June 2013

Published Since April 2003

Vol. 11 No. 6

300 NAIRA

JUNE 2013

Building a 21st Century Force A look at what is wrong and how to fix it

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CONTENTS JUNE 2013

COVER

“Although generally considered an attractive career, the NPF experienced endemic problems with recruiting, training, inefficiency, and discipline, and it lacked expertise in specialised fields. Corruption and dishonesty were widespread, engendering a low level of public confidence, failure to report crimes, and tendencies to resort to self help.�

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The Censors Board should stop seeing itself as the watchdog...

Amaka Igwe

24 The Child, the Tablet and the Developing Mind

28

Bye Bye Beckham, Ferguson

26 BUSINESS Why employers should feed visions and not instructions for business success and growth.

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Letters & Comments

Published Since April 2003

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN Ituah Ighodalo EDITOR Ayodeji Jeremiah STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Matthew Osarenren EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Omotayo Obe GRAPHIC DESIGNER/PRODUCTION EDITOR Agbele Olusola HEAD SALES, MARKETING & CIRCULATION Steve Atannoye HEAD, ADVERTS & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Onome E. Okoroh ADVERTS EXECUTIVE

Peter Mandu

Evident not! But, in 2 years she can lay a necessary foundation by challenging current service and trading based eceonomics to massive industrialisation and investments in agriculture and SME/Enterprise development. Civil Service reforms is a politically scary but economically necessary action, otherwise, her theories end in the trashcan of the actual managers of the economy.

- George Ashiru The reform that will work is the reform she can not reform. Without political reforms, nothing else will work. with official distaste for changes, the only changing making sense in Nigeria's ruling circle is more patronage and more pay to a mindless ruling elite. The little gains made by her economic reforms are always swallowed up by the next grab policy that leaves the economy worse than it was thereby making all improvements, paper progress.

- Larry Happiday There will be no acceptable excuses if she is unable to finish what she started.Strong pedigree, huge incomparable experience,Extremely knowledgeable and influential, had another unique opportunity of second Chance@ that Level of Service. The Authority and Responsibity over the Economy was statutorily added to her finance portfolio to make her function.

What else will be required to finish ???

- Philip Fadehan

MISSION STATEMENT To be an educative, policy and issue-oriented ethical magazine that strives to provide a readable magazine for every member of the family and to produce a magazine that is a keeper’s item that can be kept for future reference purposes

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From the

Photograph by Sunmi Smart Cole

Editor-in-Chief

W

hen the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn (Proverbs 29: 2).

Nigeria cannot rejoice because the righteous are not in authority or there are not enough of them in positions of authority. Our leaders do not fear God and are not anticipatory of the fear of God. They don't even know God nor do they care to know Him. They live as if life revolves around them and them alone.

Perhaps Solomon's greatest legacy was that he was such a great leader, visionary, h a r d w o r k i n g , m o t i v a t o r, g o o d businessman, manager of men and resources, a man of fairness and equality.

Where fairness, equality, opportunity and the rule of law is in zero supply, there can be no joy. That is why God in His infinite wisdom demands fairness as a rule. God demands that you do not cheat; that you do not give nor accept a bribe; that you do not corrupt justice. The scripture speaks about fairness and the values of hard work. The scripture speaks about visionary leadership and divine direction. Our leadership and politics in Nigeria must change!

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Our politics and leadership must change Like Pastor Tunde Bakare asserts, politics seems dirty because clean people are not getting involved. We must change our attitude to politics and governance. You must get involved in politics and change people's opinion of it. You cannot sit in your home while others determine what happens to you.

Our politics must change and we are going to be part of that change. We are going to be involved in the resource control because Nigeria belongs to the Sons of God. Some people have decimated the place of leadership and crippled our political values.

An ex-governor stole about two hundred and fifty million pounds from the state treasury and stashed it away in bank accounts in London, US and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, five million pounds could have eradicated blindness in his village. This is the problem with Nigeria; this is the challenge of our situation. This is why some persons will buy 20 years old plane to come and fly in our airspace.

People who cannot seriously account for their wealth or their flamboyant lifestyle should not continue to aspire to the leadership of this nation. Nigeria is no longer for sale to the highest bidder. Being generous to people, taking chieftaincy titles and flashing money around should no longer be the prerequisite for governing Nigeria. If Nigerians really love Nigeria, this is the time for us to search for that man; that human being who actually loves Nigeria and is

willing to do the right thing for Nigeria. We don't want anybody to hoodwink us anymore. We don't want anyone to just feed some of the masses for a season and think that by doing so he has a right to their hearts and soul and therefore he should take over the presidency. We need people who would be honest with us in Nigeria and who would really try to lead and govern this nation according to equity, fairness, the rule of law and the fear of God. We need people who would have a plan and a vision for this nation.

Leadership must change in Nigeria.

Cover Feature

Building a 21st Century Force The Nigerian Police and How to Fix The Present Security Challenges George H. Ashiru

coverfeature “He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator” - Francis Bacon (1561-1626) Essays (1625)

T

he quote above headlines the Nigerian Police Code of Conduct booklet…It is a fitting start to a treatise on security and innovation in a state of thorough helplessness at the face of determined evil. Bryden, N'Diaye and Olonisakin in their book 'Conflict, Security, and Development', in 2005 appropriately annotates the disposition to increasing security crises in West Africa, pushing in their paper for continuous reviews and innovations to tackle what was going to become both a fall out of the regional wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia but the internal displacement of peoples, poverty, poor economic infrastructures and weak democratic structures that aggravate the security issues. They had this to say: “While other regions of Africa have had their share of crises, the challenge of meeting numerous security threats has been particularly arduous in West Africa.

Nevertheless, there are unmistakable signs that, through its collective regional integration instrument, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the sub-region is beginning to awaken fully to the need to tackle its security crisis.” – Bryden, N'Diaye, Olonisakin( Conflict, Security, and Development, 2005 Kings College, London) Further in their treatise they touched on the raw nerve of the systemic reasons for continual failure of governments in West Africa, Nigeria being the key player…A weak political culture and lack of resolve by the leaders to create the necessary environment for change in the polity which will influence both the security

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sector and the deliverables pertaining thereto.

“In West Africa, democratization, however genuine, has not necessarily resulted in a purposeful reform of the security sector. This has led to situations where little attention was paid to carrying out much needed reform of the security apparatus, though profound transformation of the political system in a promising democratic direction clearly invited a thoroughgoing security sector overhaul. Of course, the benefits of a true transformation of the political culture cannot but affect in significant ways the daily interactions between the security apparatus and society in these states.

A weak political culture and lack of resolve by the leaders to create the necessary environment for change in the polity which will influence both the security sector and the deliverables pertaining thereto

However, this does not necessarily substitute for a purposeful and systematic reform process.” - Alan Bryden et al.

According to a Code of Conduct document of the Nigerian Police, the following are excerpts; VISION: To make Nigeria safer and more secured for economic development and growth; to create a safe and secured environment for everyone living in Nigeria.

MISSION: 1. To partner with other relevant Security Agencies and the public in gathering, collating and sharing of information and intelligence with the intention of ensuring the safety and security of the country; 2. To participate in efforts to address the root causes of crime while ensuring that any criminal act is investigated so as to bring the criminals to justice in a fair and professional manner.

VALUES: Wo r k i n g t o g e t h e r w i t h p e o p l e irrespective of religious, political, social or economic affiliations to-: a. Deliver quality police service that is accessible to the generality of the people; b. Build a lasting trust in the police by members of the public; c. Protect and uphold the rights of persons, to be impartial and respectful in the performance of Police duties; d. Continuously evaluate and improve Police services; e. Provide equal opportunities for career developments for all members of the force; f. Cooperate with all relevant government Agencies and other stakeholders. g. Liaise with the Ministry of Police Affairs

coverfeature report crimes, and tendencies to resort to self help.”

and the Police Service Commission to formulate and implement policies for the effective policing of Nigeria.

The normal police duties of the Nigeria Police specified in Section 4 of the Police Act are: (1) To take measures to prevent crime.

(2) To investigate crime.

(3) To interrogate suspects.

(4) To prosecute suspects (5) To search persons and premises in order to detect, prevent or investigate the commission of a crime.

(6) To serve court processes.

(7) To regulate processions and assemblies.

(8) To disperse illegal or unlawful procession and assembly.

A cursory look at these laudable stated objectives will reveal that the public perception of the primary Nigerian security corp. is altogether different from the core values stated here. That begets the question, what exactly is wrong with the Nigerian Police, and what reforms are required to improve its service to the citizens and Government of Nigeria. Let's begin by looking at some statistics and historical antecedents.

The Nigeria Police was created in 1930 by the amalgamation by the British of the preceding Northern, and Southern Nigeria Police.

– Force personnel is about 370, 000 There are 7 'Commands” and 3 'Zones' spread through the country The Inspector General of Police heads the force and is appointed and reports to the Commander in Chief of the nation State Commissioners of Police are

in charge of security in each of the states of the federation and they report essentially to the IG. Training is done via 4 Police Colleges in Maiduguri, Enugu, Lagos and Kaduna. On paper, the Police administrative system appears befitting and well structured, however, the continually inability to deliver crime prevention and crime resolution in spite of the investments made in recruitment and infrastructure leaves the only questions remaining; - Is the Police well funded?

- Are the best hands recruited?

- Are they well trained?

- Are they well paid?

According to Wikipedia inserts; “Although generally considered an attractive career, the NPF experienced endemic problems with recruiting, training, inefficiency, and discipline, and it lacked expertise in specialised fields. Corruption and dishonesty were widespread, engendering a low level of public confidence, failure to

The current Inspector General of Police, M.D. Abubakar has launched a police reform project.

This may or not be connected to the recent news report about the dilapidating structures and porous access to the Police training college at Ikeja, Lagos. Or it might be a holistic attempt to do the seemingly impossible, of whipping the large personnel in line with international best practices. A Government “white p a p e r ” w i t h 7 9 recommendations for improving the Police is due to be considered at the National Assembly and turned into a Police Reform Bill.

The summary of the recommendations include; - Better training - New police stations - Better pay - Better training colleges - Better equipments - Better promotion opportunities - New uniforms - Better communications network However, until the bill addresses the issue of political independence for the police, activists continue to believe a better prepared police will still dance to the tunes of the Government in power rather than the citizenry.

Issue of State Police: In order to counter the weight of authority of the President over the police, many state Governors, especially from opposition parties have continually canvassed state police system as the more effective way of overcoming their own unique security situation.

Dominic Asada writes on the Legal and

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coverfeature

- Is the Police well funded?

- Are the best hands recruited?

- Are they well trained?

- Are they well paid?

Socio-Economic Implication of State Police in Nigeria thus: “The challenge for enthronement of popular democratic control of the country's police and to enhance police efficiency and police, public partnership in the promotion of security, justice and human rights: that spurns several claims and agitations for state police forces in the country. Historically, local police forces existed in Nigeria throughout the era of colonial rule and up to 1966. Thus, section 105 of the 1963 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provided for the establishment of Nigeria Police Force and other forces. Accordingly, section 105 subsections 4-7 provided thus: “(4) Subjection to the provision of this section, no police forces other than the Nigerian police force shall be established for Nigeria or any part thereof.

(5) Parliament may make provision for police forces forming part of the armed

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forces of the Federation or for the protection of harbours, waterways. railways and airfields.

(6) Parliament may make provision for the maintenance by any local authority within the Federal territory.

(7) Nothing in this section shall prevent the legislature of a Region from making provision for the maintenance by any authority or local government authority established for a province or any part of a province of a police for employment within that province.”

Section 105 of the 1963 therefore established: (i) A central police forces with jurisdiction over the entire country. (ii) Specialized police forces for securing safety over specific areas. (iii) A police for the Federal Capital territory; and (iv) Local government police forces established by regional parliaments.”

Having established thus that there is no fundamental legal constraints to local policing, it would still be legally impossible to establish an independent Force outside the control of the current system, except the constitution is re-written to empower this move…Asada then went on to say, a dual police force will not change the dynamics of the current security challenges we face as a nation. He blames the reason for this 'unworkability' on the nature of the political class; “Given that the state as we have observed, expresses itself through the activities of the political class, the shortcomings in the characteristics of the political class are as follows: (i) The political class is unconsolidated as a class; relations purely mechanical, undereducated about the state and uncommitted to it, conduct very individualistic, egotistical and over concerned with fight for office. (ii) Subservient to environmental factors inimical to the consolidation of the state, viral and ambivalent about principles, rules and procedures which become subordinated

to the material gain and tribal loyalty. (iii) Violates rules and regulations with ease in electoral competition as well as in office, no commitment to the community and insensitive to the problems of the masses. (iv) Hypocritical about institutions, concepts and ideas which it adopts without clear understanding of the philosophy and origins and so breaks rules or withhold enforcement with ease. (v) Intellectually barren, disdain for ideas and intellectuals and generally does not inspire society to higher ideals or to ultimate goals beyond materialism highly hedonistic, uncreative and more concerned with ego expansion and personal adulation. (vi) Shipwrecked currently by total loss of credibility and so, deeply involved in tribalistic pursuits and nowadays-religious manipulation of institutions and office. (vii) Has lost the confidence of nearly all and the public views it only as an instrument for the personal material aggrandizement of officials especially due to flagrant display of livid material evidence of corruption.” – Dominic Asada In conclusion, it is clear, that the Nigerian Police faces major challenges ahead. The top brass of the force have said the reforms being touted will take at least 5 years to have notable impact, and a huge diversion of funds for infrastructural and recurrent expenditure. The greater problem is now with the political leadership. How much is general security a front burner to their political ambitions and how much resources will they employ to manage the increasing crises that the nation faces? That is the question the National Assembly will have to answer as they debate the white paper submitted to them by the Police.

George H. Ashiru: A Patriot, an Entrepreneur and Social Commentator.

coverfeature

The Nigeria Police: Bullets, Blogs and Blood 'Sola Fagorusi

O

nce again, the world felt cold.

The United States of America had been hit. A twin bomb had been let off in Boston, capital of Massachusetts. Back home, the Boko Haram sect continues to wage war against the Federal Government and the citizenry and the debate of granting amnesty continues raucously. We are also not likely to forget in a tick, Mr. Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab who tried to detonate plastic explosives airborne Detroit, Michigan on December 25th 2009. If the planet had a human face, it would be with tears streaming on it!

Apologies to the late wizard of Ososa and travelling theatre veteran - Hubert Ogunde; it is not just an age of bread and bullet, it is that of bullets and blood and blogs today.

one that they think and know that they will win. The lessons from the Boston Bombing case that left three dead and about 170 people injured is too enormous to be ignored. My interest albeit lies in the new media angle that was used to tackle the crime in a way that led to the death of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26 and the eventual arrest of his brother, Dzhokhar. In an age like ours, crime is cheap. It is readily accessible. Information on how to perpetrate same seems discounted and would be handed over on asking. It is thus not surprising that the duo could pull off such deadly actions. In 0.21 seconds, google.com has the ability to throw up 542,000,000 results on a simple query of 'how to make a bomb'. I am not sure of what the brothers have been reading, watching or listening to before now. What

is however certain is that they had information and they definitely used it to cause the pandemonium that followed its use. The new media lessons are huge for our own Nigeria Police Force which is yet to meet the security expectations of the Nigerian people in line with global best practices.

Enter Boston Police Department; the first check was done on the CCTV camera, a new media tool, and grainy images of the brothers were found. The first clear image was however captured by a marathon runner who had finished the race and took pictures of the pandemonium with his i-Phone.

Following the release of the grainy images by the Police Department, everyone checked pictures they had taken and one

Coincidentally Ogunde's 1950 play was about the police and protesters. In the performance, the protesters were shot and eighteen miners died. It is on record that the play was refused performance in Kano. According to Ogunde, 'they asked for bread and they were given bullet'. It is the quest for bread that sets humans out on a daily basis. It is the same quest for bread that sets the lazy ones out with the inglorious task of snatching breads from the lawful owners and when they do most times, blood splatters on the land. And it is to stop the activities of the latter category that an organisation like the Police Force was established.

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coverfeature of the brothers was spotted – bingo! The manner in which the surviving brother's social media account was also scrutinised is a hint to how important our social media life has become. It gave a clue to his interests and helped to profile if he was the one they were looking for. His VKontakte (a Russian social networking site) and twitter account were of particular interest. Maybe the American society also failed him. His Facebook post of not having friends may be his way of seeking for help that never came.

The Nigeria Police twitter account, with a paltry 197 tweets and 27,576 followers is not a good social media story for policing, ditto its Facebook page which is mainly an extension for newspapers reportage of the Police. It is also striking that the Inspector General of Police, M.D Abubakar does not have a Wikipedia page and yet Shekau Abubakar has one (I hope I am wrong). The videos of the sect are also circulated through social media means – either in YouTube videos or mp4 files. I am yet to see information sharing by the Nigeria Police through such means.

Information on safety tips can be couched and shared with the public. Criminals are known to change their methods regularly; the police should inform us of new findings on real time basis and in graphically simulated manner. I have heard instances of how some brilliant police officers tracked down petty criminals through Facebook conversations. While commendable, the Police as an organisation needs to do more.

The thermal images that were taken by the helicopter, the robot that was used to yank the covering off the hunted Dzhokhar in the boat, the flir - Forward Looking Infrared technology that was used to confirm the boy was alive are also lessons in new media technology for our police department. The crime of the

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coming days would be sophisticated ones.

The police needs to prepare for that age.

Last week, a leading online entertainment site in Nigeria was hacked and the hacker(s) demanded ransom. I am not certain the police has the tool and capacity to arrange a release of this kind especially when we still battle with human kidnaps without clear success stories of how the release was gotten without paying ransom.

I am at a loss as to why the Facebook page of the Nigeria Police cannot have mug shots of wanted criminals on it. And where is our own 911? With the high telephone penetration in the country today, a new media tool like that should help solve crimes. Is it that hard to have mobile service provider in the country support the Nigeria Police Force with a toll free line that would always be reachable? The two lines (08077446699 and 08102555581) provided by the incumbent Inspector General of Police are usually either switched off or forwarding your calls only to disconnect.

The recent activities of the Police on traditional media, especially its interactive radio programme, though commendable needs to be complemented with the new media so the information can trickle down.

Czech Republic was also quick to explain that it was not the same with Chechnya when' twitterians' started mistaking the two. Such is the power of the new media.

The Ambassador could not ignore it.

Recently, several Facebook accounts in Nigeria have been inundated by messages from individuals usually camouflaging as ladies trying to ask for unsolicited friendship and request that you seek her pictures. It is bait and a prelude to financial crime. Someone needs to rise to this in the police. The Nigeria Police needs new hands for this new demand. Crime Prevention is the best and cheaper.

Wait for this. Despite what seems a heroic act by the Boston Police Department and the FBI, Americans took to blogs and other social media outlets and still bashed them wondering why it took that long and such huge expense to arrest a teenager.

They wanted to know how he managed to escape on foot and also kill. It is good feedback and it can also make the Boston PD review its operations and firm it up in subsequent engagements.

The Nigeria Police twitter account, with a paltry 197 tweets and 27,576 followers is not a good social media story for policing, ditto its Facebook page which is mainly an extension for newspapers reportage of the Police

Despite the low ratio of Police to citizens in Nigeria with a short fall of about 64,000 and the unfair deployment majorly to members of the ruling class, the new media can help pad the lacuna. But like I always like to advocate; new media use should not happen in isolation, it should be an extension of offline activities. And here, the Nigeria Police Force still has a lot to do.

'Sola Fagorusi, a Leap Africa alumnus is a youth development advocate, freelance writer, accomplished debater cum coach and trained peer educator

News Roundup Aftermath of State of Emergency

Mrs Omobola Johnson Chief of Defense Staff

N

igeria's military has announced a "massive" deployment of troops to its restive northeast, after the president declared a state of emergency in areas where Islamist insurgents have seized territory. A military source speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP that fighter jets would also be deployed to the region, raising the possibility that Nigeria could carry out air strikes within its own territory. President Goodluck Jonathan issued the emergency decree in a broadcast on Tuesday May 14, acknowledging for the first time that Boko Haram Islamists had "taken over" parts of Borno state, the insurgents' stronghold.

"Nigerian Armed Forces... have commenced operations to rid the nation's border territories of terrorist bases," a military statement said. "The operations which will involve massive deployment of men and resources, is aimed at asserting the nation's territorial integrity," it added. A top US official called on Nigeria to protect the rights of civilians and avoid any "heavyhanded" response against the rebels.

"We call on Nigerian officials to ensure that Nigeria's security forces protect civilians in any security response in a way that respects human rights and the rule of law," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said.

The troops and arms deployment followed emergency measures applied to three states, including Yobe and Adamawa, but the offensive is widely expected to be concentrated in Borno, which shares borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger. Boko Haram, which says it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, had used Borno's capital of Maiduguri as a home base but its fighters have relocated to remote border regions following a crackdown in the city. The area's borders are porous and analysts say that criminal groups and weapons can move freely between countries.

The military's presence in these areas had previously been limited, especially

compared to north-eastern cities like Maiduguri and Yobe's capital of Damaturu, where the military has blanketed the streets to combat Boko Haram.

In 1998, more than a decade before the Islamist threat emerged, Nigeria launched a multi-national force with Chad and Niger to contain criminality in the border areas. But the force has proved incapable of combating the emboldened, well-armed Islamists.

While it is still too early to quantify the scale of the operation, the president's admission that troops were needed to re-establish Nigeria's sovereignty makes the campaign one of the most significant since the 1967-1970 civil war. Early reports however indicate that the military offensive appears to be paying off. President Jonathan said the Boko Haram violence, which has left thousands dead since 2009, could no longer be treated as "militancy or criminality" but now amounted to "a declaration of war".

Some analysts warn that Boko Haram has been increasingly influenced by likeminded extremist groups, including AlQaeda's North Africa wing, but the extent of those ties remains unclear. The Boko Haram conflict is estimated to have cost 3,600 lives since 2009, including

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newsroundup killings by the security forces. The military offensive followed refusals by leaders of the Islamic extremist network to take part in any possible amnesty deal offered

by Nigeria's government to stop the guerrilla campaign of bombings and shootings. An audio recording obtained

by The Associated Press on Thursday features a man who sounds like Abubakar Shekau strongly objecting to any possible deal with Nigerian officials. The comments come after Nigeria's government has floated the idea of possibly setting up a government committee to examine offering some sort of deal to stop the violence that's killed hundreds over the last year.

The recording, first passed by intermediaries of Boko Haram to journalists in northern Nigeria, features the man talking about the possibility of an amnesty deal, first discussed last week.

The man in the recording, speaking in the Hausa language of Nigeria's predominantly Muslim north, calls the amnesty deal "surprising." "We are the one to grant them pardon. Have you forgotten their atrocities against us?" he says.

(AFP)

Nigeria Online Start-ups See a Future 'Silicon Lagoon'

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igeria may soon purge its reputation as a centre for Internet criminals and gain fame as an innovator of online businesses and tech start-ups. Since 2010, there have been more than 50 tech start-ups in the country. Although still in their infancy, many of them have shown great promise

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at Africa, generally, the consumer opportunity of Africa is Nigeria. It is the largest market by far. I think the entire size of Kenya is [the size of] Lagos state," said Oviosu. "The engine of growth in any economy is really start-ups.” Oviosu says Nigeria is in the same position as China and India were 15 years ago. He says, in another 15 years, Nigerian startups could grow into global conglomerates like Tata.

Mrs Omobola Johnson Minister of Communication and Technology

attracting investment from financial heavyweights like Google and JP Morgan. These young tech savvy entrepreneurs say they have been inspired by popular online platforms such as eBay, YouTube and Craigslist.

They say they are fashioning their enterprises for tech-savvy Nigerians seeking a break from traditional ways of doing things.

Jumia.com.ng provides online retail; Wakanow showcases travel deals; Ibakatv and Irokotv take movies and Afrobeat music online. Others are uniquely created as solutions for local problems. Pagatech offers mobile money transfers; Jobberman.com is a job search website; Co-Creation Hub Nigeria develops local software and mobile phone apps. CC-Hub, as it is also called, recently developed Wayopedia a repository of scam keywords and phrases that intelligently identifies scam e-mail. They have also developed a mobile social quiz platform, based on the high school curriculum, designed to enhance learning through selfassessment and to fight the high rate of dropping out from high schools.

With 45 million Internet users and 100 million mobile phones, Tayo Oviosu, the CEO of Pagatech says the potential for growth is huge. “I tell people who look

After only six months, one of the movies on Ibakatv, “Sexy Criminals”, a Nollywood flick about a female robbery gang, has attracted four million views.

Irokotv already has a million subscribers.

In just six months of business, Jumia.com.ng, a subsidiary of Rocket Internet, a Berlin-based incubator has already built a 12,000 square foot warehouse close to the Lagos airport.

According to a website rating company, Alexa, it is the eighth most-visited local content website in Nigeria. Ayodeji Adewunmi, CEO of Jobberman.com, says his job platform has 500,000 users and 4,000 registered companies on its portal. Pagatech already has more than 300,000 users. Lagos Angel Network, a consortium of 15 technology investors, is already talking of the creation of a Silicon Lagoon modeled after Silicon Valley in California. But Femi Longe, CoFounder at CC-Hub, says copying success stories elsewhere may not be the way to go in Nigeria.

“We're very obsessed with cloning successful technology products from different parts of the world and trying to force them to work here. Until we get to a stage we start looking at what is the reality and the need here in Nigeria and then creating technology solutions that can address those needs and doing it such a way that we can capture a huge chunk of the Nigerian market, which is sizeable on its own, and then capturing maybe West Africa, then Africa, until then we wouldn't be able to create

newsroundup solutions that can conquer the world," Longe. "You cannot create a clone here in Nigeria and expect it to be among the topvalued technology brands in the world.

Until we can get to that stage where we can look inward and from there look outward, I think the whole idea of Silicon Lagoon is a joke.�

Perhaps the strongest sign of the viability of these start-ups is their ability to endear themselves to notable global investors, says Tayo Kehinde, the co-managing director of Jumia.com.ng. “If you can get someone like JP Morgan to commit a significant amount to invest not just in Africa but in a Nigerian start-up, to me, that is to say Nigeria is open for business and in particular e-commerce in Nigeria is open for business and investment,� Global investment bank, JP Morgan, has invested in Jumia.com.ng. Irokotv got $10 million from American and Swedish investors.

Pagatech has a string of foreign investors and Google is partnering with Ibakatv and CC-Hub. Although there is no clear policy thrust from government on how to support these tech startups, there are some signs that this might not be the case for long.

The Lagos state government launched the Innovation Advisory Council in 2011 to help promote innovations in the state.

Nigeria's government says it has provided $3.5 million to build two tech incubation centres in Lagos and Calabar. Part of the reason that government involvement may be necessary is that doing business in Nigeria is very challenging. The World Bank ranks Nigeria at 131 out of 185 countries for the ease of doing business.

This hostile business environment is even more suffocating for tech start-ups.

After years of global notoriety as a centre for Internet fraud, Ayodeji Adewunmi says correcting the negative perception is the biggest challenge the tech start-ups in Nigeria grapple with. There is also the challenge posed by decaying

infrastructure. Tayo Kehinde says heavy traffic in places like Lagos severely hampers the delivery of items bought online. Erratic power supply is also exerting huge financial pressure on start-ups. Bosun Tijani, Co-Founder at CC-Hub, says the company spends more than $2,000 a month to power its own generators. Despite the obstacles, these young Nigerian tech entrepreneurs say they remain optimistic and still say a day is ahead when Nigeria will have its own Silicon Lagoon.

(Nicholas Ibekwe, Voice of America)

Inspiring 100 Voices

Tara Fela-Durotoye

H

ouse of Tara, a make-up and beauty brand owned by renowned make-up artist, philanthropist and recently listed young global leader of 2013, Tara Durotoye is a brand known for its creative and unique products and Tara herself, is known for having a passion for women and the Nigerian youths. Using her brainchild, House of Tara, a project has

been initiated to appreciate and celebrate House of Tara beauty reps across the country. These beauty reps range from students to housewives, school dropouts, business owners and more who have despite all odds come out empowered and successful in their business ventures.

The project called '100 voices' recognises that each of these reps have inspiring stories to tell and share with everyone and so provides them a platform to do so with Nigerians. The project starts with beauty reps with truly inspiring stories sending in their stories to House of Tara and the stories will be read by inspiring Nigerian women among whom are Linda Ikeji, Uche Pedro, Funke Bucknor, Adesuwa Oyenokwe, Ibukun Awosika and more. These women will pick 25 of the most inspiring stories. The beauty reps chosen for having the most inspiring and touching stories will be treated to an all-expense paid trip from any part of Nigeria to Lagos and will be given celebrity treatments as they will be taken to radio and TV stations for interviews and will have a photo shoot session sponsored by House of Tara. Also, their stories will be shared through the social media platform of some of the judges. All the inspiring stories sent in will be published in a coffee table book titled '100 voices' which will also feature the profiles of the beauty reps. The final winners of the 100 voices will have House of Tara tote bags named after each of them and their story printed on the bag.

House of Tara has trained and empowered a lot of people through its make up classes and is always looking for ways to further empower and appreciate them. The 100 voices is a platform created to not only appreciate the beauty reps but to inspire and empower Nigerian women and the youths as well.

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events

Justus Esiri laid to rest The remains of veteran actor, Chief Justus Esiri were buried in his hometown Oria, Abraka, Delta State last month. The burial attracted many Nollywood stars and prominent Nigerians including the representative of President Goodluck Jonathan.

It was preceded by a commendation mass at the Polo Turf in Abraka, where well-wishers had the final glimpse of the Village Headmaster before the body was moved to his country home in the same town for internment. Thereafter, it was a carnival of sort as entertainment of guests followed. His kinsmen attended the ceremony in their hundreds while the crème de la crème of Nollywood were also present Dr. Sid, popular musician and son of the late actor

Richard Mofe Damijo

Paul Adams, Chioma Chukwuka and Kate Henshaw

Rita Dominics, Joke Jacobs and Olu Jacobs

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Bob Manuel Udokwu

Esiri died on February 19, 2013 at the age of 71 following complications from diabetes. His final journey home began with Nigerian Guild of Actors' tribute night in Lagos followed by a Service of Songs on Tuesday April 9th and a Mass on Wednesday at St. Jude Catholic Church, Mafoluku, Lagos. From there the body moved on to Abraka for burial.

Esiri, Member of the Order of the Niger, MON, is famous for his role as the Village Headmaster in the then popular television series of the same name. Esiri started his acting career in Germany.

He was the only Nigerian male performing on stage between 1968 and 1969.

He also worked for Voice of Nigeria, German Service as a translator. He was performing on stage when in Germany when a delegation from Nigeria invited him home to perform in a government sponsored programme. He never returned to Germany. The veteran actror was a recipient of several awards.

events

Eugene Chime Age Honours Christ in Art Works Akinbiyi Akinsola

Justus Esiri laid to rest Mrs Nkem Onwuka, Mr and Mrs Eugene Chime-Age

Pastor Mrs Alabi and Mr. ben Akabueze

Justus Esiri laid to rest Mr. and Mrs Kingsley Ogbonna and Mr Eugene Chime-Age

L

ately, at the African Foundation for the Arts Hall located on Balarabe Musa Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos, quintessential painter, Eugene Chime Age, held a one-man exhibition of paintings titled The Cross (The Sanctuary Art). There were 41 works on display which represent “our relationship with Jesus Christ.” The medium explored had to do mainly with acrylic on canvas measuring various sizes with the cross as the main statement. To the artist, “The cross symbolizes Jesus Christ and the benefits of identifying with his death and resurrection.” He further explained that, “My works are predominantly abstract in nature. My style manifests in choice of colours, which are earth colours; closer to nature. My works are definitely not academic, they come out of my experiences and my inspiration is purely from God.”

Pastor Ben Akabueze who declared the exhibition open was very much impressed by Eugene's talent. He enthused that “The Bible says that a man's talents shall make room for him. My brother is gifted in the area of fine art.

Through this the Lord will bring enlargement.” He prayed “that every piece of art work will minister to all. As the people look at every piece, they will behold the cross and as they behold the cross, they will behold Jesus Christ who is no longer on the cross. On the cross Jesus Christ exchanged his death for eternal life, he exchanged his love for our hatred and that the realities of these exchanges will be made manifest.

Some of those who attended the exhibition commended the effort of the artist for choosing to glorify God with his talent. Mrs.

Nkem Onwuka said “God is using him in a different kind of ministry.” She described the works as inspirational. She noted that “This is not what everybody can do. You need the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for this.” Pastor Mrs. E. K. Alabi believes that “a lot of work has been put into the works on display. This must have been inspired by the scripture.

God the Master artist is the wisdom behind these works. Everything has been built around the cross and this says a lot about the life of the artist. Our Lord Jesus Christ will continue to back him up. Amen.”

Eugene Chime Age with this exhibition and others done by him has surely found his place in this profession and he is very passionate about it. He says he has more works to exhibit to glorify the Almighty God in future.

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events

Mr. Pascal Dozie, Dr. Christopher Kolade and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo

A

three volume compilation of speeches and lectures delivered over the years by a distinguished Nigerian statesman, Dr Christopher Kolade were unveiled last month at a colourful event held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) Lagos.

The public presentation of the trilogies that capture the mind and thoughts of the octogenarian was sponsored by Pan-African University, Cornerstone Insurance, African Capital Alliance and Barnhouse Publications.

The formal presentation offered former and current government officials as well as captains of industries and the media community, a unique opportunity to deeply understand those issues that propel the man, Dr. Christopher Kolade.

The three volumes of The Canons capture comprehensively Dr Kolade's pursuit of, and dedication to good and ethical governance in all sectors of the economy and the Nigerian society. There are eight segments in all the three volumes- People, Leadership, Management in volume one, while the other two focus on Business, Economy, NationBuilding, Ethics and Broadcasting.

According to the Head of the Editorial team that packaged the book, Richard Ikiebe, Dr. Kolade caught his attention as a bold, adventurous and courageous man who left a top level public sector job to the untested

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Christopher Kolade's Canons waters of the private sector even when his career was not threatened in any way “Having followed Dr Kolade over the years, I saw in him a man who had a story that can motivate every Nigerian” Ikiebe revealed. Continuing, Mr Ikiebe frowned at the fact that most casestudies in schools today are foreign, and they don't touch or connect with our culture.

“Today, we really don't have definite stories of leaders like Akintola, Ahmadu Bello, and many others whereas Nelson Mandela has over 120 titles on him. One of the reasons we engaged in publishing the Canons is our strong belief that we need to tell our stories” Ikiebe added.

The reviewer of the text, Professor Emevwo Biakolo, Dean, School of Media Communications, Pan African University with great calm and candour also dissected the text and brought alive the unique personalities of Dr. Kolade. He described the publications as a landmark effort and monumental achievement in respect of projecting the key leadership qualities like accountability, competence and transparency that Dr Kolade represents.

Speaking earlier in his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of Pan-African University, Prof Juan Elegido, praised Dr Kolade's humanitarian efforts and specifically applauded his decision to use all proceeds from the presentation to support a scholarship programme that will grant

scholarship to deserving but indigent undergraduate students at the Pan-African University. He later donated the sum of N3 million at the presentation ceremony.

The Chief presenter at the event, Mr. Oba Otudeko bought 100 copies of the book at an undisclosed six figure sum each. The Governors of Ekiti, Osun, and Ondo through their representatives as well as the chairman of the occasion, Mr Paschal Dozie, Chairman of MTN also launched the publications.

The special Guest of Honour at the event was the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. In his speech, he revealed that it was a great achievement for Richard Ikiebe and his team to successfully put together the three volumes on Dr. Kolade, a feat he tried unsuccessfully to pull out from Sir Adetokunbo Ademola, first Chief Judge of Nigeria and Sultan Abubakar III, Former Sultan of Sokoto before their death. He promised to read through the book and, called on all knowledge- seeking Nigerians to pick a copy.

Kolade's Scholars Program, an initiative of The Pan-African University and The Christopher Kolade Foundation (CKF), is a non-profit organization established in 1997.The body would handle the scholarship programme at the Pan-African University.

Text and Pix courtesy of BrandiQ

High Chief Bayo Akinnola Lisa Ojo Gbogbo Bi Odun – (Everyday is like Christmas) August 1st 2013 - March 20th 2013

Milestone

milestone

“

Bayo Akinnola was that rare breed that successfully combines the essence of a free spirit with the responsibilities of service to community.

He cut his teeth on student activism, matured into a deep immersion in the traditional chores of chieftaincy. To him, titles were not mere rites and pomp of office – which, by the way, he did enjoy and enrich – but more importantly, the passion of service. Very few of his peers remotely aspire to the heights to which he took his functions as prime minister of the Ondo kingdom. I cannot help re-living, with deep nostalgia, our forest forays together, together with the late Femi Johnson, expeditions that became less and less frequent as other commitments took their toll on all sides. Despite these demands, Bayo ensured that he graced my recent Obafemi Awolowo foundation conferment with his presence. I was deeply touched, and of course indulged in the usual exhortations for a resumption before we both became too decrepit. We overlooked the suddenness with which mortality often makes its call. Bayo lived life to the full, without regrets. A sports lover that he was, when he had a close call some years ago, and decided to moderate his life style, his favourite watchword became: I have been shown the yellow card. Finally, the red card was flashed, and Bayo was sent off the field, terminally. Sent off the mortal field perhaps, but I know that in Bayo's reckoning, he has merely transited to a much vaster, eternal field of the happy hunting grounds.”

- Wole Soyinka “Handing me over to the Alayande's was a very bold and courageous decision taken by my mother, considering the fact that mine was the only pregnancy she ever had, I believe it was a mission she had to fulfil, in that she died just a year later. I believe God had a purpose for what she did. Indeed, I consider it a perfect and an inspired decision, for it made all the difference in my life.” That was Sir High Chief (Dr) Bayo Akinnola speaking in his biography, 22

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'Nurtured by His Grace' released in 2004.

Oreoluwa Ilemobayo Akinnola popularly referred to as “Ojo Gbogbo Bi Odun, Igba gbogbo Bi Oro” was born to the family of the Late Sir (Chief) Daniel Ladapo Akinnola, the Baba Ijo of All Saints Church, Ogbonkowo, Ondo and former Lay President of the Diocese of Ondo (Anglican Communion) and the Late Mrs. Alice Omorinola Akinnola, a princess of the Leyo Ruling House of Ondo Kingdom, in Ondo town on Wednesday, 1st August 1934.

He attended All Saints Primary School, Ondo, the Ondo Boys High School, Ondo and the Ibadan Grammar School, Ibadan.

His quest for qualitative knowledge took him to the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, Ibadan for his Advanced Level in 1955. He later enrolled as a student in the University College, Ibadan (then an affiliate of the University of London) in 1957 where he bagged a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Upper Division) in 1960. In 1961, he won the Commonwealth Scholarship to study for the Postgraduate Diploma in Education at the University of Manchester, England, graduating in 1962 with honours and winning the Wither's Prize for Practical Teaching, the first African to win the coveted prize.

He cut his leadership teeth in 1954 when he was appointed the Senior Prefect of his School – the Ibadan Grammar School under the tutelage of Late Ven. (Dr) Emmanuel Oladipo Alayande. At the Nigeria College of Arts, Science & Technology, he was elected President of the Students Union Government in 1956, and in 1958, he won the election into the Executive Council of the Students' Union Government of the University of Ibadan as the Public Relations Officer. In 1960, he was elected Vice President, Nigerian Union of Nigerian Students.

High Chief (Dr) `Bayo Akinnola was one of the founding members, and the pioneer Leader of the House of Lords, Nigeria - an

“Bayo Akinnola was that rare breed that successfully combines the essence of a free spirit with the responsibilities of service to community...

association that started with a group of 16 young, first degree graduates some fortyseven years ago, all of whom reached the acme of their calling in academia, business and the professions as Professors, Vice Chancellors, Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries and proprietors of their own businesses before attaining the age of 40 years.

High Chief (Dr) `Bayo Akinnola started his working career as a teacher at the Ibadan Grammar School, quickly rising to the position of the Vice Principal under Ven (Dr) E.O Alayande, even though he was the youngest graduate teacher on the staff of the school. He moved from teaching to work in the private sector of the economy, having been offered employment by the Nigerian Tobacco Company Limited (NTC), first as the Public Relations Officer and later as Personnel Manager, and as Personal Assistant to the Chairman between 1964 and 1971.

milestone In 1971, he was appointed, first as the Commissioner for Information & Home Affairs by Colonel (now Brig-General) Oluwole Rotimi (Rtd) during which period he served with other distinguished Nigerians, such as Chief Anthony Enahoro during the preliminary activities that led to the great Black Festival of Arts & Culture held in Nigeria. In 1972, he was moved to the Ministry of Industries as Commissioner. It was during his tenure as the Commissioner for Industries that the Nigergrob Ceramic Industries in Abeokuta, the Nigerian Wire & Cable Industries in Ibadan, the West African Portland Cement at Sagamu and the Nigerian-Romanian Wood Industries in Ondo were established. In 1983, he was appointed as a Member of Council of the Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti. He was also the Chairman, Board of Directors of Oluwa Glass Company Plc, Igbokoda, Ondo State (1986-1993), Ondo State Education Endowment Fund

(1990-1993). He served as a Federal Commissioner, representing Ondo State on the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation & Fiscal Commission in Abuja between 1999 and 2004.

High Chief (Dr) 'Bayo Akinnola was the Chairman of many business concerns in which he had nominal or substantial interest. He was a National Productivity Merit Award winner, NPMA (1992). In November 2002, he was conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Management Technology by the Federal University of Technology, Akure. Again in November 2003, he was invested with National Honour as a Member of the Federal Republic (MFR). High Chief (Dr) Akinnola was a Patron to not less than 15 social and philanthropic societies in Ondo, Lagos and Ibadan as well as some clubs and societies at tertiary institutions of the land. In recognition of his services and commitment to the people of Ondo,

he was conferred with the honorary titles of Maiyegun of Ondo in 1978 and Bajulaiye of Aiyeka in Okitipupa Division in 1987. In 1984, he was conferred with the traditional chieftaincy title of the Lotin of Ondo, a traditional title reserved exclusively for members of the Royal Family in Ondo kingdom, and in year 2001, he became the Lisa of Ondo kingdom - second-in-command to the Traditional Ruler of Ondo kingdom, the Osemawe and paramount ruler of Ondo kingdom. On his appointment as the Lisa of Ondo Kingdom, he rebuilt the Lisa's Palace that had been in dereliction for over 100 years, which was his official residence and donated it to the community.

In recognition of his positive contribution to the Christian Community and in particular, his commitment to ensure the establishment of the Wesley University of Science and Technology in Ondo, the Methodist Church of Nigeria invested him as a Knight of John Wesley in July 2009. On 13th May 2012, he was conferred with the Grand Commander in the Christian Faith (GCCF) by the Diocesan Bishop of Owo. High Chief (Dr) Sir Bayo Akinnola was married to Chief Mrs. Olufunmbi Akinnola the Mojibade of Ife. He was the proud father of Mrs. Yewande Zaccheaus, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, the Honourable Minister of Communication and Technology, Mr Akinyinka Akinnola, Mrs. Arinola Kola-Daisi, Mr Akinkunmi Akinnola, and Miss. Omorinsojo Akinnola and a doting grandfather to twelve grandchildren.

Encapsulating the life and landmark achievements of such a man of graceful profile as High Chief (Dr) `Bayo Akinnola, in a few lines, is obviously a great challenge, for his footsteps of success are clearly imprinted everywhere he has passed through.

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society

Life & Society Family

relationships

Health

education

science

travels

The Child, the Tablet and the Developing Mind

By Nick Bilton

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society

I

recently watched my sister perform an act of magic.

We were sitting in a restaurant, trying to have a conversation, but her children, 4-year-old Willow and 7-year-old Luca, would not stop fighting. The arguments — over a fork, or who had more water in a glass — were unrelenting.

Like a magician quieting a group of children by pulling a rabbit out of a hat, my sister reached into her purse and produced two shiny Apple iPads, handing one to each child. Suddenly, the two were quiet. Eerily so. They sat playing games and watching videos, and we continued with our conversation.

After our meal, as we stuffed the iPads back into their magic storage bag, my sister felt slightly guilty.

“I don't want to give them the iPads at the dinner table, but if it keeps them occupied for an hour so we can eat in peace, and more importantly not disturb other people in the restaurant, I often just hand it over,” she told me. Then she asked: “Do you think it's bad for them? I do worry that it is setting them up to think it's O.K. to use electronics at the dinner table in the future.”

I did not have an answer, and although some people might have opinions, no one has a true scientific understanding of what the future might hold for a generation raised on portable screens.

“We really don't know the full neurological effects of these technologies yet,” said Dr. Gary Small, director of the Longevity Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of “iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind.” “Children, like adults, vary quite a lot, and some are more sensitive than others to an abundance of screen time.”

But Dr. Small says we do know that the brain is highly sensitive to stimuli, like iPads and smartphone screens, and if people spend too much time with one technology, and less time interacting with people like parents at the dinner table, that could hinder the development of certain communications

skills.

So will a child who plays with crayons at dinner rather than a coloring application on an iPad be a more socialized person?

Ozlem Ayduk, an associate professor in the Relationships and Social Cognition Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, said children sitting at the dinner table with a print book or crayons were not as engaged with the people around them, either. “There are value-based lessons for children to talk to the people during a meal,” she said. “It's not so much about the iPad versus nonelectronics.”

Parents who have little choice but to hand over their iPad can at least control what a child does on those devices.

A report published by the Millennium Cohort Study, a long-term study group in Britain that has been following 19,000 children born in 2000 and 2001, found that those who watched more than three hours of television, videos or DVDs a day had a higher chance of conduct problems, emotional symptoms and relationship problems by the time they were 7 than children who did not. The study, of a sample of 11,000 children, found that children who played video games — often age-appropriate games — for the same amount of time did not show any signs of negative behavioural changes by the same age.

Which brings us back to the dinner table with my niece and nephew. While they sat happily staring into those shiny screens, they were not engaged in any type of conversation, or staring off into space thinking, as my sister and I did as children when our parents were talking. And that is where the risks are apparent.

“Conversations with each other are the way children learn to have conversations with themselves, and learn how to be alone,” said Sherry Turkle, a professor of science, technology and society at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and author of the book “Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other.” “Learning about solitude and being alone is the bedrock of early development, and you don't want your kids to miss out on

that because you're pacifying them with a device.”

Ms. Turkle has interviewed parents, teenagers and children about the use of gadgets during early development, and says she fears that children who do not learn real interactions, which often have flaws and imperfections, will come to know a world where perfect, shiny screens give them a false sense of intimacy without risk.

And they need to be able to think independently of a device. “They need to be able to explore their imagination. To be able to gather themselves and know who they are.

So someday they can form a relationship with another person without a panic of being alone,” she said. “If you don't teach your children to be alone, they'll only know how to be lonely.”

From The New York Times E-mail: bilton@nytimes.com

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Business FINANCE

MANAGEMENT

TECHNOLOGY

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

TRADE

MARKETING

Don't Just Feed Instructions Also and Always Feed Visions Chinonso Ogbogu

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management Indubitably, parents play critical roles in the formation of a child's character. If parents do their jobs aright, the odds are that the child will grow up and make positive contributions to his system. However, the matrix of the preceding two sentences somehow engenders a situation where parents continually feed their child with plethora of instructions until the child begins to suffer from mental kwashiorkor!

“Don't do this! Do this! If you don't this, I will do this!” have become the instructional main courses that this child gets fed on a diurnal basis! Well, I'm not here to primarily converse with parents; but let's acquire the torch of the above behaviour and point it directly to business. Of course, the idea is to reveal and address the error that goes on in several businesses. Simply put, I'm here to primarily converse with business owners.

Employees of several businesses go to work each day with a predominate goal in mind: How not to violate the instructions of the boss. They appraise their effectiveness in the business by the quantity of instructions they obey. Why? That's the main course that their bosses feed them with! Alas, when you ask these employees to communicate the core vision of their businesses, they either falter or they proclaim something utterly or fairly different. Yet, this situation has caused—and is still causing—serious growth problem in several businesses.

Many business owners today can't drive healthy, sustainable growth simply because they continue to stuff their employees with heap of instructions, while starving them of visions.

In fact, the following are the prevailing stances in many businesses: Boss: “I've to grow my business.

Therefore, I need to always give out instructions to my employee.”

Employee: “I've to obey my boss's instructions so that I can receive my paycheck and don't attract his punishment

or reprimand.”

Okay, now don't get me wrong.

Instructions are important and they're needed in business. They are tools for getting things done, no doubt. However, if your business must attain healthy, sustainable growth, then you need to always feed your employees with vision.

Don't hoard the vision and then only dish out the instructions. When you always feed your employees with instructions, the truth is that they may get so engrossed or used to obeying instructions that they lose sight or grip of the big picture. Growing your business requires that you bring your employees at par to the core vision of your business. And they can only be at par when they understand and own your vision. And bringing and keeping them at this point requires that you always communicate and reinforce the vision.

Listen, driving your business to the top is not a sprint. You need your employees to help transform your great vision into reality. And you know something? Your employees aren't robots! They're humans—and they got hearts and minds too. So rather than continue to just feed them with unremitting instructions, start now to always feed them with visions.

When you do that, you're not only setting up your business for strategic, long-term growth, but you're also raising HEALTHY employees that truly THINK!

When you always feed your employees with instructions, the truth is that they may get so engrossed or used to obeying instructions that they lose sight or grip of the big picture.

Chinonso Ogbogu is a business trainer, success coach, highly sought-after motivational speaker, gifted writer, adept blogger, entrepreneur, and a radio personality. He is the radio host of the popular radio programme known as SuccessMatters™ and the owner of www.chinonsowrites.com. He is the author of the bestselling book known as 'THE VOICES'. Follow in him on F a c e b o o k : www.facebook.com/chinonsowrites or twitter on: @chinonsowrites

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ARTs

& Culture

books movies music theatre photography exhibitions architecture

No doubt, Amaka Igwe is a household name in the entertainment world, especially in television and movies. She has stamped her authority, thanks to the numerous roles she had played in the home video industry. Movies like Rattle Snake, Violated and soap operas like Checkmate, Fuji House of Commotion ,Solitaire and Tempest ; her brain works have served as reference points for quality movies in the Nigerian movie industry.She is the organizer of the annual TV market Best of the Best TV (Bob TV), where a fora is held for film makers to share ideas, critically assess their productions and move ahead. In this rare, exhaustive chat with Faranpojo Olaitan, Amaka talks more on her childhood and several issues she had not told anyone before.

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The Amaka Igwe Interview

arts & culture “If you want to hear further about Mr. Igwe and where I met him, then you don jam rock.” – Amaka Igwe Background My dad was Isaac Ene, from Obinagu-Udi in Enugu State. He was a Civil Engineer, someone who put the fear of God in everyone around him. He was very principled and taught us to strive for the best at all times. He challenged us so much. The fun times were when we would sneak into his study to enjoy his stories. One of the most interesting one was how cassava came into Igboland from Fernando Po. There were many other funny ones. He had names for his children. He used to call me GOC (General Officer Commanding). He saw that kind of character in me.

I played football earlier, not now and he would carefully watch me with his friends. I was a little rascally as well. He gave each one of us responsibilities. My younger sister was in charge of his shoes and stockings. I was only 16 when he died in 1979 at the age of 56. That's my regret. A lot of other people knew him better than we did. He was involved in nation-building and was one of those instrumental for the creation of Enugu State which they called Wawa State in their presentations. His peers were late Justice Augustine Nnamani and Byron Onyeama. The documents for the creation of Enugu State which they proposed are still in our house. It was when he died that we decided to add his first name to our names.

My people of Obinagu held him and still hold him in great esteem because he wrote their history at the age of 25 years. The book is there. He became the life President of the Development Union and organised the chieftaincy such that there were no squabbles.

He rotated the chieftaincy to every section of the town so that you didn't fight for it. When they said he should be the chief, he quietly declined. In summary I think my dad gave us tremendous principles and philosophy. These are the memories I have of him.

My ties with Lola Fani Kayode I would have to say she is a very peculiar person. She was one person who rejoiced in the success of the art. To her, one person winning was nothing. She saw her success as everybody's own. When I was doing Checkmate, she asked to see me one day and I

was overwhelmed. And when we met, we talked for three hours about the way to do things. We used to discuss at length and she also called me when people were trying to sabotage Checkmate. Some people asked her to produce a soap opera to antagonise and defeat Checkmate. She called me to let me know. I learnt several things from her. Like what she told me, I work with artistes and not stars because she says artistes are professionals while stars are in heaven whose images are longer than the work they have to do.

That is the principle that has guided me over the years. Acting is a serious work, it is not just a walk in the park. It is a lot of work which takes a lot for the artiste to internalise the roles and replay back. It is not egwusi (soup) and pounded yam. It takes a lot of concentration because the character you are playing today is not like the one you played yesterday or the one you will play tomorrow. So Lola Fani Kayode and I had a meeting point in that area. I have always tried to work with people whose character would be different from the character they are playing somewhere else especially in soap opera. There are so many things she said to me about the industry.

We lost touch but I got a message from her about two weeks ago and it was good for me. If you must know, we met while I was doing Checkmate. Incidentally, we lived close to each other. She sent one of her staff with a note to say she wanted to see me. I remember I started combing my hair to prepare to go to meet one of the people who inspired me. I had replied that I was on my way but she said no, that she was on her way. By the time we concluded what she came to discuss with me and I saw her off, we spent over three hours outside, just chatting. I asked several questions and she answered. Of course, you know she was one of the very first independent producers and she was young. We discussed about being the feminine sex in the world of men and all we needed as survival strategy. It was not easy. So many people would not want that to happen.

So, we shared one or two secrets. I respect her a lot.

Checkmate I conceived Checkmate by watching Mirror in the Sun really. I had written a script about an all

conquering female hero like Queen Amina. I wrote it like a traditional stage play thing. When I saw Mirror in the Sun, I decided to make it a modern all conquering female hero story. I tried to play with all the male chauvinism, the societal issues as they concern a woman. That was how the concept of Ann Haastrup came up. She was a young girl trying to run her father's multi-million naira company. That was a challenge; to get a young girl to run that company because her father was ill and her elder brother was a drug addict. So, every issue of how this girl survives the entire environment is the entire challenge. Because I saw Mirror in the Sun, I had to learn the format of injecting other issues. Thus, the soap now becomes several stories in one story.

We moved in with the issue of Osu caste system, then the sexual harassment going on in the university community where I was coming from at that time. You have about five different stories running simultaneously. Of course, I wrote it and believed I could find sponsors for it. I tried my luck with the then Anambra State Broadcasting Service. It was in the process I met Peter Igho who used to come to Enugu then to do NTA projects because Enugu was a production centre. He was then doing New Masquerade. I even was part of those who wrote scripts for them. It was then also that he told us the story of how Paul Emema also got sponsorship from them.

I learnt from this to do a pilot of the programme. I didn't want to sell out the right just like that. I wanted to be involved in the project. And because I didn't want to just sell it like that, I moved to do a pilot of that show. I raised money from friends and family and did it.

At that time, Lever Brothers Plc were in search of a new soap to replace Village Headmaster which they just rested then. So, I just presented it to them. I was new in Lagos after spending most years in Enugu. That was one time I believed in my life that merit worked in Nigeria. I didn't know anyone even before I submitted my pilot and they already had eight other presentations before mine.

I think it was God that made it possible. Those who played in that pilot were Marius Ugada, Bob Manuel Udokwu, Kunle Bantemfa, IK

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arts & culture Ekeoma who ended up being a Press Secretary and Commissioner in Imo State, Chinwe Owoh who is my auntie, (Seggy) Mildred Iweka, Tami Abusi played Anne Haastrup (later she played Eno). Lasa Amoro also was there with us in the pilot. I can't remember the long list, it was done during the era of Basi & Company in Enugu. But only two people from the group remained during the eventual production. People like Bob Manuel Udokwu and Kunle Bantemfa. That was why I took Rattle Snake to Enugu because I understood the production community so well. I am actually the first person to take home video production to Enugu.

Before Checkmate When I wrote Checkmate I was actually a Master's Degree student of University of Ibadan. When I completed, I got employment with the Anambra State University of Technology, (ASUTECH) now ESUT. I was working in the library as the head of research.

I studied library, archival and information science at master's level. I went to lecturing full time and part time. I was teaching full time course and for sandwich students. There were very few people who had that qualification. I was more or less a pioneer in that area. I also had several things to do with the radio and television. I wrote scripts, produced and presented segments on TV. I was part of Space age with Prince Orji. I equally wrote for New Masquerade. I also did tele-movies for ABS TV with Uzor Amadi. We did Decrees of Faith and presented at NIFETEP. I wrote that script, a story of Olauda Eqiuano which we presented. I got a national award for that.

Art runs in the family Arts, writing, drama are familiar things for all of us in the family. The first time I saw a production being done from start to finish was when I was in primary one. The script was written by my sister who was in secondary school then. The drama had my brother acting about three or four roles and my sister as well. I could say all of us were involved. That was my earliest contact with production. But I know we are creative people. In primary school, no play came without my being there as an actress, director

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or driving force. It passed on through secondary school and the university.

During my National Youth Corps days, I took drama all over the place. It was stage performances, not TV. It was when I graduated and came to Enugu that I started learning about TV. The studio at ESBS is still the best in the country. I think the then Governor, Jim Nwobodo had a great foresight here. The studios we talk about here in Lagos will just fit into one studio in Enugu ESBS. All the sets of Basi and Company were done at ESBS studio. Even at that, there was still enough space to host their news, the live programmes and so on. There were altogether six sets in that one studio alone.

In studio two, they had the New masquerade sets - Chief Zebudaya's sitting room, his kitchen, his bedroom, Jegede's home, Natty's house once in a while. They were working regularly, week in and week out and there was a continuity room. The studio is massive.

I had gone to see what was going on and I fell

in love. I had seen Lola Fani Kayode work, so my drive was accelerated. I started learning.

No one knew I had a master's degree then. I went down to learn the ropes. I watched them work, read a lot, asked many questions and so on.

Childhood I was bread and buttered in, but jammed outside Enugu. I went to All Saints School, now Ekulu Primary School, Girls High School Awkunanaw, Enugu. It is not a school I am very proud of. Life was tough there. When I left that school to do A levels at Idia College in Benin City, I saw the difference clearly. I mean I couldn't believe we were all supposed to take the same exams. You were amazed that people came out of that school and still did very well. You got to a school where people ate beans and dodo (plantain) and two pieces of meat while in Awkunanaw Girls, oh my God, let's not talk about that.

You were lashed and given all kinds of punishment. Somebody would ask you to

arts & culture fetch eighty buckets of water and pour it on the ground to reduce the spread of dust. You can imagine! During the inter- house sports, they didn't want the spread of dust. I saw it as unimaginable. And we did. But some of us would dodge. Some would carry half buckets.

That was horrible. I mean, how much would a tanker have cost to deliver water to wet the ground and reduce the dust? I won't forget. I think Igbo people make things hard for themselves. I also remember when we used to fetch water for our food in the kitchen, and you would see tadpoles and other worms.

Sometimes, you found it in your food and you carefully removed them and ate your food.

I saw the difference at Idia College where we didn't have to fetch our water, we didn't have to wash our clothes. Junior students didn't have to work. It was the senior students who counted the plates. For me, it was culture shock. My arts inclination was also encouraged by Idia College. I did plenty in Awkunanaw Girls but when I got to Idia, they were not doing much so I had to become vibrant. I started to do Variety Shows Nite for my House which students paid for. I acted and directed the plays. I also taught them Atilogwu dance. It became the school dance which we took to Ogbe Stadium then.

At that time, I was very skinny. I was called Ogwu Azu (fish bone). I became fat when I had my first child. We also had Festac, a cultural festival for the Houses at the end of year in Idia College. It was competition among the students. I also featured prominently with lots of certificates to show for it.

From Idia College Benin, I went to University of Ife where I studied Education/ Religious Studies. It was a serious disappointment for me. I desperately wanted to study law but when JAMB came out, I was given education/religion. I didn't know how that happened and I didn't want to go. My sister was a teacher at Idia College and advised me to go and expect a change in my second year. I spent several months at home before going.

You see, all things work together for good. My sister knew the lecturer who was at Uniben

(University of Benin) who could assist. I bought another form and the form was given to the lecturer whom when the form was required for submission, it was tucked in the man's files in the office, and wasn't submitted due to ASUU strike. That was how I ended up studying Education/ Religion. But I don't regret anything now. I think it's God's grace.

What I studied in the university must have prepared me for what I now do. I got stuffed with a lot of psychology, sociology, theology, philosophy and the entire arts and humanities. It's a combination of two things really, education which gave me everything about teaching and communicating. I have a broad spectrum of knowledge about people and cultures. Writing for over 250 different ethnic groups, and getting people to understand you from everywhere takes some knowledge of their world view. That's an area in my life where's God's power is biggest. I mean when you make mistakes, it becomes good. It happened to me.

Business mind When we were doing Checkmate it had to be business strictly. We were dealing with an agency and a multinational company. So, you had to interface on that level. But let me tell you, I am strictly a bloody artiste. Before then, I had written about four soup operas which were aired free without anything into my pocket. I didn't care. I had done for Bartholomew Aneke, Harvest of Tears which was running simultaneously with Checkmate.

It was aired on ABS TV between 7.30 to 8.00 p.m. while Checkmate came after it at 8–9 pm same day. It was good for me. I was happy.

I also did a script for Dr. Meki Zewi for his EPI World Bank Immunisation project. I wasn't paid. I used to just write because I wanted to.

learnt from my cousin to move on. I am still an executive director in that company.

In those days, I felt he was a miser because he was working with Schlumberger outside this country. But looking back, I cherish those years. So, I ran Checkmate as a company. I applied business methods. God helped me even further because when I married, I got married to a man with an MBA in Business and Finance. He was the one who finally put the things in real perspective. He owns his own company and puts us in check and consults.

That is the real business angle to it. When we want to do any work, there is a lot of research in place. We worry about who is going to buy, where we are going to find the buyer. We do pre-sale for what we do. Most people do not know, Solitaire had quite a number of supporters. We were just doing the appreciation list a few days ago and you see a long list. The furniture was supplied by somebody, the welfare, the location, the drinks; everything was paid for by some people.

Charles Igwe, my husband, brought in all these into the system. In my imagination, he has cracked the business of this industry. Even in the sales, the things he does with the product is unbelievable. Sometimes, we make the money before we go to the market.

It is our trade secrets. If you want to hear further about Mr. Igwe and where I met him, then you don jam rock. I am not going into that area. You see, we may be in public focus but we should also have our private lives respected. Thank you for your understanding.

Making films is stressful

Luckily for me, just as we were getting involved to take off, my cousin, Emeka Ene set up an information technology company, Eida Information System, servicing the oil industry and made me the manager. He taught me everything. I had to account for even 50 kobo. I had to say what I did with the money. I also learnt banking because I was never allowed to keep money at home. I translated that to managing Checkmate. I used the same business approach which I

I see making films and soaps as challenging projects which take time. I don't think I could do as many films with the same stress and commitment that I give to the films. For instance, it takes me an average of a weekplus to edit a 30-minute episode of Fuji House of Commotion. In the same vein, I work hard at the things I do. I have a contract with the public to entertain them. It is an unwritten contract but it is very close to my heart. If my job is to communicate with them, then I must do it right. From the research of the script and

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arts & culture what the people want, it takes me a very long time. Ultimately, I have to do it right so that the audience would buy into it as soon as I put it to their sight.

Like Violated and Rattle Snake, we just do our normal premiere and when people see them, they get interested. Let me tell you, all my productions challenge me. But the one that readily comes to mind is Rattle Snake which I did as a rookie. I had shot a few episodes of Checkmate and ventured into a movie. I didn't know much about camera angle. But I had directed stage which is different. Again, Rattle Snake was edited into eleven hours. So, we had to cut it down to six hours. It was very long and voluminous. The film dealt with three generations of family and cast. Thus, we were all on the search for those who would fit into already existing characters. By Violated, I had learnt quite a lot. I had taken training. It became easier but still challenging because I was dealing with a different group of artistes. I wanted to do better than Rattlesnake.

Censors Board I think there is a wrong notion that the Censors Board should be a watchdog out there to breathe down on the industry like an old headmaster. That's not the fashion anywhere in the world. It is a classification board. You say children should not watch this, you don't just have to put 18 years on it. You are expected to go to the theatres where these movies are exhibited to make sure that children don't enter the theatre to watch it.

Like in Egypt, for instance, when the Prince of the Nile by Steven Speilberg was done, Egyptian law said it should not come into Egypt because it has the story of Moses' departure from Israel and portrayed Egypt in bad light. They didn't allow it to be shown or sold in Egypt. The country was being protected from what it perceived as influx of foreign interest. A country shouldn't be seen as destroying its own art. I don't mean to say that there are no excesses from some of our movie makers in the industry.

The Censors Board should stop seeing itself as the watchdog. Some of the movies which would cause some troubles in Nigeria should not be allowed to be shown in Nigeria. In US,

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the industry does its classification. In Nigeria, we are so used to this issue of regulation where we have to line up for anything. Film making is a language. The film maker is speaking and could say anything. If not, the newspaper could not be filled with different innuendoes on the President. There is press freedom, why not in the movies? We should ask ourselves what is the proper benchmark for censorship? If it is all about national interest, I don't think any Nigeria movie maker could make films against national interest. But if it is all about morality, then whether we like it or not, Nigeria has a lot of issues where that is concerned.

I am not saying we should do pornography.

But there is an influx of it coming into Nigeria.

We have not been able to ban them from being imported. It is even on the internet, free for the asking. They even pop up on your screen even when you don't want them.

Quality issues in the sector By my reckoning, the industry is just thirteen years old. By my reckoning, it is just a teenager. In-between the issues, in terms of quality of production, we are almost there. I call it black magic. Forget about those who worry whether it is celluloid or not, the feeling is the same. One is more difficult, studious process while the other is easier. But it is the same film production. We have achieved a lot.

A lot of people who studied film making abroad live and die without making one single film whether video or film. We have blown up that mystic.

The industry has employed several people and we have also entertained millions. The quality of life has changed. But because we have found this success, we haven't looked at the basics, I mean the pillars that hold the industry. We haven't looked at the issues of training because most of us did not study it.

Most of us only came into it with our raw talent. We need to know the rules and understand them so that when you decide to break them, you know it's your choice. We need to put academic background to what we do.

Then the issue of distribution hasn't been

touched. The people who are now doing the marketing are now at the limit of their abilities. They are now holding unto the old movies with so much energy. We will praise them for doing that but it is no longer adequate because the market is inadequate.

The issue is that they must make new plans because some foreign people are already coming to do it. The issue of festivals is also there. The festivals we have are very few.

They all resemble one another.

Working with Nigerian artistes RMD (Richard Mofe Damijo) is an artiste I respect. He believes in my work. I enjoy working with him. We may have our differences. But we sort them out for the sake of the job. There are also other artistes that I respect. For the others, I always look at those who would be able to interpret scripts. It took a while for me to make the casting. I work with people who are decent. People who know that being an artiste must not make them take their personal lives unseriously.

People who are organised and have good character. They internalise this character and bend down to work. I interviewed quite a number of people. There are several people whom I don't want to work with. Like in the last work I did, I called someone and he said ok and didn't show up.

Some would come and say 'ok, this role is very easy.' Once you say that, I won't take you. No role is easy. You have to internalise the role and character. I know when you are nervous and I know when you will be real. Some of the artistes have their reputation preceding them; I avoid those. Then, there are a group of actors who are just shylocks. They just collect the money and take off. They are not interested in the project. A soap opera is a project which belongs to everyone in the project. It is not for that person who is only concerned about how much he or she is going to be paid. No, soap operas don't even pay any money. You won't believe it, in Solitaire, no one asked me for the money. Now, the payments are soon to be made and we want to compute all the episodes they are and offset the bills.

Sports

Bye Bye Beckham, Ferguson Within a week of each other, two British football icons David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson both retired from the sport that brought them fame and fortune, bringing an end to a glittering career on the field

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sports

D

avid Beckham has paid tribute to "father figure" Sir Alex Ferguson after the Scot announced he was retiring as Manchester United manager.

Beckham, 38, made almost 400 appearances under Ferguson after breaking through from the youth team. "I am truly honoured to have been guided by the greatest manager in football and to have had the career that I had under him," said Beckham. "Without him, I would never have achieved what I have done."

Ferguson, 71, stepped down as United manager at the end of the season last month after winning 38 trophies in 26 years at the helm. He and Beckham did not always see eye to eye, though, and the midfielder left Old Trafford to join Real Madrid in 2003.

"I have said many times before the boss wasn't just the greatest and best manager I ever played under, he was also a father figure to me from the moment I arrived at the club at the age of 11 until the day I left," Beckham added.

Beckham was one of the original 'Fergie Fledglings', progressing from United's youth set-up with Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Ryan Giggs, and won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League while at Old Trafford.

Despite success with his club, Beckham's international career was quite different at the start. Following his red card for England against Argentina at the World Cup in 1998, the midfielder was subject to a hate campaign.

"After '98, without him I would have found it virtually impossible to cope with the attention I was getting," added Beckham. "I will always be grateful to him for his support and protection." He understood how important it was to play for your country and he knew how much it meant to me."

When Sir Alex Ferguson retired last month, the natural inclination was to celebrate his glorious years at Manchester United and Aberdeen. But Ferguson developed his managerial principles long before he won the European trophies that would make him famous.

His discipline and desire to run a club from top to bottom were evident while in charge of St Mirren in his mid-30s. One particular occasion – described fully and with great wit

by Fraser Kirkwood in last month's edition of When Saturday Comes magazine – sums up Ferguson's managerial philosophy.

The year was 1977 and St Mirren were celebrating their centenary, so Ferguson invited Liverpool to Love Street. Bob Paisley duly obliged, bringing his European champions north of the border to play to a capacity crowd of 20,000 on a wintry December night. The St Mirren players expected Paisley to put out a weakened team, but he did nothing of the sort. The Liverpool manager played his best 11, prompting Ferguson to go to work. The young manager, still only 35 and with a team captained by a 20year-old, told his players that this was their chance to make their names. They were playing a great team, but they too were great and now they had the opportunity to prove it.

Inspired by that thought, Ferguson's men went out and battled their way to a 1-1 draw against the mighty Liverpool. Needless to say, St Mirren's equaliser was a late goal.

Ferguson manipulated his players into throwing everything they had into that friendly, as if a fine performance would fulfil their destinies. His powers of motivation are legendary – the half-time speech he delivered at the 1999 Champions League final is up there with Al Pacino's "game of inches" address in Any Given Sunday – but the bedrock to Ferguson's success has always been discipline.

When the two groups of players met for a meal in a local hotel after the match, only one set tucked into the free booze: the European champions. Ferguson's players were sworn off alcohol and his prying eyes were always watching over them. Few managers in the late-1970s would have insisted their players remain teetotal after standing up to the best team in the continent, but Ferguson's standards were extraordinary. Those unwavering demands filtered through all of the teams he managed, no more so than the young squad that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992.

Ferguson, who has cherry-picked his successor, believes his club is in good hands.

At the Manchester United end-of-season awards last month, Ferguson outlined why David Moyes is the right man for his job: "He's hard working and has integrity. He's got a work ethic about him and he's a serious football man. These are the qualities he's going to need."

A week after Ferguson's announcement came Beckham's announcement of his own retirement. As well as winning over 100 caps

for his England and lifting 19 trophies in two different continents, it was his ability to maximize the power of the "Beckham brand" that allowed the footballer to transcend his sport and appeal to a worldwide mass audience.

This year, Beckham became the first ever sportsman from outside of China to be invited to become the ambassador for the sport in the country. He is estimated to be Britain's wealthiest sportsman, earning in excess of $46 million a year, according to France Football magazine.

"I wouldn't have achieved what I have done today without my family," said Beckham in a statement. "I'm grateful for my parents' sacrifice, which made me realise my dreams."

I owe everything to Victoria and the kids, who have given me the inspiration and support to play at the highest level for such a long period." Beckham's decision to retire comes days after the 38-year-old won his latest title with French club Paris Saint-Germain. "I'm thankful to PSG for giving me the opportunity to continue but I feel now is the right time to finish my career, playing at the highest level," added Beckham. The Englishman, who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 1999, also won league titles with Real Madrid and Los Angeles Galaxy before arriving in the French capital earlier this year after signing a short-term contract.

"If you had told me as a young boy I would have played for and won trophies with my boyhood club Manchester United, proudly captained and played for my country over one hundred times and lined up for some of the biggest clubs in the world, I would have told you it was a fantasy," said Beckham. "I'm fortunate to have realized those dreams."

When David Beckham was asked how he wants to be remembered in his retirement, his answer was telling: "I just want people to see me as a hardworking footballer, someone that's passionate about the game, someone that – every time I stepped on the pitch – I've given everything that I have, because that's how I feel. That's how I look back on it and hope people will see me."

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By Tayo Olarewaju

How to keep your child safe

I

t's every parent's worst nightmare: A child is snatched from the playground in broad daylight never to be seen or heard from again.

And it feels like it's happening all the time. But while it may seem like we are in the midst of a kidnapping epidemic, the truth is much less scary and parents continue to be understandably anxious.

How can I protect my child?

How can I make sure that my child is alert without scaring him too much?

When a stranger approaches Ernie Allen, president of the NCMEC, National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the US, understands and applauds the impulse to educate our children, and urges parents to be alert without giving in to fear. He admits it's a tough line to walk. "We need to be prepared, to think about every eventuality, but we don't want to dwell on the worst that could happen," he says. "We don't want to terrify our kids or leave ourselves paralyzed with fear." Here, Allen offers some suggestions for parents.  Know where your kids are, especially young children.  Don't let them go out alone; there is safety in numbers.  Know who they're with.  Speak openly with them about their safety.  Practice what you talk about; go over scenarios and ask your kids what they would do.

We need to empower our children, says Allen.

"We need to rethink what we've told our kids over the years." "Don't take candy from strangers" is good advice. But in the vast majority of non-family abductions, perpetrators don't fit kids' idea of a "stranger" — they're not

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necessarily scary or creepy.

The NCMEC has a "No, Go, Tell" plan for kids, which goes like this:  Kids have the right to say no. If a grown-up comes to a child asking for help looking for a puppy or for directions, the child should get a trusted adult to help instead.  Kids don't have to be polite. We put a huge premium on making sure our kids are polite to a fault, especially to adults, and that translates into:"do what the man says."  Communicate. If a child feels frightened, they should be encouraged to talk with a trusted person: mom, dad, counsellor or teacher. The message for parents? Listen to your kids.

Here are a few facts about non-family abductors: They tend to be male, and, despite the "dirty old man" tag, most are younger than 35 and of average or above average intelligence.

In an overwhelming number of cases, their motives are sexual. Most are not true strangers to the children they take; they target one child and seek their confidence, often by developing a casual relationship with them.

All in the family Beyond the terrifying sketch-artist renderings of anonymous kidnappers, there is the grim reality of family abductors, who make up the vast majority of kidnapping offenders. If you're dealing with a messy custody battle, or you fear a member of your family may be planning to abduct your child, Allen emphasizes that there are things you can do:  Keep the lines of communication open and establish an atmosphere in your home that encourages kids to talk to you about what's going on in their lives.  Teach your children your telephone number

and area code, teach them how to contact you or close friends.  Tell them you love them and that you always want to see them, no matter what anybody else tells them.  Most family-member abductions happen only after the offender has talked about taking a child, so it's important, says Allen, to pay attention to what you consider threats.  If you identify a family member who talks about taking a child, collect and keep pertinent information about them on hand.  Address the legal issues: have a valid custody order, don't just assume anything.

And finally, one last piece of advice for all parents, courtesy of the NCMEC: Take lots of pictures of your kids. Photos work when it comes to finding children, says Allen, and it's very important for families to have recent, full-face photos of their children, as well as accurate information about their hair colour, weight, height and any distinguishing physical characteristics. Parents may also want to keep dental and medical records on hand in a safe place. This can speed up the process, and this is a situation where every hour counts. Seventyfour percent of abducted children who are murdered are killed within the first three hours of their kidnapping.

Culled from Time Magazine

PreSchooler activities for Preschool Children from Age 2-5 VICTORIA TANDOH

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