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I first visited Yankari as a starry eyed 19 year old University Student late in the 1980s. I was enchanted by the untouched beauty of the state and fell in love with the fabled Yankari Games Reserve. Its pristine beauty, the lush savannah, the playful baboons that snatched the purse of one of the female students in our excursion party and the wikki warm spring all enamored me to Yankari. I saw lions, elephants, baboons, antelopes, birds, crocodiles idling by the river and several exotic species of animals and plants. I was also amazed by the sheer size of Yankari - we drove for miles and miles. Yankari is a 22244 square kilometer eden. When I returned to Yankari in June 2014 on the invitation of the Bauchi State Government to observe its tourism potentials with the aim of drawing up a plan to help the State attract
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international tourists , I was amazed at its beautiful transformation. The earth road we had traveled from the Bauchi Gombe Road into the reserve has given way to an ultra-modern highway leading straight into the Reserve. The accommodations had been upgraded to international standards- with luxury chalets, swimming pools, and excellent service. I also visited the newly completed International airport that is connected by an excellent highway to Yankari. Message: Bauchi-the pearl of Tourism is ready for International visitors. The amazing transformation of Yankari exemplifies the style of the Mallam (Dr.) Isa Yuguda's administration in the almost 8 years he has served as a two term Executive Governor of Bauchi State. The administration has adopted a fiscally lean policy that has enabled it achieve so much despite the dwindling resources that trickle down to the State from the Nigerian federation account. The vision of the Yuguda administration therefore was to wean the state gradually from overdependence on federal allocation coming from Abuja by developing and harnessing the immense potentials of the State in Tourism, Agriculture, solid mineral deposits etc. Despite the above mentioned limitations, the Yuguda administration in 8 years has achieved so many successes: construction of the Tafawa Balewa International Airport, establishment of a
State University with two campuses, construction of a 300 bed specialist hospital, revamping of the state’s tourism destinations, as well as giant strides in education with emphasis on teachers’ professional development. The featured interview which I conducted on the Governor is a study in dedication to the people he was elected to serve. This inaugural INTERNATIONAL EDITION of LIFE AND TIMES, also brings you stories that have made our headlines in the recent past: Chika UnigweExploring the depths of the Human Condition, Lara Okunubi- Compassion without Border, and the inspirational story of Jelani Aliyu- the designer of the Chevy Volt. There is also your favorite PEOPLE AND PLACES event pages and all the other staples you have come to expect from LIFE and TIMES. As we celebrate our 4th Anniversary FIESTA, and launch our INTERNATIONAL EDITION and online newspaper, we want to thank for your continued support that has given this dream and vision the altitude it has today. Best Wishes,
V{|~x aãx~x Publisher/CEO
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Contents 3.
From The Desk Of The Publisher
8.
Cover Profile: Governor Isa Yuguda — An enduring Legacy.
20.
Profile In Excellence: Chika Unigwe- Exploring the Depths of the Human condition
24.
Profile In Excellence: Jelani Aliyu-General Motors, Designer of Volt
28.
People And Place: Victoria Weds Tayo
40.
People And Place: Association of Nigerian Physicians in America, 20th Anniversary Gala
53.
Beauty of the Moment: Simi Ogunleye
54.
People And Place: IZUNNA EWUDO- On the rise!
58.
People And Places: IJAW FOUNDATION 2014 CONVENTION
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54 71.
Subscriptions
72.
Profile In Excellence: LARA OKUNUBI- Compassion without borders
78.
Youth: Mark Amaza — Reintroducing Northern Nigeria
82.
Health: Beware of Fruits by DR. OLUFEMI SALIU
86.
People And Places: Spotlight on Lagos State —The heartbeat of Nigeria
90.
Business And Finance: SPOTLIGHT ON UBA
92.
Fashion And Style: Sumahrie Collections
98.
Spotlight: Ghana- A Golden Experience
106. Arts & Entertainment: The P-Square Phenomenon 110. Arts & Entertainment: WizKid 116. Arts & Entertainment: The Azonto Craze 118. Religion and Spiritual Affairs: Enemies Of Marriage
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LIFE AND TIMES MAGAZINE is published by Life and Times Network Inc. a publishing and Public Relations Company, 7095 Hollywood Blvd, #485 Hollywood CA 90028 Tel: +1-424-204-2703 Fax: 310-626-9754, Email: mail@lifeandtimesmagazine.com, lifetimenet@gmail.com, www.lifeandtimesmagazine.com
COMPANY BOARD CEO/Publisher: Chike Nweke MEMBERS: Dan Musa, Ph.D Lara Okunubi Ebere Anakwenze Clem Ainabe, Ph.D Arthur Abraham, JP Halilu Haruna, CEA Joachim 'Joe' Nwude, JD Amaka Akudinobi, Esq Frank Oti Joe Oduoza Umar Baba Eugene Edoga, LLD (Head, Abuja-Nigeria Bureau) Arinze Egbuna (Regional Director-NE,U.S.A) Iruka Udeagha Ndubuizu (Director S.E, U.S.A) EDITORIAL BOARD Chair, Clem Ainabe, Ph.D Deputy Chair, Jude Akudinobi, Ph.D Executive Editor: Arthur Abraham Correspondents: Chinyere Ifeacho Osayande Aghazebamwan Stella Johnson Yemi Abiodun Tommy Musa
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COLUMNISTS Dr. Dipo Kalejaiye- Religion Victor Onwaeze Esq- Law Dr. Olufemi Saliu- Health Nkem DenChukwu- Life's issues Chris Abili- News and Politics Ijeoma Nwawka- Youth Photographers: Devere Wheatfall Ade James Frank Osaemeka Kingsley Nwamadu Uju Anokwute
MARKETING/ADVERTISING Jude "Majid" Nwosu, MBA
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Cover Story
HIS EXCELLENCY
MALLAM (DR) ISA YUGUDA EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF BAUCHI STATE
Leaving an enduring legacy 8 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
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Governor Isa Yuguda of Bauchi State was born on the 15th of June, 1956 in Yuguda. After his primary and secondary education, he attended the North East College of Arts & Science (NECAS) in Maiduguri from 1974 – 1976 and obtained his Interim Joint Matriculation Board Certificate. Thereafter, he gained admission into Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria in 1976 and graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Economics in 1979. His thirst for knowledge, especially in his chosen discipline of financial management knows no bounds, because even when seated atop the management of a commercial bank in 1997, he found time to undertake a two-year course of study which earned him a Masters in Business Administration in 1998 at the University of Jos in Plateau State. Over the years, he has also undergone over two hundred capacity building programmes which include the Chief Executives Programme at the Lagos Business School on Victoria Island in Lagos (1995), Advanced Treasury Management Course organized by Richard Gardner in London; and the Intensive Credit Training Course, Chase Manhattan bank, London
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(1988). Isa Yuguda’s working life in the financial sector started at the Federal Mortgage Bank, Bauchi Area Office where he worked as a Mortgage Manager (1981 – 1984), he was a Credit Manager at Savannah Bank (Nig) Plc, Sokoto (1986 – 1987); he worked also in Abuja in the same bank as a Manager (1987 – 1991). He rose to the position of Assistant General Manager and by 1991, he was Acting General
Manager of Inland Bank, a position he held until 1992 when he became Managing Director and Chief Executive of Inland Bank (Nig) Plc where he held fort for seven years. In 1999, he was appointed Managing Director& Chief Executive of NAL Merchant Bank Plc the then largest and oldest premier investment bak in Nigeria, until June 2000 when a series of political
Governor Yuguda vaccinating a child against polio
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Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, Bauchi
appointments weaned him from the banking sector. In June 2000, Malam Isa Yuguda was appointed Honourable Minister of State for Transport in the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo and was later redeployed to Ministry of Aviation in May 2003 until June 2005, when he left to start his preparations for the gubernatorial race of Bauchi which he contested and won. He was sworn in on May 29, 2007. Since then, Governor Isa Yuguda has brought to bear on governance his ďŹ nancial management expertise and several development projects are sprouting all over the state in all the sectors. Apart from his membership of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and Nigerian Institute of Management, he has garnered several awards from local and international organizations which include:
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Maritime Award for Excellence, Platinum Merit Award, Intra Continental Media Networks Distinguished West African Corporate Achiever (Gold Award) and Award of Excellence, Courtesy of Zear Development Association, Lagos Chapter. Others are ECOWAS International Gold Award 1998, courtesy of Intra West Africa Communications and Distinguished Patron Award, courtesy of Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, and much more. He is a holder of several traditional titles from across Nigeria which include but are not limited to: Matawallen Bauchi, Obasayero of Oyo Empire and Omenma Oha of Isu Kingdom. His Excellency Governor Isa Yuguda as Executive Governor of Bauchi State Nigeria has displayed excellent leadership
skills and has made giant strides in fostering peace , security and development since becoming Executive Governor of Bauchi State after winning a landslide victory in the re-election on April 28, 2011. This special edition of the magazine is aimed at spotlighting the immense achievement of His Excellency and the major progress he has made in: (a) Environmental preservation and ďŹ ghting desert encroachment (b) Education and youth empowerment (c) Health Care delivery (d) Ensuring the security of lives and property in Bauchi State (e) Infrastructural development in the construction of roads, pipe borne water etc.
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Q 1- Your administration has fundamentally transformed the infrastructural landscape of Bauchi State through the construction of the Ultra Modern International airport, revamping the Yankari Games Reserve, new roads, schools etc. However, these have been achieved despite the dwindling funds from the federation account. How have you been able to achieve this? Ours has been that of careful planning. When the administration came into power in 2007, a lot of emphasis was given to the review of the situation on ground with a view to coming up with a strategic plan to address the needs of the State. This culminated in the development of the 2008-2011 plan which defined our priorities; our possible courses of action; the implied costing for the implementation of the various programmes and the strategies designed for the success of the implementation. It was obvious in the course of the review that infrastructure was either lacking or had collapsed in the educational, health and water sectors. It was obvious that the potentials that abound in the State, particularly in agriculture and tourism were not being harnessed because of the absence of the needed infrastructure such
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as roads to open up our agriculturally productive rural areas and the unattractive state of the premier Game Reserve; the Yankari Game Reserve. With a clearly defined plan from which our actual budgets are derived, it became fairly certain for us as financial managers to effectively utilize the limited resources at our disposal to maximum effect. It is important to also note that the Development Plan has been reviewed twice resulting in the 20102013 and the 2013-2015 plans to take cognizance of fiscal and inflationary trends over the years.
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That has basically defined our success story in achieving the modest results in infrastructural development.
Q 2- Bauchi State is partnering with Bill Gates Foundation, Dangote Foundation and the USAID for several primary health care
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I am very glad that through the recent MoU with the Foundations, we have achieved the consolidation of the hitherto fragmented primary healthcare system for more effective delivery of services. I have a very ambitious plan to dramatically increase access to care for all residents of the State through the provision of fully functional and well equipped health facilities at the PHC level, which number over 1200 today; as well as at the secondary level, for which my government has constructed 11 prototype General hospitals and would soon commission another four. We are reaping the reward of the decentralization of the health sector which led to the creation of four specialized agencies; namely, Hospitals Management
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Board (HMB), Bauchi State Agency for Control of AIDS, tuberculosis, leprosy and Malaria (BACATMA), Drugs and Medical Consumables Agency (DMMA) and State Primary Healthcare Agency (SPHCDA). Additionally, we upgraded the former Specialists hospital which has now been converted to a Teaching Hospital – and that is only the second such teaching hospital in all the six States that comprise northeastern Nigeria. To address the paucity of manpower, we took the bold step to employ all Bauchi State indigenes who secured admission to read medicine and allied courses numbering over 1600 and they have signed a bond that will compel them to come back and serve the State on the completion of their studies. It
is my desire that we would bequeath a health system that functions well across from the community level to specialized hospital treatment. We also established another College of Nursing and Midwifery that will double admission opportunities for eligible candidates to train in those professions. I am confident that we have done enough to reduce waste, curtail inefficiency and get more frontline health workers out there in the field to make all the difference. I feel highly fulfilled with the current momentum for continuous improvement in the quality of health of our women and children, no matter where they live.
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Q 3-The Bauchi State University which started its first academic session in 2011/2012 was commissioned on 3rd November 2013 by His Excellency the Vice President, Arch. Muhammad Namadi Sambo, GCON with Campuses in Gadau, Misau and Bauchi. How will the establishment of this University impact on manpower development and skills acquisition in Bauchi? Even though the Bauchi State University is a young institution, it has the potential to produce adequate manpower for the State and beyond in the not too distant future. For instance, from inception in the 2011/12 academic session, the University admitted over 1,000 students to read various courses such as Accountancy, Economics, Biological sciences, Public Administration, Business Management, Education, Mathematics, Sociology, and Microbiology. In just 3 years after its take-off a total of 138 academic staff have been granted study fellowship to further their studies at Master or Doctoral levels in Malaysia, U.K., and some other African countries. To compliment the University, all the courses offered in our Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic have now been fully accredited
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Governor Yuguda leading by example during a statewide wide environmental sanitation exercise
Ultra Modern New Bauchi Specialist Hospital
and this would greatly aid us in manpower development and skill acquisition as a state especially in the Sciences, Technical and Vocational education. Besides these, we have recently established an Adult Education Institute that will be affiliated to the University which will greatly improve the training of teachers.
Q 4- You have also made it a priority to revamp primary and secondary education in Bauchi State through manpower and staff development. How is this effort doing?
My intervention in Basic and secondary education has led to improvement in the quality of education in the State. Let me share with you a few of the statistics that readily come to mind. In the year 2005, prior to my coming into office, only 379 students passed the SSCE with 5 credits and above which is the minimum entry requirement to universities. However, from 2007 to 2013, the number had jumped to just under 16,000 successful candidates. We achieved this feat through a comprehensive improvement in the welfare of staff in which over 2000 whose promotion had stagnated were promoted; implementation of a Teacher’s Salary Scale which gave teachers an enhanced salary package; staff development in which over 1,800 teachers were sponsored for additional training, and provision of instructional materials and equipment. Additionally the number of teachers was boosted with employment of 5700 more. My government has spent over one Billion Naira on scholarship alone to enable students pursue their studies such that circumstances of birth would never been an impediment to their ambition in life. In this regard, since 2007, the SSCE examination registration fees for all students in public schools had been fully paid by my government.
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Q 5- Youth unemployment in several parts of Nigeria is hovering around 60%. What efforts is your administration making to combat this and gainfully employ the teeming number of Youth that are not gainfully employed?
educational programme over 19,000 youth had been assisted to make up their educational deficiency in the WAEC, NECO, Diploma and NCE certificate examinations.
Q 6- Desert encroachment is a major problem in parts of Bauchi State. What efforts is your Thank you very much for this administration making to question. My government has taken a totally different approach combat this? from the conventional way that other states are tackling this problem. On my assumption of office, we established a database of unemployed youths from 1530 years old and succeeded in registering over half a million such idle young men and women. This informed my decision to establish the Bauchi State Agency for Youth and Women Rehabilitation and Development otherwise known as BACYWORD. That agency has recorded remarkable feats within a short period of its existence. Specifically I would like to mention that the agency has trained over a hundred and twenty thousand youths in security (most of who were employed under Spider Web), payphones repair, environmental sanitation and waste recycling. Other beneficiaries were trained and assisted financially to start mechanized farming, poultry production and fish farming, while under a special
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As a matter-of-fact I created a Ministry of Environment and Forestry in the year 2010 for the specific reasons you just mentioned. In addition we established 11 zonal offices across the State for more effective protection of our 54 forests and game reserves. As a leading partner, Bauchi State is participating and making substantial contributions in the Great Green Wall Project, in which shelter belts would be created in nine Local Government Areas of the State against desert encroachment. Besides, tree planting campaigns have been intensified. Recently, one million seedlings were distributed to the general public, schools and hospitals, among other organizations. We are collaborating with the National Park Service and NGOs in the creation of Woodlots in desertprone LGAs and planting of economic trees as well.
Q 7- You have invested heavily in the tourism sector by a complete rehabilitation of the Yankari Games reserve and other reserves/tourist attractions in the State to International Standards. What is your administration doing to attract tourists to the State to enjoy these excellent facilities? As you are probably aware, Bauchi State is blessed with a lot of tourist potentials which have, unfortunately, remained untapped. You mentioned the Yankari Game Reserve. We also have 2 smaller natural game reserves which are less known but equally well-endowed. We have the prehistoric Geji Rock paintings; the tomb and library of Nigeria’s first Prime Minister; the ruins of the Palace of Madakin Bauchi; and so many others. However, I am confident that with what we have put in place to improve the comfort and security of tourists arriving through our new Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, we would soon witness a boom in the tourist industry in the State. I have no doubt that Yankari even surpasses SunCity in South Africa now as the destination of choice for any discerning international traveller wishing to thoroughly enjoy his
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holiday in the scenic beauty of Africa.
Q 8- Bauchi State is in North Eastern Nigeria but has been spared of the plague of Boko haram and other acts of terrorism by extremist groups. What is the winning strategy that your administration has employed to ensure the security of lives and property in Bauchi State? We have taken several measures to secure life and property of the good people of Bauchi State. While we have been prayerful to the Almighty God to protect our people, the Security Committee that I chair had worked as a team all this while to ensure that there is no hiding place for criminals especially the insurgents. WE will continue building and improving on our successes. After all, the primary responsibility of Government is to provide for the security of lives and property.
Q 9- Bauchi State has seen growth, development and peace during your tenure. What would you see as your greatest legacy as Governor during these past 8 years?
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I am pleased at the infrastructural transformation that has taken place under my government. Among other projects, we have built a state-ofthe-art 400 bed Specialists Hospital, built the Bauchi State University mentioned earlier, the ten Community Radio stations, the new International Airport, raised Yankari Game Reserve to international standards and constructed several hundred kilometers of roads that opened up the remotest parts of Bauchi State including Futuk, Burra, Alagarno, etc. These are just a few of the legacy projects that will drive the economic development of the State. It has also been my good fortune to groom quite a number of young people in the private and public spaces who are all doing very well, and it is my prayer that their generation would now rise up to the challenges of leadership. I have no greater wish than to see that the coming years usher an era of uninterrupted peace and economic prosperity in Bauchi State and our nation in general.
Q 10- You are still youthful, strong and vigorous and you have achieved a lot as
Governor. There has also been calls for you to step into the national political stage. What do we expect from Dr. Isa Yuguda politically in the years to come and what do you say to those who want you to run for a national political office? One must continue to thank God almighty for his mercies. But I would like to attribute my looks to genes and perhaps the fact that I keep to a strict dietary and exercise regimen. It has been my privilege to rise to the rank of Managing Director/CEO of two banks and serve as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in two ministries, and now I am completing a second term as Governor of Bauchi State. What more could one ask for in this life? To answer your second question, let me say that to the glory of God, I had longed for a chance to retire to my farm and have more time for my family. Nevertheless, I am convinced that there is no greater honour than service to humanity, and I am indeed attered that quite a lot of people like you would rather that I run for one oďŹƒce or another. Whether I am eventually persuaded to run again or not, I promise you that the decision will be taken based on the strength of those convictions. Interviewed by CHIKE NWEKE Publisher/CEO
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Cover Story PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE
CHIKA UNIGWE
Photo Credit: Claudia Gianvenuti
Exploring the depths of the human condition... Credit for the inside photos: Claudia Gianvenuti
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Chika Unigwe is from Osumenyi, Nnewi South LGA, Anambra State. She was born the sixth child of seven children and raised in Enugu, Nigeria. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MA from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. She also holds a PhD from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, having completed a thesis entitled “In the
shadow of Ala. Igbo women writing as an act of righting” in 2004. Chika Unigwe is the author of fiction, poetry, articles and educational material. She won the 2003 BBC Short Story Competition for her story “Borrowed Smile”, a Commonwealth Short Story Award for “Weathered Smiles” and a Flemish literary prize for “De Smaak van Sneeuw”, her first short story written in Dutch. “The Secret”, another of her short pieces, was nominated for the NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2012 INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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2004 Caine Prize. She was shortlisted for the 2005 Caine Prize for African Writing award. She was the recipient of a 2007 Unesco-Aschberg fellowship for creative writing, and of a 2009 Rockefeller Foundation fellowship for creative writing. She has most recently, on November 1, 2012, won the 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature and was longlisted for the 2012 Wole Soyinka Award. Chika Unigwe’s stories have been broadcast on BBC World Service, Radio Nigeria, and other Nation Radio Stations. Her first novel, De Feniks, was published in Dutch by Meulenhoff / Manteau in September 2005; it is the first book of fiction written by a Flemish author of African origin. The story, set in Turnhout, explores themes such as grief, illness and loneliness, subjects already touched upon in Unigwe’s earlier work. By featuring a central character who shares the novelist’s Afro-European background, the narrative also exposes some shortcomings of Belgian society, like its pervasive unwelcoming atmosphere and the superficiality of many of its inhabitants. Chika Unigwe published her second novel, On Black Sisters’ Street in 2009 (first released in Dutch under the NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2012 INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
title Fata Morgana), a tale of choices and displacement set against the backdrop of the Antwerp prostitution scene. Her most recent novel is Night Dancer (Jonathan Cape, 2012) She was a city councilor in her city of Turnhout for the CD&V from 2006 to 2009 She lives with her husband and four children in Turnhout, Belgium. In an interview with Chike Nweke of Life and Times magazine, Chika talks about her life, her family and her goals for the future…
Q-Tell us a little bit about your family background... A-I am from Osumenyi, Nnewi South LGA, Anambra State. I was born the sixth
child of seven children and raised in Enugu, Nigeria. I have degrees from the University of Nigeria, the KU Leuven and a PhD from the University of Leiden. I am married with four children.
Q- How do you combine the demands of being a very busy writer with your role as wife and mother of four children? A- I have tried to structure my day so that I am better able to navigate both worlds. The children have strict bedtimes so I can switch off at a certain time and concentrate on me. I have a network of people who help me too when I need it. My parents-in-law babysit a lot for example. I have two different cleaners come in twice a week for 4 hrs each to clean; I pay to have the ironing done, sometimes so that I am not overwhelmed by housework. I also extend my day by waking up very early to write for a few hours (when the house is quiet, around 3 AM)
Q-How did you meet your husband and how supportive has he being to you as a writer? A-I met him at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, I was LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 9 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 21
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a student he was working as a research assistant. He is very supportive.
Q-What long term goals do you want to accomplish in your writing career? A-I want to write more books, better books
Q-Besides writing what are your other passions A-Reading, scrabble, music
Q-You are young and still have very many years ahead of you but when your work is done, how would you like Chika Unigwe to be remembered? A-As someone who did the best she could
Excerpts from Chika’s award winning novel: ~ On a Black sister’s street Sisi was a dream maker in silver and gold. These were not clothes she ever would have picked out for herself, not even for this job. The blouse hugged her intimately, sequined in silver. A gold-colored nylon skirt that showed
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her butt cheeks when she bent. Sisi felt like asking for a longer skirt. She felt naked, silver and gold nude. Long gold-plated earrings dangled from her ears and rested on her shoulders, thin strings of a setting sun. And on her lips, the rich red of tomato purée. Sisi walked in ahead of Madam to a surprisingly dark room. She had expected dazzling brightness. Lots of glitter and shine. Psyche delic balls of light. The café was dimly lit, and it took a few seconds for Sisi to get used to the dimness. It had a dark wooden interior, a wooden ceiling with blue, red, and orange spotlights arranged in the shape of a huge star that spanned the width of the
room, with six other stars inside it, each one smaller in size than the one preceding it, like a matryoshka. At first all Sisi saw was a cloud of smoke rising up to meet the lights. It was as if she had walked off the earth and stumbled into the clouds, with stars in every conceivable color. “Hello, beautiful.” The man in the striped shirt grinned at her, gesturing her to an empty chair beside him. “What’s your name?” “Eh?” “Name? Your name?” He spoke into her ear. “Sisi.” Sisi sat down and tried to regain her smile. She stretched her lips and parted them. Like a weak flame, the
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smile came, faltered, and died out. She was a woman sinking. Tears found their way to her eyes. She was not doing this because she liked it, she reminded herself. But she was here now, and there was no going back. She clenched her teeth and tried again to smile. Her lips, as if made out of straw, cracked, and the smile splintered. “See See? Beautiful name.” The man chuckled. “Beautiful name for beautiful lady. You want a drink? See See?” Sisi nodded. “Yes, a drink would be good. Something cold. Thank you.” The man returned with two bottles of Stella Artois. “Come, we sit at a table. My name is Dieter,” he said as he picked up his glass and took a sip. desirable. “You don’t talk much, do you, See See?” ‘No.’ Sisi shook her head. She struggled to smile, but the splinters rejected her attempts to make them whole, to bring them back to life. They disintegrated like baby ghosts floating about the room and finally disappearing into the gloom. “Your voice is beautiful. Like you,” Dieter told her, reaching across the table to touch her right cheek, his palm clammy. Sisi’s natural instinct was to shake it off, but in her new life common sense ruled over instinct, so she left it there. She tried to force herself to imagine that it
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was Peter’s palm, that she and Peter were married and had simply gone out for a drink. It did not work. Dieter’s hand slipped and moved to her neck. He ran his fingers down the outside of her neck, all the time muttering, “Beautiful. Beautiful.” His eyes bulged out, and shifting on his chair, he moved his hand to her breast, cup- ping each one in turn. I can’t do this, Sisi thought. She sat still, her glass of beer untouched before her, her heart heavy with a sadness that felt like rage. She could no longer make out which music was playing, as her ears were filled with the rush of a waterfall. In a men’s toilet with lavender toilet paper littering the floor, soggy (with urine?), and a shiny black toilet seat, Dieter pulled his trousers down to his ankles. A flash of white boxers. A penis thundering against them. A massive pink knob. Sisi gawked. Everything she had heard about the white man’s flaccidity, his penis as small as a nose (so that the greatest insult she could heap on an annoying schoolmate was that he had the penis of a white man), was smashed. He heaved and moaned; one hand tore at his boxers and the other at Sisi’s skirt. His breath warm against her neck, his hands pawing every bit of her; he licked her neck. Sisi
shut her eyes. Raising his head, he stuck his tongue into her ear. In. Out. In. Out. Eyes shut still, she tried to wriggle out of his embrace. She did not want to do this any- more. “I don’t need this. Stop!” she said. He held her close. Pushed her against the wall, his hands cupping her buttocks, and buried his head in her breasts. “Stop,” she shouted again. Eyes open, she saw his face, his mouth open and his jaws distended by an inner hunger. “Stop!” His moans swallowed her voice. His penis searched for a gap between her legs. Finding a warmth, he sighed, spluttered sperm that trickled down her legs like mucus, inaugurating Sisi into her new profession. She baptized herself into it with tears, hot and livid, down her cheeks, salty in her mouth, feeling intense pain wherever he touched, as if he were searing her with a razor blade that had just come out of a fire. Her nose filled with the stench of the room, and the stench filled her body and turned her stomach, and she did not care whether or not she threw up. But she did not. The revulsion stayed inside and expanded, and she felt a pain, a tingling, start in her toes. The pain that could not be contained began to spread out around her and rise, taking over everything else. Even the sound of her heartbeat.
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PROFILE Business IN EXCELLENCE
Jelani Aliyu Of General Motors, Designer Of The Chevy Volt 18 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 24 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
Jelani Aliyu, hails from Sokoto State, Nigeria and is General Motors Lead Exterior Designer and the designer of the Chevy Volt. General Motors is the world’s largest automobile maker. The car has been described as an American Revolution and hottest concept in the design line. Jelani was born in 1966 in Kaduna, to Alhaji Aliya Haidara and Sharifiya Hauwa’u Aliyu. The fifth of seven children, theirs is a very close-knit family. For him, it was an amazing experience growing up in Sokoto, surrounded by the rich culture of the people and the state
and enjoying excellent access to the latest and international information. From 1971 to 1978, he attended Capital School, Sokoto, an excellent school and this served as a very productive educational experience for him. In 1978, he gained admission into Federal Government College, Sokoto, from where he graduated in 1983 with an award as the best in Technical Drawing. Jelani was privileged to meet and make many good friends from all parts of the country and beyond during this time. He had tremendous encouragement and mentoring from his
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Business PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE
ings that would stay cool in a hot environment with little, or no artificial electrical air conditioning. Upon graduation from the polytechnic, Jelani worked for a while at the Ministry of Works, Sokoto.
Jelani Aliyu
family and friends and his creative art developthe ed. He drew a lot, designed his own cars, and even built scale models of them, complete with exteriors and interiors. After FGC, he got admission into the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study Architecture, but soon discovered that curriculum did not support his future vision and plans. After considering other institutions in Nigeria and their academic programmes, he concluded that only one of them had the study criteria that would support his future goals. The institution in
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which he chose to pursue his education was one he felt offered the best creative programmes and had experience that would give him the best foundation required to study Automobile Design abroad. That institution was the Birnin Kebbi Polytechnic. He was there from 1986 to 1988 and earned an associate degree in Architecture, with an award as Best All-Round Student. While there, he did some in depth research into home design and construction, looking into materials and structures that would be most compatible with our environment and climate; build-
In 1990, Aliyu moved to Detroit, Michigan to enroll at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit under a Sokoto Schorlarship board sponsorship.Having always wanted to study Automobile Design, this was a dream come true and an absolutely fascinating experience. The course was very practical and emphasis was put on creativity and the development of new designs to provide solutions . He received his degree in automobile design in 1994. In 1994 he began his career with the design staff of General Motors. He worked on the Buick Rendezvous and was the lead exterior designer of the Pontiac G6. He also worked on the Astra with General Motors’ Opel Division. With his brilliant work on the design of the Chevrolet Volt, which was unveiled in 2007, Jelani Aliyu is considered by many to be the super star of the General Motors renaissance. Parts of this article were published in, November 2010 by Naija Enterprise
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People and Places
Victoria Weds Tayo Los Angeles-March 30, 2013
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People and Places
Beautiful Victoria Ifunanya Agusi said I do to her heartthrob the urbane and handsome Omotayo Okaniawon Damola at a classy ceremony, in Los Angeles on March 30, 2013. The ceremony was held at the majestic 1st Congregational Church Downtown Los Angeles CA renowned for having the biggest pipe organ ensemble in the world and the reception was held at the Doubletree by Hilton Culver City California. It was a majestic, urbane and cultural event as guests attended the digniďŹ ed church service at a cathedral that was built by one of the best Gothic architects and draws crowds from around the world who come to savor the beautiful sounds of the imposing pipe organ. The classy reception was also a ďŹ ne fusion of western and Nigerian cultures. The following are pictures from LIFE and TIMES exclusive coverage of the event.
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People and Places
Before the Altar
With father of Bride
Church
Bridal Train
BEAUTIFUL BRIDEMAIDS
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Preparing for Church
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People and Places
SAY I DO
Couple with the Onyebalu's
With the Kalejaiyes
Creas Nwokeabia with Chika Onyebalu Bride’s Family
Groom's family
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People and Places
Wedding Train
Bride's Co- Workers
Couple with Church Ministers
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Groom's family and friends
DJ PAUL & Doris Onuoha
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People and Places
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COUPLE WITH EXCLUSIVE LADIES
Couple Royal Entrance
With Aso Ebi Ladies
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Bride and Groom
Couple Royal Entrance
GOLD IFEJIKA
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People and Places
COUPLE WITH EXCLUSIVE LADIES
Couple Royal Entrance
With Aso Ebi Ladies
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Bride and Groom
Couple Royal Entrance
GOLD IFEJIKA
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WITH SISTER UJU
WAITING TO CATCH THE BOUQUET
BRIDE's CO-WORKERS
Lerato Catching the Bouqet
CUTTING THE CAKE
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Ik and Chika Onyebalu
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Aso Ebi Ladies
ERIC EZUKA, DOLLY CHIKWELU AND CHIKE
JULIA, UJU, GRACE and friends
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TONY & DOROTHY ONYEAGORO
Chike and Mercy Nweke
SHARON and DIVINE JOY
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People and Places
TESSY & BUSOLA
PASTOR OKEY & DR. COMFORT NWACHIE
LERATO, JULIE GENELYN
VERA AND DORIS
ASO EBI LADIES
Couple with friend
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People and Places
DAVEON & LOLA TAYLOR
KEN & ADAMMA OGBOGU
SIS FUNKE WITH COUPLE
GODDY & LILIAN NDUKWE
GUESTS
ABAYOMI,Afolabi and friend with Couple
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People and Places
GBENGA, CHARLES, TAYO, LANRE & BAYO
Samco Success Life Band
Mr. and Mrs. Yalomi
IFY & MIKE HOLLYWOOD
Abay Debela and Fitsum Haile
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People and Places
ANPA 20 Anniversary th
At the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) held its 20th Anniversary convention from July 17-20, 2014 at the Sheraton Anaheim resort in Anaheim CA. ANPA is the umbrella association of over 7,000 Nigerian born or trained Physicians in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Through its Annual conventions, medical missions and local chapter activities ANPA provides the forum for members to share their experiences and pool their expertise for a healthier Nigeria in a healthier world. Following is a photo essay of the 20th Anniversary beneďŹ t gala and the investiture of Dr. Nkem Ndiri Chukwumerije as the new ANPA President
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Sports
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Sports Beauty of the Moment
BEAUTY OF THE MOMENT- Simi Ogunleye from Page 55, Spring 2013 edition
Contact: Timisola_95@yahoo.com INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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People and Places
IZUNNA EWUDO - ON THE RISE
School President addressing the graduates
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People and Places
Professors leading the graduates to the ceremony
Izunna Receiving his diploma
Chief Okenwa shaking hands with Tyler
Izunna And Katy hugging
“I want to be a Pediatrician” heartily and confidently declared 17 year old Izunna Vincent Ewudo during a family meeting convened by his father to discuss his children’s career goals. Since then, Izunna has strived for excellence in his academic and personal life, making his family especially his father, Chief Okenwa D. Ewudo (Ozo Ugonwa) proud and elated to see all his efforts in raising a good and fruitful man come to pass. After moving to Corona in 2005, Izunna graduated from Centinela High School. While there, he was a disciplined and well-rounded student who took Advance Placement (AP) classes and was heavily involved in sports. He excelled in both, and at some point considered pursuing a career in sports. He, however decided to continue his path towards medicine and enrolled in the California State University Los Angeles. He graduated from CSULA with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science with an emphasis in Community Health. He was then accepted to Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science where he graduated with a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) in May 2014. He will continue at Charles Drew University where he will
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study to be a Family Nurse Practitioner. Izunna’s achievements have not been limited to obtaining degrees. He has developed great leadership skills through his involvement with the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc where he has served as a Historian and Program Coordinator and served on the Western Region Health and Wellness Committee. He has also served as Vice President of the National Student Nursing Associations, Co-founder and Vice-President of the CDREW Chapter of American Assembly for Men in Nursing, Vice-President of the School of Nursing Student Government, Class President of his cohort and Co-founder and Treasurer of the Foundation of Community Empowerment, Leadership and Service. He is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the Nursing Honors Society. Izunna, with his family support, backing and disciplined upbringing is aware of all the sacrifices made to get him this far. He continues to pursue excellence while upholding his rich cultural heritage, and staying in line with the achievements of his father and forefathers.
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Sports
Izunna And Twin Brother Valentine
Happy Father Chief Okenwa Ewudo
Chief Okenwa and Son Valentine
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Happy Father Chief Okenwa Ewudo
Family and Guest
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Izunna with his large group of family and guests
Family: From the left, Brother: Charles, Brother: Valentine, Father: Chief Okenwa, Izunna, Sister: Queen, Mother: Marygrace
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People and Places
It was a gathering of all Ijaws in Houston Texas from May 9-11, 2014 at the 2014 convention of the organization.- Ijaw Foundation is the apex organization of all Ijaw Niger Delta Communities in the Diaspora – (The Americas, Europe , Asia, Australia and Africa). The occasion featured a review of the state of affairs of the Ijaw nation in the context of Nigerian politics and a continuation of the fundraiser for Ijaw stuents studying in Federal University, Otuoke. The University is the first Federal University in the heart of Ijaw land. Present at the occasion were ; Hon. Dakuku Adolphus Peterside, Member Federal House of Rep, Major Lancelot Anyanya(Rtd), Chairman, National Oil Sill Detection & Response Agency (NOSDRA), Prof. Bolaji Aluko, Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Otuoke, Lady Meg Agideee, National Financial Secretary, Ijaw National Congress, Mr. Meborn Noble, C.E.O, Julong Dredging Machinery, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Mr. Stephen Strachan, Managing Partner, International Water Company, York, PA , Pastor Power Ziakede Aginighan, Former Acting Executive Director, NDDC. Dr. Ibikari Reggie Fubara, Special Assistant to the Federal Minister of Health. Barrister Ebikeme Bosin, Representing Elder G.P. Orubebe, Mr. Steve Benamaisia, Chairman, Ijaw National Congress, Europe Chapter, London, UK, Dr. Diepiriye Tariah, Secretary, Ijaw National Congress, Europe Chapter, London, UN, Ms. Rosetta Etemewei, Treasurer, Ijaw National Congress, Europe Chapter, London, UK, Hon. Sam Agwor and Hon. Boma Iyaye represented the Minister for Education - Hon. (Barr) Nyesome Wike and a host of other dignitaries and members of Ijaw Foundation from around the world.
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HOUSTON TEXAS, MAY 9-11, 2014
Ijaw
Foundation Convention
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People and Places
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Sports
> 70. Advert- Law OямГces of Joachim Joe Nwude, APC . 71-Subscription Page
SUMMER 2013
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PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE Cover Story
LADY LARA OKUNUBI FOUNDER, COMPASSION WITHOUT BORDER
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PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE Cover Story
Madam Lara Okunubi is intangibly alluring to many people in the community. Whether she is participating in a fundraiser, knocking doors in support of a political candidate, rooting for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, or hosting a weekly Friday Bible session with friends, she’s she does so with genuine enthusiasm. On Saturdays she’s at one function or the other supporting a community member and having a good time with friends. Sunday mornings finds Lady Okunubi at the door-step of her
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church as a Greeter, welcoming people into the sanctuary for service. Yet, this mother of four who runs two successful businesses (Monday through Saturdays) still finds time to undertake the charity of feeding the homeless on scheduled days. Chike Nweke, Publisher Life and Times Magazine sat down with Lady Okunubi to talk about "Compassion Without Border", a charity she founded and supports, her dreams for our Community and her hopes for Nigeria...
Q: Of all the volunteer work that you do which one are you most excited about? Ans: Without trivializing any of them I feel more privileged to be able to participate in the homeless outreach. For me it is not just about handing out a meal, it is about making each one of them feel like an individual, that they matter, that there’s hope for change even if they don’t see it now……that’s why we go to minister to their external needs, to let them know that
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PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE Cover Story
they are not forgotten. It’s a relationship I uphold with passion and steady commitment.
Q: You have been feeding the homeless for quite some time now, Why and how did you get started and what has kept you going for these past twelve (12) years? Ans: It was shocking for me to discover that there is homelessness and poverty in America, the supposed “land of milk and honey”. After interacting with some of the people on “skid row” and listening to their stories I realized how issues like anger, depression, hopelessness, low self-esteem can easily spiral into chronic stress, loss of confidence, mental illness, poverty and even homelessness, when there’s no
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support or intervention. They are not ordinary people, amongst them are veterans who have sacrificed their lives for others, some of them were professional at one point of their life and some are mothers with children. I grew up with this benign motive to contribute whenever there’s a need, whether it is money, time, ideas or resource. So, it is difficult for me to walk away from such provocative situation without the desire to want to be part of the solution. Anyone could fall into such predicament but for the endless Grace of God, so I am very appreciative of the privileges I have enjoyed in life. Do you know that there are 131,000 homeless people in California alone? The population has dropped by about 3.5% because some people are doing something about it.
The passion to engage in this outreach started in fulfillment of a college requirement for one of my children but it soon escalated into a project when I realized the magnitude of this crisis. We have encountered children, some people from Nigeria, Ghana and other foreign countries that came to America in search of a good life yet ended up in the homeless community. It hits home for me when I see these faces that the privileges I enjoy is not by power, hard-work or education but the mercy of God. So, why should I not lend a helping hand when much has been given to me and so little is expected? I am motivated to go on because I want to impact lives, to be that helping hand desperately needed, without condition or expectation, to spread the good news. We all do our share of good INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014 SPRING 2013
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Cover Story PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE
deeds but it’s beyond that. It’s about having sincere irritation about things that are not right and could be done better. We have to make it count and meaningful. There are many situations that need community assistance and we cannot ignore them. Yes, you can’t be everything to everybody but we can do those simple things within our control. If we define your goals and desired outcome then identify the road map to get there, people and resource(not those that will criticize or discourage you). I tell my children “there are many ways to skin a cat” so do it your way as long as you get it done.
Q: Where do you presently get the funding for the work of "Compassion without Border"? Ans: Currently, it is funded with personal resources from Okunubi family, Ibraheem’s, Saliu’s, and Omotayo’s who are members of the executive committee and have adopted this project as part of their annual family budget. We get occasional support from other families and friends for example the Nweke’s, SPRING 2013EDITION SUMMER 2014 INTERNATIONAL
Aladesuru’s, Anakwenze’s, Fashola’s etc I want to seize this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers that made the work easier to accomplish. 1. Damilola, Busola, Folashade and Yemi Okunubi, 2. Ibukun, Tobi and Ife Ibraheem 3. Lolade, Femi and Fola Saliu 4. Hakeem, Christine and Rasheed Omotayo 5. Uche Nweke 6. Eze and Odera Anakwenze, 7. Rukayat Abdulraman 8. Sis Shade Aladesuru-Dosunmu, 9. Seun and Wahab 10. Elite Foundation - Mr. Sobowale, Fashola, Adebowale and Akinshilo The help of these families and dedicated volunteers have helped us to move from feeding 100 to over 500 people at a cost of $2 per person for each event. The people we feed are homeless they don’t have a kitchen so we have to serve hot meals. At every feeding event, many people leave disappointed because we ran out of food. So, we see a growing need and therefore motivated to do more
Q: What are your plans of reaching out to the larger community and corporate donors to help you in this onerous task that you have embarked on to help the homeless? Ans: Our strategic plan for 2014 is to feed 750 to 1000 people in Los Angeles and about 500 in Nigeria. But we also need tools to encourage entrepreneurship,
such as sewing machines, bicycles, money to purchase crops, beauty supplies, hygiene supplies, hair clippers for door-2door grooming service, etc. We have a team working on the cost and capacity of these needs which we hope to post on the website by December 2013 www.compassionwithoutborder.com to solicit for partnership. We will also host the traditional fundraiser or solicit support through some other creative ways.
Q: Where do you see "Compassion without Border" 10, 20, 50 years from now? Ans: The vision is to impact lives by creating a Support System that is sustainable and measurable. Some people need their hands held longer than the other so in addition to feeding millions of people, to teach apprenticeship to those who desire it and support those who have limited abilities with daily living skills. There are many people in Nigeria scavenging the dumpster for food or recyclable containers to convert to money. These kinds of people are trainable if a proper structure can be put in place. These are examples of lives we hope to impact in 10, 20 or more years. With adequate partnership, accountability and relentless focus we should not only have measurable results but also have success stories from those who have benefited from this program, then moving on to do the same for others, kind of a ripple effect if you like. & TIMES MAGAZINE LIFELIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 75 11
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Cover Story PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE
The Book is Gold project initiated by Dr. Femi Saliu (President of CWB) and the Leadership Series sponsored by Dr. Laja Ibraheem(Treasurer of CWB)are some of the commitments we hope to see grow in the next 10, 20 years with adequate funding.
Q: How do people who are interested in the work of "Compassion without Border" join hands to support? Ans: Every act of generosity goes a long way, whether you are giving of your time, money, products or clothes. Our philosophy is if you’ve ever received help or an act of kindness from someone else turnaround and Pass-it-On! The need is real, the work is huge you cannot do it alone. Join us at www.compassionwithoutborder.com or start your own small group of making a difference.
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Q: You are involved in a lot of Community causes. You are a fervent believer and active within our Christian Community, you are the Vice President of the Nigerian American Political Action Committee(NAPAC) that has set out to mobilize our people to effectively participate in the political process here in the United States and has given active support to a number of political candidates recently. You are active within the Social Circle and serve as patron to a number of cultural/social organizations within the community. What are your dreams for unity and progress within our Community?
Ans: You wonder how I find the time to do all these, well where there’s a will there’s a way. I believe there are two columns in life. In one column are the things you can change and the other, are things you cannot change. The defining factor for me is my relationship with God and His expectations of me which includes loving and helping my neighbors. In my numerous engagements, I have discovered that service to God and others is the bedrock of fulfillment in life, nothing else can do it for you. That’s why I am driven by the emotion and mandate to make a difference and giving my all to achieve it by getting involved with various groups. Growth does not happen in isolation, neither can unity. It takes a relationship and connectivity with one another. My dream is that someday, every Nigerian in America will come together and work together for the good of our community either here or back home. Technology unfortunately has driven us even further apart. In the world of texting, tweeting or bb many people are content in isolation while some don’t want anything to do with Nigerians. Yes, one person can make a difference but imagine what the effect will be if we have more people making the effort? It took fifty years for some of Martin Luther King Jr.’ dreams to come true (Obama) because people did not relent. The same for us, that day will come when Nigerians are ruling the world all over the globe. But first we have INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014 SPRING 2013
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to work on putting our house in order and work together in love and truth. I believe we will have tangible unity and progress because we are fundamentally good people, we just have to appreciate our strengths and respect our differences.
Q: You still have very strong family ties in Nigeria and visit home quite often and have plans to extend the work of "Compassion Without Border" to Nigeria. Based on your observations during your visits back home on the level of poverty and lack, what are your hopes and dreams for Nigeria? Ans: There’s a quote I learnt a while ago that “if you change the way you look at things, the things you see will change”. Nigeria has many challenges ranging from health care, secuINTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014 SPRING 2013
rity, poverty, exhaustion, diseases; while lack of statistics might have dwarfed the prevalence rate of these pandemics, they are nevertheless not invincible. There are many skeptics who think the situation in Nigeria cannot change but I am very optimistic of a better day. a greater Nigeria! I saw a population of resourceful people, focused on making a living, striving to have a sense of worth. So people should not wait till someone they know is kidnapped to understand the security issues in Nigeria or for someone you know is stricken by cancer, die of malaria, cholera, muscular sclerosis, heart disease. diabetes, etc. before you support the cure for these problems. On individual level don’t wait till you are able to make huge impact, start with little ones within and outside your family scope, reach out and touch anybody.
I hope that your readers or listeners sense of service will be heightened and spurred into action because we need everybody’s help particularly those of us with international exposure (America, Europe, Asia) who have experienced higher standards and quality than what people back home have. We must not discount the impact of our help of time, resource and talents. Compassion without Border is working on collaborating with other existing organizations who organizes Medical missions to Nigeria to achieve for bigger impact and minimal cost. This is definitely, when we need more community support both here and Nigeria to make it happen. Nigerians are endowed, beautiful and great achievers but we need more of us coming together to focus on moving our community forward, from dreams to reality.
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Youth
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Youth
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Health Health
Beware Of Fruits Without a doubt, fruits are healthy food: they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibers. In concert with vegetables, raw nuts, appropriate fat and protein, studies have shown that fruits have the potential to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. I think that is what people have in mind when they make statements about their 82 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
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By Olufemi Saliu, M.D.
healthy choices. A friend once told me: “ I chew carrots day and nights but still I went to the ER with a chest pain!” Another one said: "I eat healthy, for breakfast today I had bread, oatmeal, cantaloupe, and apple.” Unlike us, our ancestors, the hunter-gatherers had very limited access to fruits. In seasons, mindful of hungry lions and other predators, they INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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Health Health
probably walked miles to pick fruits. Perhaps that was why the caveman’s body was adapted to using up every unit of fructose(sugar) in the fruits he was fortunate to gather. The body could’t afford to waste any fructose. On the other hand, our own access to fruits is limitless. At the Torrance, California Whole Food Store I buy navel oranges from three sources: California, Florida, and Australia. This is possible because of advances in technology in terms of transportation, storage, and genetic engineering. Whenever I run out of fruits in the kitchen, they are just minutes away in the neighborhood’s grocery store. Despite the tremendous access the modern man has to fruits-and thus fructose, the adaptation has not changed: every unit of fructose in the fruit consumed is utilized-converted to fat, and uric acid. In the body fructose behaves like alcohol: a sugar(fructose) addict and an alco-
holic are the proverbial birds of the same feather. According to Dr. Robert H. Lustig of UCSF, “Excessive consumption of fructose can cause many of the same health problems as alcohol.” These may include hypertension, myocardial infarction, dyslipidemia, pancreatitis, obesity, malnutrition, hepatic dysfunction, and habituation. Fruits were the main source of fructose for the caveman. For the digital man, in addition to fruits that are ubiquitous in his environment, other sources are processed foods and drinks with added sugar such as sodas, fruit juices, milk, milk shake, chocolate drinks, bread, bagels, donut, croissants, sandwich, muffin, cereals, potato chips, cookies, candy, cake, ice cream, honey, honey roasted nuts, and so on. Without eliminating or drastically reducing the amount of fructose consumption via processed foods, uncontrolled consumption of fruits would not be accompanied with expected health benefits, rather It would be tantamount to piling up sugar on sugar, and fat on fat. So my fellow readers, beware of fruits. For expected positive impact on your health, moderate fruit consumptionequivalent of one to two apples a day-should be in conjunction with the following: 1. Habitual consumption of variety of vegetables: let a bowl of salad or a glass of smoothie
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My early morning salad: yellow bell pepper, kale, broccoli, and tomato
be the first course of your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 2. Consumption of wild fish, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and organic eggs. 3. Snacking on variety of raw nuts such as almonds, cashew, and walnut. 4. Avoidance of processed foods: foods with added sugar; wheat and wheat products-and elimination of sugary drinks such as sodas, fruit juices, malt drinks, milk shake, and alcohol. And remembering that cow milk is meant for calves. 5. Moderate consumption of grains such as rice(white, brown or wild), quinoa, oat meal, and legumes such as beans. 6. And moderate amount of exercise such as taking long walks, walking up and down the stairs, and parking your car far away for an opportunity to walk, or joining a gym. Finally, I am not advocating that you stop eating fruits, rather they should be consumed in moderation in the context of a well-rounded healthy lifestyle change.
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Spotlight People and Places
The heartbeat of Nigeria
Lagos is a port city and the most populous city in Nigeria. Officially, the population of Lagos was last recorded at 7,937,932. Lagos is the second fastest growing city in Africa and the seventh fastest in the world.Lagos was originally inhabited by the Awori subgroup of the Yoruba people. 86 118 LIFE LIFE&&TIMES TIMESMAGAZINE MAGAZINE
Under the leadership of their Olofin, the Awori moved to an island now called Iddo and then to the larger Lagos Island. In the 15th century, the Awori settlement was attacked by the Benin Empire following a quarrel, and the island became a Benin war-camp called "Eko" under Oba Orhogba, the Oba of Benin at the time. Lagos is a metropolitan area which originated on islands separated by creeks, such as Lagos Island, fringing the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon while protected from
the Atlantic Ocean by long sand spits such as Bar Beach, which stretch up to 100 km east and west of the mouth. From the beginning, Lagos has expanded on the mainland west of the lagoon and the conurbation, including Ikeja and Agege, now reaches more than 40 km north-west of Lagos Island. Some suburbs include Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry, and more local councils have recently been created, bringing the total number of local governments in Lagos to 57.
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PeopleSpotlight and Places
Lagos Mainland Most of the population lives on the mainland, and most industries are located there too. Lagos is known for its music and night life, which used to be located in areas around Yaba and Surulere In recent years more night clubs have sprung on the island, making the island, particularly Victoria Island, the main nightlife attraction. Lagos Mainland districts include Ebute-Meta, Surulere, Yaba (location of the University of Lagos and Ikeja, site of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and capital of
Lagos State.Greater Lagos includes Mushin, Maryland, Somolu, Oshodi, Oworonsoki, Isolo, Ikotun, Agege,Iju Ishaga, Egbeda, Ketu, Bariga, Ipaja, Ajah and Ejigbo. The city of Lagos is the main city of the south-western part of Nigeria. Some rivers, like Badagry Creek, flow parallel to the coast for some distance before exiting through the sand bars to the sea. The two major urban islands of Lagos in Lagos Lagoon are
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Lagos Island and Victoria Island. These islands are separated from the mainland by the main channel draining the lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean, which forms Lagos Harbour. The islands are separated from each other by creeks of varying sizes and are connected to Lagos Island by bridges. The smaller sections of some creeks have been sand filled and built over, however.
The Islands of Lagos.. Lagos Island contains a central business district. This district is characterized by high-rise buildings. The island also contains many of the city's
largest wholesale marketplaces (such as the popular Idumota and Balogun markets). It also has the National Museum of Nigeria, the Central Mosque, the Glover Memorial Hall, Christ's Cathedral (CMS), and the Oba Palace. Though formerly in a derelict condition, Lagos Island's Tinubu Square is a site of historical importance; it was here that the Amalgamation Ceremony that unified the North and South protectorate to form Nigeria took place in 1914.
Ikoyi Ikoyi is situated on the eastern half of Lagos Island and joined to it by a landfill. Ikoyi is also connected to Victoria Island by a bridge carrying a main road over a Five Cowrie creek. Ikoyi housed the headquarter of the federal government of Nigeria and other buildings owned by the government -including the old federal secretariat complex. The complex today is on reestablishment. In Ikoyi there are military and police barracks, a top-security prison and a federal high court of Nigeria. Ikoyi also has a number of ho-
tels, night clubs, a recreational park and one of Africa's largest golf courses. Originally a middle class neighbourhood, in recent years, it has become a fashionable residential enclave for the upper middle class to the upper class. There are also commercial activities in Ikoyi which is spotted in increasing number of offices, banks and shopping complexes. The commercial section is concentrated in the South-West.
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People and Places Spotlight
Ocean. Already, most of the land has been reclaimed. The proposed development is targeting 400,000 residents and 250,000 commuters flowing daily to the island. The project is planned to return the coast to its position in the 1950s and 1960s, reversing damage done by erosion.
Administration
Victoria Island Victoria Island with its annex is situated to the south of Lagos Island. It has expensive real estate properties and for that reason, many new luxury condos and apartments are blooming up everywhere. Along with Ikoyi, Victoria Island occupies a major area in the suburbs of Lagos which boasts of several sizable shopping districts. On its sea shore along the Atlantic front, there is environmentally reconstructed Bar Beach.
Iddo Across the main channel of the lagoon from Lagos Island, there is a smaller settlement 88 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
called Iddo. Iddo is also a railroad terminus and it is situated on the mainland. It is now connected to the mainland like a peninsula. Three major bridges join the island to the mainland. They are the Carter Bridge which start from Iddo, the Eko Bridge (formerly called the Second Mainland Bridge) and the Third Mainland Bridge which passes through densely populated mainland suburbs through Lagos lagoon.
Eko Atlantic City Eko Atlantic City is a planned 21st-century city, intended to be built on land reclaimed from the Atlantic
Lagos is a State made up of 57 Local Government administrations and controlled by a central State administration led by the current Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola. Metropolitan Lagos is not a municipality and has therefore no overall city administration. In fact there are 16 Local Government administrations that control Lagos metropolis. The Municipality of Lagos, which covered Lagos Island, Ikoyi and Victoria Island as well as some mainland territory, was managed by the Lagos City Council (LCC), but it was disbanded in 1976 and divided into several Local Government Areas (most notably Lagos Island LGA, Lagos Mainland LGA and Eti-Osa LGA. The mainland beyond the Municipality of Lagos, on the other hand, comprised several separate towns and settlements such as Mushin, Ikeja and Agege. In the wake of the 1970s Nigerian oil boom, Lagos experienced a population explosion, untamed economic growth, and unmitigated rural migration. This caused the outlying towns and settlements to develop rapidly, thus forming
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PeopleSpotlight and Places
the Greater Lagos metropolis seen today. The history of Lagos is still evidenced in the layout of the LGAs which display the unique identities of the cultures that created them.
Lagos Climate Lagos has a tropical wet and dry climate that borders on a tropical monsoon climate . Lagos experiences two rainy seasons, with the heaviest rains falling from April to July and a weaker rainy season in October and November. There is a brief relatively dry spell in August and September and a longer dry season from December to March. Monthly rainfall between May and July averages over 400 mm (15.7 in), while in August and September it is down to 200 mm (7.9 in) and in December as low as 25 mm (1.0 in). The main dry season is accompanied by harmattan winds from the Sahara Desert, which between December and early February can be quite strong. The highest maximum temperature ever recorded in Lagos
was 37.3 degrees Celsius and the minimum 13.9 degrees Celsius.
Tourism Lagos, subsequent to the remodernization project achieved by the current administration of Governor Raji Babatunde Fashola, is gradually becoming a major tourist destination, being one of the largest cities in Africa and in the world. Lagos is currently taking steps to become a global city. The 2009 Eyo carnival (a yearly festival originated from Iperu Remo, Ogun State) which took place on 25 April, was a step toward world city status. Currently, Lagos is primarily known as a businessoriented and a fast paced community.[25] Lagos has a number of sandy beaches by the Atlantic Ocean a few are Badagry beach, Eleko beach, Elegushi, Alpha beach. Two of the popular beaches include Bar Beach and Lekki Beach. Lagos has a variety of hotels ranging from three star to five star hotels. Other places of in-
terest include The Tafawa Balewa Square, Festac town, Lekki Conservation Centre, The Remembrance Arcade and the Slave Jetty in Badagry For the newcomers to Lagos, one of the many ways to get around is look at some of the local sites like VConnect.com and LostinLagos.com. They are like the local Yelp services. You can explore the Nigerian cuisine, Lebanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine and various other cuisines by looking up these local info websites. Some of the popular hotels include Welcome Centre Hotels, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Federal Palace Hotel, Stop Over Motels, Ikoyi Hotel, Sofitel Lagos Moorhouse Ikoyi, Eko Hotels And Suites, and The Palmview Manor. Visitors are mostly attracted to Nigeria's rich culture, entertainment scenes and vitality which Lagos city offers. Tourist attractions include Oba's Palace, the Nigerian National Museum, Shrine of Fela, the beach resorts.
Sources: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/habitat/profiles/lagos.asp and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos
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Money & Finance Business and Finance
The
UBA Group
Africa’s Global Bank Brand United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group is one of the leading financial services brands in Nigeria and Africa. With operations in 19 African countries including Nigeria, UBA has become a behemoth in the financial landscape, evolving from single country operations to continental player in multi-jurisdictions. As it of fondly referred to as “Africa’s Global Bank”, UBA offers universal banking services through 700 business offices to more than seven million customers across 19 African countries (including Nigeria) with offices in London, New York and Paris. UBA Plc, the bank, is listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). The UBA brand resonates with people with people across
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age groupings, social cadres across Nigeria, Africa and the rest of the world. With the diverse range of products and services across its African subsidiaries and global financial centres, the bank has successfully broken boundaries through its electronic channels and mobile banking platforms to ensure customers are not limited by location in carrying out day to day business transactions. Driven by the need to provide banking services in easy and convenient ways, UBA offers different debit and prepaid card services to fit different customer segments in the economy and uses most sophisticated mobile banking platforms. These channels offer real time transfer of
funds to different individuals and also for payment of services such as: utility bills and other fee related services. The bank’s internet banking platform also provides tailor made products and services to its different corporate clients for different purposes such as: bill collections, funds transfers and payment for goods and services.
Operations in Africa The UBA Group, outside Nigeria, operates in 18 African countries. Its African spread currently covers all regions except North Africa. The Group has eight West African subsidiaries in Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Benin Republic, and Senegal. In Central Africa, the UBA Group is present in Cameroun, Tchad, Congo, Gabon and Congo Brazaville. In East Africa, the UBA Group is present in Kenya, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda while in Southern Africa, the Group is present in Zambia. UBA’s Africa’s subsidiaries contribute about 25% of the Group’s balance sheet with a target to
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Money & Finance Business and Finance
raise their contribution to 50% in the medium term.
Supporting African Businesses In each of the countries the UBA Group operates, it actively supports the growth and wealth creation among individual, local businesses, institutions and governments through active lending to the local business community as well as financing cross border transactions thereby facilitating intra Africa trade. The UBA Group had total loans portfolio of N870 billion. The Group’s lending portfolio was spread across the critical sectors of the African economy including; Oil and Gas, Power and Energy, Manufacturing, ICT, Construction, General Commerce and other sectors. The UBA Group also actively supports the spending plans of the governments in the countries it operates by actively investing in sovereign debts and securities to help governments finance critical infrastructure needs, reduce dependence on external borrowing and development assistance. Building a savings culture and capital formation While supporting growth in the countries it operates, the UBA Group drives capital formation by encouraging a savings culture in the countries in which it operates. With an array of highly attractive retail banking products, innovative e-banking offerings and tailored corporate solutions. The funds mobilized mobilised as deposits go into lending to inINTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
dividuals, local businesses, institutions and government to support critical sectors of the local economy.
Awards Over the years, UBA Group and its subsidiaries have won awards and recognitions for supporting their local economy. In 2013, two UBA Group subsidiaries were named the ‘Best Banks’ in their respective countries. UBA Cameroon and UBA Senegal on March 19, 2013 were named among ‘World’s Best Banks in 2013’ in their respective countries by Global Finance magazine, based in New York.
Corporate Social Responsibility at UBA Group As Africa’s leading pan African bank, UBA takes seriously its commitment to drive for economic development across the continent. The Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are thus geared to support initiatives that entrenches sustainable economic growth across the continent. UBA Foundation; the bank’s corporate social responsibility arm which is funded wholly by the bank is committed to the socio-economic betterment of African communities. Through its focus areas; education, economic empowerment, environment and special projects, UBA Foundation is positively touching lives. A key project of UBA Foundation is the “Read Africa” initia-
Mr Phillips Oduoza The Group Managing Director of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc
tive. The project is aimed at rekindling reading habits among African youths. It is executed across all of the group’s subsidiaries in the 19 countries the UBA Group operates including Nigeria. The project involves the provision of recommended English literature books for junior and senior secondary school students across the African continent. The Read Africa initiative is complemented with another initiative on prostate cancer awareness across the continent in a bid to reduce death from this deadly disease. There are also special projects carried out by the UBA Foundation which includes; reducing infant mortality through donation of Incubators to hospitals across the country, building of Hostels in universities, renovation of classrooms and building of Information and Communication Centers (ICTs).
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Fashion & Style
Sumahrie Collections 92 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
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SUMAHRIE COLLECTIONS Email: sumahriecollections@yahoo.com Facebook.com/sumahrie collections Instagram / sumahrie / sumahrie collections Twitter/ sumahrie Tel:+1-626-216-6017 ** Photography by Ade James
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SUMAHRIE COLLECTIONS Email: sumahriecollections@yahoo.com Facebook.com/sumahrie collections Instagram / sumahrie / sumahrie collections Twitter/ sumahrie Tel:+1-626-216-6017 ** Photography by Ade James
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Fashion & Style
Ms. Mahriama Suma
Sumahrie collections is a clothing design
Designer and stylist Sumahrie collections
company based in LA. CA. Founded by Sierra Leonian designer Mahriama Suma. Our designs are intricately handmade accessories with a traditional flair to it. And one of a kind dresses with unique,chic, and feminine elegance
SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram/sumahrie www.facebook.com/ Sumahriecollections www. Twitter.com/sumahrie TEL: +1-626-216-6017 Photography by Ade James TK-MK Foundation...education is the key...one child at a time....
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Photo: Kamara Brown Models Makeup: Aida Cosmetics Stylist: Sarah Mansaray
Sumahrie Collections
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Country Profile Ghana was the first place in sub-Saharan Africa where Europeans arrived to trade - first in gold, later in slaves. It was also the first black African nation in the region to achieve independence from a colonial power.
A Golden Experience
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Ghana Before Independence: Ghana before Independence on March 6, 1957 was called the Gold Coast. The earliest Europeans to arrive here were the Portuguese in the 15th Century. On their arrival, they found so much gold between the River Ankobra and the Volta and subsequently named it "da Mina", meaning The Mine. In 1482, the first castle was built in the Gold Coast by the Portuguese at Elmina. This was built to enhance their trading activities especially gold and slavery. By 1598, the Dutch were in the Gold Coast to also trade. They built forts along the coastal areas notable among them being the Komenda fort. In 1637, they captured the Elmina castle from the Portuguese and that of Axim (Fort St. Anthony) in 1642. Many other European traders came to the Gold Coast to trade. These included the British, Danes and Swedes. These European traders built several forts along our coastlines. In 1872, the Dutch lost interest in the coast and ceded their forts free to the British. Thus ended a period of Dutch occupation lasting 274 years. By 1874, the British were the only Europeans in the Gold Coast and thus made it a crown
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colony. This in effect gave them total control.The British government established their headquarters at Cape Coast Castle. This had been their headquarters since 1662 and is one of the greatest historical sites in the country. It has numerous dungeons which were used to keep slaves before being transported to the Diaspora. There had been many wars fought between the people of the Gold Coast and the British over governance. In 1874, an army under Sir Garnet Wolseley crossed the Pra River into the Asante territory. The Ghanaians referred to this War as the "Sagrenti War" because they could not pronounce Sir Garnet’s name correctly. The British force, this time proved too strong for the Asante who, after a long and brave fighting, agreed to sign a peace treaty at Fomena. At about the same time the British defeated the Anlo people in the Volta area. On the 12th of September, 1874, the whole of Southern Ghana including Anloland became a British colony. The Capital was removed from Cape Coast to Accra two years later. After the Second World War (1939-1945), things began to change in the then Gold Coast. The discrimination against educated Ghanaians in the civil
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service was on the increase and high positions were reserved for white men while Ghanaians became "hewers of wood and drawers of water". The European and Asian firms were also seriously exploiting the Africans. The Exservicemen (Ghanaian soldiers
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who fought in the World War), helped in another way to expose the weakness of the British. They realised that they performed better than the whites on the battlefield. These Ex-servicemen again saw the struggle for independence in India and
Burma where most of them went to fight. They were therefore inspired to struggle against the same British in Ghana after their return from the war. The first political party was formed in August 1947 by Paa Grant, Dr J.B Danquah and others. It was named the United Gold Coast Convention (U.G.C.C). Its slogan was "Self Government within the Shortest Possible Time". The U.G.C.C. therefore invited Dr. Kwame Nkrumah home from his studies to become the full-time General Secretary of the Party. The U.G.C.C. had earlier on criticized the Burns Constitution of 1946 introduced by Governor Sir Allan Burns. In January 1948, Nii Kwabena Bonne III, a Ga Chief organized a general boycott of all European imports. A series of riots followed the boycott in early February, 1948. The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the famous February 28, 1948 incident. Unarmed ex-servicemen marched to the Christiansborg Castle on that day to submit a petition to the Governor about their poor conditions. Superintendent Imray, a white police officer, ordered the policemen at the castle to shoot. When the police refused to do so, Imray himself opened fire on the unarmed soldiers at the Christiansborg crossroad. Three of the leaders namely; Sergeant Adjetey, Private Odartey Lamptey and Corporal Attipoe fell dead. Thereafter, riots broke out in Accra. European and Asian stores were looted by the
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The U.G.C.C. which awakened fervent national consciousness in the Gold Coast was what might be described as a liberal group with its slogan of "Selfgovernment in the shortest possible time." This attitude did not please Nkrumah who wanted "Self-government Now". Following disagreement of ideologies, Kwame Nkrumah left the U.G.C.C. and formed a more radical nationalist party -Convention People’s Party (C.P.P) on June 12th, 1949 with its motto "self-government now". He was joined by Kojo Botsio, K.A Gbedemah and others. On 9th January, 1950 the C.P.P organized a nation-wide boycott and strike for workers and the masses. The people refused to buy all British goods. angry mob. The rioters forced open the Central Prison and set free its inmates. After the riots, the Nationalist leaders in Ghana sent a strong worded cable to the Secretary of State in London. They blamed the Governor, Sir Gerald Creasy, greatly. They called him "Crazy Creasy" because he had failed to handle the problems facing the country. The Secretary of State however blamed the Nationalist leaders for being responsible for the disturbances in the country. Consequently, six of the leading nationalist were arrested and detained. They were popularly referred to as the BIG SIX. These leaders were J.B Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah, Obetsebi Lamptey, Akuffo Addo, William Ofori Atta and Ako Adjei.
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Workers were warned not to cause any trouble. In the cause of the riots however, two policemen were shot dead. On January 21st 1950, Nkrumah and other leading C.P.P members including Kojo Botsio and K.A. Gbedemah were imprisoned at the James Fort Prison, Accra, on charges arising from pursuing what was termed as "Positive Action"
Kwame Nkrumah in June 1953 submitted proposals for a new constitution. It was upon those that the April 1954 constitution was introduced making the country virtually self-governing. This new constitution provided for an All-African cabinet from an enlarged legislature. A general election followed in June 1954 from which the C.P.P won
country in Africa, South of the Sahara to regain independence from colonial rule. A new chapter was opened in the history of Ghana. On the eve of Ghana’s independence, Kwame Nkrumah (then Prime Minister) proclaimed at the old Polo Grounds in Accra: "At long last, the battle has ended and Ghana, our beloved country is free forever."
against the Government. The imprisonment of Nkrumah made him a hero and martyr in the eyes of the people. In 1951, the pace was set for general elections. Kwame Nkrumah was in prison when the elections were conducted. He overwhelmingly won the elections and was released by the then Governor, Sir Charles Noble Arden-Clark to head the new government. This however became the British Colony’s first African government. In March 1952, Kwame Nkrumah was designated Prime Minister. He was to appoint a cabinet, which was not to be responsible to the Governor but the Assembly.
79 out of the 104 seats of the National Assembly. In 1956, another election was held in response to a pledge by the British Secretary of State for the colonies that if the newly elected legislature, by a reasonable majority, passed a resolution calling for independence; a firm date for the changeover would be announced. C.P.P won 71 out of the 104 contested seats. The British Mandated Togoland also held a plebiscite to join the Gold Coast. This action opened the way for Ghana’s Independence and on 6th March, 1957, the curtain was drawn on the old order. The country emerged as the first
Ghana spearheaded the political liberation of colonized Africa from the very first day of her Independence. Dr. Nkrumah championed the cause of African Unity which let to the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU). Ghana became a sovereign member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement
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First Republic: On 1st July 1960 Ghana became a Republic In 1966, the Ghana Armed Forces and Police led by Lt. Col. E. K. Kotoka and Maj. A. A. Afrifa overthrew Nkrumah’s administration and the first RepubINTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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lican Constitution of Ghana. A National Liberation Council (NLC) took office, headed by a retired army officer, General J. A. Ankrah. Lt. General A. A. Afrifa, in 1969, succeeded General Ankrah as the Chairman of the NLC.
Second Republic: Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia’s Progress Party (PP) took over from the NLC by winning the 1969 elections. The Progress Party Administration with Dr. Busia as Prime Minister and former Chief Justice Edward Akuffo Addo, one of the Big Six as President, was overthrown by a military coup in 1972 led by the then Col. I. K. Acheampong. He formed and chaired a military junta, the National Redemption Council (NRC). General I. K. Acheampong became the Head of State and
Chairman of the NRC. The name NRC was later changed to the Supreme Military Council (SMC). General F.W.K. Akuffo replaced General Acheampong in a palace coup in July 1978.
Third Republic: The SMC II was overthrown on 4th June 1979 through a mutiny by some officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces who established an Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) with Fit. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings as Chairman and Head of State. The AFRC was in office for only three months. On 24th September 1979, the AFRC handed over power to Dr. Hilla Limann leader of the People’s National Party (PNP) which won the 1979 elections. The Limann administration and the Third Republican
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• •
Ghana is a sub-saharan african country Population: 23.800m (2009) 24 million (2010) • Population growth annual: 2.4 • GDP: 26.2 billion USD • GDP per capita: 1,098 USD • GDP growth annual: 4.7 USD • Life expectancy total year: 63.4 at birth • Infant mortality rate: ( per 1,000 births ) 51.3 • Literacy rate, youth: (female ages 15 – 24 78.9 • Prevalence of hiv/aids ages 15 – 49 5.4 (2007) Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank website) • Total land area: (92456 sq m) (239460 sq km) • Independence: March 1957 • Ghana has ten (10) administrative regions • Ghana has 170 districts • District assemblies are the political authorities • Ghana has 230 electoral constituencies • Ghana has had five successful elections since 1992 • Ghana is an island of english speaking country in the ocean of francophone nations: (Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east, Cote D’ivore in the west and the Atlantic ocean in the south)
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Constitution of Ghana were overthrown in yet another military coup in Ghana’s post Independence history in 1981. The coup was led by Flt. Lt. Rawlings who again became Head of State and Chairman of a Provisional National Defence Council, (PNDC) which he established. The PNDC ruled Ghana from 31st December 1981 to 7th January 1993. A combination of internal and international pressure factors led to a return to constitutional multiparty democratic rule in 1993. In the Presidential election held on November 3rd 1992 Flt. Lt. Rawlings contested on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and beat eminent African historian and human rights activist Prof. Albert Adu Boahen, the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, into second place. In the Parliamentary elections the Progressive Alliance, made up of the National Democratic Congress, the National Convention Party and the Eagle Party won 198 seats out of the total of 200. Four other parties, the NPP, PNC, NIP and PHP
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boycotted the parliamentary elections on account of dissatisfaction with the electoral arrangements.
Fourth Republic: The Fourth Republic was inaugurated on January 7th 1993 with the swearing in of H. E. Flt. Lt. Rawlings as President and his running mate, Mr. Kow Nkensen Arkaah as Vice President. On December 7th 1996, Flt. Lt. Rawlings was re-elected for a second fouryear term as a President, with Prof. John Evans Atta Mills as his running mate. In the 1996 elections, President Rawlings beat Mr. J. A. Kufuor of the NPP to second place. In the Parliamentary elections, the NDC won 133 seats, the NPP 61 seats, PCP 5 seats and PNC 1 seat.
Kufuor Wins Terms In Office:
Two
In the third Presidential and Parliamentary elections of the Republic, held on December 7th 2000, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won 100 seats while the National Democratic Party (NDC) obtained 92 seats. The People’s National Convention
(PNC) obtained 3 seats, independent candidates 4 seats and Convention People’s Party (CPP) 1 seat. In the Presidential elections, none of the seven candidates had 50% plus one vote as required under the Constitution. Thus in the Presidential run-off on December 28th, 2000, between the two candidates with the highest votes, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor (NPP) emerged the winner with 56.90% of the valid votes cast while Professor John Evans AttaMills of the (NDC) had 43.10%. In December 2004 President John Agyekum Kufuor won a second and final four-year term as President of Ghana.
John Evans Atta Mills wins 2008 elections Professor John Evans Atta Mills (born 21 July 1944) who is currently the President of the Republic of Ghana won the Forth Presidential and Parliamentary elections of the Republic, on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, hav-
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ing defeated the ruling party candidate N a n a Akufo-Addo by 50.23%–49.77% in the 2008 election. None of the seven candidates in the 2008 Presidential elections did have 50% plus one vote as required by the Constitution. The Presidential run-off which was a straight contest between Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the NDC and Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP held on December 28th 2008 could not also produce a clear winner until Tain Constituency decided and Professor Mills emerged as the Presidentelect. Professor Mills was Vice-President from 1997 to 2001 under President Jerry Rawlings, and he stood unsuccessfully in the 2000
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peaceful election. A respected communication expert, historian, and writer, Mahama was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009 and Minister of Communications from 1998 to 2001.
Decentralisation: and 2004 presidential elections as the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He died in Office on July 24, 2012.
John Dramani Mahama (Born 29 November 1958) has been President of Ghana since July 2012. He was the Vice President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012, and he took office as President on 24 July 2012 following the death of his predecessor, President John Atta Mills. He was elected to serve his first term as president in December 2012 following a
Vital to this evolutionary, if checkered, process is the decentralization of power to regional, district, local and unit levels across the country. There are 138 district administrative set ups and assemblies. The districts are administered by assemblies of directly elected and appointed members. District Chief Executives (DCE’s) who head the assemblies are appointed by the incumbent President and approved by the District Assembly. *****Source, Ghana Government Portal http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/aboutghana/ghana-at-a-glance/1237-know-moreabout-ghana
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P-Square are a Nigerian R&B duo composed of identical twin brothers Peter and Paul Okoye. They produce and release their albums through Square Records. In December 2011, they were also signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik label. In May 2012, they also signed a record distribution deal with Universal Music South Africa. 106 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 114 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
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The story of P-Square began in St. Murumba secondary school, a small Catholic school in Jos, Nigeria. Identical twins Peter and Paul joined their school music and drama club where they b e g a n singing, dancing, and mimicing songs by MC Hammer, Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson. They later formed an a cappella quartet called "MMMPP" (M Clef a.k.a. Itemoh, Michael, Melvin, Peter and Paul). Drawing inspiration from their music idol Michael Jackson, they began break dancing, formed the group called "Smooth Criminals" in 1997.They dropped M Clef from the group "MMMPP" which later was changed to "MMPP". Their artistic talent and precise dance routine soon made them household names in the city of Jos, where they performed at
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school functions and other occasions. Later in 1999, Peter and Paul returned to music school to develop their skills on keyboard,
drums, bass and rhythm guitar. Their work includes the soundtracks for a number of films like Tobi, Mama Sunday, Moment of Bitterness and Evas Later in 1999, they applied to the University of Abuja to study Business Administration. The Smooth Criminals disbanded when its members left to various other universities. Subsequently Peter and Paul formed their own group, variously called "Double P", "P&P", and "Da Pees", until they eventually settled on "P Square". They are managed by Bayo Odusami aka Howie T, a seasoned concert promoter and the CEO of Adrot Nigeria Limited. In 2001, "PSquare" won the "Grab Da Mic" competition, and hence Benson & Hedges sponsored their debut album, titled Last Nite, which was released under Timbuk2 music
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label. P-Square was also nominated as "Most Promising African Group" in the Kora Awards three months after the release of their debut album. They eventually won the 2003 Amen Award for "Best R&B Group". In 2005, P Square released their second album, Get Squared under their own label, Square Records. This album was marketed nationwide by TJoe Enterprises, although they were still managed by Howie T of Adrot Nigeria Limited. The video for the second album held the #1 position on the MTV Base chart for four straight weeks. They have an ever growing fan base across South Africa with a particular stronghold of diehard fans in Cape Town. The group has performed alongside the following international artists like Ginuwine, Sean Paul, Akon and Busola Keshiro. The members of P Square are now located in Lagos.
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Late in 2007, they released their best selling album so far, Game Over. It has sold 8 million copies worldwide. In 2009, P-Square released their fourth studio album, Danger . The album features collaborations with 2face Idibia, J Martins and Frenzy. The first single called "Danger" is a hip hop song with cutting synths and a frog bass baseline similar to an Eminem song. The video affirms this with the presence of clowns and staggered movements in front of the camera reminiscent of comical videos by Eminem They are also known for the close resemblance which the twins have to American R&B Superstar, Usher Raymond. On 4 April 2010, P-Square was named the Artist of the Year at the KORA All Africa Music Awards in Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso while they were in London for a Concert at the Troxy, and they will receive a whopping sum of $1 Million Dollars as the Award Winners, in Ebebiyin City. Albums 2003: Last Nite 2005: Get Squared 2007: Game Over 2009: Danger 2011: The Invasion International singles 2009 / 2012: "E No Easy" (P-Square feat. J. Martins) 2012: "Positif" (Matt Houston feat. P-Square) 2012: "Chop My Money (I Don't Care)" 2012: Alingo
Won 2006 Hip Hop World Awards Best R&B Album (Get Squared) Best Music Video (Get Squared) Album of the Year Get Squared) Song of the Year ("Bizzy Body") 2006 City Mag 9th Awards Show Best Hip Hop Group 2006 Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) Album of the year (Get Squared) Music Video of the year (Get Squared) 2007 Channel O Music Video Awards- Best Duo or Group 2008 Channel O Music Video Awards Best Duo or Group Video of the Year ("Do Me") MTV Africa Music Awards 2008 Best Group MTV Africa Music Awards 2009Best Group 2010 KORA Awards - Artiste of the Year 2010 LIL PERRY PRODUCTIONS Producer of the Year 2012 Channel O Music Video Awards - Best Duo, Group or Featuring Music Video ("Chop My Money" with Akon and May D) Nominated BET Awards 2010 - Best International Act KORA Awards 2003 - Most Promising African Group (Nominated) MOBO Awards 2006 - Best African Act MOBO Awards 2008 - Best African Act * MTV AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS- 2008
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AFRICA'S ARTISTE OF THE YEAR 2013 Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun popularly known as WIZKID was born on July 16, 1990 in Surulere Lagos. He comes from a large family, and is the last of six children. He started his musical career in the church at the young age of 11 with the release 110 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
of a 7 track album in the year 2000 under the label of the of OJB Jezreel one of the most celebrated music producers in Nigeria. When he began his musical career, Ayodeji used the name "Lil Prinz" but changed his stage name to WIZ-
KID at the age of 17 in 2006 when he began to gain stardom and national acclaim. The debut album was well received by Ayo's family, friends, other artists and the church. He went back to the studio thereafter to perfect his
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skills and develop his talent. by 2006 when he took on the stage name WIZKID he was much more matured musically and started working with some of the big names in Nigeria's musical landscape like Neto C and Ikechukwu. His music has continued to enjoy sustained radio plays since 2006 while he continued to enjoy collaboration with the existing big names in the industry. WIZKID's major break in the Nigerian music industry came in 2009 with his collaboration with one of Nigeria's best rappers MI Abaga on the "Fast Money Fast Cars" track which drew major a ention to WIZKID's sultry voice, engaging stage personae and unique swagger and style. WIZKID is also a song writer and writes most of his songs. He has also been featured in several TV commercials the most recent was the PEPSI 2011 advert where he featured alongside female super star TIWA SAVAGE. He also featured in the TV commercial "Turn by Turn" by KEL's . 1n 2009 he signed a multi million naira deal with Nigerian leading R & B artist, producer and manager- the versatile Banky W who owns the Empire mates Entertainment 9EME) recording label. WIZKID has continued to release hit songs with EME records since 2009 and he presently enjoys stardom all over Africa and INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
SPRING 2014
amongst Africans all over the diaspora. He has performed internationally with renowned artists like Chris Brown, Sunny Ade, Akon, Kardinal oďŹƒcial, Young Jeezy etc. The release of his hit singles," Do't Dull", "Holla at your boy" and "Tease me" in 2010 conďŹ rmed WIZKID as a Nigerian musical star. After the release of his debut album "Super Star" in June 2011 WIZKID performed sold out concerts in Nigeria, the United States and in the United Kingdom. In 2012, Wizkid signed a one year endorsement deal with Pepsi, allegedly w o r t h $350,000 U.S dollars. He traveled to Beirut, Lebanon with Tiwa Savage for a Pepsi commercial shoot.On May 28, 2013, Premium Times reported that Wizkid signed a one year deal with MTN Nigeria. Moreover, the news source reported that Wizzy's Pepsi contract was renewed LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 111
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for another two years.On October 23, 2013, Bellanaija reported that Wizkid signed an endorsement deal with Guinness for the "Guinness World of More" concert. The concert was held at the Eko Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, 112 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
on November 3, 2013. His work and contributions to the Nigerian Music Industry has earned him several achievements, including a BET Awards, a MOBO Awards from two nominations, a Channel O Music Video Awards from six nominations, three Nigeria En-
tertainment Awards from eleven nominations, a Ghana Music Awards from two nominations, two Dynamix All Youth Awards from three nominations, two City People Entertainment Awards from 4 nominations, and a Future Awards, among others. In addition, he has been nominated three times at the MTV Europe Music Awards as well as four times at the World Music Awards. He was ranked 5th on Forbes and Channel O's 2013 list of the Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artists.In February 2014, Wizkid became the ďŹ rst ever Nigerian musician to have over 1 million followers on Twi er. Wizkid's most notable songs include "Holla at Your Boy", "Don't Dull", "Love My Baby", "Azonto", "Pakurumo", "Tease Me/Bad Guys", "Dance For Me" with EME, and "Jaiye Jaiye", "Caro" among others. His discography resume includes collaboration with international and domestic acts such as Bracket,Angel[, Lynxxx, Iyanya,Wande Coal, Ice Prince, R2Bees, Wale, Young Jeezy, Akon, and Femi Kuti,] among others. Wizkid's debut album Superstar was released in 2011, He is currently working on Chosen, his second studio album scheduled to be release in 2014
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The Azonto Craze… By Grace Neequaye Features Editor, Life and Times
“Move to the left, to the right and watch me freeze…Azonto!”1 Azonto is one of the hottest dance movements to hit parties, clubs, dance halls, the streets and even churches. The distinct movements accompanied by a pulsating beat, keeps Azonto lovers grooving for hours on end. It is indeed quite a sight to see a room full of people jerking to the beat. Azonto originated from the streets of Jamestown, Bukom and Chokor in Accra, Ghana. At its onset, it was a communicative dance which described various professions. The movements of the dance mimicked the profes116 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
sions, letting the audience know a person’s trade. For example a carpenter would mimic activities such as hammering, sawing, etc. This dance form was called Apaa, meaning work in the Ga language. As its popularity grew, high school students started displaying Azonto during competitions at their entertainment night where the best Azonto dancer was often crowned by the end of the night based on creativity and audience connection. In this manner, the Azonto fever was quickly dispersed throughout Ghana, as more high school students added their own twist to the dance and competitions continued. At the same time, young musicians started developing beats that matched the specific nature of the dance and before long, a movement was born. Along with the music and dance, Azonto is danced with
humor and a swag representative of a new generation of musicians and artists in the 21st century. Azonto has expanded outside of the streets and high schools and has become an integral part of the dance scene. Like many other African dances, Azonto is also used for courting.
What is Azonto? Azonto is a total body dance form. Often times, the arms and legs are kept in constant motion while demonstrating everyday movements, along with hip movements that are typical in African dance. The dance can be incorporated into any setting and any culture, providing a versatility that has allowed different countries to adapt it to suit their own movements. Facial expressions during an Azonto further add to the humor of the dance form. Azonto INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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can be danced in clusters/groups or by couples. Trendsetters and popular artists of Azonto include Samini, E.L., Gasmilla, Sarkodie, Fuse ODG, Guru, Tiffany, and WizKid. Some of their biggest hits include Azonto by Fuse featuring Tiffany, You go kill me by Sarkodie featuring E.L, Obuu Mo by E.L., Lapaz Toyota by Guru, Yenko Nkoaa by Eduwoji featuring Stay J, and Aboodatoi by Gasmilla. Many of the songs are in local languages, though some of the most popular ones including Azonto is in English.
Azonto Popularity The world was introduced to Azonto when Asamoah Gyan gleefully did a little dance after scoring during the 2010 World Cup. This was part of his signature celebration and was dubbed “Asamoah Dance”. Since then, hundreds of YouTube® videos have been uploaded, websites have been created and the world has been doing the Azonto. Artists such as Chris Brown and Keri Hilson have been videoed gyrating their hips and working Azonto moves at recent concerts. In Chris Brown’s video for his latest song Fine China, he mentions incorporating some Azonto moves which he learned during his recent visit to Ghana.
Global Presence Azonto has become one of the most widely recognized dance forms especially among Africans in Africa and also in the Diaspora. It has quickly spread around the world with eager new
learners who want to be in the know. Video tutorials have been it easier to learn the movements in the comfort of one’s home, though dance floor lessons are also very popular. In this age of smart phones, cameras and high speed internet, new music and videos are quickly shared around the world. As more Africans have made homes all around the globe, it has been easy for Azonto to be well placed in all corners of the world. With a booming music industry in Africa, new studios have allowed for fresh blood and new creative ideas to be incorporated in the new movement. In some parts of Europe where there is a strong African presence, Azonto, along with other African music collectively considered “Afrobeats” can be heard on mainstream radio programs and on shows such as “Britain’s Got Talent”.
dancing Azonto so what is Alingo?” Additionally during an interview on 106 & Park, Chris Brown credited Nigerian artist WizKid for teaching him how to dance Azonto, sparking discussions that he should have at least also mentioned that Azonto is from Ghana and not Nigeria as implied. Music and dance have always an integral part of African culture. Azonto’s success is evidence that Africa has a place in the global world of Arts and Entertainment. There is no doubt that the creative minds of Azonto will continue to produce quality work that will continue to shake up the world of music and dance.
Controversy
Sources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/se p/03/ghana-azonto-dance-craze-world http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azonto http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa18495493 http://www.modernghana.com/news/3696 04/1/ghanas-azonto-dance-craze-goesglobal.html http://africaposts.wordpress.com/2012/01/ 02/ghanas-azonto-dance-goes-global/ http://diasporaw.net/2013/06/05/azontofestival-to-shake-ghana/ http://www.averysegal.com/azonto/ http://entertainment.myjoyonline.com/pag es/news/201303/102648.php http://www.azonto233.com/music_videos. php http://ghanamagazine.com/lists/top-10azonto-songs/#.Ucrdsrnn_0c
Like other movements, Azonto has not been without controversy. Ghanaian artists including Samini have expressed displeasure about P-Square’s Alingo, saying that the moves shown in the music video are actually Azonto moves. Samini has recorded a song using Alingo in the background with lyrics such as “The name sounds like Azonto, the dance kinda looks like Azonto so try show me what I don’t know…I see that you
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Religion and Spiritual Affairs
Enemies Of Marriage: How to fortify yours against them
A man was crying over a gravestone saying “why did you die? why did you die?” Another man questioned him. “Did your mother die?” “No”. “Your father?” “No”. But the man continued to weep profusely “why did you die?” “Well, who died?” He answered: “This was my wife’s first husband.” For many couples, it has come to that. They daily regret and lament their decision to marry their mate. The marriage is a horror movie playing out in real time! A deceased Christian had the following written on his gravestone: “Beneath these stones do lie. Back to back, my wife and I. When the last trumpet the air shall fill, if she gets up, I’ll just lie still.” Wow! This Christian was willing to forfeit the resurrection in order to avoid any further co-habi118 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
tation or interaction with his earthly spouse! Spouses who are still alive and can’t bear the nightmare of what they call marriage bail out through divorce. Someone said “Love the quest, marriage the conquest, divorce the inquest.” Today, love quests that matured into marriage conquests are ending in bitter and sordid divorce “inquests”. If this article succeeds in helping your marriage to avoid becoming part of the “inquest” statistics, it has accomplished one of its primary objectives. I hope it does! Do you know that among Americans who have said their wedding vows, one out of three have been divorced at least once? George Barna, who directed a study on this, noted that Americans have grown comfortable with divorce as a natural part of life:
“There no longer seems to be much of a stigma attached to divorce; it is now seen as an unavoidable rite of passage. Interviews with young adults suggest that they want their initial marriage to last, but are not particularly optimistic about that possibility. There is also evidence that many young people are moving toward embracing the idea of serial marriage, in which a person gets married two or three times, seeking a different partner for each phase of their adult life.”
You will agree with me that this prognosis is grim and scary. However, your marriage does not have to help fulfill it. You can literally inoculate yours against the enemies of marriage.
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Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese warrior, wrote in his classic The Art of War, “if you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.” Of course, it is obvious that if you know neither yourself nor the enemy, you have lost the battle even before it starts! I have identified below some of the enemies of marriage and what you should know about yourself so that you may make changes that’ll help fortify yours against these enemies.
Enemy Number One:
Lack of unshakable foundation. Many Hollywood marriages are built on the foundation of beauty, money, success and fame. These are defective foundations. They are shifting and sinking sand. Therefore the marriages collapse fast. Have you asked yourself: What is the foundation of my marriage? If it is built on “sand”, then when the wind of life begins to blow and the rains of life begin to fall and the flood of life begins to beat against it, it will crumble, but, if it is built on the “rock”, it will stand. There was a shipwreck and a young boy was the only survivor. He had struggled against the waves to swim to a rock he saw not too far away from him. He held onto the rock for three days until he was rescued. When asked whether he was not afraid being alone day and night in open sea for three days, he INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
Enemy Number Two:
Lack of allowances for daily irritations.
Have you asked yourself: What is the foundation of my marriage? replied, “I never stopped shaking since I bear-hugged the rock, but the rock itself did not shake.” There is another rock the bible talks about. He is called the Rock of Ages- He is an unshakeable Shaker, unbreakable Breaker, and Immovable Mover. His name is Jesus Christ. When a marriage is built on this Rock, it has acquired an unshakeable, unbreakable and immovable foundation. All that the couple needs to do is take marching orders from the Rock. His manual is the Bible. It explains their roles and offers guidance on how to fulfill them. What is more? The Rock is also the One who empowers and enables them to obey these marching orders! Remember, it does not matter how gorgeous, luxurious and expensive a mansion is, if its foundation is defective, it’ll come crashing down. It’s not a matter of “whether’, it’s a matter of “when”. Lack of an unshakeable foundation is an enemy of marriage. Is yours fortified against it?
A couple had been married for fifteen years and is now having more than the usual disagreements. The wife came up with the idea of creating a Fault Box in which both will drop daily notes of irritable habits of the other spouse. At the end of the month, they’ll examine the notes, apologize to each other and cease their irritable habits. So, she diligently dropped off into the box notes of daily irritations: leaving the jelly top off the jar, wet towels on the shower floor, dirty socks not in the hamper and on and on. At the end of the month, after dinner, they opened the Fault Box and the wife began to read out her notes of what irritated her daily during the month. The husband apologized and promised to make amends. Now it was her turn. She noticed a lot of notes were also there but all of them have the same message, “I love you”! The instruction from the Rock in Colossians 3:13 says you must make allowances for each other’s faults… He also says you should always cut your spouse some slack and accept them the way He The Rock has accepted you: John 6:37: “The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them”. God says “I just love you, period! Not because of what you do! ” Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable. Not that we changed. He simply says “because of me, you are acceptable to God”. Accept your spouse as God has accepted youunconditionally. Until they over-
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come their irritable habits, accept them. It does not mean you approve of these irritations. It simply means you are obeying the marching orders of the Rock and by so doing you are fortifying your marriage against this enemy number two. Lack of making allowances for your spouse’s daily irritations is an enemy of marriage. Is yours fortified against it?
Enemy Number
Three: Lack of loving acts Love is not an emotion because emotions cannot be commanded at will. For example you cannot command someone to cry or to be happy or be sorrowful. These are emotions and often uncontrollable. Commanding someone “don’t worry, be happy”, won’t cut it for a grieving spouse. It is a myth that you can “fall in love” the way you uncontrollably, accidentally fall into a ditch! Love can cause strong emotions but is itself not an emotion. Love is more than sentimentality. More than arousal. More than attraction. Love is a behavior. Love is action. Love is a commitment you make to do something. You make a decision to love or not to love. That is why God commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves and the husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her. 1 John 3:18 says “Let us love not with words but with action and in truth”. Acting in love when your spouse does not deserve it is acting like God who loves you and acts in love towards you when you don’t deserve it. It is the highest form of love. When your 120 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
spouse is being nasty, you act back in love not because that’s what she deserves but because love is what she needs and that’s what you’re giving her. Maybe you feel so abused by your spouse that you have lost all feelings of love and you are contemplating a divorce. Hold it: there was a woman who had lost all feelings of love for her husband. She hated her husband and wanted to hurt him all she can. Her psychiatrist advised her that the best way to accomplish this goal is to act in extremely loving way towards him, showing him unusual kindness, showering him with compliments and doing stuff for him that he loves- without expecting any appreciation in return! When he’s used to all these and he’s become fully dependent on her, having enjoyed her company greatly, he would do anything to not let her go. Then bam! She will file for divorce. “That will shatter him completely” said the psychiatrist. “He would not be able to bear the thought of losing you” he concluded. So the lady went and did all she was told to the best of her ability. She really excelled at them because she wanted him to really
hurt at her departure when the time comes. On her return date of appointment with her psychiatrist, he asked her, “so how did it go?”. She said the marriage is great now and the husband is so happy and in high spirit. “Great”, said the psychiatrist. “Now go and file the divorce papers”. “Never” she shouted indignantly, my husband and I are having the fun of our lives in this marriage. I love my husband dearly!” Feelings of love follow acts of love. You don’t need divorce. You need to start acting in love. Not acting in love in your marriage will rob you of loving feelings for your spouse. It can cause you to say “I don’t love him/her anymore”. It is an enemy of marriage. Is yours fortified against it? (To be continued) Oladipo Kalejaiye holds a Ph.D degree in law and was a litigation attorney in Nigeria, Europe and the United States for over 17 years. He entered into full time ministry in year 2000, and currently serves as the pastor of International Christian Center, Los Angeles ( You can contact him on the web: www.iccla.com, Facebook: iccla/facebook, Twitter: @DipoKalejaiye)
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I first visited Yankari as a starry eyed 19 year old University Student late in the 1980s. I was enchanted by the untouched beauty of the state and fell in love with the fabled Yankari Games Reserve. Its pristine beauty, the lush savannah, the playful baboons that snatched the purse of one of the female students in our excursion party and the wikki warm spring all enamored me to Yankari. I saw lions, elephants, baboons, antelopes, birds, crocodiles idling by the river and several exotic species of animals and plants. I was also amazed by the sheer size of Yankari - we drove for miles and miles. Yankari is a 22244 square kilometer eden. When I returned to Yankari in June 2014 on the invitation of the Bauchi State Government to observe its tourism potentials with the aim of drawing up a plan to help the State attract
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international tourists , I was amazed at its beautiful transformation. The earth road we had traveled from the Bauchi Gombe Road into the reserve has given way to an ultra-modern highway leading straight into the Reserve. The accommodations had been upgraded to international standards- with luxury chalets, swimming pools, and excellent service. I also visited the newly completed International airport that is connected by an excellent highway to Yankari. Message: Bauchi-the pearl of Tourism is ready for International visitors. The amazing transformation of Yankari exemplifies the style of the Mallam (Dr.) Isa Yuguda's administration in the almost 8 years he has served as a two term Executive Governor of Bauchi State. The administration has adopted a fiscally lean policy that has enabled it achieve so much despite the dwindling resources that trickle down to the State from the Nigerian federation account. The vision of the Yuguda administration therefore was to wean the state gradually from overdependence on federal allocation coming from Abuja by developing and harnessing the immense potentials of the State in Tourism, Agriculture, solid mineral deposits etc. Despite the above mentioned limitations, the Yuguda administration in 8 years has achieved so many successes: construction of the Tafawa Balewa International Airport, establishment of a
State University with two campuses, construction of a 300 bed specialist hospital, revamping of the state’s tourism destinations, as well as giant strides in education with emphasis on teachers’ professional development. The featured interview which I conducted on the Governor is a study in dedication to the people he was elected to serve. This inaugural INTERNATIONAL EDITION of LIFE AND TIMES, also brings you stories that have made our headlines in the recent past: Chika UnigweExploring the depths of the Human Condition, Lara Okunubi- Compassion without Border, and the inspirational story of Jelani Aliyu- the designer of the Chevy Volt. There is also your favorite PEOPLE AND PLACES event pages and all the other staples you have come to expect from LIFE and TIMES. As we celebrate our 4th Anniversary FIESTA, and launch our INTERNATIONAL EDITION and online newspaper, we want to thank for your continued support that has given this dream and vision the altitude it has today. Best Wishes,
V{|~x aãx~x Publisher/CEO
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Contents 3.
From The Desk Of The Publisher
8.
Cover Profile: Governor Isa Yuguda — An enduring Legacy.
20.
Profile In Excellence: Chika Unigwe- Exploring the Depths of the Human condition
24.
Profile In Excellence: Jelani Aliyu-General Motors, Designer of Volt
28.
People And Place: Victoria Weds Tayo
40.
People And Place: Association of Nigerian Physicians in America, 20th Anniversary Gala
53.
Beauty of the Moment: Simi Ogunleye
54.
People And Place: IZUNNA EWUDO- On the rise!
58.
People And Places: IJAW FOUNDATION 2014 CONVENTION
8
22
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54 71.
Subscriptions
72.
Profile In Excellence: LARA OKUNUBI- Compassion without borders
78.
Youth: Mark Amaza — Reintroducing Northern Nigeria
82.
Health: Beware of Fruits by DR. OLUFEMI SALIU
86.
People And Places: Spotlight on Lagos State —The heartbeat of Nigeria
90.
Business And Finance: SPOTLIGHT ON UBA
92.
Fashion And Style: Sumahrie Collections
98.
Spotlight: Ghana- A Golden Experience
106. Arts & Entertainment: The P-Square Phenomenon 110. Arts & Entertainment: WizKid 116. Arts & Entertainment: The Azonto Craze 118. Religion and Spiritual Affairs: Enemies Of Marriage
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LIFE AND TIMES MAGAZINE is published by Life and Times Network Inc. a publishing and Public Relations Company, 7095 Hollywood Blvd, #485 Hollywood CA 90028 Tel: +1-424-204-2703 Fax: 310-626-9754, Email: mail@lifeandtimesmagazine.com, lifetimenet@gmail.com, www.lifeandtimesmagazine.com
COMPANY BOARD CEO/Publisher: Chike Nweke MEMBERS: Dan Musa, Ph.D Lara Okunubi Ebere Anakwenze Clem Ainabe, Ph.D Arthur Abraham, JP Halilu Haruna, CEA Joachim 'Joe' Nwude, JD Amaka Akudinobi, Esq Frank Oti Joe Oduoza Umar Baba Eugene Edoga, LLD (Head, Abuja-Nigeria Bureau) Arinze Egbuna (Regional Director-NE,U.S.A) Iruka Udeagha Ndubuizu (Director S.E, U.S.A) EDITORIAL BOARD Chair, Clem Ainabe, Ph.D Deputy Chair, Jude Akudinobi, Ph.D Executive Editor: Arthur Abraham Correspondents: Chinyere Ifeacho Osayande Aghazebamwan Stella Johnson Yemi Abiodun Tommy Musa
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COLUMNISTS Dr. Dipo Kalejaiye- Religion Victor Onwaeze Esq- Law Dr. Olufemi Saliu- Health Nkem DenChukwu- Life's issues Chris Abili- News and Politics Ijeoma Nwawka- Youth Photographers: Devere Wheatfall Ade James Frank Osaemeka Kingsley Nwamadu Uju Anokwute
MARKETING/ADVERTISING Jude "Majid" Nwosu, MBA
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Cover Story PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE
CHIKA UNIGWE
Photo Credit: Claudia Gianvenuti
Exploring the depths of the human condition... Credit for the inside photos: Claudia Gianvenuti
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Chika Unigwe is from Osumenyi, Nnewi South LGA, Anambra State. She was born the sixth child of seven children and raised in Enugu, Nigeria. She holds a BA in English Language and Literature from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and an MA from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. She also holds a PhD from the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, having completed a thesis entitled “In the
shadow of Ala. Igbo women writing as an act of righting” in 2004. Chika Unigwe is the author of fiction, poetry, articles and educational material. She won the 2003 BBC Short Story Competition for her story “Borrowed Smile”, a Commonwealth Short Story Award for “Weathered Smiles” and a Flemish literary prize for “De Smaak van Sneeuw”, her first short story written in Dutch. “The Secret”, another of her short pieces, was nominated for the NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2012 INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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2004 Caine Prize. She was shortlisted for the 2005 Caine Prize for African Writing award. She was the recipient of a 2007 Unesco-Aschberg fellowship for creative writing, and of a 2009 Rockefeller Foundation fellowship for creative writing. She has most recently, on November 1, 2012, won the 2012 Nigeria Prize for Literature and was longlisted for the 2012 Wole Soyinka Award. Chika Unigwe’s stories have been broadcast on BBC World Service, Radio Nigeria, and other Nation Radio Stations. Her first novel, De Feniks, was published in Dutch by Meulenhoff / Manteau in September 2005; it is the first book of fiction written by a Flemish author of African origin. The story, set in Turnhout, explores themes such as grief, illness and loneliness, subjects already touched upon in Unigwe’s earlier work. By featuring a central character who shares the novelist’s Afro-European background, the narrative also exposes some shortcomings of Belgian society, like its pervasive unwelcoming atmosphere and the superficiality of many of its inhabitants. Chika Unigwe published her second novel, On Black Sisters’ Street in 2009 (first released in Dutch under the NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 2012 INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
title Fata Morgana), a tale of choices and displacement set against the backdrop of the Antwerp prostitution scene. Her most recent novel is Night Dancer (Jonathan Cape, 2012) She was a city councilor in her city of Turnhout for the CD&V from 2006 to 2009 She lives with her husband and four children in Turnhout, Belgium. In an interview with Chike Nweke of Life and Times magazine, Chika talks about her life, her family and her goals for the future…
Q-Tell us a little bit about your family background... A-I am from Osumenyi, Nnewi South LGA, Anambra State. I was born the sixth
child of seven children and raised in Enugu, Nigeria. I have degrees from the University of Nigeria, the KU Leuven and a PhD from the University of Leiden. I am married with four children.
Q- How do you combine the demands of being a very busy writer with your role as wife and mother of four children? A- I have tried to structure my day so that I am better able to navigate both worlds. The children have strict bedtimes so I can switch off at a certain time and concentrate on me. I have a network of people who help me too when I need it. My parents-in-law babysit a lot for example. I have two different cleaners come in twice a week for 4 hrs each to clean; I pay to have the ironing done, sometimes so that I am not overwhelmed by housework. I also extend my day by waking up very early to write for a few hours (when the house is quiet, around 3 AM)
Q-How did you meet your husband and how supportive has he being to you as a writer? A-I met him at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, I was LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 9 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 21
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a student he was working as a research assistant. He is very supportive.
Q-What long term goals do you want to accomplish in your writing career? A-I want to write more books, better books
Q-Besides writing what are your other passions A-Reading, scrabble, music
Q-You are young and still have very many years ahead of you but when your work is done, how would you like Chika Unigwe to be remembered? A-As someone who did the best she could
Excerpts from Chika’s award winning novel: ~ On a Black sister’s street Sisi was a dream maker in silver and gold. These were not clothes she ever would have picked out for herself, not even for this job. The blouse hugged her intimately, sequined in silver. A gold-colored nylon skirt that showed
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her butt cheeks when she bent. Sisi felt like asking for a longer skirt. She felt naked, silver and gold nude. Long gold-plated earrings dangled from her ears and rested on her shoulders, thin strings of a setting sun. And on her lips, the rich red of tomato purée. Sisi walked in ahead of Madam to a surprisingly dark room. She had expected dazzling brightness. Lots of glitter and shine. Psyche delic balls of light. The café was dimly lit, and it took a few seconds for Sisi to get used to the dimness. It had a dark wooden interior, a wooden ceiling with blue, red, and orange spotlights arranged in the shape of a huge star that spanned the width of the
room, with six other stars inside it, each one smaller in size than the one preceding it, like a matryoshka. At first all Sisi saw was a cloud of smoke rising up to meet the lights. It was as if she had walked off the earth and stumbled into the clouds, with stars in every conceivable color. “Hello, beautiful.” The man in the striped shirt grinned at her, gesturing her to an empty chair beside him. “What’s your name?” “Eh?” “Name? Your name?” He spoke into her ear. “Sisi.” Sisi sat down and tried to regain her smile. She stretched her lips and parted them. Like a weak flame, the
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smile came, faltered, and died out. She was a woman sinking. Tears found their way to her eyes. She was not doing this because she liked it, she reminded herself. But she was here now, and there was no going back. She clenched her teeth and tried again to smile. Her lips, as if made out of straw, cracked, and the smile splintered. “See See? Beautiful name.” The man chuckled. “Beautiful name for beautiful lady. You want a drink? See See?” Sisi nodded. “Yes, a drink would be good. Something cold. Thank you.” The man returned with two bottles of Stella Artois. “Come, we sit at a table. My name is Dieter,” he said as he picked up his glass and took a sip. desirable. “You don’t talk much, do you, See See?” ‘No.’ Sisi shook her head. She struggled to smile, but the splinters rejected her attempts to make them whole, to bring them back to life. They disintegrated like baby ghosts floating about the room and finally disappearing into the gloom. “Your voice is beautiful. Like you,” Dieter told her, reaching across the table to touch her right cheek, his palm clammy. Sisi’s natural instinct was to shake it off, but in her new life common sense ruled over instinct, so she left it there. She tried to force herself to imagine that it
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was Peter’s palm, that she and Peter were married and had simply gone out for a drink. It did not work. Dieter’s hand slipped and moved to her neck. He ran his fingers down the outside of her neck, all the time muttering, “Beautiful. Beautiful.” His eyes bulged out, and shifting on his chair, he moved his hand to her breast, cup- ping each one in turn. I can’t do this, Sisi thought. She sat still, her glass of beer untouched before her, her heart heavy with a sadness that felt like rage. She could no longer make out which music was playing, as her ears were filled with the rush of a waterfall. In a men’s toilet with lavender toilet paper littering the floor, soggy (with urine?), and a shiny black toilet seat, Dieter pulled his trousers down to his ankles. A flash of white boxers. A penis thundering against them. A massive pink knob. Sisi gawked. Everything she had heard about the white man’s flaccidity, his penis as small as a nose (so that the greatest insult she could heap on an annoying schoolmate was that he had the penis of a white man), was smashed. He heaved and moaned; one hand tore at his boxers and the other at Sisi’s skirt. His breath warm against her neck, his hands pawing every bit of her; he licked her neck. Sisi
shut her eyes. Raising his head, he stuck his tongue into her ear. In. Out. In. Out. Eyes shut still, she tried to wriggle out of his embrace. She did not want to do this any- more. “I don’t need this. Stop!” she said. He held her close. Pushed her against the wall, his hands cupping her buttocks, and buried his head in her breasts. “Stop,” she shouted again. Eyes open, she saw his face, his mouth open and his jaws distended by an inner hunger. “Stop!” His moans swallowed her voice. His penis searched for a gap between her legs. Finding a warmth, he sighed, spluttered sperm that trickled down her legs like mucus, inaugurating Sisi into her new profession. She baptized herself into it with tears, hot and livid, down her cheeks, salty in her mouth, feeling intense pain wherever he touched, as if he were searing her with a razor blade that had just come out of a fire. Her nose filled with the stench of the room, and the stench filled her body and turned her stomach, and she did not care whether or not she threw up. But she did not. The revulsion stayed inside and expanded, and she felt a pain, a tingling, start in her toes. The pain that could not be contained began to spread out around her and rise, taking over everything else. Even the sound of her heartbeat.
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PROFILE Business IN EXCELLENCE
Jelani Aliyu Of General Motors, Designer Of The Chevy Volt 18 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 24 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
Jelani Aliyu, hails from Sokoto State, Nigeria and is General Motors Lead Exterior Designer and the designer of the Chevy Volt. General Motors is the world’s largest automobile maker. The car has been described as an American Revolution and hottest concept in the design line. Jelani was born in 1966 in Kaduna, to Alhaji Aliya Haidara and Sharifiya Hauwa’u Aliyu. The fifth of seven children, theirs is a very close-knit family. For him, it was an amazing experience growing up in Sokoto, surrounded by the rich culture of the people and the state
and enjoying excellent access to the latest and international information. From 1971 to 1978, he attended Capital School, Sokoto, an excellent school and this served as a very productive educational experience for him. In 1978, he gained admission into Federal Government College, Sokoto, from where he graduated in 1983 with an award as the best in Technical Drawing. Jelani was privileged to meet and make many good friends from all parts of the country and beyond during this time. He had tremendous encouragement and mentoring from his
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ings that would stay cool in a hot environment with little, or no artificial electrical air conditioning. Upon graduation from the polytechnic, Jelani worked for a while at the Ministry of Works, Sokoto.
Jelani Aliyu
family and friends and his creative art developthe ed. He drew a lot, designed his own cars, and even built scale models of them, complete with exteriors and interiors. After FGC, he got admission into the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study Architecture, but soon discovered that curriculum did not support his future vision and plans. After considering other institutions in Nigeria and their academic programmes, he concluded that only one of them had the study criteria that would support his future goals. The institution in
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which he chose to pursue his education was one he felt offered the best creative programmes and had experience that would give him the best foundation required to study Automobile Design abroad. That institution was the Birnin Kebbi Polytechnic. He was there from 1986 to 1988 and earned an associate degree in Architecture, with an award as Best All-Round Student. While there, he did some in depth research into home design and construction, looking into materials and structures that would be most compatible with our environment and climate; build-
In 1990, Aliyu moved to Detroit, Michigan to enroll at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit under a Sokoto Schorlarship board sponsorship.Having always wanted to study Automobile Design, this was a dream come true and an absolutely fascinating experience. The course was very practical and emphasis was put on creativity and the development of new designs to provide solutions . He received his degree in automobile design in 1994. In 1994 he began his career with the design staff of General Motors. He worked on the Buick Rendezvous and was the lead exterior designer of the Pontiac G6. He also worked on the Astra with General Motors’ Opel Division. With his brilliant work on the design of the Chevrolet Volt, which was unveiled in 2007, Jelani Aliyu is considered by many to be the super star of the General Motors renaissance. Parts of this article were published in, November 2010 by Naija Enterprise
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People and Places
Beautiful Victoria Ifunanya Agusi said I do to her heartthrob the urbane and handsome Omotayo Okaniawon Damola at a classy ceremony, in Los Angeles on March 30, 2013. The ceremony was held at the majestic 1st Congregational Church Downtown Los Angeles CA renowned for having the biggest pipe organ ensemble in the world and the reception was held at the Doubletree by Hilton Culver City California. It was a majestic, urbane and cultural event as guests attended the digniďŹ ed church service at a cathedral that was built by one of the best Gothic architects and draws crowds from around the world who come to savor the beautiful sounds of the imposing pipe organ. The classy reception was also a ďŹ ne fusion of western and Nigerian cultures. The following are pictures from LIFE and TIMES exclusive coverage of the event.
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ANPA 20 Anniversary th
At the Association of Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA) held its 20th Anniversary convention from July 17-20, 2014 at the Sheraton Anaheim resort in Anaheim CA. ANPA is the umbrella association of over 7,000 Nigerian born or trained Physicians in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Through its Annual conventions, medical missions and local chapter activities ANPA provides the forum for members to share their experiences and pool their expertise for a healthier Nigeria in a healthier world. Following is a photo essay of the 20th Anniversary beneďŹ t gala and the investiture of Dr. Nkem Ndiri Chukwumerije as the new ANPA President
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Sports Beauty of the Moment
BEAUTY OF THE MOMENT- Simi Ogunleye from Page 55, Spring 2013 edition
Contact: Timisola_95@yahoo.com INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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Professors leading the graduates to the ceremony
Izunna Receiving his diploma
Chief Okenwa shaking hands with Tyler
Izunna And Katy hugging
“I want to be a Pediatrician” heartily and confidently declared 17 year old Izunna Vincent Ewudo during a family meeting convened by his father to discuss his children’s career goals. Since then, Izunna has strived for excellence in his academic and personal life, making his family especially his father, Chief Okenwa D. Ewudo (Ozo Ugonwa) proud and elated to see all his efforts in raising a good and fruitful man come to pass. After moving to Corona in 2005, Izunna graduated from Centinela High School. While there, he was a disciplined and well-rounded student who took Advance Placement (AP) classes and was heavily involved in sports. He excelled in both, and at some point considered pursuing a career in sports. He, however decided to continue his path towards medicine and enrolled in the California State University Los Angeles. He graduated from CSULA with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science with an emphasis in Community Health. He was then accepted to Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science where he graduated with a Master’s of Science in Nursing (MSN) in May 2014. He will continue at Charles Drew University where he will
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study to be a Family Nurse Practitioner. Izunna’s achievements have not been limited to obtaining degrees. He has developed great leadership skills through his involvement with the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc where he has served as a Historian and Program Coordinator and served on the Western Region Health and Wellness Committee. He has also served as Vice President of the National Student Nursing Associations, Co-founder and Vice-President of the CDREW Chapter of American Assembly for Men in Nursing, Vice-President of the School of Nursing Student Government, Class President of his cohort and Co-founder and Treasurer of the Foundation of Community Empowerment, Leadership and Service. He is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the Nursing Honors Society. Izunna, with his family support, backing and disciplined upbringing is aware of all the sacrifices made to get him this far. He continues to pursue excellence while upholding his rich cultural heritage, and staying in line with the achievements of his father and forefathers.
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Izunna And Twin Brother Valentine
Happy Father Chief Okenwa Ewudo
Chief Okenwa and Son Valentine
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Happy Father Chief Okenwa Ewudo
Family and Guest
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Izunna with his large group of family and guests
Family: From the left, Brother: Charles, Brother: Valentine, Father: Chief Okenwa, Izunna, Sister: Queen, Mother: Marygrace
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People and Places
It was a gathering of all Ijaws in Houston Texas from May 9-11, 2014 at the 2014 convention of the organization.- Ijaw Foundation is the apex organization of all Ijaw Niger Delta Communities in the Diaspora – (The Americas, Europe , Asia, Australia and Africa). The occasion featured a review of the state of affairs of the Ijaw nation in the context of Nigerian politics and a continuation of the fundraiser for Ijaw stuents studying in Federal University, Otuoke. The University is the first Federal University in the heart of Ijaw land. Present at the occasion were ; Hon. Dakuku Adolphus Peterside, Member Federal House of Rep, Major Lancelot Anyanya(Rtd), Chairman, National Oil Sill Detection & Response Agency (NOSDRA), Prof. Bolaji Aluko, Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Otuoke, Lady Meg Agideee, National Financial Secretary, Ijaw National Congress, Mr. Meborn Noble, C.E.O, Julong Dredging Machinery, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, Mr. Stephen Strachan, Managing Partner, International Water Company, York, PA , Pastor Power Ziakede Aginighan, Former Acting Executive Director, NDDC. Dr. Ibikari Reggie Fubara, Special Assistant to the Federal Minister of Health. Barrister Ebikeme Bosin, Representing Elder G.P. Orubebe, Mr. Steve Benamaisia, Chairman, Ijaw National Congress, Europe Chapter, London, UK, Dr. Diepiriye Tariah, Secretary, Ijaw National Congress, Europe Chapter, London, UN, Ms. Rosetta Etemewei, Treasurer, Ijaw National Congress, Europe Chapter, London, UK, Hon. Sam Agwor and Hon. Boma Iyaye represented the Minister for Education - Hon. (Barr) Nyesome Wike and a host of other dignitaries and members of Ijaw Foundation from around the world.
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HOUSTON TEXAS, MAY 9-11, 2014
Ijaw
Foundation Convention
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Sports
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PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE Cover Story
Madam Lara Okunubi is intangibly alluring to many people in the community. Whether she is participating in a fundraiser, knocking doors in support of a political candidate, rooting for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, or hosting a weekly Friday Bible session with friends, she’s she does so with genuine enthusiasm. On Saturdays she’s at one function or the other supporting a community member and having a good time with friends. Sunday mornings finds Lady Okunubi at the door-step of her
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church as a Greeter, welcoming people into the sanctuary for service. Yet, this mother of four who runs two successful businesses (Monday through Saturdays) still finds time to undertake the charity of feeding the homeless on scheduled days. Chike Nweke, Publisher Life and Times Magazine sat down with Lady Okunubi to talk about "Compassion Without Border", a charity she founded and supports, her dreams for our Community and her hopes for Nigeria...
Q: Of all the volunteer work that you do which one are you most excited about? Ans: Without trivializing any of them I feel more privileged to be able to participate in the homeless outreach. For me it is not just about handing out a meal, it is about making each one of them feel like an individual, that they matter, that there’s hope for change even if they don’t see it now……that’s why we go to minister to their external needs, to let them know that
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PROFILE IN EXCELLENCE Cover Story
they are not forgotten. It’s a relationship I uphold with passion and steady commitment.
Q: You have been feeding the homeless for quite some time now, Why and how did you get started and what has kept you going for these past twelve (12) years? Ans: It was shocking for me to discover that there is homelessness and poverty in America, the supposed “land of milk and honey”. After interacting with some of the people on “skid row” and listening to their stories I realized how issues like anger, depression, hopelessness, low self-esteem can easily spiral into chronic stress, loss of confidence, mental illness, poverty and even homelessness, when there’s no
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support or intervention. They are not ordinary people, amongst them are veterans who have sacrificed their lives for others, some of them were professional at one point of their life and some are mothers with children. I grew up with this benign motive to contribute whenever there’s a need, whether it is money, time, ideas or resource. So, it is difficult for me to walk away from such provocative situation without the desire to want to be part of the solution. Anyone could fall into such predicament but for the endless Grace of God, so I am very appreciative of the privileges I have enjoyed in life. Do you know that there are 131,000 homeless people in California alone? The population has dropped by about 3.5% because some people are doing something about it.
The passion to engage in this outreach started in fulfillment of a college requirement for one of my children but it soon escalated into a project when I realized the magnitude of this crisis. We have encountered children, some people from Nigeria, Ghana and other foreign countries that came to America in search of a good life yet ended up in the homeless community. It hits home for me when I see these faces that the privileges I enjoy is not by power, hard-work or education but the mercy of God. So, why should I not lend a helping hand when much has been given to me and so little is expected? I am motivated to go on because I want to impact lives, to be that helping hand desperately needed, without condition or expectation, to spread the good news. We all do our share of good INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014 SPRING 2013
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deeds but it’s beyond that. It’s about having sincere irritation about things that are not right and could be done better. We have to make it count and meaningful. There are many situations that need community assistance and we cannot ignore them. Yes, you can’t be everything to everybody but we can do those simple things within our control. If we define your goals and desired outcome then identify the road map to get there, people and resource(not those that will criticize or discourage you). I tell my children “there are many ways to skin a cat” so do it your way as long as you get it done.
Q: Where do you presently get the funding for the work of "Compassion without Border"? Ans: Currently, it is funded with personal resources from Okunubi family, Ibraheem’s, Saliu’s, and Omotayo’s who are members of the executive committee and have adopted this project as part of their annual family budget. We get occasional support from other families and friends for example the Nweke’s, SPRING 2013EDITION SUMMER 2014 INTERNATIONAL
Aladesuru’s, Anakwenze’s, Fashola’s etc I want to seize this opportunity to thank all of our volunteers that made the work easier to accomplish. 1. Damilola, Busola, Folashade and Yemi Okunubi, 2. Ibukun, Tobi and Ife Ibraheem 3. Lolade, Femi and Fola Saliu 4. Hakeem, Christine and Rasheed Omotayo 5. Uche Nweke 6. Eze and Odera Anakwenze, 7. Rukayat Abdulraman 8. Sis Shade Aladesuru-Dosunmu, 9. Seun and Wahab 10. Elite Foundation - Mr. Sobowale, Fashola, Adebowale and Akinshilo The help of these families and dedicated volunteers have helped us to move from feeding 100 to over 500 people at a cost of $2 per person for each event. The people we feed are homeless they don’t have a kitchen so we have to serve hot meals. At every feeding event, many people leave disappointed because we ran out of food. So, we see a growing need and therefore motivated to do more
Q: What are your plans of reaching out to the larger community and corporate donors to help you in this onerous task that you have embarked on to help the homeless? Ans: Our strategic plan for 2014 is to feed 750 to 1000 people in Los Angeles and about 500 in Nigeria. But we also need tools to encourage entrepreneurship,
such as sewing machines, bicycles, money to purchase crops, beauty supplies, hygiene supplies, hair clippers for door-2door grooming service, etc. We have a team working on the cost and capacity of these needs which we hope to post on the website by December 2013 www.compassionwithoutborder.com to solicit for partnership. We will also host the traditional fundraiser or solicit support through some other creative ways.
Q: Where do you see "Compassion without Border" 10, 20, 50 years from now? Ans: The vision is to impact lives by creating a Support System that is sustainable and measurable. Some people need their hands held longer than the other so in addition to feeding millions of people, to teach apprenticeship to those who desire it and support those who have limited abilities with daily living skills. There are many people in Nigeria scavenging the dumpster for food or recyclable containers to convert to money. These kinds of people are trainable if a proper structure can be put in place. These are examples of lives we hope to impact in 10, 20 or more years. With adequate partnership, accountability and relentless focus we should not only have measurable results but also have success stories from those who have benefited from this program, then moving on to do the same for others, kind of a ripple effect if you like. & TIMES MAGAZINE LIFELIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 75 11
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The Book is Gold project initiated by Dr. Femi Saliu (President of CWB) and the Leadership Series sponsored by Dr. Laja Ibraheem(Treasurer of CWB)are some of the commitments we hope to see grow in the next 10, 20 years with adequate funding.
Q: How do people who are interested in the work of "Compassion without Border" join hands to support? Ans: Every act of generosity goes a long way, whether you are giving of your time, money, products or clothes. Our philosophy is if you’ve ever received help or an act of kindness from someone else turnaround and Pass-it-On! The need is real, the work is huge you cannot do it alone. Join us at www.compassionwithoutborder.com or start your own small group of making a difference.
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Q: You are involved in a lot of Community causes. You are a fervent believer and active within our Christian Community, you are the Vice President of the Nigerian American Political Action Committee(NAPAC) that has set out to mobilize our people to effectively participate in the political process here in the United States and has given active support to a number of political candidates recently. You are active within the Social Circle and serve as patron to a number of cultural/social organizations within the community. What are your dreams for unity and progress within our Community?
Ans: You wonder how I find the time to do all these, well where there’s a will there’s a way. I believe there are two columns in life. In one column are the things you can change and the other, are things you cannot change. The defining factor for me is my relationship with God and His expectations of me which includes loving and helping my neighbors. In my numerous engagements, I have discovered that service to God and others is the bedrock of fulfillment in life, nothing else can do it for you. That’s why I am driven by the emotion and mandate to make a difference and giving my all to achieve it by getting involved with various groups. Growth does not happen in isolation, neither can unity. It takes a relationship and connectivity with one another. My dream is that someday, every Nigerian in America will come together and work together for the good of our community either here or back home. Technology unfortunately has driven us even further apart. In the world of texting, tweeting or bb many people are content in isolation while some don’t want anything to do with Nigerians. Yes, one person can make a difference but imagine what the effect will be if we have more people making the effort? It took fifty years for some of Martin Luther King Jr.’ dreams to come true (Obama) because people did not relent. The same for us, that day will come when Nigerians are ruling the world all over the globe. But first we have INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014 SPRING 2013
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to work on putting our house in order and work together in love and truth. I believe we will have tangible unity and progress because we are fundamentally good people, we just have to appreciate our strengths and respect our differences.
Q: You still have very strong family ties in Nigeria and visit home quite often and have plans to extend the work of "Compassion Without Border" to Nigeria. Based on your observations during your visits back home on the level of poverty and lack, what are your hopes and dreams for Nigeria? Ans: There’s a quote I learnt a while ago that “if you change the way you look at things, the things you see will change”. Nigeria has many challenges ranging from health care, secuINTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014 SPRING 2013
rity, poverty, exhaustion, diseases; while lack of statistics might have dwarfed the prevalence rate of these pandemics, they are nevertheless not invincible. There are many skeptics who think the situation in Nigeria cannot change but I am very optimistic of a better day. a greater Nigeria! I saw a population of resourceful people, focused on making a living, striving to have a sense of worth. So people should not wait till someone they know is kidnapped to understand the security issues in Nigeria or for someone you know is stricken by cancer, die of malaria, cholera, muscular sclerosis, heart disease. diabetes, etc. before you support the cure for these problems. On individual level don’t wait till you are able to make huge impact, start with little ones within and outside your family scope, reach out and touch anybody.
I hope that your readers or listeners sense of service will be heightened and spurred into action because we need everybody’s help particularly those of us with international exposure (America, Europe, Asia) who have experienced higher standards and quality than what people back home have. We must not discount the impact of our help of time, resource and talents. Compassion without Border is working on collaborating with other existing organizations who organizes Medical missions to Nigeria to achieve for bigger impact and minimal cost. This is definitely, when we need more community support both here and Nigeria to make it happen. Nigerians are endowed, beautiful and great achievers but we need more of us coming together to focus on moving our community forward, from dreams to reality.
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Health Health
Beware Of Fruits Without a doubt, fruits are healthy food: they are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fibers. In concert with vegetables, raw nuts, appropriate fat and protein, studies have shown that fruits have the potential to prevent chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancers. I think that is what people have in mind when they make statements about their 82 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
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By Olufemi Saliu, M.D.
healthy choices. A friend once told me: “ I chew carrots day and nights but still I went to the ER with a chest pain!” Another one said: "I eat healthy, for breakfast today I had bread, oatmeal, cantaloupe, and apple.” Unlike us, our ancestors, the hunter-gatherers had very limited access to fruits. In seasons, mindful of hungry lions and other predators, they INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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Health Health
probably walked miles to pick fruits. Perhaps that was why the caveman’s body was adapted to using up every unit of fructose(sugar) in the fruits he was fortunate to gather. The body could’t afford to waste any fructose. On the other hand, our own access to fruits is limitless. At the Torrance, California Whole Food Store I buy navel oranges from three sources: California, Florida, and Australia. This is possible because of advances in technology in terms of transportation, storage, and genetic engineering. Whenever I run out of fruits in the kitchen, they are just minutes away in the neighborhood’s grocery store. Despite the tremendous access the modern man has to fruits-and thus fructose, the adaptation has not changed: every unit of fructose in the fruit consumed is utilized-converted to fat, and uric acid. In the body fructose behaves like alcohol: a sugar(fructose) addict and an alco-
holic are the proverbial birds of the same feather. According to Dr. Robert H. Lustig of UCSF, “Excessive consumption of fructose can cause many of the same health problems as alcohol.” These may include hypertension, myocardial infarction, dyslipidemia, pancreatitis, obesity, malnutrition, hepatic dysfunction, and habituation. Fruits were the main source of fructose for the caveman. For the digital man, in addition to fruits that are ubiquitous in his environment, other sources are processed foods and drinks with added sugar such as sodas, fruit juices, milk, milk shake, chocolate drinks, bread, bagels, donut, croissants, sandwich, muffin, cereals, potato chips, cookies, candy, cake, ice cream, honey, honey roasted nuts, and so on. Without eliminating or drastically reducing the amount of fructose consumption via processed foods, uncontrolled consumption of fruits would not be accompanied with expected health benefits, rather It would be tantamount to piling up sugar on sugar, and fat on fat. So my fellow readers, beware of fruits. For expected positive impact on your health, moderate fruit consumptionequivalent of one to two apples a day-should be in conjunction with the following: 1. Habitual consumption of variety of vegetables: let a bowl of salad or a glass of smoothie
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My early morning salad: yellow bell pepper, kale, broccoli, and tomato
be the first course of your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 2. Consumption of wild fish, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, and organic eggs. 3. Snacking on variety of raw nuts such as almonds, cashew, and walnut. 4. Avoidance of processed foods: foods with added sugar; wheat and wheat products-and elimination of sugary drinks such as sodas, fruit juices, malt drinks, milk shake, and alcohol. And remembering that cow milk is meant for calves. 5. Moderate consumption of grains such as rice(white, brown or wild), quinoa, oat meal, and legumes such as beans. 6. And moderate amount of exercise such as taking long walks, walking up and down the stairs, and parking your car far away for an opportunity to walk, or joining a gym. Finally, I am not advocating that you stop eating fruits, rather they should be consumed in moderation in the context of a well-rounded healthy lifestyle change.
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Spotlight People and Places
The heartbeat of Nigeria
Lagos is a port city and the most populous city in Nigeria. Officially, the population of Lagos was last recorded at 7,937,932. Lagos is the second fastest growing city in Africa and the seventh fastest in the world.Lagos was originally inhabited by the Awori subgroup of the Yoruba people. 86 118 LIFE LIFE&&TIMES TIMESMAGAZINE MAGAZINE
Under the leadership of their Olofin, the Awori moved to an island now called Iddo and then to the larger Lagos Island. In the 15th century, the Awori settlement was attacked by the Benin Empire following a quarrel, and the island became a Benin war-camp called "Eko" under Oba Orhogba, the Oba of Benin at the time. Lagos is a metropolitan area which originated on islands separated by creeks, such as Lagos Island, fringing the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon while protected from
the Atlantic Ocean by long sand spits such as Bar Beach, which stretch up to 100 km east and west of the mouth. From the beginning, Lagos has expanded on the mainland west of the lagoon and the conurbation, including Ikeja and Agege, now reaches more than 40 km north-west of Lagos Island. Some suburbs include Ikorodu, Epe and Badagry, and more local councils have recently been created, bringing the total number of local governments in Lagos to 57.
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PeopleSpotlight and Places
Lagos Mainland Most of the population lives on the mainland, and most industries are located there too. Lagos is known for its music and night life, which used to be located in areas around Yaba and Surulere In recent years more night clubs have sprung on the island, making the island, particularly Victoria Island, the main nightlife attraction. Lagos Mainland districts include Ebute-Meta, Surulere, Yaba (location of the University of Lagos and Ikeja, site of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport and capital of
Lagos State.Greater Lagos includes Mushin, Maryland, Somolu, Oshodi, Oworonsoki, Isolo, Ikotun, Agege,Iju Ishaga, Egbeda, Ketu, Bariga, Ipaja, Ajah and Ejigbo. The city of Lagos is the main city of the south-western part of Nigeria. Some rivers, like Badagry Creek, flow parallel to the coast for some distance before exiting through the sand bars to the sea. The two major urban islands of Lagos in Lagos Lagoon are
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Lagos Island and Victoria Island. These islands are separated from the mainland by the main channel draining the lagoon into the Atlantic Ocean, which forms Lagos Harbour. The islands are separated from each other by creeks of varying sizes and are connected to Lagos Island by bridges. The smaller sections of some creeks have been sand filled and built over, however.
The Islands of Lagos.. Lagos Island contains a central business district. This district is characterized by high-rise buildings. The island also contains many of the city's
largest wholesale marketplaces (such as the popular Idumota and Balogun markets). It also has the National Museum of Nigeria, the Central Mosque, the Glover Memorial Hall, Christ's Cathedral (CMS), and the Oba Palace. Though formerly in a derelict condition, Lagos Island's Tinubu Square is a site of historical importance; it was here that the Amalgamation Ceremony that unified the North and South protectorate to form Nigeria took place in 1914.
Ikoyi Ikoyi is situated on the eastern half of Lagos Island and joined to it by a landfill. Ikoyi is also connected to Victoria Island by a bridge carrying a main road over a Five Cowrie creek. Ikoyi housed the headquarter of the federal government of Nigeria and other buildings owned by the government -including the old federal secretariat complex. The complex today is on reestablishment. In Ikoyi there are military and police barracks, a top-security prison and a federal high court of Nigeria. Ikoyi also has a number of ho-
tels, night clubs, a recreational park and one of Africa's largest golf courses. Originally a middle class neighbourhood, in recent years, it has become a fashionable residential enclave for the upper middle class to the upper class. There are also commercial activities in Ikoyi which is spotted in increasing number of offices, banks and shopping complexes. The commercial section is concentrated in the South-West.
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People and Places Spotlight
Ocean. Already, most of the land has been reclaimed. The proposed development is targeting 400,000 residents and 250,000 commuters flowing daily to the island. The project is planned to return the coast to its position in the 1950s and 1960s, reversing damage done by erosion.
Administration
Victoria Island Victoria Island with its annex is situated to the south of Lagos Island. It has expensive real estate properties and for that reason, many new luxury condos and apartments are blooming up everywhere. Along with Ikoyi, Victoria Island occupies a major area in the suburbs of Lagos which boasts of several sizable shopping districts. On its sea shore along the Atlantic front, there is environmentally reconstructed Bar Beach.
Iddo Across the main channel of the lagoon from Lagos Island, there is a smaller settlement 88 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
called Iddo. Iddo is also a railroad terminus and it is situated on the mainland. It is now connected to the mainland like a peninsula. Three major bridges join the island to the mainland. They are the Carter Bridge which start from Iddo, the Eko Bridge (formerly called the Second Mainland Bridge) and the Third Mainland Bridge which passes through densely populated mainland suburbs through Lagos lagoon.
Eko Atlantic City Eko Atlantic City is a planned 21st-century city, intended to be built on land reclaimed from the Atlantic
Lagos is a State made up of 57 Local Government administrations and controlled by a central State administration led by the current Lagos State Governor, Raji Fashola. Metropolitan Lagos is not a municipality and has therefore no overall city administration. In fact there are 16 Local Government administrations that control Lagos metropolis. The Municipality of Lagos, which covered Lagos Island, Ikoyi and Victoria Island as well as some mainland territory, was managed by the Lagos City Council (LCC), but it was disbanded in 1976 and divided into several Local Government Areas (most notably Lagos Island LGA, Lagos Mainland LGA and Eti-Osa LGA. The mainland beyond the Municipality of Lagos, on the other hand, comprised several separate towns and settlements such as Mushin, Ikeja and Agege. In the wake of the 1970s Nigerian oil boom, Lagos experienced a population explosion, untamed economic growth, and unmitigated rural migration. This caused the outlying towns and settlements to develop rapidly, thus forming
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PeopleSpotlight and Places
the Greater Lagos metropolis seen today. The history of Lagos is still evidenced in the layout of the LGAs which display the unique identities of the cultures that created them.
Lagos Climate Lagos has a tropical wet and dry climate that borders on a tropical monsoon climate . Lagos experiences two rainy seasons, with the heaviest rains falling from April to July and a weaker rainy season in October and November. There is a brief relatively dry spell in August and September and a longer dry season from December to March. Monthly rainfall between May and July averages over 400 mm (15.7 in), while in August and September it is down to 200 mm (7.9 in) and in December as low as 25 mm (1.0 in). The main dry season is accompanied by harmattan winds from the Sahara Desert, which between December and early February can be quite strong. The highest maximum temperature ever recorded in Lagos
was 37.3 degrees Celsius and the minimum 13.9 degrees Celsius.
Tourism Lagos, subsequent to the remodernization project achieved by the current administration of Governor Raji Babatunde Fashola, is gradually becoming a major tourist destination, being one of the largest cities in Africa and in the world. Lagos is currently taking steps to become a global city. The 2009 Eyo carnival (a yearly festival originated from Iperu Remo, Ogun State) which took place on 25 April, was a step toward world city status. Currently, Lagos is primarily known as a businessoriented and a fast paced community.[25] Lagos has a number of sandy beaches by the Atlantic Ocean a few are Badagry beach, Eleko beach, Elegushi, Alpha beach. Two of the popular beaches include Bar Beach and Lekki Beach. Lagos has a variety of hotels ranging from three star to five star hotels. Other places of in-
terest include The Tafawa Balewa Square, Festac town, Lekki Conservation Centre, The Remembrance Arcade and the Slave Jetty in Badagry For the newcomers to Lagos, one of the many ways to get around is look at some of the local sites like VConnect.com and LostinLagos.com. They are like the local Yelp services. You can explore the Nigerian cuisine, Lebanese cuisine, Chinese cuisine and various other cuisines by looking up these local info websites. Some of the popular hotels include Welcome Centre Hotels, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Federal Palace Hotel, Stop Over Motels, Ikoyi Hotel, Sofitel Lagos Moorhouse Ikoyi, Eko Hotels And Suites, and The Palmview Manor. Visitors are mostly attracted to Nigeria's rich culture, entertainment scenes and vitality which Lagos city offers. Tourist attractions include Oba's Palace, the Nigerian National Museum, Shrine of Fela, the beach resorts.
Sources: http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/habitat/profiles/lagos.asp and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos
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Money & Finance Business and Finance
raise their contribution to 50% in the medium term.
Supporting African Businesses In each of the countries the UBA Group operates, it actively supports the growth and wealth creation among individual, local businesses, institutions and governments through active lending to the local business community as well as financing cross border transactions thereby facilitating intra Africa trade. The UBA Group had total loans portfolio of N870 billion. The Group’s lending portfolio was spread across the critical sectors of the African economy including; Oil and Gas, Power and Energy, Manufacturing, ICT, Construction, General Commerce and other sectors. The UBA Group also actively supports the spending plans of the governments in the countries it operates by actively investing in sovereign debts and securities to help governments finance critical infrastructure needs, reduce dependence on external borrowing and development assistance. Building a savings culture and capital formation While supporting growth in the countries it operates, the UBA Group drives capital formation by encouraging a savings culture in the countries in which it operates. With an array of highly attractive retail banking products, innovative e-banking offerings and tailored corporate solutions. The funds mobilized mobilised as deposits go into lending to inINTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
dividuals, local businesses, institutions and government to support critical sectors of the local economy.
Awards Over the years, UBA Group and its subsidiaries have won awards and recognitions for supporting their local economy. In 2013, two UBA Group subsidiaries were named the ‘Best Banks’ in their respective countries. UBA Cameroon and UBA Senegal on March 19, 2013 were named among ‘World’s Best Banks in 2013’ in their respective countries by Global Finance magazine, based in New York.
Corporate Social Responsibility at UBA Group As Africa’s leading pan African bank, UBA takes seriously its commitment to drive for economic development across the continent. The Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives are thus geared to support initiatives that entrenches sustainable economic growth across the continent. UBA Foundation; the bank’s corporate social responsibility arm which is funded wholly by the bank is committed to the socio-economic betterment of African communities. Through its focus areas; education, economic empowerment, environment and special projects, UBA Foundation is positively touching lives. A key project of UBA Foundation is the “Read Africa” initia-
Mr Phillips Oduoza The Group Managing Director of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc
tive. The project is aimed at rekindling reading habits among African youths. It is executed across all of the group’s subsidiaries in the 19 countries the UBA Group operates including Nigeria. The project involves the provision of recommended English literature books for junior and senior secondary school students across the African continent. The Read Africa initiative is complemented with another initiative on prostate cancer awareness across the continent in a bid to reduce death from this deadly disease. There are also special projects carried out by the UBA Foundation which includes; reducing infant mortality through donation of Incubators to hospitals across the country, building of Hostels in universities, renovation of classrooms and building of Information and Communication Centers (ICTs).
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Fashion & Style
SUMAHRIE COLLECTIONS Email: sumahriecollections@yahoo.com Facebook.com/sumahrie collections Instagram / sumahrie / sumahrie collections Twitter/ sumahrie Tel:+1-626-216-6017 ** Photography by Ade James
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Fashion & Style
SUMAHRIE COLLECTIONS Email: sumahriecollections@yahoo.com Facebook.com/sumahrie collections Instagram / sumahrie / sumahrie collections Twitter/ sumahrie Tel:+1-626-216-6017 ** Photography by Ade James
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Country Profile Ghana was the first place in sub-Saharan Africa where Europeans arrived to trade - first in gold, later in slaves. It was also the first black African nation in the region to achieve independence from a colonial power.
A Golden Experience
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Country Profile
Ghana Before Independence: Ghana before Independence on March 6, 1957 was called the Gold Coast. The earliest Europeans to arrive here were the Portuguese in the 15th Century. On their arrival, they found so much gold between the River Ankobra and the Volta and subsequently named it "da Mina", meaning The Mine. In 1482, the first castle was built in the Gold Coast by the Portuguese at Elmina. This was built to enhance their trading activities especially gold and slavery. By 1598, the Dutch were in the Gold Coast to also trade. They built forts along the coastal areas notable among them being the Komenda fort. In 1637, they captured the Elmina castle from the Portuguese and that of Axim (Fort St. Anthony) in 1642. Many other European traders came to the Gold Coast to trade. These included the British, Danes and Swedes. These European traders built several forts along our coastlines. In 1872, the Dutch lost interest in the coast and ceded their forts free to the British. Thus ended a period of Dutch occupation lasting 274 years. By 1874, the British were the only Europeans in the Gold Coast and thus made it a crown
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colony. This in effect gave them total control.The British government established their headquarters at Cape Coast Castle. This had been their headquarters since 1662 and is one of the greatest historical sites in the country. It has numerous dungeons which were used to keep slaves before being transported to the Diaspora. There had been many wars fought between the people of the Gold Coast and the British over governance. In 1874, an army under Sir Garnet Wolseley crossed the Pra River into the Asante territory. The Ghanaians referred to this War as the "Sagrenti War" because they could not pronounce Sir Garnet’s name correctly. The British force, this time proved too strong for the Asante who, after a long and brave fighting, agreed to sign a peace treaty at Fomena. At about the same time the British defeated the Anlo people in the Volta area. On the 12th of September, 1874, the whole of Southern Ghana including Anloland became a British colony. The Capital was removed from Cape Coast to Accra two years later. After the Second World War (1939-1945), things began to change in the then Gold Coast. The discrimination against educated Ghanaians in the civil
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service was on the increase and high positions were reserved for white men while Ghanaians became "hewers of wood and drawers of water". The European and Asian firms were also seriously exploiting the Africans. The Exservicemen (Ghanaian soldiers
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who fought in the World War), helped in another way to expose the weakness of the British. They realised that they performed better than the whites on the battlefield. These Ex-servicemen again saw the struggle for independence in India and
Burma where most of them went to fight. They were therefore inspired to struggle against the same British in Ghana after their return from the war. The first political party was formed in August 1947 by Paa Grant, Dr J.B Danquah and others. It was named the United Gold Coast Convention (U.G.C.C). Its slogan was "Self Government within the Shortest Possible Time". The U.G.C.C. therefore invited Dr. Kwame Nkrumah home from his studies to become the full-time General Secretary of the Party. The U.G.C.C. had earlier on criticized the Burns Constitution of 1946 introduced by Governor Sir Allan Burns. In January 1948, Nii Kwabena Bonne III, a Ga Chief organized a general boycott of all European imports. A series of riots followed the boycott in early February, 1948. The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the famous February 28, 1948 incident. Unarmed ex-servicemen marched to the Christiansborg Castle on that day to submit a petition to the Governor about their poor conditions. Superintendent Imray, a white police officer, ordered the policemen at the castle to shoot. When the police refused to do so, Imray himself opened fire on the unarmed soldiers at the Christiansborg crossroad. Three of the leaders namely; Sergeant Adjetey, Private Odartey Lamptey and Corporal Attipoe fell dead. Thereafter, riots broke out in Accra. European and Asian stores were looted by the
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The U.G.C.C. which awakened fervent national consciousness in the Gold Coast was what might be described as a liberal group with its slogan of "Selfgovernment in the shortest possible time." This attitude did not please Nkrumah who wanted "Self-government Now". Following disagreement of ideologies, Kwame Nkrumah left the U.G.C.C. and formed a more radical nationalist party -Convention People’s Party (C.P.P) on June 12th, 1949 with its motto "self-government now". He was joined by Kojo Botsio, K.A Gbedemah and others. On 9th January, 1950 the C.P.P organized a nation-wide boycott and strike for workers and the masses. The people refused to buy all British goods. angry mob. The rioters forced open the Central Prison and set free its inmates. After the riots, the Nationalist leaders in Ghana sent a strong worded cable to the Secretary of State in London. They blamed the Governor, Sir Gerald Creasy, greatly. They called him "Crazy Creasy" because he had failed to handle the problems facing the country. The Secretary of State however blamed the Nationalist leaders for being responsible for the disturbances in the country. Consequently, six of the leading nationalist were arrested and detained. They were popularly referred to as the BIG SIX. These leaders were J.B Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah, Obetsebi Lamptey, Akuffo Addo, William Ofori Atta and Ako Adjei.
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Workers were warned not to cause any trouble. In the cause of the riots however, two policemen were shot dead. On January 21st 1950, Nkrumah and other leading C.P.P members including Kojo Botsio and K.A. Gbedemah were imprisoned at the James Fort Prison, Accra, on charges arising from pursuing what was termed as "Positive Action"
Kwame Nkrumah in June 1953 submitted proposals for a new constitution. It was upon those that the April 1954 constitution was introduced making the country virtually self-governing. This new constitution provided for an All-African cabinet from an enlarged legislature. A general election followed in June 1954 from which the C.P.P won
country in Africa, South of the Sahara to regain independence from colonial rule. A new chapter was opened in the history of Ghana. On the eve of Ghana’s independence, Kwame Nkrumah (then Prime Minister) proclaimed at the old Polo Grounds in Accra: "At long last, the battle has ended and Ghana, our beloved country is free forever."
against the Government. The imprisonment of Nkrumah made him a hero and martyr in the eyes of the people. In 1951, the pace was set for general elections. Kwame Nkrumah was in prison when the elections were conducted. He overwhelmingly won the elections and was released by the then Governor, Sir Charles Noble Arden-Clark to head the new government. This however became the British Colony’s first African government. In March 1952, Kwame Nkrumah was designated Prime Minister. He was to appoint a cabinet, which was not to be responsible to the Governor but the Assembly.
79 out of the 104 seats of the National Assembly. In 1956, another election was held in response to a pledge by the British Secretary of State for the colonies that if the newly elected legislature, by a reasonable majority, passed a resolution calling for independence; a firm date for the changeover would be announced. C.P.P won 71 out of the 104 contested seats. The British Mandated Togoland also held a plebiscite to join the Gold Coast. This action opened the way for Ghana’s Independence and on 6th March, 1957, the curtain was drawn on the old order. The country emerged as the first
Ghana spearheaded the political liberation of colonized Africa from the very first day of her Independence. Dr. Nkrumah championed the cause of African Unity which let to the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union (AU). Ghana became a sovereign member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth and the Non-Aligned Movement
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First Republic: On 1st July 1960 Ghana became a Republic In 1966, the Ghana Armed Forces and Police led by Lt. Col. E. K. Kotoka and Maj. A. A. Afrifa overthrew Nkrumah’s administration and the first RepubINTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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lican Constitution of Ghana. A National Liberation Council (NLC) took office, headed by a retired army officer, General J. A. Ankrah. Lt. General A. A. Afrifa, in 1969, succeeded General Ankrah as the Chairman of the NLC.
Second Republic: Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia’s Progress Party (PP) took over from the NLC by winning the 1969 elections. The Progress Party Administration with Dr. Busia as Prime Minister and former Chief Justice Edward Akuffo Addo, one of the Big Six as President, was overthrown by a military coup in 1972 led by the then Col. I. K. Acheampong. He formed and chaired a military junta, the National Redemption Council (NRC). General I. K. Acheampong became the Head of State and
Chairman of the NRC. The name NRC was later changed to the Supreme Military Council (SMC). General F.W.K. Akuffo replaced General Acheampong in a palace coup in July 1978.
Third Republic: The SMC II was overthrown on 4th June 1979 through a mutiny by some officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces who established an Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) with Fit. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings as Chairman and Head of State. The AFRC was in office for only three months. On 24th September 1979, the AFRC handed over power to Dr. Hilla Limann leader of the People’s National Party (PNP) which won the 1979 elections. The Limann administration and the Third Republican
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• •
Ghana is a sub-saharan african country Population: 23.800m (2009) 24 million (2010) • Population growth annual: 2.4 • GDP: 26.2 billion USD • GDP per capita: 1,098 USD • GDP growth annual: 4.7 USD • Life expectancy total year: 63.4 at birth • Infant mortality rate: ( per 1,000 births ) 51.3 • Literacy rate, youth: (female ages 15 – 24 78.9 • Prevalence of hiv/aids ages 15 – 49 5.4 (2007) Source: World Development Indicators (World Bank website) • Total land area: (92456 sq m) (239460 sq km) • Independence: March 1957 • Ghana has ten (10) administrative regions • Ghana has 170 districts • District assemblies are the political authorities • Ghana has 230 electoral constituencies • Ghana has had five successful elections since 1992 • Ghana is an island of english speaking country in the ocean of francophone nations: (Burkina Faso in the north, Togo in the east, Cote D’ivore in the west and the Atlantic ocean in the south)
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Constitution of Ghana were overthrown in yet another military coup in Ghana’s post Independence history in 1981. The coup was led by Flt. Lt. Rawlings who again became Head of State and Chairman of a Provisional National Defence Council, (PNDC) which he established. The PNDC ruled Ghana from 31st December 1981 to 7th January 1993. A combination of internal and international pressure factors led to a return to constitutional multiparty democratic rule in 1993. In the Presidential election held on November 3rd 1992 Flt. Lt. Rawlings contested on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and beat eminent African historian and human rights activist Prof. Albert Adu Boahen, the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party, into second place. In the Parliamentary elections the Progressive Alliance, made up of the National Democratic Congress, the National Convention Party and the Eagle Party won 198 seats out of the total of 200. Four other parties, the NPP, PNC, NIP and PHP
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boycotted the parliamentary elections on account of dissatisfaction with the electoral arrangements.
Fourth Republic: The Fourth Republic was inaugurated on January 7th 1993 with the swearing in of H. E. Flt. Lt. Rawlings as President and his running mate, Mr. Kow Nkensen Arkaah as Vice President. On December 7th 1996, Flt. Lt. Rawlings was re-elected for a second fouryear term as a President, with Prof. John Evans Atta Mills as his running mate. In the 1996 elections, President Rawlings beat Mr. J. A. Kufuor of the NPP to second place. In the Parliamentary elections, the NDC won 133 seats, the NPP 61 seats, PCP 5 seats and PNC 1 seat.
Kufuor Wins Terms In Office:
Two
In the third Presidential and Parliamentary elections of the Republic, held on December 7th 2000, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won 100 seats while the National Democratic Party (NDC) obtained 92 seats. The People’s National Convention
(PNC) obtained 3 seats, independent candidates 4 seats and Convention People’s Party (CPP) 1 seat. In the Presidential elections, none of the seven candidates had 50% plus one vote as required under the Constitution. Thus in the Presidential run-off on December 28th, 2000, between the two candidates with the highest votes, Mr. John Agyekum Kufuor (NPP) emerged the winner with 56.90% of the valid votes cast while Professor John Evans AttaMills of the (NDC) had 43.10%. In December 2004 President John Agyekum Kufuor won a second and final four-year term as President of Ghana.
John Evans Atta Mills wins 2008 elections Professor John Evans Atta Mills (born 21 July 1944) who is currently the President of the Republic of Ghana won the Forth Presidential and Parliamentary elections of the Republic, on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He was inaugurated on 7 January 2009, hav-
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ing defeated the ruling party candidate N a n a Akufo-Addo by 50.23%–49.77% in the 2008 election. None of the seven candidates in the 2008 Presidential elections did have 50% plus one vote as required by the Constitution. The Presidential run-off which was a straight contest between Professor John Evans Atta Mills of the NDC and Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP held on December 28th 2008 could not also produce a clear winner until Tain Constituency decided and Professor Mills emerged as the Presidentelect. Professor Mills was Vice-President from 1997 to 2001 under President Jerry Rawlings, and he stood unsuccessfully in the 2000
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peaceful election. A respected communication expert, historian, and writer, Mahama was a Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2009 and Minister of Communications from 1998 to 2001.
Decentralisation: and 2004 presidential elections as the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He died in Office on July 24, 2012.
John Dramani Mahama (Born 29 November 1958) has been President of Ghana since July 2012. He was the Vice President of Ghana from 2009 to 2012, and he took office as President on 24 July 2012 following the death of his predecessor, President John Atta Mills. He was elected to serve his first term as president in December 2012 following a
Vital to this evolutionary, if checkered, process is the decentralization of power to regional, district, local and unit levels across the country. There are 138 district administrative set ups and assemblies. The districts are administered by assemblies of directly elected and appointed members. District Chief Executives (DCE’s) who head the assemblies are appointed by the incumbent President and approved by the District Assembly. *****Source, Ghana Government Portal http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php/aboutghana/ghana-at-a-glance/1237-know-moreabout-ghana
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P-Square are a Nigerian R&B duo composed of identical twin brothers Peter and Paul Okoye. They produce and release their albums through Square Records. In December 2011, they were also signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik label. In May 2012, they also signed a record distribution deal with Universal Music South Africa. 106 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 114 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
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The story of P-Square began in St. Murumba secondary school, a small Catholic school in Jos, Nigeria. Identical twins Peter and Paul joined their school music and drama club where they b e g a n singing, dancing, and mimicing songs by MC Hammer, Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson. They later formed an a cappella quartet called "MMMPP" (M Clef a.k.a. Itemoh, Michael, Melvin, Peter and Paul). Drawing inspiration from their music idol Michael Jackson, they began break dancing, formed the group called "Smooth Criminals" in 1997.They dropped M Clef from the group "MMMPP" which later was changed to "MMPP". Their artistic talent and precise dance routine soon made them household names in the city of Jos, where they performed at
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school functions and other occasions. Later in 1999, Peter and Paul returned to music school to develop their skills on keyboard,
drums, bass and rhythm guitar. Their work includes the soundtracks for a number of films like Tobi, Mama Sunday, Moment of Bitterness and Evas Later in 1999, they applied to the University of Abuja to study Business Administration. The Smooth Criminals disbanded when its members left to various other universities. Subsequently Peter and Paul formed their own group, variously called "Double P", "P&P", and "Da Pees", until they eventually settled on "P Square". They are managed by Bayo Odusami aka Howie T, a seasoned concert promoter and the CEO of Adrot Nigeria Limited. In 2001, "PSquare" won the "Grab Da Mic" competition, and hence Benson & Hedges sponsored their debut album, titled Last Nite, which was released under Timbuk2 music
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label. P-Square was also nominated as "Most Promising African Group" in the Kora Awards three months after the release of their debut album. They eventually won the 2003 Amen Award for "Best R&B Group". In 2005, P Square released their second album, Get Squared under their own label, Square Records. This album was marketed nationwide by TJoe Enterprises, although they were still managed by Howie T of Adrot Nigeria Limited. The video for the second album held the #1 position on the MTV Base chart for four straight weeks. They have an ever growing fan base across South Africa with a particular stronghold of diehard fans in Cape Town. The group has performed alongside the following international artists like Ginuwine, Sean Paul, Akon and Busola Keshiro. The members of P Square are now located in Lagos.
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Late in 2007, they released their best selling album so far, Game Over. It has sold 8 million copies worldwide. In 2009, P-Square released their fourth studio album, Danger . The album features collaborations with 2face Idibia, J Martins and Frenzy. The first single called "Danger" is a hip hop song with cutting synths and a frog bass baseline similar to an Eminem song. The video affirms this with the presence of clowns and staggered movements in front of the camera reminiscent of comical videos by Eminem They are also known for the close resemblance which the twins have to American R&B Superstar, Usher Raymond. On 4 April 2010, P-Square was named the Artist of the Year at the KORA All Africa Music Awards in Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso while they were in London for a Concert at the Troxy, and they will receive a whopping sum of $1 Million Dollars as the Award Winners, in Ebebiyin City. Albums 2003: Last Nite 2005: Get Squared 2007: Game Over 2009: Danger 2011: The Invasion International singles 2009 / 2012: "E No Easy" (P-Square feat. J. Martins) 2012: "Positif" (Matt Houston feat. P-Square) 2012: "Chop My Money (I Don't Care)" 2012: Alingo
Won 2006 Hip Hop World Awards Best R&B Album (Get Squared) Best Music Video (Get Squared) Album of the Year Get Squared) Song of the Year ("Bizzy Body") 2006 City Mag 9th Awards Show Best Hip Hop Group 2006 Nigerian Music Awards (NMA) Album of the year (Get Squared) Music Video of the year (Get Squared) 2007 Channel O Music Video Awards- Best Duo or Group 2008 Channel O Music Video Awards Best Duo or Group Video of the Year ("Do Me") MTV Africa Music Awards 2008 Best Group MTV Africa Music Awards 2009Best Group 2010 KORA Awards - Artiste of the Year 2010 LIL PERRY PRODUCTIONS Producer of the Year 2012 Channel O Music Video Awards - Best Duo, Group or Featuring Music Video ("Chop My Money" with Akon and May D) Nominated BET Awards 2010 - Best International Act KORA Awards 2003 - Most Promising African Group (Nominated) MOBO Awards 2006 - Best African Act MOBO Awards 2008 - Best African Act * MTV AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS- 2008
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AFRICA'S ARTISTE OF THE YEAR 2013 Ayodeji Ibrahim Balogun popularly known as WIZKID was born on July 16, 1990 in Surulere Lagos. He comes from a large family, and is the last of six children. He started his musical career in the church at the young age of 11 with the release 110 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
of a 7 track album in the year 2000 under the label of the of OJB Jezreel one of the most celebrated music producers in Nigeria. When he began his musical career, Ayodeji used the name "Lil Prinz" but changed his stage name to WIZ-
KID at the age of 17 in 2006 when he began to gain stardom and national acclaim. The debut album was well received by Ayo's family, friends, other artists and the church. He went back to the studio thereafter to perfect his
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skills and develop his talent. by 2006 when he took on the stage name WIZKID he was much more matured musically and started working with some of the big names in Nigeria's musical landscape like Neto C and Ikechukwu. His music has continued to enjoy sustained radio plays since 2006 while he continued to enjoy collaboration with the existing big names in the industry. WIZKID's major break in the Nigerian music industry came in 2009 with his collaboration with one of Nigeria's best rappers MI Abaga on the "Fast Money Fast Cars" track which drew major a ention to WIZKID's sultry voice, engaging stage personae and unique swagger and style. WIZKID is also a song writer and writes most of his songs. He has also been featured in several TV commercials the most recent was the PEPSI 2011 advert where he featured alongside female super star TIWA SAVAGE. He also featured in the TV commercial "Turn by Turn" by KEL's . 1n 2009 he signed a multi million naira deal with Nigerian leading R & B artist, producer and manager- the versatile Banky W who owns the Empire mates Entertainment 9EME) recording label. WIZKID has continued to release hit songs with EME records since 2009 and he presently enjoys stardom all over Africa and INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
SPRING 2014
amongst Africans all over the diaspora. He has performed internationally with renowned artists like Chris Brown, Sunny Ade, Akon, Kardinal oďŹƒcial, Young Jeezy etc. The release of his hit singles," Do't Dull", "Holla at your boy" and "Tease me" in 2010 conďŹ rmed WIZKID as a Nigerian musical star. After the release of his debut album "Super Star" in June 2011 WIZKID performed sold out concerts in Nigeria, the United States and in the United Kingdom. In 2012, Wizkid signed a one year endorsement deal with Pepsi, allegedly w o r t h $350,000 U.S dollars. He traveled to Beirut, Lebanon with Tiwa Savage for a Pepsi commercial shoot.On May 28, 2013, Premium Times reported that Wizkid signed a one year deal with MTN Nigeria. Moreover, the news source reported that Wizzy's Pepsi contract was renewed LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE 111
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for another two years.On October 23, 2013, Bellanaija reported that Wizkid signed an endorsement deal with Guinness for the "Guinness World of More" concert. The concert was held at the Eko Convention Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, 112 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
on November 3, 2013. His work and contributions to the Nigerian Music Industry has earned him several achievements, including a BET Awards, a MOBO Awards from two nominations, a Channel O Music Video Awards from six nominations, three Nigeria En-
tertainment Awards from eleven nominations, a Ghana Music Awards from two nominations, two Dynamix All Youth Awards from three nominations, two City People Entertainment Awards from 4 nominations, and a Future Awards, among others. In addition, he has been nominated three times at the MTV Europe Music Awards as well as four times at the World Music Awards. He was ranked 5th on Forbes and Channel O's 2013 list of the Top 10 Richest/Bankable African Artists.In February 2014, Wizkid became the ďŹ rst ever Nigerian musician to have over 1 million followers on Twi er. Wizkid's most notable songs include "Holla at Your Boy", "Don't Dull", "Love My Baby", "Azonto", "Pakurumo", "Tease Me/Bad Guys", "Dance For Me" with EME, and "Jaiye Jaiye", "Caro" among others. His discography resume includes collaboration with international and domestic acts such as Bracket,Angel[, Lynxxx, Iyanya,Wande Coal, Ice Prince, R2Bees, Wale, Young Jeezy, Akon, and Femi Kuti,] among others. Wizkid's debut album Superstar was released in 2011, He is currently working on Chosen, his second studio album scheduled to be release in 2014
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Arts & Entertainment
The Azonto Craze… By Grace Neequaye Features Editor, Life and Times
“Move to the left, to the right and watch me freeze…Azonto!”1 Azonto is one of the hottest dance movements to hit parties, clubs, dance halls, the streets and even churches. The distinct movements accompanied by a pulsating beat, keeps Azonto lovers grooving for hours on end. It is indeed quite a sight to see a room full of people jerking to the beat. Azonto originated from the streets of Jamestown, Bukom and Chokor in Accra, Ghana. At its onset, it was a communicative dance which described various professions. The movements of the dance mimicked the profes116 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
sions, letting the audience know a person’s trade. For example a carpenter would mimic activities such as hammering, sawing, etc. This dance form was called Apaa, meaning work in the Ga language. As its popularity grew, high school students started displaying Azonto during competitions at their entertainment night where the best Azonto dancer was often crowned by the end of the night based on creativity and audience connection. In this manner, the Azonto fever was quickly dispersed throughout Ghana, as more high school students added their own twist to the dance and competitions continued. At the same time, young musicians started developing beats that matched the specific nature of the dance and before long, a movement was born. Along with the music and dance, Azonto is danced with
humor and a swag representative of a new generation of musicians and artists in the 21st century. Azonto has expanded outside of the streets and high schools and has become an integral part of the dance scene. Like many other African dances, Azonto is also used for courting.
What is Azonto? Azonto is a total body dance form. Often times, the arms and legs are kept in constant motion while demonstrating everyday movements, along with hip movements that are typical in African dance. The dance can be incorporated into any setting and any culture, providing a versatility that has allowed different countries to adapt it to suit their own movements. Facial expressions during an Azonto further add to the humor of the dance form. Azonto INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
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can be danced in clusters/groups or by couples. Trendsetters and popular artists of Azonto include Samini, E.L., Gasmilla, Sarkodie, Fuse ODG, Guru, Tiffany, and WizKid. Some of their biggest hits include Azonto by Fuse featuring Tiffany, You go kill me by Sarkodie featuring E.L, Obuu Mo by E.L., Lapaz Toyota by Guru, Yenko Nkoaa by Eduwoji featuring Stay J, and Aboodatoi by Gasmilla. Many of the songs are in local languages, though some of the most popular ones including Azonto is in English.
Azonto Popularity The world was introduced to Azonto when Asamoah Gyan gleefully did a little dance after scoring during the 2010 World Cup. This was part of his signature celebration and was dubbed “Asamoah Dance”. Since then, hundreds of YouTube® videos have been uploaded, websites have been created and the world has been doing the Azonto. Artists such as Chris Brown and Keri Hilson have been videoed gyrating their hips and working Azonto moves at recent concerts. In Chris Brown’s video for his latest song Fine China, he mentions incorporating some Azonto moves which he learned during his recent visit to Ghana.
Global Presence Azonto has become one of the most widely recognized dance forms especially among Africans in Africa and also in the Diaspora. It has quickly spread around the world with eager new
learners who want to be in the know. Video tutorials have been it easier to learn the movements in the comfort of one’s home, though dance floor lessons are also very popular. In this age of smart phones, cameras and high speed internet, new music and videos are quickly shared around the world. As more Africans have made homes all around the globe, it has been easy for Azonto to be well placed in all corners of the world. With a booming music industry in Africa, new studios have allowed for fresh blood and new creative ideas to be incorporated in the new movement. In some parts of Europe where there is a strong African presence, Azonto, along with other African music collectively considered “Afrobeats” can be heard on mainstream radio programs and on shows such as “Britain’s Got Talent”.
dancing Azonto so what is Alingo?” Additionally during an interview on 106 & Park, Chris Brown credited Nigerian artist WizKid for teaching him how to dance Azonto, sparking discussions that he should have at least also mentioned that Azonto is from Ghana and not Nigeria as implied. Music and dance have always an integral part of African culture. Azonto’s success is evidence that Africa has a place in the global world of Arts and Entertainment. There is no doubt that the creative minds of Azonto will continue to produce quality work that will continue to shake up the world of music and dance.
Controversy
Sources: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/se p/03/ghana-azonto-dance-craze-world http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azonto http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa18495493 http://www.modernghana.com/news/3696 04/1/ghanas-azonto-dance-craze-goesglobal.html http://africaposts.wordpress.com/2012/01/ 02/ghanas-azonto-dance-goes-global/ http://diasporaw.net/2013/06/05/azontofestival-to-shake-ghana/ http://www.averysegal.com/azonto/ http://entertainment.myjoyonline.com/pag es/news/201303/102648.php http://www.azonto233.com/music_videos. php http://ghanamagazine.com/lists/top-10azonto-songs/#.Ucrdsrnn_0c
Like other movements, Azonto has not been without controversy. Ghanaian artists including Samini have expressed displeasure about P-Square’s Alingo, saying that the moves shown in the music video are actually Azonto moves. Samini has recorded a song using Alingo in the background with lyrics such as “The name sounds like Azonto, the dance kinda looks like Azonto so try show me what I don’t know…I see that you
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Religion and Spiritual Affairs
Enemies Of Marriage: How to fortify yours against them
A man was crying over a gravestone saying “why did you die? why did you die?” Another man questioned him. “Did your mother die?” “No”. “Your father?” “No”. But the man continued to weep profusely “why did you die?” “Well, who died?” He answered: “This was my wife’s first husband.” For many couples, it has come to that. They daily regret and lament their decision to marry their mate. The marriage is a horror movie playing out in real time! A deceased Christian had the following written on his gravestone: “Beneath these stones do lie. Back to back, my wife and I. When the last trumpet the air shall fill, if she gets up, I’ll just lie still.” Wow! This Christian was willing to forfeit the resurrection in order to avoid any further co-habi118 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
tation or interaction with his earthly spouse! Spouses who are still alive and can’t bear the nightmare of what they call marriage bail out through divorce. Someone said “Love the quest, marriage the conquest, divorce the inquest.” Today, love quests that matured into marriage conquests are ending in bitter and sordid divorce “inquests”. If this article succeeds in helping your marriage to avoid becoming part of the “inquest” statistics, it has accomplished one of its primary objectives. I hope it does! Do you know that among Americans who have said their wedding vows, one out of three have been divorced at least once? George Barna, who directed a study on this, noted that Americans have grown comfortable with divorce as a natural part of life:
“There no longer seems to be much of a stigma attached to divorce; it is now seen as an unavoidable rite of passage. Interviews with young adults suggest that they want their initial marriage to last, but are not particularly optimistic about that possibility. There is also evidence that many young people are moving toward embracing the idea of serial marriage, in which a person gets married two or three times, seeking a different partner for each phase of their adult life.”
You will agree with me that this prognosis is grim and scary. However, your marriage does not have to help fulfill it. You can literally inoculate yours against the enemies of marriage.
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Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese warrior, wrote in his classic The Art of War, “if you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.” Of course, it is obvious that if you know neither yourself nor the enemy, you have lost the battle even before it starts! I have identified below some of the enemies of marriage and what you should know about yourself so that you may make changes that’ll help fortify yours against these enemies.
Enemy Number One:
Lack of unshakable foundation. Many Hollywood marriages are built on the foundation of beauty, money, success and fame. These are defective foundations. They are shifting and sinking sand. Therefore the marriages collapse fast. Have you asked yourself: What is the foundation of my marriage? If it is built on “sand”, then when the wind of life begins to blow and the rains of life begin to fall and the flood of life begins to beat against it, it will crumble, but, if it is built on the “rock”, it will stand. There was a shipwreck and a young boy was the only survivor. He had struggled against the waves to swim to a rock he saw not too far away from him. He held onto the rock for three days until he was rescued. When asked whether he was not afraid being alone day and night in open sea for three days, he INTERNATIONAL EDITION SUMMER 2014
Enemy Number Two:
Lack of allowances for daily irritations.
Have you asked yourself: What is the foundation of my marriage? replied, “I never stopped shaking since I bear-hugged the rock, but the rock itself did not shake.” There is another rock the bible talks about. He is called the Rock of Ages- He is an unshakeable Shaker, unbreakable Breaker, and Immovable Mover. His name is Jesus Christ. When a marriage is built on this Rock, it has acquired an unshakeable, unbreakable and immovable foundation. All that the couple needs to do is take marching orders from the Rock. His manual is the Bible. It explains their roles and offers guidance on how to fulfill them. What is more? The Rock is also the One who empowers and enables them to obey these marching orders! Remember, it does not matter how gorgeous, luxurious and expensive a mansion is, if its foundation is defective, it’ll come crashing down. It’s not a matter of “whether’, it’s a matter of “when”. Lack of an unshakeable foundation is an enemy of marriage. Is yours fortified against it?
A couple had been married for fifteen years and is now having more than the usual disagreements. The wife came up with the idea of creating a Fault Box in which both will drop daily notes of irritable habits of the other spouse. At the end of the month, they’ll examine the notes, apologize to each other and cease their irritable habits. So, she diligently dropped off into the box notes of daily irritations: leaving the jelly top off the jar, wet towels on the shower floor, dirty socks not in the hamper and on and on. At the end of the month, after dinner, they opened the Fault Box and the wife began to read out her notes of what irritated her daily during the month. The husband apologized and promised to make amends. Now it was her turn. She noticed a lot of notes were also there but all of them have the same message, “I love you”! The instruction from the Rock in Colossians 3:13 says you must make allowances for each other’s faults… He also says you should always cut your spouse some slack and accept them the way He The Rock has accepted you: John 6:37: “The Father gives me my people. Every one of them will come to me, and I will always accept them”. God says “I just love you, period! Not because of what you do! ” Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable. Not that we changed. He simply says “because of me, you are acceptable to God”. Accept your spouse as God has accepted youunconditionally. Until they over-
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come their irritable habits, accept them. It does not mean you approve of these irritations. It simply means you are obeying the marching orders of the Rock and by so doing you are fortifying your marriage against this enemy number two. Lack of making allowances for your spouse’s daily irritations is an enemy of marriage. Is yours fortified against it?
Enemy Number
Three: Lack of loving acts Love is not an emotion because emotions cannot be commanded at will. For example you cannot command someone to cry or to be happy or be sorrowful. These are emotions and often uncontrollable. Commanding someone “don’t worry, be happy”, won’t cut it for a grieving spouse. It is a myth that you can “fall in love” the way you uncontrollably, accidentally fall into a ditch! Love can cause strong emotions but is itself not an emotion. Love is more than sentimentality. More than arousal. More than attraction. Love is a behavior. Love is action. Love is a commitment you make to do something. You make a decision to love or not to love. That is why God commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves and the husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave Himself for her. 1 John 3:18 says “Let us love not with words but with action and in truth”. Acting in love when your spouse does not deserve it is acting like God who loves you and acts in love towards you when you don’t deserve it. It is the highest form of love. When your 120 LIFE & TIMES MAGAZINE
spouse is being nasty, you act back in love not because that’s what she deserves but because love is what she needs and that’s what you’re giving her. Maybe you feel so abused by your spouse that you have lost all feelings of love and you are contemplating a divorce. Hold it: there was a woman who had lost all feelings of love for her husband. She hated her husband and wanted to hurt him all she can. Her psychiatrist advised her that the best way to accomplish this goal is to act in extremely loving way towards him, showing him unusual kindness, showering him with compliments and doing stuff for him that he loves- without expecting any appreciation in return! When he’s used to all these and he’s become fully dependent on her, having enjoyed her company greatly, he would do anything to not let her go. Then bam! She will file for divorce. “That will shatter him completely” said the psychiatrist. “He would not be able to bear the thought of losing you” he concluded. So the lady went and did all she was told to the best of her ability. She really excelled at them because she wanted him to really
hurt at her departure when the time comes. On her return date of appointment with her psychiatrist, he asked her, “so how did it go?”. She said the marriage is great now and the husband is so happy and in high spirit. “Great”, said the psychiatrist. “Now go and file the divorce papers”. “Never” she shouted indignantly, my husband and I are having the fun of our lives in this marriage. I love my husband dearly!” Feelings of love follow acts of love. You don’t need divorce. You need to start acting in love. Not acting in love in your marriage will rob you of loving feelings for your spouse. It can cause you to say “I don’t love him/her anymore”. It is an enemy of marriage. Is yours fortified against it? (To be continued) Oladipo Kalejaiye holds a Ph.D degree in law and was a litigation attorney in Nigeria, Europe and the United States for over 17 years. He entered into full time ministry in year 2000, and currently serves as the pastor of International Christian Center, Los Angeles ( You can contact him on the web: www.iccla.com, Facebook: iccla/facebook, Twitter: @DipoKalejaiye)
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