence that I say that the culture and tradition of the Yoruba remain the best all over the world,” Oba Oniru said.

  • Culture, politics and development

    I  watched  a traditional event in Ile Ife  last week end in which the youthful Ooni  of Ife played a great educative and modernizing role   on   Yoruba  culture  and tradition  and I could not resist  comparing that with the visit  this week   of the  81  year  old    King  Salman  of  Saudi  Arabia to Russia, a communist  state, in the quest to promote  the development  and security of   the  desert and  wealthy Middle  East  nation. The  age difference  of the two kings aside, it is the objective that drives their two roles as leaders in their respective nations that deserves our attention today and I   pursue  that with the on going attempt at secession in Catalonia in Spain. This,  I earlier labeled  the ‘Bullfight  Dance’ in comparison with Nigeria’s Python Dance  used   for  the suppression of renewed secession in our nation   I  also    take look  at the  new charge  of   corruption of about 25bn dollars proffered by the Minister of State   for  Petroleum  Resources  against the boss  of the NNPC, Nigeria’s major  oil  company  marred  in serious corruption charges   like  that of Brazil  which  has led  to the fall  of two  governments   and is tormenting the  present    Brazilian  president   seriously  for now.

    My  visit  to Ile  Ife was at the invitation of the Aro  and Asiwaju of  Ile  Ife,  Chief Alex  Duduyemi a  proud  promoter of Yoruba Culture  and highly  respected chief  of Ife  who was asked at the Olojo  Festival  this week  publicly by another high chief to retire immediately  to  Ile  Ife to help the young Ooni  to develop  the ancient  city. The Olojo  festival  is about the   Yoruba    fable   of the  origin  of  day  and night   and   that the universe was created in  Ile  Ife   according to Yoruba mythology. It  is an annual event to celebrate  Ogun, the Yoruba god of Iron  and Truth  and the famed mythical  supporter of technology  and industry  as we know it  today.

    The  Ooni  of  Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja 11,  wore  the famed Aare  crown  as expected at every  Olojo  Day  and he was doing this for the second time since he became a king but  it is the passion of the leading Nigerian  traditional  ruler for the resurrection and resuscitation  of our  traditional values  and history  that caught  my  attention. The  young ruler  told me that Nigerians have abandoned our traditional  values and  history,  especially  those  connected with the origin  of the human race,  its development and expansion  which he  affirmed  quietly  but ponderously  are  traceable historically  and scientifically to  Ile  Ife. He  insists  that modern research  is in the process  of confirming this including the use of DNAs  and he was  quite  serious  that  progress on this front  would soon  be revealed. I  was impressed  by his commitment  to this development  and certainly  wish  him success on that account but it is the traditional  accoutrement  of  Ogun  as the god of Iron  and truth,  particularly  truth, that caught  my fancy  in terms of modern political  and economic development. Especially  with  regard  to the Buhari  Administration’s  war on  corruption  and the new  charges of  lack  of due process  in the  award  of a contract  of 25bn dollars without the input of the NNPC  board     against  the NNPC , GMD Dr  Maikanti  Baru   by  the Minister  of State  for  Petroleum  Resources, Dr  Ibe  Kachikwu,  who was   the NNPC boss in that  capacity  before, and certainly  knew what  he was saying.

    It  is notable that the opposition PDP  has  seized  the occasion  to ridicule the government’s  declared war  on corruption by comparing  this with   the amount involved in the on going 2.9bn  dollars  arms purchase  diversion   case against  the Jonathan Administration by saying that the new NNPC scam is 10 times that, and wondering   mischievously   aloud  at what would be revealed after  the Buhari Administration left  office. Which  really  is   a great   challenge  to the great  effort  and commitment of the Buhari  government to   the war  on corruption, and in terms of which I  have a solution  or panacea   to  suggest   to  that  government’s pursuit  of the war against  corruption.

    This  suggestion is  from the celebration of the Olojo Day  at Ile  Ife  and flows from the Ooni’s quest that  we should return to our traditional  values,  customs  and history. Imagine therefore if Nigerian politicians, senators and legislators  were  asked to declare their  assets at the Ogun shrine in their various localities  to ascertain their  truth or otherwise, just   because  the  Yoruba mythology  holds  Ogun  as not only the god of Iron  but also  of truth. I suspect  a lot of Nigerians would  laugh  at that. Yet,  if you look  at the huge sums of money being stolen into private pockets,  at   all  levels   of   government and governance, this simple suggestion may  not be that laughable  if we  are   serious   to  deter  and discourage  politicians and those   stealing public funds into their  pockets with impunity in our midst. I  also  know that both Christians and Muslims would rail against this proposal  as  a  return  to paganism. Yet   in  European  history  especially in   France  the  guillotine was evolved to behead  people who stole public  funds in the French  Revolution and Napoleon  Bonaparte who came to power  at  that  time famously  stated  that religion was created by the rich to prevent their being killed  by the poor. Even  in China the penalty  for stealing of public funds by the state officials is death  till  now. In  the  Phillipines, the new  president was elected  on a campaign to kill  narcotic peddlers   and merchants   and he is using his mandate in that direction so far. Surely  desperate diseases require desperate cure  and if we must really fight corruption then  we must behave like American President Donald  Trump  who  boasts daily that  all  options, including the military are on the table in tackling North Korea’s missile  testing young leader Kim. The  same  should be said of the fight against  corruption in terms of deterrence and in terms of a return  to our roots in finding  solution to  the  cancerous  problem  of  corruption in our midst. Surely  it is not too late  to return to our roots in this regard and I doff my hat to the Ooni  and wish him well  in his new endeavor to resuscitate our traditional  values  and customs.

    Concerning  the visit of the Saudi King  Salman  to  Russia , my initial  reaction was to echo  the famous diplomatic  cliché  that in diplomacy  there  are no permanent  enemies  but permanent  interests. In  this case oil  is the cementing factor  that has brought a feudal  aristocracy from Saudi Arabia  where the royal house  of Saud calls the shot  to a communist  Russia that is now embedded in Syria in the Middle  East  and is the latest nightmare for  the Americans   and  their politics. As  they now see Russia lurking behind any  elections in their  nation especially the last presidential election that gave them a president who   has since made tweets  and fake news the new name of the ever  powerful US media to their total  disbelief, horror  and deep  consternation. The  Saudi  King  came with a 1000 man entourage  and has  signed new  oil deals with Russian strong man Vladmir  Putin and the Saudis are buying  military  hardware  from the Russians too. That  is the business and military side. There  is also  the third side which is more important and  that is to keep  Sunni Islam closer  to the Russians who  are now established in the Middle  East  and that can check  the advance  of Shia Islam in Lebanon and  Syria. Especially  with the huge  power  and expansion of  Hizbollah  in the entire Middle  East. In  a way  you  may say the Saudis have woken up  from their historical  complacency  and are ready  to play  the high stakes  and game of diplomacy  to  keep  the price of oil high  and running  so  that the good times  drying out in Saudi  Arabia  can continue as expected before the present oil glut.

    In  the case  of Spain  and the victorious Catalan Independence referendum,   the Spanish  state  has read  the riot act to the Police Chief in Catalonia  and he is being investigated  for sedition which is rebellion against the state and he can go to jail for  15 years  if found guilty.  In  addition the  Socialist  Party in Catalonia  has gone to court to stop  any  declaration of Independence  from the last referendum declared  illegal  by the Spanish  King, the PM  and  now the EU. Surely  Spain’s Bull  Fight  Dance  has been as effective as our own Python Dance. Really   both are birds of the same feather in nipping secession in the bud. Here  the military  training   and  excuse  provided the answer. In  Spain  the law  court  and the regional  body  EU   used the rule  of law. To  me the end  justified  the means on both occasions. Once  again, long live the Federal  Republic of Nigeria.