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  • Singapore: Three S’porean sisters married to three Indian brothers

    Mrs Jaya Lakshmi Kanniyappan, a Singaporean mother of five children (four daughters and a son), had nurtured the hope that her three eldest children – all girls – would get married to boys from one family, like her mother and two aunts had done in the ’60s.

    Little did she know that it would become reality.

    “For many years I did prayers and made vows to see my daughters marry into the same family. If they married separately, I was afraid that they might get separated over time,” she said. “I also felt that too many problems could arise if they got married into separate families.”

    Now, Mrs Jaya Lakshmi, 50 and her husband Suppiah Manikam, 57, are happy parents. Their eldest daughters – Raynuga, 30, Jayanthi, 27, and Gowri, 25 – have married three brothers – Arun, 31, Balaji, 30, and Hariharasudan, 29, respectively – who hail from the Ramalingam family with origins in Sirkazhi, a town in Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu, India.

    “Now my eldest three daughters have the same in-laws. They are very nice and supportive. I am sure that no matter what issues arise, they will be able to tackle it together as one family. My daughters are in safe hands,” said a beaming Mrs Jaya Lakshmi.

    The wedding ceremonies involving the three couples took place almost at the same time on Nov 24 last year at the Singapore Khalsa Association.

    The couples recently celebrated their first Pongal (an Indian harvest festival celebrated by Tamils) together.

    The first Pongal celebrated after marriage is called “Thalai Pongal” and is considered auspicious as it symbolises the joy they will receive for the rest of their lives.

    All three couples live together in a four-room rental flat in Compassvale, a neighbourhood in Sengkang New Town. The three couples share the cost of the rental flat equally.

    The sisters are Singaporeans and hold decent-paying jobs in private companies. Only Arun, among the brothers, is working here as a landscaper. The other brothers, who have long-term visit passes, are seeking jobs .

     

    Spark lit in 2015

     

    Destiny played a role in all three couples coming together.

    It all started in June 2015 when the Suppiah family decided to go on a 10-day sightseeing trip to Tamil Nadu.

    Their tour guide was Arun, who was based in Chennai along with his other family members and had eight years’ experience taking people around cities and towns in the state .

    “I used to work at Changi airport and my colleagues recommended Arun to me,” said Raynuga. “It was important to have a reputed guide who could be trusted as we were travelling overseas for the first time.

    “Arun treated us like his own family. Once we returned to the hotel late because of an accident on the way and we couldn’t find dinner. The eateries and shops in India close early. Arun found food and brought it to us. It may have seemed like a small gesture, but I was very touched by it.”

    Raynuga was 28 then and her parents were keen to see her get married.

    The family decided to pray at the Sri Kalyanasundareswarar Temple in Thiruvelvikudi, Nagapattinam district, which is famous as a place where singles seek divine intervention to find suitable spouses. The Hindu temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

    Raynuga received a hint of who her future husband would be after she circled the deity nine times.

    “ I ended up seeing his (Arun’s) face,” she said. “I already knew that destiny had something in store for us. I began developing feelings for him, but I didn’t explicitly express them.”

    After the family returned to Singapore, she continued to be in touch with Arun through video calls and messages. Soon, they openly expressed their love for each other.

    “I missed Raynuga and her family. It was like being separated from a very important relationship when they left,” said Arun.

    In October 2015, Arun and his family came to Singapore to discuss and confirm the marriage. The couple held their solemnisation ceremony on Aug 19, 2016.

    During the ceremony, Arun’s younger brothers – Balaji and Hariharasudan – met Raynuga’s sisters Jayanthi and Gowri. They became friendly and soon deeper relationships developed.

    “After the ceremony, when Balaji’s family were heading back to India, I had no heart to see them leave,” said Jayanthi.

    Added Gowri: “During our trip to the airport, I was driving the car and Hariharasudan was in it. He played the song “Mane Mane” from the movie Uriyadi on his phone . He wanted to dedicate the song to me indirectly. My family and I eventually found out that he was trying his best to confess his love to me.”

    A month later, Hariharasudan and Balaji returned to Singapore. They stayed for a month and professed their love for Gowri and Jayanthi respectively.

    “I am a soft-spoken person and speak only when necessary. I found that Balaji had a similar character and was attracted to him,” said Jayanthi.

    The couples kept in touch via messages and video calls even after the brothers left for India.

    Subsequently, both families decided to hold all three weddings on the same day at the same time.

     

    Overcoming obstacles

     

    “Many friends and relatives told me that it was not advisable for all the couples to get married at the same time. But we spoke to different Hindu priests and they all said there was nothing wrong with it. So we decided to do what we thought was right,” said Mrs Jaya Lakshmi.

    According to Raynuga, most people refrain from marrying at the same event along with their siblings because they will have to share the spotlight with another couple and costs for such ceremonies and celebrations could get high.

    “But we knew that with the support of our strong families, we can overcome them,” she said.

    The weddings took place nearly two years after she met Arun. It gave the family enough time to properly plan and prepare the finances.

    Another concern was where the couple were going to stay – Singapore or India – after the weddings. Both families agreed that the brothers will move over to Singapore after they got married.

    “I don’t think I can live apart from my daughters. I was very happy when their husbands agreed to stay in Singapore,” said Mrs Jaya Lakshmi.

    For the couples, living together provides communal joy. But they face challenges as well.

    “We split the costs among the the three couples. These include the rental and household bills,” said Raynuga.

    They take turns to cook, either as couples, sisters or brothers. They also try their best to eat together to maintain the family unity.

    However, a big challenge is the use of the toilet. The rental flat has two toilets, one in the master bedroom and the other in the kitchen.

    Arun and Raynuga use the master bedroom toilet. The rest have to share the common toilet.

    “We have to adjust our timings to use the toilet in the morning or when everyone needs to go somewhere at the same time. It can get frustrating, especially when we are in a rush. A lot of compromises are required,” said Raynuga.

    They also sometimes travel together in Arun’s lorry, which can seat only three people at the front.

    “Having our own transport doesn’t always make it convenient. In the morning when everyone needs to go to different places, it takes longer. Also because Arun has tons of items like blowers and pipes in his lorry, it can be inconvenient at times,” said Raynuga.

    Balaji also pointed out that there will be challenges in finding a job here. But he is confident that he can overcome them. “With the strong support of my wife and her family, I am certain I can find a way around it,” he said.

    Added Hariharasudan: “My wife is my support and backbone and I intend to live in Singapore for the long term. In the future, I hope to buy a big house, and live happily and peacefully.”

     

    This story by Vengadeshwaran Subramaniam was originally published by Tamil Murasu  on Jan 20, 2019. 

     

    BEHIND THE STORY:

    As surprising as it sounds, this is not the first marriage of its kind in the girls’ family. Mrs Jaya Lakshmi’s mother, Mrs Kasiyammal Manikam, and two of her sisters also married three brothers. Mrs Kasiyammal had seven siblings and her family used to live in a house opposite a rehabilitation centre where Mr Kanniyappan Kaliyappan worked.

    They met and fell in love and decided to get married. But they faced resistance from their families who would approve only arranged marriages.

    The families soon realised that the pair were adamant on getting married and finally relented. Mrs Kasiyammal and Mr Kanniyappan got married in 1965. They are no longer alive. Subsequently, Mrs Kasiyammal’s two sisters also got married to two brothers of Mr Kanniyappan– one was a love marriage while the other was match-made. “Now it feels like deja vu,” said Mrs Jaya Lakshmi.

     

  • Taiwan: No paid time off for 8 years

    Is Taiwan ready for bilingual education? In light of the government’s new policy goal, many foreigners living in Taiwan have expressed concerns regarding the protection of their labour rights.

    The government aims to turn Taiwan into a bilingual nation over the next ten years by attracting foreign teachers from across the Asia Pacific region.

    Many cram schools, however, use “deceiving contracts” to deny foreigners rights for paid time off on weekends and national holidays. They also deny them any annual leave by forcing to sign for part-time jobs. This is the fallacy of Taiwan’s much-touted bilingual education and the “international perspective” local educators work so hard to foster.

    Dave Patrick, a Canadian English teacher based in Taipei, told The China Post how he is taking his former employer to court for allegedly denying any paid time off for the past eight years.

    The teacher claims that Eagle American Institute used “deceiving contracts” to deny his rights for paid time off on a national holiday and annual leave, according to legal documents provided to The China Post.

    The contracts would mislead many foreigners to the responsibilities of a “full-time” contract in which the school’s duties would be limited to those of a “part-time” agreement, Patrick said.

    According to the Ministry of Labor, Taiwan workers are entitled to seven days of annual leave after one year of work and 10 days after three years of employment.

    Patrick reportedly asked the school for the overdue payments of the national holidays and annual leaves, but his actions were met with failure, frustration and “negative remarks,” bringing the purportedly friendly working environment of Taiwan into question .

    After consulting Taiwan Legal Aid Foundation and the Department of Labor at Taipei City Hall, Patrick accused the school of hiring “part-time” teachers to do “full-time jobs” with the aim of “denying their rights for fair paid time off.”

    Like most foreign nationals confronted with legal woes, however, Patrick said he found himself struggling in the process for too long while the school not only hurled abuse at the “non-salaried employee” but also denied his payments.

    According to Patrick, his employer has repeatedly failed to “notify part-time workers of their rights” and even “turned a blind eye even after the Department of Labor issued administrative fines to the school.” Such reckless actions are behind his decision to take his former employer to court, he said.

    Patrick added that foreign teachers should be better aware of their labor rights. “Many fellow coworkers are in the same situation,” he said, adding that this could be a widespread issue in Taiwan.

    This recent case is indeed far from an isolated one; it casts a spotlight on the inconsistencies between government policies, foreign culture, and public expectations.

    According to various reports, Taiwan is at a critical time to shape the future of its human capital through education. 

    Many believe, however, that fostering bilingual education requires more than a top-down approach.

    Authorities should put more emphasis on changing attitudes towards English learning in order to build a friendly working environment for foreign teachers.

     

    BEHIND THE STORY

    Written in both English and Chinese, journalists Jay Cho and Dimitri Bruyas teamed up to inform Taiwan and its foreign residents about the alleged labour and tax abuses in English schools. The teacher, Dave Patrick, contacted Dimitri directly on Facebook through a special section in The China Post related to the foreign community in Taiwan. Since the publication of this story, Dave has won his case against the school, which paid him an undisclosed amount to quickly settle the issue. Many messages left on The China Post’s Facebook page show that his experience is not unusual. His successful claim has helped set a precedent for other teachers experiencing the same exploitative situation of being hired on part-time contract despite performing full-time work. In a bid to prevent further cases, Patrick has filed complaints at Taipei’s Labour Department and National Tax Office to ensure that the authorities will continue their inquiry into alleged labour and taxes abuses at other branches of the English cram school despite his financial settlement. The inquiry is ongoing.

     

    ORIGINAL URL

    https://chinapost.nownews.com/20190413-546174

  • Samsung offers 100 free cataract surgeries

    NO fewer 100 Nigerians will benefit from free surgeries sponsored by Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria (SHIN) Limited.

    The latest intervention is coming after a similar gesture a year ago for 102 patients.

    The annual intervention takes place from October 1-4 at the LASUTH hospital in Lagos.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Cataracts accounts for 51% of world blindness.

    This informed why since 2015, Samsung has worked with Vision Care in the yearly Eye Camp to give free cataract surgeries to individuals who cannot afford the treatment.

    Read Also: Samsung donates to IDPs

    SHIN said in a statement on Friday that the medical team that will carry out the surgeries is expected from the United States, Republic of Korea, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

    “The medical volunteer team consists of doctors, nurses, volunteers from USA, Republic of Korea, Nigeria and Ethiopia.

    “The team will carry out cataract procedures for children and adult who are in need for the surgery,” the statement said.

    “We are targeting to provide procedures for at least 100 patients. Among the target, we are hoping to carry out the procedure for at least 10 children with cataract,” the statement said.

    The statement added that the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nigeria, In-tae Lee would be participating in the event in support of the company’s CSR initiative.

  • Thailand: Strangers in their own town

    At the age of 55, Piak feels as if he is a stranger in Bangkok.
    He sleeps in Lumpini Park and calls the public park “home”. However, people in his “home” do not want to know him.
    Before he lost his job and needed to move out of his rental accommodation, he had been working as a vendor in Bangkok’s central business area.

    “I always feel as if people look through me, hardly see me exist at all. Despite the fact we share the same space, we are of different social ranks,” said Mr Piak.
    Piak is one of about 90 people whom Lumpini park officials and park-goers mockingly refer to as “Lumpini Park residents”.

    The park is well-known to those who love outdoor exercise and enjoy brisk walks and fresh air.
    It is located on prime space, the central business area, and is surrounded by a major hospital, universities, schools, shopping complexes and swanky condominiums.
    Lumpini Park’s “residents” have become a headache for the Social Development and Welfare Department (SDWD), under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

    The government has recently issued an order to clear the homeless from the park.
    Napha Setthakon, head of the SDWD, told the Bangkok Post that the department is preparing to relocate the homeless people to a “real home”in a state-run temporary shelter.
    Opponents, including university scholars, are demanding a better solution than just a change of sleeping venue.
    Piak wants the government to review the plan.
    “If birds and hia [water monitors] are allowed to live in the park, I should have the same right as a Thai citizen with an ID card,” Mr Piak said.

    Mr Piak left his home upcountry and moved to work in Bangkok when he was 14, and claims he spends four or five days a week sleeping at the park because he wants to save money.
    He is currently earning some money – 300 baht a day – selling clothes in the Sukhumvit area.
    He does not want to rent and send all of his earnings back to his family upcountry. “I have to save some (money) to help support my family,” Piak said.

    All of his savings go to his two daughters and their children who are studying.
    Other so-called “Lumpini Park residents” also have their own reasons for being there.
    Chai, an ex-worker in Bangkok who has moved to Chiang Rai, said he still needs to visit and stay in the city for days at a time because he is a patient at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, which is just opposite Lumpini Park.

    His illness requires frequent appointments with his doctors. Because his medical welfare under the Social Security Fund has not yet been transferred to the hospital of his choice in Chiang Rai, he is taking shelter at the park during treatment.

    “I don’t have enough money to rent a room. It’s all spent on food and travel expenses,” Chai said.
    A 60-year-old woman who asked not to be named said she regularly comes to the park to take a nap during the day time. She goes along with her family, bringing a nephew to meet a doctor at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital.

    “So I do not mean to stay overnight at the park but only wanted to relax and take a nap while waiting for them to finish. But after a short sleep, I was suddenly woken up by officials who said the law prohibits sleeping in the park,” she said.

    “I bet if foreigners or some wealthy-looking park-goers rolled out mats and fell asleep, nobody would wake them up,” she said.

    Academic experts said the government’s handling of homeless people is prejudiced.
    Bunloet Wisetpricha, a researcher with Thammasat University’s Faculty of Sociology and Anthropology, said officials should be trained to deal with people using public space because some of their antics such as waking people napping on benches or asking people with destitute looks to move on displays bias.

    “Low-income earners should enjoy the same right to relax and even lie on the lawn for a short sleep after working hard during the day,” he said, warning that officials should “not worsen their problems and close off their opportunities.”

    The SDWD insisted it wants to help those 40 homeless people and 55 others who are using Lumpini Park for eating, bathing and taking naps.

    This group at Lumpini Park is among 897 people defined as “Wanderers of Bangkok”, according to a department survey this month.

    Its latest effort to bring them to the state shelter came after Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the park early this month.

    Park-goers gave him an earful of complaints during his visit about homeless people.

    “Some view these (homeless) people as a disturbance while other visitors are worried about their safety,” Napha said.

    “Over 50% of homeless people suffer from mental illness,”added Naphna. “These people would be sent to a state shelter in the Huay Kwang area of Bangkok”.

    “The department will not only give them a place to live, but it also helps them reunite with their families and give medical treatment to those in need,” she said.
    Mr Bunloet, known as an expert on the homeless issue, said the measures to return these homeless to their families or provide them shelter and welfare are acceptable.

    “The social ministry needs to join forces with civic groups, especially City Hall and district officials and social workers to ensure long-term results,” he said.
    Among the challenges is resistance from the targeted group.

    “Homeless people usually oppose relocation to places far from areas they are familiar with,” he said.
    The government needs to find the “right place” for shelters and make sure they are well-run and habitable.
    Mr Bunloet said the first thing the government can do is to change the language it deploys. He warned officials not to use words such as “regulate”.

    “It sounds like these people are linked with something untidy… something we need to get rid of, rather than help,” he said.

    This story by Penchan Charoensuthipan was first published by The Bangkok Post on October 28, 2018.

    BEHIND THE STORY
    In late 2017, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security issued an order to clear a number of homeless from Lumpini Park who slept at the park and took baths at the park’s toilets. The ministry pledged to relocate them to a new home at a state-run temporary shelter. After the ministry’s order was announced, The Bangkok Post decided to investigate further on the situation of the homeless of Lumpini Park and allow readers to understand their plight in the capital. The paper aimed to examine the ministry’s actions to tackle the problems as well as give a voice to the voiceless. After the story was published, the ministry’s attempts to relocate the homeless to the shelter was monitored closely and a survey of the homeless who remained in the park was taken. Whilst some had decided to stay at the temporary shelters, a majority opted to stay and spend their life at the park despite having to escape the authorities.

  • 2019 Elections: Our efforts to get better women participation failed — INEC

    THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has lamented the failure of its effort at strengthening gender equality during the 2019 general elections.

    The National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who disclosed this in his opening remarks at the INEC’s review meeting of the 2019 general elections from a gender perspective yesterday, said although the commission made efforts to encourage women participation, there were factors that prevented that from happening.

    According to him, records showed that women came out in large numbers to participate in the electioneering processes as aspirants but were largely weeded out through the party primary processes, drastically reducing the total number of women who participated in the general elections and the very small number that eventually won elective offices.

    Yakubu, who was represented by the National Commissioner in charge of Outreach and Partnership Committee, Mr Ademola Ogunmola, using the figures available of women participation in politics in Nigeria, observed that the case with Nigeria is very unimpressive, when compared to other places in Africa.

    He said: “The 2019 general election activities and engagements showed high level participation of women in the electoral process as aspirants but due to barriers they regressed in the number that won elections. The party primaries amongst others fell short of expectations as many women could not secure tickets to represent their parties.

    Read Also: Reps to probe INEC for not de-registering political parties

    “During the elections, only 5 out of the 73 candidates who ran for the position of President were women, 1,668 men and 232 women vied for the 109 Senatorial seats while 4,139 men and 533 women contended for 360 seats in the House of Representatives. At the end of the election, only 7 women won Senatorial seats and 11 were elected into the House of Representatives while 4 were elected as deputy Governors.

    “However, other countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa have laid examples to follow. For instance, 12 Sub-Saharan countries elected more than 30% women to legislative positions, while Rwanda reportedly have so many success stories and advancement in electing women to more than 60% of its legislative positions.

    “The huge efforts made by the Commission to support the participation of women in the electoral process did not succeed in addressing the decline of women’s representation in politics. This has become worrisome as women’s participation in governance and leadership is not only essential prerequisite for removing gender inequality but also the attainment of basic human rights.

    “This meeting therefore, is expected to look into the challenges, actions and inactions of stakeholders and ways to bridge them while sustaining the good effort made. There is need to start thinking of how things can be done differently for more impact.

    “Such exercise will assist the Independent National Electoral Commission learn vital lessons that could enable the Commission review its policies and programmes and serve as a roadmap in planning for future elections.

    “There is also need to review the operational framework put in place by the Commission, identify success factors with a view to consolidating and sustaining them. It is important to note that the reviews are not about the Commission alone but about mutual credibility for a successful electoral process and outcome in the future elections.”

     

     

  • N90bn allegation against Osinbanjo baseless, says CAN

    THE leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Friday threw its weight behind Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over the N90 billion allegations levelled against him by a former spokesman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Timi Frank.

    National President of CAN, Rev. Supo Ayokunle, and its members yesterday visited Vice President (VP) Yemi Osinbajo over the alleged N90 billion saga and also, according to Ayokunle, prayed for the VP.

    It will be recalled that Frank had alleged that the Vice President collected N90 billion from the Federal Inland Revenue (FIRS) to fund the 2019 election.

    Ayokunle, who spoke with reporters at the Christian Ecumenical Centre (CEC) where he held a meeting with top members of CAN, said Osinbajo is innocent of the allegation, describing it as baseless.

    He told newsmen that the church and all Nigerians were proud of the VP and would continue to pray for him.

    The CAN boss, who did not disclose the discussions held with Osinbajo when asked, urged Nigerians not to toy with the innocent people who are faithfully serving the nation, adding that the whole country would rise up to fight for him.

    Read Also: Osinbanjo, senators, others for prayer for the nation

    His words: “He has cleared the air that the allegation is baseless and there is no truth in it, and that some people are plotting against him and he was ready to provide himself to be cleared.

    “If there is an allegation, there must be evidence, and that can never happen and will never happen. The church and the entire country will fight for him.”

    On the security situation in the country, Ayokunle said: “We must stay together to fight the challenges and we must overcome.”

    The FIRS, in a statement it issued recently, dismissed the allegations, saying it is baseless and mischievous.

    The FIRS also threatened legal action against Timi Frank as they asked him to withdraw the allegation and apologise to the Vice President.

    Asked about the Fatoyinbo and Busola Dakolo rape saga, Ayokunle said: “The matter is in court. Let us allow the court to do its job and we shall wait for the outcome.”

  • Parents of 300 alleged captives besiege Kaduna school

    POLICE evacuation of 300 people including children from an ‘Islamic Centre’ in Kaduna on Thursday took a bizarre turn on Friday with some parents of the affected children protesting the police action.

    The police had taken into their protective custody all the freed people, some of whom were in chains at the centre.

    The police also arrested the founder of the centre and his teachers.

    Angry Nigerians deplored the conditions under which the people were treated at the ‘school’.

    However, the police action has not gone down well with some parents of the children who stormed the centre on Friday, openly condemning the police

    They stormed the centre, which is still being guarded by policemen, and demanded to be reunited with their children.

    The police had accused the school authority of abusing the children and keeping them in dehumanizing conditions; an allegation the school authority denied.

    Some residents of the area, however, told The Nation that some of the rescued students were drug addicts and stubborn children taken to the centre by their parents for rehabilitation and also to acquire Quranic knowledge.

    A neighbour to the school, Ahmed Balarabe, also denied allegations of sexual abuse on the children.

    He said: “I share a fence with the school and my two sons attended the same school before their graduation, and they never told me anything of such.

    “Being a neighbour that always enters the school, if such a thing is happening, I should have known.”

    One of the protesting women, Maryam Fatika, whose four children attended the school and are now with the police, said: “There was nothing going wrong in the school, because we took our children there ourselves. So we don’t know why the police raided the place.

    “My children have never complained to me about abuse or anything. But we are aware that they were being punished if they did something wrong, because they are very dangerous and stubborn children.”

    Another parent, whose son Jibril has been in the school for six years, said: “The boy became a threat to us his parents, so we took him to the Islamiyya School for rehabilitation, and to God be the glory, he has changed.

    “I used to visit him anytime I took food to him, and I never saw anything wrong going on in the school.

    “My worry now is that we don’t even know where they took our children to, which is why we are appealing to the government and police to return our children to us.

    Read Also: Kaduna church builds bridges

    “We are also okay with the way the children are being handled by the Islamiyya authorities,” she said.

    In her own views, Shafa’atu Zakari, who has six children in the school, said, her children were drug addicts and could not control their behaviour, which was why she took them to the school to acquire Quranic knowledge.

    She said: “We brought the children to the school because we didn’t know what to do with them. Four of my children were among the students evacuated by the police. We demand their release because the founder of the school, Mallam Ismail, is doing everything possible within Islamic teachings to rehabilitate them for us.”

    One of the directors in the school, Mallam Mohammed Auwal  El’Zubair, also denied the allegations made by the police, saying that all the children at the centre were admitted with the consent of their parents.

    He said: “No responsible father will take his child to where he will be molested sexually. We only teach these children the Quran, and we expected the police to investigate us well before invading the school.

    “So we are seeking for justice from the authorities concerned and we leave everything to God who knows what? El’zubair also said that “former Kaduna State Police Commissioner CP Abdurrahman Ahmad, renown Islamic Scholar Dr Ahmad Gumi, Chief Imam of Sultan Bello Mosque as well as General Buba Marwa all visited the school in the past to assess our activities and none of them ever complained about us.”

  • The voice from the jungle

    As he usually does in the morning, Madu greets his listeners. Madu runs his broadcast from a community radio station, Benor FM Radio, located in a remote area in Bukit Suban Village.

    The village is located in the Air Hitam District of Sarulangun Regency in theJambi Province.
    Benor Radio was initiated by an NGO called the Indonesian Conservation Community Warsi.
    Benor Radio, that started its broadcast since 2013, priorities its radio program forthe Anak Dalam, who are also known as the Orang Rimba ethnic group.

    The group is scattered amongst the Bukit Dua Belas National Park area.
    The Orang Rimba is a native Jambi community who live nomaidcally in the forest as a group.
    Madu is a native broadcaster from the Orang Rimba ethnic group. Beside Madu, there are five other native jungle people who are active as broadcasters.

    For the children of the Suku Anak Dalam, it is not easy to learn to be an announcer. However, their willing attitudes have now made them broadcasters whose voices are eagerly awaited by The Orang Rimba in the forest and local residents.

    “Well, the first difficulty was learning to operate a laptop. When I first broadcasted, I spoke stiffly, but after two weeks it went smoothly,” said Madu.
    By broadcasting the radio show to cover an area of 30 kilometres, Benor Radio program can be listened to by 80 percent of the entire 2,546 jungle people in the national park area.

    In addition to fighting inequality and enabling equal access to media and information, Benor Radio was established to deliver information to people who live in the forest and who are difficult to reach physically.

    “To get information, Orang Rimba access is very limited. By the radio, it can provide information to the jungle people and the radio can be a learning medium for them,” said Jauharul Maknun, responsible person for Benor FM Radio.

    “Benor is also expected to become a media platform that bridges the gap between the jungle people and the surrounding community, reducing the negative stigma of outside communities towards the jungle people. we can provide understanding to the outside community about the jungle people,” He added.
    For The Orang Rimba, radio is the only medium they are able to get information from.

    “I got the information about earthquakes, floods, and also elections (through the radio). So we got the information about who wins and loses in the election,” said Perabung, as member of Suku Anak Dalam.
    Moreover, Benor Radio provides information about the arrival of health workers to the national park area.
    This is important to the Orang Rimba whos secluded and nomadic livs in the forest often rob them of health facilities.

    This story by Perwiranta, Syahrudin, Amir Musa and Sandy Arizona was originally published on ANTARA Indonesia News Agency in May 2019.

    BEHIND THE STORY

    Suara Dari Rimba is a documentary video made by the ANTARA TV team in May 2019. The documentary video is about the lives of the Anak Dalam tribe, or who are also known as the Orang Rimba, whose live nomadically inside the forest area. The current presence of Radio Benor is their only source of information. The Anak Dalam tribe community has been limited to receiving information and in voicing their anxiety. Their forest home is still being destroyed. The Orang Rimba have been pushed from their homes in Bukit Duabelas National Park because of deforestation. The team took a six hour road trip to where they stayed. It was challenging for the team due to the rocky and unpredicatble roads. There was also a lack of facilities as the park was situated in a very remote area. The place and the people were isolated from any mode of transportation and cut off from any communication with the outside world. Thus, those who lived there spoke in a different dialect as they only used their native language. We therefore required a translator. They used firewood to cook simple food from the jungle, such as cassava, and drank water from streams. Living in such a closed and secluded area, they were quite protective and wary when our team arrived for the documentary video.

  • Tales of sorrow from electricity consumers

    Looking at Mr Innocent Okparah, as a smile lights up his handsome fair face, it is hard to imagine that just some months ago, he was battling to stay alive in the hospital.

    But that was exactly the case. For almost two weeks, Okparah danced between earth and the great beyond.

    But he is now full of life.

    Okparah pulled up a chair, sat down and looked straight into the eyes of Juliana, our crime journalist. His smile slipped as recollections flashed through his mind.

    Settling further into his chair, he recounted his bloody encounter with the Americans and military men, saying: “I was beaten with guns, boots and fists. It was just too much for me. I couldn’t fight back. They overpowered me.”

    Okparah may have forgotten many unpleasant events, but he will never forget the day armed soldiers – allegedly working for the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) – gave him the beating of his life.

    The assault intensified after Okparah attempted to use his smart phone to take snapshots of the soldiers and BEDC officials. For his temerity, he had to spend weeks in the hospital fighting to live.

    Aside from Okparah, other victims have also claimed to have experienced the same encounter with soldiers and white men. BEDC officials also tried to disconnect the power supply to their homes.

    Despite sounding irrational, the beatings were discovered to be over the struggle for possession and ownership of electrical wires, ladders, power disconnections and estimated billings.

    Consumers wanted their electrical wires handed back to them after they were disconnected, insisting they had purchased them. However, the BEDC refused to release the items.

    For many Nigerians, it was abnormal to see DISCO officials, armed soldiers and white men coming to disconnect power supplies , but residents of Benin, Edo State, alleged that it was an everyday occurrence, which they had now got used to.

    The acronym DISCO refers to electricity Distribution Companies in Nigeria.
    Our correspondent gathered that many electric consumers are petrified of going to the media, fearful that the soldiers might pay them an unscheduled visit.
    This was even after human rights activists dented the trend after ferociously fighting against such practices.

    Recalling the encounter, Okparah said: “We had been hearing about it, but that day was my first experience. The BEDC officials came with military men and white men! After disconnecting the light, we told them that we wouldn’t allow them to go with our wires.”

    “Four Nigerian soldiers fought me. They tore my clothes, flogged me, used their boots on me and hit me with their guns. I resisted to an extent, but I finally succumbed because I couldn’t contend with the power of four military men, who were fully armed.”

    Okparah added that the new chapter opened by BEDC was difficult and consumers couldn’t cope. He explained that BEDC was urged to return to the original operating system, but it allegedly refused.

    He said: “They became mad and we joined in their madness, and then they brought soldiers. They disconnected our house, we told them no problem, but that the ladder and wires belonged to us. We bought them with our hard earned money. The only thing that belonged to them was the energy.”

    Okparah disclosed that the fight with BEDC started in 2017 after a court case, where DISCO was instructed to stop disconnecting consumers until further notice. He said that BEDC failed to recognise and respect the judiciary, so consumers also decided not to obey and respect the company.

    “BEDC was doing illegal billing. The court judgement was given in Lagos and we wanted them to adhere to it, but they refused. We decided to protest their billing system. We decided to pay what we feel we consumed. Most of us know our billings and nothing was removed or added in our electrical consumptions, so how come the billings increased?

    “Assuming your bill before was N5,000(US$13) or N10,000 and you’re suddenly given a bill of between N30,000 and N45,000, what will you do?”

    That was our case. Part of the court order was that if a bill is being contested, the consumer should be allowed to pay what he or she was being billed before.”
    He claimed that some bills even surpassed the consumer’s rent.

    Some apartments had bills that increased from N1,500 to N5,000 while the rent for the apartments cost N3,000.

    He added: “The court asked them to return to the original billing system, but BEDC refused. While we were busy paying our normal original billing system, they were busy compiling their new system of billings for us, which we had earlier refused to pay.”

    After Okparah walked out of hospital, he embarked on a quest for justice, supported by the Edo Civil Society Organisation (EDOCSO).
    He reported the situation to the Nigerian Army, the Police and Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). He demanded that the white men should be investigated for human rights violations and be repatriated.

    Okparah shared that he filed a complaint against the soldiers at 4th Brigade of the Nigerian Army and also petitioned the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

    It was discovered that the white men were working closely with some DISCO officials in three different states. The soldiers were attached to the white men.

    Okparah also learnt that the white men were in Nigeria under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), under the Power Africa Project.

    “We heard that another company brought them to Nigeria and the arrangement was that each white man should be escorted by two soldiers. So, they are now using those military men to molest people. We are law-abiding citizens because we obey the court order,” Okparah said.

    “When the Army called me about the matter, they asked me if I wanted the soldiers to be sacked, I responded that they were my brothers. There was no way I could watched them being laid off just because they became stupid by obeying total strangers. The truth is that I expected the soldiers to realise that as Nigerians, we are all brothers,” said Okparah.

    Shaking his head in disbelief, the man said that despite everything, BEDC’s crazy billings have not stopped.

    The New Telegraph learnt that because of BEDC rights violations, human rights activists in the state teamed up and embarked on a series of protests, often staged at the front of BEDC’s head office in Benin, demanding that the firm and its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Funke Osibudu, should go.

    The Coordinator General of Edo State Civil Society Organisations (EDOSCO), Leftist Omobude Agho, also had an encounter with the soldiers, white men and BEDC officials.

    Agho said he received a call that power to his apartment was about to be disconnected and immediately rushed over to his community, to find out what was going on.

    He was shocked to see armed soldiers, white men and BEDC officials.

    Agho said he initially tried to reason with the delegation, but the situation soon snowballed when he was barked at and ordered to sit on the ground.
    He was speechless with outrage. The incident occurred on Medical Road, Benin, where Agho lives.

    He said: “I was in the middle of the meeting when I received a call that some white men and soldiers were at my house and wanted to disconnect my light. They said that I owed electricity bill.

    “When I got there, I was annoyed. I went to meet the sales manager of BEDC, later identified as Mr. Ayiayi, who was also there. I asked what led to white men, who are foreigners, coming to our land with soldiers to harass us. He said that he was sorry; that the white men were from BEDC headquarters.”

    “I was still speaking with him when one of the soldiers pointed his rifle at me and asked the sales manager if I was the one. The next thing I knew, the soldier placed the nozzle of his rifle at my chest and ordered me to sit on the ground. I didn’t know if the gun was corked or not.

    According to Agho, when he started writing petitions against the military men and reached the DSS office, the DSS boss said his men were not attached to BEDC.

    Agho said that although he had heard of such incidents, his own experience was an eye-opener. Armed with this experience and knowledge, he petitioned the Nigeria Police Force, DSS and Nigerian Immigration Service, to call for thorough investigations of the activities of the white men.

    “Initially, we found such stories hard to believe until it came to our doorsteps. Nobody had been brave enough to take snapshots of them in operation. Mr. Innocent Okparah who tried it was almost killed. The soldiers and BEDC workers do not want to be captured on video or picture. Okparah spent two weeks in the hospital.”

    Agho said that customers’ challenge with BEDC was not getting better, with everyone angry and the atmosphere tensed. According to him, Edo State indigenes no longer want the contract of BEDC to be renewed.

    Agho, who said that the only solution to such human rights abuses was for the revocation of BEDC’s licence, added that opportunity should be given to someone, serious about providing power supply to take over.

    Mr. Kelly Osunbor Omokaro also has a story to tell, but not as shocking as that of Okparah and Agho.

    Omokaro explained that he was able to achieve peace, because of his vast experience in working with security agents and understanding their minds and psychological dispositions. The incident occurred at Oko GRA, Airport Road, where Omokaro lives.

    He said: “The time was about 11am. I was at home when I heard my security guard knocking at my door. I opened my door and saw BEDC officials standing at the gate; I went out to meet them. I noticed that two soldiers and some policemen were with them. The policemen were not in uniform. They said we bypassed our meters.”
    “On that day, they asked why my meter was bypassed. A BEDC lady led the delegation, but a soldier was the person asking questions. They were 13 people, including soldiers, policemen and BEDC officials.

    “I explained about the court injunction on ground. I presented them with a copy of the court’s judgement and where BEDC was asked to revise the N13.50k, which they added on the tariff. Before increasing, BEDC was supposed to call a meeting where we discuss and negotiate the price increment. Thus they failed to do so and refused also to obey court order.

    “If I was not well-grounded with the rules and regulations of the military, I would probably have started shaking and begging at the sight of the military and other uniform men.”

    Omokaro said that he knew and had cordial relationship with some military commanders in the state. He said that when the soldiers noticed how he spoke, they were taken aback.

    They soon relaxed their hostile stance.

    The soldiers decided to return to BEDC office, insisting that Omokaro made a lot of sense with his argument.

    According to Omokaro, the Edo State people’s argument is that before such increase, BEDC should call a stakeholders’ meeting.

    He said he went to BEDC headquarters to register his displeasure and renew argument, where some of the staff he meant on the ground told him that some of them were even suffering more than the consumers because, “their salaries had been slashed with almost 70 per cent.

    They said that their welfare was now quite poor compared to the era of Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and the National Electric Power Authority (NEPA).”

    Omokaro said that he made efforts to report the soldiers and also to find out about their connection to BEDC. But the Army in the state only promised to look into the matter.

    He said that even BEDC’s MD, Funke Osibudu, had military details attached to her. He said that Osibudu was the owner of BEDC and actually did buy it from the government.

    “She is guarded night and day by soldiers. She stays at Protea Hotel in Benin. Go there right now; you’ll find soldiers everywhere. Even if you go to BEDC headquarters, you will see soldiers there. According to our law, the only person entitled to be guarded by soldiers is the Nigerian President. Even the Edo State governor is not guarded by soldiers. He is only guarded by police and DSS operatives. But to be guarding a private citizen, even down to the hotel she stays is against the law,” Omokaro fumed.

    He added: “If you are spending more days in Benin and move around, you will hear a lot of stories. The major problem is that because soldiers are involved, victims shy away from speaking out. They are all afraid.”

    The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of EDOCSO, Comrade Osazee Edigin, said the fight against such rights violations by BEDC had been on for years.

    He remembered that on December 25, 2015, BEDC officials with soldiers went into a community at Country Home Road, off Sapele Road and attempted to disconnect the community transformer because some people owed electricity bills.

    Edigin noted that the BEDC officials stormed the community in two trucks filled with soldiers. The disagreement was over estimated billing.

    On August 15, The New Telegraphs’ correspondent, Julia Francis, went to the BEDC headquarters to see Osibudu, but the effort was futile. She was directed to the Assistant General Manager (AGM), Corporate Affairs Office.

    At the BEDC headquarters, there were three soldiers in full uniform. One of them, patrolling the outside perimeter of the building, was armed.

    The Head of Public Affairs, BEDC, Mr. Tayo Adekunle, was not around, but Mr Ibeh Odoh, his assistant, attended to the Julia.

    Reacting to allegations that their company uses soldiers to harass, intimidate and brutalise energy consumers, among other atrocities, Odoh said it was a pack of lies.

    He said, “ Those white men are USAID members working with BEDC. They are not our staff; they are more like technical partners, under USAID Power Africa Project.”

    When asked why BEDC officials in company with the white men and soldiers struggle for possession of electrical wires with their consumers, Odoh explained: “We collect the wires to discourage customers from reconnecting illegally. Before we embark on disconnection, we usually give first, second and third warnings.”Speaking further on soldiers brutalising customers, Odoh said: “If there are victims, let them come to our office to complain and we shall carry out investigations.”

    The New Telegraph’s correspondent also contacted the US Embassy, Lagos to question it about the allegations of human rights violations.

    On September 5, she contacted Mr. Sani Mohammed, Senior Information Specialist, US Embassy, Public Section, Abuja.

    He replied the following day, asking for further information about the journalist and the story she was working on.This information was provided and emailed to him.

    However, as at the time of filing this report no response has been provided.

    This story is a compilation of articles from Oct 18, 2018 to Oct 25, 2018.

    BEHIND THE STORY

    The story is about the energy crisis in Nigeria with special focus on victims of the Benin Electricity Company (BEDC), a firm that handles power distribution in Edo, Delta, Ondo and Ekiti states. The report detailed the pains of the consumers in the hands of BEDC using the military to intimidate and brutalise them. New Telegraph’s Crime Editor, Juliana Francis, who went to the Edo State to speak with the actors involved. The saga began after a court case in 2017, where DISCO (electricity Distribution Companies in Nigeria) was instructed to stop disconnecting consumers until further notice. The BEDC failed to recognise and respect the judiciary, so consumers also decided not to obey and respect the company. After the publication of the report, the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, openly decried the capacity of the electricity company. Also, the Benin traditional leaders have visited President Muhammadu Buhari to make similar complaints. Already, BEDC have told electricity consumers that it is working hard in addressing the challenges. However, no punitive measures have been taken against the soldiers used to deal with the electricity consumers. The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has declared that the electricity firms lack the capacity and infrastructure to provide power supply to Nigerians. Consequently, the Federal Government has vowed to look into the entire privatisation process.

  • Reunited after 37 years

    Angelle Burrus (nee Udo) was just months old in her mother’s womb when her father Ndubuisi Dele Udo, a Nigerian-American athlete, was killed in Lagos.

    With the help of The Nation, Nigeria’s widest circulating newspaper, Angelle reunited with her long lost kin 37 years later.

    An interior decoration professional who lives in St Louis, Missouri, United States, Angelle grew up and married without knowing her father or any of his Nigerian -based family.

    An international sprinter, her father was in Lagos for a tournament when he was shot by a policeman during an argument in traffic.

    Based on all she heard about her father from her mother and what she read from a collection of 32 newspaper articles, stories and pictures, Angelle’s desire had always been to reconnect with her father’s relatives, especially the Udo family back in Nigeria.

    A chance meeting in St. Louis Missouri last December with Taiwo Abiodun a US-based journalist who writes for The Nation presented Angelle the opportunity she had been looking for. 

    Expressing her desire to the paper, she told her story well enough to get what she had always wanted.

    “My name is Angelle Burrus (nee Udo). I am 37 years old, please I want to come to Nigeria to locate my father’s family and see where he was buried,” she said in the report titled ‘I Want To Know My Father’s Family in Nigeria, says late Dele Udo’s daughter’ that was published on Dec 30, 2018.

    “Please write my story. All I want is to meet my father’s siblings and see my father’s grave in Nigeria,” Angelle declared.

    Within hours of the publication’s release, the hitherto hard to find Udo family members who read about Angelle reached out to her on Facebook.

    In her Facebook post, an excited Angelle wrote about the link she had looked forward to finding for years:

    I FOUND MY NIGERIAN FAMILY.

    “Dec-7th met Taiwo Abiodun in Missouri

    “Dec-9th interview conducted about the death of my father 37 years ago.

    “Dec-30th article published in Nigeria.

    “Jan-3rd FaceTimed w/her, uncle Luke Udo and cousin Oke ( Nkechi’s brother).

    “On this day I find out Oke lives 1hr away

    “Jan-5 First in person meeting with cousin Oke and his wife Dami. He’s the first person EVER to meet me in person from my Nigerian family.

    “God is amazing I am so blessed and happy!”

    To help Angelle accomplish her dream, The Nation’s correspondent in South-Eastern Nigeria where the late Udoh hailed from, Okechukwu Nwankwo ,was briefed by the Lagos headquarters and went in search of her family members back home.

    After a series of enquiries, he found Angelle’s stepmother, younger brother, close friend and other acquaintances who were glad to know that the baby Angelle’s mother was carrying when she attended her husband’s burial was indeed alive and keen on meeting them.

    A second story was published on Jan 13 titled ‘Late Dele Udo: We are eager to receive his American daughter, wife – Family members’.

    “When the news about Angelle trying to reconnect with the father’s family members surfaced in your newspaper, we were very happy. You know at that time, it was only Dele that was the breadwinner, but now, his siblings are doing well in their endeavours. We will be happy to receive her,” said the late Udo’s step mother, Joy Okechukwu.

    Udo’s younger brother also spoke about Angelle’s interest in meeting the family: “I think her quest to meet with her father’s family is genuine. 36 years of not knowing any members of her father’s family is long. We had expected this to happen before now, but we are happy she is alive and willing to reunite with her family”

    Angelle’s mother, Angella who was initially reluctant to speak with Abiodun about her late husband, was eventually convinced to do so. Her interview titled ‘My lasting memories of Dele Udoh’ was published on Aug 25.

    She is happy that her daughter eventually found her father’s family. She had always told Angelle that it was up to her to look for her father’s family and she (Angella) could not do that for her daughter.

    While she would be happy to come to Nigeria if invited by the government, Angella who still retains her marriage name, said emotionally “I was (a) bride, a woman, mum and a widow in one year. I am going to write a book on it.”

    Comments on Angelle’s social media post on finding her Nigerian family incited excitement amongst relatives and friends as well as highlighted the impact the publication had made on her life.

    Some of the comments included:

    Janet Burrus: Wow. Angelle this is awesome …exactly what you have been seeking. You know you are part of our family, but now you know your roots, have blood relatives, you can talk with and answers.

    Gail Feldman: I cried when I read this article. Finally after all these years- answers, stories, connections- your dad is alive through you and through your relatives. Beautiful

    Luke Udo: We’re all excited my dear, it’s just the beginning, you definitely going to Nigeria soon with me to meet the rest, can’t wait for the trip

    Lilian Ify Udo: Can’t wait to meet U and your lovely family. Thanks to all my family member’s for their effort and response to the search/media. Y’all did amazing beautiful in reaching out to Angelle. This is the Lord’s doing.

     

    This story is a compilation of articles by Taiwo Abiodun and Okechukwu Nwankwo was originally published by The Nation from Dec 30, 2018 to Aug 25.

     

    BEHIND THE STORY

    Angelle’s re-connection with her father’s family would not have been possible if not for US-based Journalist Taiwo Abiodun’s article, which enabled the first contact between both parties in 37 years to happen within twenty four hours of publishing the first story. The Nation correspondent, Okechukwu Nwankwo, also aided the reunion’s success as he spent the last days of 2018 searching for Angelle’s family through various contacts. 

    Nation journalist Abiodun had gone with his wife to the African Palace Restaurant in St Louis owned by a Nigerian when she was introduced to Angelle, daughter of late Udo, who was also visiting the restaurant at that time. 

    With the support of a friend and his wife, Abiodun was able to book an interview with Angelle at a Mcdonald’s eatery after several phone calls.

    Convincing Angella, Angelle’s mother, to speak was much more difficult as she initially declined.  With his persistence and support of his wife, Ronnie, Abiodun was finally able to get the 74-year-old woman to eventually open up and talk about her late husband. Through the effort of these reporters, Angelle was able to understand the family she had always longed to meet.