nigerianwatch.com NIGERIAN WATCH To Inspire, Inform and Entertain FORTNIghTLY FREE THE UK’S LEADING AFRICAN NEWSPAPER WITH THE LARGEST CIRCULATION Your next NIGERIAN WATCH available from February 5th ENOUGH IS ENOUGH Nigerian mothers protest as 3 teens killed in January – p5 23 JAN - 5 FEB 2015 Issue No 045 BEFFTA COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR THE BIG ONE The timetable for diaspora leadership elections Page 12 NAKED AMBITION Stars who undress to impress damage us Women’s Watch – p13 WHY FEBRUARY 14 IS SO IMPORTANT TO NIGERIA & AFRICA – Lagun Akinloye p8 JE SUIS NIGERIA je suis BAGA je suis CHIBOK Where is the global outrage on behalf of Nigeria? pages 2&3 LONDON RALLY Sunday 25th January
Transcript
nigerianwatch.com
NIGERIAN WATCHto Inspire, Inform and EntertainFortNIghtly
FREE
THE UK’S LEADING AFRICAN NEWSPAPER WITH THE LARGEST CIRCULATION
Your nextNIGERIANWATCH
available from February 5th
ENOUGH IS ENOUGHNigerian mothers protest as 3teens killed in January – p5
23 JAN - 5 FEB 2015 Issue No 045
BEFFTA COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
THE BIG ONEThe timetable fordiaspora leadership
electionsPage 12
NAKEDAMBITION
Stars who undress toimpress damage usWomen’s Watch – p13
WHY FEBRUARY 14 IS SOIMPORTANT TO NIGERIA
& AFRICA –Lagun Akinloye p8
JE SUISNIGERIA
je suisBAGAje suisCHIBOK
Where is the global outrage on behalf of Nigeria? pages 2&3
LONDON RALLY
Sunday 25th
January
On Sunday – January 25 –at least 1,000 people are setto gather outside the NigeriaHigh Commission inLondon to remind the worldthat “Nigerian LivesMatter”.
The rally has been called byyoung diasporan film makerAkinola Davies in response tothe Baga massacre in Nigeriaand Je Suis Charlie rally inFrance. The solidarity march inParis on January 11 left himasking, “Why no global outragefor what’s happening inNigeria?”
Mr Davies told NigerianWatch, “I have called the rallyto show solidarity with thosewho are in turmoil andexperiencing violence in theaffected regions of Nigeria, toshow Nigerian lives matter.
“This is an opportunity forthe diaspora and like-mindedindividuals to gather and
condemn the lack of a responsefrom the Nigerian governmentand national media, both homeand away,” he continued.
Highlighting his point is thefact that in Paris on January 18thousands took to the streets toprotest the murderous activities
of Boko Haram in Nigeria,which went unreported.
While over 1,000 haveconfirmed their attendance atSaturday’s rally on the NigerianLives Matter Facebook page itis hoped many more will come.
“If a solidarity march in
response to the recent terroristattack in Paris, which saw 17people killed, can attract overthree million people plus aselection of world leaders anddiplomats, can and should wenot expect the same for anattack that killed 2000 people?
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Follow us on Twitter@NigerianWatch2 NEWSWATCH
Publisher tevin JemidePublisher/Managing Director Maryanne JemideManaging Editor Jon hughesArt Editor Cathy Constable Contributors obah Iyamu; harriet ogbeide; AJ James;Ayo Akinfe; Funmi odegbami; Samuel Kasumu; Ngozi Mbana; Ekanem robertson, Jessica onah, laura Adenuga; Edel MeremikwuChief Cartoonist harold ogbeide
Nigerian Watch is a monthly newspaper owned bygreen World Media ltd.
Views expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.
All rights reserved. No part of the newspaper may be reproduced in anyform without the written consent of the publisher.
ISSN 2051-4670
NIGERIAN WATCH
JE SUIS BAGA, JE l nigerian lives matter to stage london rally l
Akinola Davies
Bimbo Roberts
Mr Davies continued, “Theaim of our gathering is to saythat we are a united Nigeriaregardless of tribe or region andthat the government and worldleaders need to condemn theviolence and take action todefend Nigeria’s mostvulnerable citizens.”
double standardsFor many in the UK diasporathe Paris rally on January 11,attended by around 50 worldleaders including UK PrimeMinister David Cameron,symbolised a disregard for thelives of Nigerians.
After the Baga massacre ofJanuary 3, during which BokoHaram terrorists slaughtered2,000 people, there was no suchglobal outpouring of grief.
The chairman of the CentralAssociation of Nigerians in theUK Bimbo Afolayan Robertstold Nigerian Watch that thediaspora felt there were “doublestandards” on display, whichgave the impression Nigerianlives are worth less than others.
“The community thinksthere is double standards in theway the western governmentshave reacted to the terrorism inFrance and in Nigeria. Twelvepeople were massacred inFrance and several thousandshave been killed in Nigeria. Inreaction to the French incident,all the world leaders haveidentified and rallied roundFrance, which is not the casewith Nigeria,” he said.
“This suggests that the lifeof a French man is more valuedthat those of Nigerians in theeyes of the leaders of thedeveloped world. It’s even morepainful that the UnitedKingdom, our past colonialmasters, treat the problems inNigeria like they don’t exist.”
He added a stark warning tothe global community about thepotential repercussions if theycontinued to turn a blind eye toevents in Nigeria.
“We would like to seize thisopportunity to warn that if thecrisis in Nigeria is allowed to getout of hand, the whole of westAfrica, if not Africa, will bearthe pains of civil war fromNigeria. The backlash willaffect even western countries indirect and indirect ways.”
Mr Roberts’ analysis hasfound support both in Nigeriaand the UK Parliament. TheCatholic Archbishop of JosIgnatius Kaigama has also saidthe West needs to do more tohelp and support Nigeria.
The Archbishop told theBBC that facing down Boko
Haram required internationalsupport and unity of the typethat had been shown after lastweek’s attacks in France. “Weneed that spirit to be spreadaround,” he said. “Not justwhen an attack happens inEurope, but when it happens inNigeria, Niger, and Cameroon.
“We [must] mobilise ourinternational resources and faceor confront the people whobring such sadness to manyfamilies.”
emergency QuestionsIn the UK House of Commonson January 12 an emergencyquestion from Sarah Teather,Lib Dem MP for Brent,sparked a debate about theongoing situation in Nigeria,which former Conservativecabinet minister John Redwoodwent on to liken to the IslamicState insurgency in Syria andIraq to what is happening inNigeria and wondered why theUK government saw fit to sendtroops to those countries butnot Nigeria.
Jeremy Corbyn, Labour MPfor Islington North, asked if thegovernment was doing enoughto show solidarity with Nigeria.
“Millions turned out acrossEurope yesterday because ofthe atrocious killings in Paris;millions more need to turn outall over the world over thedeaths of innocent people inNigeria. Does the Minister notthink that it is important for allGovernments to send themessage that a human life lostbecause of such atrocities is
equally awful in France, Nigeriaor anywhere else, and that everyhuman life is a human life thatshould not be taken?”
Repeatedly in answer tocharges of complacencyregarding the government’sresponse to the crisis in Nigeriathe Minister of State for theForeign and CommonwealthOffice Hugo Swire MP saidNigeria was big enough andrich enough to look after itself.
He said, “It is worthremembering as we discussthese matters that Nigeria hasthe largest economy in Africa.It spends 20% of its nationalbudget on security, so, properlyrun, Nigeria should be able todo a lot of this work itself.” Healso highlighted that, “we aremore than stepping up to thecrisis. We have one of thebiggest bilateral aid budgets toNigeria in the world –approximately £250m a year.For the diaspora here, that issomething of which we can beproud.”
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Like us on Facebookfacebook.com/NigerianWatch NEWSWATCH 3
SUIS NIGERIA The great surge of marchers in Paris on Sun-day was impressive and very moving but whatwas it for? We know what it was against: mur-dering cartoonists – or anyone else – is a badthing and should not happen.But what was the message to theworld?
The politicians will welcomethis response because they canuse it to introduce lots of new se-curity measures which no one willquestion. France’s security serv-ices will be given lots of money. Isuspect we will soon see waves ofarrests of Muslim activists inFrance. Politically I expect France will swing tothe right and become a less tolerant society(especially of Muslims).
I will not be joining ‘Je Suis Charlie’. Why?Because although I would defend their rightto draw and say what they like, these cartoon-ists did not respect or care about ordinary sin-cere believers who would have been deeplyhurt by the violent dehumanised images ofthe founders of the great religions of theworld. These were not just Muslims, but Chris-tians and Sikhs and Buddhists as well. Some ofthose images came close to the sort of car-toons that the Nazis drew to depict Jews inthe 1930s.
I am not a believer. I was brought up aCatholic and worked for the Catholic Churchin different ways for 10 years but now I woulddescribe myself as a sceptic, an agnostic. As agood liberal I defend the right of everyone towrite, draw or compose whatever they want.Let the adult public decide whether they wantto see it or not. They can mock the politiciansand the Pope as much as they wish.
But if writers and cartoonists use thepower of their pens to attack and mock thesincerely held beliefs of the poor and voicelessin society who cannot reply, that is not justmean, it is unjust. It is also provocative andwill lead to violence. That is not a moraljudgement. It is a fact.
France has a bad history with the Arabworld. The vicious war for Algeria in the 1950sand 60s and the murder of many Arabs – somereports say more than 200 – in Paris in 1961have not been forgotten. Muslims still feel dis-criminated against in jobs and at schools.Arabs I met – and still meet – in France com-plain that racism is directed at them far morethan other Africans. Arabs remain at the bot-tom of society.
But there is a terrible irony here. The Wah-
habi Islam that has created Islamic militancyhas its origins in a close ally of the West; SaudiArabia. Wealthy Saudis, such as Osama binLaden, from a country that grew rich on our
need for their cheap oil, fund ter-rorism against us. Just as in the1970s and 80s much of the IRA’smoney came from Britain’s ally,the United States.
Friday’s siege and shoot outand the outpouring of solidaritywith those who suffered and thepeople of France in general wasdeeply moving. The world willhave sympathy for France. But
was it also a nationalist march making a state-ment about the strength of France? WillFrance now swing to the right and use themarch to create a less open society?
Or will the ‘Je Suis Charlie’ movement openout and include all those suffering at thehands of extremists? I can think of other coun-tries – Mali, Kenya and Nigeria to name justthree – which have suffered far more recently.In north east Nigeria an estimated 2,000 peo-ple were killed last week alone by BokoHaram, which is inspired by the same philoso-phy and uses the same terror tactics. Howmuch coverage has it had?
The editors could argue that Paris is a fewhours away and France and Britain are closeallies with shared economic and security inter-ests. But today distance is less of an issue. Thefanatics who killed in Paris are inspired by andinspire the fanatics of Boko Haram. These arenot about local grievances. The death of dis-tance means we are close; “every man is apiece of the continent” as John Donne put it400 years ago, we are all “involved inmankind”. So where is the Je Suis Nigeriamovement?
In the UK we have recently seen a lot ofceremonies, books and TV programmes allabout Britain’s role in the First World War. ButI see no attempt by the government or themedia to mark the outbreak of the World WarI as a global catastrophe and how the settle-ment that followed it created World War II.We still mark our historical events as tribes,not as members of the human race.
This weekend has witnessed a huge emo-tional expression of solidarity with the French.But I notice that an immense celebration ofthe battle of Waterloo is being planned fornext year – another great British victory overan evil enemy. Who were we victorious over?Oh, Er –the French.
GCU offers scholarships of up to £2500for self-funded international students.High-quality programmes and award-winning support make us a top choice for studentsfrom over 100 countries.
Brighter futures begin with GCU
www.gcu.ac.uk
Study in the UK with a scholarship of up to £2500 (Glasgow and London)
oPinion: richard dowden of the royal african society
above: Several thousand people gathered to protest at the Place du Trocadéroin Paris against the massacres committed by Boko Haram on January 18, 2015.
from l-r: The satellite image to the left shows Baga before Boko Haramattacked. The image to the right shows the same area after the attack, withbuildings razed to the ground
NIGERIAN LIVES
MATTERANTI-TERROR RALLY
Sunday 25th January 11am – 2pm
Nigerian high Commission, 9 Northumberland Avenue,
london WC2N 5BX
http://nigerianlivesmatter.tumblr.com
west accused of ‘double standards’
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Follow us on Twitter@NigerianWatch4 NEWSWATCH
Nominations have opened for the annual Nigerian Blog Awards,open to all Nigerian bloggers and non-Nigerian bloggers whowrite primarily about Nigeria.
For the purposes of the Nigerian Blog Awards, a blog is awebsite that contains posts (articles, entries) displayed in reversechronological order. The posts can be words, images, or bothand readers should be able to interact with the blog by leavingcomments or using a rating system.
Nominations close on February 1. Visit www.nigerianblog-wards.com to submit your nomination.
NIGERIAN trade officialshave embarked on a tour ofretail outlets across the UKas part of an aggressivedrive to diversify theeconomy by increasing theexport of local foodstuffs
into Europe. In an ambitious attempt to
get large UK supermarketchains like Sainsbury’s, Tesco,Asda, Safeway and Morrisonsto start stocking Nigerianfoodstuffs on their shelves, thehigh-powered delegation was inthe UK for a week from Jan 14.
Led by Segun Awolowo, theexecutive director of theNigerian Export PromotionCouncil (NEPC), the entouragealso included officials fromNigeria’s trade ministry,Customs & Excise, the NationalAgency for Food and DrugAdministration and Controland the Standards Organisationof Nigeria.
First port of call for thedelegation was Lambeth, whereit was hosted by the Mayor,Councillor Adedamola Aminu,and taken on a tour of Nigerianbusinesses in Brixton.
While out and about, thedelegation asked businesseswhat help they needed to easetheir importation of goodsfrom Nigeria.
Mr Awolowo said, “Werecently rebased our economyto find out that it was thelargest in Africa but during theprocess, we noted that despitethe fact that 95% of our exportearnings come from oil, thesector only accounts for 15%of gross domestic product
(GDP). Of the remainder,agriculture accounts for only18% and we found out that itwas services that were drivingthe growth.
“We want to achieve that bysupporting Nigerian diasporapromotion.”
Mr Awolowo pointed outthat Nigeria was a majorproducer of agriculturalproducts like cocoa, rubber,Shea nuts, cashews, coconutsand gum Arabic and theNEPC wants to attractinvestors to process suchgoods in Nigeria. He addedthat if they do this, they canthen export finished goods tointernational markets like theUK via retail chains.
According to Mr Awolowo,the Nigerian government hasjust established a N200bn(£717m) small and mediumenterprises fund to helpsupport small businesses. Hepointed out that diasporanswishing to manufacture goodsin Nigeria and export them tothe UK will be able to tap intothis funds when it is up andrunning.
Cllr Jack Hopkins, theLambeth cabinet member foremployment and growth, saidthat the council is alwayslooking for internationalpartners it can do business with.He added that about 20% of thepopulation in Lambeth isAfrican and 40% of it is black,so the borough is an idealmarket for Nigerian goods.
Mayor Aminu added thatthere are 43 Nigeriancouncillors in the UK, who canserve as a good resource to helptap into the UK market. Headded that they also serve as alink with Nigerian businessesand would be happy to partnerwith the NEPC to help reachout to the UK diaspora.
Shades of Fela as defiant med student wins Welsh X Factor
20 % DiSCoUnTeD DeALS AvAiLAbLe FoR ARiK AiRLine ,KLM RoYAL DUTCh AiRLine AnD bRiTiSh AiRWAYS
MONEY BACK GUARANTEED CHEAPER TICKETS TO NIGERIA AND GHANA
1.Terms & Conditions applied to all bookings and below fares2.Fare and taxes is subject to change. Your initial deposits guarantees only the reservation,not the fare and taxes. We may impose additional cost to the ticket price if there is any changein taxes, airline charges, fuel charges, airport taxes, exchange rate.
32 Adelphi Gardens, Slough ,SL1 2RG, United Kingdom
EASTER AND SUMMER DEALSFOR LAGOS AND ABUJA
shout out to bloggers nigeria launches exPort drive toget more naija food in uK shoPs
NIGERIAN student Suleiman Attah haswon the Welsh version of the X-Factor, withan original song that he wrote andcomposed just two hours before the grandfinale of the competition.
Mr Attah, 20, who is studying musictechnology at Coleg Llandrillo MusicTechnology in Wales, beat 21 other finalistsin what is the largest talent competition inWales to win first prize.
Elated at winning Wales Factor, heexpressed appreciation to his family forallowing him to abandon his course inmedicine to study music because of hispassion for it. In that sense he follows in thefootsteps of Nigeria’s Afrobeat legend FelaKuti, who also abandoned studying medicine[in the UK] to pursue a career in music.
“Before I went into music, I was studyingmedicine in Ghana because that was whatmy parents wanted for me but I wanted toachieve my dreams in music,” Mr Attahexplained. “I love music so much because itinspires me. Winning this big competition islike a dream come true, even though I neverbelieved I could win.”
He revealed that two hours before thegrand final of the competition he penned thewinning song.
“I realised I needed to be different, Ineeded to be original if I was to win, so, thereand then I composed the song [entitled]Viexen, The Female Folks and it won,” MrAttah said.
His mother, Rekiya Attah, who is also inthe entertainment industry, expressed
satisfaction that her son had made her familyproud and revealed she had reluctantly lethim study music.
“He has always wanted to go into musicbut I refused even though the pressure washigh from him, his aunts and uncles,” shesaid. “I still insisted he must study medicinebecause he was good in sciences, so I senthim to a school in Ghana where he startedstudying medicine.
“Then, suddenly he called me fromGhana and said, ‘Mum, you know I lovephysics so well, but, anytime I am in thatphysics class, all I am doing is creating beatsin my head’.
“At that point, I realised that I needed tolet him follow his dream and passion, insteadof insisting he must study medicine.”
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Like us on Facebookfacebook.com/NigerianWatch NEWSWATCH 5
Grieving mothers made anemotional appeal for youths to laydown their weapons and turn theother cheek to “disrespect” whenthey gathered in Bethnal Green,east London, at the spot where 16-year-old Joel Adesina was stabbedto death on December 6.
Over 100 people attended thememorial march for Joel on January 10behind a banner proclaiming “Enoughis Enough”.
The multicultural, multi-faithgathering was a clear indication thatthe anti-violence campaign launchedby Nigerian mothers in the wake ofanother previous street death isgathering momentum.
With the New Year just dawningone chilling fact was at the forefront ofeveryone’s minds – in the first 10 daysof 2015 three teenagers had lost theirlives on the streets of the capital;Jermie Malenge, 17, was knifed todeath on Homerton High Street onJanuary 6; 18 year-old Bilal Mirza wasfatally stabbed in Marylebone onJanuary 8; and Isaiah Ekpaloba, 18,was stabbed to death in Wood Greenon January 9.
Joel’s mother Felicia made animpassioned plea for the killing to stop,following a short symbolic marcharound the streets surrounding whereJoel lost his life.
“Let us be part of the reconciliationon the streets of London,” she said.“Lay down your weapons. We are notlooking for retaliation. I want theblood of my son to speak peace andlove and reconciliation and not hatred.I want the blood of my son to speakforgiveness.”
Addressing directly the sizeablenumber of Joel’s young friends whowere present, Mrs Adesina added,“Don’t seek or take revenge, it ends inthe grave. We need you to make yourmothers proud.”
A tearful friend of her son spoke.“Think of Joel before you dosomething stupid,” he said. “Put downyour weapons. What’s happening, whathappened to Joel, it’s not right, it’s not
normal, it just has to stop.”Among those in attendance was
Mrs Fashina, who’s son, 24-year-oldOlamide, was fatally stabbed inThamesmeade on October 14. It wasthis murder that led to the formationof Oh! Mother, the anti-violencecampaign that called the Joel memorialmarch.
Mrs Fashina implored parents tothink about their relationship withtheir children.
“It doesn’t work the way it did backhome [in Nigeria],” she said. “We needto befriend our children.”
Mrs Fashina told the gathering,“Olamide ignored my concerns andtold me not to worry but he got intothe situation that killed him because ofhis ‘friends’.”
She too directly addressed the many
young people at the gathering andimplored them to “turn to yourparents, speak to your parents, ask fortheir help. As mothers we know whatto do”.
“If a friend starts carrying a knife,speak to us, we can help.”
A third bereaved mother spoke,Kim Williams. Her son was killed onthe streets 11 years ago.
“Society believes all victims are ingangs, that’s not the true picture,” shesaid. “They can just be going to schoolor college and someone decides theirface doesn’t fit.”
She implored the young present toalienate any friends or acquaintancesthey know who are carrying knives.
“If no one will associate with themthey will quickly stop,” she reasoned.
Bridgette Peters, who founded Oh!
Mother, told Nigerian Watch that itwas important to hold publicmemorials for the young who havebeen killed “because it shows oneness,that we have love, that we care”.
“When a mother loses a child italters us and all mothers can feel herpain.”
She continued, “We’re here todayto say ‘enough is enough’, we’ve hadenough of our children being killed onthe street. The more mothers we canget to support us the sooner this willcome to an end. We want it to endnow. I beg mothers to realise howstrong our voices are. Together we canput a stop to this.”
Oh! Mother chairman, author andmental health consultant Eze Nachoasked those present to consider twothings. First, to youths, “Think of the
pain you feel when you cut yourfinger, that is the pain that lives withyour mother for ever, with yourfamily, with the whole community.And secondly, ask your mother howshe would feel if somebody stabbedyou to death. Reflect on the answerand drop the knife.”
During a period of reflection manyother people spoke. Magistrate andNigerian community leader BiliousSavage said, “I recall every killing sincethe tragic murder of Damilola Taylor[November 2000]. Now is a time toreflect and ask questions, especially forus mothers and youths. I sit in courtand see so many cases my heart bleedsand the question remains, ‘Why?’.
“For the sake of the community wecan use today as a reference point tostart working together to bring thiscarnage to an end.”
There was much introspectionabout parenting styles among thediaspora. Former Mayor of BrentKate Anolue implored parents to“know where your children are, knowwho their friends are. Let us changethe way we are to protect them.”
But there was also evident angeragainst the government for austeritymeasures that are decimating youthprovision across the capital andlegislation that many present feltempowered children to defy theirparents.
One to raise this issue was ElizabethOsinalke, who said, “We understandyou [the government] want to cuteverything to control the economy butyou need to stop cutting youthfacilities. Our children need somewhereto go to channel their energies. Andyou need to start listening to mothers.
She continued, “Too often childrenthreaten to get to police to stop theirparents disciplining them. The balanceneed to be redressed in favour ofparents.
“Enough is enough. We are buryingour future Prime Ministers, lawyers,doctors. I don’t want to bury mychildren, I want the right to be able tostop them going down this road.”
MOTHERS SAY ‘ENOUGH IS ENOUGH’the Killing of three teenagers since the turn of the year sParKs emotional memorial
What support are young offenders in London given to deter them from committing anotheroffence? What more can the Mayor’s office do to help stop young offenders from reoffending?
Following the introduction of the Police and Crime Plan in 2013, the Mayor committed todeliver a “rehabilitation revolution” by improving the treatment and resettlement of offendersand by cutting re-offending rates, particularly for young people.
An investigation by the Police and Crime Committee will examine what actions the Mayorhas taken following his commitment to address youth reoffending and re-settlement, and as-sess what more the Mayor could do in the future.
The Committee will hold public meetings this month and in February 2015 to assess the na-ture and extent of youth re-offending in London, and to identify future challenges and oppor-tunities to further reduce youth re-offending. The Committee will question a range of guests,including the Met Police and Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC).
As well as holding public meetings, the Committee will review any established good prac-tice, both national and international; and draw upon existing research on re-offending. For more background information please see the investigation’s terms of reference atwww.london.gov.uk If you would like to submit evidence please email [email protected]
Police committee to grill mayor borisjohnson on youth reoffending Policy
from l-r (clockwise from top): The march in Bethnal Green; Kim Williams; Joel’sfriend Usmann; and (l-r) grieving mothers Mrs Fashina and Mrs Adesina
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Follow us on Twitter@NigerianWatch6 NEWSWATCH
The former chairman ofGoldman Sachs AssetManagement and financialsoothsayer Jim O’Neil, whopredicted Nigeria could beamong the top 20 economies by2020, has revealed how globalinvestors view the forthcomingelections in Nigeria.
It was Mr O’Neill who firstforecast the rise of the BRICeconomies – Brazil, Russia,India and China – and, at theturn of last year, the rise of theMINT economies, referring toMexico, Indonesia, Nigeria andTurkey.
Earlier this month in aninterview with the businessbible Bloomberg in Abuja,Nigeria’s capital, O’Neil saidthat the economic policiespursued by PresidentJonathan’s administration overthe past four years “could havebeen better”.
He also spoke about thesacking in 2014 of formerCentral Bank of Nigeriagovernor, Lamido Sanusi. Hesaid Mr Sanusi’s dismissal sentout a negative signal to
investors because the formergovernor, who is now the Emirof Kano, brought “a lot ofcredibility” to the government.
According to Mr O’Neill,foreign investors are negativeabout Nigeria presently and soa loss for Jonathan could bepositive for the market.
O’Neil, however,commended the President forprivatising most power utilities.
“If he doesn’t get re-elected,and it’s because of the Nigerianpeople wanting somethingdifferent and something better,I think the markets would behappy with that,” he said.
“Foreign investors are prettynegative about Nigeria, so Idon’t dismiss the possibility thatif he lost people actually mightreact positively,” he said.
On President Jonathan’smain challenger, formerGeneral Muhammadu Buhari,the economist said that due toBuhari’s failure to set out aneconomic policy, it is unclearwhat his victory would meanfor investors and that wouldmake people “a bit worried.”
However, Mr O’Neill addedit all depends on “what wouldhappen with the institutionalframework and policies.”
FOUR NIGERIANS NAMED ASQUEEN’S YOUNG LEADERS
Farewell to pioneering BolaThe UK diaspora has beenmourning the loss of one of itspioneering and most successfulretailers Bola Amole, who wasthe proprietor of Bims AfricanFoods store in Peckham, south-east London.
Ms Amole died shortly afterChristmas over the weekend ofJanuary 10-11 while in Nigeria,where she recently announcedher intention to contest nextmonth’s elections to become amember of parliament for theEgbeda /Ona-Ara federal con-stituency in Oyo State as an Ac-cord Party candidate. The cause
of death remains unknown. Among other things, Ms
Amole was also the nationalpresident of the Association ofFood and Vegetable Exporters
of Nigeria, which ships Africanfood to the UK. She was alsothe chairperson of the Alliancefor Democracy in Europe upuntil 2003, before she joinedthe Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and later the AccordParty.
She was also a member ofthe Labour Party in the UK andwas very popular among thediaspora community.
Ms Amole's well-knownshop sold all manners ofAfrican goods in the UK andwas regularly frequented bythe Nigerian community.
Four amazingly resourcefulNigerians have been namedamong the first wave ofchange-makers to receivethe Queen’s Young LeadersAward.
The awards were launchedlast year to mark the Queen’sDiamond Jubilee, and everyyear between 2014-2018 60inspirational young peoplewill be selected to receive anAward – one for every year
that The Queen had served asHead of the Commonwealthat the time of her DiamondJubilee.
The four young Nigeriansto have won are OladipupoAjiroba, aged 28; NkechikwuAzinge, 26; Kelvin Ogholi, 24;and Isaiah Owolabi, 27. Eachhas an amzing story to tell.
As recipients of the awardthey will receive bespokementoring and online
learning provided by theUniversity of Cambridge andwill attend a week-longresidential programme in theUK in June, when they willreceive their Award atBuckingham Palace from HerMajesty The Queen.
Applications for the 2015Awards opens in June and alldetails regarding elegibility andhow to apply can be found atwww.queensyoungleaders.com
exCLUSive oFFeRS DiSCoUnTeD PRiCe SAve UP To £150
exCLUSive oFFeRSAccra £435Abidjan £469Abuja £445Banjul £480Dar es Salam £465Capetown. £499
Oladipupo AjirobaGrowing up withbronchitis madeOladipupo veryconscious ofpollution. He setup TheEnvironmentalAdvocacy andManagementInitiative, whichhas engaged morethan 10,000
volunteers in campaigns and workshops.Oladipupo intends to use The Queen’s YoungLeaders Award to encourage greater respectfor the environment and to create green jobs.
� �Nkechikwu AzingeNkechikwu grewup with closefamily memberswho have thehereditary blooddisorder SickleCell Anaemia.After witnessingthe physical,mental andemotional
challenges it can lead to, she set up The SickleCell Aid Foundation. The organisationencourages people to get tested to know theirhaemoglobin genotype, and has set up sicklecell clubs in schools to inform and educateyoung people about the condition.Find out more about The Sickle Cell AidFoundation at: www.scaf.org.ng
Kelvin OgholiAfter seeinglivestock farmers – including hisfather – struggleto pay for feed,Kelvin co-foundedUNFIRE. Thissocial enterprisehas found a way toproduce poultryfeeds from organicwaste such as
mango seeds, seaweeds etc. It costs half theprice of normal feed, and so far it has helpedmore than 70 farmers.Find out more about UNFIRE at:ww.unfireng.com
�� �Isaiah OwolabiIsaiah co-foundedHACEY HealthInitiative, whichhelpsdisadvantagedwomen andchildren to leadhealthy lives. In2012 HACEYlaunched HandsUp For Her,
which promotes the rights of African girls.The Queen’s Young Leaders Award will helpHACEY develop its Women’s Health andProductivity project, ensuring women in ruralareas have access to health services andtraining.
from l-r: Goldman Sachs Jim O’Neill and former Central Bank of NigeriaGovernor Lamido Sanusi
‘MINT’ MAN REVEALS MARKETS’VIEW OF NIGERIA’S ELECTIONS
Guaranteed- Taxes included Book & Confrim *£75* (deposit) Hotels, Insurance & Car Hire available
3p/minute
eeor fre fykd V
yk
3p/minut
3p/minut
/minut
e/minut
A VIEW FROM AFAR
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Follow us on Twitter@NigerianWatch8 NEWSWATCH
nigeria 2015 election sPecial
As the weeks draw closer to themuch anticipated presidentialelections, Nigerians in the UK canonly sit and watch with baitedbreath as the political dramaunfolds. To be far from the actiondoes not diminish the level of careand interest the upcoming polls hason Nigerians in the diaspora, withmany still maintaining strongfamily, personal and business ties totheir fatherland.
Nigerians in the diaspora are yet tobe granted the vote – despite the issuehaving been discussed at the highestlevels before the 2007 and 2011elections – but their influence cannotbe disregarded as their advice andopinions on Nigeria’s politicalhappenings are still sought by family,friends and visiting politicians.
Will the continuity offered byPresident Goodluck Jonathan and thePeople’s Democratic Party (PDP)prove a more attractive draw forNigerians and the diaspora than the‘change’ promised by MuhammaduBuhari and the All ProgressivesCongress (APC)?
non-violence
the forthcoming election will beNigeria’s fourth cycle of electionssince the return to democracy in
1999, with previous polls producingmixed results in terms of voterturnout, electoral malpractice andpost-election violence.
In 2011, riots sparked by supportersof the defeated candidate (Buhari) ledto more than 1,000 deaths acrossnorthern Nigeria and the destructionof millions of naira worth of property.
To forestall a recurrence in theupcoming elections an undertakingwas signed by both the President andBuhari on January 14, promising toavoid violence before and after thepolls.
The event entitled, The 2015Elections Sensitization Workshop onNon-Violence, was held in Nigeria’scapital, Abuja, and had in attendanceformer UN Secretary General KofiAnnan as Chairman alongside FormerSecretary General of theCommonwealth Emeka Anyaoku,with both presidential candidatesdeclaring they were committed topeaceful polls.
It is clear to see there is a positiveevolution in Nigeria’s political processwith the US State Departmentadjudging the 2011 polls “successful”and a substantial improvement over2007, and the African Union ObserverMission concluding that it’s fairconduct had “raised hope for the restof Africa on growth of democracy.”
The importance of the elections arenot only felt by Nigerians or Nigeriansin the diaspora but by the internationalcommunity at large. Nigeria’s positionas Africa’s biggest producer of oil and
the continent’s largest economy placesthem amongst the global economicelites. The recent coined acronymMINT, places Nigeria alongsideMexico, Indonesia and Turkey as thenext frontiers in terms of resources,trade and development.
The strategic importance of Nigeriain the war against Islamic extremismalso adds increased interest to theelections as the spread of insurgencygrows across the middle east, Turkey,North Africa and at home. The fightagainst Boko Haram has been seen asa catalyst for the rise of globalextremism and the Nigerian electionswill go some way to determining thenext step in the battle against the sectwho seem to be emulating The IslamicState (IS), which is ravaging vast areasof Iraq and Syria.
the incumbent
the PDP, led by incumbentPresident Goodluck Jonathan,has been in control of the
government since the return todemocracy in 1999 and has won allelections since. The lack of a viableopposition and the political, economicand electoral strength it has built upover the years has cemented the PDPas the powerhouse of Nigerian politics.
Jonathan ascended to thepresidency after the untimely demiseof President Umaru Musa Yar’Aduain 2010. Jonathan, who was vicepresident at the time, would completethe remainder of Yar’Adua’s term andseek election himself in 2011, which hewon comfortably against the samechallenger he is facing this time round,General Muhammadu Buhari.
Jonathan’s full first term aspresident has left political analystsclutching at straws as he’s hobbled
from one crisis to another. Jonathanhas not been able to curtail theendemic corruption that has held thecountry back for so long and withBoko Haram continuing their offensiveagainst the government in the northeast of the country, the securitysituation is in a perilous state.
But with Nigeria posting aconsistent growth in Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) of above 5% over thepast four years and an influx ofForeign Direct Investment (FDI) of$11bn dollars in 2014 alone, PresidentJonathan’s administration still hassome positives to point to.
Jonathan’s campaign promisesremain similar to these he declared in2013, with an increase in powergeneration and access to qualitativeand competitive education beingplaced alongside much-neededhealthcare reforms and the fightagainst corruption forming the crux ofhis manifesto.
the oPPosition
the APC was formed in 2013 aftera merger between the Congressfor Progressive Change (CPC)
and the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) and has fielded GeneralMuhammadu Buhari as the candidateto tackle Jonathan at the polls.
Buhari is a known quantity in
Nigeria’s political sphere, having ledthe military coup that toppled thedemocratically elected National Partyof Nigeria (NPN) in 1983, only to beremoved by the same means two yearslater by General Ibrahim Babangida.
Buhari returned to nationalconsciousness as a civilian presidentialaspirant in the 2003, 2007 and 2011elections but fell short of the mark on
each occasion.2015
represents the72-year-oldformerGeneral’s bestand last chanceof leading theNigerianpeople onceagain. His
party the APC has tapped into risinganti-PDP sentiment and by using thepopular political slogan of ‘change’,they have promised a new andreinvigorated Nigeria.
The party has adopted a 6-pointmanifesto which focuses on the areasof national security, good governance,human capital and economicdevelopment, alongside nationalresource and foreign policy.
The APC seems to have articulatedits vision for Nigeria better than thePDP but both include stark similaritiesin the hope that FDI and the openingup of Nigeria’s economy will act as amagic wand in decreasingunemployment, delivering increasedsecurity and fighting corruption.
The APC’s promise of change hasalso been called into question foraccepting defectors from the PDPalongside accusations of corruptionamong some of their leading members.But with a large section of Nigeriansociety growing increasingly
disillusioned with the current state ofaffairs, the APC provide the onlypolitical alternative, increasing itsattractiveness to the electorate.
why it matters
former America Ambassador toNigeria John Campbell, predictedin his book Nigeria: Dancing on
the Brink that the country would breakup by 2015. This has been dispelled bypolitical analysts and Nigerians alike,but adds weight to the need for wellconducted polls.
The Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) hasexpressed the likelihood of beingunable to conduct elections in variousparts of the north-east due to themenace of Boko Haram. The regionrepresents between 5-10% of Nigeria’svoting population thus leading to thepossibility of pre- and post-electionlitigation and possible violence.
Voters are faced between the choiceof an incumbent president who manybelieve has performed below par withthe resources at his disposal anddisciplinarian former General who, ifelected, could take Nigeria one stepback in order to move it forward.
The spotlight being shone onNigeria bodes well, with print, digitaland social media awash with debateson an election that means so much tomany. Though the impact of socialmedia on the actual campaign has notbeen studied, it gives the diaspora anideal platform to air their views andcontest their various opinions onNigeria and their preferred candidate.
Nigerians, of course, should aim topick the best candidate who will buildon the country’s democraticdevelopment and have the foresight todisregard money politics andimmediate gratification to thebetterment of the long-term future ofthe country.
If Nigeria gets these elections rightthe benefits to the country and Africa’sdemocratic development will be vast.Get it wrong and Nigeria will beviewed as a nation teetering on failednation status, with our abundance ofwealth and potential counting fornothing and this is why the Nigeriandiaspora community maintains a keyinterest in what will be Nigeria’s mostkeenly contested elections to date.
In the next edition of Nigerian WatchLagun Akinloye explores the three mainsectors of Nigeria’s socio-economicspace that have witnessed notabledevelopment in recent times, whilecounter-analysing three others that arein need of special attention by thecandidate and party that emergesvictorious after the February 14 polls. Mr Akinloye is a prominent member ofthe Central Association of Nigerians inthe UK and as a political commentatorwrites for media in both the UK andNigeria.
the 2015 elections sensitization worKshoP on non-violence, abuja. from l-r: Victor Ndoma-Egba(Senate Minority Leader),Emeka Anyouku, Kofi Annan, Muhammadu Buhari, Goodluck Jonathan, Adamu Mu'azu (PDP chairman), John Odigie Oyegun (APC chairman)
“Both parties see opening upthe economy as a magic wandto decreasing unemploymentand corruption”
Journalist and political analyst lagun Akinloye considers what is at stake on February 14
Organization Accreditedby Joint Commission International
DO YOU NEED DONOR EGGS?Barbados Fertility Centre offers an EXCELLENT donor egg programme for African Caribbean couples.With a waiting list no longer than 3 months, and high success rates of 72% in 2014 many UK couplesare heading to the Caribbean island of Barbados for successful IVF treatment.
If you have tried to conceive for more than 12 months with no success, then you must seek medicaladvice on your treatment options.
Please contact our dedicated team for your free consultation on 001 236 435 7467 to make yourdream of a family come true.
Due to Barbadian immigration law, patients must hold a valid UK passport to enter the country for treatment.
With the start of 2015, manypeople will be making theirNew Year resolutions andplanning to make a difference,either for themselves or forothers.
Whatever the reason – be itgetting fit, participating in asporting event, signing-up for aonce-in-a-lifetime challenge, orsupporting one of our nationalcampaigns – National Dough-nut Week or Humphrey’s Py-jama Week – The Children’sTrust would love to hear fromyou.
The Children’s Trust is theUK’s leading charity for chil-dren with brain injury, helpingthem to make the best recoverypossible after a serious acci-dent or illness.
The Children’s Trust haslots of fundraising activitiestaking place during the year.We have places available inmany famous running events –including half and fullmarathons – and would love to
hear from runners who wouldlike to run for us in the GreatNorth Run, the Great SouthRun, Brighton Marathon, otherregional runs or the VirginMoney London Marathon.
For those of you who areenthusiastic about taking on aspecial challenge, an 18-dayEverest Base Camp Trekshould tick the box!
Alternatively, if you arelooking for a special event thatwill appeal to supercar enthusi-asts and offer lots of entertain-ment for all the family, thenThe Supercar Event, held atDunsfold Park – home of thefamous Top Gear track – onJune 20/21 is an event not to bemissed.
For further details on allThe Children’s Trust’s fundrais-ing events this year, visit, www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk
Katie Roberts, via emailHead of Voluntary FundraisingThe Children’s Trust
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Like us on Facebookfacebook.com/NigerianWatch YOURWATCH 11
Je Suis Raif Badawi ... and 2000NigeriansIn contrast to the worldwide outrage at themurder of cartoonists and journalists in Paris,there has been hardly any public reaction to
news that Saudi Arabia is savagely beating ablogger, Raif Badawi, for “insulting Islam”.
The Saudis plan to inflict a sentence of1,000 lashes in weekly installments of 50.Badawi is also to spend 10 years in prison,where his lawyer must stay 15 years for daring
to defend him. The news that
Boko Haram hasjust murderedsome 2,000 peo-ple and driven30,000 from theirhomes – ostensi-bly in its continu-ing campaign for
Shariah law – has also met with little interna-tional anger.
This double standard is infuriating. Saudi Arabia should be subjected to the
same bitter condemnation as the terrorists inParis and its government should be censuredby all organisations, national and interna-tional, that stand for civilised values. Journal-ists especially must be vocal in defending theirown.
In the case of Boko Haram, there has beenno shortage of outrage at its previous crimes,but the mass media continue to report its Is-lamic pretensions as if they were serious; theyare only camouflage for its main business,trafficking drugs.
Saudi Arabia and Boko Haram presentingthemselves as proponents of “Islam” is asbizarre as the claim of the butchers of Paristo be avenging the Prophet.
All of them deserve a noisily rude rasp-berryBhaskar Menon, via email
Letters to the EditorLet us know what you think. Put pen to paper and send your letters to: the Editor, Nigerian Watch, Chartwellhouse, 292 hale lane, Edgware, Middlesex hA8 8NP, or email us at: [email protected] to be included in the next issue must be received by no later thanFebruary 1, 2015. Anonymous letterswill not be published. Please include your full name, postal address and contact telephone number. Namesand addresses can be withheld, if preferred.Letters may be edited for publication.
Je suis Nigeria. Je suis Baga. Je suis Chibok.Je suis Cameroon. Je suis Chad. Je suisNiger. Je suis west Africa. Je suis Africa. Je
suis UK diaspora. yet I like many in the community am
bewildered by the lack of response of the UKgovernment to events unfolding back home.
there are spectres of colonialism in theirattitude, as this government is all too happy toride our turbo economy and capitalise on ournatural resources. yet they show noresponsibility in our hour of need.
As neither, it must be said, do Nigeria’sPresidential candidates, seemingly content tolet Boko haram’s bloody reign of terrorcontinue unabated. this is shameful.
So I know where I will be this Sunday at11am; at the rally against terror outside theNigeria high Commission in london.
We must bring pressure to bear on the UKgovernment to in turn pressure the Nigeriangovernment and African Union to act.
And to muster the forces of theCommonwealth and UN to tackle this perverseform of Islam that threatens many formercolonies of empire and not just Nigeria.
I exhort you tojoin me in thehundreds if notthousands. Spreadthe word.
Sandwiched between thePresidential and stateelections in Nigeria(February 14) and generalelection here in the UK(May 7) is a thirdimportant election – forleaders of the Nigeriandiaspora in the UK.
And it will be all change,with half the executivecommittee members of theCentral Association ofNigerians in the UK(CANUK) set to step down,having served two terms, themaximum allowed under theconstitution.
Among those going are:Chief Bimbo AfolayanRoberts, CANUK chairmanfor the past four years; 1stVice Chairman ChimaOlugh; 2nd Vice Chairman,Abdullahi Bakwo; SecretaryGeneral Dr AbiodunFakokunde; AssistantGeneral Secretary OlalekanOshunkoya; Social Secretary
Charles Khiran; andPublicity Secretary SholaOluseitan.
However, all executivecommittee posts are up forelection. CANUK isrepresented by 15 executivesfrom different professional,cultural, regional, sporting,social, youth and women’sorganisations, who undertaketheir roles voluntarily.Thirteen are electedexecutives and two are “exofficio” (see ElectionSchedule, right).
CANUK was formed in2005 to “protect, unify andempower” Nigerians in theUK to the benefit of both thehost community andmotherland. It is thought tobe the largest Nigeriancommunity organisation inthe world, representing thelargest black community inthe UK. As Nigeria’sMission in the UK is thecountry’s largest in the world.
CANUK was founded byNigerian communityorganisations in the UKunder the auspices of theNigeria High Commission inrecognition of the need tounite the hundreds ofNigerian societies, bodies,unions and associations underone umbrella organisation to
ensure the interests ofNigerians in the UK arerepresented in a harmoniousand organised manner.
The inspiration for theestablishment of CANUKcame from the Nigeria HighCommission and staff. Thefounding patron was DrChristopher Kolade, CON,
the former Nigeria HighCommissioner to the UK(supported by the Head ofChancery of the mission atthe time, AmbassadorHameed Opeloyeru). Thecurrent High CommissionerDr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida,OFR, CFR, is patron of theorganisation.
a r i ka i r. c om
f l y w o r l d c l a s s
From
£530 economy class
£1635business class
Return fares, including taxes and charges.
To book visit arikair.com/special-offers
Winter specials London Heathrow to Lagos
Fares are subject to availability, exchange rate variation and conditions apply.
1 Feb – 14 Feb: Applications forelectoral posts by delegates ofdifferent associations. Formationof the Electoral Committee panel.15 Feb – 28 Feb: Vetting ofapplications and announcementof successful applicants.1 March – 21 March: Postal votingfor all posts with the exception ofthe post of Chairman.1 April: Announcement of resultsof the election.1 April – 7 April: Electioncomplaints and response by theElectoral Committee.11 April: AGM, where the electionof the incoming Chairman will beundertaken by secret ballot.
Note: Any organisationsregistering as members of CANUKafter December 31 are ineligibleto vote. All dues must be paid upin full by January 31 for memberorganisations to be eligible tovote and seek election to posts.
Election schedule
All change at the top for diaspora leaders
from l-r: outgoing canuKchairman chief roberts, withnigeria’s high commissionerto the uK dr dalhatu sarkitafida, ofr, cfr
ER with the eagle eye
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Like us on Facebookfacebook.com/NigerianWatch WOMEN’SWATCH 13
Ekanem Robertson is co-presenter of The Woman TV Show on Ben TV. Write to [email protected] Ekanem on Twitter @ekkanemr
In 2008 TV fashion guru GokWan burst onto our screens inthe UK with a programme forwomen called How to LookGood Naked. I recall watchingthis programme with interest.
He took a number of womenthrough how to dress to suit theirbody shape and finally to a pub-lic reveal on a city street in theform of a giant poster of eachwoman in the nude. It was at thetime a revolutionary pro-gramme, presumably aimed atconfidence-building.
Gok was attempting to buildup the confidence of thesewomen (and perhaps those of uswatching), who had body imageproblems. He wanted the every-day woman to come to termswith body hang-ups, to rejectmedia stereotyping of the femaleform and learn to love their bod-ies, more. The message was that,whether skinny or fat, tall orthin...woman, you are beautiful!
Fast forward to 2014 and itseems that with celebrity womenleading the way women are nowa bit too comfortable with publicnudity. There was a time whensuch exposure was kept to themiddle pages of niche magazineslike Playboy, but now women are
stepping out in public and pos-ing in shockingly revealing out-fits, and the internet has becomethe medium of choice to dissem-inate these images.
Indeed, nudity is now main-stream and regular, but is it ac-ceptable? Over the past yearAmber Rose, Rihanna, NikkiMinaj and Miley Cyrus, to namea few, have all stepped out in var-ious states of undress, and KimKardashian brought “the yearof the great reveal” to acrescendo by doing full frontal
nudity! So one wonders, what isthe message?
My fear is that these celebri-ties are not in the least concernedabout sending any particularmessage. The truth is: it’s notabout you, people! They andtheir managers are constantlygrappling with the task of devis-ing strategies and plans toachieve one goal and one goalonly; to make more and moremoney!
They are consumed with theneed to be talked about – createa buzz – with the goal of “break-ing the internet” in order to“make” the news. The purposeof all this solicited attention isthat they develop a crowd pull
which social media can verifyand bingo! Endorsement con-tracts, juicy jobs and lucrativecollaborations, galore! Notorietyand controversy do convert intocool dollars, believe that!
There are many activities thatbring wealth, sometimes stupen-dous wealth, but are undesirableand are not encouraged becauseof their potential to destroy so-ciety; such as production/sale ofhard drugs, arms dealing andhuman trafficking.
Yes, I do put this current“ride or die” attitude in the en-tertainment world right up there.As 50 Cent put it, “Get Rich orDie Trying”, but ‘Get Rich! De-stroy Society if Necessary’! is abit more closer to the truth.
If some people wish to sacri-fice decency on the altar ofmammon must they take the restof us for the ride?
Unfortunately, celebrities arelooked upon as role models bymany young people, who tend toemulate them or copy their per-ceived standards. For exam-ple, up and coming artists inNigeria, who dream of break-ing into the international mar-ket by emulating their heroesin the western world, are reg-ularly defying local culturalnorms by posing nude on theInternet, performing in sheergarments and walking the redcarpet in copies of celebrity“dresses”.
Sadly, for all their effort,they do not get the same re-turns as their foreign idols.The jury is still out on howhigh a price they will pay infuture for this “indiscretion”.On the city streets of manyAfrican countries, however,there is no lag, consequencesare immediate. In Nigeria,Kenya, Zimbabwe, youngwomen have been attacked,thoroughly beaten andstripped naked for this same“indiscretion”.
On the other side of thecoin is the woman, who, bythe dictates of her custom,covers all. Here also we havevarious stages of cover-up,from the burka (total), as inthe picture (left), to those thatreveal the eyes and then thefull face. It is often thought,that such dress denotes restric-tion and lack of expression.
This view is countered bythe idea that the fully coveredwoman reflects a greater pro-tection given to her by the so-ciety to which she belongs.But is covering up for theprotection of women or toprotect men from women?(Just asking!)
Wherever one stands on thisissue, one must concede that asa mere matter of fact, with theburka and related culture, thepossibility or temptation to ex-ploit a woman’s very essence inthe media, for massive financialgain, whether by others or bythe woman herself, is taken offthe table. Personally, I thinkthat is a good thing. Yet again,the same question arises as withthe permissive society, at whatprice?
What does the state of dressor undress of women where youare say about your society?
Should there be a limit to thefreedom to exploit the femalebody? Is there value to society inpreserving the mystery of wom-anhood?
I don’t have all the answers.What do you think? Spend sometime to think about where we aregoing, either way. Write to meand let me know at [email protected] or tweet me@ekkanemr
“What does the state of dress or undressof women say about your society?”
Spot the difference!
golden globeawards 2014:
Model Amber Rose
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015
Follow us on Twitter@NigerianWatch14 LEISUREWATCH
thEAtrEblack Plays series, nationaltheatreGuest speakers explore a di-verse collection of plays fromdramatists of African andCaribbean heritage, by com-bining performances, clips ofpast productions and lively dis-cussion.
Plays covered include;Long Way From Home byYemi Ajibade; The Houndingof David Oluwale by OladipoAgboluaje; and the King’sHorseman by Wole Soyinka.24 Jan - 29 Feb. From £12National Theatre, South Bank, SE1www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
FIlMthe cut
The Kuria in Kenya and Tan-zania are still practicing Fe-male Genital Mutilation as aritual. The older generationand peer pressure want to up-hold the legacy of the ances-tors… So what can humanright activists do?
The film screening will befollowed by a discussionhosted by Professor Fareda
Banda (SOAS) with: BerylMagoko, The CutDirector, Naana Otoo-Oyorteyfrom Forward, and KoshumaMtengeti, Executive Directorof Children’s Dignity Forum.28 Jan, 6:00pm to 9:00pm Free, recommended £5 donation. SOAS, Vernon Square Campus Pen-ton Rise, WC1XPlease book by 26th Jan email: [email protected]
casablanca calling
In Morocco, the world’s firstfemale Muslim leaders are set-ting out to change their coun-try: empowering womenthrough the teachings of Islamand challenging the attitudesthat breed extremism.Casablanca Calling takes usinto the heart of this quiet so-cial revolution through the livesof the women at its forefront.
Followed by a Q&A withdirector Rosa Rogers and pro-ducer Hilary Durman.30 Jan, 7:00pm. £10.00Frontline Club London, 13 NorfolkPlace, London W2www.frontlineclub.com
invasion 1897A chance to see the Nollywoodstyle film of the 1897 invasionof Benin, a momentous eventin African history that markeda climax in colonial exploita-tion.
Director Lancelot OduwaImaseun will attend thisscreening and participate inthe accompanying discussionalongside EastEnders’ starRudolph Walker, cast and crew2 Feb, 2:00pm. From £8.15BFI Southbank, Belvedere RoadSouth Bank London SE1 https://whatson.bfi.org.uk
selma (12a)Martin Luther King Jr (DavidOyelowo) knows that the mosteffective use of non-violence isto provoke a violent responseand selects Selma for a protestmarch because of its racistgovernor George Wallace (TimRoth) and the brutality of itspolice force. Ava DuVernay’s
insightful, profoundly movingdrama captures the politicalchicanery surrounding thisturning point for the civilrights movement. Release date6th Feb
EXhIBItIoNSstaying Power: Photographsof black british experience,1950s - 1990s
Documenting experiencesfrom post-World War IIthrough to the 1990s, frommass migration to hip hopfashions of south London, thisexhibition includes iconic workby celebrated photographerssuch as Dennis Morris, CharliePhilips, Neil Kenlock andColin Jones.15 January - 30 June. FREEBlack Cultural Archives, 1 WindrushSquare, SW2www.bcaheritage.org.uk/
ChIlDrENlacf KidsLondon A Cappella Festival isdelighted to announce thelaunch of LACF Kids – abrand new arm of the Festivalaimed directly at primaryschool children.
Singing Playgrounds: aWorkshop from British choirEx Cathedra; learn and playsinging games from around theworld. 1pm
Finchley Children’s MusicGroup performance, is one ofthe UK’s leading youth choirs,for ages 4 to 18 years old.12.45pm & 2pm
Countermeasure entertainwith their upbeat sound, hilari-ous stage antics and infectiousenergy. 2.30pm31 Jan. From £10.00Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1www.londonacappellafestival.co.uk
st augustine’s tower open dayHackney’s oldest building willbe open to the public. Dis-cover the history of thebuilding and climb the135 stairs for the bestview of Hackney. 25 Jan, 2pm - 4.30pm, FREEMare Street, Hackney, E8 Contact: LaurieElks. Email:[email protected] . http://apps.hack-ney.gov.uk
MUSICno go stop album launch
No Go Stop are a 12-strongafrobeat powerhouse featuringbig brass, driving percussion &soaring vocals that catch thetimeless quality of ancestralfunk, with soaring instrumen-tal solos that stay true to FelaKuti’s musical mission to pres-ent the heart of jazz with thesoul of Africa and keep youdancing till dawn.31st Jan, 8:00pm. From £5.00Passing Clouds, 1 Richmond Road,London, Hackney, E8www.passingclouds.org/
afrobeat vibrationAn authentic Kalakuta stylemarathon of live Afrobeat,featuring members of DeleSosimi Afrobeat Orchestra,some of Londons finest musi-cians and guests, with DJKoichi.31 Jan, 9:00pm. £10.00The Forge, 3-7 Delancey Street,Camden, NW1www.forgevenue.org
songhoy blues
From northern Mali, the fourmembers of this hard-groovingAfro-blues act were driven toBamako by the Islamist crack-down in their home region.There they took part in ses-sions for last year’s Africa Ex-press record alongside DamonAlbarn and Nick Zinner, thencame to play their first Britishgig at the album launch. Nowthey’re back, this is yourchance to see them live.2nd Feb, 19:30. Tickets £11 Oslo, Amhurst Road, London, E8
www.oslohackney.com
What to see and do over the next 14 days...
The Fortnight now booKing: imagine children’s festival at the southbanKChildren take over Southbank Centre, with an amazing line-up of authors, performances, workshops and free events, chosen by children, forchildren, with something for all ages. Including; Africa, Amazing Africa told by Nigerian-British storyteller and children’s book author Atinuke;Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure and a celebration of Alice in Wonderland’s 150th anniversary. Feb 9 - 22. www.southbankcentre.co.uk
DAYS OFHOPE
Changing Statechanging state by tian glasgow Changing State is a darkly comic coming-of-age story set ininner-city London. Three of the characters cling to the hopethat the uncertainty and confusion of adolescence will clear buthaving returned from university one of them knows that it is along road. 3-14 Feb, 7.00pm/2.30 Sat Matinees. From £11.25Hen and Chickens theatre, 109 St Paul's Rd, N1www.thehenandchickenstheatrebar.co.uk/
Every year thousands of Africans leave their families behind in search of a better life in Eu-rope. Ditte haarløv Johnsen‘s portrayal of life after emigration explores the lives of three verydifferent African immigrants, from three different places, who have embarked on a perilousjourney to reach a common destination: Europe.
harouna, a young artist from the coastal town Nouadhibou in Mauretania, West Africa, hasleft his wife and child in hope of finding safety and more opportunities for the three of them.In Italy, a group of asylum seekers live in a prison-like centre, uncertain about their futures inEurope. In Copenhagen we meet a group of people who may have reached the promised land,but live in constant search for the money that their families expect them to send home.the screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Ditte haarløv Johnsen.26th Jan, 7:00pm. £10.00. Frontline Club London, 13 Norfolk Place, W2. www.frontlineclub.com
NIGERIAN WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015 15
Inthe absence of the defendingchampions, Nigeria, Algeriaare favourites to win thecompetition after reaching theknock out stages in the RioWorld Cup. They won theiropening match against SouthAfrica 3-1 from a goal behind.
South Africa may yetrecover to advance to theknock out stage. They, alongwith Cameroon, are the formteams enjoying a resurgenceand Bafana Bafana have anadded, emotional incentive towin the trophy, to honour theirgoalkeeper Senzo Meyiwa,who was killed by burglars inOctober.
However, Cote D’Ivoire,
boasting Wilfried Bony – whodeparted for the competitionhaving become the mostexpensive African player in theUK Premier League, havingsigned for Manchester Cityfrom Swansea City for £25m,potentially rising to £28m –and Yaya Touré, are also hotlytipped. However, in theiropening game they onlymanaged to get a 1-1 drawwith Guinea.The BBC are offering selectedradio commentaries of matchesand live coverage on ITV4includes a deciding match fromeach of the four groups, as wellas both semi-finals and the finalon February 8 in Bata, andhighlights of every game.
It costs less thanyou thinkFrom just £10* per issuetraders, tutors, service providers and profession-als – promote your business to 300,000 readersevery fortnight for an entire year from only £10 (+ VAT where applica-ble) per issue. 6 month, 8 week, 4 week packages and singleissue offers also available. Call now for details*12 month booking 12 words
Website: www.alvinlawrence.co.ukBased on the real lifesituation in Nigeria'sNiger Delta, Fuellingthe Delta Fires is anexpose and actionadventure novelrevealing why thereis turmoil in the
world's sixth largest crude oilexporter.
FUeLLinG TheDeLTA FiReS
AvAiLAbLe noW AT:amazon.co.uk, chapters.indigo.com,waterstones.com,authorhouse.co.uk,barnesandnoble.comwhsmiths.co.uk, borders.comFor those in nigeriaRing Peter Agbor of walahi.com on (234)805 361 0533Paperback £9.30 Hardback £13.60 E-book £2.60
Have you got guests, friend or familycoming over to the UK?Are you looking for shortlet holidayaccommodation in London?Or are you going away and would like torent your house or flat out on a shortletbasis?Look no further as MacLawrence propertysales and lettings is the answer!Our properties range from studio one beds,two beds, 3 bed flats and houses.
He can predict your past, present and future.He can also give a solution to your your problems like HEALTH, WEALTH,
CHILDREN’S BAD HABITS, Marital PROBLEMS, Court Cases etc ....HE can also remove “BLACK MAGIC,
EVIL, VOODO & NEGATIVITY”To make an appointment CALL:07947119376.
We are at: 40 EAST STREET MARKET, LONDON SE172DN
MEET THE WORLD FAMOUS ASTROLOGER
WORKING TOGETHER FOR YOUR SUCCESSWellsprings Solicitors are specialists in EmploymentLaw, Landlord and Tenant Law matters, Family Law,Immigration and Asylum Law, Commercial Law,
Commercial Property, Defamation Law, ConsumerLaw and Conveyancing.
We offer bespoke, pro-active, effectual and helpful services to our clients.
We offer properties that offer the best returns and deliver something extra to the investor.We also offer Aftercare & Management Service to our customersIt’s as easy as 3 little steps:Step 1: Sign up now for free to be part of our exclusive client list. Your privacy is respected and we never sell or rent our clientlistStep 2: We will advise you on the current properties available and advice you on what you need to reserve your propertyStep 3: We will arrange a specialist mortgage and legal experts who will take care of your property purchase
You can contact us via the details below to registerYOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE
hoW thE 16 tEAMS lINE UPgroup A: Burkina Faso, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon
group B: Zambia, DR Congo, Tunisia, Cape Verde
group C: Senegal, South Africa, Ghana, Algeria
group D: Ivory Coast, Guinea, Mali, Cameroon
Continued from page 16
NIGERIAN WATCH15-28 Feb 2014
The 30th edition of the Africa Cup of Nationskicked off on Saturday (Jan 17), withorganisers, players and fans hoping thetournament can thrive in the face of adversity.
It was only in November that Equatorial Guineatook over as hosts from Morocco, whose plea topostpone the finals over fears about the spread ofEbola was rejected by the Confederation of AfricanFootball (CAF).
Stringent measures to control the spread of thevirus that has claimed over 8,000 lives in west Africahave been put in place and all teams showed up.Symbolically, the fact the tournament is going aheadshows how the can do spirit in Africa thrives.
So on Saturday the 16-team tournament that runsthrough to the final on February 8 launched with acolourful opening ceremony featuring US R&B starAkon.
And the opening round of group games hasdelivered with plenty of drama; penalty misses, last-gasp winners and no goalless draws.
SPORT WATCH23 Jan - 5 Feb 2015 nigerianwatch.com
INSIDEAFCON
GROUPS & TVCOVERAGE
the mighty reds of liverpool arehoping to secure the services ofSuper Eagles’ goalkeeper VincentEnyeama before the January transferwindow shuts.
ranked as one of the top 10 goal-keepers in the world and recentlynamed goal’s Nigerian player of theyear, Enyeama currently plays for lille.
the French side have links withliverpool having sold 19-year-oldstriker Divock origi to theMerseysiders before taking him backfor a season-long loan.
liverpool are desperate to sign agoalkeeper with Simone Mingoletstruggling for form between the poststhis season.
Is Vincent set tobecome a Red?
AFCON 1 – EBOLA 0 AS TOURNAMENT STARTS IN EQUITORIAL GUINEABy AJ JAMES
Turn to page 15
THE SPIRIT OF AFRICA
l Located on 8 acres of land l Complimentary car park for over 100cars l Option of placing a marquee on the land l Licensed for CivilCermonies l Bride and Grooms room l In-house décor, theming andevent management l Fully licensed bar l Bespoke packages to suit all
Weddings, Civil Ceremonies, Banqueting, Engagements, Conferences,Exhibitions, Parties, Bat Mitzvah and Bar Mitzvahs
MAKE THE MOST IMPORTANT DAY OF YOUR LIFE AMEMORABLE ONE….AT GREENVUE VENUE…
With 8 acres of Land and scenery that will blow your mind, your day will always remain a special day filled with happy memories
www.greenvuevenue.co.uk Greenvue Venue, Mill HillCountry Club, Burtonhole Lane,Mill Hill London NW7 1ASTel: 0208 588 9651 Email: [email protected]
