The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Echoes

  • Echoes of Enugu killings

    I have followed with keen interest the development in the country over the unfortunate attacks on communities by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The incessant attacks which are ravaging some communities in the country have posed a serious security threat to our unity and peaceful co-existence as an indivisible entity.

    Of all these callous incidents of herdsmen attacks, I had special interest in the recent carnage in Nimbo community in Uzo Uwani Local Government Area of Enugu State, which drew the attention of the world.

    I lived and studied at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) for five years in the late 80s, and I came to identify the people of the state as peaceful and accommodating.   During my academic pursuit in Nsukka, I undertook constant visits to Adada River in Uzo Uwani L.G.A, located not too far from Nimbo community where the killings took place.

    When the governor visited the Nimbo community, saw a dead body, wept and called for fasting and prayers, many people then misunderstood the wisdom behind his emotions, empathy and resort to God’s intervention. But, when I recalled that tears streamed down President Barack Obama’s cheeks in January this year, when he summoned the memory of the 20 elementary school children slaughtered in Newtown, Connecticut, I saw wisdom, leadership, humility and maturity in what the Enugu governor did at Nimbo.

    After his press conference, where he gave a narrative of what transpired and how the security agencies failed him despite all the assurances and painstaking efforts he made to forestall the attack on Nimbo, I was overwhelmed with emotion and convinced that the security agencies have questions to answer.

    The recent turn of events, has proved those who had criticized the state’s handling of the Nimbo attack wrong. The trend of events has portrayed the governor as a statesman and diplomatic leader with a deep rooted instinct in crisis management and passion for peace and unity of the country. It has proved that he displayed maturity in the face of provocation, by not allowing a reprisal attack that would have done the Igbos more harm than good.

    I am convinced that he considered the consequences of a possible counter-retaliation on his innocent brothers and sisters residing in other parts of the country, when he condemned the dastardly act and promised to do everything possible within his constitutional powers to bring the culprits to book and put an end to the incessant killings in the state.

    I have realized that the governor’s path to peace, dialogue and strategic engagement of all concerned, towards bringing the culprits to book and finding a sustainable solution to the menace of the herdsmen, was not a sign of weakness but a sign of reasoned maturity and commitment to the promotion of our national unity and integration.

    I sincerely commend the governor for this uncommon wisdom geared towards a peaceful, united and prosperous nation.

    The significant fact about the Enugu attack is not only that it drew the attention of the entire world to condemn the heinous act and call for justice, the President after the prompt visit of the Enugu Governor to him, also condemned the attack and directed the security agencies to immediately secure communities under the attacks of herdsmen and arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly acts and bring them to justice.

    I was delighted by the decisive action of the governor, shortly after the attack to reactivate and strengthen the vigilante groups in all the communities in the state with an initial seed fund of N100million to provide complimentary security services in their respective areas.  The governor equally constituted a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to unravel all the circumstances surrounding the attack.

    I was equally impressed by the avalanche of heartfelt condolences and   commendations the governor has received over the Nimbo attack and for the maturity he displayed in handling the matter.

    It is on record, that the governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were the first to pay a condolence visit to the state over the Nimbo attack. They condemned the attack and commended Governor Ugwuanyi for “the show of maturity in handling the provocative incident, which they described as a criminal act that cannot be associated with tribe, religion or political party.”

    I appreciate the inspirational words of the chairman of the APC Northern Governors, Governor Ibrahim Shettima of Borno State during his visit: “Times like this call for maturity, calmness, leadership role, which Governor Ugwuanyi has displayed. We are one nation with a common destiny. The killers should be treated like criminals and should be fished out and dealt with.”

    Worthy of note is that the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola also condemned the carnage as callous and commended Governor Ugwuanyi for the manner he has handled the matter by not allowing a reprisal attack.

    It is also on the condolence register, that the South-east governors and other leaders from the zone; the South-east PDP governors and other leaders of the party; South-east Council of Traditional Rulers; the state chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); South-east Town Unions; some Catholic and Anglican Bishops in the state; the Fulani and Shuwa Arab Communities in the state;, the governor’s kinsmen under the aegis of Nsukka General Assembly and Nsukka Professional Group, among others,   all condemned the attack and commended the Enugu Governor for his maturity in handling the sad incident of Nimbo which did not lead to further violence or a reprisal attack.

    Just a few days ago, I watched the governor on television, accompanied by Fulani leaders to a community in the state (Akpakwume/Nze) to dispel the rumour of an impending attack on the people of the area and to reassure them of their safety. My heart thawed over the wisdom in his efforts to embark on a prompt visit to the community to promote peace and unity and guarantee the people of their safety. This is an attribute of a statesman and detribalized Nigerian.

    Two days after the visit, I also read in the media, that the governor met with the Fulani and Shuwa Arab communities in the state and Leaders of Apkakwume/Nze community on how to foster peace and unity and enhance the security of lives and property of the people of the state in the wake of the recent attack on Nimbo community.

    It was reported that after the meeting, all the parties involved unanimously resolved through a communiqué read by the secretary of the Fulani community in the state, Bala Ardo, that there will be no night grazing or rearing of cattle, no carrying of arms by the cattle rearers, and no night movement of cattle from one location to another in the state. The meeting also constituted a joint peace committee that will be meeting every month to promote peace and address any issue that might arise between the herdsmen and their host communities, etc.

    From the foregoing, there is no doubt that Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State has through the sequence of his actions since the incessant attack on Nimbo community, demonstrated quality leadership that provides answer to the fundamental problems of national disunity, tribalism and religious bigotry that have threatened our existence as an indivisible entity.

    Again, I commend him immensely for being in the vanguard of national discourse for peace, unity and integration, for in unity we stand and in disunity we fall. Enugu State is truly in the hands of God!

     

    • Idowu, a public affairs analyst wrote in from Ikeja, Lagos.
  • Echoes of Achebe’s works at writers’ show

    Echoes of Achebe’s works at writers’ show

    The influence of African literature on the world was underscored at the 2015 Pan African Writers’ Association (PAWA) conference in Ghana. Over 300 writers and scholars from the continent and the Diaspora gathered to commemorate the 22nd International African Writers’ Day (IWD). The contributions of Nigerian writers, particularly the late Chinua Achebe, dominated the conference, reports EVELYN OSAGIE, who was in Ghana.

    The 2015 Pan African Writers’ Association (PAWA) conference sought to address fears over the future of African Literature.

    Over 300 writers and scholars from Africa and the Diaspora gathered in Accra, Ghana to chart a new course for literature on the continent.

    Nigeria’s literature, its writers and their contributions to the development of the continent’s literature came into focus, as the writers called for policies to boost reading culture.

    With the theme: Celebrating the life and works of Chinua Achebe: The Coming of Age of African Literature? the three-day conference was an assorted cerebral ‘dish’ that called for reorientation, infrastructural development, funding, promoting literature and  boosting the reading culture in the continent. It featured a keynote address, diverse plenary sessions, staging of two adaptations of Achebe’s works by Prof Femi Osofisan across diverse venues, such as Ghana National Theatre, the Accra International Conference Centre, the Tang Palace Hotel, and the award ceremony at the Kempinski Hotel.

    The conference’s keynote address was presented by Amb. Henri Lopes of Congo Brazzaville with other presentations by Dr. Margaret Busby and Mr. James Currey, both from the United Kingdom (UK), who had very close professional and personal relationship with Achebe.

    In attendance were writers from Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, United States (US), Mali, Angola and Equatorial Guinea

    “We have on several platforms promoted the idea of a formulation for national consciousness development,” said PAWA Secretary-General, Prof Atukwei Okai.

    “The formula, which has been most profitably and successfully adopted and practiced in other countries, such as Norway, is that in a given country every year the Education Ministry undertakes to agree with all publishers that 2000 copies of every worthy book published, upon selection by an intellectual standards board, be bought and distributed to the libraries throughout the country.”

    He called for the proactive support of government for the book industry. He said: “Through the continuous encouragement of the publication of works created by African writers, by the acquisition of certain books approved by a Quality Validation Board, such a policy will inure to the benefit of all the critical sectors in the chain of the African book industry.

    “It will help to fill our libraries with books, our writers are empowered to be able to buy time from running after other forms of livelihood pursuits and devote their time and energies to the creation of more books for our people; the enlightenment levels of our society will be enhanced and our ingenious publishing industries will be supported and developed.”

     

    Celebrating Achebe’s legacies

    The 22nd International African Writers’ Day (IWD) celebration, which was a major highlight of the conference,  was dedicated to Nigeria’s literary icon, Achebe (1930 – 2013), acknowledged all over the world as the most influential African writer of his generation.

    Okai urged young, up-and-coming writers to build upon or take Achebe’s legacy as a point of departure. “His writings, including the novel, Things Fall Apart, introduced readers throughout the world to the creative use of language to and from factual inside accounts of modern African life and history. Through his literary contributions and championing of a big and bold vision for Nigeria and Africa, Achebe helped reshape the perception of African history, culture and place in world affairs,” he said.

    “Let me say that I do think decency and civilisation would insist that the writer takes sides with the powerless. Clearly, there’s no moral obligation to write in any particular way. But there is a moral obligation, I think, not to ally oneself with power against the powerless. I think an artist, in my definition of that word, would not be someone who takes sides with the emperor against his powerless subjects.”

    The above quote by , reechoed by his eldest son, Dr. Ike Achebe, reaffirmed the mantra of the writers as they commemorated IWD attended by Ghanian President John Dramini Mahama, who was represented by a minister.

    For Achebe’s son, celebrating his father’s legacies called for reflection on his father’s mission as a writer “to restore the dignity of the African person and of all powerless persons everywhere: by restoring, as he called it, balance of stories”.

    “The acronyms Pan African Writers’ Association, PAWA, is also fortunate in this case, in putting us in mind of, and reminding us, of Chinua Achebe’s engagement with the dynamics of power and its relationship to literature. But, of course, PAWA is serious business, and writers associations the world over, but especially in Africa, play a much needed role in providing protection to the powerless, and freedom of expression: protection that Chinua Achebe held to be very dear to the development of society. That is why it is most gratifying for me to be among you.

    “With so many Achebe scholars gathered here, all of you much more qualified than I, to speak on Achebe’s life and work, I look forward to spending the next days, listening and learning from you on the various ways these ideals, and the ideals around the emergence of modern African literature, impinge on the Achebean mission. We, the Achebe family, thank all of you, the writers of the national writer’ associations of African and the African Diaspora for this great honour you have done Chinua Achebe; I thank Prof Okai and PAWA for inviting me. I thank you all for listening to me; and I wish you fruitful deliberations.”

     

    Awards galore

    Besides Achebe, four Nigerian writers –HRH Chukwuemeka Ike, the late Festus Iyayi and Osofisan – were part of 16 dignitaries honoured for their contributions to the development of African literature with the PAWA Patron of the Arts and Honorary Membership awards during the conference.

    Other recipients included the late Kwame Nkrumah, Emeritus Prof Ekwueme Thelwell, the late Mamadou Traore Diop, Amb. Lopes, Dr Busby, Mr Currey, Prof Jophus Anamuah- Mensah, Dr Joyce Rosalind Aryee and  Nabanyin Pratt, among others.

    Both awards comprised a diploma, a plaque of the PAWA emblem, a gold medal, and the PAWA stool of Royalty (with the PAWA emblem carved on it). The stool was used to induct the awardees during the award ceremony on the second day of the conference.

    It would be recalled that Wole Soyinka, J.P Clark, Okara, Gabriel Okara, were past recipients of PAWA Honorary Membership award. Others included Nadine Gordimer and Maya Angelou; while the late Achebe, the late Alhaji Tafawa Balewa and former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan were PAWA Patron of the Arts awardees, of which former Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Secretary-General, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim and his Libyan counterpart, Muammar Ghaddafi were also recipients.

    “Their years of creative labour and achievements have placed them firmly among those distinguished of African and the Africans in the Diaspora to be lauded,” PAWA Secretary-General noted.

    Moved by the accolades showered on him and his counterparts, the writer-turned-monarch Ike said: “Nigeria’s contribution to the development of the continent’s literature has been tremendous and I hope it would continue like that. Chinua, whom I like to call “Aliba” – as the Igboman would call Albert,  was a very dear friend, honest and trustworthy. And our friendship grew to become like brothers because, apart from us being from the same province, we had similar attitude to life and similar interests. It is a good thing that PAWA is celebrating him. He deserved it.”

     

    Season of plays

    Another highlight of the conference was staging of the adaptations of two of Achebe’s works by Prof Osofisan at the Ghana’s National Theatre. Osofisan’s The Discombobulation of a Rookie Patriot, a stage adaptation of Achebe’s novel, A Man of The People, was staged on the opening Thursday evening; while the conference came to a close with the staging of his Arrow of God: The Wound of Man, a stage adaptation of Achebe’s novel, Arrow of God.

    In attendance were a novelist and philosopher from Cote D’Ivoire, Prof Tanella Boni; another novelist publisher and president of Gabon Writers Association, Ms. Sylvie Ntsame Ngomo; the Nigerian delegation of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) led by its then President, Prof Remi Raji, who rounded off his tenure penultimate week; the then Vice-President, ANA, who is now the President, Alhaji Denja Abdullahi; the then National Financial Secretary, Mrs Chinyere Obi-Obasi and former ANA President, Dr Wale Okediran.

    There was also a Columbian, Carlos Granes Mata; a special delegation from Equatorial Guiunea, Marta Santos and Pombal Maria; Gema Mangue Nguema Nzang; Celso Celestino Moreo Mangue and Antolin Ela Ela Asama, who are from Angola.

     

  • Unending echoes of horror

    Very few Nigerians are actually surprised at the horrendous revelations from the Rivers State Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja. Those who followed the mass media from the build-up to the elections proper and the so-called announcement of results which followed after would actually not be shocked at the awful disclosures from witnesses at the tribunal.

    Apart from the endless complaints by members of other political parties aside the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP before the election and after, the over 80 election observers as a matter of fact, sounded the alarm bells with their reports, especially with regard to widespread violence, killings, intimidation, harassment,  ballot-snatching and stuffing, subversion of the will of Rivers people and other forms of impunity.

    What may have come as a surprise to many Nigerians are the revelations by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, army officers, the police, agents of the Department of State Security, DSS members of the All Progressives Congress, APC and those of other political parties.

    To those who perpetrated these horrifying violence and crisis that

    marred the governorship election in Rivers State, a day of reckoning was definitely not in their calculations. Like before, they had unleashed terror on people with the hope that the familiar path of impunity and lawlessness that had become common place feature in our state, particularly during the last administration would go on  unchecked.

    For me, the revelations at Rivers State Election Petitions Tribunal are not only absurd but also unprecedented. This is the first time in  Nigeria’s history that we are witnessing this level of violence, bloodbath and subversion in one single election in one state. Nothing would have been more telling than the disclosures of serving security operatives on election duty in the state. They captured in very  graphic details, the violence, the intimidation, deaths and ballot-snatching and stuffing that characterised the exercise in almost all parts of the state.

    I was particularly jolted by the testimonies of two soldiers, Captain Ahmed Al-Makura and Captain Jeremiah Salisu who were posted to Ikwerre and Gokana Local Government Areas respectively. The soldiers were emphatic with their submissions which they hinged on the fact that an election could not have taken place in a state of war.

    Indeed, what happened in Rivers State during the elections, especially on April 11 is only comparable to war. The tragic part however is that many innocent sons and daughters of Rivers State suffered great harm, for aligning ‘wrongly’, politically. That is apart from those who lost their lives.

    There is also the heartbreaking account by Godwin Mba, an officer of the Department of State Security Service, DSS who revealed how cult groups and thugs worked for the PDP in Andoni Local Government Area.

    Benson Chukwuma, a representative of the Director-General, also in a similar account in Ogo Bolo, also told the tribunal about the anticipated violence which was all too evident because of the tension  and security reports. Mr. Tafa Michael, a Superintendent of Police who was posted to Tai Local Government Area said he actually caught agents of PDP thumb-printing at a house opposite the PDP secretariat at Tai.

    He said he arrested over 70 people on that day alone which included PDP members, INEC Staff, youth corpers and others.

    Another oddity in the horrifying revelations came from Mr. Yusuf Buba of Police Mobile Squadron, Ogoni who revealed how an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Kenneth Akabue supervised the rigging of the April 11 election in Khana Local Government Area. These are in addition to other accounts of compromise and complicity by the electoral umpire, a position that Charles Okoye, who heads INEC’s Department of Elections and Party Monitoring, a body established by the electoral body to monitor elections emphasised in his presentation. In fact, Okoye described the April 11 election as a mockery of democracy. What a verdict!

    At some point during cross examination, Mr. Ebikoru Tebekaemi, INEC’s Electoral Office for Obio/Akpor told the tribunal that he was not aware if card readers were used in the April 11 election. This left many wondering how an electoral officer would be so ignorant of INEC’s policy on card readers which was a well known decision even among politically naive voters.

    When asked to comment on the damning report of Elections Operations Support Centre, another body INEC established to monitor elections, Tebekaemi said after prolonged hesitation that the body only worked partially.

    These are indeed terrible times, a reminder that our march to nationhood is still a long journey ahead. For all these to have happened, not in the North-East where there is insurgency shows that there is serious work for this present administration.

    But when justice eventually comes to candidates who took part in that sham of an election, what happens to the wounded and the dead? I must state here, and unequivocally too, that those who visited violence and mayhem on people and homes for their political beliefs must as a matter of fairness, be brought to book. That, for me, is the only the way the souls of those who were killed can rest.

    • Daminabo, an economist and public affairs analyst, lives in Abuja.
  • Yeye Oba… Echoes of a life well-lived

    Yeye Oba… Echoes of a life well-lived

    The late Hannah Dideolu Awolowo lived well. She was not just standing while her husband, the late Obafemi Awolowo, dominated the political space of the defunct Western Region and tried to get power at the centre. Her role in the political career of her husband is the stuff legends are made of, writes Leke Salaudeen

    The late Chief Hannah Idowu Dideolu, popularly known as HID, was born in 1915 to a modest family in Makun, Sagamu, Ogun State.

    A successful tycoon, she became the first Nigerian distributor for the Nigerian Tobacco Company (NTC) in 1957 and she was the first to import lace materials and other textiles into the country. Until Saturday afternoon, she was Chairman of African Newspapers of Nigeria Plc, Publishers of the Tribune titles, Dideolu Specialist Hospital and Dideolu Stores Limited, among others as well as the Matron of the National Association of Nigerian Women in Business, Ogun State Chapter.

    The widow of the late political sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who fondly referred to her as his “Jewel of inestimable value”, the late HID was a successful businesswoman and an astute politician, who once served as the First Lady of the defunct old Western Region. She played an active role in the politics of the old Western Region, where her late husband served as Premier. She was by every standard, the woman behind her successful husband, especially in the alliance formed between the National Council of Nigeria Citizens (NCNC) and the Action Group (AG) that culminated in the formation of the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA). The late sage was in jail then.

    There was an arrangement that she would contest the elections and if she won, she would step down for her husband in a bye-election. To fulfil her husband’s dream of becoming the President in the Second Republic, she toured the length and breadth of the country with her husband campaigning and mobilising women. The late HID coordinated the women’s wing of the party and was always present at all party’s caucuses.

    Those who knew the late HID intimately described her as goodness personified. To many, she was a caring mother and the woman with conviction, deep enough to weather the storm of life without giving up. Indeed, she was never over-awed in the face of calculated and concerted efforts to destroy whatever her late husband stood for. The late Yeye Oba of Ife stood with her late husband through thick and thin and she never wavered in her support for the good cause her husband stood for.

    When Chief Awolowo described her as Jewel of his inestimable value, there was general concurrence in the polity that it was a fitting tribute to a woman of courage and solid pedigree. It was to the credit of woman-activist that, 28 years after the demise of her husband, she has been able to hold the Awo Dynasty together and continued to contribute to the unity and development of the country until Saturday. Her life of total dedication to family values, solid support for her husband and moral chastity cannot but be celebrated.

    She has been described by many, including her biological children, as a good wife, caring mother and a woman with deep conviction to weather the storms of life without giving up. In fact, the greater part of Awo Dynasty, as represented by the Yeye Oba of Ile-Ife was dedicated to charity and service to humanity,  an attribute that made observers to wonder if there was ever any privacy in her life.

    The life of Mama HID Awolowo is worthy of emulation by the younger generation, especially, those with the intention to make a big success of their matrimony.

    “The sky cannot be bright all the time. But, with total commitment with unshaken trust in the Lord, success is certain”, that was her usual admonition. The principle sustained her for as long as her late husband faced political persecution.

    It is on record that the Chief Awolowo did not only face his travails with equanimity but survived them because he had a peaceful and solid home support as the HID held the forte and stood in the gap.

    For a woman who experienced the good, the bad and the ugly sides of the country in its process of nationhood, the late HID appeared not too happy with the challenges the future holds for the youth of the country. She always expressed concerns on why the society could not empower the youths, who constitute the human wealth and future of the nation. She would not also keep quiet from decrying the menace of child trafficking and the abuse of womenfolk.

    In his description of her mother, the late Oluwole Awolowo once said: “If you study any aspect of Mama’s life, whether as a wife, a businesswoman, a politician and above all, a mother, you will find in it a noble lesson worthy of love and complete admiration to all and sundry. One thing about Mama is the inability of any of her children to know her favourite amongst them is.

    “If you ask any of us, he or she would think he or she is the best loved by her. But, at the end of the day, one would discover that she is not only kind-hearted, but a very strict disciplinarian and fair mother to not only her children, but those who happen to cross her path.”

    Dr Olatokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu, had this to say about her mother, who doubled as a role model any child would desire to have. She said “My mother is gentle but highly industrious. She looks after the home front, yet was able to contribute significantly to the economic well-being of the family.”

  • Echoes of our past opens at Quintessence

    Echoes of our past, an exhibition of works of 14 top Nigerian artists produced between 1972 and 2013 will open today at Quintessence Gallery, Ikoyi, Lagos, by 11am. The exhibits include works by Ben Enwonwu, Ben Osawe, Kunle Filani, Sam Ovraiti, Mike Omoighe, Olotu Oderinde, Nsikak Essien and Zinno Orara. Others are James Cudjoe, Ogwu Emenike, Hamid Ibrahim, Ajopa Eze Gab Awusa and John Ogbeta.

    The exhibiting artists employ different mediums to charge emotions of love and feeling of nostalgia. Ben Enwonwu produced a stunning piece which collectors describe as our own ‘Mona lisa.’ Tutu, a piece in acrylic produced in 1973, is one of Enwonwu’s notable works shown to excite art lovers, critics and collectors.

    Ben Osawe who worked in bronze, was an accomplished artist who made conception of modern art very explicit. Visual ambiguity was shown consistently in his work. Sam Ovraiti works in acrylic and his Still life with fruits which was executed in 2002 cannot go unrecognised. He is widely known as the most expressive water colorists in the country. His piece in this exhibition is enticing and wets your appetite.

    James Cudjoe, one of Ghana’s most successful contemporary artists shows his works that drives one’s emotions as he draws his images from everyday life. His vibrant and colorful oil paintings, remind one about traffic life and natural habitat.

    Dr. Kunle Filani takes us back to 1990 during the gulf war in his piece Between the Gulf. Filani, a scholar and founding member of Ona movement talks of the danger of war and its consequences.

    Mike Omoighe talks about his home town in his work. The rural setting cannot go unnoticed and this gives a nostalgic feeling to many who are attached to their homeland. “This is a must-see exhibition that challenges our thoughts and invites us to begin to question our mores, tradition and our future as a nation,’ according to curator of the gallery,” Mr. Moses Ohiomokhare

  • Gberefu: Echoes of slaves’ footsteps

    Gberefu: Echoes of slaves’ footsteps

    Gberefu, also known as Point of No Return, in Badagry, Lagos State, is a small island facing the Atlantic Ocean. The island was where slave ships  berth to load slaves during the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade era hundreds of years back. OKORIE UGURU writes on his experience during a visit to the island. 

    Roots tourism had  always been an area of interest to many blacks in the Diaspora. And often they return back to Africa to have a re-connect with their ancestors. Many countries within the west coast have reaped tremendously from this. Chief among them are Gambia, Ghana, Benin Republic and some few other countries.

    It is on record that many places in Nigeria had experiences with the obnoxious trade. However, a  prime point of slave trade in Nigeria is Badagry. Few places still have graphic images of the obnoxious trade like this town. One of such historic places in Badagry is the Gberefu Island, also known as Point of No Return.

    Stories relating to this place leave one horrified at the magnitude of the inhumanity committed on this soil many years ago.

    You may need to cast your mind back to the slave trade era to really appreciate  the pains of the trade in human cargoes across the Atlantic. Gberefu Island was the final outpost before slaves are shipped through the Badagry natural harbour  to the New World. For the captured slaves, the journey began from the hinterland from where they are transported to Badagry. At Badagry, there were slave compounds known as baracoons, where the slaves were initially kept. One could still see relics of the slave merchants’ baracoons  along the Badagry Marina area. They can be seen along with the other tools used to keep and subdue the slaves.

    The Mobees and the Seriki Abass compounds are some the families whose forefathers actively participated in the trade. They still have relics from the obnoxious trade.

    The slaves were kept in these family baracoons along the Badagry Marina at the lagoon waterfront to wait for the merchants’ vessels. When it was time to depart, they slaves were ferried across the Badagry lagoon to Gberefu Island. The stretch of the lagoon water separating the Marina shore and Gberefu is about a kilometer.

    According to history, the shallow nature of Badagry waterfront made it impossible for the big merchant ships to berth, hence the choice of Gberefu as a port. The island has the Atlantic Ocean lapping its shores.

    It was from there that the slaves were shipped to the Americas. History has it that once a slave crossed the Badagry lagoon and stepped on the Gberefu island, the slave’s fate was sealed. That was how the island got the name Point of No Return.

    Because of the historic value of Gberefu, it has become a tourist site where many tourists, especially blacks in the Diaspora, visit. Such visits are usually very interesting and life-changing for the tourists.

    To get to Gberefu,  you need plenty of patience. First, the local speed boats that run between the island and Badagry come to the shore at intervals. But because the number of people at the island are few,  tourists have to wait for the boats to come. Even when the boat arrives, the waiting may last a bit longer as it takes time for the boat to get filled up. At weekends, it is a bit better, because the number of people making the trip to the island are many. The traffic is made up of tourists and others who visit the island for spiritual purpose.  However, if it is a group trip, the best is to charter a boat to take the group across. The  ferry trip takes about five to ten minutes. From the Gberefu jetty, one would have to walk for about 20 to 30 minutes to get to the beach front.  The way to the beachfront is probably one of the oldest foot paths in the country. It has been a foot path for up to 400 years now. It is a path many had trodden to get to the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. It is a foot path many had taken, but only few returned. The rest got shipped to the new world or died at sea. It is only the slave traders and their acolytes that came back.  The route has the landmarks of key points in the journey to the ocean shore. Tourists would have the  opportunity of seeing signposts informing them about notable points on the route. One of these is the well where water was drawn to quench the thirst of  famished slaves.

    At the end of the un-tarred path, one gets to the shore. A cenotaph is built at the end of the route in remembrance of  the slaves. From the shore, one could watch the ocean splashing the white sandy beach with foam. By the right hand side, some small white garment churches have sprung up. Intermittently, you hear their raised voice singing and praying. The soothing breeze from the ocean caresses one’s face.

    Far into the ocean, some fishermen go about their business on the ocean. From the ocean shore, the fishing boats looked like black dots on the blue water. Though the slave ships are long gone,  the memory of their activities on the shore would  last for ever.

    In addition to Gberefu, there are many places to visit in Badagry. They include the Vlekete slave market; the slave museum; the first storey building in Nigeria, the Mobee family museum, the Chief Seriki Abass compound and many others.

    Despite this rich harvest of tourist sites in Badagry, the town is very difficult to access. The road to the town is in a bad shape. To go to Badagry, a town less then 50 kilometres from Lagos, takes almost three hours. The story is the same on the return trip.  Thankfully, the efforts by the Lagos State to expand the route and introduce a metro rail service have gone far.

  • Echoes, sounds and glitz of AMAA

    Echoes, sounds and glitz of AMAA

    It was no doubt a glamourous event. Nollywood stars, screen divas, celebrities and achievers in the entertainment industry, including media executives trooped out in their numbers to grace the annual occasion.

    In fact, the African Movie Academy Awards (AMAA) which held in Gabriel Okara Cultural Centre, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, was a crowd puller.     Indeed, AMAA may have ended. Shortlisted entertainers for different categories of awards may have won and lost. Nollywood actress Clarion Chukwurah may have emerged the Actress of the Year.

    South Africa’s Mothusi Magano  may have emerged the Best Actor in a Leading Role. Nigeria’s Patience Ozokwo  may have become the Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Lebohang Ntsane may have clinched his award as the Best Child Actor.

    But the glitz, garish and grandeur of AMAA was not only about winning and losing of awards. It was also about the special tribute for the late Nollywood superstar and entertainment icon Mrs. Amaka Igwe who died after a protracted battle with a terminal ailment.

    The founder of AMAA and woman of excellence, Ms. Peace Anyim-Osigwe rendered the emotional posthumous ode.

    So, this year’s AMAA was about the tears that uncontrollably rushed down the succulent and robust cheeks of dignitaries who soberly reflected on the sombre tribute to Nwanyi Kara aka (strong woman) and Oke Osisi (big tree), Igbo sobriquets selected by Anyim-Osigwe to describe the late Igwe. In a tearful tone, Igwe was described as the most interesting creative genius.

    Actors and actresses who gathered for the event had justifiable reasons to let out tears. Nobody would have blamed them if they had saturated the congested hall with their tears. Igwe played a role in Nollywood that crossed their paths and helped to nurture their acting businesses. Checkmate and Rattle Snake, among the list of works that originated from her creative brains, provided a platform to launch most of the celebrities into limelight.

    This year’s AMAA was also about the fashion and fads that worked the red carpet. Celebrities made statements with their fashion choices. Some flowing gowns were like brooms. They swept the ground and floors. Or was it about the hairstyles? Some of them looked like peacocks.

    In fact, 2014 AMAA appears to be the most policed in the history of the event. The venue was cordoned off. Barricades manned by stern-looking security operatives prevented vehicles from plying the roads that led to the cultural centre.

    Apart from notable dignitaries who were permitted to drive their vehicles close to the event venue, others, including journalists, were asked to trek to the event centre after parking their vehicles some kilometres away.

    Even persons who had nothing to do with the event bore the brunt of the watertight security. Many police patrol vans, the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) thronged the area. They were all fearfully kitted and armed. Even trained police dogs were deployed in the area to sniff at guests who lined up with their tickets to attend the event.

    Knowing that Nigeria is undergoing trying times and being aware of Boko Haram scare even in the state of President Goodluck Jonathan, it was obvious that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, left nothing to chance. They ensured that no bomb exploded and that everybody was safe throughout the period of the ceremony.

    Also, this year’s AMAA was about many well-dressed ladies who could not gain access to the event centre. They all came relying on promises that were not kept. Most ladies were promised tickets and other protective instruments by their boyfriends, but they came and waited agonizingly for a promise that never materialised.

    A distraught lady who fumed out of frustration after waiting for hours outside the gate voiced  her pains. The lady, who identified herself as Deborah said: “A man l met promised to let me in. He asked me  to call him immediately l get to the gate. But l have been here for hours. I have been calling his line but it is switched off. This is embarrassing.”

    But her pleas fell on deaf ears of the mean security operatives who insisted on sighting her tickets before letting her into the arena. The same fate befell others who were later driven out of the gate by security operatives. So, they went without partaking in the thrills of AMAA.

    What about the hotels that were overbooked? The hotel business that boomed during the period could just be another side and economic benefits of this year’s AMAA.

    Guests and visitors came from different parts of the world to witness the occasion. They hustled for hotels. So, managers of various hotels in the city of Yenagoa experienced a boom period and smiled to the banks later. Left to hotelliers, everyday should be AMAA.

    Or could it be the tourism potential of the event. Yenagoa became the cynosure of all eyes. It was an opportunity for the visitors to experience the hospitality of the Ijaw, especially their cuisines.

    This year’s AMAA was also about “Lady Esther”. It was the title of the award-winning dress designed in the United States of America by the Bayelsa State-born Patience Tolorwei. The dress was showcased to the Governor of the state, Mr. Seriake Dickson, who was represented by his Deputy, Rear Admiral John Jonah (retd) hours before AMAA.

    “Lady Esther” won the just-concluded Earth Matters fashion competition show held in Washington DC and was flown to the Glory of All Land to demonstrate the exploits of the Ijaw people in the Diaspora.

    After the exhibition which was witnessed by AMAA panel of jurists, including the President of the panel, Mr. Steve Ayoride, Lady Esther  was flown back to the Smithsonian National Museum of African Arts, Washington DC to occupy her pride of place in the international museum.

    Tolorwei  was showered with encomiums by the Deputy Governor during a brief send forth ceremony. Jonah hailed the designer of the dress which contains symbols, engravings and paintings that depict man’s unfriendliness against his environment.

    In fact, ‘Lady Esther’ was all about the theme of the fashion show, “Earth Matters.” Jonah observed vividly that Tolorwei has made not only the state, but also the country proud, especially on issues concerning the environment, which he said, ‘means a lot to the world’.

    He said: “The story is told by the dress; ‘Lady Esther’. The environment means a lot to the world now. Environmental degradation in Africa, particularly in the Niger Delta area arising from activities of crude oil exploration is quite clear and are documented in some areas.

    “The lifestyle that she has told in this simple, but complicated dress, for those who had the privilege of growing up in the rural areas, the story is quite apt. Such people will have a clear understanding of the inspiration behind the dress.”

    Even the Chief of Staff, Government House, Yenagoa, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack was elated that Tolorwei was among the eight selected African designers. Having emerged winner of the fashion competition, she rejoiced that Lady Esther has earned the right to have a permanent home in the Smithsonian Museum of African Arts in Washington DC.

    Tolorwei also used the AMAA event to explain that she named the dress after her late mother, noting that she got her inspiration from her early life in the rural area of Bayelsa.

    “The colours and characters of the dress depict the pollution and destruction of the environment occasioned by crude oil exploration, mining, blood diamonds in Liberia and other parts of Africa. These activities have adverse effects on the environment”, she said.

    Furthermore, this year’s AMAA provided an opportunity for the state and other stakeholders to take stock and count their blessings for hosting the event for 10 years. It was, therefore, a period for speech-making.

    Dickson, who spoke through Jonah, identified Nollywood as a veritable tool for human capacity development and a critical source of job creation in Nigeria.

    The governor said his administration was committed to exporting the state’s cultural values through AMAA to international community. He said through the annual show budding indigeneous talents inherent in the youth are being harnessed.

    He said: “This informs our attaching high premium to human capacity building and we see Nollywood as one of the platforms to achieve this.

    “Government alone cannot provide jobs for our teeming unemployed youths. That is why it is imperative for us to continue to encourage Bayelsan youths who are talented in the area of arts and aesthetics.

    “By our calculation, we believe this can lead to wealth creation and ultimately make lives more meaningful to them.”

    Dickson praised AMAA and said the state was proud to identify with the  event and to have hosted it consecutively for 10 years. The governor insisted that the state has been reaping the benefits of the event.

    Highlighting the benefits, he said: “In the first place, it brings together movie producers and other practitioners from across the globe to interface and share ideas, while celebrating excellence in film making.

    “On the other hand, AMAA serves as a springboard and veritable channel to showcase our rich cultural heritage as well as the promotion of the tourism and investment opportunities in Bayelsa.”

    Ayorinde highlighted the uniqueness of the years’ ceremony. He  said about 500 films were submitted all over Africa. He said 150 of the films were of short films category. He stressed that from the observations of the jury, short films had become a means for Africans to tell their own stories.

    Ayorinde said two new awards, the Madiba Awards for best film on peace and Banda Award for women issues had been introduced in AMAA.

    Commenting on the quality of African films, Ayorinde said: “What we have observed over  the time is that every year, there is another layer of creativity in African films.

    “We now get films from French and Portuguese speaking parts of Africa and the quality is good. In Nigeria, the quality has improved and I am personally impressed.”

    But another juror, Prof. Hyginus Ekwuazi, urged the Bayelsa State Government to maximise the full benefits of AMAA. He appealed to the government to make a policy on how to maximise the benefits of the awards.

    In her remarks, Director- General, Bayelsa State Tourism Development Agency, Mrs. Ebizi Ndiomu-Brown, said the state had developed quite a number of Bayelsa youths in film making.

    She said it was one of the cardinal objectives of the government to develop  the youth in the state, stressing that since the state started partnering with AMAA, the fortunes of youths had improved very significantly.

    She said the symbiotic relationship between the state and the management of AMAA has helped to expand the frontiers of tourism and the hospitality sector of the state’s economy.

    She commended AMAA for its consistency in charting a positive direction for the film industry in Africa.

    So, this year’s AMAA was celebrated without the physical presence of Amaka Igwe, the entertainment icon. But her name reverberated. She will surely be missed by all as she continues to miss Bayelsa Stats, the Glory of All Land.

  • Echoes of Awo at granddaughter’s wedding

    Echoes of Awo at granddaughter’s wedding

    The late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s wish was to witness his granddaughter Oluwemimo Dosunmu’s marriage, but he did not live to see the day. Oluwemimo got married to Ayodeji Anifowose in Lagos on May 10, about 27 years after her doting grandfather’s death. WALE AJETUNMOBI was there.

    His wish was to attend his granddaughter, Oluwemimo Dosunmu’s weddng, but Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo did not live to see the day. When Oluwemimo was born in London about 30 years ago, the late former Premier of the Western Region wished to attend her wedding. On May 10, Oluwemimo got married to Ayodeji, son of Prof Remi Anifowose, in Lagos about 27 years after her doting grandfather’s death. He died before she started walking. Oluwemimo is the daughter of Ambassador Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosunmu, daughter of the late sage. She got married to Ayodeji at the Archbishop Vining Memorial Church Cathedral, GRA in Ikeja, Lagos.

    The congregation was excited when Oluwemimo arrived at the church in the late Chief Awolowo’s car.

    After the two-hour service, guests moved to the nearby SkyPower Grounds for the reception.

    At noon, the couple walked into the spacious hall, which was draped in white and orange fabrics. They were received by guests, including former Head of State Gen Yakubu Gowon.

    Political associates of the late Awolowo graced the event.

    With measured steps, the couple moved to a covered rostrum dressed with roses, amid cheers by the guests.

    Gowon, who chaired the occasion, urged the couple to always be there for each other.

    He presented Bible gift to the couple, urging them to always consult the book to solve  challenges.

    Gowon prayed for peace in the country, enjoining Nigerians not to allow religion to divide them.

    He said: “I want the people of Nigeria to live happily together just as we have in the Southwest, where Christians and Muslims live peacefully. Nigerians should never allow religion to divide them and destroy their rich history. As we have this wedding in peace, my prayer for the couple is for their union to grow in peace and I hope they would also pray for the peace of our country.”

    Mother of the bride Ambassador Awolowo-Dosunmu, who was all smiles, recalled how her father left all political engagements in Nigeria and flew to London when Oluwemimo was born.

    She said: “Despite several pleas to Papa that he should stay back in Nigeria because of his old age, he flew to London to rejoice with me when Oluwemimo was born. He said ‘what is wrong with him carrying my granddaughter?’ When he came, he organised a brief party with his friends and associates in London to express how happy he was to witness the birth of my daughter.

    “During the party, Papa said he would love to witness the wedding of Oluwemimo and we wondered how lucky he would be to witness the day because he was growing old. Papa replied that there was nothing wrong if Oluwemimo got married at 18 years so far she had completed her education. Papa wished to be here but as God wanted it, he did not have the grace to witness the day he dreamt about. But, today, Oluwemimo rode to church in his (the late Chief Awolowo’s) car.”

    It was an emotional moment for Oluwemimo as she received a wedding gift from her mother. The gift – a large pictorial frame that shows the late Chief Awolowo carrying baby Oluwemimo in London.

    A few years ago, the couple met through a family friend but started a relationship last year, Ayobode Ayodele, the groom’s best friend, said while giving the toast.

    He said: “When Deji brought Oluwemimo to my house last year and introduced her as his fiancé, I was surprised because it happened like a joke. Today, it is my joy that the relationship ended in marriage.”

    Giving the vote of thanks, Mr Segun Awolowo (Jnr) thanked the guests for gracing the occasion.

    At the ceremony were Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi; former Ogun State Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; former Special Adviser to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo on Political Matters, Mr Akin Osuntokun; Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, Odua People’s Congress (OPC) leader Chief Gani Adams and Hajia Abba Folawiyo.

  • Echoes from Akwa Ibom Town Hall meetings

    Ahead of 2015 general elections, politicians are garnering supports from the electorates and are not leaving anything to chances. It is time to form support groups, alliance, re-align, decamp to other favourable party and seek for relevance.

    It is also time for those who engage in dirty politics to smear their opponents and rivals and indulge in name-calling in a bid to score cheap political points. Expectedly, some governors will be demanding for second term, while others will be shopping for their successors. Those aspiring for the Senate, House of Representatives and state assemblies would not be left out. In Akwa Ibom, like in other states, crucial issues about 2015 politics, particularly, succession came to the fore at the recent town hall meetings/constituency briefings by Governor Godswill Akpabio across the the 10 federal constituencies of the state. The constituencies are Eket, Etinan, Ikono/Ini, Itu/Ibiono, Abak, Ikot Abasi, Ukanafun/Oruk Anam, Oron, Uyo and Ikot Ekpene. Although, over 500 completed rural projects were commissioned by the governor as part of the activities, the constituents were more interested in the succession plan.

    At the inaugural town-hall meeting at Eket Federal Constituency, Akpabio said as an intrinsic part of democracy, the meeting was an opportunity for the government and the people to gather, engage in useful dialogue and take a concrete decisions for future of the state. He was right. For that was the classical method that the Greek city states adopted at the beginning of what has today been termed democracy. The idea was to allow the majority of citizens to have a say in government. Town-hall meeting is therefore a cardinal democratic instrument!

    One subject that dominated the meetings recently in Akwa Ibom was the issue of Akpabio’s successor. The points, arguments and submissions of the speakers on the subject matter varied from one federal constituency to another.

    While some wanted zoning on the bases of senatorial district, some others called for recognition of ethic platforms as the formula for power sharing. For instance, while the former Minister for Lands and Urban Development, Rt Hon Nduese Essien called for zoning to Eket Senatorial District, (following Uyo and Ikot Ekpene Senatorial Districts) the former Deputy Governor, Chief Etim Okpoyo, from  Oro tribe, preferred consideration on ethnic basis. Essien specifically suggested that Eket Federal Constituency should be favoured in the zoning process. However, one important point on which many agreed upon was that there must be zoning.

    At Etinan Federal Constituency issues of Akpabio’s successor also dominated the meeting. Speaker after speaker spoke on the need for equity, justice and fair and equitable distribution of elected positions in 2015.

    Senator Effiong Bob in his submission said while the issue of zoning of governorship was being canvassed, the position proposed for Uyo Senatorial District should be clearly spelt out. Bob commended Akpabio for his development strides, noting that history will judge him (Akpabio) not on how he started but on his successful ending. He advised politicians to eschew bitterness and rancor and what he called “tortoise politics”, characterised by deception.

    Canvassing zoning of the governorship position to Eket Senatorial District, the former military administrator of the state, Otuekong Idongesit Nkanga said the position of the PDP should be over and above other personal considerations. “In 2011, I was in this field in Etinan to present Chief Godswill Akpabio as the best saleable product for the governorship race and today I am proud to say that he has not disappointed us. The legacies he would leave behind would speak for him.” Nkanga said.

    The traditional rulers who were expected to maintain neutrality in the affairs of politics however, gave their fatherly advice at the town hall meetings. The paramount Ruler of Etinan, Edidem Ime Dickson Umoette made reference to the 2011 “Asan declaration”, explaining that the  Ibibios through the traditional fathers gave Akpabio a royal blessing with the assurance that  he would return power to the Ibibios by 2015. However, as one observer quickly noted, the Ibibios are spread all over the three Senatorial Districts so by zoning power to Eket Senatorial District, the Ibibios could still grab the governoship.

    As the town hall train berthed on the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, the cradle of Ibibio, political chieftains in the area apart from lending their voices to the call for the return of power to Eket Senatorial District canvassed for the 2015 Senatorial seat for Governor Akpabio.

    At the Itu/Ibiono Federal Constituency meeting, the Senator Representing Akwa Ibom North-West, Senator Ita Enang was of the view that the 2015 Governorship be thrown open to aspirants from all the senatorial districts so that the people of Uyo Senatorial District would not be excluded from the contest.

    Majority of the speakers including a former commissioner for Agriculture, Professor Etok Ekanem, Senator Anietie Okon, Mr. Mfon Udeme and Mr. Idongesit Ituen called on the people of the Federal Constituency to support Eket Senatorial District for Governor in 2015 in the interest of justice and fairness. The main point is that Uyo Senatorial District produced a two-term governor in Obong Victor Attah; Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District has produced a two-term governor in Akpabio. Hence many argue that justice demands that Eket Senatorial District should produce the next governor.

    The discourse on the 2015 governorship got heated up as the town hall meeting progressed. At the meeting in Ikot Abasi federal constituency, the former Commissioner of Finance, Obong Obot Etuk Afia in his analogy said since Senator Udo Udoma from Ikot Abasi, Eme Ufot Ekaette from Onna  and Senator Helen Esuene from Eket have taken the senate position, it was justifiable to let Oro Federal Constituency take the Senate slot in 2015.

    Affia argued further that, “Since Eket Federal constituency had produced two governors for the state, the governorship for 2015 should be zoned to Ikot Abasi Federal Constituency. The former Deputy Governor, of the state Obong Nsima Akpan who corroborated the position being canvassed for Eket Senatorial district said the zone has produced three Deputy Governors who have understudied governor Akpabio and were in a better position for the governorship slot in 2015.

    In Ukanfun/Oruk Anam, and Ikot Ekpene Federal Constituencies, speakers at the meetings passed a vote of confidence on the governor and through voice-votes declared their total support for Akpabio’s senatorial ambition in 2015. The Deputy Speaker in the state house of assembly, Elder Udo Kerian Akpan, Senator Itak Ekarika, Mr. Saturday Akpan and Iniobong Okonko from Oruk Anam Federal Constituency in their various speeches said Akpabio has taken the state to the national lime light and would be a strong voice for the people of the senatorial district in 2015.

    At the end of every town hall meeting a motion in support of the zoning of governorship to Eket Senatorial District was moved by a House of Representative member from the respective constituencies and was subsequently seconded by a House of Assembly member from the areas. The motion was adopted through voice-votes by the stakeholders at the meetings.

    Akpabio in his final words to the people thanked them for taking such positions and assured the stakeholders that the state PDP led by Obong Paul Ekpo, was taking note of all their submissions on the 2015 governorship in the state. Akpabio assured that for peace, justice and equity, “the party, PDP, at the state level will meet with other stakeholders at the end of the town hall meetings in the 10 Federal Constituencies to attempt the zoning of key political positions ahead of the 2015 elections so that all the senatorial district will be effectively represented”.

    • Ufot is a journalist and public affairs analyst based in Uyo

  • Echoes from Vienna

    Echoes from Vienna

    Turmoil, in any place and at any time, has a way of calming itself down. Religious turmoil is not an exception in this case. The global frequency of interfaith dialogues these days is an evident attestation to this assertion. Yours sincerely has been participating in series of such dialogues in recent times two of which took place in Abuja within the last two weeks alone. At such events, it became vividly noticeable that ignorance is, after all, the modern day bastion of religious disharmony. And, with meaningful dialogues, the possibility became clear that the world could return to its habitual habitat of peace in which it once sojourned with comfort.

    This new trend is rapidly spreading across the world and is amazingly rekindling humanity’s hope for the seemingly lost harmony. Last week Wednesday, a global interfaith conference began in Vienna, Austria, with over 600 religious leaders from all parts of the world in attendance. Yours sincerely was a participant in it. The conference which was sponsored by the Saudi Arabian King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Interfaith Dialogue Foundation was the 9th in series. ‘Religions for Peace’ was established in 1970 as a means of harmonizing the common traits of all religions and understanding the differences in global religions. Leading the Nigerian delegation to that extraordinary conference were His Eminence, Dr. Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, and His Eminence, John Cardinal Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, the Archbishop of Abuja, both of whom were elected as Presidents of the World Assembly of ‘Religions for Peace’. The duo had been jointly engaged in series of interfaith dialogues in recent times in Africa as well as the rest of the world.

    Coming closely on the heels of the Vienna conference was another of its type in London. The latter which commenced on 23rd November was organised by ‘Muslim Public Affairs Centre (MPAC) a well known Muslim organisation with strong base in London. The Nigerian delegation to the London conference was also led by His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto who moved to London from Vienna to further champion the course of global peace.

    These unprecedented peace initiatives of the Sultan are a sharp reminder of a historic lecture he delivered in Harvard University on October 3, 2011. Some excerpts of that famous lecture were published in this column two years ago. But because of the ever relevance of the lecture, those excerpts are hereby brought again for the benefit of peace-loving readers of ‘The Message’.

    A Voice from Harvard

    On Monday, October 3, 2011, a voice echoed from the United States of America and reverberated throughout the intellectual spheres of many other countries across the world’s continents. The voice was that of His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA). He was the guest lecturer at Harvard University where he delivered ‘The Samuel L. and Elizabeth Jodidi annual Lecture at Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. He was invited by the authorities of that University. The theme of the lecture was: “ISLAM AND PEACE BUILDING IN WEST AFRICA”.

    In the preamble to the lecture, His Eminence briefly took a look into the various indices of contemporary religious developments and analyzed the merits and demerits of such developments vis-a-vis human cultural values. He started as follows:

    “Today, more than ever before, we stand on the threshold of great opportunities. Developments in various fields of human endeavor have made it easy to accumulate vast knowledge on peoples and cultures and to communicate this knowledge in ways never imagined before, with the real promise of bringing better understanding between us all. Scientific breakthroughs have also made it possible to achieve human development at an unprecedented scale and to enhance the welfare and wellbeing of each and every one of us…”

    “But these opportunities also come with great dangers – and these dangers have already begun to manifest themselves in ways that leave us with much to worry about. Bigotry and hatred are being elevated to a new pedestal and spread with relish and impunity. Protracted conflicts, threats of war and the rise of extremism and militancy, from all sides of the socio-religious divide, have become the reality of our daily lives in many parts of the world. Regrettably, a significant portion of the world’s population still wallows in abject poverty and neglect, thereby fuelling the vicious cycles of conflict, violence and instability that we are now all too familiar with”.

    Experience

    “As a military officer and diplomatic representative, I have seen the devastation of war, not only in West Africa, but in Afghanistan, Iraq and other parts of the world. I have witnessed the desperate cries of widows and orphans and the exasperation of bewildered families desperately struggling to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives. As the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs; as well as the Co-Chair of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council [NIREC], I have also seen the pain and suffering which ethnic polarization and religious misunderstanding could bring to a nation and its people; how ego and bigotry could conspire to deprive people of their rationality and good judgment and how religious leaders could set aside the teachings of their scriptures to lend a helping hand to these sectarian crises”.

    A world of difference

    “But during all these, I have also seen how people of goodwill could make a world of difference; how the right word at the appropriate time could heal an old wound; how a little help to those in distress could rekindle hope in our common humanity and how people of virtue, courage and determination could set aside their fears and misgivings to work together to re-establish and strengthen the bases of mutual co-existence within their diverse communities….It is in the context of these challenges and opportunities that I wish to talk to you on the issues of peace and religious harmony tonight. Since many people have talked and written about Religion and Conflict in our part of the world, it is only appropriate for me to address you on Islam and Peace-Building in West Africa, and particularly in my home country, Nigeria, with the real hope that in our individual and collective efforts, we can contribute our little quota towards the realization of the Jodidi vision of promoting “tolerance, understanding and goodwill among nations and the peace of the world…”

    Dan Fodio for instance

    Alluding to Sokoto Caliphate founded by Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio in the early 19th century as a cultural and intellectual yardstick for measuring value in a meaningful society, His Eminence said: “The emergence of the Sokoto Caliphate in the early years of the nineteenth century, led by the erudite scholar, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, brought a drastic transformation of the Islamic scene in West Africa. The Sokoto Caliphate was a political as well as an intellectual revolution. Politically, it initiated an extensive process of state formation which spanned across several states in Western and Central Africa. Intellectually, the Caliphate also succeeded in putting scholars at the helm of public affairs. As true intellectuals, they had to argue their way through almost every major decision they took and had the time and foresight to record their thoughts, ideas and the justification of their actions for posterity. The Sokoto Triumvirate, namely Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio and Shaykh Muhammad Bello, authored over 300 books and pamphlets. Other Caliphate leaders were also prolific writers. Nana Asma’u alone wrote over 70 poems and tracts.

    Category of values

    But despite these impressive achievements, probably one of the Caliphate’s most enduring legacies had been in the area of values. Classifying value into five categories and justifying each by quoting relevant authorities, His Eminence ascertained as follows:

    The first category of values raised by the Sokoto Caliphate leaders was one associated with knowledge as the basis for effective leadership. Ignorance has no business with leadership and ignorant people should have no business in governance. In the emphatic words of Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio:

    “A man without learning is like a country without inhabitants. The finest [qualities] in a leader in particular and in people in general, are the love of learning, the desire to listen to it and holding the bearer of knowledge in great respect….. If a leader is devoid of learning, he follows his whims and leads his subjects astray, like a riding beast with no halter, wandering off the path and perhaps spoiling what it passes over…. [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

    “The second category of values which I wish to bring to your attention is the primacy of Justice as the basis of good governance. Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio, the leader of the Sokoto Caliphate, had always believed that “seeing to the welfare of the people is more effective than the use of force.” According to Shaykh Uthman, “the crown of the leader is his integrity, his strong-hold is his impartiality and his wealth is [the prosperity] of his people.” Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio was equally emphatic on how injustice compromises the integrity of governance and ultimately destroys the state”. He said:

    “One of the swiftest ways of destroying a state is to give preference to one particular group over another or to show favour to one group of people rather than another and draw near those who should be kept away and keep away those who should be drawn near…. Other practices destructive to sovereignty are arrogance and conceit which take away virtues. There are six qualities which cannot be tolerated in a leader: lying, envy, breach of promise, sharpness of temper, miserliness and cowardice. Another is the seclusion of the leader from his people, because when the oppressor is sure that the oppressed person will not have access to the ruler, he becomes more oppressive… A state can endure with unbelief but it cannot endure with injustice.” [Bayan Wujub al-Hijra]

    “The third category of values is that dealing with the fight against corruption especially in the management of public affairs. Shaykh Abdullahi Ibn Fodio puts the Caliphate’s position in clear and unambiguous terms:

    “A ruler is forbidden to touch property acquired unjustly, such as through bribes obtained for appointing a judge or any other officer. The use of such property is unanimously regarded as illegal. It corrupts the Religion and opens the door wide to abuses and oppression of the poor. For the officials may feel that since money was obtained from them as a reward for appointing them to office, they in turn must recover it from the common people….” [Diya’al-Hukkam]

    It is also the view of the Sokoto Caliphate leaders that those charged with authority must strive to shun corrupt practices and lead by example. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello:

    “Leaders are like a spring of water and officials are like water-wheels. If the spring is pure, the filth of the water-wheels cannot harm it. If, on the other hand, the spring is polluted, the purity of the water-wheel will have little effect [on the purity of the water].” [Usul al-Siyasa]

    The fourth category of values relates to the dignity of labor and indeed the responsibility of government to provide the enabling environment that would allow people to make a decent living. In the words of Sultan Muhammad Bello:

    “……Guard yourself against poverty by lawful earning, because every poor man is afflicted by three defects: religious weakness, feeble mindedness and loss of honor. Worse than this is the contempt in which he is held by people….There are two assets which, as long as you safeguard them, you will remain alright: Your earnings for your livelihood and your religion for your hereafter…..The recommendable earning is better than supererogatory worship, the benefit of which is confined to the worshipper alone, whereas the benefit of the recommended earnings extend to others.”[Ahkam al-Makasib]

    “The fifth and final category of values… is the uplifting of the status of women, especially through Education. The Sokoto Caliphate leaders, as erudite scholars, lived by the percepts they preached and ensured that their wives and daughters and all others associated with them were educated to the highest standards the society could offer. Many of these women, including Nana Asma’u, became leaders in their own right and played an active role in the political arena. Equally and importantly, Shaykh Uthman Ibn Fodio’s pronouncements, made in the very early part of the nineteenth century, could not be more categorical:

    “One of the great calamities which have afflicted Hausaland is the practice of many of its scholars in abandoning their wives, daughters and servants in a state of ignorance. They are left like animals without any effort to teach them….. This is a grave mistake and a prohibited innovation. They treat them like utensils which they put to use, but when broken, get thrown into the dustbin. What a strange behavior! How could they leave their wives, daughters and servants in the darkness of ignorance and astray, while educating their students morning and evening. This is just for their selfish interest and for show and ostentation….”

    Challenges of insecurity

    The Sultan who had earlier delivered similar lectures in Cambridge and Oxford did not stop there. He went further to trace and analyze the challenges of insecurity as well as causes of violence and terrorism in Nigeria and suggested some solutions to those societal vices. These analyses will be brought up in this column along with the report of Vienna Conference when I arrive in the country next week in sha’a Llah.

    Meanwhile, the details of what transpired at the Vienna conference; a brief history of ‘Religions for Peace’, how the Sultan and John Cardinal Onaiyekan emerged as world Presidents of that world’s largest international religious body; the declaration made at the end of that conference and the future expectations from the decisions taken at the conference will be published in this column next Friday in sha’Allah.