The Nation Newspaper

Tag: people

  • WHY I BLOCK PEOPLE ON MY PAGES – YVONNE NELSON

    WHY I BLOCK PEOPLE ON MY PAGES – YVONNE NELSON

    GHANAIAN actress, Yvonne Nelson, who recently premiered her latest work, If Tomorrow Never Comes, has revealed how much she blocks contacts on her social media platforms.

    Speaking recently on Getting Personal with YN, she revealed the reason. She noted that one of the things that anger her is the negativity which people usually promote on social media.

    The thespian who just signed a new deal with Globacom Nigeria, alongside singer Kaakie said, “On Twitter, if I see anything negative on my time-line, I will just block you; I wouldn’t even reply. I hate negativity…, if I see you on my time-line and you mention my name and you mention me and say anything negative, I will not think about it two seconds but to block you. So don’t come to my time-line and act or say anything negative.”

    She added: “Sometimes, I see some comment about my bleaching and I just laugh. Other times, people just want to attack you and bully you on social media and I’ll block you.”

    The actress also advised her fans to be careful what part of their personal life they put out on social media. “Don’t show your boyfriends on social media, people will steal him from you,” she said.

  • Let democracy be for the people

    SIR: While other nations are faced with the challenges of the 21st Century,/ we are bogged down by the avarice of the elite./Every time we believe we have seen the worst from our country,/the shameless, opportunistic power grabbers take us back to a new low. – Nigeria Democratic Liberty Forum (NDLF), New York.(June,2010)

    With trillions of naira revenue, mostly from crude oil sales from 1999 till date, it is a crying shame that Nigeria parades some of the most disturbing dismal figures in the Human Development Index (HDI).From increasing poverty rate including helpless citizens caught in the terrible trap of extreme poverty, maternal and infant mortality rates, food insecurity to huge youth unemployment, our nation’s parlous economic situation is a criminal betrayal of what God has richly endowed us with.

    For instance, poverty rate rose from 15 % as at independence in 1960, to 67.1% in 1999 and 72.2% in 2014. The World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, stated in April 2014 at the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings that Nigeria, with 7 % of the world’s poor ranked third in the world while India was placed at number one with 33 per cent of the world poor.

    Similarly, Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose from 5.8% in 2008, 19.9% in 2009 through 21.10% in 2010 to 23.9% in 2011. Infant mortality ratetotal stood at 74.09 deaths/1,000 live births. And Nigeria accounts for 13 per cent of Global Maternal Deaths, GMD.

    Simply put, the vast resources in oil and gas, agriculture, solid minerals and breath -taking tourist attractions have come to make the politically favoured few richer while the majority wallow in grinding poverty.This insidious systemic rot has got to stop. The paradigm must shift. The political pendulum must also swing in favour of the vast majority of Nigerians.

    Wealth re-distribution is a now a must. Nigeria can no longer afford a sordid economic situation that had 17,474 political office holders setting the nation’s treasury back by a whopping N1.13 trillion(naira) on yearly basis,and jerking up their emoluments at will as revealed by the Economist of London  in 2010.

    We can no longer sustain the huge capital flight of unpatriotic politicians who steal the nation blind only to empower foreign nationals. For instance, in July 2004 UNIDO Report listed countries such as China, India, Singapore and Thailand amongst those with robust economies that reduced poverty rate from an average of 40% in 1981 to 21 % in 2001 while ours was on the upswing. In fact, the Report singled out Nigeria as the country with the worst case scenario of capital flight and advised us to borrow a new leaf from Uganda, which had a similar challenge but was able to reverse the drift.

    Good enough, we now have the change mantra sweeping across the entire country, from Otuoke tropical forest, across Abuja savannah to Daura desert fringe. Coupled with this, the pilots of the ship of state have come on board with the proud pedigree as highly disciplined, patriotic and committed Nigerians, eager to enthrone transparency in governance.

    To do so however, all hands must be on deck. The undue fixation that the federal government alone should do it all- provide the requisite solid infrastructure (stable electric power, good access roads and rail, and potable water) as well as create jobs must be done away with. Hopefully, with the expected Constitution Amendment and implementation of the well thought out recommendations of the National Conference, true fiscal federalismshould eventually ensure that more economic resources are devolved to the states in this regard.

    The hope therefore, is that the Buhari-led administration should provide the much-needed conducive environment for businesses to thrive. There must be transparency and accountability in government such that our enormous resources are channeled to make the quality of life of the average Nigerian better and safer.

     

    • Ayo Baje,

  • LBHF: Bringing theatre closer to the people

    LBHF: Bringing theatre closer to the people

    festival

    This year’s Lagos Black Heritage Festival will open on April 18 at the Freedom Park, Old Broad Street Prison, Lagos Island featuring Vision of the Child— children/pupils competition and exhibition, Masquerade parade from Badagry, exhibitions – Children Art & Art fair/bazaar, Do Your own Thing – talent hunt programme for youths, drama & dance drama – six plays on showcase, poetry & music – Night of the Poets. Others events include Meet The Artiste showcase – The Stage & Screen Career of Olu Jacobs, film screenings – documentary & experimental Films, Music performances – Live from Emukay; Jimi Solanke and Eko Brass Band. This year’s festival which has as theme, drama, and dance-drama will run till April 25.

    According to a statement by the organisers of the festival, the news of an impending visit by the historic Globe Theatre in England was a major factor in the festival’s decision to prolong its break from the geography based thematic series – The Black in the Mediterranean Blue – on which the Festival embarked in 2012. The visit of a famed professional theatre seemed too good an opportunity to miss for calling attention to the yet impoverished local status of theatre. Thus, for this year’s edition, it was decided to centre activities around– drama!     The organisers also noted that they never knew that the real-life drama of the Nigerian elections would be extended by a full month, compelling the Festival’s shift of dates in turn. “Our expected collateral harvest of attention through immediacy is somewhat diminished. Nonetheless, we still hope that the passage of these professionals, will linger as the Festival picks up the gauntlet, even a month later. It should at least invigorate interest in the theatrical arts, underlining the practical challenges with which the home-grown version has to contend in virtually every aspect of dramatic presentation,” it added.

    This year’s excursion into drama as central theme does however offer a special contribution to the artistic trail blazed by these visitors. Its format was inspired by an increasing awareness of the need to bring theatre closer to the people, not merely confine it to predictable, albeit efficiently structured venues. Directors were selected, then encouraged to scout for optional spaces that they find most appropriate to their choice of plays – bare spaces, night clubs, open pavilions etc. – thus weaning drama of domination by ‘congenial confinement.’ Freedom Park will therefore constitute only one of this year’s drama venues, though without abandoning its role as the hub of the Festival.

    Other activities include the pilot edition of the mentor/protégé project. Experienced hands in the sub-disciplines of the dramatic arts – playwriting, acting, directing, technical theatre, dance-drama etc. – have been invited to mentor one aspiring theatre practitioner each, in a learning collaboration lasting six weeks. At the end of this period, protégés will showcase their projects. “This, we hope, will become a regular feature, not only in drama but in other Arts disciplines. Interested audiences will be permitted to observe some of this aspect of “passing the baton”, a condensed exercise in what is also known as apprenticeship, or passing on skills – in short, a mission is to preserve a continuity of experience in specialised skills,” the statement added.

    This year also, the Festival will pay homage to one of the Nigerian theatre veterans with a wide experience of the stage both abroad and in Nigeria, and who has been a source of inspiration to a whole generation of theatre artistes. If even a small measure of professional discipline has succeeded in penetrating the glut of video drama in what is now known as ‘Nollywood’, it is only thanks to this artiste who will be our guest in the Meet The ArtistE series.

    And then – a different kind of preservation – starring the veteran of veterans, the late Hubert Ogunde who will be the subject of an exhibition. New generation enthusiasts and those who simply wish to stroll down memory lane can look forward to browsing through the memorabilia of the indisputable pioneer of Nigerian theatre.

    The other partnering pillars that uphold the heritage week continue to surpass expectations. The Boat Regatta waits yet again to light up the lagoon that gave name to the City of Waters, while the Street Carnival constantly re-invents itself in the capacity to dazzle and inebriate with its cocktail of extravagant Costuming, Music and Design through the streets of Lagos. Not to be missed of course, is the now ritual opening – the Masquerade Parade. This year, we give pride of place to Masquerades exclusively from the partnering City — Badagry.

    Ever mindful of the entitlement of the upcoming generation, and to remind the adult world of the brimful of talent that ensures artistic continuity and innovation, as well as imparting early understanding of Art as an expression of life itself with all its joys, anguish, triumphs and challenges  –  LBHF continues its quest of The Vision of the Child.  This year, there is a small innovation. Instead of just one medium, painting, the Festival has invited the expression of that vision in a duo-fold encounter – Word, and – Image. Seeking to enhance the powers of observation and representation, children are being encouraged to express themselves annually on a chosen theme – drawn from the entire gamut of life and surrounding phenomena. For this year, the selected theme is:  The Road to Sambisa – Wole Soyinka, Festival Consultant.

  • Power belongs to the People

    No Nigerian can claim to be unfamiliar with the PDP’s battle cry.

    We’ve all seen the rowdy stadia filled with disinterested crowds and garish decorations. The party stalwarts all take it in turns to bellow “PDP” into crackly sound systems. Increasingly, jaded youths respond “Power.” “PDP – Power” became so ingrained, so normal that we forgot that a vital part had been amputated. Over the last 16 years, the PDP has utterly failed to deliver on its motto. Power not just for its own sake but power to the people.

    The PDP has failed in the most literal sense. Power generation in the country is simply abysmal. Optimistic estimates suggest Nigeria generates 4,500 megawatts of electricity. South Africa, despite having a population of 50 million people, produces nearly 10 times that. Over the past year, South Africans have become infuriated by a relatively minor increase in load- shedding. Nigerians have long since accepted electricity as a fleeting and inconsistent gift. Generators are a necessity in homes and businesses. Constant power supply is fundamental to the sustained growth of the economy. It is no surprise then that Nigeria’s economy continues to flatter to deceive.

    The biggest economy in Africa we are told. One of the fastest growing economies in the world they say. With a population of over 170 million, it would be shocking if we weren’t. The reality behind the glossy numbers is that Nigeria is still plagued by rampant poverty and enduring inequality. With all our natural resources, we are still desperately dependent on oil revenue. A slight drop in the oil price sends our economy reeling. The agriculture, tourism and manufacturing industries are anemic at best. We export raw, crude oil and import refined petroleum, which is subject to a government subsidy before being sold to the general public. It doesn’t take a professor to see the absurdity of this situation.

    The subsidy is often held up as an example of the endemic corruption in Nigeria. And of course corruption is a massive obstacle to the growth of the economy. Improbably vast amounts of money are directed away from productive activities into the private accounts of individuals. Money that could be used to improve ailing infrastructure and spur development is instead used to buy expensive cars and fuel the private jets that fly corrupt officials to glamorous homes in exotic locations. At times, President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has acted as if it was testing how much strain the Nigerian economy could survive. The most blatant example was the NNPC scandal that took place last year.

    In early 2014, then Central Bank Governor, Emir Sanusi Lamido Sanusi accused the NNPC of not accounting for $20 billion. To put that into context, hosting the FIFA world cup costs around $10 billion. $20 billion is about Aliko Dangote’s total wealth, four times Mike Adenuga’s and almost 10 times Folorunsho Alakija’s; those are the three richest people in Nigeria. And it simply disappeared from our books. $20,000,000,000. Let that sink in. No economy in the world can lose that amount of money and not be affected. Wars have been fought over far less. But Jonathan responded as he did with most problems during his reign – ignore it and it might go away.

    To be fair to the President, none of these problems began with him. Irregular power supply has been a problem for decades. No government has adequately addressed economic diversification and no government has succeeded in tackling corruption. However, Jonathan’s administration must accept the blame for the unchecked rise of terrorism and insurgency. The atrocities carried out by Boko Haram were too pervasive, too tragic and too monstrous to be ignored. It has been almost a year since over 200 girls were kidnapped in Chibok. This captured the world’s attention but it was not the first time, nor the last time, that Boko Haram would kidnap and slaughter innocents.

    In the last six weeks, with the help of our neighbours, the Nigerian military has been successful in reclaiming all territories held by Boko Haram. Undoubtedly this is something to cheer but it begs the question why wasn’t action taken sooner? The first and foremost duty of the state is to exercise sovereignty over its territory. By watching as a portion of the country the size of Belgium was seized by insurgents, Jonathan failed Nigeria. I attribute no malice to him but he is certainly guilty of negligence. Years of ignoring infrastructure development, economic mismanagement and corruption had the vultures circling the PDP but it was the level of insecurity that meant that Jonathan simply had to go.

    And go he did. In a week that none of us will ever forget, General Muhammad Buhari of the APC won the presidential election. It hardly seemed possible but on the 31st of May impossible became reality when the PDP conceded defeat. It was poetic that Borno, a state that has been ravaged by insurgency, hammered in the final nail in the coffin. Nigeria’s maturing democracy has now survived 16 years and in 2015 finally passed the handover test. It seems odd that history will forget most of Jonathan’s contentious reign; he passes on into legend, “the man who handed over power.” Many Nigerians will not be able to forget his missteps. Still, Jonathan deserves immense credit for doing the right thing. He can now enjoy retirement as an elder statesman, being paraded around the world as a symbol of democracy.

    One man deserves even more credit. Attahiru Jega the National Chairman of INEC has just thrown his name in as a prime candidate for Nigerian of the Decade. In a country notorious for election malpractice, Jega has delivered twice. The second time round was even more impressive than the first. Going into the election, the atmosphere was extremely tense. How many of you know people who left the state in which they reside, or the country? How many of you decided to stay at home on Monday, just in case? Despite the heated polity, INEC conducted an election that was mostly peaceful and generally fair.

    This is Nigeria so of course there were inconsistencies and question marks but INEC handled itself with aplomb, showing flexibility when confronted with issues such as the card reader, while ensuring credible elections took place. With the aid of card readers, permanent voter cards, social media and, most importantly, engaged and passionate voters, rigging was kept in check. Almost more impressive was Jega’s utmost composure under intense pressure, the chairman carried himself with impeccable calm in the lead up and conduct of the election.

    Nigeria decided. Step forward President-Elect, General Muhammad Buhari. Problems solved, right? Well as always, it’s never that simple. The issues facing Nigeria cannot be fixed overnight. I suspect that Buhari will suffer from Obama’s syndrome. Just like President Barack Obama, Buhari won the election on a wave of mass popularity and arrives with a mandate for change. With all his landmark achievements – the Affordable Healthcare Act, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the potential diplomatic solution in Iran – Obama’s presidency is considered underwhelming. History may be kind to Obama but it shows the level of success that Buhari will need to achieve. The poor situation in Nigeria could be either a blessing or a curse to Buhari; it will be difficult to do worse than his predecessor but he has little to build on.

    Worryingly, Nigerians have been so caught up in the hype that very little scrutiny has been applied to Buhari’s policies. There has been very little in depth discussion of economic, social or foreign policy. We have heard that there will be a focus on agriculture, infrastructure and security but details are scarce. Now that Boko Haram’s holds no more territory, Buhari must push forward programmes that address the root causes of violent extremism to ensure long term security. Agriculture and infrastructure are also in dire need of targeted interventions. It will be very interesting to see who forms Buhari’s cabinet.

    Buhari has an unquestionable record of upholding rule of law and fighting corruption, as shown by his former stint as head of state. As a friend of mine succinctly put it, “corruption will drop by 30%, even before any policies are enacted, simply because of his name.”

    But one man cannot solve all of Nigeria’s problems. But I expect Buhari to bring the determination and fearlessness for which he is known. If he doesn’t, he will have to answer to Nigerian citizens who have now tasted the removal of an incumbent.

    Good luck Mr. President.

  • Man of the people

    It was a hard fought battle. President Goodluck Jonathan and Gen Muhammadu Buhari threw everything they had into the contest. Being the incumbent president, Dr Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had an almost inexhaustible war chest to prosecute his campaign. Name it; money, men and materials, he had them all.

    But, Gen Buhari, an ascetic man by nature, did not have the president’s kind of resources. What he had going into the March 28 presidential contest was enormous goodwill. Many believe in Buhari because of his clean public record. They see him as the kind of leader that our country needs at this point in time. Nigeria is at a crossroads and many Nigerians feel that we need a man of Buhari’s character to take us out of the doldrums.

    A vote for Gen Buhari was therefore a vote for the transformation of Nigeria. The election was Gen Buhari’s to lose. Even though nothing is 100% sure in elections, it was clear as daylight that Gen Buhari would carry the day in the March 28 poll. It was not an easy ride to the presidency for Buhari though. Thrice he contested between 2003 and 2011 and thrice he lost not because he did not have what it takes for the job, but because his time had not come.

    Gen Buhari was fourth time lucky yesterday and his luck may yet rub off on Nigeria. Expectations are high from his fellow countrymen, who have been at the receiving end of bad leadership in the last few years. Nigerians will be impatient with him because of what they are going through under the outgoing President Jonathan. But we need not blame the president too much.

    The president’s men failed him and the country. They were given an opportunity to serve their fatherland, but they failed to discharge this enormous responsibility to the best of their ability. They were interested in power, but were not ready to  give commensurate service. They were more interested in the perks of office and not the job itself. By the time of the election, Nigerians were fed up with the Jonathan administration. There was nothing they wanted more than for the president to go, with or without election.

    When the election was shifted from its initial February 14 date to last Saturday, the electorate felt bad. They wanted nothing to stop them from exercising their rights to pick a leader of their choice.The six-week postponement on supposed  security ground did not save the president from defeat. Rather than stop the Buhari momentum, the shift fuelled the people’s anger against their president.

    With the outcome of the election they have forgotten all about the postponement, which delayed their election of the man they believe would bring back smiles on their faces. Truly, these are not the best of times for our dear country, which is in dire need of  purposeful leadership, and the electorate chose Buhari over Jonathan because they see that quality in him.

    Nigerians rejected President Jonathan at the polls because he lacks what it takes to reinvent Nigeria. For six years, he could not lay hands on the Nigerian problem, yet he wanted to remain in office. Gen Buhari’s emergence as president-elect, some will say, calls for celebration because it is the dawn of a new era, but painfully there is nothing to cheer about his election because things have gone bad, damn too bad in our country for too long. It is a time for us to ponder over the Nigerian project because the incoming president and his team have a lot of work to do.

    The mood of our country to
    day does not call for celebra
    tion as such, rather we should be full of prayers for the incoming government. Gen Buhari needs our prayers to succeed. After giving him our mandate, it will cost us nothing to support him with prayers in the enormous task of taking our country to greater height. We cannot end this without commending President Jonathan for his show of sportsmanship in conceding defeat even before Gen Buhari was formally declared winner. With his action, Dr Jonathan has shown that he truly loves Nigeria.

    As he prepares to leave office, we wish him all the best and pray that in the next few weeks to his exit, he will work closely with Gen Buhari to ensure a smooth transition. It was Gen Buhari’s lot, as military ruler,  to save us from a drifting democratic government in 1983 and he delivered. Thirty-two years after, fate has, again, thrust on him the arduous job of repairing the country. May God guide him right. Congratulations, Mr President-elect.

     

    With elders like Orubebe…

    The show of shame was watched globally last Tuesday. As Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman Prof Attahiru Jega was about starting the business of the day at the National Collation Centre (NCC) where results of the March 28 presidential election from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were being collated,  former Niger Delta Minister and failed governorship aspirant Godsday Orubebe, who calls himself an elder, took the floor after being recognised. He and his accomplice, Col Bello Fadile, having seen the handwriting on the wall that their candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, would lose decided to go for broke.

    As if possessed, Orubebe started by pouring invectives on Jega. Jega, he claimed was partial. According to him, the INEC chief refused to receive their petitions challenging the elections in Kano, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa states, whereas Jega immediately raised a panel to probe the All Progressives Congress (APC) complaints about Rivers State election. Fadile stoked the fire, saying that he brought the petition, which Jega refused to accept. He also accused Jega of giving the election  results to APC before releasing them.

    In the face of it all, Jega, who apparently knew their game plan, was cool and calm. When he spoke, he cut both men to the size. To Fadile, who is known to work with National Security Adviser (NSA) whose office engineered the curious six-week extension of the elections, Jega said : “I have not seen any results, I have not given anybody any results. For you to engage me on that issue, I think frankly it is not fair to me… how can I speak on something I have not seen”.  The one who calls himself an elder looked so ordinary after Jega finished with him. “Let us be careful about what we say or do and let us not disrupt a process that has ended peacefully and in a matter of hours, we will be able to finish it. Mr Orubebe, you are a former minister… you are a statesman in your own right, you should be careful about what you say or what allegations you make and certainly you should be careful about your public conduct”. With elders like Orubebe, how can the church and society grow? As for Fadile, we leave him to his conscience, that is if he has one.

  • What the people know

    What the people know

    We all looked forward to it. To some it came with trepidation, and to others with joy. To most, however, March 28 was the date of curiosity.

    The thrill of the voter, as I witnessed, was in being part of a common sense. Commonsense does not always factor in the common sense, but that is the beauty of democracy. The people have the right to be right or wrong, and that right to err and fall into folly is as sovereign as their country’s right of being.

    That was what I witnessed on March 28 as I cast my vote. It was a day to hope again that, unlike in 2011, I would not have to see another mandate of mistake.

    I did lament that Jonathan won the election in 2011, but I congratulated him all the same. In the piece, I prophesied that Nigeria had made a big mistake and his would be a regime of loose wallets, impunity and division along ethnic and religious lines.

    When I voted, I thought not about myself. I looked at the nation and its wreck in the past four years, and how the Nigerian people had a great capacity for endurance. But March 28, they had the opportunity to decide again if they loved the path they had taken, or if they desired an undiscovered country, full of possibilities.

    By the time of writing, I had information about trends in the polling, and I looked at the swing region: the southwest.

    Whatever anyone thought about the polls and who they favoured, the people already know something. Knowledge is a good thing and a dangerous thing. Once the people know something, how do you tell them something else? That is the meaning of accountability. One of the greatest assets of democracy in this age is the Internet, and the fact that messages travel at breakneck speed from one place to another. As the Bible says in the book of Daniels, “people shall go to and fro and knowledge shall increase.”

    This election season is the time people know a lot. It is the time they do not want to be cheated out of their patrimony. For instance, how does a person vote, in say, Mushin, and he and others in that district know who won, and in the final analysis, they hear that something else happened?

    Would they be dreaming their way out of the truth, or would they ask questions? Some philosophers have said the story of the Garden of Eden is about the inviolability of knowledge. What you know, you know. Even if you lie to yourself, you also know.

    True, Nigeria has had the capacity to lie to itself and live in false bliss. That is the reason we are not like Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore, whose country leapt at about the time we gained independence from Third World to First World.  His country had no resources except a natural harbour, and we had all the resources. But the difference between Nigeria and Lee’s Singapore is that we lived a lie.

    We stole our resources. We lied against each other on ethnic grounds and said one man’s God should punish the other man’s. While we were busy lying, Singapore fattened on the five Cs of capitalism: cash, cars, credit cards, condos and country clubs. Granted they did not have a flourishing democracy, but they were monolithic in thought at that time until they zipped into the free air of pluralism after Lee’s era.

    So we are still grappling with first principles. We still lie about all. We said we wanted PVC, and some said no. They were not only Luddites, but antediluvian. They lost that debate. Then they said we should not come near the card reader. They feared the machine, and did everything within their powers to unseat automaton. They failed again. The election took place, and in spite of hitches here and there, who would say it did not work? Where I voted, the machine read my identity like clockwork. Technology wants patience, and no technology ever devised ever worked with perfection. It is a human invention, and it can bear some of our imperfections. But its results best any human efforts. Hence they wanted it against the vultures of electoral fraud.

    Now, man would always invent things to subvert the process. ‘God made man upright,” says the good book, “but he has sought out many inventions.” We are seeing it now in the Rivers State deadlock. The APC says they could not vote without results sheets. What happened to those sheets? Those are the questions that we must answer. It is said that the way out of the genius of the card reader is to buy the result sheets from INEC officials, get high-tech people to compute the numbers so that the allotment of votes to the parties does not exceed the registered voter count, and thus ensure landslide victory for their party.

    That is man’s circuitous victory over technology. That brings me back to the people and what they know. If they know that they voted differently, no tech whiz kid can con the people into lying to themselves. It is particularly so in the southwest. Jefferson said his objection to democracy is election, and the only day it works is when the people go to the polls. After that, they are impotent until the next vote.

    If the people know they voted for a person and some political desperadoes change it, they will face the people.

    That was the story of June 12. German philosopher Nietzsche wrote about the notion of eternal return. He said some things keep recurring in history and they haunt civilization forever. We can avoid such returns when we take precautions. When the people know something and they do something about it, no one can stop them. It prompted Shakespeare to say, “we know what we know, but know not what we may be.” What the people may be is a consequence of being denied what they know. It is high time we stopped lying to ourselves. That way, the people will own their country.

    Vigilance is the key word, and as Wendell Philips noted, it is the price of liberty. But we cannot be free unless we are meticulous.

    The best example is from Delta State, where the women of Madangho town acted as the heroines of democracy. After they had cast their votes last Saturday, some soldiers drove into town and wanted whisk the ballot papers to a neighboring village called Ajudaiboh for collation. A PDP chieftain was waiting there. The women resisted. When the soldiers insisted, the women stripped naked and harassed the armed men out of town. They were vigilant, and they knew what they knew. The soldiers made them what they became: warriors of democracy. The women may not have heard of Maxim Gorky, Russian writer and revolutionary. They were kindred spirits. The Russian bard wrote, the only people who deserve freedom are those who are ready to fight for it everyday.

  • Project Smile to make people productive at work places

    The Initiator, Project Smile, Dr Amy Traore, has identified excellent oral health condition a crucial condition to make people more productive in any endeavour.

    She said in Lagos that the project, a corporate social responsibility initiative in the oral health sector now in its Season Three, is designed to provide succour to people who have suffered one flaw or the other in the oral part of their body, adding that a lot of people have suffered stigmatisation because of this.

    She said the project would take care of the financial expenses of indigent people who ordinarily could not afford to pay the high cost of undertaking corrective measures in their defective oral health condition.

    According to her, the occasion was  chosen to coincide with global celebration of oral health day, underscoring the important position it holds in every facet of human life, especially in the work place.

    Traore said last year that the project was in three cases – mild, moderate and severe, stressing, however, that it ended up doing nine as it got support from partner organisations that offered to help.

    She said this year’s would be different because the project has added the Adopt a Smile to give opportunity to more people to benefit from the programme.

    Some of the beneficiaries of the project that spoke on the occasion said it has redefined their lives as they are now free to express themselves in public places.

    “Before now, it was challenging for me to open my mouth and talk to people. My condition was even further compounded because I had mouth odour. This had great setback for me in my productivity at work.

    “The story has changed now because I can now interact freely with people and this has helped me to be more productive in the things I do,” one of them said.

     

  • P – D – P ! Cash to the people

    Well dear reader, would it be stupid to ask where all this money is coming from? All the money we hear, see and know is being thrown around by the campaign office of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Could this be the fabled dividend of democracy much spoken about in the last 16 years? Is it possible that there is any Nigerian who has not been hit by the PDP cash wagon; at least indirectly?

    The PDP cash train has been hurtling across the land like a mobile, giant ATM machine dispensing cash directly to anyone who as much as stretches out his hands. It is an endless feast and the treat continues till at least March 28, 2015. Not to have picked up your PDP bundle by now would suggest that you are either smart by half or you are ‘poorly’ brought up.

    Being smart by half means that you consider yourself a member of the opposition group whereupon you sit at your corner and pontificate (not unlike Hardball here) about the licentious profligacy of PDP over the treasury in a time of economic failure. You probably forgot that what is being disbursed so recklessly is our commonwealth. On the other hand, you may be ‘poorly’ brought up and unfit for this age in which case you turn your nose up in righteous indignation about this bizarre new dollars and the naira suffrage. By the time you realize that it is a ‘new’ day and age, the deed would have been done and you would have yourself to blame for not cottoning on to the act.

    But it is not too late to join the band, no, money wagon if you are minded. In fact find out from the leaders of your church or mosque if they have already got their share. If the answer is yes, insist on getting your share or you expose them (some church denominations that chose to visit Aso Rock got as much as N20 million). If your church has not got, you may arrange to lead them to Aso Rock quickly to pay homage to the big man and endorse his second term. You will never return empty handed, neither will you be the same again.

    If you are not of any religious group, form an ethnic or tribal association now, especially of southwest or southeast bent. Call it a good name like Igbo Union Howling for Jonathan’s Second Term or O’dua Renaissance Troops for Jonathan. Find your way to Aso Rock. If you cannot get in, let your group mount a sentry at the nearest outpost. Soon enough you will be noticed and ‘settled.’

    If you are lucky, you may be given a bigger assignment like being mobilized to go rally for Jonathan along the famous Lagos-Ibadan Expressway or on the first Niger Bridge. That indeed will be the big stake. By the time you are through hiring the crowd and all the logistics, you would be shocked that you probably have almost as much cash to be able to fix the long-forsaken road.

    There are simply a thousand and one way you can log into this PDP’s who wants to be a billionaire election campaign. It is the new area of growth; the new economy!

  • ‘We’re recycling same old people in leadership’

    ‘We’re recycling same old people in leadership’

    Iheoma Obibi has two masters in Creative Writing and Communications Policy Studies from Manchester Metropolitan University and City University, London. The Ashoka fellow is also the Executive Director of Alliances for Africa. In this interview with Yetunde Oladeinde, she talks about her passion, women empowerment and more.

    International Women’s Day has just been celebrated all over the world, do you think that women’s empowerment is in the right direction?

    Women’s empowerment has to continue from where the MDGs left off. We are still way behind other parts of the world in ensuring that women have access to loans and other facilities in which to start a business or even keep their businesses afloat.

    We are in year 2015, the year set for the achievements of some MDG’s for women, how have we fared?

    As for the 2015, it is rather obvious that we have not made significant achievements in the areas of violence against women, in access to health care, with relation to infant and maternal mortality.

    Would you say that women are doing well in terms of leadership opportunities?

    On the surface, it looks like we have done exceptionally well, but let’s interrogate what we have. As we prepare for the elections, it is rather obvious to anyone, even those armchair critics, that we have lost more women wanting to be part of the electoral process. Due to the very nature of how our political process works, few women want to be part of an aggressive party process. Many worry about electoral violence and the implications for them and their families.

    What do you think are some of the achievements made so far?

    As for other leadership opportunities, there are some achievements recorded there, but it seems like with many things Nigerian, there is little room for the young to develop. We are recycling the same old people, be they men or women. There must be a better way to ensure that we can get young people involved. Remember, our definition of a young person is questionable at best of times. Anything up to 55 years. I know, unbelievable.

    What are the new challenges for women?

    We do not need to look far. We need to look at regional integration and implications for cross border trade in the light of the Boko Haram threats and its effect on our food security. We are facing a serious threat to our food source because if people in communities known as the bread basket of Nigeria cannot farm and make money for fear of being kidnapped and raped, then we have a crisis which is brewing. Additional challenges are the fall of the naira and the ability for SMEs to import. However, lack of power and other basic facilities all are challenges for women running businesses and trying to keep their heads above water.

    A lot of women fall into the small business owner category, do you think that the business environment is friendly enough?

    As a small business owner, I would say that the environment is not friendly. It is very difficult to get anything done in a manner that is timely and efficient for your business. From fulfilling all regulatory requirements, to making demands on the necessary statutory bodies.

    Accessing credit facilities to move small businesses to the next phase is usually a challenge, how can they do this without stress?

    As a small business owner, I have also been looking to access credit facilities. But like everyone else, the interest rates being offered are not realistic or feasible.

    Would you say that technology has helped to improve the business environment for women?

    Yes, technology has been crucial and critical in ensuring that as many businesses interested in using social media can. It is a completely different language, but it is worth understanding and doing well. You can sit in the comfort of your home and organise everything from paying and buying with your paga to using paypal; paying your suppliers, to vendors, to customers making purchases. Technology has to a certain extent revolutionised the way business is done.

    Tell us about life as an entrepreneur

    I run a sex-positive online adult store called www.myintimatepleasureshop.com and whilst it has been a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills and to test e-commerce opportunities, it has all been extremely challenging. To begin with, people are stunned that anyone can run such business. Then individual stereotypes kick in; you’re a woman, you’re married, you’re this and that. Once you have surmounted those prejudices, getting access to loans of any sort is an impossibility and in my case I was supported hundred percent by my husband.

    He made it possible for my business to move from idea to being established and has always been able to provide support either financial or emotional. The challenges are real and worrisome because we cannot all venture into the buying and selling of shoes and bags which has provided an income for many women. In terms of achievements, I am very happy to test the boundaries, given my antecedents in the women’s movement.

    People are also comforted and assured that I am for real. Not some random person seeking to exploit them and laugh at their problems. I am pleased to note that there is a discussion taking place online at least on the wider issues on intimacy in relationships and I am glad that my business is one of those creating the space for this to happen safely for women. In terms of the strategies used to survive, I would say that we are all affected by the current devaluation of the naira and the implications for importers. It is a good time to remind buyers that fake personal pleasure items cannot be substituted for the originals. There are fake Chinese vibes in the market and these have materials that are TOXIC for the body. Buyers need to beware and be careful.

    Cheaper is not always better. Our products are US and EU certified. My life as an entrepreneur is recent and the business opportunity seriously fell into my lap. I had been providing advice and counselling around intimacy issues for years. So it was a natural progression.

    How would you describe life as a skilled trainer and how has this impacted on the society?

    As a long time trainer, this has been a rewarding bit about learning-life skills. I use this skill all the time in organising training of trainers’ workshops, and more recently in my business where we conduct monthly trainings on effective communications in relationships.

    Let’s talk about some memorable moments in your career.

    There have been several memorable moments in my career and I am not sure where to begin. Starting my business has got to be the highlight for me because I have worked in social justice since I was 18 years and to start a new venture now is just awesome. I am amazed at myself and what God has bestowed on me. I am excited for the future.

    If you had to advise women, what would you tell them?

    My advice would be to follow your heart and calling. Get your family members to buy-in to your idea, because they will be your biggest promoters and supporters. Understand the regulatory framework and what they demand from you as an SME. Get a book keeper to do your books and ensure that all is well.

  • People’s pastor at 50

    People’s pastor at 50

    Pastor-in-charge of Israel Assembly and the Allen Zone of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Dapo Awoshika has celebrated his 50th birthday at Nana Arena in Ikeja, Lagos, reports OLATUNDE ODEBIYI.

    It was a show of class last Sunday at the Nana Arena in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, as the Pastor-in-charge of Israel Assembly and the Allen Zone of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Dapo Awoshika, marked his 50th birthday.

    He joined the golden club on March 10, and was treated to a high-class birthday party by his church members, friends and colleagues.

    The hall was tastefully decorated with white fabrics and complemented with colourful lightings.

    Chairs were set around tables which had silver overlays. A bevy of beautiful women in white dresses took guests to labelled seats and the waiters ensured that the tables were not empty.

    BJ Sax electrified the hall with gospel songs which kept guests dancing and singing along all through the event.

    The gathering was relaxed.

    Pastor Bolade Osinubu supervised the cutting of the cake by the celebrator and his wife after the spell of JESUS.

    Deacon Wole Aderinkomi led the toast.

    The celebrator said the party was beyond his imagination adding that he is grateful to God for clocking 50 when life expectancy in the country is said to be 4…

    “It is grace to get to 50 in Nigeria of today; getting to 50 is a thing that brings me joy. Being on Gods side has made life good and I aspire to live long, live well and serve God for the rest of my life.

    “The peace of God has kept me over the years and I don’t allow anything to trouble me.  If you allow your environment to control you, you will not live long so it is always good for you to allow yourself to be in control of your environment,” he said.

    Pastor Bayo Samagbeyi from RCCG Living Faith said the celebrator is dedicated to the work of God. “He is focused, determined and he is a man of integrity,” he said.

    Parish Coordinator of RCCG, Israel Assembly Pastor Femi Onasanwo said the celebrator is faithful, adding that he is a man that is always ready to do anything for God.

    He said his life is a blessing to others and wished him long life and strength to serve God more.

    Assistant Pastor in charge of Admin, RCCG Lagos province 2 Pastor Noruwa Edokplol said the celebrator is a jovial, funny, deep and wise man.

    He said the birthday is  a testimony of the impact of the celebrator’s life on people, adding that it is to appreciate him for what he has done.

    The celebrator’s son, Toluwani, said he is happy for his father. He described his father as a friend and brother, adding that he has always been there for him.