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UK party leaders appeal for your vote on May 7 – p 8&9

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NIGERIAN WATCH The UK’s leading african newspaper wiTh The largesT circUlaTion

BeffTa coMMUniTy newspaper of The year 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

Issue No 051

fOrtNIghtly

to Inspire, Inform and Entertain

nigerianwatch.com

BrrrrillianT! BaBaTUnde loye Nigerian disapora elect a new leader page 12

chiBoK vigil

amazing nigerians make history to raise the flag at the north pole - p 2&3

One year on, diaspora demand action from President-elect Buhari page 6 yoU’ll never gUess which sUper eagle is exciTing segUn ‘MaTheMaTical’ odegBaMi – p10

NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

NEWSwaTch

NIGERIAN

WATCH cOMMENt

New challenges Three years ago I sat down at my desk to write my first leader in the first ever edition of Nigerian Watch. It was April 2012; D’banj ruled the airways; five london theatres were staging Nigerian playwrights; and the diaspora, in the form of canuk, and federal government were working together to prepare for the london Olympics, which went on to be an unprecedented success – off the track at least. The headline on our first edition was Nigeria rising. We knew our country and our people and we knew the negative stories that appeared in the western media about us did not come close to painting the true picture of what our country is and who we are. That is why we launched a newspaper, to challenge this lazy stereotype and have a quality product on the streets of this world city london, representing who we truly are. today I could write Nigeria has risen; we have just witnessed the peaceful handover of power elevating Nigeria into the comity of democratic nations; our economy is turbo charged and, with the right strategy, is predicted to surpass that of the Uk in 15 years; our people continue to scale new heights, literally to the top of the world. We in the diaspora now face new challenges; to play our part in enabling the democratic dividend to be delivered in Nigeria; and to use our pivotal status as Afro-peans to the benefit of our two countries – Nigeria and the Uk. They are challenges we should relish. 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 monthly 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

cool runner plants naija flag on top of the world

Three years ago Tuedon Omatsola Morgan was a UK dress size 26. Today she is a history maker as the first Nigerian to reach the North Pole, plant the Nigerian flag and run a marathon. AJ James reports The amazing Tuedon Omatsola Morgan has run herself into the history books by becoming the first Nigerian to reach the North Pole. The 42-year-old mother-of-four accomplished her inspirational feat on April 11 when she flew into Barneo ice station to compete in what is ironically called the world’s coolest marathon. “I’m so proud to be the first Nigerian to reach the North Pole, and raise the Nigerian flag on top of world, and finish the race,” an ecstatic Ms Morgan told Nigerian Watch days later – when she was back at work. The race is run on a small, 2.62-mile loop, requiring the athletes to run 10 laps over the hard snow or frozen ice of the Arctic Ocean. And it’s not without danger. Snipers are placed around the running circuit to protect the athletes from polar bears or other dangerous animals. It took Ms Morgan about 10 hours to complete the marathon. She described the order of events. “We flew in on the 10th and ran on the

11th. I think we started the race about 2pm, it’s hard to tell because there’s no nighttime at the Pole,” she said. “It took me forever to complete, about 10 hours. My goggles and balaclava kept freezing up so I had to have a lot of breaks in the heated tent. But I wasn’t there to compete, I just wanted to finish.” Which she did, somewhat amazingly. “People train for this race,” she says with astonishment. “A guy from Ireland trained in a freezer! Others went to Russia to train. Did I train? Eh, no. I didn’t have a clue what to expect. I just went with the flow. Ok, I thought, so it’s a marathon and it will be a little bit cold. No, it wasn’t a little bit cold. It was cold cold. So very cold. It was freezing. That was very difficult.” The former London school teacher who hails from Warri, Delta State, now lives in Qatar, where she works for the government. “I went from 41°C to -41°C. It was hard,” Ms Morgan said among peels of laughter. The marathon caps a remarkable turnaround

“It’s not just about me running but inspiring a lot of people”

DAys lAtEr A sky DIvINg NIgErIAN fAMIly In the most astonishing coincidence, just three days after Tuedon Omatsola Morgan reached the North Pole Nigeria’s answer to Richard Branson, entrepreneur and philanthropist Og Amazu touched down in most spectacular fashion, to write his own name in the history books. Not only did he become the ﬁrst Nigerian to reach the geographic North Pole on April 14 but he also became to ﬁrst man to successfully skydive in from 10,000 feet and then dive under the ice-cap on the same day. Mr Amazu undertook the extraordinary feat of human endurance, accompanied by his wife Joy – who also joined him on the sky-dive – and daughters Aimee and Monica, aged 6 and 9 respectively. The family undertook the adventure to launch their incredible philanthropic foundation Challenge 100 and remember the abducted girls of Chibok, Nigeria. Founded by Og and Joy Amazu, Challenge 100 was set up by the family, based on the three pillars of entrepreneurialism, philanthropy and family, with the aim of inspiring charitable acts

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

Omo! Here goes another record!

for Ms Morgan who just four years ago weighed in at over 120kg and wore a UK dress size 26. “I made up my mind I wanted to change my lifestyle in 2011, that’s when I started running. I was feeling sick, out of breath going up stairs, my bones ached. I couldn’t run around the park with my kids and couldn’t take them to certain places because I was always very tired.” On top of that she noticed her children were following her lifestyle and becoming obese themselves. So she started running. Subsequently Ms Morgan has competed in marathons around the world, including the Blue Riband events in London and New York and earlier this year she ran a tri-7; seven marathons in seven days on seven continents – Melbourne, Australia; Abu Dabi, Middle East; Paris, Europe; Tunisia, Africa; New York, North America; Rio, South America and ﬁnally Antarctica. She says proudly, “Two of my boys have started running too and my third son says he’s going to run to the North Pole and raise the Nigerian ﬂag on behalf of me. I feel like I’ve inspired my kids to live a very healthy life, because they got quite obese when I was very big as well.” And she is inspiring others as well. “I started a Facebook group with a friend called Women Encouraging Women, we’ve got 5,000 women now and most of them are running marathons and losing weight. “So, it’s not just about me running but it’s me running and inspiring a lot of people. The message I’m trying to send out is ordinary people can do extraordinary things. I want

DrOPs IN in others. In a statement from the Pole, Og said, “We are delighted to reach the geographic North Pole and become the ﬁrst Nigerians to do so. Launching and raising awareness of Challenge 100 is our goal today. However, it is poignant that we achieve this a year since the tragic events in Chibok and we remember all those that are still eﬀected by that tragedy.” Visit www.challenge100.com

people to see that I turned my life around and realise they can do the same, too. “You don’t have to be a runner, any exercise is good. Just don’t give up on yourself by just letting it all go. Try again and get on it.” What’s next? “I’ve got the Triathlon 6 in October. That’s going to be swim, cycle and run over the Olympic distance in six continents in six days.” In the meantime even the inspirational Ms Morgan will have to do some training. “I have to teach myself how to swim so I don’t drown out there,” she says howling with laughter. With that the woman who made all Nigeria feel on top of the world is oﬀ – for a 10km “recovery” run!

North Pole Dilemma Just like London buses, after waiting for an eternity first one turns up and then along comes another. So it is with Nigerians at the North Pole. First one turns up to run a marathon and days later, up pop another four in the guise of the Amazu family. What an astonishing coincidence. What an amazing feat. For the record books, however, this is a major dilemma. Who can be considered the first to reach the North Pole? Tuedon Omatsola Morgan was the first to the North Pole ice station Barneo; the permanent camp on the Pole and stands on floating ice. The Amazu family, however, flew 25 miles from Barneo to the geographic North Pole. Yet some consider the magnetic North Pole to be the real North Pole. Whatever history decides we consider both to be record breakers; the first Nigerian and woman to reach the North Pole and the first Nigerian family to reach the geographic North Pole. You could say it was a dead heat, which, given the circumstances, is dead cool.

Motorbike enthusiast Omo Alokwe is set to embark on a record-breaking 40,000 mile charity road trip on behalf of Medicine San Frontiers, to raise funds for, and awareness of the work they do in Africa. His back-breaking, buttockcrunching journey will take 16 weeks to complete and span two continents, including a bid to ride round Nigeria. And it all started as a joke for the Business Change Analyst. “When I was asked what my BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) was for 2015,” he recalls. And this incredible journey is “the exhilarating challenge of endurance” he set himself. Omo plans to ride from Land’s End – England’s southernmost tip – to Lagos – (Nigeria’s westernmost tip, including “riding round all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria”, thus breaking the World Record for the Longest Journey by Motorcycle in a Single Country – currently 22,065.47 miles, set in China by Zhang Ying Fa. The adventure will cover two continents and 12 countries; England, France, Spain, Morocco, Western Sahara, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Nigeria; travelling to Lagos, then riding in and around Nigeria before riding home. He admits the mileage is

quite daunting, but says, “I’m very excited. It’s going to be exhilarating thanks to the diﬀerent cultures, extremes of temperature, and of course the terrain that I will encounter on the trip; snow-capped Pyrenees, Sahara desert and tropical rain forests.” He is currently preparing physically, mentally and practically for the journey that will start in November. But the driving force behind it is his desire to highlight the work of MSF. “I will visit MSF sites along the route on the way to Nigeria, using this opportunity to increase awareness and raise funds to aid the humanitarian work they do in more than 60 countries around the world, and their continuing eﬀorts to curb the Ebola virus in West Africa.” To support Omo and MSF, donations can be made at www. justgiving.com/omoalokwe

lANDs END tO lAgOs; 5,569 miles, only 22,000.00 to go!

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

nigeria’s economy set to outpace uK economy by 2030 Nigeria’s economy is to grow faster than those of France and the United Kingdom by 2030, consultancy ﬁrm, Price WaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has said in its latest report entitled “The World in 2050: Will The Shift In Global Economic Power Continue?” In the report PwC forecast that China will be the largest economy by 2030, while India may challenge the United States for second place by

2050. The report went as far as to predict that the emerging economies of Nigeria, Mexico and Indonesia could push the UK and France out of the top 10 economies of the world by 2050 also. PwC added, however, that Nigeria’s [and other countries’] capacities to meet the growth trajectories would largely depend on the extent to which their governments are able to build their institutions to global

NEWSwaTch

first black PM will be of Nigerian heritage, David cameron tells festival of light

standards, diversify their economies and sustain growth-friendly policies. Commenting on the report, co-author and PwC chief economist for Nigeria Mr Andrew S Nevin said, “Nigeria’s potential advantages for future growth include a large consumer market, a strategic geographic location, and a young and highly entrepreneurial population. However, he continued, “To achieve its long-term economic potential, Nigeria will need to manage the oil price decline eﬀectively at all levels of government and create a sustainable platform for diversiﬁcation into the sectors that we know will drive the economy in the future – including power, agriculture, manufacturing, telecoms, hospitality and real estate.” Nevin explained that over the past decade, Nigeria has commanded superior economic growth and, with the right reforms and investments, the country could become one of the world’s leading economies by 2030, with further progress by 2050.

Prime Minister David Cameron attended the Redeemed Christian Church of God’s annual Festival of Light on Friday (April 17) and told the 45,000-strong congregation that it is the epitome of “the Big Society” and that from among them the first black prime minister would emerge. It is believed to be the first time a UK Prime Minister has addressed the conference in its nigh on 20 year history in the UK. This year the event which draws football-sized crowds was held at the Royal Victoria Dock, east London. Speaking from the pulpit Mr Cameron said, “It is an honour to be here and I’m proud of this festival which started as a camp just off the Lagos expressway and set the world alight. “I believe in aspiration. I believe the only limit to someone’s potential is their own ambition and talent. I look out to this crowd and I see someone who will take my role and become prime minister of this great country.” He then added as an aside, in reference to the forthcoming general election, “I hope you can hold off for a while just yet.” What he saw before him he said

“was the big society in action”. “For years I have tried to explain to people what the Big Society is. Some people were determined not to understand it. Well, I should have brought them here to the Festival of Life, because this is the Big Society in action, and it’s as vibrant, as alive and as powerful as ever. “Now just think how great our country, Britain, could be if we built on that; if we had an even bigger Big Society, where even more people shared your family values – values of prudence, of hard work, of looking out for those who fall on hard times. “With these values we can achieve the Britain we all want to live in – where the oppressed are cared for; where the lonely are befriended; where it’s not where you come from but the content of your character that really matters. “And tonight, let us be proud that this is a Christian country, where we stand for the freedom to practise your faith, and where we stand up for Christians and all those who are persecuted anywhere in our world. They are family, too.” In return the RCCG general overseer Pastor Enoch Adeboye held prayers for the prime minister. The RCCG was founded in 1952 and has hundreds of thousands of followers worldwide. It’s services in Lagos regularly attract up to 500,000 celebrants.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

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vIgIl MArks chIBOk ANNIvErsAry New york remembers chibok

As they have done on the 15th day of every month for the past year, the Nigerian Women in Leadership Diaspora Forum gathered outside the Nigeria High Commission in silent vigil to mark the ﬁrst anniversary of the kidnapping of the Chibok schoolgirls. The organisation used the occasion to deliver a letter to the Nigeria High Commission, (NHC) calling on Presidentelect Buhari to give his “utmost attention” to securing the release of the girls. In the letter, which opens by welcoming the new leadership of Nigeria, the President of NWILDF Jenny Okafor, writes, “We are aware that you are not magicians who can wave a magic wand and wave away all of our

problems.” However, the letter continues, “given that the safety and security of every nation remains the ﬁrst priority of every and any government, and how well leaders can deal with most issues of national importance depends on how much priority they attach to life, safety and security of citizens, we implore the new administration to give the plight of our girls and their families their utmost attention, to help us #bring back our girls.” At the vigil Ms Okafor said she was disappointed that President-elect Buhari had not addressed the nation that day (April 15) to update the situation. “I expected him to address the nation and tell us what

they plan to do to bring back our girls. They have said nothing. The government need to reassure the Nigerian people they are doing something ” She said over the past year to group had written to the Federal Government without reply and were hoping for a better response from the new administraion. The girls’ return is fundamental, she said. “If they are not looking for the children, why are we paying our taxes. A government must defend the sanctity of life.” For now the tragic vigils will continue. “One hour a month for the lives of 260 girls is nothing,” said Ms Okafor. NWILDF hold a Chibok Vigil at 5pm on the 15th of every month, outside the NHC on Northumberland Avenue.

Paris remembers chibok

thE INDOMItABlE chArlEs AlAshOlUyI: Where others have fallen by the wayside ad stopped marching and campaigning Mr Alasholuyi stayed true to his conviction that “an injury done to one is an injury done to all”, by posting a new picture of himself reminding the world of the Chibok girls’ plight at CNN iReport on every day of the year since their disappearance.

london vigil for chibok

ItN challenged over slur on diaspora ARE YOU WARM, PATIENT AND ENTHUSIASTIC?

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Complaints have been lodged with C4 News producer ITN over a slur on the UK Nigerian diaspora contained in a broadcast on April 14, writes Jon Hughes. Oﬀence was taken to an item suggesting the UK diaspora were unconcerned and uncaring about the plight of the Chibok girls, when nothing could be further from the truth. The news item was introduced as being a report on ceremonies taking place to mark the ﬁrst anniversary of the taking of the girls. Cutting to a shot of two girls out-

side the Nigeria High Commission, the reporter stated, “In London the turn out was negligible”. As I was watching, I emailed the news room to alert them to the fact that the diaspora had held a vigil on the 15th of the month ever since the girls were taken – as that was the day the fate of the girls was learnt about, having been abducted overnight on the 14th. For the item to suggest the diaspora had shunned the occasion gave an incorrect and damaging impression of the diaspora.

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NWILDF also wrote in to complain. It seems unlikely there will be a correction, as the programme editors have stood by the report and referred us to an announcement for the ﬁlmed vigil posted on a Facebook event page by a group called London Bring Back Our Girls, which included two posts; a pop video and shout out for contestants from Miss Teen Africa. We can only hope C4 News in future undertakes more thorough research before condemning the diaspora so readily.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

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why you should vote for us

lABOUr

leaders of the three main political parties in the Uk here issue direct vote-for-me appeals to the Nigerian diaspora ahead of May 7 With Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities in the UK having the potential to determine the outcome of over 160 marginal seats in the forthcoming general election on May 7, leaders from the three main political parties have taken to the pages of Nigerian Watch in a bid to win your vote. The Financial Times reported recently that in 50 of the seats held by the Conservatives Labour is second, with the BAME vote proving larger than the Tory majority. Meanwhile, in just under half of their (40) target seats, the BAME vote is “larger than the majority they are trying to overcome”. A report recently issued by the Runnymeade Trust concluded that BAME communities in the

UK face particular challenges, including: race hate crimes are on the rise; BAME graduates are three times more likely to ﬁnd themselves unemployed six months out of university than their white counterparts; once employed, they will earn 9% less than their white counterparts; and long-term BAME youth unemployment has increased by 50% since 2010. Against this background and general feeling of disengagement from the election among the diaspora, we asked the leaders of the three main parties to tell you why you should vote for them. Each was allocated the same amount of space. Due to his schedule David Cameron was unable to meet the deadline and Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps writes in his place.

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I want to thank the Nigerian community in Britain for the huge contribution you make to our country, writes Ed Miliband, Labour Party Leader. This election presents voters in communities across the country with a real choice. It’s a choice between a failing Conservative plan and a better plan for working families with Labour. Over the years we’ve made huge advances, working together to break down barriers and open up society. I see that success when I look at my friends and colleagues on the Labour benches in Parliament like Chuka Umunna and Chi Onwurah – both fantastic Labour shadow ministers with family links to Nigeria. And I am proud that Rushanara Ali and other Labour MPs have led the campaign to save remittance giving. Remittance is a vital tool in the UK and international community’s response to alleviating poverty in some of the poorest parts of the world, and the generosity of the Nigerian community and others provides vital resources to buy food, medicine and other basic essentials. We achieved a great deal together as a party: the

every year – without the extreme cuts planned by the Tories, which would put our NHS at risk. The NHS as we know it won’t survive five more years of the Tories. Labour have a better plan for the NHS: we will invest in and improve our NHS, with 8,000 more doctors and 20,000 more nurses, so it has time to care for you and your family. We will guarantee GP appointments within 48 hours and cancer tests within one week. We have a better plan for the next generation too. For Britain to thrive, we need everyone to be able to fulfil their potential. We’ll extend opportunity by creating jobs which are better paid and more secure, raise the minimum wage to more than £8 an hour and ban exploitative zero hours contracts. And, with our jobs guarantee, we will provide a paid job for every young person who has been unemployed for over a year, ending the scandal of a whole generation whose talent is going to waste. We will back British businesses - by cutting business rates for small businesses, maintaining the most competitive corporation tax in the G7, establishing a proper British Investment Bank and keeping Britain in a reformed EU. And we must work to boost trade and exports to the rapidly growing economies in Africa – including Nigeria – because of the opportunities it offers today and potential that it has for tomorrow. A Labour government will make diversity central to an effective, modern criminal justice system, that holds the trust of the whole country. This means working with the police to improve ethnic minority recruitment and working with the judiciary to make the next generation of judges and magistrates truly representative of society as a whole. We still live in a society where ethnic minority Britons are more likely to be stopped and searched, and more likely to die in police custody. So we will create a new Police Standards Authority, to strengthen the system of investigation and inspection and reform stop and search powers, to make it illegal to stop someone on the basis of the colour of their skin. Labour knows Britain can do better than it is doing under the Tories. In this election we’re the optimists offering a choice between a Tory vision that says Britain succeeds when only a few at the top do well, with tax cuts for the very wealthiest and public services cut back to the bone. Or a Labour vision based on the idea that Britain only succeeds when working people succeed.

“We must work to boost trade and exports to the rapidly growing economies of Africa, including Nigeria, because of the opportunities it offers today and potential that it has for tomorrow” first ever laws outlawing discrimination on the grounds of race and religion and putting equality at the heart of how we govern with the pioneering Human Rights Act and the Equality Act. All this progress has been hard fought and hard won. But the sad truth is, it’s being put at risk by a complacent government. The number of black, Asian and minority ethnic young people who have been out of work for more than a year has risen by nearly 50 per cent. Too many people from ethnic minority backgrounds are being held back by discrimination and disadvantage, more likely to be unemployed and more likely to be in a minimum wage job. That’s why Labour is fighting this election with a plan that offers a better future: for living standards, for the next generation, and for the NHS. Labour will stand up for working families by providing a strong economic foundation. We’ll balance the books and nothing in our manifesto will require any additional borrowing. We’re the only party to have made this pledge. Labour will cut the deficit

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lIBErAl DEMOcrAt The lib dems are the party of opportunity. we believe everyone, no matter their background, should have an equal shot at life. The same chances to get ahead and live the life you want, to pursue what you want to achieve and not be held back in anything that you do, writes Nick Clegg Liberal Democrat Party Leader and Deputy Prime Minister. A big part of making sure that everyone has the same chances in life is making sure that the system is right from the bottom up. That’s why the Liberal Democrats have invested a huge amount of money going in early years education and schools – through the Pupil Premium. This means that any child that has been eligible for free school meals in the last 6 years will get an extra £1,320 funding per year for their primary school or £935 per pupil of secondary-school age. We’ve also cut taxes for millions of working people and lifted the lowest paid out of tax altogether, created a record 2m apprenticeships, undertook a bold, liberal reform of our pensions system and given millions generous rises in the state pension. We also oversaw a quiet revolution in renewable technology, with twice as many homes powered by renewable electricity. The Liberal Democrats have also stopped many of the Conservatives’ policies that would not help the majority of families, from inheritance tax cuts for millionaires, to profit-making in schools and even firing workers at will. And despite the best efforts of backbench Conservatives, Liberal Democrats made history by passing a bill which made the UK the first major country in the world to enshrine into law a commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on international aid. This clear display of commitment to ending poverty across the world makes the UK's Department for International Development one of the leading national aid agencies in the world. Some of this money will have a really important role to play in supporting the Nigerian government tackle Boko Haram. One of the things I am particularly concerned about is the effect of the recent attacks on education programmes in the poorest regions of Northern Nigeria. After all, improving education is vital for giving the next generation the tools to participate in the creation of their country’s future to work for peace and to build opportunity. Since 2004 the Nigerian economy has expanded at an average rate of 7% a year - but the rise of Boko Haram threatens this progress. I believe Britain must use diplomatic efforts to pressure the Nigerian government to tackle Boko Haram, and we also have a vital role to play in providing humanitarian relief for those affected by the violence. A Conservative minority government, lurching to the right as it is forced to pander to Nigel Farage and his friends and slash Britain’s overseas aid spending or a Labour-SNP coalition that would threaten our economic stability with excessive borrowing and put the

NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

NEWSwaTch

cONsErvAtIvE future of the United Kingdom in the balance would threaten our international commitments greatly. That’s why every vote for the Liberal Democrats matters. If you want to know what our plans are for the next Parliament, we have set out our top priorities on the front page of our manifesto: prosperity for all, with the budget balanced fairly and investment in a high-skill, low-carbon economy; opportunity for every child, with guaranteed funding from nursery to 19 and qualified teachers in every classroom; fair taxes, with a further £400 tax cut for working people by raising the Personal Allowance to £12,500, we’d also commit to protect our environment protected, with five green laws to protect nature and fight climate change. Also on the front page of our manifesto is our commitment to give the NHS the full £8bn extra in funding per year that experts have said it will need by 2020. By finishing the job of fixing the economy we can make this investment so our NHS is on a sustainable footing for the future, and so health services can continue to adapt to the needs of society today. At the heart of our plan for the NHS of the future is making sure mental health services get the funding and attention they need. Thanks to sustained pressure from the Liberal Democrats, this government has made important strides towards better mental health care, and for the first time ever equality for mental health is enshrined in law. We’ve also introduced the first ever waiting time standards for those experiencing mental ill health, with over two and a half million people having benefitted from talking therapies over the last 5 years. This is so important if we want to build a fairer society. Guaranteeing the NHS the funding it needs also means we can continue to confront the difficulties that people from different backgrounds face in accessing mental health services. In particular, those from Black, Asian or minority ethnic communities have always been less likely to access mental health treatment and support when they need it, with an impact on health and life expectancy in many communities. This is completely unacceptable, and it has to change. To help address this, the Liberal Democrats plan to encourage local health services to increase the funding towards better community based services which can be incorporated into people’s lives. For example, schemes such as new drop-in services working with individual communities - in churches and mosques, or community centres would be actively encouraged. It is only with the Liberal Democrats in government again that we can keep the recovery on track and ensure both stability and fairness in the next five years. The Liberal Democrats will add a heart to a Conservative government and a brain to a Labour one. That’s the message I will be taking around the country between now and May 7th.

The conservatives’ mission is simple: to secure a better, brighter and more secure future for everyone in our country – whatever their background. At the heart of this is our plan for a strong and healthy economy. Because when we came into government ﬁve years ago, unemployment had gone up by 500,000 and the one in every four pounds the government was spending was borrowed money, adding more and more debt for future generations to pay oﬀ, writes Grant Shapps, Conservative Party Chairman. So since then we’ve been working to a long-term and balanced plan. We’ve backed businesses to create more jobs, improved our schools to help children get on in life – at the same time as cutting taxes so people keep more of the money they earn and in-

backgrounds – including the many people of Nigerian and West African background. In government we have strengthened the links between our countries, including by working together to fight Boko Haram, who threaten us all. And we recognise that some issues in Britain affect particular communities more than others. That’s why we’ve taken action on things like stop and search, because it’s not fair or right that if you are black or from a minority ethnic background, you are up to six times more likely to be searched than if you are white. The number of stop and searches has come down by a third from its peak under the last government. But if it does not continue to fall and its use continue to improve, we will change the law. As Chairman of the Conservative Party I’m proud that more and more people from different backgrounds are coming forward to represent our party. We’ve had Ministers like Sam Gyimah and Helen Grant, and MPs like Kwasi Kwarteng and Adam Afriyie. There’s more to do to ensure talented aspiring politicians from all communities get involved – but with candidates like James Cleverly and Festus Akinbusoye, it’s clear we are making real progress. What unites us all is a vision of a better and brighter future for our country and everyone who lives here. We want a Britain that lives within its means, that rewards work, gives our children the best start in life, offers everyone security in retirement. Over the past five years we have made progress in reaching this, driven by a strong economy. Last year we had the fastest growing major economy in Europe. We need the strong leadership and plan to continue this. Because the progress we have made has not happened by accident. But it could be given up by accident. The alternative to David Cameron as Prime Minister would be Ed Miliband and the SNP – offering nothing but more wasteful spending, higher taxes on families and risky borrowing. They would wreck our economy again, taking our country backwards and we would all pay the price. So this election is a choice for each of us. When you fill in your ballot paper on 7 May you can vote to give up the progress we have made, with all the chaos that would mean for people’s lives. Or you can vote Conservative – and vote to stick with a plan that is working, a strong Prime Minister in David Cameron, and a better future for our country.

“We believe Britain is a stronger country because of the rich coexistence of people from different backgrounds - including the many people of Nigerian and west African background” vesting in important public service like the NHS. This hasn’t been easy, and has meant taking difficult decisions about what we spend. But thanks to the hard work of people all across the country, we are making progress. There are now more people in work than ever before, including 100,000 more black people than in 2010. That means more people with the security of a regular wage, able to look after their families. We want all of our young people to get the best start in life, and the skills they will need to get on. So we’ve protected the schools budget and raised standards in schools. Over the past five years, we’ve seen improvements in schools with the quickest rise in standards have been among our black children. The gap in GCSE results between black children and all pupils has halved over the past four years – and we want it to disappear altogether. Apprenticeships see people earning qualifications at the same times as doing real, paid work – and since 2010 more than 66,000 have been started by black people. At the same time, the number of black people leaving school and going on to study at university has increased by a fifth since 2010, to 30,000 in 2014. We believe Britain is a stronger country because of the rich coexistence of people from different

NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

NEWSwaTch

c4 launches search for undiscovered ‘bedroom creatives’ Channel 4 has launched C4 Pop Up – a brand new national talent search aimed at attracting diverse groups of young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds across the UK to a career in media. The programme aims to tackle the increasing skills gaps within the creative industries, and the growth in ‘bedroom creatives’. 4Talent, Channel 4’s acclaimed industry talent scheme, is building on its award-winning 4Talent Days, which have so far connected with 3,000 young people since they launched four years ago. This year C4 Pop Up will reach even deeper into communities to ﬁnd 16-24 year olds who would not otherwise ﬁnd their way to a career in the media. This new programme launches in Bournemouth on Saturday May 9 and aims to provide sustainable career opportunities and career progression for young people from the surrounding areas. Further events will be held this year in Norwich, London, Wolverhamp-

ton and Preston. Kathy Poole, Head of People Services, Channel 4 said: “Channel 4’s 360 Diversity Charter represents our biggest ever commitment to diversity at every level – C4 Pop Up is for anyone wanting to get into the industry and is a key part of delivering the spirit of the Charter. We will reach deeper than ever into communities to ﬁnd undiscovered creative talent to future proof the industry, keeping it current and cutting edge – and at the same time encourage young people that a career in the media is possible for anyone.“ 4Talent’s approach reﬂects Channel 4’s mission to break down barriers and engage and develop the widest range of talent. By demystifying the media sector, 4Talent aims to help young people from all backgrounds navigate their way into a hugely competitive industry.

DrEAM tEAM: Segun Odegbami and Michael De’soiye. rIght: Super Eagle ﬁlm poster

dream team set to maKe super eagle movie soar One great Super Eagle was in London recently singing the praises of another great Super Eagle. Somewhat surprisingly the legendary Segun “Mathematical” Odegbami was not talking about one of Nigeria’s many superstar footballers, but a blockbuster movie called Super Eagle. “This is going to be fascinating,” Mr Odegbami told Nigerian Watch. “The history of Nigeria as seen through the people’s game.” And when Mr Odegbami tells you it is going to be

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fascinating you are inclined to believe him as since hanging up his boots on a glittering football career he has forged a career as a world renowned journalist, with a reputation for great storytelling in his incisive columns. “I’m so excited about this project – a film about what is my passion.” And he adds, “It will feature aspects of my life, and stories from the likes of Jay Jay Okocha and Kanu. Football in Nigeria has always mirrored what is going on in society.” And he’s off, talking about the eras of Nigerian football post-independence and postcivil war, through the Abacha regime and on to the present day. “The scope of the film will be breathtaking,” he says. “It will take in the culture, politics, geography of Nigeria, all the things that made the individuals who triumphed over adversity to become legends in the Super Eagles.” While he will make a cameo appearance in the film this is no biopic. It all came about because actor and film producer Michael De’sioye was privileged to hear these intimate stories and Mr Odegbami says “weaved them together and has taken them to another level”.

Mr De’soiye previously made a heart-rending film called Nadine, which explored the issues of self-harming among young people. “I am fascinated by people who overcome the most incredible challenges to succeed and then are able to and do give back,” he said. Super Eagle will tell the fictional story of an 8 year old boy orphaned in an explosion in Nigeria and his journey from there, through the dark underbelly of professional football in the Premier League. Most of the film will be shot in the UK at one of London’s Premiership Clubs. Glenn Hoddle, Jay Jay Okocha and John Barnes will appear and negotiations are at a sensitive stage with an Oscar winning Hollywood star to take on the lead role. Joining Mr Odegbami as joint executive producer is the former President of the Lagos Country Club Barrister Wale Osomo. When he read the outline for Super Eagle he was hooked. “The story just spoke to me,

the despair, hope, hard work, perseverance, good luck, fate, and above all, the sense of pride of being a Nigerian and claiming a stake in the rebirth of Nigeria, standing up to be counted in the ‘Nigerian Renaissance’, especially by those who have sojourned into foreign lands and who must have more than a say in how to raise Nigeria from the brink of disaster.” It helped that it was about

“This is going to be fascinating; the history of Nigeria as seen through the people’s game” football as Mr Osomo is passionate fan of the beautiful game.“My idol is Jay Jay Okocha – who I might add is a zillion times better than David Beckham – and of course I’m aware of the monster hit movie “Bend it like Beckham”, which further drove my interest in investing in a similar movie but on Nigerian football.” With the dream team of Odegbami, De’sioye and Osomo behind it this is one Super Eagle that is set to soar.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

YOURwaTch

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 May 4, 2015. 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.

Challenges that need to be met to enable Nigeria to excel We in the diaspora congratulate the incoming administration on their recent election victory. We advocated for Change. That change to be a change for better, a departure from what we have witnessed in Nigeria since independence in 1960. The priorities the government should focus on I suggest are to: (1) make Nigerians in the diaspora count by giving us the right to vote in future elections, starting in 2019. (2)provide adequate security for all citizens of the country. (3) ďŹ ght corruption at all levels, ensuring that all money misappropriated are accounted for and recorded. (4) enforce an imme-

diate ban on the importation of generators, to enhance the good performance of power companies and remove the cabal that has prevented the system from functioning eďŹ&#x20AC;ectively. (5) increase the life span of the international passport to 10 years in line with other countries of the world. So also is the Nigerian driving licence to 10years. (6) boost tourism, visitors should be allowed the option to obtain Entry Visas at the point of entry into the country so long as the fees are paid. This will promote tourism, now that the price of oil is on the slide. We in diaspora have a lot to oďŹ&#x20AC;er the incoming administration by giving them expert insight and advice on strategic plan-

ning learnt from our experiences here. The Government must tackle unemployment among our youths by having an ad hock committee to look into and review government strategy on month to month basis to see the impact its policies are having on reducing unemployment. Furthermore, I suggest the President make regular State of Union Addresses to the Nation, informing the citizens of his achievements and aims, setting out the government target for the next 100 days. This will assist the administration keep on track and live up to the peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expectations. While it is acceptable that party stewards may be rewarded with ap-

pointments, it is however more important that highly qualiďŹ ed people with high repute are offered appointments if the administration is to move away from the nepotism we are used to seeing, to allow real change to happen. Foreign investors and companies coming into Nigeria should be encouraged to establish in rural areas, through the introduction of a ďŹ&#x201A;exible policy on tax relief. This will reduce the catastrophic trend toward urbanisation and create employment in those areas. Finally, the government should listen to the people if the change is to be a reality, to enable Nigeria to excel yet again. Victor Osobu, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, via email.

Urgent appeal to runners to join us in the Great North Run! On behalf of The Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trust, I would like to make an urgent appeal to running enthusiasts, who would like to take part in the Great North Run 2015 on Sunday 13th September. The Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trust has a few guaranteed places left to ďŹ ll but the deadline for registration is July 6, so please visit our website as soon as possible to register and secure your place; www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk/greatnorthrun We would also be thrilled to hear from ownplace runners who would be interested in joining our team. For further details, please visit the website, or phone me 01737 364323. The Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trust is the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading charity for children with brain injury. Yours sincerely Kim Derry, Events Co-ordinator, The Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Trust www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

EMBASSYwaTch

News from the

NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSION London

Diaspora elects new leader after unprecedented run-off during thrilling day of democracy Insurance supremo Babatunde Loye has been elected the new leader of the Nigerian diaspora in the UK, following a day of drama at the High Commission, culminating in a knife-edge run-off with Dr Boma Douglas. On being declared the winner in the race to become chairman of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK), Mr Loye’s supporters both raised the roof, with their roars of approval, and their man, hoisting him onto their shoulders in celebration. He was warmly congratulated by his challengers, Ms Ronke Udofia and Dr Boma Douglas. As the clamour died down Mr Loye thanked the delegates and his challengers – promising to work with them to take CANUK to the next level. “I would like to thank all of you for coming to this annual general meeting and for setting aside your time to not only participate but to vote, too,” he said, adding, “I would also like to congratulate Dr Douglas and Ms Udofia for running good campaigns and assure you that we will all work together to make CANUK better.” It was a satisafctory and harmonious end to

what had become an increasingly fractious campaign over the previous weeks, conducted toward the end in robust exchanges across social media sites and gave rise stern rebukes from the outgoing executives, including the chairman Bimbo Roberts. “We’ve never fought in CANUK, never rolled up our sleeves and exchanged insults,” he told the gathering during his end of tenure address.

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“That has emerged over the last few months and we need to quash it. We hope the new executive council will work to restore harmony. CANUK is and should be used as the solution to our problems.” The intensity of the campaign reﬂects the growing stature of the association, which is the umbrella body representing the nearly two million Nigerians living in the UK and all

Nigerian groups and social-cultural organisations, and is believed to be the largest of its kind in the world. This election was certainly unprecedented on many levels, featuring the first woman to ever run for office in Ms Udofia and attracting the greatest number of delegates to vote. And it was the first time a run-off has been required before a winner could emerge.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

EMBASSYwaTch

thE chAIrMAN’s BlUEPrINt

cANUk’s NEW ExEcUtIvE cOMMIttEE: Babatunde Loye - Chairman; Alex Ubaka Achebe - 1st Vice Chair; Charles E Sylvester - 2nd Vice Chair; Dr Olugbenga Coker - General Secretary; Ade Coker - Assistant Secretary; Elizabeth Ikiriko - Legal Adviser; Ronke Adeagbo - Treasurer; Femi Williams - Assistant Social Secretary; Godwin Emiko Forson - Assistant Social Secretary;, Lagun Akinloye - Publicity Secretary; Theodora Ibekwe Oyebade - Assistant Publicity Secretary; Dr Edwin Sawacha MBE Welfare Secretary; and Agatha Anyiwo - Assistant Welfare Secretary.

The new chairman of CANUK Babatunde Loye campaigned on a package of measures designed to strengthen the association over the next two years. A key element involves creating a new structure, to empower his fellow executives and give each a committee to deliver their respective objectives. Mr Loye says that the new structure will be a legacy of his tenure that will ensure that benefits continue to be delivered to the Nigerian community in the UK beyond his tenure. Under the current constitution, having served on the executive under Bimbo Folayan Roberts, Mr Loye will not be eligible to run again in 2017. Key proposals in his vision for the diaspora include creating a data base of all Nigerians in the UK – in collaboration with the High Commission –, campaigning for diaspora voting rights and supporting the establishment of a Nigerian cultural heritage centre in the UK. He said he would use his financial background in insurance and banking to ensure CANUK’s finances are robust to enable the association to fund its many activities.

Supporting organisations tackling social issues such as unemployment and gang-related violence would be a priority and Mr Loye pledged to create job opportunities and mentorship programmes to deliver this. No section of the community would be overlooked under his tenure, he said. He will seek to empower women and the disabled, engage with the next generation, support pensioners and prisoners. His immediate priorty is to familarise himself with the aﬃliate organisations and increase the membership of CANUK.

Ambassador to the UK Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, OFR, CFR, would have attended the vote to swear in the new committee but he was unable to do so this year as he was in Nigeria for the Gubernatorial Elections. In the first round 94 votes were cast, with organisations allowed up to two delegates depending on the respective size of their membership. With agents of the contestants looking on the electoral committee counted the results; Ms Udofia, standing on the Nigerian Women in Leadership Diaspora Forum ticket, attracted 16

votes, leaving Dr Douglas of the Nigerian Engineering Forum and Mr Loye, who contested on the platform of the Association of African Insurance Professionals UK, to tie on 39 votes each. “We’ve never seen anything like it,” said one outgoing executive. While voting papers for a second ballot featuring only Dr Douglas and Mr Loye were hastily prepared a period of intense lobbying ensued. After the second round of voting, which had now been slightly reduced to 90, after some

delegates left the venue, Mr Loye emerged as the victor with just a two-vote margin, defeating Dr Boma by 46 to 44 votes. In his acceptance speech, Loye promised to work with his rivals and also said he would accommodate their pre-election promises. In the aftermath Dr Boma said he had given the election his best and that the loss would not stop him from continuing to serve the Nigerian community. Ms Udoﬁa, on her part, told Nigerian Watch that, though disappointed, she accepted the result because “this is the outcome the community wants.”

Close to 200 people packed into the banking hall of the Nigeria High Commission to witness the outcome, including delegates from Scotland and Ireland and across the English regions, including Manchester and Birmingham. In total delegates from over 70 associations were eligible to vote. The election committe was presided over by the Nigeria High Commission’s Head of Consular and Welfare Minister Alege and included former Mayors of Brent and Lambeth, Kate Anolue and Cllr Adedamola Aminu respectively. Ordinarily CANUK’s patron, Nigeria’s

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

NEWSwaTch

NIgErIAN ElEctIONs 2015

president-elect buhari boosted by apc landslide in state polls After 16 years in power, the PDP has been reduced to being a regional party of the oil producing south-east The party of Nigeria’s President-elect general Muhammadu Buhari has won a landslide in elections for powerful state governors, ending the 16 year dominance of Nigerian politics by the People’s Democratic Party. The All Progressives congress (APc) won 19 of the 28 governor posts in results declared following voting on saturday April 11. It is the biggest defeat for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) since military ruled ended in 1999. The party lost for the ﬁrst time in key northern states like

katsina and kaduna, the home of outgoing vice-President Namadi sambo. It also lost control of Adamawa, one of three states badly hit by militant Islamist group Boko haram’s insurgency. however, the party managed to hold on to rivers state, Nigeria’s oil hub. The PDP won eight governorships, mostly in the south-east, making it primarily a regional party, albeit a very powerful one. taraba is the only result still outstanding, while the election in Imo state has been declared

inconclusive, because the number of spoilt ballot papers was larger than the margin of victory. Elections were not held in seven states, which are out of sync with national polls due to historic challenges to results in previous elections. Nigeria’s 36 governors enjoy wide powers and are extremely inﬂuential as they are responsible for disbursing revenue allocations from the federal government. some, especially in oil-producing areas, control bigger budgets than those of national governments in some neighbouring countries.

ADAMAWA Bindow Jibrilla (APC)

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

LEISUREwaTch

fashionWATCH BY OBAH IYAMU

Step into Spring with flair! here at fashionWAtch we have found a nifty way to get fashion kudos at every level with very minimal dents to our purses. getting it right in the spring can be tricky, so pay attention as we present our key pieces

Platform sandals These are the perfect way to add some height to your frame without compromising your comfort. If you decide to buy one pair of platforms this season make it super chunky and attractive in luxe suede and velvet; banish stiletto heeled platforms this season because the trend is all about a nod to the 70s. Clogs are also making a huge comeback, so if the outrageous block heel is not your thing tap into the craze with a modest pair of wooden shoes and clunk your way into shoe heaven. My money is on two pairs of shoes, a velvet elevated platform sandal and a humble Swedish has-beens for daytime.

flared Jeans Yes! Flares are in and they are looking fabulous, so step away from the skinny jeans for a moment and earn your fashion credentials with a flared pair. The very brave fashion girls are wearing their jeans cropped and flared. That sounds really scary but they are doing it and it looks desirable, but if you are not as daring, the classic flare is the way to go. Make your trousers pop by picking a pair with the right fit; the hem should barely hit the bottom of your heel and should stay off the ground. Team with almond toe shoes as pointy toes will most definitely kill the vibe. I’m going high waisted with my flares, to accentuate my waist.

NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

LEISUREwaTch Ben aUdU at canada water culture space see Music listings page 20.

Fortnight

WhAt tO sEE AND DO OvEr thE NExt thEAtrE The Way We heal

The critically acclaimed and exciting spiritual production The Way We Heal, written by one of South Africa’s proliﬁc and celebrated writers, Dr Mongane Wally Serote and directed by Bogosi Bolokwe, is about a process of self realisation and African spiritualism, which demands change, acceptance and growth from within. It is a play about new age root healers and their unique ability to interpret universal information and give soul guidance.

thE gODs ArE NOt tO BlAME

and time is running out.

3rd, 6th - 9th May, 5:00pm Tickets from £15 The Four Thieves, 51 Lavender Gardens, SW11 wandsworthartsfestival.com

Ongoing - 16th July, 2:00pm/7:30pm. Tickets from £15. National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

Everyman

The spalding suite

Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) is Everyman in Carol Ann Duﬀy’s new adaptation. Everyman is successful, popular and riding high when Death comes calling. He is forced to abandon the hedonistic life he has built and embark on a last, frantic search to recruit a friend, anyone, to speak in his defence. But Death is close behind,

Combining original poetry with contemporary movement, mixing live beatboxing, music, hip-hop, basketball inspired movement and poetry, to take us from the ﬂeeting high of the score and the robust camaraderie of the team, to the poignant lows of a body too worn out to play the game. 29th Apr – 2nd May, 2:00/7:30pm. From £15. Southbank Centre, London Belvedere Rd, SE1 www.southbankcentre.co.uk

fIlM second coming A woman, her husband and teenage son (Nadine Marshall, Idris Elba, Kai Francis Lewis)

“When the gods commend, we men must obey!” This statement from the play sums up the thrust of Ola rotimi’s classic play, The Gods Are Not To Blame. Odewale, the central character is destined from birth to “kill his father and marry his mother…” a taboo in African socio-cultural setting. The play is based on sophocles’ Oedipus rex and it touches on the nerve of an African society where a man by fate is “condemned” to fail. 26th - 30th April, 8pm. Tickets £15, children £8. Lost Theatre, 208 Wandsworth Road, SW8 www.thegodsarenottoblame. com.

DANcE Dance Matik Workshops Discover African dances from their traditional form, to their

must come to terms with a seemingly miraculous pregnancy in this exciting feature debut from awardwinning British playwright Debbie Tucker Green. Naturalistic, powerful performances create an intimate drama that is contemplative, poetic and at times hallucinatory.

gop at Breakin convention, sadlers wells

29th Apr, 6:30pm. Tickets £16 NFT1 South Bank, SE1 www.bﬁ.org.uk

NAMvUlA crossing boundaries with refreshing honesty and evocative lyricism, Namvula’s music draws you into diﬀerent worlds, yet remains ﬁrmly rooted in Africa. Namvula means ‘mother of rain’ in Zambia, where she was born of mixed Zambian-scottish heritage. her performance creates an intrepid new world that fuses folk, Zambian urban, and her scottish heritage in london’s vibrant eclectic music scene. 2nd May, 7:45pm. Tickets: £12.50 Canada Water Culture Space, Canada Water Library, 21 Surrey Quays Road, SE1 canadawaterculture space.org.uk

14 DAys...

modern styles and their westernise version. From the tradition of the Guinean dance to the modern popular dance styles like Azonto, Coupé décalé, Pantsula, Ndombolo and more. 25th April, Sessions from 1:00pm see website for details From £19 The Factory studios, 407 Hornsey Road, N19 www.madeematik.com

Breakin’ convention 2015 Sadler’s Wells’ critically acclaimed international festival of hip hop dance theatre, Breakin’ Convention, is back, with high energy performances from British and international companies over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Sadler’s Wells’ foyer is transformed with live DJs, freestyle dance jams, graﬃti exhibitions, workshops from

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

NEWSwaTch

Announcing The Nigerian Watch story Writing competition for children aged 7-11

Write here.

SEE YOUR STORY (poetry or prose) published in a fantastic compilation.

WrItE NOW!

Published authors will be special guests at the glittering book launch.

All published authors will have their story illustrated by a professional artist and you will get a framed copy of the picture and a certificate.

The top author at each age (7, 8, 9, 10, & 11) will receive special first prizes

STORY IDEAS

WHAT I WANT TO BE WHEN I GROW UP

I will never eat another … YOU HAVE GOT TO BELIEVE ME!

Suddenly …

OR A MAGIC DOOR Under my bed

WRITE ABOUT I WAS LOST

An adventure in the kitchen

IT HAPPENED TO ME

A DAY AT THE PET SHOP

A memorable day

My best friend

A PRESENT

thE NIgErIAN WAtch stOryWrItINg cOMPEtItION Is NOW OPEN fOr ENtrIEs Entries close on July 22. submit your story via email to bookcomp@nigerianwatch.com or post to Nigerian Watch Book Competition, Chartwell House, 292 Hale Lane, Edgware, Middlesex, HA8 8NP.

Entries should be no longer than 500 words and have a beginning, middle and end. All prize winners will be featured in Nigerian Watch newspaper and all published authors will be invited to the glittering book

launch. A panel of judges including published authors will select the winning entries. The judges decision is ﬁnal. For full terms and conditions visit www.nigerianwatch.com/bookcomp

NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

LEISUREwaTch

1st -4th May. Tickets from £15 Sadler’s Wells, Rosebery Avenue, EC1R www.breakinconvention.com

thEAtrE The Way We heal The critically acclaimed and exciting spiritual production The Way We Heal, written by one of South Africa’s proliﬁc and celebrated writers, Dr Mongane Wally Serote and directed by Bogosi Bolokwe, is about a process of self realisation and African spiritualism, which demands change, acceptance and growth from within. It is a play about new age root healers and their unique ability to interpret universal information and give soul guidance. 3rd, 6th - 9th May, 5:00pm Tickets from £15 The Four Thieves, 51 Lavender Gardens, SW11 wandsworthartsfestival.com

Everyman Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) is Everyman in Carol Ann Duﬀy’s new adaptation. Everyman is successful, popular and riding high when Death comes calling. He is forced to abandon the hedonistic life he has built and embark on a last, frantic search to recruit a friend, anyone, to speak in his defence. But Death is close behind, and time is running out.

MUsIc Dugout soul club At Hackney’s longest running soul club, four DJs pump out a non-stop tirade of Northern Soul, Motown, RnB, Funk & Boogaloo for a friendly, mixed crowd at this relaxed, cosmopolitan late-night venue. 24th April, 9pm - 3am. FREE Mascara Bar, 72 Stamford Hill N16 mascarabar.co.uk

Afriquoi

strEEtfEst A packed programme of urban sports, music, food and art for Bank holiday sunday let’s face it: everyone could do with improving their street cred occasionally. Thankfully, we can all up our game at streetfest – which takes in top-level DJs spinning underground beats, furiously fresh rappers and cutting-edge designs from graﬃti artists and tattooists. If all that ink

sounds a little static, enjoy some physical thrills instead. Breakdancers will be battling while skateboarders and BMx riders throw themselves around a big ramp for your sadistic viewing pleasure. supplying the sounds are Brighton-born beatmaker kutmah and rising Mcs loyle carner, hannah faith and shamz le roc, showcasing their lyrical dexterity, plus DJs from so fresh, so clean and The Doctor’s

and international companies over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. Sadler’s Wells’ foyer is transformed with live DJs, freestyle dance jams, graﬃti exhibitions, workshops from top international artists and live aerosol art. For the third year running Breakin’ Convention goes back to the roots of hip hop on Bank Holiday Monday with Park Jam, an outdoor party suitable for all the family in Spa Fields Park.

Ongoing - 16th July, 2:00pm/7:30pm. Tickets from £15. National Theatre, South Bank, SE1 www.nationaltheatre.org.uk

The spalding suite Combining original poetry with contemporary movement, mixing live beatboxing, music, hip-hop, basketball inspired movement and poetry, to take us from the ﬂeeting high of the score and the robust camaraderie of the team, to the poignant lows of a body too worn out to play the game. 29th Apr – 2nd May, 2:00/7:30pm. From £15. Southbank Centre, London Belvedere Rd, SE1 www.southbankcentre.co.uk

fIlM second coming A woman, her husband and

Orders. (The big live headliner is still under wraps.) food and other fun and games are also up for grabs. If you want to get down with all this urban artiness, head to Wapping this Bank holiday sunday for 10 hours of street culture. May 3, 1:00pm. Tickets £15 in advance Tobacco Dock, 50 Porters Walk, E1W www.streetfest.net

teenage son (Nadine Marshall, Idris Elba, Kai Francis Lewis) must come to terms with a seemingly miraculous pregnancy in this exciting feature debut from awardwinning British playwright Debbie Tucker Green. Naturalistic, powerful performances create an intimate drama that is contemplative, poetic and at times hallucinatory.

29th Apr, 6:30pm. Tickets £16 NFT1 South Bank, SE1 www.bﬁ.org.uk

DANcE Dance Matik Workshops Discover African dances from their traditional form, to their modern styles and their westernise version. From the tradition of the Guinean dance to the modern popular dance styles like Azonto, Coupé décalé, Pantsula, Ndombolo and more. 25th April, Sessions from 1:00pm see website for details From £19 The Factory studios, 407 Hornsey Road, N19 www.madeematik.com

Breakin’ convention 2015

afriqUoi at open The gate

Sadler’s Wells’ critically acclaimed international festival of hip hop dance theatre, Breakin’ Convention, is back, with high energy performances from British

Performing at the festival for the ﬁrst time, Londoners Patience James and Fumy Opeyemi - GOP, (pictured above) explore an energetic blend of n’dombolo, azonto and powerful Afro-funk styles. GOP have been at the forefront of the emerging Afro house dance scene in London having performed with Tinnie Tempah, David Guetta, Emeli Sande, Mark Morrison, Fuse ODG Davido and in the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony

sOWEtO sPIrItUAl sINgErs Their music is truly inspirational, a shout of joy, a towering onslaught of exuberance with earthy rhythms, rich harmonies to uplift the soul. A truly ultimate spiritual experience. soweto spiritual singer’s performance style comes from the south African a capella gospel tradition. At the heart of their shows are Zulu songs, full of rhythm, style and spirit. fresh sounds, inspirational harmonies and fabulous dance make this an irresistible performance expressing the spirit of Africa. An infectiously feel-good experience for all ages. 3rd May, 9:00pm. Tickets £15 The Four Thieves, 51 Lavender Gardens, SW11 http://wandsworthartsfestival.com

Live African Dance Music from London, combining African styles and musicians with contemporary UK electronic music, Jallykebba Susso plays kora, ‘Papa’ Fiston Lusambo, guitar and percussion, vocals, synths and electronics 24th April, 7pm - 4am Free before 9pm then £5 rising to £10 after 10pm. Open The Gate, 1 Richmond Road E8 openthegate.org.uk

terakaft Terakaft tell their powerful musical story sculpted by the rolling sands of the Sahara. Their sound is perhaps a more intense, purposeful slant on the desert-rock sound, creating an atmosphere symbolic of their lives and the journeys made. 29th April, 8:00pm. Tickets from £12.50 Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, E1 www.richmix.org.uk

Ben Audu Explosive Afrobeat and funk/jazz tenor and alto

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

PROPERTYwaTch

Genesis projects its newest vision at Grahame Park With the number of property sales using Help to Buy reaching a staggering 88,000 since its launch, and over half the homes new build properties, the scheme is at a peak in popularity. A perfect example of the new homes with Help to Buy in London is Vision in Colindale, NW9, the latest phase released by Genesis at the ongoing Grahame Park development. Providing a great selection of contemporary new homes perfect for local buyers in Barnet looking for a home, the properties are available with the government-backed scheme. Thousands of property hunters in the UK have been able to get their ﬁrst home or secure a bigger one for their growing family by using Help to Buy. The scheme provides an equity loan from the Government of up to 20% of the value of the property, leaving the homebuyer to ﬁnd just a 5% cash deposit and secure a mortgage of up to 75% for the balance.

regeneration which Genesis is contributing to within this North London suburb. This phase will add a further 143 homes to the area. To date, Genesis has completed 787 mixed tenure homes at Grahame Park, with Vision set to become the new cornerstone of a vibrant community. Anthony Harker, Head of Commercial at Genesis comments: "The homes at Vision will serve to enhance what has already been a successful regeneration of Colindale. We stay true to our principles at Genesis, which is why we oﬀer the Help to Buy scheme at Vision, as we want to ensure that local residents are provided with every opportunity to buy." The homes are ﬁnished to an exacting standard with sleek, modern kitchens featuring granite worktops. Stainless steel

vIsION Vision oﬀers a collection of one, two and three bedroom homes, as part of the wider Colindale

appliances, including oven and microwave, and integrated white goods - fridge/freezer, washer/dryer, and dishwasher combine style with practicality. Pristine white bathrooms with chrome fittings are both elegant and understated, complemented by beautiful floor tiling and a heated towel rail. En suites also feature the same high specification seen within the family bathroom of a property at Vision. Attention has been paid to all of the details, resulting in an attractive, contemporary finish.

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YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE

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trANsfOrMAtION The Grahame Park estate is being transformed by Genesis. New urban and green public spaces will open up the site, with a community centre to be located at the heart of the development, plus new roads to make travel through the estate easier, with more bus stops and routes. Additional retail and community facilities, including a library and supermarket, can be found at the central and northern parts of the development. Vision is situated less than a mile from Colindale underground station on the Edgware branch of the Northern Line. Edgware is seven minutes away by tube, Hendon Central two minutes,

Brent Cross ﬁve minutes and Leicester Square just 30 minutes. Mill Hill Broadway is the nearest Overground station, which is located 1.6 miles away from the development. There are many regular bus routes in the local area, which serve Vision and the Colindale community. Prices at Vision start from £235,000 for a one bedroom apartment, £310,000 for a two bedroom apartment and £342,500 for a three bedroom apartment. Prices are subject to change. For further information visit www.genesishahomes.org.uk or call 0800 954 0196.

Have you got guests, friend or family coming over to the UK? Are you looking for shortlet holiday accommodation in London? Or are you going away and would like to rent your house or flat out on a shortlet basis? Look no further as MacLawrence property sales and lettings is the answer! Our properties range from studio one beds, two beds, 3 bed flats and houses.

Give us a call on 07944302664 or email lawrence@maclawrence.co.uk

VISION, COLINDALE, NW9 Vision is a stunning collection of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments in up-and-coming Colindale, NW9. These amazing apartments, each with a balcony or terrace, feature a superb finish throughout and a contemporary design. All come with integrated kitchen

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2 bedroom apartments from £310,000

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3 bedroom apartments from £342,500

Call 0800 954 5370 or visit genesishahomes.org.uk/for-sale * For more information about Help to Buy visit www.helptobuy.org.uk/. Details and prices correct at time of going to print. Images representative only.

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Based on the real life situation in Nigeria's Niger Delta, Fuelling the Delta Fires is an expose and action adventure novel revealing why there is turmoil in the world's sixth largest crude oil exporter.

AVAILABLE NOW AT: amazon.co.uk, chapters.indigo.com, waterstones.com, authorhouse.co.uk, barnesandnoble.com whsmiths.co.uk, borders.com For those in Nigeria Ring Peter Agbor of walahi.com on (234)805 361 0533 Paperback £9.30 Hardback £13.60 E-book £2.60

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SPIRITUAL Indian Astrologer. Black Magic Removal. Spiritual Healer. M: 07440228215. Pundit Ravishankar.

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GIFTS

VEHICLES

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NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

SPORTSwaTch

2015 AfrIcAN NAtIONs cUP Uk DrAW grOUP A Sierra Leone Ethiopia Morocco Senegal Zimababwe

grOUP B NIgErIA Rwanda Kenya Burundi Somaliland

grOUP c Cameroon DR Congo Tanzania Ivory Coast Guinea Bissau

grOUP D Uganda Zanzibar Zambia South Africa Ghana

UNDEr 16 AfrIcAN NAtIONs cUP Uk 2015 DrAW grOUP A NIgErIA Morocco Uganda Congo Brazzaville

grOUP B Zanzibar Tanzania Somalia Senegal

The tournament will take place on the following dates; on May 30 & 31 and June 6 & 7 for the preliminaries and knockout stages at West Ham Memorial Grounds, E15 3DB; with ﬁnals on June 14 at the Terrence McMillan Stadium, E13 8SD

ANcUk – BrItAIN’s PrEMIEr cUP cOMPEtItION – kIcks Off At WEMBlEy Anti-racism campaigner and former Aston Villa midﬁeld king pin Paul Mortimer was the guest of honour at the launch of this year's African Cup of Nations UK competition at Wembley. The annual event returns bigger and better than ever this year with 20 teams competing for the main prize – in which Nigeria lost out in the ﬁnal to Sierra Leone last year – and eight teams vying to land the under-16s title, which was won by Nigeria last year. The tournament has been running since 2008 when it was launched by Dennis Mahada as a way of keeping youths in south east London out of trouble over the summer. It has subsequently grown to become an epic occasion for the UK’s vast African Diaspora Community attracting teams and players from

across the UK. According to the FA records, the tournament is the biggest community football event at grassroots level in terms of the number of players it attracts and crowds, reckoned to total over 4,000 over the three weekend duration of the tournament. It is backed by the FA and its antiracism campaign Kick It Out and the Metropolitan police because of its outstanding work on community cohesion. The event has also become a springboard for the players themselves to enter the professional game. The ANCUK Chairman Marshall Gore told the gathering that to his knowledge 13 players had signed to professional clubs having been spotted playing in the tournament and several players had gone on to be

selected for their national teams back home. “ANCUK was created by Dennis to promote community cohesion and bridge the diaspora divide. We come from different backgrounds but football unites us - it creates unity, what I call the Drogba or Obama effect, because those guys are so great everyone identifies with them no matter where they come from,” he said. He said the potential of the competition was limitless, to not only help diaspora youth progress into the professional leagues here but also to help the development of football back in the coaches’ respective home countries. This year’s tournament is sponsored by the charity Terrence Higgins Trust, Lebara Mobile, World Remit and Ethiopia Airlines.

vIllA MAN: Paul Mortimer

What put the smile of delight on Team Nigeria Under-16s’ coach David Doherty’s face? The draw of course that kept Nigeria away from the seeds in the competition (listed at the top of each group) and Super Eagles UK bogey team Ghana. However, Group B is set to be a great attraction for football, conspiring to pit the diaspora’s of east Africa against each other. Four teams have won the competition since it started; Nigeria (three times); Ghana; Uganda; and Sierra Leone.

PfA AWArD

From page 24

Millwall centre back Danny Shittu was named the PFA Player in the Community at the gala ceremony at The Brewery in the City of London, on Sunday (April 19) evening in front of over 600 guests from clubs, sponsors and the football industry.

To advertise call 0208 588 9640 or email sales@nigerianwatch.com

soccer legends put on a spectacular show to help west Africa nations overcome Ebola virus The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) mobilised a team of top football players, including Ronaldo, Zidane, Barthez and Frank De Boer, on April 20, to raise both funds for and awareness to help West African nations recover

from the Ebola virus crisis. The UNDP All Stars competed against Saint Etienne and although a friendly match, the players competed as if it were a World Cup play-oﬀ - except the defences. Saint Etienne won 9-7.

The Football League Awards 2015 mark the 10th year of the awards, which celebrate on and off pitch excellence across The League’s 72 clubs. This year all 72 clubs were nominated for at least one award. Mr Shittu beat off competition from Reading’s Hope Akpan and Leyton Orient’s Elliot Omozusi to claim the PFA Player in the Community Award. Danny’s work in the community has been outstanding over the last year. He has embraced his role as an ambassador, not only for Millwall, but for football in general. He has been inducted into the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ Hall of Fame and named Millwall’s PFA community champion. For this award clubs were asked to nominate one player who has played the most significant part in supporting their club’s community programme during the 2014 calendar year. Millwall’s chief executive Andy Ambler said, “Danny is someone who doesn’t just fulfil obligations when it comes to a player’s community work.

NIGERIAN WATCH 24 Apr - 7 May 2015

INsIDE

Why is team Nigeria Uk coach looking so happy?

Sportswatch

local hero danny shiTTU honoUred

not only for Millwall, but for football in general. He has been inducted into the ‘Show Racism the Red Card’ Hall of Fame and named Millwall’s PFA community champion. For this award clubs were asked to nominate one player who has played the most significant part in The Football League supporting their club’s Awards 2015 mark the 10th programme community year of the awards, which during the 2014 calendar celebrate on and off pitch year. excellence across The Millwall’s chief executive League’s 72 clubs. This year Andy Ambler said, “Danny all 72 clubs were nominated is someone who doesn’t just for at least one award. fulfil obligations when it Mr Shittu beat off comes to a player’s competition from Reading’s rEADINg: Hope Akpan community work. Hope Akpan and Leyton “He understands and appreciates Orient’s Elliot Omozusi to claim the PFA how much of a role model he is, Player in the Community Award. Danny’s work in the community has especially to youngsters, and always been outstanding over the last year. He enjoys getting involved, whether that is one of the Turn to page 23 has embraced his role as an ambassador, at

PfA PlAyEr IN thE cOMMUNIty: Danny shittu receives his award from PfA chairman ritchie humphreys

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Customers should opt-in by texting SA SAVE AVE VE to 2525 to be eligible to get the special rates, Customer who did not opt-in will be charged at standar standard rd d rates. Opt-in save pr promotional omotional tariff tariff is valid fr from om 25.02.2015. Customers with India 1p/min p/min promotion prromotion omotion ( top up offer) offfer) fer) should not opt-in to this special rates. If you opt-in to this pr promotion, omotion, you will not be able to avail India special rates. Promotional Pr omotional tariff tariff valid for 30days fr from om the e Opt-in. Lycamobile Lycamobile reserve reserve the right to amend or vary the terms of this pr promotion, romotion, omotion, or to withdraw this plan at any time on rreasonable easonable notice. Customers must buy a bundle or top-up for no rroaming oaming costs on calls and texts. Customers must buy a specific data bundle for no rroaming oaming costs on data – full details at lycamobile.co.uk. Free Fr ree L Lycamobile ycamobile to L Lycamobile ycamobile calls when roaming roaming ar are e rrestricted estricted to a total of 100 minutes (applicable to both inbound and outbound calls). No rroaming oaming costs are arre only available for a continuous period of 59 days. Of Offer fer Valid Valid from from 15.03.2015. 2015. Dr DreamWorks reamW eamW Works Home © 2015 DreamWorks DrreamW eamW Works Animation L.L.C. All Rights Reserved