The Long Harmattan Season

Public Service Cleansing in Abia State

2011-10-25T11:10:00.001+01:00

By Uche Nworah

Abia state is in the news, for the wrong reasons again. It appears there is no end in sight to the troubles and woes of residents of the state who lived through a harrowing and nightmarish experience 2 years ago when armed robbers and kidnappers held them hostage. Whereas government inaction was largely blamed for the nightmare of 2 years ago, this time, it is the planned action of the state governor, T.A Orji and his government that is causing residents of the state, particularly the so-called ‘settlers’ (ndi bia ra abia) much heart ache .

According to an advertorial sponsored by the Association of Anambra State Development Unions, Abia State Chapter published on Page 37 in the Daily Sun newspaper of Thursday, October 13th 2011, the governor had via a circular (HAS/S0071/11/132) dated August 25th, 2011 and copied to all state commissioners, permanent secretaries and other senior government officials conveyed his government’s approval that all non-indigenes of Abia state working in the public service of Abia state (including at the local government authorities) be transferred to their states of origin with effect from 1st October 2011.

This planned action by the Abia state government is indeed very sad and disappointing. It is coming at a time when South South governors are closing ranks to jointly promote the social, political and economic development of the South South states as evidenced by the formation and activities of the BRACED (Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Edo, Delta states ) Commission, and the developmental projects embarked upon by the South South governors. It is policies like the one being planned by T.A Orji that continue to slow the development of South East states which have now become the ‘left behind’ states in the region.

How disheartening it is to see the division in ranks amongst the Igbo states being promoted by T.A Orji through his planned ‘civil service cleansing’ policy. What then did the South East states’ governors discuss at the South East Economic Summit which held in Enugu in September 2011. Mr. Orji had at the Summit stated that “inter- state collaboration will limit the damage done by criminal violence and advocated that the zone should use collaborative public policies including the sharing of information…”. The President General of Ohaneze Ndigbo, Ambassador Ralph Uwaechue on his part identified “collective self reliance as a panacea for Igbo economic transformation”.

In the light of the above comments, this immediate volte face by Mr. Orji barely one month after the summit is retrogressive to the Igbo cause which they all pledged to champion at the summit. Whatever his reasons maybe, they do not appear justified considering the wider implications of his government’s planned action. First, we may see a backlash and retaliatory policy from other South East governors; this will further widen the co-operation gulf and further endanger the plans of integrating the South East states as one strong viable economic bloc. There are also security issues to consider, both of life and property. This policy if carried through may see the displacement of families who may be forced to relocate to their home states; one can also imagine the economic hardships that will follow such forced relocations.
We cannot also rule out witch-hunting by the ‘indigenes’ who may adopt Gestapo style tactics to ‘point out and flush out’ non-indigenes from the state hoping to take over their jobs and hopefully not their properties as witnessed collectively by Ndigbo in Port Harcourt during the abandoned property nightmare.

The most unfortunate thing about Mr. Orji’s planned policy is that it could potentially ignite embers of fear and hatred amongst families. Imagine how a couple and their family will feel if for example one partner is from Abia state and another from Anambra state, both partners may have been born in Abia state, lived all their lives in the state and attended school in the state. Assuming they have jointly managed to rise in the state civil service cadre and the partner from Anambra state is now forced to leave the service, this will be a big blow to the family.
Perhaps it is about time that federal and state legislatures enact enabling laws that will finally settle this indigene/settler dichotomy in Nigeria which is not only discriminatory but disenfranchises Nigerians of their social, political and economic rights in their places of abode. One’s home should be where his heart is, if someone has lived in a place over a certain period of time, such a person should no longer be treated as an outsider and denied of his rights.

I am sure T.A Orji and members of his government have one family member or another who may be living abroad, they will also not be unaware of the civil liberties including right to employment in the various countries where such family members reside as long as they have legal residence. How would they feel if such family members were to be unceremoniously evacuated from the countries they have come to call home, or be denied employment opportunities simply because they were originally from Nigeria?

Perhaps this is the Blackman’s burden and the reason why every forward step we make towards progress is erased by two backward steps that follow, a ‘motion without movement’ situation indeed. I ask T.A Orji whatever happened to the Igbo mantra of ‘Nwanne di na mba’ (the relative from a distant land) and ‘Onye agha na Nwanne ya’ (do not leave your relative behind)? I can bet T.A Orji was one of those that celebrated in 2008 when Barrack Obama, a man born of an immigrant Kenyan father became the President of America. Maybe I should also point out to him that Chuka Umunna, a United Kingdom parliamentarian of Igbo parentage is currently the Shadow Secretary for Business, Innovation and Skills. There are also several Nigerians both in Nigeria and abroad excelling in various fields in lands far from their home country or state. This is globalization in action, people are able to take their skills to places where they will be most appreciated and rewarded. They should not be unjustly punished by the governments of their host cities or states; rather they should be encouraged and supported to attain their God-given potentials in order to continue to give off their best in the service to humanity.
Interestingly, T.A Orji has excluded workers in the state’s school system from the cleansing policy knowing that if the policy is extended to workers in the states’ schools, it will almost throw education in the state into chaos.

In what I consider a failed attempt to defend this archaic policy, the Abia state commissioner for Information and Strategy, Don Ubani had in an advertorial published in This Day newspaper of Friday, October 16th 2011 (Page 65) thrown caution to the winds in his choice of language by adopting a combatant approach in responding to the growing condemnation of this policy by the Imo state government and other concerned stakeholders.

As an Anambra person but who was born and grew up in Aba, Abia state, I believe this issue concerns us all. While hoping that the Abia state government will rescind this policy, I’m also praying that other South East states governors do not embark on a retaliatory measure. I support the earlier call made by the Association of Anambra State Development Unions and appeal to relevant federal government agencies to intervene including Emeka Wogu, the Minister of Labour and Productivity who incidentally is from Abia state.

Ambassador John Campbell’s Doomsday Prophecy

2011-07-15T08:29:00.000+01:00

By Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

Ambassador John Campbell, former American ambassador to Nigeria and now of the American Council of Foreign Relations needs no introduction to Nigerians. After reading his Nigeria in Never Never Land essay on the website www.nigeriavillagesquare.com, I couldn’t help but think that the former U.S diplomat is on a mission to help actualise the doomsday prophecy of the American CIA which had predicted in 2005 that Nigeria will disintegrate as a nation within 15 years. They say that to kill a dog, you will have to give it a bad name. Therefore it is not surprising that Mr Campbell is once again travelling a very familiar road with his anarchy coloured essay. This is not out of character though as his utterances and activities since he left Nigeria seems to confirm his true motives.

Compared to his compatriots (Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders and Ambassador Walter Carrington), both former U.S ambassadors to Nigeria, a friend of Nigeria Mr Campbell is surely not. We now at least know who our true friends are. Our friends are those that do not always see what’s not good about us, rather they are the ones that can use their position and influence and help to us to improve our democratic process, attract foreign investors and not scare them away with Hollywood influenced tales. Perhaps one should not be surprised with the position taken by Mr Campbell in his recent essay on Nigeria, it is consistent with the hidden motives of the west and their allies to promote conflicts in foreign lands and then cash in at the same time through arms sales, humanitarian aid etc. The Hollywood movie ‘Wag the Dog’ best depicts this American practice.

Reading Mr Campbell’s essay, you can’t help but sympathise with Mr. Segun Aganga, Nigeria’s new Minister of Trade and Investment as his job has just been made much more challenging as he begins a mighty task of convincing foreign investors to come to Nigeria, not against the backdrop of the scary tales of the Campbells of this world. For Nigeria to develop, we need investments in the critical areas of infrastructural development, roads, power, housing etc. These can only come as FDIs but such inflows will be jeopardised if the Campbells of this world keep painting the picture of Nigeria as a doomed economy to the outside world.

While accepting that Nigeria is facing some challenges, so also are other countries including America. America grapples daily with hurricanes and other natural disasters that lead to loss of human lives and damage to properties. Lagos experiences one bad spell of flooding and Mr Campbell conveniently dumps it on the doorsteps of Mr Jonathan, these Americans are funny. I didn’t hear Mr Campbell in his essay speak about how his organisation or country will support some of the victims as is the practice worldwide during such disasters. I remember that the Nigerian government donated 1 million dollars to the American government in aid of victims of Hurricane Katrina. We did not question or query the state of preparedness of the Americans. This is the most civil thing to do; anything else is pure mischief as Mr Campbell has shown with his writing.

The Jonathan presidency is just 2 months old, too bad the President inherited a lot of these social, political, religious and economic issues but solving these could not have been done in just 2 months. The President has been talking about transformation and it is only natural that he be allowed and given time to show Nigerians if he is just only talk, without any action. It is rather too early and distracting to be throwing the punches.

I was first drawn to Mr Campbell’s essay by a post made by Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, my friend on Facebook on his wall. The Mallam now turned emergency social critic and activist seems to be pleased that Mr Campbell had referenced his recent encounter with the SSS over his article on the cost of running government in Nigeria. Perhaps the SSS may have been a little overzealous in their handling of the El-Rufai matter but I must say that I find Mallam El-Rufai’s recent self-righteous posturing nauseating, considering that he was a prince in the Obasanjo and Yar’Adua governments. His activities both at the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) and at the Federal Capital Territory Ministry have remained subjects of negative public criticisms. Having since been sidelined by the Jonathan government, he now uses his membership of the editorial board of This Day newspaper and the platform of his Friday column in the newspaper to attack the government. But true to character, Nigerians should not expect El-Rufai to see anything good in the Jonathan government as his party, Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) lost heavily in the recently concluded general elections.

Not everyone is buying John Campbell’s thesis. In a rejoinder published on the same website, Reno Omokri, a political campaign strategist writes that Mr Campbell’s recent attacks was borne out of the grudges he still harbours against the Nigerian state “for the loss of the substantial financial honorarium that would have accrued to him had his visa application to visit Nigeria in order to deliver a graduation lecture at the American University Of Nigeria in Yola as a member of its governing council not been denied”. He went on to accuse Mr Campbell of double standards since “he only applied for a visa less than a week to his travel date and even at that submitted no documentation to establish his status as a member of that university's governing council”, and that he had only himself to blame for the visa denial. Mr Omokri wondered what would have been the fate of a Nigerian who submitted an application for a U.S. visa a week to his travel date and without documentation during the time Mr. Campbell was the U.S. ambassador to Nigeria.

Maybe the time has come for the Nigerian government to wage its own information war against people like John Campbell and expose them for who they are, opportunists looking to exploit the developmental challenges of developing economies for their personal aggrandisement and for the benefit of their home countries.

Culture and Igbo business practices

2011-06-20T13:15:00.000+01:00

Written by Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

The Igbos of South East Nigeria, otherwise known as Ndigbo remains one of Nigeria’s major and most enterprising ethnic groups accounting for about 18% of Nigeria’s estimated 150 million population. The website nationsencyclopedia.com gives the breakdown of the make-up of the other ethnic groups as follows; The Hausa, 21%;Yoruba, 21%; Fulani, 12%; Ijaw, 10%; Kanuri, 4.1%; Ibibio, 3.6%; Tiv, 2.5%; and others, 18.7%. These classifications may not be accurate as argued by some commentators, for example the website onlinenigeria.com has published a list of what it describes as 371 identifiable tribes in Nigeria with a statement that some of these tribes are present in more than one state in Nigeria. This may then suggest that contrary to popular belief that only about 250 ethnic languages are spoken in Nigeria; the number may well then be close to 400, including tribes not captured in the onlinenigeria.com list.

Certain behaviours (social, cultural, economic and political) are known to be peculiar to each of the component ethnic groups in Nigeria, while some identifiable behaviour may be common to some or all of the groups as a result of long years of inter-ethnic co-habitations, associations, exchanges and marriages, certain behaviours have remained unique to each of the groups. Of particular interest to this writer are the Igbo ethnic group and the fascinating aspect of their culture known as ‘self-help and self-enterprise’. This has become both an ideology and a mantra amongst Ndigbo. Referred to as ‘Igba Mbo’, Ndigbo would readily refer to any true Igbo son with a counter ideology as ‘efulefu’.

Perhaps other aspects of Igbo culture are worth discussing here, to enable a proper understanding of the Igbo race. Ndigbo are very traditional people, there is a strong pull towards preserving inherited ethos and values (also known as omenani or odinani). This manifests in the continued celebration and sustenance of cultural festivals and feasts such as Mmanwu or masquerade festivals in many towns and villages. Some other communities have more pronounced festivals such as the Imo Awka festival by Awka people of Anambra state, the Ikeji festival by Arondizuogu people of Imo state, the Ana Enugwu festival by the Enugwu-Ukwu people of Anambra state etc. According to the Eze of Enugwu-Ukwu, and Igwe of Umunri, HRH Igwe Ralph O. Ekpeh; “such festivals help to foster peace in the communities and are also ways of preserving our cultural heritage”.

Ndigbo are known to be deeply religious, while majority may have converted to Christianity, there are still many following Igbo traditional religion which many refer to as idol worship. These people still observe the traditional pouring of libation as a mark of honour to the gods and late ancestors. The sacrificing of animals and the sprinkling of their blood on carved idols known as Alusi or Okpesi etc. Ndigbo still observe traditional marriage rites such as Ime ego (bride price), Igba nkwu (also known as ‘wine carrying’).

The kola nut still remains a significant aspect of Igbo culture; these are eaten at every formal gathering and during family and social visits. As Ndigbo would say, ‘He who brings kola brings life’. At such gatherings, only titled men are allowed to bless and break the kola nut, usually the eldest person present unless he decides to designate the role to another. The designee in beginning will justify his rights to break the kola nut using the Igbo proverb that says ‘Oku agunyelu nwata, adiro ere gbu ya (A child will not be scarred by the flames put on his palm by elders’. Titles and title taking are still propagated in Igbo communities. In Igbo land, people are known and greeted mainly by their titles rather than by their given names hence Ndigbo will say – Nke onye chiri, ya zaa (let each person answer and live to his title). As Chinua Achebe writes in the novel Things Fall Apart, ‘proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten’, it is common for Ndigbo, particularly titled and elderly men to speak using proverbs.

While some may argue that the culture of respect for elders is waning especially as a result of the swagger life style of nouveau rich Igbo men and women, respect for elders is still very much observed by many in line with the admonition by one of Ndigbo’s most revered sons, the late Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onitsha and Nigeria’s first President who had cautioned that “those that do not respect greatness, will never live to be great”.

Amongst the Igbos are also to be observed strong bonds of kinship and brotherhood as evidenced in the maintenance of cultural groups, town unions and community development associations (CDAs) in distant lands where Ndigbo reside. Perhaps this may be a way of fostering the ‘Umunna’, ‘Igwebuike’ and ‘Nwanne di na mba’ philosophy (unity and strength in togetherness). Though Ndigbo may be widely travelled, they do have a strong home coming mentality. Many towns where Ndigbo sojourn in the diaspora usually feel their absence during the festive periods of Christmas when they all go home to their various villages to celebrate with family and friends. Perhaps this is in fulfilment of the Igbo proverb that ‘Aku luo uno, okwuo ebe osi’ (a call to take one’s wealth home for use in developmental projects). Communities such as Enugwu-Ukwu observe a mandatory ‘mass return’ every 3 years. This according to Jude Ekwunife, the President – General of Enugwu-Ukwu Community Development Union (ECDU) is “a chance for our people to take stock, get to know each other again and of course receive the blessings of our ancestors for the coming year’s challenges”.
Some negative aspects have also been observed about Igbo culture, these have now been massively exploited by non-Igbos in Nigeria’s political terrain to create a divide and rule situation that has led to Ndigbo’s perennial search for vibrant leadership. Many argue that Ndigbo love money but I will argue rather that this is just a mis-interpretation of the highly ambitious and competitive spirit of the Igbo man which finds credence in the almost spiritual understanding that ‘Onye ruo, ya rie’. By their nature, Ndigbo are very hardworking and enterprising. This also finds credence in the biblical quote that ‘being lazy will make you poor, but hard work will make you rich’. (PROVERBS 10:4)
Another is the saying, propagated by Ndigbo themselves that ‘Igbo enwe Eze’. This belief that Ndigbo have no central leader is far from the truth as it at the same time contradicts the Igbo belief that ‘Onye fee eze, Eze eru ya’ (Give honour to the deserving and you shall also be honoured). These prejudices, real and imagined may have unwittingly made Ndigbo objects of envy and fear by their Nigerian brothers. In his 1985 Ahiajoku lecture, Prof. Ben Nwabueze argues that Ndigbo must admit that; “as a people, we excite fear, resentment and hatred in other Nigerians. In a multi-ethnic society such as Nigeria is, that is a terrible position for any of its groups to be in. He argues further that “so intense indeed is the fear, resentment and hatred of the Igbos in Nigeria that no Igbo man, however good his credentials, not even Zik, the widely acknowledged father of Nigerian nationalism, can today expect to command nationwide acceptance as a leader in the government and politics of the country. His every action and utterance will be misunderstood and misrepresented. He will be hounded from pillar to post, until he is got rid of, which will be sooner than later. In present-day Nigeria, no Igbo man can last as head of the federal government”.

Though we are now in 2011, Prof. Nwabueze’s 1985 postulations still ring true as recent political developments in Nigeria suggest that Ndigbo may have finally lost out in the power equation in Nigeria, with the people of the Niger Delta region (South South) increasingly edging them out to become the 3rd most influential ethnic group in Nigeria to be reckoned with politically after the Hausas and Yorubas. The people of the Niger Delta have found sympathy amongst Nigerians and the international community due to the long years of neglect and environmental degradation they suffered at the hands of the Nigerian government and by oil companies operating in the region. Their case was also emboldened by the regrettable Ken Saro Wiwa murder. Perhaps to force the issue, their people decided to take their faith into their hands forming and funding many militant organisations which has finally gotten the world’s attention.

As the world gradually converges in cyberspace, opportunities that were previously unimaginable have thus become available in both business and other aspects of human endeavours. There are improved possibilities for creating new partnerships, exploring new frontiers in trade and finance and the exchange of culture and ideas. It is thus only a people or group equipped and empowered with the necessary tools in the new knowledge economy that can take advantage of the new emerging opportunities.

It is therefore worth analysing further the competitiveness of Ndigbo’s prevalent business practices in an increasingly networked and globalised world. Olanrewaju Akinpelu Olutayo in his paper, The Igbo Entrepreneur in the political economy of Nigeria (African Study Monographs, 20(3): 147-174, September 1999) writes that “the Igbo, when compared to the other major ethnic groups in Nigeria, are in the forefront of entrepreneurial activities, especially in the informal sector”. Ndigbo predominantly undertake their entrepreneurial activities outside of the Igbo states. Dike (1956: 28) adduces such diasporan business lifestyle to land hunger. “(Igbo) pressing against limited land resources had, of necessity, to seek other avenues of livelihood outside the tribal boundaries, Dike writes.

Ndigbo have always relied on self-help and self-enterprise in their business endeavours. This perhaps may have been as a result of the victim mentality created by the losses they suffered during the Nigeria-Biafra civil war. Olanrewaju Akinpelu Olutayo also writes that “One major and unique trait of the Igbo entrepreneur is the courage, perseverance, and determination with which they carry on in spite of the bad experiences and losses during the Nigerian civil war from 1967 to 1970”. This in-group survivalist thinking may have served Ndigbo right in post-civil war Nigeria when the exigencies of the time required that one only trusted people of his race, irrespective of the fact that some, called ‘sabos’ (saboteurs) may have played into the hands of the enemy during the war for selfish reasons thereby contributing to the destruction of the Igbo race.

The post-war era witnessed many successes especially amongst Igbo business men who despite the trauma and losses still managed to build large enterprises relying on self-help. Chief Augustine Ilodibe was easily Nigeria’s biggest transporter with his Ekene Dili Chukwu transport business. There were others that built large scale contracting and construction enterprises such as Chief R.O. Nkwocha, Chief D.O Nkwonta and Chief F.G.N Okoye, all from Enugwu-Ukwu. Others thrived in industry and real estate such as Chief John Anyaehie, Chief Nnana Kalu, Chief Ferdinand Anaghara, Sir Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu and Chief Onwuka Kalu. Those that focused on commerce (import and export) thrived as well, such as Chief G.E Chikeluba and his partners at the GMO Group. The times are different now. Unfortunately, most of these worthy pioneering Igbo sons have all passed on. Sadly, the estates and business empires they left behind have also crumpled thus begging answers to the questions of what went wrong, and why despite the Ivy league MBA degrees their children possess, they could not salvage the businesses or even grow them further as are the cases with family owned businesses in America and in other parts of the world.

It is my view that Ndigbo should learn their lessons from some of these experiences. The world over, many businesses which began as family businesses such as Ford, Daimler Benz etc have since become publicly owned enterprises. When new shareholders and investors are allowed to come in, they bring in new ideas and capital thus enhancing further the chances of survival.

Most Igbo owned businesses perpetually battle with succession planning. The practice is usually to transfer control to the eldest male child who may be the least competent. The other siblings are sometimes sidelined and they then move on to other things. This results in mismanagement and eventual demise of these businesses. My view is that day to day management does not necessarily have to reside in the hands of family members. If Igbo businesses are to survive in the long term, it is important that such businesses look outside the family and hire professionals to run the business. These matters should be settled in the wills of the founders and family patriarchs before they pass on to avoid long drawn litigations as we are currently experiencing in the cases of some prominent Igbo families. The Polygamous lifestyles lived by the patriarchs also compound the problem. In cases of sudden death, the tendency is always for each surviving wife and her children to go after any part of the late patriarch’s business they could access. In the end, the complete business unit is shared out amongst the children, and with each side distrusting the other, any ideas of business collaboration are not entertained with the resultant consequence that the businesses as individual units rather than composite wholes are not sustainable over the long term.

Some of these businesses have also been negatively affected by environmental factors. For instance those that launched inter - state transport businesses have since seen their investments depreciate in so short a time due to the adverse effects of wear and tear on the vehicular assets as a result of the poor conditions of Nigerian roads. Those that went into industrialisation have been affected by the power situation, lack of raw materials, import and export complexities and other government policies. They have also not been helped by cheap imports from China and other countries. The businesses built on imports and exports have suffered at the hands of fluctuating exchange rates and unfavourable government policies.

The lessons here for Ndigbo are for them to aim to diversify into other areas and not to build one-channel/one-income enterprises. Bobo Obidigbo Nkwonta argues however that Ndigbo should backpedal from their business sojourning ways and think more of investing in their homelands. “Experiences of the past should have taught us to think home, especially looking at the abandoned property issue in Port Harcourt that occurred after the Nigeria/Biafra war”, Nkwonta warns. Scanning the environment will also help in pointing the way to global business trends and opportunities. If the illiterate ones cannot do this, such information should be provided by the state governments and respective states’ chambers of commerce. The information could also be shared through the channels of town unions etc. Perhaps Ndigbo should pick cues from Prof. Barth Nnaji, a worthy Igbo son who has excelled in scholarship and innovation as against the traditional bricks and mortars business endeavours of Ndigbo.

Ndigbo should also endeavour to learn to swim against the tide, by refusing to be guided by the herd mentality which sees Ndigbo competing against one another by engaging in similar and related businesses. It is such that if for instance a neighbour imports candle and makes some money, his neighbours though without any knowledge and competence of candle importation then abandon whatever it was they were dealing in and now focus on candle importation. Suddenly everyone begins to import candles, the supply outstrips demand and the prices crash, and then a change in government policy comes and everyone is back to square one. It is common for certain Igbo communities to be renowned by particular trades and businesses. Agulu people in Anambra state are known for bread making, such that they were adulated by a popular Highlife music singer who sang that ‘Ewe ruga Agulu, Igbo ebulu onu’ (Ndigbo will starve without Agulu people). Awka people are known for blacksmithing, Abiriba people are known for importing Okirika (used clothes) while Nando people in Anambra state are known for retailing pharmaceutical drugs. This approach or what Rohit Deshpande calls the provenance paradox in his Harvard Business Review essay (2010, p.25) can be limiting and counterproductive.

Illiteracy may need to be tackled amongst today’s Igbo entrepreneurs. Whereas the pioneering and successful businessmen of the past could be excused due to the state of education during their time, the Igbo businessman today cannot be forgiven for failing to empower himself using education and other freely available information and knowledge on the internet. The rush to go to Idumota or Alaba market to begin apprenticeship or to get a shop without at least completing secondary education will come back to hunt Ndigbo. This is because while our contemporaries are equipping themselves with knowledge to face the future, our folks are more interested in chasing peanuts at the markets. Those with knowledge today will be the millionaires of the future. It is not surprising that only a few Igbos are major players in contemporary Nigerian business landscape especially in the lucrative telecommunications, oil, power and gas sectors.

Critically, the concept of ‘Igba boyi’ or trade apprenticeship should be fundamentally reviewed. This ingenious scheme sees a young man being attached to a business mentor over a period of 4-6 years as may have been agreed by both families. The business mentor or ‘oga’ undertakes the responsibility to teach the ‘boyi’ the rudiments of the trade; he takes care of his well being, housing, accommodation, clothing, healthcare over the period. The ‘boyi’ on his part undertakes to serve his ‘oga’ diligently. At the end of the agreed period, the ‘oga’ settles the ‘boyi’ with an amount that will enable him to begin his own trade. However, this scheme has been subjected to various abuses by both the ‘oga’ and ‘boyi’. Some ‘ogas’ have been known to abuse their ‘boyis’ treating them like domestic slaves. Some perpetuate quarrels with their ‘boyis’ as they near their ‘freedom’ by concocting stories of theft, insubordination etc against them so that they won’t settle the ‘boyi’ as agreed. On their parts, some ‘boyis’ are known to have stolen from their ‘ogas’, shown acts of disloyalty and even sometimes contributed to major financial setbacks for their ‘ogas’. Because this scheme is semi-formal relying on existing family ties and relationships, there are not usually written terms of engagement. Each of the parties interprets the relationship as they deem right. In the context of today’s world, there is therefore a strong argument for the formalisation of these types of apprenticeships to prevent abuse so that the relationships can add more value to the lives of both the ‘ogas’ and the ‘boyis’. Such arrangements should guarantee the ‘boyis’ some form of education even while they are ‘serving their ogas’. There may be a need to review the tenure as some have been known to last up to 10 years.

On the part of the Nigerian government, perhaps it may help to design some kind of enterprise curriculum for such schemes and for the apprentices to be formally enrolled in the books of relevant government agencies and institutions so that on completing their apprenticeship, they get some kind of credit hours or certification. This is because while their mates may be studying theoretical aspects of Business in the universities, the apprentices are actually undergoing practical training and acquiring needed skills in customer service, accounting and finance, business management, stock keeping and logistics etc. Others receive practical training and gain much needed experience in trades such as plumbing, furniture, hair styling and so on. This could also be reviewed to make the ‘ogas’ receive some kind of support from the government for giving the opportunities to the ‘boyis’, something that should actually be government’s responsibility. These kinds of support may include but not limited to access to business funding, information etc.

As we seek knowledge, Ndigbo must also seek collaborative partnerships from within and outside. The ‘Kill We Nwachukwu’ era where businesses go it alone is over. We should begin to tap into the opportunities for SME funding and Industrial Training Fund (ITF) support which abound. We should also begin to set up mentorship schemes from among our people. We should re-direct our search for heroes and role models from both the living and dead. In this regard, I think of Rt. (Hon) Chief Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe (Owelle Onitsha), Chief Dr. K. Ozumba Mbadiwe (Agadagbachiriuzo Arondizuogu), Dr Michael Iheonukara Okpara (“M. I. Power”), Chief Dr. Sam Onunaka Mbakwe (Dee Sam), Eze (Dr.) Akanu Ibiam (Ezeogo Uwana), Maazi Mbonu Ojike, Chief (Dr.) Nwafor Orizu, Dr. Alvan Ikoku, Chief Dr. Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme (Ide Orumba), Dr. Ben Nwabueze, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu (Ikemba Nnewi, Dikedioramma Ndigbo), Chief Ralph Uwazuruike, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and many others we can learn from.

Nworah is the author of The Long Harmattan Season.

Badagry: A Walk Through The Slave Route

2011-02-18T13:47:00.001Z

Written by Ahaoma Kanu

“I know you may have come here with a mindset; a somewhat hatred for the Whiteman who dealt on slave trade. But they were not the ones that went to the hinter lands to capture the slaves, our people did.”

These were the startling words from Anago, one of the curators at the Seriki Faremi William Abass Slave Museum in Badagry, Lagos State in Nigeria at the commencement of the tour of the popular Badagry Slave Route that existed some hundreds of years ago.

I had left that morning to the tourist site to have an experience, an imaginary journey that happened on the same soil I was standing with the other tourists. Having read a lot about the slave trade and watched movies like Alex Haley’s Roots and Stephen Spielberg’s Amistad starring Morgan Freeman and Djimon Honsou, I did not know what to expect.

Anago was our guide and his introductory remarks about Seriki Wlliam Abbass, the renowned slave merchant whose Brazilian Baracoon slave port was among the only ones still standing, tilted towards making the man appear somehow vanquished.

“This tour may change your perception about the infamous era in the history of slave trade,” he continued, I was eager to get into the ancient facility which was a great tourist attraction in Nigeria.

The Brazilian Baracoon was derived from a Portuguese word which meant a slave prison and we were about to get into it. The wall cast of a female and male slave hung at different torture positions was the first image that captures one’s attention; the chains around the legs and arms of the twisted artwork looked eerie and pathetic.

At the entrance of the prison was an inscription, Seriki Faremi William Abass Baracoon of 40 Slave Cells. Some young people were making foot wears; flip flops that looked attractive. They greeted us cheerfully while continuing with their craft. An elderly man dressed on white Danshiki was introduced as a descendant of Seriki Abbass whose business flourished in selling slaves in those days. I wondered if they would be concerned about how the thousands of tourists that flocked there each year saw them, but they were welcoming.

Inside the building, Anago took us to where he called the waiting and inspection room.

“This room serves as the checking room for the white men when they came to buy slaves,” he explained, “ they checked them out to know if they were healthy or not just like you inspect any commodity you want to buy.” The room measured nine feet by nine with an adjoining room of the same dimension but with a small window that could slightly have the dimension of a computer monitor and served as the only source of ventilation. The ceiling was made of long raffia palms.

“The Baracoon consists of 40 rooms and each room was used as a cell to hold 40 slaves,” Anago went on, “at times when there were plenty slaves, some are kept in this room,” he added.

“Forty people?” One of the foreign tourists, a lady, exclaimed; she was visibly shaken and trying to imagine how the small cubicle could hold 40 men or women with their children at times. I tried to imagine it but gave up on the ordeal.

There were close to 10 pictures hanging on the glass shelf showcasing different moments in that era; there was one of of Seriki Abass turbaned as a chief hanging on the glass display stand; another illustrated portrait showed him with some Brazilian slave buyers. Another, hanging below the illustrated version, was a still picture which was weather beaten but visible enough to show the Seriki with his council of chiefs obviously posing for a group photograph. The Seriki was distinct as he had an umbrella above him making him appear outstanding among the lot.

“This picture shows when Chief Abbass was made the paramount ruler or Seriki of Badagry in 1895 and he was handed a staff of office by Lord Lugard in 1902,” the curator continued, “this umbrella he is being sheltered with was exchanged for 40 slaves,” he announced as he got the umbrella from a corner.

“Unbelievable!” Another Caucasian tourist exclaimed. I reached for the umbrella and touched it; the item was heavy and must have been made from brocade material of top quality. The thought of 40 human beings being exchanged for the commodity was heavier a burden on my mind.

Anago went to the other items on display, wrought iron chains of various sizes and shapes, hardened by time no doubt but used to shackle the slaves in those days. He got out one of the samples and told us it was used to chain the children of the slaves to prevent them from disturbing their parents when they worked on the plantation.

“These chains has the sweat and blood of slaves on it and are over a century old,” he explained. At this point, I thought I saw a tear drop from the eyes of one of us; I swallowed hard to hold mine.

Among the rusted iron artifacts an iron drilling bit used to brand the slaves for recognition and ownership.

“How is this used?” I managed to ask. Anago smiled as if expecting the question.

“It is put into the fire and allowed to get red hot and then used on the bodies of the slaves belonging to whoever owned them,” he responded. There were more cries in the room and I did not want to continue.

Other items on the display were Chinese wares, cups and gramophone records, each of the items cost 10 slaves.

The next room beside the waiting room was another cell used for female slaves and also held 40 slaves and at times with their children.

They were chained inside here to prevent them from escaping we were informed. I wondered how they fit into the small room; did they sit, squat or lie on themselves? It was unfathomable.

After being shown the robes worn by the Seriki, his documents of transactions and the staff of office presented to him by the colonial masters, we were ushered outside the rooms and shown the grave and mausoleum of Seriki Abass constructed for him by his Brazilian business partners.

Our next port of call was Chief Mobee’s Royal Family Slave Relics Museum a yelling distance from the Brazilian Baracoon. There we were shown more chains used on the slaves; bits used to lock their mouths to prevent them from eating the sugar canes on the plantation on which they were made to work on as well as a big oval iron water pot from which the slaves drank water.

They drank from the pot by kneeling down and lapping the water while still on chains our guide informed us. I asked the curator to put one of the chains on my neck and he obliged; it felt heavy and made it more difficult to imagine.

On the walls hung artistic expressions of slaves been tortured for attempting to escape and the painting that attracted more emotion was that of two slaves, a man and a woman being attacked by wild dogs.

“The slaves fell in love and the consequence attracted having wild dogs unleashed on the errant couple,” Anago explained. The romantic depiction drew tears to my eyes.

A miniature cannon gun was on display but outside the Relic lay two real ones; we were told they were worth 100 slaves exchanged by barter. It was painfully interesting to know that the horrible slave trade lasted a while in Badagry even when it was abolished in all the countries that were involved in it; the British West Indies stopped slave trading in 1863; Brazil followed suit in 1888 while in Africa, the trend got to an end in 1870. But slave trading activities continued in Badagry till 1886.

As we were taken out to see the jetty where the slaves began their journey to unknown lands; the only sound audible was the breeze and the sounds of our footsteps on the sand that was once walked upon by slaves.

Our guide explained that the Lagos State government was upgrading the site as there were visible construction work but he explained that due to the coming elections, work had been suspended.

We stood on the very jetty the slaves were taken away every day by 4 a.m to cross the river to the island to either work on the plantation or be shipped on their final journeys abroad.

I looked further and saw rows of coconut trees adoring the shore which were planted by the slaves and are still standing to show the pain and anguish some of the ancestors went through.

To cross over to the Point Of No Return, we hired a boat. Anago negotiated for us but not many of the tourists were so adventurous.

“It’s alright,” our guide said, “it’s difficult for some people.”

Our boat had the inscription God’s Light Marine and our captain was a young boy in his late teens. We strapped on our life jackets and the engine roared to power as we began sail. I looked at the departing horizon and wondered what it was like for the slaves; did they cry, whimper or just stare at their disappearing origin? Again, I could not go on with the thought.

The boat ride lasted a few minutes and we got out beginning the journey. At the sides of the road were white stones which our guide explained marked the exact route the slaves walked on.

“The road is wider now but it was a foot path then and the slaves, chained by the shackles together, walked on a single file.”

Not all the slaves made it alive we were told; some died and were buried by the way side.

“We may be walking on the graves of hundreds of our ancestors that died and might have turned to humus now,” Anago said. The information had a chilling effect.

Along the way were signposts that read, “Badagry Slave Route. This is the route of the journey to unknown destination.” Even our guide was silent as we walked on; only the wind and the whispering palms of the many coconut trees around were audible.

I noticed a thatched hut a distance away, the sign post beside it read, “Original Spot, Slaves Spiritual Attenuation Well.”

We all looked at our guide, asking the obvious question with our eyes.

“This is the well where slaves were made to drink water and forget themselves,” he explained. I was not the only person scared.

“Come in,” he invited when got close and he noticed our reluctance to enter the hut that looked more like a shrine.

The well was about three feet high and was covered with a crafted raffia cover with two broken pieces of calabashes on top; it looked weird. Hanging on the wall of the raffia constructed shrine was a poem or so I thought at first but when I quickly read the verses, I struggled to hold back the tears; the lines were inscribed on wood and had English and Yoruba versions. It read thus;

“Recitation By The Sold Slaves.

I am leaving this land,
My Spirit leave with me.
I shall not come back now,
My shackles do not break.
It is the shackles that hold the ship down.
My ancestors bear me witness,
I shall not return.
This land shall depart,
My soul do not revolt,
My spirit go along with me.
I depart to that land unknown
I shall not return.”

Finally, the tears rolled down my eyes; I was not alone in the emotional feeling; I saw a man consoling his sobbing partner. How could the slaves forget themselves?

“All the chiefs in Badagry dealing on slave business came together and cast a spell in this well, a kind of black magic which brings forgetfulness,” Anago explained, “the slaves were forced to drink the water and recite that incantation.”

We took turns looking at the charmed water inside the well; the water was covered with a visible rainbow-like film and I wondered if was still potent.

“Nobody has drank from this well in over 600 years,” Anago informed us, “maybe one of you can help us find out,” he joked with a mischievous smile. Nobody dared.

We walked on, looking at the hundreds of coconut trees all over the island, planted by our ancestors through forced labour on shackles and chains. I wondered if it could be possible to find out how many souls perished on this land.

Another twenty minutes walk brought us to the Point Of No Return; the signpost explained it better and read, “Point of No Return, Journey to the unknown destination.” Two slanting pillars with iron casts on top were visible from afar; they represented the final path through which thousands of slaves were taken against their will to unknown destinations.

As I mounted the concrete monument, the ocean became visible; the route that annihilated slaves from their origins. Anago left us to our different moods.

I walked towards the beach shore and looked ahead; the tide was high and I could taste the salty wind. The sight of the coconuts that whispered as their branches touched was not appealing to me. I tried to imagine the slaves entering the small boats that took them to the merchant ships which took them to destinations of bondage but could only see the high sea.

I grabbed some sand and clasped it tightly, imagination had eluded me. Some of us picked sea shells as memorabilia.

As we started going back from the beach, I sat on the signpost to meditate and say a prayer. Anago asked me what perception I now have of Seriki William Abbass, I shook my head; I didn’t have an answer. Somebody asked why the island was not used for agriculture and also why there was no fishing activity going on. Anago explained that the people of Badagry were mainly traders and believed in buying and selling. I wondered if the souls beneath the earth were responsible for the lack of activity. I did not get an answer.

Our guide urges us to visit the other tourist places in Badagry; the first storey building in Nigeria where Bishop Ajayi Crowther once lived and also, where Lord Lugard’s writing table and pen are still on display but somehow, I could not go on. I made a note to visit those another time, my heart was heavy.

“Owo da?” The voice of the conductor asking for the fare jolted me out of my soulful mood while riding a bus back to the city; he was wearing a Yes We Can campaign Tee shirt of Barrack Obama. As I handed the money to him, I juxtaposed that reality with my experience at Badagry; if after all these inhumanity, an African son made it that far, the sweats of the slaves were not in vain. I smiled for the first time since leaving the slave port, one tourist attraction that leaves you loving the liberty the world now enjoys.

Ahaoma Kanu is a writer and journalist in Lagos

How Nollywood is Killing Nigerian Television

2011-02-08T07:38:00.000Z

By Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

The eighties and nineties Nigeria belonged to actors and actresses who lighted up our TV screens with superb performances in soaps, TV dramas and shows such as Inside Out, Mirror in the Sun, Supple Blues, Behind the Clouds, Checkmate, Fortunes, Basi & Company, Ripples, New Masquerade, Fuji House of Commotion, The Village Headmaster, Cockcrow at Dawn, Second Chance, Tales By Moonlight (a children oriented show presented by Nkem Oseloka Orakwue) etc. These men and women became small screen gods and goddesses. I remember watching the likes of Barbara Soky deliver breathtaking performances first as Rosemary in the Rivers State Television (RSTV) produced soap – Inside Out, and later as Yinka Fawole in Lola Fani-Kayode’s Mirror in the Sun, the soap opera that still ranks as one of the best to come out of Nigeria. Who didn’t follow on screen and on the pages of soft-sell magazines at the time such as Prime People, Vintage People, Lawrence Akapa’s infamous Top News magazine, May Ellen-Ezekiel’s Classique Magazine, Lagos Life newspaper from the stable of Guardian newspapers etc (all defunt now) the lives of the cast including Clarion Chukwura who played the character Tinu, Uduak Umondak, Pastor Omawumi Michael Efueye (now the Pastor of the London Light House Parish of House on the Rock, HOTR Church in the UK) who played the character Tosan, Yinka Fawole’s love interest in the soap.

Recall the longevity of shows such as Cock Crow at Dawn especially the acting skills of Bitrus (Sadiq Daba) and the laughter medicine served up weekly by the whole cast of New Masquerade including Chief (Dr.) Zebrudaya Okoroigwe Nwogbo alias 4.30 (Chika Okpala), his screen wife Ovularia, Prince Jegede Sokoya (Claude Ake), Gringory (James Iroha), Clarus (Davis Ofor) and Akpeno (Christy Essien-Igbokwe).

Who will forget the forever raging battle of wits between Ann Haastrup (Ego Boyo) and Segun Kadiri (Richard Mofe-Damijo) in the Amaka Igwe directed soap – Checkmate, or the hilarious crew of the Ken Saro-Wiwa produced TV sitcom - Basi & Company including Basi (Albert Egbe), Alali, Josco, Dandy, Segi and Madam the Madam all of Adetola Street who popularised phrases such as "If you want to be a millionaire, think like a millionaire!" "It's just a matter of CASH!" "I'm hungry, Mr. B!" and "Come in if you're handsome and rich!”? Basi was already advising us to think like millionaires if we wanted to be millionaires in the sitcom before Frank Edoho started searching for who wants to be a millionaire on TV. Good well scripted shows these were.

Long before Ramsey Noah, there was already another heartthrob in the person of late MacArthur Fom making many female hearts to fluster as Nosa, Efe’s brother in the soap Behind the Clouds. Ene Oloja played the character of Nosa’s no-nonsense stern looking elder sister while Zack Amata played the role of Mr Okonzua, Nosa’s father. Nosa’s career was unfortunately cut short by an illness (CSM – cerebral spinal meningitis) which killed him.

This period could probably be described as the golden age of Nigerian television, a period when actors and actresses made waves for the right reasons not just because of who they were sleeping with or what car they drove. They worked hard at improving their game performance after another. The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) broadcasting through a network of sister stations in almost all the states of Nigeria helped to bring these shows to people’s homes supported by corporate sponsors. NTA also gave opportunities to many of its staff including Pete Edochie and Obi Okoli to showcase their talents. This is also how the names Peter Igho and late Matt Dadzie came to be associated with every good show showing on TV at the time. This period also saw the rise of independent producers such as Amaka Igwe and the likes of Paul Emema, my classmate at the Communications Arts department of University of Uyo who created Supple Blues.
And then came Living Bondage and everything changed. Widely acclaimed as the pioneer of what has since become a multi-million dollar film industry in Nigeria known as Nollywood. This straight-to-video movie was released sometime around 1992. It was directed by Chris Obi Rapu, written by Kenneth Nnebue and Okechukwu Ogunjiofor and produced by Kenneth Nnebue. The cast in the movie included Kenneth Okonwo, Kanayo.O. Kanayo, Bob Manuel Udokwu, Francis Agu, Ngozi Nwosu, Nnena Nwabueze and Sydney Diala. The success of Living in Bondage gave rise immediately to the production of other straight- to- video independent films notably Circle of Doom, Rattle Snake, Nneka the Pretty Serpent and many others whose release followed in rapid succession. Our Nollywood stars literally were then born. Enter Eucharia Anunobi, Saint Obi, Liz Benson, Jim Iyke, Genevieve Nnaji, Mona Lisa Chinda, Funke Akindele and the rest of them. They were celebrated and smiled home to the banks as well. And the pioneers, those who first gave Nigerians joy on the small screens, it seemed their stars waned, sponsorship money on TV dried up except for corporately owned and sponsored shows. NTA also appeared to have lost its way preferring to air Mexican and other Latin American soap imports moving away from its time tested and successful model of supporting indigenous soaps and productions. There was no longer interest (it seemed) in continuing to sustain soaps and other related shows on TV when Nollywood’s fame and fortune beckoned. And then the cross overs began, even former queen of soaps Regina Askia couldn’t resist the pull of Nollywood. Richard Mofe-Damijo, Joke Silva, Nkem Owoh, Olu Jacobs, Pete Edochie, Clarion Chukwura, Sam Loco Efe and many more who dominated soaps and shows on the small screen all made the switch.

It is the Nigerian TV viewing audience that have become the biggest losers in the Nollywood ‘madness’, that is for those who still bother to watch. Lovers of good old-fashioned family sitcoms, soaps and shows have now been condemned to watching third rate performances by some unemployed actors, actresses and ‘wannabe’ stars as they dish up ‘rubbish’ by way of some of the half-measure Nollywood films being rushed and produced overnight. Some end up being aired as fillers on the DSTV operated Africa Magic movie channels. These guys are forgetting that hard work and professionalism should come before the thoughts of fame and fortune.

Maybe some blame should go to some of the professional actors Guild, who rather than focussing on improving the arts and demanding for minimum standards of performance are more interested in fighting for leadership of the Guilds so as to control the perks of office and perhaps have access to President Goodluck Jonathan’s promised $200 million dollar Nollywood life line. It is the award season once again in the United States of America, those who care should watch out for winners of the Emmy Awards, this goes to show that the Oscars and Hollywood have not killed television in America, so why should Nollywood kill television in Nigeria? Maybe I should join Clarion Chukwura in dreaming of a re-union on the set of a one – hour special edition of Mirror in the Sun. That would be something worth watching.

My Brother And Friend Nze Sunny Ogbu (1965-2010)

2010-11-30T07:43:00.009Z

Nze Sunny Ogbu or Nze as we all fondly called him was a man that God planted on this earth to spread cheer through his many acts of kindness, and through his funny take on life in general. His sense of humour was infectious and being around him for a second was enough to have even the hardest of hearts melt away in joy. You will never in your life think that anybody will ever have it in his or her plans to harm such a man, not to talk about pointing a gun at his head and blowing his brains out at close range, all in the name of Nigerian politics. Perhaps, this must have been the reason why Igwe Joe Odenigbo, another close friend of ours had remarked that those who murdered Nze did not know him, for if they did, they would have known that Nze didn’t mean anybody any harm. A jolly good fellow he was in every sense of the word.
Born to the Ogbudibe family in Akpulu, Imo state of Nigeria. Nze was the loving and caring husband of Helen Anyiam Sunny-Ogbu, and father of Chiazokam Ogbu. He was a brother, friend, uncle and associate of many and so it is with heavy hearts that we are all struggling to come to terms with the sad reality that Nze is no more, his dreams and hopes for a better Nigeria brutally and tragically cut short by the bullets of hired assassins on the evening of Sunday, October 24th 2010 in Urualla – Imo state as he was returning to his native Akpulu from a political rally.

Nze will not fit into your bill of a typical Nigerian politician; his philosophy of politics without bitterness was modelled after the late Waziri Ibrahim of GNPP. He never saw politics as a ‘do or die’ affair believing strongly in his catholic faith that only the will of God will prevail at all times. This much he told the people of his constituency that Saturday, the 8th of August 2010 as we accompanied him on a whistle –stop tour of towns and villages in Ideato North & South federal constituency in Imo state, a day that officially marked the flag- off of his campaign to seek election to represent the good people of Ideato North & South in the federal house of representatives under the platform of the PDP, a position currently being occupied by Rufus Omeire.

In life, Nze represented the true ABU (Aba –Brought- Up) spirit, surviving against the odds. He opened the doors to his heart, wealth, home and office to those in need, friends and family. He was the rallying point for ABUs and Nigerian diasporas that had lived in Israel where he had lived in the nineties before returning back home to settle in Abuja. Having made good, he easily made his platform and resources available to those coming in newly into Nigeria’s capital city mentoring, guiding, advising and supporting. In appreciation of his rare acts of brotherhood and kindness, the entire Ogbu clan during the Ogbu day celebration in December 2008 honoured him with the award of ‘Best Brother’, with the award for ‘Best Sister’ going to Ngozi Ogbu-Nnaji who had lost her daughter (Chidera) in the 2005 Sosoliso plane crash.

Nze was to me what Ndigbo would call Nwanne di na mba (brother from a distant land) or Enyi ka Nwanne (a friend that is more precious than a blood brother).It was Obi Agobua, my classmate at C.I.C Enugu that took me to the family home of the Ogbus for the first time in 1988. Obi had insisted that I meet Nze before the start of the first semester as I prepared to begin my freshman year at the then University of Cross River state (now the University of Uyo) where they had just finished their sophomore years. As I was admitted to study Communication arts, a course Nze had been enrolled on and studied for 2 years, Obi wanted Nze to take me under his wings and ‘show me the way’ around the department. My friendship and brotherhood with Nze and the Ogbus including Nnamdi, Ikenna, Adaobi, Somadina and the rest of them began that day. Through the years, we have shared many triumphs and disappointments, survived a near tragic armed robbery attack in 2007 while preparing for the public presentation of my book – The Long Harmattan Season in Abuja, an event Nze emceed and championed.

Our lives were intertwined. We were business partners and close confidants sharing family moments together. Nze met his wife Helen at George’s (my elder brother) wedding in Aba while I met my wife at Chimezie’s (his younger brother) wedding in Lagos. I will never forget how my brother Nze hurriedly moved out of his rented apartment with his wife and young daughter and moved into their uncompleted personal house in Kubwa, near Abuja so that my fiancée who was having accommodation problems at the time could move in. I cannot begin to recount his many selfless acts towards me and others, none of whom would have imagined that the man we all love and hold in high esteem will be one of the first casualties of Nigeria’s coming elections. This is a heart wrenching tale as my friend and brother has now become the latest addition to the growing list of well-meaning, good natured and good intentioned Nigerian politicians assassinated by desperate and wicked Nigerian politicians.

Saying that Nze had a passion for life would be stating the obvious. God blessed him with great oratory skills, this he applied in fighting the cause of oppressed. He was Igbo leader at the University of Uyo and in Israel during his diaspora days. He was at the forefront fighting the cause of displaced Kubwa residents as Chairman of the Kubwa Landlords Association before the Justice Idris Kuta Senate ad-hoc committee on the Kubwa land crises of 2005.

Nze attended the famous Constitution Crescent Primary School, Aba (Santa Maria), Eziama High School, Aba where he was an active member of the debating society and the University of Uyo where he studied Communication Arts. While at Uyo, he founded a comedy group - Nze and the Idiots which thrilled at major campus events.

Those who knew Nze will testify to his good nature. We may cry, curse and doubt. Our hearts may bleed at the brutal nature of his passing. We may wonder; why Nze Sunny Ogbu? A man that lived his life for his family and for others. His heart was pure, his smile genuine. His kindness was great and legendary; Nze was slow to anger, always seeing the funny and sunny side to life’s many challenges.
Nze blessed and touched us all in many ways. He taught us lessons in friendship, kindness, contentment, hope, sharing, love for family and for the next person. We will forever remember him for the man he was, he will still be that man forever in our hearts, for to live in the hearts of those we love is not to die but to live forever.
May God keep Nze in his bosom and keep us all that he has left behind from harm. Amen.

http://nze-sunny-ogbu.memory-of.com/About.aspx

Celebrating Glo At 7

2010-09-07T07:46:00.002+01:00

By Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

Glo, the mobile communications division of Globacom, Nigeria’s second national carrier which started operations on the 29th of August 2003 celebrated its 7th anniversary recently. This milestone in the life of the brand founded and funded with the personal fortunes of Billionaire business mogul, Otunba (Dr.) Michael Adenuga Jnr is being celebrated few weeks to Nigeria’s 50th anniversary celebration.

On several occasions, many Nigerians would have been saddened by the tales of woe and ruins about the Nigerian nation served up in the international media, and also by some local media. Such stories usually border on economic mismanagement, poor capacity utilisation, wastage of human capital, decaying infrastructure and so on. Reading such stories would seem to suggest that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse. Such tales of hopelessness and doom have also been actively amplified by some western countries that are still pursuing the ‘failed state’ agenda through their biased failed states index publications. Many western donor, research and think-thank agencies seem to be on a ‘wag the dog’ mission to witness the disintegration of developing countries in order to trigger in another era of colonisation and neo-colonisation, and to pillage highly indebted and poor African countries with ‘dead aid’, grants and dubious loans.

Gratefully, Africans and Nigerians are still standing. We are not finished yet, and we are not ever going to give up. For this reason, the story of Glo at 7 which is intertwined with the dogged and bullish story of Otunba Michael Adenuga Jnr becomes more profound at this period in our national life when we desperately need to identify and celebrate our true patriots, national heroes and icons. Doing so will help inspire the coming generation and also add an interesting chapter to the story of what is good about Nigeria at 50.

Not wishing to go the way of ‘Abiku’, the fabled reincarnated child in Yoruba folklore that torments his parents with constant journeys to the earth through births and early deaths, Glo has against all odds come to stay despite the bitter experiences which led to the cancellation of the earlier license granted to Otunba Adenuga’s Communications Investments Ltd (CIL) during the first GSM licensing round in Nigeria when NITEL, MTN and Econet Wireless (Now Zain/Bharti Airtel) got their licences, and which gave them many years head start in Nigeria’s lucrative but highly competitive telecoms market .
Though a late entrant into Nigeria’s GSM market, within 7 years, Glo has become one of the fastest growing multi-national carriers in the world with a vision to be the biggest and best carrier in Africa. With an estimated subscriber base of over 25 million and operations in 4 West African countries (Nigeria, Republic of Benin, Ghana and Ivory Coast) and many more roll-outs planned across Africa, the brand is well placed to becoming a truly global brand made in Nigeria.

Glo Gateway, Glo’s international wholesale voice and data exchange trading business unit now covers 140 countries under its roaming services. It is currently connected to 235 networks. Glo’s data roaming for mobile phones, laptops and BlackBerry handsets has now spread to 72 networks in 29 countries. This now gives Glo the largest roaming coverage for voice and data in the whole of Africa.

The next big telecommunication thing Glo has embarked upon is the Glo1 submarine cable project which has been exciting telecommunication experts since the Alpha beach (Lagos) landing in 2009. The solely funded $800 million 9,800 km long high-capacity fibre-optic cable is billed as a revolutionary telecom endeavour and has the potential to decrease telecommunications cost and provide excess bandwidth to all the countries connected to the cable. It will provide high speed internet services, faster and more reliable telecom services. Glo1 will potentially enhance investment and employment opportunities in Africa, improve teleconferencing, distance learning, disaster recovery and telemedicine among several other benefits for Nigerians and Africans.

The future is bright for Glo in its home country Nigeria as well as in other countries where it operates as the brand continues to fulfill its brand promise of being the people’s telecommunications company of choice, providing seamless and cost-effective voice, data and multi-media services. Known for its many firsts in the industry, Glo was the first company to pioneer the per second billing platform which practically crashed telephone tariffs in Nigeria and helped demystify the GSM mobile phone concept thus enabling the average person irrespective of his or her socio-economic background to own a mobile phone.

Glo has endeared itself to the people by engaging in several life touching corporate sponsorships especially in the area of sports and sports development in Africa. It has been sponsoring the Glo (Nigeria) Premier league for many years now likewise the national supporters club of Nigeria and Ghana. Other assets in its sponsorship portfolio include the Glo Naija Sings, Glo Ghana Premier League, the Ghana National Football Team, Glo Lagos International Half Marathon, Glo People Police Marathon, Eyo Festival, Ojude Oba Festival, Eleghe Festival, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) yearly awards amongst several others.

All these have been possible due to one man’s resilience, vision, courage and enterprise. When the story of this century’s greatest Nigerians and one of the greatest business minds of the 21st century is written, Otunba Michael Adenuga’s name will be found comfortably placed amongst the very best. As the Glo brand enters another year in its operational life, a time that promises to be exciting especially with the infinite opportunities presented by the Glo1 submarine cable, one can only join millions of Glo subscribers in wishing the brand many more successful years in the future. For the Chairman, Otunba Michael Adenuga, millions of Africans are praying for God’s continued blessing upon his life and the lives of his family members as he continues to uplift the fortunes of Nigerians and Africans through his investments in telecoms and other sectors which have created thousands of employment and business opportunities across the continent.

All That Glitters In Lekki

2010-07-07T10:48:00.005+01:00

The rains are here, and with the rains come wahala, plenty of it for residents of Lekki and its surroundings. Like they say, ‘big man big trouble’. How else will you describe the scenes in this picture taken recently by a Lekki resident which goes to prove that all that glitters in Lekki is indeed not gold. For those wishing to move from Lagos mainland to Lekki, the rainy season is about the best time to do that, you can at least ascertain in time if you should trade in your car for a canoe or boat, no puns intended. The rich do indeed cry also. Makes me wonder if all the millions people pay as rent in Lekki is worth it, I don’t think so.

Nigeria's FM Radio DJs

2010-06-29T07:55:00.001+01:00

Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

Anybody who grew up around the 80s and 90s in the eastern and southern parts of Nigeria will recall with nostalgia the activities of a few individuals who made listening to radio a pleasure. I remember how as young men growing up in Aba, the commercial city of Abia state we were all addicted to Radio Rivers 2 (FM Stereo). I could still recall their ‘Radio Rivers Two, FM stereo’ trademark station jingle. The station could easily be described as the best FM station in the whole of the South East and South South at the time. They were known for their quality informative, educational and entertaining programmes, especially music shows which made many young people to adopt the station as one of choice. A few names I can recall from that pioneering golden FM era are Marvellous Macaulay Apolema Junior, Daphne Gogo-Abbey, Victor Burubo, Adokie Amasiemeka, Jude Tabai, Brighton Sogwe, Jotex Jompey and of course the ‘King of Talk Radio’, the one voice that symbolised the people-oriented philosophy of the station, the late Boma Erekosima (Bless his soul).
Around the South East, there were a few other stations which paraded quality Radio DJs and talk personalities that resonated with the people including Ngozi Ibegbu, Chuzzy Iboko, Rosemary Azinge, Chris ‘Snakeman’ Odili and D.N.D Onyeachor of ABS Enugu. Others are Frank Fyne Nwaonyigbo, Ken Ugwu, Nnamdi Olegbara and Teddy Oscar Uju of IBC FM), but Radio Rivers 2 easily stood out from the lot. Many praises to the Radio DJs of that era for their contribution to broadcasting development in Nigeria despite the challenges. This was long before the advent of GSM mobile phones which today’s radio DJs increasingly rely on, for listener phone-ins, without which many of them will struggle to host even an hour- long show.

FM stations have since exploded in Nigeria and become common features in most urban cities. It is not surprising that Lagos has coveted the title of FM station capital of Nigeria judging by the number of licensed FM stations operating in Lagos. There is Cool FM, Classic FM, Unity FM, Rhythm FM, Wazobia FM, Beat FM, Star FM, Inspiration FM, Brilla FM (sports focused) etc. No doubt the competition for the listening ears and attention of the public is now very intense, as that invariably affects a station’s ability to attract advertising support. The need to attract and keep the listeners entertained, especially restless young people who are the primary targets of the new genre of music-inspired FM stations that currently dot our radio broadcasting landscape may have led to the introduction of various programme formats by the various FM station owners, the most popular being talk shows which air mostly during drive time.

These are call-in programmes that usually give listeners an opportunity to rant or rave on air, and also to contribute to whatever topics were being discussed. The programme format is usually conversational and in-formal, there are no scripts to follow and most presenters have occasionally fallen into the ‘as the spirit leads’ trap, thus going off - track pandering to what they may perceive as ‘popular tastes’ which if truth be told actually offends the sensibilities of the listeners. Perhaps this may have been why Dafe Ivwurie had argued in his Daily Independent column - ‘Dafe’s Joint’ that many of today’s FM talk show hosts may not be able to survive in the broadcasting world if the live phone-in concept is abolished. Dafe was obviously referring to the unpreparedness of some of the hosts and hostesses who rely mainly on listeners’ phone-in contributions to survive on their daily shows.

No doubt opening up such shows to audience participation helps make the shows interactive but what needs to be checked is the over-reliance on the audience as this now makes some of the Radio DJs lazy, many have jettisoned researching their themes and topics before coming on air, hoping as usual that the listeners will rescue them by jamming the stations with phone calls. I once listened to an afternoon show on one of the wave making FM stations in Lagos and was appalled at the apparent unpreparedness of a female presenter whose call to the listeners to phone-in and contribute to a mundane topic she had dreamed up on air was shunned. As the listeners did not heed her call, she struggled all through the programme. Such on-air technique obviously shows lack of respect for the listening public and could be likened to a teacher going into a classroom without her lecture notes and lesson plan, hoping that he students will fill up her lesson time with questions and answers and other activities that do not in any way contribute to learning.

There is also another issue to worry about, that of some of the themes and topics that Nigeria’s modern day Radio DJs introduce and discuss on air. It is now such that no topic is off-limits. It is obvious that some of these topics are not well thought through and researched before discussing them on air. There is little regard for the social, cultural and religious undertones of some of the topics. Everything is now assumed to be okay, after all that is the way the Americans and the British do them, therefore it must be right and suitable for Nigerians. The major culprits of this apparent cultural insensitivity are the returnee Radio DJs, Nigerians who have sojourned in the diaspora and are now back working in the various radio stations. You will find not only their phoney accents annoying but also their dry sense of humour. Throw in the mundane topics they discuss on air sometimes and you wouldn’t need to go far to discover who is killing radio broadcasting in Nigeria.

Just this morning on my way to work, I was listening to a show hosted by a male and female presenter on one of Lagos FM stations and the topic they thought wise to discuss by 7A.M on a Thursday morning when kids are being dropped off at school by their parents was married women going out on ladies night out. As if to add insult to injury, the female presenter knocked my fellow Igbo brothers as the backward (she actually used the word traditional) ones who would not want their wives to go on such fun escapades, she invited Igbo men and women to call in. And what did the male presenter do? He not only invited Hausa men and women to also phone in, but did so in the fakest imitation of Hausa accent you will ever hear. This obviously was fun to him but to me it was another poor attempt at stereotyping and ‘dumbing’ down of a race. Of course I immediately changed to another station.

I have also had the misfortune of listening in to a show where the presenters having searched the whole planet for themes, topics and issues to discuss decided on a most ‘palatable’ one - fart and farting. Yes, you read right. And for another hour, listeners were put through what I can only describe as one of the worst moments in radio broadcasting in Nigeria. There were callers (who are these people?) calling in to describe how to do a great fart, the various odours, noise levels etc.

There was also this day when some presenters picked on mechanics, describing them in such condescending terms that you will think that auto mechanics are not human beings. Buoyed on by the presenters, listeners started phoning in, one actually lamented how his dad had once invited a mechanic on a visit to their house to join him at the dinner table and he actually did, only for his dad to get angry and shout at the mechanic for not knowing that the offer was only ‘ceremonial’ and wasn’t meant to be accepted. They all laughed about these and I was thinking, who is the crazy person here? The man who invites another to table with the hope that his offer will not be accepted? Or the mechanic who humbly accepts a free lunch offer only to be scolded and derided for it?

It’s good to see that new things are happening in radio broadcasting in Nigeria but the presenters should please not throw caution to the winds by adopting a Lawrence Akapa tabloid style approach in their quest to entertain the audience, our children are also listening.

Attend Free Future Wealth Market Seminar By Olufemi Awoyemi

2010-03-07T12:33:00.002Z

Attend Free Future Wealth Market Seminar By Olufemi Awoyemi, FCA, CEO of Proshare Nig. Ltd on the 24th of March 2010 at The Lagos Resource Centre, 9 Anifowose str, V/Island, Lagos.

Lagos Okada Riders and Death Wish

2010-01-26T19:50:00.002Z

One of the challenges of living in a mega city such as Lagos is the pain and suffering Lagosians endure as they move from one location to another in a city choked with human and vehicular traffic. For a new comer to Lagos, (‘JJC’ in popular parlance), ability to jump on and off a moving ‘molue’, ‘danfo’ or other mass transit buses is one of the most important survival skills. Also ranking in equal importance are blessings and favour from the gods, of the good fortune of surviving a ride on a Lagos commercial motorcycle, popularly known as okada.

The public transportation challenge may not be peculiar to Lagos alone, as London with many years of organised rail and public transportation experience stills falls short in some regards, perhaps in a different and envious manner compared to the Lagos and Nigerian capital cities’ examples. Daily media reports in the U.K of ‘tube commuters miseries and woes’, ‘chaotic train timetable disruptions’ e.t.c suggest that the City of London and the U.K government still struggle to meet the transportation needs of an ever growing population.

For many Lagosians, riding daily on okada is an unavoidable part of their daily routine as only the ‘kings of the road’ have the daredevil DNA to waltz, dash, slide, ride and manoeuvre their way through the thick Lagos traffic. Their door to door service offering and cost effectiveness also sets them apart from other public means of transportation. This comes at huge costs though. A visit to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos and other hospitals in Lagos will reveal sad stories of young lives cut short, or maimed for life by the carelessness and sometimes overzealousness of the okada riders who obey only one law, that of the urban jungle which ‘accords’ them right of way in every traffic situation. For Lagos okada riders, patience is a relic word, now extinct like the dinosaurs.

There are reports that some state governments such as Cross River state, Imo state and the FCT administration have since banned commercial motorcycles in their state capitals. Perhaps, Lagos presents a peculiar challenge thus making wholesale ban of the okada impossible without the government adequately providing for easily available and other cost effective alternatives. The Fashola administration should be praised for its various strides in the area of improving public transportation through the provision of BRT buses and other initiatives but such efforts seem like drops in the ocean when juxtaposed against the millions of commuters that require public transport services to their places of economic activities every day in Lagos.

In Lagos, as in other cities, okada rides are for the rich, and the not-so-rich including school children who have now resorted to doing balancing acts seated 4 or 5 on an okada on a daily basis to and from school, a heart wrenching sight to behold. Okada rides are no respecter of persons and are not a determinant of one’s socio-economic status. Professionals, ‘big boys’ and ‘big girls’ alike have since joined the okada revolution. For many, the okada has become a ‘life saver’ helping them to keep vital appointments. A friend once took an okada from Funsho Williams Avenue to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport when it became clear to him that continued stay in his car which was stuck in the evening traffic would have meant missing his scheduled flight to London.

If you live and work in the Victoria Island area of Lagos, you may have discovered that the fastest means of moving around on the island is with okada, else you risk coming late for meetings and appointments. What many professionals working on the Island do, including yours truly is to park your vehicle at either Mega Plaza for a fee or in any other location and then flag down an okada to take you to your destination on the Island. A few survival tips may suffice here if you intend to arrive alive with your bones intact.

As a rule, I am always conscious of the person driving the okada I am about to hop on. I tend to favour mature okada riders who appear to have families; my thinking is that they will be more careful. The ones to run away from are those ones that look barely in their teens. Ride with them at your own peril, this is not helped by their very poor grasp of ‘Pidgin English’, with such CV, expecting them to read, understand and obey traffic signs becomes a tall order. It is important to adopt a master-servant role during the ride, and this is for a reason. Having been variously bashed, bruised, brushed and crushed by crazy Lagos drivers, your typical okada rider is an accident waiting to happen; their mentality has since turned to that of a victim hence the band of brotherhood they exhibit each time a fellow rider gets into an altercation with a car driver.

It is important that you attempt to control the mind of the okada rider even before you settle on his worn seat. How do you do this? You tell him clearly where you want him to take you to and agree fares upfront; ask him again to be sure he understands. Next natural thing for him is to zoom off with you in tow, but that’s where the control begins. It is actually within your powers to tame his ‘madness’ by telling him that you don’t want him to drive you to early death. You will be surprised that they will respond and slow down a bit, follow this up with an instruction to please not exploit every opening on the road as it is your head that may get crushed by the trailer. You also don’t want to climb on an okada that the driver has already twisted the handle as this makes balancing during manoeuvres more difficult.

Riding in a Lagos okada is like riding a crazy horse, even at that, crazy horses can be tamed, even if momentarily. Chances are that the okada rider will yield to you (he needs the money), if not, it is still within your rights to ask to be let off; afterall it is your life at stake. Remember that okadas are like trains, if you miss one, you can catch the next.

While we hope for better and improved public transportation system in all our cities, we will continue to patronise okada riders which are much hated but needed at the same time. Perhaps a programme of public education on basic traffic laws, health and safety etc for commercial motorcyclists in Lagos and other cities may be an interim measure to curb the risks that okada riders pose, for the average motorist who must now worry about not knocking the lawless okada rider down, and the wider society in general.

A Review Of The Glo Brand In 2009

2010-01-07T11:07:00.001Z

By Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

Many Indigenous Nigerian brands closed out the year 2009 in style. Despite the challenges experienced mainly by major financial services brands as a result of the ‘sanusitisation’ of the sector, it is interesting to note that other brands in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector, including the telecommunications sector experienced continued growth in 2009. As a brand scholar, I am fascinated by the success stories of indigenous brands that mount strong challenges against the marketing onslaughts of the established multinationals. Perhaps one should save the stories of Chi, makers of Chivita, Dangote, makers of Dansa, HiTV, Emzor and other proudly Nigerian brands for another day. Kudos to the owners and brand managers of these and other indigenous brands for proving that Nigerians can nurture and manage successful brands, and even turn such brands into world class brands.

Glo, the mobile arm of Globacom, Nigeria's first multinational conglomerate is an interesting brand. The bullish manner the brand entered the Nigerian GSM and telecommunications market when it launched in 2003 with the impressive industry acclaimed per-second billing is only comparable to the famed business approach of its owner and Chairman, Otunba Michael Adenuga who with his children Paddy and Bella are currently pursuing an ambitious project that will revolutionise telecommunications services, not only in Africa but across the globe. The Adenuga solo funded $800 million Glo 1 submarine project is set to crash even further the price of telecom services while increasing capacity, and making voice, data and video transmissions faster, more robust and seamless.

During the landing at Alpha Beach, Lagos, Globacom’s Executive Director (Human Resources) Mr. Adewale Sangowawa had remarked that “Globacom is the first single telecommunication company in the world to own its submarine cable”. The high capacity Glo 1 optic fiber cable will bring direct connectivity between West Africa, the UK and the rest of the world. The 9,800 km long cable will provide huge capacity on its 2-fibre pair system. The Glo 1 cable will also provide excess bandwidth to all the cities connected to the cable. The cable will connect 14 West African countries through the branching units to the rest of the world, and will boost economic activities in the region, create job opportunities and serve companies in Europe and Africa. Potentially, the Glo 1 project will give Nigeria the lead in telemedicine, ecommerce and egovernance, among other practices that transform economies. This project is a timely reminder to many Nigerians and others who have doubted our potentials as individuals, and our capacity as a nation that the best is yet to come.

The Glo brand acknowledges that it probably couldn’t have gotten to its current market position of over 20 million subscribers, and fast closing in on MTN which had a 4 - year head start without the support of Nigerians who continue to embrace the brand as their own, having bought into the original essence of the brand. Many branding enthusiasts will argue that Glo’s ‘green’ approach, through the adoption of lemon green as its house colour and the original empowering ‘Glo with pride’ pay-off line, which it later jettisoned for ‘Rule Your World’ was a master stroke which aimed to give Nigerians their pride back as individuals. The subsequent acquisition of national football team assets including the Super Eagles, and title sponsorship of the Globacom Premier League have been key branding decisions that continue to help endear the brand to millions of Nigerians, especially in a country where many ‘eat, drink and sleep’ football. It may seem therefore that the brand now feels it is no longer getting value for the one billion naira it spends in sponsorship money annually and have now duly notified the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) that it will not be renewing its sponsorship contract. While this decision has been widely debated, what has yet to come out is whether the NFF have bothered to look into the concerns raised by Globacom, and how these could be resolved as noted by Vanguard Newspaper’s Onochie Anibeze in his column. I think that the way forward may not be in NFF’s tough talking and boasts that it will get another sponsor as any new sponsor will still demand that the issues of grassroots football development, investments in infrastructure, improved officiating and some other issues raised by Globacom be addressed.

The loss of the sports assets by Glo may mean good news for the marketing communications community in Nigeria, who may now be challenged to think up other creative and imaginative ways of capturing the sponsorship money that should have gone to NFF. Already, Globacom has shown through its 2009 branding activities that it is a brand that wishes to engage its key stakeholders and connect to them using the 360 degrees branding approach, involving above-the-line, below-the-line, through-the-line, experiential and web 2.0 activities. Following in the footsteps of past experiential franchises it has ran such as Rock ‘n’ Rule and Win ‘n’ Rule, Glo thrilled thousands of subscribers in 2009 with a well received music and comedy show it tagged Lafta Fest headlined by Basket Mouth, and supported by other leading acts. The company says it is taking the Lafta Fest franchise to Benin Republic next, with 10 shows already planned over a 10-month period in 2010.

Many subscribers took advantage of Glo’s Super Promo or text-4-millions promo which ran over a 3-month period. The promo produced 30 millionaires with one lucky subscriber Ibrahim Abukar, a 36 year old electrician based in Abuja and married with 4 children winning the grand prize of 30 million naira. Perhaps buoyed by the uptake and success of the Super Promo, the brand in a bold move is now running a 50% off promo on glo-to-glo calls. According to a company spokesperson, ‘this is to reward our most loyal subscribers’.

2009 has also witnessed a renewed relationship between the Glo brand and many of Nigeria’s leading actors and artistes. The brand signed on several of them as brand ambassadors and did the same in Ghana thus enhancing the star quality of the ambassadors plus the 6 digits figures many of them received. These ambassadors now feature prominently in Glo’s campaigns, a sure sign of the future of the brand’s brand communications thrust.

With an ever increasing branding budget to the satisfaction of the branding community, where do all these leave the subscribers in 2010? “Glo is positioned to offer extensive coverage, premium quality service at the best rates ever” says a company spokesperson. Only time will tell as Nigerians deserve nothing but the best.

Nworah is a brand scholar

Masquerades in Enugwu-Ukwu

2009-12-09T11:44:00.001Z

Masquerades in Enugwu-Ukwu, my hometown, this is how we do it. Enugwu, ekene'm unu!

Nigerian Bankers And The Times

2009-10-20T16:45:00.002+01:00

Long before the Sanusi era, Banking used to be one of the most sought-after professions in Nigeria. Some may argue that it probably still is. The reason for the former may not be far-fetched. The average graduate fresh from the compulsory one-year national youth service scheme dreams of landing a job in a bank. You can not really blame them because no other sector gave young people such opportunities and rewarded them highly like the banks did. The banks have been at the forefront of reducing youth unemployment in Nigeria long before the telecommunications sector bullishly berthed on the scene. But still, not even the telecommunications sector, or the Oil and Gas sector could match the recruitment strength of the banks who were always in need of marketing staff, men and women who were quite ready to climb any mountain in their quest for deposit mobilisation.

The increased demand for fresh talent may also be as a result of the high job mobility in the sector, and the post-consolidation expansion strategy that many of the banks embarked on. Some of the banks claimed that they had to spread their branch network to access the under-banked population, but for many others, the glistening gigantic buildings they were erecting across major city centres may just be nothing else but vanity projects, erected to achieve the “My bank is bigger than yours” philosophy of many of the banks. In the end, this contributed to the financial recklessness that plagued the sector as many of such branches were actually loss making. Because bank branches are structured as cost and profit centres, the huge cost of running these branches meant that most branch managers always struggled to declare profits as every profit made is almost immediately swallowed by running costs.

The banks exploited the ‘big bank’ image in their marketing communications materials, just before the bubble burst, you could hardly see any bank ad that does not declare such a bank as the biggest bank in Nigeria, each claim backed by one or many of the awards that the bank had received from different awarding organisations locally and from abroad.

Now that Sanusi is wielding the big stick, how sad to see yesterday’s banking big boys and girls looking towards the sky for some indication of what tomorrow holds. On a regular basis in the dailies, speculations are rife about looming mass sack in the banking halls. Some banks have already started the process of disengaging their surplus staff using different performance indices to determine who stays and who goes. Sadly, some of the great shinning stars of banking, the super marketing staff are also affected.

Why? Deposits have since dried up, depositors confidence very low and the huge deposits they were able to attract in the good old days have since disappeared through the back door into the uncertain risky terrain of insider ‘carry go’ loans and executive financial recklessness. What a reward, and what a way to pay bank staff back for their sacrifices in helping to build the affected banks through an aggressive regime of marketing and deposit mobilisation. Not even a golden handshake to say the least, but a short cold note to visit HR. a most dreaded memo in the sector currently.

Perhaps there are lessons to be learnt here by all. Back in the good old days, while the going was good, Bankers cruised around town in brand new Prado SUVs, Toyota and Honda salon cars. Lady bankers dressed to attract deposits in designer wardrobes to die for, with matching accessories, oversized hand bags and shoes with hills that can injure. The men strutted around town dressed like GQ fashion models; they burnt cash in the best restaurants and night clubs with their wives and girlfriends in tow. Life was good. During this time, savings took a back seat, everybody was living for the moment, many were neck deep in all kinds of loans; margin, mortgage, auto, furniture, education, holidays etc. In retrospect, perhaps a moderate lifestyle may have helped cushion the effects of the impending job loss for some.

Are we all going to learn our lessons? Will banking go back to the conservative profession that it should be? Will bankers who survive the chop be able to take show out of the banking business? Only time will tell.

And for the new kids on the block, the newly appointed MDs and EDs, this is hoping that they will not go down the widely travelled road. No more $10,000 suits, private jets and yachts. Away with the long Mercedes G Wagon convoys, luxury penthouses in Dubai, Paddington, Ikoyi etc. Afterall, we are all now witnessing what happens to people that mess with other people’s money. I am not forgetting the unrealistic targets that have driven many female bankers to corporate prostitution. Will all these change now? As for the members of the old guard, the Lords and Ladies of the Manor that nearly crashed the Nigerian economy, they will look back in time now and see that indeed, they are the architects of their present woes as instead of the 'my bank is bigger than yours' song they were singing few months back, it has now changed to 'My vault is emptier than yours'. What a shame.

There must be things we can learn from banks operating in Europe and America from where we imported the concept of banking. Unlike what obtains in our clime, banks are run as institutions and the banks go on to outlive the founders; People working in traditional high street banks have no business worrying about what the MD will do or say any day he or she has a bad day. They simply go to work, put in an honest hardworking shift and go back home to their families. Unlike the boiler pressure room situation obtainable in Nigerian banks, a situation that has created a lot of in-fighting, ‘bad belleism’ and favouritism which has pitched many a bank staff against another as they seek to impress the Ogas.

I wish I can find a better advice for bankers who may be affected one way or the other in the current right sizing drive except to say that one should now learn to cut his or her coat according to one’s clothes, as against one’s size as my neighbour Ngozi, a female banker will say. There is no longer any such thing as job for life, not in banking or in any other sector, globalisation has changed all that. Especially in this global financial meltdown and Sanusi era where recent events have shown that it is no longer business as usual. Life will never be the same again; for the bankers, the bank owners and their customers.

Nworah was formerly a banker

nigerianbrands (call for papers, ads, brand news etc)

2009-10-08T09:42:00.001+01:00

Brand Icons As National Icons

2009-09-07T13:03:00.003+01:00

Products and services are almost always the same if not for the added value benefits that branding contributes. In their generic states, devoid of any brand name, logos and distinctive marks, consumers may not be able to tell the difference between one product from another. When put through a no-logo test, we may find that a thirsty person may not be able to differentiate Eva water from Gossy water; neither will a teenager out with friends at their local Chicken Republic outlet differentiate between Coke and Pepsi. This shows the power of branding; that ability to give a product or service a unique identity and make it stand out from competing offerings.

In this day of super computers where Hollywood has shown that even award winning movies could be directed and produced right there on the computer aided by softwares, life has also been made easy for ad execs and graphic designers such that creating a winning brand name and logo is just a keyboard away. So with almost everybody having access to the same softwares and skills, how then can brand managers increase their brand’s mind share while also winning the battle of hearts and minds, which ultimately helps unlock consumers’ wallets?

It may seem that celebrity endorsement may just lend a helping hand in this regard. While this has been around for decades especially in Europe and America, it is gradually picking up in Nigeria.

Actress Rita Dominic, a Glo Ambassador in a Glo billboard. Photo: Uche Nworah

With the lucrative deals Globacom, Nigeria’s flagship telecommunication network has signed with leading actors and actresses in Nigeria who now serve as Glo Ambassadors, one would be safe to conclude that these must be the best of times for these artistes who have never been so deeply and richly appreciated by any Nigerian company in such a grand scale. The common saying in the music and entertainment industry these days is that one can only measure the ‘star power’ of a Nigerian artiste and actor by checking the person’s name in the Globacom Brand Ambassadors list, not just because of the money involved but also because of the status this confers on them meaning that those who are not yet signed on may need to work a bit harder to make the next cut.

There are benefits of a brand being endorsed by a celebrity, there is a ‘feel good’ factor associated with such tie-ups. The brand benefits as fans of the celebrity may be ‘positively receptive’ to the brand in the market place. The greater challenge however is the negative rub-off on the brand which could be the case should the celebrity in question attract negative press due to scandalous behaviours as is the case in the U.K where Iceland recently cancelled its £250,000- a- year endorsement deal with Kerry Katona over her cocaine use scandal. Supermodel Kate Moss suffered similar fate a few years back when the news of her cocaine –influenced relationship with on and off boyfriend Pete Doherty was served up daily by the British Press.

Because celebrity endorsement is a new but growing trend, perhaps brand managers in Nigeria should be careful in their choice of celebrity endorsers. This year’s ‘all it’ artiste may be next year’s ‘has been’. Also, it is important to look for a match in terms of values and traditions to avoid potential future conflicts.

It has always been part of the original Heart of Africa Image Campaign, and also the present Good People, Great Nation Rebranding Campaign to use notable Nigerians as endorsers in both internal and external advertisements. While majority of the present crop of artistes being used by some firms as brand icons may not have reached national iconic status, a few of them may get there if they continue to exhibit a high sense of professionalism. With the attainment of national iconic status comes the bigger challenge of being able to draw the line between one’s personal and professional life, brand ambassadorial and national icon life. This is no small challenge as David Beckham of Brand Beckham fame is finding out now.

At one time, the man they call DB 07 was the most famous U.K citizen, especially the period leading to the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup when his late goal courtesy of his trademark free kick against Greece ensured that England didn’t miss out in that edition. Since then, lucrative endorsement deals worth millions of pounds have been pouring in, and with it also the controversy. There was this big one a few years ago when the Beckham clan comprising Victoria and the Kids were caught on camera drinking Coca-Cola. There was a major uproar in the branding community because DB 07 was the face of Pepsi at the time. Technically, the man had done nothing wrong as his wife and kids were not under any kind of endorsement contract with Pepsi or Coke and so could drink whatever fizzy drink they wanted, but still it was one of those ‘guilty by association’ cases.

Perhaps, the biggest lesson for the branding world, and of course cultural aficionados and nationalistic patriots is, deciding what sort of rules, if any, should guide the Beckhams of this world who appear to be carrying the weights of their various countries, and who by one careless act could erode the brand values of both the brands they represent and their countries of origin. What is Beckham’s ‘sin’ this time?

As a Knight of Her Majesty the Queen, major U.K export to the U.S.A and the most famous and recognisable English man living state side, Beckham is representing both Queen and country unofficially and is naturally expected to ‘fly the English flag’ always.

David Beckham in Malibu: Photo: The Sun

Well, it may seem that DB 07 is truly living according to the mantra - Do in Rome as the Romans, as the LA Galaxy and England midfielder was pictured in August 2009 drying himself down with a stars and stripes (U.S.A) towel after a swim in Malibu and sporting a New York Yankees baseball cap and oversized shades. Well, blogosphere has been up in arms ever since the pictures appeared, with some calling DB 07 a ‘traitor’; one anonymous commentator asked that Beckham be ‘de-knighted’. Well, this goes to show that a thin line does indeed separate love and hate, and that when it comes to choosing your brand icon and national icons, caution should be the watchword

Your Taxi Is Here Sir

2009-08-23T19:07:00.003+01:00

I asked the Hotel people to call a cab for me in Owerri, guess what arrived? Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s ‘limousine’ known in Owerri as KimKim Tricar. This is supposed to be part of his New Face campaign, aimed at developing Imo state. I found the whole thing amusing, likewise the Governor’s penchant for plastering his face on any initiative of his including billboards across the state, as if he was on some kind of popularity contest. I wondered if there were no Fashola – like BRT buses where he bought those toy cars if actually he has Mass Transit on his mind. Imagine ‘big’ me squashed into the car, a most funny sight I tell you.

An act of faith and freedom

2009-08-18T08:14:00.006+01:00

I find this article written by Dr. Kingsley Moghalu, in the Guardian of Tuesday, August 18th 2009 inspiring. Dr. Moghalu was this week nominated as Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

An act of faith and freedom

Written by Kingsley Moghalu

IN one of his bestselling books, The Tipping Point, the Canadian journalist Malcolm Gladwell discusses how and why change happens, and how it happens at that point when the balance of cognition weighs in one direction and breaks the status quo. His second book, "Blink", studies the few seconds in which important decisions or assessments are made on the basis of intuition, also commonly called the "light-bulb moment" in which a blinding flash of realisation of a new idea occurs.

I had what some might consider a dream job and security: a director-level position in the United Nations system and a coveted permanent appointment in one of the specialised agencies of the global organisation I had served for 17 years at duty stations in four different continents. Then, one bright autumn morning in Geneva nearly a year ago, after months of soul searching that led to both tipping-point and blink moments, still 17 years away from the retirement age of 62 and thus unable to "retire", I voluntarily handed in my resignation notice.
Three months later I turned in my UN passport and walked away from it all, entering the self-employed private sector by creating and founding a consulting firm. With a few exceptions, friends, relatives and colleagues were mostly surprised. Their first question was: why? Some understood that it was part of a process of growth. Others, somewhat perplexed at an action they saw as highly unusual - I wasn't moving on to another job but to be my own boss - worried about the vagaries of the world of for-profit business as against the security of life as an international civil servant. Yet others wondered why I chose to walk away from the comfort zone and the prestige of a global sinecure to which many aspire but few attain. Some former colleagues simply exhaled: "wow, bold move!"
I smiled each time I heard these sentiments. I had not acted to make a point to anyone, but was simply dancing to the music of a different drum. I know I am moving in God's will for my own life, although, of course, our human actions help shape our individual destinies. The desire to move on, even if in retrospect somewhat surprising given my intense attachment to my previous career, had become overwhelming. My joy returned after I made my move on.

And, yes, I had thought it through, taking whatever "risk management" measures I could. Indeed, risk management is something I had done at several points in my previous professional life, and I have always been so fascinated at the conscious management of the balance between risk and reward in human endeavour that I trained to become a professionally certified risk manager on top of my original legal background. Then there was the all-important "stakeholder management" part: bringing my wife around to my new vision.

Beyond all that, it really has been a new dawn - one of faith and freedom. Regarding faith, the Holy Bible tells me that "Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not yet seen". This is an important creation principle, for all things exist first in the imagination before they come into being in concrete form. Again, the holy book: "You will speak into being the things that are not as if they are". I have believed and acted on this exhortation all my life. And then God promises: "I will bless the work of your hands". We are to work hard to translate vision into reality, or else it remains but a dream.

As for freedom, I experienced a strong sense of liberation when I moved on, and still do. I was, as the saying goes, free at last. But free for what, and from what? I was now free to create something new full-time, to meet the challenge of building a new enterprise. That is exciting. I was now at liberty to use my experience, knowledge and networks to add value to companies and governments from an independent standpoint in which one could proffer solutions to clients without spending even more energy either sidestepping or confronting bureaucratic jealousies, egos and vested interests. The client pays me as a consultant to come up with such solutions, which is a fair exchange of value.

Our company aims to catalyse transformational outcomes for those clients that seek and value our service. These are concrete and deeply satisfying things, and I had evolved to the point of finding them more interesting than the context of a large, impersonal global organization. The golden handcuff, the gilded cage: These are symbols to which I have chosen not to succumb. I am, in a sense, free to be what I have always tried to be, results-oriented and productive, shorn of the context of the exaggerated importance we sometimes attach to positions and titles in and of themselves. It was Father Mathew Kukah who so pithily opined in a recent media interview, in another but similar context, that Nigeria has not had leaders but has had plenty of office holders.

I am also free to pursue my full range of interests, for I have always derived satisfaction from intellectual curiosity and professional versatility - the positioning that enables one to apply an interdisciplinary perspective to problem-solving, rather than just the silo of the mandate on one international organization or one professional discipline. So I moved in order to learn and thus grow. And, as an independent actor today, I am free to embrace what tomorrow may bring.
Then there is the freedom of being your own boss, of being better able to manage your time around your unique needs and routines. In addition to being a professional, I am also a parent, and I wanted the flexibility to spend more quality time with my children rather than living on airplanes on constant official missions to far-flung countries. But "taking it easy" has its own problems too, as became clear one day as I got ready to go to my new office and my 6-year old daughter, who had gotten rather used to seeing much more of me, let out a wailing plaint: "Oh Daddy why do you have to go to work? I thought you said you had left your job? Why don't you just stay home and we can all ride our bicycles?" At that point, I felt a simple lecture on the mechanics of family food security was called for, and duly gave it. I certainly hope my young lady absorbed the point that we must work -- one way or the other -- to live.

One of the most important reasons why I changed careers was that my worldview had shifted to a point where I began to see, as an African, that the salvation for our part of the world will not come from universal international organizations (which nevertheless performs important functions) or the numerous international aid agencies. With exceptions such the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that spend resources in search of fundamental solutions such as eradicating malaria or catalyzing an agricultural revolution in Africa, the Acumen Fund (a social venture capital fund) and the Mo Ibrahim Foundation that is promoting and measuring good governance in the continent, few are addressing the root causes that keep developing countries mired in poverty. It took United States President Barack Obama, on his recent visit to Ghana, to say what all right-thinking Africans should have known and acted on all along: Africa's destiny is in the hands of Africans. As this worldview grew in me, and as I saw firsthand how the role of international organizations can become distorted and inflated, while many developing countries fail to do the real, indispensable work that needs to be done in their national spaces, it was only a matter of time before I voted with my feet.

Finally, I confront my own perspectives on wealth and wealth creation. Is my departure from the world of high sounding resolutions to creating practical strategies to build wealth for predominantly commercial clients surrender to materialism? No, it is not. I am not seeking the crass materialism that, unmoored to underlying values, is programmed for destruction on the bonfire of vanities. I am, and have always been, a firm believer in the power of private enterprise, under the umbrella of good governance, to reverse poverty. That is how the wealthy countries came to be where they are, creating the world order in which we live but which must change to become a rising tide that lifts all boats.

I am writing these words on my laptop in an airplane (can't get away from those planes after all, can we?) on a business trip in connection with work our company is doing for a Swiss corporate client. And as I write, I silently thank God for His blessings and say to myself that at some point in one's life, it is good to find a meeting point between personal and public interests. If I can give our client solutions that create wealth for them and in Africa, give my children a quality education, and help some less fortunate, at-risk children in our rural communities go to secondary schools and universities, so much the better.

Dr. Moghalu is the CEO of Sogato Strategies S.A., a corporate strategy and risk management consulting firm in Geneva, Switzerland, and is the chairman of the Isaac Moghalu Foundation.

No Country for Weak Hearts

2009-08-03T23:40:00.000+01:00

In recent years, I think I am one of those diasporan Nigerian writers who have tried to maintain an optimistic outlook on Nigeria despite our weak institutions and disappointing political class. This radical shift from my once avowed anti-government posture has cost me many a friendship. This has also reflected in some of my writings as I refused to accept that our country Nigeria is a failed state on the brink of collapse. I have as a result been called names by many who have occasionally through private emails advised me to open my eyes to the reality around me.

Despite a near - death experience in 2007 in the hands of armed robbers in Abuja who abducted and later dumped me in a bush on the way to the Abuja airport leaving me naked with my ankles and hands tied with strings, and blood gushing out from my skull which had been cracked open with the butt of a gun, I still continued to believe that mine was an isolated case which could have happened to anybody. One year after this incident, I relocated back home hoping to be part of the solution to our many challenges. It was my thinking at the time that Nigeria belongs to all of us; that one can make a better contribution from the inside rather than from his keyboard in the comfort of his home in the west surrounded by loved ones including family and friends.

Coming home for me was easy as I had the blessing of my wife Uche who shared in my Nigerian dream. My coming back home has also encouraged a lot of my friends who have either relocated after me or are about to relocate. Perhaps, you are among those getting your things ready to board the next available flight to Nigeria, I dare say my dear friends: I am sorry to disappoint you but I do not bring good news today.

Since I came home, I have had the opportunity through my previous and current employers to travel around Nigeria; I have interacted with various Nigerians discussing Nigeria, their plans, dreams and hopes. I follow the news daily through the media but must admit that I haven’t been encouraged one bit, not with the poverty and despair engulfing our people. I fail to see where our country Nigeria is heading to. But for a few bright chaps here and there doing their bit, and a few good men in government including Governor Fashola of Lagos state, I can not see anything to make me believe that we are on the right track as a nation.

I am beginning to feel guilty that I may have been ‘misleading’ my friends and compatriots living abroad who have severally sought my advice. Perhaps what I should have been telling them is to tarry a while still. This is because Nigeria is no country for weak hearts, picture the movie – No Country for Old Men. It does not matter what the good intentioned Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa (Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on the Diaspora) may be telling you, trying to convince you to come back home, you better look carefully before you leap. There is a lot more to Nigeria than meets the eye.

As I write this, I am holed up in my hotel room in Onitsha, Anambra state where I will be spending a couple of weeks on a company project. I have been here now for some days and to call the town a city of the damned will be making an understatement. Perhaps it is the whole Onitsha thing that has finally gotten to me, the self-imposed 7 P.M curfew, the chaos, the bad roads, the traffic, the filth and the fear of armed robbers and kidnappers. It is as if this is the lawless Wild West all over again without any form of government but for the mobile policemen stationed at various points in the city whose only preoccupation is to collect the sum of 20 Naira from every passing mini-bus driver. Acting Police IG Onovo should please note that the only brave thing about these guys are the brazen way they collect the money in broad day light, as if they are telling passersby by that, “Yes, we run things around here”.

Who would have thought that this is what Onitsha, the home town of the late Rt.Hon Nnamdi Azikiwe, the Owelle of Onitsha and Nigeria’s first civilian President will turn into? A reference point for failed cities. Definitely, with all the potentials that Onitsha and its several million business men and women have shown, the surrounding River Niger and its Eastern gateway status, one wouldn’t be wrong to argue that another way could have been possible for Onitsha but unfortunately as in all things, the widely travelled road of poor planning and lack of vision was taken, when with a bit of care, Onitsha could easily have been another Lagos. Whatever happened to the Oba Airport project? And what happened to all the money that was raised in the 80s towards building ‘the people’s airport’? Anyway, who needs it again when Asaba airport will soon be ready?

Last Saturday, not able to take it anymore, I escaped to neighbouring Asaba for the night just like other Onitsha residents do every weekend. Asaba is a fairly new capital city separated from Onitsha by the Niger Bridge. The difference between the two cities is just like night and day. On that Saturday evening as we drove through the Niger Bridge, I looked back to behold a city fading in its glory, enveloped both by the darkness caused by PHCN and the dark evil forces holding it from leaping into a glorious bright future and I wished I wasn’t coming back. In contrast, Asaba beckoned and welcomed us, the street lights shone just as the moon light showed promises of a breaking modern city. This is a contrasting tale of two neighbouring cities, one dead despite its rich tradition and commercial status, the other alive from its huge oil revenue and investments in infrastructure.

They say everyman has his breaking point, perhaps I have reached mine. Earlier today, I ‘sneaked’ to my home town in Njikoka Local Government Area, a 25 - minutes drive away. It was such an uncomfortable feeling as I avoided meeting and greeting anybody, what with all that is going on around here; armed robbers, kidnappers, ‘home front’ or juju evil men, all lurking in the shadows to kill, maim or destroy. On my way back to Onitsha, I said to myself that this can not be life. Where then in Nigeria can one call home?

My angst wasn’t helped by the news story in the Vanguard newspaper about the 22 people that were crushed to death by a lorry driver along the Benin – Sagamu expressway. These innocent Nigerians had been travelling with a luxury bus before they were waylaid by armed robbers who then forced all the passengers to lie face down in the middle of the express road, just as the robbers were searching and ransacking their belongings, the speeding lorry driver arrived on the scene and crushed the 22 to death. What a way to die. Still, the Boko Haram incident plus the continuing stories of the hundreds who have lost their lives completed a miserable day for me.

I ask again, is coming home worth it afterall? I really don’t know anymore.

Nworah is the author of Nigeria Confidential.

2010 REBRAND 100 Jury: Branding Design Business Strategy Architecture Implementation Experts

2009-07-21T22:04:00.001+01:00

2010 REBRAND 100 Jury: Branding Design Business Strategy Architecture Implementation Experts

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Dignifying Labour In Nigeria

2009-07-13T23:19:00.001+01:00

I have been following with keen interest the recent strike embarked upon by members of the Prof. Ukachukwu Awuzie – led Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), likewise the various comments from some of the concerned stakeholders, each advocating ways of ending the strike. My interest was influenced by two main factors; first as a former student and second as a former university teacher though in the United Kingdom. I could relate to what the affected students are going through especially those in their final year because my graduation and NYSC call – up was almost derailed by the many ASUU strikes of the 90s when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Uyo particularly the long forced stay-at-home in 1992. This was in the days of the Attahiru Jega – led ASUU.

As generous as the federal government’s 40% salary increase offer made by the federal government appointed Gamaliel Onosode Re-negotiating committee to ASUU may seem, as against the 109% increase the lecturers are asking for; ASUU maintains that the issue goes beyond money, that they are actually looking at the bigger issue of access to university education in Nigeria. As the impasse continues to the disadvantage of the students, one can see a servant (ASUU) / master (federal government) relationship at play once again which may have influenced the application of the ‘tokenism’ concept by the master in resolving the issue to the neglect of the other issues ASUU has raised. Whatever ASUU may be fighting for, the current strike has provided a good opportunity for the government and employers of labour in Nigeria to look at the recurring issue of employee welfare and benefits in Nigeria.

A casual look at many of the sectors will easily expose the disparity in conditions of service amongst the various categories of staff. There is now a ‘we’ against ‘them’ culture in place in many organisations and sectors which also reflects in compensation and conditions of service; the ‘we’ being the high salary earners with mouth-watering perks, and the ‘them’ being those caught unfortunately in the bottom cadre, including artisans and other sundry service providers such as vulcanisers, bricklayers, drivers, mechanics, cooks, office assistants etc who service and prop up the ‘high yallas’.

One need not be a sociologist to observe that the great disparity in pay and conditions of services has led to a condition I chose to describe as the ‘dehumanisation of the Nigerian worker’, and the ‘pauperisation of the professions’. This has resulted in a crisis of confidence, and forced extinguishing of the career dreams of some of those who find themselves practicing certain trades and rendering certain services in Nigeria which society seem to have come to regard as dead-beats but this should not be so.

It is as if the Nigerian society accords no regards and dignity to drivers, teachers, nurses, members of the police force and other armed services, tradesmen and other artisans hence the very low wages and income they earn. It may seem also that some of these categories of workers have come to accept the presumed low status of their jobs, and also fail to see how their services contribute to national development, thus, they do not act in ways that dignify their labour and profession. Sometimes in Nigeria, if you bring a workman or artisan into your home, you are asking for trouble. If you look the other way, he or she will rob you dry just like the guys that came to do some repairs at my house the other day. I haven’t set my eyes on my Samsung camera or my Diesel wrist watch since they left, and who knows what else? Take your car to be fixed by the mechanic and all he may be thinking about is how to take some of your car spare parts and replace them with bad or reconditioned ones. It is as if the culture of cheating has now been entrenched in all the trades and professions.

During this ASUU strike period, I found myself visiting the Bar Beach police station on Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos where my trusted driver of almost 16 months was being detained on suspicion of stealing my Nokia handset containing my United Kingdom T-Mobile contract SIM card which he used to chalk up calls of over two thousand four hundred pounds (£2,400) without my knowledge, an offence he readily admitted to in addition to confessions of other stuffs he has been stealing from me.

While attending to this matter, the opportunity presented itself severally to banter with some of the police officers I met at the station. I came away with the impression that yes, some members of the police force do take bribes but perhaps the government and the Police Service Commission are yet to grasp the ticking time bomb they have on their hands as they continue to play politics with the issue of police welfare, training and equipment, the lack of which may be at the root of all the other issues bedevilling the police force in Nigeria. During one of my visits, I met a band of junior police officers celebrating a recent promotion, on enquiry, one of them told me that his has been 16 years in coming. How can this be acceptable?

This scenario also plays itself out in the education, health and other strategic sectors. From the Bar Beach police station, you could see the multi-storey building located at the back which serves as barracks or quarters to some of the police officers. The run-down building can only be described as somebody’s nightmare and you wouldn’t expect any police officer living inside any of the flats to come to work in the morning with bright ideas of how to crack the rising armed robbery and kidnapping menace in Nigeria. I am told that police barracks all over Nigeria are also in similar states, and some are in even worse conditions.

Back in the United Kingdom, I was attracted to university teaching because it was one of the highly regarded professions. Alongside members of the Police Authorities, Nurses and other allied health workers, teachers were categorised as Key workers by the UK government. Around 2002/2003, we all benefitted from a scheme introduced by the UK government known as Key Worker Living Scheme. The scheme gave priority social housing to members of the profession I mentioned who are covered by the scheme. The U.K government also gave qualifying key workers the sum of £50,000 as down payment towards the purchase of their own homes. Aspiring teachers had their Post-Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) teacher training tuition paid for them and also received a bursary of £6,000 during their training year. Science, Maths, Engineering and shortage subjects teachers received higher bursaries and a special ‘golden hello’ sum of £10,000 if they completed their training and signed on to a teaching job. Teachers’ salaries were comprehensively reviewed upwards and in most cases were higher than what the private sector was paying. This led to many people leaving banks and other private establishments to join teaching. For both the teachers, the government and the society, one could see a high regard for the teaching profession, and the teachers really felt a sense of dignity of labour and didn’t have to wait till they got to heaven for their reward.

While you may think that the teachers were having it all laid out for them on a golden plate, a massive shortage of skills hit the trade sector comprising plumbers, bricklayers, technicians, builders, electricians and such other skilled and semi-skilled craftsmen. These category of workers commanded higher hourly rates than even the teachers and some city workers. Around this time, there was a reported case of a university teacher resigning his teaching job to learn the plumbing trade. These tradesmen or ‘white van men’ as they are called view their job with a high sense of professionalism, they are dedicated to good workmanship hence the high premium they charge and the society also recognises their importance and compensates them adequately.

In our own situation, such tradesmen may have been pushed to view themselves in negative lights hence the low fees many of them attract. Rather than looking at ways to add value to the work they do, many like my driver have now resorted to underhand activities to live a lifestyle they have not worked hard for. A driver today wants to live big like his Oga, without knowing that his so-called Oga may have paid his dues along the way offering similar type of services in the past before getting to where he may be in life presently. My driver could not believe it the day I told him all the different odd jobs I did when I went to Europe newly; from cleaning office complexes to loading containers at a clothing factory, later graduating to dish washing at a hotel, driving Nigeria - bound cars from Germany to London, and later still as a student, working nights as a security officer while I went to college in the day.

It was at the police station that I told the investigating police officer what I thought the problem with our society was. People, particularly young people are so much in a hurry to reap where they did not sow, workers not having a passion for the work they do, the society not having any regard for some type of professions and workers. There is so little pride left among the professions. In Nigeria, unless you work in a bank, oil, telecommunications or any of the other upscale fat-salary paying professions, the society appears to have little regard for you. There is no longer dignity of labour but great nations have always been built on the strength of the productivity of skilled and semi-skilled workers whose services are recognised, appreciated and rewarded accordingly.

President Obama's Speech In Accra-Ghana

2009-07-11T18:10:00.001+01:00

Good morning. It is an honor for me to be in Accra, and to speak to the representatives of the people of Ghana. I am deeply grateful for the welcome that I've received, as are Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama. Ghana's history is rich, the ties between our two countries are strong, and I am proud that this is my first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President of the United States.
I am speaking to you at the end of a long trip. I began in Russia, for a Summit between two great powers. I traveled to Italy, for a meeting of the world's leading economies. And I have come here, to Ghana, for a simple reason: the 21st century will be shaped by what happens not just in Rome or Moscow or Washington, but by what happens in Accra as well.
This is the simple truth of a time when the boundaries between people are overwhelmed by our connections. Your prosperity can expand America's. Your health and security can contribute to the world's. And the strength of your democracy can help advance human rights for people everywhere.
So I do not see the countries and peoples of Africa as a world apart; I see Africa as a fundamental part of our interconnected world — as partners with America on behalf of the future that we want for all our children. That partnership must be grounded in mutual responsibility, and that is what I want to speak with you about today.
We must start from the simple premise that Africa's future is up to Africans.
I say this knowing full well the tragic past that has sometimes haunted this part of the world. I have the blood of Africa within me, and my family's own story encompasses both the tragedies and triumphs of the larger African story.
My grandfather was a cook for the British in Kenya, and though he was a respected elder in his village, his employers called him "boy" for much of his life. He was on the periphery of Kenya's liberation struggles, but he was still imprisoned briefly during repressive times. In his life, colonialism wasn't simply the creation of unnatural borders or unfair terms of trade — it was something experienced personally, day after day, year after year.
My father grew up herding goats in a tiny village, an impossible distance away from the American universities where he would come to get an education. He came of age at an extraordinary moment of promise for Africa. The struggles of his own father's generation were giving birth to new nations, beginning right here in Ghana. Africans were educating and asserting themselves in new ways. History was on the move.
But despite the progress that has been made — and there has been considerable progress in parts of Africa — we also know that much of that promise has yet to be fulfilled. Countries like Kenya, which had a per capita economy larger than South Korea's when I was born, have been badly outpaced. Disease and conflict have ravaged parts of the African continent. In many places, the hope of my father's generation gave way to cynicism, even despair.
It is easy to point fingers, and to pin the blame for these problems on others. Yes, a colonial map that made little sense bred conflict, and the West has often approached Africa as a patron, rather than a partner. But the West is not responsible for the destruction of the Zimbabwean economy over the last decade, or wars in which children are enlisted as combatants. In my father's life, it was partly tribalism and patronage in an independent Kenya that for a long stretch derailed his career, and we know that this kind of corruption is a daily fact of life for far too many.
Of course, we also know that is not the whole story. Here in Ghana, you show us a face of Africa that is too often overlooked by a world that sees only tragedy or the need for charity. The people of Ghana have worked hard to put democracy on a firmer footing, with peaceful transfers of power even in the wake of closely contested elections. And with improved governance and an emerging civil society, Ghana's economy has shown impressive rates of growth.
This progress may lack the drama of the 20th century's liberation struggles, but make no mistake: it will ultimately be more significant. For just as it is important to emerge from the control of another nation, it is even more important to build one's own.
So I believe that this moment is just as promising for Ghana — and for Africa — as the moment when my father came of age and new nations were being born. This is a new moment of promise. Only this time, we have learned that it will not be giants like Nkrumah and Kenyatta who will determine Africa's future. Instead, it will be you — the men and women in Ghana's Parliament, and the people you represent. Above all, it will be the young people — brimming with talent and energy and hope — who can claim the future that so many in my father's generation never found.
To realize that promise, we must first recognize a fundamental truth that you have given life to in Ghana: development depends upon good governance. That is the ingredient which has been missing in far too many places, for far too long. That is the change that can unlock Africa's potential. And that is a responsibility that can only be met by Africans.
As for America and the West, our commitment must be measured by more than just the dollars we spend. I have pledged substantial increases in our foreign assistance, which is in Africa's interest and America's. But the true sign of success is not whether we are a source of aid that helps people scrape by — it is whether we are partners in building the capacity for transformational change.
This mutual responsibility must be the foundation of our partnership. And today, I will focus on four areas that are critical to the future of Africa and the entire developing world: democracy; opportunity; health; and the peaceful resolution of conflict.
First, we must support strong and sustainable democratic governments.
As I said in Cairo, each nation gives life to democracy in its own way, and in line with its own traditions. But history offers a clear verdict: governments that respect the will of their own people are more prosperous, more stable and more successful than governments that do not.
This is about more than holding elections — it's also about what happens between them. Repression takes many forms, and too many nations are plagued by problems that condemn their people to poverty. No country is going to create wealth if its leaders exploit the economy to enrich themselves, or police can be bought off by drug traffickers. No business wants to invest in a place where the government skims 20 percent off the top, or the head of the port authority is corrupt. No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality and bribery. That is not democracy, that is tyranny, and now is the time for it to end.
In the 21st century, capable, reliable and transparent institutions are the key to success — strong parliaments and honest police forces; independent judges and journalists; a vibrant private sector and civil society. Those are the things that give life to democracy, because that is what matters in peoples' lives.
Time and again, Ghanaians have chosen Constitutional rule over autocracy, and shown a democratic spirit that allows the energy of your people to break through. We see that in leaders who accept defeat graciously, and victors who resist calls to wield power against the opposition. We see that spirit in courageous journalists like Anas Aremeyaw Anas, who risked his life to report the truth. We see it in police like Patience Quaye, who helped prosecute the first human trafficker in Ghana. We see it in the young people who are speaking up against patronage and participating in the political process.
Across Africa, we have seen countless examples of people taking control of their destiny and making change from the bottom up. We saw it in Kenya, where civil society and business came together to help stop postelection violence. We saw it in South Africa, where over three quarters of the country voted in the recent election — the fourth since the end of apartheid. We saw it in Zimbabwe, where the Election Support Network braved brutal repression to stand up for the principle that a person's vote is their sacred right.
Make no mistake: history is on the side of these brave Africans and not with those who use coups or change Constitutions to stay in power. Africa doesn't need strongmen, it needs strong institutions.
America will not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation — the essential truth of democracy is that each nation determines its own destiny. What we will do is increase assistance for responsible individuals and institutions, with a focus on supporting good governance — on parliaments, which check abuses of power and ensure that opposition voices are heard; on the rule of law, which ensures the equal administration of justice; on civic participation, so that young people get involved; and on concrete solutions to corruption like forensic accounting, automating services, strengthening hot lines and protecting whistle-blowers to advance transparency and accountability.
As we provide this support, I have directed my administration to give greater attention to corruption in our human rights report. People everywhere should have the right to start a business or get an education without paying a bribe. We have a responsibility to support those who act responsibly and to isolate those who don't, and that is exactly what America will do.
This leads directly to our second area of partnership — supporting development that provides opportunity for more people.
With better governance, I have no doubt that Africa holds the promise of a broader base for prosperity. The continent is rich in natural resources. And from cell phone entrepreneurs to small farmers, Africans have shown the capacity and commitment to create their own opportunities. But old habits must also be broken. Dependence on commodities — or on a single export — concentrates wealth in the hands of the few and leaves people too vulnerable to downturns.
In Ghana, for instance, oil brings great opportunities, and you have been responsible in preparing for new revenue. But as so many Ghanaians know, oil cannot simply become the new cocoa. From South Korea to Singapore, history shows that countries thrive when they invest in their people and infrastructure; when they promote multiple export industries, develop a skilled work force and create space for small and medium-sized businesses that create jobs.
As Africans reach for this promise, America will be more responsible in extending our hand. By cutting costs that go to Western consultants and administration, we will put more resources in the hands of those who need it, while training people to do more for themselves. That is why our $3.5 billion food security initiative is focused on new methods and technologies for farmers — not simply sending American producers or goods to Africa. Aid is not an end in itself. The purpose of foreign assistance must be creating the conditions where it is no longer needed.
America can also do more to promote trade and investment. Wealthy nations must open our doors to goods and services from Africa in a meaningful way. And where there is good governance, we can broaden prosperity through public-private partnerships that invest in better roads and electricity; capacity-building that trains people to grow a business; and financial services that reach poor and rural areas. This is also in our own interest — for if people are lifted out of poverty and wealth is created in Africa, new markets will open for our own goods.
One area that holds out both undeniable peril and extraordinary promise is energy. Africa gives off less greenhouse gas than any other part of the world, but it is the most threatened by climate change. A warming planet will spread disease, shrink water resources and deplete crops, creating conditions that produce more famine and conflict. All of us — particularly the developed world — have a responsibility to slow these trends — through mitigation, and by changing the way that we use energy. But we can also work with Africans to turn this crisis into opportunity.
Together, we can partner on behalf of our planet and prosperity and help countries increase access to power while skipping the dirtier phase of development. Across Africa, there is bountiful wind and solar power; geothermal energy and bio-fuels. From the Rift Valley to the North African deserts; from the Western coast to South Africa's crops — Africa's boundless natural gifts can generate its own power, while exporting profitable, clean energy abroad.
These steps are about more than growth numbers on a balance sheet. They're about whether a young person with an education can get a job that supports a family; a farmer can transfer their goods to the market; or an entrepreneur with a good idea can start a business. It's about the dignity of work. Its about the opportunity that must exist for Africans in the 21st century.
Just as governance is vital to opportunity, it is also critical to the third area that I will talk about — strengthening public health.
In recent years, enormous progress has been made in parts of Africa. Far more people are living productively with HIV/AIDS, and getting the drugs they need. But too many still die from diseases that shouldn't kill them. When children are being killed because of a mosquito bite, and mothers are dying in childbirth, then we know that more progress must be made.
Yet because of incentives — often provided by donor nations — many African doctors and nurses understandably go overseas, or work for programs that focus on a single disease. This creates gaps in primary care and basic prevention. Meanwhile, individual Africans also have to make responsible choices that prevent the spread of disease, while promoting public health in their communities and countries.
Across Africa, we see examples of people tackling these problems. In Nigeria, an interfaith effort of Christians and Muslims has set an example of cooperation to confront malaria. Here in Ghana and across Africa, we see innovative ideas for filling gaps in care — for instance, through E-Health initiatives that allow doctors in big cities to support those in small towns.
America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy. Because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience and our common interest. When a child dies of a preventable illness in Accra, that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents.
That is why my administration has committed $63 billion to meet these challenges. Building on the strong efforts of President Bush, we will carry forward the fight against HIV/AIDS. We will pursue the goal of ending deaths from malaria and tuberculosis, and eradicating polio. We will fight neglected tropical disease. And we won't confront illnesses in isolation — we will invest in public health systems that promote wellness and focus on the health of mothers and children.
As we partner on behalf of a healthier future, we must also stop the destruction that comes not from illness, but from human beings — and so the final area that I will address is conflict.
Now let me be clear: Africa is not the crude caricature of a continent at war. But for far too many Africans, conflict is a part of life, as constant as the sun. There are wars over land and wars over resources. And it is still far too easy for those without conscience to manipulate whole communities into fighting among faiths and tribes.
These conflicts are a millstone around Africa's neck. We all have many identities — of tribe and ethnicity; of religion and nationality. But defining oneself in opposition to someone who belongs to a different tribe, or who worships a different prophet, has no place in the 21st century. Africa's diversity should be a source of strength, not a cause for division. We are all God's children. We all share common aspirations — to live in peace and security; to access education and opportunity; to love our families, our communities, and our faith. That is our common humanity.
That is why we must stand up to inhumanity in our midst. It is never justifiable to target innocents in the name of ideology. It is the death sentence of a society to force children to kill in wars. It is the ultimate mark of criminality and cowardice to condemn women to relentless and systematic rape. We must bear witness to the value of every child in Darfur and the dignity of every woman in Congo. No faith or culture should condone the outrages against them. All of us must strive for the peace and security necessary for progress.
Africans are standing up for this future. Here, too, Ghana is helping to point the way forward. Ghanaians should take pride in your contributions to peacekeeping from Congo to Liberia to Lebanon, and in your efforts to resist the scourge of the drug trade. We welcome the steps that are being taken by organizations like the African Union and ECOWAS to better resolve conflicts, keep the peace, and support those in need. And we encourage the vision of a strong, regional security architecture that can bring effective, transnational force to bear when needed.
America has a responsibility to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there is genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems — they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response. That is why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy, technical assistance, and logistical support, and will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa and the world.
In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. That must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don't, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict, and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity.
As I said earlier, Africa's future is up to Africans.
The people of Africa are ready to claim that future. In my country, African-Americans — including so many recent immigrants — have thrived in every sector of society. We have done so despite a difficult past, and we have drawn strength from our African heritage. With strong institutions and a strong will, I know that Africans can live their dreams in Nairobi and Lagos; in Kigali and Kinshasa; in Harare and right here in Accra.
Fifty-two years ago, the eyes of the world were on Ghana. And a young preacher named Martin Luther King traveled here, to Accra, to watch the Union Jack come down and the Ghanaian flag go up. This was before the march on Washington or the success of the civil rights movement in my country. Dr. King was asked how he felt while watching the birth of a nation. And he said: "It renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice."
Now, that triumph must be won once more, and it must be won by you. And I am particularly speaking to the young people. In places like Ghana, you make up over half of the population. Here is what you must know: the world will be what you make of it.
You have the power to hold your leaders accountable and to build institutions that serve the people. You can serve in your communities and harness your energy and education to create new wealth and build new connections to the world. You can conquer disease, end conflicts and make change from the bottom up. You can do that. Yes you can. Because in this moment, history is on the move.
But these things can only be done if you take responsibility for your future. It won't be easy. It will take time and effort. There will be suffering and setbacks. But I can promise you this: America will be with you. As a partner. As a friend. Opportunity won't come from any other place, though — it must come from the decisions that you make, the things that you do, and the hope that you hold in your hearts.
Freedom is your inheritance. Now, it is your responsibility to build upon freedom's foundation. And if you do, we will look back years from now to places like Accra and say that this was the time when the promise was realized — this was the moment when prosperity was forged; pain was overcome; and a new era of progress began. This can be the time when we witness the triumph of justice once more. Thank you.

What’s Obama Looking At?

2009-07-10T20:51:00.001+01:00

Obama is human afterall, confirmed. This must be President Sarkozy’s thoughts as he stood bemused at the sight that got the American President looking like a High school kid on a first date. The sartorial Obama looking dapper as ever like a model out of a GQ page must be wondering why the object of his desire didn’t even bother to cast a look his way. Who says you can have it all, and where is Michelle when you need her?

A Recap of some of the Week’s Headlines

2009-06-25T15:02:00.001+01:00

Fellow compatriots, just in case you missed some of the week’s headlines, here is a recap:

Varsity teachers go on indefinite strike. Govt blames oil firms for Niger Delta crises. Robbers kill two policemen. Transcorp chiefs get bail. Uduaghan locks out commissioners, others for late coming. Oshiomole denies role in governors, Harvard pact. Adamawa ANPP sacks chairman. Suspected kidnappers kill two brothers in Akwa Ibom. Police release 185 on bail over Bama unrest. Bauchi NLC rejects reforms, threatens strike. Ekiti shuts news stations, sends workers home. Suswan faults critics of Nigeria Rebrand. Madness in Bama. LAWMA warns reckless compactor- truck drivers. All-share index dips further as market capitalisation drops. Police Service Commission reviews dismissed officers’ cases.Kumuyi decries youth unemployment. Labour protest moves to Maiduguri today. OAUTHC workers give conditions for halting strike. Labour tasks CBN governor on stronger naira. Edo abolishes casualisation in civil service. Nigeria’s attitude to child right is abysmal. U.S. bound passengers stranded at Lagos airport. Senate worries over 2009 budget. (Guardian, Tuesday, June 23rd 2009).

FG can’t beat militants. Orkar Coup: Oyinlola exposes Tony Nyiam. Man, 53, arraigned for fraud. Police kill 2 robbery suspects, arrest one. Abacha’s son set to join PDP. Police clash with kidnapers as doctor regains freedom. N’Delta victims still in hiding. Pro-democracy protest: security beefed up at NASS. Ekiti radio, TV shut indefinitely. Supreme court justice expresses worry over court congestion. NAFDAC engages Interpol to fight illegal importation of fake drugs. Panic grips oil firms in Rivers. Itse Sagay decries election rigging. Bayelsa unmasks ghost workers cartel. JTF probes attack on N4bn dredger. (Daily Sun, Tuesday, June 23rd 2009).

$180m Halliburton scam: Senate flays Aondoakaa for ignoring invitations. Yar’Adua seeks scrapping of REA, backs death penalty. Deregulation: Labour vows to ground economy. SSS arrests Asari-Dokubo as FG, militants meet. Drama as plot to remove Reps’ chief whip fails. 52 Delta communities sue FG, seek N100bn damages. Tokyo arraigned for murder, remanded in police custody. Patients vacate OAUTH a strike bites harder. Assembly declares ‘emergency’ on federal roads in Edo. Ekiti lawmakers, Oni may clash over BSES.EFCC to charge IMO VC to court for fraud. FCC summons PTDF. World Bank’s, CBN governor’s comments rock stock market. Fashola sounds the alarm over low quality telecom masts. Naira dips versus dollar. Ohabunwa laments inadequate funding of drug research. Group tasks Obi on security. Nigeria named 15th most vulnerable country in the world. Sports: Death, ‘accord’ marred league season. (The Punch, Wednesday, June 24th 2009).

We’ll surrender Friday; Bin Laden, Ateke Tom, Boyloaf, other militants pledge. Alleged Forgery: Police quiz Aregbesola’s lawyer. Strike: FG rebuffs ASUU. Niger House crises: PDP fingers IBB. Drug peddling: FG orders security beefed up at airports. Ribadu faces extradition as tribunal fixes trial for Sept 23. Nigerian worker lives on N40 daily –NLC boss. Crises in Oyo NURTW. The fake lecturers of Ebonyi.. UK: Married Nigerian clergyman defrocked for having sex with church cleaner. (Nigerian Tribune, Wednesday, June 24th 2009).

Nigeria runs out of crude, refineries shut. World Bank to upgrade Nigeria's airports with $11m. Court okays sack of Ondo council chiefs. Slok Airline ends operations in The Gambia. Oil demand drops to record level since 1982, says BP. Illegal LASTMA officials in Lagos. Relocation of Nigeria's industrial outfits to Ghana worries Lagos lawmakers. FEC suspends new contracts’ approval. Nigeria, Russia sign pact on nuclear energy. Reps to tackle presidency over budget. Labour threatens to join ASUU strike. Two feared killed as drug dealers, NDLEA clash.Obi reads riot act to commercial cyclists.EFCC arrests film institute’s chief. Ekiti NUJ faults media chief over closure of stations. Adamawa health workers begin strike over pay.Residents raise alarm over ‘poisonous Asian rice’ in Sokoto, Kaduna, others. Edo council officials petition House over alleged bribe-for-pay rise.Anambra PDP set to curb Uba’s claim to governorship ticket. Bauchi probes fertiliser firm. PTDF boss bemons dearth of skilled personnel in oil, gas industry. Akpabio gives hospital deadline to explain ex-governor’s death. Europol, others arrest Nigerians for sex traficking. Lawmakers reject new revenue bill. (Guardian, Thursday, June 25th 2009).

2.3GHz: Who is mastermind of alleged forged petition? Court Grants Three Oceanic Bank Staff Accused of Stealing over N24m Bail. MAN Decries Low Performance of Industrial Sector. FRSC, EFCC move against fake driver licences. Crude supplies to refineries ‘ll dry up in 15 days —NNPC. Retired soldiers to protest pension arrears. Killer rice floods Northern states. OGONI NINE: ‘Shell’s compensation can cause friction in future’. Charge electoral offenders with crime against democracy —Justice Ayoola, ICPC boss. N800m consignment trapped at port over absence of cargo handling equipment. Share value dips further by N163bn, as 21 stocks gain. (Vanguard, Thursday, June 25th 2009).

The Case of Chris D and Chris O

2009-06-25T08:00:00.000+01:00

I recently stumbled on Backwater Views, the blog site of a South African living in Saigon. In the post Leaving Lagos, he shares the story of two Nigerians (Chris D and Chris O) living in Vietnam which I thought makes interesting reading. Check it out.

Operation “Throw My Shoe at Nigerian Looters”

2009-06-24T16:57:00.001+01:00

By Emmanuel Franklyne Ogbunwezeh

The Nigerian socio-political space is now a socio-pathological “Absurdistan”; an iniquitous amphitheatre, dedicated to the atrocious eroticization of political stupidity. This arena has degenerated into an essential arena where hopeless ignorance meets primeval greed. The leadership is not only intellectually challenged, irredeemably myopic and visionless, but convokes a conglomerate of petty egoisms, whose sole vocation in life remains the congenital consultation of primitive greed and the celebration of fraudulence in its most atavistic forms.
It has matriculated into a realm of infernal iniquity and political simony, where the ability to consult or advertise superlative impunity in celebrating the most atrocious of political brigandage, is the only admission fee. Such a congress naturally attracts the most destructive strains of visionless opportunism, sycophancy bordering on socio-historical imbecility, and the worst variants of Machiavellian perfidy. But its Nigerian impress confounds belief and floors the imagination. The internal syllogisms of such convocation, coupled with Nigeria’s peculiar history, and social evolutionary experience, conduced to our political space surrendering itself to the obscene banditry of monstrous hooligans and high-level charlatans.

From this temple of infamy, Nigerians are daily deluged with bacchanalian orgies of political debauchery, from the political and elite class, whose vocation in sane climes, is to drive the development of their people and confer dignity on the sources of social legitimacy, by their dignified actions, considered comportment, and utterances in public and in private. Such debaucheries stretching from the bland pedestrian to the sanctuaries of the hyper-ridiculous, has continued not only to affront our sensibilities, but to deny our land of development and its place in the apogee of human achievement. In the clutches of such purveyors of anomie, our land risks being embezzled unto extinction or surrendered to the bowels of history as one of the most tragic of comic disappointments in African political chronicles.

brings new scandals in its wake, which is in competition with its previous incarnations and latter epiphanies, to dwarf commonsense with their brazenness and ability to shock our multiply brutalized, and shell-shocked sensibilities. A visit to any online news portal or weblog dealing on Nigeria on any day; a mandatory pilgrimage to which many of us are daily condemned by the nebulous and mysterious medley of distance, bi or multilocational impossibility, technology and the love of our homeland; you be left in no doubt that the Nigerian public space is hostage to the intellectual filth and scandalous obscenities of haughty micro-emperors and midget conquistadores going by the name of politicians and public servants. Every such visit leaves a bland taste of hopelessness, and anger in one’s heart by what a cabal of scoundrels have made of Nigeria; conscripting our active collusion, postural apathy, or conspiratorial silence and inaction to their reign of knavery.

One such scandals that has unforgivably flogged my fragile sensibilities shitless for a week now, is the news report that a group of Nigerian governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) dressed themselves in infamy, marched up to the guardians of knowledge in an American university; Harvard to be precise; and begged and pleaded in obsequious servility unbecoming of their office, to be allowed to come and celebrate their ignorance in her hallowed halls. They allegedly signed an MOU, which they proudly published to thumb the face of Nigerians and indicate their disdain for the Nigerian educational system. Harvard issued a wooden denial. The Nigerian governors according to news reports went on the offensive, drumming it down our throats that there was an MOU to that effect. The truth of the matter is buried somewhere in between the two parties. But what is undeniable is that there were contacts between the parties in question, and intentions were expressed to have Nigerian governors come to Harvard for the said capacity building exercise. What Harvard is denying is that it does not indicate an official sanction of what is still in process.

What is seriously disturbing is that such a move could be made by Nigerian governors, without giving thoughts to the message their actions would be sending to the world in relation to our own local universities in Nigeria? It beggars belief that after all the accusations we lay at the feet of colonialism for both its guilt and our own self-tailor problems, our leaders are still conceptually colonized and so very mis-educated that everything that comes from the Whiteman’s land is the best for us. It pains my heart that these leaders would elect to mutilate a perfect right foot in other to look like a left foot because “Massa’s” foot is left.

Over and above that, one then begins to wonder how low a man could stoop to disgrace himself with a pomp and pageantry that attests to a diseased, consolidated, and irredeemable ignorance and self-loathing; let alone, governors of States, in the most populous Black nation on earth. How could Nigerians empower such constellations of individual ignorance and inferiority complex, to pretend to the majesty of our offices? What is it in our political genes that recommend our abiding such a tasteless insult to all that we cherish? Are we a people bereft of pride, as to be so very willing to lap up every inanity that comes from the West because it bears a name, made reputable by its owners in service to their objectives, which never included us in the first place?

The questions could not stop flowing in my shocked mind. Why go to Harvard to get educated on how not to steal state’s resources in obeisance to their avarice? Do we need Harvard to make a governor know that his primary responsibility lies in attending to the needs and welfare of his people? What can Harvard teach these men of ill-repute about patriotism and democratic practice? How could these guys pass a vote of no confidence on Nigerian universities, and turn around to wonder why our graduates are unemployable? Why tell the world that our universities cannot withstand global competition?
They would not wonder why more and more Nigerian graduates are becoming armed robbers or kidnappers because they armed most of these guys in the first place, to butcher anybody legitimately opposed to their gubernatorial ambitions. They would give no hoot to that since they marshal and conscript half the men and resources of the State Police into their obscenely ostentatious entourages, as well as that of their wives and mistresses; and convert the remainder into their “mai guards” (watch and gatemen). To this end, armed robbers can ravage ordinary citizens in their homes, which they have walled-in like some Super-maximum prison facilities with burglary proofs and high walls; waylay them on the notorious stretches of human abattoir or slaughter slab, pockmarked with pot and manholes, that we call roads; murder them in broad daylight on the streets on their way to work and play; storm houses of God and that of men; and even sack banks and market stalls, while the state, which we theoretically allowed the monopoly of violence to protect us looks on in grotesque paralysis; superlatively bereft of ideas.

If the Nigerian situation of today is not a testament to the consolidated ignorance manacling the leadership of the Nigerian state at all levels, I wonder what is. To this effect, one cannot be legitimately accused of defamation, if one asserts that the Nigerian leadership corridors, right from the lowest to the highest level, is in the thraldom of pervasive ignorance. We have battled hard to resist the temptation to say that Nigerian leaders at all levels, are simply self-aggrandizing nincompoops, but the action of the Nigerian Governors Forum signing an MOU with Harvard to train them on the content of their jobs, weakened and compromised our resistance.

Our anger knew no bounds in spite of the wooden apologetics of the paid hirelings and other mercenary voices oozing inanities in defence of such a profound affront to reason. The fact must be recognized for what it is. These governors who are nothing but absentee landlords came before the whole world to pass a vote of no confidence on Nigerian universities, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding for capacity building seminars for the Nigerian Governors with a foreign university. Are there no universities in Nigeria that can train these guys? This is to say that they know that the Nigerian educational system suffers compound dysfunctionality due to what they and their predecessors did to scuttle education in Nigeria. The same could be said of every other sector of our economy and national life. The kids of Nigerian governors and public officials do not study in Nigeria. How can they do that after their parents have succeeded in destroying every public utility and source of social legitimacy? They are soaking the best of western education on public funds. Our president buys his paracetamol at the HSK hospital Pharmacy in Wiesbaden, Germany. The legislators check their blood pressures in Paris, Washington, New York and some other Western capital. Why wouldn’t they? Their visionless squandermania, incompetence and primitive thievery have succeeded in forestalling the articulation of any healthy policy for our health system, and destroyed any policy that showed some potential of success.
Why wouldn’t they go to Harvard since the facilities in Nigerian universities today are the obsolete ones left by the founders some four odd decades ago?

The same could be seen in our infrastructures. The paltry ones dotting our landscape were in the many parts of the country, the ones left by the colonial masters. This attests to the fact that the British colonialists were more benign than the local colonialists that have ruled Nigeria from independence till date. The Niger Delta is the ultimate desecration and monumental testament to the failure and criminality of our ruling class. Sitting atop huge resources, our leadership and elitist class have succeeded in bequeathing Nigeria with inexcusable poverty that invites a revolution in climes where people still lay claims to sanity.

These fools in their impious and corrosive tomfoolery think that they are fooling anyone save themselves. In their haste to seek a new avenue to launder stolen public funds, they couldn’t come up with a smarter excuse. Harvard is an American university primarily attending to American needs, and the need of American world dominance policy. Anybody who is really thinking about capacity building for Nigerian actors in the art of governance, should first of all have consulted local universities in Nigeria, who have the epistemic privilege as well as the gneologic and ontological priority as far as it concerns knowledge of Nigerian political space and the complex dynamics and range of factors that gave it birth, sustains and nourishes it. There is nothing like local knowledge in proffering functional answers to contextual problems obtainable in their locality; much more than any external body ever could. But our governors feigned ignorance of this in obeisance to their conceptual slavery, and marched off to Harvard to advertise same on a global pulpit.

What these governors, nay African leadership actually need is above all, conceptual decolonization. They are still bestriding Nigeria with the same mindset, which informed colonial policies of her majesty’s errand boys sent to Africa, on the exploitative mission of raping the continent for British pleasure. The same dysfunctional conceptual scheme and pathological metaphysic is what our politicians have drank to the dregs; and which unfortunately informs their celebration of anomie in the Nigerian public space.

I have never known of a Western politician coming to Nsukka to consult the world renowned political scientist Prof. Asobie on political matters or any matters at all. George Bush will never consult our brilliant Wole Soyinka or how to rule the USA. Hilary Clinton, the American Secretary of State will never come to Igbobi to repair her fractured elbow. The German chancellor Merkel would never come to do her shopping at Alaba international or Ochanja market in Onitsha. But ask any Nigerian or African politician where they buy their underwear? These guys are so hopeless that they order toothpicks from China and bottled water from the Philippines. They have even passed a vote of no confidence on made in Nigeria Ashawos!!!! Abacha was not the only one that had that disease. Many of our tainted “honourables” come abroad to sleep with European prostitutes, with public money. Yet, they come, plate in hand to beg for aid from western governments. I wonder how many Nigerians are working in Western embassy except as drivers, cooks or cleaners, but a German sits in the deepest halls of the Nigerian embassy in Berlin, giving consular appointments to Nigerians, who needs consular services from their embassy.
You only need to mingle one day in decision making circles here in Europe to see the level of disdain and mockery that African leaders are subjected to. Many Western governments are now aware that every African minister or Nigerian public official is a potential money launderer. And they are gradually doing away with diplomatic niceties at their airports. Dora Akunyili, Nigeria’s information (read propaganda) minister, was frisked early this month at Chicago airport in utter violation of diplomatic protocol.

This is not even made better by the personal comportment of our officials when they are abroad. In fact, their personal comportment on such occasions makes you so very ashamed to have come from the same climes as these people. The bloated and noisy ostentation of their entourage, the ignorance and grovelling nature of their exchanges with European technocrats are so convulsively ugly that you keep wondering, why Africa is so cursed. Just as an aside, I was a participant at the German Bundestag-The German parliament, in the caucus of the CDU/CSU faction of the German government, about a week ago, where German foreign aid policy on Africa was discussed. An African president came in with his retinue of hangers on. First and foremost, he was so very late for the occasion. Secondly, on this day, it seemed that he had to depopulate his country to fill in his entourage. It is no exaggeration. Almost half of the men in his country were a part of this of this entourage that was flown to Germany at public expense. And they are there to seek help from Germany. Contrast this with the Germany chancellor Angela Merkel, who was billed to speak at 2.45pm on that day. AT 2.43pm. She walked into the hall with only four body guards and no fanfare. Very prompt, punctual and simple. It was a festival of contradictions in relation to our African entourage.

Back to our point: Against such backdrops, one cannot cease to marvel and get angry at the imbecility of African leaders and particularly Nigerian governors, who allowed themselves to be tainted by that monumental goof. I wonder what Harvard and its professors know about the deepest dynamics of the local context of Nigeria, which Nigerian universities is not ontologically prior in its possession, by the epistemic privilege arising from their being products of that environment, as well as its living, breathing part.

In the face of all these, one is at a loss for answers on why haven’t Nigerians risen up to chase these usurpers of our commonweal off our land. Anyone who passes a vote of no confidence on his charge has lost every moral right to continue to enjoy the duties and privileges of that office. These governors are shameless scoundrels. Asking a Nigerian public official to resign an office that he has desecrated is like asking faecal matter to give up its vocation of smelling. They would not. How do we get them to leave the office they have so despoiled and tainted with dishonour, when we cannot even vote on Election Day?
Electoral democracy in Nigeria since independence has remained a personification of farce. Charade in Excelsis! The Nigerian people who are supposed to be the repository of ultimate power are denied their voices, and stampeded into timid acquiescence. Once their silence is squeezed out of them, the trans-tribal cabal of Machiavellian opportunists bestriding our land like robber barons, then sit down to unveil new master plans and manifestos of embezzlement. With these blueprints in operation, Nigeria continues to generate darkness instead of power and light for her people. She continues to haemorrhage her resources into rogue pockets. The Nigerian state then graduates into the colossal cannibal, whose great vampyrean appetites must be regularly assuaged by the blood of her intellectuals, the poverty of her people, and the dysfunctionality of her institutions.

This has been the case that so much so, today, at the dawns of the 21st century, Nigeria in spite of boasting a brilliant population and superabundant natural resources remains a valley of tears for ordinary Nigerians who are now over 75 percent of the population, but a feudalistic paradise of medieval dimensions for the politician and man of power or wealth. This paradise is naturally irrigated by canals of milk and rivers of honey requisitioned off the poor, and accessible only to this tiny cabal of remorseless monsters ruling Nigeria, and their acquaintances. The land has remained an essential arena were obnoxious rascality has married an audacious impunity that is brazen, dangerous and impoverishing.

This explains why the fact that some Nigerian State governors would abandon their states to perennial dysfunctionality, and came to the United States of America, to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Harvard University, so that Harvard will train them in the art of governance fills me with fiery rage. And that such a bunch of political scoundrels, whose political simonies bought desecrated gubernatorial offices for them, could throw all cautions to the wind, and elect to televise their consolidated stupidity to the world, and were not met at the airport with sacks of stones, and the fiery rage of an oppressed people, is a testament to the totalizing and pervasive political emasculation of the Nigerian populace.

This emasculation created a very unsettling equation in the Nigerian social space. This equation sired by a eons of bottled anger, and primitive appreciation of justice fertilizing the failure of the State to live up to its responsibilities of monopolizing violence, and guaranteeing justice; paved the way for a conceptual scheme and ratiocinative framework in which Nigerians are more likely to lynch petty thieves and celebrate monumental bandits.
The promulgation of this toxic equation went on to erode every semblance of restraint in the commission of high crimes against the commonweal, by those who could advertise raw, undiluted violence in their hijack and latchment to power; a pedestal from which they could celebrate the rascality, with ample impunity, and expect no sanctions of the law. But on the other hand, it equally eroded every restraint in the vengeful anger of an oppressed populace, to exact maximum punishment on their fellow wretched of the earth, for petty crimes, which may have been recommended by the terminal necessity to forestall gastronomic emergency.

This is why Nigerians have now resorted to giving chieftaincy titles to people like Andy and Chris Ubah, whom Nigerians have come to know as monumental rogues, while petty thieves or pick pockets caught in the act are roasted over some slow barbecues, convoked with tyres hung burning around their necks.
My question to Nigerians remains: why do we burn petty thieves and celebrate our governors? Who is worse? A guy who pilfers a few pennies to buy bread for his starving kids, or a president who stole billions of dollars he doesn’t need, to hire a Concord to fly his daughter to a wedding? On whom should the stones of our anger descend? On an Amina Lawal whom patriarchal arrogance designated an adulteress, or on an Ahmed Sanni Yerima, who sanctioned a cow-thief losing his wrist, but ended up stealing billions of his state’s funds and sitting in our senate to laugh at our timidity? Who should we lynch? A thug, who to earn some bread for his stomach snatches a ballot box or the president and politician, who, pursuant to stealing our mandate commissioned and underwrote that heist? Who should the armed robbers visit? The poor hapless Nigerians, who are not sure where the next meal would come from, or the Representa-THIEVES, who embezzled funds mapped for job creation for these youths? Who should the Niger Delta Militants kidnap? The innocent kids of parents legitimately earning their keep in Port Harcourt; or our officials, and their collaborators, who have cooked a soup of ecological infamy, off the Niger Delta landscape and resources?

Why is it that the aphorism “Do not steal because the government hates competition” has remained the operative principle of our men of power in Nigeria? Is it because we have empowered that with our silence, or because this cabal deploys the army and police force on any peaceful protest to break the will of the Nigerian people and secure Nigeria as their ngwongwo pot; thereby further consolidating our emasculation?

If the latter options in all these questions are the case, Nigerians should do the right thing. They should start now to gather stones for the job at hand. They should get ready to tell these guys who the real masters are. George Bush got a shoe thrown at him in Iraq for what the Iraqis perceive as the devastation of their land. The Harvard insult is a clarion call for all Nigerians, both at home and in the Diaspora to rise up and be counted. It is a fatwa passed on all Nigerian governors and public officials. It is the duty of every patriotic Nigerian to get his shoe and “takalami” ready to be hurled at any Nigerian governor or public official that visits a western capital, or the part of the western world where he resides.

For the Nigerian governors and public officials: we are going to make the globe so very hot for any of you that comes to any western capital to launder our funds again. We will never give the goldfish a hiding place any more. You guys have squandered my generation. We are not going to let you squander that of our children. Get ready; shoes will be landing on your faces pretty soon. You can ask George Bush what the experience is like. In Bush’s case, he was granted the immunity of occupying the powerful office in the world. But in your insignificant cases, the Western press and government will smile under the table and let us do our thing of hurling shoes at your inglorious faces. Ask Mr. Obasanjo what his London experience was like. This is a warning, you guys better stay put in Nigeria and start finding solutions to the mess that you have made of our homeland.

With this article, I am inaugurating a mass movement “Operation Throw my shoe at a looter”. This is a movement of Nigerians who are angry at what the politicians have made of Nigeria. We would pledge and dedicate ourselves to meeting Nigerian public officials of whatever configuration, and known looters of our treasury, who come to Europe or America for any public or private engagement whatsoever, with our shoes.

We would be throwing the shoes at them, like was done to George Bush in Iraq. With this we would be sending the message to the whole world that the era of African leaders and politicians coming to Europe or America, or any western capital to launder our funds or fuck white prostitutes with public funds are over. We are to inaugurate an end to the era when your paracetamols are purchased in Europe, your toothpicks in China and your blood pressures checked in Paris, while ordinary Nigerians are dying of curable diseases, hunger and ignorance.

I urge every Nigerian of goodwill to join this action.

For The Love of the Game

2009-06-12T09:27:00.001+01:00

I have been tracking the summer transfer market in Europe, for lack of nothing better to do since the Premiership season ended and must say that Kaka’s £50M switch from AC Milan to Real Madrid, and Ronaldo’s impending £80M transfer to Real Madrid are transfers that will change the dynamics of world football forever.

We all know that squad assemblage in the magnitude being pursued by returning Real Madrid President Perez is no guarantee to winning silverware at the end of the season, afterall; didn’t we see this during his earlier tour of duty? During the Galaticos days of Roberto Carlos, Zidane and Beckham etc. However, what this Ronaldo transfer suggests is that maybe, it is about time that UEFA and the various European Football Associations created another league for Europe’s elite super rich clubs, the Madrids, Man Utds, and Chelseas because as the game stands now, it is no longer a level playing field. The Hull Citys and Getafes have been priced out.

Michel Platini, the UEFA President has said that the body would look into transfer pricing in Europe hoping to come up with a policy that ensures that smaller clubs are also able to attract top players.

What is El-Rufai’s Motive?

2009-06-01T19:09:00.001+01:00

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the diminutive former minister of Nigeria’s capital city Abuja has come out smoking in a recent essay which I suspect he wrote for the Kennedy School, where he is currently pursuing Postgraduate studies.

He did make a lot of shocking revelations in the piece which to me serves only the purpose of positioning him as the ‘good guy’ in the mess that Nigeria has been plunged into from the actions of his co - political travellers.

The piece which is posted on http://www.nigeriavilagesquare.com/ is a must-read for all those following the breaking Nigerian story, which seems unending.

Interesting times indeed we live in. Click here to download or read the piece.

Anambra Oni Baje

2009-05-27T23:40:00.001+01:00

I owe the title of this piece to Okechukwu Obinwa (Ayola), a classmate at C.I.C Enugu who responded to an entry I made in my Facebook status with the ‘Anambra Oni Baje’ expression. I had jokingly suggested that since Governor Raji Fashola of Lagos state was kind enough to accommodate our brother Ben Akabueze in his cabinet as a commissioner, Anambra people should reciprocate such kindness and ‘borrow’ Governor Fashola as governor in 2010. Though this was meant as a joke, however, the seriousness of the suggestion and the desperateness of the Anambra situation were not lost on many who commented in the Facebook thread. One commentator, Dafe Ivwurie I think it was, wondered if Lagosians will be willing to ‘release’ their hardworking governor for such a rescue mission and went ahead to request that Fashola come to Delta, his home state instead.

It is not difficult to see why Ndi Anambra and others would not mind having a Fashola as governor in Anambra state or in their states. As Ndigbo would say, it is difficult to conceal pregnancy. Majority who commented live in Lagos and are familiar with the efforts of the current administration to create a mega city from a city that was almost grinding to a halt due to decaying infrastructure. Today, there is a new sense of direction and renewed hope in Lagos state. In slightly over two years, Governor Fashola has demonstrated that once there is a will there is a way, as shown by his multi-pronged approach to tackling the issues that Lagosians hold dear to heart such as roads, housing, education, environment, transport etc. These attempts to make Lagos a good place to work, live and play have been hailed by various people and organisations including other state governors who openly confess that Fashola is the best performing governor in Nigeria. A possible candidate for President in 2011 then? Maybe.

A favourite school address for Nigerian public officials is Oxford or Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government which is reputed to be one of the best in the world in terms of teaching, plus the added social and professional networking opportunities for the students. Nuhu Ribadu, ex-corruption Czar and EFCC Chieftain is currently enrolled at Oxford while Nasir El-Rufai, former FCT Minister is pursuing graduate studies at the Kennedy school. Knowing the Oxford and Harvard traditions, one could safely assume that such high quality education does not come cheap meaning that every year, millions of dollars leave the Nigerian economy as tuition fees for public officials wishing to acquire new skills and knowledge in governance.

In an era where adopting global best practices is most desirable, there may be nothing wrong with Nigerian public officials going to Harvard and other top universities to update their skills. This is because of the enriched experiences they may bring back having worked on simulation projects with peers from other countries. However, where the problem may lie is in the outcome of such intellectual pursuits. To what extent are the officials able and willing to practice what they have learnt when they return? Does the system even allow them to put the newly acquired knowledge and skill to best use? Will the opportunities present themselves for the Harvard returnees to take this country forward sector by sector by applying the various models and theories they may have learnt?

Other state governors that have been mentioned as doing well in their respective states are Governors Sullivan Chime of Enugu state, Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers state and Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom state. Those who have visited these states attest to the rekindling of good governance spirit evidenced by the level of planning in the projects being embarked upon by the respective state governors. In Enugu state, Governor Sullivan Chime who shies away from publicity choosing instead to let his government’s good works speak for him has changed the face of Enugu, the capital city through his many infrastructural projects. It is surprising that all these could be achieved in just less than two years with another two years left from his 4-year mandate. Now Enugu citizens are happy again and singing Chime’s praises even as they look forward to his promise to do more in all the local government areas.

Lagos is another example, arguably one of Nigeria’s most complex states to govern but Governor Raji Fashola does not give the impression of a man who could be fazed by daunting challenges. In under two years, he has shown that government can actually be made to work for the citizens. The level of civil and infrastructural works going on in Lagos at the moment is unprecedented, all aimed at improving the quality of life of people living in Lagos. Through some agencies such as LASTMA and LASAA, the Lagos state government is changing the way people behave as Lagosians now say that the fear of LASTMA is the beginning of wisdom.

While other state governments are complaining about dwindling fortunes as a result of the fall in federal allocation, the Lagos state government has through a re-engineered tax system been able to generate the revenue it needs to execute its many projects. It has also set up a PPP office thus ensuring that priority projects are concessioned in the best interest of the tax payers.

Fashola may not be coming to Anambra state as governor in 2010 but it will not be out of place to expect some of the cowboys and hopefuls for the Anambra state governor’s seat including the incumbent, Mr. Peter Obi to undertake a one-week internship at Lagos state government house, Alausa - Ikeja for some basic and rudimentary lessons in governance. Other state governors and political aspirants are also welcome. I am sure Governor Fashola will oblige them on pro bono basis. This is more practical and cheaper than going to Harvard or Oxford. The tried and tested successful model of governance by The Fashola School of Government could also be adopted and taught in Nigerian universities, at NIPPS, Kuru – Jos, CMD Shangisha and LBS.

As they say in Lagos, Eko Oni Baje (Lagos will not spoil), Ndi Anambra are also saying Anambra Oni Baje (Anambra will not spoil).

May it be well with Nigeria, and with Anambra state. Ise!

Nworah is the author of Nigeria Confidential

Don’t Envy Lekki Residents, Pity Them

2009-05-19T09:11:00.003+01:00

The Lekki part of Lagos may be home to expensive mansions but you can’t help but pity its residents, particularly during this rainy season when the roads become flooded after every downpour.

For residents of some Lekki Phase 1 streets, it is sorrow all the way as the roads become impassable except for owners of 4x4 trucks and SUVS. Some residents who thought respite may have come their way late last year when some construction work went on along Admiralty Way are now left licking their wounds as the work did not cover the whole stretch, thus residents who live further down the road towards end of Admiralty Way have had to resort to navigating the back streets of Lekki, or is it the back waters, before they could come out to the first roundabout.

While it is the work of government to provide infrastructure like roads, one wonders if perhaps Lekki residents and property owners who can afford such stately homes and shylock-type rents are not better off grading the roads and providing drainages themselves as part of a wider sense of social and civic responsibility. Waiting for government to do the roads may take forever and it is the quality of life of the residents that we are talking about here, you know. Also, can some residents not at least cut the grasses growing in the middle of some of the roads? or are they waiting for government grass cutters to come and cut them?

A Day On The Devil’s Highway

2009-05-11T22:15:00.001+01:00

I am thinking that we should re-name the Lagos - Benin expressway 'The Devil's Highway' due to the state of the road and incessant armed robbery attacks on the road. Many road users have lost their lives on that road either from accidents caused by the poor condition of the road, or from armed robbers’ bullets. There are stories of those who have passed the night in their vehicles on the roads as a result of the gridlock.

Recently I got caught in the mother of all traffic jams travelling back to Lagos from Benin and must say that I won’t be in a hurry to travel through the road any time soon. I know that the former Minister of Transport Mrs. Madueke famously cried on national television after inspecting the road and witnessing first hand the plight of the road users but tears are not enough to console Nigerians and families who have either lost loved ones on that road or have missed business and other appointments due to the gridlock.

Although this is a federal government road, however, I think that the governors of the South East and South South states who have variously been staging economic summits should as a matter of urgency explore the model of funding the construction of the road as a result of its strategic importance as the major gateway from Lagos to the South South and South East states. This model has been used in the past in Abia state (under Orji Uzor Kalu) and Anambra state (under Chris Ngige); both constructed some federal roads in their states and were later reimbursed by the federal government.

Fixing this road will boost economic activities in both South South and South East states.

This video was recorded on Friday, May 8th 2009. http://thelongharmattanseason.blogspot.com/

Lagos - Benin Expressway As 'The Devil's Highway'

2009-05-09T19:49:00.001+01:00

I am thinking that we should rename the Lagos - Benin expressway 'The Devil's Highway' due to the state of the road and incessant armed robbery attacks. I got caught in the mother of all traffic jams there yesterday travelling back to Lagos. I think the Minister of Works & Housing should resign.

Nigerian Universities in Pictures

2009-05-08T23:25:00.001+01:00

I have been on the road all week on behalf of my employers visiting towns and universities in the South East and South South identifying potential CSR projects. With regards to our Ivory Towers, I must say that the houses have not fallen yet; neither do they appear that they would fall anytime soon. I’m sure this is not the type of news Karl Maier would want to hear.

Despite the challenges, I think the Vice Chancellors of some of the universities are doing very well and the students too. I wouldn’t worry too much about Nigerian universities not making the global rankings, there is a genuine effort at improving standards and quality. A full pictorial report on this will follow later. I have so far visited Unical (Calabar), Uniuyo (Uyo), Uniport (P.H), IMOSU (Owerri), ABSU (Uturu), UNN (Nsukka & Enugu Campus), Unizik (Awka) and Uniben (Benin) this week. I must say that from the lot, I have been most impressed by ABSU; the environment is really beautiful and is fit-for-purpose with breathtaking views.

My trip to Uniuyo was nostalgic as it brought back old memories. I haven’t been back there since my graduation and was happy to reunite with my lecturers again, the likes of Prof Desmond Wilson and Dr. Nkereuwem Udoakah all of the Communications Arts Department. I also met up with an old classmate Dr. Mfon Itek who also now teaches in the department of Communications Arts. I think past students should find time to return to their Alma Matters, identify with them and look for ways of giving back.

I used the opportunity of my trip to Nsukka to collect my PG certificate; the guys at the PG office are complaining that students don’t always come back for theirs hanging on instead to their statements of results. Going through the list to check if mine was ready, I counted hundreds if not thousands of names who are yet to collect theirs. I was surprised that the whole process didn’t take up to 30 minutes. You only need to pay an official N1, 000 processing fee which is receipted, unless the spirit leads you to buy lunch for the boys around the office. Well if are reading this and finished from UNN, chances are that your certificate may just be lying around collecting dust so better hurry to get it. Mr. J.O Ukwueze and his hardworking team will be glad to assist you.
On a lighter note, I witnessed something at the Convocation arena of the University of Port Harcourt which I felt I should share. Please, this picture is not to ridicule the efforts of the university authorities but should rather get Uniport alumni thinking on ways they can support the university. It appears that general courses lectures are held at the arena as that is the only place where huge numbers usually enrolled on the general courses could all be accommodated. The challenge however is that the arena is not purpose – built for lectures but like they say, necessity is the mother of invention, the students now seat backwards at the arena, and this leaves their legs and feet dangling. A thought provoking sight indeed. You can check my blog in a couple of days from today to view the pictures.

http://thelongharmattanseason.blogspot.com/

Awka Kidnappings And Enemies Within

2009-04-20T14:36:00.000+01:00

Awka Kidnappings And Enemies Within

By Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

A common expression used by Ndigbo when describing challenging situations, usually of a life threatening nature is “Awusa abata go nu Awka”. Translated, this means; “The Hausas have entered Awka” in reference to the Federal Army’s incursion into Awka and the hinterlands during the Nigeria/Biafra war.

In today’s Awka and Anambra state, the same expression is being severally repeated by both Awka indigenes and non-indigene settlers. Their angst has nothing to do with the bitter experiences of the civil war but rather with a siege of another kind – Kidnapping. It is no longer news that the activities of kidnappers is spreading like wild fire across the whole of the South East covering Abia, Imo, Ebonyi, Enugu and Anambra states, perhaps at faster paces than in the South - South states, areas where the act, art and business of kidnapping originated and was first used to draw the attention of the federal government and South – South state governments to the neglect and deprivation being suffered by the oil producing communities.

It is frightening that what may have started as genuine acts of protest have since been hijacked and elevated into a multi-million naira money spinner by those who are directly and indirectly involved in the business of kidnapping either as operatives, negotiators, informants, sponsors, government and law enforcement officials. It is the families of the kidnapped and the victims themselves who suffer the most from the physical and emotional anguish and trauma and are left wondering where their help will come from.

Particularly worrying is the current spate of kidnappings which has hit Awka, the capital of Anambra state recently. Awka indigenes are now wondering what the government of Peter Obi as the Chief Security Officer of the state is doing to stem the evil tide, and where his government channels the security vote accruing to the state and governor. Fear and panic have gripped the whole town such that some people are now packing their bags and leaving until hope is restored and there is at least a genuine effort on the part of the state government to curb the menace.

It is also the same with some Awka indigenes who live in other towns including the diaspora; they have vowed that they won’t be coming home anymore; neither will they encourage any member of their family and associates to travel to Awka in the nearest future.

Their fears are based on two recent high profile kidnappings that took place in Awka recently. The first victim is the younger brother of Chief Austin Ndigwe, a respected philanthropist and businessman popularly known by his traditional titles – Uzu Awka and Ozo Gidi Gbam Gidi Gbam. Chief Ndigwe is the traditional prime minister of Awka Kingdom and has lots of political connections. He is believed to be one of the rallying points for Awka people in terms of respect and influence and a champion of Awka people’s quest to see an Awka man become the governor of Anambra state someday. He is very close to Senator (Chief) Ben Obi, (Ojelu Igbo Ozi), the Action Congress (AC) Vice Presidential aspirant in the 2007 presidential election. However, when the kidnappers came calling, Chief Ndigwe’s status in Awka, Anambra and Nigerian politics didn’t matter to them, rather it became rather an attraction to the kidnappers who took his brother and only recently released him unharmed after the Ndigwe family had parted with an undisclosed sum of money.

While Awka indigenes were still trying to come to terms with the ordeal suffered by the Ndigwe family following the kidnap of their brother, the town was hit by the shocking news of another high profile kidnapping. This time, they took Chukwuemeke Nwogbo, the newly elected President - General (PG) of Awka Town Union. Mr. Nwogbo who runs an estate and real estate firm in Abuja is said to be an unassuming man who has lots of ideas about moving Awka town forward. He was taken from his family compound in Awka.

A member of the family who will not give his name likened the kidnappers’ modus operandi to the biblical saying that “I will strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter”. According to him: “If you look at the way they took Uzu Awka’s brother, and also the PG, you will see that the message they are actually passing to others is that – see, we can take Awka’s top people and their family members and nothing will happen”. Echoing similar views, Obi Nwankwo, an indigene of Nibo – Awka, and close family friend to the Nwogbos said that the fear in Awka town is now deep. “The day they took Emeke, the kidnappers were not in a hurry, they still drove leisurely and had time to pick –up, or rather kidnap Anayo Ajator (Ichie)
an Awka indigene based in South Africa . This says a lot about the security situation in the town, and in Anambra state in general”.

As at the time of writing this, the Nwogbo family are currently in discussions with the kidnappers to secure the release of their son and brother Chukwuemeke even as his wife and children pray that the kidnappers release their father and that he will return to them unharmed.

Already, some Awka indigenes who spoke anonymously to this writer said that they are planning a mass rally and protest in Awka to register their displeasure against the Anambra state Commissioner of Police and the state government for their lack- lustre and indifferent approach to curbing crime, particularly kidnapping in the state.

While friends and associates of Mr. Nwogbo continue to pray for his immediate and safe return against the worrying news that the kidnappers have already shot Anayo Ajator in the leg as a warning sign that they mean business if their ransom demands are not met, perhaps it is about time that Governors of the South Eastern states held a special security summit on kidnapping and other crimes with the aim of curbing the crime wave that is fast turning the zone into no-go areas.

Nworah is the author of Nigeria Confidential.

The Other Side of Reverse Migration

2009-04-15T18:16:00.001+01:00

By Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

There has been an increase in the number of Nigerians in the diaspora making the return journey back home. This phenomenon known as reverse migration may have started at the beginning of the new millennium with the re-introduction of civilian democracy after long years of military dictatorship, a period that witnessed mass exodus of Nigerians who went abroad in droves in search of better life.

One could argue that the various socio-economic reforms of the Obasanjo government provided some kind of incentive and renewed hope in the Nigerian nation amongst many Nigerians in the diaspora. The renewed calls for Nigerians abroad to come back home and contribute to nation building and the increasing alienation and frustration experienced by many Nigerians living abroad may have contributed to the first wave of returnees. The second and current wave of returnees may have been persuaded by other factors, most importantly the current global economic downturn which kicked in sometime in 2007 resulting in job losses, repossession of homes and other assets in the developed economies where majority of the Nigerian diasporan professionals reside.

Nigerians living in the diaspora still contemplating the return journey back home are best advised to familiarise themselves with some of the challenges they may face when they return, so that they can at least be better prepared. The first hurdle to cross is the ‘mindset hurdle’. How does one start being a Nigerian again after long years of living in near-perfect and enabling socio-economic systems? How does one begin to deal with the issue of living two lives; that of a ‘Nigerian’ and that of a ‘returnee Nigerian’, with each life having its own demands and expectations. Can one easily get on in life in a system without any social safety net? How does one overcome the various infrastructural challenges including housing, energy, transportation etc?

There is also the big issue of getting a job or starting up a business. It is on the job angle that many returnees may question their original decision to come back home. The sudden realisation that not a lot may have changed since they left the shores, and that there are still not enough jobs to go round becomes a bitter reminder of the many lost opportunities to nationhood by successive governments. With mounting bills including mortgage repayments, credit card bills, college loans and other expenses waiting to be taken care of in the countries they are returning back from, it is not surprising if frustration sets in if after a short period, especially if there is no major breakthrough in business or career in the new Nigeria that is expected to absolve all the millions of Nigerians currently living abroad. The matter is not helped by the fact that the oil and gas, and banking sectors which showed a willingness to absorb the returnees have now shut their doors to diaspora recruitment as an after - effect of the global financial crises. Perhaps the telecommunications and other sectors may still present potential alternatives.

Perhaps the most challenging issue yet, one which yours truly suffer the most is that of living apart from one’s family. According to Ade Oduyoye of jetpages.com, “Quite a number of friends have now had to maintain their father and husband roles remotely”. This is worrying. The situation is such that before embarking on the return journey back home, the returnee, usually the man or husband elects to keep his family behind in the safe and stable environment while he undertakes the journey by himself to initially test the waters, after which the whole family will be relocated. Such initial plans of 3-6 months absence usually extends to a year or more as things are not usually as simple as they may seem. At this stage, emails, chatrooms, facebook and mobile phones come to the rescue but all these can hardly substitute the physical warmth of one’s family. For some like me, you resort to following the progress and growth of your kids through weekly email photo updates. The other alternative is to commute regularly on your frequent flier package or your family does but this has major financial implications.

Charles Okoli, a manager with UBA in Lagos says that this is his biggest challenge yet since he moved back home 2 years ago leaving his wife and 3 kids back in the U.K. “The original plan was for them to join me a little later but that didn’t happen for some reasons. I miss my wife and kids and sometimes wonder if it was the right decision to have relocated to Nigeria in the first place, not when you have a young family and can’t watch your kids grow up”.

There are mixed views from various Nigerians who have braved the odds and plunged into the unknown world of the journey back home. Onyinye Adigwe who returned home in 2009 after completing an MA in Music Business Management from the University of Westminster says that she doesn’t regret her decision, “Though I’m yet to get a job, I still like the fact that Nigeria is a developing country. I can put a lot of my ideas and talents to good use while waiting for a proper white collar job. So many businesses have run their course abroad and such ideas are yet to be trialled here, we have enough population and resources to carry them out in Nigeria”.

Arthur Ekwensi, Senior Consultant at Woodhouse Consulting, a Brands, Events and People consultancy who came home in 2008 after several years of living in the U.K however cautions Nigerians living abroad to look carefully before they leap, “People have got to assess their personal circumstances before coming home. You can not hop on the flight to Nigeria because everybody is doing so. You have got to be clear in your mind which values you are coming home to add, the mere fact that you have lived or are living abroad is no longer an express route to a good job in Nigeria”.

There is hope still for those who are considering making the move. Formal and informal support networks are gradually developing in churches and local communities to ensure a smooth return back to the fatherland by the returnees. This is also not taking away the importance of family networks in the process of re-settlement. For example, on any given Sunday at my local church - This Present House, The Dome located at the end of Admiralty Way, Lekki Lagos, you will find many Nigerian returnees, many of whom their accent give away easily. Those who have been back for some time now help new returnees to settle in by sharing experiences. There are also many church activities to engage them while they go through the motions of settling in once again. Pastor Toni Rapu and his team also have a good way of encouraging returnees by bringing to the notice of all emerging business and other opportunities.

There may not be an easy way to settling back in Nigeria as one can only gauge the warmth or coldness of the water by feeling the water. Although Ngozi Okafor, a 2009 returnee from the United States is planning a guide book to relocating back to Nigeria, but still that should not replace the benefits of practical and first hand experience.

Even if one has the benefit of securing a job before coming back, it still has to be said that the process of settling into a system one has left for many years does take a while. I am still not fully settled in after almost a year of relocating back but you can bet that I don’t plan on going back again. This is my country, and as they say, East or West, home is the best. Nothing beats the satisfaction and joy of living and working in one’s own country, and contributing your quota no matter small, using the skills and experiences you may have acquired abroad to making your country great again.

Nworah is the author of Nigeria Confidential

Good People, Great Nation – Yes We Are!

2009-03-31T14:47:00.002+01:00

By Gbenga Badejo

A lot has been written and said about the Nigerian re-branding project. I must begin by admitting that I share in the frustration and anger of those who are against the exercise because of its perceived cart-before-the-horse approach.

I also understand those who are against the exercise because they see it as another example of a money-wasting project that may eventually go nowhere.

I equally feel the vibes of those who are wary of the inability of successive governments to continue with projects initiated by their predecessors. Those who take this line of argument believe that once the Yar’Adua government completes its term, the next government would probably jettison this campaign and starts its own afresh.

Like all rational Nigerians, I share all of the views above. However, having carefully and seriously given it a thought, I decided to embrace this current campaign after its slogan was unveiled. I must make it clear that I am not feeble-minded or gullible to be swayed by an ordinary slogan. I should also state that I do not belong to any political party - ruling or non-ruling. I have also not been paid by anyone to take this position. I chose to support this particular exercise only because of the following reasons:

1. Nigerians are good people Though we may have bad leaders, Nigerians, from Port Harcourt toKatsina and from Kisi through Enugu to Yola are good people. We demonstrate this goodness particularly in the area of hospitality. Nigerians are extremely hospitable people. We are always ready to welcome people into our midst offering them our fatted calf – the best meal in the house, sometimes even to our hurt.
The goodness of Nigerian people is also exhibited in the way the extended family system has been nurtured as a supportive system for generations. For example, I spent most of my holidays as a young person with cousins and sometimes distant relatives. My eldest sister paid my secondary school fees though she was only 22 years old when she took up this responsibility. I am sure that some people will accuse me of suffering from selective amnesia by glossing over the bad side of Nigerians. I do not pretend that we, as a people, have very serious weaknesses that require urgent and continuous behavioural modification, however I have come to the conclusion that, on balance, our ‘good’ far outweighs the bad side of us and this must be celebrated.
Re-branding or no re-branding, Are Nigerians good people? I bet we are.

2. Nigeria is a Great Nation Again, irrespective of its ups and downs, there is no doubt that Nigeria is a great nation. Nigeria is great because it happens to be the most populous black nation on earth. It is believed that 1 out of every 5 black people on earth is a Nigerian. Nigeria is great because it is the largest country in the continent. We have 50 million more people than the next most populous country in Africa. Nigeria is great because from Vancouver to Vladivostok, Nigerians are powering the economy of many countries around the world. I will be surprised to find a nation where Nigerians are not present.

Nigeria is great because we are a great foot-balling nation. Although we have allowed indiscipline to take the better of us in World Cup finals, we have however won an Olympic gold and the FIFA under 17 world cup three times.

Nigeria is great because it is blessed with a variety of natural resources, chief of which is its people who in my opinion are more natural than the oil deposit in our land. Nigeria is great because it is a melting pot of several peoples, cultures, and languages, and somehow, we have been able to keep this marriage of different peoples, cultures and languages going.
Nigeria is great because of our mostly favourable weather system that means almost anything can grow on our soil from the arid North to the equatorial South. Nigeria is great because it has miles of access to the sea for exports and imports. Nigeria is great because it has the potential to compete with any country on many platforms be it agriculture, economy or socio-political matters. Nigeria is great because it is the 8th largest exporter of oil in the world. Nigeria is great because its people are resilient and hopeful.

3. The slogan could become an aspiration
I feel that even for those who doubt the goodness of our people and the greatness of the nation, the new slogan can become the aspiration of every Nigerian. By this, I mean EVERY NIGERIAN. Not just those in government or in private or public leadership, but every individual Nigerian. In other words, if every reader makes the effort to do good in their personal, social and professional lives from now, we will achieve both the ‘good people’ and the ‘great nation’ we desire.

Finally, I must make the point that all Nigerians, including those for and those against the exercise are patriotic citizens of this country. The intensity with which those against the re-branding project attack it is a confirmation of their passion and love for Nigeria. My hope is that we can all channel this same passion to make a difference in our individual spheres of influence. Let us take the spirit of goodness to our homes, to our churches and mosques. Let us take it to our schools, and places of work. Let the teachers teach with integrity and the bosses take the welfare of their staff as priority.

Let goodness flow through you to the people in the city of Lagos and to those in the remote corners of Ute in Ondo State. Wherever you may go in Nigeria, from the lowest point of the Atlantic Ocean to Chappal Waddi, the highest point in Nigeria, let everyone you meet be able to tag you with goodness.

We can truly achieve more greatness and be seen as a great nation if we allow goodness, rather than filth to litter our 853 kilometers of coastland. We can achieve greatness if you and I become conscious of our environment and stop throwing refuse in the drains.

Let us throw away the shackles of greed and the chains of oppression that hold everyone of us – the oppressed and the oppressors -- captive. I have learnt that the smile we offer people and the little help we give makes a world of a difference. Let us therefore do good not only to strangers, foreigners and the strong, but to the disabled, the weak and the poor who live right in our midst; who attend the same Church with us every Sunday, who go to the same school with us, who work in the local eatery.

We will be great when we stop, and ponder about the future we want for Nigeria and for our children. We must not just talk about it, write about it, or shout about it. We must make it happen by the choices we make today. In doing so, we must be singly focused and not unduly bothered about what the government or the next person is doing or not doing. A better day is coming for Nigeria. Let us make it happen because we all benefit when we do things right.

Gbenga Badejo is the Principal Partner of ParkRoyal (www.lagosfinishingschool.com) - a people, business, and national development company. He is also the publisher of Postcard from Lagos www.postcardfromlagos.com

Open Letter to Carol Bartz , CEO of Yahoo! Inc.

2009-03-26T11:00:00.003Z

March 23, 2009

Carol Bartz, CEOYahoo! Inc.701 First AvenueSunnyvale, CA 94089

Dear Ms Bartz,

Unfair Characterization of Nigeria on Yahoo! Inc. Internal Content Webpage

I wish to call your attention to a web page on the Yahoo! search engine under the Yahoo! Abuse Help Topics titled, ‘How do I report email scams, such as Nigerian "419" scams or other advance fee scams’? - http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/abuse/abuse-110240.html I found this page by accident while trying to find some help on how to make some changes on my personal Yahoo! account.

By singling out and characterizing Nigeria in this manner on an internally controlled webpage on your search engine, Yahoo! Inc. is unfairly perpetuating the terrible image that the government and the majority of the people of my country, Nigeria, has been working hard to dispel. The characterization is also without regard to the progress made over the last few years by the Nigerian government to aggressively target and prosecute internet fraudsters and to repatriate recovered proceeds to victim foreign companies and individuals. The progress made over the years especially by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), http://www.efccnigeria.org/, has been widely acknowledged by a number of international institutions/agencies.

I am not under any illusion concerning the depth and nature of corruption and other social problems in Nigeria, but contrary to the perception currently perpetuated on the webpage in question, one of the areas Nigeria is making relatively good progress is in eliminating internet fraud, including email scams. As I strongly believe that you are aware, the web of today’s email scam industry spurns across the globe, from North America to Asia, Russia, Europe, and Africa. Your webpage unfairly singles out Nigeria and perpetually implies Nigeria to be the epicentre of global email scams and advance fee fraud, irrespective of the progress that has been made by the government and the people to the contrary.

I am appealing to you and your team at Yahoo! to review the contents of this webpage and remove this outdated characterization (at best) and unfair reference to Nigeria immediately. I love my country like you love yours and it breaks my heart to imagine how many uninformed and unfair opinions are formed everyday by potentially millions of Yahoo! users who visit or stumble on this webpage like I did. Unfortunately, it is very likely that any visitor to this webpage, even with no prior encounter with anything Nigeria or Nigerians, will go away with the unfair impression that Nigeria, a country of over 140 million mostly decent, hardworking and proud people, is simply a country of mostly email scammers and advance fee fraudsters. This, when the current reality is that email and advance fee scams with all its common elements, including counterfeiting, identity theft, fake wire transfers, email hijackings and fake websites are now as widespread all over the world as the internet itself. Also as it is being shown by the various daily revelations (including many that are still unfolding) in connection with the current global economic crisis, corruption and greed is not an exclusive trait of any single country or people.

As I look forward to the review and removal by Yahoo! of any unfair specific reference to Nigeria, I will suggest replacing the webpage title with something like, ‘How do I report email scams, including advance fee scams’? I will visit this webpage every week and continue to direct attention to this until all unfair references to Nigeria are removed from its contents. Thank you for your anticipated cooperation.

Regards,

[Signed]

Kunle Owojori

Copied:

1. Susan Decker, President, Yahoo! Inc.
2. Hilary Schneider, Executive VP, Yahoo! North America
3. Michael J. Callahan, Executive VP (General Counsel and Secretary), Yahoo! Inc.
4. Dora Akunyili, Nigerian Minister of Information and Communications
5. Farida Waziri, Executive Chairman, Nigerian EFCC
6. The Guardian newspaper (Nigerian)
7. ThisDay newspaper (Nigerian)

Nigeria Confidential (Out Now)

2009-03-21T13:47:00.003Z

Guys, my new joint - Nigeria Confidential just dropped on Amazon. Spread the word and grab a copy. It is a blook (blog entries published into a book) of musings about country and citizens written in my chraracteristic witty style.Click on this amazon link to purchase a copy.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nigeria-Confidential-Bloggers-Musings-Country/dp/1440126453/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237641462&sr=1-2

BBC, CNN and The Rest Don’t Mean Nigeria Well

2009-03-20T16:44:00.001Z

There is a war out there, a raging media war against Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the developing world. This war serves only the interests of the west, and thrives mainly on stereotypes and half-truths. The war also aims to reinforce the servant-master ideology of the west unleashed on a people some of whom unfortunately are caught up in the warped subservient mindset. The war by the western media against the developing economies lends credence to the African proverb that a toad will not grow unless it swallows another.

We are not toads and we refuse to be swallowed by the irresponsible reporting of the western media. Recall the Jeff Koinage incident sometime in 2007 when he paid his way through the Niger Delta for his infamous scoop, this was at a time that Nigeria was spending hundreds of thousands of dollars advertising the Nigerian brand on CNN. Jeff, a Kenyan had obviously fallen under the spell of the mighty American dollar and chose to betray his African brothers riding on the ‘bad news sells’ philosophy.

Many western journalists make their living reporting only an Africa that is war-torn, corrupt and beyond salvage. They are the ones pushing the ‘failed state’ agenda for selfish reasons, an agenda that many Africans have unfortunately bought into. Is it not despicable that many Nigerians will use their mouths to describe their country – Nigeria as a failed state just because some western journalist or pseudo development agency said so? When you read some of these reports, you will think that they were describing some medieval tribe. Meanwhile you will find such development workers feeding fat on exotic food at Nigerian hotels, with the men frolicking at night clubs with young Nigerian women they are able to entice with their tainted dollars. One often wonders which Nigeria or Africa they are describing. When we confess and believe negative thoughts, should we be surprised when the ‘prophecy’ come around in full circle?

The flawed indices often used to describe failed states which these western journalists usually categorise Nigeria into should be rejected. Fine, we have challenges but don’t they also? If Wall Street or the London Square Mile were Nigerian financial addresses and our bankers committed the atrocities of the last year or so which caused the current global financial meltdown, would there have been enough phrases left in the dictionary to use in qualifying us?

Was Bernard Madoff to have come out of Nigeria, how would Nigeria have ranked in the next Transparency International Corruption Perception Index?

In a 2007 article, I had joined issues with Michael Peel, former West African correspondent of the Financial Times who had gone to Chatham House in the UK and presented a damning cooked up report suggesting that the UK was losing billions of pounds to Nigerian fraudsters. I wasn’t arguing blindly to say that we do not have people engaged in the unfortunate activity, no, my argument was that a nation of over 140 million hard working people should not just be condemned in such a manner. Not all Nigerians are criminals and fraudsters.

Maybe if successive Nigerian governments have invested in improving media infrastructure at NTA, NAN, FRCN etc and strengthened their operations through hiring and training of staff as proposed by the Sean McBride commission (see UNESCO’s Many Voices, One World report), then Nigeria would have been in a stronger position to tell her own story, and be able to defend her national interests through objective reporting.

Unfortunately, Nigeria, Nigerians and the rest of the world still rely heavily on inaccurate reports from the stable of the global media networks such as BBC, CNN and the rest. Such negative and biased reports have gone on to influence the perception of Nigeria and Nigerians by both Nigerians (unfortunately) and the rest of the world. It is common to hear some Nigerians refer to news reports on CNN or BBC as if those were sacred hence the expressions ‘I saw it on CNN’ or ‘I heard it on BBC’.

Recently Nigerians woke up to behold a scandalous report on CNN where they declared that Lagos was the worst place on earth to work following Business Week’s report of the same title. In that report, they found it wise to interview the Caucasian managing director of a Nigerian company hoping for some kind of endorsement of their baffling report. If you live in Lagos, you must have by now noticed that the Caucasians whose opinion was sampled to arrive at the skewed report will probably not get the 5-star lifestyle they live in Nigeria anywhere else in the world. With an army of servants ranging from multiple drivers to gardeners, cooks and security men, it is not a surprise that many of them once their assignment comes to an end refuse to go back. In the said report, there was no mention of the efforts of Raji Fashola and Lagosians to upscale the state. It is still in the same Lagos state that Nigerian banks that spend hundreds of millions of dollars advertising their services make the money that they hand out to CNN annually sponsoring programmes such as Inside Africa, African Voices etc. Who is fooling who? Traffic congestion was given as one of the reasons as if they don’t have them in plenty in London or New York. Was that not why London’s former mayor Ken Livingstone introduced the congestion charge? How pathetic and unfair. Who does not know that road works as are being experienced along the Lekki axis and Western Avenue are only temporary discomfort for a more pleasant road experience in the future, don’t people also experience such during major road and construction works abroad?

A day after the Ministry of Information and Communications launched the ‘Good People Great Nation’ rebranding campaign; the usual suspects, BBC in particular went to town with this headline; ‘Theft mars Nigerian 're-branding'. Unfortunately, the other news agencies picked this up, likewise some Nigerian news channels and internet websites. Is it not most wicked that this was the only news worthy item in the ayes of the BBC from a national event such as the re-branding launch which was meant to signal a national re-birth, and the one they considered worthy to report to the rest of the world? Are phones not lost or stolen daily in the UK, America, France? Should we now carry placards over that and report it as if it was such a national tragedy? A few years ago, I was sold a dummy Sprite plastic bottle placed in pack for a mobile phone just by the Napoli Central train station by an Italian man who quickly disappeared as soon as he took my money. Would I now assume that all Italians are con men?

Nigerian journalists who string for BBC and the rest of the other news agencies should indeed retreat from selling their country and people short in the eyes of the world, especially during this time that Nigeria is attempting to make a clean break from a not-so-glorious past.

We can not continue to allow this media siege to go on which offends our sensibilities and hurt our pride as a people, in the words of Igwe Joe Odenigbo, an Abuja based entrepreneur, “it is about time Nigerians boycott some of these networks that don’t mean us well”. He may be right.

Nigeria Unveils 'Good People Great Nation' Rebranding Campaign

2009-03-18T15:55:00.004Z

Nigeria has unveiled a new logo and slogan for its national rebranding campaign which the Information and Communications Minister, Prof. (Mrs.) Dora Akunyili says signals the march towards national re-birth. The slogan selected was Good People, Great Nation while the logo is simply the word – Nigeria but creatively interpreted.

At the unveiling ceremony on Tuesday, March 17th 2009 at the International Conference Centre - Abuja, several prominent Nigerians and members of the civil society, organized labour, private sector and students took turns in expressing their hope for a better Nigeria and their desire for a corrupt-free Nigeria and one that guarantees individual rights and liberties.

Nigerian President, Umar Yar’Adua was represented at the occasion by the Vice President Dr. Jonathan Goodluck and he urged Nigerians to support the campaign through value re-orientation pointing out that nation rebranding should not be seen as just a one-event affair. He decried the situation where the activities of a few Nigerians have come to taint the world’s perception of Nigerians and Nigeria.

General Yakubu Gowon, ex-Head of State and Chairman of the Occasion praised the Pete Edochie led- National Rebranding Committee for their choice of logo and slogan selected from thousands of entries sent in by Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora.

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Information, Senator Ayogu Eze who represented Senate President Senator David Mark at the occasion said that the National Assembly will support the Ministry of Information and Communications in the re-branding project asking that all Nigerians should be carried along in the process.

His House of Representatives counterpart, Honourable Dino Malaye represented the Speaker Dimeji Bankole and he delivered a well received speech that had the whole house applauding him every step. In a firebrand but frank tone, he advised that Re-branding should start from the top, from the President and then cascading down to the Vice President and top Public officials who have a moral duty to uphold the rule of law at all times. He spoke on the need for genuine electoral reforms and care for citizen’s welfare. In a lighter mood, he advised that those entrusted with the re-branding campaign should not use the opportunity to rebrand their pockets promising that the National Assembly will be watching on behalf of Nigerians. Prof. (Mrs.) Akunyili had earlier in her speech promised that her ministry will publish twice yearly a statement of account of the re-branding project.

With this, it is hoped that Nigerians will begin to reject the negative labels and adjectives used to describe and qualify both country and citizens by the western media and even by Nigerians themselves, and strive to do good, to think of nation first and stand proud and tall amongst other citizens of the world. As the slogan suggests, Nigeria is a great nation of good people.

Why We Must Rebrand Nigeria

2009-03-09T15:31:00.000Z

By Uche Nworah (uchenworah@yahoo.com)

Since the Honourable Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. (Mrs.) Dora Akunyili announced her ministry’s intentions and commitment to revamping the national rebranding campaign begun by Chukwuemeka Chikelu, former Minister of Information during the Olusegun Obasanjo government, a lot has been written in the press, and debated on the internet, TV and Radio concerning the pros, cons and timing of such a national image campaign. Some of these debates bother on the presumed cost of such a campaign with the debaters wondering if the federal government could not channel the funds meant for the rebranding campaign to other areas requiring urgent attention.

With due regards to the opinions of those who have argued strongly against such a campaign, in the context of today’s realities, the question should no longer be whether Nigeria should initiate or resuscitate a national branding campaign but rather how should such a campaign be managed to achieve maximum impact and avoid repeating some of the mistakes experienced with the Heart of Africa campaign. Prof. Isawa Elaigwu, a member of the Committee on National Rebranding placed the issue in context while giving reasons for accepting his nomination to be a member of the 22-man committee which was inaugurated by the Minister of Information and Communications on Friday, March 6th 2009; “What is the alternative to not re-branding?” If one may add here, can we as a nation continue to drown in shame as a result of the various labels which have gained popular currency and which are now used to describe Brand Nigeria and her people? Should we walk about without a sense of national pride and let others define how we see ourselves and relate with one another? Are we only a nation of scammers and corrupt people? Is there nothing good about our country and people worth celebrating? Is it not about time we start telling our own stories and defining our essence as a people? A well managed nation branding campaign like the one being proposed by the Ministry of Information and Communications will help provide answers to some of these questions raised here and even do more, helping to reposition our national image, rekindle the passion and spirit of patriotism in us and make us believe more in the beauty that lies in us, and in our country despite the challenges we may be facing today.

Several scholars have written extensively on the concept of nation branding including Simon Anholt who theorised on the country of origin effect and the impact it could have on national economics. Mr. Anholt who is the world’s leading authority on the subject believes that part of the challenges the developing world is facing today beside poor governance and weak infrastructure is the issue of weak national brands and identities, this he says reduces their attraction in the international community and places them in low positions as potential brides in the competition for tourism and investment dollars.

Randall Frost (2004) also makes a strong case for nation branding campaigns when he remarked thus; "There's no arguing that the image we have of another country says a lot about how we view it as a tourist destination, a place to invest or a source of consumer goods."

There is therefore an understanding within Anholt’s and Frost’s views that nation branding goes beyond fancy logo designs and slogans or insertion of ads in the media. This has also been validated by Prof. (Mrs.) Akunyili who remarked at the Rebranding Committee inauguration of a move towards multi-agency (MDAs) collaboration to ensure that the issues which Nigerians have raised and which they maintain erode the national brand image are tackled.

Perhaps some of those arguing against a national rebranding exercise may have found some comfort in the words of the American, William Drenttel (2004) who had argued against the concept of nation branding in his essay My Country is not a Brand; “Even nations have become brands… The symbol for a country should not be created by branding experts. When the vocabulary of a nation's foreign policy is the vocabulary of branding, then it is, in fact, selling Uncle Ben's Rice. This transaction, with the vocabulary of the supermarket counter, is not how I envision my country (America) speaking to the rest of the world."

However, adopting such a simplistic view of nation branding as opined by Drenttel hardly does justice to the wider benefits and fails to take into considerations other factors including good governance and public diplomacy which make up enabling factors that may lead to the success of any nation branding campaign. Before we dismiss the current project, it is important to explore even though in some small measure what the concept of Nation, Place or Destination branding is, who it is for? Which nation, place or region has done it in the past? What are the benefits? How much does it cost? Who should fund it and is a nation or region better off without running such a campaign?

As a member of the global community of nations, Nigeria as a country should in addition to meeting the local needs and aspirations of her citizens seek to align some of its thinking, processes and activities to global best practices. In this era of globalisation, technology has made it possible for individuals, countries and nations to tell their own stories, to be visible, to be seen and to be heard. People in branding will tell you that in national economics, image is everything. That the whole world is flocking to China today to buy various goods and services does not necessarily mean that Chinese made products are better or cheaper than those made in other parts of the world. The shoes made in China being bought today by the rest of the world and by Nigerians in particular could easily have been shoes made in Aba, but unfortunately for Aba shoe makers, no one has bothered to work with them to up their game and processes, or to promote their services and products more or polish their act a bit and help place their wares on an international pedestal.

Instead of inviting the world to come to Ariaria market Aba to buy shoes and other goods made in Aba, we deride such and call them ‘Aba made’, or ‘Ibo made’, all negative terms which knock down entrepreneurial spirit rather than nurture talent.

We would gladly spend thousands of pounds or dollars to fly to the islands of Malta or Barbados for a week’s holidays when we could have been lying in the serene beaches of Azumini in Abia state or even the tropical beaches of La Campan Tropicana in Lagos for a fraction of that cost. Instead of agreeing to meet our business partners or lovers at exotic locations abroad, an act that only contributes to the growth of the GDP of other nations, why don’t we schedule such meetings and invite our foreign partners instead to Nigeria to local destinations in Nigeria such as Obudu, Shere etc to help boost the local economy. Are we consciously telling our friends and associates who are non-Nigerians that we have beautiful tourist sites in Nigeria or are we still consumed with the self-defeating stories bothering on corruption, armed robbers, power outages etc. Should life stop for Nigeria and Nigerians just because we are still grappling with challenging social issues? Don’t other countries have their own challenges and have they stopped marketing themselves to the outside world waiting until all is right before they throw open their national borders to visitors?

In this Obama age of ‘Can do’ attitude, what better time for Nigerians to rekindle their passion for nation than now, or should our ‘Yes, we can’ expressions stop only in our thoughts? What about the doing part? If we must take the Obama philosophy forward, then we must all put on our ‘self-belief’ garments and resolve to march on as a proud and patriotic people. We need not have waited for Prof. (Mrs.) Akunyili to remind us of the need to reposition our thoughts. This should have been something that we should all have begun on an individual or family level extending to our places of work etc; Prof. Akunyili’s message would have only served as a reminder.

It is difficult to tell if it was the message from John F. Kennedy to Americans to think not only of what their country can do for them, but also to think about what they can do for their country that has driven Americans to such high level of patriotism. It is such now that the average American despite whatever issues he or she may have with the American government concerning governance never lets that come in the way of their patriotism. They sing their anthem with pride and the expression ‘I’m an American’ once uttered by an American serves as a call to duty for country, also reminding them of their proud heritage.

No one nation should see itself as an island. Therefore, Nigeria as a country should embrace the concepts of place or destination branding. We must actively seek to market our country as a favourite destination for tourism, trade and investments. We must tell our own stories and seek to shape the agenda of both local and international media, if we don’t, then we should not complain when the media, particularly the international media only showcase the negatives about us.

Germany rode on the back of successfully hosting the 2006 World Cup to launch a national rebranding exercise which was aimed at uniting Germans and restoring back self – belief which has been battered by long years of self-pity and international derision over Nazi crimes.

The governments of the United Kingdom, U.S.A, Greece, Turkey, Australia and South Africa have variously launched successful national image campaigns. Even towns and regions have been known to run own campaigns, a good model closer home is the Cross River state government example which provides a good template for others states in Nigeria to adopt.

While the costs of running such campaigns may be huge, however they are easily scalable and the campaigns could be adopted in line with available budget. This will lead to the achievement of quick wins. In one of her speeches, Prof. Akunyili had informed that the present initiative will rely somewhat on Public Private Peoples Participation (PPPP). According to her; “My team and I know that we cannot successfully re-brand Nigeria without the support and buy-in of Nigerians. A new thinking under this initiative is the Private, Public, Peoples', Partnership, PPPP, under which the people are joint stakeholders.”

There are indeed opportunities to get the private sector involved since they will be beneficiaries of the investment dollars being targeted. While speaking at a CNN interview in June 2008, Dr. (Mrs.) Cecilia Ibru, Group MD/CEO of Oceanic Bank had indicated the willingness of the private sector to contribute to a common fund from which an initiative like this could be funded. She had passionately argued that if Nigeria wins through such a campaign, then the corporates win too.

While the argument of potential waste of resources in the management of the rebranding campaign funds may have some merits given past experiences, there are still ways resources could be maximised. The process has already begun with the composition of the national rebranding committee which is made up of representatives from the civil society, professional associations and trade groups, Nigerians in diaspora and other qualified experts. One expects that Nigerians will embrace this project and continue to support the work of the committee by sharing ideas with them and taking the message of the project to all corners of Nigeria.

According to Sunday Dare, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and Communications and a member of the technical committee of the rebranding project, “Nigerians have demonstrated support for this exercise through the thousands of entries received by the ministry during the call for logo and slogan submissions”. He reminded that this was in line with the Honourable minister’s promise to make this a people –driven campaign. Mr. Dare also said that the committee which comprises of notable Nigerians and professionals such as Pete Edochie, Lolu Akinwumi, Hilda Dokubo, Prof. Ikechukwu Nwosu, Dr Tony Iredia, Julia Oku – Jacks, Alhaji Garbi Bello Kankarofi and many more are committed to supporting the ministry to formulate strategies which if implemented will give the image of our beloved country Nigeria a new lease of life.

How Many Subscribers Does Glo Have?

2009-02-28T20:34:00.001Z

The Brand guys at Africa’s emerging force and telecommunication giant – Glo are doing a very good job. Following the success of The GLO CAF awards which they sponsored, they have topped it up nicely with the Glo Lagos Marathon.

However, they need to sync their ad messages particularly the ones that were aired on NTA on Saturday February 28th 2009 during the Glo show.

One of the ads claimed that Glo currently has 18 million subscribers, and almost immediately after that, another ad was aired claiming that Glo has 19 million subscribers which makes me to wonder how many subscribers really the company has.

Little things like this matter, the messages should align together to avoid sowing doubts in the minds of the customers.

International Place Branding Workshop

2009-02-13T20:45:00.001Z

SIKIRU ADEPOJU: THE NIGERIAN PERCUSSIONIST WHO WON ANOTHER GRAMMY

2009-02-13T08:25:00.003Z

Written by Felix Abrahams Obi

The 2009 Grammy Awards have come and gone with the usual fanfare and pomp. The brief detention of rising pop R&B star, Chris Brown over an alleged assault of his superstar girlfriend, Rihana didn’t dampen the gay mood for the Grammy generates its own glamour and ‘effizy’ that linger long after the winners and losers have headed back to their respective bases. Lil Wayne swept away more awards than any other artist to confirm that he’s finally arrived as a Big Boy rapper; no longer overshadowed by Kanye West and other superstars in the Hip-hop scene even though his trousers slide waggle down his butts like the self-conscious teenager who is intent on making an impression on the streets.

My eyes roved and scanned the list of awardees hoping I would see a prominent Nigerian musician on the shortlist. Since our Naija hip-hop artists like Tu Face, P Square, Timaya, Sound Sultan, Asha, Banky W, Nigga Raw, Kc Presh, Dare Art Alade, were obviously absent from the preliminary nomination list, so I would have torn the cloak over the heavens in high praise had angels been able to smuggle in their names with a miraculous stroke of an indelible pen. If our Nollywood movies are rated the 3rd most viewed films across the globe, our wish as Naija music fans to see our music climb to a higher pedestal isn’t misplaced to say the least. Even with the profuse injection of Naija local content into our contemporary music albums, our best Naija hip-hop artists are still a mere silhouette of their American counterparts for whom the Grammy’s are made for. We can only be second best in such contests where the rhythm is hip-hop, and the rap song tailor-made for an English-speaking audience that expects the right slurs and interjection with curse words and slangs that have is alien to our culture.

A few weeks ago, our female crooner and world music exponent, Asa held a sold out concert in New York during her first US tour. She has toured Japan where her songs are celebrated, and her popularity in Western Europe has been soaring, and her tour schedules are so tight that one hardly reckons that Asa was a little over a year ago, a proper Naija girl who learned how to strum her guitar from Peter King in Lagos. Another Naija singer, Ayo has been making waves across Europe with her eclectic sounds and though she has some German genes in her blood, her Naija identity is not mistaken, and they have been hoisting Naija music flag for the world to see. They may not win a Grammy anytime soon, but their influence has crossed the boundaries of Africa and has won the admiration of people across the globe.

But SIKIRU ADEPOJU; an obscure and uncelebrated Naija percussionist made Nigeria proud at the Grammys as part of the GLOBAL DRUM PROJECT quartet that beat the world class SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR to win the award for the world music category. The group made up of four percussionists Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Giovanni Hidalgo and Sikiru Adepoju came into prominence in 1991 when the Planet Drum’s self-titled album broke the Billboard World Music Chart and remained number one for 26 weeks, and also received the Grammy for Best World Music Album; the first Grammy ever awarded in this category.

Sikiru Adepoju has been called ‘ the Mozart of the talking drum’ and has taken his mastery of Yoruba talking drum and other indigenous percussion instruments ( dundun, gudugudu, gome, omelet, shekere) to a world class level. But how many people would believe that Sikiru learned the art of drumming from his late father in his Eruwa village in Western Nigeria and never felt he should abandon his musical heritage to embrace western music hook line and sinker. He also played with the miliki maestro Chief Ebenezer Obey until 1985 when late I.K. Dairo’s nephew and afrobeat artist, O.J. Ekemode took him on a US tour. He would later perfect his drumming skills under the tutelage of the late Babatunde Olatunji, the world-renowned percussionist and Naija artist who is widely-acclaimed as the first to release an album in the ‘world music’ category and reputedly influenced musicians like Carlos Santana, Mickey Hart, John Coltrane and Bob Dylan. Like Fela the freedom fighter, Babs Olatunji also fought for the rights of Africans during the civil rights movement and even performed at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy and his albums have sold more than 5 million copies.

Sikiru Adepoju and his fellow musicians at the Global Drum Project are poised to elevate the traditional rhythms of the world to an enviable level and have fused the dance and rhythms of the ancient with the sounds of the modern world. The traditional rhythms of our forefathers stirred and roused the soul and spirit and rejuvenated the body and were the medium through which people of yore years in Africa maintained the healthy balance of their body, soul and spirit. The West appreciates the rhythms of Africa and that is why Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the Soweto Gospel Choir and other artists of South Africa origin have won the hearts of people all over the world, and Grammy awards too. Other world music artists of West African descent like Benin Republic-born Angelique Kidjo, Senegal-born Youssof Ndour and Malian Salif Keita among others, have made the world appreciate and respect the rhythms of Africa and have made our forefathers proud and ensured that African sounds are not considered to the classical rhythms of the Western world.

There are many other Sikiru Adepojus who masterfully play the flute, shekere, gongs, xylophones and drums in our Nigerian villages, slums and suburbs but however feel inferior because the contemporary Nigerian society appreciates little of our indigenous music and traditional rhythms. They feel inferior and out of place because they are excluded from the Star Mega Jams, MTN Campus Shows, the GLO Music Shows, and other corporately-sponsored music shows in Nigeria. Yet time and again, the evidence of history and common sense have proven that Nigerian and African rhythms are by no known standards inferior to music from any other part of the world. Fela Kuti proved that by jettisoning his classical training in western music to create Afro beat music which the world respects till date. Kunle Ayo is dazzling jazz music audiences from his base in South Africa with his authentic fusion of jazz chords with his authentic and indigenous Yoruba sounds.

So the world awaits another Sikiru that talks and sings with the drum. We await a Mallam Adamu from Kano or Katsina who would play his ‘goje’ and blow his long Hausa flute to the delight of audiences around the world. Yea the world awaits an Emeka Okonkwo who skillfully plays the hand-held xylophone and blows the Oja till goose bumps rise from the skins of audiences and music connoisseurs across the world. We need not wait till the next Grammy to get a stamp of approval on the desirability of our indigenous music; it is authentic, sublimely artistic and wholesome and deeply spiritual. It is ours!

(Felix Abrahams Obi is a poet and folk music aficionado based in Abuja).
http://www.nuggetz4life.blogspot.com/

In The Name Of The Son

2009-02-04T20:10:00.001Z

So you have been praying to God to give you a son, believing that it will be your most cherished achievement if you may call it that. You promise God Heaven and Earth in return if he grants your wishes forgetting that He created them in the first place, and still owns and controls what goes on there. The matter is not helped by your African origin or rather Igbo origin to be precise. The whole village joins in the prayer to Chi to grant your wishes and give you a son that will inherit your Obi when you are gone.

Your wife is Igbo too, and she joins in the prayer for a son alongside her family. You know why and can’t blame them. The Igbos have a saying that a woman’s place in her husband’s house is only cemented after the birth of a baby boy. You wonder sometimes the sense in the saying, or belief and the psychological scare it leaves in the hearts of Igbo women, or women married to Igbo men. You think about what Barrack Obama’s fate would have been if he was an Igbo man, doing the type of job he is doing presently as the President of America and his Umunna decide to go and visit him at the White House.

You could almost picture the type of conversation that will be taking place, led by Nze Obama, the surviving elder of the Obama clan. They would start by reminding him how his father would have wished to have a son running around the White House lawns alongside Malia Ann and Sasha, they will finish by reminding him what a true Igbo warrior he is, how the Okonkwo warrior traits runs in his veins and why it is important for him to answer his father’s name by demonstrating that he is indeed a true son of his father by redeeming his head through siring a male child. Of course they would have traced his ancestry to Ogbuefi Omenka Obama who reportedly married 100 wives and sired a million children comprising mainly sons.

Poor Michelle, how could she have coped listening in on such conversations over her marital fate who would have found a precedence by recommending that their son Barrack, go the Clinton way and seek for himself an intern that would take care of his afterhours in the hope that his Odogwu will behave like the typical African with the results showing after 9 months, rather than fiddling with a cigar, afterall, are cigars not meant for smoking only? they would have asked him.

You are jolted back to reality by your own situation, and back from your White House day dreams with the news that Yes, God has finally answered your prayers; you are going to have a son afterall. Just when you are about to begin praising him, the next challenge comes. Another family hurdle to cross. What name do you call your son?

You would have thought that this would be the easiest part, but to your surprise, it is a tricky one. As the father of the child, you know what you want to call your son; A, but it is not so simple. There are loads of stakeholders to appease. Starting with your wife, she is the one who did all the work for 9 months, you were only a witness. She tells you that she has always wanted to name her son B. Well, that’s nice but you are not quite satisfied with having a son called B. You let the matter lie but finally the long awaited day is here and the baby has popped out. The child needs a name.

You revisit the B situation with your wife, still no shifting of grounds. And then, your parents weigh in with the name C, your in-laws weigh in too with name D, the grand parents don’t want to be left out in the baby naming or rather baby branding game. They throw in a couple more, two from each side thus adding E, F, G and H to the list. You wonder who else has an opinion concerning this name matter, perhaps your primary teacher. It is not as if the names being suggested are simple names like Emeka, Udo or Amaka. It is those long names that make a mouthful, the type that easily get lost in translation and get misspelt every step of the child’s growing up; during Elementary, Secondary, JAMB, NYSC etc. You wonder what purpose the long names being suggested will serve and the possible impact they may have on the child’s life.

Finally, you come to a compromise with your wife; she provides the first name while you provide the baptismal name. You leave the parents and the grannies for now with the hope to revisit the situation in the future. And off you go to your Parish priest to arrange for baptism and there, you receive more surprises. He also has his own views and pulls out a combination of names from his hat, sorry, his book. He tells you their origins and how nice they sound. You thank him but tell him no, you are an African and you want your son to bear an African name. He stares at you for a minute and wonders what got over you, you tell him that nothing has come over you, only that as the father of the child, you wish to be allowed to call your son the name that you wish, you wonder aloud why it is such a difficult wish to fulfil.

Reverend Father M is not done yet. He reminds you that you live in the United Kingdom, and so do your wife and son. It will be better if the boy bore an English name such as James or John. You ask him how that will make life easier for the boy, would that also help in changing his skin colour to white to complete the easy life mode he was on about. You receive only stares for an answer but still insist on the names you have given him earlier, finally he bulges.

As you walk down the street in the London cold, you are bemused by all the fuss in the name of the son.

The Etim- Okocha Unfriendly Match

2009-02-03T09:45:00.004Z

Written By Adebayo Kareem

An interesting match is going on presently in Nigeria that promises to be wholly entertaining and full of bone-crushing challenges in the best tradition of an English football match. The simmering duel is between two of Nigeria’s most talented footballers of their generation. Due to popular demand, this particular match is not taking place inside the main bowl of the national stadium, but rather it is taking place in the unlikely tripartite venues of a Lagos High Court, the pages of Nigerian newspapers and, i suspect, the court of Public Opinion.

In the red corner is Jay Jay Okocha, the phenomenally successful Nigerian footballer. In the opinion of this writer, Okocha is the most skilful football player Nigeria ever produced, and in this i include players like Segun Odegbami, Adokie Amaesiemeka, Humphrey Edobor, Nwankwo Kanu etc. Although he never won the CAF African Footballer of the year award, it is universally acknowledged that he is the best African player never to have won that award. It will appear that after being released from his contract by the English Premiership newcomers, Hull Football Club, Okocha now spends his time in Nigeria where it is understood he runs a night club amongst other businesses.

In the blue corner is Etim ‘super brat’ Esin. Now, if ever the tag ‘wasted talent’ can justifiably be affixed after a Nigerian footballer’s name, that person is Etim Esin. He is a man who never really fulfilled his phenomenal potentials. He was a stupendously talented footballer and was dubbed Nigeria’s own ‘Maradona’ {i suppose a later alias might be Nigeria’s own Gascoigne!}. He had unbelievable skills, pace and vision. Between 1986 and 1990 when he was ‘reigning’ he was without doubt the most important footballer of that period and when after a night out in a club {which with typical indiscipline happened on the eve of a World Cup qualifier!} Etim was shot by armed robbers in Lagos, there was a national outcry and outpouring of emotion with the then self-styled ‘President’ Babangida sparing no cost to ensure that Etim received the best medical treatment possible.

He continued his footballing career in Europe by joining a club in Belgium where his star soared considerably. However, the by a combination of brazen indiscipline and bad advice, Etim was accused of raping an under-aged girl in Belgium and instead of staying in Belgium to stand trial and possibly clear his name, he jumped bail and ran to Lagos. His career never recovered and he becomes a living example of how not to run a promising career.
Now many Nigerians are wont to speculate on what might have happened were Okocha and Etim to play in the same team. There is also occasional beer parlour argument as to who was the ‘better’ player.

These are all academic exercises as the simple fact is that we will never know. However the present face-off between them should hopefully offer insight for Nigerians to make up their minds as to who is indeed more skilful of the two. The genesis of the on-going confrontation between the two was in December 2008 when Okocha, apparently in the spirit of Christmas and its attendant goodwill, invited Etim to the Christmas party he was holding at his residence in Opebi. Etim attended with his wife and daughter. However in the course of the merriment, an allegation was made that a mobile phone belonging to Okocha had been stolen right at the party and Etim was a suspect. According to Etim {as carried by the Punch newspaper of 11 January 2009:

"Okocha invited me himself to his house; it was not as if I just went there. I didn't know he had a plan to mess me up. The Boxing Day party was going on when Okocha said he lost his phone and, of all the people there, I was the only one suspected of stealing that phone.
"You can't imagine the humiliation I felt when they began to search me; how could anybody think I would steal a phone? What's the price of a phone to Okocha that would lead him to treat me like that? What would I do with his phone? It's not as if I'm hungry, so why should I be accused of stealing an ordinary phone?"

Good question. Now i suspect that multi-millionaire megastar like Okocha probably uses top of the range i-phones and blueberries, but you have to agree with Etim, on the face of it that Okocha’s phone {whatever its brand} is unlikely to fetch millions in the Nigerian black markets. As a veritable ‘schemer’ who in his heyday operated as an attacking mid-fielder, Etim appreciates the finer points of feinting and dribbling and not going straight to the point. Hear him:

‘’Okocha has everything money can buy. He has the best cars; he has big houses and all the good things of life. God has blessed him so much, but is he jealous of me? If he is, then it is unfortunate.

"Even if people say I was better than he ever was, I don't think that should make him so jealous as to set me up like this and give me this horrible treatment. I've never been bothered by the comparison between us and I feel he shouldn't too. Besides, he didn't do a thing like this when he was still active and on top, it is now that he has retired that he is behaving this way. I used to respect him a lot, but that is no longer the case. You can't treat me like that and retain my respect; it's not possible...My daughter was not used to seeing me being surrounded and searched like that and she had to ask why after they let me go. I told her we were playing a game of hide and seek. She must have believed me but within me I was very sad; how could my daughter see me like this? It really was a painful experience. I believe I was specifically invited to come along with my family because they wanted the humiliation to be complete. That was not the first time I'd been to Okocha's house, but that was the first time I'd be there with my wife and daughter. And that was the day they chose to search me for a missing phone."

The long and short of which is that Etim has employed the service of ‘radical’ Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo to institute a legal proceeding against Okocha for 100million Naira in damages {that should buy millions of handsets!}. He is keen to ensure that his ‘good name’ is not tarnished. He is also keen to clear his name via the court system for the sake of his present employers {Etim now works for the cable television company, HiTv as a pundit for their European league showing} because ‘the image will not be good for me and the cable company if i don’t clear my name’

Okocha as may be expected laughed off the report by saying ‘no shaken’ {well, he did not exactly say that}. He did states {according to the Vanguard edition of 31 January 2009} that {and please note the underlined words}:

‘Yes i laughed, because it really calls for laughter. I say so because I strongly feel that Etim knows what he is after. It is a pity that this is happening. When I saw them searching Etim, I ordered them to stop and duly apologised to him. I was not there when they started accusing him. I did not accuse him. I came down to see what was happening and I said why? I told Etim I was sorry.

They said some other persons had been searched too. I told them that it was wrong. What was the cost of a telephone for them to embarrass my guests. You only invite your close friends to the kind of party we had. And if I didn’t mean well for Etim, would I have invited him? I feel disappointed by the way Etim has taken it. I gave him gift that day and that was from my heart. People were calling me to react, even some ex internationals. I told them it was not necessary. I’m only speaking now because of the latest development. If he wants to go to court, I’m ready. Let’s go to court and sort it out.’

Fine, and at this point you will have to say the scores is 1-1 ‘goalless’ draw. However matter has now taken a new dimension when the cable company, HiTv, for whom Etim works and one of the reasons he has gone to court, has taken the decision to order Etim to, not only withdraw his suit against Okocha, but to apologise to him! Etim was stopped from appearing for the HiTv for their broadcast of the premiership match between Manchester United and Everton football clubs. The club apparently wanted to distance themselves from any legal action taken by Etim and they felt the fairest way to do so is to effectively sack Etim. According to the CEO of the company, Toyin Subair:

“Yes, I asked that Etim apologises to Okocha or he will stop appearing on air for us. I did so after finding out the truth. Honestly, my body was shaking when I found out the truth. I took that position because if Etim was allowed to go on like that, he could do it to anybody including those of us in HITV.

He could come up with something any day. He knew that Okocha was not the one that ordered him searched, he knew that Okocha was not there when they started searching him, he knew that when Okocha came and saw what was happening, he ordered them to stop and strongly apologised to him and the wife. Etim knew that he was not the only one searched. Other people had actually opened their bags for searching and they were on it when Okocha came, expressed surprise and ordered that stopped. Okocha’s wife knelt down to apologise to Etim’s wife, gave her a kiss and the party continued. When Etim was leaving, Okocha gave him N100,000.00 as Christmas gift.

He was happy. Again, Etim’s daughter was not there when they were searching Etim. She was upstairs playing with other kids. Even Etim’s wife admitted that Okocha apologised to them. Our generation should not accommodate such things because it will spread and some day it could be anybody’s turn to suffer this type of thing. What I really don’t know is why Etim should do this to somebody who has been supportive to him.

I don’t get it at all. I don’t get it. Honestly, I was shocked when I found out the truth. I invited Etim to join us. He did not apply for the job. I brought him because I felt our television could help him find another career. I didn’t like the way he was being treated, so I offered him the chance. If he could do this to Okocha, he could do it to anybody, so I’m scared. That’s why I asked him to apologise, so that he retraces his step and know how to live in peace. I was scared of him”
Now Mr Subair has failed to make available to the public the ‘truths’ he has learnt. How did he learn these truths? It is fair to surmise from available information that Mr Subair was not at the party. It can also be assumed that a copy of the video recording of the incident has not been made available to Mr Subair. Thus, any ‘truth’ now being regurgitated by Mr Subair are indeed someone else version of what transpired at the party. Yet, based on this, Mr Subair will want the world to believe that his body was ‘shaking’ when he learnt the ‘truth’ and on this basis he has sacked Etim from his employment.

On what basis did Mr Subair make the assertions that it was not Okocha who ordered that Etim be searched? Etim has said that Okocha has failed to apologise to him, yet Subair is saying that Okocha has done so, yet Subair was not at the party. Was he there when Okocha’s wife kneel down to Etim’s wife and gave her a kiss {whilst still kneeling down!? How did Subair know that Okocha gave Etim N100,000.00 when he was leaving? And that Etim was happy? How did he know that the incident was not witness by Etim’s daughter? The man has apparently taken a side and in so doing could potentially become a PR liability to Okocha. A clear impression is created that someone is out to hound and frustrate Etim. If i was Etim, my lawyers should be instituting fresh and separate suit against Toyin Subair and his HiTv.

Now back to the unfriendly match, it has to be said that although it is still a ding dong affair, Etim appears to be having an upper hand so far {especially since the ill-advised intervention of Toyin Subair}. Of course given the nature of these types of matches, it is too close to call and is likely to go to the wire. The match so far has contained all the attributes of a thriller with tackles flying from both parties. The only low point has been the commentary by the likes of Toyin Subair. What will undoubtedly liven up the match is to have someone like Ernest Okonkwo commentating on it. Now that will be extra terrestrial!

Adebayo Kareem, a solicitor writes from London.

BrandsArise 2009

2009-02-02T20:13:00.001Z

I will be speaking at the 2009 edition of BrandsArise holding on the 18th of February 2009 at Unilag. Come and join us as we seek to empower Nigerian youths.

Some Rabbis Do Have 'Em

2009-01-30T10:05:00.002Z

Some Rabbis Do Have 'Em. Should this guy not be an African? Smart guy he is, by not marrying the women, he is still on the good side of the law and is thus able to eat his cake and still have them.

Watch story here.

This T-Mobile Ad Rocks

2009-01-28T09:21:00.003Z

This recently released T-Mobile ad is heading into advertising classics books. Shot on location in Liverpool street station, London with professional dancers and innocent train passengers waiting for their trains, the ad is both funny and infectious that you will want to get in on the dance act too.

Dissatisfied Virgin Customer Tickles Richard Branson’s Fancy

2009-01-27T17:17:00.000Z

A dissatisfied Virgin Atlantic customer has written a complaint letter addressed to Virgin Boss, Richard Branson complaining about the poor quality of service he received on his Virgin flight to India.

The letter has been called the funniest customer complaint letter ever. I almost choked from laughter when I read the letter.

Click here to read it. To enjoy the letter, obey the picture prompts.

Ignore This Email From ‘Reuben Abati’

2009-01-08T12:15:00.000Z

It appears that some Yahoo – Yahoo boys have managed to take over Dr. Reuben Abati’s Yahoo email account, and are now sending scam emails to his friends and associates soliciting for funds.

The letter reads as follows;

Hello, This is an emergency , i seriously consider you to help me with sum of 250,000 Naira which i will pay immediately i get back, i am on a Conference in India , i will be back on the 15th of January 2009. My Daughter is seriously in need of medical attention after he was involved in an accident in Lagos , she is now at a private hospital waiting for medical solution and she has been asked to make payment the same above amount before further medical treatment will be continue, i don't want to loss her. Hope to hear a positive news from you . I don't want other to know about this, do keep it to yourself, all i need at the moment is 250,000 as a loan for her medical deposit so that the Doctor can save her life, i can not send money from where i am now.I am very confused and desperate and i don't seem to understand why this thing is happening to me, i promise to refund you your money immediately i get back home .Please kindly contact the doctor via email dr.ojolowoonline@googlemail.com or call 070411505005 to know who and where to send the money. I am trusting you that you will do the needful immediately

Regards

Mr Reuben Abati

If you read Dr. Abati regularly, you don’t need to finish the second line of the scam email to know that there is no way such grammar could have come from his keyboard, this made me to conclude that this is another ‘hand of Esau, voice of Jacob situation’.

The email is from Dr. Abati’s email address for sure but Dr. Abati has nothing to do with it. He says he has also received several phone calls from his associates who got similar emails which he knows nothing about.

If you are one of those that received this email, Dr. Reuben Abati says to ignore it.

Uche Nworah

Whose Vision Is The 2020 Agenda?

2008-12-21T10:42:00.000Z

This Christmas period or even at any other time, you don’t want to fly into the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja at noon, a time when it seems as if local flights from all over Nigeria make their way to the airport powered only by a one – lane conveyor belt that stretches about 30 feet long. I put myself through this hassle recently and couldn’t help but wonder at the vision of the airport planners named after the Great Zik of Africa, in not anticipating growth and increased passenger traffic from the beginning.

I should have known better not to check in any luggage from Lagos. By the time we arrived, there were already 2 other airlines on ground, whose passengers were waiting for their luggage in the small but overcrowded arrival hall. To describe the scene at the airport as very chaotic that Wednesday afternoon will be like one stating the obvious. There were secondary school students in uniform on their way back for the Christmas holidays, businessmen carrying thick briefcases, politicians in starched Agbada and Babanriga plus other passengers, each one as frustrated and confused as the other, all attempting to squeeze through to catch a glimpse of the malfunctioning conveyor belt in anticipation that it will throw out their checked-in luggage.

The obviously confused and over – worked baggage handlers had a hard time ferrying passengers’ luggage from the belly of the many planes that were now landing in rapid succession, with the few human energy powered rickety baggage carts. In between, one of the handlers will jump out through the open wall space from where they pushed the bags onto the conveyor belt and give the belt a jolt, or a jumpstart, depending on the state of their mind due to the cries, wails, shouts and abuse from the passengers who were left with no other choice but to take out their many frustrations of the flight experience gone sour on the baggage boys. This happened so many times as the conveyor belt which appeared to be suffering from many years of over use and poor maintenance decided that afternoon to stage its own protest by slowing down and even stopping completely.

As we all looked up to the heavens to solve our immediate baggage delivery problems, there were no FAAN officials in sight, either to pacify the passengers or to direct the whole chaotic scene. You would never have imagined that a scene like this will play out in the Abuja airport in 2009. Abuja being Nigeria’s capital city, the strategic importance of its airport can not be overemphasised. For a first time visitor, perhaps a potential foreign investor who may have landed in Lagos and then caught a connecting flight to Abuja, I’m sure this is not the most befitting welcome the President; Musa Yar’Adua would want him or her to have. If it is, then I dare say, it is a most unwelcome one.

Someone needs to tell the President that what happened at the Abuja airport that afternoon does not suggest that Nigeria as a country is any serious about achieving the much talked-about Vision 2020 Agenda. Neither does it indicate seriousness in meeting any of the President’s 7 Point agenda. The government should focus its efforts in making some baby steps, and achieving some quick-wins that will impact directly and immediately on the lives of the average Nigerian going about his daily business. What Babatunde Raji Fashola, the executive governor of Lagos state is doing in Lagos is a case in point. This is not an election year and so all the sloganeering grandstanding should be saved for the next election. This is time for action.

If Airports have managers, then the Abuja Airport manager needs to explain to the travelling passengers and Nigerian taxpayers what effort FAAN is making to ensure that passengers passing through the airport are guaranteed pleasant journeys. Though he or she may have inherited a flawed airport baggage handling design, but still the passengers deserve to know if the FAAN has plans of expanding the conveyor belt because the present system is not working. Bags are pushed onto the conveyor belt, the bags now travel the short distance to the end post and there the journey ends. The belt does not travel round in circle as is the case in other airports. This means that if a passenger fails to pick his or her luggage the first time, then the bag gets thrown off the conveyor belt. It is usually the case that due to the congestion in the hall, not every passenger is able to secure a vantage position close to the conveyor belt to be able to identify his or her luggage during the short journey, as a result, you end up with a situation where several bags thrown off the conveyor belt compete for space with the passengers waiting for their luggage. I think that this should be better organised.

On a different note, an Ambassador of a major European country to Nigeria, a world political and economic superpower was on the same flight with us from Lagos. He was sandwiched in the middle of Row 4 seats by two other passengers. I recognised him immediately and initially wondered what a man of his status was doing in the common man’s economy section. Because I sat two rows behind him, I could see into the first class section and counted several empty seats, I then concluded that his flying economy class obviously was not as a result of non – availability of seats in the first class section. It was deliberate. As we alighted from the aircraft and walked through the tarmac to the arrival hall, I engaged him in banter. I commented on the first class and economy section issue and his response was that the flight had achieved its purpose for him that day, moving him from point A to B, and that it didn’t really matter if he arrived point B on first or economy class. He reminded me of the story of Ken Livingstone, the former Mayor of London who commutes to work daily with either the Bus or the London underground, thus experiencing first hand what the average Londoner was going through; their views, thoughts, fears and hopes. Such a lesson in humility and simplicity in these trying times of financial uncertainty demonstrates a care for the tax payer and how his or taxes are being spent. The Diplomat clutched only what looked like a diary and didn’t have to go through the hellish experience with us. As I bid him goodbye, I wondered when our very important personalities will learn to shed all the baggage that accompany them each time they take even a short trip to their neighbours, the paraphernalia of office, the retinue of aides, the sirens, the multiple cars, the fuss and all else. From down under, the man on the street is still wondering whose Vision the 2020 Agenda is anyway.

The Bags Women Carry

2008-12-12T10:34:00.001Z

Guys, come on, you know what I’m talking about. You can’t say that you haven’t been noticing the big bags women carry around these days. Gone are the days of the clutch bags, enter ‘carrier’ bags, some of them even have roller wheels like the type I saw at a friend’s house the other day. It appears that it is the bigger the bag, the better.

Talk about fashion mismatches, then it must be the sight of a slender-framed woman carrying a big hand bag, with enough space inside to swallow her three times over. For this piece, I won’t even mess with exploring the contents of such bags, that is a story for another day.

Perhaps you are like me, looking for how you can win back your spouse’s love, after long years of her romantic dalliance with her bags-to-die-for. Back then in the UK, I used to compete for bedroom space with my wife’s many bags. When her own side of the wardrobe got filled up with what I chose to call her ‘monster bags’, she found a convenient space for them on top of the wardrobe. With each new purchase, the bags kept inching further and further towards my own side of the wardrobe. I couldn’t complain because I knew my protests wouldn’t get me anywhere. Which man wouldn’t want peace to reign in the house? With each new sale came new bags, and boy, there were loads of them. I remember being woken up one morning at about 3AM by her and her friends, and was ‘forcefully’ conscripted to chauffer them through the Blackwall tunnel to Beckton Business Park in East London for Next’s December 26th sales.

By the time we got there, there were already hundreds of bargain hunters queuing up in the London cold waiting for the 5AM start. You need to have seen the stampede that ensued when the store finally opened, the sound was like that of a landslide. You will never imagine what the sound of hundreds of desperate feet criss-crossing paths on marble floors will sound like unless you experience it. Suffice it to say that I have never experienced a more ‘shopping crazy’ crowd in my life. In seconds the ladies section was swamped like locusts on a Greenfield. I chuckled as I saw hordes of women, and men running, pulling, shoving and pushing, each claiming to have been the first to spot the various bargain items on display. It was a most funny sight, one that I used to tease my wife about. As expected, wifey battled her way through and successfully came back home with some bags, plus other bargains.

How about the Harrods Christmas sale? Mr Al Fayed starts the wait with his ad teaser which usually proclaims that there is only one sale. There have been lots of newspaper reports of women fainting and being trampled upon in their quest to achieve a year-long ambition, of buying a Louis Vitton bag which has now been reduced to clear. For many women, this is a lifetime opportunity, and nothing, I mean nothing will stand in their way. I have seen several of them who succeeded on TV grinning like they have just won the lottery. They display their loot (the bags they bought) like prized trophies. Our Nigerian sisters don’t miss out on this too, many who find themselves in London over Christmas hunt down the shops in search of bags and other crazy deals.

But what is this thing about women and bags, big ones at that?

Believe me, I am not trying to start a gender war here. We already have enough of those going on in the world. But after a recent conversation over lunch with some friends including a female acquaintance at Yellow Chilli Restaurant, I felt the urge to attempt an expose of the psychology of women and their bags.

Udoka (not her real name) runs her own consultancy business. Her work takes her all over the world and she recently arrived back into Nigeria after a 2 weeks sojourn in Johannesburg.

As we all chatted about this and that, I noticed that she kept looking into her bag, zipping and unzipping it in search of one item or the other. Even while she was sampling the house special – Rice Fiesta, her bag still kept coming off and on. Eventually she picked up the bag and clutched it for a while at which point I wondered if she was afraid that robbers would invade the place and snatch the bag from her.

It was later that it dawned on me that she was trying to draw our attention to her latest acquisition, the way a man would want to show off his newest car. When it was obvious that our minds hadn’t quite caught on to what she was trying to do, as we didn’t pay her any compliment. She now volunteered the five hundred thousand naira question.

“Do you like my bag?” she asked.

“Oh, nice”, I must have uttered. My friends also replied with an okayish murmur. This could be likened to committing fashion blunder. Her look seemed to be telling us, “How can you not notice a woman’s bag?”

I saw her flinch, not quite happy with our casual responses. We should have been singing the praises of the bag, telling her what a beautiful work of art it was, how the bag will bring an end to misery, poverty and suffering in the world and so on.

As I tried to switch the conversation to other things, she wasn’t quite done, next she asked us to guess how much the bag cost. Now, don’t go thinking that I’m the last man out of the land of natives for not knowing how much women’s bags cost. The thing is, I have never bought a bag for my wife before. She also doesn’t tell me how much bags cost but I know that they could set a brother back by a couple of hundreds of dollars, good ones that is.

My friends at least volunteered some reasonable guesses, but when Udoka noticed that I was hitting a blank wall, she unzipped ‘the’ bag, and out came a spanking new receipt, she did it like a magician turning the famous rabbit and hat trick. As I pored over the Louis Vitton receipt issued by an LV shop in Johannesburg, I almost screamed blue murder when I saw the $2,500 price tag.

Now I’m thinking twice about that Christmas bag I want to get for wifey, or what do you think?

Big Phil And My Darling Chelsea

2008-12-01T06:36:00.000Z

I hope Coach Phil Scolari knows what he is doing. After watching the Blues go down at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to the Gunners (1:2), a club almost on the brink, I wondered what big things the man they call Big Phil is planning for my darling football club this season.

Chelsea is already out of the Carling Cup, qualification to the next round of the Champions league has now been taken to the wire, a resurgent Man U is also breathing seriously down our necks in the Premiership. I just hope the man knows what he is doing.

I also hope that the management are getting ready to do serious business during the January transfer window. I hate to say this but I don’t see a multiple trophy winning side in the current squad. Forget Anelka and Drogba, those guys are not hungry anymore.

I have to swallow my pride but Congrats to the Gunners. You guys deserved the victory.

In Search Of Skilled Artisans

2008-11-28T18:35:00.003Z

Hank Eso already discussed the issue of our bricklayers, vulcanisers, carpenters and other such artisans in a 2005 article titled “Oga, make we mange am so”. But one still can’t help but wonder how long we can go on accepting substandard services from our so-called artisans when really, it is almost the same amount of effort, resources and time expended in producing a sub-standard work that could be expended on achieving an excellent work.

Those who have funded any type of construction work will readily admit their frustrations with easily available artisans whose sole mandate it may seem is to frustrate the project funders with the low quality of work they do. Such people have had to resort to tearing down some parts of their building projects and re-building same at higher costs.

Starting from the tailors to carpenters, painters, bricklayers etc, the list is endless and the services seem to be getting poorer by the day. Take for instance the masons working on a friend’s project in the village. Because my friend lives in Lagos, it wasn’t possible for him to directly supervise the project as he would have loved to, and so he appointed someone else to do the supervision. You can imagine my friend’s anger when during a visit, he met half the beams supporting the building slanted to one side. I accompanied him on this occasion and couldn’t understand why anyone would not see the crookedness of the supporting beams. Both the project supervisor and the bricklayers working at the sight failed to see what the fuss was all about, to them, what my friend was complaining about wasn’t any ‘big deal’. They suggested to my friend that the problem could easily be corrected during plastering where sand and cement will be used to ‘chuck’ and align the crooked sections.

I couldn’t understand why anyone in their right minds will suggest such a stupid solution as remedy to a fundamental flaw in house construction. My friend didn’t need any more prompting and sacked both the supervisor and the masons from his site.

I was in Jos recently for the NIPSS Course 30 graduation. We had arrived Jos on a Friday for the graduation ceremony which was scheduled for the next day. Unfortunately for us, we did not make any prior accommodation arrangements and spent the better part of the day hunting for suitable hotels where we could spend the night.

Due to the NIPSS event on Saturday, all the hotel rooms in Jos were taken. We were almost toying with the idea of spending the night inside the car when someone directed us to Jikrit Ultimate Suits, a hotel along Bauchi road. When we arrived, we observed that from the exterior, the hotel looked decent, not that we would have cared anymore as we seemed to have run out of options.

Our first shocker was at the reception area where it seemed as if a tribe of cattle herdsmen were having a meeting to plan their next route. All manner of people were milling around in unkempt clothing, they chatted away in their dialect oblivious of guests arriving waiting to be attended to. I wondered who these people were and what their business was at the hotel at that hour. They didn’t look like regular hotel guests. Finally, the presence of our four-man party caught the attention of the multiple receptionists on duty. They confirmed to us that they still had rooms available and we at least breathed sighs of relief.

The hotel, a multi- story complex still looked like a fairly new hotel but as we climbed the stairs to our various rooms, there were several tell-tale signs which indicated that bad workmen had been there and left their calling cards. The plastering obviously was anything but smooth, and the paint had started to peel off in some sections of the wall. As we landed on our floor, it was difficult to see as the whole place was in enveloped in darkness. The porter who led us up then volunteered to turn on the light in a tone that made him out to be a superhero.

I asked aloud why they didn’t think it wise to do so hours ago. I probed further to find out if there were other guests staying on the floor and the potter confirmed that there were, to which my friend then asked what manner of people the guests were that they cared less about light in the hallway.

As I entered my room, i could see an attempt at interior decoration but still the effort looked like somebody’s nightmare. The tiles were so badly laid that they looked like the work of a toddler imitating Picasso. Having traveled all the way from Abuja, I was tired and needed to rest, but first I had to answer the call of nature and there I witnessed what I may describe as another wonder of the world.

How the people that built the hotel expected anyone to actually make use of the convenience provided is baffling. With all the space in the world to play with inside the toilet area, they thought it best to place both the wash basin and the toilet bucket at more than close proximity. You probably have to task your brain to fathom how you could comfortably seat without having your head slamming against the wash basin. I came away with the impression that this probably must be the worst toilet ever in any hotel in the world as the picture here shows.

As I looked up, I saw a light bulb dangling out of its casing and I almost screamed blue murder. Unfortunately it was already late and there were no more hotels available anywhere in Jos. I later found out from my friends that their rooms were equally in poor shape. We all wondered why someone will bother at all going into the hospitality business without assuring guests minimum comfort in the least, or should we not blame the owners, and blame the artisans instead?

In Nigeria today, there seems to be an upsurge in the preference for skilled artisans, craftsmen and masons from Togo, Ghana and other African countries. This is a serious indictment on our people. Perhaps there is an urgent need for government to re-focus its interests in technical colleges and polytechnics as there is now serious dearth of vocational skills in our country to service the construction sector that is gradually picking up. I recently heard of a Nigerian man who brought home an Indian mason from the UK to work on his project in the village but dare say that we can not continue like this.

Citizen Journalism To The Rescue

2008-11-24T19:13:00.002Z

Technology has indeed changed the world. With the way our daily lives revolve around one technological device or another, one sometimes wonders how our forbearers ever survived without these little handy devices.

Just imagine a world without your mobile phone? Will it ever be possible to go through the day? And to think that GSM was only introduced in Nigeria in 2001. We have indeed come a long way since then as communication with friends, colleagues and family have now gotten more frequent and better.

There is also the personal computer which has been around longer thus enabling us to store and retrieve data whenever we want. Linked on the internet, the PC becomes a potent weapon of social, political and economic change. Recent innovations in the area of new media has also given rise to a new phenomenon known as citizen journalism.

In the world of citizen journalism, everybody is empowered to report news as they break from their little corners of the globe. Such reports are then easily picked up by news wires and even major news channels to be broadcast to the rest of the world. CNN has now taken this concept further with their iReport programme which gives everybody a voice in the global scheme of things. No matter what it is that catches your fancy, just record it on your mobile phone or handy digicam, download and forward to CNN and pronto, you can announce to your mom and friends that “Hey, I’m on TV”.

Through this channel, we have seen the world from the perspectives of the ireporters, from the small village in Kigali to the big city in Australia. Everyone is now a citizen journalist. New Media has changed the world of media as we used to know it. With several available free tools on the internet, anyone can create a blog, write an online diary, build a website, chat online, hang out at a social networking site such as Facebook, Myspace, Bebo etc. You can today freely upload videos of your traditional wedding or your child’s first tottering steps on YouTube and Google video for the world to see.

Maybe the democracy challenge in Nigeria would have been hastened if we had all these devices in the days of the military, a time that journalists went underground deploying guerrilla tactics in their professional practice. Thank God those days are over, or are they not?

Events of the recent past involving a Naval Rear Admiral (Harry Arogundade), his ratings and a hapless young lady (Uzoma Okere) may suggest otherwise but thank God for technology. Someone had recorded the incident on their mobile phone and quickly uploaded same on the ireports website. The whole world can now watch the show of shame.

Miss Uzoma Okere

Nigeria-focused websites such as http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/ and http://www.saharareporters.com/ are also keeping the incident alive as shown in these screen shots. The two websites are currently campaigning for justice and are collecting signatures from Nigerians to be presented to the authorities.

The lesson for us all here is that the world has even shrunk further than we thought, not since the Rodney King incident in America which sparked off the Los Angeles riots has video evidence sparked off such a global outcry for justice for innocent civilians against men and women in uniform who chose rather to abuse rather than defend and protect their rights.

The saga of the naval ratings, the Rear Admiral and the young lady continues, even as Nigerians wait for the final justice. Trust Citizen journalists to report the proceedings every step of the way.

My Obama Moment

2008-11-24T19:02:00.002Z

I’m sure few years from now, we will all still be excited trying to recollect how we felt the moment we heard that Senator Barrack Obama had been elected the 44th President of the United States of America.

Were you one of those that stayed up late on that special election night of Tuesday, November 4th 2008, and even passed up sleep while staying glued to CNN with your heart practically in your mouth waiting, watching, praying and hoping that audacity will finally have its day, and that hope may also redeem its promise that those who dare to dream no longer have to wait for eternity to see the fulfillment of the dream, and the promise by God.

You are not alone, I did too and will forever remember the day that destiny showed up in Senator Obama’s front door, and in so doing the front doors of all who may have been considered outsiders in life’s many contests.

My evening did not quite hit the high note I had expected long before the election results started trickling in. My Chelsea Football Club had just finished a banal display of soccer immaturity in their Champions league game against AS Roma, a match which could have earned Chelsea a place in the last 16 round of Europe’s and indeed the world’s most exciting football tournament had they pursued it with the Obama seriousness. As I sulked and brooded over the 3-1 loss to the Romans, Charles Okoli reminded me of the impending Senators Obama/McCain election results.

The guys at CNN led by Wolf Blitzer and John King held me spell bound with the high technology the news network deployed for the election, the zinger for me was the hologram technology which transports an interview guest into the studio like a mirage thus creating the impression of physical presence. John King toyed with the giant election result scoreboard all through the night the way a child will with a toy.

As I watched, I wondered in which generation Nigerians will be able to monitor national election results as they break on TV from the comfort of their homes as we did that night on CNN. I wished that just like we were witnessing the election of a Black American president in our lifetime, that this technology thing too may come to pass. In this new Obama era of dreams and hope, we have been thought that anything is possible.

The early results didn’t quite look promising for Senator Obama, but by this time, I had slept off only to be woken up later by a shove from Charles, my election night co-camper. He angrily announced that it didn’t look like Obama will make it. I held on fast to the edge of the seat and rubbed my eyes hard till it almost bled not wanting to drift off again. I didn’t want to be told later what had happened. As the results started to trickle in, my anxiety heightened and that’s when I found solace in my phone.

As I called family and friends scattered all over the world, I was comforted by the fact that they were all keeping vigil, I imagined that there would be millions like us keeping vigil and praying for Obama. There was just no way God was going to forsake us I thought. Charles and I would drift in and out of sleep but would wake each other up as we waited for Obama to cross the finish line.

It was Charles who woke me up with a big scream eventually pointing to the breaking news story on CNN that our man had crossed the finish line first, and then another round of calls again. First, to my wife in London who had also been keeping vigil, then to my brother in Dallas who had earlier voted for Obama, I could still hear champagne popping as we congratulated each other. Next came my colleagues and then some of my friends active in Nigerian politics who had also stayed up. I teased some of them to make it possible for our own Obamas to thrive locally.

And then came the speech, not Senator John McCain’s which was gracious considering the circumstances but the appreciation and rallying speech of the grateful who had just been elected. Whoever gets tired tapping from the vine? Senator Obama flew high above the skies with his oration. The speech was more than enough to bring out the tears from the very Reverend Jesse Jackson who must have seen himself in the young Obama even as he recollected the years of the black struggle.

Without taking anything away from the other events of the night, the ‘scene’ with the Jesse Jackson crying will forever remain etched on my memory. It is indeed my own defining Obama moment on the night. I suppose everyone has theirs, and yours?

I likened all these to the story of Moses in the Bible. Despite long years of struggle, it wasn’t his destiny to lead the Israelites to the promised land. It was Joshua’s. I’m sure the likes of Jesse Jackson and the many before him who gave up their lives for the black struggle will be feeling fulfilled at this point, it was all worth it after all. They have fought the good fight.

Obama’s election however may not signal the end of the Blackman’s struggle for economic, social and political emancipation, but rather it opens another vista of self-consciousness, of pride and self-awareness for the black man and other world people who may have suffered one type of discrimination or the other. We should continue to keep hope alive. Who knows what tomorrow may bring?

Note

I wrote this piece the day after Obama won but haven't been able to post it since on the blog. Thank God i was able to sign in today afterall.

Facebook & Other Shocking Realities

2008-10-24T18:42:00.001+01:00

I don’t do Facebook anymore, not that I don’t know how to navigate web pages but ever since my wife and her FGGC Sagamu crowd started hanging out at the online social website, I parked my keyboard and migrated to nigeriavillagesquare.com where Nigerians in the diaspora and their compatriots at home do battle on various social, political and economic issues. I must warn you that this site is not for weak hearts.

The other day, the issue of my M-I-A status from Facebook came up while having a long distance conversation with my wife. She asked why my profile was no longer active on Facebook. With the way she said it, you would have thought that I was missing out on something, that probably it was my absence from Facebook that was costing the family the long desired SUV, or holiday in Haiti. Of course I gave her the usual excuse; work, work, and more work which leaves me with no time to socialize online after putting in a 12 hour shift. Little did I know that I was wrong, I have been active on Facebook since God-knows-how-long.

I wouldn’t have bothered with this Facebook issue again but for the phone call I got from Ikenna Ogbu, a family friend wanting to know when and why I changed my name and family name to Obinna Uzor.

Initially I was at a loss over his question and still checked to see that we were in the month of October and not April when people are played for April fools. Ikenna then informed me that my ‘profile’ was up on Facebook but as Obinna Uzor with my picture clearly on display. He promised to send the screen shot to me and he did.

Listed with several other characters was a picture of me smiling at nothing but telling the world that I was Obinna Uzor, a resident of Atlanta Georgia. It was at this point that it dawned on me that I have become a victim of partial identity theft. Someone was passing himself or herself off as me on the internet.

Not knowing the type of scams the individual must have attempted with the fake identity, my panic button triggered off immediately. What if this individual has conned people of money, what if CIA or FBI goes to the site and takes my picture and puts me on the list of 10 most wanted felons in the world? My head kept spinning with several what ifs particularly considering the nature of the banking industry we are in where integrity is everything.

As I write this, I am still lost for words but as a first step, Ikenna has promised to send to me facebooks’ complaints email to report the matter, but still I would like to tell the world that I am not Obinna Uzor.

Perhaps this may be an eye opener for others. Do you know which part of the world your name or photo is currently featuring? One just wishes that in addition to Google name searches, it would be possible to also do personalized Google image search to see where else one’s pictures are being fraudulently used.

Photo of the Day: 21st Century Akanu Ibiam Airport Enugu

2008-10-21T07:56:00.002+01:00

The guys at FAAN who run Nigeria’s airports really deserve a resounding ovation. Unlike what Bill Gates and his likes will have us all believe about the beauty of life in a digital age, the FAAN guys are actually helping Planet Earth by sticking to blackboard and white chalk to announce flight information in the year 2008 at the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu.

You can see the beauty of their logic. This method of information is cost effective and environmentally friendly. No energy bills to worry about and no equipment breakdowns. The board could easily be sourced from the many trees lining the Emene road, while the chalk could easily be sourced from the many chalk pits in and around the state.

This wonderful idea is also in the long term interest of the tax payers as it presents limited opportunities for awarding of contracts to electronic board manufacturing companies who could easily rip tax payers off with over-inflated contract sums to provide a service that costs nothing in its present state to provide.

Perhaps this should be the model for the future across all Nigerian airports, and who says we can not even export the same to other countries and exhibit a prototype at major fairs around the world. If only the Heathrow Terminal 5 (T5) project mangers had bothered to visit Nigeria before they commissioned T5, I am sure they would have learnt a lesson or two in energy saving techniques for modern day airports from the Enugu example.

You can see that with FAAN, our Vision 20-20-20 agenda is on full speed.

Applause please!

Photo Credits: Uche Nworah

I Beg Your Pardon

2008-10-03T19:19:00.000+01:00

How does one begin to understand the psyche of beggars? Not your usual street beggars who due to no fault of theirs have to brave the elements in search of their daily bread. I’m talking about your uniformed or corporate beggars, who have been hired to protect life and property or to man the front office of organisations either as security or customer service officers.

I have been having a good time lately arm twisting these emergency beggars and always chuckle anytime I take them down in their own game. Now, don’t you go calling me Mr. Stingy for refusing to be shaken down by these guys because I won’t have none of it, it’s just that I have sworn that I won’t be taken for a sucker anymore.

Or perhaps we shouldn’t blame them too much since Nigeria at 48 is still a beggar nation (no puns intended), or how else will you describe a country that one would have thought has learnt a lesson or two from past debt experiences, but one that still goes ahead borrowing despite the respite granted from the 2005 debt pardon and partial write-off by the Paris Club. Unless we all have not been reading the same papers but I still catch news stories of a loan here, and another there being taken by state governments and even the federal government. I shudder to think what such little loan trickles will amount to in the coming years.

Anyway, back to the issue of uniformed corporate beggars. I had a good laugh the other day at an ATM machine along Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue in the Victoria Island area of Lagos. By the time I arrived to pick up some cash, there were already 2 ladies and a man hovering over the cash machine. I had noticed the 6 roving eyes trailing me from the time I parked my car and alighted. On getting nearer to the cash machine, I was greeted with a disarming smile and chorus of “Oga, good afternoon sir”. I looked up in surprise and acknowledged the greeting.

Next was the interrogation: “Oga, have you come to collect money?” I wondered what else I had come to do in broad daylight on the streets of Lagos, rob the bank? But by the time any answer could come out of my mouth, my battle ready mindset had already triggered into action. I knew immediately the game my new found friends were playing, they were softening me up for the strike.

As I eagerly waited to use the ATM machine, one of the ladies now volunteered to tell me what all three of them where actually doing peering into the ATM screen together. “Oga, we came to check and collect our salaries”. What this piece of information had to do with me was better left to the imagination. I did not utter another word, sensing that the lead was about to dry up, the leading lady now became more boisterous. “Oga, happy weekend o!”. Now irritated, I politely asked her not to call me Oga anymore, and that I was in a hurry; could she please conclude her transaction with her crew so I can do mine.

Perhaps I should have kept quite, in unison, all three volunteered to interrupt their salary checking and collection transaction to make way for me. “Oga, please come and collect, anything for your children?” asked the leading lady. That was a new one. I had been used to hearing “Anything for the boys”, but children? I was almost struggling to hold back the laughter. As if on cue, and not wanting to be left or rather edged out of any potential spoils from the begging scam, the lone male in the trio quipped: “Oga, your boy dey here o”.

Just as I was about to punch in my password, I felt an urge to look through my shoulders, just incase my new found friends were not what they claimed. They met my suspicious eyes with a reassuring look. As I counted my money, I was already calculating how I will make a dash for the car but I was beaten to it. How the leading lady managed to race to my car door is still a mystery to me till this day. When I saw her outstretched right hand waiting to pull open the door for me, I broke her rhythm and did not unlock the door, pretending as if the car remote control had malfunctioned.

I found the whole episode amusing, I couldn’t help thinking that the art of begging has now entered another level by what I had just experienced. I used to think that if I could beat the security guards at Chicken Republic, Jevnik, Mama Cass or TFC, or even some of the guys at my office, that I was safe, I was wrong. The battle for our money has now been taken to the cash dispensing point, where it matters most. This time there won’t be any excuse anymore not to part with your cash. You can’t claim not to have any on you after being ‘caught in the act’ withdrawing your own cash. Unless the heavens favour you by rigging the ATM machine to be out of cash or to breakdown.

My failure to unlock the car caught the leading lady unawares, and within that small window of lull and inactivity, as she was obviously calculating her next move, I unlocked, dived in and locked myself in, just in case she attempted to force open the door. By the time she could recover, I was already tearing into the newly laid Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue asphalt leaving behind the disappointed trio to re-tool their skills for the next ‘mugu’. I almost laughed myself silly on the way but still wondered why I should be the one running away.

Next up, there was this other day at an eatery along Awolowo road. The security man who pointed out a parking spot that was there for everyone including the blind to see thought he had me wrapped up but little did he know that he was in for the surprise of his life. Lunch finished, it was time to go. From a mile away, I could see his devious but knowing smile, as if he was telling me, “I’m the one who showed you where to park, you must reward me for that”. Perhaps on another day, I would have but not on this day when I was already feeling irritable by the damage guys like him are doing to the reputation of businesses where they are guarding through their rude, customer-unfriendly begging activities.

What I thought wise to do was not to acknowledge his knowing look and smile, that which would have automatically roped me in as a willing accomplice in a customer shake-down scam. There are several ways of doing this, you could pretend to be having an animated conversation on the phone and brush past the guard who may have inched so close to ensure that you see him. You may pretend to be having a serious business discussion with whomever may be in your company at the time, the frown on your face is enough to alert even Donald Trump not to bother at this time, call it a “Don’t disturb frown’ if you like. Finally, you could pretend to be invincible like Pa Jimoh of Ikebe Super fame, walk straight past , get into your car and zoom off. I opted for the later oblivious of whatever silent curse or abuse that were coming out of the guard’s mouth.

As for some of our uniformed men, the police and their other uniformed colleagues, theirs is a story for another day. I do not need to recount their several “Happy Weekend” “Happy Monday”, “Happy Tuesday” and “Happy Anything” greetings, which usually precedes their gun-point shakedown or extortion.

I can not say that I have not fallen at times to the many tricks of corporate and uniformed beggars, but I like to pride myself that I only fall at my own terms. Give me a good service and a smile, don’t arm twist me, just maybe and you have my tip.

Nworah is the author of The Long Harmattan Season.

A Day At The Ikoyi Passport Office

2008-09-09T17:49:00.000+01:00

Our appointment at the Immigration office located at Alagbon close, Ikoyi - Lagos was for 8a.m. Knowing what Lagos traffic could be like, we didn’t want to be caught up in the Third Mainland bridge wahala, and so with my wife in tow, I set out quite early that Tuesday morning with our minds made up to spend the better part of the day at the Immigration office.

We were traveling from Surulere and were quite surprised that the traffic was smooth. There were hordes of LASTMA traffic wardens enroute trying their very best to keep impatient Lagos drivers in check. As we drove past Ijora Bridge, I counted a million BRT buses whizzing past on their special lanes. These buses and their drivers are the new shining stars on Lagos’ many roads, helping to put a smile to the faces of commuters, thanks to Raji Fashola, the hardworking Governor of Lagos state.

We got to the passport office at about 7.40a.m. On hand to receive us were the usual Lagos temporary ‘landlords’. You will see them everywhere in Lagos where there is limited parking space. They will direct you to particular spots to park your car claiming that the spots belong to them. As I was about maneuvering my car to an identified spot, a security man in a nearby building signaled that I drive into the compound he was guarding instead, I obeyed. The bargain cost me N200.

It looked as if the heavens were about to shower the lands with rain blessings and so we took shelter by the specially constructed visitors’ shed near the entrance. Promptly at 8.00am, some gun totting but very polite immigration officers at the gates ushered us in with big smiles. Talk about wonders never ending. I couldn’t see the connection between the armed guards and their civil disposition. We were in for more surprises.

The guards consequently directed us to a waiting area inside the immigration compound. There were long lines of chairs under a large stretch canopy, enough to seat at least a 100 people. We all sat and eagerly waited. Many of us wondering aloud if indeed we were at the right office, especially because of the friendly and client-oriented service we have witnessed thus far. Not quite long after, a preacher man appeared from nowhere and stood in front of the waiting passport applicants and began to pray. First he prayed for our country Nigeria, for peace and security. He also prayed for the wellbeing of the president, we all chorused Amen at each punctuation.

Next he prayed for all wishing to process their international passport applications, he didn’t forget the almighty visa officers at the embassies. He prayed that those who had come to process their passports should find favour at the hands of the visa officers. Everybody chorused Amen. As the prayer went on, I noticed a bearded Alfa join him at the front. He was waiting for his turn to pray for the Moslems in the gathering.

When the preacher man was done, the Alfa took over. He chanted in Arabic language and at every punctuation, the crowd which I guessed were predominantly Christians will chorus Amen.

Halfway through the Alfa’s prayer sessions, I began to see the irony of the situation. A Christian preacher man and a Moslem Alfa united for a moment in a common purpose. Devoid of hate and bickering, they were battling for the survival of the souls of Nigerians and Nigeria. I wondered what God will be thinking at that moment.

Prayers concluded, neither the preacher man nor the Alfa asked for nor received alms. As they made their way to wherever it was they had come from, the voice of an immigration officer awakened us all to the realities of our mission that morning. We had come to apply for the new Nigerian digital passport supposedly meets U.S Homeland security and UK Home Office specifications.

In less than no time, the officer called out people’s names and directed them to the relevant sections. Inside the offices, I saw energetic young immigration officers looking smart and sharp in their starched khaki uniforms. It was almost as if they were on a mission to restore the pride and glory of uniformed men in Nigeria. There were rows of seats carefully arranged to aid faster service. When it got to my turn to have my picture captured, I took the liberty to banter with the female officer attending to me. I told her how surprised I was at their fast and efficient service, she smiled proudly. Business done, it was time to leave but I knew I owed the uniformed men and women something. Not bribe because they didn’t ask for any like the days of old. I needed to show my appreciation that in a long while, I was at least being served by a government official in a manner that every Nigerian would wish for.

I requested to see their big Oga. They took me to this bullish looking man who saw me immediately without the fuss of having to fill appointment/visitors forms. I quickly thanked him for seeing me at short notice, he looked surprised and gave me a ‘I’m doing my job’ look. When I announced my praise and thanks mission, you could see the surprise in his smile and the appreciation in his look. I told him that he was doing a wonderful job with his team and that my 30 minutes stay at the Ikoyi Immigration office that morning has shown me that a New Nigeria is possible. That private sector work ethics could actually be applied in the public sector.

This was indeed another lesson in the Nigeria we all live in, and the Nigerian society that we all yearn for. Two weeks after my visit, as announced in the slip we received during our application, we promptly collected our international passports. Another and better Nigeria is still possible and the generation to champion the change are already here, I saw some of them at the Ikoyi passport office.

Suffering And Smiling In Lagos

2008-08-19T13:43:00.000+01:00

On a recent visit to Lagos, Tony, a friend who manages a branch of one of the new generation banks in Abakiliki, Ebonyi State remarked thus; “You guys don’t have a life here in Lagos, you are all suffering and smiling”. Tony had to dig up a popular phrase of late Afro-beat musician Fela Anikulapo – Kuti in describing the lives of Nigerians living in Lagos (Lagosians). This was after a gruesome 4-hour traffic along Falomo bridge occasioned by the partial closure of Babangida’s Third Mainland Bridge.

I had to agree with Tony, as I have often asked myself what I am doing in Lagos when there are other towns in Nigeria such as Enugu, Kaduna, Owerri, Abuja, Awka and so on where one could still earn Lagos salaries, enjoy Lagos lifestyles without experiencing the dreaded Lagos miseries including waking up at 3 a.m to begin the daily commute to work, coming back home at midnight, daylight armed robbery attacks, pot-holed and flooded roads, traffic gridlocks, polluted air, dilapidated infrastructure, hyper-inflation and all other woes associated with ‘shuffering and shmiling’ in Lagos.

With challenges like these, It is difficult to be envious of the job of Babatunde Fashola, the well intentioned Lagos State Governor. Every major effort of his aimed at improving Lagos state gets immediately overshadowed by the visible decay and rot left by previous governments. A glance through the windows of a descending airplane shows a sprawling and decaying town begging for its glorious past.

Perhaps some people in the corporate world could be pardoned for still enduring the crazy and soulless Lagos lifestyle. These are people doing what could be described as Head office jobs. But for the rest, I would encourage a discovery trip to Nigeria’s other towns and regions where another and better life is very much possible.

Popularly called Eko, its original name before the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century and subsequently renamed it, Lagos is the Hollywood of Africa. Everybody comes to Hollywood and Lagos in search of fame or fortune, or both. For some, the search for the fame or the fortune never materializes in their lifetime. For others, the actualisation of either the Lagos or Hollywood dream comes at a huge prize.

In Lagos’ many roads, particularly at major traffic junctions, you will see beggars of all sorts, mothers with their young babies strapped to their backs begging for arms in the hot scorching sun, quadriplegics strapped to wheelchairs angling for positions with the cars, school age kids with tongues as sharp as razor, and as deadly as caustic soda whose learning is done everyday on the street, sickly individuals contracted by Lagos – smart businessmen and women, some with intravenous drip tubes dangling and sticking out from various parts of their bodies, others with heart-wrenching cancerous growths, wounds and open sores standing in the way of the traffic begging for money.

In Lagos, a common fate binds both the beggars and their potential patrons;. For the former, it is physical misery; for the later, it is emotional torture and guilt. Many go home and pass up their dinner in frustration and anger as they reflect on the living dead walking and working all around them. In such a city, how can one even enjoy what little fortune fate and hardwork has thrust their way.

Lagos, Nigeria’s former capital and the economic hub of the country is a city of over 10 million people. UN projections is that the city’s population will reach 20 million by 2010. it is now ranked the 30th most expensive city in the world, and the most expensive in Africa according to Mercer’s 2008 Worldwide Cost of Living Survey published recently.
Lagos is probably the only town in the world that has no official “Welcome to..” signage on its borders. What Lagos has is just a “This is Lagos” sign. The hidden message in this cold and unwelcoming signage is that ‘This is Lagos, what you see is what you get’.

Those who live in and love Lagos say that Lagos holds a special type of appeal and magic. They love the Lagos hustle and bustle. There are stories of those who arrived with just a Ghana-Must-Go nylon sack with a one-way ticket on ‘The Young Shall Grow’ Luxury bus. On arrival, there is usually no welcoming relative or party, waiting accommodation or livelihood. For some, securing a sleeping space under Lagos’ many bridges becomes the first true test of survival. Such persons go ahead to compete against man and the elements. There are the marauding ritualists (the Clifford Orjis) to evade at night and the heavy rains to shield from in the day. There are also the faulty breaks of Lagos’ many crazy drivers, including the commercial bus (Danfo and Molue) drivers to contend with. Lagosians claim that surviving in Lagos actually means that one can survive in any other city in the world. I tend to agree.

For civil servants and other paid employees, perhaps the time has come for an aspiring gubernatorial candidate to run on the promise of introducing Lagos Weighting Allowance (LWA) if elected. This will compensate at least in some small measure for the escalating cost of living and working in Lagos. This special allowance is currently being used in London where workers living in London are paid a little extra, sometimes over Five Thousand Pounds for living in, and working in London. What this means is that Mr A and Mrs C may be working for company Q and performing similar job roles at two different locations (London and Luton). Mr. A who lives in London gets paid more than Mrs. C who lives in Luton every month because Mr. A spends more to get to work every month. There is also additional compensation for housing and other expenses associated with living in a big city. While this may not fully solve the many problems of workers living in Lagos, it will at least serve as some kind of palliative.

I visited Enugu recently with some friends and was shocked at the Four Thousand Naira bill the restaurant owner gave our 5-man lunch party for all we had eaten including second helpings and drinks. Charles Okoli, a friend who works for UBA in Lagos actually placed this in perspective for all of us. He remarked that what we had paid could hardly pay for one person’s meal at Yellow Chilli, a restaurant patronized mainly by the corporates in the Victoria Island area of Lagos.

Also during a recent business visit to Kaduna, I was informed by my colleagues in the North that the cost of renting an up market 4-5 bedroom duplex complete with servant quarters is about Five Hundred Thousand Naira (rent for similar houses in upmarket locations in Lagos range between 2-3 Million Naira) . This sum will not even pay for a one-room boys quarter in the Island area of Lagos. I remember my colleague Biodun’s expression when I told him of the asking prices of houses on sale around the Island and Lekki areas of Lagos. He wondered if the amounts Lagos letting agents and landlords were asking for was actually for buying places in heaven.

The situation is now such that while banks and other employers have started giving mortgage loans to their employees, the loan amounts being offered are usually not enough to meet the asking prices of Lagos landlords and letting agents, whereas similar employees living in other towns are able to buy multiple houses with their mortgage loans. Another case of ‘shuffering and shmiling in Lagos’.

But just before you contemplate packing your bags, soul and sanity and moving to another city in Nigeria before life passes you by, ask yourself what you will miss most about Lagos. If you can answer this question, that’s your decision already made for you.

For the rest of us living in Lagos, the die-hards and stay-putters; perhaps the time has come for us to make our case before our employers for a Lagos Weighting Allowance.