TIMELESS Published Since April 2003
Vol. 8 No. 9
300 NAIRA
SEPTEMBER 2010
Where Have All The Teachers Gone? A Reforms Agenda for the Education Sector
Business
Blackberry versus Organisational Efficiency: Interview with Don Pedro Aganbi, CEO, Technology Africa
Society
Weight Loss with a Nigerian Diet
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From the Editor-in-Chief tries. So obviously there has been no improvement. Nigeria is ranked behind countries like Slovakia (42), Croatia (45), Libya (55), Seychelles (57), Bosnia and Herzegovina (76). Even Tunisia (98), Gabon (103) and Algeria (104) are all ranked ahead of Nigeria. Most of these countries do not have the human, financial and mineral resources that Nigeria has.
T
he term toddler comes from the way that children first walk, which is at first unsteady and more like a toddle than actual walking. Toddlerhood begins with the second year of life, after your child’s first birthday. She starts crawling vigorously, starting to walk, even talking a little. At age 3, your child is no longer a toddler but a preschooler although the word toddler is sometimes used to describe a child as old as 4 years. One major task for the toddler is to learn to be independent. Nigeria became an independent nation in October 1960. Using our analogy of a toddler, Nigeria was a toddler between 1961 and 1963. Nigeria then was bursting with energy and ideas, the need to explore the world and define ourselves as separate people. We wanted to be independent but we were still very dependent on the British. The British did not just pack up their bags and leave. They waited to nurture this new baby called Nigeria and balance its need for independence with the need for discipline. Nigeria is 50 years old in October of this year. We will be celebrating what is called the Golden Jubilee. At 50, a person, man or woman is in the golden age of his or her life. There is a common adage that says ‘a fool at 40 is a fool forever.’ It means that a man at 40 who does not know what he or she is doing is wasting his or her time. A 50 year man has spent not less than 20 – 30 years in the workforce and probably even preparing to retire. Such a man if not a grandpa has children who are teenagers or even in their youths. Fifty years into our sojourn as a nation, hope on one hand and despair on another hand describe the feelings of most Nigerians. In the 2009 Human Development Report of the United Nations, Nigeria is ranked 158 out of 182 countries and classified as a Medium Human Development Country. In 2003, we placed 152 out of 175 coun-
The Human Development Report looks beyond GDP to a broader definition of well-being to determine placements of countries. The HDI provides a composite measure of three dimensions of human development: living a long and healthy life (measured by life expectancy), being educated (measured by adult literacy and gross enrolment in education) and having a decent standard of living (measured by purchasing power parity, PPP, income). Life expectancy at birth is put at 48 years. The adult illiteracy rate is put at 30%. 53% of the people do not have access to improved water sources. 29% of children aged under 5 are underweight for their ages. 83% of Nigerians are living below $2 a day. Nigeria in 50 years rather than grow from a toddler to a matured man has retrogressed. Before someone starts making excuses for our failure to grow and develop, let’s take a look at a nation that was born around the same time as Nigeria. Nigeria is even older by five years. As at 1960, Singapore (independence in August 1965) had no identity of her own and her prospects were dire. Through various strategies, Singapore was able to survive the turmoil. The Singapore economy is an example of a vibrant free-market economy that is developing at a rapid pace. Contrary to the country’s economic disaster back in the sixties and seventies, Singapore’s percapita income has improved and it has been supported and strengthened by a corruption free environment, an educated and motivated workplace and a well-established legal and financial business framework. In recent years, the Singapore government has invested heavily in diversifying the economy. This has led to growth in the tourism industry, the pharmaceutical industry with a particular focus on biotechnology, financial services, education, multimedia, retail and leisure and the medical technological industry. Singapore’s basic policy is to maximise the potential of her people
so they can contribute to themselves and the country. Every institution from parliament, finance to education and transport all share a common goal. Singapore has been able to succeed because of its leaders whose philosophy from the start was: view the current situation; examine your capabilities to cope with that situation; the skills and capabilities you do not possess you must acquire from abroad when possible. Singapore is now considered as one of the fastest growing nations in the world and an example to others. Singapore’s long range goal is to surpass the US per capita GNP by 2030. At 50, Nigeria is still a toddler learning to be independent. We are still very much dependent on the World Bank, the IMF, the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth. Our dreams at independence have all been truncated. At 50 years of age, we are one of the most undisciplined nations on earth. We lack a way of life that should normally enable a smooth running of affairs. Somehow, we are being controlled by elements that should be under our control. This has consequently led to a lot of stress, frustration and irritability amongst our people. I think that it is possible to have an organised society, to have a responsive government and to have a responsible people and to begin to do things the way they should be done. Nigeria has the potential to rise but must get certain things right such as Power Supply; Security; Rule of Law; Infrastructure and the Right Leadership. It must unleash the economy and encourage a system that brings the best out of people, a system that rewards excellence over mediocrity. Nigeria has the boldness and character to rise to the top but lacks the moral fibre as corruption and greed is quite rampant and must be rooted out. Needless to say, Nigeria is moving at a painfully slow pace with a desperate need for improvement.
Ituah Ighodalo
SEPTEMBER 2010
TIMELESS
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Contents
Style Style
Society
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Are we telling our men the Truth? Play Together, Stay Together
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Letter I just saw a copy of the new Timeless magazine and I couldn’t help but nod. Someone behind me said “that’s a foreign mag” to which I replied “No”. He just had to take it from me and ever since it’ been passing from hand to hand. I think that the concept behind the new look reflects the concept behind the name Timeless. Classic. Something you would keep in your collection for future reference and it would still be relevant and “in”. The ‘collabo’ between “old school” black and white and modern colours is refreshing. Ene Anebi <goloinu@yahoo.com> Comments on the new TIMELESS Look from our readers Kehinde Akintobi “This is wonderful!!!” Akintokunbo Adejumo “Kudos, Ayodeji” Oladapo Odusose “Nice new look....well done!!!” Mike Idowu “Timeless is in time...nice cover and I love the masthead, its alive.... blue is such a groovy colour ...ke nako!” Adebayo Titilayo “This is COOL keep it up though am not surprised.” Eniola Prosper Afolabi “Well done!”
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SEPTEMBER 2010
TIMELESS
Editorial
One accident too many:
checking the menace of police check-points
T
hey are daredevil ‘extracurricular activities’, what men (and women) of the Nigeria Police Force subject transporters and other road users to, right under our nose. It’s time for a people-enforced policy of ‘Don’t give, don’t take’ to check the nuisance the Nigeria Police Force create on our roads that manifest as traffic logjams in order to successfully extort money from hapless drivers. There are hidden costs. As we saw happen recently in Lagos. The latest avalanche-accident of Sunday August 15, 2000, involving some 10 vehicles and resulting in the death of up to 40 persons, by the Berger Junction coming in Ibadan to Lagos of the nation’s most plied road, still fresh in the minds of many, really does brings things to a head. Men of the underworld, seemingly always a step ahead of the police, have been known to, quite simply, don police uniforms and gears to lay in wait for innocent road users -- to do, perhaps only more viciously and to obtuse degrees, what they police itself has come to be known for: extortion. As every Nigerian (and increasingly foreigners), adult and child alike, know: The police is now your fiend (from Old English word “fēond” meaning “hated person or enemy”, hence “the enemy of everyone”.) Eyewitness accounts and otherwise at the scene of the accident confirms that the illegal checkpoint mounted by officers of the Lagos State Police command just two meters from the scene of the accident, was responsible. The police check point on the expressway caused a traffic build-up, making the collision chelated instead of isolated. Were traffic free-flowing, as would be were the road free of police roadblocks, the driver of the articulated vehicle (or trailer) run amuck would have been subject to control and to be steered even by a little margin; people and vehicles would be moving. According to an eyewitness, “But in this case, there was a standstill and we were just helpless, and the car was just crushed and everything was tumbling over.” At Apple Junction, along the stretch of road leading to Amuwo-Odofin and Festac, the ‘men in black’ who mill around constitute a nuisance to the public. eliciting hisses from
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passengers in the 3-wheeler “Keke NAPEP” (aka Keke Marwa) whose rider must part with N50 or N20 (an increasing number of policemen even give out change) made statutory for onward passage on every trip, in exchange for the ‘password of the day’, usually a number, immunity from further harassment from other bands of gun-toting extortionist policemen down the road; or patrolling (strolling, actually) menacingly along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway where they put impediments right on the road, at 500- or less kilometre intervals, the Nigeria Police Force now represents a growing threat to road transportation right across Nigeria. Police PRO, Frank Mba, admitted there were some checkpoints along that road but he, expectedly, denied that his officers might have caused the accident. According to a report recently published by a watchdog group, the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), between June 1999 and December 2003, toll benchmark used by the extortionists was N10.00 per extortee and a total number of 70 roadblocks were estimated to have existed then on Anambra roads. Each roadblock, manned by a five-person or four-person police squad made the sum of N10,000 per day from commercial and private motorists and motorcyclists, who encountered the affected roadblocks about one-thousand (1000) times per day, meaning that a total sum of N700,000 was generated by the extortionists per day from the 70 check-points. The toll benchmark is N20.00 for MOPOL and Regular Policepersons; N50.00 to N100.00 for the Military Police Personnel and SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad); while the AntiTerrorism Squads, who are not stationed, but on patrol, target wares’ couriers for extortion at random, which ranges from N1, 000.00 to N20, 000.00 per victim. Members of the Federal Highway Patrol teams also engage in this nefarious activity. Their victims are asked to park off the road, and locate their leaders by the bush side and part with N100.00 to N200.00 (per victim). Members of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) engage in “booby-trap” extortions whereby out of over twenty “offenses” contained in their “offense sheets”, road users rarely escape from such “booby-traps”. Hence, between June 1999 and December
2003, a total sum of N1.26 billion was believed to have been unlawfully realized from the affected roadblocks. But between January 2004 and December 2008, the toll benchmark was increased to N20.00 per extortee and the private vehicle operators were exempted, with the exception of extortions arising from lawful and unlawful examination of vehicular papers. The total sum unlawfully realized daily, moved from N700, 000 to N1.4 million per day, N42 million per month and N504 million per year. As a result, between January 2004 and December 2008, a period of four years, a total of N2.016 billion is believed to have been realized unlawfully from the police check-points. In all, between June 1999 and December 2008, a period of 9 ½ years, a total of N3.3 billion, the equivalent of over $20 million dollars, might have been unlawfully realized. Today, there are between 350 and 400 police check-points in Anambra State, for example, manning about 14 Federal Roads and some 700 kilometers of the State roads or Trunk B roads in the State and manned by over 1800 police personnel. The policemen are happy at the harvests of billions they get to extort from people while uniformed and armed, under the guise of ‘wey your particulars?’ or ‘wetin you carry’. The people are both sad and mad, as the checkpoint portends harvests of pains and tears and untimely deaths and losses as seen in Lagos in mid-August. This state of things must stop forthwith; it is in the hands of the people – who bear the brunt of the brazen police displays of unrepentant greed – to clamour for an end to it. It is time the Inspector-General enforced the standing order banning roadblocks (what these check-points, really, are) to rein in his brazenly filthy-lucre-hungry men. For good. For ever. Indeed he may even now be liable to be charged to court by aggrieved persons as families, friends and employers of people who lost lives and limbs and means in the recent accident, in a class action suit. As a method of surveillance to check and curtail the movement and activities of undesirable elements in society, the check-point as a mechanism for doing that has outlived its meaning and usefulness. They have transmuted into ‘death-points.’
AUGUST 2010
events Mind to Mind Initiative Holds Single Ladies Summit Akinbiyi Akinsola
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hat’s on a lady’s mind was the theme of the maiden edition of Single Ladies Summit held at the Afe Babalola Hall of the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos. The summit was convened by Chinasa Amechi, president of Mind to Mind Initiative. On hand to share personal experiences with the ladies who were mainly students of the University of Lagos were women like Eme Akenzua (CEO John 3V3 Hats), Ibidun Ighodalo (CEO Elizabeth R), Adedoyin Odunfa (CEO Digital Jewels), Mrs. T. Egba and Onari Duke (former First Lady Cross River State). In her opening address, Chinasa Amechi asked the audience what was uppermost on their minds? She opined that a lady’s mind is usually obsessed with so many things ranging from success in career to marriage. Marriage is uppermost on the minds of most ladies at this age. She said, “It is therefore good that we have adequate knowledge about relationships and lay a solid foundation that is required. Many ladies end up victims of dishonest men because of lack of knowledge and impatience. The foundation to lay is knowing God and calling on Him.” Mrs. Eme Akenzua was the first of the invited guests to speak. She commended the organizers saying, “It is important that we talk from the word of God. This is a great initiative and I pray that it will grow.” She warned the ladies than beneath the façade of wealth is a lot of rot and that they should be themselves. She advised them to select the company they keep. “Do not be in the midst of husband snatchers. Select the information that you feed your mind with. You must have a plan for your life. The Bible says you should write your plans down. Do what is necessary towards your goal. Be focused, be determined. Work hard and pay the price for success. Most importantly, know God. Build with Jesus so that you will not labour in vain.” Mrs. Adedoyin Odunfa spoke about empowerment. She mentioned some factors that empower people. According to the IT expert, “Good and quality education empowers. Excellence, wealth and wisdom can also empower. Above all knowing God and his word empower; the word of God is the manual of God to function properly.” Mrs. Ibidun Ighodalo went deep in her discussion with the ladies. She told them the hard truth about life having passed through this path before. “The type of man you attract will depend on you yourself. Build confidence in yourself. Be the Proverbs 31 woman. Be a wife material and not a girlfriend material. Your heart is fragile, protect it with the word of God. Never dress loosely even when it is in vogue. Have good mentors and learn from them. Money is not everything. Resist tempting offers. Compatibility is important. Be humble. Keep your body for marriage.” Mrs. Egba talked about hard work urging the students to learn to spend time for God even from now. She also advised that they make friends with positive and intelligent people. The former first lady of Cross River State, Mrs. Onari Duke made the ladies to say some of the things they gained from the summit. She urged the ladies to keep their heads in shape. “In everything we do, we should yield to the Lord.” She recommended the account of the life of Ruth and Esther for the ladies to emulate. To cap up the summit, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo unveiled the Mind to Mind initiative banner. He advised the ladies that if they can win the battle of the mind they can also win the battle of life. He commended them into God’s hands.
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Mrs Onari Duke & Pastor Ituah Ighodalo
Mrs Ibidun Ighodalo & Mrs Eme Akenzua
Mrs Bimbo Omotosho, Mrs Ibidun Ighodalo, Chinasa Amechi
Cross section of guests at the event
Cross section of guests at the event
Mrs Adedoyin Odunfa (l)
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SEPTEMBER 2010
Pastor Tunde Babalola (m), Chinasa Amechi (r) & Others
Cross section of guests at the event
events
THMP holds Emerging Leaders Summit Ituah Ighodalo, John Dara, Omasan Buwa, Matilda Kerry, George Ashiru, Akintokunbo Adejumo, Patricia Omoqui and Theunis Van Rensburg speak on leadership principles, practices and potential
Ms Matilda Kerry & Pastor Ituah Ighodalo
Rev. George Ashiru & Mr John Dara
Mr Esiarp Elegbede (r) & another guest
Mr Ayo Moses & another guest
Mrs Eniola Afolabi & Rev. George Ashiru
Ms Lilian Imoni & Mr Ayodeji Jeremiah
S
ome of Nigeria’s top emerging leaders gathered together recently under the auspices of the Town Hall Meeting Project, a project convened by George Ashiru. The six hour program anchored and moderated by Ayodeji Jeremiah, (Editor TIMELESS) and Lilian Imoni, (Project Coordinator SIEF) featured video presentations by the Thought Dr. and internationally recognized speaker, life coach and writer Patricia Omoqui and the South African IT specialist, visionary and activist, Theunis Van Rensburg. Other speakers at the occasion were Editor-in-Chief of TIMELESS magazine, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo; the convener, Revd George Ashiru; presidential candidate of the National Transformation Party, Mr. John Dara; former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (1987) and now Executive Assistant to the Delta State Governor, Ms. Omasan Buwa; another former Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria (2000) Dr. Matilda Kerry; and founder and Global Coordinator of Champions For Nigeria, Mr. Akintokunbo Adejumo. The discussions centred on topics like Transforming Nigerian Politics; Is Nigeria a Country or a Nation; Why I am in Politics; The Kind of Leader Nigeria Needs; Activating Our Visions; Nigeria: Past, Present and Future amongst others. THMP is a cause dedicated to the collation of the views, ideas, ideals, values and mission concerning the Nigerian nation with the primary goal of having a popularly influenced blueprint in 10 areas of much needed reform in community, state and national existence. THMP, which is also involved in community action, good governance and citizenship initiatives, is completely apolitical and secular in its scope and nature. The members and coordinators are volunteers and patriots who are dedicated to the well being of the Governance and people of Nigeria. The group held the summit as part of its objectives in raising and empowering a new generation of leaders, and as part of its mission in providing forums where Nigerians can tackle various issues of national importance through brainstorming. Here is a summary of major points at the discourse: 1. Not all leaders are born, a lot are made. Even those born into leadership have to be taught leadership traits and principles. 2. Leadership should be taught from childhood and the teenage years. Organisations such as the Boys Scout should be reinvigorated across the country. 3. Leadership is all about fixing problems and not about looting or abandoning ship when things go wrong. 4. Future leaders have to be mentored. 5. Mentors have to see the potential in others, set achievable goals for their protégés, accept their protégés and show genuine love, care and concern and celebrate their successes. 6. Nigerians have to get actively involved in the political and electoral process rather than just complaining all the time. ‘We have to walk our talk.’ 7. Nations move forward because citizens have confidence in their leaders. This is called social mobilization. It is time Nigerians start having leaders that they can have confidence in. 8. Drastic and sacrificial solutions are needed to change Nigeria. Nigerians must be ready to make such sacrifices. 9. We need visionary leaders that can address the faulty foundations on which our country was built. 10. We need good people as leaders who can talk to the people, be accountable to the people, selfless and passionate leaders who are intelligent and can think, and who are ready to work tirelessly hard for Nigeria. 11. Values such as hard work, truth, honesty, intelligence and integrity need to be brought back and celebrated in our country. 12. Nigeria is a great country with all the necessary human and mineral resources. What is therefore lacking are good people who are available but unwilling to offer them selves for leadership positions because of the complexities of the system. We need to look for such people. 13. It is time that religious organisations, schools and families start teaching people how to be good people in the society. 14. Leaders are planners. Aspiring leaders must start building skills that will enable them prepare adequately for future leadership positions. 15. We need discipline to build a great country and such discipline must start from our individual lives, homes and churches or mosques. Discipline by legislation as witnessed during the Buhari/Idiagbon regime should be eschewed by all Nigerians. 16. Rebuilding Nigeria is the collective responsibility of all Nigerians.
SEPTEMBER 2010
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events
Josephine and Steve wed in Grand style
I
t was a beautiful and colourful day when the families of Oshodi and Atanoye came together recently to witness the joining of holy matrimony between their children, Josephine, the beautiful bride and Steven, the lucky groom. The service which took place at the Redeemed Christian Church of God , Christ Church Parish well attended by family, friends and well wishers who were happy to see the beauti-
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ful couple joined in holy matrimony. The reception, which followed at Centrepoint Shopping Mall Hall, Anthony was a vision of Gold and Wine, which beautifully exhibited the colour for the day. You could see the joy on the groomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face as he danced with his new bride, who was all smiles. There is no doubt that God who brought this wonderful couple together would bless their marriage and keep it happy
Cover feature
Where Have All The Teachers Gone?
Adeleke Adeyemi
“
On strike!” someone puts up her hand to say, with reference to “Pacesetter State”, Oyo, where teachers have been away from the classroom, in recent times, for two months and counting. ‘It just doesn’t pay; so, why stay?’ they have been heard to rumble, as the National Union of Teachers, N.U.T., flexes it muscles to demand that an already agreed raise in emoluments be effected. But will the politicians ever be roused to “fix the schools” and “restore their greatness”? Many of them find it hard to comprehend the sorry state of things in that sector, given how much they allocate (or arrogate) to themselves as per diems, or sitting allowances, so-called. Surely, teachers (some of whom were taught by them) cannot be earning
the paltry sums being alleged? The overall answer has to be louder and clearer than just a blip on the radar. Strikes are merely a tip of the iceberg looming ahead which, without those at the helms effecting a change in course, would sink our ship of state. Where have all the teachers gone? “To South Africa!” another recalls of the brain wave of ‘birthday celebrity’ former education minister, Dr. Sam Egwu, when he brokered a deal that saw droves of qualified Nigerian science and Mathematics teachers heading out to fill a niche in “a needy sister country” for three years, in the first instance. The minister was reported to have said, sadistically and ironically, perhaps also sarcastically, “Nigeria is denying itself the services of its best teachers
in order to assist the South African government salvage its educational system.” But there’s yet another black hole into which teachers have been sucked. Recounts a parent: “My son came home one day and said, “Mummy, Mr. Sam said he’s supposed to be working in an Oil Company but because he’s yet to get a job in one, he had to take to teaching so he can have something at the end of the month.” I was speechless.” She calls to mind “yet another teacher; all he’s using the children for is to make money by using them to get through to their parents. He also said he’s supposed to be working in the petroleum sector but since he hasn’t got a job there yet, he’s only putting up a pretence teaching.
SEPTEMBER 2010
TIMELESS
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cover feature “I can confirm that he even sometimes takes alcohol before coming to the class to teach, something his students know too well. He teaches without any scheme of work. Further, if your child is not signed up with him for ‘extra lessons’ she would end up not doing well in the subject.” Well-attested tales abound of a headmaster in a rather prominent local government area of Nigeria’s self-proclaimed ‘Fountain of Knowledge’– Ekiti State – whose own children are not in any school whatsoever. The scandal of the papier-mâché teacher pervades, almost as a norm, the fabric of the Nigerian system of education. These operators – especially at the foundational Primary level – know better than to invest their own future in a system in whose they are. They have abandoned it to its fate. Others, by some means possible or necessary, keep their wards out of school in Nigeria to enrol them in school overseas, even abroad – as in across the border – in neighbouring Togo and Ghana. According to a 2008 World Bank report, “there are concerns across Nigeria about the overall levels of teacher competence, with the perception being that teaching standards are getting worse.” That Nigeria is “A Nation at Risk” (title of a U.S. Department of Education report that triggered decades-long reforms from the mid 1980s in their public school system) is clear to all. What is not clear to most, however, is the primary – as in Primary Education – nature of the threat to the stability and future prosperity of the nation. The public school system has declined because its operators have lost sight of the purpose of education and have come to expect too little from students, dictating a pace that parents have all too blissfully but most ignorantly come to find comfortable to adjust to, thus perpetuating a vicious cycle. The Nigerian authorities will do well to borrow a leaf from the above-mentioned report. It linked economic troubles to perceived problems with the education system, bearing the urgent message that public schools standards, or a lack of them, stand in the way of a strong economy. That there is a palpable shortage of teachers in all keys areas of instruction is not news; what bears reiterating is that the situation will wax worse and worse. Hence the present call to rally the national consciousness to the need to attract large numbers of high-quality ‘teacher materials’ and to improve their education and training. Also squarely on the drawing-board for attention is the examination and revision of curricula, with sweeping changes made to improve the education of prospective teachers and to orientate teachers 12
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from leaving the classrooms for other jobs. Greater emphasis needs to be put on a solid liberal arts background for teachers; to allow university graduates who did not attend schools of education to enter classroom teaching via alternative certification routes; to raise the standards of academic preparation and experience that new teachers must meet; and to create a national board to certify teachers in place of the many different certifying bodies now in existence, often working at cross-purposes. A head-teacher weighs in: “Professionalism as a matter of course in the teaching occupation is really something still in the pipeline; it is yet to take off. There are no refresher courses as training and retraining laid out.” Like teachers being made to read – ‘soak up’ – journals put together by teachers in other lands, where the teaching profession works, and engage constructively with them.
“Admission into the training institutions, especially the Colleges of Education (COEs) at present attracts rejects as intakes. The mass failure rates now causing much brouhaha are simply indicators of the present plague of dearth of teachers.” In the 2009 May/June Senior School Certificate Examination results released by WAEC, about 356, 981 of the 1, 373, 009 candidates, representing only 25.99 per cent that took part, earned five credits, including English Language and Mathematics. In other words, 3 in 4 candidates failed! But even that turned out to be child‘s play compared to rival exam body NECO’s SSCE results: a paltry 126, 500 of the registered 1,260,765 candidates – 10 per cent, or 1 in 10, of registrants for the body’s exams – passed five subjects, including English and Mathematics. Then ‘mother of all failures’ came in the form of NECO’s latter November/December results: 98 per cent of the candidates who sat for the examination failed woefully; only about 4, 223 out of the 234, 682 candidates who sat for the exams scored
five credits in five core subjects, the minimum requirements for admission into university in Nigeria. Interpretation: only 2-in-100 passed the exams with five credits, with English and Mathematics. If the stakeholders’ forum convened immediately upon assumption of office by the present education minister, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai (on the impetus of the new devastating status quo) did not have as sole agenda the declaration of a state of emergency in the Primary School system, then it failed at take-off. Students don’t take off brilliantly to pass ‘in flying colours’ in secondary school, as everybody expects; they are launched into that orbit from primary school, built up foundationally from ground floor up, with the right Teacher/Pupil Ratio, among others, for right and necessary interactions to happen and be emplaced. Properly designed, implemented and monitored ICT-based interventions, like a customised One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) scheme, will help jumpstart the required transformation and give children a head-start on the learning curve. The solution must be Primary not Secondary. To be far-reaching, education reforms to be undertaken must be holistic. From toughening and ‘toning’ the curriculum to ‘fortifying’ teachers’ emoluments to attract competent teachers called to the profession, it must takeon issues like poor parenting and poverty, which clearly are major impediments to progress in education. Further, it would do to offer parents greater choices in selecting schools for their children by establishing new types of schools designed to compete with public schools for students and resources. The Nigerian public school system, starting at the Primary level, must be rendered inclusive, for it to play the crucial role of unifying a nation of ethnic nationalities, for the transmission of national values and concepts, offering – at least in theory, if not always in practice – the promise of equal opportunity through equal education. The sorry state of primary school education in Nigeria – the crux of the matter, the bane of our development, from ground level, nay foundation, up – seems to have eluded the comprehension of leadership, in a hurry to put up shiny edifices to commission as projects completed; to brandish ‘results’ – without paying attention to foundations and process. According to Encarta dictionary, education is “the imparting and acquiring of knowledge through teaching and learning, especially at a school or similar institution.” In the words of British writer and actor Sir Peter Ustinov, in his autobiography Dear Me, ‘After all, what is education but a
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process by which a person begins to learn how to learn?’ Sadly, in Nigeria, it has over time been made to serve the opposite purpose: now, children learn to run away from learning, to more ‘lucrative’ and enjoyable extracurricular pursuits like Internet scams and pornography. But where, exactly, have all the teachers – who should keep these ones occupied and rein theme in – gone? Going by the definition offered for a ‘teacher’ by journalist and critic H.L. Mencken – as “one who, in his youth, admired teachers” – it is clear that once the teacher-as-role-model template became more and more eroded it become less and less visible and available to inspire, the profession embarked on a decline. The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, sums up the situation in the nation‘s educational sector to be “under intense threat from the combined onslaught of gross under-funding and its attendant inadequacy as well as decay in infrastructure and poor staffing.” Worldwide, the purpose of Elementary Education (which goes by the self-indicting designation of ‘Primary Education’ in Nigeria) is to introduce children to the skills, information, and attitudes necessary for proper adjustment to their community and to society. Basically, subjects to be taught are reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, physical education, and handicrafts, often supplemented with other subjects, such as foreign languages. Over the years new subject matters were intended to make the primary school curriculum even more advanced, in keeping with the times. Now, school-time is merely time spent away from home, looking for teachers who have all but wandered away, physically and/or mentally. The minister of education only started the obvi-
ous with her lament that “lack of qualified teachers” has been responsible for the “dismal performance of candidates in public examinations...the dismal performance of our students…is traceable to unqualified teachers.” In short: Non-teachers. But how, exactly, can there be a dearth of qualified teachers, properly speaking, in the midst of a glut of unemployed graduates? Or, why are many graduates not attracted to the teaching profession? The answer is not far-fetched. The authorities need to work out schemes for making teaching attractive and exciting for young Nigerian graduates to sign up, as obtained during our ‘Golden Age of Education’, when things worked, generally, and was seen to work. Firstly, pay must be enhanced as competitive remuneration packages. It now appears as if the vvvof society. It just does not pay any longer to be a teacher, the main explanation for the poor quality of teaching in schools, with its attendant poor results. Yet, even when many undaunted teachers-by-calling are willing to work regardless of the constraints of poor pay, uninspiring work environment, demotivating conditions of service and lack of training and development opportunities in the sector, the endemic corruption that dogs the recruitment of teachers across the country turns away the willing and qualified. Tales abound of luckless graduates getting defrauded in spirited attempts to get recruited as teachers. (Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Executive Secretary, Ahmed Mohammed, has come out to say “about 10 million children in Nigeria are out of school owing to corruption in the commission.”) Reminiscing on ‘the good old days’, a parent gushes: “The model teacher’s method was ‘everything made easy’, whereby every lesson was made interesting by singing, telling stories and every kind of
illustrations; you couldn’t easily forget what you had been taught! It automatically stuck with you! Teacher taught with passion; they loved to teach regardless of how much wages they were paid. Life was better educationally then than now, even with the fewer hours we had, unlike what we have now: long hours with little result. “Morally, the oldies teachers were simply fantastic. Wherever you went it showed that you had been properly taught. There was a culture of mutual respect for others. What we now have is a failure to the tunes of our culture in Africa. “The teachers are gone behind the counters in the banking halls and have got sucked up by the oil sector, among others. Private schools are, strictly speaking, business ventures. Many teachers are there who have tried long time unsuccessfully to gain admission into the university to study, perhaps, education.” Such will come out a ‘cardboard teacher’, willing only to teach principles learnt in school, without investing person by bringing love, compassion, and kindness to bear on the job. “When I think back on my primary school years, my heart bleeds for the type of education now available in this era. I attended a public missionary school. My primary life gives me a foundation for the future. The kind of teachers we had were God-fearing, with the love of the children at heart, ready to impart the right moral training us to become leaders in the society. The catered to all aspects of life physically, spiritually, mentally and psychologically. “Teaching it was when teachers taught with passion! This ensured that at the end there were desirable results. Teachers taught with mutual respect and discipline in and out of the classroom. Then private school owner stepped in merely to make money from the lingering mess, on the premise of making education available to all.” A recent commentator with a scathing take on the sector and its lingering malaise has opined: “What should worry everybody in the country, especially those charged statutorily with the management of the education sector, is how a country with 63 colleges of education, made up of four privateowned, 38 state-owned and 21 federally-owned, as well as about 100 universities, could be experiencing a dearth of quality teachers. “In other words, does it mean the teacher-production line in these higher institutions has run dry? This cannot be the case as there are so many unemployed graduates in those highly needed subjects roaming the streets of Nigeria, many of [whom] are not kindly disposed to touching the teaching profession even with the longest pole.” (With contributions from Mrs. Tayo Daranijo and Mr. Bolaji Osoteku, M.Ed.) Editor’s note: The discussion continues @ www. timelessnewspaper.com. Join us!
SEPTEMBER 2010
TIMELESS
13
Life & Society FAMILY
S
RELATIONSHIPS
EDUCATION
SCIENCE
Play Together, Stay Together
heila met Olu when she joined a new fitness club two years ago, Olu was her instructor and the first time they met, he actually struck her as a bit shy and withdrawn. But a few months into their working relationship, something changed. Olu started warming up to her with special attention; she warmed up to him too. Soon their conversations turned from fitness related issues to easy banter about everything personal and later it became flirtation. They shared many similar things in common, and they soon became inseparable. She convinced herself that she wasn’t doing anything wrong; after all they were not having sex. And couldn’t she have a friend who happened to be male? She hardly spends quality time with her husband, who is also very busy with a demanding job and even when they are together they rarely have any meaningful or intimate conversations. Living together had become a matter of duty, her marriage was lacking in companionship and friendship. In the midst of working full time and caring for her two children, e-mailing and talking with Olu felt like an innocent escape. The relationship that was cultivated at the weekly fitness club was being greatly nourished in the cyberspace, which is also a perfect place to hide it away from her husband. Olu was always a call away to encourage her and guide her through difficult times; they spent hours talking on the phone and chatting on the internet. She increasingly found herself sharing more of her goals and dreams with Olu and withdrew from her husband more and more. She looked forward to her regular interactions with Olu in a way that was all too consuming; she would save up her innermost thoughts, and interesting personal experiences 14
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TIMELESS
to be spilled to him, instead of her spouse, she liked the emotional support and bond he gave her. It was Olu not her husband who was beginning to fill a key emotional need in her life. According to the Godmother of Infidelity Research, the late psychologist Dr Shirley Glass, “There is a “new infidelity” in which well-intentioned people who never intended to be unfaithful are unwittingly forming deep, passionate connections before they realize that they’ve crossed the line that separates platonic friendship from romantic love.” Emotion-
al infidelity in marriage is a growing trend in today’s society; boredom, loneliness and lack of quality communication in relationships have been identified as the major catalysts. Unfortunately these also make up one of the top ten causes of divorce and separation. Stories, researches and statistics like these may suggest to us in many ways that good marriages are rare these days, but a leading marriage expert
SEPTEMBER 2010
says making a marriage last is not as complicated as we think. Dr John Gottman believes the principles that make a marriage work are “surprisingly simple.” According to him “Happily married couples aren’t smarter or more beautiful than others, and they don’t live in castles in the clouds where there’s no conflict or negative feelings. They know each other deeply and enjoy being together. They do little things every day to stay connected and to show each other they care. In short, they are friends” The importance of friendship in building a fortress against emotional infidelity is no doubt one of the few things that marriage experts and counselors agree on as an essential for a good marriage, yet it is often downplayed by most couples. One thing many happily married couples have in common is their ability to let down their hairs and have great fun together in their daily lives. They know what it means to play, crack jokes, giggle and share enjoyable activities. With friendship comes a unique connectedness, where couples know each other intimately, are well versed in each other’s hopes and dreams, laugh together, cry together, and enjoy each other’s company. They have learnt to draw marital strength from being the closest of companions, especially during rough times. They can have a no holds barred type of relationship, where they are comfortable to have an open and honest communication with each other. That doesn’t mean the marriage is perfect and without conflicts, but sometimes it’s a lot easier to resolve a conflict and weather the tough times with your friend than with someone who is like a stranger to you.
Shola Okubote writes on women’s growth and general lifestyle issues for print and online magazines. She is the publisher of www.femmelounge. org, an online magazine for young women. She is passionate about international development and women issues. She enjoys reading magazines, watching TV especially talk shows and spending time with her five sisters and four nieces! She loves tea, coke and rice in all its variety!
Are we telling our men the TRUTH?
Life & Society
Adetola Asabo
I
t is a common phrase that is often said that “It is a man’s world”. This might be true more in Africa than in the West but it cannot be denied that the male species have it better than the female in a lot of instances. Some cultures even have proverbs to support this, such as the Yoruba proverb that literally says “if a man should stand to pee on a wall and a woman should do same, one would surely have more water on her legs than the other.” In other words a woman cannot get away with as much as a man can get away with. Which is quite true. The word promiscuous is more likely to be used on a woman than a man as a “promiscuous” man is more likely to be seen as a stud, while a promiscuous woman would be called a slut. This kind of idea is supported by our tradition though it is wrong. I spoke to a friend of mine recently and she was really riled up about something. I asked what she was upset about and she confided in me. She had been attending marriage counseling as she and her husband had issues. Apparently, her husband had a mistress but she was blamed for “chasing the man out” of the home by not being homely enough. She was really upset as she told me she had done everything she knew but he still did not notice her efforts. She was upset and hurt about the occurrence especially as the blame for his misdemeanor was placed on her. She only decided to stay because of their child as he had done this countless times before. I attended an only girl’s school and every time we got talking, every girl had one tale or the other of how her brothers or male cousins enjoyed the holi-
day free of chores while they slaved. The standard answer to every complaint about the unfairness of it all was “don’t you know you are a woman and will get married, you should know these things”! In the university it was the same. Some of the girls even echoed these sentiments. All the girls were always willing to share one tidbit or the other on how to get a man’s attention, how to keep your man etc. This obsession still continued even after graduation. At home our mothers hammered us with chores and information and everything. I do not deny that getting ample training for a woman’s future role as a wife and a mother cannot be over emphasized but why can’t our men know these things, after all they will be bachelors before they marry. You hear things like “a woman without a husband is no one no matter what she has or her educational background” and a host of other things like that. Even in our religious gatherings, women are hammered with messages preaching patience in marriage saying things like the success of every home depends 99% on the woman and so on. My question is, does this mean that a man is only responsible 1% for the success of his marriage? Women are educated about marriage from as soon as you can understand your environment but who is taking out very important time to educate our men? If marriage is supposed to be two adults getting into a life time commitment, why is only one party held responsible for the failure of a marriage no matter the extent of damage the other party did to that marriage? I do not deny the fact that some women do cheat, but we constantly hear and see married men in our society cheating blatantly. Why are we not telling our men the truth? That our homes can only be successes with their positive input both financially, spiritually and emotionally. Why is our society creating an atmosphere that is conducive for our men to tear down their own homes with their hands no matter how much their wives build it up? This can only be likened to two workmen building a house, one building on one side, and the other tearing down on the other side. At best the house will be half built but will never be a shelter. There are many broken homes today because the modern woman realizes she has other choices than building in vain and just barely surviving through her marriage because of her children. I do not advocate for separation or divorce as it leaves homes broken and children scarred with pain that lasts for years. Many of our parents just barely survived through their marriages. I believe women need to educate their sons and let them realize that they also have responsibility for the success of their family life and homes. It is not only about bringing in the money! We as a society should not make the same mistake as the generation before. Our religious organizations, churches and mosques need to learn to have male forums where they edu-
cate our men on what manhood really means and that fatherhood goes beyond fathering a child and that being a husband means a whole lot including responsibility for the total well being of your family. If our men are not educated about these things there will sadly be a lot more broken homes than there are now. We need to harness this generation of our young men and tell the truth for once. For our homes, our families and our wellbeing as a society. Every marriage should be about companionship and not unhappiness. This can only happen if the two, both male and female who go into the marriage take responsibility for the success of their marriage. The feeling you first have will not be there forever but with companionship, care, patience and love, it will stay in your home. This is a truth most women have been told many times and know, but who is telling our men the truth? Many a time the sentiment that it is a woman that keeps the home is very strong in our culture. This should not mean that a man should have no interest in the emotional, educational etc wellbeing of his family. Taking out time to be friends with your family members is not a waste of time but an investment of love that cannot be bought with money. Many men find themselves lonely in their homes because they did not take time to do this and so they have no friend among their children. Also their wife is no more their companion since she only stayed because of the children. Many people from the older generation have suffered in one form or the other from the ills of polygamy. We as a generation should do all we know to curb both polygamy as well as divorce, so as to nurture wholesome children who will become exemplary adults in the future. The home is the bedrock of our society. The ills in our society are bred in our homes. Our men should be part of the training of their children. Also they should lay good examples as children learn more from what they see than what they hear. This is a new time and place for us. Our men should lose the ideas of the past and learn new ways. If everything in our lives is moving at a different pace, that should tell us that we have to welcome new ideas as life solutions for our lives. So please, are we telling our men the truth? And if we are “are they willing to listen?” Adetola Asabo is a warm person who loves to write, likes making new friends and meeting new people. The University of Lagos graduate of Insurance is extremely confident and comfortable in her skin. She started writing as a form of self expression in secondary school and loves writing about anything that catches her attention. A former Senior Editorial Assistant at TIMELESS, this column is a dream come true for her. Adetola who is happily married says ‘writing is my addiction.’
SEPTEMBER 2010
TIMELESS
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Life & Society
‘Pay as you go’ semester Whoever said government owned institutions were inexpensive and ideal for the son of the commoner should ask Nigerian students scattered in various institutions across the country. For most of them, life as an undergraduate is nothing but a misadventure which drills a hole in their pockets and sucks the financial reservoir of their parents. No thanks to the sundry bills they have to pay to get an education. In many higher institutions, the first semester is replete with many activities. Aside from marking the beginning of a new academic session when newly admitted students are expected to resume, it is the time when the management, Student Union Government (SUG) and other sections of the institution unfold their plans for the session. Due to the huge financial expenses incurred by students during this period, some of them have nick-named the semester ‘pay as you go’, as they have to pay their way through to get anything done. It’s Bills, Bills and Bills When admitted into any institution, students and their parents would think that paying the tuition fee, which varies depending on the institution and course of study is the ultimate. They are usually shocked by the endless list of bills, which must be settled as part of the registration process. The students and their parents are drained financially by the management, Student Union Government, departments, associations, banks, fellowships and societies. Vessy Udoh, a new student of Micro-biology at the Delta State University, Abraka said ‘the petty bills’ when added up could be as much as the tuition fee itself. “When you add all these payments here and there, you will be surprised it could be more than the school fees. We have no option than to comply because it is not easy to get admission now”. “I am tired of this school, all they do is take your money in the name of dues” blurted a female student of the Obafemi Awolowo University who begged not to be named. From the banks where students are expected to pay their tuition fees, it is a catalogue of expenses. The banks charge outrageous commissions on scratch card, which will be used during the electronic payment system. In a bank at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Okwa, students have to pay two hundred and fifty naira into the coffers of the bank as commission for every card sold. To pay the tuition fee, no student buys less than two scratch cards, which implies that every student pays nothing less than five hundred naira as commission. It is not just paying the commission that hurts the students, but the fact
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SEPTEMBER 2010
that the bankers sometimes hoard the cards to delay student registration. Dickson Okpaleake, 200 level Industrial Mathematics, says the banks deliberately make things difficult for students to ensure that they register late thereby incurring more expenses for late registration. The spending spree continues …… In most institutions when the student succeeds in paying the tuition fees, the spending spree takes a new twist. He will have to part with a chunk of his allowance in order to complete the registration process. To register courses for the session, students have to
pay departmental and faculty dues. The dues range from five hundred to one thousand naira depending on the department, faculties and institution. Ruth Mabadeje, a student of Geography and regional planning at Olabisi Onabajo University, AgoIwoye said the bills paid outside of the tuition fee have wrecked her finances. “When my dad asked for my school fees breakdown, I told him the exact amount, which he gave me two weeks later. At the moment, I have paid over six thousand naira aside from the school fees. My parents think I am lying when I tell them all the bills I have paid and still have to pay. I paid some of the dues with my own money, now I am broke”. It does not end there, registration at the University Health Centre, which is an integral part of the registration procedures, gulps three thousand naira from new students while the old ones pay one thousand naira for the renewal of their medical cards every session in Delta State University Abraka. Accommodation It is a known fact that accommodation is one of the
many problems that confronts Nigerian students. Since many of the institutions are non residential, students have to live off campus. Where hostels are available, they are barely enough to accommodate the large number of students. Securing accommodation in any of the hostels on and off campus comes with a bag-full of expenses. At the University of Ilorin, a single bed-space is sold for N22, 000. At the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, those who desire hostel accommodation must be ready to part with nothing less than N25, 000. As if paying such pocket-shrinking amount is not enough, students have to pay hall dues when they move into the hostels. In Abraka Hall, one of the male hostels in Delta State University, it is obligatory for students to pay N1, 200 as hall dues. It is worse for those who cannot secure accommodation on campus; they have to endure the manoeuvrings of shylock landlords and estates agents. ….. Even in the Church It is not just the management and the banks that suck students’ money; fellowships and other social groups also play a part. Campus fellowship leaders and their executives mandate their members to pay certain dues for the growth of the fellowship. For instance members of the Anglican Student Fellowship (ASF), which is one of the most popular fellowships on campus in DELSU, were compelled to pay one thousand naira each for the fellowship’s bus project, four hundred naira as semester dues and two hundred naira for brothers and sisters dues respectively. For those who belong to special units in the fellowship such as ushers and choristers, there are special dues, which are paid every month. With this plethora of dues and payments, one then wonders how students survive on our campuses across the nation as no single college or university is exempted. Vincent is a young journalist and poet with an enthralling charisma and a broad knowledge of issues. As a writer, his articles and poems have been published in newspapers and magazine within and outside Nigeria. Presently a student of the Delta State University Abraka, Vincent is the editor of Campus Eye Magazine, and a freelance reporter with the Nation newspaper.
Life & Society
Weight Loss with a Nigerian Diet Tola Awoyemi You might have noticed that here in Nigeria it is quite difficult to get the right type of food to incorporate in our diets since our foods are not really found on the web. Generally we must avoid food that are rich in simple carbohydrates, and embrace those rich in protein. Having a sensible diet in Nigeria means five basic changes: 1. Eat less fat: Fat could be dangerous to our health so we need to really reduce the intake of this. Fat contains more than twice the amount of calories in other nutrients, even though it’s not easy to change your diet, you should try to switch to low fat dairy products and eat less red meat, lamb and pork. As an alternative, switch to fish, turkey, chicken, pork steak etc. Eliminate fried foods as much as possible, as they are stumbling blocks in weight loss.
2. Eat less sugar: Processed sugar is relatively high in calories and almost valueless as food. It provides you with no nutrients, so you won’t be any less nourished if you stopped taking it. Try as much as possible to reduce sugar in tea and coffee. There should be no addition of sugar in cereal, also try diet drinks or fruit drinks and cultivate a habit of reading labels thoroughly in order to choose a brand with less sugar. 3. Eat more Fibre: Fibre is the part of plant based foods that our bodies can’t digest. It is an ideal slimming food, and yet it is very healthy for us. Fibre helps to keep our bowel movements regular and ward off constipation, diabetes and gall stones. Fibre also helps transport cholesterol out of our body, reducing our risk for heart disease. 4. Eat more fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are natural and extremely good for the body. If you are diabetic then these are your new best friends. Be creative with fruits and vegetables so as to enjoy them more.
5. Avoid Hunger: Hunger is the biggest diet killer, no matter how motivated you are to lose weight; it always wins and destroys your diet in the process. It is better to eat a little than not eating at all because no one reaches for an orange to beat off serious hunger pangs instead we reach for junk foods. Unfortunately these foods simply make the problem worse as they create havoc on our blood glucose levels, which can lead to cravings and appetite mood swings. However, below is a list of various kinds of food to decrease your intake of when trying to lose weight using a Nigerian diet: • Pounded yam: Popularly called Iyan in Yoruba, contains a lot of starch. Try to reduce intake of this. • Amala: Made from the back of the yams is pretty much starchy too. • Garri: Simply just cassava flour! Its known to be one of the promoters of big flabby tummy. • Tuwo Shinkafa: pounded rice more or less contains as much carbohydrate as white rice. • Soups: Avoid Nigerian soups when trying to lose weight because most of them contain so much oil. However soups like okro soup, if cooked without oils can be very good to incorporate into your weight loss program. • Ofada rice and white rice • Akpu, another cassava product is high in simple carbohydrate and intake of this should be reduced. Akpu is also known to promote bulging
tummies! Please note that you should not totally eliminate the above carbohydrate foods from your diet, but try to limit intake of them to as little as possible. Foods to increase intake of in your diet include: 1. Beans and Moi-moi. These contain high amounts of protein; it is a good building block for muscle and also one of the fat burning foods. 2. Fish: This is very high in protein content. 3. Fruits 4. Vegetables: cook with very little oil, vegetables are high in fibre content. 5. Chicken and Turkey: Try peeling off the skin before taking these! 6. Ukpa (of Ibo origin) also high in protein content.
SEPTEMBER 2010
TIMELESS
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Living & St yle
FASHION BEAUTY FOOD HOMECARE GADGETS CARS LEISURE
Tell me your age… and I’ll tell you how to do your makeup Makeup basics for every age… Tola Awoyemi
M
akeup is not just a tool to hide away the flaws in one’s beauty, but it also acts as a protective covering for your skin. Besides, women wear makeup to look more beautiful and to cut down years from their appearance. However, when you’re using makeup to look younger you need to be particular about the choice of makeup because whatever makeup you choose must suit your age.
In your teens That’s the time when you’re in the prime of your youth, and not much of makeup is needed because young skin is beautiful in itself. Foundation for teens is not necessary. While it can clog your pores, it will also look overdone. Skip the foundation and use a concealer on your blemishes only. Lightly dust on some loose powder over your entire face to even out your skin tone, control oil, and set the concealer. For the eye and cheek makeup, choose natural shades only, you may not be interested in eye shadow until you’re a little older. If so, that’s great. When you do begin wearing it, keep it light and use any trendy metallics and sparkles sparingly, you can top up your lips with shimmery lipgloss. In your twenties At this age, a woman is in full bloom and only some mild foundation is what you should be using. At work, don’t use too much foundation - only enough to even out your skin tone and use concealer to cover any blemishes. Don’t use your shimmery eyeshadows, go for more neutral shades, like browns, beiges, taupes and greys. On casual days go a little strong with the eye shadow, for the rest of the face just keep the makeup to a bare minimum, and avoid using bright colors unless you are getting ready for a scintillating evening
affair. At night, pick one feature to play up - either eyes or lips. You can also try a shimmery eyeshadow or a gloss with a bit of glitter, but don’t do all these things at once! No one looks good with a face that’s been dipped in glitter! In your thirties Once you step into the thirties, you may begin to see the first signs of aging and so from here on you will need to go a little heavy on the foundation. Go for flattering eyeshadow colours, but don’t overdo it during the day! Use brown eyeliner to fill in your eyelashes for a quick and sexy look. Then blend it a bit with a dark eyeshadow. This is a fast and attractive look at any age but don’t go overboard on products in cream formulas or those that are too shiny.
eyeshadow, unless you are a makeup master, but forget about the pearlescent shades, colours in the blue family, and bright, shiny, or creamy oranges. General advice As with any make-up, blending is the key. If you ever experience any skin irritation, quit using make-up immediately until you find out what the problem is. Never go to bed with your make-up on. Of course you don’t! Well, if you sleep with your face covered in gunk, you can expect clogged pores that could lead to blackheads, break-outs and blemishes.
In your forties Here your skin needs more moisture, so get some oil-based foundation to get smooth looking skin. Concealer creams are another thing that you need to add to your makeup kit. Stick to colours that are more sober and softer, while all together avoiding metallic and frosted makeup. If your pores seem to becoming more enlarged (this can also happen in your 30s), use a prebase under your foundation. Prebases are concentrated moisturizing creams that close your pores and help keep your foundation in place all day, avoiding shininess. Fifty and beyond This is when you must let yourself age gracefully, so avoid anything that is to shiny or metallic and restrict yourself to using muted natural makeup shades only. Even for your lips, the colour choice should be limited to neutrals. Don’t use a lot of
SEPTEMBER 2010
TIMELESS
19
Living & Style
Bad Girlfriend Gifts
It’s not a coincidence that between the end of December holidays and Valentine’s Day is known as the “National Break-Up Season” and 25% of people reassess their relationships. With the amount of exposure to the Internet and media, you’ll think that even the most romantic man could never mess things up but men always mess gifts up leaving a sour taste in the relationship. These are ten gifts you should never give your girlfriend, no matter what:
1. Anything related to Weight loss: Except your girlfriend is a body builder or has specifically requested an exercise machine, a weight loss tape, or diet books, don’t even go there. Any woman will take this as a sign that you think she is too fat. What she’s hearing from you is “In some way, I’m ugly to you.” 2. Clothing: Unless you know her exact size and measurements, stay away from clothing including lingerie. If it’s too tight, it will make her feel fat and embarrassed. If it’s too big, she will also assume you think she is fat. You can’t win either way, as the linkages to being fat are always there.
channels for Valentine’s Day. Get something doesn’t want to build a shrine. Loving yourloaded with movie channels. self is important but do get her what she loves not what you love. It’s all about her. 4. Items wrapped in ring-sized jewellery boxes: Except you plan to propose, this is a no- 8. Kitchen Appliances: Like kettles, cookno. Anything that comes wrapped in a ring- ing set or electric oven. OK so you want her sized jewellery box should better contain an “barefoot, pregnant and cooking”, but must engagement ring else you will have stirred up you make it so obvious? In this century, womthe wrong emotions and misunderstandings. en want to feel independent and respected. If you have to give her gift make sure it’s in a Kitchen appliances say you are old school. container drastically different from a ring box and don’t kneel down to present the gift. 9. Expired Chocolates: Chocolates can be a perfect gift; they’re frivolous, fun and beauti5. Cleaning Items: Cleaning items are cold, ful. It shows you are thinking about them but unemotional and basically sends the message: buying chocolate in traffic (go-slow) or the “I think you are messy, dirty, smelly or un- corner supermarket shows no thought went able to maintain a home.” The word here is into the gift, and even worse, that the item is cheap, shoddy and shows her worth to you. NEVER!
3. Sports-based Satellite TV Subscription: Your girlfriend might not mind watching the match with you, but she doesn’t want you getting her satellite TV loaded up with sports 6. Cheap Perfume: This is also one of the worst presents a girlfriend can receive. They are quite strong smelling, and revolting at most. If you don’t know what she wears, better ask her first. No woman wants to go out smelling cheap. Worse, she might be allergic to the perfume and breakout and you will never be forgiven.
10. No Gift: There is no excuse for “No Gift”. The worst gift that a boyfriend can give his girlfriend is to forget to buy her a gift and then say in the most “corny” way that she has him. This will anger any girl, and can actually ruin a perfectly good relationship.
So the next time you think of getting a little something for your girlfriend, think again, 7. A framed picture of yourself: OK, you and do take another female along to choose feel cool and handsome, she thinks so too, the gift. that’s why she tolerates you, but honestly she
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Living & Style
Preventing Stretch marks Titilope Oyemade
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o matter what age you are, from childhood to being an adult, women and men can develop stretch marks equally. So it isn’t just pregnant women who suffer from bumpy or lined skin. But there are ways you can improve your chances of avoiding embarrassing stretch marks. While it is true that stretch marks can be hereditary, you still can’t help worrying about developing stretch marks. Stretch marks develop in the middle layer of the skin, which is made up of collagen. When the skin is stretched continually past the breakdown point, the body will try to compensate by sending more collagen to the over stretched site. The excess collagen is what causes scar like tissue, or stretch marks, to develop. But there are things you can do to prevent such stretch marks. Here are some good tips: • Drink plenty of water: Water is the number one natural key to avoiding poten-
tially deep stretch marks. The more water you drink, the more elastic and healthy your skin will become. This will enable your skin to “give” just a bit more, keeping major stretch marks at bay, well hydrated and pliable. • Eating Healthy: is an excellent way to avoid excessive weight gain. Eating right during pregnancy can help you keep your weight gain under control, just because you are eating for two doesn’t mean that you have permission to overdo it. The quicker you gain weight, whether you are pregnant or simply eating too much, the worse your stretch marks may become. Avoid foods and drinks that will dehydrate you. Some examples are salty foods and caffeinated drinks. It will be terrible to hydrate yourself with water, only to lose its effectiveness by consuming too much caffeine. • Keep your Skin Supple: Find natural creams that are marketed for preventing stretch marks, which should keep your skin both elastic and flexible. The softer and more flexible your skin, the less likely it is to form stretch marks. Many creams contain water, use creams that contain vitamin E or cocoa butter, a proven natural ingredient to help avoid rippled skin such as cocoa butter, lanolin, Aloe Vera, Shea butter and wheat germ oil will help to rebuild your skin and lighten the appearance of stretch marks. Believe it or not, peanut butter is also a product that can be used naturally. Massage these ingredients
in to the places you are most likely to develop stretch marks, such as your buttocks, thighs, stomach and breasts. The massaging action itself can increase blood flow to that area and diminish visible stretch marks. • Essential Vitamins and Minerals: Try including vitamins as an added weapon for your healthy eating arsenal. Your body needs extra vitamins and minerals so taking your vitamins will supplement those needs, especially during pregnancy. It helps develop beautiful skin and hair during pregnancy. Researchers say that the likelihood of you getting stretch marks during pregnancy will increase if your mother had stretch marks during pregnancy. Having a healthy baby should be the most important thing. A few stretch marks are a small price to pay for a beautiful, healthy baby. But if you follow the above tips, you may be able to succeed in preventing stretch marks during pregnancy. You should keep in mind that your stretch marks will gradually become much less noticeable in the months after you give birth. For some people there is no way to prevent stretch marks. However, the good news is that they do fade over time. They will take on a much lighter colour depending on your skin tone. If the stretch marks still bother you, talk to a dermatologist about the best treatment option. Most approaches have proven to be only modestly effective. Above all do not induce the chances of having stretch mark by using bleaching substance such as cleanser, soap cream etc and still want to prevent it.
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Living & Style
The All New 2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport Powerful new engines, advanced interior technologies and enhanced driving dynamics reinforce the position of the 2010 Range Rover as Land Rover’s most complete luxury all-terrain vehicle. Land Rover’s flagship has been comprehensively updated to deliver more refined and efficient performance, along with the ultimate in interior comfort and craftsmanship. Unlike all other Land Rovers, the Range Rover’s design was the work of BMW. Many years after its introduction, it still has great appeal. The best interior of any SUV meets a creamy V8 diesel to create a car that’s capable and satisfying in equal measure. The Range Rover Sport provides premium levels of prestige and comfort. It has effortless on/off-road capability. The front grille with its Jupiter dark finish gives a strong, assertive appearance. There are Xenon headlamps with Range Rover signature ‘concentric circle’ LEDs, and a choice of stylish 19 inch alloy wheels. Every inch of its body has been designed with performance in mind, whilst the interior boasts a range of wood, leather and metallic finishes and sophisticated colour schemes enabling you to create the perfect en22
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vironment for your driving experience. The leather seats are electrically adjustable for driver and front passenger as well as a choice of either walnut veneer or Anigre gloss finish for the centre console and door inserts. The Range Rover Sport has an acoustic windscreen and laminated front side windows, and a Rear Parking Aid is also standard. Push Button Start is a convenient touch. Automatic climate control of course. A harman/ kardon audio system with Portable Audio Interface for iPod and MP3 is available, as well as Hard Disk Drive Premium Navigation and Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity. Land Rover’s unique Terrain Response system is standard, and takes another step forward with new Hill Start Assist and Gradient Acceleration Control. On-road performance can be enhanced even further with the Dynamic Pack, comprising Adaptive Dynamics and Dynamic Response. The 2010 Range Rover has two brand new 5.0-liter LR-V8 engines, the top of the range. The supercharged V8 will make you pay attention; 0-62mph in 7.2 and on to 140mph. Land Rover Range Rover Sport is equipped,
inside and out, with an impressive array of advanced technology. An exceptional sports tourer, Land Rover Range Rover Sport promises to deliver a thrilling drive and does not fail.
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BUSINESS FINANCE
MANAGEMENT
TECHNOLOGY
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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MARKETING
How Good Are Your Communication Skills?
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peaking, Listening, Writing, and Reading Effectively. Communication skills are some of the most important skills that you need to succeed in the workplace. We talk to people face to face, and we listen when people talk to us. We write emails and reports, and we read the documents that are sent to us. Communication, therefore, is a process that involves at least two people a sender and a receiver. For it to be successful, the receiver must understand the message in the way that the sender intended. This sounds quite simple. But have you ever been in a situation where this hasn’t happened? Misunderstanding and confusion often occur, and they can cause enormous problems. If you want to be an expert communicator, you need to be effective at all points in the communication process and you must be comfortable with the different channels of communication. When you communicate well, you can be very successful. On the other hand, poor communicators struggle to develop their careers beyond a certain point. Whenever you communicate effectively with someone else, you and the
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other person follow the steps of the communication process shown below. Here, the person who is the source of the communication encodes it into a message, and transmits it through a channel. The receiver decodes the message, and, in one way or another, feeds back understanding or a lack of understanding to the source. By understanding the steps in the process, you can become more aware of your role in it, recognize what you need to do to communicate effectively, anticipate problems before they happen, and improve your overall ability to communicate effectively. The sections below help you do this, and help you improve the way you communicate at each stage of the process. The Source - Planning Your Message Before you start communicating, take a moment to figure out what you want to say, and why. Don’t waste your time conveying information that isn’t necessary - and don’t waste the listener or reader’s time either. Too often, people just keep talking
or keep writing - because they think that by saying more, they’ll surely cover all the points. Often, however, all they do is confuse the people they’re talking to. To plan your communication: • Understand your objective. Why are you communicating? • Understand your audience. With whom
are you communicating? What do they need to know? • Plan what you want to say, and how you’ll send the message. • Seek feedback on how well your message was received. When you do this, you’ll be able to craft a message that will be received positively by your audience. Good communicators use the KISS (“Keep It Short and Simple”) principle. They know that less is often more, and that good communication should be efficient as well as effective. Encoding - Creating a Clear, Well-Crafted Message When you know what you want to say, decide exactly how you’ll say it. You’re responsible for sending a message that’s clear and concise. To achieve this, you need to consider not only what you’ll say, but also how you think the recipient will perceive it. We often focus on the message that we want to send and the way in which we’ll send it. But if our message is delivered without considering the other person’s perspective, it’s likely that part of that message will be lost. To communicate more effectively: • Understand what you truly need and want to say. • Anticipate the other person’s reaction to your message. • Choose words and, if appropriate, use body language that helps the other person really hear what you’re saying. With written communication, make sure that what you write will be perceived the way you intend. Words on a page generally have no emotion - they don’t “smile” or “frown” at you while you’re reading them (unless you’re a very talented writer,
Business of course!) When writing, take time to do the following: • Review your style. • Avoid jargon or slang. • Check your grammar and punctuation. • Check also for tone, attitude, nuance, and other subtleties. If you think the message may be misunderstood, it probably will. Take the time to clarify it! • Familiarize yourself with your company’s writing policies. Another important consideration is to use pictures, charts, and diagrams wherever possible. As the saying goes, “a picture speaks a thousand words.” Also, whether you speak or write your message, consider the cultural context. If there’s potential for miscommunication or misunderstanding due to cultural or language barriers, address these issues in advance. Consult with people who are familiar with these, and do your research so that you’re aware of problems you may face. Choosing the Right Channel Along with encoding the message, you need to choose the best communication channel to use to send it. You want to be efficient, and yet make the most of your communication opportunity. Using email to send simple directions is practical. However, if you want to delegate a complex task, an email will probably just lead to more questions, so it may be best to arrange a time to speak in person. And if your communication has any negative emotional content, stay well away from email! Make sure that you communicate face to face or by phone, so that you can judge the impact of your words and adjust these appropriately. When you determine the best way to send a message, consider the following: • The sensitivity and emotional content of the subject. • How easy it is to communicate detail. • The receiver’s preferences. • Time constraints. • The need to ask and answer questions. Decoding - Receiving and Interpreting a Message It can be easy to focus on speaking; we want to get our points out there, because we usually have lots to say. However, to be a great communicator, you also need to step back, let the other person talk, and just listen. This doesn’t mean that you should be passive. Listening is hard work, which is why effective listening is called active listening. To listen actively, give your undivided attention to
the speaker: • Look at the person. • Pay attention to his or her body language. • Avoid distractions. • Nod and smile to acknowledge points. • Occasionally think back about what the person has said. • Allow the person to speak, without thinking about what you’ll say next. • Don’t interrupt. Empathic listening also helps you decode a message accurately. To understand a message fully, you have to understand the emotions and underlying feelings the speaker is expressing. This is
your message and make it more understandable, appealing, or interesting. As a listener, body language can show you more about what the other person is saying. You can then ask questions to ensure that you have, indeed, understood each other. In both situations, you can better avoid miscommunication if it happens. Feedback can also be formal. If you’re communicating something really important, it can often be worth asking questions of the person you’re talking to, to make sure that they’ve understood fully. And if you’re receiving this sort of communication, repeat it in your own words to check your understanding.
where an understanding of body language can be useful.
Finally: It can take a lot of effort to communicate effectively. However, you need to be able to communicate well if you’re going to make the most of the opportunities that life has to offer. By learning the skills you need to communicate effectively, you can learn how to communicate your ideas clearly and effectively, and understand much more of the information that’s conveyed to you. As either a speaker or a listener, or as a writer or a reader, you’re responsible for making sure that the message is communicated accurately. Pay attention to words and actions, ask questions, and watch body language. These will all help you ensure that you say what you mean, and hear what is intended.
Feedback You need feedback, because without it, you can’t be sure that people have understood your message. Sometimes feedback is verbal, and sometimes it’s not. We’ve looked at the importance of asking questions and listening carefully. However, feedback through body language is perhaps the most important source of clues to the effectiveness of your communication. By watching the facial expressions, gestures, and posture of the person you’re communicating with, you can spot: • Confidence levels. • Defensiveness. • Agreement. • Comprehension (or lack of understanding). • Level of interest. • Level of engagement with the message. • Truthfulness (or lying/dishonesty). As a speaker, understanding your listener’s body language can give you an opportunity to adjust
Adebowale Jeff Johnson, a Human Resource Consultant is the founder/CEO Jeff Johnson Business Solutions and Jeff Johnson Business School. He is also a member, Board of Director, Grace House Worship Centre. Prior to starting his own business, he has worked with firms like Phillips Consulting Limited, SoftSkills Management Consultants, People Prime Limited, and SIAO. He has been involved in several national projects including the Ministry of Education Reform and was a part of the review of the NEEDS document. With the passion to make the youths of Nigeria and Africa become great leaders of the world, he has embarked on an African tour to engage African youths in leadership training and value driven life. He has spoken at several university campuses including the University of Ibadan, Federal University of Technology Minna, Udegbe North American University, Benin Rep. and Olabisi Onabanjo University Ago-Iwoye. He is currently writing a paper to develop quantitative analysis and decision making with the use of data to develop business model that will enhance organizational performance.
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Business
Blackberry versus Organisational Efficiency: Expert advice for BusinessIf you ask the average person today about what she does online, the answer will vary from ‘I’m checking my updates’ to “I’m ‘blogging’”. Still others will tell you they are just browsing or surfing the net. And although individuals have varying reasons for being online, businesses seem to have a unified reason: to gather data from the environment and disseminate information to their target markets and customers, in their quest for survival and sustainability. This goal of harnessing timely information has become increasingly important for business success today than at any other time in history. The most successful businesses are those that have a compelling strategy to engage its existing and potential customers on an ongoing, online basis. Thus, in this exclusive interview with Godwin Thomas, the managing partner of Technology Africa, a leading ICT content provider in Nigeria, and the convener of ‘Titans of Tech Awards’, Mr. Don Pedro Aganbi advises organisations on how to effectively use smart phone technologies to enhance their business operations. He avers that smart phone technologies can improve organisational efficiency, but insists that empowering employees with the revolutionary tool without caution may be counter-productive. The first-prize winner of the 2007 United Nations Africa Media Awards, who also received the 2009 Global IT Champion Award also shades light on how young entrepreneurs can use social network sites like
Y
ou are the convener of the ‘Titans of Tech Awards’ and the West Africa ICT Developments Awards. What’s the idea behind these awards? ‘Titans of Tech’ is an ICT conference. The idea behind it is to bring the industry together. It is an agenda setting conference for the nation’s ICT industry. The West Africa ICT Development Award is an event under the Titans of Tech conference. It is like the grand finale of the conference where we bring players from the West African coast: Ivory Coast, Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana and Nigeria together. We converge to celebrate industry players in this region. We had the last conference in April, 2010 in Lagos, Nigeria, and we are hoping to have the next in Accra, Ghana. What are the criteria for selecting awardees? Before the awards, we usually call for entries. We were in Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Togo. We were at their radio and television stations asking for nominees. Amongst other criteria, we look at people who have contributed to the industry; the innovators, visionary leaders, and pioneers. We also look at projects, which organisations in the industry have executed without controversy. Nominees for the West Africa ICT awards must be free of controversy, they must not have had issues with regulatory or security agencies, and if they do, we drop them. In April, we had Gov. Peter Obi who won the ICT governor of the year because of his visionary leadership in Anambra state. He has been able to empower many schools with ICT tools, with personal computers and Internet connection. We were there to see some of the things that he has done in that state. We had recipients like John Tani Obaro who has done a lot in the software industry. He owns the biggest software house in Nigeria today, Systems Spec. He was decorated with a legend of technology award at the conference. We also honoured the CEO of 26
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Omatek Plc, Ms. Florence Seriki who has done so much in PC manufacturing in West Africa. She is the first and only woman who is doing that in West Africa, and we felt she deserves all the honour. We also had the president, Accra Institute of Technology in Nigeria, as well as the DG of Koffi Annan Institute, Dr. Dorothy Gordin. We had delegates from Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast because it is the only technology event that is holding in this part of the world. And we are approaching the 7th year. You also produce Tech TV, what specific need was it created to meet in the marketplace? For Tech TV we say it is ‘where business and technology meets’. Our mission is to empower Nigerians with a digital mindset for global competitiveness. Today, the whole world is going ‘e’, and we are saying that people have to be informed about how technology is driving the aviation industry, transportation, agriculture, and how it is shaping the way live. What sorts of ICT platforms can businesses deploy to exploit opportunities in the marketplace? The beauty about today’s world is that information is readily available and easily accessible, for instance on the Internet. Before you start a business, you should ask yourself: what your competitive strength would be, knowing that many businesses may already be servicing that niche. When clients reach out to you, how do you reach them back, is it via email? Then you must have an email account. On Facebook today, the majority of updates you see read something like: I woke up this morning, and I am not feeling okay; I am angry with this and that person… What in your opinion should they be doing on Facebook? They can put their businesses on Facebook. For
instance, if you run a beauty salon, you can go on Facebook to say, ‘I run a beauty salon and if you go there this and that are the value added services you would get’. Small business owners can have a Facebook account where they can reach out to their customers and potential customers. One thing about online advertising is that people will see your product or service today and you will think they did not see it; but when the person is in need of that service or product then she remembers, and decides to try the service or product. I have seen young entrepreneurs who have come on Facebook to tell me that they do this and they do that, and I have invited many of them like that to come and show me what they can do. So I think businesses, especially young entrepreneurs should take advantage of that. And once they do that, the business becomes global; it’s not just in Nigeria anymore. I have had organisations that are coming to Nigeria to set up businesses call me and “say we saw you on the net. We want to come and set up and we want you to consult for us”. I have gotten many clients like that. Businesses should take advantage of that. Should business owners use their individual social network accounts to promote their businesses, or should they have a separate account for business? Both of them can run concurrently. Entrepreneurs who are just starting up can use their individual accounts to promote their enterprise, until when the business grows bigger, then it can have its separate promotional account. What is your assessment on the proposed ban of some functions of the Blackberry by the UAE? If you look at that nation, it is saying that hackers have taken advantage of the Blackberry to hack into sensitive national documents. Nevertheless, we are talking about technology; can you really limit technology? Technology constantly inno-
Business vates itself. And if they insist on banning it, I can tell you that in the next few weeks there will be an alternative technology for it. What impact would this development have on businesses? It is going to impede business growth and development. The ban will take a negative toll on businesses in that country and around the world. Do you see these trends extending to Africa? We have heard India contemplate the same ban; do you see this happening in Africa, especially in Nigeria? Yes, in Africa, Egypt may want to follow suit, and South Africa may want to look at it. In Nigeria, however, we are a bit docile right now because this government does not give priority to technology; the president of Nigeria does not have a special adviser on technology. Nigeria may be not looking at that right now because we are more of a political nation than a nation that is interested in using technology like other advanced countries.
Are you saying that companies in Nigeria will not benefit from empowering their employees with smart phones? Organisations may not because of staff attitude. Staff attitude to…? Staff attitude to IT use. Majority of staff spend more time chatting and sending emails, just go to their desks! And that impedes the workflow. Abroad it is not like that, abroad when it’s business time, it’s business time. But in Nigeria, don’t blame us though, a lot of people are just seeing these technologies, and are becoming addicted. When you are at our airports take a cursory
In what practical ways can businesses use smart phones like the Blackberry to improve their service offerings and gain a competitive edge? A smart phone is like a mobile office, you can do a whole lot of things with it. for instance I may be in my car and my phone pops up, I have gotten the email, so instead of using my laptop, I can use my smart phone which is more portable and can go with me to almost anywhere. You can use you it to order for almost anything around the world because you are constantly connected to the internet. Virtually everything you can find on a personal computer is available on the Blackberry. How can organisations use the Blackberry to achieve workforce efficiency and reduced down time? As you are aware, many companies have banned the use of certain online services and in some cases the Internet as a whole during work hours. The reason is that employees have made a habit of using work hours to explore their social networks. Nevertheless, the Blackberry is supposed to enhance businesses through timely response to customers and business partners, but the question is; is it really enhancing business? When you hold onto the Blackberry, the first thing you realise for instance is that someone who wants to chat with you is waiting, and so you are tempted to use the time you are supposed to use in working on a proposal to chat. That is the downside to it. The productive side is for example: for the time you would have used to power up you computer systems, your smart phone becomes handy; it becomes handy in your working, in reaching out to clients, in accessing market or business related information and data in a timely manner.
look at Nigerians, what do they do? They chat with their phones, they make calls but the guys from the West are reading, you know. Go to any conference, when a white man enters a conference, he turns off his phones but in the middle of the conference our phone would ring, you know. These things are just coming; but I believe with time we will get used to it, but I tell you that empowering your staff members with smart phones will 70-80 percent of the time slow down the pace of work because it will be used for other purposes than business. So you do not advise businesses to do so; to empower their workforce with smart phones, do you? I do not advise that for employees; however, for the top management I think its ok. But other than top managers who would understand the importance of
business per time, who would understand targets; empowering employees with smart phones may be counter-productive. Nevertheless, organisations should not ban it; they should encourage it, while implementing necessary control measures to ensure that the purposes for empowering employees with these phones are met. So what are those practical restrictive or control measures that oragnisations can adopt to harness IT use for maximum efficiency? There are technologies that allow for remote monitoring and even controlling of staff’s online activities. Some big organisations have that. But when you don’t have that, then supervision through timely memos detailing management’s expectations from staff, and unexpected visits to their work desks becomes needful and useful. But I think ultimately it is the policies and the culture of the organisation that will allow for the effective use of IT. Meanwhile, there are IT companies that provide remote monitoring services to businesses. For instance, through this service, management would be able to monitor even the movements of staff, especially those on the field. There is a company in Opebi, (Ikeja, Lagos metropolis) that deploys technology to monitor staff movements; if a staff tells you, I’m in Ikoyi, you can tell the staff, no, you are not in Ikoyi, you in Surulere, you know. There are organisations that are into such services but not many organisations have seen the need for that yet, most organisations only depend on the report by the staff. But some organisations have gone further to monitor their vehicles, if the driver says I’m on the Third Mainland bridge when he is in Apapa, they know, they are able to tell. Some are even using it their homes. So as they leave their home, they can tell what the nanny is doing with the kids. They can have a phone at home that is compatible with the phone they are using, so that when they call the home they see pictures. This allows them to have a clear picture of what is happening in their homes. That is why in advanced nations, when you cross their border or arrive in their country, they know, even in South Africa but in Nigeria, we do not have it yet. We don’t have that kind of data, but I believe that we will get there soon. Quotes “I tell you that empowering your staff members with smart phones will 70-80 percent of the time slow down the pace of work because they will be used for other purposes than business.” “…however, for the top management I think its ok. But other than top managers who would understand the importance of business per time, who would understand targets; empowering employees with smart phones may be counter-productive.”
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ARTs
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books movies music theatre photography exhibitions architecture
Book Title: 101 Even Ifs Author: Bunmi Chinwe Isichei Number of Pages: 107 Reviewer: Kehinde Olayinka
It is interesting that Bunmi begins with God as the everlasting Father who is not like an earthly father who can forsake his child as He God never forsakes His own children, in fact He is the only one who can go with His Children through fire and ensure they are not burnt as He did for Shadrack, Mesach and Abednego in the fiery furnace of Nebuchadnezzar. It is to Bunmi’s credit that no matter the situation she was able to find a scripture to match. Her humility came to the fore when she said at the introduction “I’m [most] in awe of God, when I find a scripture from my Bible that says a thing or two... about life’s situation.” In concluding this review, I am in total agreement with the author when she describes 101 EVEN IF as God’s ‘personal love letter to you.’ She rightly counsels on what you can do with it. According to her, ‘you can receive, believe, hold on to and confess His word.’ I hereby leave you with these nuggets as ‘all things are yours’ even the hidden treasures in this wonderful work. As you read and apply them in whatever situation you find yourself, may you be blessed by them.
The Y! Experience Launch Taiye Tunkarimu
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ife is at best a mystery; No one fully understands its vagaries. It takes faith to live each day in hope, particularly in a fast-changing world where nothing seems ever certain. In the past, one could predict the seasons as was taught in schools, but with global warming even weather has divorced the science of forecasting. I believe it is the desire to make sense of this constant flux that makes Bunmi Isichei’s “101 EVEN IFS” relevant to our contemporary world. Bunmi captures these times accurately and reaffirms a safety cushion for the future which seems ever so uncertain. These are words of hope These are nuggets of encouragement And there are myriad moments of “Hallelujah!” for each and every “Even if…”
The official launch of the Y!online brand is no doubt a force to reckon with as the new high priests of the Nigerian culture. This new innovation is the brainchild of the organizers of the foremost awards ceremony in Nigeria, The Future awards in collaboration with Storm 360. The Y! is a multi-dimensional media experience with the following artillery: Y! Television, a Television talk show for young people and anchored by young people themselves discussing various social issues in the society and the globe at large, Y!Radio, a 30 minutes radio show that spotlights young Nigerian professionals in various fields across the country, Y! In D’ News, a full page weekly column in one of the nation’s flagship newspapers, Y!Reception, a quarterly event that celebrates major achievements of young persons in the international terrain, Y!Magazine, which is specifically targeted at the upwardly mobile youth market, which is a definition magazine for the young people and the Y!Online which is also the flagship of all the Y!s, an online platform with an active online community. For more information, visit www.Ynaija.com
Bunmi is eminently qualified to pen these words with her life experience in her short life so far. Though a young lady, she has learnt in the most challenging ways imaginable that the road to success is paved not with diamonds, but thorns and thistles. I feel she is in a very preeminent position to advice and counsel young people who are still in a utopia of goodness and honey. I am not suggesting that Bunmi arrived by these gems only through experience, but as she rightly claimed in her introduction to the work; “I’m excited to bring you 101 EVEN IFS as it was given me by God.” She does not claim credit for this work. We should therefore not doubt the divine source of these nuggets. 28
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Arts & Culture Events Diary
Have your arts and culture events publicised on this page. For your book launch or presentation, arts exhibitions, music releases, film shows, theatre presentations etc. Send details to timeslesscourage@yahoo.co.uk or call 01-4358330
Arts & Culture Movie Title: Ije (The Journey) Reviewer: Taiye Tunkarimu
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riven by the dream of travelling to America and becoming a music star, Anya (Omotola Jalade Ekeinde) realized that the other side of America is not as rosy as they say it is. Although her singing career came through in America, her life was shattered ten years after, when she was accused of killing her husband (her music producer) alongside three other men. Her sister Chioma (Genevieve Nnaji) made her way to American to save Anya from the situation, but unfortunately found herself in the same prison as Anya whilst investigating to help the situation. Chioma’s fate all through the journey revealed some truth about her sister’s trial which paved way for Anya’s freedom and led her (Chioma) down the aisle with the lawyer she employed for her sister (Anya). Ije reveals the trials and humiliations faced by blacks who visit and live abroad all in the name of a greener pasture. It exposes the lifestyle and experience of these people. Shot both in Nigeria and America, the picture quality is well put together and the story line is well written unlike many other Nigerian movies where you can tell the end of the script and predict the next scene. Although, the cast is made up of both Hollywood and Hollywood Stars; you can’t tell the difference between their acting skills, which speaks volume of the artistic professionalism employed in IJE. Depicted in the Igbo traditional setting, Anya realized the cultural differences between Nigeria and the US was far apart just as husbands are not like fathers. Our traditional attires were also well celebrated. This unpredictable and suspense filled movie will make you laugh your heart out and experience the typical court session in American where cases are well examined and argued to the height of law. To say that this movie was written by a young Nigerian, Chinaza Anyaene is no doubt a stepping stone for the Nigerian film industry. The 26 years old filmmaker and producer has a master’s degree in Directing from the New York Film Academy and the first to shoot a film whilst still in the Academy.
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All Stars
For Children Ages 6 - 12
As you start a new school year very soon, remember there are some things you must learn to do The first thing to do is to have a plan. It is important to always have a plan for everything you are doing or about to do. This includes School work. The Plan this time is to remember you really can do anything if you prepare to do it. There will be times you get stuck at school trying to understand what you are learning and it seems so difficult. At these times it can seem like you cannot get your mind to understand that thing. There is a way to help yourself and this is our Plan. Try and think of your learning like it is a game on your Play station or Wii or look at it like a puzzle. Now
just think before you can move to the next phase you need to work at crossing the first level and how do you cross the levels in your games? You keep trying that’s how! You keep trying and trying
until you figure the way out. That is exactly the same way to get ahead in your school work. Think of your teacher as the instructions you get at the beginning of your game. These instructions usually seem boring and difficult at the start
of the game but once you read and understand the instructions; the instructions teach you how to play your game better and how to cross over to the next level. That really is the way learning at school works. You use your mind, your books, your parents and your teacher to help you unlock the next level. Listen to them, understand the instructions and unlock the next level. Give it a try and let’s see what happens Remember when this works for you can always write back and share your experience with others. This way you can be of help to other children just like you.
Bad Kids Corner!!!!! Remember those bad kids we talked about the last time. Those ones that do all sort of bad things and think they can get away with it and really never do? Well here is more information about them Brat means Bad kid no adult likes Bully means Bad kid no child likes Enfant terrible - French for bad kid Larrikin - Australian word for bad kids Scallywag - Bad kids Miscreant - Old French word for bad kids Hooligans – Old English word for bad kids Hoodlum - Bad kid
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Parents section
The long much anticipated summer vacation is fast coming to an end. The next phase is more important than the last. With all the fun and joys of summer - summer school, summer vacations, movies, clubs, swimming and so on, the time just seems to fly by. Generally it is very easy for parents to miss the importance of these last few weeks before school resumes and the early weeks of school. These times are crucial in preparing and can help in determining your child’s school year. For most children, it is a new phase they are going into either by changing from Primary School to Secondary school or entering into a new class and for most into a new school year. It is important to note that children need a guide map in negotiating the terrain of school. This guide should help provide your child with the rudiments to succeed all throughout the new school year. There are simple tried and tested rules. One of which is Never compare your child to other children. Not to your neighbour’s child, not to your nephews or nieces and you really must refrain from comparing your child to their siblings. It is really important to understand all children really are different. This being so, they will fail and excel at different things. Every child can excel at something. So as a parent or guardian, your task is to find out what your child excels in. Look (and sometimes you really have to look) for what your child is good at. Find what it is and encourage your child in this area. In this regard, remember not to pigeonhole your mind. Let your child try out a variety of things, even if this means leaving a boy to try out at cooking and a girl at martial arts. Strengths and success in one area of life can give your child the confidence to succeed in other areas. This confidence will spill into your child’s work at school. Empower your child.
Weird but True Facts
Only female mosquitoes bite human beings for blood. The male mosquitoes feed on plants.
Tayo Olarewaju is the Director of Delightsome Land School, a nursery and primary school in Victoria Island Lagos. She studied Accounting and Educational Leadership and Management. She has been working with children for over a decade. She is passionate about children, enjoys reading and writing and chocolate biscuits. She is married with 3 stars aged between 6 and 12 years and a dog named Scratch. If you would like to be a part of the All stars team Send your name, date of birth and your phone number (or your mums or dad’s phone no) to 0708 469 9955 or ask your mum or dad to send it by email to delightsomeland@yahoo. com
PreSchooler activities for Preschool Children from Age 2-5
Read to your child Read books aloud every day, look at picture books together and talk about what you see. Alphabet/ phonics and counting books are always popular and you will experience a sense of pride as you watch your child learn. Plan a regular time to go to the school library or a good bookshop or public library. Enlist older brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and grandparents to help read stories. Have your child read to you if he or she wants to or tell you a story based on pictures in the book. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter if you read in English, Yoruba, Igbo or any other language. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important is that you help your child de-
VICTORIA TANDOH
velop a reading habit. Monitor TV watching Turn off the TV and limit viewing. Too much TV viewing takes time away from more beneficial activities. Many experts have shown that kids who do things often other than watch TV normally do better in math and science at school. When you do let your child watch TV, look for quality educational programmes for young children. Whatever the programme, watch and discuss it with your child to help build a lifelong habit of critical reflection.
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Sports Nigeria’s 2010 Falconets: A Team of Hope Tolu Ifekoya
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orning white jersey’s with green stripes, holding the Nigerian flag at different angles with so much pride, with beaming smiles on their faces, the Falconets did prove to be proudly Nigerian citizens and the best ambassadors for the country’s rebranding campaign as the whole world saw Nigeria in a new light, a good one at that. Enroute the finals… The U-20 female team had given everyone a glimpse of their ability as they netted 22 goals during the African qualifiers. They drubbed Zimbabwe 10 – 1 on aggregate and also defeated Basetsena of South Africa 12 – 3 in a two leg fixture. President Goodluck Jonathan’s two year ban on all national teams had dashed the team’s training tour plan in Europe and also meant they would miss the competition. After much debate the ban was lifted and the girls left the country in a flurry as most Nigerians were disinterested following the poor outing of the Super Eagles at the just concluded FIFA World Cup. Falconets at Germany 2010… The Falconets had a great tournament as they did not lose a match en-route to the final against Germany, which they lost by 2 – 0 courtesy goals from Alexandra Popp and own goal from Nigeria’s Osinachi Ohale. In the group stage they pulled a 1 -1 draw with England in their first match and got a deserving 2 – 1 victory against Japan. The team qualified for the quarterfinals on second position with five points from Group C after picking another 1 – 1 draw with Mexico. The Falconets then went on to make history as the first African team to get to the semi finals of the tournament and also became the first team in the history of the competition to defeat United States at the quarterfinal stage. They beat the Jill Ellis coached girls 4 – 2 on penalties after scores at the end of regulation time ended at 1 – 1. At this point a lot of Nigerians became impressed and got interested in the team and the competition. Riding on that glorious feat the girls got into the semis on a high note and did not falter as they 32
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scored an early goal (1:29 seconds) to seal their place in the final, a first again for any African team. The goal had come from a long shot by Captain Joy Jegede, which hit the crossbar but was aptly latched on and put safely into the net by Ebere Orji, thereby increasing her goal tally to two. The South Americans who had defeated Sweden two goals to nothing to get to the semi final did pull their weight, as Falconet goalie Jonathan Alaba was forced to make crucial saves to get her team to the final. A cursory look at the past performance of the Falconets at U-20 World Cup competition reveals a significant difference in this set of girls. Coach of the team, Ndem Egan attributes it to the girl’s
As the world prepares for FIFA’s Women World Cup in Germany next year, the Eucharia Uche coached Nigerian Falcons have no reason to fail, as a variety of tested world players are ready to wear the green white green jersey and fly our flag high with pride. Full Nigerian Squad list Alaba Jonathan, Blessing Edoho, Gloria Ofoegbu, Martina Ohadugha, Cecilia Nku, Esther Michael, Esther Sunday, Ebere Orji, Desire Oparanozie, Rebecca Kalu, Glory Iroka, Rabi Ihiabe, Ngozi Ebere, Soo Adekwagh, Joy Jegede, Amarachi Okoronkwo, Helen Ukaonu, Charity Adule Uchechi Sunday, Osinachi Ohale and Marbel Egwuenu Stats from Germany 2010 Winner: Germany Runners-Up: Nigeria Third: Korea Republic Fourth: Colombia Total goals 99 Attendances 395,295 (total) 12,353 (average per match)
commitment and team spirit. He went further to state that they were physically fit, mentally alert, made accurate passes, showed great tackling skills and were much disciplined. The coach also showed a good understanding of his team as he used the players in their natural positions, had a game plan, knew when to make changes and he was able to get the best from them. Ebere Orji who had been nominated for most valuable player was explosive in the midfield alongside Esther Sunday who had a good command of their position. Helen Ukaonu was superb and would be remembered for her beautiful goal against USA. Joy Jegede was not only a fantastic captain but the rock of Gibraltar in the defence of the team. Desire Oparanozie was selfless as she stretched the defence of every opponent and goalkeeper Alaba Jonathan had a wonderful tournament. In summation these set of Nigerian girls were different.
Participants Brazil, Costa Rica, Germany, England, France, Ghana, Japan, Colombia, Korea DPR, Korea Republic, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Sweden, Switzerland, USA. Host cities Augsburg, Bielefeld, Bochum, Dresden Awards Adidas Golden Ball: Alexandra Popp (GER) Adidas Silver Ball: Ji So Yun (KOR) Adidas Bronze Ball: Kim Kulig (GER) Adidas Golden Shoe: Alexandra Popp (GER) Adidas Silver Shoe: Ji So Yun (KOR) Adidas Bronze Shoe: Sydney Leroux (USA) Adidas Golden Glove: Bianca Henninger (USA) FIFA Fair Play award: Korea Republic
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Dabar
Insights for Christian Living
The Fear Tola Awoyemi
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remember making paper, with folds in congruence with aerodynamics and streamlining principles. I remember the gaiety, probably an exclusive feeling of being a “creator” or the primer to the fun of chasing “flying papers’ and the hopes of winning competitions that ensue. It was on a Saturday evening and I had just ‘crafted’ the best flying specimen known to man( that was what I called it) and the “wows” from boys in colourful shorts that beheld its unique design sealed it. The take off flight was grand, scudding through the air gracefully like an eagle until the worst happened; it flew over the neighbour’s fence and into the dog’s cage! A massive beast that could grind a bullet. I remember the tingling feeling down my spine as my “Zeppelin’ had met its untimely end like the Luxembourg disaster. This crippling feeling was my first introduction to FEAR. I later got to know of its multifarious nature; to some it is marrying the thought of marrying the right partner, to others it is the piling bills on the right corner of the table, responsibilities as a parent, an academic pursuit to mention a few, the infinite nature of fear being the fear of the unknown. Or why else would you get up at 5 am to engage in a rat race to a job that you abhor? You feel wired up for a different role and you experience an energy of enormous potential and yet skeptical about starting. If you call it names like ‘demands of being responsible’ then wake up! If you call it fear, then congratulations! You are on your way to freedom for the realization of a challenge is the inception of the solution. What is fear? Fear in simple words is the feeling of being afraid. We should push further to delivering a permanent blow to this Goliath. But we must learn to embrace our fears. Gideon a warrior
in the Bible subverted the joint army of the Medianites and Amalekites with only 300 soldiers. A feat that can only be achieved by a courageous warrior, you bet! But Gideon was also capable of being afraid. Judges 7: 9- 15 “…but if you(Gideon) are afraid to go to the camp, go with Purah your servant…so he went with Purah his servant…” Why did Gideon go with Purah? Because he was afraid. Sometimes seeking for company might just be all you need, or funding a seminar, getting extra tutorials, adjusting your budgets by cutting down expenses or prayer sessions, personal or collective.
Reorient your understanding of fear as a warning signal of a possible undesirable outcome and a wonderful opportunity to correct a future yet to happen. For the times when your acts won’t directly salvage your situation, all hope is not lost. An understanding of the limitless abilities of God is necessary. You can develop this understanding by constantly learning about God and his desire to help us in every difficult aspect of our life. Meditate on Joshua 1: 7-9. A reassurance that God is capable of helping us melt all lingering fears.
Dabar - Insights for Christian Living The Dabar column is about Christian living. This column is going to deal with real life issues that Christians face in day to day living and the Biblical perspective on these issues with a real life approach to such situations. We will also use this column as a forum to discuss issues affecting Christianity as a whole. As such, letters with issues which can be discussed should be sent to timelesscourage@yahoo.co.uk. Issues to be discussed in the column will be chosen from letters sent in by you our readers. We look forward to hearing from you so we can start treating these issues from next month. Thank you.
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Viewpoint
The Nigerian Pikin and You Taul Paul Oselen
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ho is the Nigerian pikin? This is that Nigerian child who is born into a family where the basic necessities of life such as food, shelter, a standard education, good health care and the love of parents are esteemed as distant luxuries. He finds himself among the greater percentage of the Nigerian populace living well below the poverty line. He is brought up with a victim’s mentality passed unto him by his parents, surroundings and peers; constantly blaming others for his present predicament. He grows up with a very low sense of self-worth, feeling undeserving of any of the pleasures of life. He by experience has come to believe that the hard way is the only way and that such words as riches, influence, greatness, happiness belong to another species of humans. We could all shut our eyes and close our ears to the plight and sufferings of the Nigerian pikin next door or we could make a choice to be the difference in the life of that pikin. In Nigeria, we do not have in place a functional welfare scheme to address this issue and I honestly do not think we have need of one. All we need is YOU. Who is this YOU? YOU is that Nigerian not driven by the mundane motivation of me, myself and I but is ready and willing to commit to a vision larger than himself. YOU is that Nigerian who will deliberately inspire both in words and actions the Nigerian pikin to discover and unleash his God-given potentials. YOU is that Nigerian overflowing with empathy, seeing life through the lens of the Nigerian pikin. YOU is that Nigerian who has decided to treat and relate to the Nigerian pikin as he would his own. YOU is that Nigerian prepared
• Picking up new clothes from the mall for that pikin while doing the same for yourself or your kids • Occasionally taking that pikin to the same eateries you would patronise that he may have a healthy meal • Even as little as giving that pikin a comfortable ride around town in your air-conditioned car not minding your ‘’expensive, posh, crocodile-leather seats’’ could go a long way in changing that pikin’s perception of life (people are of more value than THINGS) I conclude with this: Bono speaking at a presidential prayer breakfast in the U.S said, ‘’this is more than charity, it is justice.’’ It is time we stood up for the Nigerian pikin, whom by no fault of his found himself in such demeaning and unhealthy conditions. Also, in the words of former American president, Ronald Reagan, ‘’if not you, who? And if not now, when?’’
to sponsor the Nigerian pikin through a standard school. The much needed change does not call for a grand or capital intensive project but simple and conscious everyday gestures such as:
Please never forget this: Every child is your child. Our actions or inactions today will ultimately form the Nigeria in which our kids will live, let us make it better because we can. Let us unite to start the change from where we are. Thank you and God bless Nigeria.
Readers can send in their articles of not more than 700 words on issues of national importance for publishing on this page to timelesscourage@ yahoo.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2010
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Podium
How Governors Rig Elections Donald Duke
A comprehensive expose on how elections are rigged in the country has been unveiled by one of the insiders in the political process and former Cross River State Governor, Mr. Donald Duke. At a lecture in July at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, organised by the Save Nigeria Group, Duke gave a blow by blow account to a gathering of pro-democracy advocates, of the modus operandi of State Chief Executives and Resident Electoral Commissioners to thwart the mandate of the electorate, not just in states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), but all the others. In his opinion, it is not just a question of replacing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, but getting a critical mass to come out to vote and ensuring that votes count. Below are edited excerpts of his extempore speech.
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he truth is the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission has little or no bearing on the success of elections. To me, it’s actually immaterial because as head of the administration, he takes the brunt. The best he can do is perhaps, draw up a blueprint but the implementation of that blueprint is outside his control. We have a hundred and twenty thousand booths in Nigeria. At the hierarchy, you have the Chairman of INEC, then you have the Zonal Commissioners, then you have the Resident Electoral Commissioners. The Zonal Commissioners head the zones and we have six zones in Nigeria, so you have six of them. Then you have the Resident Electoral Commissioners and there are 36 of them of course, and Abuja. Then for each local government, you have an electoral officer. The hundred and twenty thousand polling booths are headed by presiding officers. The people think that at the end of the elections, the PDP would just decide who wins and who doesn’t and announce the results. I think the process is a bit more sophisticated than that. This is what happens; the Resident Electoral Commissioner is usually from another state while the electoral officers are moved around but these musical chairs don’t mean nothing. When the Resident Electoral Commissioner comes before the elections are conducted, and comes to the state, usually, he has no accommodation; monies have not been released for the running or conduct of the elections and all that because we always start late. He pays a courtesy call on the governor. It’s usually a televised event you know, and of course he says all the right things. ‘Your Excellency, I am here to ensure that we have free and fair elections and I will require your support.’ Now, at that courtesy call, most governors, at least I did, will invite the Commissioner of Police because he is part of the action and he sits there. After the courtesy call, the Resident Electoral Commissioner now moves in for a one-on-one with the governor and says, “Your Excellency, since I came, I’ve been staying in this hotel, there is no accommodation for me and even my vehicle is broken down and the last Commissioner didn’t leave the vehicle, so if you could help me settle down quickly;’ and the governor says, ‘Chief of Staff, where is the Chief of Staff here?’ And the Chief of Staff appears. The Governor says: ‘Please ensure that the REC is accommodated, put him in the Presidential lodge, allot two cars to him, I give you seven days to get this
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done. Then the relationship has started. Maybe two nights after, the Governor just pops in at the governor’s lodge and sees the REC and says ‘ah, REC how are you doing? Are you OK?’ He says, ‘ah! Your Chief of Staff has been wonderful. He has been very nice to me; he supplied me the vehicles and everything is Ok’. A few weeks to the elections, the REC sees the governor; you probably have on the average about 3,500 – 4,000 depending on the polling booths in every state. So, REC goes to the governor and says, ‘Your Excel-
lency, could you please give us the names of about four, five thousand people so that we can hurriedly train them, we need them as Presiding Officers.’ The REC now goes down and says, ‘we need to conduct a training programme for the presiding officers and em, headquarters hasn’t sent us any money yet, you know.’ And the governor is like: ‘How much would that cost?’ REC replies: ‘N25 million for the first batch, we may have about three batches.’ Governor says ‘Ok, the Chief of Staff will see you.’ The governor calls the Chief of Staff and says ‘Make sure that we arrange N25 million this week and in two weeks time another N25 million and Seventy-Five million in all.’ The Chief of Staff asks ‘Your Excellency, how do we do it?’ to which the Governor replies, ‘Put it under Security Vote.’ In other words, its cash, ok, now, cash in huge Ghana Must Go bags. Cash is lodged in huge Ghana Must Go Bags for the REC and of course, to be fair to them, they call their electoral officers and say the governor has been very benevolent; he has given us this and that. I say three batches because they have them in Senatorial districts. So, you have one in Cala-
bar, you have One in Ikom and Ogoja, those are the headquarters of the Senatorial districts. Each one costs twenty-five million. Of course, the sums are not properly retired. I don’t know how much of this twenty-five million worked. But, there is a rapport this is going on. The governor now turns round and says: ‘call me the party chairman.’ The party chairman appears and the governor says: ‘INEC requires 5000 people for conducting the elections. See to it that we meet their needs.’ The chairman goes and you hear in the evening on radio and television: ‘There will be an urgent meeting of all chairmen and secretaries of XYZ party at the headquarters. They should report promptly at 10 am (because) matters of urgent interest will be discussed.’ Now, we have texts messages, so it’s easier, in no time everyone is here. It’s a very short meeting, everyone is instructed to please go back and within 48 hours submit from each local government 250 names of trusted party members. So in a week the deed is done. The names, sometimes even passport photographs if required are sent to INEC and the training programme is carried out. These people are usually civil servants. They may be teachers or whatever, but they are party members. The remuneration, for each of them for the elections from Abuja is 10,000 Naira for the day’s work. But the state in its benevolence gives 50 to 100,000 Naira to each of these folks right before the election. These people are usually party stalwarts. You don’t send any peripheral member. The remuneration from Abuja has not arrived but that of the state was received 48 hours prior. It takes a week for this paltry ten thousand Naira for each presiding officer to arrive. On the day of elections, each polling booth has no more than 500 ballot papers, that is standard. There is not a polling booth that has more than 500. So you have 200 people appear here, 300 there, 100 there, 50 there, and 400 there. At the end of the election, the Presiding Officer sits down and calls a few guys and says, ‘hey, there are a few hundred papers here, let’s thumbprint.’ This is the real election. This is not a PDP thing. I am not here to castigate the PDP; it’s a Nigerian thing. This process may sound comical and jovial but it happens throughout the country, whether it’s Action Congress or APGA. They start thumb-printing, some are overzealous. So at the end of the day you find some voting more than the number of people that were registered to vote. Anyway they do it, you have 95 percent turnout. You start wondering where the voters were, you didn’t see so many people. And the election results are an-
Podium nounced; XYZ party wins. Who is the most important person in an election? The presiding officer. And if there are a 120,000 (booths) there are a 120,000 presiding officers, they are the most important people in the elections, not the Chairman. So, as long as we keep applying that same method, you will get the same results. It’s crazy to think that because we substitute Iwu with Jega, all will change. In other words, Iwu is a crook, Jega is a saint. Jega is great, he has an impeccable reputation. Iwu was great, now he seems not so great. Ok, they are both professors, they have reached the peak of whatever discipline that they profess. The point is that it is the system and the personnel and the chairman has little or no control over that. Where are we now? We don’t even know when the elections will be. The Constitution amendment seems to be stalling somewhere. So it’s either in January or in April. Sometimes, we behave as if we invented democracy. We always want to draw new rules. We should know the day of elections. It should be fixed. America is the 4th of November and if it falls on a Sunday, it doesn’t make a difference. The point I am making here is that date is fixed. In a democracy, elections should be a norm, not an event. In our democracy, election is an event. It’s like, we are going to spring on to you with fireworks, hey, we are going to have an election, and we are all running around. Secondly, there are whispers that maybe we need to postpone this thing. In a democracy, you don’t postpone an election. You postpone things you didn’t plan for, not things that are there in the Constitution that says you must do this and that. We need a critical mass of Nigerians to get out and vote. It is important because the more ballot papers that are legitimately used on Election Day, the fewer available to be used to rig the vote. Don’t keep to yourself and think that they will announce results. They are more sophisticated than that. And that’s why the aspirants who felt cheated and had the resources to employ forensic personnel, had the elections upturned in Edo and Ondo for example, because they could establish multiple voting by thumbprint. How do we move on? How do we get out of here? What I have done is I’ve tried graphically to paint a picture of a process. How do we change this process? One, I think, since we cannot change attitudes as quickly, we must ensure mass participation. In an election where there is a very high turnout, the results are usually genuine. The most celebrated election in Nigeria, June 12, 1993, what happened? People came out. The more people who come out to vote, the fewer malpractices here and there but there wouldn’t be much in such a critical manner to upset the will of the people. Beyond that, if you don’t vote in an election, you have no reason to criticize the government. If you did not vote in the last election, then you’ve lost the moral right to criticize what the government does because you were not part of the process. We the elite, I am one of them, we send our kids to the best schools around the world. When they come back, they are misfits, they cannot fit in and so ultimately we are designing a system that would destroy us in the end. Let me take our minds back to Somalia. Somalia is mono-religious, mono-ethnic country; they only have clans (but) they have one tribe. What has happened there? It’s a failed state because the elite in Somalia
were so disconnected from the people that once they had some money, they buy houses in England, Washington and all those places; they were not investing and putting their best foot forward. If you want to be in a contest, you put your best foot forward. At the end of the day, there was such a disconnect that even till today, they cannot bridge it. Let me tell you, the last recognized President of Somalia is buried in Lagos, Siad Barre. We are a multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-problematic nation. The reason why most people worry about us is if we explode, who will contain us? When we conducted the census in 2006 or so, the raw figures said we were over 200 million; when they went and processed the figures it came down to 140 million. When you look at those figures and compare to those we had in 1991 at a growth rate of 2.1 or something like that, it is really just an extrapolation, because we were too embarrassed to admit our true numbers. If we get it wrong, we will fail like Somalia; in Somalia, half of them are in Kenya, Ethiopia, and a few are in Europe here and there; who will contain us in all of West Africa and Central Africa and for that it is imperative not just for ourselves but for the rest of the continent that we get it right. Is there a way out? I think there is. I think we need to employ technology. It’s just a suggestion and I want to share with you. I have said this in one or two fora and I’ve heard people say it has not been done in America or the West, why should we do it here? I say they don’t have the attitude we have here. Necessity is the mother of invention. It is not necessary for us to do what I’m about to suggest. For the purposes of this, 3455, this number is for a phone and that number is unique to you and valid for that election or the set of elections. Each party has a numerical equivalent. AC could be 1, the PDP could be 5, the Labour Party could be 3, whatever. On the date of elections, even if you don’t have a phone, you can go to a centre where they have a bank of phones and once you put in your number 3455 it recognizes you, it cannot be duplicated. It’s only you that has that number and for that election on that date, once it’s used it cannot be used by anyone else. You can do this from your house or anywhere, and any time between the hours of 9-12. When it says which party? You say 3 or 4 whatever the number; they ask you, ‘are you sure, you say Yes’. You press it then you’ve voted. With that, I think we can conduct election but people say ah, it’s too technological and I say, why do you always underestimate the people in the rural areas? If you send them money this way, won’t they be able to cash it? Why is it that when it is to conduct their civic responsibilities it becomes high tech? I know this country, I ran a state for eight years, I know the nooks and crannies of my state. We are not the most enlightened of states in the country, but you see, I had a deal with MTN and Glo to ensure that every community in Cross River State has a base station; for that I gave them sites free of charge; so, virtually every nook and cranny of Cross River has a base station. Even the most rural of places; even in Bakassi, when we still had control of it. And they all use it. They still use it to call their folks in the urban centres to
say send us money. Why is that when it comes to civic responsibility it is high tech? Because the politicians don’t want to use it, that’s the truth. I am not saying this is a perfect system, it can be fine-tuned, that will ensure that within an hour or two everyone has voted and the results are near perfect. Of course, once you design a system, there are those whose work is to un-design the system. There are people like that and they work backwards. Once you have that we also think the same way. How do we work backwards, where can this be faulted? It can be faulted in many ways. The service companies if you are able to break through the integrity of the system, you know, here and there; but I think we are going to think outside the norm. The point I’m trying to make is we have to think outside the box. I want to commend the Federal Government, each time the government talks about elections; it keeps on talking about credible elections with brilliant sound bite. But it must go beyond the sound bite. Let’s not kid ourselves, by thinking that by putting a Jega there, that all is well. With Jega there, all will be well if he is able to design along with his team a system that is virtually fool proof. In other words, he himself must understand the system of elections; he needs to know how it works and how it’s been holding. As I speak to you, we’ve not started voters’ registration. That exercise will take anywhere from three to four months. It will take at least, 90 days to run through its course, another six weeks to tidy up before it is published. You can have elections anytime, but you can’t have credible elections in January. So, for those thinking we can have elections in January, I think we have to rethink the process; we cannot have credible elections in January. We may have elections but it may not be credible. Where are we? We need to get out of these holes; we need to traverse the length and breadth of this country. We need to recruit an army of people, may be 5,000 in each state, 200 young men and women who will reach our (people), give each of them a task to ensure that he registers at least a hundred person. That alone, will bring 20 million people into the fold. This is what they did in the Obama election. Fortunately, whether you attain voting age or not, you are able to send text and move around and get people to vote. It’s one thing to register and another to vote. Some folks say ‘how can I go to line up for hours to vote for this person’. If people are not excited about the candidates they will not come out. So, we have to get involved in the process. We can’t all run for offices, we all can’t. ...”
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Random Musings with Ayodeji Jeremiah
of the students could not pass the English Language. Considering the fact that all other subjects are administered and marked in English, why then are we complaining about mass examination failure. Even science subjects such as Chemistry, Biology, Geography and Agricultural Science have to be set and answered in the English Language. One of the most difficult aspects of my job is going through application or cover letters and resumes. You see students who have spent four years in the University who cannot write an application letter nor put together a resume. The average busy Recruitment Manager spends less than a minute to go through a three page CV and make the decision of calling or not calling the applicant for an interview. These are not things you teach at the university level. These are things that students are expected to have grasped by the time they are finishing secondary school.
“Awww!!!dz ryt here z ma pwity gurl swag>>recognise i’m back!!!i’ve misd ma crib!!!” “Dt wz a gr8 parry d oder nght.” “Yestda, dat I thot wuld b niz nded bd” “I m wit u 4eva. Hv a 9ice wk.! The above are just some examples of text messages, Blackberry chats and Facebook posts I see and come across. The senders range anywhere between 18 years of age and 30 years of age. A standard SMS message allows you 160 characters. Blackberry chats are unlimited and Facebook Wall Posts allow you at least 400 words. It is understandable when you are trying to pass across a message using 160 characters but what excuse does anyone have to start sending or posting incomprehensible messages on Facebook and during Blackberry chats. The culture instituted by the introduction of the 160 character message limit has now become so ingrained in our teenagers and youths that a lot of them do not have the capacity to summarise, write and post intelligible messages even when they are not hindered by character limits. At the last WAEC examinations results, 90% 38
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In this age of the Internet, where Google and Facebook are the top two most visited sites on the net, no one wants to read and write any longer. But the truth of the matter is that whether we are reading and writing using old fashioned paper or reading and writing using the computer, the iPad, the phone or the Internet, the rules of reading and writing remain the same. Sometimes in January this year, an aspiring 20-something year old journalist asked me to visit his blog. The blog was badly designed and the articles were badly written and edited. No one, except if they are like you too would want to read your badly written notes on Facebook or your poorly written blog. No one would want to read your wall posts filled with spelling mistakes or grammatical error for that matter. Mark Zuckerberg designed and developed Facebook in 2004 for people between 19 and 25 years of age. Today, the fastest growing demographic on Facebook are those between 35 and 45 years of age. Wow! What does that statistic tell me? It tells me that Facebook has gone beyond being just a social media to a professional and business tool. Used properly, you can attract the right networks and opportunities for your future but
I can assure you, you will put people off if you cannot communicate properly, answer messages properly and chat properly. English Language is our lingua franca, it’s a beautiful language, it’s the second most spoken language in the world and it continues to be a global means of communication. Comprehension, Grammar, Spelling, Essay Writing and Summary are some of the things taught at School Certificate English. These things are learnt not by reading notes or even sitting down listening to a teacher in class but by constant practice through reading and writing. There is nothing cool about not being able to write and communicate in good English neither is there anything old fashioned about being able to write and speak good English. Comments from my last article on Being a Wife and Mother ain’t Easy “This article is thought-provoking and explosive. Full-time wives, in my view, are those career women who combine their professional work with their domestic responsibility.” (Mark Ighile) “Thanks for sharing. In addition, women find themselves in a position where they have to help their parents and extended family. The economic situation is such that the husband (even when willing) is unable to take up these responsibilities. Besides, the mind needs to be engaged.... not necessarily for pay.” (Olafadeke Akeju) Send your comments on my articles to timelesscourage@yahoo.co.uk