The Nation Newspaper

Tag: CULTURE

  • Heritage Bank promotes reading culture in schools

    Heritage Bank promotes reading culture in schools

    Heritage Bank Plc joined in celebrating the “World Book Day” by means of implementing one of its literacy initiatives and donation of books to schools.

    The bank has decided to lend its support to the biggest celebration of its kind, designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading in its 20th year, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world for children of all ages to come together to appreciate reading.

    However, as part of effort to inculcate the culture of reading books amongst children, Heritage Bank donated a total of 16,340 comic books, dispatched to 84 schools via Experience Centers, while investing in exciting edutainment activities for school communities.

    The bank recently launched, “The protector’s” a comic series book to commemorate Children’s day. The super-heroes of the series, HK-1 and HK-2 will be touring schools this year to win allies to fight against the evil Gus D Ville.

    Also, other activities involve the first inter school quiz commenced in last year December, with 20 winners emerging from various schools.

    The Financial Literacy Holiday Workshop, as the highlights of the workshop to mark the maiden edition, which include financial literacy coaching presentation skills, creative writing, practical sessions, movie outing and other exciting treats.

  • Culture of silence

    Sometime ago, I listed 13 issues that were likely to spell the death knell of Nigeria and I remember listing criminal silence on the part of Nigerians as number one. I have critically examined the factors that had kept Nigeria on her knees for this long and I have concluded that the timidity of our people, the fear to raise a voice in the face of severest oppression and deprivation and the loss of self-esteem ranked the highest in the scale of culprits.
    Sadly enough it had not always been so. In the pre-colonial days we had great warriors of note and empire leaders who were ready to lay down their lives in the defence of what they held dear. There were citizens who were very bold, fearless and articulate and were prepared to dare and challenge any tendency towards absolutism, autocracy or untoward tyranny. In those days no leader would dare steal what belonged to the people. Any leader whether a monarch or priest or even warrior that overstepped his or her bounds would be shown the way to the death chamber. In Yoruba land no king or queen would dare go against the wishes of his or her people or for that matter act contrarily to the established norms. The punishment was certain death!
    Great men and women of distinguished valour were too many to be listed in a three-page essay. But they existed and history has continued to do justice to their memory.
    Nowadays people simply keep quiet and you wonder whether the cruel padlocks used on our forefathers who got carted away as slaves were reserved for them. So many things have gone wrong with the polity, and these precursors of the calamity that has now virtually fallen on our heads have always been with us.
    With our eyes wide open we allowed unchallenged the various bogus population censuses that were allowed to pass. With our eyes open, we watched in damned helplessness like zombies the crass award of lopsided legislative seats to a section of the country which would allow perpetual imbalance and master-slave relationship in the land. We allowed creation of many unviable states and crazy number of local governments by the unitary military government at the centre.
    With our eyes open, we allowed the so-called federal character and quota system jargons to define national participation in the affairs of the land and we allowed instead the jettisoning of merit and fairness.
    With our eyes open we allowed the worst insidious design that was meant to cripple education advancement. That criminal strategy is called – Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board – JAMB. JAMB to me has always meant JAMBAFORITI, the pinnacle of academic treachery. However brilliant you may be, JAMB has a built–in mechanism to make you look like a fool. In our time once you secured good grades at the West African School Certificate level, or the Cambridge University Higher School Certificate or the Ordinary or Advanced Levels of London University General Certificate in Education, you were right there at the university gate. Mothers were not required to expose the colour of their underwear to any lecturer or any vice chancellor or their fronts!
    So many young Nigerians have been sent to their early graves by the wicked antics of JAMB. And JAMB for all you may care was designed to slow down the educational advancement of some sections of the country called Nigeria.
    With our eyes wide open, we allowed the stationing of the entire national armoury in a section of the country. All sensitive Defence, Intelligence, Security, Immigration, Customs and the ports strategic leadership positions are held by a cabal. And some idiots will tell you not to talk about the anomaly or raise questions because of a so-called national security. Security for whom? For the oppressor so that he can continue with his antics forever?
    With our eyes open we allowed a persistent decline of a federation into the abyss of unitary totalitarianism. And we all kept quiet in a culture of criminal silence.
    With our eyes open all the major resources of the country were forcibly taken from their owners, put in the hands of a cabal at the centre only to be shared in a most inequitable basis to all the supposedly federating units of the polity. Nigeria is the only land space in the world where natural owners of God-given resources are not allowed to determine what to do with their resources. Texas in the US and Alberta in Canada are in charge of their oil. Those states only yield a percentage of their earnings to the government at the centre.
    With our eyes open, we allowed the culture of indolence, easy money and lack of competition to become our national anthem. The money from oil became nobody’s property. And because it was always there in large quantum, all sorts of rogues and vultures emerged in the centre to ride the country roughshod.
    With our eyes wide open, we allowed rogues, ruffians and charlatans to dictate how our lives would be run and governed. Thieves of various shades and sizes seized our common patrimony and we applauded them in mosques and churches even as they nonchalantly rape all of us with unprecedented impunity.
    The culture of silence found mother and father in doctrines that teach people to turn their left cheek if and when they are slapped on the right. Or worse still, a doctrine that teaches people not to worry about making success of their lives on earth but should be content with an imaginary mansion in a place called heaven! Paradoxically, the owners and preachers of the doctrines are busy amassing wealth here on earth and robbing their flock silly.
    Ask an average Nigerian [is there anybody so called?], he or she will tell you his or her religion has taught him or her to keep quiet in the face of persecution, deprivation and oppression, because he or she is sure to inherit the earth!!!
    The culture of silence is about to kill this place called Nigeria. And unless people wake up to their responsibilities and ask pungent questions, the so-called poor masses shall continue to suffer in silence until, like the deaf and dumb, erupt like an angry volcano.
    It is not yet too late. But time is not on our side. Those who have ears should listen to the few who have refused to submit to the culture of criminal silence.
    People should stop grumbling in beer parlours and at their clubs. The time to speak up and be counted is NOW. Enough of this Made-In-Nigeria internal colonialism!

  • Culture, development dominate at Ajodun Ido Oganganmodu Day

    Culture, development dominate at Ajodun Ido Oganganmodu Day

    Indigenes of Ido-Ekiti, one of the major towns in Ekiti State, gathered to celebrate their annual get-together known as Ajodun Ido Oganganmodu amid pomp and ceremony. The week-long festivities culminated in fund-raising to carry out capital projects. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

    Ado-Ekiti, headquarters of Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State, was throbbing for several hours on Saturday, November 26, as gaily dressed personalities stormed the town from far and near to celebrate this year’s Ajodun Ido Oganganmodu.

    The people began trooping to Oganganmodu Grammar School sports field, venue of the celebration, as early as 10.00 a.m. amid drumming, dancing and trumpeting under the watchful eyes of law enforcement agents mobilised to ensure that all went well.

    The town had been in celebration mood since Monday, November 21, when the Ajodun was started with community prayers held at the Palace of the Olojudo, which was followed with environmental sanitation exercise.

    On Tuesday, an inter-school debate was held to stimulate competition among the major secondary schools in the community while a Widows Outreach, which featured presentation of financial and material gifts to widows, was held.

    There was Ajodun Ido Marathon Race, Cultural Competition featuring local games such as draught and ayo olopon on Wednesday, while on Thursday, there was a Medical Outreach in which residents enjoyed free medical tests facilitated by health professionals drawn from the Federal Teaching Hospital located in the community.

    Friday featured cultural competition for the aged, Jumat Service at the Ido Central Mosque, Award Night for deserving indigenes and non-indigenes who had contributed to the development of the community.

    It was also the day the anniversary’s beauty pageant otherwise known as Arewa Ogangan was held in which the competitors showcased native dresses. General family re-union was also held same day.

    Ido played a prominent role in the Ekiti Parapo War in the 19th Century as one of the prominent warriors, Faboro, was an indigene of the town. Ido was the location where Ekiti people came together and signed a treaty to build a school (Ekiti Parapo College) sited in the town in honour of Faboro.

    The town is divided into 10 quarters namely Imila, Idofin, Inisaloro, Inisa, Odo-Iro, Iyedi, Isolo, Ijemu, Isape Odo Agbe and Ijana.

    Saturday was the climax for the Ajodun Ido Oganganmodu. Various interest groups in the community, age groups such as the elderly men known as Agba Ido, the Iwole, the Elegbe, the Jogun, women, youths, members of community development association and social clubs in the town danced enthusiastically on their way to the venue of the celebration.

    Some notable personalities who attended the event included Chairman of Ido/Osi Local Government Area, Hon. Ayodele Arogbodo; Commissioner 1 in Ekiti State Civil Service Commission, Chief Idowu Faleye; former member of House of Assembly, Hon. Femi Fakorede; former Registrar, Obafemi Awolowo University, Mr. Ayo Ogunruku; Ibadan-based school proprietor, Mr. James Obasa; retired United Bank for Africa (UBA) top executive, Mr. David Omoniyi; National President, Ido Development Association, Chief Jomo Olofinlade, among others.

    The festival did not leave out non-indigenes such as the Igbo Community, Urhobo Community, Idoma Community and Ebira Community who participated in the celebration and were resplendent in their traditional dresses.

    The traditional ruler of the town, the Olojudo of Ido-Ekiti, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro, Ajiboyede III, received homage from various interest groups in the town. The women were outstanding as they chanted the monarch’s panegyrics (oriki) to which he responded by waving his horsetail (irukere).

    The wife of the king, the Eyesorun, Olori Ngozi Ilori Faboro led the women in paying homage to the Olojudo to the admiration of the guests who watched the show with keen interest.

    Delivering his welcome address, the Chairman of Ajodun Ido 2016 Planning Committee, Comrade Sola Ogunsina, said the purpose of the festival was to reunite all sons and daughters of the town at home and in the Diaspora with the aim of celebrating their cultural heritage.

    He explained that the occasion also stimulates engagement in development programmes that foster peace, prosperity and unity in the community through fundraising and communal activities considered germane to the growth and development of their birthplace.

    Ogunsina expressed his satisfaction that this year’s edition of the festival was a considerable improvement on the previous ones, considering the massive participation and turnout of both the old and the young at every event held. He expressed optimism that the subsequent ones will be better than this year’s.

    Reeling off what the Ajodun Ido had accomplished in the town, Ogunsina identified security, completion of the Olojudo Palace, re-unification of the sons and daughters and identifying and rewarding indigenes who had distinguished themselves in community development efforts.

    Ogunsina said: “Our town is growing at an impressive rate, making security a major challenge in the last few years. This cannot be left in the hands of government alone, hence the town has been drawing from its coffers to support security needs so as to make our town a safe haven.

    “The early completion of Olojudo Palace was facilitated by the annual proceeds realised at this event. This annual event offers us great opportunity to meet with one another, exchange pleasantries and promote ways of helping those in need.”

    On recommendations for future Ajodun Ido, Ogunsina said: “I commend early setting up of the planning committee this year and I hope it will be sustained. The committee should be well funded through provision of take-off grants.

    “I call for sponsorship of various programmes; it is heart-warming seeing people coming to show their interest in the sponsorship of one event or the other in this year’s edition. It is a significant improvement over past events. I sincerely plead with all to sustain the tempo of sponsorship of any of the events in subsequent editions.”

    Chairman of the day, High Chief Agboola Akomolafe stressed the need for brotherly love, peace and co-operation among indigenes to lift up one another, saying they should work together for Ido to produce governors, ministers, senators, ambassadors that will accelerate its development.

    Akomolafe, a Lagos-based senior lawyer advocated investment on commercial agriculture by indigenes to generate employment opportunities and banish poverty in the land. He also suggested an agriculture exhibition as part of next year’s Ajodun Ido.

    He said: “Our ancestors were able to buy horses through the sale of maize which required accurate timing of planting. But these days, nobody plants maize at commercial degree for buying a car.

    “It is my view that both the employed and the unemployed citizens of Ido-Ekiti can plant maize at a commercially competitive level for tangible property.

    Ido citizens can also make money from rice, cotton, melon, watermelon, pepper, tomatoes which take few months to ripe for harvest. I suggest an agricultural exhibition for Ajodun Ido 2017.”

    The Olojudo, Oba Ilori-Faboro, said the Ajodun Ido is an avenue to review activities in his kingdom in the last one year and chart a new course for communal development in the next year.

    The Kabiyesi said: “This is an opportunity for us to review what we have achieved in the past and what we hope to achieve before we celebrate the next Ajodun Ido. We have built a palace already and we want to build a city hall, a civic centre and other things with the money realised from this year’s edition.”

    The Olojudo explained that being one of the largest towns in Ekiti State, Ido is an investor’s delight, urging wealthy indigenes who had prospered elsewhere to bring their investments home to stimulate its growth.

    The monarch said: “Some of our indigenes have seen developmental strides we have made in this town. Now, people are building houses here, the Federal Teaching Hospital is here and it is helping to bring decent people into the town.

    “So, I want to appeal to our sons and daughters to come home and be part of the development. If they don’t buy their land now, the longer they wait, the more they will spend to buy land in the future.

    “We are working hard to reach out to them and you know communication is very essential in achieving this goal. We are on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp and other digital platforms to reach those in the Diaspora.

    “Apart from Ajodun Ido, in August every year, I celebrate the Owanuro Festival and it is also an opportunity to bring people home. I bring my friends around to contribute to the development of Ido.

    “Ido is an investor’s delight and we also aim to attract more investments to our land. Banks know that the population is rising and more people need their services here.

    “We will continue to provide for them incentives such as land, communal support, security and enabling environment to facilitate their investment in our community. Ido is no longer a village; it is now a prosperous town.

    “There are activities every day; we are expanding. Security is improving, economy is improving. So, we invite indigenes and non-indigenes alike to join us to develop Ido because it is when we join hands together that we can achieve.”

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Arts, culture can earn huge revenue’

    ‘Arts, culture can earn huge revenue’

    Developing Nigeria’s Arts and Cultural heritage can generate huge revenue, says Permanent Secretary of Lagos State, Ministry of Education Mr Adesina Odeyemi.

    He spoke at the Festival of Arts and Culture for schools. The theme was: ‘Bringing the past into the present and the future.’

    Odeyemi noted that the programme was intended to remind Nigerians, especially the young ones, the culture as a people, sustaining and growing same to international standard and earning revenue from it.

    “The peculiarity of cultures makes them attractive to people outside that cultural group and your knowledge of the artistry that makes the culture can be a veritable source of revenue to you. As the saying goes, you can’t sell ice to the Eskimo. What attracts people is what is strange to them not what they grew up with and that is what drives tourism.

    Odeyemi admonished students to use their artistry talents to bear positively on the growth of the nation’s culture. He told them to introduce new initiatives that would result in rebranding and attracting patronage of both local and foreign tourism,” he said.

    Odeyemi underscored the need for the young ones to learn about their culture in order to preserve it and also exploit their talents in the arts to earn a living.

    “I charge you all therefore to develop your talents beyond the raw knowledge you have now and you will see yourselves not only being self -employed but an employer of labour. However, that should not becloud your quest for academic excellence because your education will come handy in everything you do,” he said.

    The programme was a climax of colourful presentations of dance drama, poetry recitation, and acrobatic display, among others which thrilled the dignitaries, teachers and pupils present.

    At the end of an exciting final, Education District IV emerged winner of the 2016 edition with the presentation Igbeyawo beating Education District VI which presented acrobatic display to second position, while Education District III emerged third with their Apala presentation. The winners received trophy each.

    Tutor-General/Permanent Secretary for Education District IV, Mrs Lola Are-Adegbite, said she was sure her district would win because of the level of preparation participants had ahead of the festival.

    “I feel really delighted and on top of the world.  I knew they would win because they have really been practising,” she said.

     

  • Dino Melaye and culture of sharing

    After a critical examination of Dino Menaye’s interview in The Punch of November 6, titled, ‘selling my cars will not end recession, I have ordered for more’, in which he talked extensively about his goals in politics, the future of our youths, his wealth and weakness for cars, one cannot but come to the sad conclusion that we are probably expecting Melaye and all those below the age of 50 in charge of our affairs to give what they don’t have.  He, like many of his age, is a victim of military internal colonization that derailed our political socialization process which was replaced with a ‘‘culture of sharing’ of spoils of war after victory. The fault is not in them but in their stars.

    It was not a surprise therefore that Melaye in the said interview first celebrated in full measures his successes  measured  only in terms of his collection of luxurious cars which social media listed as including  a Lamborghini, Porsche and a Rolls Royce estimated to cost $450,000 (N89.5) million and, a new 2015 slingshot . Of course he also added a number of Abuja houses he claimed to have built before his inauguration as senator.

    Neither was it a surprise that when he was asked about his goals in politics, he without much reflection said he was “in politics to make sure that the youths of this country get their fair share in power sharing and resources of this country”.  He momentarily forgot we live in the same world where  John Kennedy,  the 35th President of United States once asked the American youths not to ask for what America can do for them but what they can do for their country, and that Kennedy’s forbearers, ( Thomas Jefferson  33, Alexander Hamilton 21 and James Madison 25) jointly put together The federalists and Democratic Republicans, the precursor of today’s Republicans and Democratic parties as modernizing agents before their declaration  of  Independence in 1776.

    Neither did Melaye, 42, obsessed with luxury cars remember that when NEPU was formed in 1950 by eight  young Hausa-speaking radicals, Aminu Kano was only 30 and Sa’adu Zungur 37;  that when AG  was formed on April 25, 1951with its motto  “unity through federation” and freedom for all”, Bode Thomas was 32, Williams 31, Awo 42 and Ajasin 43 and that when  (Jam’iyyar Mutanem Arewa,), Northern People’s Congress(NPC) was inaugurated in September 1951, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa the chief motivator was 39, Ahmadu Bello 41, Dr R A B Dikko 39,  and Yahaya Gusau  36.  Perhaps it will humble Melaye if he understands that some of these youths who put the nation before self had the opportunity of enjoying life to the fullest if they chose to. Thomas, William and Aminu Kano were children of aristocrats of their time. In fact Aminu Kano had to resign from government job in Sokoto to nurse the young party in Kano in order to differentiate it from other parties whose sponsors according to him only wanted power.

    Almost 70 years after Nigerian youths dedicated themselves to building political parties as modernizing agents while others wrote books about ‘Path to Nigeria Greatness’, Melaye when asked why he decided to sacrifice the interest of the party to please Saraki his friend, said “the party to me is just a vehicle for winning elections because no political party in this country is ideologically based”. We don’t need to search far as to why Saraki and Melaye saw nothing immoral in dumping the then sinking PDP after using it as platform to win election for APC just as they saw nothing wrong in trading off the victory of APC for Senate Presidency.

    Melaye who as an indigent student rose to become student union leader and later NANS president at ABU all of which influenced his appointment as a special assistant on youths, a position that gave him a breakthrough into national politics did not ascribe his sudden rise politically to hard work but says “I give all honour, glory and adoration to the Almighty God who has supreme control over the universe. I want to believe that God is the ultimate reason for where I am today”. That may well have been true. But telling his story of grass to grace and acknowledging the intervention of those God sent to open ways for him would have made more positive impact on our disillusioned youths.

    And as for the source of is stupendous wealth at such a young age, all he had to say was “”I am a transparent Nigerian”   adding ‘For a man who buys very expensive cars with his name labelled on the number plate, it is enough to tell you that he is clean’; The houses I have in this city (Abuja), I acquired before being sworn in as a senator. Hard work pays and the Holy Book says God shall supply my needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. My source of wealth is heavenly, my purse is divine and it won’t dry up.’

    Again, almost 70 years after our youths made a clear distinction between service to God and service to state which yielded a bountiful harvest, Melaye and his other military ‘new breed’ politicians for whom sharing is the prevailing value, want our youths to accept the way to a secured and prosperous future is through prosperity prophets and Muslim clerics that promise miracles and break-through. They conveniently ignore God’s admonition that we must live by our sweats.

    Beyond fighting corruption, I think government must also now embark on a battle to let our youths appreciate the value of sacrifice and hard work while pointing out to them  the real threat to their future include   the military created ‘new breed’ politicians who after fraudulently confiscating our national assets embarked on asset stripping, derailed the  rural electrification programme, executed the theft of N1.6 trillion fuel subsidy scam and periodically masterminded budget padding.

    Sensitization of our youths has become more pressing because Nigerians are no more shocked that the ‘culture of sharing’ has become the prevailing value among our new generation of leaders. Vice President Osinbajo recently observed that in other societies, the idea of Generals, journalists and politicians sharing billions meant for arms at period soldiers were unable to defend their barracks let alone stop the mindless killing of innocent Nigerians by Boko Haram insurgency, would have forced people to the street in protest. Not even the alleged confession of a former Minister of Defence that he ‘misapplied’ funds earmarked for arms to rig election in Ekiti and Osun states has attracted a whimper from students.

  • Sumptuous culture at Igbo yam festival

    Sumptuous culture at Igbo yam festival

    Every year, the Nwachukwu Drive in Okota Isolo Local Council Development Area, witnesses cultural activities as the Igbo in Lagos gather to celebrate the new yam festival. This year, the ceremony held on Saturday at Lagos State Igbo Community Centre, Nwachukwu Drive, Okota Lagos.

    As early as 12  noon that day, guests had begun to throng the flamboyantly decorated and roomy Igbo centre.

    There were heavy drumming, singing, trumpeting and breath-taking dance steps by various cultural dancers who thrilled the guests who had seated before the arrival of important dignitaries invited for the occasion.

    It was all glamour and show of opulence, as an estimated crowd of 7,000 that included Ndigbo in Lagos, representative of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, representative of wife of Lagos State Governor, representatives of the Oba of Lagos, members of Lagos State House of Assembly, several traditional rulers, All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts, captains of industry, transport associations, friends and well-wishers participated in the celebration of the pristine and long-standing cultural carnival for which the Igbo are known.

    The weather was clement as the sun shone brightly out of the azure sky. The spacious centre was largely suffused with beautifully coloured masquerades and traditional dancers who entertained the people. Gaily dressed Igbo women known for their panache and active social lifestyle were a marvel to behold. The men equally in their beautiful Isiagu attire swirled to the suiting rhythm of drums and other musical instruments in that somewhat balmy afternoon. It was a gathering of who is who in Igbo land and Lagos State.

    The fiesta was also a platform for the recognition of some Igbo who had distinguished themselves in their various fields of endeavour and others who are not indigenous to Igbo such as Governor Ambode and his wife Bolanle, who the Igbo Community in Lagos unanimously recognised as good father and mother of Ndigbo resident in Lagos and Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly who was recognised as friend of Ndigbo in Lagos State, among others.

    In his speech, Eze Nwachukwu explained that Ndigbo in Lagos celebrate the new yam festival to enable those who could not travel to the East to participate in the fiesta at home, even as he added that the aim was to encourage the young ones to be abreast of some of the cultural heritages of the Igbo.

    He noted that yam is regarded as the king of crops in Igbo land and used to serve as status symbol for men who had attained success.

    He praised Ambode for the good works he is doing for the masses, even as he urged him to listen to the cries of Ndigbo for inclusion in governance. He pleaded with him to fix the road that transverse his palace, the Nwachukwu Drive

    “It is not only yam that is harvested; any profession one is in and is progressing, such a one is harvesting the blessings of God,” he said.

    In his message to the Igbo community, Governor Ambode praised Ndigbo for recognising culture as one of the factors that keep the society intact. He said any society without culture is dead.

    “I congratulate Ndigbo on the celebration of their new yam festival which is one of the most significant cultural events in Igbo land. The event provides the Igbo man the opportunity to thank God for bumper harvest in yam and other farm varieties. I also praise you for being peace-loving people,” he said.

    Represented by a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Hon. Jude Idimogu, Ambode said he was happy with the Igbo for being supportive in his administration’s strive to make life better for residents. He promised to build a pedestrian bridge at Ladipo to save lives of traders. He also promised that Nwachukwu Drive in Okota will be among the next 114 roads to be constructed.

    Wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Bolanle Ambode who was represented by Chief (Mrs.) Roseline Idimogu congratulated Ndigbo on the celebration of this year’s yam festival.

    She said: “The new yam festival remains one of the most popular and best celebrated annual socio-cultural events of the Igbo. The festival is deeply rooted in Igbo tradition which has since metamorphosed into political, social and cultural festivals where issues concerning the well-being of the people are discussed. The event is a unifying factor for all Igbo in Lagos State.

    “I very much congratulate the Igbo Community in Lagos on the success of this year’s new yam festival.”

    The leader of the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike urged Ndigbo to be peace-loving and to respect the laws of the host state.

    “I salute all Igbo in Lagos for being at peace with the host communities. With the current economic situation in Nigeria, Ndigbo must be conscious of developing their homeland. Time has gone when Ndigbo invest all they had outside Igbo land. If you build one house in Lagos, build two at home. Be law-abiding as nobody can seize your investment from you,” he said.

    He praised Governor Ambode for his people-oriented policies and programmes and his accommodating spirit for Ndigbo, adding that Ndigbo in Lagos are behind him. He pleaded with him to fix Nwachukwu Drive which is in bad shape.

    While praising the Igbo for the success of this year’s yam festival, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu who was represented by the Ojon of Lagos, High Chief Oloye Nurudeen Olobiyi Agoro and Chief Suene of Lagos said: “We know that the Igbo are decent and hardworking people. The people of Lagos State have mutual respect for each of them. Lagos is a peaceful place. We should also have mutual respect for the owners of the land. We love you and cannot do without one another. I assure you that before the end of next year, Nwachukwu Drive will be constructed.”

    In his remark, the Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos, Mr. Joe Igbokwe thanked Eze Nwachukwu for bringing Ndigbo in Lagos together every year to celebrate the new yam festival. He promised that by next edition of the festival, the road will be fixed.

  • KUNLE AFOLAYAN: A CULTURE AMBASSADOR NEXT DOOR (2)

    WE have had a couple of fun times together during local and international film festivals and other events that took the African cinema on tour, and many would tell you that the presence of filmmaker Kunle Afolayan usually adds glitz and entertainment to every outing, a situation which sets him aside an in-born entertainer. But the first time I took a notice of his more diverse creativity was in 2014, at the African International Film Festival (AFRIFF) which held in Calabar, Cross River State.

    Afolayan and his Dazzling Mirage spouse, Kemi Lala-Akindoju took to the stage when it appeared the band members at the Tinapa Lake Hotel were tired. From Kcee’s Limpopo, which Lala remixed into reggae to Victor Olaiya’s Baby Jowo which Afolayan led, and several other contemporary and highlife tunes, both artistes showed that their talents aren’t limited to acting – it was the best of duets by these artistes who merely improvised to make the evening tick, and fellow artistes not only cheered them to high heavens, they danced emotionally to the songs.

    Again, away from his promotion of the African culture through his films, Kunle Afolayan, last month, made debut with a magazine entertainment event which targets the renaissance of the African tradition through a potpourri of exciting offerings such as local food and drinks, music, dance and poetry.

    Tagged Kulture Centrik, the aura at the pool side of Airport Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, venue of the event, on September 29, 2016, brought so much to desire of life before the massive rural-urban migration.  Afolayan’s opening signature at the show was greeted with loud applause, as he arrived paddling a canoe.  This was just as masquerades and a troupe of dancers announced his grand entry.

    The cultural fanfare continued with performances by Nigerian soul singer, GT Da Guitarman, performing his hit single, Ejika; Adekunle Gold with his rave songs; the legendary Jimi Solanke ever green show; Salawa Abeni with her classics and Seyi Solagbade’s popular songs which he jointly performed with Afolayan.

    It is very likely that this monthly event will celebrate the foods, drinks, music, dance and splendour of other ethnic groups in the country, going by what the convener described as a goal to celebrate the arts, culture, and heritage of the great people of Nigeria.

    Another strong incident that defined this filmmaker’s passion for tradition was his recent trail of Yoruba deities; considered as the original religions of Africa which he said have been declining over time owing to the influence of western acculturation by Christianity and Islam. Ifa, the original religion of the Yorubas, is one of such African religions caught in this erosion and Afolayan thought it would make an interesting exposé if reasons leading to this are revisited and presented in film documentary. The result was a series of lessons on Yoruba traditional religion that made debut on Mnet on January 1, 2013.

    A young and curious filmmaker; the creative ingenuity of Afolayan is so riotous to the degree that some feel that playing along the edge of the rule is precarious. But the young man has got the creative license to provoke thoughts.

    At the wake of 2013, the native of Igbonna, Kwara State, thought of the traditional connection of the Yoruba race with Brazil, and decided to travel to Rio, armed with still and video cameras.

    Six hours by flight to South Africa, five hours of waiting to connect, another 10 hours by flight to Sao Paolo, eight hours of waiting to connect, yet another 1 hour’s flight to Rio, Afolayan made for himself another family of Ifa worshippers, spending seven days as a sojourner. Yes, their language is Portuguese, but like a Muslim who may not speak Arab but recites the Holy Quran fluently, these families who do not speak Yoruba recite the Ifa verses in Yoruba language. A stunned Afolayan could not believe this.

    Needless to say that this experience which later took him to Cuba, was the beginning of his studentship of the Yoruba traditional religion, honing his skills around Ifa divination, the Olodumare (self-existing deity) and the Orishas; known to be the intermediaries between Olodumare and humanity. These smaller deities, like you would find in a Babalawo scene in a Yoruba movie include: Esu, (a trickster deity who generates confusion but is also a protector); Ibeji (the deity of twins); Ogun (the god of iron, war, justice); Orunmila (the oracle divinity); Osanyin (the god of magic and medicine); Osun (the goddess of the river Osun); Oya (the goddess of the river Niger); Sango(the god of thunder and lightning; Sopona (the divinity associated with smallpox); and Yemoja (the goddess of all rivers) among others.

    Back in Nigeria, the expedition took him round the South Western states where for several weeks he was the guest of Obas, High Chiefs and Ifa Priests, and other custodians of culture, tradition and religion within the Oduduwa kingdom. The said 26-episode documentary features these Royal Fathers of Yoruba land, Ifa Priests, shrines, cultural festivals, traditional games and the general lifestyle of the descendants of Oduduwa. When next you find yourself in the company of the actor, dial his phone number, and just listen to his ring tone. You may find out that it is an Ifa chant through the voice of High Priest Ifayemi Elebuibon, a famous Babalawo in Yoruba film and title holder of Araba Awo of Osogboland, Osun state.

    This is how personally passionate Afolayan is getting with culture and tradition. He is not only thrilled by his new discoveries, he is excited about its predictive audiences and perhaps the filmic style that will further assert him as a creative filmmaker.

    For this unusual passion in a world widely eroded by western culture, this rave-of-the-moment filmmaker and scion of doyen of Nigerian theater; Ade Love, dumped a promising banking career to promote our culture through arts and entertainment. Indeed, Kunle, as many call him, is a cultural ambassador next door, if only we can see it.

  • Nigerians urged to embrace their culture

    Nigerians urged to embrace their culture

    The Eze Ndigbo of Lagos State, Christian Uchechukwu Nwachukwu has advised Nigerians to be conscious of their cultural heritage. He also advised them to give their children sound teachings about their cultures so that they will be able to be abreast with the mores of the land.

    Eze Nwachukwu gave the advice on Sunday while addressing some reporters at the Lagos State Igbo Community Centre located on Nwachukwu Drive, Okota, Isolo area of Lagos on the forthcoming New Yam Festival being organised by the Igbo Community in Lagos State which comes up on Saturday, October 29 at 12 noon. It will hold at the Lagos State Igbo Community Centre on Nwachukwu Drive Okota Lagos.

    On the importance of culture to the people’s social and economic life, Eze Nwachukwu said knowledge of one’s culture gives one a sense of belonging.

    Regretting that today’s youths are ignorant of their cultural heritage, Eze Nwachukwu noted that “a situation in which a youth from the Igbo stock of the country does not know what the new yam festival is all about is unfortunate.

    “New yam festival or Iri ji is one of the significant cultural events in Igbo land. The event provides the Igbo man the opportunity to thank God for bumper harvest in yam and other farm varieties.

    “In Igbo land, men plant yam while women plant cassava and cocoa-yam and so on. As man is the head of the family, so is yam the head of everything in the farm in Igbo land.

    “For the Igbo man, the new yam festival day is symbolic in the sense that it is a day of enjoyment after the cultivation season, and the plenty is shared with friends and well-wishers. A variety of festivities mark the eating of new yam. Folk dances, masquerades, parades and parties create some joyful experiences for the participants.”

    Indulgence in culture and its sustainability, he said, requires the participation of communities in the preservation and enhancement of enduring cultural heritage.

    Dignitaries expected to attend the annual event are Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chris Nwabueze Ngige, Ijele Ndigbo, Dim Ralph Uwazuruike, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Oba of Lagos, His Royal Highness Oba Rilwan Akiolu, Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly,Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, Oba of Isolo Oba Kabiru K.A.A. Agbabiaka, the Osolo of Isolo (Royal Father of the Day) and the Okwuruoha Ndigbo Lagos State, Chief Innocent Ndubuisi Nwankwo who will chair the occasion and Eze Igbo of Oshodi Chief Reuben Ibe , among others.

  • Political culture, corruption and history

    CULTURAL Relativism in different political climes and systems arrest our attention on this page today and the reason is not far fetched. The US Presidential campaigns and elections of November 8 have gripped the attention of the civilized world, especially in the way in which a revived form of sexism and feminism is affecting the chances of the two candidate, who incidentally and for the first time, are not of the male sex.

    This, at least this week, happened at a time when history was being made in Nigeria with the rule of law facing an acid test with the unprecedented arrest of some judges overnight last week end by the DSS – the Department of State Security – which claimed to have found millions of both local and foreign currencies in the custody and residences of the affected judges. Similarly in Russia, which has been accused of trying to influence the results of the US presidential elections, Russia’s strongman, President Vladmir Putin, ignored the Americans as he did in taking a base in Syria and was busy trying to create a myth about the exploits of Russian warriors in the World War 2 similar to that of King Leonidas of Sparta and the 300 Spartans at the Pass of Thermoplae in ancient Greek Mythology.

     The last part of this quartet of Cultural Relativism comes from France and though romantic showed clearly the difference between US and French culture and politics. It was the publication of the love letters that former French Socialist President of France from 1981 – 1995, Francois Mitterand wrote to his Mistress. A publication which was said to be a master piece of literature and has endeared the late president albeit post humously, to his countrymen in his native France. Certainly, the tone and the venom of the US presidential campaign have been unprecedented in US history.

    In retrospect, that may be because a woman is about to become the first US president in history. But that alone cannot be responsible for the way a loose comment on women and sex by the male presidential candidate Donald Trump has turned him into a political leper within and without his party over the last one week. It dominated the second debate and occupied the global media. With normally composed and brilliant, famous, newscasters baring their fangs literally to force those who differ from them, to agree that the Republican candidate is not fit to live let alone contest for the US presidency.

    Yet his opponent, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has in my view a more serious malady or albatross to explain. Her luggage in this regard include the charge that she victimized women affronted by her husband Bill while being both Governor in Arkansas and President in the White House. It is pertinent to mention an exchange between a reporter against Donald Trump who said his locker talk would ruin the lives of young boys who watched the video.

    Quite unabashedly the woman being interviewed exploded that the American Culture was at play and Trump was not contesting to be Pope. She then finished off with the statement that when Bill Clinton committed his faux pas with Monica Lewinsky during his presidency her children growing up then were wondering if the White House had an Oval Office or an Oral Office. In addition it would seem the US establishment of both parties are sworn to sweep underground the issue of the destroyed 30000 phone data reportedly destroyed by Hillary and for which she has apologized and her apology seemingly accepted.

    Yet the security implications of that are infinitely more grievous than Trump’s lewd remarks for which he apologized in the second debate obviously to no avail. It is certainly in the US alone in this world that a remark or joke intended to be private and offhand can be reproduced a decade later to show that the person involved is still in that state of mind and psychological disposition. Former Republican candidate Dr. Ben Carson a renowned Neuro Surgeon tried to show his interviewer on CNN that when Trump made the lewd statements he was a play boy billionaire but now he is a presidential candidate.

    But the interviewer on CNN simply got livid with rage on her face trying take Trump to the cleaners on the way he spoke or fondled women. Dr Carson’s plea that the campaign and debate should move on to serious issues which divide both parties and nations wildly down the line, was ignored by an interviewer who till that interview was famous for her charming disposition and easy manners as a presenter and objective analyst of issues. It was really as if feminism or sexism had taken the front seat in this US presidential election and that to me is a great diversion which can backfire in making Hillary Clinton achieve her ambition of becoming the first female president of the US.

    With regard to the Nigerian political system, the issue of the arrest of judges goes back to the state and nature of our political culture and history as well as our constitutionalism. Luckily the Minister of Information and Culture spoke clearly and concisely in response to the arrests, that the law has not been breached in any way and that the government believes that nobody in Nigeria should be above the law. I certainly believe the Minster’s explanation for many reasons and our political evolution plays a part in that belief. This is because as a nation we started out on Parliamentary Democracy before the Military converted that to the Presidential System without regard for its inherent nature of being a tripod of separation of powers or cost of maintenance. Indeed as a nation we still operate a unitary system instead of a federal system. The unitary system is reflected in the funds allocation system whereby states go cap in hand to get funds lifeline from Aso Villa.

    It is reflected in the state of mind of the Nigerian legislature that it is an island on its own separated from the electorate that put it in power and that its leadership is above the law since it is the law making body as well as the budget approving authority. The unitary misconception must have led the arrested judges to believe that no security apparatus can secure a search warrant on them without invoking the wrath of the powerful NBA and the strong army of SANs who practise with them in their law courts where their word is law. Now of course they know that while funds and budgets may flow from the center in Aso Rock to the legislature and the judiciary as well as the states, justice, accountability and monitoring of fraudulent lifestyles can equally emanate from the same source, with equal vigor .

    The immediate lesson here is that the law is not an ass in present day Nigeria and that even though the mills of justice may grind slowly they grind exceedingly fine. Again one can look at the Mitterand love letters in France and the revival of the glory of the Soviet Army in the last World War by Putin in Russia in the context of US presidential elections and the political culture of both nations. Firstly the Monica Lewinsky matter that marred the Bill Clinton presidency and is being used to harass Hillary’s bid for presidency would not have become an issue in France. Indeed when Mitterand died and was buried his mistress was at the funeral with his daughter both behind the legitimate wife and son. Similarly Donald Trump’s banters would never have become an election issue in France. Yet France played a great role in the emergence of the American nation at independence ages ago and gave the US the Statue of Liberty which adorns the Harbor in New York. Yet the Americans have glorified gay rights and marriages and made monogamy between same sex a way of life while the present French President has four children from a lady who was the presidential opponent of Nikola Sarkozy and the president is not married to her. Indeed the present French president was elected as president in spite of that. With regard to Russia the timing of the praising of Soviet military prowess in the last World War is pertinent.

    It is Putin’s way of showing further contempt for US diplomacy under Obama and the consolidation of his world view that Russia has replaced the former Soviet Union and is challenging the US as the sole world power. Already it has a base in Syria and is still hovering over Ukraine. So if Putin spends time watching films on past military glories of the Soviet Union it is to position Russia for a bigger role in world affairs, better than a nation whose leader regards gay rights as his major achievement and which elects its leaders based on how they treat women and make advances to them. Once again long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

  • Group stresses values, culture at anniversary

    Group stresses values, culture at anniversary

    At a time when the economy is in recession, prompting looking inwards, a group, Adorable Social Club, has appropriately marked its fifth anniversary making a case for the Igbo culture, values and philanthropy.

    Members of the all-women group founded on the imperatives of celebrating the Igbo culture as well as helping the needy, turned out in commanding native wear, comprising double wrappers topped off with the colourful, multi-layered headgear called gele. There was also an elaborate session of kola nut breaking relished by members and invitees. The event took place Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos.

    In her opening speech, Princess Ada Okeke-Amam said the core objectives of the organisation in adding values to the society have been met, though she added that the journey has not been easy.

    “Adorable Social Club was established by me five years ago,” she said. “It was to help those in need and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. What we started then to project the core indigenous values of Igbo race here in Lagos has grown to an international level. We have branches all over Nigeria and we are spreading to the West African coast. We even have a programme in Ghana soonest. We really thank God for his blessings.

    ”Team work was the reason for calling a few of my friends together then, and we thank God that what we started on a small note has become a gigantic project in the areas of creating positive and better values to the society.

    “In the Southeast, we are very well known; same anywhere we have our presence. We have wiped many tears, fed the poor and are still feeding them, given shelter to those in need and even secured legal services to those in core need of them, so that they don’t suffer for what they didn’t  do. Truly, there is need to thank God. But I must confess the journey has not all that been easy, but with sheer dedication and determination, and the glory of God Almighty in us, we have played laudable roles in the society. I want others out there to do likewise.”

    Guests hailed Okeke-Amam for her vision and enjoined her to keep the good work, especially in rendeing positive service to the masses. The members were also commended for sharing same vision with their leader.

    There were raffle draws in which winners were rewarded with mobile phones, DVDs and power banks, among other prizes.

    Established five years ago, Adorable Social Club has birthed Adorable Foundation International, an NGO dedicated to charity work in Nigeria and West Africa. They have also campaigned against drug abuse, created awareness on societal ills, and visited various orphanages.

    Some guests at the event included Chief G.U.Y Ikoku, a legal practitioner and a representative of Chief Mrs. Modupe Jemibewon of Jemibewon International Schools, among several others.