Issue 76 - Nigerian Watch

Transcription

REVEREND
CANON MPHO
TUTU-VAN
FURTH
R
E
E
MALACHI KIRBY
& ROOTS
F
AFRICA DAY’S
CAKE LADY
HISSÈNE HABRÉ
INTRODUCING AFRICAN WATCH
THE WEEKND
NIGERIAN WATCH
THE UK’S LEADING AFRICAN NEWSPAPER WITH THE LARGEST CIRCULATION
BEFFTA COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
3 - 16 June 2016
Issue No 076
fortNIGhtly
to Inspire, Inform and Entertain
nigerianwatch.com
ROYAL DAYS
A remarkable week for
the first African Mayor
of Greenwich Page 6
SMART GUY
TIWA
The X-Factor reject poised for global superstardom - p3
The grass to grace story
of Nigeria’s swaggest
squeegee guy Page 11
+
BREXIT are you In or
Out? p2 & 9; BUHARI’S
BLUEPRINT FOR THE COMING
YEAR, p12; The BEST What’s
On Listings, p23-25
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
2
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NEWSWATCH
NIGERIAN
WATCH
coMMeNt
No longer the least
omething extraordinary has been happening
across the country; politicians have been wooing
the black and minority ethnic vote ahead of the eU
referendum.
Are you in or out? At this time we remain undecided.
Three months ago the Prime Minister was prepared to
leave; now he tells us the economy will collapse if we
do so. labour has been most notable by their absence
in the debate. Individually, our labour MPs – chuka
Umunna, chi onwurah and Kate osamor – have been
vociferous in favour of Remain. As has Helen Grant MP.
The brexiters have not been so engaged, which perhaps
tells us something.
but the important thing is that we as a community
have clearly been recognised as a caucus. Indeed, c4
news has suggested under certain circumstances the
“black” vote – not the bAMe vote, the “black” vote –
could swing the result. This is what happens when you
register to vote, and we, diasporans, black people,
appear to be reaching critical mass.
You can still register, up until June 7, at
https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
We encourage you to do so. As campaigning ben tv
broadcaster Priscilla Nwikpo has said, only when we do
so will we go from being the
least in society – the least to
complain, the least to be
concerned about, the least to
be listened to – to being a
Maryanne Jemide, MD
force to be reckoned with.
S
OJN Solicitors
Immigration Specialists
*Visa Refusals
*PBS Applications
*Appeals
*Settlement / ILR
*Deportation
*Entry Clearance
*Judicial Review
*British Citizenship
*Discretionary
Leave
*Bail /Detention
*EEA Applications
*Visa Extensions
12 London Road
Enfield Town
EN2 6EB
Tel: 0203 232 2135
Mobile:07587132604
Email: [email protected]
bA slams rumours of forex pull out from Nigeria
british Airways has moved to quash rumours
that it plans to stop flying to Nigeria.
Speculation about the aviation industry in
Nigeria has been rife since several other airlines announced plans to pull out of the
country due to foreign exchange issues that
have made it hard for them to remit money.
US carrier United Airlines has announced
that it plans to stop flying to Nigeria next
month in response to dwindling passenger
numbers brought about by the downturn in
the country’s economy and the foreign exchange scarcity.
by far the largest US operator, United Airlines flies daily into lagos, which is its only
African venture and at launch was seen as
part of a wider expansionist drive.
Also, six weeks ago, Spain’s national carrier Iberia stopped flights to Nigeria, citing
dwindling passenger traffic as the reason.
british Airways, however, has denied reports that it too is pulling out of Nigeria due
to the operating environment.
Kola olayinka, bA’s country manager said,
“our attention has been called to reports in
several newspapers that british Airways is
considering an exit from Nigeria. british Airways has a long history in Nigeria, having
begun operations in the country 80 years
ago as Imperial Airways.
“Nigeria remains a strategic market for
bA and our operations locally are very strong.
We have not issued any statements at any
time indicating that we are on the verge of
terminating operations in the country and we
will continue to operate to Nigeria.”
He denied the reports and indicated that
Nigeria remains a strategic market for the
airline and will continue to operate in Nigeria.
According to the International Air transport Association (IAtA), funds belonging to
foreign airlines, which had been trapped in
Nigeria due to the federal government’s foreign exchange policy, stood at $575m as of
March this year.
OVER 1,000 GATHER TO
HEAR REMAIN SERMON
Over
1000
people,
including
around
50
pastors from churches
across London, attended a
pro-EU service at the
Christ Faith Tabernacle
(CFT) Cathedral
in
Woolwich on May 29.
Organised
by
British
Nigerian MP Helen Grant this
was a night for hearing all the
positive arguments to Remain
within the EU.
Joining Ms Grant on stage
to extol the virtues of the UK’s
continued membership were
Paul Harrison of PK Media, T4
presenter June Sarpong, and
leader of CFT International
Churches Apostle Alfred
Williams.
Mr Harrison, who helped
organise the event on Ms
Grant’s behalf, told Nigerian
Watch, “It was a powerful
uplifting evening that will
resonate
across
the
community this weekend, as
the many pastors who are
here will take the message to
their churches.”
All spoke of leaving Europe
as being a “leap in the dark”.
“What
will
actually
happen if we leave the EU? No
one knows. To me, it would be
a massive leap in the dark, in a
world that is dangerous and
changing. With Putin in the
East, Daesh in the Middle East,
and North Korea in the Far
East; this is not a time to
divide,” said Ms Grant.
“The Leave Campaign has
offered no clear alternatives
except for the likes of Donald
Trump, Marine LaPen, Putin
and Sarah Palin, who believe
we should leave,” said Ms
Sarpong.
“The
Leave
campaign has no idea whether
we would be able to access
Europe’s free trade area. The
Leave campaign has no idea
how long it would take to
renegotiate existing trade
Above: Apostle
Alfred Williams
left: Helen Grant
with June Sarpong
deals or how difficult it would
be to negotiate new ones
outside the EU, let alone how
inferior the terms would be.”
And all spoke of the
positive reasons for staying.
Ms Sarpong clearly laid these
out.
“One, in a world of super
powers and big trading blocs I
want be part of a bigger Union
of like minded people. Being
part of a European Union has
meant over 50 years of peace
throughout the continent,
this is not something we
should take for granted.
“Two,
economically
Europe powers more jobs,
more
opportunity
and
cheaper goods. And three,
security. Whether it’s climate
change, terrorism or border
controls we are stronger when
we work together.
Ms Grant also raised the
issue of racism and rise of far
right parties on mainland
Europe, saying EU equalities
legislation would act as a
check
against
these
movements.
“Racism
and
discrimination still exist,
although sadly, to many these
issues
are
completely
invisible. The EU has an
important role to play in the
process
of
fighting
discrimination and promoting
equality, and already uses a
strong set of race equality and
employment
equality
directives in that battle.
“I
think
the
EU
organisations and institutions
are now ready to flex their
muscles and deal with noncompliant
discriminating
states, acting as a check and
balance against some of the
hard right-wing parties that
are gaining dangerous traction
in certain countries.”
She also added that as
diaspora
communities
represent some of the most
business-orientated members
of British society, and over
100,000 UK business export
to the EU’s single market of
500 million people, enjoying
tariff-free access, supporting
three million jobs, it would be
“madness to leave the best
free trade agreement available
to our country in the entire
world”.
She dismissed suggestions
from the Leave campaign that
EU membership precludes the
UK doing business with
commonwealth countries.
She said EU membership
allows us to trade with many
countries including 90% of
Commonwealth countries,
with whom agreements are
already in place, or are under
consideration.
Also, being in the EU
allows
us
to
help
Commonwealth countries,
such as influencing the
direction of EU overseas
development assistance to
sub-Saharan
African
countries, to fight poverty,
protect women and girls and
halt the spread of AIDS.
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TIWA’S TAKING IT TO THE TOP
Nigeria’s Afrobeats’ queen and singer
songwriter supreme Tiwa Savage is
poised to become a global superstar of
the kind that only needs one name,
such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Madonna,
writes Cathy O.
Not bad for the woman who just a
decade ago nearly turned her back on
performing, having failed to make the
grade on the UK’s X Factor.
She made it through to the final 24 but
was dropped by Sharon
Osborne after the
judge’s
house
sequence in the
year that Leona
Lewis went on
to win.
But
she was
consoled
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
NEWSWATCH
on leaving by the show’s main man
Simon Cowell, who told her not to worry
because she didn’t need the competition
as she had a great future ahead of her.
How right he was.
Now, after a stellar four years in
Nigeria on Don Jazzy’s Mavin label, Tiwa
is set to sign with Roc Nation, the hit
factory of American rapper and showbiz
entrepreneur Jay Z.
According to reports on Urban View,
the African American talk radio channel
based in Washington, Jay Z has given his
seal of approval for the signing of Nigerian
songstress.
He is reported to be impressed by
Tiwa’s back catalogue and profile, and
sanctioned the signing on May 24. Aside
from her own mega hits such as Kele
Kele and “fts” such as Girlie O with
Patoranking she has penned hits for
other stars, including Jaicko’s
‘Oh Yeah’, featuring Snoop
Dogg, and Kat Deluna’s
‘Push Push’, featuring
Akon and David
Guetta.
Her
collaboration
with Fantasia
on the song
‘Collard
Greens &
Cornbread’
earned the American recording artist a
Grammy nomination in 2010.
The Roc Nation deal is reportedly being
put together by Briant Biggs, who has
been scouting Nigeria for talent for the
Tiwa and
son, Jamil,
in Dubai
past year – apparently on Jay Z’s
command – and Shawn Pecas.
Although details are still sketchy it is
understood that an international
management deal is now firmly in the
bag, barring any last minute hitch. That
seems highly unlikely as Tiwa graduated
from Kent University with a degree in
business studies.
With the deal, the singer will become
the first Nigerian artiste to be signed to
Roc Nation joining the likes of Rihanna,
Big Sean, DJ Khaled, among others.
She has the world at her feet and is set
to join Wizkid in breaking Afrobeats’ in
America.
3
Debut author of magical
Benin tale vies for prize
British Nigerian author Irenosen
Okojie (right) has been shortlisted
for the Betty Trask Prize 2016 for
her debut novel, Butterfly Fish, the
Society of Authors announced on
June 1. Okojie is one of four authors shortlisted for the prize,
which celebrates the best debut
novel by a first time author under
the age of 35.
Butterfly Fish is a part historical, part contemporary novel
which follows the story of a young
woman, Joy, coming to terms
with the sudden death of her
mother. When Joy inherits an ancient artefact leading back to 19th
century Benin, she is compelled to
discover more about its origins,
taking the reader on a journey
through time and space, revealing
long buried family secrets along
the way.
Judge Michèle Roberts said of
the novel, "It is bittersweet story,
uniting different traditions of narrative to create a whole new geography of the imagination."
Nigerian Watch printed an extract from the book in our Big
Summer Read last year.
The Betty Trask Prize will be
announced at a special ceremony
on June 21. The winner will receive
£10,000, with runners up receiving a Betty Trask Award of £5,000
each.
Butterfly Fish was first published by Jacaranda Books, who
will be releasing a new paperback
edition later this month.
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Hearts and beats for 1st lady
On May 12 Dr Ogadinma Mgbaja
became both Nigeria's and west
Africa's first female heart surgeon
– the end of a seven year journey
across three continents.
Her achievement is all the more
remarkable when you consider she
only married eight years ago and is
now the proud mum to three boys.
Something of an extrovert – “I like
to dance, do talk shows, speak to
people, in fact some people thought
I’d end up on the stage” – her passion
is for music. “It is huge for me. When
I operate, there is a studio in my
head,” she told Punch newspaper.
But medicine has always been her
focus since childhood and will
continue to be so. On qualifying she
tweeted her commitment to serve,
“Heart surgery has come to stay in
Nigeria! Do you have questions on
heart and lung issues, ask me! Use
#askthefemaleheartsurgeon”
End of line for literal gravy train
Refreshment
and
meal allowances for
senior
Federal
Government officials
are to be cut by 65%
as part of the ongoing
cost-cutting
drive
aimed at reducing
overheads and the
cost of governance.
Since
assuming
office in May last year,
President Muhammadu
Buhari
has
made
reducing the cost of
government one of his
main priorities as he seeks to sort out public finances. As part
of this drive, a proposal to reduce meal allowances had been
prepared by the Efficiency Unit in the Federal Ministry of
Finance and forwarded to the Office of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation for ratification.
Last year, the Efficiency Unit was set up by finance
minister Kemi Adeosun (above), to reduce recurrent
expenditure, which has an outlay of N2.65tn (£9bn) in the
2016 budget. Headed by Patience Oniha, the unit was
established to engender transparency and reduce the
government’s expenditure through efficiency savings in
procurement across ministries, departments and agencies.
According to sources familiar with the workings of the
unit, a reduction of about N8,500 per meal is being
considered by the unit from the current N13,000 (£44.51) to
about N4,500. Apart from the reduction in meal allowances,
other recurrent expenditure items such as honorarium and
sitting allowances as well as advertising and publicity will
be drastically reduced.
One finance ministry source said, “The unit has in the last
few months been working hard to cut the recurrent
expenditure and one of the recent recommendations made
by the unit is on the need to reduce allowances for meals and
refreshment. Before now, about N13,000 per meal was being
spent on each top official of government whenever they
have official meetings and others engagements. However,
now, there are plans to reduce this to about N4,500 by the
template being developed for that purpose.”
First, there was Nollywood. And
then there was Kannywood. And
now there is a new ‘wood’ on the
movie making scene, Callywood.
Yes, Calabar is out to become a
creative cinematic force and
blockbuster producer.
Callywood is the brainchild of
Cross River State Governor Ben
Ayade who has appointed Egor
Efiok – famed as the co-producer
of Turning Point, which featured
Hollywood actors Todd Bridges and
Ernie Hudson alongside Igoni
Archibong and Ebbe Bassey– to
run it.
Ms Efiok cast Mr Archibong, of
Cross Rover State himself, after an
open audition and she intends to
cast a roster of new films in the
same way. “I am here with my
team to train new actors, cinematographers, scriptwriters, to international standards and this is a
casting call for everyone in Cross
River State who is talented and has
never been given a chance. I am
here to give you that chance.”
Armed with several scripts
ready to shoot, Ms Efiok has
started to hold open auditions at
Tinapa Studio, where her Callywood operations are based. “I just
need talented Cross Riverian stars.
Let us flood the market with Callywood stars! Let’s go there!!!”
EBOLA RECALL
The Dr Ameyo Stella Adadevoh (DRASA) Health Trust –
established in memory of Dr Adadevoh, the heroine
who correctly diagnosed and contained Nigeria’s first
Ebola patient in 2014, preventing a major outbreak – in
partnership with Unilever Nigeria PLC recently distributed more than 58,000 bars of soap, 2,800 tubes of
lotion, and 3,000 roll on deodorants to students in
Lagos as part of their #ItStartsWithMe campaign. The
campaign seeks to promote clean hands and encourage good hygiene among all Nigerians to help prevent
the spread of disease.
DRASA’s Managing Director Niniola Soleye said,
“When Ebola was in Nigeria, everyone was washing
their hands. Sanitizer and soap were readily available
but now it’s as if we’ve all forgotten why that was important. We’re doing this so students are reminded
how they can stay healthy and so they can also become ambassadors to spread the handwashing and
hygiene message to their own families and communities.”
Loving the food revolution
The UK’s campaigning celebrity chef
Jamie Oliver launched the 5th Food
Revolution Day on May 20, aiming to
improve children’s nutrition globally.
To mark the occasion and involve as
many people as possible he staged the
longest ever live Facebook event.
Singer, songwriter and philanthropist Waje and leading cookery personality Chef Eros hosted Nigeria’s live
event at Dowen College in Lagos.
Waje said, “This is such a brilliant
initiative by Jamie that combines the
two best things in life, food and laughter. But at the same time it highlights
such an important issue of a proper
food education in a world riddled with
NIGERIA’S NEW ‘WOOD’
undernourishment, obesity and eating
disorders.”
Chef Eros said, “It is so important
to empower our youth with the
knowledge about healthy food and
nutrition. We live in a country that is
riddled with undernourishment and
obesity. So let’s keep the food revolution going and promote healthy eating
globally!”
Jamie Oliver said, “The World is
crying out for action and there has
never been a better time to make
changes to save millions of lives. Governments are beginning to change
policies. Today is about giving them an
extra nudge.”
Biafra Day clashes
Over 30 people were reportedly killed in Onitsha
when separatist protesters clashed with security
forces during a march to celebrate Biafra Day,
marking the 49th anniversary of the declaration
of the defunct republic. It was on May 30, 1967,
that Lt Col Odumegwu Ojukwu declared Biafra
a sovereign state, sparking the Nigerian civil
war.
Of late, calls for the re-declaration of Biafra
have begun following the arrest last year of the
Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) leader
Nnamdi Kanu. On May 30, Ipob and members of
the Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign
State of Biafra (Massob) held several rallies across
southeast Nigeria to mark the day, which ended
in bloody clashes. In the aftermath of the
confrontations, dozens of people were left dead,
including three policemen and scores of
protesters.
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The Beast’s
fairytale
ending
Iconic British Nigerian footballer
Adebayo ‘the Beast’ Akinfenwa
stole the headlines on May 30 –
when he scored the goal that
clinched promotion for AFC
Wimbledon
and
promptly
revealed he had been released by
the club and was looking for a job!
Akinfenwa – nicknamed ‘The
Beast’ - asked managers to “hit me
up on WhatsApp” in his post-match
interview. The 34-year-old scored a
101st-minute injury-time penalty in
the 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.
Embracing manager Neal Ardley,
Akinfenwa shouted, “He’s releasing
me!” Ardley said the decision to
release Akinfenwa was made in the
week before Monday’s final after “a
very long, heartfelt chat”.
But he added that he felt the 16stone frontman had got his “mojo
back” and still had “two years of
starting games left in him”.
AFC Wimbledon will play in
English football’s third tier for the
first time in their history next season
after sealing their sixth promotion
since the club’s formation in 2002.
They were set up by fans of the old
Wimbledon FC, following their
relocation to Milton Keynes.
ACCESS TO EDUCATION IS
A ‘HUMANITARIAN NEED’
BBC graphic celebrating
the Beast’s career in brief
Cult hero Akinfenwa, who is
known for his bulky physique and
strength, told BBC Radio 5 live:
“Come on now, there ain’t no better
way to send off. I said let’s complete
this fairytale - and that’s what we’ve
done. It’s what dreams are made of.
It’s beautiful.”
He added, “To see this team get
promoted, to score with the last kick
of the game, I couldn’t even write
that. I’m going to miss this team, but
there ain’t no better way to leave. It’s
about
progression
and
AFC
Wimbledon are getting stronger.”
On his future, he told Sky Sports:
“I think I’m technically unemployed,
so any managers hit me up on the
WhatsApp and get me a job.”
Lyle Taylor’s goal looked to have
settled the match for AFC
Wimbledon. But they had the chance
to score a second when Adebayo
Azeez won a penalty. Callum
Kennedy picked up the ball for the
spotkick, but Akinfenwa grabbed it
off him as the two players argued
over
who
should
take
it.
Unsurprisingly Akinfenwa won.
“I did promise Cal K that I would
let him take the pen, but it was just
set up too beautifully and I’m bigger
than Cal so Cal’s unlucky,” said
Akinfenwa. “Sorry Cal K, I love you,
though.”
It couldn’t have happened to a
nicer guy, who was told as a teenager
that he was too big to play football.
He has subsequently had a
sensational career, the highs and
lows of which he recently shared
with the British Eagles, the diaspora
version of the Golden Eaglets.
spending several hours encouraging
them to work hard, believe in
themselves – ie keep your Beast Mode
On – and never take no as an answer.
On Monday they saw the reason
why they must keep their “Beast
Mode On”. Beautiful.
The UK’s Shadow Secretary of State
for International Development,
Diane Abbott, has urged the
Nigerian government and the global
community to consider access to
education as a humanitarian need.
Ms Abbott made the call in Lagos
on May 30 when she delivered the
annual Spring Lecture 2016 –
entitled
Education:
Reach for the Stars;
Ensuring Access for
All” – to the Oxford
and Cambridge Club of
Nigeria.
Ms Abbott, who
spoke
on
‘the
transformative power
of education’, urged
Nigeria to create an
inclusive education
system that would
extend quality learning to all
citizens, including the physicallychallenged.
According to her, the country
cannot afford the consequences of
exclusive education, that can
manifest itself in poverty and
division and terrorism.
Ms Abbott said that Nigeria could
change its economic future if “it can
deliver access to quality education.”
This strategy was necessary for
every country seeking to grow its
economy. “Education is correlated
to economic growth,” she said.
“Education lies in the heart of many
social issues. By pushing for
education, you are advancing the
growth of the entire society. I am
campaigning for access to education
because I know it’s transformative
power.”
With access to quality education,
Nigeria and other
African governments
could reverse the
migration challenges
they face, she argued,
and access to it was a
“humanitarian need”,
adding that many
refugees she spoke to
said education was
more essential than
shelter.
Narrating
her
personal experience, she said that
education and not the conditions
surrounding the birth of a child, was
a key determinant of life
achievements.
She said, “Both of my parents
stopped school at 14. But with
perseverance, I got my degree from
Cambridge University. Cambridge
gave me confidence. It taught me
that I was as good as any other
person in the world. That made me
able to excel in civil service, politics
and other areas.”
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FIRST AFRICAN MAYOR INAUGURATED IN ROYAL GREENWICH
Councillor Olugbenga Babatola was
officially installed as the first African
Mayor of the Royal Borough of
Greenwich on May 25 at a ceremony
held in the Painted Hall, Old Royal
Naval College in Greenwich.
Olu was enrolled into Oyo State College of
Arts and Science, where he studied
Mathematics,
Economics
and
Government.
He relocated to the UK in 1986 where
he obtained a Diploma in Business
Administration and Postgraduate Diploma
in Management Studies at the Greenwich
School of Management and became an
Associate Member of the Association of
Business Executives (AMABE). He is a
Deputy Store Manager for a major retailer
In 2014, Olu Babatola was elected as a
local
Councillor
representing
Thamesmead Moorings ward and was
elected Deputy Mayor in 2015.
He is also a School Governor at a local
primary school in Thamesmead and is
Chair of the school’s Business Committee.
www.johnzammit.co.uk absolute photography ltd
As the first African Mayor it was fitting
that Ayan De First Oduduwa Talking
Drummers were incorporated into the
ceremony.
The Mayor revealed his chosen
charities are AFRUCA (Africans Unite
Against Child Abuse) and the Archway
Project, which is based in Thamesmead
and was set up to enrich the lives of young
people through a range of educational
workshops.
Speaking at the Official Inauguration,
Councillor Babatola said it was “with great
pleasure and pride” that he accepted the
position of Mayor. And he revealed that
the week gave cause for a double
celebration, as he and his wife Omowale
were celebrating their 28th wedding
anniversary.
“There is always something exciting
taking place in the Royal Borough,” he
said. “And I can’t wait to get involved and
meet residents as well as the many visitors
that come to Royal Greenwich.
“My two chosen charities mean very
much to me and I hope we manage to raise
as much money as possible for the good
work they do.”
Councillor Babatola was born in
Ibadan, Nigeria. He attended primary
school in Lagos, going on to attend the
Community Grammar School in Ibadan.
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will be compensated with
£750.
020 7436 6838
www.hsfc.org.uk
[email protected]
134 Harley Street, London W1G 7JY
Licensed and regulated by the HFEA (centre number 0333)
Toffs’ tower
controversy
Former Nigerian government minister and
King of Okpoama, in the oilrich Niger delta, Ebitimi Banigo
has been revealed as the owner
of a £2.7m flat in the controversial St George Wharf Tower.
The residential tower block
became a symbol of all that is
wrong with London's housing
market on May 24 when a
Guardian newspaper investigation revealed almost twothirds of homes in the 50storey apartment complex in
London are foreign owned,
with a quarter held through
secretive offshore companies
based in tax havens.
The extent of the international selloff
emerged after the London mayor, Sadiq Khan,
pledged to crack down on foreign ownership
of new homes, saying he would consider a
rule that they must be sold to UK residents
only for the first six months of marketing.
“There is no point in building homes if they
are bought by investors in the Middle East and
Asia,” he said earlier this month. “I don’t want
homes being left empty.”
At least 31 of the apartments have been
sold to buyers in the far east markets of Hong
Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and China; 15 were
sold to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates; and others were sold to buyers in Russia, India, Iraq, Qatar and Switzerland. About
15 more appear to have been sold to foreign
buyers from China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and
Nigeria.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
KASUMUWATCH
9
The
Samuel KASUMUColumn
The pace-setter governor
With all this talk of President
Buhari’s first year in office it’s
easy to forget that in the
economic centre of Nigeria,
Lagos, a new Governor took over
from arguably one of the most
successful politicians of our time
Babatunde Fashola. It was a
tough act to follow but somehow
the report so far seems to be a
good one.
The Centre for International
Advanced and Professional Studies
(CIAPS)
named
Governor
Akinwunmi Ambode the “Nigerian
2015/2016 Governor of the Year”. A
study based on a comparative
analysis of governors’ performance
since their first day in office. It looks
at
the
following;
security,
education,
salary
payments,
business opportunity, employment
and infrastructure. Each area is
graded and a total percentage is
then allocated for each Governor of
Nigeria’s 36 states.
Lagos state and its Governor
came first with 74%, while Edo and
Cross River States came second and
third respectively at 70% and 65%.
Throughout the year, CIAPS
compiles a Governors’ Performance
Index (CGPI) – a monthly performance review of each Governors’
actions and achievements.
So what are the actions and
achievements of the incumbent
Lagos State Governor, to have
received such an accolade? I recall
this particular statement in the
Governor’s inauguration speech: “I
shall run an open government of
inclusion that will not leave anyone
behind. No matter your age, sex,
tribe or any other status, as long as
you reside in Lagos, we will make
Lagos work for you.”
Lagos is by no means an easy
state to run. It is highly populated,
intensely
multi-cultural,
increasingly urbanised and multireligious, making it no easy feat to
maintain good governance that
benefits all its multifaceted areas.
The Governor in his first year has
implemented various programmes
for the state; Mobile Courts, Access
to Justice, Fight Against Domestic
and Sexual Violence, Technology to
assist quick and rapid dispensation
of Justice, which fit into three
different sections of his people
driven objective: Law Reform and
Legislative initiatives; Law and
Order initiatives; and Provision of
Legal Services.
Governor Ambode also signed
into law the N25bn Employment
Trust Fund (ETF). The Employment
Trust Fund Law 2016 is to aid and
provide financial support in the
form of grants or loans to residents
or organisations in the State to
tackle
the
unemployment
levels in the state.
Nigeria’s
unemployment
rate is staggering
and was recorded
at 12.1% in the first
quarter of 2016, up
from 10.4% in the previous quarter
(2015) – its highest level since
December 2009. The number of
unemployed rose in that period by
18%, to 9.485 million while
employment grew a meager 0.12%,
to 69 million, and the labour force
went up 2% to 78.4 million.
Meanwhile, youth unemployment
increased to 21.5% from 19%.
The unemployment rate in
Nigeria has averaged just over 9% in
the decade from 2006, reaching an
all-time high of 19.7% in the fourth
quarter of 2009 and a record low of
5.10% in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The problem that the governor
seeks to address in his state is self-
evident.
The ETF looks to promote
entrepreneurship as means of job
creation. The fund will seek to
enable easier access to individuals
who wish to participate in
entrepreneurial
activities
or
ventures and will create tax
incentives to support the growth of
small and medium enterprises.
The Governor has also amended
aspects of the Lagos State
University (Amendment) Law
2004, to retain expertise by
extending the retirement age for
Professors to 70 years and limiting
the tenure of the Vice Chancellors
to a single term of 5 years only. The
Law also includes provision of
residence for medical students in
their clinical years. Again this is in
line with his people driven objective
of creating a better education
system for the
largest youngest
population
in
Africa.
Another notable
programme is the
strengthening of
the Domestic
and
Sexual
Violence Response Team
(“DSVRT”), which was first
established in September 2014.
In the last year alone the team
has been active and prompt in
their response to over 250
cases of domestic violence,
child abuse and attempted
rape and defilement cases.
Subsequently the governor
has introduced rape kits for
Primary Health Care Centres
and free laboratory testing of
the samples sponsored by
Northwest Petroleum and Gas
Limited. And training for over
6,000 university students on
Sexual Harassment and Rape
“He has quietly
gone about his
business and is
certainly one to
watch”
WE MUST BREXIT
TO TAKE CONTROL
Prevention on Campus and 800
counsellors, teachers, health
workers, social workers, and
guidance counsellors on how to
detect signs of child abuse and its
reporting. Safeguarding and selfdefence workshops have been
delivered to over 2,500 students in
over 60 state schools to date.
The achievements and actions
taken by the Governor to deliver on
his promise to the people is
obvious. He is a pace-setter, setting
examples of best practice that
others will fail to follow at their
peril. He has quietly gone about his
business and for that reason I think
he is certainly one to watch.
Brexit? It’s the right decision… BUT…
We recently put on a Great Debate for
Britain’s black community in parliament.
The reason why I felt it was necessary was
because most of us haven’t had the opportunity to hear both sides of the argument in a setting that focuses on
substance.
What was very surprising to me was
that the majority of the people that left the
debate seemed to have had more empathy
for the idea of leaving… even if they were
still yet to be fully convinced.
My opinion is very clear… The decision
we have to make on June 23 will affect future generations more than it will the
present one. Our children will have to live
with whether or not Britain can carve out a
respectable future within tomorrow’s
globalised, technology-led environment.
This is why I believe we must Vote Leave
and take control. We simply must be in a
position to engage with emerging
economies while protecting ourselves from
an ever closer union. My worry is it may
just be too late for those on the Leave
campaign to make the argument with ordinary citizens…. We shall see!
10
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
@NigerianWatch
YOURWATCH
Letters to the Editor
NIGERIAN
WATCH
Publisher Tevin Jemide
Publisher/Managing Director
Maryanne Jemide
Managing Editor Jon Hughes
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Ogbeide; AJ James; Ayo Akinfe; Funmi
Odegbami; Samuel Kasumu; Ngozi
Mbana; Ekanem Robertson, Jessica
Onah, Laura Adenuga; Edel
Meremikwu
Chief Cartoonist Harold Ogbeide
Office address
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Email
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Views expressed in this newspaper do not
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reflect the opinion of the publisher.
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ISSN 2051-4670
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to fit in, when you
were born to stand
out?”
Nkemdilim Begho,
founder of Future
Software
Let us know what you
think. Put pen to paper and send
your letters to: The Editor, Nigerian
Watch, Chartwell House, 292 Hale
Lane, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 8NP,
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Letters to be included in the next
issue must be received by no later
than June 14, 2016. Anonymous letters will not be published. Please
include your full name, postal address and contact telephone number. Names and addresses can be
withheld, if preferred.
Letters may be edited for publication.
Concerns over
Labour’s
review of
antiSemitism
We the undersigned note
that the Labour Party has set
up the Chakrabarti Inquiry
to investigate “Anti-Semitism and other forms of
racism”.
We are of the view that
the terms of reference:
‘Anti-Semitism and other
forms of Racism’ are unwittingly discriminatory, as
racism against Jewish people
is set apart from racism and
prejudice against other peoples, particularly Africans
(Afriphobia) and Muslims
(Islamophobia).
Even though there is only
one race, the human race, a
more appropriate title could
be on the lines of ‘Investigation into Racism, which includes
Afriphobia,
Anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia’.
We note that over the
years there have been allegations of racism towards
Africans (Africans from the
continent of Africa and
Africans from the Diaspora)
and Asians within and outside the Labour Party, but no
independent public inquiry
has been set up to investigate
these allegations.
Undoubtedly the Jewish
holocaust (properly known
among the Jewish people as
Shoah) is a terrible blight on
human history, but we must
remember that there were
holocausts before and after.
The Congolese holocaust in
the name of King Leopold II,
is said to have claimed 10
millions lives.
The holocaust perpetrated on Africans, also
properly known by African
people by the Kiswahili
words
Maafa
or
Maangamizi, led to the
deaths of tens of millions of
Africans in holding cells on
the continent of Africa, in
the process of capture and
kidnappings, in the Middle
Passage, in enslavement and
plantation
systems
in
the Americas, Caribbean,
and in the German-governed death camps in
Namibia.
The survivors of the Middle
Passage
suffered
unimaginable torture and
hardships at the hands of
enslavers and plantation
owners, and their descendants continue to suffer
acute deprivation and are
the object of discrimination
and racism in America and
in the UK, where they
are under-represented at
every level of public life, including in the Labour Party,
and over-represented on all
indices of social deprivation
and criminalisation.
It is for this reason that
pan-African Reparation organisations continue to
work on repairing the damage
to
Africans
and
Africa caused by the trafficking of enslaved Africans,
colonialism and neo colonialism. This damage is still
being experienced by people
of African heritage today.
How is it that commentators
can
freely
blame Africans for the atrocities they suffered with little
understanding of the context of the Maangamizi or
Maafa without any public
uproar? In addition, the
school curriculum does not
currently teach sufficiently
about non-European civilisations, the contributions of
non-Europeans to world
civilisation or the uncomfortable truths about the
British Empire.
This in itself contributes
to
the
structural
racism which is in society in
general,
including
the
Labour Party, where ignorance of the history of the
peoples
of
Africa
pervades.Anti-Semitism
and Islamophobia are recognised as challenges that need
to be addressed, but Afriphobia is so ingrained in our
society that it is not acknowledged as an issue that
needs to be challenged, or
called by its specific name.
People of African heritage
can be vilified and even
blamed for the genocide
they suffered without any
public inquiry or calls for a
public inquiry. However
when comments perceived
to be negative are made
about Zionism or the state of
Israel, this is perceived at
times to be anti-Semitic by
those who do not like the
comments, whether or not
these claims are supported
by evidence. This often results in suspensions from the
Party and other unfair censures.
We reject the idea that
NIGERIA NEEDS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Some external observers have commented that Nigeria has failed to
emerge as a giant within the emerging economies of this century become she is “Luckless”.
The hypotheses about what Nigeria is doing or ought to be doing to
break through as the economic giant
is simply endless.
One thing that stands out very
clearly is that, time and time again,
Nigerians excel outside the borders
of their motherland; Nigeria has a
vast reservoir of world class human
resources that have been a huge
blessing to so many different countries of the world.
What mystifies everyone is how
these same Nigerians fail to be effective and competent professionals
when they operate within the shores
of their motherland.
Many foreign visitors often cannot understand why Nigerians they
respect, interact and engage with
come from a nation that does not reflect their own character, sophistication and excellence.
Dublin for instance reflects the
character of my Irish friends. The
city of Stuttgart reflects the personality of my German associates. I need
Lagos to reflect my personality ….
As the saying goes, without a vision a people perish. Film makers,
fiction writer, documentary makers, all should inspire Nigerians to
imagine and strive towards birthing
a nation that we can all be proud of.
This requires courage and persistent affirmation that we as a people are not God-forsaken and that
we have the capacity to bless our
own nation the same way we have
managed to bless other countries;
that our children will be proud possessors of a glorious nation and
polity tomorrow; that we are not all
opposition to Zionism or the
Israeli government is necessarily anti-Semitism.
The United Nations has
declared 2015-2024 as the
International Decade for
People of African Descent,
and has recognised that
Africans represent a distinct
group whose human rights
must be promoted and protected.
We therefore call upon
the Inquiry to investigate
and accord equal importance to Afriphobia and its
manifestations within and
outside the Labour Party.
We also ask the Inquiry
not to unwittingly promote
discrimination by the exclu-
morally bankrupt and like the nation of Israel have a rich human resource reservoir that have truly
blessed the world.
These are truthful realities that
our children need to hear and nobody will say it for us. Nations are
made up of groups of communities
composed of family units and ultimately individuals.
A nation needs to have blessings
and positive things pronounced
upon it. Time and time again scientific research has shown that children from affirming homes and
loving parents do so much better
than children who have suffered
physical and verbal abuse for much
of their life.
A popular American preacher
was recounting how a lady once
said to her husband that her
negative thought killed an indoor
plant in their home. Her husband
immediately retorted, “I hope your
thoughts towards me are good
sion of the Afriphobia* terminology, and advocate the
use of the AAEM (African,
Asian, Ethnic Minority) terminology instead of BAME
(Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) which excludes the
African identity.
* We define Afriphobia
as: The prejudice or discrimination against; fear, hatred,
or bigotry towards people of
African heritage and things
African.
Awula Serwah, Africans For JC
Values secretary; Kwaku (Race
Equality: In Music industry), Dr
KB Asante, Matilda Asante and
40 others. For a full list of signatories visit www.nigerianwatch.com/features
ones”.
It is clear from the above that
schools, the media, and film makers
need to encourage Nigerians to have
a love for the nation Nigeria. The
sterling qualities we have as extremely determined and hardworking people should be celebrated.
We are often cheerful in the face
of adversity and are lateral thinkers
that have solved so many problems
in the fields or science and technology for other countries. Our peacekeeping forces in several troubled
parts of Africa are often applauded
by world bodies such as the UN.
Yet when we talk about our nation it is often a litany of abuse or a
tirade of negative things that we
spew out on to our father land.
This must change. If only for the
sake of our children. Otherwise,
what future do we as a people have
ahead of us?
Mrs Stella Ossamor, Odeiga House Ltd,
via email
Like us on Facebook
NIGERIAN WATCH
20 May - 2 June 2016
NIGERIANWATCH
11
The world’s classiest squeegee guy follows bread maker off the streets
Following in the footsteps of Olajumoke Orisanug – the bread
hawker who was propelled to superstardom having stumbled on
to a Tinie Tempah video shoot –
comes Abdulhai Olatoyan, the
world's classiest windscreen
washer guy.
Snapped by the eagle eyed
and equally dapper and wellknown photographer about town
in London and Lagos Daniel Sync
he too has ended up in the fashion business. Abdulahi is clearly a
man with smarts despite being a
university dropout.
In his early thirties, he turned
to the streets to make a living
and save enough money to start
his own business.
wizkid to bring the african wave to europe
Nigerian Afrobeats’ artist and founder of Africa's
latest star-studded record label Starbwoy Entertainment Worldwide, Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun –
better known as Wizkid – will join American RnB
superstar Chris Brown on his One Hell of A Night
European Tour later this year, fresh from being the
first Naija star to enter the Billboard charts, featuring on Drake’s One Dance.
Although official dates have yet to be announced, the hit-maker made the big announcement on Instagram. “5th - 11th June I’ll be
supporting my brother @chrisbrownofficial !! Get ur
tickets!! #Onehellofanitetour Bringing the African
wave!!” Wizkid wrote.
Initially it has been confirmed he will join Chris
Brown for the Denmark, Holland and German legs
of the tour, as a special guest, although more dates
may be added.
The two have over the years built a strong relationship and performed together a couple of times.
It is rumoured that Chris Brown features on Wizkid’s forthcoming album.
bags of fun at premier
Wearing a bright polka dot suit
and red velvet bow tie, Abdulahi
says he hopes to return to school
one day and finish his studies.
“I didn’t want to be wandering
the streets doing nothing,” he
said after Sync’s pictures of him
went viral, adding he wanted to
make sure people knew he was
serious about his work.
“He is the first suited windscreen cleaner I have ever seen!”
says photographer Daniel Sync,
who decided to take photos. “We
need more innovative citizens like
Abdulahi in Nigeria”, he added.
Sync spotted the cleaner on
his way to work and rushed to
the office to pick up his camera.
The photographs have subse-
Let’s not talk about the match
– but not the one you think
Tinie Tempah joined Prince Harry to play in a charity football
match on May 25. The ‘Girls Like’ hitmaker and 31-year-old
royal took to the pitch at Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge ground
in Fulham, London, in support of Oil Aid 2016.
Prince Harry played for OilAid, who donate funds to the
charity he co-founded, Senetable, which in turn supports orphans and vulnerable children in developing countries.
After the match Tinie, 27, posted a photograph of the
friendly rivals grinning and standing side-by-side in the
changing room on Instagram and captioned the image, “Great
match today with the lads. Let’s not talk about scores
though.” Nor, we might add, Wembley on FA Cup Final day!
FEMI KUTI
TIGGS DA AUTHOR
S AT 11 J U N
Yvonne Okoro’s eagerly anticipated comedy ‘Ghana
Must Go’ opens in cinemas across Nigeria today
(Friday June 3). The movie caused mayhem when it
was shown to an invited audience at the Film
House Cinema in Surulere, Lagos, on May 18.
The hilarious flick about young love being
thwarted by a father’s resentment of the historical
antipathy between his nation Ghana and Nigeria
(and vice versa) stars comic actor Nkem Owoh Osuofia and IK Ogbonna. Of course, it promises to be
bags of fun!
A UK release date has yet to be announced. In
the meantime you can see a trailer here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvsT24R5sg0
quently led to Olatoyan being offered a job as a ‘style doctor’ at
Nigerian clothing line OUCH.
The label's designer Uche
Nnaji said, “I have a team of
young people that I call style
doctors. When I saw him I
thought this person is someone
that likes looking good and can
style others.”
GUY
GARVEY’S
10 – 19 JUNE
Football star Peter ‘Osaze’ Odemwingie took to
Twitter on May 26 to mark the fourth anniversary of his marriage to Sarah Fallon.
The former Nigerian international used social media to tell the world that Sarah is the
“love of my life”, perfect partner and mother.
He also disclosed that they are expecting a
baby girl – their first daughter – in October.
M E LT D O W N
Media Partner
Hotel Partner
12
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
EMBASSYWATCH
@NigerianWatch
News from the
NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSIONLondon
President Buhari’s state of the nation address
On Democracy Day, May 29, PMB marked his first anniversary in office and outlined his roadmap
for the year to come – re-affirming his commitment to social justice. Here is the speech…
We campaigned and won the election on the
platform of restoring security, tackling
corruption and restructuring the economy. On
our arrival, the oil price had collapsed to as low
as $30 per barrel and we found nothing had
been kept for the rainy day.
The infrastructure, notably rail, power,
roads were in a decrepit state; all the four
refineries were in a state of disrepair, the
pipelines and depots neglected; huge debts
owed to contractors and suppliers had
accumulated; 27 states could not pay salaries;
Boko Haram had captured 14 local
governments; elsewhere, insecurity was
palpable; corruption and impunity were the
order of the day. We inherited a state near
collapse.
On the economic front, all oil dependent
countries, Nigeria included, have been
struggling since the drop in prices. Many oil
rich states have had to take tough decisions
similar to what we are doing. The world,
Nigeria included, has been dealing with the
effects of three significant and simultaneous
global shocks, starting in 2014: a 70% drop in
oil prices; global growth slowdown;
normalisation of
monetary policy by
the US Federal
Reserve
From day one,
we purposely set
out to change Nigeria. We reinforced and
galvanised our armed forces with new
leadership and resources. We marshaled our
neighbours in a joint task force to tackle and
defeat Boko haram. By the end of December
2015, all but pockets and remnants had been
routed by our gallant armed forces. Our
immediate focus is for a gradual and safe return
of internally displaced persons in safety and
dignity and for the resumption of normalcy in
the lives of people living in these areas.
The EFCC was given the freedom to pursue
corrupt officials and the judiciary was alerted
on what Nigerians expect of them in the fight
against corruption. On the economy, in
particular foreign exchange and fuel shortages,
our plan is to save foreign exchange by fasttracking repair of the refineries and producing
most of our fuel requirements at home. And by
growing more food in Nigeria, mainly rice,
wheat and sugar we will save billions of dollars
in foreign exchange and drastically reduce our
food import bill.
We resolved to keep the naira steady, as in
the past, devaluation had done dreadful harm
to the Nigerian economy. I support the
monetary authority’s decision to ensure
alignment between monetary policy and fiscal
policy. We shall keep a close look on how the
recent measures affect the naira and the
economy. But we cannot get away from the fact
that a strong currency is predicated on a strong
economy. And a strong economy pre-supposes
an industrial productive base and a steady
export market. The measures we must take,
may lead to hardships. The problems Nigerians
have faced over the last year have been many
and varied. But the real challenge for this
government has been reconstructing the spine
of the Nigerian state. The last 12 months have
been spent collaborating with all arms of
government to revive our institutions so that
they are more efficient and fit for purpose: that
means a bureaucracy better
able to develop and deliver
policy; an independent
judiciary, above suspicion
and able to defend citizen’s
rights and dispense justice
equitably; a legislature that actually legislates
effectively; and, above all, that means political
parties and politicians committed to serving
the Nigerian people rather than themselves.
These are the pillars of the state on which
democracy can take root and thrive. But only if
they are strong and incorruptible.
An important first step has been to get our
housekeeping right. So we have reduced the
extravagant spending of the past. We started
boldly with the treasury single account,
stopping the leakages in public expenditure.
We then identified 43,000 ghost workers
through the integrated payroll and personal
information system. That represents pay
packets totalling N4.2bn stolen every month.
In addition, we will save N23bn per annum
from official travelling and sitting allowances
alone.
Furthermore, the efficiency unit will cut
costs and eliminate duplications in ministries
and departments. Every little saving helps. The
reduction in the number of ministries and
work on restructuring and rationalisation of
the MDAs is well underway.
As well as making savings, we have changed
the way public money is spent. I am glad to tell
you now we not only have a budget, but more
importantly, we have a budget process that is
more transparent, more inclusive and more
closely tied to our development priorities than
in the recent past – 30% of the expenditure in
this budget is devoted to capital items.
Furthermore, we are projecting non-oil
revenues to surpass proceeds from oil.
As part of the foundation of the new
economy we have had to reform how fuel
prices had traditionally been fixed. This step
was taken only after protracted consideration
‘We identified 43,000
ghost workers, pay
packets totalling N4.2bn’
of its pros and cons. After comprehensive
investigation my advisers and I concluded that
the mechanism was unsustainable.
We are also engaged in recovering stolen
assets, some of which are in different
jurisdictions. The processes of recovery can be
tedious and time consuming, but a significant
amount of assets have been recovered. A
considerable portion of these are at different
stages of recovery. Full details of the status and
categories of the assets will now be published
by the Ministry of Information and updated
periodically. When forfeiture formalities are
completed these monies will be credited to the
treasury and be openly and transparently used
in funding developmental projects.
On the Niger Delta, we are committed to
implementing the United Nations environment
programme report and are advancing clean-up
operations. Re-engineering the amnesty
programmes is an example of this. The recent
spate of attacks by militants disrupting oil and
power installations will not distract us from
engaging leaders in the region in addressing
Niger Delta problems. If the militants and
vandals are testing our resolve, they are much
mistaken. We shall apprehend the perpetrators
and their sponsors and bring them to justice.
The policy measures and actions taken so far
are not to be seen as some experiment in
governance. We are fully aware that those
vested interests who have held Nigeria back for
so long will not give up without a fight. They
will sow divisions, sponsor vile press criticisms
at home and abroad, incite the public in an
effort to create chaos rather than relinquish the
vice-like grip they have held on Nigeria.
The economic misfortune we are
experiencing in the shape of very low oil prices
has provided us with an opportunity to
restructure our economy and diversify. We are
in the process of promoting agriculture,
livestock, exploiting our solid mineral
resources and expanding our industrial and
manufacturing base. That way, we will import
less and make the social investments necessary
to allow us to produce a large and skilled
workforce.
The Central Bank of Nigeria will offer more
fiscal incentives for business that prove capable
of manufacturing products that are
internationally competitive. We remain
committed to reforming the regulatory
framework for investors by improving the ease
of doing business in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the first steps along the path of
self-sufficiency in rice, wheat and sugar – big
users of our scarce foreign exchange – have
‘We will import less, to
allow us to produce a
large skilled workforce’
been taken. The labour intensive farming
enterprise (life) will boost the economy and
ensure inclusive growth in long neglected
communities. Special intervention funds
through the Bank of Agriculture will provide
targeted support. Concerns remain about the
rising cost of foods such as maize, rice, millet,
beans and garri. Farmers tell me that they are
worried about the cost of fertilisers, pesticides
and the absence of extension services. The
‘A programme that
seeks to start lifting
many from poverty’
federal and state governments are on the same
page in tackling these barriers to increased food
production and ultimately food security.
Modern farming is still hard and heavy work
and I salute our Nigerian women in sharing this
burden. In this respect I am very pleased to
announce that we will shortly be launching the
National Women’s Empowerment Fund, to
provide N1.6bn in micro-finance loans to
women across the nation, to assist in
rehabilitating the economies of rural
communities, particularly those impacted by
the insurgency and conflict.
With respect to solid minerals, the minister
has produced a roadmap where we will work
closely with the World Bank and major
international investors to ensure through best
practices and due diligence that we choose the
right partners. Illegal mining remains a
problem and we have set up a special security
team to protect our assets. Special measures
will be in place to protect miners in their work
environment.
For too long, ours has been a society that
neglects the poor and victimises the weak. A
society that promotes profit and growth over
development and freedom. A society that fails
to recognise that, to quote the distinguished
Economist Amartya Sen, “poverty is not just
lack of money, it is not having the capability to
realize one’s full potential as a human being.”
So, today, I am happy to formally launch, by
far the most ambitious social protection
programme in our history. A programme that
both seeks to start the process of lifting many
from poverty, while at the same time creating
the opportunity for people to fend for
themselves. In this regard, N500bn has been
appropriated in the 2016 budget for social
intervention programmes in key areas: job
creation – for 500,000 teachers and 100,000
artisans across the nation; schools and
education – 5.5m children are to be provided
with free school meals and grants used to
incentivise students to study sciences,
technology, engineering and maths, and lay a
foundation for human capital development for
the next generation; and financial support for
micro-businesses, targeting market women,
artisans and agricultural workers.
I would like to pay a special tribute to our
gallant men and women of the armed forces
who are in harm’s way so that the rest of us can
live and go about our business in safety. Their
work is almost done. The nation owes them a
debt of gratitude.
Abroad, we want to assure our neighbours,
friends and development partners that Nigeria
is firmly committed to democratic principles.
We are ready partners in combating terrorism,
cybercrimes, control of communicable diseases
and protection of the environment.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
NEWSWATCH
13
QUEENS OF AFRICA CHALLENGE TO BARBIE
There’s a Nigerian version of
the Barbie doll, and it’s poised
to challenge her unrivalled
popularity in the United States.
African fashions, with vibrant wax
print patterned dresses and
trousers.
The “Queens of Africa” doll line
is already popular in Nigeria and
throughout the African continent
— in 2014 the dolls outsold Mattel
in the Nigerian market, reportedly
selling between 6-9,000 dolls a
month.
Now, Okyoya has announced
that in addition to meeting with
potential
American
distributors, he will
be taking the dolls on
a
“Coming
to
America”
tour
throughout
the
United
States
between now and
July – with stops
in Atlanta, New
York,
and
Chicago
scheduled
–
following
a
similar
publicity tour of
the UK in April.
Over the past
few years, the
issue
of
diversity
in
children’s dolls
has become a
bigger
conversation,
with dolls like
the
Angelica
Created
by
Nigerian
entrepreneur Taofick Okoya in
2007, the toy line features African
dolls with different hair textures
and skin tones, ranging from light
to dark. And the best part? They’re
all rocking the latest
in contemporary
Praise for the French Model
France has returned to Nigeria a
smuggled Nok Terracotta artefact,
dating back to 300-1000BC, that it
intercepted while in transit to the
US in 2008.
France’s Ambassador to Nigeria
Denys Gauer officially presented the
figurative sculpture to the Minister of
Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed on May 18, at a ceremony
to mark the 2016 International
Museum Day in Abuja.
At the ceremony he told the News
Agency of Nigeria, “Monetary value
doesn’t mean much; it has cultural
value; monetary value can change
overtime but cultural value will always
remain
for
Nigeria’s
cultural
development.”
The Nok civilisation is considered to
have been one of the most advanced of
all
ancient
civilisations,
with
excavations revealing it to have been a
complex and sophisticated society.
Receiving the sculpture the Minister
thanked the French government for
demonstrating the will to fight illegal
trafficking of cultural artefacts and
urged other countries to emulate
France.
“I thank the French Ambassador,
especially for his country’s show of
support in our fight against illicit
trafficking of cultural goods and their
untiring efforts at returning such
items. I recommend this ‘French
Model’ to other countries,” he said.
Mohammed re-emphasised the
determination of the President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration
to elevate culture and tourism to the
mainstream of the economy in its quest
to diversify the economy, create
wealth and generate employment.
doll and Positively Perfect dolls
gaining popularity online. Even
Mattel has taken notice; it has
launched an all new line of Barbie
dolls with more diverse bodytypes and skin tones.
According to Forbes, Okoya
said he entered the world of dollmaking after his young daughter
expressed to him the desire to be
white. The concept of the dolls is to
celebrate African beauty with the
following motto, “Empowering
the African girl child.”
And the Queens of Africa line
isn’t stopping just at dolls. Okoya
and his team have also added an
educational book series under the
brand that teaches self-confidence
and cultural pride.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
NEWSWATCH
US seeks to put conditions
on return of Abacha loot
In what is being seen as a
worrying precedent, US
lawmakers are seeking to
use the proceeds of
corruption in Nigeria to
fund humantarian aid in
the country.
A bill has been put before
US Congress that will allow
President Obama and his
government to set aside all or
part of the Abacha loot in its
custody for victims of the
Boko Haram insurgency.
Texas congresswoman Sheila
Jackson Lee is sponsoring a
bill, H.R. 528, which will
allow the US Department of
Justice (DOJ) to do just that.
Speaking on Wednesday
(May 11) at a Congressional
subcommittee hearing on the
US role in helping Nigeria
confront Boko Haram and
other threats in Northern
Nigeria, Ms Jackson Lee
sought the Committee’s
support for the bill she gave
the title to as “Victims of
Terror Protection Act”.
She was one of 10 people
who spoke at the hearing,
including one of the Chibok
girls who escaped from Boko
Haram terrorists on the night
they were kidnapped.
The Congresswoman, who
visited Nigeria on a factfinding mission a few weeks
after the kidnapping, said the
bill was motivated by the
plight of the families of the
kidnapped girls and that the
intention was to create relief
fund for them and other
victims.
“When we were in Nigeria
two years ago, families were
still in pain, they are still in
limbo,” she said, adding
“Boko Haram has killed
Muslims, Christians and
others, they’ve killed and
burned
mosques
and
churches and homes and
schools.”
She said while the overall
question remained what we
can do to bring the girls back,
“there are broken families out
there” and she believed the
DOJ “can begin to utilise that
money asap” to provide the
relief
these
families
desperately need.
In Nigeria the proposal has
been met with some dismay.
Government sources are of the
opinion that Abacha’s loot
belongs to Nigeria, therefore,
its government should have a
right to determine what the
money will be used for. The
president has just signed the
Six
Trillion
Naira
Appropriation Bill, but how to
fund the budget remains a
mystery.
The money recovered from
Abacha’s loot, which is
estimated at $408 million, will
contribute
to
the
implementation of some of
the budget’s allocations.
@NigerianWatch
UNITED AMBITION IN NEWCASTLE
Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central, hosted the
President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser on
Foreign and Diaspora Affairs on May 20 at Newcastle University Business School.
In the Town Hall style meeting, the Hon Ms Abike
Dabiri Erewa met with members of the Nigerian Association of Tyne & Wear and members of wider
business and university networks in the North East.
Ms Onwurah said, “This meeting proved to be a
great opportunity for Abike to see the contribution
those of Nigerian heritage are making to our region,
and for issues and ideas to be raised with her. This
was also the beginning of lasting relationships between universities and businesses in the North East
and Nigeria, the largest country in Africa with
around 173 million people and a growing economy.
She continued, “My father came to Newcastle
from Nigeria to study in the fifties, so I am very
aware of the strong links between the North East
and Nigeria. On my recent trade mission there I was
told they want to see more British trade and investment.
“The North East diaspora can make a great contribution to that and I hope this meeting can help
develop strong trade and cultural links that will
benefit Nigeria and the North East.”
Hon Abike spoke of the President’s enthusiasm
to work with the diaspora, whose human and material resources hold great potential for Nigeria’s
economy. She praised Ms Onwurah for her leadership in facilitating the partnership.
Ms Onwurah also took the opportunity to praise
the Nigerian Government for its statesmanlike response to Prime Minister David Cameron’s “fantastically corrupt” comment, and recognised their
fight against corruption.
Both women committed to lead on collaboration with the wider Nigerian UK community to build
on the trade and cultural links which benefit both
countries.
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AFRICAN WATCH
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
15
NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE
A lesson to all dictators in Africa
Chad’s ex-ruler Hissène
Habré has been convicted of
crimes against humanity and
sentenced to life in prison at a
landmark trial in Senegal. The
judge convicted him on May
30 of rape, sexual slavery and
ordering killings during his
rule from 1982 to 1990.
Victims and families of
those killed cheered and
embraced each other in the
courtroom after the verdict
was given. It was the first time
an African Union-backed
(AU) court had tried a former
ruler for human rights abuses.
Habré, who received
strong backing from the US
while in power, has been
given 15 days to appeal.
Survivors from the Habré
era welcomed the verdict.
“This is a historic day for Chad
and for Africa. It is the first
time that an African head of
state has been found guilty in
another African country,”
Yamasoum
Konar,
a
representative of one of the
victims’ groups, told the BBC.
“This will be a lesson to other
dictators in Africa,” he added.
The verdict will be seen as a
major step forward by those
who are campaigning for
African leaders to be tried on
the continent for war crimes.
They have been pushing for
a permanent African court of
justice to be set up, believing
war crimes suspects should be
prosecuted on the continent
rather than at the Haguebased International Criminal
Court (ICC).
After he was sentenced,
Habré was defiant, raising his
arms and shouting to his
supporters as he was led from
the court. Throughout the
nine-month trial he refused to
recognise
the
court’s
legitimacy, frequently disrupting proceedings. He had
denied charges that he
ordered the killing of 40,000
people during his rule.
In 2005, a court in Belgium
issued a warrant for his arrest,
claiming universal jurisdiction
but Senegal referred the issue
to the AU, which asked
Senegal to try Mr Habré “on
behalf of Africa”. In 2013, a
court in Chad sentenced him
to death in absentia for crimes
against humanity.
These pictures here are a
wake-up call to the continent.
Now is the time to act on climate change before its too late.
Extreme heat that would be
considered unusual today could
become a yearly occurrence by
mid-century, one new study
suggests, and the trend will
emerge earlier there—and in
the rest of the tropics—before
it does in more temperate
areas, another finds.
The studies, both detailed
this month in the journal Environmental Research Letters,
emphasise the undue burden
that some of the poorest populations on the planet will face
from climate change, the authors say. “They don’t have the
capacity to respond to such
author of the first study, and a
climate researcher at the Center for International Climate
and Environmental Research in
Norway.
In an understandably emotional post on Facebook, acclaimed Kenyan author Binyavanga Wainaina
has described how he was viciously assaulted by a racist taxi driver in Berlin, Germany, as a crowd
watched in glee. Mr Wainaina, who is recovering from a stroke that has affected his speech, was
in Berlin on a Daad Fellowship, one of the most prestigious in the world.
The attack came a few moments after a black woman had warned him to not venture outside
on a bicycle, and that four Ghanians had been killed the previous Saturday.
But the self-confessed ‘careless’ author ignored the warning, and called a taxi to pick him up
at his apartment in Charlottenburg. With his impaired speech and in his haste Mr Wainaina could
not tell the driver where he wanted to be taken. As he searched on his phone for the address the
impatient driver suddenly got out of the car and went to Mr Wainaina’s side, opened the door and
began beating him. My Wainaina’s neighbours just watched without coming to his aid.
To read the full account visit https://www.facebook.com/binyavanga.wainaina
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SAME CONSEQUENCE
Desmond Tutu’s daughter has been forced to give up her duties
as a priest in South Africa’s Anglican church after she married a
woman, she told AFP on May 24. Reverend Canon Mpho Tutuvan Furth can no longer preside at Holy Communion, weddings,
baptisms or funerals after handing in her licence because the
church does not recognise gay marriage.
She said her father, the retired archbishop and celebrated
anti-apartheid campaigner, was “sad but not surprised” at the
news. “The canon (law) of the South African Church states that
marriage is between one man and one woman,” Tutu-van Furth
said in an email. “After my marriage… the Bishop was advised
that he must revoke my licence.”
Mpho and Marceline Tutu-van Furth have been on honeymoon on the Indonesian island of Bali after holding a wedding
party outside Cape Town earlier this month. Desmond Tutu, 84,
attended the celebrations with his wife. He has previously spoken out in favour of gay marriage.
Marceline Tutu-van Furth is a Amsterdam-based professor
specialising in paediatric infections. The couple — who are both
divorced and have children — officially tied the knot in the
Netherlands in December.
“Ironically, coming from a past where difference was the instrument of division, it is our sameness that is now the cause of
distress,” said Mpho in a reference to apartheid.
Same-sex marriage was legalised in South Africa in 2006.
heat waves,” lacking the kind
of warning systems and regular
access to health care that help
those in wealthier countries
cope, said Jana Sillman, a co-
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
HOW ETHIOPIA INSPIRED GR8 WEEKND
The Weeknd, aka Abel Tesfaye (below),
holds his multiple trophies while in the
press room at the 2016 Billboard Music
Awards held at the T-Mobile Arena on
May 22 in Las Vegas.
The 26-year-old musician of
Ethiopian heritage won a staggering eight
awards that evening, but had the modesty to only accept two on stage.
The Weeknd won the first prize of the
night, Top Hot 100 Artist of the year, and
dedicated it to Prince.
@NigerianWatch
AFRICANWATCH
“I want to dedicate this award to the
late, great Prince. Rest in Peace,” The
Weeknd said. “I didn’t know him but he
was very close to me. He helped me push
the envelope as well as doing the same to
every artist forever. Rest in peace
Prince.”
The other seven awards the Weeknd
won were: Top R&B Song and Top
streaming Song (Audio), both for the Hills;
Top R&B Album for Beauty Behind the
Madness; Top Song Sales Artist; Top Radio
Songs Artist; Top Streaming Songs Artist;
and, unsurprisingly, Top R&B Artist.
How to explain his swift transformation from cult musician to international
superstar? The man himself credits his
Ethiopian heritage for having a profound
impact on his craft.
In a recent interview with Pitchfork –
the web based music magazine of the
iconic festival in Chicago – the musician
discussed how his Ethiopian upbringing
shaped him artistically.
“My mother, my grandmother, my
uncles would play Ethiopian artists like
Aster Aweke and Mulatu Astatke all the
time in the house. They would drink coffee, eat popcorn, and listen to the music.
It’s such beautiful music, but I didn’t realise how beautiful it was until I left that
head space.That’s why I feel like my
singing is not conventional,” he said. “The
feeling in my music and in my voice is
very Ethiopian and very African and much
more powerful than anything, technically.
There are songs like “Gone” where I don’t
even know what I’m saying—I let my
voice do all the talking. I’ll probably do an
album like that one day where it’s not
lyrics at all, just melodies and great production. Maybe the next one, I don’t
know. That’s the Ethiopian side of me.”
He also spoke about his affinity for
Amharic poetry, “Ethiopian poetry is a
different language. I can speak and understand [Amharic], but I can’t understand their poetry. When my mother
would translate — it’s the most beautiful
thing ever.”
BEY DAY!
The executive governor of Minnesota State
of America, Governor Mark Dayton has declared May 23 ‘Beyoncé Day’.
He said formal recognition was due because
of the 34-year-old Houston singer’s influence on
“many young girls and women with powerful,
positive messages in her songs” as well as her success in the music industry.
“Beyoncé’s impact and success has been widelyrecognised,” a press release from Dayton’s office
stated. The declaration of Bey Day came just before Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour kicked off.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
AFRICANWATCH
LENNY FINDS A
BROADCHURCH
Roots… for real
STAR IS TOP DRAW
Lupita Nyong’o has received the accolade of accolades in New York. No, not an Oscar or a Tony,
but a Sardi caricature! If one thing tells a performer that they have arrived it is a Sardi.
Sardi’s is a restaurant that over the years has
become a Broadway institution, renowned for its
unique celebration of stars of stage and screen.
Since 1927 the “continental” restaurant in the
heart of Manhattan’s theatre district has been
celebrating the biggest stars of the day by commissioning and displaying their caricatures on its
walls. In the 90 years that the restaurant has been
open it has amassed a whopping 1,300 caricatures, celebrating such luminaries as Jimmy
Cagney, Lucille Ball and Tom Hanks.
The 33-year-old Lupita’s caricature was unveiled at the eatery on May 17, where she autographed it - after all, the signature of the subject
is required before it can join the wall.
The star of the rebooted Roots – which launched in
the US on May 30 to great acclaim from everyone
bar Snoop Dogg – Malachi Kirby has urged viewers
to get behind the Freedmen’s Project, to catalogue
over one million documents that open a window
onto the world of slavery before the American civil
war and earlier.
At the end of the Civil War more than four million slaves were set free and the Freedmen’s Bureau was established to help both the former
slaves – and their former owners and host communities – manage the transition.
In the process the organisation catalogued millions of people, detailing lots of stories from pre1865 that give an insight into the generations long
before the war. Now the Freedmen’s Project is
looking for volunteers to help digitise and index
this priceless historical record.
In a video posted on his Twitter account,
Malachi Kirby asks for help in preserving names
previously thought lost to time, saying we can help
African American families reconnect with their ancestors and return their identities.
“Roots recounts one family’s struggle to survive and preserve their name against the injustice
of slavery. But millions of other names and stories
have been lost to time. To celebrate the reimagining of Roots, the History Channel is partnering with
FamilySearch International and the Freedmen’s
Bureau Project, to help African American families
reconnect with their ancestors by transcribing
thousands of digitized historical records.”
The project is 86% done but requires thousands more volunteers to be completed.
To find out more and take part in this remarkable project visit www.discoverfreedmen.org or
http://roots.history. com/identity/reading-forroots
17
KING OF BONGO FLAVA
Bongo flava heartthrob Ali Kiba has
become the first east
African Afrobeats’ star
to sign for Sony Music.
The Tanzanian put ink to
paper in Jo’burg on May
19. The first release of
the partnership is to be
Aje. With Davido in the
west and Ali Kiba in the
east Sony heralded the
signing as part of their
African strategy to take
our music to the world.
Lenny Henry will join David Tennant and
Olivia Colman for the third series of
Broadchurch, having previously complained the hit ITV drama was too white.
Henry, who has become a champion for TV diversity, used a Bafta lecture two years ago to highlight the lack
of black, Asian and minority ethnic
(BAME)
people on
screen. He
included
Broadchurch,
which stars
Tennant
and Colman
as detectives, in his
criticism.
“The evolution of BAME involvement
in British TV seems to lurch one step
forward and two steps back – a bit like
John Sergeant on Strictly Come Dancing, except he had a job at the end of
it,” said Henry.
He continued, “The BBC is very, very
white. Broadchurch – mixed-race
boyfriend of sister of deceased, thank
you very much for putting that in there,
so there was somebody in there.”
In the new series, which will be
filmed in Dorset and Somerset
throughout the summer, Tennant and
Colman reunite to investigate a serious
sexual assault.
Be there for a young person in Wandsworth. Become a foster carer.
To find out more visit wandsworth.gov.uk/fostering
or phone (020) 8871 6666
18
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
@NigerianWatch
AFRICANWATCH
Young women of Africa demand contraception
At an international conference in
Copenhagen, young people have
charged
leaders
with
an
important task: to realise
commitments to improve sexual
and reproductive health and
rights
of
young
people
everywhere, writes Nnamdi
Eseme.
As the Women Deliver conference
(16-19 May) drew to a close, this
included a particular call to improve
young
people's
access
to
contraception, especially girls, and
access to essential HIV prevention
and healthcare services.
Chiamaka Uzomba, a participant
from Nigeria, said, "We as young
people are pushing for improved
access to HIV prevention and
healthcare services because we are
most-at-risk. Our future is
important and it is the responsibility
of our leaders to ensure that this
future is not hampered by
unfavourable
policies
or
environment limiting young people's
access to contraception, HIV
prevention and healthcare services.
We are linking up as young people to
form a formidable force to improve
our sexual and reproductive health
and rights."
According to the UNAIDS Gap
Report, not everyone has equitable
access to HIV prevention, treatment
and care services. This includes
HE Toyin Saraki speaks at Women Deliver on How
to Empower Women and Girls across the World
young people who are often more
sexually active, putting them at even
greater risk of exposure. Worryingly,
less than 20% of sexually active
young people in Africa use
contraception.
According to a report by the UN
Population Fund, an estimated 200m
women want to delay or avoid
pregnancy but are not using effective
contraceptive methods. About 90%
of abortion-related deaths and
disabilities worldwide could be
avoided if women who wished to,
had access to effective contraception.
This statistic highlights the need
to improve young people's access to
contraception not only to avoid
pregnancy but also to avoid
sexually
1
09/03/2015
transmitted diseases such as HIV,
syphilis and gonorrhoea.
Women Deliver aims to provide
opportunities for young people to
engage with each other and leaders,
create coalitions, forge partnerships
and drive progress in ensuring better
health for young people – in
particular maternal, sexual, and
reproductive health and rights – and
on gender equality, education,
environment,
and
economic
empowerment.
Annie Lennox, a Scottish singer
and political activist, said, “AIDS
continues to be the leading cause of
death of girls of reproductive age
globally because young women are
most
18:06 vulnerable. Ending it by 2030
(the target of the new Sustainable
Development Goals - SDG) requires
sustained political will and improved
financing. We need to ensure a better
future for our girls and cannot let
them down. I stand with everyone
living with HIV, it distinguishes me
from just being a rockstar celebrity.”
In Africa, according to the
UNAIDS report, AIDS is the leading
cause of death for adolescents and it
is the second leading cause of
adolescent deaths globally.
Young people in most developing
countries are more at risk of HIV and
lack access to contraception because
of the slow pace of development and
the lack of interest by country
leaders to include them in decision-
making.
Katja Iversen, executive director
of Women Deliver, said, "We need to
put girls and women first at the
center of development, as an
investment in girls guarantees that
everybody wins.”
Young people should be brought
to decision-making tables to ensure
that no one is left behind in
implementing the new global goals
for sustainable development, which
run from 2016-2030, and include the
target to ensure universal access to
sexual and reproductive health-care
services.
Jill Sheffield, founder of Women
Deliver, said, “I hope the three days
of the conference will serve as a
booster dose to our efforts in
ensuring that young people's sexual
and reproductive health especially
girls is made a priority.”
It is time, and the voices of young
people matter. They should be heard
because the future of the next
generation is dependent on the
youth of today.
Nnamdi Eseme lives in Nigeria and
is a member of Key Correspondents,
a citizen journalism network
reporting for action on HIV. The
network is supported by the
International HIV/AIDS Alliance. He
is also a fellow of the Women Deliver
Young Leaders Programme.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
AFRICANWATCH
19
HAS THERE EVER BEEN SUCH A SPECTACULAR BAKE-OFF?
Even though it seems obvious and
even when I tell you that the picures
on this page are of real, edible cakes,
it is still somehow hard to believe. Yet
that is what they are.
They were all baked to celebrate Africa
Day on May 25 as part of an initiative
launched by the irrepressible Maria
Makanjuola, who holds a degree in biochemistry and masters in bio-chemical
engineering and food science, but
describes
herself
as
the
“founder/blogger/mentor/tutor” of the
blog “sweetcaketv.com”. From having
just 28 followers at launch last year, Maria
now has 28,000.
The aim of
LEFT: Titilope
her blog is
Adeoti of TL Cake
simply
Boulevard
(Nigeria)
wonderful.
Maria
told
RIGHT: Terry Adido
Nigerian
of Grated Nutmeg
Watch, “I
(Canada)
ran my
own
cake
business for five years before deciding to
move in to teaching other amateur cake
decorators, particularly in Africa, hoping
to help them achieve financial freedom
through the sugar arts.”
Sweet Cake TV not only teaches the
craft but the nuts and bolts of how to
build and run a profitable cake-making
business.
The Africa Day Cake Art Collaboration
was an unprecedented virtual gathering
of talented cake and sugar artists from
Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Kenya, Namibia,
South Africa, Canada, UK and USA. The
LEFT: Maria Makanjuola of Sweet Cake
TV
bakers used Twitter and Facebook to post
updates of their designs during the day,
having all started at 10am.
While it’s obvious purpose was to
celebrate the founding of the African
Union in 1963 the day was also all about
sharing examples of best practice, tricks
of the trade and bringing to prominence
the mind-blowing standard of artistry
that is possible and being practiced by the
cake-makers and sugar artists of Africa.
Maria also hopes that the finished
results will help “to educate people about
our continent as the cakes represent the
spirit and beauty of Africa in an edible art
form with breath-taking designs.”
There was no overall winner as such
but a popular vote from those who
followed the day as it unfolded
determined that the cakes featured on
this page stood out.
You can find out more about the
collaboration, see the other beautiful
masterpieces and find out more about the
cake artists from Africa and the diaspora
at www.africadaycakeart.com
Maria can be contacted via
[email protected]
Oladimeji Olabimpe
of Blooming Bud
Concept (Nigeria)
ABOVE: Siku Adewuyi of
cake-n-candy (Nigeria)
LEFT: Ajibola Onafowokan
of Arality World (UK)
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20
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
Composers to
get their day
New research from The British
Academy of Songwriters, Composers
and Authors (BASCA) reveals major
issues in the commissioning of works
by BAME classical music composers.
Key findings include: 6% of
commissioned composers are BAME,
compared to 14% amongst the UK
population; just over half the commissioned
composers are based in London, which has a
BAME population of 30%; and applicants to
Sound and Music’s professional development
schemes were 16% BAME, similar to the profile
of the UK population, showing that the low
proportion of BAME commissioned composers
does not reflect the proportion of those aspiring
‘It’s not a black book - it’s a book’
Booksellers have been criticised for not
featuring books by black, Asian and
minority
ethnic
(BAME)
authors
prominently enough in their stores.
to professional careers
BASCA’s Classical Co-ordinator, Natalie
Bleicher, said, “The conversation is really just
starting. We are planning a Diversity in
Composition day with BBC Radio 3 in October,
focusing on BAME composers and there will be
more work with the Association of British
Orchestras next year.”
SURVEY REVEALS DAILY GRIND OF RACIAL ABUSE
A new study shows more than
two-fifths of Londoners have
suffered racial abuse, with two in
10 saying it happens regularly.
Over half of people living in
the ‘urban’ heart of the city have
suffered discrimination, compared with three in 10 people living in the suburbs.
Among Londoners with a
black or minority ethnic background, the figures are even
more shaming.
Nearly half (46%) say they
have been on the receiving end
@NigerianWatch
AFRICANWATCH
of racist jokes or insults. Some
45% have been insulted directly.
Over four in 10 feel they have
been treated differently in public
places, like shops or restaurants,
and 31% were bullied at school
or college.
The insights come from a
major study of 1,000 Londoners
by Opinium Research, which
asked people of all backgrounds
to describe their experiences and
sense of identity.
Despite the election of Sadiq
Khan as Mayor of London, almost
six in 10 thought certain jobs
were effectively closed to BME
Londoners. Three in 10 doubted
there could be a black Prime
Minister.
A majority of Londoners
(63%) from all backgrounds
thought racism was common,
but 58% believed it was mainly
subconscious. A majority (58%)
of Londoners, including black and
white, thought Britain was less
racist than it was 20 years ago.
That fell to 51% of Londoners in
ethnic minorities.
Trinidadian-British author Baroness Floella
Benjamin OBE, speaking at a summer drinks
reception for the All Party Parliamentary
Writers Group (APWG) on May 24 at the House
of Lords, said booksellers were sidelining titles
by BAME authors by putting them “on a shelf
in the back”.
Baroness Benjamin, who is known as
presenter of children’s programmes such as
BBC One’s “Play School”, said that while the
publishing industry was “realising that
diversity matters” and had “moved miles” in
recent times, she knew from writing 30 books
herself “how those books are being treated”.
“You take your book to the shop, the
publishers are keen to have a new book out
there, but where do the booksellers put it? At a
shelf in the back somewhere, under the label
black or Asian or whatever kind of books. We
don’t want that. That has to change.
“It’s a book for all people, because when you
read about other people’s culture, about other
people’s stories, it enriches yours. That’s what
Britain is all about. Britain is about evolving,
this great tapestry that can bring a different
way of thinking into other people’s lives.”
She added, “I know when my books go into
a shop where they will end up - that has to
change. It’s not a ‘black book’, it’s just happens
to be a book about a character who is black.”
The reception was preceded by a roundtable
discussion with leading publishers on diversity
hosted by Minister of Culture Ed Vaizey.
Mr Vaizey said during the meeting that he
and publishers had discussed the importance
major literary festivals have in hosting “open
debate” where the industry can engage with
audiences on the issue of diversity.
In defence of using quotas on diversity, Mr
Vaizey also said “you need a few big
interventions to make a statement to show that
the ship is beginning to turn around.”
“People can be cynical about [strategies and
quotas],” he said, “they can be documents that
just lie on the shelf - but in the climate that
exists they can be real forces for change and
show real commitment from people who are in
a position to really push it.”
He added, “You do need to talk about it.We
need to raise this issue, we need to raise the
profile of this issue.”
FEATURED CONTENT
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at Asda we understand the needs of
the community, we strive to make
your shopping easier by providing all
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With this in mind, we have
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This year we have compiled some
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to bring to you “4 weeks of
togetherness”. These include some of
your favourite Iftari classic meals such
as Samosas and Kebabs, fast-breakers
like dates and almonds, condiments
like mixed pickle and of course sweet
treats like Rassogulla to end your
meals with.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
EDUCATIONWATCH
21
Why Trinity College London leads the way
in Secure English Language Testing
The new language proficiency requirements for UK Visa applications explained by the experts
A year of change
April 6, 2015, saw a clear change of
direction from the Home Office for
Secure English Language Testing
(SELT) in the UK, following a
number
of
high
profile
investigations revealing high levels
of corruption in the industry. Now
the only exams accepted for UK Visa
applications come from two
providers – Trinity College London
and Cambridge IELTS.
SELTs are taken by people who
need to demonstrate their English
language proficiency for the
purpose of obtaining a visa to work,
study or settle in the UK, and to
obtain citizenship. Both exam
boards operate a network of 10
secure centres across the UK.
Many candidates have found the
changes to Secure English Language
Testing confusing over the past 12
months. November 19 last year saw
further changes to the UKVI
requirements. Anyone making an
application to UKVI for British
Citizenship and Indefinite Leave to
Remain must have taken their
speaking and listening English
language test (B1) at a SELT centre.
In January 2016, UKVI, amid
further controversy, announced a
new English language requirement
for family route migrants seeking to
extend their stay in the UK.
This new requirement will come
into effect from this October. People
applying to extend their Further
Leave to Remain, 2.5 years into the
5 year visa, will need to have passed
a Secure English Language Test
(SELT) at CEFR level A2 in speaking
and listening. Trinity’s GESE Grade
3 (A2) test is approved by UKVI for
the Further Leave to Remain visa
extension (A2) applications.
Which exams do I need?
Phil Bond, Trinity SELT General
Manager, explained Trinity’s GESE.
“Graded Examinations in Spoken
English are well-respected, shortspeaking
and
listening
examinations involving a one-toone conversation with a Trinity
examiner. These exams have been
used for several years for UKVI
applications for British Citizenship,
Indefinite Leave to Remain and
Further Leave to Remain,” he said.
With a fast 7 day certificate
turnaround, a simplified online
booking system and provisional
results given on the day, Lisa
Donald,
Head
of
Business
Development for Trinity SELT, is not
surprised that GESE exams are the
main exam of choice.
Trinity’s Integrated Skills in
English
(ISE)
qualifications
demonstrate proficiency in all four
skills (reading, writing, speaking
and listening) for work and student
visa applications and are widely
recognised by UK universities. They
can be completed in one day, with
the certificate usually being
received within 14 days.
Convenient and Available
Following the success of their
London Holborn and Hammersmith
SELT centres, Trinity have opened a
brand new centre in Croydon, for
the convenience of candidates
south of London reaching down to
the South Coast. Croydon, Trinity’s
3rd London centre, now ensures
that SELTs can be taken up to 7 days
per week across London centres
and up to six days a week across the
UK.
Customer
service
representatives are also available six
days a week to support all queries.
Success Stories
In February, a Trinity SELT
candidate was featured on BBC’s
The One Show. Aisha had been
studying hard to improve her
English since arriving in the UK
from Pakistan, and works full time
to support her two daughters. After
taking her GESE Grade 5 (B1) SELT
at our Manchester centre, she
explained, ‘It is very important to
learn English’ and further explains
how she found taking her SELT test
at the Manchester SELT centre a
very positive experience.
For more information, visit
http://www.trinitycollege.com
22
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
EDUCATIONWATCH
@NigerianWatch
Birmingham City
University announces
THE UK’S
FIRST BLACK
STUDIES
DEGREE SET
TO OPEN
NEXT YEAR
Birmingham City University is set to
become the first in Europe to offer students
a degree focused solely on black studies.
Launching in September 2017, the
undergraduate BA honours course will focus on
examining the histories, social movements,
and contributions of people of African descent.
Dr Kehinde Andrews, associate professor in
sociology at the university, described
Birmingham as being “the perfect place” to
launch such a degree, considering it is one of
Europe’s most diverse cities, with a “strong
history” of community activism and
engagement.
Despite a long tradition of black studies
courses being made available in the US, Dr
Andrews argued that the opportunity to study
such courses in the UK is long overdue.
The professor - who is currently engaged in
a project examining the role of black radicalism
in contemporary organisation against racial
oppression - said, “For too long, UK
universities have overlooked the experiences
and perspectives of those in the African
diaspora.
“The contributions of black scholars,
activists, and communities have not been
recognised, creating a limited curriculum.
“Student movements have recently
demonstrated this across the country,
complaining of a ‘narrow
knowledge’ in universities,
including the ‘Why is my
curriculum
white?’
campaign.”
Academics
at
Birmingham City University
have
an
international
reputation for research in
the area of black studies, with recent projects
focusing on the exploration of black men’s
desistance from crime, as well as the influence
of pop culture on young black British women.
Dr Andrews added, “The new degree offers
students a critical understanding of British and
global society, international study abroad
opportunities, and experiences working to
improve conditions in communities.”
Malia Bouattia, National Union of Students
(NUS) black students’ officer and presidentelect, commended all those involved in the
move at the university, and encouraged other
institutions to follow suit.
She described how she
and her team have been
“strong proponents” of the
need to re-evaluate and
liberate the curriculum,
and told the Independent,
“With the glorification of
thinkers such as Galton and
Pearson, two leaders in the now discredited
field of eugenics, and the distinct lack of
African and Caribbean academics - with just 87
professors out of over 22,000 - there is a clear
need for a course which interrogates the
“The opportunity
to study such
courses in the UK
is long overdue”
history of the African diaspora.
“Black people still experience treatment
which is disproportionate, excessive, and racist
from the state, so a course which looks at
creating social change - along with critical
engagement with the wider community - is
imperative.
“We hope this is the first step towards
transforming our education system.”
Those interested in knowing more about the
degree course can get more information at the
university’s open day on 11 June.
Aside from the ‘Why is my curriculum
white?’ campaign, students and teachers at an
East London school recently launched a
campaign calling for women and ethnic
minorities to be fairly represented on the GCSE
and A-levels curriculum after finding current
reading lists being weighted in favour of
“white, deceased, male writers.”
For
more
information,
visit
http://www.bcu.ac.uk
LEISUREWATCH
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
Fortnight
FashionWATCH
by Obah Iyamu
WHAt to SEE And do ovER tHE nExt
This season’s fashion story gets its
strength from quirky and playful
engineering, and thankfully seems
to be designed to help us navigate
the increasingly bizarre British
summer weather!
tHEAtRE
Soul
Siobhan Davies Studios, 85
Saint George’s Road SE1
www.simplicious.net/dance
LoAFER mULE
mAxI GILEt This ever trusty layering piece of
clothing – also known as the third-piece – is back
for summer, only this time it is long and flowy and
eye catching. a trend that can hide body sin is a
woman’s best friend and a casual looking vest
makes any outfit look effortlessly polished.
Whether you are seeking a basic throw-on vest or
one that makes a big dress up statement, we can
say without a doubt that you will find something
that ticks all your boxes as there is an abundant
assortment of long gilets available on the high
street. Just so you know, it’s all about the hemline; the longer it is,
the more drama it
gives your attire.
Four Corners
On April Fool’s Day 1984,
hours before his 45th
birthday, Marvin Gaye was
shot dead by his father in the
shared family home they
called the ‘Big House.’
Soul is a parable about an
American family prepared to
do anything to promote and
protect their children.
15 Jun - 3 Jul, Wed-Fri 7.30pm,
Sat 5pm & 8.30pm, Sun 5pm.
From £10.
Hackney Empire, 291 Mare St
E8
www.hackneyempire.co.uk
FILm
nasty Baby
A close-knit trio navigates
the idea of creating life, while
at the same time being
confronted with a brutal
scenario that causes them to
take a life.
3 & 10 Jun, 7.30pm. Tickets
£8.36.
Bernie Grant Arts Centre,
Town Hall Approach Road, N15
www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk
dAnCE
dance and Yoga inspired
by Africa
An intensive workshop of
progressive movement
inspired by African Culture
with Irineu Nogueira and
Fatou Catherine LeFeuvre.
4 Jun, 1.30pm - 5pm.
14 dAYS...
Live cinema screenings
from the Royal
Shakespeare Company
Stratford Upon Avon stage
production.
Hamlet, played by Paapa
Essiedu, has the world at
his feet. Young, wealthy
and living a hedonistic life
studying abroad until word
reaches him that his father
is dead.
8 Jun, 7pm. Encore
screening 14 Jun, 12 noon.
Check your local cinema
for availability.
www.rsc.org.uk
HAmLEt
If you have to buy
any statement
footwear this
season, look no
further than the
backless loafer.
absolutely userfriendly in equal parts ( you can wear to work and to play),
this style was created for the girl who
likes to score fashion points in her game. The stakeholders were already showing the
furry mule last season, which wasn't the easiest thing to style, and so the highstreet embarked on the creation of the minimised version, which is
such an effortless and versatile wardrobe must-have. I'm crushing
over nude backless loafers with tassels and jagged soles
23
Blink Dance Theatre weave
together dance, original live
music and storytelling to
explore the lives of four
young Londoners and all that
complicates them.
10-11 Jun 2pm & 8pm. £12.
Lyric Hammersmith, King St,
Lyric Square W6
18 June, 2pm & 7pm. From £12.
Hackney Empire, 291 Mare St
E8
www.blinkdancetheatre.org
traditional And
Contemporary African
dance Weekend
Paris-based Georges
Momboye is a choreographer
from the Ivory Coast whose
repertoire includes the award
winning Afrika! He will lead a
weekend of workshops in
traditional Ivorian
African Dance
and
Contemporary
African Dance.
25 Jun, 1pm.
From £26.94.
WAC Arts,
Hampstead
Town Hall Centre,
213 Haverstock Hill
NW3
www.facebook.com/Feelthe-Rhythm-Productions
ComEdY
African Comedy Festival
2016
11 top international African
comedians from different
parts of the continent
including: Tumi Morake
(South Africa), Gordons
(Nigeria), Eric Omondi
(Kenya), DKB (Ghana),
Meskerem Bekele (Ethiopia),
Alex (Uganda), GH Wiilwall
(Somalia), Long John
(Zimbabwe), Brother
Franklyn (Kenya) and guest
comedians Prince Ezikah and
MOG on stage.
25 Jun, 6pm. Tickets £30.
Copper Box Arena, Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park E20
www.africancomedyshow.com
ExHIBItIonS
The Emily Kirby tanzania
Collection
Collection of 30 paintings
inspired by the Zambian born
artist’s visit to Babati,
Tanzania, where she held
workshops with local
students at the Livingstone
Trust, some of whose
artworks will be also be on
display.
7 - 11 Jun, 11am 4.30pm. FREE.
Menier Gallery, 51
Southwark Street SE1.
http://www.emilykirby.org
24
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
A is For Africa
See website for other shows.
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
Project Zulu and The
London Community Gospel
Choir
Multimedia exhibition,
exploring the human stories
behind the current migration
crisis, with a particular focus
on the Calais camp.
Including an installation
by Nikolaj Bendix Skyum
Larsen; art by Alpha, using
materials from the camp;
drawings of Calais by Nick
Ellwood; art and
photography by camp
residents; and an installation
of lifejackets embedded with
the stories of their wearers.
Ongoing until 22 June, 12pm 8pm. FREE.
Londonewcastle Project
Space, 28 Redchurch Street, E2
migrationmuseum.org
LITERATURE
19th Wole Soyinka Lecture
Wole Soyinka focuses
on democracy, good
governance and development
in Africa and the need for
effective and visionary
leadership.
3 Jun, 11am - 2pm. FREE.
University of Hertfordshire ,
College Lane, Hatfield AL10
9AB
wolesoyinkalecture.org
Words that Travel
Showcasing the wonderful
and rich diversity within
African literature, with
readings by Véronique
Tadjo, Dr Kwadwo OseiNyame Jnr, Mara Menzies
and Esther Kuforji; a
screening of Kwaku Ananse;
African food court,
Publishers’ market and an
Open Lit Space.
4 Jun, 12 noon - 10pm. FREE,
film screening £5.
SOAS University of London,
Thornhaugh Street, Russell
Square WC1
http://afrikult.com/
5 Jun, 2pm. FREE.
Owl Bookshop, 207-209
Kentish Town Rd NW5
www.owlbookshop.co.uk
Blackass
African Reading Group
discussion of Blackass by
A. Igoni Barrett, in which
Furo Wariboko, born and
bred in Lagos, wakes up on
the morning of a job
interview to discover he has
turned into a white man.
5 Jun, 4pm. FREE.
Book and Kitchen, 31 All Saints
Road W11
www.bookandkitchen.com
MUSIC
Femi Kuti
Special one-off show at the
Southbank Centre’s Royal
Festival Hall by legendary
saxophonist and son of Fela
Kuti, Femi with support from
Tiggs Da Author.
11 June, 7.30pm. From £17.
Meltdown Festival 10-19 June.
Reservation essential.
The Tab Centre, 3 Godfrey Pl
E2.
www.projectzulu.org
Open the Gate
A full day of live music with:
Anna Mudeka Band, Moussa
Coulibaly and Mudibu Music;
Tanzanian storytelling from
Saidi Kanda; family
workshops, including
Drumming & Dance; and the
African market.
Author Ifeoma Onyefulu
celebrates a new edition of
her classic picture book A is
For Africa with readings and
discussion.
Call Me By My Name:
Stories from Calais and
beyond
@NigerianWatch
LEISUREWATCH
Project Zulu are a children’s
choir from six schools in the
Madadeni township, South
Africa. They are touring the
UK raising money for their
schools and will be appearing
with the London Community
Gospel Choir for one night
only.
Jun 3, 7:30pm. FREE.
5 Jun, 12 noon - 12pm. FREE
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green
Rd E1
www.richmix.org.uk
Hashtag Congo
An evening of celebration
and entertainment with live
music from Audrey
Badibanga, Benedicte
Kuhanuka, Charlene
Badibanga, Naivasha Mwanji
and Patricia Balusa, to shed
light on the realities people
face in the Democratic
Republic of Congo everyday.
6 Jun, 6.30 - 10.30pm. Tickets
from £7.
Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green
Rd E1
www.richmix.org.uk
The Nile Project
Musicians from six Nile river
countries get together for the
first time in the UK in a
dynamic collaboration to
make new and vibrant East
African music.
19 June, 7.30pm. Tickets
£22.50
Islington Assembly Hall,
Upper St, N1
http://nileproject.org/
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Maasai Warrior Daniel saMbu shares his experience in wildlife protection
Somerset House, Strand WC2
www.creativeindustryfinance
.org.uk
is Pan africanism DeaD?
ogoya nengo and the Dodo
Women’s Group
Legendary folk artist whose
music comprises only vocals
and percussion, from Kenya,
performing outside her home
country after her
international debut album
“Rang’ala” propelled her
onto the world stage.
21 June, 8pm. Tickets £14.
Cafe Oto, 8-22 Ashwin St E8
https://cafeoto.co.uk
FooD
summer Garden Party
Nigerian Express first pop-up
food event of the summer,
BBQ menu with Kainji
Smokehouse launching their
smoked goat.
4 Jun, 4pm - 10pm. £40 for
dinner, Smoked goat extra.
Willesden Green location to be
confirmed.
www.facebook.com/Nigerian
-Express
otHer
Xray with Jenny
Current affairs program
hosted by Jenny Okafor
examining Buhari’s first year
in office.
4 Jun, 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm.
FREE.
University of East London,
University Square, 1 Salway
Road, E15
www.jennycokafor.com
Annual Africa Business
Summit inspired this year by
the Swahili phrase ‘Ukweli’
which will explore the new
realities of doing business in
Africa. With speakers and an
Alumini Awards Ceremony
with Gala dinner reception
and Live African
entertainment.
The summit attracts circa
400 delegates each year and
provides a platform for a
frank debate on effective
strategies for sustaining the
continent’s positive
momentum.
7 Jun, 8am - 5pm. From £50.
The Landmark 222 Marylebone
Road NW1
http://lbs.pickevent.com/
Maasai Warrior & Park
Ranger Daniel Sambu from
Chyulu Hills, Kenya, with
former Australian Ranger
Sean Willmore share their
unique experiences
protecting wildlife from
poachers, both across the
globe and from a local tribal
perspective within Africa.
8 Jun, 6.30pm. Tickets £11.74
Huxley Lecture Theatre 308,
Imperial College London,
South Kensington Campus
SW7
www.thingreenline.org.au
Fashion, an east african
perspective
An afternoon of workshops
with Kenyan fashion
businesses; Katungulu,
Kepha Maina and Mambo
Pambo.
9 Jun, 2.30pm. FREE.
The London
Business School
Africa Club’s 15th
9 Jun, 6.30pm. Tickets £15.
Swedenborg Hall - 20
Bloomsbury Way WC1
www.panafricanthought.com
africa together
Commemorating Africa Day
- a tad late – The African
Society of Cambridge
University hosts a day long
event to showcase, educate
and celebrate the African
continent and its people.
10 Jun, 8am - 5pm. From £8.
See website for specific
timings of events.
Cambridge Union Society,
Cambridge, United Kingdom
CB2 1UB
http://africatogether.org.uk
black History breakdown
Computer games are making
more money than some
movies nowadays. Producers
and actors are increasingly
selling stories to millions of
eager consumers using this
format but what sort of
stories are being told ? How
do these cinematic, high
definition, interactive video
games relate to black people
and their history ?
10 Jun, 6.30pm. FREE.
Blue Room, BFI, Belvedere
Road SE1.
blackhistorywalks.co.uk
What is the critical ‘black’
debate in this eu
referendum?
An opportunity to discuss the
Black Political Perspective on
Europe, whether we
‘Remain’ or whether we
‘Brexit’ What is our vision?
11 Jun, 2pm - 5pm. FREE.
Stockwell Community Centre,
1 Studley Road SW4
https://momentumblackconne
xions.wordpress.com
Networking event with
speakers including,
Christopher Osei and Azeez
Olalekan amongst others,
which aims to improve
the life chances of black
Africans living
in UK.
africa business
summit
The inuagral debate by The
Centre of Pan African
Thought, discussing whether
blacks should abandon
African homogeny and
accept cultural hegemony as
a by product of living in a
host society, with Jo Dash, Dr
Halim Adi and Dr Kehinde
Andrews, speaking for and
against the motion.
Warriors and Wildlife
black africans connecting
4 better life chances
7 Jun, 6.30pm.
FREE.
Novotel, 46
Blackfriars Road
SE1.
http://cee4bee
.com
NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
LEISUREWATCH
naija in the Park
Family festival celebrating
the rich and diverse arts
and culture of Nigeria with
cultural perfomances,
childrens play area,
fashion show,
workshops, arts and
crafts market, Nigerian
food and live bands.
black
History
breakDoWn
discusses
the power of
Computer
Games.
18 Jun, 12 noon - 9pm. FREE.
Book tickets in
advance
Finsbury Park, Seven
Sisters Road N4
www.naijain
thepark.com
25
BEHIND
THE SCENES
with Lace Mamen
anytime i get a moment, i tell my friends in the uk that lagos is not the only state in nigeria. in fact, it
is not the capital. in fact, it does not have the biggest history. edo state does. edo state is known to
have the oldest Monarchy in the world and we (bts boys) are proud to share that with you. right now
our great kingdom is in transition, our great king omo n oba has transited to join his ancestors and a
new king (The Heir apparent) is being installed. so no bts usual stories or bts Heat this week, just a
smooth groove of nigerian tradition about the greatest Monarchy in the world where we come from.
The cradle of black civilisation mourns
The Great Benin Kingdom, like
the United Kingdom, is based on
hereditary principles. In the case
of the Great Benin Kingdom,
there is only one line of succession in the Oba dynasty. The title
of Oba passes from father to
son, world without end.
The title of Oba was created
by Oba Eweka I, Benin Empire’s
first ‘Oba’, who is said to have
ascended to power at some time
between 1180 and 1300. The title
“Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku
Akpolokpolo” simply means His
Royal Majesty the “born king” of
the Great Benin Kingdom. Until
the Great Benin Empire was annexed by the British in 1897, the
Oba of Benin was the Head of
State (Emperor) of the Great
Empire.
The Great Benin Kingdom is
the cradle of black civilisation, a
land where king is truly king and
where kings are born and not
made. The Oba of Benin or “Omo
N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo”
(the mighty that rules), Ovbi’
Ekpen N’ Owa (the son of the
home leopard), Ovbi’Oghonwan
nei bun aro (the son of the fearless, who looks without twinkling his eyes), Ovbi’ode, ode
n’ohan ren mu’ ete (the son of
the warrior whose enemies got
frightened at the announcement
of his approach), was announced to have transited to a
higher glory to be with his ancestors early this year.
The Great Benin Kingdom is
one of the few kingdoms in
Africa that still holds tenaciously
to its rich customs and traditions where the Oba is revered
like a god. According to Benin
tradition, the Oba never dies, he
only joins his ancestors, or he
transits to a higher glory and
spiritual realm where he continues to direct the affairs of his
successor and people. Nobody
announces his burial because he
did not die in the first instance.
What is announced after an interlude is coronation, which
usually lasts 3-4 months.
The Oba of Benin is the traditional ruler of the Edo people
and head of the historic Eweka
dynasty of the Great Benin Empire - a West African empire
centred on Benin City in modern-day Nigeria. The Benin Oba
Edo Princes in traditional rites
Our Transited King Omo N Oba
Our New King, Ediaken of Uselu
is treated in many ways as first
among equals compared to
other monarchs in Nigeria and
most Nigerians know that the
Edo people value their traditional institutions and that the
Oba of Benin is a breed apart
who cannot be compared with
so many of his peers in Nigeria.
The Oba owns the land and
he owns the people. Anything
Benin people have is owned at
the pleasure of the Oba, who
can make and unmake. It is no
one else but the Oba of Benin
who is a god in his own right
that nobody fools around with.
Whatever he says is final. He
usually covers his mouth because when he talks he is the
supreme authority.
Throughout the reign of the
departed Oba Erediauwa, he was
a father to all the indigenes and
non-indigenes alike. His departure is a sad loss to the Great
Benin Kingdom, which boasts of
an enviable tradition and history
of unbroken continuity of great
monarchs who left ingrained an
imprint in history. We had a
great king who was much loved
and adored by many within
Benin Kingdom and Nigeria at
large. The late Oba was an embodiment of profound dignity,
prestige and respectability
which our past Obas, from time
immemorial, are renowned for.
The pragmatism of Omo N’Oba
Erediauwa distinguished him as
the most distinctive African king
in the area of governance and
accommodation.
As we mourn, we join all
Benins and friends of the Great
Benin Kingdom to celebrate the
virtues of our dear departed father and Oba who has left behind legacies of kindness,
truthfulness, love, peace and
development that we would
cherish till eternity. We are
equally consoled by the rising of
another sun, the Crown Prince,
Eheneden Erediauwa, Edaiken
N’Uselu, in the horizon of the
Great Benin Kingdom even as we
observe the rites of passage of
our revered monarch, His Royal
Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku
Akpolokpolo Oba Erediauwa.
The ceremony to crown the
Edaiken has started in earnest.
The title of Edaiken first came
into existence during Oba
Ewuare’s reign in 1440. As the
eldest son of the Oba and heir
apparent to the Benin Throne,
he is groomed in the art of governance in form and practice at
Uselu. He normally has his own
sets of chiefs and his administration at Uselu is a replica of
what is in Benin City. When an
old king passes away, the
Edaiken remains in his position
until the royal funeral ceremonies are over and he is proclaimed as king and crowned.
The royal funeral rites of departed and the coronation ceremonies of the new Oba that
immediately follows the King’s
demise will last about three
months. In the next few weeks
ahead, the Great Benin Kingdom
will witness several colourful
ceremonies laced with traditional richness that personifies
the enviable custom of the Great
Benin people.
Oba Gha Tor Okpere – Ise
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@NigerianWatch
INJURY STALLS TITLE FIGHT
Nigeria’s African Boxing Union
Champion, Larry Ekundayo, has
had to pull out of his scheduled
title defence because of injury.
His hand has been damaged
during his training camp.
Undefeated Ekundayo, who
won the belt in October 2015,
was scheduled to defend it
against the Tanzanian boxing
star Saidi Mundi this Saturday
(June 4) in London.
Larry told Nigerian Watch, “I
am bitterly disappointed not to
be fighting at the weekend after
all the training I’ve done. I was
looking forward to bringing
sporting success to Nigeria and
continuing to climb up the world
rankings, but my team decided
that I couldn’t take the risk to
fight with such an injury.”
Larry’s manager, Ben Gray
said, “Larry is a great boxer, but
even he can’t fight a man with
only one hand! Larry carries the
hopes of a nation on his back
and it would not be right to send
him into battle without giving
him the best opportunity of victory.”
Ekundayo will be out of action for 6-8 weeks whilst his
hand heals. Once he gets the all
clear the bout will be rescheduled for later in the year.
The boxer's Special Advisor,
Bimbo Folayan said, “This is a
Yellow Greens stumped for answers
Nigeria’s cricket team, known as the
Yellow Greens, have seen their dream of
promotion to Division 4 of the World
Cricket League shattered.
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The team had travelled to Jersey on May 21
in the hope of escaping Division 5 and taking a
step closer to being in contention to qualify for
the 20/20 World Cup Competition. But it
wasn’t to be.
The Yellow Greens got off to a good start,
beating Tanzania on the opening day of
competition. Extreme weather conditions may
have been the reason they were humbled by
Oman, but the losses to Guernsey and Vanuatu
were down to a clear gulf in class and a
reflection of how much the one day game has
evolved.
In the match against Guernsey, Nigeria won
the toss and elected to bat, scoring a total runs
of 99 all out in 36 overs. Guernsey, however,
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Paperback £9.30 Hardback £13.60 E-book £2.60
PROPERTY
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easily chased down the score and scored 100
runs for the loss of no wicket, winning the
match by 10 wickets.
Against Vanuatu it was a similar story.
Nigeria won the toss and due to the weather
conditions elected to field first, gifting the
batting side the opportunity to score a total of
227 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 50 overs.
The Yellow Greens put up an early fight but
again the wonders of spin bowling on the turf
wicket surface was enough to end the chase at
117 all out, in 38 overs.
Both games were decided by the turf wicket
surface as the Nigerian bowlers who excelled in
this competition were the spin bowlers, as
much as the Nigerian batsmen suffered. Nigeria
lost the final game against Jersey by 10 wickets.
What has become abundantly clear from
this contest is the urgent need for a turf wicket
surface in Nigeria for the team to train on if the
Yellow Greens are to find glory at the
international level.
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NIGERIAN WATCH
3 - 16 June 2016
Like us on Facebook
27
SportsWATCH
A staggering 3,000 young footballers turned up at trials to find the
2017 Golden Eaglet’s squad on May 30.
The youngsters descended on the capital Abuja from all corners
of Nigeria in the hope of making the squad, to first contest the
2017 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations to be hosted by Madagascar and
then possibly the U17 World Cup.
The young players were alerted to the trials by newspaper reports in which coach Garba Manu inadvertently issued an open
invitation. “We don’t have much time to waste and we are going to
use just three weeks for open screening in order to have a close
look at the 40 invited players,” stated Garba. “It will also be an opportunity for us to see others since many uninvited players may
also turn up, based on our previous experience.”
While he expected some players to turn up uninvited he and his
colleagues were staggered to be greeted by the 3,000 hopefuls.
Nevertheless, Garba said everyone would be given a chance to impress.
“We are going to give all of you equal opportunity but you have
to be disciplined and do your best when you are given the opportunity to show what you can do on the pitch,” he said.
And he added, “Please, don’t let anyone fool you and collect
any money from you; you will be judged by what you can do on the
pitch as well as sound proof that you are within the age bracket.”
Meanwhile, reports have it that about 300 players have been
turned back because “they look older than 17 facially”.
The ongoing screening exercise is part of the Golden Eaglets’
preparations towards qualification for the 2017 Africa U-17 Cup of
Nations. In the first match the Golden Eaglets would be away to
Niger on the first weekend of August 5-7, with the reverse fixture
in Nigeria a fortnight later.
WE’RE FOOTBALL CRAZY
Super Eagles start to bounce back
The Super Eagles have seemingly
started to bounce back under
interim coach Salisu Yusuf (right),
following their ignominious
failure to qualify for the African
Cup of Nations 2017.
The team has moved up six places,
from 67 to 61, in the June ranking
released by the Federation of
International Football Association
(FIFA), in the aftermath of their
friendly victories over Mali and
Luxembourg.
The Super Eagles beat Mali 1-0
and went on to defeat Luxembourg
3-1 in two international friendly
games held on May 27 and 31
respectively.
On May 27, the Eagles beat Mali 10 at the Stade de Rouen in France but
against Luxembourg they were much
more powerful than their opponents
and managed to win by a wider
margin.
The attacking trio of Brown Ideye,
Kelechi Iheanacho and Odion Ighalo
all scored on Tuesday as the Super
Eagles beat Luxembourg 3-1. Interim
Super Eagles Coach, Salisu Yusuf, had
made six changes to the team that
started the game against Mali and it
worked out well.
Brown Ideye opened the scoring
in the first half with a 35th minute
goal after some hard running by
Umar Aminu down the left.
In a half during which the Eagles
enjoyed 72% possession, they had
several opportunities to increase the
score but were kept at bay by Moris
in goal for Luxembourg. In the dying
minutes of the half, he denied Nigeria
a certain goal by miraculously
tipping a rasping shot from skipper
Ogenyi Onazi over the bar.
Luxembourg
managed to keep it at 01 until the interval but
upon resumption the
Eagles started from
where they left off,
piling on the pressure.
Coach Yusuf made
numerous changes in the
second half, bringing on
Michael
Babatunde,
Moses Simon, Wilfred
Ndidi, Raheem Lawal,
Gbenga Arokoyo and
Odion Ighalo on for Alex
Iwobi, Umar Aminu,
Ogenyi Onazi, Shehu
Abdullahi,
William
Troost-Ekong
and
Brown Ideye respectively.
These changes energised the
midfield, especially with Lawal
pulling the strings in front of the
back four and it was only a matter of
time before the Super Eagles
increased the tally.
After a great dribbling run down
the left by Moses, he laid a square ball
to Manchester City's Kelechi
Iheanacho, who just had a simple tap
in to make it two on the night on 68
minutes.
From then on, the Eagles were in
full control of the game and Ighalo
had a third goal chalked off for
offside around the 82nd minute
mark.
However, irresponsible play at the
back gave Luxembourg a lifeline
when Kenneth Omeruo was caught
in possession like a schoolboy and
childishly gave the ball away
allowing Vincent Thill to pull one
back for Luxembourg in the 89th
minute.
That goal bought the stadium
alive as local fans danced and
celebrated as if they had won a major
tournament but their joy was shortlived. Three minutes later, Ighalo
tapped in from six yards out after
Iheanacho broke free on the counter
attack as Nigeria cleared a
Luxembourg corner.
Dashing down the left, Iheanacho
beat his man for pace and squared a
pass to Ighalo who had a simple
finish. His 92nd minute goal was the
last event of the evening as the
referee blew the final whistle almost
immediately from the resumption.

Issue 76 - Nigerian Watch

Transcription

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