Nigerian Watch - March 28th 2014 - Issue 026

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BIYI BANDELE Me, Beyoncé and the making of Half Of A Yellow Sun

Your next NIGERIAN WATCH available from April 11th

NIGERIAN WATCH March 28th 2014

THE UK’S LEADING AFRICAN NEWSPAPER WITH THE LARGEST CIRCULATION Issue No 026 nigerianwatch.com fortNIghtly to Inspire, Inform and Entertain

INSIDE

YOUR “LOOT” T-BOY The Nigerian comic fronting London’s new TV channel Page 18

OUR TREASURES Diary reveals “[S] is wondering round with a chisel & hammer knocking off bronzes and all sorts of rubbish as loot” – Campaign for return of Benin Bronzes boosted by the generous gift of a British Army Captain’s grandson – pages 4&5

HOW TO KEEP AN AFRICAN MAN HAPPY

Mrs Omosevwerha’s Naija food odyssey NEW Foodwatch WAYS TO FUND YOUR DEGREE COURSE see page 20

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NIGERIAN ACADEMICS IN THE UK TO GIVE Easter documentary SENATOR TINUBU RECOGNITION AWARD series to feature west

NIGERIAN WATCH Publishers tevin Jemide & Victor omosevwerha Publisher/Managing Director Maryanne Jemide PR Director Ilonka omosevwerha 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 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.

Nigerians rise up the big spenders’ league Nigerians accounted for four percent of shopping in the UK in February, spending an average £628 pounds per transaction – shooting them ahead of their Russian counterparts.

According to latest statistics by Global Blue – a specialist firm, which works with retailers to help provide tax-free shopping for foreign visitors – Nigerians were the third biggest spenders in the UK after the Middle East Arabs and Chinese. Russians now occupy the fourth place.

NIGERIAN academics in the UK are to present a recognition award to Lagos State Senator Oluremi Tinubu, wife of the former Lagos Governor Bola Tinubu, at a special ceremony in London on April 5.

Senator Tinubu will be presented the award by the Association of Nigerian Academics in the UK (Anauk), the umbrella body for diasporan lecturers.

Anauk chairman, Cllr. Adedamola Aminu said, “This is to appreciate her commitment to the development of education in Nigeria and her poverty alleviation and empowerment initiatives, especially for young females who lost out on education either through poverty, cultural/religious attitude to girls, rape, abuse, forced marriage.”

The event has been organised as part of Anauk's annual activities to support education in Nigeria. Among other things, Anauk tries to impact Nigerian education policy decisions and their implementation in order to enhance sustainable growth and development across the sector. “We hope this award will serve as encouragement to other democratically elected office holders in Nigeria to deliver dividends of democracy,” Councillor Aminu added.

According to Councillor Aminu, Senator Tinubu's sustainable projects and support for small and medium scale enterprises, are also worthy of praise.

The ceremony is to be held at the Hilton Metropol, Edgware Road, April 5, at 5pm.

African churches A new Channel 4 documentary is to explore the growing popularity of west African churches in the UK – and will feature churches from Woolwich, Tottenham, Elephant and Castle and New Cross.

Britain on a Mission is fronted by Paralympic medallist and presenter Ade Adepitan. The lead programme, set to be broadcast on April 4, is a 30 minute documentary and will be followed by a further 16 three minute shorts to be featured in the 4-thought slot which is broadcast after C4 News.

Adepitan will look at how churches of west African religion in the UK are bucking the trend of dwindling attendance in more traditional churches.

The programmes will look at what is driving the success of these churches plus the doctrines they preach, examining what they offer congregations that other forms of worship don’t.

Ralph Lee, Head of Factual TV at C4 explained the reason for the programme; “Last year, the Ramadan season gave voice to Britain’s Muslim community and saw a group which is under-represented on television given airspace in a non-judgmental and inclusive way.

“This Lent season is again bringing an under-represented community to a wide, mainstream audience.”

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ACHEBE INSPIRED A GENERATION ICON’S LEGACY IS ONE OF PRINCIPLE AND INTEGRITY AS MUCH AS A WRITER, INAUGURAL MEMORIAL LECTURE HEARS Scores of Nigerians and literary enthusiasts gathered in central London on March 22 for the inaugural Chinua Achebe Memorial Lecture, to mark the first year anniversary of the iconic writer’s passing.

At a colourful event held at the Hilton Hotel in Green Park, speakers discussed the impact Professor Chinua Achebe had on the lives of millions of people in the world.

Titled Getting over the Colonial Hangover in Africa Over the Last 100 Years – The Legacy of Professor Chinua Achebe, the lecture featured speeches from several members of the diplomatic core among others.

Apart from the speeches, there were traditional displays from the Anambra Women’s Association, the showing of a 30 minute video of Things Fall Apart and the singing of the school song by the Government College Umuahia Old Boy’s Association. Professor Achebe was one of their students and in line with tradition, they sang

the school song in his memory.

Among the dignitaries who attended were the Bishop of Southwark, the Rt Reverend Christopher Chessun, who brought a special message from the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

Minister Uchenna Gwam, the Head of Political Affairs at the Nigerian High Commission represented the High Commissioner Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, while Margaret Lesuuda, the Education Counsellor at the Kenyan High Commission, represented the Kenyan High Commissioner.

In his speech, the Archbishop of Canterbury praised Professor Achebe for his literary work and accomplishments, describing him as an “icon whose work transcends national boundaries”.

He said that through his work “Professor Achebe had brought hope and encouragement to millions of people and started a renaissance in African literature”.

The Archbishop also paid special tribute to President Goodluck Jonathan for encouraging literature and for the Bring Back the Book Initiative introduced to encourage reading and writing among Nigerian youths, in search of future Achebes.

In conclusion, the Archbishop prayed for the repose of the late Professor Achebe.

In his speech, Minister Gwam said Professor Achebe

made him proud to be a Nigerian, as wherever he went on diplomatic duty, everyone had read Things Fall Apart.

He added that the novel is seen as one of the world’s top three classics, alongside the Bible and Animal Farm.

Ms Lesuuda said, “I remember reading Things Fall Apart as a 15-year old and I cried and cried over the death of Ikemefuna. What Achebe did was leave behind a legacy

for us, connecting our past with our future and leading an exemplary life, showing that Africa can be a great place.”

Chief Bimbo Afolayan, the chairman of the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK, added, “Professor Achebe not only wrote the problems of our country, he also lived by his principles. When he went into politics, he resigned from the People’s Redemption Party when it strayed from its founding principles and he twice rejected national awards.”

Richard Odusanya, the chairman of the Leadership Rescue Initiative, said: “Professor Achebe saw the black man with a rich culture that must be recognised and promoted rather than one that is of no consequence.

“Through the books he wrote, especially Things Fall Apart, he motivated and inspired millions of people to greatness and impacted positively on others.”

Nigeria’s former Senate President Ken Nnamani, who

chaired the occasion, said, “Professor Achebe was a man of unalloyed integrity who once said that one of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised. He lived what he preached and the principles he stood for are just as important as the great works he left for humanity.

“All of these were given expression by his disgust for bad governance. He pressured the governments of his time to provide accountability and transparency, and to abide by the right democratic ethos and justice for all citizens.”

Alex Ubaka Achebe, the literary icon’s nephew, who convened the seminar, gave an insight into the kind of man his uncle was, pointing out that he was always a family man and would always ask after every member of the family. He added that Professor Achebe tried to attend every family engagement and always insisted that he never be identified at such functions or be called to the high table.

DON’T TAKE OUR VOTES FOR GRANTED LABOUR WARNED African Caribbean Labour activists expressed anger and resentment at being taken for granted and sidelined by the party at the launch of the Black Labour Network on March 25, writes Jon Hughes.

“We’re going backwards in terms of parliamentary representation and it’s even worse in council elections,” declared Patrick Vernon OBE, Hackney Councillor of eight years and one of the founding members of the organisation established to reverse the trend.

Fellow founding members, Councillors Sanchia Alasia and Josie Channer and Professor Cecile Wright were equally forthright in expressing their frustration with the party.

Professor Wright told the meeting, “The contempt with which we are treated by the party demands we step up and tackle the hierarchy and become involved in the party machinery at all levels.”

The meeting had earlier heard Labour MP Chuka Umunna say that under Ed Milliband’s leadership there would be more black MPs in parliament in 2015.

Mandy Richards, a Labour Party branch chairman and vice chair of the Ethnic Minority Forum wondered where he got his confidence from. There was dismay among the more than 50 people present at the fact that of 106 prospective parliamentary candidates selected to contest the 2015 election only two are black.

An activist from Hackney complained that with not one black member on the council cabinet he was not prepared to do the donkey work of getting out the black vote “if I’m subsequently going to be ignored”.

Chester Morrison, who has launched an

organisation called Ticket to get ethnic minorities to engage with the political process and register to vote, told the meeting, “As a Jamaican, I am familiar with garrison politics.

Where the vote can be taken for granted, they are the people who receive the least. We are being taken for granted.”

The facts of electoral life were laid out in forthright fashion by the founding father of Operation Black Vote, which last year issued a report revealing that the black vote could swing election results in over 150 parliamentary constituencies.

“It’s a numbers game,” he said. “When you go to a [branch or constituency] meeting how many turn up.” The biggest number the floor could muster was 30. “The reason why Asian communities have been able to select and elect their candidates is for one simple reason – numbers. If they had to wait for Labour to say we need more Asians they’d still be waiting.”

His advice was, “Go out and get the numbers; recruit in your own branches. get more than ‘30’ and you run the show, you have control of the selection panels.

“Let’s not be here in a year’s time. It’s down to us to organise and get the numbers, otherwise it is all emotional and cloud cuckoo land.”

Summing up Diane Abbot MP agreed. And while she said “of course the Labour party is institutionally racist”, she said that “with all of its problems” it was the only one who had ever and would ever deliver on issues important to black voters. “But,” she added, “we need to support each other more.”

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DIARY REVEALS THE “LOOTING” OF BENIN EMPIRE Two priceless Benin Bronzes are set to be imminently returned to Nigeria – thanks to the generosity of a British Army Captain’s grandson and the assistance of Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the UK Dr Dalhatu Sarki The rise and fall of the Benin Empire was brought to life at a remarkable ceremony at the High Commission this month. The grandson of a Captain who was on the “punitive mission” to loot the empire said he wanted to return two bronzes bequeathed to him – and presented his grandfather's diary of the raiding party, which describes the operation in detail.

It is hoped this generous gesture will lead to the repatriation of up to a thousand bronzes, believed to be in the possession of the British Museum. The return of the bronzes are being campaigned for by distant relatives of the Oba (King) of Benin and the Richard Lander Society.

The delegation to the High Commission included Steve Dunstone of the Richard Lander Society and Dr

Tafida, OFR, CFR. LAURA ADENUGA reports on the extraordinary act of generosity and remarkable story of Captain Kernel Herbert Sutherland Walker of the 1897 Punitive Mission on the Benin Empire.

The Benin Bronzes delegation, LtoR; Dr Samuel Eshareba, Princess Efe Akenzua, Princess Oriri Akenzua, Timothy Awoyemi, Mr Steve Dunstone, Dr Mark Walker, Dr Taiwo Idemudia, Rev Perpetual Tdahu, Pa Stephen Obarise, Mr Charles Omorudeon, Elder Ibude Monday

Mark Walker, the grandson of Captain and later retired Kernel Herbert

Sutherland Walker.

They had come to the High Com-

mission to seek the assistance of Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida OFR, CFR, in arranging the return of the treasures to Nigeria.

Dr Walker spoke movingly about what had motivated him to return the treasures that he had inherited.

Dr Walker said, “Although they are of great value to me, they are of even greater value to the historical and cultural context of Benin. Therefore, through the Richard Lander society, I sought to find a way of returning them into public ownership in Nigeria, where they are of greater cultural significance to the people there than they would be to my children and my grandchildren.”

The treasures are an Ibis – a hugely symbolic bird in Benin culture – and an ornate ancestral altar

bell. Having produced these from his back pack Dr Walker told the gathering, “They are fairly modest objects, but I think the symbolic importance of the return is perhaps more important than the value of the objects themselves.”

Dr Walker went on to explain how his family came into possession of the bronzes. “I spent most of my childhood in South Africa, Johannesburg.

When I came back to London in 1960, I lived with my grandmother, the widow of the man who collected the bronzes and wrote the diary. She told me a lot about Benin and was clearly of a similar mind to me, because she had arranged for the return of a six foot ivory tusk.”

He continued, “I know about these bronzes because my grandfather was a

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thE broNzES & brItISh MuSEuM

CAPTAIN WALKER’S DIARY OF THE “PUNITIVE MISSION 1897” “12th March Starlin, RN, turned up early this morning, having marched from Gwato, 23 miles, during the night. Mad as a hatter. Has lost escort & carriers, but quite fresh himself. Is now wondering round with a chisel & hammer, knocking off bronze figures & collecting all sorts of rubbish as loot.”

So reads the entry (top right) in Captain Walker’s diary of the punitive mssion to Benin in 1897. It was a revenge attack by the British for a rout they suffered at the hands of Benin warriors three weeks earlier when, without permission, General James Philips led an invasion force to end the stranglehold on trade and monopoly of wealth enjoyed by the Oba of Benin.

It resulted in the death of all but two of General Philips’ troops. The punitive raid of Benin City was launched shortly afterwards. To justify the raid, the British press portrayed the Oba and his people as ‘savages’. The second raiding party was instructed to loot the Kingdom to cover the costs of the expedition, which was led by Admiral Sir Harry Rawson with a force of 1,200 men. This resulted in the unfortunate demise of the Benin Kingdom.

From l-r: Captain Walker, standing centre, back row behind seated General James Philips. The page from his diary detailing the taking of “loot”. And a picture from Capt Walker’s diary showing ivory tusks lined up ready for shipment, captioned in handwriting, “Loot”.

junior officer. During the expedition, he finished as one of two officers who were still healthy in Benin and his diary recounts his contribution to the expedition and makes it clear that in his

memory there was no unnecessary slaughter.”

He explained the British advance was a purely military operation and having achieved their objectives “my grandfather notes that he found it very difficult to persuade the people that he had captured that they were not going to be shot or killed or tortured.”

He told a well appreciated tale to underline this. “On one occasion, when leading a small party of Nigerian soldiers to try and find the Oba of Benin, who had fled, in order to get directions, he raided a small village and captured a man, who became convinced he was going to be killed.

“His family were too, or feared he was going to be sold into slavery, and followed him with the goats and children. When he had not found the Oba, my grandfather returned the captured man to the village and the family were so grateful, he records in his diary, he had to accept the man’s biggest and fattest goat. Much to his embarrassment.

He didn’t want to accept the goat but he thought it would be rude to refuse.

“I mention this because his diary makes it very clear that there was no racial hostility it was merely military hostility.”

Dr Walker concluded by saying, “My objective is to find out whether there is a way I can return these in a spirit of friendship and also into an environment in which they will be secure.

Ideally, I would like to hand them back to the Oba himself.”

His remarks were greatly appreciated with a round of applause from the

delegation and High Commissioner Dr Tafida.

Thanking Dr Walker for his generosity, Head Counsellor of Education and Welfare, Minister Elege said,

help facilitate the return of the bronzes, by writing to inform the current Oba. He added, “I have heard of this important issue since I was a child. Now I’m over seventy years old.”

“I say that, because his diary makes it very clear that there was no racial hostility, it was merely military hostility” “Looted brass plaques, ivories and bronzes are still scattered far and wide.

An ongoing battle for Nigeria to get back their bronzes has been a whirlwind rollercoaster. This magnificent gesture from Mark is highly commendable on every level.

“This is a very generous gesture by Mark that shows that people today still make moral decisions and take cultural values into account before money. Dr Walker has put honour completely above materialism to come and return our 'missing now recovered' artefacts.

We are very grateful.”

Dr Tafida thanked Dr Walker for his “good intentions” and pledged to

As leader of the Lander International Foundation Steve Dunstone (pictured) has been campaigning for over a decade to have the Benin Bronzes returned to Nigeria.

His passion for Nigeria was fired when he heard of the Richard Lander story. Lander was a pioneer and explorer, who in 1837 mapped the Delta and fell in love with Nigeria and Nigerians. He was an outspoken anti-slaver.

Following in his hero’s footsteps, Steve joined an expedition to Nigeria in 2004, to mark the bi-centenary of Lander’s birth. On the expedition local people told him the story of the stolen Bronzes.

Ever since he has been campaigning for their return. While the bronzes are scattered round the world, with Germany reputed to have most, and some appearing at auction – commanding five figure sums – he hopes the British Museum will take the lead.

It has a wonderful display of Benin Bronzes in its Sainsbury African Gallery, and is reputed to have 100s more in store in the basement. The British Museum has a memorandum of understanding with their counterparts in Nigeria, but for Steve this raises the question as to why at least the bronzes in storage shouldn’t be returned?

Made in the fifteenth to the late nineteenth centuries by craftsmen working for the Oba of Benin, the bronzes consist of plaques and sculptures, with some magnificent busts and masks – with the Festac being probably the best known. Before the unfortunate expedition in 1897, Benin was one of the most important kingdoms in West Africa and the work is seen as a significant cultural milestone in art and is believed to have influenced Picasso and Matisse.

To pay for the punitive mission, some of the looted treasures were sold all around the world. In 1898, the Foreign Office and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty gave the British Museum a significant part of their Benin collection.

Approximately 2400 objects were taken from Benin in 1897.

Dr WAlKEr’S trEASurES: thE bIrD of ProPhECy AND thE ANCEStrAl AltAr bEll The Ibis-like bird took on huge symbolic importance during the reign of King Esigie of Benin, c.

1504-1550. It serves as a reminder of King Esigie’s victory over the Igala at the beginning of the sixteenth century.

As King Esigie and his warriors were going to battle, they heard the “bird of prophecy”,

whose cry signals disaster. The king was not afraid and ordered the bird to be killed and his army went on to a great victory.

After that, Esigie commissioned his royal metalcasters to create clappers surmounted by the “bird of prophecy”. He decreed that his chiefs should sound them at court ceremonies to celebrate the Oba’s divine nature, which enabled him to protect his people. The clapper is played by striking the bird on its beak with a

metal rod. The Ibis that Dr Walker presented at the High Commission is believed to have come from such a “clapper” as that pictured (left).

Brass bells, such as the one Dr Walker produced at the High Commission, like rattlestaffs, are an essential feature of Benin ancestral altars – whether for kings, chiefs, or wealthy commoners.

Traditionally, several bells are placed along the front of each altar, and they are rung in

order to summon the ancestors to hear the prayers of their descendants and to partake of the offerings made at the altar.

The more elaborate or unusual the form or decoration of the bell, the higher the rank of the altar it is placed upon. Small brass bells, such as this one, were also worn by chieftains – the sound of the bells announced chieftains’ arrival or appearance. This marvelous brass bell is intricately sculpted and decorated.

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loCAl hEro NKEMJIKA EKA

US LAUNCHES PIDGIN DIPLOMACY

The Royal Borough of Greenwich recently named 18-year-old Nigerian Nkemija Eka Young Achiever of the Year for turning his life around and helping young vulnerable people in the borough, which a few years earlier could have described him.

At the age of 13, Nkemjika Eka looked set to have a promising career in football, having earned a position to play for Charlton Athletic Football Academy. Unfortunately, after playing a couple of seasons for the academy,Nkemjika suffered a back injury which to his disappointment halted his career. Nkemjika said, “When I got my injury, my dream of playing professional football collapsed. Because I felt that dream was gone I started going the wrong way. I basically lashed out because I was angry at the world, but it wasn’t the world that got me injured.”

As a result he started to go off the rails and flirt with crime and local gangs, something he now bitterly regrets. But thanks to the Crime Reduction programme, Nkemjika, now 18, was rescued from that life and succeeded in securing qualifications in FA level One and Two Coaching and is a volunteer member of staff at Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT).

In working with and helping vulnerable young people, Nkemjika shares his life experiences with the youths he coaches to steer them clear of the mistakes he made and in hope of showing where persistence and dedication can get you.

“Nkemjika is an example of a young person who has come through a turbulent period and taken advantage of the many opportunities available to young people through our partnership with Royal Greenwich and other agencies. Nkemjika is a credit to himself and his family. We at the Trust are very proud of him and will continue to support him through his development.”

For more information on the work of CACT visit www.cact.org

US ambassador to Nigeria James Entwistle caused a stir in Lagos recently when he spoke in Pidgin English on a Wazobia Radio programme during which he was being quizzed about Nigeria's new gay rights law.

Invited to explain Washington's stance on the matter amid reports that the US might impose sanctions on Nigeria for passing the Same Sex Prohibition Law, Mr Entwistle reverted to Pidgin English to explain his government's policy. Widely regarded as the native vernacular and lingua franca across anglophone west Africa, Pidgin English is understood more than any other language across the subregion.

On January 7, President Goodluck Jonathan signed the draconian anti-gay

Football Coach

bill into law, making anyone convicted of being homosexual liable to 14 years in prison. Since the law came into effect, the police across Nigeria have swung into action arresting lesbians and gays, while homophobic vigilante groups have also stepped up attacks on suspected victims.

In response to this, Washington has called on Nigeria to review the law as it is tantamount to a breach of the country's human rights obligations. Last week, Navi Pillay, the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on the Nigerian government to observe a moratorium on prosecution of lesbians and gays.

Mr Entwistle said, “The US government no say sanction go dey for Nigeria because of same-sex palava-o.”

His phone-in caused a great stir as

Onimisi Adaba, the coordinating manager of Wazobia FM, said he was surprised when he received a call from the US embassy suggesting the live studio interview in pidgin. He said he was told the ambassador was practising, trying to pick up the language.

Omotunde David, the show host, was delighted to converse in pidgin with the ambassador live on the air. A selfconfessed aficionado of pidgin, she said that although it may not be the language of diplomacy, it reaches people at the grassroots level.

Ms David said, “When we’re talking about reaching everyone, pidgin English is a language just like our culture. A language like the beautiful clothing that we wear, very colourful and very expressive.”

Exporting expertise from London’s Square Mile In collaboration with UK Trade & Investment, Nigerians in the Square Mile have been visiting Nigeria on a trade mission to showcase the UK’s excellence and innovation in the finance, professional and business services sectors.

The visit showcased the vast array of opportunities in Nigeria and gave first-hand insights into forthcoming business developments and current opportunities in key sectors of the economy.

Paul Onifade, mission leader and

Chairman of Nigerians in the Square Mile (NISM), remarked that ‘It is NISM’s goal, to celebrate the success of the Nigerians in the City by promoting higher standards, knowledge sharing, mentoring and fostering a sense of community amongst Nigerians in London and Nigeria through focused networking’. Nigerians in the Square Mile is an organisation of highly successful Nigerian professionals in the leading London City institutions.

Commenting, Mike Purves, Director of

Trade UKTI Nigeria said ‘We hope that this mission will provide delegates with a better knowledge of the Nigerian market and give them a fuller appreciation of the many and varied opportunities on offer’.

As the government organisation that supports companies in the UK doing business internationally, UK Trade & Investment is dedicated to helping companies realise their international business potential through knowledge transfer and on-going partnership support.

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HERE COMES THE SUN With his first big screen feature set to open across the UK on April 11, AJ James hooks up with writer, director Biyi Bandele and chokes over Beyoncé

Biyi Bandele caused a global media firestorm when he cast Thandie Newton in the lead role of the film adaptation of Half Of A Yellow Sun. “An American and a very light-skinned American at that,” screamed the Twitterati, expecting a Nollywood or at least African star to be cast in the role of Olanna. Good job they didn’t know he had rejected Beyoncé for the role.

When Biyi let this slip I choked on my coffee in exclaiming, “What?! you turned down Beyoncé?” Biyi locked me with a disbelieving stare, “Who the @**@ am I to turn down Beyoncé?!” And exploded with laughter at the thought.

The truth of the matter is the producers of the movie wanted him to write a love-letter to Beyoncé, asking her to take the role. The producers can’t have been happy when he didn’t, I suggest.

“We had a stand off for about a year,” says Biyi. “They wanted me to write but I dug my heels in for Thandie. The press assumed she had been imposed on me but she wasn’t. I wanted Thandie in the film right from the start.”

It has proved to be a good conviction. Ms Newton puts in a stellar performance, which has resulted in many critics saying it’s one of her best ever screen performances.

That took some courage. Although he agrees it would have taken a wholly different kind of courage to order Beyoncé around on set.

But Biyi is not short of courage. That’s how he got to make the movie of Chimamanda Adichie’s best-selling novel of the same name and not one of the many big name directors who wanted the job. Ms Adichie has given his radical take on the novel her seal of approval but it hasn’t all be plain sailing. “When I first told Chim I was going to do the story from the point of view of the sisters, she was furious,” he says.

“But when she saw the film she said, ‘My God, you’ve got to the heart of the book.’”

When I had written to request an interview with Biyi I had likened the film to Gone With The Wind; a simplistic comparison on one level, both are love stories set against a civil war. Case proven. But Biyi says excitedly, “That’s exactly how Thandie describes it.”

But the resonance runs deeper than the simple narrative.

Bandele’s handling of the story is incisive – the characters are tossed like a pair of birds in the eye of storm.

The sweeping panorama of events and instability of a country that goes from the euphoria of independence to seven years later fighting a brutal civil war is handled with a sureness of touch that belies Biyi’s experience.

This is his first major feature film. And stunning as the movie most certainly is, Biyi’s accomplishment is even greater when considering this. He has delivered a bona fide blockbuster.

“I set out to make a film for people who work 9-5 and go to the movies once or twice a month,” Biyi explains of his approach. “I want people to go in, have a great time, maybe learn something, but have a great time.”

With another great guffaw he suggests, “Gone With The Wind would be a better movie if it was shorter.”

It has been a long albeit glittering and acclaimed road to the big screen for the avowed cine-film.

Those thousands of hours spent attending all-nighters at the Brixton Roxy’s legendary film club, and devouring the contents of Blockbuster have certainly paid off.

Bandele describes himself as an “accidental playwright”, as prior to Biyi Bandele’s Half Of A Yellow Sun is the greatest love persuading Chimamanda to let him story on film since Gone With The Wind, writes AJ James. take her international bestseller to Aside from being a love story set against the backdrop the big screen it is for that and of a civil war it is the panoramic, sweeping direction that is writing novels that he is known for. the most striking similarity.

Born in 1967, Bandele was 22 The joy and horror of the period, when Nigeria went when he came to the UK, courtesy from the euphoria of achieving independence to falling of winning a playwriting into division and a bloody civil war, is reflected in the docompetition organised by the British mestic strife of the lead characters, Odenigbo and Olanna Council. for which both Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton have As a result he was invited to the won rave reviews.

UK for a reading of the play at Alan In Bandele’s life-affirming take on Chimamanda Ayckbourn’s famed Steven Joseph Adichie’s international best-seller, love not only conquers Theatre in Scarborough. That’s everything but we come to understand it is forged by our some journey, to Scarborough – experiences – both good and bad, cultural and social. famed for its quintessential English The Biafran civil war lurks in the background as the fair – from Kafanchan near Abuja, Nigerian marriage of independence hits its seven year itch. via Obafemi Awolowo University in But this is a war story without (too many) soldiers.

Ife. He had in his suitcase another In embracing that narrative Bandele has given us a timemanuscript – for a novel. “I had less love story about people surviving, getting on with life; written it when I was like 16/17 but people who have high ideals and expectations of the world I hadn’t been able to find a publisher and find themselves not living up to their own high ideals. for it in Nigeria but within weeks of It’s about love between flawed human beings. getting here I had a publisher in At a screening of the movie in Europe, when the comGermany, Italy and then France.” parison with Gone With The Wind was put to the author The book was called The Man Chimamanda Adichie she made the telling aside, “Better Who Came In From The Back Of than that, I hope.”

Beyond, which doffed its cap to a On reflection, having the luxury of time to allow it to favourite author of Biyi’s, John Le percolate in my mind, I think I agree.

Carré, who wrote The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

“I actually met him about three years ago and spent a weekend with him and his casualty of modern revisionist history. Some family in Paris. How he laughed when I told him,” would say it has been air-brushed out of history.

Biyi describes Burma Boy as the most recalls Biyi.

Another favourite on his childhood bookshelf “autobiographical thing I’ve ever written”.

“My father was in Burma in 1944. He came was Hemingway. “I came with no intention of staying in the UK. Hemingway was a hero and back in a straitjacket. People forget in 1944 there like him I wanted to travel the world but there were 120,000 west African soldiers in Burma, were two things that militated against it at the 80% of them Nigerians.

“My dad was a great guy but haunted by the time. One, I was travelling with a Nigerian passport which meant it was war and what he had seen. He sustained burns all impossible to get visas anywhere. over his body. What’s even crazier was he seemed And the second thing was – that happiest when talking about Burma; it was made it a completely redundant something he was proud of.

“When I tried to explain that to my editor he wanted there to be more bitterness. But they weren’t bitter. We can’t plan - was that I was offered with the benefit of hindsight and our own prea job as arts editor of a conceptions impose an outlook on them, say they newspaper [now defunct] were thinking another thing. People were surprised about how funny the book was but called Nigeria Home News.

“I stayed there for about two years and gallows humour is how soldiers survive.”

And there is evident the singularity of mind thought well this is what I want to do with life, write. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since, and great vision and empathy that makes for a great movie director. Biyi would love to make a writing and directing.”

That allowed him time to write and direct and film version of his own book. We can only hope he has had some notable successes. He has written he gets the backing.

Biyi is one to watch, as is his Half Of A Yellow and directed several acclaimed plays, including Brixton Stories, and his novel Burma Boy is one Sun. of the great books about WW2, terrifying in its realism. Criminally it is out of print although still Half Of A Yellow Sun opens at cinemas nationwide available as an e-book. The Burma war is a on April 11. See local listings for details

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The SAMUEL KASUMU Column thE CAP oN bENEfItS WIll hElP to ENCourAgE bEttEr CoMMuNIty The UK government has recently passed a law meaning that there will be a £120 billion cap on benefits, and any future overspend will need to be justified and voted on.

For the millions of people across the country that rely on the benefits system they need not worry about the immediate impact of this, as the figure is actually not too far off the current benefits budget.

What it does mean though, is that the country can plan for a future where the net spend on benefits is more balanced, and where community organisations will increasingly have to play a part in supporting the very poorest where the government has done all that it feels it justifiably can do.

We will need to all be more vigilant about the challenges of our neighbours, and will have to find ways to support each other more when

times are tough. It is the way that things are done back in many of our countries of heritage, and it is how things were previously done in Britain.

Churches and charities have become increasingly relevant when it comes to tackling poverty in

recent times with food banks seemingly now in every corner of our communities.

Organisations like Christians Against Poverty (CAP) have also been able to grow nationwide

networks of representatives helping to deal with the debt epidemic that affects a diverse range of people in the UK today.

The Chancellor also announced a number of other initiatives designed to encourage more people to save instead of spend, including allowing people to save up to £15,000 tax free in an ISA. The country is going through a transition as we refocus on what is important for a good society. We should embrace the challenges of these changes, and realise that we as a country will be better for it.

What we should never forget is that a something for nothing culture, with constant borrowing, led to very difficult times. Now that the economy is on the up, it shouldn’t be seen as an opportunity to take things back to how they were, but an opportunity to build on the foundations that have been laid over the last 4 years.

Victor Moses and the World Cup I’ve supported Liverpool FC since a very young age and am very proud to see the team playing fantastic football and challenging for the Premier League crown this season.

Many people doubted that we would have the

ability to do such a thing when we consider the current depth of our squad compared to our competitors. As pleased as I am about the situation, I must say that one thing perplexes me.

Nigeria’s star player Victor Moses has been reduced to cameos from the bench, mainly because of the resurgence of young Raheem Sterling and the undoubted talent of Brazilian Coutinho.

Moses’ bench-warming could work out to be a blessing in disguise for Nigeria as we look ahead to the World Cup. He could be fresh and ready to play a leading part during the tough group stages.

He’ll also have something to prove to the coaches at both Chelsea and Liverpool that have never really played him in his best position, cutting in from the left of midfield.

Moses should look for a club outside of England after the World Cup. The alternative would be to once again play for a team lower down the league table within the Premiership, but this will inevitably mean forgoing the opportunity to play in Europe.

The only other realistic option would be for his former Wigan manager, Roberto Martinez, to sign him up for Liverpool’s arch rivals Everton FC. In the meantime, I dream of travelling to Brazil this summer to cheer on Moses, Sterling, Gerrard, and all of the other Liverpool players representing club and country at the World Cup.

Nigerians fight to the death for a better future March saw horrific scenes in Nigeria as over 500,000 people were invited to apply for 5,000 immigration related government jobs. Sadly, at least 16 people were thought to have died as an overcrowded stadium of jobseekers became chaotic.

What we saw was the manifestation of desperation within a country that is supposed to be on the up. With GDP growing by at least 6% year on year, theory would suggest that there should be an abundance of new jobs being created to reflect such growth.

However there continues to be a gap between those who are benefiting from the country’s prosperity and those who continue to suffer.

We have a number of billionaires that have continued to amass great wealth at the expense of the very poorest, and the government of the day should not allow such profiteering to continue without jobs being created

in direct correlation with this.

I remember looking on in amazement during my last visit to Lagos as I went to visit someone from the telecommunications industry living in splendour on Banana Island.

People are prospering in Nigeria, but too many of the rich are becoming richer as the poor have to wait for jobs to be created.

To make things worse, it is people from abroad, particularly Asian countries, that are benefiting most from skilled employment opportunities.

The richest black man in the world, Nigeria’s Aliko Dangote, recently pledged to focus his efforts on creating more jobs within the country.

It is my belief that every entrepreneur should have at the centre of their mission the objective of job creation.

The amount of people that you employ should be seen as the yardstick of how well you are doing and not how many houses and hotels you have within your asset stockpile.

A final note on this topic must be the diversification of the Nigerian economy. We need to see more efforts on this topic, and for the country to offer subsidies to entrepreneurs with innovative ideas that will increase the pace of building new sectors.

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Madam Amebo Still stuck in Naija THERE is a popular saying that you can take the man out of Naija but you cannot take the Naija out of the man.

So, thousands of Nigerians within the UK somehow manage to continue with their lives as if they have not moved countries at all.

Their mannerisms, language, cuisine, dress mode, cultural outlook and methods of social interaction is as if they are still living in Ajegunle, Surulere or Agege. One lady from Enfield recently caused a stir at a public debate on relationships when she revealed details of how Nigerian men were hitting on her on certain social media with typical big man vibes.

She added that true to type, they resort to talking big, promising heaven and earth, boasting about what they can offer and bragging about what influence they have. Summing up her submission, the lady created further laughter by saying, she listens to all that and then politely asks the man doing all the bragging if he is a relative of the queen.

Discussants at the debate agreed that more work needs to be done to

bring some first generation migrants up to speed with the rest of the community. Those old Nigerian ways simply do not cut it in 2014.

Watch what you eat WIth the plethora of Nigerian events, awards ceremonies, parties and old school reunions that have now become part of the diasporan landscape in the uK, it is important to pay attention to culinary matters. Increasingly, the fear of food poisoning has become a matter of concern and event organisers are taking note. because of the combination of the volume and the wide array of food we eat at our events, Nigerian caterers have taken to preparing their dishes well in advance of parties. If for instance a caterer has a large event on Saturday that involves say 500 people, she starts cooking on a Monday just to be able to cope. this means that a lot of the jollof rice, yam porridge, fried meat, egusi, edikaikong, fried rice and pepper soup gets cooked days in advance of the event. Now, this is not a problem if you have the proper storage facili-

ties but when all your have is a household fridge and an accompanying freezer, wahala dey.

Apart from the fact that the food loses its original freshness and taste with such storage, there is also the danger of poisoning. No one is yet to come up with a solution though. Do we eat less at our gatherings or come up with an interest free equipment loan for our caterers?

Daddy babysitting AS Nigerian women in the diaspora become increasingly involved in community activities, many a daddy is finding out that his babysitting activities are increasing. In line with the growing rise of female empowerment, more and more women in the diaspora are getting involved in community groups, educational projects, charitable organisations and faith groups.

This has automatically led to an increase in busy weekends, during which these mums have to be at functions where their presence simply cannot be avoided. This in turn means that dads have to take on the role of

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sole parent for the day, which many typical Nigerian men in the UK are finding hard to adapt to.

Apart from changing nappies, making feeding bottles, running round the park, and putting lovely ones to bed at night, the task sometimes involves sleepless nights if mummy is away overnight.

Many are the husbands who grew up watching the man of the house being waited on hand and foot as he approached middle age and are flabbergasted by this dramatic and “unfair” turnaround.

Well, such objectors cannot have their cake and eat it as one great thing to come out of this women’s empowerment is that our Naija ladies are climbing up the corporate ladder, earning more and subsequently improving the quality of family life.

Maybe it is time to start organise daddy babysitting classes to bring the level of men’s knowledge up to the level of the womenfolk.

Busy Nigerians KENT is no different from any other part of Greater London in that of

late, it has seen a huge increase in the number of ethnic minorities that have flocked to it from London. Statistics have just come to light that there are about 300 Nigerian families in the Swanley area, most of them going there to buy houses in response to the price escalation in central London.

Like most other members of the Nigerian diaspora in the UK, these new arrivals in Kent are professionals who leave home at 7am in the morning, drop the kids off, commute into London and then come back at night, just in time for bed. This leaves the local community with a huge problem of figuring a way to involve them in local activities. It is thus not unusual to turn out to a community event and see practically no black faces there, which in turn means the programme ends up not being multi-cultural.

Well, the good thing is that the county council and the parish council are both doing something about it, as they plan to hold a series of African events over the summer. Hopefully, our people will take some time off their busy schedules to attend such events.

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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 April 7, 2014. 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.

Tony Benn MP – a personal tribute; “He truly inspired us” On hearing of the death of Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn, universally known as Tony Benn, I recalled a very insightful anecdote about how no other person than Daniel in the Bible had inspired him to become the towering political figure he became in post war Britain.

As a child Tony Benn’s mother read the Bible to him every night before he went to bed.

After a while, he began to loathe the kings and adulate the prophets. Of all prophets in the Old Testament, Benn revered Daniel the most; the rank outsider who rose to the lofty position of Governor in Babylon.

Which is why on the day his death was announced (March 14) , the eulogy of Margaret Beckett, the former Labour Foreign Secretary, was particularly telling; “He had many enemies and he kept them.”

But even Tony Benn’s many enemies will admit there was something of the prophet about him. Indeed in all probability, it is what they sorely hated about him.

A thorn in the flesh of all Labour prime ministers from Wilson to Blair, proof that he was a man of ideas above all else. In spite of his loathing of Blair and New Labour, meeting Cherie, Tony Blair’s wife, a few days after she was vilified in the press for finding common cause with young Arabs over the issue of suicide bombings in the occupied territories, Benn thanked her for having the courage to express ‘a truth’, which many are too craven to admit.

After 51 years in the House of Commons as an MP, in 2001 with a sick wife to look after, he announced that, “I am standing down as an MP to spend more time on poli-

tics.” And if anybody thought he was joking at the time, Benn was at the forefront of the million man march in London against the invasion of Iraq.

Somebody, somewhere, will construe his action on that occasion, as always, as that of a selfish man. I am not so sure. Over the years I have read a number of Tony Benn’s Diaries; an assiduous chronicler of contemporary history, I owe a lot of my knowledge of British politics to his priceless literary genius. On the subject of his selfishness or otherwise, I will share with you a story from one of his diaries.

Blair had just won his second term in 2001, Westminster running amok with news of who is getting what post in government, Benn calls his son to express his fear that his politics will be an impediment to his progress.

Hilary’s response, “Don’t be silly, Dad, I am proud of you. And if people think anything you have done should impact on my life adversely, well, it speaks volumes about them and not you.” Touching.

Thank God Tony Blair did the right thing and gave the wee Benn the opportunity he quite clearly deserved; who as Secretary of State at the Department for International Development, DFID, was elected by his peers in the House as Britain’s best politician in 2006.

I have read many things about Tony Benn’s faith over the years. The last time I checked, he was an agnostic. That said, he was always at pains to tell anyone who cared to listen that his ultimate teacher was Jesus Christ. My hope, a profound one at that, is that during his many tutorials with The Messiah, he came to appreciate the essence of the Person of Christ. I suppose that none of us can know this side of eternity.

There are many quotes of Benn that I like, but none more than the one encompassing politics and faith, his two abiding interests in life.

“The Labour Party has never been a socialist party, but it’s always had socialists in it, just as there are some Christians in the church.” Ouch.

Matters of ego aside, I will be doing this piece a great disservice if I don’t mention my own personal encounter with the man. In the early 90s after an MA degree in politics at Hull, I went to the House of Commons to work for Ann Clywd, one of Tony Benn’s Labour colleagues, as a research assistant.

A week into that experience, I spotted Mr Benn in the distance and made a bee line for him. “State your business,” he boomed, ever so charmingly, with a broad smile on his face. I did. “Listen, young man,” he said, as he plucked his pipe out of his mouth. “I suppose you are under the misapprehension that you have come to the most democratic institution in the land?”

Misapprehension? I was confused. Putting his right

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hand on my right shoulder; in a manner not far removed from Elijah passing his mantle to Elisha, he said, “Here, they are Red sheep (Labour), Blue sheep (Tory), it doesn’t matter.

They all first arrive with a semblance of independence of mind, but in no time, through the whipping system, they all start bleating. They do as they are told.”

I was mesmerised. In the manner of all great orators, knowing fully well that he had my full attention, looking at me straight in the eye he continued, “Young man, in life, it is important to have the courage of your conviction.

Whatever that is. Anything short of that, is a life not worth living.”

The degree to which I have taken his advice on board is debatable, but few have moved me with their words the way he did that gloriously sunny afternoon on the steps of the House of Commons In one of his many interviews, Tony Benn was asked how he would like to be remembered.

The man who was born into aristocracy who sent all his four children to state schools, said, “If on my tombstone ‘He Inspired Us’ is written, for me, it would really have been a world worth living.”

Who can possibly begrudge him that! As a matter of fact I’d go one word better: He Truly Inspired Us. Adieu, Tony Benn!

Anthony Ojolola, via email

hen the Nigeria high Commission hosted a special screening of the london Nollywood movie LABO: Life is a Journey on March 14, Minister Ahmed Inusa spoke about Nollywood having helped turn Nigeria into a ‘cultural superpower’ (p.12).

And he is right! Nigeria’s ‘soft power’ in the world is being driven by a myriad of talented artists from the worlds of film, music and literature, who deliver work that is worthy of a global audience and is changing the perception of Nigeria and Nigerians in the process.

A case in point is Half Of A Yellow Sun, the epic blockbuster film based on Chimamanda Adichie’s bestselling novel. After acclaimed showings at several film festivals, it is set to captivate audiences worldwide this year.

And let’s not forget Adichie’s most recent achievement: she won the American National book Critics Circle award for her novel Americanah – a sweeping masterpiece spanning three continents addressing the critical issue of the 21st century, identity. the prize is one of the most prestigious in the uS and her win confirms her as one of those very rare things – a global literary superstar. her legacy as the successor to the late, great Chinua Achebe assured.

Soft power has become the lingua franca of international relations, because it is played out on a level playing field. Anyone from anywhere can excel. that Nigerians are is a sure sign of even better things to come.

Maryanne Jemide, MD

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NEWS FROM THE NIGERIA HIGH COMMISSION, LONDON Nollywood film heralds celebration of Nigeria’s growing cultural influence

A special screening of London Nollywood movie LABO; Life Is A Journey was held on March 14 at the High Commission in honour of Hajiya Salamatu Tafida, wife of Nigeria’s ambassador to the UK Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, OFR,CFR. The screening was used to celebrate Nigeria’s growing cultural influence around the world – with its films, music and literature being acclaimed on the global stage, making Nigeria a “soft power super power”.

Introducing the production the High Commission’s Head of Chancery,

Minister Ahmed Inusa said, “In 1968, Nigeria signed and ratified the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Then people thought we had shot ourselves in the foot by denying ourselves the opportunity to become a superpower. Now, countries with nuclear weapons consider them a liability. When we talk about the cultural aspect of soft power, this is where we have a lot of resources and the Nollywood industry has helped to make us into a cultural super power.”

Labo is symbolic of this in many ways as a London produced Nollywood movie, featuring a cast of Nollywood royalty; Jide Kosoko, Lanre Hassan and Remi Oshodi star.

But also as a multi-lingual, African Caribbean, British movie based on a family battle for cultural supremacy, focusing on inter-racial family issues and relationships.

It is about what happens when a Nigerian-born diaspo-

ran returns home and orders his British born daughters to come too.

Producer and lead actress in Labo, Roseline Sanni-Ajose (pictured left with Mrs Tafida and below with Dr and Mrs Tafida) said, “When you see the audience cheering and feeling happy, that means that their connection with your movie is there.”

Thanking Roseline Mrs Tafida said, “The film projects the tradition that has made the Nollywood industry a household name not only in Nigeria, but in Africa and the rest of the world."

BEST PRACTICE CONFERENCE A delegation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) visited the High Commission this month to inform Nigeria’s ambassador to the UK Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, OFR, CFR, why they were staging the ICAN UK Zonal Accountants’ Conference (IUZAC) in London – the first time it has ever been held outside Nigeria.

As Nigeria is predicted to be the 25th largest economy in the world overtaking South Africa, ICAN UK is using the forum to highlight the gaps and opportunities for all stakeholders and build cross border links between

Nigeria, the UK and Europe by sharing innovative solutions and ideas.

It was explained that ICAN UK is playing a pivotal role in bringing together key stakeholders and professional leaders from Africa, Europe and the UK into a very conducive forum to discuss the challenges posed to the Nigerian economy specifically and developing countries in general.

Dr Tafida welcomed the delegation and their attempts to ensure that Nigeria benefitted from the changes in the hope of achieving international standards for the benefit of investors, the economy and Nigeria’s development.

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Delivering cutting edge comment, opinion and analysis

SIxtEEN DIE IN StAMPEDES to lAND A StEADy Job Sixteen people are known to have died in stampedes when half a million people were invited to apply for fewer than 5,000 Nigerian government jobs, during a recruitment drive for the immigration service. The official News Agency of Nigeria quoted Interior Minister Abba Moro as saying the 16 died in five locations around the country on Saturday March 15. He said they “lost their lives through their impatience”. Calls for Mr Moro to be sacked have gone unheeded. The Education Rights Campaign blamed his ministry for inviting more applicants than centres could accommodate. It said 65,000 people were invited to the Abuja National Stadium that has a capacity for 60,000. Seven died there. The stampedes show the desperation for jobs in Africa’s second biggest economy and most populous nation.

National Conversation

landmark journey into the future On March 17 President Jonathan launched Nigeria’s National Conversation. Here is an edited version of his speech I am delighted to welcome you all to the inauguration of this historic National Conference, which promises to be another significant landmark in our efforts to strengthen national unity and consolidate democratic governance in our beloved country.

I also believe that this National Conference is coming at a very appropriate time. Having just celebrated the first centenary of our country, the most compelling task before us, as we move ahead and contemplate what our nation will be at the end of its second century, is to lay a much stronger foundation for faster development. This we can achieve by building a more inclusive national consensus on the structure and guiding principles of state that will guarantee our emergence as a more united, progressive and prosperous nation.

In our history as a political entity, we have experienced highs and lows but have always forged

ahead. To my mind, the fact that we have weathered all storms and continued with the mission of evolving a truly national identity signifies that we are going in the right direction.

The strongest nations in the world today also went through their own formative stages; some for decades and others for centuries. We must learn from them that nationhood will not happen overnight, especially given the circumstances of our birth as a nation.

History also teaches that nation-building is a journey of dedication, commitment, diligence, perseverance and patriotic vision. To be successful, nation-builders must continually strive to evolve better and more inclusive societies in which every citizen is a proud and committed stakeholder. This coming together under one roof to confer and build a fresh national consensus for the amicable resolution of issues that still cause friction amongst our people must be seen as an essential part of the process of building a more united, stronger and progressive nation.

We cannot continue to fold our arms and assume that things will straighten themselves out in due course, instead of taking practical steps to overcome impediments on our path to true nationhood, rapid development and national prosperity. Many more young and articulate Nigerians who previously had little access to the traditional mass media have now joined the conversation, motivated by patriotic concern for good governance, peace, stability, justice, equity, fairness and the harmonious co-existence of the diverse groups that make up our great nation.

In inaugurating this national conference today,

we are not unmindful of the argument of those who say that we do not need such a conference since we already have an elected Parliament and an elected Government in place.

The power we hold is, without question, in trust for the people. Sovereignty belongs to the people. Their voices must be heard and factored into every decision we take on their behalf.

Over the years, well-meaning Nigerians have drawn attention to inadequacies in our current constitution. Some have described it as a militaryinspired document which does not take into full consideration the genuine desires and wishes of the people. While opinions on the matter can be as diverse as rain showers, I believe that irrespective of our personal views on the issue, no one can deny the fact that every constitution is a living document that needs to be revised and improved upon from time to time. The United States, which is the model democracy in the eyes of many, has amended its constitution 27 times since it was first adopted in 1787.

This conference is open for us to table our thoughts and positions on issues, and make recommendations that will advance our togetherness. The issues range from form of government, structures of government, devolution of powers, revenue sharing, resource control, state and local government creation, boundary adjustment, state police and fiscal federalism, to local government elections, indigeneship, gender equality and children’s rights, amongst others.

We must not approach these issues with suspicion and antagonism. Rather, we should be openminded and work to achieve what is best for

Nigeria. Even though you come to the Conference as nominees and representatives of different interest groups, I urge you all to make a more united, stronger, indivisible and prosperous Nigeria your preoccupation and reference point at this national gathering. Whatever the pressures on you may be, I call upon you to put the best interest of Nigeria before all other sectional or group interests.

Yesterday’s prejudices should die with yesterday. Today is a new day. This is the dawn of a new era. This is an opportunity to think anew. Let us seize the opportunity of this Conference to do more to further turn our diversity and plurality into unique national resources for strength and greatness.

I have always affirmed that our ability to stay together despite our acknowledged differences, when other countries are finding it difficult to meet that challenge, is a powerful statement by Nigeria to the world on the virtues of tolerance and unity.

I am confident that we are embarking on a landmark journey that will make us stronger as a nation if we undertake it with all sense of purpose and sincerity. Let us do that which is selfless, purposeful and patriotic so that history will remember us for having served our nation well.

In conclusion, I urge all officials and participants in the national conference to work extra hard to ensure that their deliberations are completed on schedule, well ahead of the schedule of events for the next general elections already announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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NIGERIAN WATCH 28 Mar - 10 Apr 2014

WOMEN’SWATCH

15

Ekanem Robertson is co-presenter of The Woman TV Show on Ben TV. Write to er@nigerianwatch.com

ER with the eagle eye frontier mentality Over the last few weeks I have reserved my comments over the National Immigration Services (NIS) recruitment drive disaster, which unfortunately resulted in the death of 16 applicants. When the story broke, like many of you I’m sure, I moaned and exclaimed to myself ”not again!”

I read the media reports on the incident, the Minister’s response, the survivor accounts and comments from the public. I even set up a telephone interview with a survivor, so I could ask a few more questions. Like you, I screamed about the ridiculous odds, that people engaged in such a normal activity as searching for work, could lose their lives in such a brutal manner.

There are many voices calling for an official investigation or the head of the Minister, or both. Many more remain unimpressed by the President’s overtures to the victims’ families. As with earlier incidents and occurrences these voices will probably eventually go quiet and we will return to business as usual.

I reserved my comments because I was looking for something deeper. If this incident can finally lead Nigerians to embark on some objective selfexamination, then these youngsters would not have died in vain.

In the process of ruminating on this matter, I came across an article by one Mr Nwike Ojukwu, titled Arise, O Cowards, Nigeria’s Call Obey in Sahara Reporters, March 21. One particular paragraph therein inspired me to write this article, and I quote: “The same Nigerian who pushed and pulled to get on the airplane at Lagos or Abuja or any other airport in Nigeria knows orderly conduct when he or she arrives in New York, London, or Amsterdam. The same Nigerian, whose luggage would not be subjected to a search in our airports because he or she is “Oga or Oga’s wife”, would humbly submit the same

luggage for a search outside the country. The same Nigerian who would employ the services of touts rather than stand in a queue with “bloody citizens” because of his or her perceived status would form a queue outside our shores to receive services.

You wonder if there is something wrong with our soil or the air we breathe in this part of the world. My theory is that there is nothing wrong with us except that our system conditioned the way we react.

Therefore, you find a Nigerian behaving differently as soon as he arrives in the country because our system does not accommodate civility” The quote highlights the fact that

most Nigerians are quite capable of behaving properly and doing things in an orderly fashion, suggesting that

“Nigeria is a sort of frontier oil rush place where all that matters is that you win” Nigerians know exactly what they are doing and can do and do better in other climes. I agree with Mr Ojukwu’s observations but disagree with his conclusion that the fault is not in us but the system. Is it not people that

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE MOTHERS “Sweet mother, I no go forget you for the suffer wey you suffer for me”– a line from the much loved song, Sweet Mother, a bitter sweet song written in 1976 by highlife musician, Prince Nico Mbarga (Nigerian mother and Cameroonian father).

This well known song depicts so beautifully the way in which women endure so much for their children. The words resonate in the hearts of most African children.

I wanted so much to find a new angle on the story of motherhood in the 21st cen-

tury, but I could not because there seem to be no fundamental changes.

There are some things, that will never really change, and motherhood seems to be one of them. In talking to some mothers, however, I constantly hear them say that they feel a greater pressure to be ’perfect’. Perhaps that is the 21st century syndrome.

I believe that all manner of mothers should be celebrated. I want to applaud the various types of mothers that we do not always think about. There are many

create and uphold systems?

In all honesty Nigeria as a sort of frontier oil rush place, where anything goes and all that matters is that you win. A frontier town conjures the picture of brash, unruly inhabitants, disheveled and disrespectful, uncaring and ruthless. Their only goal is to strike oil. They are packed together in a hard, unforgiving environment and many thrive in this chaos, while others die. It is an ad-hoc place, not intended for permanence

women out there who have not and may never have the experience of being actual physical mothers, but never the less fulfil the role of a home maker, to children who are not their own.

We have blended families; we have surrogates who have been incubators for other people’s children, and we have women who have lost their children to other carers or welfare institutions, through various situations. I want to take a moment to also remember them this Mother’s Day.

Most people have a story about their mother that they hold dear; the one thing, that makes their mother stand head and shoulders above the rest that makes the song Sweet mother ring so true.

For me, I remember the one year I spent living with my mother in Nigeria as an adult, attending a one year programme. Each day, she would have a hot and freshly prepared meal ready as I walked into the house, exhausted and drained from the exam and the journey to and from the school.

Her simple act of timely provision was a real comfort to me. She did it without

and usually when the oil/gold runs out, the people leave and the town dies. The consequence of this ‘anything goes’ lifestyle is a chronic inability to execute, which in turn shows up in almost all aspects of lifethe economy, politics, education, social life and so on. It is not a lifestyle that is meant for developing any of these goals anyway. It works for prospecting and get-rich-quick endeavors I believe that the many afflictions of Nigerian society – lack of power, water, unemployment, poverty, poor healthcare, illiteracy, instability, inefficiency of public/private services stem from this underlying problem of a prevailing and chronic inability to execute!

This leads me back to the subject of the NIS job recruitment exercise and its failings; is this not a clear example of our inability to execute?

To my mind until strenuous efforts are made to change the fundamental mindset of the Nigerian and inculcate in them an appreciation for principles and values that are suitable for nation building, then we may have to continue to live with these avoidable faux pas and lack of socio- economic development In conclusion, I suggest that this change can be realised over time, by use of the following channels and methods:, schools (ethics for nation building), National Youth Service Corps (perhaps the best ever opportunity to further reorientate the youth before they enter the country’s workforce). mass media (films, documentaries, adverts etc) and the local film industry, Nollywood (edutainment) We need to let go of the frontier mentality and replace it with the nation mentality that believes that – “we all succeed, if you succeed and your success makes me better.”

being asked and because she wanted so much to be part of that moment in my life.

She could not take the exams for me, but she could ensure that I did not have to worry about anything but the exams. Thanks mum!

A mother provides security and stability to a child; a sense of belonging, and inner peace, someone to run to on a cold day and when the world rejects you. A mother provides a listening ear. A

mother will always support you and be proud of you no matter how small your achievement. When mothering is done right, it is the closest thing to heaven.

To those of you who do not have a positive story to tell, in this regard, I hope that you can be the kind of mother that you wished for, to someone else. So, to mothers everywhere, Happy Mother's Day!

16

NIGERIAN WATCH 28 Mar - 10 Apr 2014

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LEISUREWATCH

The Fortnight FASHIONWATCH by Obah Iyamu

What to see and do over the next 14 days...

Spring has sprung and this week’s fashion charts will quickly rejuvenate a tired wradrobe, so get cracking with our picks...

Kingston 14 A timely new play about police corruption starring goldie follows the story of a black british police officer who is sent to Kingston to investigate the murder of an English tourist.

Written by bAftA award winner roy Williams.

Theatre Royal Stratford East, 28 Mar -26 Apr, From £6 http://stratfordeast.com

fIlM

Half Of A Yellow Sun

and original music, Nadia Fall’s new play asks what it really means to call somewhere home.

The Shed, National Theatre 26 Mar - 30 Apr. From £12 theshed.nationaltheatre.org.uk ExhIbItIoNS

Pangaea: New Art from Africa and Latin America

Distressed Denim Denim is

perhaps the most indispensable fashion item a person can own and the biggest template for spring is a distressed or unfinished denim piece. This season, trousers come cropped and unhemmed and denim jackets should be worn buttoned up but frayed at the seams.

The double knee tear is buzzing again but a fitted denim skirt with authentic rips is top of my wish list.

Chunky Midi heels Dubbed the ugly shoe, clunky heels are

back on trend so make them a key part of your spring/summer look. Style to perfection with feminine pieces to soften the chunk or go slightly higher than a midi-heel if you definitely need the extra height, but be sure to keep it ladylike and stumpy. Pair with an equally ladylike/Queen Elizabeth-style handbag and cement the look with a whole lot of attitude.

You’ve read the review (p7), here’s your chance to see ‘the greatest love story since Gone With The Wind’ on the big screen In cinemas across the UK from 11th April.

Opening in Nigeria 25th April

Ortega and His Enemies Described as an original and intriguing British drama with some Nollywood twists, set in London and Essex, Ortega, an anger management patient tries to overcome his fiance’s adversaries. Will he make it to the altar?

Paintings, drawings, photography and sculpture by artists including Leonce Raphael Agbodjelou, Fredy Alzate and Antonio Malta Campos.

The Saatchi Gallery, 2 Apr-31 Aug, FREE www.saatchigallery.com

Designs of the Year 2014 The annual awards celebrate the most innovative and inventive work in the worlds of architecture,

V&A Museum, 22 May-14 Jun, FREE www.vam.ac.uk

thEAtrE

Home fashion and more. This year's 76 nominations include a floating school in Nigeria: Whanyinna Primary School is kept afloat by 250 empty barrels and is made of bamboo and timber.

jazz, Africa and Brazilian music into an extraordinarily unique sound.

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Tue 8 Apr 8pm, From £10 www.queens-theatre.co.uk

Afrobeats Live Hosted by DJ Abrantee (CapitalXtra), the first installment of Afrobeats Live will feature explosive performances from some of the hottest UK

Miguel Kohler-Jan: Works from the 70s and 80s If you enjoy the art of oil paintings and natural sand, the work of late innovative artist Miguel Kohler-Jan will be of interest to you.

Kohler-Jan's work incorporates a combination of letters, numbers and pre-Columbian designs.

Gallery Elena Shchukina, Mayfair,11 Apr - 6 Jun,FREE www.galleryelenashchukina.com

Magiciens de la Terre: reconsidered Marking the 25th anniversary of what proved to be a hugely controversial show, the selection of screenings offer a reflection on the cinematic history and legacy of colonialism.

Premiere Apr 4th, Odeon Greenwich, From £15 www.benalexmedia.com/

After a sell-out run last August, the critically acclaimed Home returns to The Shed. In 2013, homelessness amongst young people in the UK is at a record high, so when the big society doesn’t work, where do you go? An inner city high-rise hostel, Target East, offers a roof.

Home brings to life the unheard voices of the young residents and staff who live and work behind the anonymous concrete walls. Using real testimonials alongside existing

nary photographers. This year’s exhibition presents 70 works by 11 photographers, including finalist Abraham Oghobase from Nigeria.

London-based Adriano Adewale returns to the Queen’s with his own group who brilliantly blend

Tate Modern, Fri 11 Apr – Sun 13 Apr £5, concessions available www.tate.org.uk MuSIC / gIgS

Adriano Adewale A fantastic percussionist,

Afrobeats artists including Moelogo, Rotimo, Nizzy, Teejay, Zafi B, Vicky Sola, Tyroon Da Prince, FT Fresh Music, Gizmo and more.

The Jazz Café, Sun 13 Apr 7pm, From £10 mamacolive.com

Lokkhi Terra Presents CubAfrobeat CubAfrobeat, featuring Nigerian keyboardist, Dele Sosimi, presents a new musical mash-up between heavyweights on the London scene. This is the world premiere of an album due out at the end of 2014.

Rich Mix, Thurs 10 Apr 8pm, From £12 Richmix.org.uk

Design Museum, 26 Mar-27 Jun, From £6 www.designmuseum.org

Prix Pictet 2014

Ayo: ticket to the World The annual photographic award raises awareness of social and environmental issues through extraordi-

After selling one and a half million records, filled with a collection of sixteen breathtaking songs, Ticket To The World is the latest album release from Nigerian singersongwriter Ayo. Bush Hall, Wed 2 Apr, £13.50 Bushhallmusic.co.uk

AFROHITS

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Critical Mass EP Launch Party Percussionist and band member of Jamiroquai, Sola Akingbola, takes centre stage with his explosive new funky roots band Critical Mass. Add your name to the guest list and have a good time.

Cargo, Thurs 3 Apr 7pm, FREE

The Best From Africa: Dakar Enjoy a night of West African music and dance.

Focus organisation presents a special set from the Songlines Award Nominee Simo Lagnawi from Morroco. Music on the night will include Afrobeats and Soukous.

Rich Mix, Sat 5 Apr 8pm, From £8 Richmix.org.uk KIDS

Dressmaking workshop

The dressmaking workshops delivered by the African Cultural Associa-

LEISUREWATCH

tion are aimed at children aged 7–18 years (parents of children aged under 14 will need to stay at the session).

African drumming and dance workshops

Willowbrook Primary School, Leyton, 8 Apr, 10am-12.30pm.

Mayville Primary School, Leytonstone, 8 Apr 1.30pm-4pm.

Larkswood Primary School, Chingford 10 Apr, 10.30am 12pm. Chapel End Infants School, Walthamstow 10 Apr 1.30-4pm www.mbillaarts.co.uk/

17

w w w. a f r o - h i t s . c o m

Sessions take place every Friday from 28 Mar. Grahame Park library, Colindale. www.africanculturalassociation.net

Learn traditional WestAfrican drum rhythms and how to perform authentic African dance movements.

Over the Easter holidays children aged 5-11 will get the opportunity to broaden their awareness of musical instruments and important cultural aspects of the countries where the dances originated.

They can join in and accompany the dances by clapping and singing the rhythmic patterns as well as playing on African drums.

NIGERIAN WATCH 28 Mar - 10 Apr 2014

African Children’s Choir uK tour touring the entire country, catch the children performing well-loved childrens songs, hand clapping, traditional spirituals and contemporary tunes. Come away feeling inspired and invigorated with their enthusiasum!

Tour ongoing until May 23. See website for venues. www.africanchildrenschoir.org.uk othEr

Ntiense Eno Amooquaye, Creating The Local Space What impact does the environment have on the act of creation?

Contemplate the concept of local with our current exhibition artist Ntiense Eno Amooquaye, Sam Jones from Intoart, writer Mary Paterson, poet Tom Chivers and Poetry Librarian Chris McCabe.

Apr 2, Free, book your place by emailing specialedition@poetry.org.uk Exhibition ongoing until 13 Apr,

MAgIC SyStEM - MAgIC IN thE AIr ft ChAWKI Now for something completely different, as the saying goes. this has got that feel good, could work as a World Cup anthem vibe to it. Choc full of football references and imagery this could get a good few spins from now until well after rio 2014. that’s not to mention some of the beautiful scenery shown in the video. It just makes you wanna, dance and kick a football. heck, maybe even try dancing and

Tues-Sun 11am -8pm Saison Poetry Library at Royal Festival Hall www.southbankcentre.co.uk

The African Contemporary Auction The Auction Room will feature work from Nigerian photographers, J.D. Okhai Ojeikere and Uche James-Iroha in the inaugural auction of African Contemporary Photography.

The Auction Room, from Mon 28 Apr - Wed 28 May www.theauctionroom.com

kicking a football simultaneously. And talk about multicultural chops this track shows that whether you are black or white you can still have an understanding and love for African music. Please, go watch this video and support this new entry to the Afrobreakers’ chart.

AfrohItS ChArt 1 fuse oDg - Million Pound girl (badder than bad) 2 Magic System ft Chawki Magic In the Air 3 Kcee ft Wizkid - Pull over 4 tiwa Savage ft Don Jazzy Eminado 5 Iyanya - le Kwa ukwu 6 olamide - Anifowose 7 timaya - ukwu 8 Kcee - hakuna Matata 9 olamide - Sitting on the throne 10 os Detroia - bela 11 r2bees - love 12 Shatta Wale - gal Wuk It 13 uhuru ft Dj buckz, oskido, Professor & uri-Da-Cunha - ytjukutja 14 Dee Moneey - finish line ft Sarkodie & J town 15 gallardo ft Davido - runtown 16 goldie ft J Martins - give It to Me 17 Sneakbo ft l Marshall her Name 18 May D ft Davido - ur Eyes 19 E.l - Ayayaa 20 Seantizzle - Kilogbe

Spring Beauty Trends

These gorgeous makeup and beauty trends will be on all our faces before you know it. With recommendations for every budget you can start practising your favourite looks now!

orChID lIPStICK Orchid is definitely the lipstick shade of the season and it looks fabulous on those who dare to wear it. In addition to looking great, it also gives the added benefit of making teeth look whiter.

In case you didn't know, Pantone's official colour of the year for 2014 is also radiant orchid; so the colour is here to stay. low budget: Top Shop Lip Cream in Double Take (£7) Mid range: MAC Show Orchid Lipstick (£15) luxury: Yves Saint Larent Rouge Pur Coutour Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stain – Rebel Nudes in Violine Out of Control (£25)

brIght EyElINEr Bright eyeliner is the new statement look. A bold flick in an intense shade will set your eyes alight. Spring is the time to try something new, and what better way to look at things differently than with a bright hue adorned on our peepers. Swap the black for green, blue or any other wild colour that takes your fancy. Vibrant jewel like tones make the eyes appear brighter in a beautiful, modern way. low budget Sleek Kohl Eyeliner pencil in bright blue (£1.99) Mid range: Avon Super Shock Gel Eyeliner Savage Bright Turquose Teal Shade (£3.94) luxury: Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Iris (£19) CAt EyES Bust out your black liquid liner, because perennially chic cat eyes are especially big for spring. My personal tip is to start the line from your lower lash line and follow it up to the point where you want your eye liner to end. Then continue across the top lash line. low budget: Bourjois Erasable liner (£7.99) Mid range: MAC Penultimate Eyeliner (£17)

Seventa Image Stiletto Eyeliner (£18) luxury: Eyeko Liquid Metal Eyeliner in Black Onyx (£21) gloWINg SKIN Skin should have a nice glow this spring so apply less powder on top of your makeup. Try using a radiant tinted moisturiser with a liquid illuminator instead of your foundation for a more dewy finish to the skin. Tinted moisturisers are great for black skin because they even out skin tone and their minimal pigment content means they won't give black skin that flat, dull, ashy look you can often get with certain foundations. When you choose a tinted moisturiser, opt for one a shade warmer than your natural skin tone. budget: Sleek Beautiful Blemish Balm (£8.99) Sleek Glo Face and Body Highlighter (£6.49) Mid range: Makeup Forever Face and Body liquid makeup (£29.95) Makeup Forever Uplight Face Luminizer Gel (£25) luxury: Becca Luminous Skin Colour (£35) Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (£33) Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser (£33.50) hAIr JEWEllEry With your hair, anything goes this spring. From short to long, sleek

bobs to voluminous afros we have seen it all.

But what is emerging is the trend for hair jewellery. Spearheading the trend is rising star Lupita Nyong’o with her effervescent style.

Lupita's hair jewellery, a look which culminated in a delicately gorgeous headband at the Oscars, introduced the element of whimsy to natural hair.

The key to looking cool is texture and shape. Which means naturally curly hair is the perfect foil for coiffure glitz. To create your own Lupita princess moment, pin your hair up, but make sure it's not too perfect—leave a few curls out nonchalantly, then top with a beautiful hair accessory.

And there you have it. My makeup and beauty trends for spring 2014.

Bringing good food closer to you

BEAUTYWATCH by Funmi Odegbami

Cafe and African Restaurant

Famous Tuwo / Amala Abula Spot

6 Beckton Road Canning Town London E16 1EW TEL: 0207 476 5591 TEL: 0207 476 8808 Opening Hours Monday – Thursday 11:00am – 11.30pm Friday – Saturday 11:00am – 12.30am Sunday 11:00 – 10pm

272 Barking Road East Ham, London E6 3BA Tel: 0208 5522865 Mobile: 07814472757 Opening Hours Sunday – Saturday 12noon – 10pm

285 – 287 Heathway Dagenham RM9 5AQ TELPHONE: 0208 984 8141 Opening hours Sunday – Saturday 11:00am – 9pm

Tasty Authentic West African Flavours at Affordable Prices

www.squiresrestaurant.co.uk

18

NIGERIAN WATCH 28 Mar - 10 Apr 2014

Celebrity Watch with HARRIET OGBEIDE

Mrs O’s food odyssey

How to keep an African man happy The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? Well that is easier said than done when the man in question is Nigerian and you are not, or you were simply not taught how to cook Nigerian food. In an ideal world, my husband would be teaching me how to cook his favourite dishes, but alas, he doesn’t know how to cook them either!

So here I am, taking my first step into a culinary and cultural journey into Nigerian cuisine.

I am not entirely unfamiliar with the food, as I’ve been exposed to, and have sampled, a fair number of dishes over the years. I remain however unfamiliar with many of the exotic ingredients and am flat-out scared of others; the giant snails mentioned by my excellent predecessor Ngozi from Ngozi’s Kitchen are one of them.

My own staple dishes have served me well so far, but it’s time to branch out and embrace the full spectrum of flavours and textures Nigerian food has to offer. If anything, I should have an even happier man at home.

Join me on my journey and if you have any suggestions for dishes that I should try then email me on ilonka@nigerianwatch.com.

It’s only apt to kick off my food column with Nigeria’s most famous dish. There are as many versions of Jollof rice as there are cooks, so feel free to change the recipe to your own specific tastes: add tomato paste to the stew to give the rice a deeper colour, use shop-bought Jollof seasoning instead of the spices and herbs mentioned below, or add things like carrots, prawns etc. (fry these for a minute or two before adding the rice).

JOLLOF RICE

Ingredients

1 can of tomatoes 1 large onion, roughly chopped 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped 3-4 Knorr cubes 1 Scotch Bonnet pepper (to taste)

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LEISUREWATCH

8 tbsp. sunflower oil 1½ tsp. thyme 500 gr. easy cook long grain rice (washed) 500 ml water or stock (approx.)

1 tsp. ground coriander 1 tsp. paprika 1 bay leaf

Cooking Instructions

1 Firstly make the tomato stew, which will give the Jollof rice its distinctive colour. Empty the canned tomatoes in a blender and add the onion, red bell pepper, 2 stock cubes and the Scotch Bonnet pepper (add as little or as much to taste and remember that the seeds will add heat as well).

Blend it all well together for a minute or so.

2 Heat 4 tbps. of sunflower oil in a pan and add the tomato mixture.

The hot oil will cause the tomato mixture to splatter so protect your hands/arms. Bring it back to a boil, add ½ tps. of thyme and give it a good stir. Then cover the pot, turn down the heat and cook for about 15 minutes.

3 In a larger pot, heat the remaining 4 tbsp. of oil and add the washed rice. Cook for a minute whilst stirring to coat the rice with oil.

4 Add the reduced tomato mixture, ground coriander, paprika, bay leaf and remaining thyme. Add the water or stock and then season with the remaining stock cubes (to taste). If using stock you will probably need less of the stock cubes. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook until all the water has been absorbed. Check the rice after 10 minutes or so and add a few more tablespoons of liquid if necessary.

(Be careful not to add too much liquid. If in doubt, add less but check the rice regularly to prevent it from burning; add small splashes until the rice is cooked. Covering the pot with foil before placing on the lid will help to steam the rice more evenly) 5 When done, turn off the hob and leave the rice to rest for 10 minutes, and then stir through before serving it with tomato stew, beef or chicken, fried plantain and salad.

Social media superstar don’tjealousme hits london book, and before 10 minutes, it got shared over 100 times and got loads of comments. So I thought this is really cool, I’m gonna try and make another video and see how it goes and that’s basically how I started my comedy career. how did your parents react when they discovered you were no longer studying nursing?

Comedian Tolulope ‘T-Boy’ Ogunmefu, popularly known as don’tjealousme, made a name for himself as a laugh-out-loud comedian through his online videos on YouTube and other platforms. His widespread popularity is evidenced by the high number of views and subscribers to his online channel. Here the 24-year-old trailblazer tells Harriet Ogbeide about his life as a comedian so far and becoming the face of London’s newest TV channel. how did you get into comedy?

I got into comedy in 2008; I was at university studying nursing because I had no idea what I was gonna do with my career.

I had to wake up at five in the morning to go to placement. So one day I thought to myself, I’ve had enough of this, this isn’t for me, this isn’t my future. I respect people who do nursing, but I decided nursing just wasn’t for me. I dropped out of university but was still staying there, and never told my parents. One day I went to my friend’s place, eating a burger like a typical African man, and my friend’s girlfriend was laughing at the way I was eating the burger. She brought out her camera and started recording me. So I told her Don’t jealous me because you don’t have burger in your country. She said she was going to upload the video on Facebook, I didn’t really care, because I didn’t think it was funny, but she was crying with laughter. She put it on to Face-

One of my mum’s friends saw the video in the States, so she called my mum and was like, “Ah, your son is making video, talking about funny issues.” Then my mum saw the video and called me saying, “What are you doing? You are meant to be studying, delete that video.” And I was like mum I can’t delete the video, I’ve got so many views. From then on she saw that I was very interested in comedy and it took off, so she really appreciates it. The great thing about my parents is that they’ve always been supportive of what I’ve done, which is really good. tell us about your new show, the t-boy Show

It’s like The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, but the opposite. It’s about a young man from a rich family coming from Africa to live with his broke family members over here.

The show will premiere on London Live, a new TV channel funded by the Evening Standard. The show is produced by MTA production, who also produce Meet The Adebanjos which I’ve starred in.

Who are the comedians you admire?

Dave Chappelle, Eddie Murphy, Jim Carrey, Kevin Hart and Basket Mouth

to check out the comedy market there. I don’t want to limit myself to just Africa; I would like to do comedy worldwide.

What’s your greatest fear?

I have the fear of fear; I don’t like being afraid to do something. Also skydiving, I don’t understand why people would jump out of a moving plane. how do you feel when Nigerians get a bad name in the press?

It tarnishes us as a people, so it doesn’t sit well with me. It’s really important for people to know that not everyone is the way they portray one or two people. There are a lot of Nigerians that are great people.

It’s just sad to see our name get tarnished because of one person. other than the much-anticipated t-boy show, are there any other projects you are currently working on at the moment?

I’m currently touring the States doing different shows. I just came back from doing shows in Boston and Baltimore, where I did stand up comedy. I like doing live shows because I love to connect with my fans and the audience. I’ve also been headlining with other comedians, doing club appearances, and entertaining at universities, and I am looking forward to setting up my own one-man show. I also plan on doing some more serious stuff, to show people that I’m versatile.

Catch Tolulope on The T-Boy Show premiering this April on London Live, Sky 117, Virgin 159 and Freeview 8. For more information on his live shows, visit http://dntjealousme.com.

When was the last time you were in Nigeria and would you relocate if you had the chance to continue your comedy career over there?

The last time I was in Nigeria was in January 2013. It’s changed a lot from last time I visited, but the sun is still scorching. I don’t necessarily have plans to settle down there, but I plan

RELIGIONWATCH by Pastor David Ogbueli 7 HABITS OF HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIANS 1. rEJoICE EVErMorE Create a habit of rejoicing always. If you want divine direction, create an atmosphere of joy. With joy, you draw out from the wells of salvation. The peace of God is the umpire of our heart.

Once you start making mistakes, the peace will be taken away from you as an umpire.

2. PrAy WIthout CEASINg Prayer helps you maintain the right calm and keep in touch with God. This means remaining in constant communion with the Holy Spirit.

3. IN EVErythINg gIVE thANKS For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Maintain an attitude of gratitude. It doesn't matter what is going on, give thanks. Thanksgiving is a seed for more and whatever you are thankful for will multiply.

4. QuENCh Not thE SPIrIt He is your guide and comforter. Train your human spirit to follow the leading and direction of the Holy Spirit. You will become a master in the supernatural. The Holy Spirit can give you directions on what to do or to give. Start practising how to obey the instructions of the Holy Spirit, it is what is called training the human spirit.

5. DESPISE Not ProPhESyINg Hearken

to prophetic instructions. In the journey into the deep things of God, He starts with prophesying and tongues. Yet people despise it because sometimes there could be mistakes that is why we have the sixth quality.

6. ProVE All thINgS hold fast that

which is good. Test before trusting. The Bible which is our sure Word of

prophecy should guide you always.

7. AbStAIN froM All APPEArANCE of EVIl Flee from anything

that looks like evil.

PrAyEr

“Lord, I ask that your divine nature will spring forth endlessly in the lives of everyone here today. Let none of them stray away from their callings like Judas who was found unfaithful. Install in the tablets of their hearts the values of your kingdom. Faithful is he that has called you, who will also establish you by the word of His power, IN THE NAME OF JESUS” David Ogbueli is senior pastor of Dominion City Church Worldwide Read his daily devotional at www.facebook.com/pastordavidogbueli

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19

20

NIGERIAN WATCH 28 Mar - 10 Apr 2014

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EDUCATIONWATCH

Funding your place at University Starting University is big step for any young person and all the bigger for International Students, Cathy o maps the minefield to make this right of passage easier

Y

ou’ve completed your UCAS form, received your offers and, unless your applying for UCAS extra, your head should be in a book as the exams loom large.

But you should also be making sure that all the other requirements for you to start your course are in place.

ChECKlISt 1. further offer conditions

On top of exam results, subjects or grades, course providers might give further conditions.

These could be health or financial requirements, DBS checks (formerly CRB) or proof of your qualifications.

2. finances

You might be wondering how you’ll afford everything during your studies. There’s a lot to handle – from tuition fees and accommodation to food and course materials, plus a social life.

Plan ahead and take a weight off your mind.

3. Accommodation

If you’re leaving home, to find somewhere to

live, whether it’s halls or privately rented, it will involve more than paying rent; your fuel bills may or may not be inclusive, and you also have to think about insurance, broadband and mobile, and TV licence.

4. travel arrangements

If you’re moving across the country or indeed to the UK you’ll need to plan a date and how to get there with all your stuff.

International Students will need to book flights and secure their visa.

5. Social options

Check out your university website for events such as Freshers’ Week, clubs or societies you might be interested in joining.

UCAS Connect includes blogs from other applicants and students and info on students’ unions too.

6. Course materials

Check if you were given any work to do in preparation – maybe some reading or research.

And you might need to get books or equipment.

Inspired in Hull Established in 1928, the University of Hull has a distinguished history of providing a quality education and rich life experience to students from around the globe.

Now promoting a range of new oil and gas courses • Over 900 courses • 6 Faculties • 18,000 students • 100 nationalities

Come and find out more: Book an appointment with Christopher Cagney (international@hull.ac.uk) who will be in Port Harcourt, Lagos and Abuja between 10-23 February.

“A very important thing about the city of Hull is just how affordable everything is.”

www.hull.ac.uk/international

Read more: http://hull.ac/testimonials

bIg StEP University websites offer a wealth of information about student life, welcoming you to their campus. Glasgow University has a 4-page fact sheet aimed at Nigerian Students as well as information about their African & Caribbean Network and African Culture, food stores and services in Glasgow. Reading University’s RUNSS (Reading University Nigerian Students’ Society) has an energetic Facebook site reflecting an active student body.

uK StuDENtS Student loan

You need to apply for student finance and you don’t have to wait until your place is confirmed at university or college to apply. You can apply now for courses starting this autumn.

Tuition Fee Loans pay for your course.

Maintenance Loans and Grants help with living costs (eg accommodation, books, bills). You have to pay back loans but not grants.

Apply online (or download forms) at

Study Engineering in London London South Bank University offers a wide range of engineering courses at both degree and masters level in areas such as: ɜ ī- {m- s ÙtJYt-- YtJ ɜ Ùm- Y m t) Ùm- {tY ÙtJYt-- YtJ ɜ Î Ym)YtJ Ķ- ªY - ÙtJYt-- YtJ ɜ ÏYªYm ÙtJYt-- YtJ ɜ Ķ m ÙtJYt-- YtJ ɜ ÏV-sY m t) ī { - ÙtJYt-- YtJ We also offer a wide range of scholarships to help with the cost of tuition fees.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 28 Mar - 10 Apr 2014

EDUCATIONWATCH

www.gov.uk/apply-for-student-finance. Within six weeks you’ll get a loan declaration in the post, which you need to sign and return.

international scholarships each year and has very comprehensive funding information including UK government and International awards specific to Nigerian students on its website.

A key component of winning a Scholarship is to apply often and early. This particularly applies to awards made by higher education institutions themselves, who will often specify application deadlines around April and May for awards starting the following academic year.

Suzanne Alexander, director at University of Leicester’s international office states that, “Universities often offer far more than meets the eye, so it’s very important that students look at departmental websites and not just the university’s own website. Definitely look for the deadline of any scholarship. It’s very frustrating to find that you would have qualified but that you missed the deadline. It happens often!”

further funding options

Visit www.thescholarshiphub.org.uk to check for awards, scholarships and grants available specific to the university and course you are intending to do. Many universities have a staggering range of funding available. Liverpool Hope University, one of the most economical places to study in the UK, has a myriad of scholarships available to students. Awards have different criteria and this is detailed on the scholarship hub and universities own website.

Women in further education around the globe can apply for grants and scholarships from the International Federation of University Women (IFUW) which has national affiliates in 120 countries throughout the world.

Val Considine of The British Federation of Women Graduates, the British affiliate of the IFUW, says, “We provide maintenance grants to women graduates to help with living expenses while registered for study or research at an approved institution in Great Britain. We award a maximum grant of £6,000 for main foundation grants, or £2,500 for emergency grants.”

International organisations, such as UNESCO and the WHO administer some schemes, as do a range of voluntary organisations.

INtErNAtIoNAl StuDENtS funding for Nigerian residents

For international students coming to the UK

21

Visa application

from Nigeria it is very important that you plan for how you will pay for your tuition fees and living costs. It is something of a vicious circle.

As part of your visa application, you need to show you have enough money, and most institutions will expect you to pay your tuition fees, and in some cases your accommodation fees, in advance.

The Home Office and UK Border Agency rules are clear; you should not come to the UK without knowing that you will have enough money to pay your fees and support yourself.

For those struggling to find the required

funding there are plenty of avenues to explore.

Where to look

Start with the Nigerian Federal Scholarship Board http://fsb.gov.ng/contact-fsb and then go to your state website as they may offer support to study abroad.

Next go to the British Council website or the Nigerian Embassy or High Commission office, where you will find a wealth of information about potential funding depending on what you will be studying. university Scholarships

Reading University offers £4M worth of it’s own

Queen Mary University has a 60 page document to help students apply for a visa. The process has been amended 55 times in recent years, so do not rely on friends or family who have applied before.

Essentially you need to apply once you have a place and funding sorted, you need a valid passport, must be able to speak English and have proof of a test for tuberculosis. The visa will cost £298 (www.gov.uk/tier-4-general-visa).

You cannot come to the UK to begin your course without a visa, so allow up to 60 days for your application, although the majority are resolved much more quickly.

LIVERPOOL HOPE UNIVERSITY We offer an exciting range of undergraduate degree programmes, postgraduate taught and research degrees and PGCE courses.

A generous range of scholarships is available.

Meet our representatives at: • SI-UK University Fair, Saturday 1st March, London • Brooke House College University Fair, Thursday 1st May, Market Harborough

YOUR FUTURE STARTS WITH HOPE

Study at Reading Home to your future Welcome to one of the top 1% of universities worldwide. The University of Reading is one of the UK’s leading research institutions, enjoying a world-class reputation for teaching, research and enterprise.

Subjects offered include:

Located only 25 minutes from central London, the University boasts an award-winning campus. Our support includes: guaranteed accommodation for all new students (deadline applies), subject specific scholarships and an International welcome week.

Economics

Agriculture Biological Science Business & Marketing Chemistry

Electronic Engineering Environmental Sciences Finance and Banking Food Science Food Security and Development

For more information, or to arrange a visit to campus: www.reading.ac.uk/international www.facebook.com/AfricaAtReading or email international@reading.ac.uk

T: 0151 291 3389 E: international@hope.ac.uk www.hope.ac.uk/international

Study in the UK with a scholarship of up to £2500 (Glasgow and London) GCU offers scholarships of up to £2500 for self-funded international students.

High-quality programmes and award-winning support make us a top choice for students from over 100 countries.

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Brighter futures begin with GCU www.gcu.ac.uk +44 (0) 141 331 8630 studentenquiries@gcu.ac.uk

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SPORTWATCH

KING DAVIDSON Continued from page 24 difficulties, the southpaw believes he should be much further on in his career but is delighted by his new promoters, having recently signed for VIP Promotions and is promising fans they will see something special when he makes his VIP debut at the Wythenshawe Forum in Manchester. “My dad always told me to never worry about an opponent, just let them worry about me,� said Davidson, who has the moniker ‘Hand of God’. “I'm looking forward to stepping into unknown territory and showing my boxing ability. I can box or I can fight. I'm a very stylish boxer; I like to entertain and I want people to love boxing.

I'm a very big puncher, and I can also take punches and am not scared of anybody punching me. “Since I've been a pro I've have never been so happy or excited. I think my career has now taken an upturn and I am so excited to be working with VIP Promotions. Everybody will see the real King Davidson now.� “I think we could have a world champion with this fighter,� revealed VIP promoter Steve Wood. “He's a phenomenal talent, and the fans in Wythenshawe will be witnessing something special. “King has a good sponsor in Arik Airlines and their support means we can move him along at a faster pace than normal.

With the troubles all behind him, King is in a good place and I expect him to deliver.�

King will be facing 27-year-old Sandor Micsko at Wythemshawe. The Ukrainian’s fight record reads won 22, lost 5, drawn 2.

Davidson V Micsko for the WBO International light-middleweight title is at the Wythenshawe Forum on April 5. Tickets, priced at ÂŁ30 (General) and ÂŁ60 (Ringside), are available from www.vipbe.co.uk or can be purchased on the door.

This showdown will be streamed live, free, on VIPBOXING.TV

NIGERIAN WATCH 14-27 Mar 2014

23

ODEMWINGIE In Nigeria there is a growing movement calling for osaze to be named in the rio 2014 Super Eagles’ squad.

MidďŹ elder Waidi Akani told this Day newspaper, “I think the experience of osaze will come to fore in brazil if invited. Experience counts a lot in tournaments. [Nigeria coach] Keshi is aware that odemwingie wants to give his best for Nigeria.â€? former Nigeria midďŹ elder Mutiu Adepoju also says coach Stephen Keshi needs to include odemwingie in his squad in order to have a balanced team at the World Cup. “I will be happy if he can extend an invitation to osaze odemwingie now that he is also doing well with his club in England. We must go to the World Cup with our best legs,â€? he declared. the only voice of dissent comes from bosnia-herzegovina’s goalkeeper Asmir begovic who might well come up against his Stoke City team mate in rio; bosnia and Nigeria have been drawn together in group f. begovic said, “Me and Peter have been teasing each other a little bit but he’s not quite sure he’s going to be in the squad yet and we all have to keep working hard to make sure we get our places for brazil. once the squads gets ďŹ nalised I’m sure the banter, the texts and the jokes will be owing. Peter’s been ying and he’s given us a bit more pace and skill as well. he’s been a huge signing for us and that’s great work by the coaches to get him here."  osaze will get an indication as to whether he will be in the squad when Keshi announces his team for the May 28 friendly against Scotland at fulham's Craven Cottage.

Continued from page 24

JOIN WOOLWICH UNITED Residents from across Woolwich are being encouraged to try out seven sports on Monday (March 31), at the launch of Woolwich United – a project launched to bring different communities together in the aftermath of the Lee Rigby killing. The Waterfront Leisure Centre on Woolwich High Street, will host the launch of the Integration Through Sport scheme, from 6-8pm.

The sports on offer will be sailing, rugby, football, dance, cricket, basketball and athletics, with programmes running over 15 months in four

wards – Woolwich Riverside, Woolwich Common, Glyndon and Charlton. Dance has been included because it plays a strong part in most cultures and was found to be the second most popular activity after football in a survey of 50,000 14-year-olds.

The project, aimed at people aged 14 and upwards, has been set up by a £150,000 grant from Sport England and government funding, after the Royal Borough’s bid was put together by Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT).

Cllr Peter Kotz, the Royal Borough’s cabinet member for

culture and creative industries, said, “There are a great many different cultures in our community. Sport is a fantastic way of learning skills such as teamwork. “This project is an excellent way of bringing people from different backgrounds together when they otherwise might not have met, then using the bonds built through sport to break down social barriers, with the idea of bringing communities together in different ways.�

Greenwich was the only London borough to receive such funding.

Last shout out for Team Nigeria U-15 open trials Young footballers of Nigerian descent have a last chance to be selected to represent the Super Eagles’ UK at the inaugural African Nations Cup UK U-15 tournament.

If you have a pair of moulds or astros and shinpads and want to be in one of the best amateur football competitions in Britain, then let coach David Doherty know at teamnigeriauk@groupmail.com Trials are scheduled for the weekend of April 5 and 6 at the Meridian Sport and Social Club, Charlton, SE7 8QS. On Saturday April 5 the trials start at 12 noon, and on April 6 at 3pm.

The finals of the African Nations Cup UK will be played at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road ground in the summer.

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NIGERIAN WATCH 15-28 Feb 2014

SPORT WATCH March 28th - April 10th 2014

nigerianwatch.com

INSIDE LEE RIGBY SPORTS LEGACY

KING OF THE RING IS THE “SPECIAL ONE” ‘I’M STYLISH, A BIG PUNCHER AND SCARED OF NO ONE’

By AJ JAMES Ahead of fighting for the WBO International title – a stepping stone to a world title challenge – Nigerian boxer King Davidson has issued a challenge to all-comers.

“I want the best fighters to step up,” said Davidson, 29. “If anyone feels they can beat me I will box them any time, any place. If any lightmiddleweight in this country feels like they can beat me then step up. I am ready to call anybody out. I was born to fight, I was born to be a champion and nobody can take that confidence away from me. If anybody thinks they are capable or has the talent, then the door is open.

Pick up the phone and call my manager or my promoter. Any light-middleweight in Britain.”

Davidson turned pro in 2007 and has racked up 18 wins from 19 bouts, with 12 victories coming early. Blighted by managerial Turn to page 23

Osaze plays himself into World Cup contention on fire striker Peter odemwingie is making an 11thhour bid to be on the plane to rio by doing his talking on the pitch. Since joining Stoke City in January his confidence is back and he is back scoring for fun – netting three in the last two games, against West ham and Aston Villa.

“I am a confident player again,” he said after the Villa

game at the weekend. “It is important to me how the manager treats me. from day one Mark hughes gave me 90 minutes, the next game, 90 minutes. I made a lot of errors in the beginning but he only encouraged me.

"So I have been putting in a bit more effort and I have scored a few goals and the confidence Turn to page 23 is back.”

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