The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Prize

  • Nine-year-old’s prize for coming to the city

    Nine-year-old’s prize for coming to the city

    Ifeanyi Chiazor hoped for the good life leaving Delta State for Abuja. On arrival, he was asked to mind a shop owned by his aunt, who would allegedly batter and slash him with a blade. VINCENT IKUOMOLA and FAITH YAHAYA report

    Not all the boy’s dreams crashed. Nine-year-old Ifeanyi Chiazor dreamt to see the big city, its huge buildings and sleek cars cruising on paved roads. He achieved that because he was taken to the Federal Capital City (FCT) to live with an aunt who promises matched his ideas. So he did see the glitzy nation’s capital, though he headed straight to the suburbs of Dape, Gwagwa where his relative lived with her family.

    It was the second arm of his dream, which was to continue his primary school and one day become a successful man that misfired terribly.

    What Ifeanyi got was assault and battery.

    At the time when the entire world was uniting against child abuse and violence, somewhere in the rusty settlement of Dape in Abuja Municipal Centre, her aunt was reportedly busy perpetrating crime against her defenseless nephew, inflicting cuts on him.

    For an offence whose gravity could not be ascertained yet, Ifeanyi’s aunt beat him severely, using a razor blade to cut him in several parts of his body.

    One account said the boy spilled palm oil. Ifeanyi’s version was that it was the aunt’s son who actually poured out the oil, while Ifeanyi got the beating for spanking the aunt’s two-year-old son who spilled the oil.

    What he thought was a correctional measure for his aunt son resulted to injury that is sure to leave a scar that will probably last a lifetime.

    Ifeanyi spoke to our cur correspondents at Our Lady Clinic and Maternity Home in Gwagwa where he was rushed to.

    He said, “My name is Ifeanyi Chiazor, and I am nine years old. My aunt (name withheld) inflicted this wound on me because her son spilled oil and I spanked him and then packed the oil and then the son reported me to my aunt and that was how she started beating me.

    Continuing, he said: “She used belt to beat me but in the process the belt cut, and she then used wooden kitchen stool to hit me and when that one broke, she carried lamp and after that, she took me to the room, she locked the door and started using razor blade to cut my body.”

    Asked how neither her aunt’s husband nor the neighbours heard him shout and came to his rescue, the boy said: “If neighbours come, she will pick up a fight with them. Her husband was around but he could not help me. All he did while my aunt beat and cut me with the blade was to cry.

    He continued: “After cutting me, she went to look for vehicle that will bring me to the hospital but the [driver] charged her N1500, but she said she could only afford N100. So, she looked for a tricycle (Keke NAPEP) to bring me here.”

    Ifeanyi also disclosed to our reporters that contrary to the promise his aunt made to his parents before he came to Abuja, that he will be registered in school, all he has been doing ever since was to assist his aunt in selling in her shop instead of going to school.

    The boy who could not communicate properly because of the pain he was going through, said:  “I used to be in school in the village but my education stopped when I came to Abuja. I was in Primary 3 in Agbogidi Primary School in Ogboani, Delta State and my aunt promised my parents that she would enrol me in school immediately I got to Abuja but when I came to Abuja, I was not enrolled; rather, I was helping her sell provision in her shop.”

    When asked if he would still want to stay with his aunt, Ifeanyi said, “I will like to go back to the village because the suffering here is too much. I came to Abuja from Ogboani in Delta State. My father is an okada rider and my mother makes and sells garri,” he said.

    The owner of the clinic and nurse who attended to Ifeanyi, Mrs Virginia Ugwu described his situation as very bad.

    •Some of the stitches
    •Some of the stitches

    She said, “The situation of the boy when he was brought in was very bad. She cut him in several places like the abdomen, the buttocks down to his back thigh, lower abdomen, and because of the condition, we started treating him without even demanding for anything.

    “When the police officers in Gwagwa came, they said I was supposed to report the incident before I begin treatment but I began the treatment because the boy was in a bad shape and he had lost so much blood.

    “The stitches are over 30. The cut was so deep, the cut at the lower abdomen got to his tissue and after the stitches, it was difficult for Ifeanyi to urinate; I had to take him to another doctor who helped in draining the urine before he started urinating normally”.

    Also speaking, the son to the owner of the clinic, Mr. Ifeanyi Ugwu said: “I was here when the boy was brought in; the woman brought him on the third of September; she came in crying because the boy was in a pool of his own blood.

    “She told the clinic that he is her son and that she inflicted the injury on him but she blamed the whole act on the handiwork of the devil. According to her, the boy is a stubborn type and that he does not listen to her instruction [which angered her] but she also said it was not intentional and that it was the work of the devil.

    “She actually deceived us because she claimed that the boy was her son and that made people to desert the boy because they saw it as a family matter but it was when the aunt left that she was going to bring him food and clothing that the boy spoke up because it was obvious that the boy is really afraid of her.

    Continuing, Mr. Ugwu said: The woman left and never wanted to come back. We later got in touch with the Mai Ungwa in Dape who helped in getting in touch with her. The Mai Ungwa called her and when she picked, she asked if the boy was dead?

    ”After waiting for several hours for her without seeing her, we went to report to the police station because she brought the boy around 3pm, and she didn’t come back until 1am. She was arrested thereafter but she was released the next day.

    Our correspondents discovered that Ifeanyi’s case has not only attracted the attention of the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), the agency has rescued the boy while it has also commenced investigation which according to gathering might lead to prosecution of the boy’s aunt. The Head, Press and Public Relations of the agency, Mr. Josiah Emerole who confirmed the incident, told our correspondents that the boy was already with them and that investigation on the matter was on.

    Mr. Emerole also revealed that the woman has been granted administrative bail because she is currently nursing a three month old baby. But he said she has been asked to be reporting to the agency. He also confirmed that the woman will be prosecuted at the end of the investigation.

    Ifeanyi has also pleaded not to return to his aunt’s house because of the ill-treatment he gets.

    Speaking on how NAPTIP got to know about the boy, he explained that the boy’s aunt wanted the boy discharged and that was when the clinic called NAPTIP and they have since taken over the case.

    In section 351 of the Criminal Code Act of Nigeria, any person who unlawfully assaults another is guilty of an offence and may be liable to imprisonment for one year but it has been observed that cases of assault has continued to thrive despite the spelt out punishment.

    For this act to be curbed, there is need for enforcement of the law which will serve as a example for those who indulge in this act. On the part of parents, they should also be careful of who they give their children to no matter the promise made.

  • Our Girls; IDPs; Reduce bank rates; Rethink CSR: N1m Prize Vs 10xN100,000 Prizes

    Our Girls are still missing since 15th April 2014 even as younger girls are ensnared an evil abuse of the Nigerian child, creating ‘female’ child soldiers forced into terrifying mass murder by suicide bombings. Child soldiers were the sad, pitied and tortured product of war-torn distant African nations where murderous mutations like the Lord’s Resistance Army unconscionably send the loved children of other people to kill and die. Children are easily manipulated, instructed, memory erased, hidden in crowds, name changed, fed, mourned, buried and  easily forgotten as they have no history. So now we have our own 10-year old child soldiers forced by threats of violence by others or brainwashed into blowing themselves up. Boko Haram and ISIS have exposed us to an age of spiralling dangerous depravity. Now we have millions of Internally ‘Disturbed’ Children, unable to go to school or enjoy a normal life among the Internally Displaced People being treated like refugees in their own country. They ‘live’, lifeless, less than half of them in IDP camps, the majority unrecorded, scattered with family across Nigeria. Our Catholic Church with other groups collects funds to help IDPs recover their dignity. IDP camps are not national job-creation centres or photo opportunities for politicians. Importing NGO manpower to run IDP camps is wrong. Vacancies must filled from the IDPs first and then from local communities. Each IDP, like bomb survivors, has personal problems of despair, dignity, esteem, self-sufficiency and responsibility mostly solved by paid jobs or self-employment with donated or loaned business funds. Making a displaced person a paid staff or a teacher in the IDP camp will help repair the psychological and financial needs of a family. The policy of ‘IF IDPs CAN DO IT, LET THEM’ should be IDP Camp recruitment policy.   Meanwhile, our myopic political leadership, mired in divisive politics, neglects the ‘Matters of Urgent National Interest’ facing Nigeria, preferring dangerous selfish political manipulations. Meanwhile, dying for Nigeria are more than 100 normal citizens last week and how many armed forces and police personnel? Dying for what? Nothing?

    Meanwhile the naira value has lost 45% in eight months. Nigeria makes no single ‘machine’ in science, medicine, industry or business- all attempts killed by 39 years of political and electricity power failure. So the cost of every business has risen while profits plunge. We all suffer from naira devaluation. All except the banks which inexplicably defy logic, making annual multi-billion naira profits but doing nothing useful for 99% of Nigeria’s businesses in Nigeria –a ‘Banking Corruption Cartel’ requiring the Buhari Effect to ‘Challenge Bank Culture’ which ignores the naira. Why must Nigerians borrow at 22-25%? What business pays such profits? Only banks! The banks are infamous for internal collective corruption from illegal roll-over of government funds and from round-tripping forex. Bank of Industry tells Nigerians that it is different, even giving loans for solar factories. Good but not enough. We demand low interest funds for all Nigerians.

    Following the ‘Years Of Plenty’ running paradoxically in parallel with the ‘Years Of The Locust’, the economy enters ‘Years of Famine’ with recession and Corporate Nigeria facing austerity and lower earnings. The obvious casualties will be the N4b+ CSR Budget and the beneficiary NGOs and needy. Big companies in the service sector, auditing, accounting, maintenance, catering and entertainment, hotel running give little or no CSR.  This must change.

    CSR has often wrongly been misused as cheap publicity PR gimmicks by corporates. ‘Change’ in CSR and in the Corporate and banking ‘Bonanza Millionaire Culture’ is urgently needed. Genuine CSR must be separated from corporate advertising and bonanzas. The malignant epidemic of ‘Instant Millionaires’ has created a psychological culture among lazy youth of ‘get-rich-quick-and –for no-work-done’. These corporates therefore have responsibility to reverse this mind-set among Nigeria’s youth of ‘Wealth Without Work’.

    CSR ignores the villages, grassroots, the source of corporate earnings. Most CSR is concentrated at ‘Corporate HQ’ and neglect the revenue source – markets, shops, offices, petrol stations, schools, hospitals in villages and towns.

    Nigerians demand a ‘CSR Change Policy’- a ‘Corporate CSR Local Impact Policy 2015’- with more CSR spent at local Points of Sale. At Annual General Mettings (AGMs), corporate shareholders should demand dissemination of CSR to every village. The inclusion of ‘CSR Local Outreach Awards’ for Corporate bodies during Annual Media events will encourage new CSR Strategies. Yes, reward distributors but also use distributors as a ‘CSR Channel’. Use your staff as a ‘CSR Channel’ to their home neighbourhoods and villages. Ask staff to suggest CSR projects. Customers make distributors successful. Corporate Nigeria must ‘Change CSR Strategies’, in CSR, let BRANCHES AND DISTRIBUTORS DISTRIBUTE CSR to communities.

    Corporates must ‘change’ the ‘Instant Millionaire Policy’ reducing THE SIZE AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF PRIZES AND WINNERS who must be required to DONATE SOME OF THEIR WINNINGS to their chosen needy cause. There are many orphanages and NGOs in real need of small regular amounts-N10-100,000. If Corporate Nigerian insists on making 2000+ instant millionaires’ annually then put in a ‘’Winners’ CSR Provision’’ to make the winners donate 10-25% to a charity, school or hospital as cash/books/equipment.  The magic of N1,000,000 works abroad, where incomes are higher, but Nigeria’s desperate 120m+ population, poor pay and poverty demand a new Corporate Policy ’change’  with more winners. Corporates would be more relevant, sensitive and valuable, touching lives of more economically, and assist 10 times more families by giving 10 prizes of N100,000  instead one N1m prize.

  • Skye Bank’s customers get N5m prize money

    Skye Bank’s customers get N5m prize money

    Three customers of Skye Bank Plc were lifted up as they won N1 million each at the bank’s ‘Reach for the Skye’ promotional draw which took place in Ibadan, Oyo State on Thursday. The lucky winners were selected in an electronic draw conducted in the presence of officials of the National Lottery Commission.

    The winners are Damie Morrison of Garki Junction branch, Port Harcourt; Innocent Oguabi of Katako, Abuja Branch; and Donatus Okoro of Badagry branch.

    In addition, four other customers won N250,000 each, while another 10 won N100,000 each in the transparent draws. The total prize money redeemed by the bank was N5 million.

    Speaking on the ‘Reach for the Skye Millionaires promo, Skye Bank’s Head of Retail Banking Group, Nkolika Okoli, said the bank would continue to encourage the adoption of the savings culture by the members of the public.

    According to her, the qualification criterion for the promo is for a customer to open a Skye Save Plus account with a minimum of N2000, with each additional N2000 increasing the customer’s chance to win the N1 million prize.

    Okoli said the draws would hold every month and the bank’s customers would win N60 million in all before the promo is concluded. She therefore enjoined the members of the public to open a Skye Save Plus account with bank with a minimum balance of N2000 in order to benefit from the ongoing promotion.

    The Area Manager, Oyo State, of the National Lottery Commission, Mr. Tayo Fasuhanmi, described the electronic draw conducted as open, transparent and clear, saying it conformed to the commission’s requirements of a credible draw. He advised members of the public to take advantage of the bank’s promotion to transform their businesses by opening accounts with it so as to be able to take part in future draws.

  • Honey Care Africa wins Nestle prize

    Honey Care Africa wins Nestle prize

    Honey Care Africa has emerged the winner of the 2014 Nestle Creating Shared Value (CSV) Prize.

    The prize, an investment of CHF 500,000, was shared between the winner and runners-up.

    The winners were announced at this year’s CSV forum held in Switzerland.

    The Creating Shared Value Prize rewards innovative businesses that create values for their communities by addressing issues of nutrition, water or rural development.

    Honey Care Africa has the record of pioneering the honey industry in Africa.

    Creating opportunities for all, Honey Care Africa believes in transforming lives across East Africa into pillars of wealth, health and environmental stewardship.

    Honey Care’s success relies on treating farmers and consumers as equal partners in this co-created value chain, designed to increase the incomes of farming families, provide additional pollination for staple crops, sustain environmental balance and bring new sources of nutrition to urban and rural low-income communities.

    Honey Care Africa provides a range of honey products for both personal consumption and commercial food ingredients. The product range include: Honey Care Light+Mild, Honey Care Pure Health, Honey Care Pure +Natural and Honey Care Acacia.

  • Star The Winner Is: Winner gets prize amidst fanfare

    Star The Winner Is: Winner gets prize amidst fanfare

    Micheal Achu, winner of the just-concluded Star The Winner Is, was the cynosure of all eyes last Friday, as he was presented with his prize of N10million and a brand new 2014 Volkswagen CC. Not just that, Achu’s package also came with a recording deal with Universal Records, as announced by Nigerian Breweries Plc., organisers of the music game show.

    Apparently overwhelmed, he screamed several times, shedding tears of joy, as friends and relatives gathered to share the glorious moment with him.

    The well-attended event which held at the Nigerian Breweries Bar, Iganmu, Lagos, was also attended by fans of the show and officials of sponsoring company. Notable celebrities at the event include show host Uti Nwachukwu, former Mr. Nigeria Bryan Okwara, Yaw, Dotun, Temi and Mannie of cool FM, Chris Ihidero Destiny Amaka and OluwaseunP amongst others.

    Interestingly, another lucky winner emerged at the victory party, when Uti Nwachukwu hosted a mini Star The Winner Is, by conducting a duel round between two guests; Kenny Blaize and Belinda, with the latter coming tops and smiling home with a prize of N50, 000.

    Although the maiden season of Star The Winner Is has come and gone, viewers have not stopped talking about the twist that gave Achu the enviable diadem.

    Achu and co-finalist, Job Idoko were offered N2 million to walk away or wait to see the 101 Jury results which would reveal who actually won the duel round.

    Apparently, Job fell more to the pressure and walked away with the money – this automatically qualified Achu as winner of Star The Winner Is Season 1.

    However, when the real result was revealed, it turned out that Job had higher votes, but it was late, as he had forfeited his spot to Achu.

    That way, Achu became the crowned winner of the first season of Star The Winner Is.

  • Oghogho to present prize share to Edo Orphanage Home

    Oghogho to present prize share to Edo Orphanage Home

    Match Day 27 was a remarkable day for Bayelsa United’s forward, Oghogho Oduokpe as he celebrated his Glo Premier League Wonder Goal award presentation by scoring one of the two goals in his side’s defeat of table toppers, Kano Pillars.

    The setting was the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, the adopted home ground of the Restoration Boys and Oghogho was billed to receive the award for his goal against Dolphins FC on Match Day 5 which was earlier in the week announced as securing the highest votes.

    Match Day 25 hat-trick hero, Frank Egharevba had fired a fierce one from outside the box to open scoring for the hosts and then Oduokpe came in as a substitute to double the lead and make victory certain for his relegation-threatened side. He had joined in the fray after being presented the N100, 000 prize money at half time by the Edo State Commissioner for Sports, Hon. Chris Okaeben.

    Oduokpe, who joined Bayelsa United during the mid-season transfer window, described the award as “one of the best stories of my career” and expressed appreciation to the League Management Company (LMC) for instituting the scheme.

    “I wish to thank the organisers of the award, it is an inspiration to all of us and commendable,” declared Oduokpe who also had stints at Rangers International and Warri Wolves.

    On his Charity of Choice, Oghogho named the Edo Orphanage Home, off Siloko Road, Benin City as the would-be recipient of fifty percent of his win purse.

  • Forces against writing

    Forces against writing

    All is set for this year’s edition of the NLNG Prize for Literature. Eleven Nigerian authors are gunning for the $100,000 prize money. The literati and book lovers met with the shortlisted authors in Lagos at the CORA Book Party. It was a dramatic feast of sorts, reports Evelyn Osagie.

    Writers have been urged to revisit the works of their old and established counterparts to get inspiration in addressing the country’s socio-cultural and political problems.

    Citing religious and ethnic upheavals, ace actress, Taiwo Ajai-Lycett advised writers to address themes that highlight contemporary issues, particularly peace and love, in their works.

    Writers, she said, should tackle the “issue of love” from political, religious, socio-cultural angles, saying it would curb violence.

    “There is nothing utopian about love. In fact, the fundamental thing wrong in our society is that we do not love one another. It is the intellectuals that galvanise our people, working on their collective consciousness. Writers should think about,” she said.

    Hers was one of the submissions at CORA’s book party held at the Federal Palace Hotel, Lagos in honour of the initial shortlisted authors of the Nigeria Literature Prize sponsored by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Limited. It drew the literati, publishers, booksellers and booklovers from within and outside Lagos.

    The playwrights and their works that were on the spotlight at CORA’s book fiesta include: John Friday Abba – Alekwu Night Dance; Patrick Ogbe Adaofuyi – Canterkerous Passengers; Soji Cole – Maybe Tomorrow; Paul Edema – A Plague of Gadflies; Jude Idada – Oduduwa, King of the Edos; Onshore Ruth Momodu – No Fault of Mine; Attah Isaac Ogezi – Under a Darkling Sky; Julie Okoh – Our Wife Forever; Ade Solanke – Pandora’s Box; Arnold Udoka – Akon and Sam Ukala – Iredi War.

    After two months of intensive scrutiny, the list of 11 playwrights was drawn from a total of 124 entries by the panel of judges, including Professor of Theatre and Drama and Vice-Chancellor, Benue State University, Prof Charity Angya; a past laureate of the prize and Professor of Theatre Arts, Prof Ahmed Yerima and Professor of Performing Arts, Akanji Nasiru.

    They are contesting keenly for the $100, 000 prize. The yearly prize rotates among four literary genres – prose fiction, poetry, drama and children’s literature. This year’s focus is drama; and the sponsor’s say the final shortlist of three playwrights will be announced in September, and the winner of the $100,000 prize in October.

    Its previous winners include Prof Akachi Adimora-Ezeigbo (2007) for children’s literature; Chika Unigwe (2012) for prose fiction and Tade Ipadeola (2013) for poetry.

    For CORA, the authors whose works make the prize’s initial shortlist are winners in their own rights. And the yearly book party, which offered guests the opportunity to interact with the celebrators, was a way of honouring them.

    The event was incisive, educative and fun-filled, blending of book readings discussions, poetry and musical performances with assorted food and drinks.

    This year’s had an added spice – the audience were able to interact with nominees based abroad via online conferencing.

    According to CORA Secretary-General, Toyin Akinosho, the feast is part of the foundation’s intervention in spreading the word about The Nigerian Book. He said “It’s one of our several outreach programmes for the book (including Book Trek in Secondary Schools and Publishers Forum).”

    In fact, on the part of CORA’s Programme Chair, Jahman Anikulapo, it is out to enlarge Nigerian reading population. “We find ourselves in the vanguard of expanding the membership of the community of booklovers. This party is one of the several events we organise to make books look cool,” he said.

    Indeed the “Word” took centre stage and was served fresh and raw to the audience as the shortlisted playwrights and Nollywood celebrities celebrities read from their works and interacted with booklovers.

    There were several poetic and dramatic performances as well as music.

    And as charging the celebrators to honour their “covenants as writers”, poet and journalist Akeem Lasisi’s poetic renditions: “…You kept your words like the delicate egg…you have honoured your covenant with the musing drive…” reaffirmed the importance of the “Word” and the writer’s role as a conscience of society.

    Celebrated scholar Dr Esohe Molokwu re-echoed Ajai-Lycett and Akeem’s words, urging the celebrators, thus: “Use your work to change society; dramatists have the power to change society”.

    According to NLNG General Manager, External Affairs, Mr Kudo Eresia-Eke, the prize was established by his company as part of its corporate citizenship programme and commitment to the development of Nigerian society, adding that there has been progressive improvement in the quality of works entered and the competition is getting “sweeter and stiffer”.

    He said: “We have seen continuous improvement in the quality of works, whether you call it poetry, drama, prose or children literature. The quality of works that come in every sense, the creativity of the stories, the manner in which they are expressed – the expressionism that we see, we can really say that people are gearing up even more to do better works. And African Literature is the greater beneficiary.”

    On the part of shortlisted writers, it was a privilege to be on the initial shortlist, and the event, a welcomed initiative. However, for most of them, writing is beyond winning a prize but more of “affecting lives”. They decried their plights of creative writers, calling for better support and infrastructure to encourage budding ones.

    “Many things militate against the health of writing in the country. How healthy is our society? These rub off on writers. What kind of encouragement do we have as writers?” Prof Ukala said. While making a case for playwrights, he said: a teacher of drama, saying: “Why not drama? As a professor who teaches drama, if I don’t write plays upon what basis would I be teaching?”

    The hilarious twist of the evening came towards the end when the moderator, Mr Deji Toye threw questions to the authors. “Do you think you stand a chance of winning the prize?” he asked.

    “If I am given the prize, the critics would not be disappointed,” Ogezi said, drawing laughter from the audience; while on Abba’s part, “It is not a fair question”. “I have stood on the shoulders of many great shoulders; whether I have seen far enough, standing on those shoulders, is left to the judges to decide. Am I going to win, I don’t know,” he said.

  • Etisalat opens entries for Innovation Prize

    Etisalat opens entries for Innovation Prize

    Etisalat has announced call for entries for this year’s edition of its Pan-African Prize for Innovation introduced in 2012 to reward the most innovative mobile broadband product, idea or service that positively impacts on African mobile users and demonstrate a valuable socio-economic benefit to customers.

    Its Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Willsher, said: “At our core, the Etisalat business is developing innovative initiatives, products and services to expose Nigeria and Africa in general to the opportunities that abound with broadband. “Etisalat recognises the importance of broadband in healthcare, education, business, security beyond communication through voice and data and the Pan-African Prize for innovation is designed to reward corporate organisations; small and growing businesses as well as individuals developing advanced mobile broadband solutions and platforms in Africa.”

    Meanwhile, the firm has announced the official launch of the iPhone 5s with 12-month warranty and a trade-in offer that will allow its customers exchange their iPhone 5s devices for the yet to be released iPhone 6.

    Its Director, Retail Sales, Charles Ogunwuyi, described the partnership as a demonstration of the company’s commitment to providing customers with world class telecommunication services

    According to the telco, Prize for Innovation is awarded in two categories, the most innovative product/service and most innovative (not commercially available) idea with cash rewards of $25,000 and $10,000 respectively.

    The award will be one of the major attractions at the 17th Annual Africa Com Conference and awards gala dinner scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa in November.

  • Online quiz earns FUNAAB student surprise prize

    Miss Ireyimika Oyagbami, a postgraduate student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Alabata, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), on Monday received a Samsung Galaxy SIII for emerging winner of the February edition of a monthly quiz organised by an online news portal, Flair Nigeria.

    Receiving her prize at Flair Nigeria’s office in Lagos, Ireyimika, whose discipline is Environmental Management and Protection, said her victory at the contest was sheer luck.

    “I only ‘liked’ the Flair Nigeria page on Facebook by accident. It was a mistake. I didn’t plan it,” she said.

    “In fact, I even ignored the questions when I saw them on the Flair Nigeria website. I continued overlooking it until a friend said they were cheap questions. That was when I took a second look, and then decided to answer them. Thereafter, I forwarded it to my sister to apply, too.”

    The published writer then forgot about the entry, thinking it was a hoax.

    “I didn’t open my email box for a week. When I did, the last message I expected to see was a mail or anything else from Flair Nigeria.

    “When I eventually saw it, I was in school that day, and I just went all over the department, shouting and hugging everybody. I told everyone who cared enough to listen that I had won a Samsung Galaxy SIII.”

    Clutching the mobile device with excitement, the winner of Heinrich Boll Foundation’s 2011 national writing contest promised to announce the authenticity of the contest to everyone around her.

    “I will go back to school to show this phone to everyone I told about the win,” she added. “Believe me, I will be visiting Flair Nigeria’s website every day to see if I can answer the quiz every month.”

     

  • Mobil institutes prize at UNN

    Mobil institutes prize at UNN

    Three gifted writers among students of the Department of Mass Communication, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) would earn a residency internship in Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited.

    The company would annually select the lucky students from those who have shown the spirit of entrepreneurship by constantly writing articles, opinions and blogs concerning the development and economy of Nigeria.

    For a particular student to qualify for selection, a national daily, blog or internet site must consistently publish or post his or her works for the year in review, with effect from 2013, the MPNU stated.

    It noted that the residency internship would not encroach on the school’s academic calendar, and stated that it is aside the mandatory industrial attachment programme for Mass Communication students.

    Mobil’s General Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Mr Paul Arinze, made this disclosure last Friday, at the 2013 Jackson Annual Lecture, usually hosted by UNN’s Department of Mass Communication.

    “We will pick up the bills and place you in a very nice place to work in Mobil where you would further improve yourself and imbibe an entrepreneur spirit that would in future enable you to be self-employed. We are making this commitment because we believe in what the faculty is doing and we would like to see it blossom,” Arinze told the students.

    Away from instituting an annual prize for Mass Communication students, Arinze said Mobil would sponsor the lecture for the next five years, “as a way to enhance communication studies in the country.”

    Head of Department, Mass Communication, UNN, Dr Nnanyelugo Okoro, praised the move and urged Mobil to help the department acquire modern communication equipment and facilities to sustain its full accreditation by 2015.

    He said the department was in need of multi-media equipment to facilitate lectures, a standard radio/television studio, and photojournalism laboratory, with modern digital cameras, among other equipment.

    “The idea is to initiate an instrument for the achievement of synergy between the academia and practitioners of communication,” Okoro pointed out.

    He also said the department is proposing the establishment of a School of Mass Communication, which, he said, is the trend in modern universities.

    “Under such arrangement, we will now have a Department of Advertising and Public Relations, Department of Print Journalism and Book Publishing, and Department of Electronic Journalism and ICTs,” Okoro added.