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[Article]: Is Nigerian Hip Hop Dead or Alive? | By: MCskill ThaPreacha
Dora Akunyili was the light in our darkest hour | By: Bayo Oluwasanmi
Last week, the world lost a great woman. Indeed, this planet lost one of the most talented and multi-faceted women of our time. We are shocked and saddened by the sudden death of Dr. Dora Akunyili, Nigeria’s former Director-General, National Agency for Drug and Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
Death comes, and it comes to each family and each person. It’s part of life cycle. We know that one day our time will come. However, it takes faith to accept it when death comes knocking.
Dora as she was fondly called, assumed the leadership of NAFDAC when Nigeria’s multibillion dollar counterfeit drug industry was not only surviving but flourishing. Ours is a country where healthcare is lacking and the cost of pharmaceutical drugs are prohibitive and out of reach for the poor. The cheaper alternative for the people is counterfeit drugs.
Courageous and daring, Dora did not hesitate or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger to disrupt and dismantle the manufacture, supply and purchase of counterfeit drugs.
The unprecedented infestation of counterfeit drugs in Nigeria reads like a diary of disaster. Metaphorically, Nigerians are experiencing total darkness in the counterfeit drug industry. It was a time when the life of sick Nigerians – the poor and the vulnerable, the frail and the infirm – were filled with shadow. Dora was the light and the sunshine.
She was passionate about protecting and preserving the health and life of Nigerians especially the poor who could not afford pharmaceutical drugs. Obviously, the powerful counterfeit drug barons did not welcome Dora with ceremony and reception. Neither did they comply without a fight.
Her character was smeared and her motives questioned. In fact, one or two assassination attempts were made on her life. Providentially, the assassins missed the vital organs. Nonetheless, Dora remained dogged and steadfast in her commitment to rid Nigeria of fake drugs.
Her goal was to elevate NAFDAC to the enviable status of America’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA). To put in place the necessary reforms, Dora became the drug czar.
In the true sense of the word, Dora was a no-nonsense drug czar. She destabilized the industry by enforcing stringent measures and control. She stemmed the flow and funnel of counterfeit drugs. The cartel criminals paid instantly and dearly for their crimes.
She policed the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of the counterfeit drug trade. She initiated quality control standards for the industry with bar code and seal of NAFDAC approval on labels of drugs and processed foods made in Nigeria.
Dora was to Nigeria public office as light is to stained glass. She was intelligent, strong, unrelenting, and a fearless advocate in her pursuit of justice. She was a surrogate for hard work and persistence.
Her reassignment to the useless, needless, and irrelevant ministry of information stunned Nigerians. Nigerians seem to be asking: how could such a high performer and effective NAFDAC chief be sent to Siberia?
Her departure from NAFDAC was mourned as if a life had been snuffed out. Dora took the teeth and jaw of NAFDAC with her when she left for the information ministry. That was the last time NAFDAC would inflict any serious dent or damage on traffickers and profiteers of counterfeit drugs.
With her passing, she has lived her calling. She packed a whole lot of living into the years she spent among mortals. Though she was taken much too soon, she is connected in our passion, our humanity, and our empathy. Dora, we truly love you!
Remarkable women fuel our lives. Dora was one of them. She inspired us, she taught us, and she nourished us. We’re so grateful for the amazing work she did for our nation and we’ll never forget her cause.
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us,” remarks Albert Pike, “what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” Dora exemplified the best in our public service.
Dora as a public servant activist and advocate was on call 24/7. She was the frontline between the victims of counterfeit drugs and the profiteers. She was a public servant with a heart and a conscience.
Death is a topic that makes us uncomfortable. It brings us face to face with our own mortality. It causes us to pause and think of what we do with our lives especially those people who are appointed over the affairs of their fellow beings.
As Helen Keller reminds us, “Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there is a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see.” Similarly, there is a difference for Dora and in that other room she will be able to rest in peace.
Dora, good bye and goodnight!
How Nollywood kills people in Nigeria | By: Abimbola Adelakun
Anyone who has ever seen a Yoruba film on a fairly regular basis in Nigeria would be familiar with this mundane storyline: A man is unsuccessful in his business ventures (or, if a woman is unable to have a child); the person takes his/her case to a spiritualist who could be a babalawo/pastor/ Muslim cleric; the spiritualist instructs the victim to carry out some rituals that would strike at the root of his/her affliction; not long after, his/her mother (or stepmother) takes to the street, confessing to witchcraft and reading out a long list of atrocities she has committed.
The conclusion of the story: A crowd of spectators, entertained by the “witch”‘s “confessions,” take it on themselves to stone the woman to death. And after her demise, his/her victim’s business begins to prosper. If a woman, she gives birth to either a set of twins or a male child. Having seen a number of these films, especially the ones produced by semi-literate filmmakers and packaged for a largely ill-informed audience, I am pretty familiar with how the theme of triumph of good over evil is usually treated. There is insistence on materialising evil through a physical body, and in many cases, aged females are the culprits.
Sometimes, you watch the barbarism peddled in these films and wonder what the job of the censors’ board is, really. No, these filmmakers are not totally ignorant of the several diseases associated with senescence; they just feed a social neurosis that seeks to unload all our imaginations of the workings of evil on a scapegoat. When we have identified one, we proceed to destroy it so we can get a sense of collective purging from the effort.
A recent example: A newspaper headline screamed, “Bird Turns to Old Woman in Lagos.” From the way the reporter narrated the story, you would think s/he witnessed the transmutation of the old woman who was described as a “nonagenerian.”
Read through the story and you will not find editorial intrusion in the account; no attempt to probe what happened beyond reporting illiterate “eyewitness” accounts that insisted the old woman fell from the sky while flying to Ibadan from Lagos. It seemed the reporter and his/her editor believed the idle spectators who claimed they saw some birds flying when one fell from the sky. But think about it, who, in an environmentally polluted Lagos, does bird watching at 7am to notice three flying? Did they see these three lone birds in the sky with their korokoro eyes or binoculars? And what is so special about flying birds that they noticed these ones?
Did it even occur to the crowd that when the “nonagenarian” said she fell because she was tired, it was on account of her biological age and nothing else? And could it be that the driver of the van that claimed she fell on his truck fabricated the story of a woman who fell out of the sky because he didn’t want to be held responsible for hitting her?
Most disheartening, however, was the mob that almost lynched the poor woman. People have become so inhuman that the sight of old and weak people no longer compels any sympathy in them. Up till now, I wonder why there was no proper investigation by the Police. Even after the woman’s children had shown up and confirmed their mother had issues, should the Police not have gone after the various participants in the near-lynching and charge them for incitement to commit murder?
But the question persists, why are people convinced witches do fly even though nobody has ever seen one?
I know some readers will argue about the existence of evil forces; insist witches truly exist; and if our ancestors believed witches could fly, they sure must know what they were talking about. Perhaps. All these stories, as pervasive as they are, have never been independently verified. They exist in our imagination and not even the most vociferous defender of the existence of witchcraft has ever seen one woman turn into a bird. These things are created in our imagination by popular culture and then become self-reproducing such that we believe our own fiction.
This is why I blame Nollywood; although, I should clarify that “Nollywood” as I refer to it here is not about all the films produced in the Nigerian film industry. I am specific about a particular genre of films produced in Yoruba language and which tries to toe the line of the late Hubert Ogunde’s cinematographic depiction of evil, witches and witchcraft. I speak of those particular films with linear themes that see the world through only a dual prism of white/black, evil/good. These films are quite popular and are packaged for a market often without enough intellection to filter fantasy from reality.
A lot, of course, has to do with a culture of superstition in which we were raised. While the Oyinbo created Harry Potter and sorcery, hardly any Oyinbo believes that witches fly on broomsticks. In this part of the world, we are steeped in certain cultural beliefs that we have not outgrown. I think a lot has to do with our transition into modernity that was not properly mediated at some point.
When people who were already immersed in cultural beliefs about witchcraft were exposed to Ogunde’s films, and they saw the animation of transmutation and flying witches, it simply sealed their existing beliefs and some of them were locked into that mode ever since. The medium was too credible for transmutation to be incredible. Things are not helped by religious institutions that propagate these beliefs to boost what they sell. The filmmakers, seeing as they have a working formula, continue to sell the same stories about malevolent forces and their exaggerated power over human existence.
Some people, unfortunately, just cannot think outside the oversimplified narratives they see in Nollywood.
When they hear about old women flying from Ibadan to Lagos, they believe it because they already saw it in a film. When old women who “confess” to evil acts are stoned in a film, they want to lynch one in real life too because they think that they are contributing to a good cause by destroying evil. Life, for them, is simply an extension of a Nollywood drama.
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Abimbola Adelakun is a journalist, PUNCH columnist and fiction writer. She lives in Lagos , Nigeria.
Why can't Nigerians see Half of a Yellow Sun? | By: Biyi Bandele.
When I heard last month that the Nigerian Film and Video Censors Board, headquartered in Abuja, had indicated that it would be unable to issue certification for “Half of a Yellow Sun” in time for the film’s release date, I naturally assumed, at first, that what we were faced with was nothing more sinister than another instance of the typical, if frustrating, culture of wilful incompetence that we’d grappled with during the making of the film. While shooting the film in Nigeria two years ago, there were times when we felt ensnared in impenetrable jungles of red tape, when we would be given the go-head by one arm of the government only to find our path blocked by the other arm. I had no reason to assume that there might be anything more to it than that. I had no reason to assume, for instance, that the inability of the board to issue the film with a certificate might actually be a clumsy, heavy-handed ban in all but name.
After all, when the movie had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival last autumn, amongst the entourage of Nigerians who flew in to Toronto for the occasion was Patricia Bala, director-general of the Nigerian censorship board. Bala had arrived in Toronto — I was told — with several of her colleagues from the censor’s office. I know for a fact that they watched the movie. I do not know for a fact that they all liked it. I cannot say if any one of them stood up when, as the end credits rolled, the audience rose and gave the film three standing ovations. But I do know that Bala was gracious enough to tell us after the screening how much she loved the movie. At no point did she express any reservations about the contents of the film.
It is now nearly eight months since Bala and her board first saw the movie in Toronto and a few weeks since she and her board have failed to issue “Half of a Yellow Sun” the certification that it needs that the law requires it obtains before it can be shown in cinemas in Nigeria. In those several days I’ve been assailed on Twitter, Facebook, and by email with rumors, innuendos, half-truths, and downright lies, disseminated sometimes directly from the censorship board (they have issued at least one press statement), about why “Half of a Yellow Sun” still hasn’t been issued with a ratings certificate.
The board claims that he has not banned the film but certain aspects of it “have some unresolved issues which have to be sorted out in accordance with the law and laid down regulations.” It has been rumored that FilmOne, the Nigerian distributors of “Half of a Yellow Sun,” might have been late in submitting the film for certification. Not true. Most films that are screened in Nigerian cinemas are shown to the censor only a day or two before the films open to the paying public. In documentations that have been shown to me, there are instances even of movies being shown to the censor days after the movies had officially opened to the public. “Half of a Yellow Sun” was scheduled to open on April 25. It was submitted to the censorship board at least two weeks earlier.
I’ve also heard tell that the censorship board’s inability to make a decision about a ratings certificate for my film has been brought upon it because of a sudden concern that a movie that depicts scenes from the Biafra war might provoke “tribal violence” in a country that has in recent months been besieged with terrorist bombings and profoundly shaken by the abduction of over 200 school girls by Boko Haram.
Credit: www.cnn.com
Opinion: What Tiwa Savage and TeeBillz should really be concerned about | By: Uduak Oduok
In recent times, we have seen highly controversial weddings among female celebrities. The issue to my knowledge, in the public domain, is not whether these husbands were “second hand” husbands but rather whether they fulfilled their responsibilities to their children or ex-spouses (where a prior marriage was concerned) before attempting to remarry, okay perhaps actress Funke Akindele’s marriage might have been the exception to the rule; but that was justified under Islamic religion where a man can have more than one wife.
However, more direct non-religious examples of controversial weddings follow:
Take for example:
1) Mercy Johnson who married a man who was allegedly still married in Italy, his Italian Nigerian wife even produced valid marriage documents yet Mercy Johnson married him. To resolve that issue, the man at the time of the wedding, and within 24hours, sought for a traditional divorce of his Italian wife in Nigeria.
The jurisdictional issue whether he was still married in Italy remained. To date, we are unsure whether his wife in Italy filed for a divorce. For the life of me, I can’t understand why anyone will say ‘yes’ to a man that has not broken ties from a previous marriage i.e. he is still married with two kids. Divorce and marry, the law permits you to do so. Don’t take someone to the altar while you are legally married to another, especially where your soon to be wife allegedly has no clue.
2) The second example is the Tiwa Savage case. Tiwa Savage’s marriage to T-Billz was controversial regardless of the luxurious weddings and fan fare. Initially, most were very happy for her. She is the darling of the industry. However, when a Nigerian-American Los Angeles based woman emerged on the internet, complete with pictures of T-Billz with two children he fathered by this woman, and accused T-Billz of not providing for his children and not having contact with them for some years now, it became quite embarrassing to watch and imagine that this was who Savage wanted to spend the rest of her life with. To my knowledge, there was no explicit denial by T-Billz of the accusations, rather, he made a statement on how he tries to be the best father.
Meanwhile, you had Tiwa Savage singing praises on how T-Billz was the best and believed and invested in her when others wouldn’t. If you all recall, I responded here on AML that, there was mixing of business and pleasure. Your manager is supposed to believe in you and invest in you the way that he does, even if you are a female artiste, it is no different than his investment in a male artiste. Anyway, fast forward, these two are now married and a colleague writes an article that refers to her choice for a husband as a second hand husband. While he does not name Tiwa and T-Billz, the clear inference given the facts he cites is that he refers to them.
T-Billz and Tiwa in response are clearly hurt and have taken to (instagram) to air their opinions. I am not sure Etcetera’s article warranted a response. There will be many that will hold the opinion that T-Billz is a”second hand” husband. That is their issue and prerogative. On the flip side, there will be many who do not hold such opinion and can appreciate the role a manager has in the career of an artist and that, but for his business sense and vision, the deals brokered and the strategic placement of the Tiwa Savage brand,to become successful would not have occurred. Arguably, that they happen to fall in love does not make him 2nd hand.
I think the only thing T-Billz should be concerned about is taking care of his existing children with the woman in L.A. so we don’t see such spills on the internet making his private affairs with Tiwa one for dissecting. He does have a duty to protect her, doesn’t he?
Credit: www.africamusiclaw.com
Opinion: ‘Old Man’ Samuel Eto’o Could Still Make This Season Great
Consistent, reliable and dependable, Samuel Eto’o should be seen as a crucial and vital part of Chelsea’s squad. Eto’o’s performances, particularly in the second half of the season, deserve a great deal of credit and recognition. The often-understated Cameroonian has scored nine goals in 21 matches this season, many of them coming in Chelsea’s most vital matches. Last month, he opened the scoring in the 4-0 drubbing of Tottenham and in the 6-0 hammering of Arsenal. He also opened the scoring against Galatasary at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League second round. Back at the end of December he scored the second goal in Chelsea’s 2-1 win against Liverpool, and we cannot forget his brilliant hat-trick which destroyed Manchester United in January! In contrast to his striking team-mates, Demba Ba has scored five goals in 18 matches, and Fernando Torres has managed a meagre four goals in 27 matches. Clearly, Eto’o has been Chelsea’s best and most trusty striker this season.
Eto’o is a highly experienced and clinical striker. He is a constant nuisance to defenders, making intelligent runs and dragging defenders out of position. He loves playing on the shoulder of defenders, so often finding space in behind defences, with his opponents struggling to mark him effectively. His pace, acceleration and willingness to run at the opposition makes defenders quake in their boots. Never shy to shoot, Eto’o almost always hits the target. His ice-cool composure and finishing make him deadly in front of goal. Samuel Eto’o is the type of player defenders loathe playing against.
The lure of plying his trade at Chelsea was an offer Eto’o couldn’t refuse, and he reportedly took a huge pay cut– down from £20 million to £8 million on a one year contract. The commitment he showed in signing this contract is something Chelsea fans shouldn’t forget.
The seasoned veteran would be an asset to any side. The Blues should be thankful that they have Samuel Eto’o in their ranks, a player always capable of producing quality when it matters. Maybe in the coming weeks we will see just how valuable Samuel Eto’o is.
Credit: Chelseatrueblue.com
Review: Sir Alex Ferguson: My autobiography | By: Shafi’i Muhammad Abdulhamid
Sir Alex Ferguson had maintained that this autobiography was an account for the Manchester United supporters. Those who had remained faithful and dedicated to the club, and were owed an explanation of the gaps remaining in his 27 years reign as a manager in the club. After reading this book, I found this was absolutely so. It looks like a conversation from the grandpa giving you a straight-talk about how he managed his life, with all the blunders of judgments. Then his determination to maintain a very high standard and understanding early, that no man is greater than the club. It was a story of success. But to me, the most intriguing part of this autobiography was his confrontation with his fearless captain Roy Kean that led to the latter leaving the club.
Before reading this book, I have a million questions which I wish to have the opportunity to ask Fergie, but now I am left with just a handful. One of the questions that continued to baffle me even after reading this book was his decision to choose David Moyes as a successor out of all the wonderful football managers in the world. I read through the whole book, and the old man did not give any strong footballing reason for that decision. Fergie’s only reason was that Moyes was Scottish and Scots have a dourness of strong will to be successful. He strengthens this point by saying Moyes’s father was also a good coach back in the days at Drumchapel, and he believes he has some of these traits in him.
The only statement I read that was close to being a footballing reason for this selection was when he said – Moyes was a fine judge of talent and laid on some marvelous football at Everton when he was allowed to sign a higher class of player. All these to me are ridiculous reasons, because United has a winning mentality which either David Moyes did not understand or he is not capable of sustaining. And again, Fergie should know better that there is a big difference between winning mentality and playing a marvelous football; a case study of Arsenal. I am not of the opinion that United should hire an established coach as the Mourinhos, the Van Gaals or the Capellos, because I want the tradition of the club to be upheld.
I still find it difficult to understand why Fergie did not pick among the players or ex-players he nurtured. Players that passed through the never say die school of Fergie time. Players that understood the winning mentality and the tradition of United and will do anything possible to upheld that. Prominent among these players and ex-players are; some of the class of 92 like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes or the Nevilles. I will also be more comfortable with the baby-face of Ole Gunnar Solskjær or the mighty figure of Eric Cantona. What is wrong in choosing our longest serving captain Bryan Robson or our former center back Steve Bruce? Now, this decision of choosing Moyes is putting the team through torture and the fans through hell.
For many of us that have been very faithful in supporting the club over a long time, we find it difficult to forget the untimely departure of our fearless captain, Roy Keane. This is the beginning of our mid-field crises that are yet to be resolved. Keane was a highly opinionated personality. He always thinks he is right even when he was wrong, and that was what made Mick McCarthy (the Republic of Ireland Manager) to send him out of the 2002 World Cup at Japan/Korea camp. During that trying period, Fergie supported Keane even when he knew he was wrong.
But if you are looking for an example of how a player and his coach fell apart, then the saga of Ferguson versus Roy Keane is a classic case. Their problem started when Fergie supported Carlos Queiroz (the assistant coach) after he had some misunderstandings with Keane over accommodation arrangements during pre-season tour at Portugal. After he came back to England, Keane took on to MUTV and seriously criticized most of his team-mates for not pulling their weight during matches. It was so serious that the editors refused to air it and sent the tape to Fergie for his assessment.
The old man was dumbfounded! He could not believe Keane will let down his team-mates in public. The following morning, he called for a meeting of all the players and coaching staff. He played the video for them to see. Keane was quick to ask whether the players had a problem with what they had just seen. Edwin van der Sar and Ruud Van Nestrooy took on him, but the hardest part of Keane’s body was his mouth. So, he uses his blade tongue to slaughter everybody and then saved the best for the old man when he said ‘You brought your private life into the club with your argument with Magnier,’ At that point the players started leaving. It was a shameful ending because, by morning, our legend was on his way out of Old Trafford. No player is bigger than the club.
Keane was right to have made that pronouncement to Fergie. In short, he had said the minds of many fans out there that will never have the opportunity to tell the old man the truth. But the problem was that; he also went about it the wrong way and at the wrong time. The story of Magnier and the racehorse called Rock of Gibraltar was another thing that the book refused to expatiate on, and I think it was intentional. Magnier was a former Manchester United co-owner from Ireland. Magnier and Ferguson also co-owned the racehorse that won many races.
The row that blew up over the successful horse and Ferguson’s claim on the stud rights, consumed the club from Ferguson’s first legal action in January 2003 to the legal settlement in March 2004 and beyond to the Glazer takeover in May 2005. McManus and Magnier owned almost 30 per cent of the club and eventually sold out to the current owner, the Glazers. The fans did not like it when the Glazers came from America and took over the club. And it was this racehorse thing that caused it. Fergie liked it that way because they gave him more power and also increased his pay. How can an important story like this that consumed the former owners of the club be conspicuously omitted from this all important autobiography? If you are a fan of Keano or David Beckham then you may not enjoy the book, because they were portrayed in a bad light.
But one thing that I like so much in the book was honesty in narration especially when it comes to stating the obvious. For example, in the 19th chapter titled – Small is Beautiful, he made the following statement;
“BARCELONA were the best team ever to line up against my Manchester United sides. Easily the best. They brought the right mentality to the contest. We had midfield players in our country – Patrick Vieira, Roy Keane, Bryan Robson – who were strong men, warriors; winners. At Barcelona they had these wonderful mites, 5 feet 6 inches tall, with the courage of lions, to take the ball all the time and never allow themselves to be bullied. The accomplishments of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andrés Iniesta were amazing to me.”
I remembered the old man’s hand shaking terribly in that UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium against Barcelona in 2011. I was even scared he might get a heart attack, especially when he spits out that his iconic chewing gum. But when he spoke about his strikers, this is what he has to say;
“If you put my great goal-scorers together (Andy Cole, Eric Cantona, Van Nistelrooy, Rooney), Ruud was the most prolific. But the best natural finisher was Solskjaer. Van Nistelrooy scored some magnificent goals, but many were scabby, six-yard box goals. Andy Cole scored some fine goals, too, but plenty were close in, scrambled, off the leg, just-get-it-in goals. Solskjaer’s finishing, though, could be majestic. His thought processes underpinned his skills. He had that analytical mind. As soon as he arrived in a shooting position, he had it all sized up. He had mental pictures everywhere. Yet he didn’t play all the time because he wasn’t the most aggressive of strikers.”
Surely, I watched all of them play and I cannot agree more. Simply put. Fergie had worked with many world class strikers including Henrik Larsson (Sweden), Robin van Persie (Holland), Michael Owen and Teddy Sheringham (both of England). But, unfortunately, in this case his call was right. No space for the Uruguayan and two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe Diego Forlán talk less of Chicharito Hernández of Mexico.
He also picked that Wayne Rooney’s bicycle kick against Man City in February 2011 as the greatest goal in his time at United. When he was invited to Everton academy for the first time to watch Rooney play, his remark was, “This was a man playing in under-age football.” Rooney was portrayed in this book as a greedy fellow that owes the United fans an apology because twice he puts up transfer request. But, he praised Cristiano Ronaldo as the most gifted player that he had worked with as a manager.
One last question which the book did not address was this popular allegation especially in Africa that Ferguson does not like black players of African origin. Whether the allegation was true or not, only two black African players featured in his 27 years reign in Manchester United; Quinton Fortune (South Africa) and Eric Djemba-Djemba (Cameroon). These two only struggled to make the first team for some time and then fade away. His attempt to get a Nigerian player, John Mikel Obi, ended in controversy. I wished he took this opportunity to clarify this unfounded racist allegation against him. He missed it.
But one thing that you cannot take away from the grandpa was his achievements. He played four UEFA Champions League finals and won two. He won the old European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1991. He also won the Premier League 13 times and then played in eight FA Cup finals and won five. Played seven League Cup finals and won four. He also won the Intercontinental Cup and the European Super Cup in 1999, and the FIFA World Club Cup in 2008. Not forgetting the ten Charity Shield Cups in his cabinet. Sir Alex Ferguson is the most decorated Premier League manager ever. All hail the King of soccer. It’s Fergie time and united we stand for him.
Credit: Ynaija.com
Opinion: Timaya is right, education is not meant for everyone | By: Kehinde Ajose
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” -Albert Einstein
At the recently held third leg of Star Music Trek, held in Uyo the dancehall sensation Timaya made a statement that got me thinking. This statement has somehow gotten a life of its own as it has practically gone viral and various young Nigerians have been reacting to it calling him a dullard. Timaya puts it this way: “Education is not for me, it is important, yes, but not for me. I scored 17 in JAMB, that’s when I gave up. I don’t have the brain for education but for those of you who do, please do it, its good.” he said.
Despite not being a university graduate, he has been able to discover what he is wired to do and inspiring other young Nigerians to do so. One of the greatest discoveries you can ever decipher in life is to know what God has created you for and walk the path. According to Ken Robinson: ‘Many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they’re not — because the thing they were good at school wasn’t valued, was actually stigmatized.’ Many parents have ‘Talked’ their children out of pursuing their true talents because they believe it’s not a normal thing to do (they prefer them running the rat race) .
Once upon a time, there lived a very poor couple who had a son. When the boy was born, a relative sent some expensive and elegant clothing as a present. The mother made a beautiful robe from the cloth and said, “When my son is a man, I will send him into the world with this beautiful robe.” The boy grew up and one day a rich merchant invited all the townspeople to a feast. The son came in his usual tattered clothing and no one made room for him at the table. Brokenhearted at the rejection, he went home and told his mother what had happened. To console him, she gave him the beautiful robe stored away all these years that she had made from the elegant cloth. The son returned to the feast dressed in his new finery. The rich man saw him, rushed over and bowed, and asked him to sit beside him. The son took off his elegant rob, held it over the food, and said “Eat robe, eat all you want.”
“Why are you talking to your coat?” asked the rich man. “Because when I was here before in poor clothing,” the boy replied, “no one paid attention to me. But now I come in a fancy robe and you treat me royally. It is clearly not me you invited to eat beside you, but my robe.”
The lesson of this story is clear: If you love me for my robe, you rob me of my true self. Our education system is structured in such a way that it is alien to one’s true self .How can you discover your true self while our education system is plagued with several irregularities like prolonged strike actions, lecturers who are not born to lecture but only do it to put body and soul together, an education system that cannot create opportunities for the unemployed.
Joy Bewaji puts it this way in her Facebook post: “If there’s anything I have to share with students of higher learning in this sad country, it would be- Self Development. Run your own government. Build your own institution. Schools with no laboratories, no studios, no air, no dreams. They don’t care about you.”
Imagine if Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie didn’t pursue her true talent – Writing
Imagine if Donjazzy ignored his knack to produce good music, and instead decides to be a school teacher?
– Imagine if Tara Durotoye didn’t stay true to her ability to beautify people… what would have happened to the thousands of young women who have been inspired by her giant strides, and have dared to pursue their dreams as a result of the inspiration and mentorship they draw from her ?
The education that doesn’t make you lead a productive life and create wealth for not just you, but for others should be questioned. According to Kiyosaki (1993), “the current education system is fraught with many problems. First, educators undermine the development of creative and independent thinking in students with their emphasis on the right answer. Essentially, students are discouraged from exploring complex issues when their journey for knowledge is abruptly terminated with their discovery of the one right answer.”
Consequently, the students who thrive in the school system are typically skilled in rote memorization. However, they are ill-equipped to deal with the dynamic and complex realities of our society. Instead of preparing our young people to apply their thinking to changing situations, the education system has essentially produced graduates who are dependent on their superiors and limited by their lack of creativity.
Now let’s come back to Timaya… if his music aptitude has been nurtured right from his childhood, let’s say his parents enrolled him in a music school instead of making him ‘Battle’ with JAMB, he will probably be one of the greatest musicians of our time….(not just an artiste). The crux of the matter is that it’s imperative to find your true gifting , get an education that is in harmony with it, and make a difference in your world through it.
‘Be yourself – not your idea of what you think somebody else’s idea of yourself should be. — ‘Henry David Thoreau
Credit: ynaija.com
Credit: ynaija.com
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Kehinde Ajose is the lead publicist at M.O.V.E MEDIA, a talent development strategist and a blogger.
Review of the 2014 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards (2014 AMVCAs) | By: Charles Novia
It had been months of hype and media activities for the 2nd Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards. Expectations were high for this year’s edition and many practically grovelled for the invitation cards! Who would miss an evening of this magnitude in Africa’s entertainment calender? Did this year’s Africa Magic Viewers Choice Awards have the Crunch Factor, that ‘ooomph’ punch which leaves the guests and viewers speechless and mesmerised? Wait a minute! I am jumping the gun here! Let’s start from the beginning as I witnessed it.
I arrived a few minutes to the scheduled live broadcast of the show and as I walked past the Red Carpet section straight to the hall, I couldn’t help noticing how glamourous (and perhaps amorous too!) many of the ladies and gentlemen looked. One thing to thank the AMVCAs for; the fashion and make-up industry would have rolled in some moolahs these past few days.
I am not an experienced fashion buff, I would leave that to Nigeria’s amorphous Fashion Police to determine who was the Best Dressed or Worst Dressed for the evening (er…Emmy Collins? That’s your plate!)But I did see enough to appreciate that many people actually took time to look quite good for the night. And there were some few ‘Ukwus’ pushing out for cursory recognition and appreciation inside the dresses too! (Apologies to Timaya) One can safely say that it was a night of evening dresses, half-hidden cleavages and unpadded ‘Ukwus’ on the Red Carpet but let’s leave that aspect to the fashion bloggers.
The show opened with a nice performance by a dance troupe, supposedly the KAKADU musical ensemble. I was just taking my seat when their performance ended to appreciative applause from the audience. Kudos to the organisers for getting the stage ensemble on the show. It speaks volumes of an ancillary support of sorts for the thespian arts by that gesture.
Being a theatre arts product myself, any support given to that sector by any means is most welcome. The Presenting Threesome (no pun intended) of IK Osakioduwa, Vimbai and Osas Ighodaro came on the podium to kick off the show proper. IK and Vimbai were quite at ease all through the night when they had their slots but Osas seemed to be trying to catch up with the other two.
Throughout the night she put up a spirited performance but there were a few stumbles over some words as she followed the teleprompter and she seemed overtly mechanical most times.
Perhaps, as she goes on over the years, she would find her rhythm. However, the Three Presenters had some impressive Costume Changes in the course of the night which looked good to me. Vimbai was spot on as a co-hostess and put up a confident performance. We all know the artistic prowess of IK and he didn’t fail in flipping his Bic and writing his own lines when it mattered. Osas was just the last end of the Salami who could have done with a bit more greasing.
The Hall gradually filled up as the show progressed. There was an improvement on last year’s event when the commercialcommercial breaks came up during the show. The Organisers had a live orchestra playing some recitals most times for the live audience. Though what the orchestra played sounded like a drone most times but at least the audience was engaged and concentrated on the flow of the show.
There was a Floor Manager who came up intermittently on stage to reel out names of the next set of scheduled Presenters of the awards and implored them to go backstage. I didn’t know what to make of that but it was better than some other local award shows one has attended where the Floor Managers would either point a finger at the Presenters of the next awards or tap them on the arm in a disconcerting manner. It seemed like Kenya and East Africa had a good outing as “Nairobi Half Life” won some of the early categories.
However, when Shirley Frimpong-Manso and Herty Nwusu from Ghana came up on stage to receive the award for ‘Best Writer’, it seemed like there was a little friction between both ladies on the podium over who should pick the plaque and make a speech. It was subtle but noticeable.
Bez performed on stage with a live band. The audience loved it, though there seemed to be a little self-restraint on his part to really let himself loose but maybe that’s his ‘mellow cool brother’ image he has given us over the years. Something tells me his next album would show us his metamorphosis for the better.
Flavour was on the bill too and started his performance with ‘Ada’ which got me thinking that for aesthetic purposes, perhaps an ‘Ada’ might have done well to be on stage with him to enhance his stagecraft.
But Flavour held his own and took the crowd to another level with other hit songs, ‘Kirikata’ and ‘Asewo’. However, despite a simultaneous synch by his live band and the programmed tracks, Flavour lost his flavour a couple of times in his performance by subtly missing the cue of his songs. A few ad libs made up for the technical sidestep. Flavour is a good cultural ambassador of the neo-Nigerian Highlife Music. He stands out on his own in his genre and really knows how to work a crowd.
The sound in the hall was really a minus. For most of the live performances, the sound output was below average and I’m told there were microphone glitches too which those who watched the live live broadcast tweeted about. The sound output was bad during Davido’s performance. He came on stage and started with his hit song ‘Skelewu’ backed by a live band.
To us in the hall, or perhaps to the trained ear for live sound, it sounded like a pride of lions devouring some killed game and one could barely differentiate the music from the din. His next track, despite the technical shortcomings, got most people in the crowd dancing though. ‘Aye’ seems to be another hit song from the OBO exponent.
The biggest blooper of the night happened when John Okafor and Monalisa Chinda were up to present the award for ‘Best Actress in a Yoruba movie’ as announced by Okafor. Somehow, what flashed onscreen were the names of the nominees in the Hausa category, which got the audience mumbling in confusion.
Maybe someone in the control booth misheard or ‘mufu’-ed that segment? The Presenters announced the winner as Mercy Aigbe perhaps without noticing the mistake or not knowing what to do after a typical Naija live ‘awkward moment’. John Okafor professionally switched to his ‘Mr Ibu’ alter-ego by saying ‘Na Yoruba dem give us’ which cracked up a lot of people.
The correct visual was replayed and Mercy Aigbe, the announced winner came up to the stage for her prize. ‘Oh my God! Oh my God!’ She shrieked out in what sounded like an explicit moan which got many in the audience looking at one another. However, Mercy won the crowd over with her acceptance speech in which she acknowledged her husband and family.
Osita Iheme won the ‘Best Actor in a comedy’ award and graciously acknowledged his other contestants. That was one of the best parts of the night. He gave a moving but stumbled speech on African unity and the Arts. Thereafter, Osita and his screen sidekick Chinedu Ikedieze presented the ‘Best Actress in a comedy’ award to Funke Akindele who seemed to be the obvious winner during the nomination reel having being nominated for two movies in the same category.
As Funke left the stage for backstage, we all could hear her happy screams of ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ backstage during the commercial break as she gave out bellows of excitement. Congratulations, Funke. Bikiye Graham-Douglas won the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ award for her role in ‘Flower Girl’. I did say earlier that I’m not much of a fashion buff but I couldn’t help wondering what on earth she wore to the event while she was on stage!
When Waje performed, I became totally convinced that she is the Best Female Vocalist presently in Nigeria. That lady sure can sing! Wow! And with the very talented Cobhams Asuquo backing her up on the keyboard, it was one of the best moments of the night for me and a memorable one too. Waje might be wishing she ‘didn’t have a heart’ as her song goes but I bet there were many guys there wishing for her heart that night!
Joseph Benjamin and Mercy Johnson presented the award for ‘Best Comedy’. Mercy Johnson seemed nervous or perhaps shy on stage and intermittently clutched her frock, raising it off the floor nervously. But she did regain her composure a bit when presenting the award with a jibe at Elvis Chucks, the winner. I found it curious though that when Mercy came on stage, a lot of ladies in the audience were having hushed conversations about her dress or perhaps her tactless lifting of the dress onstage? Whatever it was with that, no one could fault the impression her ‘Ukwu’ made on the audience when she turned to leave the stage!
Ramsey Nouah and Bimbo Akintola presented the award for ‘Best Movie Drama’. Ramsey looked good in his kaftan and I would vote him as one of the best dressed for the night. Frank Rajah Arase’s movie, ‘The Price’ won in that category and amid his acceptance speech he curiously said ‘Yvonne Nelson, I give you all the glory!’. Huh? Some of us looked at ourselves, askance.
Was Frank Rajah telling us that Yvonne Nelson is his ‘saviour’ or was that a nervous flow in his stream of speech? Frank, you get case to answer o! Hmmmm. You nor fear, you carry Jesus Glory go give woman! For this season of Lent! Issorait! Lol.
Olu Jacobs and Joke Silva presented ‘The Industry Merit Award’ to veteran actor, Pete Edochie. There’s something always cool as cucumber about Pete Edochie. His taped acceptance speech was played in which he ensured the whole world recognised that he’s a titled Igbo Chief with the way he was dressed and the calm and collected manner he spoke. He ended his speech with an advice for aspiring actors; ‘Don’t run after the press, they will run after you when you are successful’.
His award came with a brand new Hyundai SUV which was collected on his behalf by his representative. The award for ‘Best Actress in a Drama’ was won by Nse Ikpe-Etim. Deservedly so for a very intense actress! Congrats, Nse. Her award was received on her behalf by Ashionye Raccah.
OC Ukeje and Genevieve Nnaji presented ‘Best Actor in Drama’ won by Tope Tedela. Many people expected Majid Machel to win but I guess Tope must have held his own somehow in the voting process. Besides, it is good to know that a new generation of actors are taking the reins in Africa. The show ended at about 21.33 CAT and the impressive KAKADU ensemble closed the show with a good performance as the guests left the hall.
One must mention that one appreciates that a lot of time and energy goes into planning events such as this. The organisers must be commended for investing their resources in Africa’s film industry by institutionalising an annual reward system for the burgeoning film sector. However, this year’s AMVCA had a few flaws, though it is an improvement from last year’s.
While the entertainment value of the event this year was quite good, one couldn’t help leaving the event with a nagging analogy that the much-hyped ‘night of Africa Magic’ had something akin to a magician who had an outstretched hat to perform a trick but the audience just didn’t see the rabbit this time.
Credit: charlesnoviadaily.com
Review: All of Me – John legend | By: Greg Ighodaro
All Of Me by John Legend’s effortless sounding vocals. Simple, straight forward love ballad lyrics. Stripped down piano accompaniment through much of the record. “All Of Me” was co-written by John Legend and veteran pop songwriter Toby Gad. The words are relatively standard love song content.
They express potential behaviour issues in a relationship. “all of me loves all of you.” Two notable segments of the lyrics are likely to bring smiles and nods of recognition from many listeners as John Legend sings, “Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections,” and he then follows it later with, “You’re my downfall, you’re my muse, my worst distraction, my rhythm and blues.” WOW
He injects energy into it. He pushes into the upper vocal register in effortless fashion. Strings were injected into the mix and it makes “All Of Me” a simple, classic, romantic love ballad. The song can be easily enjoyed by anyone who is captivated by their partner in a love relationship, on in which, “all of me loves all of you.”
In addition, there is a Nigerian voice of the song but i expected a change of lyrics by “Kolasoul”……….