tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35424389024303355952024-03-01T06:39:22.607+01:00Citizen LoladeHis writings and thoughts all in one place.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-70576153490740688912018-02-16T12:35:00.001+01:002018-02-16T12:35:38.252+01:00*Morgan Tsvangirai: Under the people’s burden<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFd7CTd82ydL-qFJDyv__6Y-5ICotED6ngvxFqWArRnYnej-Pr5vZ957bOmyO5aAWMekoWd8lhgefA3TJAfccsOu8u575f6AaiUB-zS9k0Bl2Ir54D20fy74D8M7eZ3axIOdfYemmVXKY/s1600/Morgan_Tsvangirai_June_20%252C_2009_by_Steve_Punter-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFd7CTd82ydL-qFJDyv__6Y-5ICotED6ngvxFqWArRnYnej-Pr5vZ957bOmyO5aAWMekoWd8lhgefA3TJAfccsOu8u575f6AaiUB-zS9k0Bl2Ir54D20fy74D8M7eZ3axIOdfYemmVXKY/s640/Morgan_Tsvangirai_June_20%252C_2009_by_Steve_Punter-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Morgan Tsvangirai - Photo by Steve Punter</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b>Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai takes the cry for actualising the mandate given him across Africa.</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b>By OLOLADE ADEWUYI, Accra<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
Dressed in a black suit in the hot sunshine of Accra, Morgan Tsvangirai arrived the Alisa Hotel where he was to address a press conference sweating. As he made his way into the cool comfort of the conference hall, he exclaimed in a soft voice to his two aides about being glad to finally get away from the searing 28 degrees heat. For someone who hails from a more temperate region of Africa, it was definitely very tough coping. But not as tough as the business which had brought him into town. Tsvangirai had used the opportunity of the quadrennial meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD XII, holding in Accra to meet with President John Kufuor and United Nations, UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon. He had come to seek for international help in resolving the crisis which is slowly engulfing his homeland, weeks after holding general elections in Zimbabwe; the ruling government of Robert Mugabe has failed to release election results leading to great uncertainty in the southern African country. The Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, which Tsvangirai leads, has claimed victory in the presidential elections. Tsvangirai claims his party won 50.3 per cent of votes cast, more than enough to see him become the country’s only other leader since independence from Britain in 1980. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
The MDC has already won majority seats in the parliament from results declared by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, ZEC, a situation that has made the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front, ZANU-PF, look for desperate means to curtail a shameful loss. The election results have not been declared and it is calling for a run off. “We have stated before and wish to restate here in front of our African brothers that we will not participate in a stage-managed run off simply because Robert Mugabe does not want to accept that we won this election decisively,” Tsvangirai thundered. This stand has fetched him a charge of treason back home for which he has called a bluff of the government. The government of Mugabe has produced “evidence” that Tsvangirai has signed a pact with the West to return all lands seized by the government into the hands of white farmers. Tsvangirai stated that he is not in any way influenced by Western governments. “I am not under any brief from anyone”, he said. “Please respect the people of Zimbabwe, it is their mandate that I am under”. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
Tsvangirai said he found the meeting with the two leaders (Kufuor and Ban) “productive”. He also denounced the role of Thabo Mbeki, South Africa’s leader in the crisis. “We are disturbed by the role that President Mbeki is playing in undermining our people’s victory,” he said. He called on Mbeki to make a stand with the people and not with any political party. Knowing that Mugabe is highly respected in the region for his fight against colonialism, many African leaders have shied away from criticising him publicly, not the least a man like Mbeki who heads another liberation party government. But this stand has caused a constant flow of refugees from Zimbabwe to seek better fortunes across the borders of neighbouring countries top of which is South Africa. Tsvangirai hopes that Mbeki can realise that the refugee situation is a result of the loss of confidence in Mugabe’s government by the people. Tsvangirai is taking his message across the world to anybody who cares to listen before things get out of hand. Back home his people are beginning to think he is not doing justice to the cause by staying abroad. His stay away from Zimbabwe is killing the morale of the masses. If he goes home, he will face unfair treason charges. But he swears to carry on the burden of the people’s mandate. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b>*Published in TELL magazine April 2008. Republished here as a tribute to Morgan Tsvangirai who passed on 14 February 2018.</b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-33926702594942652292015-02-26T01:03:00.002+01:002015-02-26T01:12:27.730+01:00Social Media as a Tool for Change in 21st Century Africa: The story of the 2011 Nigerian Elections<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Social Media as a Tool for Change in 21st
Century Africa: </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The of the 2011 Nigerian Elections</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Presentation
made by Ololade Adewuyi, Online Editor, TELL Magazine to the Youth in
Leadership and Enterprise Initiative, YELI, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife
on July 9, 2011</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 16.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2cgwfobBqJcj0Jtp741whUjuZ-Jiy3yUCWhfZzYk0W25fXm1JTtQ740YckgzbeatSrZ8QZ6fnUA8yBQpKX5bv-Li2E9YUlt8MynMnTamysQ5E_C8lm-nwMweO3VH4tyTEJ0b0ThuDTw/s1600/YELI+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix2cgwfobBqJcj0Jtp741whUjuZ-Jiy3yUCWhfZzYk0W25fXm1JTtQ740YckgzbeatSrZ8QZ6fnUA8yBQpKX5bv-Li2E9YUlt8MynMnTamysQ5E_C8lm-nwMweO3VH4tyTEJ0b0ThuDTw/s1600/YELI+3.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">What is social media? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The world has truly
become a village unlike we have ever dreamed. When I was in my final year in
this university seven years ago, the word social media had only just begun to
evolve. It is on record that social media came into use just in 2004 and it is
a phenomenon that has changed the way we perceive our world today. You have
friends that you know many things about but have never met. You have family
members whom you have not spoken to in ages but you know when to wish them a happy
birthday. You have seen places where your legs might never tread on, all
through the internet. One big issue for all, the internet has come and
disrupted our lives in many positive ways that we wonder what we ever did
without it. We ask; how did we ever survive without our Facebook and our
Twitter? How did we get by, day by day, without communicating with our online
friends?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">According to the Merriam
Webster dictionary, social media are “forms of electronic communications (such
as Web sites for social networking and microblogging) through which users
create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and
other content (as videos).” It’s the culmination of Web 2.0, the age of user
generated content on the internet.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">When I was at Ife in the
early days of the millennium, the idea of <i>googling</i> up your assignment was only
just catching on. I remember our first attempt to use the net during a course
on Stylistics in my third year. We had no books in the library for the
particular topic that our tutorial teacher asked us to work on and someone
suggested going to the White House (Physics department) internet lab and see if
we could contact the author of the book to help us out. The author, Geoffrey
Leech, was based at a UK university and when one of us who was adept at the
working of the net googled his name we found an email address. It was a
triumph. The same student was the only one out of about ten of us who had an
email address so he sent a mail to the professor through it. We never got a
response but it was a big lesson for us all.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Pretty soon, I set up my
own email address through a friend’s help. There was a group on campus called
<i>Yahooligans</i> that was set up by fellow students to help in creating email
handles for everyone at a cost. I assure you they made a huge profit. This was
in 2002 when there were only about two or three cybercafés on this huge campus
and people had to queue for days to be able to secure browsing time at the
White House. I know it may sound incredulous to many of you here today. I’m
from that generation that paid through its nose and struggled to use the
internet. I wear my scars proudly.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The way we perceive our
world has changed. I have more than a thousand friends on Facebook, almost two
hundred followers on Twitter and more than a hundred thousand people have
visited my three blogs since I started the first one in 2007. My internet
footprint is more than the average Nigerian’s but still lags behind many of my
contemporaries in the West. However, in the near future, Africans will become
an integral part of the web culture as it is. Through increasingly affordable
mobile phones and internet services, young Africans will make their impact on
the net but we have to use that impact positively because there is no tool as
democratic as the internet and social media in our time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In an article in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Intelligent Life</i>, JM Ledgard writes:
“Connectivity is a given: it is coming and happening and spreading in Africa
whether or not factories get built or young people find jobs. Culture is being
formed online as well as on the street: for the foreseeable future, the African
voice is going to get louder, while the voice of ageing Europe quietens.”
(‘Digital Life’, IL, Spring 2011)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Arab Spring</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The power of social
media was powerfully demonstrated in Africa for the first time during the
recent upheavals that took place in Tunisia and Egypt. Now famously known as
the Arab Spring, the riots against the tyrannical rule of Zine el Abidine Ben
Ali started when a trader Mohammed Bouazizi, set himself ablaze to protest his
shameful treatment by police officers in the town of Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia.
“It is a national tragedy when the youth - literally the future - commit
suicide to make a point,” wrote Larbi Sadiki in an opinion published by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Al Jazeera</i> website. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The deaths of other
martyrs prompted demonstrations against the government, which it tried to
suppress by the use of force and banning state media from reporting. However,
the power of social media came in and Tunisians on ground began to put pictures
on Facebook and send in real time events via Twitter. Videos emerged on YouTube
of how protesters defied police batons and whips as they stormed government
offices demanding for better rules of engagement with the society. In a few
weeks, the 23 year-old government of Ben Ali was brought to its knees as he
capitulated and took off for exile in Saudi Arabia. Many of us followed the
proceedings of that revolution via the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#sidibouzid</i>
hash tag. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In Egypt, it was an eye
opening event. If people power could triumph in our neighbour’s enclave, why
not with us the biggest Arab country in the world? A Facebook group set up by
Wael Ghonim, a Google executive and blogger Abdel Rahman Mansour to mourn the
killing of Khaled Said, a 28 year-old Alexandrian by police officers took root.
They called for the end of police brutality. Soon after, Ghonim was
incarcerated leading to riots all over Cairo. When he was released, he called
for the almost 30 year-old authoritarian regime of Hosni Mubarak to resign and
that true democracy should be instituted in the country. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The events of those 18
days mean that Egypt will never remain like before. The Cairo that I visited in
2009 where huge billboards carrying the intimidating face of Mubarak has gone
and what we now have from the social change that occurred is a country of
better sure-footed people who will never be intimidated by booming guns and
emergency laws. The Egyptians in their turn inspired others in Libya, Bahrain,
Syria and Yemen to seek for change in the way they are being governed. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Nigeria Elections 2011</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Young, tech savvy
Nigerians watched closely as the events in the Middle East unfolded as the
Nigerian general elections drew close. In an article published in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TELL </i>in January, I drew attention to the
work of Amara Nwankpa, an Abuja-based tech activist who set up a group called
Light Up Nigeria calling for the government to restore electricity to the
country. Using the Delta rerun in January as a test, Nwankpa on Election Day
tweeted all the actions on ground to his followers who were hungry for news
from the frontline. He beat many mainstream media to the announcement of
results and at the end of the day said that the main test was to come in the
general elections in April. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Even President Goodluck
Jonathan joined the social media frenzy by first announcing his intention to
contest on Facebook thereby taking the shine away from an opponent that held a
big announcement party on the same day. Everything was seemingly set for social
media to make a big impact in Nigeria during the countdown to the elections.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The group Enough Is
Enough Nigeria also campaigned broadly using Twitter and Facebook to rally
young people to go out and register to vote using the acronym RSVP i.e
Register, Vote, Select, Protect or what we generally refer to as rice and stew
very plenty. It caught on as many young people went to registration centres
armed with their mobile phones where they took photos of themselves and posted
on Twitter. The growing Nigerian Twitter community became abuzz with terms like
RV or Registered Voter as a status symbol. It was interesting to note that many
of these people were only voting for the first time ever even though many were
well past 18 years, the threshold for voter registration. In a country where
many people had great mistrust for the political class, the sudden vibe on
social networks made it cool for many to go out to exercise their civil rights.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The story of the
Nigerian elections in 2011 will not be complete without the impact social
networks played in galvanising young people to think that they could really
begin to make a positive change in the way their leaders are chosen. This in
effect also brought a change in the way politicians now perceive the
electorate. So on Election Day, they turned up at polling booths holding their
BlackBerry and other internet-enabled mobile phones where they tweeted
happenings on the scene using the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">#Nigeriadecides</i>
hash tag. Photos of people voting and later results were sent onto the EiE and
Reclaimnaija.net aggregation platform. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It was not only young
people that caught on to the Twitter train, the mainstream media also tried to
match up in its own way through the use of the networks to share news. At <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TELL</i>, we had our reporters nationwide
send in verified news reports via text messages that were posted on our website
and then tweeted to followers and shared on our Facebook page. It was a real
test of the traditional media’s readiness to move with the changing times. It
was not a battle between old and new, I think it was an effort to complement
each other. Where young people could be quick to declare results, traditional
media employed years of news wisdom to filter credible information to readers.
What we had was the most widely reported election in Nigeria’s history. Having
covered general elections in Ghana and Togo in the last two years, I am able to
say Nigeria has set a pace for other African countries in the use of social
media for electoral purposes even though only an estimated 70,000 voters used
social media in a recent report by the Social Media Tracking Centre. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The elections were not
without failings as new media pinpointed issues arising. The famous video about
massive thumb printing of ballot papers in Rivers state, underage voters in Bauchi and others
that emerged on YouTube showed the savvy of Nigerians. They have all become
evidence in court cases. And they show that Nigeria has moved a little away
from the era of massive rigging with impunity to an era where mobile phones
with cameras can make a big difference in how electoral crime can succeed or
fail. The gains of the last elections in Nigeria must be worked at to ensure a
freer and fairer electoral process for one and all. It is in doing this that we
can hope to ensure positive change in our society for our children and their
own children.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using social media to
draw attention to social ills</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The mobile phone that
you hold in your hand has changed the way we live. No longer is the endless
wait for NITEL to install a line in your home so that you can call your family
members in Europe or America. All you need is dial on your mobile. And now you
have to call your uncle before going to his house to ask for money for school.
The days are gone when you showed up at his doorstep unannounced. We used to
joke as kids that Africa was so simple that we did not have to call before a
visit. We used to frown at our ‘been-to’ folks who insisted one called before
coming even though they were the only ones who had landlines in the extended family. So
you had to use the public phone ahead of a visit. Good news is that everything
has become simpler. And so have the means to create change. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A website, a Twitter
handle and a Facebook page are modern tools of drawing attention to social ills
in our time. Change.org, a US-based site that prides itself as the biggest
online petition site in the world has about 3 million members worldwide. It has
pushed for the release of activists incarcerated in jails in China, it has
helped stall the deportation of immigrants in America and it has helped fight
for an end to rape as a cure to lesbianism in South Africa through the signing
of petitions online that have been pushed to high ranking government officials.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">These can be replicated
in Nigeria as well. However, sites like Sahara Reporters have also helped to
bring focus on Nigerian government and corporate corruption in a way that main
stream media has not been able to. They call themselves citizen journalists and
that is the way to go for the future. Citizens can highlight major concerns in
their neighbourhood, in their local governments and states by creating blogs
that will show the world the happenings in their locality. It means that an
uncompleted road in Gbongan can be known to a resident of Accra. A lecturer
demanding bribe or sex for good grades in Ado Ekiti can be exposed to readers
in Kuala Lumpur. A government official who is intimidating his constituent can
be exposed to readers in New Foundland. A successful community project in Ilesa
can be monitored and replicated by a reader in Sally, Senegal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Twitter handle
@boycottdbanj gained massive following in just a few days of its appearance as
it criticised entertainer Dbanj for supporting the electoral bid of President
Jonathan. The persons behind it felt wronged by the fact that the entertainer
would use his popularity to campaign for a politician that they did not support
and they made their views known on the social media platform. The group later
changed to the handle @boycottpdp and you know what that means. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Today you do not need to
wait for a newspaper man to report your progress, even though newspapers are
always good for their spread and authenticity, you can always blog about it and
have people read you regularly. The internet is a democratic space and you will
be surprised at what people are searching for. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">TIME</i>’s managing editor Richard Stengel puts it succinctly: “What social
media have done is to make us all more aware of what’s going on – and offer a
new avenue to organize opposition. We like to think revolutions arise from
below, but through most of human history, it’s the elites who have caused and
led revolutions. Now because of social media, anyone can communicate with
everyone. We’re seeing that in the Middle East, Africa and China. The
democratization of information may actually lead to real democracy.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">One thing that has to be
understood is that social media in itself does not make change. It is the
person behind the computer, the lady holding the Blackberry, the young man
hooking up to YouTube that makes change happen. It is from your mind that
change happens from where it is transferred to your network. It is your mind
first where the yearning for change begins. It is what you feed your mind with
that will feed your social network. Let change begin from your mind and let us
transform our community and our nation with it. It is the only way we can hold
everyone to account for the enormous trust we put in them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Thank you all. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-69238226232508680652015-02-25T13:01:00.002+01:002015-02-25T13:01:46.154+01:00Quelle est la verite? What is the truth?The truth is that many of our men have died needlessly in the fight against Boko Haram. You do remember recently when the Army claimed that retreating from the frontlines was a tactical strategy? Lots of armoury was lost as Boko Haram took over army formations. We were told the army had no weapons to fight against Boko Haram yet we were losing ammunition and shells on a consistent basis. Even Shekau made a video displaying his looted weapons and called the Nigerian Army cowards, asking what more do they need to fight against his men when they have such a large cache.<br /><br />The truth is that more than 15000 innocents have lost their lives to the politics of our war. These are men and women who have left behind orphaned children, whose ancestral homes have become nothing more than a rubble of pounded shells and broken dreams.<br /><br />The truth is that our president said he underestimated the crisis until it festered and threatened to stop his re-election. Now he is moving earth and heaven to win the battle in hopes of salvaging public opinion.<br />The truth is that every well meaning human should see beyond this late resurgence of the Army for what it is, a play for the soul of Nigeria.<br /><br />I will continue to denounce the use of Nigerian souls for poker. This is not about APC or PDP, this is about human beings, my countrymen with the same dreams and aspirations. Surely they deserve better.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-47458568299889282992015-02-25T11:25:00.000+01:002015-02-25T11:25:10.724+01:00Of Lost Lives and the Future of NigeriaI heard people talk about losing their sons and kinsmen in the war against Boko Haram when calling into Nigeria Info FM this morning. What got to me the most is the fact that many of these people believe that the FG toyed with the lives of the dead soldiers by not responding to the Boko Haram threat early enough.<br /><br />And I have good reason to believe that GEJ deliberately allowed the insurgency in the North East to grow in order to decimate the numbers of the North. A PDP aspirant for House of Reps told me yesterday that it is a South-South agenda.<br /><br />More than 15,000 lives have been lost to the bombings and attacks in Northern Nigeria since 2009 when the Boko Haram menace began to fester. It is a sad report on the FG under GEJ that it allowed many innocents die like cheap livestock while playing the ostrich.<br /><br />While I praise the military for its recent achievements, one cannot but ask: what were they doing all this time? what did you do with all the resources you have amassed over the last four years? why have you allowed our young soldiers die ignoble deaths? <br /><br />They don't even tell us the number of Nigerian soldiers that have perished. <br /><br />In lieu with the politicians, the Nigerian military has become without honour. <br /><br />While the military claim not to have arms to fight, GEJ has empowered a private army in the Delta waters that now owns warships and war boats. <br /><br />Are they preparing for a war? Who knows?<br /><br />And do not be taken in by the statement made by the President that he underestimated the threat of Boko Haram, that just shows he doesn't understand the primary job of his office.<br /><br />I insist that a country that wants to move forward would vote anyone but Goodluck Jonathan as its president. He is a man that is content to play poker with the lives of his countrymen all in the name of North-South politics. <br /><br />I dare to say that this President is not speaking for me and many other well meaning Southerners that I know. He is certainly not speaking for my family and I.<br /><br />#Change #AnyoneButGEJ Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-90756313134711206522015-02-05T17:04:00.000+01:002015-02-05T17:04:33.272+01:00Love, Lies, Blackmail and Murder – A Marxist Analysis of Windeck<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if !mso]><img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" />
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzHGH7Xs44o0JujbcWVkrUYNEZkCglA7Tr3zspLauoB61Cfgzw76hMFLu41iEV6L1zu1MwKlhPav8rJAwE7QfKM5lxQpJNeyvTE27wlQEqAMRIkYqI0NOMNwgou4sxzX45DoUyvOGOUQ/s1600/Windeck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzHGH7Xs44o0JujbcWVkrUYNEZkCglA7Tr3zspLauoB61Cfgzw76hMFLu41iEV6L1zu1MwKlhPav8rJAwE7QfKM5lxQpJNeyvTE27wlQEqAMRIkYqI0NOMNwgou4sxzX45DoUyvOGOUQ/s1600/Windeck.jpg" height="330" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windeck: The Angolan show has captured the imagination</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For several months, Anglophone Africa has stayed glued to
television screens watching the intrigues and suspense unfold in the runaway
success Angolan <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">telenovela</i> Windeck.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Such is the addiction that the drama has held its viewers
hostage to. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While my family and I have been huge fans, it's important
not to lose the messages inherent in the novela.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While Nigeria,
Ghana, South
Africa and Kenya
have been known for the power of their film and television industries, it's
certainly the first time that viewers have had such access into Lusophone life
and culture as presented by the Angolan drama.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Well, some questions have arisen in my mind thus far: Are
all Angolans really that pretty? Are all Angolan men very easy to manipulate by
their women? Are all Angolans always scheming to become rich?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Several questions but the one I would attempt to answer in
this short piece is the third above.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I attempt a definition of Marxism for the lay reader as a
study of the relationship between the owners of property and means of
production and the workers and the poor. Marxism explores the battle between
the haves and have-nots.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the story of Windeck looks like a love story on the
surface, a closer look reveals that it is a story of the economically powerful
and the workers who attempt to get ahead by all means.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Vosses are the owners of the means of production while
the Victoria Kajibangas and Hendas are the forces struggling against the
powerful in order to come into their own wealth whether by hook or crook.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the struggle between the classes is always a classic
tale, in Windeck we find that the lower classes are never successful in their
aspirations and schemes</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lowly Ofelia got into the Voss lineage via marriage. Victoria
is unsuccessful but Ana Maria moves up via eventual marriage to Kiluanji.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the reverse, Xavier is eventually outed as a non-Voss by
his wife to show his failure at pretending to be part of the upper class. Even
though he multiplied the fortune he illegally inherited, his legacy is left in
tatters when he is revealed as an adopted child.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Windeck states that one can only be a part of the upper
classes by virtue of birth or acceptance by marriage. In capitalist societies,
we know that this is wrong and that the poor have been known to work their way
into great wealth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the society of the novella, we encounter scheming workers
who continually fail as they attempt to rise above their circumstances of
birth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even though the Vosses live in splendour and look like
victims of schemes, in truth they represent the perpetrators of inequality
which leads to every scheme against them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Due to their wealth in a society where most are poor, they have
become the centre of attention and are left open to envy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As we have found out, the Vosses are not as perfect as they
pretend. Xavier is adopted, Wilson is plain and easily runaround by his wife,
Kiluanji is clueless and unable to decipher his being manipulated while Lukeni
wants so much to become a Kuduro artist and be free like the commoners.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Voss women are not so different: Isaura is cold, classy but
scheming, Ofelia is afraid of her past and is racist, Luwena is a lesbian and goes
on to have a child out of wedlock with a man who she has no relationship with
while Luweji hopes to escape the stranglehold of her mother and hopes that love
will rescue her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Among the workers, Rosa wants to get
ahead by sacrificing her daughter's happiness. Kassia has been raised in
faux-bourgeois conditions and expects marriage to improve her destiny. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ana Maria, hard working and independent, cannot reason
without emotion clouding her judgment while her psychopathic sister Victoria
takes advantage of everyone's trust as she attempts to cross the border between
rich and poor.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Artur is gay, focused but is unable to rein in the monsters
living his roof, Henda and Sebastiao, both scheming characters who have found
devious ways to lay their hands on the "Angolan dream".</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sebastiao employs Karl Marxes opium of the masses, religion,
as his way to reach higher than his calling in life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perhaps the people who the story was most kind to were the
hardworking men and women of Mofete.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even they get entangled in the filth left around by the
Vosses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Windeck the rich and poor clash not on the basis of
ideology but as a result of material conditions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The scheming is not really due to love, but in the ambition
to get ahead and become a part of the owners of the economic production as
depicted in the magazine house Divo. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Divo is the land, the scene of the battles told by the
brilliant script writers. However, even though there were many twists and
turns, Windeck is not much different from the many novellas we have seen:
Cuando Seas Mia (When You Are Mine), The Rich Also Cry, Second Chance, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They are classic tales of rich boy, poor girl, scheming in-laws
and secretaries, etc. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, what they all boil down to is the continued fight
between the upper and lower classes for access to wealth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While the lower classes always scheme to move higher, the
upper class would only accept them in on strict terms.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Usually this is by marriage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These novellas continue to tell one side of the story. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And we would be hard-pressed to ask, are there no genuine
ways that poor people have climbed out of poverty into the monied class?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In Windeck we are told that this is impossible. Xavier is
exposed for being a fraud and Wilson
takes everything by virtue of his blood.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Victoria and Kassia are denied marriage into upper society.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Only Ana Maria is able to move up - by marriage.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Windeck perpetuates the long held views that the only way
young women can make it in life is to marry rich.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It cements the Kate Middleton story: The working class girl
who marries the Prince.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Windeck is a feudal classic draped in beautiful characters
and pretty actors. Despite its pretenses at love, its lies and blackmails with
a tinge of murder, it is fails as a Marxist tale as the poor in the story
remain where they are, downtrodden, punished and disgraced. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still, it is a story that has captured our imagination.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
==============================================</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It would be interesting to know the views of everyone that has see the drama, this insight is by no means final. Please share your thoughts. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-78970218219131842962015-02-04T13:51:00.000+01:002015-02-04T13:51:44.304+01:00Tribute to Cephas Sackitey (former Associate Director Alliance Française d'Accra)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5wbeElc3CzsH8LlQ4IJMy8V9GqDXuBjwvChitThD1Oc4yP0gVSqApiyeZ6DSr4kjEcrruAecWfZhFs1bZfX8aZgy8ajJCuFimW1OXHDoTCqebjegSsiUat8VU37znRY_q38OST9RmQ8/s1600/Cephas+Sackitey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5wbeElc3CzsH8LlQ4IJMy8V9GqDXuBjwvChitThD1Oc4yP0gVSqApiyeZ6DSr4kjEcrruAecWfZhFs1bZfX8aZgy8ajJCuFimW1OXHDoTCqebjegSsiUat8VU37znRY_q38OST9RmQ8/s1600/Cephas+Sackitey.jpg" height="310" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cephas Sackitey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tribute to Cephas Sackitey (former Associate Director Alliance Française d'Accra)<br /><br />I was searching for my temporary voters card on Monday night when I dug out my French class notebook from 2007. <br /><br />In 2006, I moved to Ghana to work with Ovation Magazine as a correspondent. While in Accra, I found an old friend, arts and culture journalist John Owoo who I had met in 2003 while studying at Alliance Francaise Ikoyi. <br /><br />With John initiating me into the Accra culture scene, I began to attend events and soirees at the AFA and there I met Cephas Sackitey, the centre's associate director. <br /><br />Friendly, approachable and helpful, Monsieur Cephas was the typical culture expert. He encouraged people to learn French and regularly gave scholarships to journalists and artists to study at the centre.<br /><br />I approached him of those evenings and told of how I would like to continue my language classes in Accra. But with my meagre income as a journalist, I would love a scholarship to study.<br /><br />Cephas agreed to give me a three-month scholarship which lasted from October-December 2007. It was the note from that class that I found two days ago.<br /><br />After that period, I again asked for another scholarship in 2009 which Cephas granted. So from October-December 2009, I studied at the centre. While there, I had the opportunity to report events and it was where I first met with and interviewed Afrobeat singer Seun Kuti among many others.<br /><br />I left Accra in October 2010 to work fully in the Lagos office of Tell magazine as online editor after my stint as West African correspondent based in Accra. <br /><br />There was really no opportunity to say goodbye to many of my friends. Even my flat in Adabraka with all my books and other stuff was left to a Nigerian friend who himself has sadly now passed.<br /><br />When I found that notebook on Monday night, it brought back memories of a long ago period when I tried to find my feet as a young reporter in a foreign country. <br /><br />So I tried to reach out to old friends that I remembered had helped pave the way for me in a new culture. I remembered Cephas and made a mental note to find him out and send a thank you mail.<br /><br />Sadly, it was in my Facebook chat with John that I found out that Cephas had passed away two years ago after a short illness.<br /><br />While looking through tributes online, I decided that I needed to pay tribute to this man who has helped the growth of music and culture in Ghana.<br /><br />The journey of life is peopled by destiny helpers who get you along to your aim.<br /><br />It was at AF Accra that I met artists, musicians, photographers and journalists like Yaw Dela Botri, Francis Kokutse, Kofi Setordji, Nii Obodai and a host of several others.<br /><br />I also remember having an awkward dance with Bibi Brew during the World Music Festival.<br /><br />Just like he did to me, I know that Cephas also gave scholarships to several other people. <br /><br />I honour your memory Monsieur Cephas. <br /><br />Ayekoo!<br /><br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-82540802865195632012015-02-02T18:20:00.000+01:002015-02-02T18:20:26.875+01:00Nigeria and the secrecy of the unknown soldierEvery year in January, the politicians celebrate the day of the unknown soldier. I have always thought the unknown soldier were those that died during World War II and the Civil War. <br /><br />However, with recent events, I now realize that the unknown soldier is that man who has recently been sent to fight Boko Haram but has perished due to reasons we now know include lack of adequate equipment, poor logistics and other reasons.<br /><br />The unknown soldier is that man who was poorly equipped to face the insurgents in Borno but who we are never told their names. <br /><br />Defence HQ tells the whole world that 50 Boko Haram fighters were killed, but they never tell us that half that number of 'unknown soldiers' lost their lives.<br /><br />The unknown soldier is the one whose family is given less than a month to pack out of the Army Barracks once he is no longer useful to society.<br /><br />The unknown soldier is the man whose family is paid a dead man's pension that is less than the $10,000 winning bonus that a player in the Nigerian football team gets every time they win a match.<br /><br />The unknown soldier is not he who died before I was born, the unknown soldier is continually being minted daily on the front lines of our war.<br /><br />Why is the unknown soldier of our war without name? <br /><br />Why does Defence HQ hide the names of our unknown soldiers when we could be praising their memory?<br /><br />Surely, the unknown soldier has a name, a kindred, a family. <br /><br />Give us an opportunity to mourn our heroes, tell us their names and stop shrouding the identity of our piling dead under bureaucracy. <br /><br />Let us know their widows, let us know their sons and daughters so that we may show appreciation for the feat of their fathers whose blood continues to water our freedom.<br /><br />Let us unveil the unknown soldier, a hero whose blood is as precious as mine.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-6519213337401058352012-01-11T20:34:00.001+01:002012-01-11T20:34:17.968+01:00#OccupyNigeria<p>Interesting times we live in.</p> <br/> <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.3</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-57963673335634329082012-01-06T10:59:00.000+01:002012-01-06T11:03:56.255+01:00An Army Without Commander - #OccupyNigeria<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">By Seun Akioye<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">(An eye witness account first published on TELL website)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ShB_EIrCrXaLJ5q5lnUfFFB_rfJVL_OJCbyf83CmnXWC9Xobfkl4-YIUi__X489HentJcvkq3F1jK4Tm-XkFsjnee40OIp2LbT2kaNRC0YM_TN31jXnW_6wfUffYm1YUe5pARj5lqAg/s1600/Sobulo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ShB_EIrCrXaLJ5q5lnUfFFB_rfJVL_OJCbyf83CmnXWC9Xobfkl4-YIUi__X489HentJcvkq3F1jK4Tm-XkFsjnee40OIp2LbT2kaNRC0YM_TN31jXnW_6wfUffYm1YUe5pARj5lqAg/s400/Sobulo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The police and protesters on January 3: Photo by Sunday Adedeji/TELL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I joined the rally as the crowd began to
move from Yaba towards Ojota around 10:18am on January 3, 2012. All the major
civil society leaders were there; Femi Falana [ lawyer], Abiodun Aremu
[activist], Richard Akinola [activist], Ayodele Akele [activist] , Ganiat
Fawehinmi [widow of feary lawyer Gani
Fawehinmi] , Dr Dipo Fasina [former preasident of ASUU] , Dr Demola Aremu and a
host of others. These were mainly the same old battle weary soldiers. The
government knew they would be there; the government was prepared for them. I looked around to see any familiar face from
the Twitter/Facebook warriors, these young men and women who are so vocal and
militant on social media -some of them had vowed to go on hunger strike until
the fuel prices are reverted- but I was really disappointed not to see any of
them. They confirmed my theory that these people giving themselves online
awards are only grandstanding and they are the same people that will be there
at the “Presidential Lunch” with youths.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The other groups were made up of civil
society activists from CDHR and other affiliates, there were some young people-
mainly student union leaders and disciples of the civil society groups-they
were charged and hardened. When we got to Fadeyi, the leaders, Dr. Fasina, and
Comrade Aremu, said we should sit on the street on the right lane of the
expressway. The youths, who had now gone ahead of the leaders, thought taking
over the whole expressway would be better, so they did. They began to chant and
dance. At this stage, the traffic both outgoing and incoming had come to a
standstill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">But I noticed a certain division between
the leaders of the protest. While Femi Falana and others were granting
interviews to the media, Biodun Aremu and Akele were worried that there seemed
to be a breakdown in the coordination. Aremu seized the megaphone and called
the attention of the media. He expressed worry that the rally was turning to a
personality interview slot and that is not good for the coordination. While the
comrade was struggling with his worries, some youths who had gone ahead began
to make a bonfire using old tyres. As Aremu spoke, the first whiff of dark
smoke from a burning tyre went up into the sky.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I was apprehensive at the turn of events.
My concern was that if the rally should assume a violent direction, then when
the police came, they would have justifiable reason to unleash terror on all of
us and it would badly taint the reputation of the rally coordinators. The
youths, who by now were beyond caring, began to turn back motorists coming
towards Yaba. Commercial vehicles were forced to a stop while private cars made
a U-Turn right in the middle of the expressway facing the oncoming vehicles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Some articulated vehicles were forced to
block the expressway while residents of the area quickly shut their doors and
windows. I found Comrade Akele and expressed my worry that things were getting
out of hand. The other leaders like Dr. Fashina also expressed the same concern
and told Comrade Aremu to ensure that tyres were not burnt. But Aremu told us
that in Nigeria, burning of tyres is part of the mobilisation and there was
nothing he could do about it. I was alarmed by this frank confession and began
to worry that I was in the wrong crowd. The youth were now joined by some
really frustrated Nigerians who said we should turn the whole rally into a
Libyan Revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Afrobeat singer Seun Anikulapo-Kuti arrived
wearing a black T-shirt. He greeted some of the leaders and told Aremu he had
stopped the boys burning tyres up front and that everything was calm. We
proceeded and got to Onipanu. This time communication between the leaders who
by now had been left behind and the rampaging youths had broken down
completely. Cars were forced to park in the BRT lane while the owners were
thoroughly intimidated by the youths. The frightened commuters quickly
concurred with whatever the youths asked of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">By the time we got to Anthony, things were
out of hand. The youths threw down the police posts, rough handled a traffic
police officer and on the other side, an OP MESA van was accosted by the
youths. The van forced to a stop and the two soldiers inside had to fight their
way out. Anthony was really hot but contrary to some reports that area boys
hijacked the rally, burning cars and shooting in the air, I can confirm that it
never happened. In fact, the area boys seeing the rampaging youths quickly cut
down leaves and began to shout in solidarity, vandalising properties. Banks were closed so were other business
interests while the owners and workers looked at us through the safety of their
windows. I found comrade Akele again and we began to beg the youths to stop.
They turned a deaf ear.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">When we moved towards Maryland, the
situation was restored to calm, the leaders wanted the rally to continue
towards Ojota at the Gani Fawehinmi Park. But some sections wanted to occupy
Maryland, so while the main group went under the Independence Tunnel at Maryland,
another group went up to Maryland junction. I was part of that group.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Comrade Aremu made a speech to the rally at
the Independence Tunnel while we watched from the top of the bridge. He spoke
about the wickedness of the regime and how the subsidy removal would further
impoverish the poor. While he was speaking, a contingent of mobile policemen
came. Activist Gbenga Sonoiki and I were the first to meet them. The leader
told us they were there to keep the peace and ensure no law is broken. We assured
him nothing of such will happen and that we will release the traffic as soon as
we are done with the speech. Later, I spoke to the officer in charge of the
unit and he told me that he is fully in support of the rally. He lamented the
hardship brought about by the fuel hike and said majority of the officers would
support the rally. This same feeling was expressed by three other policemen I
spoke to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">By this time, the rally had moved on to
Ojota, but we still kept watch over the Maryland bonfires and occupation. Ten
minutes later, we released the traffic and began to put out the bonfire. But
that was when chaos began too as a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Tunde Sobulo,
reputed as a fearless crime fighter and also a wicked officer led some mobile
policemen to Maryland. Sobulo and his men jumped on both passersby and
protesters. I had interviewed the man in 1999 when he was the RRS coordinator
and as I stood rooted there trying to remember where we had met, I heard his
sneering voice ordering his men to arrest me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I was dazed and stood rooted there. Was it
me this man had just ordered arrested or someone else? By the time I came to
realisation, three mobile policemen were close on me and like in a trance, I
dialogued with my legs jumping bonfires and running over cars. There was chaos.
Sobulo began to shout that the policemen were there and did not shoot and
disperse us, he was angry that they even gave us protection. In an
uncontrollable rage, he lashed out with the butt of his gun at an Inspector of
police, and chased him all the way down towards Mende. The scene was a sorry
sight. I saw the two coming towards me and ran again to the other side towards
Bank Anthony way, and then I heard a shot ring out and then teargas. I looked
back to see a youth wearing a green shirt being arrested and beaten up by the
Police. The boy stood his ground and refused to beg as he was being dragged
behind Sobulo towards the police van.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Then the unthinkable happened, the boy in a
smart move freed himself from the grip of the police and ran across the road
back to Mende side. I looked in front and was accosted by two Policemen.
Raising my hands in surrender, I screamed “press, press” and that was when they
allowed me to go. Along with the TVC crew, I ran towards Mr. Biggs at the
Mobile filling station. We continued to run towards Protea Hotel in a panic, it
was a sorry sight. After some calm we came back to the street and saw Sobulo in
a mad fit, swinging his gun round and round. I saw one of the policemen I spoke
to earlier and asked him whether Sobulo was alright. “He is a madman he said
people should not protest when we too as policemen are suffering. He has
millions in his account, but I suffer to pay my children’s school fees. He is a
mad man, if you have a way to report him please do.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">I laughed to hear this astonishing
revelation, but then Sobulo had started running wildly towards Anthony, holding
his gun by one hand in the air. His officers stood around in amazement as he
ran screaming, puffing and heaving. I tried to find out what he was chasing
after and saw two elderly women.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><b>-Akioye, is a tobacco activist and
freelance journalist. He can be found on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/seunakioye">@seunakioye</a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-35650023153244936072011-10-01T00:49:00.002+01:002011-10-01T00:52:38.212+01:00Happy Independence Day Nigeria: 419 Reasons to Like Nigeria<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXSfQ1tB0u2X3lDDJr-hnIPJTpLIyMZe_LxRO3_syt8FLv-RgPBkAe1kj4p15JAk4fVPA27LMyUThSy-NdnfsZgXK4GWGVjDp0NneQ2SXxwbnsTa3vpWJRTus1D8xO7jp6yiZgltxWmQ/s1600/419Reasons+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLXSfQ1tB0u2X3lDDJr-hnIPJTpLIyMZe_LxRO3_syt8FLv-RgPBkAe1kj4p15JAk4fVPA27LMyUThSy-NdnfsZgXK4GWGVjDp0NneQ2SXxwbnsTa3vpWJRTus1D8xO7jp6yiZgltxWmQ/s1600/419Reasons+logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">For too long, Nigeria and Nigerians have been readily associated with the online scams, financial crime and impersonation - termed ‘<i>419</i>’. However, beyond the unfortunate stereotyping, there are several positive characteristics and cogent intriguing traits of the country, Nigeria and its people, some of which are highlighted below as part of the ‘<b>419 Reasons to Like Nigeria</b>’ campaign which enlisted 100 volunteers and bloggers to share reasons why they like Nigeria. These reasons echo the voices of Nigerians, with resonating similar themes. The campaign is being facilitated in partnership with ‘The 419Positive Project’.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<i>The full list of ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ is available </i><a href="http://www.419positive.org/419-reasons-to-like-nigeria-complete-list/"><i>here</i></a><a href="file:///C:/Users/Ololade%20Adewuyi/Downloads/%20(http:/419positive.org)"></a> <i>(www.419Positive.org)</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<i>The list of contributors to ‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’ is available </i><a href="http://www.419positive.org/419-reasons-to-like-nigeria-contributors/"><i>here</i></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">If you would like to say something positive about Nigerians and Nigeria, please do so </span></i><a href="http://419positive.org/"><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">here</span></i></a><i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">.</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA - THE LAND OF POTENTIAL AND OPPORTUNITY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">I like Nigeria because it is a land of endless opportunities and possibilities. Nigeria is one country I believe the world is yet to experience it true potentials. I believe Nigerians are sharp, brilliant and accommodating people. Giving the right enabling environment the world will marvel at what Nigeria will become.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria is the most populous black nation - and a buying one at that. From a capitalist point of view, this makes for a great investment opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">The fact that Nigeria currently lags behind so much - in infrastructure and developmental terms - hints at the size of the potential for innovation and transformation, and at the huge number of vacancies that exist for 'transformers'. What I think this means is that the world will be hearing a lot about Nigeria and high-achieving Nigerians (in the public and private sectors) in the near future.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3nEG8qTMgQ0Eq6LRwlaBlTHJLEK8_VMs1ZL-mdRy-toSYbhRslIUAEhFYp794C9FN3BfOKXKT_BuO6liGhd1A2GrHRZ6jaW24b_Ep44ijFxXliysBubhEHmoJTXeh7-1GzjtdVcHxzo/s1600/419Positive+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc3nEG8qTMgQ0Eq6LRwlaBlTHJLEK8_VMs1ZL-mdRy-toSYbhRslIUAEhFYp794C9FN3BfOKXKT_BuO6liGhd1A2GrHRZ6jaW24b_Ep44ijFxXliysBubhEHmoJTXeh7-1GzjtdVcHxzo/s1600/419Positive+logo.jpg" /></a><span style="line-height: 18px;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA - THE COUNTRY</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">The Nigerian Green and White flag is a notable national symbol. The green color symbolises agriculture, seeing that the country is endowed with masses of arable land, while the white colour signifies unity and peace. Other national symbols include the Nigerian Coat of Arms, which depicts an eagle on a black shield, tri-sected by two wavy silver bands, and supported on either side by two chargers. The national motto underlies the coat-of -arms: "Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress." Her national symbols convey great meaning to its people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">The Nigerian accent is currently ranked by CNN Global Experiences as the 5th sexiest accent in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria is home to Nollywood, one of the world's biggest film industries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA - THE CULTURE, THE FOOD, THE WAY OF LIFE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Something great to like about Nigeria is our cultural diversity. A strong affinity exists, despite our differences. Learning about other ethnic cultures in my country really helped me personally relate to other cultures when abroad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">I think the food is tastier in Nigeria than that I have found in other countries.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigerians live a communal life style. The extended family is part of the immediate family in a Nigerian home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA - THE MUSIC, THE MOVIES, THE DANCE, THE ART<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria has produced many world class musicians. A notable mention in this regard is Fela Anikulapo Kuti. A Broadway show titled ‘FELA!’ was produced in 2009 depicting the life and times of the Afrobeat musician.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria’s movie industry, Nollywood, is reputedly the 3rd largest film industry after Hollywood and Bollywood, and has grown gradually into a $250 million industry in more than 10 years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigerian indigenous musical instruments are unique, soulful and rhythmic. They comprise the popular Talking Drum, producing proverbial and storytelling sounds, the Shaker (shekere), the Udu drum, the Lute, the leg and arm Rattle, the Omele, the Ogene (Gong originating in Eastern Nigeria), the Ekwe drum and the Kakaki (A 4m metal trumpet popular in Northern Nigeria). Many of these instruments have been incorporated in South American music over the years<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA - GEOGRAPHY and NATURAL RESOURCES <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria is a nation blessed with rich human and natural resources. As the 8th largest exporter of Oil in the world, with the 10<sup>th</sup> largest proven reserves, our blessings cannot be overemphasised. No earthquakes, no tsunamis, no droughts, an evergreen land. The rest of the world should live here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">The beauty of the Nigerian state cannot but leave one in awe. Blessed with captivating physical features and abundant wild life. From the rolling hills to the vast plains in the North Central Nigeria and the forests in the South, the beautiful scenery of the country is more than breathtaking and with the wildlife spread all over the country; Nigeria is surely a beauty to behold and a tourist's delight all year round.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria is blessed with tremendous agricultural resources. Cotton in the North, Cocoa & Oil palm in the south amongst many others. The flag is green for a reason<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA - WEST AFRICA, AFRICA and THE WORLD<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria has the largest population of any country in Africa. Approximately 1 out of every 2 West Africans, 1 out of every 4 Africans, and 1 out of every 5 persons of African origin is a Nigerian.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria is the largest contributor of troops to the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) and by extension, is the largest force for peace and stability in West Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">A Nigerian will stand out anywhere you find him/her, from Libya to London, Tokyo to Timbuktu. Well known examples include Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets, USA), Olumide Oyedeji (Seattle Sonics), Tunde Baiyewu (Lighthouse Family), Sunday Adelaja (Ukraine), Chris Aire (US), etc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA - INDUSTRIOUS, INNOVATIVE and ENTERPRISING, with ACHIEVEMENTS <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigerians are intelligent, brilliant minds who have proven their mettle in various fields - Wole Soyinka was the first African to win the much coveted Nobel Prize for literature in 1986. Chinua Achebe’s classic novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ was ranked as number 14 in a list of top 100 books in the world by Newsdesk in 2009. Others include Cyprian Ekwensi, Mabel Segun, Chimamanda Adichie and Helon Habila whose literary works have won both international and local awards at various times.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">We have budding fashion designers. Yes! It's a line every Bunmi, Amaka and Amina has decided to tow but to disregard the effort and originality of our Fashion Designers would be disrespectful. Tiffany Amber, Lanre Da Silva and Deola Sagoe are building world renowned brands, not to mention the legacy developed by the likes of Abba Folawiyo, Maureen Onigbanjo, Remi Lagos and Zizzi Cardow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigerians have excelled in the fields of economics and finance, managing well established global bodies. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, the current Minister of Finance, was until recently a Managing Director at The World Bank. Obiageli Ezekwisili is currently the Vice President for Africa at The World Bank. Mr Adebayo Ogunlesi is a first class graduate of Oxford, and Managing Partner of Global infrastructure Partner (GIP), a concessionaire of London’s Gatwick International Airport.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">We take technology and expand it in ways those who created it could not have imagined. For instance, take the BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) which allows you to send broadcast messages to all addresses on your contacts list; Nigerians recently found a unique way of advertising the different businesses they do. Someone started a message highlighting the fact that many people in Nigeria are entrepreneurs or provide a service and included his BB PIN in the message and sent to all his contacts with the charge that they state the service they provide, include their PIN and send on to all their contacts too. This seemingly small campaign has gone “viral” with whole lists of entrepreneurs and their BB PINs being passed from phone to phone. This is a clear sign of the ingenuity of Nigerians!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA – GREAT PEOPLE<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria is the 7<sup>th</sup> most populous nation in the world (over 160 million) and most populous in Africa - a gold mine of energetic, determined and talented people in each and every field. From Lagos to Aba to Kano, the Nigerian business spirit and desire to succeed is visible. It requires just proper harnessing of these human resources before Nigeria becomes the super power she was meant to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigerians are passionate, friendly, welcoming, hospitable, and well cultured people. The average Nigerian reflects a combination of vivacity, intelligence, energy, talent, and resolution.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">We are a nation of people that can hardly hide their excitement at seeing family and friends. Some misconstrue this thinking we are loud but let's just say we are EXPRESSIVE! If you see us on the streets of New York making a big ruckus and hugging? No sweat. We are just happy to see each other.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA – THE RESILIENT SPIRIT<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">The Giant of Africa: Not ignoring the current challenges, eventually, when we get our acts right, we will reign supreme on the global scene. We have the potential and as is much touted by the Warri people - <i>"Naija no dey carry last"</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">The 'survivor-mentality' hard-wired into the DNA of Nigeria's people. The fact that against all the odds (and there are many of them), Nigerians continue to live, hustle and seek to triumph. It is not by mistake that Nigeria is regarded as one of the "happiest" countries in the world, despite its challenging economic and social conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">We are hardy. The average Nigerian does business under circumstances that are unimaginable to people from other parts. In a place where there is no power, no credit, and scant regulation, people do business and do very well for themselves too. If you can make it in Nigeria, you can make it anywhere in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA – TOURISM and SPORTS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria is an amazing tourist haven and is home to the Obudu Cattle Ranch, located in Calabar. It is only 45 miles from the Cameroon border. The Obudu Plateau is spread over 40 sq. miles and is 5,200 feet above sea level. The Obudu resort features a Gorilla Camp where tourists may observe gorillas in their natural habitat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria has two UNESCO world heritage sites, the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove and the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa. UNESCO world heritage sites are places designated as being of cultural significance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria has produced great footballers like Teslim “Thunder” Balogun (the first Nigerian to play for an English Club – QPR), Segun Odegbami, Muda Lawal, Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini (who scored Nigeria’s first ever goal at the World Cup), Nwankwo Kanu, Austin 'Jay Jay' Okocha, John Mikel Obi, Osaze Odemwingie, to mention but a few.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigeria has excelled in athletics over the years, still holding continental records in the 100m men and women, 4x100m men and women, 400m men and women, among others. Over 100 skilled Nigerian professional footballers played in First Division leagues in different countries all over Europe in the 2010/2011 season, 9 in England; 8 each in Finland, Norway; 10 in Ukraine and 7 in Sweden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">NIGERIA – UNITY in DIVERSITY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Nigerians, despite our diversity are a united people who always strive to help one another. With 774 local government areas, multi religious and ethnic affiliations, 36 States, and population of over 160 million, we still stand undeterred to move forward together.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Even outside the country, Nigerians remain united. This gives a quiet assurance somewhat that you can get on a plane and go to any country of the world and find a Nigerian there who will not only make you feel welcome but will go out of their way to be of really good help. I have experienced this several times on my travels and each time it amazes me how all I need to be is a Nigerian, not Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa and once I run into another Nigerian, I will immediately feel at home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 18pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="color: #006600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">v<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Our greatest strength lies in our diversity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>The <b><span style="color: #006600;">‘419 Reasons to Like Nigeria’</span></b> Campaign is in partnership with <b><span style="color: #006600;">‘The</span></b> <b><span style="color: #006600;">419Positive Project’</span></b>.<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<div>
<i><br /></i></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 18pt;">
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-11431263733126239712011-09-07T19:27:00.001+01:002011-09-07T19:28:02.976+01:00Esiebo’s Alter Gogo goes to Photoquai 2011<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluki7bjr6N2MWgbdMaPbgmGiqUrZZFsjTBIDxxT2In5LEEP_sNmmLyaqdfR8FlZeypMvUdBdAkotv05ZKI6Tl1Zyh1ivvsgrk-cHBd3mWWCE5oYo5omHK-LjhSjbLsnxZ6qG-lfdcOG8/s1600/Andrew+Esiebo+Alter+Gogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiluki7bjr6N2MWgbdMaPbgmGiqUrZZFsjTBIDxxT2In5LEEP_sNmmLyaqdfR8FlZeypMvUdBdAkotv05ZKI6Tl1Zyh1ivvsgrk-cHBd3mWWCE5oYo5omHK-LjhSjbLsnxZ6qG-lfdcOG8/s400/Andrew+Esiebo+Alter+Gogo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandmothers playing football </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nigerian photographer Andrew Esiebo will
exhibit his work body of work Alter Gogo, a diptych portrait series featuring
grandmothers who play football with the Gogo Getters Football Club in Orange
Farm, a large township in South Africa at PHOTOQUAI 2011, in Paris, France. The
exhibition starts on September 13 and will end on November 11. Esiebo’s Alter
Gogo also offers an alternative image of African women. Quite often in the
mainstream imagination, African women are located in the sphere of
"tradition". For them, playing the football has become a passport to
a better life, giving the women social relevance in their community, as well as
better health. Playing football is their solution to many social and physiological
problems like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and alcohol addiction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 32px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjin9U8gQPB2knZej7afXmXNUyY-rJuOh4CkmKnbD-sxSlm6II_aaweVI2d9jetVbK-ZmBy-kapWqpAvlS1QVECy6IoOc0QckRowAO3sl6r3QFtIeXNW7AagdRZFgRGO-W4T1U5YM6FhHQ/s1600/Andrew+Esiebo%2527s+Alter+ego+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjin9U8gQPB2knZej7afXmXNUyY-rJuOh4CkmKnbD-sxSlm6II_aaweVI2d9jetVbK-ZmBy-kapWqpAvlS1QVECy6IoOc0QckRowAO3sl6r3QFtIeXNW7AagdRZFgRGO-W4T1U5YM6FhHQ/s400/Andrew+Esiebo%2527s+Alter+ego+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Esiebo explores life on and off-field for grannies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Created in 2007 by the Musée du quai Branly
and dedicated to non-Western photography, the 3rd edition of the PHOTOQUAI
biennial exhibition of world images takes place on the quays of the Seine
alongside the Musée du quai Branly, extending for the first time into the
museum garden. This third edition of PHOTOQUAI presents nearly 400 works by 46
contemporary photographers from 29 countries: South Africa, Congo, Ethiopia,
Nigeria, Tanzania, Togo, Morocco, Tunisia, Bahrain, Iraq, Belarus, Russia,
China, South Korea, India, Japan, Taiwan, Cuba, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Colombia,
Brazil.</span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For more photos visit his <a href="http://www.andrewesiebo.com/gogo1.htm">site</a></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-25505884343922706662011-07-11T18:14:00.000+01:002011-07-11T18:14:33.235+01:00Social media as a tool for social change<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkO_mmp8MPUZ-WMdrlyVh52WudbivQMZT3nqDhhiUT0LmOjdBorsV72yv_7_hq7Pq9W6t8Uqhs8jvAbqQNVISKIu953IU9eKYgGZbGHSloPP-ihvoaydLDgPT5xE2dlSehNHy7nIlecw/s1600/YELI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAkO_mmp8MPUZ-WMdrlyVh52WudbivQMZT3nqDhhiUT0LmOjdBorsV72yv_7_hq7Pq9W6t8Uqhs8jvAbqQNVISKIu953IU9eKYgGZbGHSloPP-ihvoaydLDgPT5xE2dlSehNHy7nIlecw/s320/YELI.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Saturday July 9, I had the opportunity to speak to a group of young students at the Obafemi Awolowo University who are members of the Young and Emerging Leaders Initiative (YELI) on the need to use social media to positively engage their communities and spheres of influence. In my talk I made reference to the impact of social networks in the events of the Arab Spring and how it helped in the monitoring of Nigeria’s elections in 2011.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhcLbglxhrKHjai-7MLewOUjG8FxeKKmd8ZGcYFzVDQDUZSSm_WgoEcSwqxHEXsRQZotLgWZExfdjQFt4qYienIkTLuAX36GpGBo7PvMMlFCBp4GnuHaxIdORPBKikNeM4UwJQxIeQnY/s1600/YELI+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhcLbglxhrKHjai-7MLewOUjG8FxeKKmd8ZGcYFzVDQDUZSSm_WgoEcSwqxHEXsRQZotLgWZExfdjQFt4qYienIkTLuAX36GpGBo7PvMMlFCBp4GnuHaxIdORPBKikNeM4UwJQxIeQnY/s320/YELI+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US">I thereafter challenged the group of eager young people to create blogs, Twitter handles and Facebook pages in order to bring attention to social ills in their community and environment. I told them how messages on social media platforms can be used to galvanize public opinion among young people and what they can do to begin making use of the mobile internet platforms that they have, to engage their circle of friends positively.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAgnhYVu3DV8k-5GQUyByg2XvT99CSXWsvq2QKKvI-JnseVRx3HJUJsk5oaTktlkOnfzu2hDMbsViDLccUWhZWVZmtnFQCoZwVZsLisLvnaAxgkEDogNj8CrbHG1YkgnW_WtT4sjGd3s/s1600/YELI+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAgnhYVu3DV8k-5GQUyByg2XvT99CSXWsvq2QKKvI-JnseVRx3HJUJsk5oaTktlkOnfzu2hDMbsViDLccUWhZWVZmtnFQCoZwVZsLisLvnaAxgkEDogNj8CrbHG1YkgnW_WtT4sjGd3s/s320/YELI+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">I’m glad to write that the message was received enthusiastically and with time I hope that these young Nigerians will see themselves as change makers and begin to ask tough questions. I asked them to ask, why? Why do things have to be the way they are, why can’t things be better? I believe the best way to begin change is to ask, why? It is the questioning mind that gets answers.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfXH7HdKxyRrREYBQyRF6MwWGUw1LtNwhw4IAkEbxQsrFZl4Ol4TBBRkvkO1mzqPLCheqlYR6dPcyLxm4Q80Dt0H9kosDY-eYB7dvNI9iYbLV5SKj5odOfpchz8qJjKNR0FpsWfPUUx0/s1600/YELI+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfXH7HdKxyRrREYBQyRF6MwWGUw1LtNwhw4IAkEbxQsrFZl4Ol4TBBRkvkO1mzqPLCheqlYR6dPcyLxm4Q80Dt0H9kosDY-eYB7dvNI9iYbLV5SKj5odOfpchz8qJjKNR0FpsWfPUUx0/s320/YELI+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span lang="EN-US">I concluded by saying this: “One thing that has to be understood is that social media in itself does not make change. It is the person behind the computer, the lady holding the Blackberry, the young man hooking up to YouTube that makes change happen. It is from your mind that change happens from where it is transferred to your network. It is in your mind first where the yearning for change begins. It is what you feed your mind with that will feed your social network. Let change begin from your mind and let us transform our community and our nation with it. It is the only way we can hold everyone to account for the enormous trust we put in them.”</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-22178495536051683712011-05-11T14:00:00.002+01:002011-05-11T14:10:34.797+01:00What is the problem with GTBank?So <a href="http://tellng.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=261:pains-of-gtbank-customers">TELL did an article painting the real picture</a> of the problem with Nigeria's best loved bank the Guaranty Trust Bank, GTBank. And it touched nerves. Why not? It's the truth. The customers of the bank, I am one, are suffering. <br />
<br />
There are increasingly long queues at their banking halls and branches all over Lagos. Even their ATMs are always crowded. <br />
<br />
When I opened an account with them in 2008, it was like heaven. You entered into the smiling cosy space of any branch and you were properly served with utmost courtesy. Today, all that is no more. <br />
<br />
Longer queues make smaller number of staff members weary with work. The smiles have disappeared. The magic is gone. It has become like in the old days when going to the bank was like a deadly chore. <br />
<br />
I remember at Ile Ife in 2000 when my friend Akinyele would receive money from home in minutes at the Chartered Bank branch only to go and queue for 30minutes to deposit it in his First Bank account. It was his way of saving for rainy days as the thought of even going to withdraw from the bank was enough to drive one crazy. That was then. <br />
<br />
Today's GTBank is now competing with the murderous services we had back in the day. A bank that was synonymous with excellence is now teetering on the brink of incapability. <br />
<br />
Many have said it is a result of management problems. Apparently, their hands-on boss Tayo Aderinokun is said to have slumped recently and is in bad health in a hospital outside the country. Aderinokun it was who built the reputation that the bank has today. <br />
<br />
But must the corporate image of the company suffer annihilation because of his ill health? <br />
<br />
Recently the bank has been trying to reach out to customers through Twitter. Several apologies have been sent through their social network handle in order to assure customers that they're feeling our pains. GTBank needs to make things better otherwise they'll begin to lose customers like refugees fleeing Misurata. <br />
<br />
I have stopped using their ATM in Ojodu. These days I prefer to slot in my GTBank card at the old First Bank branch that has no hassles. The customer is king, you say? There are many fishes in the ocean o. <br />
<br />
<div style="clear: both; font-size: xx-small; text-align: center;">Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-63051223384312684622011-05-10T20:01:00.001+01:002011-05-10T20:01:55.079+01:00Fatherhood - Bill Cosby<p><a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTa7L2BNCcUjQPRT6cmV9Sww2Czog9uZAGLKw0IE_vhiiXrnn3Yt2Nn_N-UcS7Fw61Ww-N4PbJXpSJyxFxE4ZXmf-oNNS9T9noEvMqmrGfUNc5WLoIZZwIg1LxH-L3KElOoJJzWSyMYU/'><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTa7L2BNCcUjQPRT6cmV9Sww2Czog9uZAGLKw0IE_vhiiXrnn3Yt2Nn_N-UcS7Fw61Ww-N4PbJXpSJyxFxE4ZXmf-oNNS9T9noEvMqmrGfUNc5WLoIZZwIg1LxH-L3KElOoJJzWSyMYU/s400/2011-05-10%2019.45.43.jpg' /></a></p>So I've been reading Bill Cosby's Fatherhood and I feel like I want kids. <br/> <br/> Cosby writes: "Poets have said the reason to have children is to give yourself immortality; and I must admit I did ask God to give me a son because I wanted someone to carry on the family name. Well, God did just that and I now confess that there have been times when I've told my son not to reveal who he is. 'You make up a name, just don't tell anybody who you are.' <br/> <br/> Yes, having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act two people in love can commit".<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.8</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-38276739037541571292011-02-08T17:09:00.000+01:002011-02-08T17:09:29.767+01:00Social Media- Sowanbe Awards 2011<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuyAtHa4cbumrtq3n6LuS6oe5UVJ6nmSMqu17t7TssQPdnXaq76uI-AwmObMDA5ZoMGYdc-z9EFEg10pjdBAmfUUciCeRJ2lpEkhE72RKBba-novgEQQQBJzWHiHQCq7K6QwQzuT40OY/s1600/twitter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuyAtHa4cbumrtq3n6LuS6oe5UVJ6nmSMqu17t7TssQPdnXaq76uI-AwmObMDA5ZoMGYdc-z9EFEg10pjdBAmfUUciCeRJ2lpEkhE72RKBba-novgEQQQBJzWHiHQCq7K6QwQzuT40OY/s320/twitter.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Think you are social media savvy? Then the Sowanbe Awards might just be for you. Sowambe, the pan-African social media lifestyle brand will recognize and celebrate the best social media adopters, talents, celebs, brands, professionals as well as social web platforms in Nigeria. The Awards has about 25 categories and will allow participants to nominate and vote online for a period of one month for their favourites, based on a clear understanding and good judgment on activities in the social web.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOztpZBFaGdmQzsNwyHu0NiCJ9ZBFaK7C4Hc8PV73yC9YIydXGRTLhXQx7_Olov3wi2xsz9Z_xn6eKgp30pS7US5DbxCpSK35H-yq9JkA9XxVCHGwoaI84XuzEBk6jNJeqBsDknIrcpQ/s1600/Facebook-icon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMOztpZBFaGdmQzsNwyHu0NiCJ9ZBFaK7C4Hc8PV73yC9YIydXGRTLhXQx7_Olov3wi2xsz9Z_xn6eKgp30pS7US5DbxCpSK35H-yq9JkA9XxVCHGwoaI84XuzEBk6jNJeqBsDknIrcpQ/s320/Facebook-icon.png" width="320" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US">Categories</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Personality</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Celebrity</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Blogger</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Politician</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Site</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Activist</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Designer</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Thinker</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Use of Twitter</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Use of Facebook</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Use of YouTube</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Community</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media On-Air Personality (TV/Radio)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Newspaper</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Startup</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media Jobs Platform</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Networking Site</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Media TV/Radio Station</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Micro-Blogging Platform</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Social Aggregation Tool</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Ad Campaign on YouTube</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Best Ad Campaign on Facebook</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Timelines: Nomination Period: February 1 to February 10.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Voting Period: February 15 to February 28.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Winners will be announced on March 1.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">For interested sponsors and partners, kindly email info (at)</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">sowambe.com or visit www.sowambe.com/sponsors.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">You can follow <a href="http://www.twitter.com/sowanbe">@sowambe</a> on Twitter.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">For more details, please visit <a href="http://www.sowambe.com/">www.sowambe.com</a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Contact:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Loy Okezie</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">loy.okezie@gmail.com</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">07030851462</span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-21565528048966294392011-02-08T16:52:00.001+01:002011-02-08T22:23:44.493+01:00Tolu Iroye: The Kid With The Magic BoxTolu Iroye, 27, dropped out of school after his O’Levels due to his family’s inability to continue paying his fees. The electronic designer did not allow his lack of further schooling to limit his future. He has created what he calls the Magic Box, a device that allows its user to switch off electrical appliances in their home or office from a mobile phone. A video demonstration of this technology at the magazine’s premises recently struck one with awe. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmik-toJNblCZEjdrRNmKySNlB7gBL31I6CapytZFDAo0Mm2nSzkQ3R4l5e_UN2lGDBLjl3njya1g1VKbeRcH8unqhoJ9Kou-1lCSCC8KCZuRL32FLyczh92AmNDKC3GfuCpao9lA5Ig/s1600/Tolu+Iroye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOmik-toJNblCZEjdrRNmKySNlB7gBL31I6CapytZFDAo0Mm2nSzkQ3R4l5e_UN2lGDBLjl3njya1g1VKbeRcH8unqhoJ9Kou-1lCSCC8KCZuRL32FLyczh92AmNDKC3GfuCpao9lA5Ig/s320/Tolu+Iroye.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tolu Iroye receiving his award for best use of technology at The Future Awards</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
The Magic Box began as an idea to create a non-line of sight remote control that would work for his TV set without him being in the room. “I’m motivated by the need to create solutions to problems,” Iroye said. And so he began work with components that he sourced from the Alaba Electronics Market. It took about one year to complete the Magic Box, an equipment that allows one to switch off any electronic device in the home or office with a phone call from anywhere in the world. The user makes a phone call to a sim card located in the Box which gives a voice prompt that offers options to the caller on how to switch on or off their TV, power generator and light metre through a micro-controller. <br />
<br />
Iroye’s recent victory in The Future Award’s best use of technology category brought out the life story of the brilliant techie which began many years ago. As a child, Iroye’s curiosity got the better of him and the quiet albeit stubborn kid loved to look at pictures in science books. Even though he could not read them, his older siblings took out time to explain the concepts to him. At age six years old, Iroye built his first invention, a cell battery using ground charcoal, a disposed carbon rod, a tin of milk, lime water, grass and herbs all picked from the neighbourhood rubbish mound.<br />
<br />
Amused by his resourcefulness and sometimes-destructive streak - Iroye would tear apart the family’s transistor radio looking for the magical voice that came out of it - but his parents left him to explore. He left many an electronic gadget in their Festac, Lagos apartment in tatters. From out of these he built new stuff. It was the beginning of his inventor’s journey. <br />
<br />
At age 10, he built a battery-powered toy car from his heap of scrap. At 12 Tolu began purchasing scraps from friends with his pocket money. While the other boys at school spent their lunch money on hiring bicycles, he used his to purchase equipment for constructing homemade antennas that neighbours bought to enable them unscramble signals from the Cabletel satellite channel. “I still don’t know how to ride a bicycle,” Iroye joked.<br />
<br />
More was to follow. He created a land telephone network that enabled him to communicate free with friends in their apartment block. An audio transmitter followed and then a voltage stabiliser to help the family adjust the low voltage they were supplied by the power company when they moved to Badagry. This was all before he turned 14. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hhNQwy_dHgmTz24sZ6VeXTbitFqPG4IdPJTMRNOJUasF_iYYXe7yBdNClRk7G-fYXsS2bbrHFtSiODRn11om8nLv16hPRjLYv69D5T359r9-FRd-7079P8BRHBM5bW-iYqpbkEZHaJg/s1600/Tolu+Iroye%2527s+Magic+Box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2hhNQwy_dHgmTz24sZ6VeXTbitFqPG4IdPJTMRNOJUasF_iYYXe7yBdNClRk7G-fYXsS2bbrHFtSiODRn11om8nLv16hPRjLYv69D5T359r9-FRd-7079P8BRHBM5bW-iYqpbkEZHaJg/s320/Tolu+Iroye%2527s+Magic+Box.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iroye's Magic Box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Constrained by an environment that stifles creativity, Iroye has taken to selling his inventions across the border in Cotonou, Benin Republic where he is hoping to gain a foothold soon enough. “This is the least of my inventions,” he says of the Magic Box. “There’s more to come in the future.”Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-69163555428690694922011-02-02T15:25:00.000+01:002011-02-02T15:25:35.351+01:00The Future Awards Journalist of the Year Is Tolu OgunlesiNext's Tolu Ogunlesi emerged as the journalist of the year at the Future Awards on Sunday night.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlT6QbPgZujR72tNIdeR_ANYG93Mo0_8vVSvwS56KmS9WoYApwgh30ChZZPeRgTUcLhBk9_BF3o13VrT6DeKKVgdB879JvxHxwBNnuHu5E8orBBR7SbEdtkwLmdKEap8bUT4TRTPlJ7I/s1600/Tolu+Ogunlesi.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHlT6QbPgZujR72tNIdeR_ANYG93Mo0_8vVSvwS56KmS9WoYApwgh30ChZZPeRgTUcLhBk9_BF3o13VrT6DeKKVgdB879JvxHxwBNnuHu5E8orBBR7SbEdtkwLmdKEap8bUT4TRTPlJ7I/s320/Tolu+Ogunlesi.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Future Awards journalist of the year winner Tolu Ogunlesi. Photo by Lolade Adewuyi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It crowned an eventful year for Tolu who has been a shining light for young people in the profession.<br />
For the ten of us who were all nominated in that category, it was a recognition of our efforts. In an industry that doesn't usually celebrate its own, being celebrated by young peers is a really good thing.<br />
<br />
Tolu was the winner on the night but journalism was the big winner because the work of all the nominees means that the future of our trade is brighter than what many detractors would admit. <br />
<br />
I have known Tolu for more than two years and I've been an admirer of his wit. He has become synonymous with the power of youth, the voice of a new generation, the future of Nigeria.<br />
<br />
Our industry shall not die with young men and women like Tolu Ogunlesi, Toyosi Ogunseye, Yinka Ibukun, Lolade Adewuyi, Kemi Ajumobi, Segun Adeoye, Nicholas Ibekwe, Latasha Ngwube, Arukaino Umukoro, Chilee Agunanna etc, young people who are in the forefront of credible and intelligent journalism in Nigeria.<br />
<br />
They are the future. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyx2lZG5Ed6YPQi6HMMkz_EPsuJ8iexE-h243iEKLO_T94XUQRR-OrNDo53f5cfKv3oDjDkUXTifyELqHWMg_mNIMiwrPiUTe_7SEgzW7SB9DDAtbKgJUOZksjwHGR6i_HrwWQ_qlv3M/s1600/JOTY+nominees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyx2lZG5Ed6YPQi6HMMkz_EPsuJ8iexE-h243iEKLO_T94XUQRR-OrNDo53f5cfKv3oDjDkUXTifyELqHWMg_mNIMiwrPiUTe_7SEgzW7SB9DDAtbKgJUOZksjwHGR6i_HrwWQ_qlv3M/s320/JOTY+nominees.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">L-r: The Future Awards journalist of the year nominees Arukaino Umukoro, Yinka Ibukun, Lolade Adewuyi, Kemi Ajumobi and Chilee Agunanna at the Nominees Party</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-3982263857235534492011-01-26T21:04:00.000+01:002011-01-26T21:04:28.252+01:00The Social Media Revolution<style>
@font-face {
font-family: "Times";
}@font-face {
font-family: "Cambria";
}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }
</style> <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Times;">The fall of the Tunisian government is the first in a long list of tyrannical regimes waiting to be toppled by frustrated citizens and social media-inspired activists.</span></b></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Times;"><br />
</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times;">It took the death of an unemployed 26 year-old graduate in Tunisia for the country’s repressed population to stand up to evict old tyrant Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali from the country. The frustrated youth of Tunisia were, however, helped in their anger by social media tools as they organised and massed while evading the watchful eye of the regime’s secret police. In those hot times, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube came in handy. The <span style="color: black;">#Sidibouzid hashtag was all that one needed to follow the revolution in Tunis when all the king’s cookies came crumbling down. And like a dog beaten in a fight, Ben Ali took flight. The first successful revolution by social media to topple an Arab regime was solidified. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times;">Apparently taking note, Egyptians, Algerians, Yemenis and other sit tight Arab leaders have begun to receive a bashing from their own citizens who have taken to the streets in protest. In Cairo last week, Egyptians massed on the streets protesting against the three decades old government of President Hosni Mubarak. Protesters chanted and marched as police fired tear gas into their midst. Even as the Egyptian authorities tried in vain to stifle the use of social media tools like the Tunisians did, demonstrators were able to find a way round it to organise groups to meet. The world as we know it is changing and the impact of social media more than ever before will be felt in countries around the world, for good or for bad.<span> </span></span><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-73367912066339049442011-01-14T19:46:00.000+01:002011-01-14T19:46:03.698+01:00Goodluck Jonathan Is PDP Winner But Sarah Jubril The International Star<title></title> <style type="text/css">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Cambria}
</style> <br />
<div class="p1">President Goodluck Jonathan emerged the winner of the presidential primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party held in Abuja, Nigeria last night.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">He defeated his main opponent former vice president Atiku Abubakar by a whopping 2,736 votes to Atiku’s 805. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">However, it was the lone vote scored by Sarah Jubril that became a hot internet topic projecting the four-time aspirant into fame on Twitter. Since yesterday, Jubril has become a trending topic on the social networking site.</div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Figure out how tough it is to be a trending topic that is mainly something a few music stars, footballers and celebrity types achieve in their lifetime. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">But the politician who has failed for the umpteenth time in her bid to become president of the world’s largest Black nation has now found success online. Talk about greatness coming out of misfortune, Sarah Jubril has become one of the most famous Nigerians on the net. No longer will people exclaim Sarah who? </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Sarah Jubril has become a celebrity and is the biggest winner on the night not Goodluck Jonathan who has another battle to fight in April. </div><div class="p1"><br />
</div><div class="p1">Can we get an autograph Sarah?</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-47124096645912037802010-12-08T20:08:00.000+01:002010-12-08T20:08:35.140+01:00How the Nigerian church is plotting to hijack 2011 from politicians<link href="file://localhost/Users/new12/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link> <style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:77;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
p
{margin:0cm;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.apple-converted-space
{mso-style-name:apple-converted-space;}
span.yshortcuts
{mso-style-name:yshortcuts;}
@page Section1
{size:595.0pt 842.0pt;
margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt;
mso-header-margin:35.4pt;
mso-footer-margin:35.4pt;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKawMOiRrTEPbvFdQ7hOZcDPGP5WQ__d5TfHqUJyH1o91e8nmNG_hM5wc0YA290-w_dOvkVcEqAIZiOJautIS7W2lSSEp3pcoPd117iRr5NVIHtsqMqFbnhm9tPNQzf8Zwho9Elg-SLKM/s1600/A+thousand+voices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKawMOiRrTEPbvFdQ7hOZcDPGP5WQ__d5TfHqUJyH1o91e8nmNG_hM5wc0YA290-w_dOvkVcEqAIZiOJautIS7W2lSSEp3pcoPd117iRr5NVIHtsqMqFbnhm9tPNQzf8Zwho9Elg-SLKM/s320/A+thousand+voices.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half a million voices raised in supplication at The Experience 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The Experience concert was all it was billed to be. It was the largest<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts">Gospel music concert</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>in the World. Over 500,000 people gathered at the Tafawa Balewa Square on the night of December 3 to praise and pray for Nigeria. Artist bands came from as far as the United States and Jamaica to usher the huge gathering into the spiritual presence of the Most High. Sweet music was rendered by popular Christian acts like Don Moen, Ron Kenoly, Fred Hammond, Israel Houghton, Phil Driscoll, Mary Mary, Chevele Franklyn, Sammie Okposo and Mike Aremu. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">The arena was packed to the rafters and many like myself (attending for only the second time) had to endure a nine-hour vigil on our feet. What this fifth edition of The Experience showed is that the Nigerian church is finally waking up to its political strength. For it was clear that night that this was more than a concert, it was turning into a political movement as church leaders, one after the other, led prayers for the nation. Guest preachers prayed for the Niger Delta, constant power supply, better roads, better leaders, peace in the religious troubled North, and above all credible elections in 2011. (See my 2006 article <a href="http://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/articles/1367/1/How-the-Church-Got-Her-Groove-Back/Page1.html">How the church got her groove back</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">But instead of just prescribing more prayers like they are wont to do, the clergy went further by encouraging all Christians to register to vote when the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, commences its voter registration in January. Through a video slide, leaders of the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts">Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>headed by the irrepressible Ayo Oritsejafor urged Christians to become more involved in the choice of who leads them next year.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"The church has the responsibility to make<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts">Nigeria</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>one. We are one and we will remain one. The troublers of Nigeria will be troubled," Oritsejafor told the crowd who echoed a big amen in the open night air that echoed all around the Lagos Island and environs. "Go and register, you will vote, there are right people to vote for. Nigeria will not break," he concluded.<br />
<br />
And it wasn't just a night for the men of cloth.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts">President Goodluck Jonathan</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>addressed the gathering via a recorded video message where he praised the ingenuity of the organizers<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts">House on The Rock church</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>led by Paul Adefarasin. Jonathan said it is a great achievement in the life of Nigeria that the world's biggest Gospel music concert is being held in Lagos in the country's fiftieth anniversary year.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">As part of the high political profile given the event, Lagos governor<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts">Babatunde Fashola</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>as the crowd to begin creating a change in their own domains.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">"If we leave here tonight with the mindset to become a part of the solution and not part of the problem I'm sure we will begin to have 24 hour electricity in our nation," said Fashola. And in reference to the various industrial disputes he's been locked into with labour groups in the state he said, "We need the value of sacrifice to put an end to any form of strikes so as to enjoy the best years of our nation".<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Above all, it was a show of political force by the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts">Nigerian Christian community</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>which had been content to stay on the sidelines on political issues in the past. Christians had always believed that politics was a dirty game that believers ought not get entangled with. However, cases in other countries have shown how revolutions have been led from the pulpit onto the streets. Churches led by Martin Luther King, Jr among many other clergy championed the Civil Rights movement in America. Even in Nigeria Pastor Tunde Bakare has become a leading voice in constitutional rule through the Save Nigeria Group.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Is the church finally rising up to its potential after all these years of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="yshortcuts">sitting on the fence</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>with arms folded as political jobbers took the country for a ride?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Adefarasin offered an answer that will make 2011 a very interesting period in Nigeria's political experiment with its over sixty million members. "The sleeping giant, the church, is about to wake up and take its rightful place in the nation," said Adefarasin.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-34722416288072696042010-12-03T15:30:00.001+01:002010-12-03T16:22:07.102+01:00We Need Peace In Ivory Coast - A Personal AccountI saw on CNN this morning images of looming chaos in Ivory Coast. The army has shut all land, air and sea borders and the citizens are all scampering for safety. No one really knows what havoc is happening in the country that fought a civil war not long ago.<br />
<br />
You may think that it is a far away country but it's not when you realise that it is human beings like you and I that inhabit that country.<br />
<br />
After posting a prayer for peace in the country on Facebook this morning, and pondering on what next to do, I got into a chat with a friend who expressed shock at the events in Abidjan.<br />
<br />
That conversation with Tony brought to fore the urgent need to create awareness about the looming crisis that is an outcome of the presidential elections.<br />
<br />
In our chat, Tony, a Nigerian photojournalist who has lived and worked in Abidjan and whose wife hails from that country told me a few things that I have reproduced here by permission.<br />
<br />
"Ha, when I thought peace will come back to Cote d`Ivoire. My pastor still lives there and I have been trying to reach him on phone" Tony said.<br />
<br />
"Is the phone working" I asked.<br />
<br />
"No," he responded. "God please intervene."<br />
<br />
"It's serious," I said.<br />
<br />
"I have not gotten through," said Tony. "I am still trying. My brother in law is there too. My wife has refused to eat".<br />
<br />
"Ol boy you have people there o, I feel ur pains bro".<br />
<br />
After a long pause.<br />
<br />
"His phone is not going. All the phone calls I am making no one is to be going through. That`s my second home Lolade. I'm confused may God help me", he said.<br />
<br />
And so this is the dilemma we face in an increasingly shrinking world.<br />
<br />
You may think that Abidjan is far from you and do not care about what may be going on but remember that every human being is family and we need to care about the fate of the world.<br />
<br />
For my friends reggae singer <a href="http://ayouba.com/">Ayouba Karamoko</a> and journalists Kingsley Kobo and Rhokia Kone who live in Abidjan, my prayers are with you and I hope that your country will find peace.<br />
<br />
Please sign up for a petition <a href="http://twitition.com/9qq6w/">here</a> .Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-5853361653693479512010-11-30T16:02:00.001+01:002010-11-30T16:02:52.247+01:00Why Jonathan must not runA president that lifts the ban on the importation of 15 year old cars. <br/> <br/> A president that has lifted the ban on the importation of toothpicks. <br/> <br/> A president that has lifted the ban on import of textiles when his country's textile manufacturing companies are suffering. <br/> <br/> A president that has no spine but will acquiesce to all demands in order to make political gains. <br/> <br/> A president who shuts down Lagos Island because his wife is in town. <br/> <br/> Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has no reason to contest in 2011.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-91437815365283046082010-11-19T22:51:00.001+01:002010-11-19T22:51:20.129+01:00Music, unlike politics, is what's uniting Africa's young peopleIs music uniting Africa's young people? Music is like no other weapon for reaching out to the human mind. It crosses boundaries seamlessly. It breaks barriers set up by race, class, borders, education, etc. <br/> <br/> Never has the African youth been more involved in the music movement than at this point in history. There's African hip hop everywhere one turns to these days. The African hip hop revolution is led by Nigerian MCs whose music has taken the continent by storm. <br/> <br/> While taking the continent hostage they've begun to create a synergy with other young Africans through collaborations that will surely break down the artificial barriers foisted on us by colonialism. <br/> <br/> Just watching MTVBase on a late night will bring home this truth. Female MC Sasha dueting with Mozambique's Dama do Bling, South Africa's HHP featuring Naeto C, Wande Coal and Ghana's R2Bees or J Martins dancing soukous with DR Congo's Fally Ipupa. Never in the history of African music have musicians been able to collaborate across boundaries like they're doing at the moment. <br/> <br/> And before you're quick to say it's all because of MTVBase, Channel O, Sound City, etc, I would like to say that it is the strength and the hunger of the African young person that has ensured this. If young people had not taken it upon themselves to create the music they are making now, the music channels would have no business being in business. <br/> <br/> It is the African youth who through all the trouble of every day hustling and finding a meaning to existence who have carved an enviable niche for themselves. This in the face of government neglect. <br/> <br/> The schools are hardly teaching knowledge that is necessary to exist in modern Africa. The politicians are busy running down the economies leaving nothing for the future. Yet the music industry has risen up out of nothing and keeps creating jobs for thousands of young Africans. <br/> <br/> While the politicians talk at round tables about creating an African Union for their self importance, it's today's music stars who are actually creating a borderless continent. <br/> <br/> While the politicians are stuck with their colonial mindset where they cannot create a visa-free continent, today's young singers are showing that with their collaborations they can cross borders and speak to the minds of other young people on the streets of Mombasa, Bangui, Dakar, Kampala, Alexandria, Akure and Dansoman that they can be as great as their dreams. That they can aspire to success like their idols. Wonder why many of today's kids would aspire to be singers, actors, footballers but not politicians? <br/> <br/> And the message this should send to the politicians holding back the progress of Africa's youth is that we do not need you to make a life for ourselves. In the ancient times, a people could kill an evil god by starving it of worship. We need to send the message to the politicians that we are capable of starving them of their authority if they insist on holding us back. <br/> <br/> We have the power of music, the power of youth and we will not hesitate to starve you if you continue to stop us from traveling around our own continent with spurious visa controls. We will starve you of attention if you continue denying us of proper schools and a good education. We will no longer come to you if you keep pretending as if you don't owe us anything. <br/> <br/> We urge you to pull down the artificial borders that keep us from relating with other African youth. The internet has done so much for us. Now you have to remove the remaining barriers. You have to create better schools and access to healthcare facilities. You have to, you owe us the best.<div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-62376828915334123552010-11-18T16:17:00.001+01:002010-11-18T16:17:27.638+01:00Dwindling fortunes for Goodluck Jonathan on FacebookAt a time President Goodluck Jonathan's Facebook posts used to gross an average 100,000 comments and likes. That was then. Perhaps it signified his popularity at the height of the clamour for sanity in the nation's topsy turvy political waters. <br/> <br/> These days the once popular Facebook president averages less than 200 comments and likes per status update. <br/> <br/> Is the President losing friends? Or are the people just tired of reading vague exposition while government gets richer by the day? <br/> <br/> Like a friend sarcastically said, perhaps the President's followers are now learning to face their jobs, the ones he has created? <div style='clear: both; text-align: center; font-size: xx-small;'>Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3542438902430335595.post-42094727663781295852010-11-18T14:17:00.000+01:002010-11-18T14:17:28.767+01:00Running tummy and Mama Cass' sausageJust ate a Mama Cass sausage that I got from the meeting attended earlier this morning at R&A Hotel, off Allen Avenue. But I've been having stomach problems since. Hello 911 this is a health scare!<br />
<br />
Already visited the toilet once. The sausage was warm and good to taste but I'm sure there was something wrong somewhere in the production line.<br />
<br />
I hope somebody at Mama Cass checks their quality control.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13643831236232701198noreply@blogger.com0