Nigerian Watch - Issue 071

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the reFuGee crisis

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“you have to understand, no one puts their child in a boat unless the water is safer than land” – p 11

NIGERIAN WATCH the uk’s leadiNG aFricaN NeWspaper With the larGest circulatioN

beFFta coMMuNity NeWspaper oF the year 11 - 31 Mar 2016

Issue No 071

fortNIgHtly

to Inspire, Inform and Entertain

nigerianwatch.com

stop the abuse heritaGe hero How a British Nigerian filmmaker rescued the godfathers of Afrobeat page 16

respect is due

No holy book or culture justifies domestic violence, FGM or subjugation of women – page 2

How you can help build a lasting memorial to our World War heroes page 6 aNti-GaNG aNd kNiFe criMe iNitiatives to be leFt to cash-strapped couNcils – page 15

NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

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There is no justification

NIGERIAN

WATCH coMMENt

Education for the boy child ou would have had to have been in deep hibernation to have missed the fact that March 8 was International Women’s Day. And rightly so.

There have been meetings and marches and rallies and celebrations galore. Such has been the congestion there are more to follow in the coming weeks.

The message has been and is clear: women everywhere are getting a raw deal. And that means mothers, sisters, wives and daughters.

And that, of course, implicates fathers, brothers, husbands, and sons.

We have a shared responsibility to address this.

Starting at the very least it would seem with education for the boy child, as much as the girl child.

It is not just at recent IWD meetings that our men were largely conspicuous by their absence. It is sadly commonplace at meetings addressing health and welfare. yet these issues are the fabric of life.

Men are in the majority at meetings about politics and business. We should come together. These issues are two sides of the same coin.

The issues that need addressing cannot be fixed in a day. And they cannot be fixed alone.

y

Maryanne Jemide, MD

publisher tevin Jemide publisher/Managing director Maryanne Jemide Managing editor Jon Hughes art 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 Meremikwu chief cartoonist Harold ogbeide office address Nigerian Watch chartwell House 292 Hale lane Edgware Middlesex HA8 8Np email editor@nigerianwatch.com marketing@nigerianwatch.com sales@nigerianwatch.com Website www.nigerianwatch.com tel: 020 8588 9640 fax: 020 7160 5232 Nigerian Watch is a fortnightly newspaper owned by green 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 any form without the written consent of the publisher.

ISSN 2051-4670

Scores of women’s rights campaigners marked International Women’s Day with a special seminar on domestic abuse and female genital mutilation (FGM) organised by Nigerian charity Britafrique at the House of Commons on March 8.

Organised by Michelle Akintoye, the founder of Britafrique, the event – entitled Tackling Violence Against Women & Girls; Stakeholder Responses and Recent Developments – was hosted

by Jim Shannon MP, the MP for Strangford in Northern Ireland. The gathering attracted well over 100 people, many community activists and women’s rights campaigners.

Launching proceedings, Mr Shannon said the occasion of International Women’s Day was an appropriate date to discuss domestic violence. He went on to reveal shocking statistics showing the extent of the problem in Northern Ireland.

“There are 60 domestic violence cases a day in Northern Ireland and most of them start during pregnancy, with us seeing a case every 30 minutes,” he said.

“I am also appalled by the fact that in the UK, 137,000 women are victims of FGM and because of the hidden nature of the crime, the figure is probably higher.

“In 2014, the Home Office also revealed that 10% of the victims of forced

marriages involved people with disabilities. However, the good news is that two years ago, forced marriages were declared an offence that carries a seven year prison sentence.”

Lawyer Catherine Bryant-Due, a domestic abuse expert, added that many victims of domestic abuse do not know they are living with it simply because they have not been hit. She added that legally domestic abuse includes harassment and intimidation and people who live with this should come forward.

Ms Bryant-Due added her own terrible statistic, “Every week, two women are killed in Britain by their partner or ex.

Also, on average, a woman is abused 35 times before she reports it, as a lot of the time people try to numb it out with drugs and alcohol.”

Catherine Perez, of Hammersmith and Fulham voluntary services, pointed out that domestic abuse is essentially about trying to control a woman. She added that from her work, she could see that a lot of women only really start to regain their confidence and rebuild their lives after they have started working as volunteers themselves.

Dr Comfort Momoh, added that she noticed that a lot of women are not prepared to step away from domestic abuse, which makes her job harder. She stressed that there are psychological and emotional effects of domestic abuse, which can sometimes take a while to overcome.

Alimatu Dimonukene from Sierra Leone pointed out that FGM is a serious problem in the country as about 99% of

AppEAl for rEturN of fAtHEr The British High Commission has appealed for information that could lead to the rescue of kidnapped construction worker David Priestly.

Joe Abuku, the press and public affairs officer at British High Commission in Abuja, released a statement on behalf of the family at the beginning of the month.

“A year after the abduction of the British national, David Priestly, by armed men from a construction site at Kwali on Abuja-Lokoja road, the British High Commission and

Mr Priestly’s family are renewing their appeal for information about what has happened to Mr Priestly,” it said.

“David Priestly is 72 years old and has lived in Nigeria for over 30 years. He is married to a Nigerian lady and together they have two children.”

He added that David’s wife wished to make a direct appeal to those with any knowledge, saying “he is a good husband and loving father who is well respected within the Nigerian community for all his good

works. His children miss him terribly and are desperate for any information about what happened to their father”.

According to him, “She is asking for anyone with information about Mr Priestly’s current situation to please make contact, so that she can fully understand what has happened.”

Anyone who has any information is asked to contact the British High Commission on 08177415460.

David Priestly was abducted on January 21 last year.

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3

for domestic violence women in the country are victims of it.

Adding that she herself was a victim at the age of 16, Ms Dimonukene stressed that it is portrayed as a sexually enhancing development.

Constable Jason Hill of the Metropolitan Police informed the gathering, however, that every borough in London has a domestic violence unit.

He emphasised that anyone who suffers abuse should ring their local police station, where they will be passed on to a specialist units.

Marian Arah from the Ladies Forum, said, “There are loads of people suffering from domestic violence but who do not want to come out and talk about it. They often feel that they have no options and on average, it takes as many as seven years for them to come out as some of them even believe they deserve it.”

Parenting consultant Jenny Soyode, pointed out, “According to the British Crimes Survey from 2011, one in four women will be affected by domestic violence of some sort. Also, statistics show that 42% of women killed were murdered by a partner of an ex, compared with 8% for men.

“For men, the violence generally stops when the relationship ends but with women it continues even after they have left. Data also shows that 76% of women who are domestic violence victims suffer from post-relationship stress.”

Lawyer Jennifer Obaseki added that

MArcH for gIrlS’ futurE

The former Mayor of Enfield Kate Anolue and broadcaster Pauline Long joined an array of international speakers for A Celebration of Achievements and the Common Bond of Women, held in the House of Lords on International Women’s Day. The common bond was the right to selfdetermination, justic and education.

she deals with many domestic violence victims in her daily work and would like to see more training for the professionals who work with them. She stressed that she would also like to see more young women empowered to enable them access the law.

Summing up the event, Ms Akintoye urged women to summon the courage to walk away from relationships when the abuse gets too much. She added that many stay in abusive situations for

The pair shared a platform with Baroness Blood, founder of the Women’s Coalition in Northern Ireland, Ahlam Akram, the founder of BASIRA for women’s rights in the Middle East, singer-songwriter Tally Koren and BBC Radio Bristol's Livvy and Chrissie, famed for their Women of a Certain Age shows.

The event was hosted by Lord Eames.

To mark International Women’s Day, UK-based peacebuilding organisation International Alert, UNICEF Netherlands and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs came together to show solidarity with the women and girls kidnapped by Nigeria’s insurgency group Boko Haram.

Thousands of women and children have been abducted by Boko Haram – including the 276

Chibok schoolgirls.

Some are beginning to return, thanks to the Nigerian army.

However, according to a study by International Alert and UNICEF, women and girls that do return are often ostracised and face stigma in their own communities and struggle to re-integrate. #FutureForOurGirls aims to build a campaign and support the liberated women and girls.

religious and cultural reasons, which was wrong. Many had expressed the opinion that many churches tried to hush up cases of domestic violence.

She concluded, “No holy book or religion promotes or condones the subjugation of women, justifies domestic violence or FGM. If you are a victim do not be ashamed. It is not your fault, you are blameless. Only by coming forward and speaking out can we begin to stop this violence towards women.”

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“Match made in heaven” clocks up remarkable milestone The 20-year-long relationship between MoneyGram and the Post Office was celebrated at the British Museum on March 1 with the launch of a new service to mark the sensationally successful business partnership.

The day also marked another milestone - the 20-millionth money transfer transaction, which marks dramatic growth. In 2011 the two companies came together to celebrate the 10th million transaction. A remarkable £5bn has

been sent around the world using the MoneyGram and Post Office service over the past two decades.

As part of the celebration, MoneyGram and the Post Office introduced a new “MoneyGram Plus” card, to make transactions even more convenient Using bar code technology it will allow both sender and receiver information to be stored in the MoneyGram system, meaning the transaction can be done in a swipe.

Paula Vennels CEO of PO said the

partnership was a "match made in heaven". The Post Office, which serves over 17 million people a week, has been a MoneyGram agent since 1996, providing MoneyGram money transfer services in more than 11,500 branches across the UK, making it MoneyGram’s largest agent network in Western Europe.

“Through our successful 20-year relationship with MoneyGram, we have made sending or receiving money around the world easier and, with the introduction of new

services, this will get even easier,” said Ms Vennells, "With our 11,500 branches, Post Office is the largest UK retail network with extensive operating hours and over 3,000 branches open seven days a week making it convenient for MoneyGram customers to access a wide range of services at a time that suits them. We are delighted to be part of the new service launch on the same day as we celebrate our 20millionth transaction together.”

In recent times 9,000 Post Offices

have erected MoneyGram signage, rooting the service in the community. "That is key to convenience and accessibility," said MoneyGram CEO Pam Patsley.

“This is a significant milestone and a very proud moment for all of us at MoneyGram. The 20-year business relationship we are celebrating today is a testament to the strength of a shared commitment MoneyGram and the Post Office have to each other and most importantly to our customers.” she added.

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Clockwise: The Parliamentary launch, broadcast live BBC’s the One Show; Jak Belua; Eric Roberson; veteran Alan Wilmot; and Jak in the video for the funky and poignant track

99p to respect our boys who fought for freedom The thousands of African and Caribbean men who joined the British Armed forces to fight in the First and Second World Wars have never been recognised for their heroic sacrifice. And even now attempts to raise a memorial to them is relying on public donations to be realised.

To speed the plough, a fund-raising single has been released by the Nubian Jak Community Trust in the UK in aid of the new memorial in honour of the scores African and Caribbean regiments who fought for Britain.

'I Have a Song', by the Grammy-nominated rhythm and blues star Eric Roberson, is the focus for the campaign. The US singer supported the Nubian Jak remake, coming to London to add his vocals to the track.

Guests and journalists gathered for the launch of the record at a reception in the Houses of Parliament on February 26, hosted

by Baroness Howells of St Davids.

Proceeds from the single will fund the permanent installation of the distinctive war memorial in Windrush Square, Brixton, in June.

The monument will be the first of its kind in the UK and Europe. The memorial's two obelisks, sculpted from Scottish whinstone, are engraved with the names of every African and Caribbean regiment who served during the two world wars.

'Remembering the many forgotten is long overdue,' Jak Belua, Nubian Jak Community Trust’s founder said. 'The resolute courage of these volunteers which held true in the face of

antagonism, the rigours of combat and discrimination must now be acknowledged and appreciated, along with the ultimate sacrifice they made for King and Country.'

The African and Caribbean Memorial was temporarily displayed at an Armistice Day ceremony in Brixton, South London, in November 2014 - marking the centenary year of the outbreak of the First World War. It is hoped the memorial will be situated in time for a grand unveiling on June 22 - Windrush Day. 'I Have a Song' is available as a download from the main digital vendors. For more information about the project, visit the African and Caribbean Memorial website, www.africanandcaribbeanmemorial.com

Hollywood role for defiant actor South London actor Emmanuel Imani is gearing up for his first Hollywood film alongside Oscar winners Kevin Costner and Tommy Lee Jones.

Criminal, which will also star BAFTA Award winner Gary Oldman, is an action thriller about an ex-con who is implanted with a dead CIA agent’s memories to finish an assignment.

It caps a remarkable rise to fame for the young man who only graduated from drama school three years ago – a course he undertook in defiance of his parents who wanted him to study medicine.

Emmanuel began his acting career in 2013, debuting in the critically acclaimed Harold Finley directed play A Thousand Miles Of History, and

starred in his first feature film Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit in 2014, with Chris Pine and Keira Knightley.

He went on to star in the Channel 4 supported indie film Invisible Men last year, which premiered at the British Urban Film Festival. Along with his role in Criminal, the young actor will also be starring in British Horror film Servants Quarters this year.

He will then head back to the theatre to star in the hugely popular D’Banj-inspired Afrobeats play Oliva Tweest, which will be debuting in Nigeria as part of the Lagos Theatre Festival. Oliva Tweest first debuted in 2013 at London’s West End to rave reviews, before another at the Hackney Empire last year.

CAMPAIGN OUT TO HALT STUDENT’S DEATH-SENTENCE DEPORTATION A grassroots campaign of students, lecturers and well-wishers has launched a 11th hour bid to save a young Nigerian master’s student from deportation that will almost certainly prove fatal.

Luqman Onikosi, a Master’s student studying global political economy at the University of Sussex, suffers from Hepatitis B, a potentially fatal disease, which has claimed the lives of his two brothers. He is currently facing deportation back to Nigeria, where he says that they “do not have the medical infrastructure” to keep him alive.

Onikosi first arrived in the UK in 2007 as an undergraduate; it was then that he was diagnosed with Hepatitis B, a condition claimed the lives of his brothers in Nigeria, in 2011 and 2012.

The illness is a chronic condition affecting the liver; according to the World Health Organisation, 240 million people are infected with the virus worldwide, 780,000 of whom die every year due to complications such as liver cancer and cirrhosis.

The Home Office first tried to deport Luqman in 2012, but he fought the decision and was permitted to stay. A crowd funding effort then allowed him to return

One time Nigerian High Commission staff member Luqman Onikosi to the university to undertake a Master’s degree after working at the Nigerian High Commission in London.

Now, he faces the issue for a second time. The Home Office states that they sent a letter to Onikosi informing him of his visa application rejection in May 2015, but the Nigerian student maintains that he only received it a matter of weeks ago.

The ‘Campaign to Stop the Deportation of Luqman Onikosi’ writes that Luqman is “now at risk of detention and deportation at any time” as a result.

The stress of the situation has taken its toll on Luqman—he says that he is “struggling with

physical and mental health” and is simply trying to get through the day and “stay sane” in the midst of the upheaval.

Luckily for Onikosi, he has been “overwhelmed by support” in the UK—grassroots groups both in and out of the University of Sussex have joined forces to create the campaign #dontdeportluqman, as well as to pay his legal expenses, through the crowd funding website ‘Generosity’.

Luqman has highlighted the similarity of his situation to several others on his official statement on ‘Novara Wire’, an online political media platform. This includes Ama Sumani, who was deported back to Ghana whilst receiving treatment for terminal cancer in Cardiff—she died three months later.

Luqman argues that migrants have made significant economic and social contributions to the UK and so should not be dealt with in such a “dehumanising and humiliating” manner.

The ideal outcome for the campaign in the eyes of Onikosi and his supporters is for him to be given leave to stay in the UK, in order to receive the medical treatment that he needs “to stay alive”.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

MP assumed to be House of Commons cleaner Dawn Butler, the Mp for Brent central, has revealed she was assumed to be a cleaner by a fellow Mp. Speaking on BBc radio 5 live’s piennar’s politics on february 28, Ms Butler was asked if she had ever experienced racism in the palace of Westminster, to which she replied, “yes – god, there are so many incidents.”

She continued, “There was a time when I was in the lift. It was a Members’ lift that MPs use specially in cases (where) we have get to places quickly. I was in the lift and some other MP said, ‘This lift really isn’t for cleaners’.”

She graciously declined to name and shame the MP but said it was only one of many occasions she had experienced racism in parliament since being first elected in 2008.

That year she wrote an article describing how former Conservative minister David Heathcote-Amory confronted her as she went to sit in the Members’ section on the terrace.

“He actually said to me, ‘What are you doing here? This is for Members only’,” she wrote. “He then proceeded to ask me, 'Are you a member?' And I said, ‘Yes I am, are you?‘ And he turned around and said to his colleague, ‘They’re letting anybody in nowadays.’

“This man could not equate the image he saw in front of him with that of an MP. It was quite upsetting for my team and so we had to take it further.”

At the time, Heathcote-Amory rejected the allegation his remarks to Ms Butler were racist and accused the MP of being overly politically correct. “It is quite absurd,” he was quoted as saying. “What she is actually objecting to is that I didn’t recognise her as a new MP. “I simply asked her what she was doing at that end of the terrace, and they are quite sensitive about this kind of thing, they think that any kind of reprimand from anyone is racially-motivated."

In an interview with the Observer following the incident, Butler said she had made an official complaint about his comments but it was ignored.

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Businessman’s terror ordeal sparked by pre-flight prayer Business analyst Laolu Opebiyi was removed from a plane by armed police at Luton airport after a fellow passenger read a message on his mobile phone about “prayer” and reported him as a security threat.

Mr Opebiyi from London said he was subsequently forced to hand over his phone and supply his password in order to establish his innocence after he tried to arrange a conference call prayer with friends using WhatsApp. A detective subsequently questioned and cleared him but the pilot refused to allow him back on to the easyJet flight to Amsterdam on February 3, meaning he had to wait more than three hours for the next scheduled departure.

The Nigerian-born Christian believes the passenger next to him assumed he was a Muslim and jumped to the conclusion that he may be a terrorist.

Mr Opebiyi, a business analyst, told the Guardian

newspaper that as they awaited the plane’s 6.45am departure, his fellow passenger asked him: “What do you mean by ‘prayer’?”

Taken aback that he had been reading over his shoulder, Opebiyi explained that he was arranging to pray with friends.

About two minutes later, the male passenger went to the front of the plane and began a conversation with the cabin crew, Opebiyi said. The man was taken to the door of the cockpit and returned 15 minutes later, telling Opebiyi that he was getting off the plane because he felt unwell.

A few minutes later, two armed officers entered the plane. They asked Opebiyi for his phone and told him to remove his belongings and accompany them off the plane and into the terminal building.

After an officer confirmed that he was being questioned because of what happened with the other passenger, Mr Opebiyi explained that he was a Christian, showing them a copy of the Bible in his bag.

“They asked me which church I attend and how long I have been going there,” he said.

“They also asked if I have ever thought about changing my religion to which I replied ‘no’.”

They also asked him about the name of the conference call prayer group, which was “ISI men” – an acronym for “iron sharpens iron”, from the Bible quote “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”.

It is believed that the passenger who reported Mr Opebiyi may have misread this as “Isis”.

An officer eventually told Mr Opebiyi that he was in the clear but that the pilot had said he should take another flight. He suffered further humiliation when an officer accompanied him to the EasyJet desk to help him get on the next flight and seven other passengers from the 6.45am flight, who had left the plane because of security fears, also joined the queue.

Mr Opebiyi said one of them spotted him and said, “If he is on the next flight, I am not getting on the flight.”

He said the officer took the female passenger aside and explained the situation.

Before he boarded the 10.25am flight, the officer shook his hand and expressed sympathy for his ordeal, he said.

But he now fears he is on a terrorist watchlist because when he returned the next day from his business trip, the electronic passport gate did not let him through and he had to speak to an immigration officer before proceeding.

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Biafra protest at Chatham House Members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement staged a protest at the foreign affairs think-tank Chatham House in London on March 9, where Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha was to speak on the importance of developing human capital in Nigeria.

But as the governor mounted the podium to begin his address, a young man in the audience started talking loudly about Biafra and the

silence on the struggle of IPOB of the governor and other Igbo elites in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari. As he did so another protestor emerged from the audience, with one mounting the stage, displaying the flag of the defunct Biafran republic.

As he paraded the flag, others heckled, saying, “You are here to talk about what while our people are being killed everyday and nobody has said anything about it?”

Corbyn and Khan to speak at Africans for Labour fundraiser

gala organised by Africans for Labour on March 18.

The fundraising reception is being staged to raise funds towards Mr Kahn’s Mayoral election campaign. Tickets for the event are priced £20, and includes dinner.

The event takes place at 6pm on Friday March 18 at the Rock Tower, 49 Tufnell Park Road, Islington, N7 0PS. To obtain tickets contact Julius on 0795 189 8773.

Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and the party’s Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan are to address a fundraising

The suspected IPOB members were eventually persuaded to leave the auditorium and after a short delay the governor returned to continue his address about Imo state’s free education programme, from primary to University level, and other social initiatives he has launched in the state, and the role external partners can constructively play in assisting Nigeria to address social challenges.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

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Letters to the Editor let us know what you think. put pen to paper and send your letters to: The Editor, Nigerian Watch, chartwell House, 292 Hale lane, Edgware, Middlesex HA8 8Np, or email us at: editor@nigerianwatch.com letters to be included in the next issue must be received by no later than March 29. Anonymous letters will not be published. please include your full name, postal address and contact telephone number. Names and addresses can be withheld, if preferred. letters may be edited for publication.

THE EU NEVER WANTED US SO NOW WE SHOULD LEAVE I would like to make the following observations regarding the European Union (EU) referendum on June 23, raised by Samuel Kasumu in your last edition (NW 70).

I agree, if Britain leaves the EU the Commonwealth of Nations will take back their true position and British businesses will continue to boom like it did before the country joined the EU. A vote to leave will, I believe, conďŹ rm the wishes of the British people and Africa will no longer be seen as the under dog. Britain will also retain its cherished position as a major factor among the comity of Nations and not be controlled by Brussels.

When the European Union was created, the then French President never wanted Britain to be a member during his life time.

Hence Britain has always been sidelined and Strasbourg was named the Parliament of European Union; Brussels was named the European Capital even though the location was not strategically placed to other member states; Berlin was named the Financial Capital of Europe; the port of Antwerp was named

the Euro port.

All chosen above London, the home of democracy, global ďŹ nancial hub and world city. Britain was resolutely left out.

It is time for us to leave.

Victor Osobu, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, via email

TESLA OPPORTUNITY The Story of the 20th century has been described as the story of electricity and for this reason Nikola Tesla has been referred to as the Father of the 20th century.

Nikola Tesla was born on July 10 1856, using the current Gregorian calendar, but on June 28 on the preceding Julian calendar. He was an inventor, mathematician, physicist, mechanical and electrical engineer and amongst many other things is famous for the development of the Alternating Current (AC) system of power supply. Of Tesla, Time Magazine said “All the world’s his Power House�.

Interestingly, in the United States is Elon Musk, a Canadian/South African by birth. He is a physicist, engineer and business magnate born on June 28, 1971.

Musk is into the Production of Electric Cars with his Company TESLA

Motors. He also founded Solar City for the provision of solar power Raji Fashola, Nigeria’s Minister of Power, Works and Housing was also born June 28, 1963.

For the fact that Nigeria is an electricity hungry country, I hope that she will be part of the events marking the 160th anniversary of the birth Nikola Tesla as a way of engaging the minds of Nigerians on the very important subject of electricity generation.

Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth, London, E17 3LW, via email

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NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

OSAMORWatch

11

The

Kate OSAMORColumn Austerity is hitting women hardest

Sadiq Khan joins women celebrating International Women’s Day in tooting

I joined women across the world in celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8. The campaign theme this year was Pledge for Parity. This means parity socially, politically, culturally and economically. This is something that we have a long way to go to achieve, both at home and abroad.

I am proud to represent the Labour party, which has a strong record on women’s rights. Indeed, Labour became the first administration since the Second World War to accept state responsibility for developing childcare policy. Almost every major piece of legislation that has improved the lives of working women has been

introduced by a Labour government. Such legislative protection included the Equal Pay Act, the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equality Act. Labour’s focus for the day was Women and the Economy here in Britain. Evidence shows that under this government, our economy is making women pay. The

gender pay gap currently stands at 19.2%, which is well above the EU average.

New analysis released this week revealed that women are estimated to earn £300,000 less than men over their lifetime.

Women are, on average, paid less than men and more likely to be in in-work poverty; they make up 74% of those in part-time employment, 56% of those involuntarily working part time and 52% of those in temporary employment.

Furthermore, austerity is hitting women the hardest; 81% of the savings made to the treasury through tax and benefit changes since 2010 have come from the pockets of women. Balancing the budget on the backs of women in this way is wrong.

Austerity is a feminist issue.

I am deeply concerned by reports that levels of maternity discrimination have almost doubled in the past 10 years and are now more common in Britain’s workplaces than ever before.

54,000 are reported to have

StAND up to rAcISM

As one of the Vice-Chairs of Stand Up To Racism, I would be delighted if you would join me to stand up to racism and show your support for refugees at a national demonstration on Saturday March 19, to mark UN Anti-Racism Day. The demonstration will assemble at 12 noon Portland Place, London W1A 1AA, and march through central London to Trafalgar Square. This is the second national demonstration, following the Refugees Welcome demonstration back in September. #M19 #BlackLivesMatter #StandUpToRacism

been forced out of their job every year and the rising cost of tribunals has meant that women are often unable to

“Balancing the budget on the backs of women in this way is wrong” seek justice via the courts.

We must stand together to voice our dissatisfaction with this government’s policies

towards women. Labour is calling for an urgent cumulative assessment of the impact of the government’s policies on women since 2010, for steps to be taken to mitigate any disproportionate burden on women and for the government to publish a gender equality strategy to improve the position of women over the remainder of the parliament.

I hope readers get behind this campaign and that we can stand together to demand a better deal for women here in Britain.

A death blow to asylum seekers Over the last month I have grown increasingly concerned by the way in which Britain, and Europe more generally, is failing to manage the refugee crisis. I remain convinced that Britain must accept a greater responsibility towards refugees who are fleeing violence and conflict, and commit to resettling a larger number of refugees both

from camps within conflict zones, and those in Europe.

This month has seen French authorities embark on the demolition of the Calais ‘jungle’. However, despite assurances from the French Prefecture of Police that the dismantling of the camp would be conducted in a humanitarian manner, respectful to the dignity of those living in the camp, video footage showed the contrary. Footage showed scenes of panic as over 200 police officers in full body armour with batons and

shields used excessive force to clear the camps, including tear gas and water cannon.

Similarly, the emerging EU-Turkey deal over the last week has left me devastated at the inhumane and inadequate treatment of refugees. Under the plan, all refugees arriving in Greece will be returned to Turkey. For every Syrian sent back, a Syrian in Turkey will be resettled in the EU. As Amnesty International have stated, such a plan is a death blow to the right to seek asylum. As the UNHCR have warned, collective expulsion is not consistent with European law.

From the demolition of Calais, to the proposed EUTurkey deal, the way in which the refugee crisis is being handled is appalling and dehumanising. This is the biggest crisis of our time, and we in Europe need to step up to the challenge and provide refugees with the safety they so desperately seek. There is no easy answer, but we need to be working together as a European community to evenly and fairly distribute refugees rather than closing our borders to the world’s most vulnerable. We have a moral obligation.

At this time, let us remember the words of the British-Somali poet, Warsan Shire: “You have to understand, No one puts their child in a boat Unless the water is safer than the land.”

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NEWSWatch

NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016 Alhaji Dangote

Five Nigerians among the world’s richest Five Nigerians, including Africa's richest man Alhaji Aliko Dangote, have been named in the Forbes 2016 World’s Billionaires’ list, which profiled the 1,810 billionaires across the globe.

In the list published on March 1, Alhaji Dangote was named alongside Mike Adenuga, Femi Otedola, Folorunsho Alakija and Abdulsamad Rabiu.

Alhaji Dangote, whose value is put at $15.4bn, retained his number one position as Africa's richest man and was ranked number 51 in the world. Mr Adenuga, with a total wealth of $10bn, was ranked the 103rd richest person in the world, while Chief Otedola, whose wealth was valued at $1.8bn, was ranked 1,011 by Forbes. Mrs Alakija was placed 1,121 on the list with her wealth put at $1.6bn, while Alhaji Rabiu was ranked the 1,577th richest person in the world.

Microsoft owner Bill Gates, 60, topped the list for the 17th time in 22 years, although he is $4.2bn poorer than in 2015 with a net worth of $75bn. This, still put him at the top spot of the Forbes’ World Billionaires list for the third year in a row, after dethroning Mexico’s Carlos Slim Helu in 2014, who came fourth in the 2016 list.

Others who made the top 10 include Amazon’s Jeff Bezos at fifth on the list, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook at sixth, Oracle’s Larry Ellison at seventh, Michael Bloomberg at eighth and tied in ninth place are David and Charles Koch. Forbes noted that volatile stock markets, falling oil prices and a stronger dollar led to a dynamic reshuffling of wealth around the globe and a drop in ten-figure fortunes for the first time since 2009.

A Forbes spokesman said, “For our 30th annual guide to the world’s richest, we found 1,810 billionaires, down from a record 1,826 a year ago. Their aggregate net worth was $6.48trn trillion, $570bn less than last year, which was the first time since 2010 that the average net worth of a billionaire dropped."

On the list, the he US had 540 billionaires, more than any other country in the world. It is followed by China with 251 and Germany with 120, while Russia has 77 and Brazil has 23 billionaires.

Mike Adenuga

femi otedola

folorunsho Alakija

Abdulsamad rabia

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EBolA rESpoNSE HAMpErED By MIStruSt of AutHorItArIAN AID A report from the Africa All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) and think tank Polygeia has concluded that initial messaging may have awareness exacerbated the fear felt by communities affected by Ebola and hampered efforts to contain the virus by discouraging those with symptoms from seeking medical attention.

The report released on March 9 finds that in the initial stages of the response, mistrust of and resistance to crisis aid teams – both national and international – was indicative of a lack of community engagement, with initial responses being impersonal and fear inducing.

Like others who went to the Ebola front line, the UK’s initial response to the outbreak has been criticised as authoritarian.

Many were felt to be ignorant of traditional beliefs and practices – such as washing and dressing bodies for burial – and so in the rush to save lives foreign aid workers frequently ignored these aspects and some even tried (largely unsuccessfully) to tell Sierra Leoneans that they must “put aside tradition, culture and whatever family rites they have”.

This resulted in resistance, and at times hostility, towards the Ebola aid teams. The World Health Organisation recognised in April 2015 that “inadequate engagement with affected communities and families” was a “significant obstacle to an effective response”.

While many NGOs responding to the Ebola outbreak operated at community level it was found they imposed regimes that

Nigerian pupils at Powa International Childrens School wash their hands on Hand Washing Day part of the Ebola sensitization campaign in Abuja, Nigeria 2014

ignored the communities’ priorities.

The report finds that community groups played crucial roles in creating successful strategies to control Ebola and build trust between responders and communities.

The chief finding being that efforts to curb the outbreak were most effective when local leaders of affected communities led the demand for assistance from their governments and the international aid teams, and played an essential leadership role in the management of that assistance.

It advocates that although a top down approach (nationally and internationally) may always be necessary in a health crisis, it

is only effective when the affected communities trust that response.

However, the report also acknowledges that the need to react rapidly in a health crisis makes it almost impossible to consult communities immediately.

Therefore, the key lesson in ensuring preparedness for future health crises is that health systems should be developed horizontally, local ownership should be prioritised and investment made at community level. Such approaches foster trust and create demand for health services.

Communities should be consulted about their needs and local facilities and systems developed to provide permanent services which local people trust and access and which can respond effectively during a crisis.

Co-Chair of the Africa APPG Lord Chidgey, who led on the report, said, “The UK has a rich history of supporting programmes which focus on community engagement. However, the report finds that it is essential if we are going to achieve universal health coverage under the Sustainable Development Goals that all donors, actors and NGOs give much higher priority to community ownership of health.

“Investing in earlier community consultation and working through existing community structures would strengthen local health systems and enable them to respond more effectively to a crisis. I hope the findings of this report will help guide responses to future epidemics and long term approaches to strengthen health systems."

Moro bailed over fatal jobs fraud Nigeria's former interior minister has been charged with fraud over a botched recruitment drive, which resulted in stampedes that left 20 people dead.

Abba Moro (right) led the scheme which encouraged young graduates to apply for jobs in the immigration ministry in March 2014. Stadiums, which were being used as test centres, were overwhelmed by huge crowds of people turning up to apply; a reflection of high level of unemployment among young people, who will go to extraordinary lengths to find work.

Mr Moro has pleaded not guilty to his role in an alleged $2.5m (£1.8m) fraud, involving missing application fees.

Court papers filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) allege that more than 675,000 were defrauded by the scheme, which required them to pay a $6 (£3.50) application fee to take the initial recruitment test.

On 15 March 2014 deadly stampedes occurred at stadiums in the Nigerian cities of Abuja, Benin and Port Harcourt, as well as a school in Mina city, as youths

desperate for work scrambled to apply for the new jobs.

Many Nigerians online have been commenting on the irony that a former minister in charge of the country’s prisons is facing a lengthy stint behind bars if he is found guilty.

At the time, Nigeria's interior minister rejected calls for him to step down and initially refused to accept any responsibility for the disaster. He blamed the officials in charge of the stadium for the deaths, as well as the job seekers themselves.

At a hearing on March 3 Mr Moro was granted unconditional bail.

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EMBASSYWatch

13

News from the

NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSIONLondon cAMpAIgN out to rEDucE StIgMA of MENtAl HEAltH

Internet hub launched for students studying in the UK The Nigerian High Commission has launched a “student portal” on its website to allow those pursuing their studies at University in the UK to register their presence in the country.

The initiative was announced when a delegation from the Nigerian Students Association of Birmingham University visited the High Commission in London on March 4 to announce plans for a cultural showcase to promote Nigeria and encourage more Nigerian students to engage with their activities.

Birmingham University is believed to boast the second largest number of Nigerian students in the UK after Nottingham.

Announcing the registration initiative Prince Adnineyi, Minister for Consular Education and Welfare, said it’s purpose is “to allow us to show an interest in your welfare”.

When students register they detail where and what they are studying,

where they are living and details of their family home in Nigeria and any other additional information that may be important. Once the form is submitted they are issued with a registration number.

“The protal will become a platform for announcements to be made and will become ideal for networking,” Mr Adineyi said.

“We have an interest in you and seeing

you succeed and are here to help you,” Mr Adineyi explained. “Let the embassy know of your presence here and we can help, especially in times of crisis.”

Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to the UK Simon Ogah welcomed the plan to hold a cultural event to encourage more students to engage with the NSA. The students said the purpose was to “promote a positive image of Nigeria and encourage active citizenship to sustain strength in diversity of Nigeria’s cultural heritage” – which they described as a strength.

Mr Ogah encouraged them to open their doors. “Don’t just invite Nigerian students,” he said. “Open your house to non Nigerians to see our culture.”

To contact the Nigerian Students Association of Birmingham University, email nigerian@guild.bham.ac.uk To join the new register visit www.nigeriahc.org.uk and click on the “Student Portal” tab.

The International Association of Psychiatric Nurses of Nigeria were commended for their work in promoting the issue of mental health among the diaspora and in Nigeria by the acting High Commissioner Simon Ogah on March 3.

The association visited the High Commission to promote its 10th annual conference, to be held this year in Nigeria at the beginning of April.

The four day conference will deliver two days training in the

management of violent and aggressive patients and share good practice about mental health services with the goal of improving provision in Nigeria.

Mr Ogah commended the association for its work saying, “Your campaigns to enlighten people is commendable. Mental health challenges can strike anyone at any time, no one is immune, and we owe people with mental health challenges a duty of care.”

coalition furthers IDp aims

(L-r) Temitope Olodo led members of Nigeria Diaspora Security Forum, Rev (Dr) Nathaniel Oyinloye and Olufemi Aratokun-Ale, to a closed door meeting on security matters in relation to internally displaced peoples in Nigeria with officials of Nigeria High Commission on March 4. The NDSF has built a coalition of community groups intent on helping to alleviate the IDP situation caused by the Boko Haram insurgency. CEO of Ben TV Alistair Soyode is the group’s patron.

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NEWSWatch

15

ANtI-gANg AND KNIfE crIME INItIAtIVES to BE lEft to cASH-StrAppED couNcIlS Government minister Karen Bradley has said she will explore the introduction of “Fagin orders” to prevent criminal gang bosses from grooming children to act as inter-city drug mules.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Home Office expressed an interest in pursuing the use of court orders after hearing of instances of victims trafficking drugs round the country and in some instances being forced to hide class A substances inside their body.

The new phenomenon was raised by Anne Coffey, Labour MP for Stockport, who proposed using the orders “where children are being groomed by organised criminals and gangs to act as drug runners”.

In the process she coined the phrase Fagin orders, a reference to the child gang led by the villainous character in Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist. Such civil orders have previously been used to prevent adults undertaking activity that may lead to the sexual grooming of children.

Ms Coffey also raised the phenomenon of “county lines” where gangs groom children into selling class A drugs miles from their home so they are more difficult for police to detect.

Tory Colchester MP Will Quince said gang activity was spreading from London into his constituency.

He said, “London gangs are, without doubt, extending their county lines into Essex. Violent gang members have been using intimidation and violence, often against vulnerable people, to take over properties in towns such as Southend and Basildon, and even Colchester.”

The revelations were made during a parliamentary debate led by Streatham MP Chuka Umunna, which called on the government “to establish an independent, all-

party commission, involving a wide-ranging consultation, to identify the root causes, effect of, and solutions to, serious youth violence, including knife crime, its links to gang culture and the sale of illegal drugs”.

He also used the occasion to call on the government to withdraw plans to scrap the “Ending Gang & Youth Violence and Exploitation Peer Review Network (EGYV)”, created in the wake of the London riots to look at the issue strategically and share best practice to local authorities and others, particularly on emerging criminal trends.

The minister rejected both calls saying she did not believe an independent commission would serve any purpose and justified the scrapping of the EGYV, saying, “The original programme’s work, which included the peer

review network, is now complete. Local resilience has been built, and local areas have had that peer review. We have now passed the stage of understanding, and need to proceed to delivery.”

However, her enthusiasm for Fagin Orders and the phenomena identified by Ms Coffey seemed to belie this. Nevertheless it now means that cash-strapped local authorities and police commands will be left to tackle the issue on a borough by borough basis.

While the minister was keen to promote early intervention to prevent young people from becoming involved in such activity it is difficult to see how local authorities - many of which have either scrapped or pared to the bone youth workers and youth clubs – can achieve this.

Last year 17 teenagers lost there lives on the streets of London, with many of the victims and perpetrators being of African heritage. The murders took place against a dramatic rise in youth violence and gang activity.

Over the last three years youth violence offences have increased by 13.4% and the number of offences the Metropolitan Police associates with gang activity has increased by 25%.

In bald numbers obtained from the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime this means there were 6,275 cases of serious youth violence in 2015, defined as any offence involving a gun or knife crime where the victim is aged between 1-19. Gang related violence offences – where a victim is under 25 and a firearm has been

discharged or knife has been used to injure – rose to 1,858 during the same year.

While disappointed at the minister’s rejection of his call to have an independent commission to preserve EGYV peer review network, Mr Umunna delivered a passionate conclusion to the debate.

“I think we should be absolutely honest, up-front and frank about the fact that, if we were talking predominantly about middleclass children from comfortable, middle-income families and wealthy neighbourhoods, the issue would be much higher up the national agenda,” he said.

“The murder of young people by other young people who fit that middle-income demographic profile would command many more column inches.

“It is a disgrace and a damning indictment of our society that, increasingly, it is becoming immune to what is happening on our doorsteps.

Our society is ignoring the issue, putting a whole generation of young people into a corner and saying, ‘That is what happens with those kinds of young people from those kinds of areas.’

“I want to make it very clear in this debate that the House of Commons recognises that no matter what their background — whether they grow up on an estate or in a comfortable neighbourhood — every single young life matters. We will not stand by while violence and fatalities continue to hit the next generation, because it is our future.”

“It is a disgrace and damning indictment of our society”

pilot aims to fly himself into the history books Nigerian pilot Captain Ademilola Odunjirin plans to become the first African to undertake a solo flight around the world in a specially-configured single Cirrus aircraft. The former Arik AIr pilot is hoping to take off from (and land back in) Lagos in August.

Records show that 114 pilots have flown round the world but that no African pilot has ever done it. According to Captain Odunjirin, this is a dream which he and the organisers have been working to achieve over the last 10 years.

He added that one of the major objectives of the flight is to change the world perception of Africans and put Nigeria on the global map. Captain Odunjirin said, “This is to change Africa narratives, inspire the youths and to support selected charities especially children in the internally displaced people (IDP) camps.

“It is a dream that we have been working very hard to achieve as no African has done it before and it will be a big achievement.”

He will be flying a specially configured SR22 Cirrus, with registration number N313CD, as it can fly 17-and-a-half hours before requiring refuelling.

The aircraft has also been equipped with on-board cameras to provide live feed for the entire journey, thus thousands of people will be able view and share in Lola’s experience as he takes Africa beyond all boarders.

A vastly experienced pilot who has been flying for 17 years, in 2010, Ademilola cycled some 3200km from Morocco (Africa) to London (England) in just 17 days.

16

NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

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NEWSWatch

BE A g7 DElEgAtE…

Big thanks to all as Dr Seb arrives back in the UK A London doctor left critically injured after being hit by a lorry in Las Vegas has been flown back to the UK – thanks to the incredible generosity of the public.

Dr Sebastian Kola-Bankole, 35, from Camden, was left fighting for life after being struck by a lorry yards from the Hard Rock Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip on February 15. He was in America to attend a friend’s wedding.

The NHS doctor underwent several emergency operations on his spine, ears and arteries and his friends set up a GoFundMe page to cover the costs of the expensive US medical treatment, along with his repatriation back to the UK. Writing on the fundraising page, friend Alexander Ademokun confirmed that Dr Kola-Bankole had safely returned to the UK on February 4.

He posted, “He landed this afternoon and has been transferred to intensive care for assessment.

“I can’t thank you all enough for your support to help bring Seb home, we genuinely wouldn’t be here without all of you.

“I also want to thank the doctors that looked after him in the US, they’ve done an incredible job and we are all grateful.

“I also want to say a massive thank you to all Seb’s friends and colleagues in the NHS who have rallied round to make things happen here. We are so grateful and proud to have an NHS.” The fundraising page, which was set up less than two weeks ago, raised almost £200,000. The majority of this has gone to pay for Seb’s repatriation costs and his hospital bill. That settlement covers the care he received while staying in ICU for over two weeks but does not cover the specialists he saw in that time as they bill separately. As such there may still be further bills down the line.

Hence his friends have left open the fundraising page as they do not know what the final bill will be. Donations can be made to www.gofundme.com/59q92jcs

Some of the faaji Agba collective

No sooner had multi-linguist MENSA mastermind Evander Mayowa Akindele appeared in Nigerian Watch (NW 70) than he was invited by the Future Leaders Network to become a delegate to the Y7 summit taking place in Tokyo, Japan, at the end of April.

The Y7 Summit is a global gathering of future leaders from the G7 countries, that seeks to generate policy recommendations through pragmatic and evidence-based negotiation.

Delegates to the Summit will be expected to negotiate a communiqué that will be officially presented to the Japanese Government and G7 Leaders. In order

Director remi Vaughan-richards

The glorious last hurrah of Nigeria’s master musicians We all know of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Nigerian pioneer of Afrobeat, activist and politician, but few of us know of the Yoruba ‘master musicians’ on whose shoulders he stood.

All that is about to change thanks to British Nigerian filmmaker Remi VaughanRichards, who has spent six years making the documentary Faaji Agba, which chronicles the lives and times of these musicians.

Made on a shoe-string, on March 5 it scooped the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Award for Best Documentary.

The film follows seven 68-85 year old Yoruba master musicians in Lagos, who had largely been forgotten until Kunle Tejuoso, owner of the legendary Jazzhole Records in Lagos, set out to find them and the ‘Faaji Agba Collective’ was born.

The film follows Kunle’s journey, which starts in 2009

with him finding the celebrated Prince Olayiwola Fatai Olagunju, better known as – now tragically, late – Fatai Rolling Dollar.

Fatai’s home was a stone’s throw away from the Kalakuta Republic, the compound of the young and then soon-to-be megastar Fela Kuti.

The infamous attack on Fela’s home and the subsequent fire that engulfed the area destroyed much of Fatai’s livelihood. What remained was stolen by looters, severely hindering his livelihood, causing Fatai to slide into obscurity.

After locating Fatai, Kunle gets to meet other master musicians such as Alaba Pedro, SF Olowookere, Ayinde Bakare and more. Their musical styles range from highlife, juju to afrobeat.

The film follows this newlyformed band of brothers on their journey to perform in New

York in 2011 where tragedy strikes. A year later, undeterred by the setback they perform again in Lagos, which ends up being their last gig.

In the telling of these musicians’ story the Faaji Agba documentary delves into the long, rich, sometimes difficult but always beautiful history of the music scene of Lagos and Nigeria, from the 1940s to the present day, through the joyful resurgence of these musicians.

“Faaji Agba has been a passion project for me,” said Remi Vaughan-Richards on its release. “A six year journey I’ve undertaken with Kunle, who I thank for allowing me the privilege. I fell in love with these guys and their stories, their insight into the history of the music and culture of Lagos.

“When they started dying on me it was very painful because they had become part of my family, like uncles to me,

and each time I watch the film, I have such incredible memories and feel very privileged that I was part of their world for six years.”

It is part of Nigeria’s rich heritage that is rapidly fading and that concerns Ms VaughanRichards.

“I have one major problem with the way Lagos and Nigeria is generally going…there is a rush to be ‘western’ and lack of pride in our rich culture.

“They say you can tell the history of a country through it’s architecture and music. The old Brazilian quarters hardly exist now, it is almost like Nigerians are not proud of their legacy… this is the message I wanted to pass on in Faaji Agba.

“If we lose our identity, we lose our culture and sense of who we are.”

A 10-minute trailer of the film can be seen here, www.youtube.com/watch?v= NGHI9YKQAY0

to increase the effectiveness of the Summit, delegates will also participate in online ‘pre-negotiations’ throughout April with the other delegates.

The 2016 Summit’s agenda includes four key topics for discussion: Migration, Refugees and Demographic Change; Sustainable Development; International Security and Counterterrorism; Singularity and Information Technology.

The UK team will consist of five delegates and applications are open to people under 30 until March 18. To apply, visit www.futureleaders.network/news/

LEISUREWatch

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NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

Fortnight

FashionWATCH

BY OBAH IYAMU

As we are smack dab in the middle of a seasonal transition, we’re looking to jazz up our outfits while protecting the summer budget. Here’s how to keep it fresh and gorgeous

17

WHAt to SEE AND Do oVEr tHE NExt

14 DAyS...

tHE MAIDS

BroocHES This season we are doing clusters of brooches because for years, the brooch has been the sole domain of wellmeaning grannies and relegated to the side tables at neighbourhood flea markets. Now, however, fashion queens are opting for the decorative pins to add that extra edge to their denim jackets and shirt lapels. With every fashion idea comes rules, and these rules are there to keep you in the right lane as trends can easily gravitate towards dowdiness. For this trend, shop for brooches in the same style, so pick a theme. And toil around the shops, flea markets? Absolutely. An enormous brooch is my take on this, especially on delicate clothing.

x-rAy fABrIcS In other words, completely seethrough! This means material such as organza. Thankfully the fashion masterminds have protected our modesty by garnishing with studs and colour artistry this year. Sheer fabrics are always on trend but the styling is what keeps you on track. Always appropriate for evening wear and even more appropriate for a super-glam show down.

Wear over a camisole and keep it casual with a pair of jeans for a daytime event. Think this trend is for only the brave? It’s not. Walk out of your comfort zone for a minute, it really is not as scary as it sounds; opt for layered pieces to minimise exposure. I plan to wear a stiff X-ray dress over a slip for my weekend soirée.

In a luxurious bedroom, two maids fantasise about killing their employer, playing out dangerous and sadistic scenarios as they plan her violent death. uzo Aduba, double Emmy Award winner (orange is the New Black) and Zawe Ashton will play the maids, Solange and

claire. laura carmichael will play Mistress.

Ongoing until May 21, evening performances 7.30pm, Thur & Sat matinee 2.30pm. £29 Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall SW1 http://thejamielloydcompany.com

tHEAtrE I See you

Ben meets Skinn for a night out. But the party is interrupted by the police.

Ben, a young student who doesn’t know his own history, is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. And Officer Buthelezi, a former freedom fighter, can’t let it go.

Ongoing until Mar 26, evening performances 7.45pm, Thur & Sat matinee 3pm. Tickets £20 Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square SW1 www.royalcourttheatre.com

The Music of my Dream Violet is a young AfricanCaribbean girl who loves to dance; her brother Leo loves to play the guitar. Their great-grandparents travelled to Britain in 1948 aboard the Empire Windrush. The pair are fully integrated into British life, until one morning Violet hears the strains of her great-grandfather’s music deep within her soul, a melody which leads us to the story behind her dream.

Mar 13, check website for times and prices.

Orange Tree Theatre, 1 Clarence St, Richmond TW9 www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk

les Blancs An African country teeters on the edge of civil war. A

Outspoken black militant feminist and communist, Angela Davis filmed by her students in her time as a professor of philosophy at U.C.L.A. society prepares to drive out its colonial present and claim an independent future. Racial tensions boil over. A family and a nation fall apart under the pressure to determine their own identity.

From Mar 1 see website for details of screenings; Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road N15 www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk

tanna. African love in the South pacific

Mar 22 - May 4, evening performances 7.30pm, Tues, Thur & Sat matinee 2pm.

Tickets £15 National Theatre, Upper Ground SE1 www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

fIlM International Women’s Month To mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party for Self Defence (1966 – 2016) Black History Studies presents a series of screenings that look at the role of women in the freedom fighting group.

Including: Reflections Unheard: Black Women in Civil Rights, the political marginalisation of black women in an era of the male-dominated Black Power movement and white dominated feminism. Mama C: Urban Warrior in the African Bush. Ex-member of the Kansas City Black Panther Party who has lived for the past 40 years in the Tanzanian village of Imbaseni. Angela Davis: Portrait of a Revolutionary.

The first-ever film shot entirely in Vanuatu tells a story of forbidden love, rites of passage,global warming, respect for elders and African sprituality.

Mar 12, 2pm. Tickets £6.50 BFI Southbank, Belvedere Road SE1 www.bfi.org.uk

The Black Image

The image of African people has been deliberately altered

by Europeans. In the 15th century African people were portrayed in European art as noble, sophisticated and intelligent. During the rise of Empire these images were replaced with demeaning

18

NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

stereotypes which still inform public opinion via children’s books and Hollywood movies.

frame and into installations, including paper scraps and objects found in the markets of Harare, where he is based.

Mar 12, 6pm. FREE Portland hall Lecture room, Lower ground, University of Westminster. 4-12 Little Titchfield Street W1 www.blackhistorywalks.co.uk

Ongoing until Mar 19, 10am 5pm. FREE Tiwani Contemporary, 16 Little Portland Street W1 www.tiwani.co.uk

creation from catastrophe cuba, an African odyssey

Exploring how the printed and factory-woven textiles of eastern and southern Africa mirror the changing times, fashions and tastes of the region.

Ongoing until May 29, 10am 5pm. FREE William Morris Gallery, Lloyd Park, Forest Road Walthamstow E17 www.wmgallery.org.uk

of everyday life and twist it into comedy, come together as ‘BAD Boys’.

Mar 26, two shows starting at 7.30pm and 11.30pm. From £15 Hackney Empire, 291 Mare St E8 www.hackneyempire.co.uk

SpoKEN WorD Sugarcane poetry

The caribbean’s great War

Cuba, under the leadership of Fidel Castro, gave critical support to Africa’s liberation movements. This influence was instrumental in advancing the decolonisation process, which brought independence to much of the continent.

Mar 23, 7pm. FREE Calvert, 22 – 22 Calvert Avenue E2 http://calvert22.org

Art & ExHIBItIoNS paper cut Gareth Nyandoro’s first solo exhibition in the UK features his large works on paper, which often spill out of their two-dimensional

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LEISUREWatch

How Architecture Rebuilds Communities, how cities and communities have been re-imagined in the aftermath of natural or man-made disasters, including in Nepal, Nigeria, Chile and Pakistan.

Ongoing until Apr 24, 10am 5pm. FREE Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place W1 www.architecture.com

Social fabric: African textiles today

Exhibition detailing the thousands of young Caribbean men who volunteered to join the British West Indies Regiment in the First World War, serving on the Western Front, in the Middle East and Italy.

Ongoing until May 2, times.

FREE Museum of Docklands, No 1 Warehouse, West India Quay E14 www.museumoflondon.org.u k

coMEDy Bad Boys Richard Blackwood, known for his hardhitting improv coupled with a satirical approach to comedy and Danny ‘Slim’ Gray, the people’s champion, with the ability to capture different aspects

Yvonne Fly Onakeme Etaghene, Nigerian dyke poet,

performance activist, actress and author, will screen a short, introspective film about her recent trip to South Africa and perform electric, sugarcaneflavoured poetry about everything from love to homeland to her deep love of mangoes.

MuSIc Safaricom choir

Mar 12, 7pm. £7 on the door.

Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road N15 www.berniegrantcentre.co.u k

Mar 11, 7.30pm. Tickets £23 St Pauls Church, Bedford Street, Covent Garden WC2 www.breadandwaterforafrica .org.uk/concert

DANcE uchenna Dance residency

rebel Muzik

Vicki Igbokwe, Creative Director, Choreographer & Empowerment Specialist, takes over The Clore Ballroom with her company Uchenna Dance.

Come and take part in open workshops, observe the company rehearsing and devising new work.

Mar 30 - 31, 1pm 6pm. FREE Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd SE1 www. south bank centre. co.uk

Setting the words from the Catholic Mass to the rhythm and harmony of AfricanAmerican music, alongside various African arrangements to raise funds for Bread and Water for Africa UK.

An evening of uplifting, thought-provoking spoken word, acoustic vibes and hip-hop from some of the UK’s conscious artists, including; Shay D, Liza Garza, Poetic Pilgrimage, Amen Noir and Rukeia, Son of Ee. Mar 13, 7.30pm. Tickets £8 Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Rd E1 www.richmix.org.uk

lianne la Havas

Lianne La Havas enchants the audience with her

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NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

LEISUREWatch

BAllEt BlAcK - trIplE BIll Ballet Black, an international company of black and Asian dancers, in an irresistible trilogy of narrative and abstract dance.

Mar 18 - 19, 7.45pm. Tickets from £16 Barbican Centre, Silk Street EC2 www.barbican.org.uk

19

BEHIND THE SCENES

with Lace Mamen

soulful vocals and nimble guitar work. Her debut album in 2012 Is Your Love Big Enough? sold 200,000 copies has been followed by Blood, heavily inspired by her Jamaican heritage.

Mar 14, 7pm. Tickets £30 Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore SW7 www.royalalberthall.com

revelation Avenue

health and well-being.

Mar 12, 1pm - 5pm. FREE Lordship Lane Recreation Ground, Lordship Lane N17 https://haringey.gov.uk

enjoyable to sing. Singers of any level of ability and experience are more than welcome to participate.

Mar 19, 11am. Tickets £8 Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd SE1 www.southbankcentre.co.uk

World Music at Bernies

Britain's Got Talent Golden Buzzer Winners performing their soulful twist to modern commercial pop songs.

Mar 19, 7pm. Tickets £22 Hackney Empire, Mare street E8 www.hackneyempire.co.uk

New world music series exploring artists from around the globe, including Bukky Leo and Black Egypt, Muntu Valdo, Fenomeno Show.

Mar 24, 7.30pm. £10 on the door Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road N15 www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk

Dans la presence Du pere The Black Stars of Highlife Audrey Gbaguidi (France/Togo/Benin) spent several years working with Nigerian afrobeat drummer Tony Allen and has also been involved with the Africa Express project.

Adessose Wallace (Nigeria)

has played with a number of legendary musicians, including Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba.

Abdul Teejay (Sierra Leone) Sierra Leone street- and folk musician formerly of African Connection, African Culture and Rokoto.

Mar 19, 8.30pm. £8 on the door The Forge, 3-7 Delancey Street, London NW1 www.forgevenue.org

Joyce Moholoagae One of the very finest UKbased South African singers, Joyce leads this two-hour workshop exploring the rich harmonies, vivid melodies and driving rhythms that make South African songs so

Gospel Concert with Couple Kibala and other amazing artists.

Mar 26, 6pm. Tickets £10 Bernie Grant Arts Centre, Town Hall Approach Road N15 www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk

INtErNAtIoNAl WoMENS MoNtH Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze: The Verandah poems Internationally renowned Jamaican poet Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze marks her 60th birthday with the publication of her new poetry collection The Verandah Poems for International Women’s Month.

Mar 11, 6pm. Tickets £10 Black Cultural Archives, 1 Windrush Square SW2 www.bcaheritage.org.uk

celebrate International Women’s Day “Supporting Women’s Journey through Life’s Landmarks” is a fun, informative and interactive event encouraging local women to join in a afternoon of seminars, workshops, activities and discussion to inform, support and raise women’s

Afro/caribbean Women’s Empowerment Day Inspiring Afro/Caribbean women in the community – by sharing stories, tips & knowledge to address some of our common concerns.

Mar 13, 12pm – 6pm. Tickets £5 Upstairs at The Ritzy - Brixton Road SW2 www.picturehouses.com

New African Woman forum African Women have been instrumental in shaping African society and are an important force for development. Bringing together over 150 leaders from business, academia and civil society, as well as key decision makers from the public and private sector to discuss the reality of African society from the perspectives of the New African Women.

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BtS boys caught a chat with uK celebrity stylist Afromodel Nnacks. “My fashion is whatever my client needs matched to their budget, keeping

from Venezueala to uK Afrobeats, BtS boyz with rosa Diaz

Mar 19, 6pm. Tickets £100 Andaz London, 40 Liverpool St EC2 http://nawmagazine.com/

Divas of colour 2016 A special day to celebrate, recognise, reward and discover the best of women of colour from around the world.

Mar 26, 12pm. Tickets from £15 Hilton Hotel, No.5 More London, Tooley Street SE1 www.mbwpr.com

otHEr Entrepreneurial Africa Showcase Training workshops, open talks with UK entrepreneurs, and pitches to an open forum with a panel discussions on innovative approaches to supporting entrepreneurship in Africa.

Speakers include; Jimi Ogunnusi and Chaney Ojinnaka.

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“Believe me, there are a million reasons to stop you touching that dream,” Miss rosa Diaz tells BtS boyz, a special reason from Venezuela.

“Every woman on tV is 110% beautiful, either that or no chance, they got it like that. Whether its the newsgirl, drama, tV series, advert or whatever, you needed to be the most beautiful.

My dream of being on tV was dying because I could not meet these standards and I am sooo beautiful.” Say what!?

“Never one to give up I attended acting school in Venezuela. When I came to Europe a year ago, my dream of being an actress came alive again. It was amazing to see that ladies did not have to be a 110% beautiful to be on tV. I then contacted talent agencies and created my

in mind that the viewers want to see new styles and that you need to push your image.

“I have styled many, Atumpan, Adasnoop, utti, tyrone da prince, Kool H, Sam Sodje and many more. I’ve also consulted for Wizkid and Iyanya. I think Nigerian celebrities swag better than their uK counterparts because they do not have the same range of selection available; Nigerians have limited choices in every way and do more with it. At Afromodels we have direct links to anything fashion that is trending, I get flown everywhere for my work which is quite enjoyable. “chris Brown, Kanye west, Beyonce, rihanna, tiwa Savage and yemi Alade, these are people I like because they love to push fashion boundaries.

“My craziest experience was styling Atumpan. he fell in love with my collection and wanted to wear all of them, so we could not put a look on him for his video, it was sooo funny.” contact Afromodel uK at afromodel@yahoo.com, instagram@ afromodeluk, facebook@afromodelnnaks profile on Starnow. Since then I have done worka youtube series called Italiano, prankcall with channel 4 and a short movie called The game of The Eagle.

“I met Adelphi from Boss Media at a tV presenter’s seminar in london and she introduced me to Afrobeats. I accidentally picked modelling in my Starnow profile so I was actually getting inquiries from that genre, Adelphi just eased me in. I have just done two music videos with Meridian Dan and uncle rafool and I have a new movie project going on Netflix and viewcinema called one-Sided love, directed by Jai Akash.

Things are moving well. follow me on Ig @rduk2013.” full interview coming soon on Behind The Scenes, Ben tV sky channel 182. from Venezueala to uK Afrobeats, BtS boyz with rosa Diaz

20

NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

EDUCATIONWatch

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Rise in Chevening scholarships shows the UK’s commitment to “young, talented Nigerians” The UK has invested over one and a quarter million pounds sponsoring 45 Nigerian Chevening scholars to study at universities in the UK this year, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr Paul Arkwright revealed at a welcome reception for alumni, including those who graduated from the scheme last year.

According to the Ambassador, over 1,000 Nigerians have benefitted from the scholarship since its inception in 1984.

“Chevening boasts of an alumni network exceeding 43,000 members of which over 1,000 are Nigerians,” he said.

He said that as an important element of Britain’s public diplomacy effort, Chevening Scholarships are structured to create a lasting positive relationships with Nigeria.

Over the years, scholars had attended top UK universities such as the Imperial College, London; University of Oxford;

University of Cambridge; Kings College, London and many more.

The average cost of an award is £30,000 and this year Chevening has sponsored 45 Nigerians to study in the UK, up from 12 in 2015, to meet rising demand.

Nigeria recorded the highest number of applications globally, with 3,375 applications out of the total of 43,000 from 114 countries for the current round of awards.

To meet this rising demand, the High Commission entered into agreements with partner organisations to co-fund specific Chevening awards through Chevening Local Partnerships.

“This year, we have had a very significant increase in the number of Nigerians who are studying in the UK,” he said.

“We have increased it now from 12 to 45, which is a very big increase. It shows the commitment of the British Government to Nigeria; it shows the commitment of the British Government to young

talented Nigerians.

“We want to promote young people in Nigeria; we want to help them to achieve their aims, ambitions and goals. We want to provide some of the very best education that this world has to offer in some of the very best universities in the world,” he said.

He continued, “I am really pleased that we have expanded the programme, that we have increased the numbers of young talented Nigerians.

Former Chevening scholars include: John Mooch, Managing Director, Channels Television; Saudis Lamdin, the Emir of Kano; and Simon Koralle, the publisher of The Cable; Adella Addington, Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria; Bolan Abdullah, former Minister of Sports; and Valentine Orazio, Managing Director of Transcript Hotels, and a host of others.

Applications for Chevening Scholarships open between August and November every year. www.chevening.org

ABOVE; British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright (5th right) with some of the Chevening Scholars

www.glos.ac.uk/international Why choose University of Gloucestershire?

• Support – 1st in the UK for international student support.

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“At University of Gloucestershire, the teachings are superb as every lecture comes with a unique flare but more captivating is the time and energy lecturers spend in supporting us.”

Mary Kolawole - Law LLB

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NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

EDUCATIONWatch

21

Pioneering University of Nottingham reaches out to Nigerian students at Lagos and Abuja roadshows The University of Nottingham cohosted a reception with UK Trade and Investment in Lagos on March 3, to celebrate its ongoing engagement and relationships in Nigeria. The event brought together former and future students, University academic staff and institutional academic partners, as well as other stakeholders with an interest in Higher Education.

Ranked in the top 1% of universities globally, the University of Nottingham is described in The Sunday Times University Guide as “one of the first to embrace a truly international approach to higher education”.

The University of Nottingham boasts a diverse community, creating an inspiring place to study and work, with over 43,000 students from more than 150 countries, awardwinning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia and strong links with universities around the world.

Nigerian students form the largest group of African students on campus with over 200 currently studying at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

The University of Nottingham Nigerian Students Society was recently awarded a Certificate of

uNIVErSIty of NottINgHAM NIgErIAN SocIEty WAZoBIA16; Moelogo headlined, Princess Okoh and The Africultural Soc performed in The Great Hall March 5th.

Appreciation by the Nigeria High Commission in recognition of their commitment to the welfare and development of Nigerian students.

In the 2015/16 academic year,

over 30 of the incoming postgraduate Nigerian students were awarded prestigious merit based awards such as the Chevening Scholarship (funded by the British Government)

Why choose Kingston University? “

The teaching is excellent and very efficient in helping students learn more and get exposure in their field of study.

”

Elo Onovughe Nigeria Biomedical Science

• Number two in the UK for graduate start-ups* • Innovative, cutting-edge undergraduate and postgraduate courses in: - Art, Design and Architecture - Arts and Social Sciences - Business and Law - Science, Engineering and Computing • Scholarships of £4,000 available for international students • 25 Minutes from central London in a beautiful riverside location • Real diversity - with students from over 150 different countries FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: T: +44 (0) 208 417 3411 E: international@kingston.ac.uk www.kingston.ac.uk/international *2015, HESA

and the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, as well as the University’s own internally awarded Developing Solutions Masters scholarships and the Vice-

Chancellors Awards for Research Excellence (international).

Emma Tayou, Regional Manager for West Africa at University of Nottingham, says over 1,000 Nigerian nationals have graduated from the University, including individuals who have gone on to occupy a range of senior academic, private and public sector positions.

The University of Nottingham continues to develop links with Nigerian institutions in the areas of research and teaching.

Hence the recent trip, where potential students and collaborators me with staff from the West Africa Liaison office of the University of Nottingham at the British Council Education UK Exhibitions, which were staged in Abuja on March 2 and in Lagos on March 4 and 5.

The University of Nottingham has five faculties and a wide range of departments offering over 360 undergraduate courses and over 380 postgraduate taught courses, with research opportunities across a constantly evolving range of disciplines. Its innovative teaching is informed by the latest research and delivered by leading academics and cross-faculty research groups.

To find out more, www.nottingham.ac.uk

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NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

SPORTSWatch

23

yoBo tEStIMoNIAl

SupEr MAro British Nigerian Maro Itoje made his rugby international debut on Valentine’s Day, coming on in the 54th minute against Italy at The Stadio Olympico in Italy.

England were leading 9-18, against a resilient Italian side at the time. Maro Itoje came on for Haskell as blind-side flanker, with a big

cheer for the young debutant and at last the points and panache followed, with England going on to win 9-40.

Of his debut, Maro tweeted; “Yesterday was amazing for me!

And glad to be apart of this @EnglandRugby team” Maro, hailed as a once‑in-a-

GIFTS

generation player, is in his second season with Saracens, after playing in the England under-20s side that won the world title in 2014. Paul Gustard, the England defence coach who knows Itoje more than most, having coached him through the ranks when he was at Saracens, describes him as a “rare talent”.

Itoje was educated at St George’s school in Harpenden, alongside England team-mates George Ford and Owen Farrell, before winning a rugby scholarship at Harrow. It was his sheer athleticism and dynamic power that convinced Gustard that Itoje had a big future

ahead of him when he arrived at the Saracens academy. “My first thought was, ‘S---, he’s big for a young kid.’ He’s massive.

“He has this wingspan. We had him against the wall. You’re meant to be the height you are in your wingspan. He was this much longer. He’s got a huge range – which is probably one of the reasons he’s so effective through line outs.”

England face Wales at Twickenham this weekend, in what is likely to be the Six-Nations decider. Maro is named in the starting line-up for the crucial showdown.

From page 24 Conference. Among those present were past national teammates and coaches Shaibu Amodu, Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Taribo West, Austin Eguavoen, Peter Rufai, Ifeanyi Udeze and Christian Chukwu. Rivers State sports commissioner Boma Iyaye represented the state governor, Nyesom Wike.

Yobo confirmed the availability of former Everton boss David Moyes for the game. “My former manager David Moyes has said he will come. I was his first signing and I’m honoured he has agreed,” Yobo said.

Former Everton teammate, Wayne Rooney and African greats Samuel Eto’o and Yaya Toure plus a host of other world football stars are expected to grace the game.

The former Nigeria international defender made his Super Eagles debut against Zambia in a 2002 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on 24 March, 2001 in Chingola, Zambia.

Yobo went on to amass 100 international caps, scoring seven goals in a career that spanned 13 years where he featured at three Fifa World Cups and six Afcon tournaments, leading Nigeria to victory in his last outing in South Africa.

At club level, he turned out for Standard Liège, Marseille, Everton, Fenerbahce and Norwich City between 1998 and 2014.

pMB delivers on his promise to Eaglets ‘85 President Muhammadu Buhari on March 3 finally fulfilled his promise of rewarding members of the nation’s Under-16 Football Team that won the 1985 FIFA Championship when he was military Head of State.

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He announced a reward of N2m each to the players that included Fatai Atere, Nduka Ugbade, Jonathan Akpoborie, Baldwin Bazuaye, Victor Igbinoba and late Kingsley Aikiobare among others.

He also announced a reward of N1.5m each for the team’s coaches.

Buhari announced the rewards at a presidential reception organised for outstanding athletes and officials who did Nigeria proud in recent sports competitions.

The event was held inside the old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Buhari also rewarded other sports achievers who made the nation proud.

For the team that won gold medal in the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, Buhari announced rewards of N1.2m each for the players; N900,000 for the Head Coach; N300,000 for Team Secretary and medical team, as well as N200,000 each for other officials.

For the team that won gold medal in the 2015 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations in Senegal, the players and Head Coach got N500,000 each; while assistant coaches and other team officials got N300,000 each.

Adekoroye Odunayo who won bronze medal in the 2015 World Championship in Las Vegas got N1.2m

president Buhari surrounded by Sportsmen and women at the presidental reception.

for her effort while her coaches, Aku Purity and Daniel Igali got N600,000 each.

For D’Tigers that won gold medal in the 2015 Male Afro-Basketball Tournament in Tunisia, the players and the coaches got N600,000 each while team officials got N250,000 each.

The President also announced rewards for the team that won silver medal in the 2015 FIBA Africa U-16 Female Championship in Madagascar, saying the players and coaches will get

The Eaglets, 1985 fIfA u16 champions

N400,000 each while team officials will get N150,000 each.

For the 2015 IPC Asian Open International Powerlifting Championship in Almaty-Kazakhstan, the gold medalists were promised N600,000 each; silver medalists and coaches got N450,000 each while team officials got N250,000 each.

Wellington Jighere who won gold medal in the 2015 World English Language Scrabble Championship in Peth-Australia got N1.5m; his Coach, Anthony Ikolo got N1.2m while the Team Secretary, Makano Adamu got N450,000.

Olanrewaju Durodola who won the WBC Cruiser title was also rewarded with N1.5m.

On the delay in the fulfillment of his promise made to the Under-16 Football Team that won the 1985 FIFA Championship, Buhari said the reason was well known.

24

NIGERIAN WATCH 11 - 31 Mar 2016

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INSIDE

Super Maro set for crucial Six Nations showdown

SportsWATCH

soccer superstars turN out For

yobo

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is set to lead a team comprising a galaxy of European and African superstars to Nigeria for the imminent Joseph Yobo Centenary and Testimonial Game. Didier Drogba, brothers Yaya and Kolo Toure, and Samuel Eto’o will play in the team to be coached by Yobo’s former club manager at Everton FC David Moyes.

The match against a Super Eagles eleven is to be played on May 27 at the Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Yobo, the much-loved former captain of the Super Eagles, who remains Nigeria’s highest capped player with 100 appearances, three World Cup appearances and six African Cup of Nations appearances, said that requests by players all over the world to be part of the testimonial was frightening.

“I keep asking if we can contain the number of players who want to come here,” he said on March 8 at the Eko Hotels where he set another record, drawing 16 exinternationals, four former coaches and and six former captains of the Super Eagles to attend his testimonial press Turn to page 23

clocKWISE froM top; Didier Drogba, Wayne rooney, Kolo toure, Joseph yobo and David Moyes

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