INTERVIEW: Abaribe: I’m Determined To Be The Change In Abia

THIS DAY INTERVIEW

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe believes that Abia State, must strive to be the industrial heartland of the nation and he thinks of himself as a governor who can drive this. Segun James reports

Why do you want to become the next governor of the state?

My reason is simple: Abia State deserves the best possible material to lead it and I think I am the best person at this time to lead the state. This is the 21st century; this is also a transition year and this is also a year where so many things are happening both in Nigeria and all over the world. And what Abia needs now is a man that has integrity. Abia needs a man that has credibility, a man that has the capacity to do the job and Abia needs somebody, who at all times the people can go to sleep and say they know that Abia is in very good hands.

I am putting myself forward for Abia people to be the governor for all, not the governor of the North, South, East or West, but the governor for every Abia person. And I think that with the pedigree I have and with what I have done for the people of Abia and indeed, the people of Nigeria, all the oppressed people in this country know that I put them first in everything, that I will do a great job for them.

This will be your fourth or fifth attempt, do you think people will give you their votes this time?

I think that what is important is the adage: if you try and it doesn’t work, then you try again. It doesn’t matter how many times I have made attempts, I think that this is the right time and Abia people know and I have their support and their encouragement. I have had consultations with all persons in Abia, all manner of people; I have had with the leadership, I have had with the led, market women, with the youths, I have had with the political leaders, I have had with academia, I have had with all. At every point I have met with them, Abians asked for one thing: leadership that puts them first and I intend to do that.

As the Senate’s minority leader. What’s your take on the Electoral Act?

It is a good piece of legislation. It was meant to cure some of the problems that were in the previous acts all this while. The basic thing that we have in the Electoral Act today is the fact that it will make rigging almost impossible. There are two things that were done in that Electoral Act. First is the direct transmission of results in each polling unit. Even if you have problems in a polling unit, the cumulative of all the polling booths will give you a near accurate figure. Also, there is a provision in the Act that if you, by any means, force a Returning Officer to announce a result that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not have, that set of results will not be processed.

The other thing about the Electoral Act, which is good, is the very famous one, which everyone saw when the Senate rejected President Muhammadu Buhari’s amendment, which is section 84(12). What that section does is that it codified what was already supposed to be the norm of our society. Usually, if you want to run for election, the norm used to be that you would resign. You won’t sit in office and at the same time utilize your office to run and manipulate state resources in running for election.

There is an aspect of that legislation, which people talk about, which I do not think is in the law. I have heard it said that, if you have not resigned by now, you might not be eligible to contest; that you ought to have resigned. No law is made to be retroactive, so Section 84(12) doesn’t say that you ought to have resigned by now. What is actually in the law is that if you are going to be a delegate for the purpose of primary or you are going to be an aspirant or a contestant for the purpose of primary, leading to an election that you will have to resign. The stipulation as to time is what is in the Civil Service Rules because you are a public officer and you are subjected to the same Civil Service Rules, which is 30 days before any contest.

So, it is actually 30 days before primary or 30 days before congress if you are going to be a delegate. It is not for three months. When the parties set their dates, I believe the 30 days will now kick-start from the date the parties put for their elections. That is what is in 84(12).

The President, in his wisdom, has said that it conflicted with the 1999 Constitution, where that particular part of the constitution wasn’t mentioned. So, we didn’t know exactly what he meant. As far as we know, we think that if you are in office and you still want to be in that office and also run or contest for an election, what you are doing is that you are short-changing the country because your office will suffer. And of course, when you are running for office, what it means is that you are going to neglect your official duties, and you swore an oath to fulfil your duty towards the public and towards Nigeria, so you cannot balance the two at the same time. It is not going to be in the interest of the country. The interest of the country should come first.

So when we got that communication from the President, we said some people must have mis-advised him to write that letter. For example, I run the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and I now want to be President and then I want to contest for primary while I am still running the NNPC, something is going to suffer. And what is going to suffer actually is my job for the people of Nigeria in the NNPC. We should not allow that. We just didn’t think that these are things that we ought to codify, but we have found out that because it wasn’t codified people were taking advantage of it and staying in their offices and utilizing the office to run elections and of course, to the detriment of their duties. That was why we declined to put an assent to it.

The All Progressives Congress, APC, is trying to get a foothold in the South-east. What do you think are the chances of the PDP for the presidency and to retain power in Abia?

I don’t think the APC has had a foothold in the South-east. What the APC has done, just like they have done elsewhere, is to poach the leadership that is already there from the PDP and when they poach them, they give them a lot of bogus promises, which they never kept. So, at all times, the PDP will always win the South-east; we have no problem about that. It is obvious that the APC has nothing to offer the South-east and we repeat not just the South-east; the APC has nothing to offer the country. What will they offer you? Is it fuel that is at N600 per litre? You can’t fly, diesel is at almost N800 per litre. And of course the worst, which is that we are in the middle of rising oil prices at the international market, yet we are still crying that Nigeria is not benefitting from the development. This has never happened. At least, everybody can say that when there is rising oil prices, we can no longer borrow; we can pay our debts; we can reduce the deficit but none of that is happening, we are not saving and we are doing nothing. We should ask ourselves one question and that question is this: what manner of economic management does the APC do that has led us to this type of Nigeria where nothing, literally nothing, is working and the country is grinding to a halt? When we asked this question, we were told that the real problem is that we are paying subsidies. Two things we can take from here; this same APC said that there was nothing like subsidy. This same President Buhari said subsidy was a scam, yet subsidy has risen under this government three times or four times more than subsidy under President Goodluck Jonathan’s PDP government that they persecuted so much.

We should ask ourselves another question: how did the consumption of Prime Motor Spirit, PMS, rise under APC from the 28 million to 30 million litres a day under (Dr Ibe) Kachukwu as minister to about 100 million litres a day under the present leadership of the APC? Something is definitely wrong. How can, within three to four years, you tell us that the consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria has quadrupled; how could that be? So, what we see is something that is inexplicable. The United States has an energy department that has the consumption rate of all fuel you use all over the world. If you check their figures, the whole of West Africa doesn’t take up to 35 million of litres a day, the whole of West Africa and you tell me that Nigeria takes over 100 million litres a day and we are paying subsidies on this phantom figures. So, there are things we cannot explain. We all know that the APC has nothing to offer an average man in the South-east, who finds it very difficult to do business, who finds it very difficult to move about, even if he is an importer he has to come to Lagos and the cost of moving his goods to Abia is costlier than what he used to bring it from Europe to Lagos. So, how would anybody survive in this kind of condition? And now after everything they told us that if they remove the PDP from power, they will now give us electricity. I think that was what Mr (Babatunde) Fashola said then.

Now, they are telling us that electricity has fallen because it is the dry season and that the water level has fallen. The same thing they complained about under the PDP. So, you can see that these people came to power on the basis of an issue of propaganda, misinformation, lies and everything, they can no longer sustain it. Therefore, there is nothing for Nigerians to look forward to other than to bring the PDP back so that we can restore the country the same way we restored it from 1999 to 2015.

What is your take on the Igbo quest for the presidency? Will your party, PDP consider the region for its presidential ticket?

Yes, we are clamouring for a president from our zone because we think that every other part of Nigeria has had a shot at the presidency. But beyond that, we think that we have credible, competent and very qualified persons within the PDP from the South-east who can lead Nigeria and take it out of the problem that it has today. And we are also encouraging them that they should come out and contest; they should talk to people from every part of Nigeria because to take the cliché, power is not served a la carte. I am sure that we have many credible people from the South-East that can bring Nigeria back from the brink and the PDP looks good to win the presidency in 2023.

Why It’s Okay To Forget The Books You Read

BY NOORA SHAMSI BAHAR

What makes them my favourites, if I can't remember the names of the engrossing characters or the details of the intricate plots in some of my "favourite" books? Is something wrong with me? Is that faculty of my brain which stores and retrieves information faulty? Am I showing early signs of Alzheimer's or Dementia? Do I really even like reading? Am I not reading "properly" enough?

Sir Francis Bacon, an English philosopher, once wrote: "Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." Does this mean that I only "taste" books while reading and then spit them out soon after they go into my bookshelf? Am I simply a taster and not a digester?

I've come to realise that this is not a "problem" unique to myself and is in fact, quite common. I realise that in this digital era, with easy access to the internet and therefore, with information at my fingertips, I don't really have to have total/perfect recall. For example, I knew Bacon wrote something about books, so I simply used the search words "Francis Bacon on books" on Google, and voila, I had the essay from which I took the aforementioned quote. Siegfried Sassoon, a World War I poet, stated that "it is humanly certain that most of us remember very little of what we have read" and so, I've learned to forgive myself for forgetting, for I'm just an ordinary human.

With this realisation, one may ask, what's the point of reading, if I am going to forget most of it anyway? The answer is pretty simple. One shouldn't read to remember; rather, one should read for the experience of reading. We tend to prioritise recalling over experiencing. I can recall the different emotions I felt and the realisations I came to while reading the books I've read, with each experience different from the other.

While reading Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart (1958), I remember feeling that the Nigerian novelist had mastered the English language—the language of the colonialists. I was reminded of Shakespeare's "The Tempest", particularly the character Caliban, who tells his master Prospero, "You taught me language, and my profit on't Is I know how to curse." I remember feeling that Achebe had symbolically used the coloniser's tools to dismantle the master's house through his tale, which is aimed at the Western reader, and yet, at the same time, he was successful in portraying the African experience in English while preserving African authenticity, which by the way, is neither faultless nor idyllic.

Things Fall Apart is a masterpiece that allowed me to perceive the African people unlike the way white authors such as Joseph Conrad (through his Heart of Darkness) portrays them (in a racist, reductionist, stereotypical manner), thereby offering me the chance to see them through an alternate, non-colonial, authentic lens. I know the novel's name came from WB Yeats's poem, "The Second Coming" and while the poem is about the anti-Christ and the anarchy that he brings with him, the book is about colonisation and the consequent collapse of the Igbo society. The disintegration of values, customs, traditions, relationships, etc. of the Igbo people is also a result of internal flaws within that society, which Achebe didn't shy away from exposing. I remember feeling that the author was just as critical of the colonisers as he was of his own people and I couldn't help but marvel at his objectivity. I remember making a connection between Achebe's novel and Shirley Jackson's unsettling short story, "The Lottery'' because both texts have characters who question rituals such as human sacrifice, and both texts also have characters who cannot accept change. Lastly, I remember understanding the concept of cultural hegemony, where the white man did not need to resort to brute force to colonise the Igbo people in Achebe's novel; rather, colonisation came about through the latter's consent.

The reader of this essay may think that I remember a lot from reading the novel, but I cannot write another word unless I re-read the book again. I don't remember a single character's name or the relationships between characters and tribes, and I don't remember most of the flaws in the Igbo society that led to its demise when the British came into the picture. However, my experience of reading a book by an African author changed me in more ways than one. I got a glimpse of a culture and a people completely foreign to me, I made connections with other texts that I had read, and I understood theories that I had studied but could not apply until I read the novel.

I believe that even if you remember nothing but a certain intense, raw emotion that you felt while reading a book, you have a valid reason to pick up another book and continue to experience the joys of reading.

Noora Shamsi Bahar is a writer, translator, and Senior Lecturer at the Department of English and Modern Languages, North South University.

SOURCE: DAILY STAR

Legendary Folklorist, ‘Gentleman’ Mike Ejeagha Turns 92

BY AMARACHI ATAMA

A man who calls his kinsmen to a feast does not do so to save them from starving. They all have food in their own homes. When we gather together in the moonlit village ground, it is not because of the moon. Every man can see it in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to do so. Things Fall Apart.

We are here because we understand the importance of celebrating greatness. Onye fee eze, eze eru ya aka. We celebrate Gentleman for we know that if we thank a man for what he has done, he will have the strength to do more.

Gentleman Micheal Nwachukwu Ejeagha was born on 4th April 1930 in Enugu to Mr. Jacob and Jennet Ejeagha. He hails from Imezi-Ọwa in the Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State. He attended St. Patrick’s school Ogbette Enugu, came out in the year 1948 and joined Costain West Africa Limited, a construction firm. He took to music at the early age of 14. The love he has for music made him learn to play the musical instrument called guitar from two old guitarists in their 70s who lived in his neighbourhood in coal city.

In 1950, he assembled a quartet group known as the Merry Makers and in 1951 recorded a breakable disc titled, Colliery Massacre in honour of striking Iva valley Enugu coal miners killed by agents of the colonial government.

Later in 1952, Mike in a bid to reach out to more audience approached Mr Joe Atuona, Controller of Nigeria Broadcasting Service (NBS) now Radio Nigeria Enugu National Station for an audition which culminated in Mike being chosen as one of the station’s regular artists on a programme known then as “guitar playtime” a series produced by eminent and popular broadcasters like the late Egbuna Obidike, Lawrence Emeka, Charles Ogbonna, Chjioke Abagwe and a host of others. It was in 1959 that he joined the then paradise rhythm orchestra based in a popular hotel called Phonda Paradise here in Enugu. He later became the bandleader. Throughout this period, he was carving out his own style of music in the Igbo language and stood far from the maddening crowd of Ghana and Congo music copycats of those years.

Consequently, he was able then to compose and release a number of single discs under the Niger-Phone recording company at Onitsha. These include ‘Unfortunate Lady’ ‘Ofu Nwa a Naa,’ ‘Okụkọ Kwaa, Uche Echebe Onye Ugwọ,’ ‘King Solomon’s Wisdom (don’t divide the living child),’ ‘Ụwa Mgbede Ka Mma,’ ‘Gwo Gwo Gwo Gwom,’ and many others. He also released a single album in the memory of his late wife titled ‘Nwanyị Mma Anaa’ in 1964 -65.

He joined Leisure Garden Dance Band in 1964, and in the same year, he was able to form his group known as the Premier Dance Band and bought some musical instruments with the savings he made as an artist in Radio Nigeria. Just a year before the Biafra war in 1966, Mike Ejeagha got married again to Miss Susan Titil Oti, who was working with the Nigeria prison service.

Mention should also be made that he continued participating in the Radio Nigeria Enugu National Station Igbo play programme which was interrupted by the Biafra war and in 1971, he started the Akụkọ na Egwu Series with NTA and Sunrise ESBS radio station, Enugu.
He relocated with his family to Umuahia during the Nigeria-Biafra war. Returning after the war, he had lost his musical instrument which was parked in a storeroom. He became demoralized but he knew as our people say that if the hen stops clucking, what will she use to train her children so he later started all over to reorganize his band.

Gentleman Mike Ejeagha is a household name in the east of Niger and beyond. Is it not our people that said that he whose name is called again and again by those trying in vain to catch a wild bull has something he alone can do to bulls? The dexterity with which he plays the guitar cannot be mistaken for any other musician when one listens to popular tunes like ‘Omekagụ, Onye Ndidi, Onye Nwee, ọ na-ebe, onye enwero, ọ na-ebe, jaa m mma na ndụ to mention but a few. Also note that Mike Ejeagha stands out as one of the few musicians who never used his music for praise-singing as is common with most musicians.

Indeed, he has created an identity for himself yet to be matched by any. Gentleman’s music is full of proverbs and morals that philosophize aspects of everyday people in their social environment.

Scholars and artists use his wealth of experience in music and otherwise in academic exercise and research programmes. His idioms and wise sayings are used as references in our everyday social interactions. He succeeded in institutionalizing Igbo folklore music hence, ‘Akụkọ na Egwu Mike Egeagha.’

He is blessed with — children. Unfortunately, the Gentleman buried his wife Susana and later his son in the year 2020.

He is a member of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), which was founded by Christy Essien Igbokwe and Sunny Okosun in 1984.

He is a recipient of:
Silver Disc award, Polygram Records (now premier music).
Certificate of merit award by Black Power Movement.
Certificate of Excellence award, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Outstanding performance award by the Ezeagu Local government council on Igbudu day in 2001, Agbaja.

Udi/Ezeagu Merit Award in 2009.

Asides from his numerous singles, Gentleman Mike Ejeagha has over 30 albums to his credit.

Here is a Living-Legend of our time, ugo chara acha n’adighi echu echu.

Whittier Tech Students Earn Biliteracy Designation

Javier Infante Rodriguez of Haverhill with his seal of biliteracy. Image: Whittier Tech

BY MIKE LABELLA

HAVERHILL, MASS (EAGLE TRIBUNE) — Two Haverhill students who attend Whittier Tech are among four students recognized by school Superintendent Maureen Lynch for earning the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy distinction in Spanish.

The students are: Jesus Infante Rodriguez, a senior from Haverhill studying marketing education and business technology; Nolan Macario, a senior from Haverhill studying electronics/robotics; Roberto Catuc Coc, a senior from Newbury studying electrical and Julio Diaz, a senior from Groveland studying electronics/robotics.

The seal recognizes students who have achieved proficiency in English and at least one other language by high school graduation. Students were awarded this distinction based on their performance on the Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages test administered by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, school officials said.

Students also fulfilled the Carnegie unit credit requirements in English language arts. English Language Coordinator Susannah DiMauro, who serves as the Seal of Biliteracy adviser, helped prepare students for this comprehensive test, which was administered at the end of January.

“Thankfully I got this last-minute opportunity to take the test,” Macario said. “There are more opportunities within the workplace, college and scholarships after earning this distinction.”

The Seal of Biliteracy promotes excellence in the study of world language, respect for human differences by exposing students to other cultures and perspectives, and equity by honoring the diverse literacy skills of those in the community. It also provides evidence of biliteracy skills to future employers and college admissions officers.

“We are particularly proud of these students’ achievements, as they represent the highest number of State Seal recipients since our school began the program three years ago. This award is not easy to attain,” DiMauro said. “Students must have a high level of fluency in a partner language, demonstrating proficiency in all four domains of speaking, listening, reading and writing.”

DiMauro praised her school’s administration for initiating this program and for their support of Whittier’s diverse student body, who she said come with many gifts and talents in a number of different languages and cultures.

Eight heritage languages are represented across 1,261 students at Whittier Tech: Igbo, Swahili, Twi, Portuguese, Spanish, Pashto, Haitian Creole, and various Central American dialects of Spanish.

The Changing Face Of Burial Culture In Igbo Land

Burial rituals in Igboland. Image: Youtube

BY CHUKS OSUJI

One thing that is certain about a generational change is that nobody takes immediate notice of its occurrence until things come to a head, and far from what we used to know or do. For example, in Igbo culture, many changes have taken place in our society. But nobody can place his or her hand on when such change began. In every aspect of our culture – social, political, religion, business, etc – there had been a lot of generational changes. If we begin to enumerate them, there will be no end in sight.

In the past, I have tried to discuss many aspects of our culture. It is not because I know more than others. It is simply because I am a core Igbo man who appreciates, admires and cherishes the Igbo cultural heritage. I will like it to be preserved like others are preserving theirs.


Now to the subject at hand. When I came back from the United States in 1979, I attended the burial in my community. It was characterised with a lot of wailing. At the end of the burial, people were served with biscuits and soft drinks. Many years later, I attended another burial in a neighbouring community. When I got there, I saw a large number of mourners. There were many canopies punctuated with countless number of seats decorated with covers. When it was time to go for the church service, many people went to the church along with the coffin for the service. But a good number waited behind for the coffin to come back from the church.

During the church service, as the coffin was being brought in, it was followed by close relations, all clothed in beautiful uniforms. It was supposed to be a solemn moment. Copies of brochures were shared and everybody struggled to get a copy. But indeed it was not enough. At the end of the church service, the number of people that accompanied the coffin to the man’s family house was larger than the number that accompanied it to the church.

By the time we got to his house, the place was jampacked. To many, they wanted the burial rites performed fast in order to begin entertainment. One interesting aspect was that close members of the family were invited to dance. And they danced and danced. Naira currency notes of different denominations, including pounds and dollars were ‘sprayed’. Of course, the currencies splashed on the dancing family members made some impact as younger ones could be seen struggling to outdo one another in picking the notes. It became a melodrama.

Unlike what obtained in the past, the whole pattern of burial ceremonies have changed. Today, announcements are made on the radio, television and newspapers. Posters and banners are mounted and pasted all over the community. Different types of drummers, musical groups and singers are invited to perform. Canopies are mounted, and having under them several number of seats. During the entertainment, different types of groups are singled out and giving different types of entertainment. In some cases, lists are drawn up with items to be presented to ensure that requirements are met. Coolers upon coolers of different foods – jellof rice with or without chicken, white rice with different types of sauces and other delicacies are served.

From close observation, in every celebrated burial ceremony, a pyramid of drinks of different brands are made available to invited and uninvited guests. Today, it has become fashionable for young men in towns and villages to wander about looking for places where burials are taking place in order to attend to their own version of stomach infrastructure. These were not the case in time past, but today, things are changing, and changing very fast to the extent that one can say without fear of contradiction, that a new culture of burial is already here with us. But, please, let’s watch it so that we don’t replace the good with the bad.

-----------SUN NEWS

Peter Obi Brand And New Face Of Nigerian Politics

Peter Obi

BY EMEKA ALEX DURU

The nearest Nigeria had come to the Peter Obi politics of accommodation, was with the late Waziri Ibrahim’s ‘politics without bitterness’, in the 1979-1983 Second Republic.

Waziri, the presidential candidate of the then Great Nigerian Peoples Party (GNPP), abhorred anything associated with violence, in his quest for the presidency. He, really pioneered the dictum that his aspiration did not worth the blood of any Nigerian – a line of action that the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, adopted in 2015, leading to his conceding the presidential election of that year to Muhammadu Buhari, the first of such by an incumbent in the country’s history.

Obi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice presidential candidate in 2019 and 2023 presidential aspirant, has widened the frontiers of that politics of accommodation. In appearing at the Abuja venue where a fellow aspirant, Atiku Abubakar was making public declaration of his intention for the same ticket, Obi took a route that many had considered unusual. It is not normal here, for an aspirant to be seen at a function organised another. They are rather, usually seen as rivals.

Those that were stunned at Obi’s appearance at Atiku’s declaration, were therefore substantially in order – after all, it was the philosophers that defined ethics as the prevailing conduct of a people. By taking the action, Obi had gone off the line.

But he has an explanation. Running for an office, for him, is not a matter of life-and-death, especially with an opponent that has the advantage of age, at least, in an African setting. Obi is 61, Atiku is in his mid-70s. The gap in age is wide. Thus, the only way to contextualize the situation, is the analogy of the relationship between a master and his apprentice in Igbo apprenticeship world view.

I’m an Igbo man and we’re traders. Even an Oga (Master) who settles his boy-boy (Apprentice) can open a shop besides him even when they sell the same products. Most of the people I’ve settled in my business sell the same products and we struggle for the same customers. I’m used to it. I’ll compete against Atiku. But it doesn’t make us enemies”, he said.

That is the Obi brand, a novel disposition in politics that is devoid of acrimony and pettiness. But beneath the advertisement of accommodation, is a mind that sees leadership as serious business. At a recent forum in Lagos, he had taken time to explain to his audience, the need for committed and serious minded leadership as the only way for Nigeria to get at out of its present piteous situation. Leadership for him, is not an engagement for the frivolous or faint-hearted.

In his meeting with the council of Anambra traditional rulers and presidents-general of the 177 communities in the state to inform them of his intention to run for the presidency, he was emphatic that his aspiration was essentially to fix the country that is currently broken in many respects.

He said; “my interest in the presidency of Nigeria is to restore security and revamp our educational sector and also revive the health sector. I have seriously studied our country and I have come to discover that all that we need is to ensure security so that foreign aid local investments would thrive in all parts of the country. I have come to serve Nigeria and I am sure of restoring our country and uniting the country because if there is no unity in Nigeria we cannot move ahead”.

For emphasis, he stated; “I am not contesting because I want a political appointment but to serve this country and unite Nigeria. I am the only person that can unite Nigeria.”

Not even his opponents or critics would take that away from him. Obi falls into the class of leaders, the iconic Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu recommended for Nigerians in his well-received book, “Because I am involved”.

Ikemba had in the text, raised a valid question, ‘What kind of leaders do we need?’ He proceeded with an answer; “We need leaders who are servants of the people, not their masters. We need leaders who will serve first the common man. We require leaders who will ensure fairness and equity to the various groups. We need leaders who must be embodiment and at all times, exemplify the ideas of our nation. We need leaders who will keep alive the flames of our national aspirations. We want leaders who will be trusted friends of the people and protectors of the disadvantaged and oppressed. We require leaders who will have the right judgement both of people and situations. We want leaders who must be accountable to the people and are subjected to the collective will of the people”.

Bill Newman in his “10 Laws of Leadership”, adds, that a leader must have a vision, stressing forcefully, that the vision must be fulfilled by goals that work toward the achievement of the vision.

Obi has these attributes in quantum. His record in human and material resource management while serving as Anambra State governor, remains an open copy. In a system characterized by departing governors leaving their successors with debts and the treasury in red, Obi did the extra-ordinary in maintaining a clean record.

Apart from not owing the workers, contactors or any person or group that had financial dealings with the state, he bequeathed to his successor money to pay three months’ salaries, run schools for a year and start more projects. To cap it, he left in savings, N75 billion ($156 million, and the rest in naira) with documents to prove same.

He has also been staying around with the people, moving from one community to another, preaching good governance, moral rectitude and critical reappraisal of the country’s leadership recruitment process, if we are to get it right – a clear departure from the trend by some of his colleagues who prefer hibernating abroad.

Obi has further challenged the people to do due diligence on the pedigree and antecedents of those coming before them to seek their votes. He has not asked to be excluded from the searchlight. There can be no better definition of transparency.

For a presidency that has been lately bogged by opacity and parochial considerations in the conduct of its affairs, resulting to the country sliding in all indexes of development, Peter Obi comes handy in getting things working. He needs a chance to prove his mettle.

Soludo, Uche Onyeagocha And The Igbo Patriots

Charles Chukwuma Soludo

BY KENNY GUY

Beside the irrepressible elder statesman, Chief Mbazulike Amaechi, the other two prominent Igbo men , who have been very consistent and at the forefront of demanding for the unconditional release of ONYENDU, MNK, are Hon Uche Onyeagucha and Governor Chukwuma Soludo ( Charlie Nwa Mgbafor)

Any honest Igbo man , who have followed these great men , will acknowledge without any shades of doubt that unlike other political bandits of Igbo extraction , these men are full blooded Igbo men, who love Ndi Igbo and are working tenaciously to achieve the renaissance of the Igbo heartland.

Over 95% of Ndi Igbo , beside the greedy political bandits and their minions are happy and proud of the emergence of Prof Soludo as the Governor of Anambra state. We all support and pray that he succeeds and pave the way for the emergence of other honest , pragmatic,development minded and sincere Igbo men in the commanding heights of politics and political offices in Igbo land and beyond.

For most honest and sincere Igbo men, the IPOB struggle represents the average quest of Ndi Igbo in Nigeria. IPOB truly speaks the mind of the average Igbo man . We may not all agree on their approach, but the message and reasons behind the struggle are just and unimpeachable.

There is nothing that Onyendu , MNK stated that will happen in Nigeria under bubu in 2014 , that have not happened and more . There is no honest Nigerian , that will not acknowledge the truth that the average Igbo man has been marginalised and denied their right of place in Nigeria .

It is the height of compound foolishness for anyone or group of people to assume that they can hold the Igbo nation of more than 50million people down and have peace and progress . No way !!!.

It may not be politically expedient and convenient now for Prof Charles Chukwuma Soludo to come out swinging on all cylinders on the Igbo question in Nigeria ,but if I am close to him , I will advise him to find back and front door Channels to reach out robustly to MNK, the IPOB leadership and even the hard hitting Ekpa Simon , to dialogue and find a way of bringing peace to Ala Igbo .

We need peace and tranquility in Anambra state and Igbo land to make progress .

The average Igbo youth have been greatly wronged and massacred by the agent of the Nigerian state since 2014 to now . We must start by acknowledging the truth that Nigeria and her agents committed crimes and genocide against umu Igbo and IPOB . And beg them to forgive . You cannot wrong a man, be arrogant and intransigent in your evil and expect peace to reign.

This open acknowledgment and plea for forgiveness by the Igbo intelligentsia and progressive political leadership , led by Prof Soludo will go a long way in assuaging their anger and wrath .

I am happy that Prof Soludo has called for a town hall meeting for us to discuss the way forward for peace to reign in Anambra, and Igbo land . But beyond this public meetings, backdoor and front door channels must be established to court and make peace with our youths , who have been totally wronged . We need to build trust . We need to convince them that we are committed to the course/cause of freedom and self determination and pursuit of the unconditional release of MNK.

Personally, I am convinced that Nigeria as presently structured is not redeemable. I am also convinced that a majority of the current political office holders and gladiators are not ready , willing and able to stand for what is right and just . They are mainly after what they will steal , loot and destroy.

I also want to use this medium to appeal to the leadership of IPOB and Mazi Simon Ekpa Group to call off the sit at home order in Ala Igbo and partner with Honest and sincere Ndi Igbo, like Prof Soludo to push for the release of Onye Ndu MNK. QUEST for Self determination is not a sin . We need to protect our people and industry..we need to create the atmosphere for peace in Ala Igbo . We should never lend ourselves to pronouncements and actions that the enemies of Ndi Igbo and 5th Columnists can leverage upon to create Havoc in Ala Igbo

Onye Ndi Iro gbara gburu gburu na eche ndu ya nche. I truly come in peace.

God help us

------------------STANDARD OBSERVERS

INTERVIEW: What I Find Most Attractive In A Man — Genevieve Nnaji

Genevieve Nnaji attends the 13th Annual Essence Black Women In Hollywood Awards Luncheon at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on February 06, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. Image: David Livingston

AZHU ARINZE’S CONVERSATIONS WITH SHOWBIZ STARS

How does it feel to have risen this far within so short a time?

I’m trying to handle it as much as I can. It feels fulfilling. I feel I’m having the best of my time. I feel the Lord is with me. I feel I have been able to make an impact on people and I have a lot of fans and I’m enjoying my life. It feels good.

To what or whom do you owe all that?

God’s gift, talent, determination, pride …

What do you mean by pride? They say it goes before a fall. And now you are saying it is responsible for your success?

You have to have pride to be able to stand the crowd, you have to have pride to be able to stand the intimidation and arrogance of people. Especially people who feel you have to pay dues to get to where you are going. You have to have the pride and stamina to tell them boldly you know what you are doing; they didn’t bring you to the industry, you will leave when you want to and you leave because you want to.

Where do you want to or hope to be in the next 10 years?

In the next 10 years, I know I will be married with kids. But I think it all depends on what God has fashioned out for me. I know I will still be in the entertainment industry or the fashion world or whatever.

What do you like most about stardom?

The fact that it opens doors for you is what I like most about it. You walk into a place and every other person is queuing up for one thing or the other, they just start to recognize you. Oh! come in, come in… it’s actually a door opener for us or for me. It has brought respect, especially when you do what you are doing well. What I hate most about it is the price that we get to pay for stardom- negative publicity, the untrue scandals; actually, the only thing I hate about is the bad press.

What will you say is the worst story ever written about you in the press?

So many bad things. But the one I hated most was the one of Fred Amata and I, which I don’t know where they got it from. It hurt me so much. It was not just fair.

How do you feel anytime you read negative things about your person in the media?

Certainly, I don’t feel good…

What if the stories are true, but maybe you were not expecting them to be published?

It’s rarely been the truth . Maybe a bit of it, but that’s not how it happened. The press never tells the story the way it is. It’s usually a bit from here and a bit from there. For a very long time, they have not written anything true about me…

How did you come into the movie industry?

I have been acting since I was eight in Ripples. that was how I got into acting. For movies, I think that should be 1998 in Most Wanted. I met Torino (Emeka Ojukwu) in a bus and to my greatest surprise, he recognized me, from Ripples, when I was about eight, nine. He asked why I left the industry. He later invited me to this audition- Most Wanted. I got a role, a ‘waka-pass’ and that was it.

But the story we heard was that Kunle Coker brought you in and that both of you even dated?

Yes, Kunle Coker was actually my boyfriend. But he did not bring me into the industry.

What do you find most attractive in a man?

The fact that a man will take me for who I am, not for what he hears or what he believes. I like people who take me for the me they see. That’s the most important thing. And have regard for me. And trust too.

What do you think is the biggest mistake that men make with women?

Everyone makes mistakes. But to me, I will not tolerate any man who

hits women. To me, that’s evil.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I believe in infatuation at first sight. Love is a very strong feeling. It does not just come. People think infatuation is being in love. They are two different things. You don’t know anything yet until you get to meet the person and you begin to fall in love. Not just physically, but externally with the person.

Can you recollect the first time you fell in love?

Yes!

Tell us about it.

I think we met at a show. This was when I was in secondary school and we shared a lot of things in common- singing. It was a case of two compatible people who were so much in love with each other and…

So, what eventually happened?

Like I said, relationships must come and go. You can’t help everything that happens. Some things just happen for no reason .

What’s your definition of love?

Love has to be understanding, caring. Love, to me, is being with somebody for 24 hours without being bored. Love is catching your breath every time you see whoever you are in love with· Love is friendship, love is understanding and love is trust.

Do you believe in being faithful in a relationship?

Yeah! I’m very faithful.

Can you date a fan?

I’ve never dated a fan. And I don’t know if I can. But people come around to toast as per fans. But it’s a matter of nicely telling them off. There are different reasons why fans like or love artistes. So, it actually depends on why my fan loves me. It depends. Although, I don’t think it is advisable to date a fan. The reason being that people are in love with what they see on the screen, not the real you.

What’s your greatest wish?

That God continues to bless me. Especially with the right man and a good family.

What’s your favourite colour?

Blue.

What are your hobbies?

Singing, dancing…

Let’s have your bio-data. People don’t seem to know much about you?

I’m from Aboh-Mbaise in Imo State. I went to Kemistar Nursery and Primary School, Surulere; Methodist Girls High School, followed by one in Ikeja. I kept on moving. But ended up at Girls Secondary School, Akwakuma in Owerri, Imo State.

Why have you not furthered your education?

Life is not the same for everybody. Some people are so lucky, they come out of secondary school and they go straight to university because they have the back-up of people and it’s so easy. It looks simple…mine was different. But I’m determined. Definitely, I’m gonna go back to school. I wanted to make money, I love my money, I cherish my own money. So, I will go back when I’ve made enough. But even while I’m there, I won’t stop working.

Tell us about your parents, what do they do?

My parents are there. My mum is a teacher and my dad is retired.

What was your dad into before his retirement?

He was a bank manager with African Continental Bank (ACB) …I’m the fourth of eight children, the third girl. We are four girls, four boys. I come from a very strong Christian family. And I think that has been able to have an effect on my life, especially since I came into the industry. You see, even when people go out to say all sorts, my mother knows the kind of daughter she has. She knows the limit that I can go.

She must have been devastated when you took in, in your teens?

Well, well …I think so.

What was your childhood like?

My childhood was fun. It was fun. You don’t get to get all that these days.

What’s the greatest complement that has ever come your way?

My complexion.

.......VANGUARD

Dr. Chinelo Megafu

Dr. Chinelo Megafu

B Y OSITA CHIDOKA

I spoke to Dr Chinelo's father. We have a mutual friend. He is in pain. He told me that he did his NYSC in Kaduna in 1982. He had fond memories of KD before this descent to chaos.

He doesn't know how to get to Kaduna. Airlines are cancelling flights, train from Abuja is not an option, the road to Kaduna is under the control of bandits.

I told him Nigeria did not happen to you. Bad governance did. It was in Nigeria that Igbos who returned to the North after the war got the rents their neighbours collected on their behalf while they were away. It was in Nigeria that Umaru Altine defeated Igbos to emerge the Mayor of Enugu.

It was in Nigeria, parents sent their teenage Children to Federal government colleges by train without a minder. It was in Nigeria that I went on holiday to Maiduguri by Bus from Enugu with my sister at ages 11 and 10. We arrived at 2 am, and by 5 am, my Uncle came and picked us up from Federal Low cost. We left in the darkness of early morning.

It was not Nigeria that happened to any of us. It was our collective surrender to bad governance. It is our collective acceptance of corruption as a way of life. It is our collective enthronement of mediocrity, so pervasive that our measure of Presidential Aspirants is by how much money they have somehow acquired.

We took a wrong turn and must retrace our steps or submit to descent to anarchy.

Bad governance will happen again if we sell the Presidency in 2023. It is not Nigeria that will happen. It will be our collaboration with evil that will kill the next Dr Chinelo.

We are paying the price of divisive & clueless governance.

Hefty price.

Israeli Event At United Nations Commemorates Victims Of Slavery

An enslaved man who bought his freedom and wrote compellingly about his experiences, Olaudah Equiano (c. 1745–1797) was an extraordinary man who became a prominent figure associated with the campaign to abolish the slave trade.

Equiano was born in what is now Nigeria and sold into slavery aged 11. After spells in Barbados and Virginia he spent eight years travelling the world as slave to a British Royal Navy officer, who renamed him Gustavus Vassa. His final master, an English merchant in Montserrat, let him buy his freedom for £40 – almost a year’s salary for a teacher, but Equiano made it in three years of trading on the side.

Equiano worked as an explorer and merchant for 20 years, and eventually settled in England, the country where he had converted to Christianity in 1759. With the encouragement of the Abolitionists, who campaigned against the slave trade, he published these memoirs in 1789.

This book – one of the first in Europe by a Black African writer – was an enormous success, selling out immediately. This, the second edition, was published the same year. Equiano travelled widely to promote the book, and became wealthy from its royalties.

The ability of this cultured and intelligent man to relate first-hand the horrors of slavery helped sway public opinion, and by 1807 Britain had formally abolished the trade. Equiano did not live to see it; he died in 1797, leaving his English wife and two daughters.

In 2007, the first edition of Equiano's book was carried in procession at a special service in Westminster Abbey, London, to commemorate the bicentenary of Britain’s Abolition of the Slave Trade Act.

BY MIKE WAGENHEIM

A film recounting a tale of African bondage and freedom, told through modern-day social media, becomes the focal point for a U.N.-sponsored event to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Jews will celebrate and commemorate their exodus from slavery during the upcoming Passover holiday, utilizing the Haggadah to retell to their children the biblical story.

Would the Israelites have been granted their freedom earlier had social media existed them to capture the injustice? Would it have changed things for an African child in the 1700s who was sold into slavery?

To mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade on March 25, the Permanent Mission of Israel to the United Nations initiated a special event on Tuesday that featured excerpts from the Israeli film “Equiano.Stories.” It presents the story of Olaudah Equiano through Instagram stories. Equiano was abducted and sold into slavery as a child in 1756 before securing his freedom and working to end the slave trade in Great Britain.

“We, the Jewish people and the State of Israel feel sympathy towards victims of racism and slavery because our people endured the same kind of suffering as we’re going to commemorate two weeks from now during Passover,” Gilad Erdan, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, told JNS. “I think it had an extremely important effect that the formal event to commemorate the victims of slavery was focused on an Israeli production and it was based on the initiative of the Israeli mission to the U.N., and it exposes the truth about all of our enemies and political rivals who are trying to brand Israel as an apartheid state and the truth is stronger than anything else.”

Erdan has prioritized strengthening ties between Israel and African countries in the United Nations while emphasizing common values in the fight against racism. This event is designed to continue emphasizing these common values.

Showing the importance of the Israeli initiative, the president of the U.N. General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, decided to hold the event as an official one for all U.N. members.

“Equiano.Stories connects us to the past in a way that is often hard to achieve, particularly as we are prone to see the past as something long ago, distant and unrecognizable,” said Shahid.

The event featured the first visit to the United Nations by New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

Addressing participants, Adams drew parallels between the evils shows in the film and global ills today, such as accelerating climate change, hunger and conflict.

Urging multilateral action, he said that the world body “must be more than a symbolic building; it must be a rallying cry.”

United States Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke remotely, and technology and media entrepreneur Mati Kochavi, who produced “Equiano.Stories,” addressed the gathering, which included former NBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire, a convert to Judaism. The permanent representatives of Jamaica and Senegal, along with the permanent observer of the African Union, also spoke, as did the chair of the Task Force on Addressing Racism and Promoting Dignity for All in the United Nations Secretariat, U.N. Under-Secretary-General Catherine Pollard.

‘His words were his power’

“Equiano.Stories,” an excerpt of which was featured during Tuesday’s event, reimagines the childhood saga of Olaudah Equiano, an 11-year-old boy living in a vibrant Igbo village in West Africa in 1756. Deeply connected to his family and community, he happily documents his life in the village through stories shared with his followers. But one day, Equiano and his sister are kidnapped from their home. They are separated, and Equiano is transported alone, by foot, to Africa’s Western shore. There, he is made to board a slave ship.

Equiano would go on to buy his freedom and wrote compellingly about his experiences in the book, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, The African. The film tells his tale as a modern-day self-recorded, first-person account, within the format of Instagram stories, using video, still images and text, highlighting the struggle and strength of African people during the Middle Passage—the stage of the Atlantic slave trade in which millions of enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas.

“When George Floyd was murdered, the horrific video, captured on a cellphone, shocked the world into action. And as [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin’s forces unleash senseless violence on Ukraine, the images we’re seeing and the stories we’re reading in real time have rallied the global community to stand united with the people of Ukraine,” said Thomas-Greenfield. “We see these same dynamics play out in brutal conflicts and under repressive regimes around the world. Activists and everyday civilians who are able to share their stories and call on others to help, and it really can make a difference.”

“In Olaudah Equiano’s time, they didn’t have smartphones or social media. But he used the tool he had at his disposal to share his story with the world: his words. His words were his power,” she emphasized.

‘The commonality is our past’

One of the writers and directors said she saw her own Israeli identity in Equiano’s story, which is one of the aspects of the saga that drew her to the film project.

“As an Israeli, the values of family and the values of humanity are incredibly important and something that mean a lot to us, and we saw that very clearly in Equiano’s story in the way that he describes his family, in the way that he fights for humanity and fight for his freedom. And not only in the way that he bought his own freedom, but then went on to fight for the freedom of his people and spent his whole life fighting for the freedom of his people, and that’s just something that really resonated with us,” Adi Kochavi told JNS.

Erdan, who has placed a priority on strengthening ties between Israel and African countries in the United Nations, said that Tuesday’s event was designed to emphasize common values in the fight against racism and anti-Semitism.

“Both of our fights emanate from a history of enslavement. …The commonality is our past, and this is what makes Israelis so empathetic to Africans, whose equality, dignity and self-determination was stolen in the slave trade,” said Erdan. “This commonality is why it is so important for Israel’s Mission to the United Nations, and for me as its ambassador, to have initiated today’s presentation.”

SOURCE: JEWISH NEWS SYNDICATE

‘She Waged A War’: A Daughter’s Intimate Look At Nigeria’s Most-Decorated Figure

Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr

BY ASHKLEY OKWUOSA

TVO.org speaks with author Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr about her mother, Dora Akunyili, and how she battled discrimination and death threats to take on corruption

In 1988, Dora Akunyili’s sister died after being given fake insulin to treat her diabetes. It was not an isolated incident: estimates suggest that up to 80 per cent of the drugs in circulation in Nigeria at the time were counterfeit.

Akunyili, who’d earned her PhD in ethnopharmacology in 1985, would make the fight against fake medicine her life’s work.

In 2001, she became the director-general of Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, where she worked to reduce the circulation of counterfeit drugs in the country. Not long into her tenure, the BBC reported that her team had confiscated £140,000 worth of fake drugs.

Akunyili also relied heavily on public-education campaigns. While her efforts were successful, she received death threats; in 2003, she survived an assassination attempt after a bullet shattered the windscreen of her car and pierced her headscarf.

Eleven years later, Akunyili died of cancer. She is said to be the most honoured Nigerian ever, having received more than 1,000 awards.

Earlier this year, Akunyili’s daughter, Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr — a Toronto-based author and speaker — published a book about her mother’s life titled I Am Because We Are: An African Mother’s Fight for the Soul of a Nation. TVO.org speaks with Akunyili-Parr about her mother’s legacy, hope in politics, and the importance of interdependence and community.

TVO.org: For those who might not know your mother, can you describe her briefly and tell us what she represented?

Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr: She was at some point named “Man of the Year” — that’s the kind of person my mom was. She was called an Amazon by many people, so this is to say that she was a strong woman. She was very publicly recognized for the work she did while at the helm of the Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, where she served as the director general. And that work was very important because it is a sector that is the vein of a country.

All of us, every single day, put food and medicine into our bodies. Imagine if the food and medicine were counterfeit and doing the opposite of what they were supposed to do. It’s not nourishing you; it’s killing you. And this is not an overstatement. This was going on, and many people were dying, including my own mother’s sister, who died as a result of fake insulin.

She took the work to heart, and she waged a war. She called it a war against fake drugs. She didn’t do this alone; she brought the people of Nigeria along with her, sensitized them on what the actual problem was and empowered them to be a part of this journey. She came to the attention of millions, not just by virtue of her words but also by her actions and the 80 per cent reduction in fake drugs that happened in Nigeria.

She as a hard-working woman who was looking out for the well-being of the people. The people were very central to her. She really saw the power of shared humanity and guarded it, because that's what it means to be human and to be each other's brothers and sisters.

TVO.org: I recently watched a news clip from Nigeria’s National Television Authority that featured a tribute to her after her death. In the video, Nigerians here in Canada — in Ottawa — were mourning her death. One man said, “She gave us hope.” What was it about her life that affected people, even those watching from here?

Akunyili-Parr: Growing up in Nigeria, it was very common for us to sit around the dinner table and bemoan the state of affairs, politics, leadership. It was this hopelessness, and all we could do was just complain. Nigerians have had very few individuals that represented a new possibility for the country, so when she came along, it was exciting, because that’s what Nigerians have been desiring. She embodied that Nigeria that was in our hearts as a dream.

And how did she do this? She worked hard, refused bribes, and she had several assassinations attempts on her life as a result of saying no to compromising herself on this war against fake drugs. When you can see someone who embodies something that is otherwise sort of a dream, maybe dismissed as unrealistic — someone who doesn’t take bribes, someone who is not corrupt, someone who cares about the people… We had very much bought into that story that we’ve always known, but in truth is not who we are. She was a different story and has inspired so many others; we didn’t have to be that single story of what it means to be Nigerian.

TVO.org: There’s so much to be said about being a woman in politics and the sense that it is an old boys’ club. Can you share a little bit about what your mother experienced and how she overcame it?

Akunyili-Parr: A friend of mine just finished reading the book, and she said that it shows the struggles of women that shattered the glass ceiling, because my mother shattered expectations. But there are scars along that route; there's a cost to that. From the get-go, she stepped into this job with something to prove, because there were concerns that she couldn't handle it, because she was a woman. There was a cost to her family. She had six children; she was away all the time. But luckily, we were older when she got the job. At some point, there was a threat to her children. My little brother's life was threatened as a way of getting to her, and he had to be removed from the country.

But my mother's superpower was whatever you threw at her, she used almost as a weapon. So: “You think I can't do it because I'm a woman? I’ll show you.” Or “you think I'm going to be corruptible because of XYZ? I’ll do the opposite.”

“Try to kill me because I'm doing good work, and I’ll get even stronger.”

TVO.org: In this book, you write in her voice and tell her story. I wonder what you wanted us to take from her story and what you think she would have wanted readers to take from the story of her life?

Akunyili-Parr: I was very clear that this was not the unattainable story of a hero or a story for us to look at how amazing she was and be impressed by that. At the core, I wanted to tell a human story, a story that would help us realize that she was you and I — she was just a girl. She was just an Igbo girl who believed in herself and what she had to offer and whose values were shaped by growing up in a village, raised by her grandmother who was this incredible matriarch and had deep values that she bestowed upon her — values of hard work, of honesty, of community, and all these things that became part of who she was. She was just a person who felt pain like we all do, was heartbroken, questioned herself, had insecurities.

But there were some key elements that I anchor in the book: her faith and her own inner belief that there was a purpose to her life. In many ways, she's sharing who she is so that we can find who we are. She is telling you her story so that you can understand that your story is powerful. In the beginning of each chapter, I start with an African proverb, and one of the ones that people have really loved is “if you think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never spent a night with a mosquito.” And I think in many ways, that captures her life. She always believed that she could make a difference anywhere she was put. She started with a group in a local village, where she built a clinic. and then someone saw that and put her in a local government and so on. So, I would say that it's knowing yourself, stepping into the truth of who you are, and knowing that your story is being written and that you are the author of that.

TVO.org: Another major theme in the book is Ubuntu, which you describe as the importance of community over the individual. In these times, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are seeing that our own individual actions have shared consequences.

Akunyili-Parr: Ubuntu stems from different Bantu languages. It is an African humanist philosophy; one of the translations is “a person is a person to other people.” Another is “I am because you are. You are because we are.” Something that a friend who did a PhD in Ubuntu always makes sure to remind people of is that it’s not always about the human part of it; it’s also about recognizing the bigger world we are part of. Everything is interconnected, and everything is part of this very beautiful delicate balance.

My mother had this saying at the end of the last speech she made before she passed a few months later. She ended with “a society grows great when old men plant trees under whose shade they know they shall never sit.” And I believe that is the essence of Ubuntu — that interconnectedness is so delicate and so powerful. My mother’s life not just Ubuntu because she decided to show up, but in how she showed up. She was consciously showing up to safeguard lives, knowing that every life matters. She saw fake drugs as a huge problem because human potential is incredible, and when lives are lost senselessly, so is the potential they had to have contributed deeply to community.

This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.

Ontario Hubs are made possible by the Barry and Laurie Green Family Charitable Trust & Goldie Feldman.

Proffer Solution To Frequent Collapse Of Our National Grid, UNN VC Charges Engineers

IMAGE: UNN.EDU.NG

BY IKECHUKWU ODU

NSUKKA, ENUGU STATE (VANGUARD) - The Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, Prof. Charles Igwe, on Friday, charged engineers to intensify researches aimed at finding lasting solution to the energy crisis which results in frequent collapse of the national grid.

The Vice Chancellor who described energy as the life wire of all the sectors of the economy, said that the prospect of the nation towards solving its myriad of challenges may not be feasible without reliable electricity.

He made the statements during his opening address at the 19th Herbert Macaulay Memorial Lecture, HMML, christened ‘The Path to Stable Electricity in Nigeria,’ organised by the Faculty of Engineering, UNN, at the St. Teresa’s College Main Hall, Nsukka.

He also described Herbert Macaulay as one of the first Nigerian nationalists who championed Nigerian independence, adding that UNN would continue to recognize his great contributions to national development.

He equally said that UNN instituted HMML lecture series to highlight the several faces of a man who has been described as the father of Nigerian nationalism and to encourage present day engineers, surveyors, architects and other professionals to learn from his professional lifestyle and make every effort to leave good footprints on the sands of time.

While delivering the HMML lecture, the Managing Director of Azura Power West Africa Limited, Eric Okeke, said the problem of energy problem in the country is lack of money.

He also said “This is because, without money, whatever product we develop is a waste. In simple terms, what makes a product attractive to the inventor is simply the ability of that product to generate money. Is there a market for this my product and if there is, are people ready to pay me to enjoy the services of my product? Once the answer is yes, then we are in business. But where a product is not attractive enough for users to pay for it, or where it is attractive, but the owner does not have the mechanism to collect payment,then no matter how beautiful that product is, it is a failure,” he explained.

Okeke also said that lack of enough energy generation, transmission and distribution capacity to ensure that consumers enjoyed stable electricity in their homes and offices, as well as non cost reflective tariff to ensure that value chain was operated and maintained efficiently, and investments made for future growth, were the two major issues resulting in inaccessibility of energy in Nigeria.

He also said “Nigerians have always taken electricity as a social product which should not be paid for. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly when this attitude emerged; but it stands to reason that electricity from the grid became increasingly unstable (and so served as a backup power source to most people rather than their primary source), people stopped paying for a product they were not receiving. Cognizant of this, the government at the point of privatisation planned to increase the tariff over time.

“The logic was that people would only start paying when service had improved, and service would only improve if the previous issue of under capacity was solved,” he said.

He however said poor private investments in power sector had been attributed to fear of investors to recoup money invested as electricity consumers most times feel reluctant to pay for service rendered.

“Power generation is cost effective,so the inability of some customers to pay for service rendered have been a drawback to electricity distribution companies in the country,” he said.

Mr. James Agada, an Engineer and Managing Director, Ixzora Laboratories in a keynote address said that the problems of stable electricity in Nigeria has to do with technical, political and economic challenges.

“Technical, political and economic are among the challenges militating against stable electricity in Nigeria

“It is also an opportunity for policy makers to create an environment and structure where such private generation can be fed back to the public grid,” he said

Earlier, Prof Emeka Obe, Dean, Faculty of Engineering in UNN said that electricity remain the key driver of every modern economy.

According to him, “electricity is the base of infrastructure on which nearly every other infrastructure relies.

“The lecture provides us with the avenue to interact with distinguished professionals who have the love for our faculty and indeed our university at heart,” he said.

The Dean, however appealed for help to enable the faculty to have a 1000 capacity lecture theater, new and separate building for seven departments, among others

Excellence, Job Quality Behind Our Success In Industrial Cleaning — CEO Som-Tee Group

9 NEWS INTERVIEW

BY NWANKWO PASCHAL

Somtochukwu Ezeaniomenyi. Image via 9 News

Somtochukwu Ezeaniomenyi is the Chief Executive officer, CEO, Som-Tee Group, a multilateral cleaning company in Anambra state. He is a young and dynamic Nigerian entrepreneur currently making waves in industrial cleaning business. Born to Igbo parents of Neni extraction in Anambra state, Somto, in this interview with LAWRENCE NWIMO x-rayed his experiences in the female dominated cleaning business and what triggered his passion to be an entrepreneur. He also spoke on the draw-backs hindering business and what government must do to help young entrepreneurs in the state and country. Excerpts:

Can we meet you?

My name is Somtochukwu Ezeaniomenyi. I’m a native of Umuabani Village, Neni in Anaocha Local Government Area Anambra State I am the Managing Director of Som-Tee Cleaning Services Ltd.

How was your Childhood days and family experience?

My growing up was fun. Though I was not born with a silver spoon, it was not too tough because I am the sixth child out of seven and the second boy out of three so I had siblings that are older, though there were ups and down, you know. I didn’t grow up in a first class family and because that, it was a tough fight, trying to make it through the primary, secondary and then tertiary institutions.

What was your childhood dream?

My childhood dream was to become an engineer but later switched my desire to becoming a lawyer.

Now, you are neither an engineer nor a lawyer, what happened to the both?

Well. Like I said, when I was growing up, actually, my first dream was to become an engineer because I loved constructing and repairing things. But that dream was shattered in my secondary school because I was bad in physics – so, I switched from Science to an Art class and my interest shifted from being and engineer to a lawyer because I felt I was very good in arguments. I never saw me becoming a professional cleaner or establishing a company for business, laughs.

What drove you into Professional Cleaning?

I started cleaning job immediately after my secondary education. Within the one year I stayed at home waiting for admission; I had a friend of my sister that was into industrial cleaning then. My sister linked me up to him and I was working for him as a laborer; that was in 2014 and I was being paid one thousand naira (N1,000) per day because I did more of the menial jobs. The nature of the job was tough for me at that time. Again, it needed strong hands but I devoted my time with him to learning the craft. I worked for him for ten days before he suddenly stopped calling me for works after he noticed that I was gradually learning the craft indirectly. As a result, each time I called my colleagues to know how far, they would say they went for work. Then when I ask my Oga, he would say ‘work no dey.’

What happened later?

On December 2014, A friend of mine whose uncle just finished building a house, convinced me to go and meet his uncle for the job. I had wanted to link the man to my boss because I was scared to take up the job myself. After much Persuasion, I later took up the courage to do the job myself with the little Knowledge I gathered while working with my former boss and the rest was history. That was the first contract I got in the cleaning industry and it happened to be the turning point of my life because from that day onwards, God made a way for me. As a matter of fact we have done over 600 cleaning Jobs and have worked for varieties of companies and individuals over the years.

Have you encountered any challenge along the line?

There were many challenges. One of our major challenges was Finance. There was no machine which made the work so hard for me and my Team. We were doing most of the jobs manually. it was so hard purchasing working equipments because I always rely on a job to purchase the materials needed. However, I don’t have a vehicle so I made use of the commercials; it was so hard to transport our working equipments to some locations. Due to some bad road networks in the state, some of our client’s locations are difficult to access. Again, most people in Anambra especially Onitsha where I started perceived cleaning as an ordinary work that can be done by anybody, this has resulted to many rejections from contractors and house owners, but so far we are trying to change the narrative. Also, after I gained admission to study at Federal College Of Education (Technical), Umunze in 2015, I was in constant battle, trying to combine work with Education. You know, my Education usually take all of January to September so, I usually face the heat period of ember months as cover-up for lost times.

Did you envisage continuing the work after school?

No. I wasn’t serious with the job in any way because I didn’t see myself continuing with it after school. It was more of part time or casual work.

Were there other things you did to survive in school within the January to September months?

Yes. I could remember I sold face caps and shirts around 2016/17. That aside, I was into interior decorations. I decorate people’s house; paintings and the rest. I was also doing some menial labours like job man, site work and even served masons. In 2018, I learnt how to do Sharwama and also ventured into doing that too. I did Hypeman job in clubs too. I was doing anything legal called work and I did all these to survive.

Why did you decide to go into cleaning having been exposed to these numerous jobs?

Well, when I finished my NCE program in 2018, I asked myself: what next? Because I realized I needed something to sustain myself. The works I do then had all been part time and among them all, it was cleaning that gives me the profit to believe in. I found out it is something I do with passion. Cleaning work doesn’t come always but when it comes, I take it with love. So, after graduation, I continued with it and was only keen to develop it. At a point, I started surfing the web on industrial cleaning and noticed that it is one of the biggest industries in the world. I noticed it was not too conversant in Anambra state then, I decided to carve a niche for myself in the area.

At what point did you decide to have a Som-Tee as a brand?

In 2020 during the lockdown season, the vision was to build a standard company and not just a one man company in cleaning industry. That’s why I’m building it as a company; a brand in the industry that would be running even in my absence. I did not want the legacies I had set over the years to just die off. So, I had to set it up to a standard with vision of where we are going to.

Cleaning is a female dominated field. How does it feel competing with women?

It has not been an easy task. In fact, you can count the number of men in this industry. Sometimes, you find out that site owners have sisters and female friends that do the cleanings for them. However, what has kept me going is excellence. Because it is usually my clients that recommend me to other clients and it is due to our job quality. Over the years, I have found refuge in recommendations. Most of the big jobs we have done so far were gotten from recommendations and referrals and it is due to the excellence in my work.

Are there times you felt like leaving the industry considering its competitiveness?

Of course! There were times I wanted to give up on the industry. It is very competitive and demanding. People outside might not really know these but it is we that are into it that know the level of competition here. You can see people that just started cleaning business yesterday and today, they have all the machines available and you’re still struggling. So sometimes, especially at the initial stage, when the needed finance was not there to acquire certain machines, I felt like dropping back.

Why do you refer your company as a conglomerate?

Som-Tee Group is a conglomerate because we are designed to deal in Everything Cleaning. Som-Tee specializes in all kinds of cleaning Ranging From:

Domestic/Residential Cleaning which includes Regular Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, Janitorial Cleaning, Carpet and Upholstery Cleaning, Polishing of Tiles and Bricks.

Industrial/Commercial Cleaning which includes Post-Construction/Renovation Cleaning, Facility Management/Maintenance, Retainership Services, Training/Mentorship and General Consulting/Contracting.

Environmental Cleaning which includes Waste Management and Disposal, Estate/Street Cleaning,

Drainage and Sewage cleaning, etc

We also have plans of Venturing into Production of Cleaning Substance and also Sales of Cleaning Equipments and Materials. Laundry Hubs, Car Wash are also in the pipeline.

So Som-Tee Group is a Specialized Conglomerate of Everything Cleaning, We are building a company that would be a sort out company when it comes to Cleaning.

What stands your brand out from others?

We offer credibility and excellence. Like I told you before, what has kept us so far over the years is excellence. Our staff works with passion because they see the passion in me. I didn’t start cleaning because of the money I was making but the passion I have for it. So, excellence is the watchword and any house we are called to clean, we clean it like our life depends on it.

You established the company even before you graduated from the university, what was the secret behind the feat?

It was Grace from God. I wouldn’t have been here as a fresh graduate and an owner of such a brand without His Grace. It was not an easy journey physically but it was His Grace that kept me going. I finished my NCE in 2018, and by 2019, God made this company even grew bigger. In the process of my Degree Education, being able to combine it was a very rough and risky journey but His Grace was there to see me through.

Would you consider going into other sectors if given the opportunity?

Well. Like I said earlier, Som-Tee Group is a conglomerate. We are working towards branching into so many things. We are working towards production of different cleaning materials, sales of cleaning equipments; importation of different kinds of machines for cleaning, procurement services and lots more. Our vision is to build a standout company that can handle anything cleaningIf any opportunity comes aside these; I can grab it as well.

So far, could you name your biggest achievement(s)?

My biggest achievement, so far, is being able to run this company for the past seven years.Som- Tee at seven, many things happened. Building this business up to this level and handling over five hundred jobs alongside going through school and acquiring Two Certificates in Education. That has been the biggest achievement of my life so far.

How many jobs have you been able to create through your conglomerate?

My company has been able to create no fewer than 50 jobs for youths in Anambra state. Both Fulltime and part time.

Where do you see your brand in the next five years?

We should be among the top class cleaning conglomerates in Nigeria because we would be all round in the cleaning industry including environmental, commercial, residential and domestic cleaning. We would also be all round in supplies of cleaning machines and products. So, in the next five years, expect Som-Tee Group to operate beyond the shores of Nigeria by the grace of God.

How well do you think Anambra government has done in creating business opportunities and what is interesting about Anambra man?

Anambra state has done well in all ramifications, such as natural resources, oil and gas, urbanization and structural planning, culture and tourism, religion, education, entertainment, business and politics. Anambra state has improved drastically in all of these sectors over the years. Anambra State has list of notable men and women both old and young in all sectors both in within and outside Nigeria. The people of Anambra are known for being Industrious, hard working and Smart. Despite some challenges they face when it comes to governmental structures and policies, People of Anambra are known for their resilience. They have shown great courage in striving to survive no matter the Economic Situation in the Country. Being Onye Anambra is something one should be very proud of. The people of Anambra are known for their resourcefulness and they are associated with Success and progress Regardless of the conditions surrounding their environment. I am proud of being Onye Anambra.

What triggered your passion to be an entrepreneur and how viable is doing business in Anambra?

To many youths in Nigeria, becoming an entrepreneur might seem like a scary and high risk taking journey, but to me, this unpredictable adventure seems like the perfect path that my life should take. There are many reasons that triggered my passion to be an entrepreneur. I have always admired great and Successful entrepreneurs. Seeing successful people inspire me a lot to become successful. This gives me the hope and makes me believe that becoming an entrepreneur will allow me to network with people who have already built great businesses. I believe that I have enough potential to find the next profitable idea and change the lives of millions of people.

Being an entrepreneur gives me the freedom to explore my creativity. There is a saying that goes thus “Different Strokes for Different Folks”. People have different callings in Life. Being a 9-5er doesn’t feed my burning passion for creativity and innovation. I feel like I am simply doing what the society expects of me instead of making a difference in the world. It is through starting my own business that I get to freely express my creative ideas and fulfill my dreams. I became an entrepreneur because I see it as a mandatory journey to take. A strong fire in my heart makes me believe that I have a strong purpose in the world that surpasses the reality of being an employee. As an entrepreneur, I am driven with the need to succeed and control my own destiny. Owning a business gives me no limitations on the profit and opportunities that I can gain.

I look out to manage projects with high stakes because I have enough confidence to execute them. I love the act of betting on an idea and watching it develops, it makes me smile. I have always wanted to use my company to impact people’s lives and also improve the economy with new job opportunities. I am passionate about helping people more than the pursuit of material things, I derive priceless joy when I offer my service to people and see the happiness and joy it creates in them. That is even more than any reward I can get from a Job.

How viable is doing business in Anambra?

Anambra State is one of the fastest growing states in the country. Like many other states in the country, Anambra state is faced with its own unique challenges. However, due to its fast growing economy, doing business in Anambra is rewarding and Profitable. Doing business in Anambra is very promising and I believe that with persistence, perseverance and Consistency which entrepreneurship requires, I will definitely succeed in an economic driven state like Anambra.

Being someone that started from the scratch, would you say government is fair to the youths?

Well. I would say government has been fair to some extent but there are still rooms for improvement. Government still needs to empower the youths because if they are empowered, they would do more. We have lots of youths doing many things. We have youths with visions. If they are empowered with loans and grants, in the next few years, there would be powerful indigenous companies in Anambra state. Again, when youths are empowered, it would reduce the burden of employment on the government.

Aside loans and grants, do you think there are other things youths need to be successful entrepreneurs?

Yes. Youths need to plan. A youth will succeed when he plans himself very well. You must have a mapped out business plan consisting target audience and areas. When you plan yourself very well, work towards it. Have team members on the edge working and doing their specific duties from their own angles. Though there might be setbacks along the way but if you do your risk management very well, you would be able to cope. But you must plan first.

You are a man of diverse skills, you hold TRCN, NCE and B.Ed certificates, and do you see yourself becoming a teacher someday?

Well. I don’t know what God has in stock for me but I always hope for the best. I wouldn’t say I will not accept it if the opportunity to lecture or teach comes but it would all depends on the condition attached to it. I acquired the certificate quite alright and so if I am meant to practice it, it’s on God.

Would you consider using the skills you acquired as a teacher in training youths on industrial cleaning?

Sorry I didn’t mention it earlier. Part of the conglomerate is Som-Tee Training Academy, where all our newly recruited staff is given sound training. Soon we would be organizing seminars to teach people who are ready to learn the craft so as to establish their own company in the future.

Are you single?

Yea! I’m still single.

How do you cope with female admirers?

It is a big challenge anyway but God remains God. I have been in series of relationship in the past but now I’m working on myself and my future. I want to develop myself before thinking anything about relationship again.

Do you have role model(s)?

Yea! My number one role model is Dr. Stanley Uzochukwu, the CEO of Stanel Group. He is my Boss, Father, Mentor and my overall Chairman. Ever since I met him, my vision has widened. I also have the likes of Arc. Chukky Ezenwa, CEO GSS Group, Tony Elumelu, CEO Heir Holdings, Dr Cosmas Maduka, CEO Coscharis Group, and lots more. They are the people I look up to and wish to become like someday.

What is your advice to the youths who may want to toe your path?

In as much as they go to formal schools, every youth should learn a skill no matter how small it is. Having a skill is more or less a second plan. There are skills in writing, producing and even in the tech world. There are many skills that can be acquired in the tech world. It is good to learn and practice a skill. We should also have a vision of growing the skill to make something out of it and above all, always pray to God.

'We Are All One Community': Saint Joseph's Catholic Church Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary

From left: Chinonso Akano, Kathy Bearden, Monsignor John Walsh, Chris Gibbs and Esther Honori are pictured after the 70th birthday service at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Marietta March 18.

LEO TOCHTERMA

MARIETTA (MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL) — Organizers for the 70th-anniversary service at Saint Joseph Catholic Church were pleasantly surprised.

They had expected some 400 people to show up, and instead found around 800 people gathered in its pews last Friday.

Founded in 1952, the church has more than 4,000 families, according to Monsignor John Walsh. Congregants filled it to the brim for the anniversary of its founding, which, not coincidentally, is also the birthday of the church's namesake.

Walsh was happy to see such a vibrant crowd.

"People are ready to come back after COVID-19," Walsh said. "When I looked out tonight, especially around 6:30 and saw a big group of people there, I figured we would have a very good product tonight."

The two-hour service was attended by high-ranking church leaders, including Bernard Edward Shlesinger III, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, and those in attendance offered prayers and well-wishes by the clergy for Ukraine.

Since Walsh arrived at the church 14 years ago, he's seen it diversify, with large Mexican and African populations joining the parish. To welcome this diversity, some parts of the Mass are conducted in Spanish depending on the number of worshippers in attendance.

"We have different cultures," Walsh said. "We still have people from different areas, and they all seem to be mingling away and working together, which has been great."

In its 70 years in Marietta, the congregation has undergone plenty of changes, most notably building a bigger church building to accommodate a growing population.

After the anniversary service, members of the church spoke of the sense of community they feel coming through Saint Joseph's doors.

Stephen Bird first attended the church's school back in 1966.

"It's changed a lot, but it's always been a welcoming community," he said.

Bird and his wife, Romi Rivera Bird, a native of Mexico City, appreciated Walsh and the church's involvement with Marietta's Mexican community.


"We came here to start a ministry (in 1999) to serve the Hispanic community that was rolling a lot into Marietta at the time," she said, "so that's something I appreciate about Saint Joseph."

Chinonso Akano, 45, moved to Marietta from Nigeria in 2012 in search of a parish to call home and found it at Saint Joseph's. Akano serves as president of the church's African community and has a seat on the parish council.

"We met people of African descent (here), so we felt like we were at home," Akano said. "They want your input. They want people to be heard because we are all one church, we are all one community."

Now more than a decade into his time with the congregation, Akano, whose four daughters and wife attend service there with him, believes he made the right choice on a place of worship.

"If I had to do it all over again, I'd still come back to St. Joseph," he said.