tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71476891865879743842024-03-04T22:42:51.506-08:00JERRY ADESEWO REPORTSjerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125truetag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-22235273336514922472015-02-14T02:51:00.001-08:002015-02-14T02:52:01.056-08:00Valentine Anthology<p dir="ltr">Dear Friends, <br></p>
<p dir="ltr">We are launching a Valentine’s Day romance anthology by 7 African writers, translated into 7 seven languages and audio in all the languages.   Please help spread the word and share the love </p>
<p dir="ltr">Check it out <a href="http://www.ankarapress.com/pages/valentine-anthology">http://www.ankarapress.com/pages/valentine-anthology</a> <br></p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://thisisafrica.me/lifestyle/ankara-press-release-valentines-day-anthology">http://thisisafrica.me/lifestyle/ankara-press-release-valentines-day-anthology</a>/ and here <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/13/africa/african-romance-valentines-day">http://edition.cnn.com/2015/02/13/africa/african-romance-valentines-day</a>/<br></p>
jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-69287982606607584612013-08-23T18:41:00.003-07:002013-08-23T18:41:37.679-07:00INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF THEATRE RESEARCH<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">· </span><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">2014 World Congress 28 July to 1 August 2014 at the University of Warwick, UK</span></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">· </span><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> HELSINKI essay competition and PRIZE</span></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">· </span><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">NEW SCHOLAR’S essay competiton and PRIZES</span></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt;">· </span><b><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">BURSARY APPLICATIONS to attend the 2014 World Congress.</span></span></i></b></span></div>
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<span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The mission of the International Federation of Theatre Research is to foster theatre and performance research communities across the globe and to to foster research conversations between and across countries and regions. The membership is drawn from five continents.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;">To fulfill this mission, IFTR expends considerable academic and financial resources on new scholars. To find out who qualifies as a ‘new scholar’, go to the website: </span></span><span lang="NL"><a href="http://www.firt-iftr.org/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #2862c5; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">www.firt-iftr.org</span></span></a></span><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;"> At the bottom of the home page, click on the link to ‘Prizes’.</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;">The Helsinki Prize is Conference Registration Fee, Airfare to and Accomodation at the 2014 World Congress in Warwick, England. The Helsinki Prize is only open to young scholars who took at least their first degree at a university NOT in the first world – in other words, scholars from Africa, Asia, India and South America.</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;">The New Scholars’s Prizes (there are three) likewise cover Conference Fee, Airfare and Accomodation to the 2014 World Congress and you can send in an essay to BOTH categories.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;">THE DEADLINE FOR ESSAY SUBMISSIONS IS 1st December 2013 so begin thinking what you should submit ... This is the best way to attend the conference – nearly for free! Discuss this with your supervisor ...</span></b><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;">At the same time, if you know you can not afford to attend the conference on your own financial resources, there may be at leastthree avenues open to you:</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Apply for a bursary through your university post-graduate resources</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Apply for a bursary through the South African, NRF (the national research foundation)</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">- </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Apply for an IFTR bursary.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="color: black;"><b><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;">THE DEADLINE FOR IFTR BURSARY APPLICATIONS IS 1st December 2013 and it INCLUDES SUBMISSION OF AN ABSTRACT FOR A PAPER.</span></b><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"> To find out more about the bursary scheme, you can read about how it was applied at the 2013 conference in Barcelona. Go to the website: </span></span><span lang="NL"><a href="http://www.firt-iftr.org/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #2862c5; outline: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: blue;">www.firt-iftr.org</span></span></a></span><span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;"> At the bottom of the home page, click on the link to ‘Conferences” and on top left of that page, click on the link to ‘Conference Bursaries’.</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Warwick will issue the call for papers on 1st October. Look on the IFTR website from that date onwards. The Conference Theme is <b><i>theatre and stratification ...</i> </b>and is promising and broadly applicable to the African context.</span></span></span></div>
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<span lang="NL" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">Begin to consider what your paper might encompass so that when the call for abstracts is submitted you are not taken off-guard. You are welcome to submit a bursary application as well as an essay to the competitions.</span></span></span></div>
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jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-88872354511290308442012-11-01T23:44:00.001-07:002012-11-01T23:58:30.140-07:00Expect new things from first female president of Actors Guild of Nigeria, says Gloria Young - By Bamidele Adeleye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">Nollywood actress, Gloria Young has expressed confidence in the new leadership of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, to take the movie industry to the next level.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In an exclusive interview with <strong>WorldStage Newsonline</strong> in Lagos, Young said the new leadership headed by a woman for the first time, would transform the industry.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Former beauty queen, Ibinabo Fiberisima was on Saturday, September 30, 2012 sworn in as the new president of Actors Guild of Nigeria.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">According to Young, “this is the very first female president of the Actors Guild of Nigeria. We hope that new things will come up from there.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She however called on other members in Nollywood to support her and ensure that she succeeds.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking on the growth of Nollywood over the years, she said, the industry had done well and that other African countries were now trying to copy it.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">“We have done very well, other African Countries are trying to copy what we are doing and I believe we are going places,” she said.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the contribution of the industry to the national economy, she said it had created many jobs and still creating more.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> “More actors are been discovered, we need people who can carry cameras, we need people who can carry light. Job opportunities abound in the industry,” she said.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">On the standard of movies coming out in the industry, she said “you are who you are. You can’t change who you are. If that is what the people are looking for, give it to them. Nigerians are commercial oriented. Everybody wants what is happening. Don’t forget that drama is a mirror of the society. It is what is happening in the society that we are just showing you.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She said Nollywood would continue to come up with relevant movies that will educate and appeal to the conscience of the people.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: tahoma, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">She however called on the government to support the industry, adding that “it is not just about financial alone” but other areas they could come in to further transform the industry.</span></div>
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<a href="http://worldstagegroup.com/index.php?active=news&newscid=6515&catid=6#.UJNqFlg8FSQ.blogger"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;">WorldStage News | Expect new things from first female president of Actors Guild of Nigeria, says Gloria Young</span></a></div>
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jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-42330014106407390052012-10-29T22:04:00.001-07:002012-10-29T22:10:03.217-07:00Using theatre to promote better living at the grassroots<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IN Erema community located in one of the South-South Local Government areas of Rivers State called Onelga, people not only practice Christianity as their religion, traditional worship with shrines and worship grounds in the community is also strong. Some of the shrines seem also to be responding to modernity as bottles of coca-cola and Fanta, Five-Alive and other assorted foreign gin and wine bottles are seen displayed at the feet of the shrines as offering to the gods and the spirits.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The annual New Yam festival called the Egwu-ogba festival provided evidence that accounts for how the Erema people are still close to their traditions and roots. The festival, which has fire carrying as its major effect, is a source of spiritual purification for the people and the entire land. During this festival, confessions are made, evil practice renounced, sacrifices are offered and promises by the people to live peacefully and happily with one another through the year are made.</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anama-Oji</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">THE Anama-oji (Village Square) is a very important cultural and political space where the community meets to discuss and take major decisions as a people. The space is symbolic because it serves both political and cultural purposes. Any case decided at the Anama-oji becomes binding on the people. It is traditional democracy as the case may be. The Civic Centre, which is a space for community interaction and other community activities, is also a dominant feature in the community. Most of the community leaders are not comfortable in accepting ‘visitors’ to attend the community meetings held at the Anama-oji.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Anama-Oji is the proverbial equivalent of the National Assembly of Nigeria at Abuja. However, in the case of the Erema people, the decisions taken at any meeting of this ordinary looking but hallowed turf is binding on all members of the community. Indeed, it is correct to say that most of the members accept and believe in the power of the Anama-Oji and its mystical significance.</span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Doing TFD in Erema</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">IN October 2008, Cordaid (Netherland) awarded a grant to the Nigerian Popular Theatre Alliance (NPTA) to conduct training on participatory drama, specifically Theatre for Development (TFD) and Participatory Video (PV) as part of the grant activities in the Niger Delta area. The overall purpose of the grant was to strengthen the participation of ordinary people in the Niger Delta communities in non-violent civic action, advocacy, and peace promotion initiatives. The strategy was for the project to work with various NGOs who were working at the ground level in the Niger Delta.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mandate was to engage with community groups using TFD and other Participatory Learning Approaches (PLA) resources to discuss community issues and how to carry along all community members on board in a horizontal and participatory way towards solving community problems and facilitating peaceful coexistence and violence-free resolution of conflicts, especially amongst the youths as they respond to elders and oil companies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In actual sense, the entire journey of the project began from the training organised for the participants from the Niger Delta area. The training was conducted at the Drama Village, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from March 16-25, 2009. Within the project activities, and according to the implementation schedule, the first main activity was the training of SDN programme staff and leaders of NGOs that SDN works/collaborates with in the Niger Delta. The training was conducted by the Theatre for Development Centre (TFDC), the research and training unit of the Nigerian Popular Theatre Alliance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was attended by fifteen persons drawn from SDN and ten other NGOs/CBOs from three core States (Bayelsa, Delta and Rivers) in the Niger Delta region. The training in Theatre for Development (TFD) and Participatory Video (PV) was to offer a hands-on training to the participants in the techniques of TFD and PV. To take the participants through the process of collectively devising drama with community members; To coach the participants in the techniques and processes of story-boarding through to shooting a video of their stories; To provide advocacy techniques that would be useful in community work; To embark on community visits that exposes the participants to the practice of TFD in communities; to impart facilitation techniques.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The community work phase of the project threw up critical issues bothering the community chief of which is leadership. The Erema community participants explained during the presentations that there was apparently no control over leadership positions in the community as every person who has made some money and garnered some influence imposes himself on the community as leader. This has caused a lot of friction in the community over the years and has given rise to camps emerging as members of the community align with the various leaders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They observed that the situation is as a result of lack of a coherent document or process of people ascending to power. This situation has implications and the only way out is to resort to producing a document that will guide the election or selection processes of the leadership in Erema community. According to their report, there is already an existing machinery set up to make this work facilitated by a Senator from the community. However, it has not produced results as the community people have become suspicious of the sponsorship and control of the project. The community people believe that there is a presence of some personal interest in it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Participants also hinted that other institutions like the CDC, Youth and women group all operate their various constitutions. However, there is no central constitution that holds the various divides of the community together.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an exhaustive interaction with some of the stakeholders in the community who were visited during the advocacy exercise in the community, the problem was emphasized as very pressing in the community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are also issues around the negative treatment of women in the community, which manifested loudly in the challenges experienced by widows in Erema community. Fortunately, this is an issue already being tackled by the Stakeholder Democracy Network (SDN) in their work in the community with women. The women complained of relegation to the background and usually have no say in the community in spite of the organized women group with the women leader at the helm. Widows are especially subjected to hardship by being denied essentials of livelihood by the families of their dead husbands even in terms of portions of land to farm in order to fend for their children. They are also ‘encouraged’ or forced to remarry into their late husband’s family. This has become endemic and a source of frustration for the women. This scenario cuts across in terms of women’s participation in civic responsibilities in the community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the performances and the post performance discussions, the community came to some tentative agreements on the issues of leadership, widowhood practices, treatment and participation of women in community affairs, etc. For instance, the community agreed to conclude the process of reviewing and fashioning a constitution acceptable to all that will regulate the activities of everybody in the community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was also the agreement on the need for the fairer treatment of women with some misgivings. Could this be the reason why the men vehemently refused that the performances and post performance discussion should not take place at the Anama-Oji? While the women had no problem with this, the men insisted that the performances and post performance discussions should happen at the civic centre constructed by Shell Petroleum Development Company. Will the men respect decisions reached at the civic centre like that of Anama-Oji? Only time will tell!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prof. Oga Steve Abah, the leader of the Nigerian Popular Theatre Alliance/Theatre for Development team, said he was happy with the outcome of the project: “Our original intention was to use the tools of video and drama to give voice to the voiceless in the Niger Delta; to enhance their ability to take positive action devoid of violence. How do you get women, youths and the men to start talking about their common problems and finding solutions without resorting to armed struggle that has become the hallmark of the Niger Delta crises recently?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“In some respects, we succeeded. But the water hyacinth issue, which is one of the several issues the project unearthed, has brought home not just the environmental crisis but the disproportionate nature of the sufferings of the different groups in the Delta and this time, the scale is tilted against the women”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the end of the day, the project ‘Local Voices’ helped to bring to public arena the voices of the women, the problem of the teenage girls, the increasing inability of the men to handle family and community issues and the drifting of the youth away from support for their community.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The project also trained members of the Community Development Committee (CDC) on leadership. The project team concluded that if what they heard from the women and men were anything to hold on to, then the project had made impact. As the project came to an end, Prof. Jenks Okwori and Samuel Kafewo who were part of the facilitating team said: “We have worked enough over these past three years with the CDC and community members for them to take the issues forward.”</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102758:using-theatre-to-promote-better-living-at-the-grassroots&catid=74:arts&Itemid=683">http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=102758:using-theatre-to-promote-better-living-at-the-grassroots&catid=74:arts&Itemid=683</a></div>
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jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-21491254802327242972012-10-21T04:14:00.004-07:002012-10-21T04:14:42.539-07:00Arojah Theatre Returns with ‘The Wizard of Law’ in honour of the CJN<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The Abuja based group, Arojah Royal Theatre
will on Wednesday 31st October return to the stage with the late Professor Zulu
Sofola’s play, ‘The Wizard of the Law’ which is being dedicated to the honour
of the first ever Chief Justice of Nigeria, Honourable Justice Mariam Aloma
Mukhtar.</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt;">The play which will
feature the likes of Oyewale Oluwatoba, Jovita Anyanwu-Chukwuemeka, Oluwaseun
Odukoya </span><span style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;">and Zeb John among others;<b> </b>is a satire about an old lawyer, Ramoni who has met with reverse
and tries to impress his wife during a festive period by purchasing nine metres
of lace material on credit at a time he is penniless. The cloth seller, Rafiu,
takes advantage of this opportunity to inflate the prices of clothes in other
to make a heavy gain. Unable to pay the debt, Ramoni gets into more trouble and
desperately looks for a court case through which he could raise the money to
pay his debt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;">The
Executive Producer of the play, Om’Oba Jerry Adesewo said “We were planning to
stage the play to celebrate the International Day of Justice in July, that was
to come immediately after our last outing. We missed the timing and so decided
to find another relevance for the play. That was when the idea of using the
production to commemorate the appointment by the President and
Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, of Honourable Justice
Mariam Aloma Mukhtar as the first ever CJN because we feel it is a lanmark
achievement.” He added that the whole idea is to celebrate the CJN by hosting
her, her family, friends and well wishers to an evening of theatrical
performances.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;">Directed
by Adesewo Fayaman-Bay, the Abuja presentation of The Wizard of Law, which is
supported by the National Centre for Women Development, African Independent
Television, NTA Entertainment and the Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) will
also starred the likes of Zubairu Jide Atta and Lara Owoeye-Wise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;">Arojah
Theatre’s last outing was in June 2012, when the group put up a weeklong
festival of theatre in honour of the Executive Secretary of the National Institute
of rCultural Orientation (NICO), tagged Festival of Barclays Ayakoroma’s Plays
(FESTIBAP) which was held at the French Cultural Centre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;">“This
is the first of a very busy last quarter of the year for us. Apart from the
monthly Play Reading Party we organise in collaboration with the Korean
Cultural Centre, we have two other outings this year and I think it is good but
for us as practitioners and for the theatre loving residents of the nation’s
capital”. Jerry Adesewo said, adding that the group will stil stage two plays,
Adinoyi Onukaba-Ojo’s ‘Sssooommmaaallliiiyyyaa’ which will be entered as
Abuja’s entry for the annual Festival of Nigerian Plays (FESTINA) and Dr. Seyi
Adigun’s HIV/AIDS awareness play, ‘Call for me My Osheni to celebrate the World
Aids Day 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d1b11; font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;">The
Wizard of Law comes up on Wednesday 31st October October, 2012 by 6pm prompt @
the National Centre for Women Development, Abuja with a Matinee for students of
FCT schools. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-60902421157235791242012-10-21T02:46:00.001-07:002012-10-21T02:46:32.134-07:00Two Years of Fayemi in Ekiti, Articles | THISDAY LIVE<a href="http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/two-years-of-fayemi-in-ekiti/127960/#.UIPDDbUszl8.blogger">Two Years of Fayemi in Ekiti, Articles | THISDAY LIVE</a>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-89868489117001692952012-10-12T07:17:00.000-07:002012-10-12T07:19:24.963-07:00Raging war between literature and history<div class="date">
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<span class="date">National Mirror, <span class="time">10 October 2012</span><span class="time"> — ADENRELE NIYI AND TERH AGBEDEH</span></span></div>
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As Femi Robinson calls for school ban of Chinua Achebe’s classic <i><b>Things Fall Apart</b></i><br />
The storm generated by excerpts of Professor Chinua Achebe’s memoirs,
There Was A Country: A Personal History of Biafra, which were published
in The Guardian of London of Tuesday, October 2, is yet to abate.<br />
<br />
The book, set against the backdrop of the Igbo-born octogenarian’s
experiences during the Nigerian Civil War (1967 -1970), also explores
roles played by some of the major actors, including deceased Nigerian
statesman, Chief Obafemi Awolowo.<br />
<br />
The revered Yoruba leader was one of the members of General Yakubu
Gowon’s cabinet during the dark days of violent internal conflict.
However, in Prof. Achebe’s documentation of intricacies and manoeuvrings
around the civil war, he fingered Obafemi Awolowo as the mastermind
behind a strategic policy of starvation which weakened Biafra’s
succession bid, decimated its population and brought the bitter conflict
to a quick end.<br />
<br />
Long before the release of There Was a Country in September, there
had been speculations by some literary enthusiasts that if the new book
by the famous writer of Things Fall Apart does not become a bestseller
in the country following the differences of opinions it has generated so
far, no other book will. While critics abroad have focussed on the
literary content, there is nothing short of an outcry against the book
in the country.<br />
<br />
In the controversial excerpts reproduced from the book, Achebe wrote
that: “The wartime cabinet of General Gowon, the military ruler, it
should also be remembered, was full of intellectuals like Chief Obafemi
Awolowo, among others, who came up with a boatload of infamous and
regrettable policies. A statement credited to Awolowo and echoed by his
cohorts is the most callous and unfortunate: all is fair in war, and
starvation is one of the weapons of war. I don’t see why we should feed
our enemies fat in order for them to fight harder.<br />
<br />
“It is my impression that Awolowo was driven by an overriding
ambition for power, for himself and for his Yoruba people. There is, on
the surface at least, nothing wrong with those aspirations.<br />
“However, Awolowo saw the dominant Igbo at the time as the obstacles
to that goal, and when the opportunity arose – the Nigeria-Biafra War –
his ambition drove him into a frenzy to go to every length to achieve
his dreams.<br />
<br />
“In the Biafran case, it meant hatching up a diabolical policy to
reduce the numbers of his enemies significantly through starvation –
eliminating over two million people, mainly members of future
generations.”<br />
However, it was Achebe’s claims that the late revered Yoruba
statesman used his position as the Vice Chairman of the wartime federal
cabinet to “decimate” the Igbo as a race that stirred the hornet’s nest.<br />
The contentious excerpts have since spawned passionate debates on the social media, especially on Facebook, Twitter and blogs.<br />
<br />
Veteran theatre artiste, Femi Robinson, one of the pioneering cast of
Village Headmaster, made his declaration on the new book yesterday
where he called on the government to ban Achebe’s book Things Fall Apart
in Nigerian schools.<br />
<br />
Robinson said he decided to make this call because “it appears that
the author of the book had, for years, been selling hate and disunity
with the publication of his book and the promotion of the character,
Okonkwo, as a role model to Nigerians”. Robinson, who said he had read
sections of Achebe’s new book, explained that for many years he had
asked himself why the Things Fall Apart came with that title.<br />
<br />
“What fell apart and what could not hold?” He asked, saying that it
was for this reason he had written a play titled: ‘Things Fall in Place’
“to counter some of what I considered dangerous propaganda by the
book”.<br />
Robinson went on to run an excerpt about the character of Okonkwo
from his play, which shows him at the point where he returns from exile
in Mbata. Robinson argues that Okonkwo was banished at the end of
Achebe’s book and wondered if it had been a marketing gimmick to get
international acceptance of the book.<br />
<br />
“How many Okonkwos did the book breed before the war? How many
unrepentant killers have we turned into heroes in all parts of the
country? People who believed the centre can no longer hold because only
they had the cultural ties that can keep it together.<br />
<br />
“I am also a writer and I have always insisted that children should
never be forced to buy books. I call on the Members of Senate, Members
of the Houses of Representatives and all well-meaning Nigerians to ban
this and any other forms of literature from being forced on the
curriculum of schools and students”, Robinson said.<br />
<br />
Referring to what he described as “Prof. Chinua Achebe’s clannish
mindset from the early days”, Robinson said he was surprised the writer
has not changed after 52 years of independence.<br />
<br />
“Things may have fallen apart when he was young, but the youths today
must be made to realise the need for the centre to hold. These days we
do not need to go to war to settle our differences”.<br />
<br />
However, poet and essayist, Odia Ofeimun, while speaking at the Book
Party organised by the Committee for Relevant Art (CORA) for the 10
writers long-listed in the 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature on Sunday,
said the leaders who took the decision to go to war should now be given a
proper trial and that Achebe’s new book will now encourage more writing
on the war.<br />
<br />
Ofeimun was personal secretary to Obafemi Awolowo who served in the
Nigerian government during the war at the same time that Achebe was an
ambassador to the Biafran government.<br />
<br />
“All the leaders who took the decision that led to the Civil War
should now be tried properly. Because the rest of us were angry, we
allowed them to mislead us. It is wrong for people to use the falsehood
of propaganda during a civil war”, he said.<br />
<br />
The poet explained that leaders need to pay for what they did
yesterday. “Ojukwu committed genocide against his people and he should
not have been allowed to simply walk away. Nzeogwu was the leader of the
Biafran army; he told them, we don’t have the guns, we can’t win this
war”.<br />
<br />
Ofeimun said the story of the Civil War “will now have to be told
properly because Achebe has literarily taken the genie out of the
bottle. We need somebody to begin to tell us why we were not ready for a
war and they went ahead and committed genocide against their people”.<br />
<br />
In a review in the London Review of Books, writer Chimamanda Ngozi
Adichie stated that Achebe mourns Biafra, but his anger is directed at
the failures of Nigeria. His great disappointment manifests itself in a
rare moment of defiance towards the end of the book.<br />
<br />
This is not the first time Achebe is being criticised for his work:
In 1975, he gave a lecture on racism in “The Heart of Darkness” that
caused controversy.<br />
<br />
Achebe chronicles the events surrounding the Nigerian Civil War, a
three-year battle lasting from 1967-1970 and directly involving the
author’s home and family. Already a noted writer at the time, Achebe
supported Biafran independence. This book describes the state of the
country prior to war, so that readers can understand its potential and
carries on through the monstrous violence that took place.<br />
<br />
http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/arts-and-lifestyle/arts/raging-war-between-literature-and-history/<a href="http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/arts-and-lifestyle/arts/raging-war-between-literature-and-history/">http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/arts-and-lifestyle/arts/raging-war-between-literature-and-history/</a></div>
jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-83916972002092612172012-10-12T06:23:00.001-07:002012-10-12T06:24:14.999-07:00National Mirror - Young readers explore Nigeria at 52<h1>
Young readers explore Nigeria at 52</h1>
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JERRY ADESEWO
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<strong>Students of FCT Secondary Schools have joined the
rest of the nation in celebrating the nation’s 52nd Independence
Anniversary. More than 10 secondary schools gathered on Friday,
September 28 for a special reading session under the auspices of the
Explorers Club, one of Abuja’s foremost book and readers’ club, to
commemorate the nation’s Independence. </strong><br />
Tagged ‘The Nigerian Story’, the event held at the Government
Secondary School, Tundunwada, had both students and guests exploring
Nigeria’s several decades-long history. Selected readers included
Emmanuel Alex, a blind boy, who wowed the audience with his brilliance
as he personally translated his own portion of reading into brail and
read so flawlessly to the audience’s admiration.<br />
A leadership parade, representing every leader whohas ruled this
nation, from Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe to Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, with the
exception of course, of Chief Ernest Shonekan, the then Head of the
Interim National Government, was put up by the host school.<br />
Speaking at the event, Director of the FCT Secondary Education Board,
Mrs. Yelwa Fatima Baba-Ari commended the organisers, especially Dr.
Jerry Agada Foundation for the initiative. She went on to charge
students to embrace reading; “life is not complete without reading. The
only route to success is reading, reading and reading; Tthere is no
other alternative”, she stated.<br />
Barrister D.C. Uwaezuoke, Director Basics and Secondary School who
represented the Honourable Minister of State, Chief Nyesom Wike revealed
that being part of the reading session had done him a great deal of
good. “Reading is a necessary exercise, not just for those who seek
wisdom but as a confirmed therapy against depression”, he said.<br />
Earlier on, the founder and chairman of the Dr. Jerry Agada
Foundation and former Minister of State for Education under the late
Umaru Musa Yar’adua administration, Dr. Jerry Anthony Agada reiterated
his commitment to promoting academic excellence through reading. “I am
an example of what reading can do to anyone. To become a champion in
life, to become a leader who is worth its while and to become the
signpost of excellence, you must read!.<br />
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://nationalmirroronline.net/index.php/arts-culture-and-life-style/53017.html#.UHgZeIhVNdk.blogger">National Mirror - Young readers explore Nigeria at 52</a>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-91505002912326882482012-10-12T06:18:00.000-07:002012-10-12T06:18:48.102-07:00PRESS RELEASE: 20 ASPIRING ACTORS SCALE NEXT MOVIE STAR HURDLE<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7147689186587974384" name="OLE_LINK2"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7147689186587974384" name="OLE_LINK1"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></b></span></a></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">From Lagos to Lafia in Nassarawa State,
Akure to Abuja and everywhere in between, hundreds of aspiring actors, the
sublime and starry-eyed talents, thronged the final auditions of the 2012 Next
Movie Star reality show which held at the exclusive Troy Bar and Lounge in
Ogba, Lagos, last weekend. 48 hours after it began, the judges, comprising
trusted and tested thespians and arts buffs like Jude Orhorha, Bukky
Ogunnote-Ogunade, Doris Simeon, Raphael Stevens and Jerry Adesewo settled for
20 of these wannabe actors as meriting a chance at fame on the NMS platform. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The lucky 20 include Okeke Chimezie
Ivan, Okeowo Oluwatosin Speens, Alaha Gift Iyua, Aitsegame Halimat Sadiya,
Josephine Micheal Ukpong, King Ojikemba, Samuel Babatunde Jameson, Ifovboa
Ehijemen Jude, Oruambo Chrystabel, Esigbone Ejiro Kingsley, Obi Lilyjean,</span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 바탕; mso-fareast-language: KO;"> </span></span></span><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Tonia
Ese Oria-Arebun, Ajuyah Sarah Onome, Million Santong, Alabi Folake, Mina
Horsefall, Musa Olajoju, Chigbufue Bright, Perpetual Andy and Nnachortam
Patrick. Chosen from audition centres in Port Harcourt, Benin and Abuja, these variegated
talents have thus qualified as prospective housemates for the show. However,
four of them will be evicted from the training and grooming session which will
last a whole week. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The training and grooming session,
especially, according to the executive producer, Sola Fajobi, “is one of the
unique selling points of the Next Movie Star because this is where we prepare
these aspiring actors for a future that can be bigger than their wildest
imagination; a future that can see them become the biggest brand in the
industry. We have respected facilitators and experts on various aspects of
entertainment who come around for the sessions. However, it also affords us a
closer look at the contestants and we have no choice but to drop those who do
not measure up to the standards of the show.” </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Speaking after the auditions, popular
cross over actress, Doris Simeon, averred that she was stunned and surprised at
the quality of talents on display. “I used to think that they (the producers)
just handpick those who would appear on the show; i never knew that it is such
a labourious and long process. I think that is why some of their products go on
to excel more than any reality show products.” Indeed, Simeon was not being
superfluous. In its eighth year, many alumni of the Next Movie Star show have
gone on to establish flourishing careers in entertainment. Kevin Chuwang Pam,
Uti Nwachukwu and Karen Igho went through the NMS school and are today
established entertainers after winning the Big Brother Africa show in 2009,
2010 and 2011 respectively. For others like Tonto Dikeh, Annie Macaulay-Idibia,
Porttiah Yamahan, they are now major forces in Nollywood after being discovered
and nurtured by NMS. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1;"><span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Despite being privately funded for the
past six seasons, Fajobi says, “Our resolve is to ensure that the quality of
the show never drops and we keep pushing the bounds to discover more talents
for the entertainment industry.” Following in the tradition of the last two
seasons which saw the 2010 and 2011 winners, Akio Ilami and Tamara Eteimo
getting cash prizes and a brand new SUV, this year’s winner will get same, and
more. </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-84638803160825170152012-09-18T09:36:00.002-07:002012-09-18T09:36:56.977-07:00Nigeria should appeal against Bakassi judgment – Soyinka<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4916617272099760&pid=1.7&w=217&h=154&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4916617272099760&pid=1.7&w=217&h=154&c=7&rs=1" /></a></div>
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Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole
Soyinka, urged the Federal Government to appeal against the ceding of Bakassi
Peninsula to Cameroon.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Soyinka said this at the
commemorative lecture of rights activist, Dr. Tunji Braithwaite, at 79 in Lagos
on Monday.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He said Bakassi remained a
testing ground for Nigeria’s corporate integrity, stressing that the government
should know what the people of Bakassi needed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Soyinka said, “The crucial
question that the International Court does not appear to have considered remains this: what do the
people of Bakassi want for themselves? To become Cameroonians? To become
Nigerians? Or simply to remain Bakassians? Bakassi became a focus of interest
and desire only because of her oil reserves and the greed of state corporations
– presented as national interest.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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“So, let the next act commence.
The final date of appeal is still ahead. It is within legitimate rights that
the Nigerian corporation should appeal the judgment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“This time round however, let the
suppressed voice of Bakassi’s humanity be heard. There is a certain procedure
known as Plebiscite. Simple, straightforward, and full of precedents – a
time-tested reversal of the pattern of human deficit! Let us give voice to the
people of Bakassi.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-56027902776650407732012-09-18T09:36:00.000-07:002012-09-18T09:36:24.600-07:00Nigerian becomes first black VC in American varsity, Earns $30,000 higher than President Obama<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=i.4777138228364589&pid=1.7&w=156&h=152&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="389" src="http://ts2.mm.bing.net/th?id=i.4777138228364589&pid=1.7&w=156&h=152&c=7&rs=1" width="400" /></a></div>
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A United States of America-based
Nigerian lecturer, Prof. Ilesanmi Adesida, has become the first black man to be
appointed the Provost/Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of
Illinois at Urbana Champaign, United States of America.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Born in 1949 at Ifon, a town in
Ondo State, Adesida, a professor of Electronic Engineering with outstanding
works in nanotechnology, was appointed by the search committee of the
institution on May 31, this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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His appointment, according to a
statement placed on the website of the institution, took effect from August 15
this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before his appointment, Adesida
was the Dean, College of Engineering of the institution.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to the university’s
Vice-President and Chancellor, Dr. Phyllis Wise, Adesida succeeds Linda P.B.
Katehi-Tseregounis, who last served the role on a permanent basis.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Senior campus administrators who
served in the position on an interim basis after Dr. Katehi-Tseregounis’
departure were Robert Easter and Richard Wheeler.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Adesida, a former Head of
Department, Electrical Engineering, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi,
Bauchi State, will oversee the institution’s academic programmes, policies and
priorities, which have been designed to ensure the quality of the educational
experience for students and to sustain an environment that encourages and
supports academic excellence. He was at
ABTU between 1985 and 1987.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But now as the chief academic
officer of UI, Adesida will work closely with the Chancellor, other vice-chancellors, the deans of academic
colleges and other units, academic staff, the Faculty Senate, and various
committees in setting overall academic priorities for the university. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The university has a budget of
$1.5b with more than $400m in research expenditures. There are 42,000 students
and 3,000 faculty members. The university is renowned for its interdisciplinary
collaborations, advances in human understanding, community outreach, global
partnerships, and life-changing scientific developments.<o:p></o:p></div>
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By his appointment, Adesida, who
graduated with a Bachelors of Science, Master’s and PhD in electrical
engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1974, 1975 and 1979
respectively, will become one of the highest paid academics in the US.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to UI’s Vice-President
and the Chancellor, Dr. Phyllis Wise, the cerebral don will earn $430,000 per
annum, about N67.51m. With this amount, Adesida’s annual salary is $30,000
higher than President Barrack Obama, who earns $400,000 per year.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Commenting on his appointment,
Adesida, who is now a naturalised American, was quoted by a news agency as
expressing happiness at the university’s gesture.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Adesida said, “I’m honoured and
humbled to be selected as vice-chancellor/provost of this great campus
(university). This is something I take very seriously. I know how to work very
hard and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get the job done.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to the website of the
university, Adesida is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the
American Vacuum Society, and the Optical Society of America. He is also the
past-president of IEEE Electron Devices Society.<o:p></o:p></div>
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His outstanding work in the field
of Nanotechnology has received much acclaim in the scientific community. He has
developed a body of work in the processing of semiconductors and other
materials at the nanometer-scale level.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After his studies, he worked in
various capacities at what is now known as the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility
and the School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In June 2005, Adesida became the
13th dean since the inception of the College of Engineering in 1870.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He joined UI as a faculty member
in 1988 and he is currently the Donald Biggar Willett Professor of Engineering,
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Professor of Materials
Science and Engineering, and Director of the Center for Nanoscale Science and
Technology.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Adesida has previously served as
the Director of the Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory and the Associate
Director for education of the NSF Engineering Research Centre for Compound
Semiconductor Microelectronics.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to the university’s
website, Adesida’s research interests include nanofabrication processes and
ultra-high-speed optoelectronics.<o:p></o:p></div>
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He also has extensive experience
in development of novel processes for wide band gap materials such as silicon
carbide and gallium nitride. He has also
worked on ultra-high-speed photo detectors and photo receivers in various
materials systems. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Adesida has chaired many
international conferences, including serving as the Programme and General Chair
of the Electronic Materials Conference, 2000-2003. He is a Fellow of the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, American Association for the
Advancement of Science, American Vacuum Society and Optical Society of America.
He is past-president of IEEE Electron Devices Society, and a member of the
National Academy of Engineering.<o:p></o:p></div>
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According to an appointment
notice on the institution’s website, Adesida will also continue as Donald
Biggar Willett Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, non-tenured,
on an academic year service basis, on zero per cent time, with an increment of
$5,000, effective August 16, 2012, for a total annual salary of $430,000.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“In addition, Adesida will continue to hold the following
appointments on terms which were effective August 16, 2011: Professor of
Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, on indefinite
tenure, on an academic year service basis, on zero per cent time, non-salaried;
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering,
non-tenured, on an academic year service basis, on zero per cent time,
non-salaried; Professor, Coordinated Science Laboratory, College of
Engineering, non-tenured, on an academic year service basis, on zero per cent
time, non-salaried; Research Professor, Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory,
College of Engineering, non-tenured, on an academic year service basis, on zero
per cent time, non-salaried; Institute Affiliate, Beckman Institute for
Advanced Science and Technology, office of the VC for Research, non-tenured, on
an academic year service basis, on zero per cent time, non-salaried; and
Institute Affiliate, Institute of Genomic Biology.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-43736544445154011042012-09-17T15:47:00.000-07:002012-09-17T15:47:13.225-07:00HOMECOMING FOR THE PRIME MINISTER’S SON<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: justify;">It was a day full of reminiscences and
power-packed emotions as soloist and monodrama exponent, Greg Mbajiorgu, took
time off the annual conference of the Society of Nigerian Theatre Artist</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: justify;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: justify;">(SONTA) in University of Calabar to
re-visit the premises of the State Secretariat of The National Youth Service
Corp(NYSC) where he conceived, wrote and premiered his enigmatic solo artist
play <i>The Prime Minister’s Son </i>21 years ago.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63NS8S7CAgAfNbTBSXHvv40FLIFbCM4v0HrsprLoj0uw-kxEjZgePp1ceybewlke3qOLExgegheWth9d8_0av8df4rrr1w-yGJxbcnDi1tsDW3EX7QZN-WFAWqjaP7mN5fmwaeifVBAGH/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi63NS8S7CAgAfNbTBSXHvv40FLIFbCM4v0HrsprLoj0uw-kxEjZgePp1ceybewlke3qOLExgegheWth9d8_0av8df4rrr1w-yGJxbcnDi1tsDW3EX7QZN-WFAWqjaP7mN5fmwaeifVBAGH/s640/001.JPG" width="400" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Greg Mbajiorgu was accompanied on the
historic re-visit by foremost theatre scholar, Professor Kalu Uka, who
incidentally was part of the premiere of the play in 1991 as artistic
/technical adviser alongside the late pioneer Nigerian playwright, James Ene Henshaw.
Also on the visiting entourage were Sola Balogun,arts editor of <i>The Sun
Newspapers, </i>Obi Okoli, popular Nollywood actor and Denja Abdullahi, poet,
playwright and National Vice President of the Association of Nigerian
Author(ANA).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The visiting team found themselves in the
warm embrace of the management staff of the NYSC Cross River State secretariat
and serving corp members, led by the State Director Engr. Ibangha. Greg
Mbajiorgu, now a senior lecturer in the department of Theatre and Film Studies,
University of Nigeria, Nsukka, set the tone for the visit when he reminiscence
on how the then State Director of the scheme in 1991,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">one Mr Ajayi, encouraged him to follow his passion and
approved his desire to adopt the one man theatre show as his primary assignment
and community development activity. According to Greg Mbajiorgu, in spite of
opposition from certain quarters, the then NYSC State Director, gave him an
office space and an accommodation within the secretariat complex as a corp
resident dramatist, from where he unleashed his talent as a solo drama artist
culminating in the conception, writing and performance of the mono actor drama <i>The
Prime Minister’s Son; </i>which was taken round schools and communities in
Cross River State. Speaking to a roomful of entranced corp members of the drama
and dance community development group and management staff of the NYSC State
Secretariat, Greg,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">in an emotional laden
voice, declared that the NYSC scheme defined his career and served as launch
pad for his later endeavour as a theatre enterprenuer. According to him ,he had
it so good as a travelling solo theatre artist as a Corp member that while his
colleagues visited banks to make cash withdrawals, he regularly went there to
make deposits and later bought a car from proceeds of his performances and was financially
disposed to buy a cow for his colleagues to party with. At the end of his
inspiring speech to the corp members and an appreciative NYSC staff, Greg was
on the verge of tears and Prof Kalu Uka, had to step in to convert as he said
“Greg’s tears to joy” with a powerfully rendered praise song and an inspiring
speech that bordered on showing gratitude and aiming for excellence. Engr
Ibangha, the NYSC State Director responded to the speeches by thanking Greg
Mbajiorgu for appreciating the contributions of the scheme to his successful
career as an artist while noting that stories such as that of his highlight the
relevance of the scheme to youth development. He called on the Corp members
present to take a cue from the import of the visit to discover their talents
and pursue their dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The visit ended with the presentation of
copies of the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary edition of the monodrama <i>The Prime
Minister’s Son</i> by Greg Mbajiorgu to the State NYSC and the performance of a
drama sketch entitled “Conundrum” by the State’s NYSC drama troupe within the
same quadrangle where <i>The</i> <i>Prime Minister’s Son</i> was premiered 21
years back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The Calabar visit thus marked the beginning
of a series of events already scheduled to commemorate the 20<sup>th</sup>
anniversary of the play <i>The Prime Minister’s Son</i> across Nigeria. The
anniversary activities are conceived to highlight the past contributions of
soloists such as the late Funso Alabi and others to the theatrical form which
is in need of re-invention in Nigeria. The next stop will be in Abuja on the 27<sup>th</sup>
of September 2012 at the Korean Cultural Centre</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;">, by 4pm prompt, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">where a play reading, performance and critical </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: YO;">interactive </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">session have been scheduled for <i>The Prime
Minister’s Son</i> under the auspices of the Arojah Royal Theatre.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;">By Denja Abdullahi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-39742677264802189152012-09-13T18:02:00.005-07:002012-09-13T18:02:52.448-07:00REFLECTING ON OUR JANUARY UPRISING: RESULTS AND PROSPECTS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span lang="EN-US">IN LIEU OF AN
INTRODUCTION:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4639175284622140&pid=1.7&w=208&h=152&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4639175284622140&pid=1.7&w=208&h=152&c=7&rs=1" /></a><span lang="EN-US">This will not be the anticipated long exploratory and analytical
contemplation about our recent collective experience in general, and the
January Uprising in particular; one that is expected to shine some light on
theory and practice of our unfolding Revolution. Nevertheless, this will be,
however short, a cursory attempt to understand the significance and lessons of
that Uprising, and its place in the unfolding Global Revolutionary Crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">THE WORLD HISTORIC
CONTEXT:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The defining characteristic of the present moment in world history
are; the Global and comprehensive crises of capitalism on the one hand; and the
Global and intensifying Resistance of the Victims of that crises on the other
hand! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The first has led the Global Ruling Classes and their allies not
being able to continue to rule in the Old Way (implementation of austerity and
belt tightening measures across the globe; cuts in social spending – removal of
subsidies; massive layoffs of workers; collapse of transnational corporations
and whole country economies and their consequent bailouts; brought
forward/early but inconclusive elections, and resultant hung parliaments and
resort to coalition governments etc): While the second has arisen from the
oppressed, exploited and ruled classes being no longer willing to be ruled in
the Old Way (hence the massive waves of strikes in response to the financial
and economic crises across the globe; the Arab spring; the Global Occupy
Movement; the general strikes across Europe – UK, Greece, Spain, Portugal,
France, Germany etc; the growing protest movement in Chile, India etc; The
January Uprising in Nigeria; The February Uprising in Senegal; and along with
all these, the toppling of governments in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Greece, Spain,
Portugal, Yemen, and ongoing civil war in Syria, etc). [This entire section is
an elaboration based on Lenin’s conditions for Revolution].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The resultant effect of the combination of these two sets of
conditions have been the ongoing and unfolding Global Revolutionary Crisis, of
which the January Uprising in Nigeria [and the act that triggered it – the
January 1<sup>st</sup> announcement of the hike in fuel prices] is an integral
part. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Both the Nigerian ruling class which adopted the mantra of subsidy
removal as the corner stone of its economic policy; and the Nigerian citizens,
the oppressed and over exploited working majority, who responded in anger and
unleashed the January Uprising were acting within this global context, within
this global social dynamic, within this global overt class struggle, and within
this global historic confrontation between the elite privileged and indulged
ruling class on the one hand; and the exploited, disdainfully dismissed
oppressed ruled working classes on the other hand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">However, it is important and significant to point out that whereas a
revolutionary crisis does exist globally as well as in our country; it is not
automatic or historically fated that the outcome will be a victorious
revolution. There are in fact three possible broad outcomes; A revolutionary
victory, leading to the taking of steps to begin the revolutionary social self
emancipation of the oppressed and exploited classes, and the revolutionary social
transformation of the society; A second possible outcome, is the victory of the
counter revolution – either by conservative [those who intend to main the
essence and appearance of the status quo intact] or by reformist [those who
recognize the urgent necessity to change the appearance of the system in
response to the demands and anger of the revolution, but who are intent on
retaining the essence of the system intact] wings of the ruling class; And
finally there is also a third possible outcome – the mutual exhaustion of the
opposing classes in struggle, that is of both the revolutionary and
counter-revolutionary forces; and the elevation into power of a third force,
arising from the middle classes, wedded to the ruling upper class, and
attempting to arbitrate between the contending classes while granting reforms,
intensifying repression, and retaining the essential character of the old order
[Fascism was such an outcome, the various police state dictatorships under
military jackboots, are some other variants of this outcome].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It is in this sense that it is true that every revolutionary
situation is also conversely, that is at one and the same time, a
counter-revolutionary situation; because revolutionary victory is by no means
automatic and inevitable.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">THE JANUARY UPRISING:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">If anyone still doubts the revolutionary implications of the January
Uprising, then we should take a deeper look at interpreting the actions and
inactions of the major social forces who were locked into this historic, and
quite overt class confrontation, which had moved from the realm of the mere
daily and routine class struggle, to the realm of the more intense class
warfare in the space of days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The January Uprising was triggered in the immediate sense, by the
instant debilitating impact of the January 1<sup>st</sup> announcement hiking
fuel price by the unprecedented 118%. The effect on living conditions was
immediate and generalized touching both the lower and middle classes adversely.
Trotsky it was who once said that to a slap on the cheek, human beings react
differently; but to being hit by a sledge hammer, human beings will react in
the same way. This was what the impact of the January 1<sup>st</sup>
announcement led to: generalized anger and a willingness and yet unconscious
determination to fight back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It was this seismic shift in popular consciousness which the regime
and the fractions of the ruling class cohering around it failed to understand,
factor into their calculations or eventually recognize when it hit them in the
face! They were unable to understand this seismic shift, manifested in this
generalized anger and action because from the very beginning their analysis of
the situation refracted through the bighted spectrum of the comfort of the
ruling and privileged elite, had prevented them from ever contemplating that
such an action would have such a grave impact on the poor, let alone the middle
class! Those elevated to the position of running our economy could not and did
not understand the very nature of that economy; the centrality of the availability
and affordability of petrol to the stability of the conditions of existence of
the ordinary citizens in particular, and the stability of the economy and
polity in general! Haven never had to pay for petrol from their own pockets
over the last decade and a half, they could not understand the impact of their
policy of hiking fuel prices on the majority of the citizenry who have to pay
for the product from their meager earnings, and who also do not have access to
looted state funds!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">But confronted with the anger which erupted into organised mass
protests almost immediately, and particularly from the 3<sup>rd</sup> of
January; and which became significantly enhanced with the conscious entrance of
organised labour through the two labour federations from the 9<sup>th</sup> of January;
the regime became overwhelmed by the scale, scope, and also [let it be said]
implications [immense potential] of the Uprising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It was in this sense that the regime began to put pressure on the
leadership of the uprising, and began to strategically deploy psychological
warfare on the leadership. One approach was to continue to hammer on what it
called the deteriorating security situation; the hijack of the protests by
hoodlums [impoverished youths created as a result of the policies of the ruling
elite, which have exiled a sizeable portion of the population to live on the
fringes of society]; including the allegation that the general strike and mass
protest was providing a platform for their political opponents in the
opposition to undertake what the regime called
a regime change agenda. And every now and then, throughout the Uprising,
and in the course of the engagements between the government side and the
leadership of the uprising, the specter of bringing in the army to restore
order was always brought into the fray. The leadership would also be reminded
that the army is not trained to control crowds but to suppress the enemy!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">It was because the regime was aware of the revolutionary
implications and potential consequence of the January Uprising that it raised
the boogie of deteriorating security situation [whose security? The peoples’
security? Or the regime’s security? Throughout the Uprising there was no single
threat from Boko Haram etc!]; the boogie of a regime change agenda by the
political celebrities; and the subtle threat of bringing in the army to crush
the resistance, which it termed restoring order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">But why was the political opposition slow to organise its own
protests under its own banner, but quick to seek to take advantage of the
popular protest and literally graft itself to the revolutionary podiums
provided by the uprising? Why was it quick to sensationally associate itself
with and project the limited regime change agenda? Because it felt that an
Uprising was taking place, outside of its control, capable of overturning the
status quo, and sidelining it, relegating it to a foot note in the historical
process. So for two reasons, it had to seek to intervene in the process and be
seen to be intervening on the side of the popular masses. So it had to graft
itself to the podiums everywhere across the country, and sought to take control
of the process. It was helped in this process by a media steeped in
sensationalism, and who unwittingly became a tool in the hands of the political
opposition, and began to ascribe the movement and the protests to the
leadership of the opposition. But let it be said very clearly; the opposition
parties played the most deceitful roll in the uprising. We know the ruling
party had an official position backing the regime’s policy; but the opposition
parties which made public declarations against the policy and in support of the
popular protests; had their leading representatives on the joint government
delegation which engaged with the joint labour-civil society delegation; which
with one voice and one voice piled pressure on the protest leadership to call
off the strike and mass actions, and which were part and parcel of the
psychological warfare strategy deployed against the joint labour-civil society
delegation/leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">But why did the joint labour civil society leadership also act in
the manner that they acted throughout the Uprising?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">From the very beginning there was a common awareness, even if not to
the same degree and level, of the potential of the crisis to deepen and raise
more fundamental questions about control of state power.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Although there was no common agreement on how this possibility might
be handled. The labour leadership was limited by the structure and horizons of
the trade union movement; the historic role of the trade union is to mediate
between employer and employee, and the historic role of the leadership of this
trade union therefore is to organise and undertake this mediation. So from the
very beginning, unless it broke with tradition and convention, unless it is
compelled by a force from outside of the union movement, it would structurally
limit itself to negotiation and mediation. It was in this sense that this
labour leadership found itself in a bind, when compelled by its alliance with pro-labour
civil society and citizens organisations [primarily organised into the United
Action For Democracy (UAD) & Joint Action Front (JAF); it was given the
mandate of total reversal to 65 naira – that is to say a mandate not to
negotiate any new price, but only to negotiate a return to the status quo
before January 1<sup>st</sup> and the conditions under which proper all
embracing dialogue, consultation and negotiation would take place. [By all
embracing it is meant, a discussion that includes tackling all the issues in
the petroleum sector – corruption, state of refineries, determining actual
daily consumption, etc].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Noticing that the labour leadership felt uncomfortable being in this
bind, and was therefore more susceptible to pressure and psychological warfare;
the joint delegation of the regime [including leadership of the NASS,
Representatives (7) of the Nigeria Governor’s Forum, and Representatives of the
Federal Executive Council of the Federation] began to implement an agenda of
subtly introducing a wedge into the Labour-Civil society alliance, disparaging
civil society as being unrepresentative, beholden to foreign interest and local
political interests etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The impact of this was the effective [temporarily in historical
terms – because our alliance is a conscious and obligatory solidarity, not an
act of charity] ‘parting of ways’ between the labour [NLC & TUC] &
Civil Society [UAD & JAF] components of the Labour-Civil Society Coalition
[LASCO] which became apparent in the late evening of Sun 15<sup>th</sup>
January into the early hours of Monday 16<sup>th</sup> January 2012. This
division which was already visible in the composition of the delegation that
met with the presidency and the joint government team during this hours, became
even more evident when the separate components of the alliance addressed
separate press conferences on the 16<sup>th</sup> of January 2012 – Labour, at
labour house at 1pm; and Civil society at CDD office at 2.30pm. At the 1pm
press conference, the labour leadership announced the unilateral call off of
the general strike, after earlier unilaterally announcing in a press statement
the unilateral call off of the mass actions and street protests! At the 2.30pm
press conference and in subsequent separate press statements [by UAD & JAF], the civil society component of
the alliance announced their rejection of the newly imposed price regime in the
January 16<sup>th</sup> address by the president, and the unilateral call off
of the actions by the labour leadership.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Why did this happen? Both the labour [NLC & TUC] and civil
society [UAD & JAF] had come to an understanding of the deepening character
of the crisis, anticipated by the civil society leadership from the beginning;
but each drew separate conclusions from this understanding. For the labour
leadership, it was time to retreat, to safe guard the unions from repression
which was imminent and had already been placed on the agenda; and which was
going to be unleashed from the 16<sup>th</sup> of January if there was no
resolution by the 15<sup>th</sup> of January. For the civil society [UAD &
JAF], this was the time to intensify the actions, to up the ante, by for
example beginning the shutdown of oil operations and the actual more or less
permanent occupation of strategic places across the country. We had no doubt
that if the deepened general strike and mass protests entered the second week
across the country, that the regime will be faced with the choice of either
throwing caution to the wind and beginning a brutal repression as in Syria or
Libya before it; or will cave in and return to status quo ante. After-all we
had offered the regime a 90 day window of opportunity after a return to status
quo ante within which a genuine dialogue process aimed at addressing all the
issues in the sector would take place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">So in very concrete terms all the parties to the conflict
encapsulated by the January Uprising were aware of its revolutionary
implications and potentials, and were guided in their responses by these
awareness and the various class interests that they sought to protect in the
crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">THE UPRISING ON THE
STREETS:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">There can be no doubt now that the January Uprising was
unprecedented in the history of our country, both in its scale – active mass
protests & general strike (occupying of the streets and work stoppage); in
its scope – happening simultaneously across the country (in virtually every
state of the federation and across well over 50 cities and towns); but also as
well as in its impact on popular and pan Nigerian consciousness – the retreat
of primordial identities (muslims & Christians praying and marching
together – 1<sup>st</sup> undertaken in Kano even in the pre January 9<sup>th</sup>
days; people from different parts of the country and from all works of life
marching together across the country). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The most significant expression in language of this new Pan Nigerian
Consciousness and Unity, was the concept and symbolism of OCCUPY! Every city
where action took place described itself as Occupy; some new groups emerged and
actually adopted the name Occupy Nigeria [which was expressed as either Occupy
Nigeria City-State Chapter e.g Occupy Nigeria Abuja chapter; or as Occupy –
name of the city/state, e.g Occupy PortHarourt & Occupy Kogi. In one of the
most visible expression of this new emergent reality; all media coverage was
filled with stories of Occupy activities; and security agents also admiring the
new Occupy spirit of Nigerians as in the expression by some security agents:
‘Nigerians are just Occupying everywhere’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">One other clear manifestation of the spirit of the new times, which
demonstrates the nature of the seismic shift in popular consciousness and the
real opportunities for change and transformation were incidences on the street
when members of the police force actually either joined/participated in marches
or very clearly cooperated with protesters during the protests; or when
security guards at the gates of the National Assembly [NASS] or the gates of
the villa, whisper to the joint labour-civil society delegation not to
compromise and to protect the interests of ordinary Nigerians!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">More significantly however was the actual build up of the street
protests and mass actions in the course of the uprising! Each new day, a new
city or town would join; and each new day the population actively participating
in the protests would double or increase significantly! Lagos and Kano
attracted active participants in the millions; and Abuja attracted
unprecedented population of active participants in the region of half a million
by Thursday 12<sup>th</sup> & Friday 13<sup>th</sup> of January 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The slogans on the street were also changing and with it came more
political demands! The regime and its supporters had thought and even boasted
that the protest would not take place; and when it actually began, that it
would not last more than 2 or 3 days! This was responsible for the flurry of
activities including the House of Representative resolution procured during an
unprecedented session of that house (– on a Sunday and with members recalled
from holiday!) on January 8<sup>th</sup> on the eve of the general strike and
nationwide mass actions! It was also responsible for the panic mode of the
regime after Wednesday 11<sup>th</sup> January, when the federal government and
the governor’s forum through the instrumentality of the leadership of the
Senate took over the negotiations and engagements, with the active supervision of
the presidency. From that moment on it was clear that the regime wanted a
resolution within that week!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The firs flurry of activities spearheaded by the House of
Representatives was to prevent the general strike and the nationwide mass
action taking off; the second flurry of activities under the presidency and
anchored by the Senate leadership was to terminate the general strike and
nationwide mass actions as soon as possible, and to prevent it entering a
second week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">In this everyone seemed to be agreed that entering a second week
without some resolution would deepen the crisis to a degree where its outcome
could no longer be safely predicted. On the streets in response to the
disbelief of the regime in the sustainability of the mass street protests by the
masses; such slogans as: ‘They said we shall be tired after 3 days; but if they
do not meet our demands, we shall be tired of them after 5 days’! The import of
this on a sitting government could not have been overlooked!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">UNDERLYING THE SEISMIC
SHIFT IN CONSCIOUSNESS:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Driving this popular anger unleashed was the deleterious and
instantly debilitating impact of the January 1<sup>st</sup> announcement on the
overwhelming majority of the citizens. It was this anger, which neither the
regime nor the ruling class fractions cohering around it could understand; that
also drove the deepening of positions on the streets as the intransigence and
insensitivity of the regime became even more manifest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Two sets of social forces in broad generational terms, came together
to make the Uprising: The first were youths, and their new formations, inspired
by the Arab spring, threatened by the impact of the global financial and
economic crisis, and unencumbered by the tempering experience of previous
defeats, since they had not been parts of those earlier upheavals, and had
therefore not directly tasted in the defeats even if they had been inspired by
tales of those experiences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">The second were the veterans of the past upheavals, experienced,
having a clearer understanding of the situation and its potential, but hampered
by excessive caution, a product of past defeats and repression. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">But the coming together of these two generational activist forces,
over the previous period of organising, mobilising, and awareness raising in
several forums and through several media, including active and political use of
the new social media; produced a combustible mix which was set alight by the
impact of the January 1<sup>st</sup> Announcement!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Of course neither of these generational activist formations acted
outside of class; rather they acted more or less consciously within parameters
defined by the class struggle; and played more or less class conscious roles in
the making of the Uprising from the beginning of active awareness raising in
about July-August 2011, to the tentative and preparatory direct mass class
actions undertaken in a number of cities between October and December 2011
[Benin, Ibadan, Lagos, Osogbo, Ilesha, etc].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">THE IMPLICATION OF
OCCUPYING:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">What does it mean to Occupy? And quite a number of seasoned and
experienced activists had either dismissed or questioned the strategy of Occupy
in the period leading up to the January Uprising. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">To Occupy is to project a counter power to that of the ruling class,
to that of the status quo; or any of its institutions being targeted. So it
presents a range of counter power projections from say the management of a
corporation/business; through the symbolic power of whole sectors of the
economy (for example Wall street symbolizing the financial sector]; through the
political power of a part of the state and or its territory [say against a City
council etc]; to the political power of the state/country – through the initiation
of the Dual Power Situation [as with the Occupation of Tahir Square, Benghazi
etc] and the victorious supplanting of the existing state power by the popular
organ of power which had been at the core of the initiated Dual Power
Situation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">Therefore to proclaim an aim To Occupy Nigeria; and proceed to
organise mass actions executed as Occupying parts of the territories of Nigeria
as part of Occupy Nigeria; is to at the very least declare an unconscious
intent to radically transform the nature of the polity and the social order. It
is a call to revolution, a prelude to revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">To want to Occupy Nigeria; is to seek actively or passively,
consciously or semi consciously the Revolutionary Social Transformation of the
Socio-economic Order in the Country; it is to desire a rupture with the past
and present so radical and abrupt as to constitute a Revolutionary remaking or
reconstitution of the entity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">This is what the ruling class understood by our actions in the
January Uprising, but which consciousness was and is still not yet equally
clear to all the social elements, social forces and individuals who
participated in the January Uprising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">And against the backdrop of the continuing rot in the system, the
continued business as usual processes as if nothing happened in January; this
is what needs to happen to Take Back Our Country From the alliance of Treasury
Looters and Cabals in Business and the Economy. It is this sense that we need
to find ways of deepening our revolution; prepare for the next uprising [which
will soon enough be forced on us again]; and Continue Our Revolution until
victory!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">LESSONS OF THE JANUARY
UPRISING:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">In lieu of a conclusion; what can we learn from our January
Uprising? What must me take from this uprising to inform our participation in
the next uprising in such a way as to assure a different, and revolutionary
outcome from this time around?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<a href="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4691719897875120&pid=1.7&w=201&h=141&c=7&rs=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=I.4691719897875120&pid=1.7&w=201&h=141&c=7&rs=1" width="400" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">We need to build a nationwide
and Pan Nigerian political platform that will consciously challenge this
thieving, looting and decadent ruling class for state power. And a platform
built upon the networks and harvests of activists and activist formations which
played active roles in the January Uprising.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US"> 2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-size: 7pt;"></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">This political platform must
retain the alliance with organised labour, but must be autonomous and strong
enough to actually be a check on the waverings of the labour leadership, and
act without the labour leadership while taking the mass of working people
organised in the trade unions with along with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">The Social Media can and have
played a quite significant role in the mobilisation of popular consciousness
and in raising awareness; but it cannot substitute for real live organisations,
and concrete real live organising activities. In this sense it can only
supplement the organisation. It can play effectively play the role of a
collective Organiser, Educator, Mobiliser for a conscious political platform.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">If we do not take concrete steps to build this political platform,
we leave any uprising that again occurs open to being hijacked by dissident
sections of the ruling class, or what is saying the same thing; we risk letting
these opportunist elements, who have a stake in retaining the essence of the
status quo, become the beneficiaries of the uprising; as they became in the
aftermath of our anti military struggle and the Uprising triggered by the June
Twelve Crisis!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US">By
Jaye Gaskia<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">National Convener<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">United Action For Democracy [UAD]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US">March 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-8569209679156272182012-09-13T16:43:00.000-07:002012-09-13T16:43:38.710-07:00INSIDE ABUJA’S MONITISED PARKING POLICY<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">February 1, marked the commemcement of a
new parking policy in the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA)
following a N1.7 billion contract signed with two firms, Intergrated Parking
Services Limited and Platinum Parking management Services Limited to provide,
install and manage on-street parking in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since the commencement of that policy
however, it has been one savoury experience or the other for motorists in Abuja
as tyre clamping and outright removal of vehicles parked in perceived
‘unauthorised’ plkaces has become the other of the day., thereby throwing up
some concerns about the new policy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To begin with, while one must be tempted to
agree that there is the need to ensure parking sanity in the city centres,
especially on-street parking; it is important to state equivocally here that
this policy is being carried out with litle or no attempt at for-warning the
general public. Apart from the signage ‘No Parking’, and ‘Pay and Display
ticket on dashboard’ mounted around the city, there has been no deliberate and
sustained attempt by the two licenced firms and the FCTA to create awareness
before the policy took effect. Only a couple of radio adverts which achieved
litle or no effect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">An average motorist in Abuja currently
stands to pay N14,300, every month, and ultimately N171,600 in a year as
parking fees. It has become mandatory for vehicle owners to pay a fee of N50
for every 30 minutes that their cars remain parked along the road between 7 am
to 7 pm from Mondays to Fridays. This ofcourse translates to N650 a day and in
22 working days, he would have paid N14,300.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Why this is worrisome is the fact that
prior to this policy, a sensitive government anywhere in the world is expected
to have provided either a seamless and effective public transport or ensure
completion of the light rain, such that residents of Abuja would not have to
all journey to the city centre in their cars; or atleast ensure that public
commercial parking spaces are provided in high density areas of the city.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">While the majority of motorists in the FCT
are not likely to incur the maximum N650 parking fare on a daily basis, workers
in private firms who resume from 7 am and close around 7 pm whose offices dont
have a parking space must cough out as much as N14,300 in parking charges per
month, and ultimately N171,600, in a year. It is indeed <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Once a motorist parks within the marked
parking bay, he is approached by a uniformed parking control officer who enquire
from the driver how long he plan to stay. The motorist then pays the fee
covering the said duration, and the officer thereafter issues him/her with a
parking ticket, or receipt which must be placed on the dashboard, where it
could be seen by anyone looking from the outside<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Motorists who may not find it convenient to
pay by the hour can purchase electronic swipe cards pre-loaded with N500 or
N1000 worth of parking tickets. The swipe cards are debited according to the
value fixed on the length of time the concerned motorist spends in the street
parking bay. And whenever the N1,000 worth of parking fee credit is exhausted,
the swipe cards can be recharged at designated banks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are also vrious categories of
penalties/charges for various forms of parking offences. A situation in which a
motorist, when parking the vehicle, over-steps the marked parking bay, thereby
using up part of the space meant for another car, attracts a fine of N5,000. In
such situations, the parking control officers will clamp the wheels of the
offending vehicle.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The clamp will only be removed after the
payment of a N5,000 fine in any of the designated commercial banks, who issues
a receipt aknowledging that the errant motorist had paid the fine, is then
presented to the parking control officers, before they could remove the clamp
from the affected vehicle. The clamp also serves as a tool in the enforcement
of the fine for the more weighty parking offence – parking on street pavements,
sidewalks or lawns, etc. This category of offence attracts a fine of N10, 000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Besides the clamp, payment of the parking
fees, as well as the fines resulting from parking offences, are also enforced
by impounding cars and a demurrage of N1,000 for each night spent by the
vehicle at the Pound Yard. But in the event that any offending motorist
attempts to resist the implementation of the policy, state agencies like the
Vehicle Inspection Office, the FCT Police as well as the Abuja Environmental
Protection Board could be drafted in to enforce it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another situation to watch out for is the
abusive tendency of the policy which is already manifesting. The Parking
Officers are already short-changing their employers by engaging in sharp
practices. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mr. Diran Oba is a contractor and had
parked his car around the Merit House on Aguiyi Ironsi street to follow up a
proposal in a nearby office, unaware of the new policy. He returns less than 30
minutes later to meet his tyre clamped and after the pleading and bargaining
that follows, he ended up parting with N2000 directly into the hands of the
parking officer, to have his car released.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Another incidence that show the ‘lack of
preparation’ for the commencement of the policy or another instance of the
Nigerian factor was my personal experience. I had arrived and parked my car in
front of the National Universities Commission and walked up to a parking
assistant to make payment when the guy announces that the POS system is not
working and so he could not take my payment the ‘normal’ way. He noted the time
I arrived and asked me to go ahead and conduct my business. On returning to the
spot some fifteen minutes later, I offered him N50 which is the official cost
for a 30 minutes stay but the youngman refused, requesting that I pay him
better than that for helping me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Nyala; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ofcourse, I ignore his demand and walk away
with my N50 without a word to him. The question is, had I paid him either the
N50 or N200 as requested, that money rather than go into the government or the
firm’s coffer will end up in the youngman’s pocket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-23063157341078671962011-04-05T13:46:00.000-07:002011-04-05T13:48:16.445-07:00National Mirror - Search for elusive happiness<a href="http://nationalmirroronline.net/arts_culture/7017.html">National Mirror - Search for elusive happiness</a>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-56229516558556894642011-04-05T13:15:00.000-07:002011-04-05T13:15:14.723-07:00Bilateral Poemutation<a href="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5686812-146/story.csp">Bilateral Poemutation</a>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-40051995081412540092011-03-20T15:13:00.000-07:002011-03-20T15:18:35.771-07:00Re-Step Father Sets Two Year Old Girl On Fire Over Witchcraft<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:0in;text-align:justify;text-indent:-.25in; mso-outline-level:4;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:14.5pt;mso-bidi-font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">1.<span style="'font:7.0pt"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">Thank you for sharing this very depressing story. But as you have found out and from what we had known long before this Commission was set up, this ugly practice has been ongoing for quite a while. Isn't it interesting that the very person, Sam Itauma of CRARN, who along with his staff of volunteers, have been providing succour and refuge to these abused children, have been hounded and forced to go underground by the same government whose Attorney General would now see fit to give out N5000 for the treatment of an innocent victim? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">Shall we ask the Attorney General whose duty it is to enforce the laws of the land, how many offenders/violators of the Child Rights Act he has successfully prosecuted and sent to jail? </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">I recall when this issue first hit limelight a couple of years ago, the state government and its cohort of praise singers both at home and abroad, went into attacking mode, trying to discredit the story and attacking the purveyors, Sam Itauma and Gary Foxcroft as miscreants out to tarnish the image of the state. So nasty was the attack that both the governor and Commissioner Anieka Umanah took to the international media to denounce attempts by the duo to "deliberately smear" the "good image" of the state. In their failed attempt to drown out the outrage that followed the release of the video recordings/documentaries documenting the horrific conditions and outright barbaric practices associated with the witchcraft saga, the sad/disturbing development was characterized by government as significantly minimal, and therefore inconsequential and highly localized. However, today, the truth keeps coming out as to the vast, widespread nature of this evil practice and the horrific, unbelievable, inhumane, barbaric, torture/pain endured by these children where they are lucky to be alive. No human being, not even an unrepentant serial killer, should be subjected to the kind of treatment these innocent, helpless children have been subjected to. It should jar our sensibilities and our conscience to no end that our outrage would/should be vociferously clear/registered.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">I recall vividly in our exchanges on these forums and others when Commissioner Umanah first hinted at government's plans to set up a commission. Given the condescending comments that he would make, it is/was my conclusion (as well as many others) that it (government) never envisaged the commission to unravel so much. I remember Commissioner Umanah's comments once (obviously in gleeful anticipation of the Commission not coming up with any evidence to substantiate the weighty and deeply disturbing allegations that were rife at the time), when he effectively/pretty much said something like this: "Ehn, they will show us those maimed and tortured children. They will show us the shallow graves holding murdered children accused of witchcraft. Ehn, it is not enough to make wild and unsubstantiated accusations/allegations in an attempt to blackmail government. They will show us." </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">I wonder how he feels just about now following the many testimonies and evidences presented before the Commission. We didn't even know at the time that the Ministry of Women Affairs had in its custody close to 200 children affected by the child witchcraft saga. We didn't know that there are other facilities across the state also housing hundreds of children also maimed, tortured, and abandoned by demented adults. And indeed Commissioner Aniekan Umanah, the Commission has visited areas where shallow graves holding innocent victims in parts of Esit Eket, other local government areas do indeed exist. The Commission has visited and has seen the many victims of this very ugly practice with their varying degrees of scars to prove they were indeed victims of the child witchcraft saga. If anything, now we know that we had actually grossly underestimated the endemic nature of the practice and grossly underestimated the number of victims and the horrific, barbaric treatment suffered by them. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">Reading through the terms of the Commission as given to it by the governor, it was clear that the intent of government was dubious at best. However, maybe sometimes good things can come out of dubious intentions. Talk of unintended outcomes. Let us hope that this Commission of Inquiry will provide the state government with the template to effectively tackling this menace; discourage government from attacking/hounding/harassing the very persons who have been at the forefront of providing much needed succour to these children at a time when no one cared to listen or address their plight; call its attack dogs and other agents out to do bodily harm to Sam Itauma to order; partner with CRARN and other rehabilitative agencies in the state to protect and provide much needed succour for these severely abused children; reorganize the government agency/ministry saddled with the responsibility of caring for victims such as these; provide adequate funding for social welfare purposes (it was very embarrassing when top government officials disclosed before the commission that there was no budget to cater to the 170 children in its custody); get the Justice Ministry up to speed in enforcing the Childs Rights Law because even as the Commission is still sitting, we are reading of ongoing cases where innocent children are being attacked, maimed, tortured and/or killed upon being branded witches. Let us hope its recommendations shall be comprehensive, bold and even hold various persons in and out of government culpable for their roles in this unfortunate saga.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">Ufot Inyang</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;">Albany</span></st1:City><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:">, <st1:state st="on">GA</st1:State></span></st1:place><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on"><span lang="EN-GB" style="'font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;">USA</span></st1:place></st1:country-region></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:13.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-60098163287156483772011-03-10T14:50:00.000-08:002011-03-10T14:50:05.211-08:00JERRY ADESEWO: We Only ch of Went in Search of Happiness<a href="http://jerryadesewo.blogspot.com/2011/03/we-only-ch-of-went-in-search-of.html?zx=4565751cd2c77d85">JERRY ADESEWO: We Only ch of Went in Search of Happiness</a>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-26837264307523296262011-03-10T14:05:00.000-08:002011-03-10T14:05:23.351-08:00We Only ch of Went in Search of Happiness<iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/eTQxo-srxcQ?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-68282062645579532122010-12-28T14:59:00.000-08:002010-12-28T15:02:37.014-08:00Unveiling Baba Segi<b><span class="Apple-style-span" >Unveiling Baba Segi</span></b><br /><i>By Jerry Adesewo</i><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >Next Daily: December 28, 2010 </span><br /><br /><img src="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=AofeADB7fajr_il96J3lZS6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxQjXZk$ursF06n$cBjo8KPJnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-" alt="Lead Image" /> The much awaited West African edition of Lola Shoneyin's novel ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives', was unveiled in grand style at the French Cultural Centre in Abuja on December 17, 2010.<br /><br />The venue of the book party, which featured other side attractions, was a beehive of activities. At first glance, the gathering would have passed for one of the many diplomatic functions that the FCT is known for, as it attracted a large turnout of expatriates and the crème-de-la-crème of Abuja's literary community.<br /><br />In her characteristic liveliness and engaging demeanour, Shoneyin read from different portions of her book (the UK and US editions of which have been well received), to the admiration of the audience. Enthralled by her reading, a member of the audience, an evangelist who introduced himself as Uche, said "She reads really well. I feel like sitting here to hear her read from beginning to the end. Listening to her read is like watching the story in motion." ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives' is Shoneyin's first novel, after successfully churning out three collections of poetry so far - ‘So All The Time I was Sitting on an Egg,' ‘Song of a Riverbird' and ‘For the Love of Flight'. She also recently released a children book titled ‘Mayowa and the Masquarades'. ‘Baba Segi', as the novel is now popularly known, tells the story of everyday polygamous situation in Nigeria but in a very unique, humourous and engaging language.<br /><br />With three wives and seven children, all is well in Baba Segi's household until he takes the university graduate Bolanle as a fourth wife, and things go awry.<br /><br />In an interactive session, the author revealed that she sees herself more as a poet than a novelist. "I still feel more at home as a poet than a novelist. What is here today is a product of a very long work. A lot went into making this what it today between me and my publishers in terms of editing." She added that the story that gave birth to the novel is a true life experience which she encountered when she was fourteen years old.<br /><br />The book party did not end with the reading, as visual arts were also on the menu. The beautiful ceramic arts of Lami Abubakar, the paintings of Millicent Osumuo and Tyna Adebowale, creative cards of Pat Adidu and photographs by Rita St. John - all combined to make the evening a memorable one. The raw talent exhibited by Swat, an Abuja based musician, was another major attraction.<br /><br />Talking to the press, Bibi Bakare-Yusuf of Cassava Republic expressed happiness for eventually succeeding in releasing the much awaited book after a series of obstacles and disappointments that had forced the company to postpone the date of release about twice. "This is one writer Nigeria has anxiously awaited and I am sure they will not be disappointed. ‘The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives' will sure excite readers. And in line with our vision to serve you the best of African literature, we are glad to have brought to you Lola Shoneyin's book as our gift of love and appreciation to our customers and all lovers of literature, in the spirit of the season," the publisher addedjerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-60961446260003321002010-12-12T10:02:00.000-08:002010-12-12T10:02:28.232-08:00JERRY ADESEWO: Once Bitten, Twice Shy<a href="http://jerryadesewo.blogspot.com/2010/12/once-bitten-twice-shy.html">JERRY ADESEWO: Once Bitten, Twice Shy</a>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-29651341442199722432010-12-12T09:50:00.000-08:002010-12-12T09:53:51.043-08:00Once Bitten, Twice Shy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=zSJDWSV9uzLMj6hw7Pkvsy6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxR$MBpwgCpEzeqkGWdQv8FsnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 450px;" src="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=zSJDWSV9uzLMj6hw7Pkvsy6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxR$MBpwgCpEzeqkGWdQv8FsnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><h1 style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 24px; font: normal normal normal 24px/normal Georgia; font-weight: normal; line-height: 42px; letter-spacing: -2px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica, 'sans serif', Georgia; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; font-size: 12px; "><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="tool-container" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: inherit; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><tbody style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><tr style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><td valign="bottom" class="byline" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; "><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "><b style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "></b></p><p class="Daily Styles-Byline- Style" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "><b style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">By Jerry Adesewo</b></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "><b><i>NextonSunday</i></b> December 12, 2010 01:05AM</p></td><td valign="middle" class="tools" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; text-align: right; "><br /><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: middle; "> </p></td></tr></tbody></table></span></h1><div id="article-body" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Georgia; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; font-family: Helvetica, 'sans serif', Georgia; font-size: 12px; "><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Nigeria is a richly endowed country with enough human and material resources to make her one of the most advanced nations in the world. Sadly, she is ranked among the world's poorest. The pervasive poverty is however attributable to the greed and insensitivity of elites occupying leadership positions, and not lack of resources. To make matters worse, the people, major stakeholders in the electioneering process, appear undiscerning as they either sell their votes for cash or lack the courage to exercise their power and stand by their convictions.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">These and many more are the focus of Tunji Fatilewa's voter education play, ‘Bombshell'. The play was staged at the Cyprian Ekwensi Centre for Arts and Culture on Friday, December 3 by the Abuja Playhouse in conjunction with the FCT Social Development Secretariat's Department of Arts and Culture.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Corruption as a norm</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">‘Bombshell' contains important electoral education messages, delivered in a distinctive, uncommon theatrical manner to show our capacity as a people to effect change by holding politicians, public office holders and others accountable to their pre-election promises.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">As it is typical of most politicians, there is nothing tangible Akinfunmilola (Kayode Aiyegbusi) can point to as a development project for his people in spite of holding public office for 10 years. Two of these was as a local government chairman and eight as Commissioner for Works and Transport. A pauper before coming into power, he acquires the mannerisms of the ‘nouveau riche'. He moves to the capital, away from the ordinary people and acquires about 20 state of the art cars for his fleet. His children attend one of the best private schools in the capital while the older ones attend universities in the Europe and America. The only primary school in his community, the same one he attended, is without roofing and the pupils sit and write on the bare floor.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">The highpoint of the play which highlights the deceit Nigerians are subjected to, is the revelation by Engineer Jonah as to why water doesn't flow from the boreholes Akinfunmilola inaugurated as a local government chairman. Jonah discloses that the bore-holes were not completed and that tankers were used to supply water to them prior to the inauguration ceremony performed by the governor and covered by the media.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">The money meant for the project, of course, disappears into private pockets. In spite of failing to give pipe-borne water to the people, Akinfunmilola has two bore-holes in his mansion from which his wife sells water to the people.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">People power</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Democracy vests in the people the power to elect and to eject. Sadly, many lack the requisite knowledge and understanding of the electoral process, thus they are easily deceived by greedy politicians.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">‘Bombshell', which was first staged in April 2001, demonstrates the potency of the people's power. Oladipo, a retired school principal played by Jibrin Ahmed, invades Akinfunmilola's political rally where he is declaring his candidacy for the governorship positin. He instigates the people to demand an account of Akinfunmilola's previous stewardship, saying it will be the basis to decide whether he deserves to represent them once more or not.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">He says, "You have the power. Not the power to work in the factories. Not the power to till the soil. Nor the powers to exhibit great dancing skills as you are ignorantly doing now. No! It is the power to elect whom you want to lead you and to eject him when he breaks his promises..."</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Right environment for business</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Speaking at the end of the play, Mike Oko, a representative of ExxonMobil Nigeria, sponsors of the production, disclosed that the oil company supported the play because its financial and business stability depends on Nigeria's political climate. "We are doing this to educate the people so that they can take the right decision when our politicians come calling, for we need a stable environment for business to grow."</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Actor, Ropo Ewenla, commended ExxonMobil for the initiative. "I am shocked to see that ExxonMobil is putting its money in theatre as a tool for change. This is highly commendable and I hope other companies will do the same. It is high time our corporate organisations begin to see that they can do much more than just making money. Their corporate social responsibilities must be channeled towards activities like these that have direct bearing on the people." Ewenla added that a few technical lapses he noticed in the play should be addressed as the group plans to take it around Nigeria in due course</p></div>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-1206799090283976432010-12-12T09:39:00.000-08:002010-12-12T09:49:34.039-08:00Second term for Greg Odutayo<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=xAv$E8n8ZaC4hJfVSLr7dy6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxS3F256WewV1y9AA7mjBQQpnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 450px;" src="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=xAv$E8n8ZaC4hJfVSLr7dy6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxS3F256WewV1y9AA7mjBQQpnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, 'sans serif', Georgia; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><h1 style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font-size: 24px; font: normal normal normal 24px/normal Georgia; font-weight: normal; line-height: 42px; letter-spacing: -2px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "><br /></h1><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="tool-container" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: inherit; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><tbody style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><tr style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><td valign="bottom" class="byline" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; "><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "><b style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "></b></p><p class="Sunday Styles-Byline- Style" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "><b style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">By Jerry Adesewo</b></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "><b><i>Next Daily</i></b> November 30, 2010 10:56PM</p></td><td valign="middle" class="tools" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; text-align: right; "><br /><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: middle; "> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><div id="article-body" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Georgia; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; "><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "></p><p class="Daily Styles-Body Text Styles-Body- Text" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">The three-man National Delegate Council’s Electoral Panel, chaired by Nifemi Richards, has returned Greg Odutayo unopposed for another two years’ tenure as the national president of the National Association of Nigerian Theatre Arts Practitioners (NANTAP), the apex body for theatre practitioners, at the just concluded national convention of the body.</p><p class="Daily Styles-Body Text Styles-Body- Text" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Odutayo took office in 2008 at the Ekiti convention, where he secured a landslide victory over Biodun Abe as the president.</p><p class="Daily Styles-Body Text Styles-Body- Text" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">CEO of Royal Roots Communication, producers of television series, ‘My Mum & I’ and ‘About To Wed’, Odutayo was commended for the achievements of his first tenure. Among other things, the administration brokered an insurance deal that theatre practitioners across Nigeria can benefit from. A NANTAP website was launched; and the administration has been very vocal in the agitation for an Endowment Funds for the Arts.</p><p class="Daily Styles-Body Text Styles-Body- Text" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Other members of the executive who also returned unopposed include the deputy president, Toyin Ogundeji; secretary general, Steph Ogundele, director of business; and Deji-Etiwe Suleiman, who was the immediate past chairman of Lagos NANTAP.</p><p class="Daily Styles-Body Text Styles-Body- Text" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">The fresh faces in the National Executive Council elected and sworn-in for the first time on Saturday, November 20, include: Adesewo Adebayo, as assistant secretary general; Lara Akinsola, as director of finance; Ofonime Inyang, as director of research and documentation; Ozi Okoli of NN24, as director of publicity; Idoyen Francis, as director of productions and screening; Patrick Okonkwo, as director, copyright and royalties; Yinka Aiyelokun, as the chief whip; while the duo of Faith Eboigbe and Christopher Ifezime clinched the two ex-officio positions.</p><p class="Daily Styles-Body Text Styles-Body- Text" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Chair of the National Delegate Council, Segun Oyewo, challenged the executive to move the association further up to take its pride of place in the nation’s polity, as a major stakeholder.</p><p class="Daily Styles-Body Text Styles-Body- Text" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">“Our fate and future we have committed into your hands today because we have absolute trust in you. Make sure that you give this association all the best. Two years is a long time and is so very short as well, but, it is not how short, but how well. We wish you all the best and expect the best from you,” he admonished.</p><p class="Daily Styles-Body Text Styles-Body- Text" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">The national delegate council also appointed a five-man constitution review committee, chaired by Nifemi Bruce Richards, to review the constitution of the association. This followed an earlier failed attempt by the Biodun Abe administration.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Other members of the review committee include: Lara Akinsola (Lagos); Gold Ikponmwonsa (Abuja); Christopher Ifezime (Delta); and Mufu Onifade of Lagos State. The committee is expected to liaise with chapters across the nation for their contributions and then present the reviewed constitution for ratification at the next National Delegate Congress, holding in Abuja, in November 2011.</p><div><br /></div><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "></p></div></span>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-79980835329513533802010-12-12T09:30:00.001-08:002010-12-12T09:38:45.946-08:00Kelani goes back to his roots<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=oxJKs7SC$qRE9kTLjTMIxy6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxQ$VUzXkQ0nY5ASluIR_HBBnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 450px;" src="http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.common.streams.StreamServer.cls?CONTENTTYPE=image/jpeg&STREAMOID=oxJKs7SC$qRE9kTLjTMIxy6SYeqqxXXqBcOgKOfTXxQ$VUzXkQ0nY5ASluIR_HBBnW_PgxgftuECOcfJwS6Jtlp$r8Fy$6AAZ9zyPuHJ25T7a9GKDSxsGxtpmxP0VAUyHL6IDcZHtmM2t7xO$FHdJG95dFi6y2Uma3vSsvPpVyo-" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, 'sans serif', Georgia; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; "><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="tool-container" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: inherit; border-collapse: collapse; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><tbody style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><tr style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "><td valign="bottom" class="byline" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; "><p class="Daily Styles-Byline- Style" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "><b style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">By Akintayo Abodunrin and Molara Wood</b></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; color: rgb(94, 92, 92); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; line-height: normal; font-size: 11px; "><i><b>NextonSunday</b></i> December 12, 2010 01:18AM</p></td><td valign="middle" class="tools" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; text-align: right; "><br /><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; vertical-align: middle; "> </p></td></tr></tbody></table><div id="article-body" style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Georgia; line-height: 18px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left; "><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Foremost cinematographer in Nollywood, Tunde Kelani, bounces back from the setback of the heavily pirated ‘Arugba' with a new film, ‘Ma'ami', starring Funke Akindele. In this interview with NEXT, Kelani talks about the making of ‘Ma'ami' and his plans to get the film to the masses.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">How did Arugba do commercially?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">‘Arugba' is a flop. There is no doubt about it because we were really modest in our expectations; we bought the recommended holograms, 100,000 from the National Film and Video Censorship Board and we didn't sell 50,000. We still have thousands and thousands of copies of the film. There is no way we can sell with that level of piracy. Right now, we have in our possession three pirated versions and then one London pirated version. All our films have been pirated but there had never been such an orchestrated attack, like that of ‘Arugba'.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">How do plan to forestall this with your forthcoming film, Ma'ami?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I think that generally this is a reflection of the Nigerian society. The industry is suffering from lack of the necessary infrastructure so this is going to go on for a long time. I don't believe the government at this time has the capacity to deal with it, especially now when elections are coming. If I carry a few samples of pirated films to any police station, I'm sure that I will meet more difficult issues that need the attention law enforcement agencies.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">We have to adopt the physical division model in Nigeria where I have to release VCD or DVD and we have to physically move it from region to region, town to town.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Broadband internet access is at the moment less than two percent penetration in Nigeria. So, that suggests that we have to do physical distribution for a long time. The desperation in piracy since ‘Arugba' has gone worse... I understand that in the market today on any release, in the evening of the same day the pirated versions will come in the market. It suggests that there is no way we can risk physical distribution of ‘Ma'ami' so we have to come up with another model for making sure that it gets to the people.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Can you talk about your new strategy?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I'm passionate about reviving the cinema going culture. That's why I initiated the mobile cinema project and I got support from the Lagos State Government. We screened ‘Arugba' in the 57 local governments and development areas of Lagos State. We took the film on the road and it showed free, in the open air to Lagosians. I've been toying with the idea of developing at least 30 cinemas in Lagos State, working with the local governments. I'm already in discussion with the Association of Sports Viewing Centres in Lagos State and I'm hopeful that perhaps we can put together a chain of 200 such centres. Secure, comfortable centres that can seat a minimum of 100 people. This way, I plan to take the film to the grassroots.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">What about the rest of the country?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">First of all, my focus is on Lagos State because it is viable and accepting; and we have Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola who is keen and he's been very encouraging and supportive. If this model works in Lagos State, then we can explore the possibility of exporting it to the whole of the South West and by extension the whole country.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">What can be done to widen the acceptance base of the Yoruba film?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I don't think that's a problem because now we are moving into the area of indigenous cultural expression. Countries like China, Japan or India for instance, how [have their films] been accessible? The whole world has been waiting, but the film has to be of a reasonable quality and standard. Japan and India [make] films of quality standard, so that's all we have to do. Already, some of the films we have produced (at Mainframe) have been subtitled in English, French and in the case of ‘Saworoide', we did a Portugese subtitling. So that's what we should do. Of course, I will be excited about the possibilities of meeting a great indigenous cultures like, for instance, Japanese and Chinese, rather than looking to following Hollywood. So for me, Yoruba cinema has a great prospect.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">You've been filming ‘Ma'ami' with Funke Akindele, Wole Ojo and the young man you are introducing to cinema for the first time, Ayomide Abati. What has that experience been like?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Filming ‘Ma'ami' is exciting because it has some element of my childhood in it. For example, when we combed the whole of Abeokuta looking for a primary school that has a football field, I realised it was becoming rare because education standard has fallen so low that they don't consider such development part of education anymore. I had to return to my own Oke-Ona United Primary School in Abeokuta and luckily we still had a kind of a field that we used 50 years ago. It's still there but in bad shape. The buildings are still standing although they are crying out for [renovation].</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Again, we scouted for possible appropriate locations but we didn't find any, so we had to return to my own family compound; and for me it was like going back home. We had to repaint all the houses in the neighbourhood and our single interior set for Funke Akindele and the boy actually was shot in our own house. I found a boxfull of documents which my father had kept away. Going through these documents, I found a Christmas card that was sent to me in 1960 - from a girl and it was ‘With love from Yetunde'. I couldn't even remember who it was! It was going back to my own childhood and my own neighbourhood and I knew the terrain like the back of my hand. That's why making the film is special to me, I could see things from my growing up years.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">There were reports you had dropped Funke Akindele from the film but she's still in it. What actually happened?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">It was a misunderstanding. After I had talked to her and released the script to her, I was coming from my ophthalmologist and there was a video shop. I saw the poster of a film called ‘Iya Mi' and it was Funke Akindele on the poster. I was shocked because of the closeness between the titles, ‘Ma'ami' and ‘Iya Mi'. For a moment I was concerned that it might mislead some of the audience because I had received a few calls from people asking me if the film was out. I was apprehensive that ‘Ma'ami' might be mistaken as Part two of ‘Iya Mi'. I sent for the film, I saw it and what I saw was that Funke was not even playing the mother in the film, she actually played the daughter.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I thought something was funny... I decided that we were going to change her, to do another film entirely. She heard this news and came to me and explained her own side of the story. I thought Funke needed the film, she wanted to do ‘Ma'ami'. I thought she genuinely wanted to be in the project and I was convinced.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Of course, there is a reason why I decided to work with Funke Akindele because I have followed her career closely; and in (my films) ‘Narrow Path' and ‘Abeni', she had played minor roles, supporting roles. I was waiting for the right story to cast her. What was strategic for me, it was not a glamorous role and in the film, she had a change of costume only once; wearing the same thing again and again. She's not the glamorous star that everybody expected. I think this was a challenge for her and she had to play convincingly the mother of a 10-year-old.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">And the young man that you cast as her child - you know what they say in Hollywood: never work with animals or children. How was it?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Ayomide is a child in the neighbourhood in Oshodi where we live, he's quite lively and gets along with everybody. But my worry... at this point I have to appeal to parents because we are gradually getting to a point where it is becoming very difficult to find young or adult Yoruba actors and actresses who can speak the Yoruba language. I think it's becoming a challenge. For about two or three days, we were really disturbed - both the young Kashimawo (Ayomide Abati) and the adult Kashimawo (Wole Ojo) - because it's now a problem and this is a result of when consciously parents discourage their children from speaking their own language or practicing their own natural culture.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I think that's the result of an identity crisis and we had identity crisis on the set. I think that Ayomide has learned from that experience and I think he will be redeemed. But I think it's a crisis in the Yoruba nation. There is no doubt in my mind that the children of the elite and the lower class no longer speak Yoruba in their homes. I doubt even the lawmakers, if any of their children speak Yoruba at home.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Can you tell us more about the making of Ma ami from a filmmaker's point of view?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I think ‘Ma ‘ami' is the beginning of another era because we are at a point now in digital media where we have access to great technology and it is the first and only film that I have shot digitally in what can be called 35 mm. You know they talk about shooting 35mm celluloid; this is the digital equivalent of it. In other words, we shot in 4K-to-a-35mm-censor. I think this is exciting. It is just like when I discovered photography in those days when I was young, I was excited every day of my life. Now, I'm excited all over again because of the various possibilities in the delivery of the content.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">If there was demand and corporate sponsorship, we could get a 35mm print in celluloid for cinema release and we could do digital projection on any of the four formats since our original format was resolution 4K. For me, this is as topmost as you can get and I am happy I was supported by at least four companies. ‘Ma ‘ami' is a high-low budget film. It [cost] around 150,000 dollars, but I'm hopeful that it will be worth something like 700,000 dollars. I have the objective to achieve more with less.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">When can we expect to see the film?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Work is going on on ‘Ma'ami' everyday and I still have some bits to shoot. We designed it in such a way that we rigged an editing system, work is going on everyday. We have a digital laboratory and presntly we are doing our first primary colour correction and then encoding into the editing format. The rough cut of the film is almost complete.There should be a workable version before the end of December because for Funke and some of the various expertise on the film, I have to enter the film for the Pan-African Film and Television Festival of Quadadogou (FESPACO). I think I'll be in time to enter for AMAA which closes December 15.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">You have been able to sustain a blockbuster career, what are you doing that the other filmmakers are not doing?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I don't think the films can really be called blockbusers but at any time, they meant something. They show a progression and at any point, they have been experimental either from point of technology or digital media. If I thought that the future of African Cinema or world cinema will be in digital media, then I think I'm right because officially the year 2010 has been mooted by experts (as) the death of the chemical process of making films.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">The collection of films that I have made have been successful , both universities both home and abroad use them as resource. Particularly for ‘Arugba', there have been one or two universities that ordered copies for African Studies. For me, that has been a kind of satisfaction and encouragement.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">You relocated to Benin Republic where you shot the ‘Abeni' series and the ‘Narrow Path' but you are back. What happened?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I couldn't relocate totally because I'm one of the people who subscribe to the notion that ‘ibi ori dani si laagbe' and it was clear throughout my career that I had options of staying abroad. I am happy and grateful to God that I have been created in Yorubaland and so far He has made it enjoyable. It is exciting for me, not only Yoruba culture but all Nigerian cultures. What happened was that I went there to see the Yorubas staying there and see how they are faring.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I didn't stay just in Porto Novo, Akete, Isede, Pobe, Ketu; I went as far as Dassa up north , Sabe. I did spend quite some there, about three years. If you watch the ‘Narrow Path' for instance, the marriage scenes, where they sing marriage songs, that is the song in that community. It shows that this is Yorubaland and these are Yoruba people. That was really exciting for me and obviously we reaped good things because the experience kicked off the Beninoise film industry. Now, they make a lot of home videos just like in Nigeria. I believe that our cooperation started that film industry up to a point that they make films regularly and I am not needed anymore.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Why don't you do collaborations with other filmmakers?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">It depends on the project. For instance, I would gladly co-produce any Nigerian film from other cultures if they will do things from their vast literary resources like ‘Danda' by Arthur Nwankwo or any of Cyprian Ekwensi's or any of Chinua Achebe's work. ‘The Passport of Malam Ilia', things like that. Most of [Mainframe's] works spring from literature because I read a lot when I was young; I love novels and literature and I will be willing to work with [other filmmakers]; it depends on the orientation, if they want to follow Hollywood. I don't want to follow Hollywood, I'm an indigenous filmmaker, I believe in telling our own great stories and finding expression and taking the audience through my own cultural background. So I'm not really comfortable making a film the Hollywood style. The prospect of a co-production where Samuel L Jackson will play Sango, I don't think it excites me.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Or because I want to penetrate international or American market and I would use Danny Glover as Kabiyesi in my story. That's not quite what I want.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">Mainframe recently collaborated with NANTAP and Dance Guild of Nigeria to stage ‘Yeepa! Solarin Nbo'. Can we expect more of such?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">Yes, theatre has always been my passion because when I was in Form Two at the Abeokuta Grammar School around 1963, I was part of the excursion team that travelled all the way from Abeokuta to watch ‘The Palmwine Drinkard' at the 0bisesan Hall in Ibadan. It was a privilege watching Kola Ogunmola on stage and it was a production of the University of Ibadan. It was the first time I sat in a theatre where I witnessed the effect of lighting; when the light changed to black or came on, my head was this big. It must have made a lasting impression on me. Again, I was privileged to have [seen] all the great plays, like ‘Oba Koso' and ‘Kurunmi', for instance, and ‘Danda'. For me, it's seeing those people live on stage, appreciating them. Sunny Oti, Shodipo. The thrill I got looking at Duro Ladipo on stage or Ogunde on stage, I thought they were not human beings. It's a disaster that we have not documented any of the great classics, so I would really have loved to do ‘The Palmwine Drinkard' on stage for the 50th anniversary of Nigeria Independence but of course we couldn't because of the shortage of time and then Lagos State came in at just the time for us to stage ‘Yeepa! Solarin Nbo'.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">What was exciting for me is the the possibilty of doing the standard Yoruba presentation where you do an opening glee, because the Yoruba theatre which has influenced me was ‘Total Theatre'. Before we watch the play they will do an opening glee which is a song and dance routine - perhaps a summary of the whole play in dance. And at the end of the day, they will do a closing glee, so I conceived that and wanted to work with NANTAP and the Dance Guild of Nigeria to do an opening glee and to use Ogunde's ‘Yoruba Ronu' and ‘Petepete' by 9ice to give it a contemporary touch. We tried to bring it back during the Ileya (Eid) festival with LTV and corporate sponsors because, coming out of the play, I am seeing things like people saying: I have never watched a Yoruba stage play in my life. People saying: we have never watched anything like this in 25 years. This doesn't even speak well of the country.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">It's a pity, a shame really and I think somehow, we have to find a means of continuing and in my lifetime produce ‘The Palmwine Drinkard' before all the original cast die. I know where the material is. One or two people are still alive and its been studied... I befriended Pa Amos Tutuola before he died, I visited him at Odo Ona, Ibadan, several times.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">What next after Ma'ami?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">I have a string of projects lined up. First, I will like to do an adaptation of Yinka Egbokhare's ‘The Dazzling Mirage', about sickle cell. Then I will have to quickly do another Yoruba film to pacify the Yoruba audience so I will do an adaptation of Femi Osofisan's ‘Wuraola' and then I will love to do ‘Cordelia', which is another Osofisan stuff. This is set against a popular military coup and I have always wanted to do something about one of our military coups. Then I will do ‘Dog's on Lions Trail' which I have shelved for about seven years. It's an adaptation of Kola Akinlade's ‘Aja To N Lepa Ekun'. It's interesting because all those five or six films I have mentioned are adaptations from literary resource.</p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "><strong style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; ">We don't have as much production anymore in Yoruba literature; will there come a time when you run out of resource?</strong></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; ">It's not possible because if I take to Ifa corpus, for instance, those are more than a thousand stories. Our ancestors have already done all the work and passed all these things to us. It's another thing if we close our eyes and turn our back on it and never look. It's not possible in two lifetimes to exhaust literary resource. We haven't even touched any of Fagunwa's works. Two pages of D.O. Fagunwa is about two films. It's all there.</p><div><br /></div><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "></p><p style="outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-align: justify; "></p></div></span>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7147689186587974384.post-85670066282838200332010-11-25T06:35:00.000-08:002010-11-25T06:38:24.165-08:00Stepping Stones Nigeria Pledges Full Support to Commission of Inquiry into Witchcraft Accusations and Child Rights Abuses in Akwa Ibom State<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%">Open Letter to Governor Chief (Dr) Godswill Akpabio from Stepping Stones Nigeria</span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB">Your Excellency,</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Stepping Stones Nigeria wishes to congratulate you on your recent establishment of Commission of Inquiry into witchcraft accusations and child rights abuses in Akwa Ibom State. We wholeheartedly welcome this positive move and wish to assure you that Stepping Stones Nigeria and its partner organisation – the Child Rights and Rehabilitation Network – will provide the commission with our full support and evidence needed to show the true scale of the problem in Akwa Ibom State.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">It is true to say that the child witch problem was indeed here before the advent of your administration in Akwa Ibom. It is equally true to say that you were the first Governor who was brave enough to confront the challenge of witchcraft accusations amongst children. By enacting the Child Rights Act in 2008 and making it illegal to brand children as witches you have shown that you are a true champion of child rights in Nigeria.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Stepping Stones Nigeria will be delighted to work with the Chairman, Justice Godwin Abraham, and all Commission members, along with national and international partners such as UNICEF, NAPTIP, various International Governments, CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera, Channel 4, Amnesty and Human Rights Watch to ensure that the commission receives as much comprehensive information on this issue as possible and upholds the highest international standards.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">We look forward to the Commission helping provide access to justice for the numerous victims of this horrific form of abuse in Akwa Ibom State as, despite our partners reporting cases of abuse to the relevant authorities, there have been no successful prosecutions to date. This has been a source of great frustration for us. As such, you can imagine our great delight that you have shown the wisdom to set up this Commission in order to get to the bottom of this evil practice. We implore the Commission to use local media to encourage local community members throughout Akwa Ibom State to offer their own opinions about the validity of child witchcraft accusations.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Stepping Stones Nigeria also very much looks forward to reviewing the recommendations of the Committee and remains committed to working with the Akwa Ibom State Government to eradicate the abuse of child rights that takes place due to the belief in so-called child witches. Stepping Stones Nigeria believes that such positive steps to prevent the abuse of children and bring a brighter future to the lives of stigmatised children in Akwa Ibom will go a long way to further improving Akwa Ibom State’s reputation in Nigeria and around the world.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">Once again we commend you Your Excellency for your passion to help Nigeria’s vulnerable and disadvantaged children and hope to have the opportunity to discuss these issues personally with you in the near future.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB">Yours Faithfully, </span></p> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-GB">Gary Foxcroft - Programme Director – Stepping Stones Nigeria</span></p>jerry adesewohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16883297610192760595noreply@blogger.com0