June 2014 small

Published Since April 2003

Vol. 12 No. 6 JUNE 2014

300 NAIRA

www.timelessnewspaper.com timelesscourage.blogspot.com www.issuu.com/timelessmag

- Fixing the social contract between the led and the leaders - Bridging the gap between the wealth and the poor - Fixing the infrastructure deficit - Redefining the leadership quotient

Beyond ‘Bring Back Our Girls' - Increasing the level of governance

CONTENTS June 2014

EVENTS

LIFE & SOCIETY

BUSINESS

ARTS & CULTURE

17

22

27

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Obiageli Ezekwesili: Time For Real Action in Education

Citizen Solutions to End Terrorism

Challenging Career Moves

Kunle Ajayi at 50: The Gospel Music Maestro of our Generation

Tired of mere condemnations and the usual blame game, citizens on social media platforms responded to a call for suggestions on ways to combat the surge of terror. Over 1,000 suggestions were received in two days, with the hashtag #CitizensSolutionToEndTerrorism trending on Twitter on both days. A further review of the suggestions and internal discussions resulted in 10 key action points.

Ruth Reichl interview on the Harvard Business Review (HBR) podcast. The renowned author and former editor of Gourmet magazine talks about the magazine's closure and her recent transition to fiction writing. She is featured in the Life's Work section of the HBR June issue.

Today Kunle is not only a pastor, he is a music maestro celebrated around the world. He is the music director of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, worldwide. He has ministered with Pastor E. A. Adeboye in many countries of the world including Haiti, the United States of America, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Canada and Israel.

Obiageli Ezekwesili, a former Federal Minister, former Vice President of the World Bank's Africa division and cofounder of Transparency International was the guest speaker at a forum organized by Apostles in the Market Place, which took place at the Lagos City Hall recently. The theme of discussion was Education: Time for Real Action. Excerpts from her speech and pictures from the event

Published Since April 2003

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/CHAIRMAN Ituah Ighodalo EDITOR Ayodeji Jeremiah STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Matthew Osarenren EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Anu Mayaki GRAPHIC DESIGNER/PRODUCTION EDITOR Agbele ‘Twixt’ Olusola HEAD SALES, MARKETING & CIRCULATION Steve Atannoye ADVERTS EXECUTIVE Peter Mandu INTERN WRITER Ruth Dulac

Letters & Comments "President Jonathan is that egg that will never become a rooster, a worm trapped in transition, never to become a butterfly. He won a presidential election, but lacked the social capital, wisdom and block of character from which a good leader could have been hewn. With a coterie of sycophantic advisers, parasitic hangers-on, and malevolent manipulators, he is a perpetual victim of his own lack of self-confidence. His advisers also understand the limits of his leadership credentials, and they feed on his malignant ambition, sometimes to the detriment of his legacy, and often for self-serving ends.

This lack of confidence explains his inability to quickly discard the contentious garments of a political aspirant for the nobler and more conciliatory adornment of a Statesman. He took the oaths of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but deep down within him, he remained an insecure, Presidentwannabe-upstart, who had just stumbled out of nondescript anonymity.

He just didn’t know when to stop campaigning, and start leading a nation in dire need of purposeful leadership.

In a cruel twist of fate, it is this particular failure that may doom the Jonathan Presidency; the one mistake that he might ultimately wish that he did not make. We have come to terms with his incompetence. We understand the limitations of his verbal and analytic abilities; we can even relate with his easy relationship with corruption. He could keep shielding Diezani, or in fact, pardon Ibori and every criminal in Kirikiri, and we won’t be surprised. But this; this nonchalance to the plight of young, innocent Nigerian girls may drive an eternal wedge between him and the Nigerian populace. Nobody recovers from that kind of mortal blow. Not even those named after Luck.” ~ Abayomi Ogunwale, MD. MPH, Baylor College of Medicine,, Texas. USA.

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

Editor-in-Chief

Entrepreneurship as a way out Nigerian where 70% of the population is still classified as living under $2 per day.

O

ne of the major problems we are facing in Nigeria and which is a major cause of most other social ills we are faced with is unemployment, especially amongst the youths. Nigeria's Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iweala put the present unemployment rate in Africa at 60%. The rate for Nigeria is 24% of which youth unemployment is put at 54%.

According to statistics since 2002, Nigeria's economy has been growing at a very high rate and consistently. Between 2002 and 2012, Nigeria was the 13th fastest growing economy with an annual GDP growth of 7.5%. In 2013, Nigeria's economy grew by 6.87% with the highest quarterly growth of 6.81% in the third quarter. The non-oil sector (agriculture, building and construction, telecommunications, hotels and restaurants) was the major contributor to the increased economic output.

One major problem however is that despite the impressive GDP growth over the past 10 years, much of these have not translated into more jobs especially for the youths as most of this growth has been in non-labour intensive sectors. Also due to inefficiencies and corruption in the system, most of this growth has not trickled down to the average

It is obvious at this stage of our development that relying on government or multinational institutions to create the much needed jobs will be like a trickle in the ocean. All the banks, oil companies, construction firms, telecoms firms and multinationals combined together in Nigeria cannot solve Nigeria's unemployment problem neither is it advisable for government to become the biggest employer of labour with its attendant problems as what we are seeing in France. Even in Nigeria today, our civil service as presently constituted is bloated and inefficient.

An entrepreneurial spirit and atmosphere needs to be fostered to jumpstart the much needed growth needed in job and wealth creation. What is needed from government is to create an enabling atmosphere and put the necessary infrastructure in place to enable small and medium enterprises to grow.

entrepreneurially minded individuals, many of whom go on to create big businesses. The word “entrepreneur” originates from a thirteenth-century French verb, entreprendre, meaning “to do something” or “to undertake.”

It was by the sixteenth century that the noun form, entrepreneur, was being used to refer to someone who undertakes a business venture.

We need to get our youths to start doing something. Side by side this is the need to start re-orientating our youths from being materialistic and imbibing the values of hardwork.

Nigeria has just become the biggest economy in Africa and the economic growth will no doubt continue as companies continue to look for ways to satisfy the needs and demands of the burgeoning population and a growing, demanding middle class.

These giant companies will need suppliers, consultants, contractors, and service providers to deliver their goods and services and one has to start from somewhere step by step.

Most economists and business managers agree that entrepreneurship is vital for stimulating economic growth and employment opportunities in all societies.

This is particularly true in the developing world, where successful small businesses are the primary engines of job creation and poverty reduction. Many experienced business people, political leaders, economists, and educators believe that fostering a robust entrepreneurial culture will maximize individual and collective economic and social success on a local, national, and global scale.

Wealth and a high majority of jobs are created by small businesses started by JUNE 2014

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Cover Feature

Beyond 'Bring Back Our Girls' Omobuwajo Olufemi

coverfeature INTRODUCTION Boko Haram terrorists kidnapped more than 276 Nigerian girls from their school on the night of April 14. Coming just a day after the bus station bombing at Nyanya, Abuja, outrage greeted the kidnappings. The first two weeks after the abductions witnessed a lukewarm response from the Nigerian government until the hashtag campaign began. The 'Bring Back our girls' campaign, has drawn and captured the world's attention and imagination. The social media campaign (and its accompanying rallies and protests worldwide) forced governments across the world to offer technical and military assistance and the Jonathan administration to accept same. It forced the world's media to focus attention on the missing girls' story, which they had failed to do in the initial wake of the abductions. Boko Haram's name roughly translates to “Western education is forbidden.” The group has been terrorizing Nigeria for years, capitalizing on instability fueled by economic inequality and unemployment in Africa's largest economy.

The abductions and the accompanying campaign to find the girls has brought again to the fore issues that need to be addressed if Nigeria is to fulfill her potential as the giant she rightly is; issues that should consistently be on the front burner of our discussions; issues that our leaders and politicians will want to shy away from. In this informed commentary, we take a look at some of these issues.

FIXING THE SOCIAL CONTRACT BETWEEN THE LED AND THE LEADERS It is evident that the social contract between the people and the leaders of Nigeria is severely strained. According to some social contract theorists including John Locke, Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, citizens can withdraw their obligation to obey or change the leadership, through elections or other means including, when necessary, violence, when the government fails to secure their natural rights. It is understood to be the belief that the state only exists to serve the will of the people, who are the source of all political power enjoyed by the state. The people can choose to give or withhold this power from the state. The near complete absence of the idea of the social contract or political right in some instances in Nigeria's 10

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political system or practice leads to betrayal of the people by their leaders and the resultant exploitation by the leaders of the conscience and collective will of the people.

For instance, many electoral promises during campaigns are not honoured after the politicians are elected into office. In recognition of the broken nature of the social contract between the rulers and the ruled; the government has convened the on-going national conference in Abuja.

History has shown that the existence of

It is evident that the social contract between the people and the leaders of Nigeria is severely strained. Citizens can withdraw their obligation to obey or change the leadership, through elections or other means including, when necessary, violence, when the government fails to secure their natural rights

proper social contract leads to good governance, citizens' social and economic well-being, rule of law, respect for human rights, dignity of labour among other values and norms that are present in developed and enlightened societies. Richard Reeve of the Oxford Research Group, in a paper titled:

“Special Briefing - The Internationalisation of Nigeria's Boko Haram Campaign”, reasoned that the international support that Nigeria is currently receiving on its security challenges is not enough noting that “despite the humanitarian compulsion to act urgently, this could change the character of the rebellion (Boko Haram insurgency) and its links to jihadist groups in the Sahel. Any international military assistance to Nigeria must be backed by commitments – primarily from Nigeria itself – for greater investment in the north, and national governance, anti-corruption and security sector reforms. Furthermore, if leadership is to be effective, it has to have an explicit sense of purpose and be ultimately assessed by the extent to which it awakens people's intrinsic commitment, which is mobilizing of everyone's sense of moral purpose. But the experience in Nigeria, presents leaders that are good at lying and shifting blame as they often surround themselves with political godfathers and sycophants who always agree with their policies, even if they are not making a difference in the lives of the people.

Consequently, the nation's problems remain perpetually unresolved.

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN WEALTH AND POVERTY Social and economic inequalities in the Muslim-majority north are viewed as a key factor in the Boko Haram insurgency, with mass unemployment and lack of investment seen as a rallying call to militancy. The situation stands at odds with Nigeria's newfound status as Africa's biggest economy and leading oil producer, whose sustained rates of high economic growth have caught international attention; as other parts of the country are also having economic challenges.

Alleviation of poverty is a key imperative for development in a country like Nigeria.

Poverty is largely situated in rural areas where the poorest people live, though a good number of people have also migrated to the urban centres in search of greener pastures.

The Government of Nigeria does not have a coherent development strategy. Rather it has a number of strategies developed by different institutions within the government, to pursue the objectives of poverty alleviation and if possible its total eradication. The Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health,

coverfeature

A woman from Gwoza, Borno State, displaced by the violence caused by the Boko Haram insurgency, weeps at a refugee camp in Mararaba Madagali, Adamawa State

. The face of leadership in Nigeria is that of fear and impunity. The people fear their leaders and the leaders despise their people. There is an unhealthy deference to leaders by the Nigerian people and this is what Nigerian leaders have taken advantage of to rule their people with impunity

Works, Education, Utility Boards, the Agricultural and Cooperative Bank, Bank of Industry, Water Resources, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Poverty Alleviation Programme (NAPEP), National

Millennium Development Project, Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises Agency (SMEDAN) and others are making efforts in this regard. Many of these institutions have not been very effective in the discharge of their primary responsibilities as a result of insufficient funding, mismanagement and policies inconsistency.

Poverty conditions in Nigeria is corroborated with the statistics analysed by the Federal office of Statistics based on consumer expenditure surveys carried out over a period of 25 years (1980-1996) and subsequently (1998-2005). Using the internationally recognized definition of the poor as those individuals living on less than 1 US dollar per day at purchasing power parity, the surveys showed that poverty in Nigeria increased sharply between (1985-1996) and dropped gradually between (1998-2005) due to the economic reforms embarked upon by the Obasanjo administration. This shows that there is a lot of work for the government to do to lift a huge portion of the populace out of poverty. The federal government is headed in the right direction and should be commended for its initiatives in the Agricultural sector, which is vital to the necessity to bridge the gap between wealth and poverty in Nigeria. It was very encouraging to hear from the Rwandan President, Paul Kagame of how millions in his country were raised out of poverty through agriculture and how the government initiated and supported it during the recently concluded World Economic Forum Africa,

held in Abuja. It is an open secret too that much money is concentrated in few hands.

Nigeria's leadership must be extremely determined to halt the drift between the few rich and the many poor.

Nigeria hosted the World Economic Forum on Africa summit from 7-9 May, 2014 under tight security in Abuja known as “Africa's Davos”. The conference theme was “Forging Inclusive Growth, Creating Jobs”, with hopes that greater co-operation between countries in terms of trade, innovation, investment and strengthened institutions can unlock the continent's potential. Nigeria's Aliko Dangote is Africa's richest man with an estimated net worth of $24.3 billion, while some 23,000 Nigerians are expected to be dollar millionaires by 2017. An Aljazeera Television report on France in 2014 has it that houses that are not occupied for a period of two years are taken over by the government and given to the destitutes, yet we have such properties scattered over the length and breadth of Nigeria, when will progressive and emancipationary ideals like this take root in the country? On the gap between economic development between the northern and southern parts of Nigeria: an academic scholar advocated focus on education. He maintained that once the people in the north are educated, they will be in position to ask for their rights in a non-violent way, similar to a wise saying that “it is easy to govern the educated class but difficult to enslave them.”

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coverfeature FIXING THE INFRASTRUCTURE DEFICIT The major problems of the common man in Nigeria are indentified to include transportation, housing, electricity and water.

Yet the majority of Nigeria's 170 million people still live on less than $2 a day, corruption is endemic, governance poor, infrastructure inadequate and access to health and education lacking. Nigeria's government has pledged to increase investment in the north as part of its recent “soft power” plan to tackle Boko Haram and is seeking to diversify its economy from a reliance on oil towards agriculture and services. Industries and small scale businesses need enabling environment such as power supply to thrive and create jobs that Nigeria seriously needs at this time to overcome her security problems. Also, there is the need to expand the scope of vocational training centres and create more jobs for about 1.8 million graduates that the country produces every year and still think of those who did not have the opportunity and means of higher education with the means of decent job prospects. The African Development Bank (AfDB) says Nigeria needs $360 billion to fix infrastructure and that improving Nigeria's infrastructure could boost the country's GDP by about four per cent. Some of the sectors that require attention include power, road, rail, information communications technology (ICT) and transportation.

The federal government of President Jonathan must also be commended for road construction, repairs and maintenance; though a lot more needs to be done. The Abuja-Lokoja, Lagos-Ibadan-Benin expressways are receiving adequate attention, the work on East-West Road must increase, and roads in the South-East and other parts of country also deserve attention.

As at 2012: out of over 160,000 kilometres of secondary and tertiary roads in Nigeria, with an average registered network of 4,000 kilometres per state, only about 10-15 per cent is paved. A large proportion of this network remains in poor or very poor condition, with only 15 per cent of federal roads in good condition. Also, it is sad to note that rural roads, which are statutorily referred to as local government roads, which constitutes about 132,000 kilometres (67.7 per cent) of the entire road network in 12

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Nigeria is the worst hit by this state of disrepair. Analysts and experts have suggested a number of ways besides government funding to finance infrastructural gaps in Nigeria. They include Islamic bank finance, Public Private Partnership (PPP), Build Operate and Transfer (BOT), the Bond Market and the rest. The Federal Ministry of National Planning has initiated the National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) aimed at addressing Nigeria's infrastructural dearth. The master plan is a long term 30-year plan, covering from 2014 to 2043. The 30-year master plan is phased into three 10-year strategic plans, and six 5-

Social and economic inequalities in the Muslimmajority north are viewed as a key factor in the Boko Haram insurgency, with mass unemployment and lack of investment seen as a rallying call to militancy.

The situation stands at odds with Nigeria's newfound status as Africa's biggest economy and leading oil producer.

year operational plans. The NIIMP will require an estimated $2.9 trillion to close Nigeria's huge infrastructure gap in the next 30 years, 52 per cent of which will come from the treasury, while the private sector is expected to cover the balance of 48 per cent.

REDEFINING THE LEADERSHIP QUOTENT “Nigeria needs just two things, leadership and power supply,” says an elderly supporter of one of Nigeria's popular state governor, reflecting a popular view. People want to see in leadership an ordinary person like them who understands what they go through every day. Good leadership means that a leader would prefer to go hungry so as to ensure his people can eat. True leadership is about selfsacrifice. The face of leadership in Nigeria is that of fear and impunity. The people fear their leaders and the leaders despise their people. This is so whether it is in the secular, traditional and even religious spheres of the Nigerian state. There is an unhealthy deference to leaders by the Nigerian people and this is what Nigerian leaders have taken advantage of to rule their people with impunity. Our approach to leadership is entrenched in the concept of might is right and this is a cultural problem inherited from our forbearers. Whenever civilian authorities look away when members of the armed forces maltreat civilians, they are perpetuating the military mindset and mental siege of the civilian populace. They are encouraging those with arms to arrogate powers to themselves on the basis of the guns they carry rather than to the people in whose name they have an occupation. When a leader is arrogant and selfish, when he despises his people and pushes through unpopular policies without building consensus he alienates the very people from whom he derives power and creates loopholes through which his fall is guaranteed.

The best leaders in history have always assumed a father figure to their people. The affection, support, empathy, respect, devotion and solidarity shown by South Africans during the illness and eventual death of Nelson Mandela (Madiba) speak volume about leadership. They have represented bastions of safety, comfort and security in times of conflicts and global upheavals. When they died there was a sense of immense national loss. From Augustus Caesar of the Romans, more recently Winston Churchill of the English, they represented leaders to whom the people could expect justice irrespective of social status or place of origin; they represented leadership that the people

coverfeature knew they could depend on. However when a leader forces poverty on his people while living in opulence, he deprives himself of the die-hard loyalty and truth of his people. The long-term prosperity of Nigeria depends on the quality of its leadership. The sorry state of the polity at present is no doubt due to poor leadership since independence. Therefore a new approach to leadership is required if a new dawn characterized by peace and prosperity must befall the nation. Frustrated by the venality of their ruling class, social media commentators have taken to quoting Hillary Rodham Clinton, the former US secretary of state: “A politician thinks about the next election, while the statesman thinks about the next generation.”

INCREASING THE LEVEL OF GOVERNANCE Jim O'Neill, former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, famous for coining the BRIC acronym for the economies of Brazil, Russia, India and China, has bet on Nigeria as being one of a new class of emerging economies, MINT: Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey. His optimism, however, has caveats. “For Nigeria to be truly successful, it has to be way more inclusive,” he says. “It needs a more demanding level of governance or the demographics will be a burden.” Defence budget had been increased yet indications suggest that the insurgents had better weaponry than the Nigerian military, what an irony? Perhaps some funds

Nigerian girls at a school in Sokoto state

misappropriated again or yet to be released in face of urgent needs? The linkages between Governance, National Security and Development were explored by Professor Ayo Dunmoye; he is persuaded that good governance and economic development are panacea for stability and national security. He argued that “Conflicts are inevitable as sociopolitical interactions involve two opposite tendencies, conflict and cooperation.

Conflicts may arise from human needs, which may be social, economic, physical or psychological. Perceived or real sense of marginalization by a group within a country may also create conflict situations.”

Robert McNamara, a former pioneer President of the World Bank argued that there can be no security without development, the two are mutually reinforcing as most conflicts are caused by weak governance and ineffective leadership, but participatory and accountable governance will produce development and enhance individual, group and national security. Similarly, Unobe Ejembi, a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria wrote a paper on Human Rights Abuses and National Security in Nigeria and noted ''we believe that people, regardless of cultural, ethnic or religious affiliations, will recognize as legitimate and support a regime that actively promotes and protects their rights to physical, economic, political, social and intellectual security…only respect for human

rights can promote and sustain economic development and political stability, which are critical elements required for democracy and national security in the new millennium Nigeria.” On the other hand, it is pertinent to note that good governance must be accompanied by accountability and transparency.

CONCLUSION A keen observer asserted that the four refineries in Nigeria are not fully functional because some influential Nigerians have built refineries in other countries. Nigeria is reputed to have the world's seventh largest gas reserves, which could be used to generate power but power supply is still epileptic across the country. The Honourable Minister for Power, Professor Nebo has aggregated low power supply to the vandalisation of gas and oil pipelines. It is high time the federal government innovates a robust security plan that will employ hundreds of thousands of Nigerian youths into the Police, Immigration, Customs and Excise, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other Para-military forces and probably the National Guard if a recommendation of the on-going national conference is adopted. The current strength of the Nigerian Police stands around 400,000 and half of this number are deployed as security aides to government officials, politicians and well connected and wealthy Nigerians, therefore the force still needs more personnel. The United Nations has recommended 1 policeman to every 4 citizens; consequently, over 10 million persons are still needed in our security sector.

This plan will have a multiplier effect and these organised and disciplined forces can be deployed to other areas such as election monitoring, census exercise, protection of pipelines, national emergencies and disasters, border patrol, even mass food production among others. Moreover, Governor Fayemi of Ekiti State in 2013 called on the federal government to increase the manpower of police in his state, as the current strength of over 3,000 personnel cannot operate effectively in the state estimated to have about 2.7 million people in population.

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News Roundup Nigerians living longer by eight years

Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu Minister of Health

N

igerians are now living longer by eight years even as coronary (ischaemic) heart disease, lower respiratory infections (such as pneumonia) and stroke top the list of 20 major causes of premature deaths globally.

According to the World Health Statistics 2014 published last month by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the world has witnessed major gains in life expectancy in recent decades with Nigerians living longer from 46 years in 1990 to 54 years in 2012.

Published every year since 2005 by WHO,

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World Health Statistics is the definitive source of information on the health of the world's people. It contains data from 194 countries on a range of mortality, disease and health system indicators, including life expectancy, illnesses and deaths from key diseases, health services and treatments, financial investment in health, as well as risk factors and behaviours that affect health. A breakdown shows that Nigerian women are living longer from 47 years in 1990 to 55 years in 2012 compared to men with 45 years in 1990 to 53 years in 2012. According to the WHO report, at the other end of the scale, life expectancy for both men and women is still less than 55 years in nine subSaharan African countries – Angola, Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Mozambique, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The other causes of premature deaths in descending order are: preterm birth complications; diarrhoeal diseases; Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS); birth asphyxia and birth trauma; road injury; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and malaria. Congenital anomalies; neonatal sepsis and infections; self-harm; trachea, bronchus, lung cancers; diabetes mellitus; tuberculosis; cirrhosis of the liver; interpersonal violence; meningitis; and protein-energy malnutrition are also among the major causes of premature death.

According to the WHO report, a baby girl born in 2012 can expect to live an average of 72.7 years, and a baby boy 68.1 years. This is six years longer than the average global life expectancy for a child born in 1990. It also noted that low-income countries have made the most significant progress, with an

increase of nine years of average life expectancy between 1990 and 2012 – from 51.2 to 60.2 years for men and 54.0 to 63.1 years for women. According to the World Health Statistics 2014, this has been achieved despite the ongoing HIV pandemic affecting many low-income countries in subSaharan Africa. It noted that an important contributor to increasing life expectancy in low-income countries has been progress in reducing child deaths, as well as reductions in deaths from infectious diseases in adults.

The top six countries that made the greatest progress in extending life expectancy were Liberia (by 19.7 years) followed by Ethiopia, Maldives, Cambodia, Timor-Leste and Rwanda. Among high-income countries, the average gain in life expectancy was 5.1 years, ranging from 0.2 years in the Russian Federation to 9.2 years in the Republic of Korea. However, Japan tops the list with average life expectancy of 87 years for women and 80 for men. Japan is closely followed by Switzerland with average life expectancy of 85.1 years for women and 80.7 years for men. According to the WHO report, life expectancy also depends on where people were born. A boy born in 2012 in a high-income country can expect to live to 75.8 years – more than 15 years longer than a boy born in a low-income country (60.2 years). For girls, the difference is even more marked; a gap of 18.9 years separates life expectancy in high-income (82.0 years) and low- income countries (63.1 years). Life expectancy among men is 80 years or more in nine countries, with the highest in Australia, Iceland and Switzerland.

Among women, all countries in the top 10 have life expectancies of 84 years or longer.

Women in Japan have the highest life

newsroundup expectancy in the world at 87.0 years, followed by Spain, Switzerland and Singapore. WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, said: “An important reason why global life expectancy has improved so much is that fewer children are dying before their fifth birthday. “But there is still a major rich-poor divide: people in high-income countries continue to have a much better chance of living longer than people in lowincome countries.” Director of the Department of Health Statistics and Information Systems at WHO, Dr. Ties Boerma, said: “In high-income countries, much of the gain in life expectancy is due to success in tackling non-communicable diseases. “Fewer men and women are dying before they get to their 60th birthday from heart disease and stroke. Richer countries have become better at monitoring and managing high blood pressure for example.”

WHO also noted that declining tobacco use is also a key factor in helping people live longer in several countries.

(Chukwuma Muanya, Guardian)

initial gains in pushing the militants out of urban centres, the attacks continued, increasing in frequency and intensity to the extent that Jonathan requested a further six-month extension in November last year.

His renewed request came as no surprise, with Boko Haram thought responsible for killing more than 2,000 people, most of them civilians, this year alone. In approving the request, the senators said they "welcome and endorse the support of the international community" in the operation to rescue more than 200 schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram from the Borno town of Chibok on April 14. They also called on Jonathan, who has been criticised for his lacklustre response to the mass kidnapping, to "expand the co-operation and collaboration to the overall arrest of the ugly incident of terrorism in Nigeria".

Nigeria's government and military have come under fire for their tactics in trying to defeat the militants, in particular by using conventional means against an enemy fighting a guerrilla war among the population. The lawmakers called for "a full

federal government, in conjunction with state government, should come up with an economic Marshall Plan to revive the economy of the affected states," they added, referring to the post-War World II US strategy to revive the shattered European economy. Nigeria's national security adviser earlier this year announced a "soft power" plan to tackle the causes of the insurgency, including economic development and getting local people to shun extremism.

(AFP)

Justice Oputa passes on at 96, Sir Michael Otedola, at 87

Nigeria's parliament approves state of emergency extension

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igeria's parliament last month approved a six-month extension to a state of emergency in three northeast states hit by Islamist militant violence. Senators unanimously approved the continuation of special powers in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in a vote, following a similar backing from the lower chamber House of Representatives.

President Goodluck Jonathan requested the extension after calling the continued violence in the three states "daunting" and expressing concern about mounting civilian casualties.

The government first imposed a state of emergency in the three states on May 14 last year in an attempt to crush Boko Haram militants who had been waging an increasingly violent insurgency in the region since 2009. Thousands of additional troops were sent, curfews imposed and security tightened, including by cutting off mobile phone networks to prevent the coordination of attacks. But despite apparent

Justice Chukwudifu Oputa

David Mark Ngeria's Senate President

military operation to be undertaken on a sustained basis to route the insurgents". But they also said that non-military means should be considered to address the causes of radicalisation in the impoverished Muslim-majority north, which has been seen as a key factor in recruiting disaffected young men to Boko Haram's cause. "The

J

ustice Chukwudifu Akunne Oputa, passed on, Sunday May 4 in Abuja, aged 96, after a brief illness. He was famously described by his colleagues at the Bench as the Socrates of the Supreme Court. Justice Oputa was born on 22nd September 1924 in Oguta, Imo State, hence he is fondly called Oputa from Oguta. His father was Chief Oputa Izukwu and his mother Madam Nwanetu Oputa. He had his early education in Sacred Heart School, Oguta and Christ the king College, Onitsha. After this, the young Oputa went to Yaba Higher College, but due to the exigencies of the Second World War, was sent along with others to the famous Achimota JUNE 2014

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newsroundup College, Ghana, then Gold Coast. There he graduated B.Sc (Hon) Economics in 1945.

After this he came back to Nigeria and took up a teaching appointment with Calabari National College. He later came to Lagos where he worked as an ADO (Assistant District Officer). It was here that Justice Oputa achieved a remarkable feat; he studied at home and obtained his BA (Hon) History at home. Justice Oputa then proceeded to London where he got his LLB (HON) and was called to Bar in Gray's Inn, London. Upon his return to Nigeria, then Barrister Oputa went into brilliant and successful private practice, handling such celebrated cases and special inquires as the Oguta Chieftaincy dispute 1958/ 59, the Amanyanabo Dispute 1956/ 60 and many more. In 1966, Justice Oputa was appointed Judge of the High Court of the then Eastern Nigeria and moved on to become the first Chief Judge of Imo State ten years later. In 1984, the great elevation came – the exalted position of Honourable Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria. It did not take long before Justice Oputa put his stamp on the Supreme Court as a man profoundly moved by classical literature, history, divinity and philosophy and whose judgments possessed the temerity that is in the preserve of genius.

No wonder that the then chief justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Bello nicknamed him Cicero. Even as he was proceeding on retirement in 1989, it was quite clear that Justice Oputa still had much more to offer. He chaired the Human Rights Violations Investigation Commission popularly called the Oputa Panel set up by the Obasanjo administration in year 2000, to investigate human rights abuses dating back to the military coup of January 15th 1966 till May 28th 1999. Justice Oputa is a dedicated family man exemplarily devoted to his beautiful wife Margaret and his lovely children. His second son is Mr. Charles Oputa well known by music lovers as Charly boy.

Former Lagos governor, Sir Michael Otedola who was the governor of Lagos from January 1992 to November 1993, in the botched 3rd Republic passed on Monday May 5. He died aged 87. He is the father of oil and gas billionaire, Femi Otedola. Otedola was said to have suffered a stroke-related ailment for a while before he died. The ailment kept him away from public glare for years. Otedola was born on the 16 July 1926 into a Muslim family

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at Odoragunsin, Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State and later converted to Christianity. After moving to Lagos to pursue his education, he won a scholarship to study Journalism at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London where he graduated in 1958. He began his career as a teacher before working as a reporter at the St. Pancras Chronicle, then as a reporter and later sub-editor at The Guardian and The Times in England. On his return to Nigeria in 1959 he became an Information Officer in the Western Nigeria government, and while in this post, he was appointed the Editor of the Western Nigeria Illustrated. In 1961 he moved into public relations, w o r k i n g f o r We s t e r n N i g e r i a Television/Western Broadcasting Service (1961-1964) and Mobil Oil Group of Companies (1964-1977), continuing as a consultant to Mobil after leaving the company. He was elected governor of Lagos State from 1992 to 1993 on the platform of the National Republican Convention, NRC, under the regime of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babaginda, IBB, (Rtd) and left office when General Sani Abacha came to power. His administration facilitated the establishment of the Yaba College of Education campus in Epe, his home town. After leaving office, he continued his career as a writer, a consultant holding positions on the boards of various businesses. In February 2010, ThisDay newspaper named him among 15 eminent Nigerians who had won Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Qatar World Cup is a mistake – Blatter FIFA President, Sepp Blatter Sepp Blatter, the FIFA president, has said that it was a mistake to award Qatar the football World Cup in 2022 because of the searing summer climate. When asked if the decision was a mistake due to the high temperatures, he replied: “Of course, it's an error”, before adding: “You know, everyone makes mistakes in life.” Blatter added: “The technical report of Qatar indicated it was quite hot during the summer. However, the executive committee, with an overwhelming majority, decided that the games would be in Qatar.” However, he denied that Qatar had

bought the tournament, saying: “No, definitely not. These allegations are driven by politics.”

Qatar was awarded the rights to the tournament, which has always been played in the northern summer months, in 2010. Critics questioned how a tournament could be played in the humid Qatari summer, where temperatures can reach 50C and rarely dip below 40C in the day. Qatar promised airconditioned stadiums and a rapid transport system to get fans to the games in comfort. It is not the first time Blatter has made such remarks, but they are certainly the most forthright. In September 2013, he told the Inside World Football website that “it may well be that we made a mistake” in awarding the tournament. In January, a public split emerged within FIFA after Jerome Valcke, the secretary-

Sepp Blatter FIFA President

general, said the tournament could not be held in the summer and would be moved to the winter months. Other members of the body quickly denied a decision had been taken.

Qatar has also faced an international campaign to improve the dangerous conditions in which labourers work on World Cup projects, and their lack of rights under the kefala employment system. Earlier last month, the government announced that it was reforming the employment system, but set no time limit on when it would do so. In March, Valcke told Al Jazeera that FIFA was “not a United Nations” and was not responsible for labour issues in Qatar. “That's not our role. It's unfair if we get pressure from the rest of the world saying 'hey FIFA, that's what's happening in that country and you have to change the way the country behaves',” he said.

(Aljazeera)

events

events

Daystar Empowers 560 Young Entrepreneurs

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taying true to her divine mandate, Daystar Christian Centre held a memorable graduation ceremony for the 12th set of the Daystar Skill Acquisition Programme (DSAP) at the church's Main Auditorium, Plot A3C, Ikosi Road, Oregun Ikeja, Lagos. The 560 graduating participants beamed with excitement after having been empowered with practical skills in different crafts including Makeup, Photography, Web-Design, Graphics, Sewing, Generator Repairs, Shoemaking, Beads-Making, Cake-Making, Pastries and the likes. Speaking to the graduands, senior pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Sam Adeyemi admonished participants to maximize their newly acquired skills toward adding great value to the society and ultimately building global brands. “When the music changes, you change your dance step. In today's Nigeria, a university degree doesn't guarantee you a job or money anymore.

The money you're looking for is in meeting people's needs, and it is skill acquisition that helps us to solve people's problems.” he said.

He also challenged the participants to strive to be the best. “Please don't underestimate the skills you've acquired as there are millionaires all over the world who live on what you've learnt. Focus on becoming the best by benchmarking yourselves against world class brands.” He also appreciated the entire DSAP team and facilitators as led by Pastor Bolutife Aje and Mrs. Toyin Olusola, for investing their time in building people. Sharing his experience at the just concluded DSAP, Olamide Ibrahim, one of the graphics design graduates, who also happened to serve as the class governor, said the training was one of the most impactful events of his life. “As a trained lawyer, I came here to learn design because of my love for it.

I thought I would only learn about graphics, but I was intrigued to find out that we were being taken through creativity throughout the first week of the class, and that for me is key because it is going to make me stand out at my workplace.” Daystar Skill Acquisition Programme (DSAP) is one of the initiatives of Daystar Christian Centre geared towards empowering people with practical trainings and skills to build lasting brands and maximize their potentials in God. The training runs thrice every year; February, June and October. Here are pictures from the event:

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events

events Theseabilities Career Fair

Lola Kolade Osinuga & Shuao Kong

Nneamaka Okwuobi & John Okung

Toyin Adesola & Abolaji Ibrahim

Ibironke Ojewole, Patricia Ogar, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo & Abioye Adeboye

Tolu Kekere-Ekun & Lola Odusole

Olu Victor Oluloye and Anne Anumba

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heseabilities Ltd, a social enterprise aimed at improving the living conditions of persons with disabilities through increased employment and enterprise opportunities (in partnership with the International Labour Organization), held a special career fair for persons with disabilities at Protea Hotel, Ikoyi.

In 2013, as a tool for encouraging organizations to increase employment opportunities for qualified persons with disabilities,

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Theseabilities established the Network on Disability and Business aimed at sharing information and best practices on employing and retaining persons with disabilities in the workplace.

People with disabilities are the world's largest minority group (1 billion people — 15% of the world's population; of which 785 million are of working age). They are constantly faced with many barriers to employment, including physical, information and attitudinal barriers.

Stereotypes and misconceptions prevent them from accessing jobs because these often focus on their disability instead of

ability, when in fact they can and do work.

Over the years, Theseabilities Ltd has partnered with local and international organizations in the private and public sectors to improve opportunities for persons with disabilities. They have also partnered with the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship in South Africa, the International Labour Organization, the Lagos State Government and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment in the delivery of projects. Here are pictures from the career fair held on the 26th of March 2014.

events events

KICC

Dedicates Prayer Dome

Prophet S.K. Abiara, General Evangelist Christ Apostolic Church

Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo with his parents in law, Revd and Mrs Osibanjo

Pastor John Oyebanji, Chairman Board of Trustees, KICC

Pastor Femi Faseru Resident Pastor KICC Lagos

Pastor Sade Faseru

Apostle Wole Oladiyun, Bishop Bola Odeleke and Rev Roseline Oduyemi

Pastor Paul Adefarasin and Bishop Tudor Bismarck

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n the 1st day of May 2014, Pastor Matthew Ashimolowo officially declared open Kingsway International Christian Centre's 650 million naira edifice called Prayer Dome in Mende area of Maryland Lagos.

Many of God's Generals in Nigeria especially Lagos gathered to rejoice with one of their own. Present were Pastor John Oyebanji who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of KICC, Prophet S. K. Abiara, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, Bishop Bola Odeleke, Rev. Mrs. Roselyn Oduyemi, Bishop Lanre Obembe, Apostle Wole Oladiyun, Rev. Agboli and Pastor Amos Fenwa. Bishop Tudor Bismark came in from Harare Zimbabwe and delivered the sermon at the event, which coincided with the church's Bible Conference. While dedicating the edifice, Pastor Ashimolowo prayed from the book of Genesis 28 vs. 16.

He prayed that, “This dome shall be the place of the presence and glory of God. It shall be a place of salvation and Christian fellowship. Bless us when we gather here in your name. Today we dedicate this building for the comfort of those who mourn, for the praise of the Almighty God. …”

Encomiums were showered on Pastor Femi Faseru, the Resident Pastor in charge of K.I.C.C. Nigeria, whose congregation put up the magnificent prayer house. Pastor Ashimolowo openly commended and acknowledged Pastor Femi Faseru's unalloyed loyalty. He mentioned that, “Pastor Femi Faseru came to Nigeria to do business but that he is doing God's business instead of his personal business.” Pastor Ashimolowo also said that K.I.C.C. Mende did not stop contributing their tithes to the international body throughout the duration of the construction of the dome. Bishop Tudor Bismark in his address urged Christians from all walks of life to unite and take dominion.

Cross section of guests and worshippers

Report by James Akinbiyi Akinsola

Bishop Lanre Obembe El-Shaddai Bible Church

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events

he Coalition of Nigerian Apostolic Leaders held its annual Apostolic Conference recently at the Guiding Light Assembly with Apostle Joseph Mattera, the United States Ambassador of the International Coalition of Apostolic Leaders as the keynote speaker. Professor Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos State Attorney General and Pastor in Charge of the Olive Tree Parish of the Redeemed Christian Church of God based in Ikoyi, Lagos kicked off the proceedings of the conference with his talk titled 'Physician Heal Thyself'. Giving statistics on the state of the nation such as 110 million living in poverty out of a total population of 150 million and 55,000 women dying of maternal related illnesses annually, he said there is something seriously wrong with the government and people of a nation that is so rich in resources and two-third of its people are living

Apostle Joseph Mattera

Pastor Wale Adefarasin

Pastor Ituah Ighodalo & Pastor Dotun Ojelabi

cross section of Pastors

in poverty. Bemoaning the corruption index of the country and the apathy towards it, he enjoined pastors and ministers gathered at the conference to disciple the nation by influencing every sphere including education, entertainment, media, sports and politics. He said the role of Christians is not to build church buildings/cathedrals or do church but to ensure that God's will is done by speaking to leadership and those in authority. He asked ministers to preach messages that do not encourage the corruption going on at the moment but rather to preach on the virtues of hardwork. God he said, will hold the church responsible for the state of affairs in Nigeria.

At the press conference preceding the programme, President of the group, Pastor Wale Adefarasin who condemned the abduction of school children and spate of killings in the country by the Boko Haram sect tasked both Christian and Islamic leaders in the country on the need to restore the loss of societal values that had been the bane of moral decadence among children and youths in the country. He lamented, “The education malpractice industry is a N25 billion per year industry.

This is an area where parents and guardians spend money on cheating at examinations for their children. The job of rescuing Nigeria even though is greatly in the hands of the church, a significant portion falls into the hands of parents who help the youths and put an end to cheating. This is critical for the future of Nigeria.

At the root of problems in Nigeria is the loss of value orientation and the fear of God seem to have gone out of our country,” he added. He said problems facing

2014 Apostolic Conference

Pastor John Enelamah & Rev Yomi Kasali

cross section of Pastors

the country “Had at its very roots in the catastrophic loss of values in the society. I see even children developing a level of materialism that is unbelievable. I heard the story of a child that refused to get into a car because the father sent a wrong car to pick the child from schools.

“We are raising children to be so materialistic. One man told me of a child that was flying who asked him whether he was taking the “Walk of Shame” apparently referring to people travelling in economic class.

We have a problem with values in our society,” he said. Emphasizing that correcting societal ills is a responsibility for the church to resolve, Pastor Adefarasin tasked the federal government to produce the abducted girls and put an end to insurgency in Nigeria.

Apostle Joseph Mattera in his presentation said the church should focus not just on the restoration of individuals but also with the restoration of nations. The proof of the gospel he said is not just how God is changing individuals but how the church is changing communities. The Bible he said is a practical book on how to manage the earth. He emphasised that the church must partner with lay people who have access to those in authority. The church he said should be an equipping centre that equips and sends out people into the world to take charge and authority and exercise dominion.

(Report by Ayodeji Jeremiah)

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events events

Obiageli Ezekwesili: Time For Real Action in Education

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biageli Ezekwesili, a former Federal Minister, former Vice President of the World Bank's Africa division and co-founder of Transparency International was the guest speaker at a forum organized by Apostles in the Market Place, which took place at the Lagos City Hall recently. The theme of discussion was Education: Time for Real Action. Akinbiyi Akinsola was at the forum. Here are excerpts from her speech and pictures from the event:

“

Nigeria is a nation in the making. The process may be taking long but it will surely come to pass. There is an assault on education in Nigeria. If you want to know whether a society has a future, look at its education. Advanced nations today are those nations that invested so much in education. World War 2 decimated Japan and gave them a sense

a lot in human development. It is not strategic to depend on natural resources. Natural resources should be translated into developing human capital. It is the human beings that organise all other factors. So human development is key. In the light of this, education and health of the individual are important. Through emphasis on human development, the Chinese have lifted about 600 million of their one billion population out of poverty. Singapore is another example. They were colonized by Great Britain like Nigeria.

They developed their human capability. That country went from a small country to global relevance in global economy. In the 1960s there was competition among the regions to give some education to the people but things changed with the oil boom in the 1970s. Easy money came and our elites dropped the most important strategy of development. Everybody is drowned by the oil which has left us with devastation. In 1996 Nigeria had 60% pass in

not corrected. As at 2013 the decline in performance has gone down to 24%. We need to stem the tide of decline. The future of this country does not depend on oil and mineral resources but in human capital development.

The business elite to which some of us belong is too complacent. There is contempt for education in this land. Corporate bodies should think about philanthropy in the area of education. It is on record that about 85% of the people are in public schools. Education needs a strong constituency if Nigeria will ever make a detour from this entrapment. No group can stay disconnected from this. Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of adult illiterates in the world today. We have a huge population, which has not been translated into human capital.”

Like in Singapore, the former minster said that they came up with the idea of establishing vocational institutions that are private sector driven. “We discovered that certain courses trapped people perpetually. This explains partly why we have huge unemployment rate in Nigeria.” “Everybody has to get involved in education. Real action is to adopt a public school and contribute to the education of the children. In these children lies the golden nugget of our economic development.”

(Report by Akinbiyi Akinsola)

Alex Opara & Jennifer Adamu

Kunbi Wuraola (r) & Sam Eleanya

Folasade Adefisayo & John Anuma

Rotimi Eyitayo & Willie Onwuka

Mrs Margaret Anyigbo (r) & Chibundu Onuzo

Dr Richard Muracle & Ifeoma Nnaji

Dr Mrs.Oby Ezekwesili

that they had to rebuild. So they focused on human development to recreate a modern society. Human capital was emphasized by Japan. A great investment in education was what Japan used to climb back to relevance and development. You will observe that majority of the top league nations have no minerals but they invested

the GCE, in 2006 it came down to 35%.

Education funding was increasing but performance was declining because the fundamental reasons for dysfunction were

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Life&Society

Citizen Solutions to End Terrorism

society On Monday, April 14, Nigerians woke up to news of another heart-rending carnage at Nyanya Motor Park, Abuja after a bomb detonated. Over 100 people were injured and over 70 people died. That same night, over 200 school girls were abducted in Chibok, Borno State. This was enough to jolt most citizens out of nonchalance. Tired of mere condemnations and the usual blame game, citizens on social media platforms responded to a call for suggestions on ways to combat this surge of terror. Over 1,000 suggestions were received in two days, with t h e h a s h t a g #CitizensSolutionToEndTerrorism trending on Twitter on both days. A further review of the suggestions and internal discussions resulted in 10 key action points outlined below.

1. FINANCING THE SECURITY APPARATUS The Nigerian public is concerned that the resources allocated to our security apparatus (N922 billion in 2012, N1 trillion in 2013 & N845 billion in 2014) do not seem to correspond with the results delivered by those at the frontline to prosecute the war against terror. While it is understandable that security operations are mostly classified, citizens believe that some degree of transparency, accountability and disclosure is essential to gaining public confidence and achieving optimal results. a. Agents on the Field Citizens are concerned about the size, strength, training, and will of our security agencies to effectively fight insurgents.

Similarly, citizens want to be assured that the welfare of our troops is given upmost priority by the government and military leadership.

This includes, but not limited to, provision of (1) premium life insurance cover for security agents deployed to fight insurgency, (2) adequate compensation for the families of agents killed in the line of duty, (3) adequate care and support for agents injured in the line of duty, and (4) adequate reward for gallantry.

Finally, reports indicate a disconnect between the troops on the ground and the command centre. Our ground troops need the most empowering base support functions to be effective with their counter insurgency role and we expect that they are fully supported morally and with adequate resources. b. Weapons, Intel and Logistics

The misinformation around the abduction of school girls in Chibok raises serious concerns about information sharing within the security agencies. Citizens want to know the technical capacity of our security agents to prosecute the war on terror. Citizens request that an independent committee comprising members of the Senate and House Committees on Defence as well as eminent retired military personnel be established to conduct an audit of the Joint Task Forces responsible for combating insurgency. The objective of the audit should be to ascertain the state of weapons, intelligence gathering and logistics in executing the war on terror.

The Nigerian public is concerned that the resources allocated to our security apparatus do not seem to correspond with the results delivered by those at the frontline to prosecute the war against terror.

2. LOCAL SECURITY GOVERNANCE While State policing is a contentious topic, we cannot ignore the fact that community policing is operational in various parts of the country. Citizens believe that government and the military leadership have not maximized the opportunity of well-designed local community participation in the fight against terror. Communities should be encouraged to set up Community Safety Groups / Neighborhood Watch Groups.

Community members know their communities better than the security agencies. They need to take an interest and connect with security organisations. There needs to be support and protection for the communities that are supporting the security agencies. Citizens call on government and the military to design a robust plan of action and negotiate a unified template with local communities for participation in security & intelligence gathering. Such a plan should adequately provide for (1) anonymous reporting of suspicious people or situations, (2) protection of informants who feel threatened, (3) rapid response to actionable intelligence, (4) feedback between military and communities, and (5) measures to mitigate abuse of mandate by civilians.

Governors have a critical role to play as they currently support federal security agencies but there is room for more collaboration and streamlining of efforts. This issue of state policing must also be addressed urgently by the National Assembly and the National Conference.

3. CONCLUSIVE PROSECUTION 'Member of Boko Haram', 'Boko Haram financier', and 'Boko Haram supporter' are labels that have been thrown around in a political war to embarrass certain citizens.

The ease with which these labels are used, especially from the government, belittles the seriousness of the security challenge we face and the attendant death of innocent Nigerians. The Senator for Borno South was once 'charged' for sponsoring Boko Haram and yet the result of the case remains inconclusive. The government has a duty to promptly prosecute alleged sponsors, and must be seen to be serious about it. It is not enough to promise 'action' while citizens watch themselves slaughtered daily. Citizens encourage the executive and judiciary to work closely together on speedy trials for the critical impact of deterrence. Prosecuting at least 5 cases in 2014 would be a major milestone and would boost the confidence of citizens.

4. PROTOCOL OF ENGAGEMENT WITH CITIZENS There has to be a defined protocol for obtaining information and sharing information with citizens. During such cases of domestic terrorism, a public system

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society through which information can be passed between citizens and the security forces must exist. The presence of such a protocol is essential to the protection of Nigerian lives. It is unacceptable that in the last 4 years, despite many discussions, Nigeria still does not have a functional nation-wide emergency number.

The 112 phone number that is being shared is not active in most states as it only works in states that have set up their own emergency services. Furthermore, in light of what happened to Yusuf Omisani, who was picked

by SSS agents and kept incommunicado for 12 days, citizens need to be assured that when they share information, they will not be arbitrarily assumed to be members of Boko Haram and intimidated or victimized. In addition, we suggest a monthly meeting between security operatives and community stakeholders in communities most affected by these acts of violence. We need an alternative that encourages more collaboration and information sharing to bridge the gap of communication. For the larger populace, the National Assembly should host Quarterly Public Hearings to keep citizens reasonably updated on the status of counter insurgency operations.

5. FOLLOW THE MONEY The violence is being financed with cash.

Terrorism involves the transfer of money in order to fund the procurement of equipment

People demand for the release of secondary school girls abducted in the remote village of Chibok, during a protest at Unity Park in Abuja (REUTERS)

and manpower. The government must make efforts to ensure that financial services such as the banking sector's Know-Your-Customer initiative is tied to its anti-terrorism strategy.

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Perhaps, through such efforts, we might be able to cut off their financial supply and trace the sponsors.

6. IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENS' IDENTIFICATION Our borders are porous and Nigerians do have family and allegiances to nationals of Niger and Cameroon. As a matter of urgency, we need to streamline the various types of data we have into a comprehensive database – SiM-Card registration (NCC), Immigration, National Identity Card, Civil Service Commission, Driver's License/ License Plates (FRSC), Voters' Register (INEC). A central database where the identities of all Nigerians can be easily verified must exist in order for Nigeria to significantly make progress in fighting terrorism.

7. RESPECT FOR THE DEAD Nigeria's Constitution assures us that the security of lives and property is the primary responsibility of government. Given that lives have been lost to terrorism, the government needs to demonstrate respect for the citizens who have lost their lives in this act of violence.

The appropriate agencies of government should within 48 hours of any attack, publish the names of as many victims as possible using formal and informal identification. The National Human Rights Commission should be given adequate resources and support to create and maintain a database of victims of violence. And, we must learn to remember them as a nation. Reporting victims as mere statistics is dehumanizing our dead brothers & sisters and desensitizing our society, including our children.

8. RISK CALCULATION AND MITIGATION For public spaces prone to attacks – markets, schools, and parks – a standard package of protection should be designed to protect citizens. Once made public, citizens can also be vigilant to ensure that their spaces have the required services.

While State policing is a contentious topic, we cannot ignore the fact that community policing is operational in various parts of the country. Citizens believe that government and the military leadership have not maximized the opportunity of well-designed local community participation in the fight against terror.

9. PROMOTION OF PEACE EDUCATION Government, religious institutions, private sector and civil society groups should invest more resources in promoting peace education. Peace education will help to redress the culture of violence and aggression and inculcate the value of peaceful coexistence and non-violent orientation on every citizen. Peace education should be integrated in the educational curriculum of Nigeria, from primary to tertiary education.

In addition, the problem of youth radicalization and extremism could partly be curbed through proper sensitization and enlightenment programmes using special designed radio and television programmes, jingles and group discussions. A robust

society countering violent extremism (CVE) programme should be an integral part of peace education. The Nigerian government, civil society groups and the private sector could partner with Nollywood to produce home movies in the three major languages (Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba) designed to specifically counter the narrative, rhetoric and doctrines of violent radicalization or religious extremism. The private sector can play a crucial role in providing financial support for these programmes.

the North are married off before they attain the age of 16 and commence childbirth within the first year of marriage. Of the 16 million births by girls below the age of 18, 9 out of 10 of them are married. These poor human development indices only portend massive economic development costs for current and future generations.

appropriately the National Council for the Welfare of the Destitute (NCWD) to enable the agency formulate and implement robust rehabilitation programmes for destitute children in Nigeria. Government at all levels (federal, state and local), especially working through the NCWD should partner with credible civil society organisations to design

10. SOCIAL WELFARE a. Specific Programmes to Educate & Empower Women The world over, there is a clear and direct link between uneducated and unproductive women and poverty. Statistics have it that 2/3 of the 102 million poor people in Nigeria live in the Northern region of Nigeria, where women are the least literate and empowered.

The North East & North West zones have half of all the poor people in Nigeria, with more than 50 million people living in abject poverty and the insurgency has widened the gap even more. Incidentally, over half of the women in

The government has a duty to promptly prosecute alleged sponsors, and must be seen to be serious about it. It is not enough to promise 'action' while citizens watch themselves slaughtered daily

South Africans, protesting the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls and what protesters said was the failure of government to rescue them

Governments, at all levels, need to consciously invest in women, if only to increase productivity, promote sustainable growth, their children's wellbeing, as well as engender healthy livelihoods and establish peace, stability and security, in all of our rural communities. In seeking to harness the energies of the youth in a more productive and meaningful manner, a deliberate focus on education and empowerment for women as a significant strategy of concern is critical as they remain the foremost catalysts for rapid growth, peace and development in our country. b. Creation of Job Opportunities for Nigerian Youth The Nigerian government must embark on effective poverty alleviation and human capital development programmes in order to empower its large youth population who are most vulnerable to recruitment and radicalization for violent extremism and terrorism. c. Design and Delivery of Robust Programme for Destitute Children The Nigerian government should fund

and implement effective reorientation programmes to reconnect these destitute children with their parents or provide them the necessary training that will help them function effectively in the society. Such rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration intervention is expedient given the finding that children who were not brought up by their parents are more disposed to using violence in propagating their religious views. d. Enhanced Provision of Education and Literacy Programme Due to the high level of illiteracy in Nigeria, most young people have become easily susceptible to manipulation and recruitment into criminal and extremist groups. Although the right to education is one of the basic rights of every Nigerians, access and entitlement to this right is hardly attained. To reduce the number of people who are likely to fall prey to radical preaching and recruitment into violent groups, primary & secondary education should be made free and compulsory for every child in Nigeria. Thus, what is needed is for the local and state government to muster sufficient political will to deliver quality and JUNE 2014

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society flows; and capture & prosecution of terrorists, especially before they strike. We call on Mr President for leadership that mobilises Nigerians to fight collectively against a common enemy. Mr President must extend a hand to ALL stakeholders in this war – governors, political party leaders, the National Assembly, traditional and religious institutions, civil society and citizens – and communicate clearly that this is not about party politics, ethnicity or religion, but about pursuing the common good of ALL Nigerians.

Nigerian-youths

accessible education to more children in Northern Nigeria through enhanced allocation and judicious utilisation of funds in the education sector.

In summary, as we've seen in other countries, we cannot overemphasise that insurgency is not restricted to a particular part of the country – it is not a North East or Northern problem. It is trans-border and can move easily. The number of casualties in the last three years is estimated at almost 20,000. In the first four months of this year, we have lost almost 1,500 Nigerians, especially students, and hundreds of women and children remain unaccounted for.

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We call on the Federal Government to ensure that our security agencies are equipped adequately for the task; engage communities; provide a national emergency number; honour the dead; prosecute swiftly and harmonise our databases for ease of identification. The assurances given by the Federal Government are no longer sufficient and they MUST match their words with visible action to rebuild the confidence of the citizens in the efforts to protect lives and property. Nigerian citizens are desperate to see that we are winning this war on terror and for us, results are defined by the absence of abductions and deaths; cutting off financial

The above article was prepared by EiE (Enough is Enough) Nigeria, a coalition of individuals and youth-led organizations committed to instituting a culture of good governance and public accountability in Nigeria through advocacy, activism and the mobilization of the youth population as responsible citizens. EiE was supported by CLEEN Foundation, a non-governmental organization with the mission of promoting public safety, security and accessible justice through the strategies of empirical r e s e a r c h , l e g i s l a t i v e a d v o c a c y, demonstration programmes and publications, in partnership with government and civil society. http://eienigeria.org/

Challenging Career Moves Ruth Reichl interview on the Harvard Business Review (HBR) podcast. The renowned author and former editor of Gourmet magazine talks about the magazine's closure and her recent transition to fiction writing. She is featured in the Life's Work section of the HBR June issue.

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LISON BEARD: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast. I'm Alison Beard. I'm speaking with Ruth Reichl, former New York Times food critic and editor of Gourmet magazine, and a bestselling author. Her latest book is her first work of fiction, a novel called Delicious. So I'd like to start with your career. It's been full of interesting transitions, from being a cook to a critic, newspapers to magazines, now nonfiction to fiction. The one move I think our audience will find the most interesting was your switch from being an individual producer, a writer, to a manager, when you became editor in chief of Gourmet.

RUTH REICHL: I had been a manager before.

It's not evident from my resume, but when I was at the LA Times, I was the restaurant critic. And I kept complaining about the food section, which, at the time, was the largest food section in the country. It was 60 or 70 pages every week, with a big staff and a test kitchen and a photo studio. And I was abruptly sort of blackmailed into becoming the food editor as well as the restaurant critic.

So that was the big moment of learning management.

ALISON BEARD: And tell me about that switch.

RUTH REICHL: It was completely on the fly.

You know, it was like one day, I was a restaurant critic, and the next, I suddenly had 20 people working for me. And it was a shock.

And they kept saying to me, we'll give you management lessons. But I never had time to take management lessons. So the learning curve was really steep. I was not initially the best manager. I inherited people who were really different from me and the people I had been working with. They were from a very old-fashioned idea of what a food section should be. They were home economists who weren't really writers or reporters. In the beginning, I just sort of said, just give me your notes, and I'll write it all. And it took a while for me to understand that management was an art. I finally realized that this woman who I didn't particularly like but who had been very close to the former editor of the food section was actually a good manager, and I made her the deputy– I don't remember what the title I gave her was– but to sort of manage the staff. I learned that you really cannot expect

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everyone to be just like you. I mean, the big secret of management is to find what people do best and not to try and fit them into a mould. And I pretty much learned that on that job. I found out what everybody on the staff did well and tailored the job to them instead of the other way around.

ALISON BEARD: Do you think that women leaders like yourself bring something to the table that men don't?

RUTH REICHL: I do. I think that women leaders are one, more practical. Two, is the whole issue of balancing work and family. And I think women are much more sensitive to that. I think we have to find much better solutions to how people manage to have

When I was at the LA Times, I was the restaurant critic. And I kept complaining about the food section, which, at the time, was the largest food section in the country. And I was abruptly sort of blackmailed into becoming the food editor as well as the restaurant critic. So that was the big moment of learning management..

satisfying home lives and families and also satisfying work lives. Instead of, right now, every time at Gourmet, some young editor came to me and said, you know, I'm pregnant.

And I would say, are you going to come back to work? And almost all of them said, yes. And I said, now you're going to understand what guilt is because no matter where you are, you're going to feel guilty. If you're at work, you feel like you should be home, and if you're home, you feel like you should be at work.

And I think as a nation, we have to solve that problem.

ALISON BEARD: So how did you manage your work-life balance when you were at the New York Times and Gourmet, and your son was young?

RUTH REICHL: With a huge amount of guilt.

By sleeping very, very little. By trying to do it all and probably failing at everything. But I am a natural workaholic. And I was lucky. I had a lot of very good helpers. But one of the things that was lucky was that when Nick was young, I didn't go to Gourmet until Nick was 10. Being a restaurant critic, even though you have to go out to dinner every night, I was the one picking Nick up at school every day. I mean, I do think that he would say that one of the real turning points in his life was when I went to Gourmet. And I was religious about coming home and cooking dinner every night.

And that just meant planning ahead, getting the food into the house so when I came home, I could get dinner on the table quickly.

ALISON BEARD: Let's talk a little bit about your time at Gourmet. You transformed what had been a very traditional magazine. So tell me how you managed that process.

RUTH REICHL: You know, I was really lucky because it was not difficult. I mean, I didn't have to persuade anyone. I went in to the magazine, and it had been managed very much from the top down. Everything had been assigned at the top, and so editors were told, you're going to do this, and you're going to do this, and you're going to do this. And they had literally never had a meeting. And I went in and said, we're going to have a meeting. And I thought that I was going to have to talk for two hours because I did not expect people who were not accustomed to having meetings to open up. So we sat down,

management and I said, look, we have a mandate to do anything we want with this magazine. What do you think we should do? And I didn't open my mouth for three hours. And what the staff wanted to do was exactly what I wanted to do, what I think any sane person who was passionate about food in 1999 would have wanted to do, which was to deal with real food issues. The first produce issue we did, which was kind of a famous issue, in that Gourmet had never gone to the farms before and talked about who grew our food. No epicurean magazine had done that. And that wasn't my idea. That was the staff. And the people who were not interested in doing that left pretty quickly. I didn't fire– I think I fired one person. They had told me at Conde Nast, you're probably going to have to come in and clean house. And maybe it's because I'm a woman, maybe it's– I don't know. But it never crossed my mind that I was just going to go in and fire everyone. I thought, let me figure out who does what. There's a lot of incredible knowledge here, and surely we can figure out how to make it work. And it was really easy. I mean, the staff was full of ideas, eager to use their own ideas, eager to go out and find their own writers, really eager to take control. And I think I'm a very good boss for people who don't want to be told what to do, and I'm a really bad boss for people who want to be told what to do. And those people very quickly realized that they couldn't work with me and left.

ALISON BEARD: So it sounds like initiative is something you look for in the people you hire. What else is important to you?

RUTH REICHL: Mostly, I want people who are smarter than me in different ways. I wanted to hire an art director who knew way more than I did about what a magazine should look like, had more interesting ideas than I did. I wanted editors who had really out there ideas about writers that they would use. I wanted a copyeditor who was the biggest nitpicker on earth. I just really wanted people who were very good at one thing. And I wanted to just empower them. I felt like my job was to hire really smart people and make it possible for them to do what they did.

ALISON BEARD: You know, I just read Delicious, and there's a scene when the fictional magazine is abruptly shut down with

details that I assume are drawn from your own experience at Gourmet. How did you and your employees react in real life?

RUTH REICHL: Well, let me say one, I've been at a lot of magazines that have closed. So that's not specific to Gourmet. Anybody in print has been at a lot of places that have closed. And then Gilt Taste, which I went to, closed. So I have a lot of experience of closings. And it's never different. Even if you should have seen it coming, the staff never does. And one of the great things about working at magazines is it is the most collaborative work experience you could ever have. No one person can make a magazine. So you tend to be very close. And in every magazine I've ever been at that shut, we've sort of done the same thing, all go off and spend the night crying and drinking together.

ALISON BEARD: Looking back on those situations, is there anything you think you would have done differently?

RUTH REICHL: Yes. I would have managed up better, definitely. I would have spent more time making friends with the corporate people at the top. I feel like it was stupid for me not to have done that. Other than that, no, I wouldn't have, because many of the things that people said were the reasons that Gourmet closed, which may be, that we were too ambitious, that we tried to make a magazine that stretched too far, that pushed the envelope too much– I wouldn't change

one bit of that. To me, part of what working is about is trying to do the best that you can do.

And I would not go back and try and make a less good magazine or a less passionate magazine. I just wouldn't do that.

A L I S O N B E A R D : Yo u s a y i n t h e acknowledgements of Delicious that you can't describe your writing process. But would you try for me? How different was it to go from nonfiction to fiction?

RUTH REICHL: It's completely different.

Nonfiction is pretty easy, at least for me. I've been doing journalism for 45 years. And for me, nonfiction is pretty much you get in the shower, you think about the story, and you decide how you're going to approach it. But your characters are given, and the facts are given. It's really just which angle are you going to take. My process with fiction is you're just waiting for it. The best I can describe it is magic. You sit there and– I hate writing. Every writer I know hates writing. Because you just sit there, and on a really good day, you go away, and when you come back, you've been gone for a few hours, and there are words on the page. And you kind of vanish. I'm not trying to mystify it, but that's really– I don't think anybody knows where it comes from.

But it's a matter of patience. You just have to sit and wait for it. It's much harder with fiction because you're not really in control of what the characters are going to do. And they often do things that you didn't anticipate. And then you've got to go back and fix what went before because suddenly, this character has

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management

it took a while for me to understand that management was an art. I finally realized that this woman who I didn't particularly like but who had been very close to the former editor of the food section was actually a good manager, and I made her the deputy

taken a turn you didn't expect him or her to take.

ALISON BEARD: Circling back to your own path and career choices, how did you know when a move that you were making was the right one?

RUTH REICHL: I always thought they were the wrong ones, always. One of my adopted mothers said to me when I was the restaurant critic of the New York Times and I'd been offered Gourmet, and I said, it's just not the right time. If it were a year down the road, I would do it. And Paula looked at me and said, Ruth, it's never the right time. Which is the best advice I've ever gotten. How I knew when something was the right thing to do was when it really scared me. It's the things that scare you the most that you have to do.

ALISON BEARD: That's not always easy to do in practice, though. So how do you force

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yourself to take that leap?

RUTH REICHL: You look down the road 10 or 15 years, and you say, do I really still want to be doing this? Don't I want to be challenged? I mean, I think one of the secrets to staying young is to always do things that you don't know how to do and to keep learning.

Ruth Reichl is a writer and editor who was the Editor in Chief of Gourmet Magazine for ten years until its closing in 2009.

Before that she was the restaurant critic of the New York Times, (1993-1999), and both the restaurant critic and food editor of the Los Angeles Times (1984-1993). As co-owner and cook of the collective restaurant The Swallow from 1974 to 1977, she played a part in the culinary

revolution that took place in Berkeley, California. Ms. Reichl began writing about food in 1972. Since then, she has authored the critically acclaimed, best-selling memoirs 'Tender at the Bone', 'Comfort Me with Apples, Garlic and Sapphires', and 'For You Mom, Finally.' She holds a B.A. and an M.A. in the History of Art from the University of Michigan and lives in New York City with her husband, Michael Singer, a television news producer, and their son.

The HBR IdeaCast is a weekly audio podcast of the Harvard Business Review, bringing analysis and advice of the leading minds in management.

Kunle Ajayi at 50: The Gospel Music Maestro of our Generation Akinbiyi Akinsola

ARTs

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amuel Olakunle Ajayi, also known as, Kunle Ajayi was born on the 16th of June 1964 in Lagos. He is the second child of a family of four. Kunle's father Mr. Emmanuel Ajayi, an Awori and a civil servant, hails from Mushin area of Lagos. His mother Mrs. Esther Falilat Ajayi, a trader, is from the Itakunmi family of Ijaiye in Abeokuta. Kunle started his western education at the Local Authority Primary School at Idi-Oro from 1970 to1976. At school he was nicknamed Pastor by his mates and teachers.

This was because he was easy-going and quiet.

When some of his mates and teachers see him now, they always say that they knew that he would be a pastor someday. Today Kunle is not only a pastor, he is a music maestro celebrated around the world. He is the music director of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, worldwide. He has ministered with Pastor E. A. Adeboye in many countries of the world including Haiti, the United States of America, Kenya, the United Kingdom, Canada and Israel.

been a mother to me. I usually came with the elder brother of my stepfather to see my mother. She eventually got healed, in the church. Then I was living with my brother.

Later on in 1976 when I gained admission into Eko Boys High School, I moved into the church premises to live with my mother. This was when she received her healing and became a member of the church.

Going through school from 1977 to 1982 was difficult financially and I had to do all sorts of menial jobs including foraging for metal objects in refuse heaps and selling such after weighing them for a meager amount. Those who did this menial job were called Alumi boys or Boma boys. In addition to this I also played and taught music for a fee in various churches. Apart from financial problems, I found favour in the sight of most of the teachers especially the principal, Mr. Oyenuga. I was in the school choir. I started

teaching people how to play various types of musical instruments. Mr. Oyenuga my school principal encouraged and allowed me to attend all the programmes. It was in secondary school that I learnt that I could study music in the university. Hitherto, I was more interested in studying mechanical engineering. The revelation that I could study music in the university completely changed my life.

Another of my helpers in secondary school was a man called Mr. Ebenezer Omole who came in to teach music when I was in Form Three. He was in charge of the school choir then. I did some of my professional examinations through him. I did my Grade Five (Theory) and Grade Three (Theory) through him. And I did Grade Eight and Piano Practical on my own. Further in academics, the home front and in my spiritual life Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye is the greatest

Going through school from 1977 to 1982 was difficult financially and I had to do all sorts of menial jobs including foraging for metal objects in refuse heaps and selling such after weighing them for a meager amount

“I got into the Redeemed Christian Church of God in 1973 while I was still in primary school; my mother took ill and had to be brought for prayers in the church at Ebute-Metta. It was in this church that I met Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye in whom I found a father and his wife Pastor Mrs. Folu Adeboye who equally has 32

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and led a musical group called Lagos State Chamber Orchestra. The group then was playing classical and contemporary music. We also played personal compositions. I was also in the school's choral group as a guitarist. I represented my secondary school as well as Lagos State in many musical competitions. I featured regularly on the television talent hunt programme called Let's Be a Star. And I won many laurels. I also had another programme on television where I was

influence. During the holidays he usually organized free lessons for all the students in the church. He brought in some teachers to come and assist him in some of the subjects.

In addition to the free holiday coaching, Pastor Adeboye also advised us as a father on important issues of our lives. He was very close to the youths and we loved him in return.

The first musical instrument that I ever

arts owned, a flute, which I play, being self-taught, was given to me by this great man of God. I later learnt that his wife, Mrs. Folu Adeboye, bought it for me from Kenya. Pastor Adeboye had special interest in me and did a lot to encourage me. I would not know whether God had shown him anything about me but I noticed that he was fond of me. Often, the big man would invite me into his car to listen to the strumming of my guitar. I very much appreciate the contributions of Pastor Dele Salewon in my life. When I got to Form Four I went to live with him at the Ikeja Cantonment until I gained admission into the Lagos State College of Education, Ijanikin. I imbibed tough military style training from him. His rules and regulations must not be flouted.

This disciplinarian did not tolerate any form of indiscipline or childhood pranks. Even, sneaking to play music in other churches was strictly prohibited. I had to abide by his dos and don'ts. I had no option than to behave myself since my mother had already released me to live with him. There was no thought of going back to my mother. This was hard at that time but I thank God for it today. It was not only discipline that I imbibed from Pastor Dele, I learnt a lot about music from him especially the guitar. He taught me my first chords E, F, C, G, on the guitar and I prayed for the Holy Spirit to continue with the lessons. Through the help of the Holy Ghost I developed my talent in my chosen career.

Another major impact of my association with Pastor Dele Salewon was the formation of a band, later named the Regenerated Singers, which grew out of the youth wing of our church. However, the band's vision soon came in conflict with that of the church choir.

This resulted in the band being banned from doing rehearsals in church, but the members were not excommunicated. They were allowed to worship in the church. In the light of this, Pastor Dele and I had to find other venues for our rehearsals. It was during this time of crisis that we met Brother John Omewa who was a friend of Pastor Dele Salewon. John, who had a tailoring shop at IdiAraba, had at this time accepted Christ into his life and so our chemistry mixed. Then a trio was formed with John perfecting the rhythm guitar. I switched over to the bass guitar. These events took place about 1979 to 1980 when I was still a schoolboy. When

The first musical instrument that I ever owned, a flute, which I play, being selftaught, was given to me by this great man of God. I later learnt that his wife, Mrs. Folu Adeboye, bought it for me from Kenya. Pastor Adeboye had special interest in me and did a lot to encourage me. I noticed that he was fond of me.

Pastor Adeboye became the general overseer in 1981, things changed. We were recalled. The ban placed on our performance in the church was lifted. We got the name Regenerated Singers for the band. Later Raphael Olatunji, who is presently the leader of the National Praise Team of The Redeemed Christian Church of God joined the band. He quickly learnt to play the drum set having been taught by the Gospel Sower led by Dele Ogedengbe.

Things were not all rosy. Choosing music as a profession was not easy at all. There were people who opposed my going into music. I remember a couple in the church branded

me as having familiar spirit, which according to them manifested in my ability to play the guitar and other musical instruments at an early age. This influential and wealthy couple once invited me to their house somewhere on the mainland area of Lagos. Oblivious of what would happen, I went with my guitar.

The rich man's wife then seized my guitar and broke it into pieces before my very eyes. She also threatened to send her dogs after me if she ever sees me with a guitar again. Lack of good role models among Nigerian musicians at the time made my mother to oppose my choosing music as a career. She even went as far as praying to God to stop me from becoming a musician. Musicians at the time were mainly noted for drugs and sex. No born again Christian mother would allow her son to join such people and be wallowing in sin. Even when I attempted to join the choir, I was chased away. However, I stood my ground and with the help of the Almighty God I triumphed and went into music fulltime.

At the early stage of my career, I had no musical hero. The artistes, who were very popular, like King Sunny Ade and Fela, were not born again Christians and I could not emulate them. As a matter of fact, it was because my mother did not want me to be like Fela that she opposed my choosing music as a career. She dreaded the vices as manifested in sex and drugs. As for King Sunny Ade, I loved his guitar playing and dancing but I could not emulate him. It was later when I discovered that Pastor Enoch Adeboye was a composer of gospel songs and that he even recorded an album that I started to have someone to emulate. In instrumental and foreign music, Don Moen of Integrity Music is the man whose music I love. He is highly anointed. I also love Justo Amario.

However, I had been playing my instrumental music before I came across these anointed artistes. I only came in contact with their music in 1993 and when I listened to them I knew they were anointed.

The saxophone with which I am very well identified came in after my healing. From my primary school I had been diagnosed with having lung problem. I was taken to so many hospitals for treatment but did not get any better. Rather it grew worse. People in the church wondered what was wrong with me.

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arts as Bentrade Limited who sponsored the production. The aim of the record was not really to make money but to pass on the message I had to the public and to express God's goodness in my life.

Some wondered why I could not receive my healing in the church. Others queried what I must have done. Thank God my healing came around the time daddy Adeboye had a miracle baby. Pastor Adeboye's miracle baby was such that came after three deliveries by caesarian section; his wife was advised by doctors not to get pregnant again in order to stay alive. The Lord proved the doctors wrong when she got pregnant and refused medical assistance during pregnancy and labour. By faith Pastor and Mrs. Adeboye held on to God Almighty for a normal delivery, which had hitherto eluded them. Contrary to doctors' report, she had a normal delivery. I used this miracle as a point of contact to pray to God for divine healing. I told God that if he heals me, I would blow any wind instrument to the glory of his name. In order to pay my vow, I picked up the recorder that daddy gave me and I used it to teach myself the saxophone and other wind instruments. This is how I came about the saxophone and other wind instruments. It is in paying my vow to the Lord and in worship of the Almighty.

Early in the ministry I was confronted by certain challenges, which included being cash strapped. It was amidst this lack of funds that a particular Muslim man, I believe, was sent to our school to convert people to Islam. He was really equipped for the job he was to do.

He was loaded. They wanted to do a longplaying record album and he invited me to be part of the recording. The money offered was good. Thirty-three thousand naira was dangled before me. This was a time when a Volkswagen car could be purchased for nine hundred naira and a good flat for a little amount of money. I told my Head of Department on campus, Mr. Kweku Harrison, who advised that I should accept the offer and not discriminate on the basis of

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religion. He said if I were a doctor would I not treat both Christians and Muslims? Well, I thank God for the Holy Spirit. On the day of the recording, the Holy Spirit came to me and asked for my full name. I mentioned it and he asked me when I would make the restitution if I ever agree to play and they give me credit at the back of the album. The situation in those days was such that we were taught the practice of restitution strongly in The Redeemed Christian Church of God. Restitution was compulsory if you were born again. If you ever told a lie or stole from your mother's pot or committed any sin before becoming born again, you must restitute as soon as you accept Christ as your Lord and Saviour. This was how we were brought up.

So with this in mind I ran away on the day of the recording. The fear of restitution, the burden that comes with it and what I believe in made me not to accept the offer. At the end of the day that album was done without a guitarist but it was very popular in the media and was also a commercial success. I thank God that I stuck to what I believe in. Later something inside of me was making fun of me, trying to make me regret not participating in the recording of a very “successful” album, even in the face of poverty and starvation. I thank God for his mercy and grace that saw me through in spite of financial difficulties.”

Kunle Ajayi who presently has about fifteen long-playing record albums in both the international and local markets speaks further about his career, “My first recording was done at Afrodisia Recording Studio, AbuleOja, Lagos in 1983 and it was released into the music market in 1984. The successful album was titled “Wa ba mi se.” In the production and marketing of the album, God used so many people for me. One of such people was the owner of a company known

Putting the album together was a great experience. Then one had to play all the musical instruments with proficiency. There should be no mistakes. Any mistake by any of the musicians meant that the particular track being recorded would be replayed and this was very cumbersome and could be a drain on the musician's pocket or that of his sponsor. The recording equipment was analogue and had only eight tracks, a far cry from the thirty and forty something tracks of today. Dubbing and over dubbing of instruments and voices were not really easy on the few tracks that we had then. Some of the artistes who did the first recording with me are still with me presently. Some were not members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. They include Kayode Adekunle, Paul Adekun who was a singer, Innocent Mirror who played the alto saxophone and Debo Norman Williams played the trumpet together with Kayode Obasa. Others were Temitope Onayiga who later became my wife, Remi Samuel, Tosin Odumosu who played the Conga (and the youngest member of the band who now plays the saxophone) and I played the lead guitar and Hawaiian guitar on that album. The album Wa Ba Mi Se was launched in several places in Lagos. First it was launched at Ikoyi Hotel and later at the Alamutu area of Lagos. It was again launched at the auditorium of the Yaba College of Technology, Yaba and at First Baptist Church, Ojota.

The second album titled How Great Thou Art, which came later was supposed to be launched by Pastor E. A. Adeboye who referred me to Dr. Mrs. Abisola Williams. She was the person who co-opted so many bigwigs into the event. Some of those present were Pastor Akin Denton and Dr. Olu Ayoola. The third album titled Emmanuel was launched at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs on Victoria Island. At the launch, Mrs. Folu Adeboye and the British High Commissioner, Anthony McRae, were present. Before this launch, I was already playing instrumental jazz, classical and educational music for the Cambridge Alumni

sports Association and I had a relationship with the British Embassy. When Mrs. Williams asked for whom I would want for the launch and I said the British High Commissioner, she requested Alero, Mrs. Ayida's daughter, to help in contacting the High Commissioner.

Before I started playing instrumental music I was a singer. However, the commission God gave me was to minister to the world in playing musical instruments not in singing.

Actually I saw myself in a vision. There was I, ministering with people of different colours and we were all playing instrumental music.

We did not sing. Then as I looked through the Bible I came to know that when evil spirit was tormenting King Saul, those attending to him looked for someone who was prudent in playing a musical instrument. Again when a prophet of old wanted to prophesy, he asked for someone who was skillful in playing the instrument not in singing. The Holy Spirit ministered to me that whenever I play His Presence would be there. God confirmed this through the mouth of my daddy in the Lord, Pastor Adeboye. He knew what the Lord was trying to tell me. He was the one who really led me to into my destiny. There was a particular convention we had and he came to listen to the music we planned to play. He seemed to enjoy the instrumentals more. I tried to play Beethoven pieces and stuff like that. Then when I played Heaven Came Down, that piece touched his soul. He said, “Let us clap for Kunle Ajayi.” He further said, “You played very well but that Heaven Came Down touched my soul. Heaven really came down. That is the kind of music you should be playing.” That was when I entered into my destiny. This was in 1992. God showed me that the music ministry is not about showmanship or display of skill, but it is about anointing. The Holy Spirit then reminded me the vision he showed me before this incident.

Before this encounter, I had made about four long-playing record albums. I had been mixing instrumentals with vocals even in my recordings. In 1996, I did an album that was purely instrumental under Emmanuel Communications in London. The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Jesus House, London, owns the label. It was titled In His Presence. It is still selling today. I have lost count of the sales figure. It was the first

arts instrumental music produced by a Nigerian gospel artiste as well as the first instrumental music on compact disc produced by a Nigerian. When we first started, the music style was strange, now it is spreading and it is accepted. People were initially skeptical about it. It is now a thing of joy that the Lord could use me to start something good. When the Lord commissioned me to do an instrumental album and I told my daddy in the Lord, he simply said I should go ahead and do the recording. When he asked me for the title I said I do not know. I then inquired of the Lord what title he would want me to give to the project. He said, “In His Presence.” God told me that anywhere the music is played His Presence would be there. So from that time for all of my albums I inquired from the Lord what name each should bear. I allow the Holy Spirit to dictate and he gives whatsoever name that pleases him. For the second instrumental, he gave, “Dew of Heaven, In His Presence Part II.” This was also done in London. It was launched in London. Kenny's Music showed keen interest in the Dew of Harmon in Nigeria. Ronke Onadeko and her sisters were the financiers of the project.

In addition to recording and playing in churches and crusades, we started the entertainment and ministration programmes known as Jazz and Christ and Jazz For Christ.

This was the first time that we took our gospel and jazz music out of the church environment and direct to a relaxed, nonreligious and commercial atmosphere. They were very successful outings. Public response was good. Conservative Christians then, however, did not believe that Christians should get involved in such a programme. For the first one, I flew in from Germany to stage it at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos. There was a repeat of the show by popular demand at Motherlan in Opebi area of Ikeja, Lagos.

The shows stopped because of the demand and attention to be paid to other things of God, which are also very important.

However, I am praying for time to create something like that again.

Presently, as the coordinating pastor for the music department in the Redeemed Christian Church of God, I am only assisting the General Overseer in music matters. This is not a small job since we are dealing with a very large choir, which is still growing bigger and

better daily. Members of the choir are drawn from the various provinces of the church. I would say that the grace of God is sufficient for us. God himself is in charge of the mass choir and he is working through our father in the Lord, Pastor E. A. Adeboye. Pastor Adeboye gives the direction through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He is our guide.

When I look back at what the Lord has done with us, I give glory to God. We have so many challenges but we also have somebody there who is saying go ahead you can do it. We find out that the Holy Spirit is helping us. Nobody can say it is by any man's doing. It is simply God and He is still purging us. He is still doing a lot of things. There was a time Pastor Adeboye came to rehearse with us and he transferred the anointing on him to us. As we were playing God came down. It is His Presence that I am looking for each time we gather. Even during rehearsals, it is this manifestation of the Holy Spirit that I look for.”

As a matter of fact, it was because my mother did not want me to be like Fela that she opposed my choosing music as a career. It was later when I discovered that Pastor Enoch Adeboye was a composer of gospel songs and that he even recorded an album that I started to have someone to emulate.

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TIMELESS

35

activities for Preschool Children from Age 2-5

JUNE 2014

VICTORIA TANDOH

PreSchooler

TIMELESS

37

R