Chronicles of a polluted region

Chronicles of a polluted region 
BY PRISCA SAM-DURU 

At a time when the debauchery of youths which has resulted into total mental breakdown, gross involvement in all manner of vices, is at an alarming stage, it’s heart-warming to know that there are still few remnant committed to leading a good life. Delta State-born young award-winning writer, Peter Ukwa is one of such dedicated youths who are bent on impacting the society positively. It is even more encouraging seeing he decided to do this through his pen. His first collection of short stories, River People and Other Stories, published by Words Rhymes & Rhythm Limited, Jabi District, Abuja, attests to this. The book, an 80-page collection of 8 amazing short stories including True Independence which won the Association of Nigerian Authors’ (ANA) Centenary Literary Prize, directs the searchlight on some pressing issues still plaguing the Niger-Delta region. Coming at a period when there are intensified efforts to salvage what is left of the Niger Delta, the book which tells stories of family, people and culture of Africa, underscores the importance of patriotism, good leadership and non-violent revolution. True Independence, The Second Letter, Flower Vase, Wireless, The Poor Rich Man, The Stepmother, Nneka and River People are the 8 subtitles contained in the book. The Political Science graduate from the Niger Delta University, employs a simple narrative technique carefully laced with African proverbs such that the contents can be enjoyed by any age bracket. 
The use of flash backs as well as suspense as the dominating technique, usually climaxing in the core message he intends sending across, do well to hold the reader spell-bound until the last word is consumed. The Niger-Delta struggles against environmental disaster is a major feature in the book. The author brings to the fore, issues surrounding pipeline vandalism, oil spillages and the resulting environmental degradation which have over the years, plagued the Niger-Deltans. The book also documents selfless services of heroes such as Ken Saro Wiwa and others who fought to ensure that the region is made habitable for its people. Instance of this is seen in True Independence where Ukwa relives memories of incidences of fire resulting from burst pipeline which engulfed all those who scooped crude at the site. The fire also destroyed farm lands. In Flower Vase, readers are confronted with some of the demerits of military regime. In presenting that, he cleverly fuses family life with serious issues such as coup d’etat, using the later as potent suspense mechanism to arrest his readers’ attention. In the title story, River People, the author examines the huge difference between violent and non-violent revolution. And corroborating the stance of countries like America and revolutionary leader, Martin Luther King Jr., the book adopts the non-violent approach to resolving issues. This method yields an appreciable result as against violence that consumes the key players in the struggle. With his simple narrative style which no doubt, is reminiscent of late the literary legend, Professor Chinua Achebe; accounts of most unfortunate incidences of fire from vandalised or ruptured oil pipeline, unholy killings of youth corps members posted to the Northern part of the country, Peter Ukwa has proved himself, a voice people should watch out for. Unlike most books especially coming from fresh voices, River People and Other Stories is not laddened with typographic errors. The title is direct and suggestive of the content, the language is simple, apt and makes for easy assimilation. Since the stories are told through the eyes of a young boy, the cover design is appropriate and speaks volumes of the author creative ingenuity. River People And Other Stories is recommended for the reading pleasure of every family, school and all ages.

Child-rapists should have their genitals cut off -Ita-Giwa

Child-rapists should have their genitals cut off -Ita-Giwa

By Prisca Sam-Duru

Senator Florence Ita-Giwa yesterday said the best way to end rape and sexual assault in the country is by ensuring that convicted rapists get capital punishment which does not entail killing them but cutting off their genitals.

Ita-Giwa, who represented Cross River in the Senate and later served as Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters to former President Goodluck Jonathan, spoke as a special guest at 'Magenta and Black Art & Fashion for charity, a fund raising exhibition for Mirabel Centre, held at the British Council, Lagos by a group under the aegis of Friends of Mirabel. She maintained that throwing child-rapists into prison is not enough justice but cutting off their genitals will ensure they do not use them on other children.

Making reference to accounts of rape by two survivors at the event, Ita-Giwa said "The lady said she was happy that she got justice for her 4-year old daughter who was raped by two men but in my mind, if I were a judge and a man is brought to court for raping a child, he will receive capital punishment. But I will say don't kill him, rather let him live his life in pain, let his organ be cut off. He should not be allowed the pleasure of using that organ anymore. If the organ is not cut off, at the end of his term in prison he will use it on another woman. Fortunately for them, I'm no longer in the chambers but I will find a way to get it into the chambers. This is the proper way to end the evil of rape in the society.

While commending Mirabel Centre for its commitment towards rehabilitating survivors of sexual assault and rape, she pledged support to the Centre and called on all to join in the fight against rape and sexual assault.

Also speaking, the Managing Partner at Partnership for Justice and Founder Mirabel Centre, Mrs Itoro Eze-Anaba said that the situation has reached an alarming stage such that girls are no longer safe in their homes since fathers and uncles rape them. 

"Rape is not a girls' or women's issue it is a community issue because boys are also being raped daily. The implication is that if we do not end it, the abused may end up as an abuser and a time will come when the society will be filled with abusers.", Mrs Eze-Anaba said.

She called on good spirited individuals and organizations to support Mirabel Centre so as to continue with the good work of protecting children.

US supports safe return of  the kidnapped, abused by Boko Haram

 As we approach the second anniversary of the kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian girls from their school in Chibok, the United States again calls for the immediate release, without preconditions, of all hostages held by Boko Haram.  The kidnapping of these young women, along with the kidnappings of countless others by Boko Haram, epitomizes this terrorist group’s depravity.

The United States continues to assist the Nigerian government’s efforts to locate and bring home all those who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram with intelligence and advisory support.  The United States is also delivering over $240 million in development and humanitarian assistance across the Lake Chad Basin region to provide conflict-affected populations and refugees with transitional assistance, psycho-social services, health programs, and emergency education for children displaced by violence.

British Minister visits Nigeria

British Minister visits Nigeria

UK Minister for International Development, Nick Hurd, has arrived in Nigeria on his first trip to the country. During his stay, Minister Hurd will focus on Britain’s assistance for the humanitarian situation in the northeast, as well the UK’s support for increasing the use of solar energy. Minister Hurd will also participate in a range of discussions with the Nigerian Government to emphasise the importance of good governance and accountability in ensuring poverty reduction.

Minister Hurd will use part of his visit to focus on the humanitarian situation in the northeast and will explore what more can be done to protect civilians affected by conflict with Boko Haram. He will also meet with the Bring Back Our Girls Campaign at the end of their Global Week of Action.

Over the course of the visit, Minister Hurd will also meet with industry representatives and business leaders to discuss the potential for large-scale business development in Nigeria, as well as innovative work on recycling and waste management that can improve the lives of poorer citizens. The Minister will view projects to witness the support the UK is giving to the development of Nigeria’s rapidly growing solar energy market. This forms part of the UK’s Energy Africa campaign, which aims to light up the African continent quickly without resorting to technology with high-emissions.

Home-based writers lack good editorial management — Kole Omotosho

Home-based writers lack good editorial management — Kole Omotosho 

 By Prisca Sam-Duru 

Kole Omotosho is one of the Patrons of the prestigious Etisalat Prize for Literature and one of Nigeria’s veteran writers who has played leading roles in promoting African literature globally. In this interview, Omotosho shares his thoughts on the essence of Etisalat Prize for Literature, why no Nigerian has won the prize since inception and other sundry issues affecting writers. Excerpt.


ASIDE giving writers opportunity to showcase their debut novels, what has the Etisalat Prize For Literature done? 
try to define an area which we thought is not being catered for and also to expand the field so that its not just writers who are based on the continent and blacks writing in Englsh but writers irrespective of their language. Once the writers have ancestral link to Africa, their publishers can make their novels available. Also, to encourage quality works, we don’t deal with self publishing because of lack of critical…though I’ve known a few writers like Ken Saro Wiwa who would do incredible editing of their works as if they belong to somebody else. Yet we insist publishers make the works available. Insisting that publishers submit works of writers is just to ensure that there has been prior editing and re-editing because by the time you read a page or two of the poorly edited works you know they aren’t going anywhere. It is a major criteria that we don’t want self published works in the competition. 


•Prof Kole Omotosho 

We’ve seen Zimbabwe, South Africa and DRC Congo come tops, considering quality of their works, how would you rate African literature? 
There’s no problem with the quality of works, our problem is how do we find the market for African literature, how do we create a ready market for it, and this is where Etisalat Prize is different. This Prize has a list of more than 50 outlets, libraries across the continent where copies of these books are sent each year. I have about 5 different libraries, one in Cape Town, Jo’Burg, two in Akure, etc where I send each copy of the three final books to, each year. And I get feedback on how much people are reading them. So one of the things the Etisalat Prize does is to do the distribution to schools, state libraries and anywhere, just to make sure we find readers for African literature.

 Are you not bothered that for three consecutive times, no Nigerian has won the Etisalat Prize For Literature.?
I’m not bothered , why should I be bothered, most of the people who have been winning the Booker Prize are not all English people. People who win the Pulitzer Prize in America, Dele Olajede… we cannot begin with that limited vision. Yes, I think two or three Nigerians have appeared in the long and short list but its up to the judges, I don’t know what the result is gonna be until it is announced. None of us received the long list or shortlist. I mean I’ve just started reading these three final books and I’m hoping that by Saturday I would have finished them so that by the time the result is announced I would be able to say okay, this or that. I’m not bothered. 

Could it be that there is something we are not getting right?
Yes! there are things we are not getting right, our writings especially of those who are at home are not as tight and as rigorous as the writings by Nigerians outside. You read Teju Coal or any of these other guys and compare with what is being published in the country, you will be surprised. There is need for greater editorial management but how many publishers in this country care about manuscripts. So the writer is thrown on his or her own and that is where work has to be done. We cannot interfere in terms of who wins or who doesn’t win.

 After winning some laurels in the 80s, you moved to South Africa, what motivated such movement when you were already doing great? 
Well the circumstance of my leaving Nigeria was basically, two things, I had a primary challenge with ‘Just Before Dawn’ when it came out, the Military going all out simply threatening saying that they are not going to court, they are not going to do anything, Obasanjo went to court to stop the publication of the book because he said I said something which he said wasn’t right, so I decided to simply get out and let my publisher handle it.The second was more of a fundamental problem. As a university professor, I looked at my prospects and I looked at the children I had to train and I couldn’t see how if I continue as a university professor in Nigeria, I would be able to give them good education as I received from my parents. So, to that extent, I needed to go somewhere where I could be myself, practice my art as a theatre person, do my teaching and writing. At that particular time, South Africa was going through major changes, but teaching engagements as well as theatre in London and Lesotho kept me busy as time went on. One of the things that happened was that I did a small advert for an emerging phone company, Vodacom that became one of the major companies in the world and that cut on, for almost 15 to 20 years, I was involved in that and of course that gave me a greater profile in the country. That means that profile can aid Nigeria, aid Nigeria literature and aid Nigerians in South Africa, giving a totally different positive image of people from the country

. Can you be more specific? 
Well, I’ve been lucky my children are all successful and yes, in a way its almost like being able to bring up kids in a different environment but where they don’t forget home. If you watch any of Akin’s films, or you read Yewande’s novels, or the poetry that Folayon writes (his children), you will know that as Niyi Osundare always calls me, ‘We carried everything with us from Nigeria…’ In any way, I feel fulfilled that so much has been done. The challenge I have now is how does one make up in old age, for going away. The going away on a personal level, very successful, but on the more social Nigerian based level, I feel dismayed. 

makes you think they wouldn’t have been successful if you didn’t leave the country?

The systems in which Yewande, Akin and Folayan studied and operated in allowed them to build for themselves and succeed but that is what is lacking in Nigeria. Our system here does not work. So many of our young people are talented but that talent is not picked up by the system that should pick it and that is where the problem is. That is why we are trying to see how can we set up infrastructure that would help us to build, that will make it possible for our young people to move forward. So, that is it but it is obvious that being outside Nigeria, helped a lot.

Yoruba Lalokun, promoting indegenous language in Nigeria

Yoruba Lalokun, promoting indegenous language in Nigeria

by Prisca Sam-Duru

When Adesewa Oyinkansola, student of Yaba College of Technology Secondary School, performed two poems in Yoruba language to the delight of the audience at the quarterly cultural programme, Yoruba Lakotun, the applause that followed proved that her dexterity was highly appreciated.

The applause turned into a standing ovation when she said, “I challenged my Mum that I do not want to be a stranger to my culture. My Mum agreed and today, I prefer to read my Yoruba Bible and wear Yoruba clothes.”

Her performance paved way for discussions and lamentations of how Nigerians are fast losing their indigenous languages to those of foreigners.

It was however, observed that Parents are responsible for creating a gap between children and their roots through the systematic neglect of their indigenous language.

Speaking at the cultural event hosted by Olutayo Irantiola last week at the Ethnic Heritage Centre, Ikoyi, Lagos, Mr Ayoade Okedokun, author of Ika Abamo, Omo Elede and other books in Yoruba and English languages, said, “there are certain words that cannot be translated into Yoruba language because it has no equivalent in English and vice versa.

He lamented that “Parents pay schools to teach the children English language, while the children should learn Yoruba language from their parents and immediate community. Unfortunately, many people muddled up these roles which are distinctly separate. Parents should both cooperate to ensure that their children understand the language so as not to be separated from their roots.”

Also, Ms Adebunmi Adeniran, Chief Executive of Nailangs, a virtual keyboard that can type 12 Nigerian languages with the tonal marks, expressed shock at the rate in which Yorubas make it compulsory that their children speak English when Yorubas in the Diaspora are keen about making their children understand the yoruba language.

She stressed that “Our mother tongue needs to be a reference point for many generations to come and we have to ensure that it is preserved with the use of technology and also orally as passed down from one generation to another.

The programme was dedicated to Benin Republic, a country where Yoruba language has just been adopted as the second language. Although, there is a slight variation of their Yoruba with that of those at the core of the language, it is a right step in the right direction.

Participants at the event called upon the Nigerian Government to emulate this idea rather than making International languages compulsory at the expense of Nigerian languages at all levels of learning.

File:13/03/2016\Yoruba Language (Pix) 13/03/2016/Yoruba Language

With Sandra and Child, 3,000 children have access to education

With Sandra and Child, 3,000 children have access to education — Sandra, Miss Globe

By Prisca Sam-Duru 

WITH the view to helping the Nigerian child through with quality education and entrepreneurship skills, Sandra and Child, a non-governmental organisation has flagged-off its Project 3,000 initiative tagged, “Lifting up children from poverty”. Vanguard encountered the founder of the organisation, Miss Sandra Ogbebor, during the launch of her pet project in Lagos. “The Project 3000 is an intervention and timely initiative especially owing to the high level of poverty ravaging homes due to the economy crisis the country is facing leading to drop outs and children used as child labour. Also, the project is timely as it is a positive response to reducing the rate of youth involvement in societal vices such as kidnapping, ritual killings, oil pipeline vandalisation and Boko Haram insurgency which have become prevalent.

 The Project 3,000 involves teaching at least a child who in turn teaches at least two or three other with the skills learned. Sandra and Child is poised to assist the Nigerian child in all areas of life particularly education and entrepreneurship. Its objective is to help bring up children such that they learn skills that will engage them positively as they grown up. The organisation has realised the uncommon importance of education to any given society and so, is committed to ensuring that the Nigerian child gets affordable and quality education. As education plays a major development role in the child and society, we believe entrepreneurship is also important to tag along with the quality education that Sandra and Child is giving to the children. It included the entrepreneurship programme owing to the overwhelming level of unemployment in the country. On a yearly basis, tertiary institutions graduate individuals who are pushed into the labour market so, it has become necessary for us at Sandra and Child to use our God-given talents, opportunities and contacts to assist them through scholarships to live a meaningful life. This is purely to save the Nigerian child from untold bleak future that lies ahead of them even after graduation. The centre believes that applying entrepreneurial trainings to the Nigerian children would help them become self reliant and in turn, become employers of labour.” She said.