Poetry: Found

"And when I saw her"

"I could not forget"

"Her eyelids dropped"

"Her hair seemed wet"

"She seemed not to know"

"That I was he"

"She'd always been let down"

"Unlucky in love,you see"

"And yet I was opportuned"

"To ask her hand"

"She looked and said"

"You build castles in the sand"

"I knelt and uttered"

"Let me be your knight"

"For even one as fair as you"

"Needs someone to fight"

"So here I stand"

"On the brink of insanity"

"Knowing ders no such love"

"As that with two who are crazy"

Amos George

June 12, 1993: The Annulled Hope of the Common Man

In the history of Nigeria till date, the freest and fairest election according to history was conducted on the 12th of June, 1993. On this day, the whole nation trooped down in their hundreds and thousands to cast their vote for their ideal candidates. Although the election was rendered inconclusive by an annulment, nevertheless, the Hope ’93; Farewell to Poverty was the song everyone chewed.

 

From Abeokuta, Ogun State to Epetedo, Lagos state to Onitsha, Bauchi, Anambra, Ibadan, Kano, Sokoto even down to Bashir Tofa’s hometown; the rainbow that adorned the sky was M.K.O Abiola’s gospel of free education, better healthcare system, freedom of expression amongst others. The excitement of Nigerians would later become a thing of shock when the then military government led by General Ibrahim Babangida annulled the election. This singular act ushered our beloved country into a cacophony of sorrow.

 

Read: Biography of Actress Kehinde Bankole

 

Later, that same year was power taken over by another military government led by Gen. Sanni Abacha who threw the common man’s Hope into confinement for four years with just a Bible, a Qur’an and 14 soldiers because of the proclamation in Epetedo, Lagos State where Abiola declared himself president.

Although, May 29 was the day the military officially handed over power but it is evident that the spirit behind June 12 can never be underestimated, it shows the real struggles for democracy. It shows the sincerity of our leaders to build a better nation, it shows mental awareness created.

We should remember today and every other day the line of our national anthem,
“…the labour of our leaders past shall never be in vain”.

We should remember all those that lay their lives down for the democracy we tread upon. We should remember the bloods and sweats of comrades that looked tyranny in the face and claimed for us democracy.
We should remember today as the day our nation opened its eyes to Hope.

ODEBODE, KARIMOT OLABISI
 

[email protected]

Dyslexia: One Disorder I DON’T MIND

I know the title of this article is quite strange. Do I really want to have a disorder? Probably not! Still, there is something that really intrigues me about this one.

Sometime back, I watched this Indian movie: ‘Like Stars on Earth’, and I have to say, that movie hurled me into a deep thought that totally transformed my mindset—and yes, it is an amazing Indian movie. Before watching it, I had heard of the learning disorder, dyslexia, but this movie

made me see it in a new light. ‘Like Stars on Earth’ is the story of a young boy who probably has

the most incredible and artistic mind I had ever seen—yet he had dyslexia, an impaired ability to

read and write. He could make amazing art out of anything—but words and numbers, not so

much. See, academically, he had the mind of an infant but artistically, his artwork spoke volumes. You can of course imagine how almost impossible it was to fit into the school system of learning and grading. He was constantly ridiculed and mocked until someone helped him discover his true potentials. After watching that movie, I went back to do a deep study on the

disorder. You should have guessed by now that this article is about Dyslexia. What really

prompted me to do this was when in the movie a good number of iconic personalities were listed

as having dyslexia: Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Agatha Christie, Pablo Picasso, and

Leonardo Da Vinci etc. My discovery completely blew me away! I encountered notable

personalities who I had previously never imagined having dyslexia, and all that kept

reverberating through my head was: What!!! How? What could possibly have made the difference? So after a lot of research, I came up with a thought that I just had to share. I need to note here that this article is a very passionate and thought provoking piece and will challenge some ideologies.

What is Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is simply an impaired ability to read and write. Generally, people with dyslexia appear bright and intelligent but are unable to read write or spell

well. It is not a behavior problem, though people often mislabel it as one; it is a learning

disorder. Writing is almost always incoherent – letters inverted, words misspelt or reversed etc.

(e.g. ‘b’ instead of a ‘d’, ‘tac’ instead of ‘cat’). It is often difficult to pronounce properly and read

as words often appear to ‘swim in the text’. Numbers as well suffer the same fate. Dyslexics find

it hard to exhibit ordinary motor skills like gripping a pencil and writing. Generally, dyslexia can

be helped but not cured and people who have dyslexia can only learn through creative learning techniques.

Famous Personalities with Dyslexia

The first thing that literally blew my mind was this long list of persons that have, had or are suspected of having dyslexia and I will list here just a few of them:

 Albert Einstein (record breaking IQ)

 Pablo Picasso (amazing artist)

 Tom Cruise (actor)

  Thomas Edison (the light bulb)

 Leonardo Da Vinci

 Agatha Christie (bestselling novelist)

 Alexander Graham Bell (the telephone)

 Walt Disney (animator)

 Winston Churchill (one of the greatest political leaders and Nobel prize winner)

 Steve Jobs (Apple)

 Ludwig van Beethoven (Classical pianist)

 George Washington

 Whoopi Goldberg (actress)

 Henry Ford

 Warren Buffet

 Nelson Rockefeller

Even Bill Gates admitted to having Dyslexia! Allow me to zero in on Agatha Christie for a

moment. She is my favorite writer of all-time. She specifically writes mystery and investigative

novels and among some of her most popular works are: ‘Murder on the Orient Express’, ‘The

Mysterious Affair at Styles’ and ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’. And wait for it…her books are

outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible! She holds the Guinness World Record of being the

bestselling novelist of all time. As a lover of mystery and investigative novels, I have yet to see

the kind of creativity she employs anywhere else, and after reading, I always think to myself, ‘what kind of mind could this have come from?’ Yet Agatha Christie had dyslexia. In her words, “I, myself, was always recognized…as the „slow one‟ in the family. Writing and spelling were always terribly difficult for me”. It is pretty mind blowing how such a renowned writer could have had difficulty reading and writing!

Like I said when I started, the question that really plagued my mind was ‘what could possibly have made the difference?’ because it pretty much seems like so many marks had been hit by people who have an impaired ability to read and write that many other ‘normal’ people haven’t even dreamed of. What exactly is the difference? Is there something here to learn? Could it be that dyslexia is a good thing? (I trust my fellow Nigerians to readily utter ‘tufiakwa – God forbid!’) But then, if there is an advantage that these guys have, why are we not seeing it and how to we exploit it so that across board, we can all make serious impact. I set out to answering these questions and I stumbled on a very ‘crazy’ thought (by crazy here, I mean unusual and rather remarkable). Here is what I think…

Uchenna Umeano is a freelance writer, from Anambra State.

5 Facts You Need to know about Body Physiotheraphy in Nigeria

Body physiotherapy, which is also known as physical therapy is a physical treatment that improves the mobility and function of the affected area in the body. This physical  treatment can be in form of movement and exercise,icing, hydrotherapy, massaging and so on. There are different kinds of physical therapy treatment depending on the kind of  disease you have. Physiotherapy can also be used to treat injuries,motor accident,joint pains, obesity, chronic and back pain.

 

Most people don't see the importance of physical therapy. They prefer to use the modern drugs prescribed by doctors than visiting the therapist. Below are five(5) facts you need to know about body phyiotherapy. 

 

1. It prevents Sports-related Injuries

Since it is said that some of the ways in which one can get the physical treatment is through movement and exercise therefore, it is clearly known that physiotherapy will sure prevent one from sports related injuries. 

 

2. It helps to improve overall strength

Physiotherapy helps in strengthening of bones and joints. If there's any  symptoms of weakness, it is advisable to visit the therapist and get yourself a physical treatment that'll help you get back your strength. 

3. It makes one depend less on medicines

As we all know, modern drugs do have side effects but physical therapy don't have. If going for physiotherapy will make me get heal with no side effects why should I go for the modern drugs then?

 

4.  It helps reduce pain or eliminate it completely

Going through therapy session will help reduce the pain in the affected area and in some cases it get them eliminated completely. The primary aim of physical therapy is to reduce  pain and make it able for the affected area to function well again without any form of pain in the future. 

 

Read: Biography of Emeka Nobis

 

5.  Helps patient to recover from stroke:

Physiotherapy will help  strengthen the part that got paralysed with  stroke and get it reformed and it begins to function just as the way it should. 

There are lots more facts about physiotherapy but this article gives the best  5. Read, digest and visit physiotherapist in order to get yourself treated with the physical treatment and say bye bye to vertigo, obesity, in any kind of pain. 

10 Interesting Throwback Photos of Nigerian Celebrities

In our metro article today, we

Read: Biography of Alhaji Aliko Dangote

1. Debo Adebayo (Mr Macaroni)

Conclusion

Crime Meets Criminality: Human Nature or Inhumanity?

Be a good human being, a warm hearted, affectionate person. That is my  fundamental belief- DALAI LAMA


Sometimes, I think that humans, are birthed with the tendency to commit crimes and engage in forms of criminalities. Most times, I end up brushing off the thought because I have met people who are true definitions of humanity. Judging by recent happenings, I concluded that we have more percentage who are inherently wicked and evil. This claim is not far-fetched as it is evidently seen in the story of Abel and Cain.

It saddens my heart and brings tears to my optics when I see the high rate of crimes in this century. Once in a while, I wish to take an investigative journey to the past centuries to understudy if crimes were these high then. Rapes, murders, racism among other crimes are being reported almost everyday. All these social vices want me to question where humans humanity and tolerance have gone to?

The past days have been virtually eventful, but sadly, for negative reasons. In these past days, we have heard and read of killings, rape and murder. But the cases that stood out were that of a teenager who was 'mistakenly' murdered in cold blood, a lady who was brutalised a a result of rape and a black man who suffered the consequence of being black.
READ: Coronavirus: Career Tamed, Professionalism Tampered
Police brutality is something not new to Nigerians. The numbers of those killed in the first two weeks of the lock down were more than the total that were  killed by the Coronavirus. Police's insatiability for corruption can not be imagined. They can do anything when their illegal requests are  not attended to by drivers. But what I could not come to terms with is why would a supposedly law enforcement agent fired a gun carelessly: something that should not be done by civilians like me. Many results of the police brutality and rash decisions have been reported in recent times. The most recent of such brutality and senseless shooting was that of Tina Ezekwe. Tina who was a teenager was hit by a police officer's misfire shot at Iyana Oworo area of Lagos state. I will like to see it as a murder case  rather than a case of manslaughter. Tina at the time of her death was aged 16 and due to sit for her WAEC examination this year. Yes, I called it a case of murder because nothing gave the police officer the reason and audacity to rashly and unreasonably fire. I would not want to start imagining the state the girl's parent would be at this time. We keep hearing young minds are the leaders of tomorrow, but it seems to me  that everything is being coordinately put in place that the paradigm never comes to fruition. An example should be made out of the police officer in question so as to serve as a deterrent to other trigger- happy police officers.



Rape cases have been prevalent, not only in Nigeria, but also all over the world in recent times. Those who religiously follow international updates would give an acceptable nod to this claim. Hardly would a day pass without at least a reported case of rape. Nigeria stands among countries recording cases of rape in recent times. In a report, it was said at least a girl child is raped everyday in Nigeria. But the rape case of Uwa serve as one of the backdrop for writing this piece. I find it unbelievable that the victim was raped and brutalised inside a church! The late Uwavera Omozuwa was a 200-level Uniben student who had decided to take the church a reading centre as a result of this covid-19 pandemic when all institutions are under lock and key. As her usual habit, the late Uwa on Saturday, May 30 decided to visit her reading base which was a redeemed church for another reading session before she was pounced on by vagina-hungry predators. She was badly raped and brutalised. I will rather not focus on the fact that the criminal, disgusting and ungodly act was carried out inside a church as the perpetrators may be infidels or atheists, not that I have problems with them being infidels or atheists as everyone is entitled to his/her beliefs. But I will rather focus on the inhumanity displayed by these individuals. Another rape case involving 14 men raping a young girl was reported in Jigawa this morning. There is nothing we can call that  than it is an act of wickedness. I hold the opinion that more stringent laws should be passed on any cases involving rape. Many women are raped and they have to live with the stain and stigma for the rest of their lives. Some are not strong enough, they would rather take solace in murder. There should be no place in the world where women will feel insecure as right to life  and property is one of the fundamental human rights. As a result of consiszent reports of rape cases, many women would leave their homes in fear of being way laid or raped. In this Uwa's case, humanity has definitely gone on an expedition of no return.

Uwa
The Late Uwa
                      

Humanity decided earlier this week to take another break when an innocent man suffered the consequence of being born black. The current event has generated reactions all over the world. Since the occurrence of the incident, nationwide protests have been going on in the United States of America. George Floyd suffered a tragedy of police brutality in Minneapolis, Minnesota in America not because he was asked for bribe or refusing police arrest or shot at a police officer, but because he was black. His death was just that of circumstances birthed by the world we live in. Racism has been around for as long as I could remember and many have kissed the mother earth as victims of racism. A sneak peek to books like Native sons, Sizwe Bansi is dead, Second class citizen and a host of other  negro oriented work of arts: prose, poetry and drama will sharpen one's mind and take one on a long memory lane. Africa was blindly looted by whites for more than a hundred years. Even after independence, we are still enslaved by their Ideas. Years after breaking the shackles of imperialism and colonialism, Africans still struggle for acceptability. The White see black as nobody, especially, in the White man's land. It is the highest degree of inhumanity to kneel on someone's neck and others present would just derive pleasure in the whole scenario by laughing away. Even after pleading for his dear life, they didn't bulge. George Floyd's offence was that he was black. I find it nauseating that people judge by  colours. Nobody holds any decision on the colour he would be birthed. I was born black not because I had a choice, but because I was lucky to be born black. You were born White not because you had a choice, but because you were lucky to be born White. I think the United Nations Organisation should try everything possible to put an end to any forms of racism around the world. As a result of racism, Africans live in fear of being abused, maligned and marginalised because of the colour of the skins. The protests in America that have sent the United States' president to the white house bunker should send a strong message to other countries what racism can cause and that being black is not an aberration.

The Late George Floyd
                 
READ: 'I Can't Breathe'' - The Murder of George Floyd
An anonymous author said, "Humanity should be our race. Love should be our religion." I hold the opinion that humanity should come first before anything. We are set of religious people, but lacking in the area of humanity. This world would be a better place to live on if we are able to balance religion and humanity.

Twin Sisters Impregnated by Same Man in Akwa Ibom Dedicate Children

Twin sisters who were impregnated by the same man in Akwa Ibom have dedicated their children in church. According to a Facebook user, FearGod Akpakpan, who posted the story in a Facebook group (Sitippe Akwa Ibom), he said the dedication took place on Sunday, June 25, at Christian evangelistic church Ikpe Akpa Ewe, Oruk Anam LGA in Akwa Ibom State.

Read also: Biography of Actress Kehinde Bankole

 

The post, however, has caused an outrage as members of the group are accusing the church of promoting polygamy while others celebrating the man and his family. See more photos and reaction from people after the cut..

5 Ways to Ensure the Inclusion of PWDs in Our Society

 

 

The Harmful Effects of Shisha - Plague or Pleasure?

 

Hookah, Narghile, Waterpipe, or Hubble Bubble smoking, popular as Shisha in this part of the world is a way of smoking tobacco, sometimes mixed with fruit or molasses sugar, through a bowl and hose or tube. It is a glass-bottomed water pipe in which fruit-flavoured tobacco is covered with foil and roasted with charcoal. The tobacco smoke passes through a water chamber and is inhaled deeply and slowly; the fruit-flavoured tobacco tastes smooth and smells sweet, making it an enjoyable and unrushed experience.


Shisha pipes use tobacco sweetened with fruit or molasses sugar, making the smoke more aromatic than cigarette smoke. Popular flavourings include Apple, Plum, Coconut, Mango, Mint and Strawberry . The tube ends in a mouthpiece from which the smoker inhales the smoke from the substances being burnt into their lungs.

How Harmful is Shisha?

It’s difficult to say exactly how much smoke or toxic substances an individual is exposed to in a typical shisha session. People smoke Shisha for a much longer period of time than they smoke a cigarette, and in one puff of Shisha you inhale the same amount of smoke as you’d get from smoking a whole cigarette. Shisha smoking appears to increase the risk of several Cancers (lung, esophageal, and gastric), Pulmonary diseases (impaired pulmonary function, chronic bronchitis, and emphysema), Coronary artery disease, Periodontal disease, Obstetrical and Perinatal problems (low birth weight and pulmonary problems at birth), larynx and voice changes, and osteoporosis.

Is Herbal Shisha Healthier?

No it isn’t. Shisha, herbal or not, usually contains tobacco. Fruit or herbal flavours do not mean the product is healthy.  Using a tobacco-free shisha still put the individual at risk from the Carbon monoxide and any toxins in the coal or charcoal used to burn the Shisha.

Second hand smoke is also a worry. If you’re smoking with other people or in a public place and the Shisha includes cigarette tobacco, it’s likely you’ll breathe in their second hand smoke too.

                 

Short Story: The Shooting Star

Adetoun walked down the streets slowly, she looked quite torn between two worlds – the world of reality and that of her thoughts. She mistakenly bumped into a dark young man who seemed to be in a hurry; this was met with a series of insults. She quickly did her best to apologize to him, but he was gone already. She composed herself immediately, and sat down on the bonnet of a car.

Adetoun was a beautiful lady, dark in complexion, she had a slightly pointed nose, and an oblong face. All these features even made her beauty to be more pronounced. She was what the guys of today would call “melanin popping”.

As beautiful as she was, she had her scars. She was an only child; and as fate would have it – she became an orphan at the age of twelve. From that moment, Adetoun’s custody was handed over to her father’s brother, who was popularly known as “Chairman” in his area because he happened to be the head of the area boys and touts. Chairman was a huge man, with a round face and receding hairline; he also had a stomach that looked like it was housing twins. You could always perceive the stench of beer or cigarettes around him; he had a wife- Mummy Tayo, and two children- Tayo and Wumi. Wumi and Adetoun were age mates, while Tayo was already eighteen.

Adetoun soon moved in, and started school again. All seemed to be going well until one terrible incident happened; on a cloudy day, Adetoun was inside the house, all alone, washing her clothes. Tayo and Wumi had already gone to meet their mother in her shop which was three streets away .Adetoun happily washed her clothes at the back of the house as she hummed a song she heard from the radio. Chairman staggered into the house, heavily drunk; he shouted “who’s in this house o?” .Adetoun quickly stood up from where she was washing and went inside to meet her uncle. “E kaabo, Sir”, she knelt down to greet him; Chairman’s eyes did a quick scan of Adetoun’s body and he licked his lips. “Oya, go and bring me the two thousand naira I kept on the small table in my room”, he commanded.

Adetoun, the obedient child she was, ran to her uncle’s room to get the money; little did she know that she was walking into an evil trap. When she got there, her eyes scanned the room for the small table. She saw it, but she couldn’t see any money on it. As she turned around to go and give her uncle a feedback of the little errand, she was met by her uncle who was already by the door. Chairman locked the door and put the key in his pocket; Adetoun was confused and asked “Uncle, what’s happening? Is there an armed robber outside?” Her questions were met with a reply of four words, four words that would later haunt her in the future. “Adetoun, remove your clothes” was all her uncle told her. Adetoun was so dumbfounded, but then, she quickly realized the implications of her uncle’s words. Already in tears, she started pleading with her uncle, but her uncle pushed her to the bed. She started to shout, but her uncle was quick to quiet her by giving her two slaps and he covered her mouth with his hand. Without wasting time, her uncle already stripped her of her clothes, along with her dignity and pride, and whatever happiness she had been feeling previously. Adetoun had no strength left in her, as her uncle mounted her and devoured her virginity like a hungry lion; she could only curse him in her heart. After Chairman was done eating the forbidden fruit, he heaved a sigh of satisfaction and fanned himself.

Next, he threatened to kill Adetoun if she ever uttered a word to any soul. Adetoun. Chairman stood up and happily left the crime scene. After much shedding of tears, Adetoun stood up, staggering and went to the bathroom first, trying to wash away the dirt and the pains away. Then, she went to her uncle’s room; as she entered, she started crying and she removed the sheets. Amidst the tears, she washed the sheets and her remaining clothes so the other members of the family wouldn’t suspect a thing.

When Mummy Tayo, Tayo and Wumi got back from the shop, Adetoun acted like as if everything was perfectly alright. For one week, Adetoun was withdrawn to herself, she was no longer the friendly child she used to be. If anyone asked what happened to her, she simply replied that she was remembering her dead parents. This façade went on and on, until another day came when Chairman wanted to have his way again. This time, Adetoun used all of her strength to resist him and she ran away (At this point in time, she was just in the second class of junior secondary school). Chairman went outside and sent some of his boys to look for her. When his wife and children came back, he denied ever seeing Adetoun that day; “I thought she was with you in the shop”, he said. He calmed his wife and children down and made a show of calling his boys to look for Adetoun.

Adetoun kept running till she was very tired and out of breath. She looked around and tried to assess her surroundings. She realized that she was already in another area. Then, she saw a man who was loading his truck with farm produce, and she deducted that he was going to the city. She sneaked into the back of his truck and soon enough, the man started driving, unaware of the fact that he was carrying an extra passenger.

In Chairman’s house, his wife and children were very worried and eagerly awaited the reports of the boys. The boys came back with a negative report as all efforts in the search for Adetoun were futile. Mummy Tayo and her children were greatly distressed after hearing this; Chairman reassured them that he would still search for her the next day.

When she got to the city in the morning, she walked around the streets looking at the busy ways of the city and thinking of a way to survive. The next day, she decided that she would have to look for a way to fend for herself. Just as she was thinking of ideas, she saw a girl that was caught stealing. She went to meet the girl and  then indicated her interest in joining the group of pickpockets. The other girl, who was called Esi, as she discovered later, reluctantly agreed to teach her. That was how Adetoun became a full-time pickpocket; she became quite a professional.

At Chairman’s house, after all continued efforts to search for Adetoun had been in vain, they all concluded that she must have been kidnapped or used for rituals. So, everyone mourned for her, some with crocodile tears, and everyone moved on with their lives.

For many years in the city, Adetoun continued in the art of pickpocketing and had a lot of friends. Their shelter was an uncompleted building. One day, as Adetoun was walking around the city, already a lady of eighteen, she heard a talk on the radio about life. The radio presenter advised the youth to do something meaningful and legal, something their parents could be proud of, and not to engage in illegal vices. Adetoun was disturbed as the thought of her dead parents came floating to her mind. “Would they be pleased with her if she was engaging in this terrible act”? , this was one of the many questions that troubled her mind. That night, Adetoun tossed and turned as she kept thinking of what to do, she finally made a decision.

The next morning, before anyone woke up, she packed her bag, and with the money she had saved over time, she made her way to another part of the city. She had decided that she would be selling groundnuts which is “epa” in Yoruba land and roasted plantain popularly known as “boli”. She rented a flat and she went to the market to acquire the materials for her business, then she went to get a stand where she could sell her boli and epa. She soon became popular in that town, because she was always nice to her customers and everyone around her. Due to the nature of her work, she became known as “Anti Boli” by the young and old. Adetoun was also involved in the town’s youth forum, and she was an active member. Whenever there was a call for help, she was always willing to do so. Alas, she had really changed overnight. For Adetoun, it was tough to resist the temptation of being a pickpocket, but she tried her best to steer clear of pickpocketing.

One fateful day, at the market where Adetoun happened to sell boli andepa, a boy who looked to be about fifteen years old was running with so much speed, with five area guys fast at his heel. Shouts of “thief, thief, ole” hung in the air as everyone gave their attention to the ongoing chase. Eventually, the boy was caught and before you could say Jack Robinson, a big black tyre was placed around his neck, and one of the area boys popularly known as “Ijakadi” went to get petrol to make the sacrifice complete.

While all this was happening, Adetoun was watching from her stand and she felt a tug at her heart to help the poor boy even though he was guilty of the crime. She said a short prayer, and proceeded to do an Esther. She held her head up high, and went to meet the head of the area boys, who was called “Kayefi”. She pleaded with him “Kayefi, baba to sure, abeg help me free this small pikin”. “Anti Boli, that one no possible o, e no fit happen”, he responded. She begged him and pleaded on account that he was small and not yet wise. After much pleading, Kayefi agreed and said “Anti Boli,because na you o, wallahi, if no be say we be padi, I for don send this pikin go Baba God side”. The boy was set free, and he prostrated himself before Adetoun, thanking her with tears in his eyes. She told the boy to accompany her and he did so.

At her stand, she quizzed the boy about his life and family. There, she learnt that his name was Abayomi, he was an orphan and he was living on the streets. She agreed to take him in like a younger brother, if he promised to behave. He joyfully agreed, and so, Adetoun really had someone to call family. Soon, after she could see that Abayomi was behaving well, she got a JAMB form for him and she made him sit for it and other necessary exams. Abayomi passed and was admitted into the University of Lagos to study Law; Adetoun’s joy knew no bounds.

 Over the days, everything was going smoothly and Adetoun was enjoying her simple life selling boli and epa. One morning, as Adetoun was dressing up, she felt a slight pain in her left breast and saw that a lump was on her breast. She thought it was an insect bite, and she went to rub some shea butter on the affected area. Every day, she rubbed the area with shea butter. After a week, she woke up to see that the nipple of that breast was giving out a bloody discharge. She was scared, and she quickly made her way to the hospital. After waiting for an hour, the doctor finally attended to her. She explained her situation to the doctor, and he told her that she would have to get a mammogram. The mammogram was conducted shortly, and she was told to wait in the doctor’s office for the results. The doctor came back after thirty minutes with some papers in his hand.

“Ma’am, after the mammogram, we have discovered what exactly is behind your symptoms”, he said. “Okay, what is wrong with me doctor? “, she asked; he told her she would have to be calm to hear the results. By now, Adetoun was very tense; the doctor finally said “Ma’am, you have stage two breast cancer”. For two minutes, Adetoun was in shock and didn’t utter a word, then she burst into tears amidst cries of “Doctor, why me? This can’t be true, who have I offended? ”. The doctor tried his best to console her, and when she was a little bit calm, she asked “Doctor, please, what exactly is the solution to this?”, the doctor replied “Ma’am, you’d have to undergo a surgery in two weeks from now. ” The doctor explained that she could either go for a lumpectomy or a mastectomy, and he told her to eat some specific foods before the surgery. He also advised her not to worry as the survival rate was high. The doctor then stated that the hospital fee for the surgery was five hundred thousand naira. Adetoun’s eyes almost bulged out of her sockets when she heard this, but she didn’t say anything.

Adetoun was not herself when she got home. She took a walk down the streets, and started thinking about how she would raise the money for her treatment. She called Abayomi and broke the sad news to him; Abayomi was very unhappy but he assured her that they would get the money and she would eventually be fine.

The next day, Adetoun sold some of her belongings and raised a hundred thousand naira. She also went to meet a friend, who borrowed her hundred thousand naira too. Abayomi came home to see his sister, and to inform her that he had borrowed three hundred thousand naira. Adetoun wasn’t too happy as she didn’t want to burden Abayomi, but she thanked him. Abayomi stayed with Adetoun throughout the two weeks before her surgery. Many people in the town stopped by Adetoun’s place to ask after her.

Time flew so quickly, and the day of the operation arrived. Adetoun and Abayomi exchanged tearful farewells as Adetoun was wheeled into the theatre room. Abayomi was praying and pacing around nervously. After what seemed liked forever, the doctor came out of the theatre room, and Abayomi ran to meet him. “Doctor, what of my sister, how is she?”, the doctor shook his head with pity in his eyes and said “I’m sorry but she couldn’t make it”. Abayomi shook his head and said the doctor was lying, but the doctor reaffirmed the news. He sat on the floor and burst into tears, shouting for Adetoun. It was very painful, indeed, the loss of a sister and a benefactor. Later, Adetoun’s body was taken to the mortuary and Abayomi went home to give the sad news to the town people. The town mourned for Adetoun, for she had been kind to everyone in one way or another.

O-REY

Catcalling: A Rape Culture or Catching Cruise

"Red Alert……….. Virgin!!!!!!Deflowered!!!!!! 
Choose a path and be sincere for the gods know the truth".

" What is all this again. I already told you guys I hate passing this route", says Sophia.

"No! No! No! Fine girls we see you. Don’t be shy…….. Choose a path and let the gods decide your truth". A crowd of guys shouted from the rooftop.
"We can't continue standing like this. Let’s split up passing through the route and whatever they say don’t let it get to you". I urged my friends.

As we passed the route, "Oh! They’ve slept with these ones tire… see them, its well written on their faces. Olosho them(prostitute)! How much for a night? We wan chop this thing too na with laughter coming from the guys upstairs".

Those who passed the virgin route met the same fate. 

"You. Who?  Virgins? As they set like this?  E be things. Come collect premium knack and renounce your status… The one in the middle, wait. Give me your number, let me set you up. The one at the right for make sense too oooo". Followed by drumming, cheering and singing from pool of male students on the pathway.

Walking down that road brought a lot of discourse.

 "How! How! How can these guys do this to us. Our counterpart, level mate. That one at the right shouting is a damn fresher sef" Complained Sophia.

"It’s just Aro, the usual norms, I think they are celebrating their hall week or so, that’s why it’s much worse today. They are just catching cruise. We are not passing there again, friends".

"Catching what cruise???? That’s slut shaming, humiliation, sexual harassment and this school supposedly priding on rewarding character firstly has enabled this act to thrive. That’s simply a barbaric act and all part of rape culture".

Rape culture is a social environment in which predominant behavior of sexual violence are normalized and justified fueled by persistent gender inequalities and attitudes about gender and sexuality with cultural norms and institution promoting impunity. Rape cultures are pervasive and deeply rooted in long standing patriarchal belief, power and control. Rape culture treats rape as a problem to be solved through improving the behavior of potential rape victims by making unreasonable sacrifice to avoid sexual assault.

Its examples includes

1. Tolerance of sexual harassment through misogynistic culture, jokes about women bodies, cat calling.
2.  Trivializing sexual assault
3. Defining masculinity as being toxic, crude and razz.
4. Defining feminity as being demure, not cold and subservient.
5. Gratuitous objectification of women as sex objects.
6. Victim blaming (What did she wear? Where did she go?) and refusing to take rape accusations seriously.
7. Teachings on how to avoid getting raped instead of teachings on not to rape.

Rape culture takes many forms; it goes beyond the narrow notion of a man assaulting a woman as she walks alone at night. While people may staunchly agree rape is terrible. Normalizing and trivializing through words, actions, inactions, sexual violence, sexual harassment, and catcalling leads us down a slippery road of rape culture.

Rape culture cross all barrier and it's gender inclusive. We are all part of the rape culture.Why? We all support rape culture whether intentionally or inadvertently. Cat calls, sexual harassment may not necessarily leads to rape, but it is an enabling environment for rape culture to thrive.

Catcalling is a worrisome rape culture that  virtually pervades all university  campuses. It is so disheartening that most students particularly females have experienced this. It manifest itself in heckling, ratings on attractiveness and body parts, lewd sexual jokes, slut shaming, humiliating, rape joke, and inappropriate groping in worse case scenario when victims retaliate by talking back.

Rape Culture and sexual assaults are not simple issues with simple solutions. To disable rape culture, we need to focus more on how do we stop rape from occurring and dismantle the structure that trivialize rape and change the attitude that perpetrate it.

Campaign and awareness needs to be created specifically to teach sexual education, what constitute sexual assault and harassment, subject of consent during orientation week and part and parcel of school programs. Establishing policies on zero tolerance against sexual harassment in its varying form. Universities need to review their sexual violence policy and include factors that will eradicate rape culture.  Just trials with stiff and fast punishment to perpetrators of this act by suspension, rustication or jailing of the students/lecturers depending on the severity of the case will serve as deterrent to others.

As individuals, speak up against rape culture. None participatory excuse is not enough. Speak up on witnessing an harassment or assault. Drop the shitty bro and sis code, orientate and re orientate friends. A mind that truly knows, LEARN, UN LEARN,  and ACT RIGHTLY is a mind that is truly free.

Full List of Popular Celebrity Musicians From Ondo State

 In this article today, we share a list of celebrity musicians

 

 

PWDs: Examining Non-Inclusion in Places of Worship

At a time when the drive for better inclusion of a marginalized section of society (Persons with Disabilities) is gaining speed the world over, it is sad to witness religious institutions (by their very nature and calling supposed to be shining examples in this just cause) acting with apparent indifference.

Whether this is happening unintentionally or otherwise, I do not know. One thing I know: the situation calls for urgent redress.

In June last year, I was at the headquarter church of one the country’s leading Pentecostal denominations for Sunday worship service. It was my first time. Among the features that caught my attention on that first visit was the sheer size of the location, the state of the art equipment in use, the warm welcome of public relations staff, the fine show of opulence (children of the King are not supposed to be poor), and the generally conducive ambience. With these and more on ground, i was eager to settle down to quality time in Divine fellowship.

Alas, that wasn’t to be.

Fustration began when I made it clear to attendants that as a deaf person, I required sign language interpretation to easily assimilate spoken communication. In other words, without it, I couldn’t really benefit from the sermon and other parts of the service.

Ordinarily, one would expect the headquarter church of a denomination of such status to have ready arrangements to cater to the language needs of all kind of attendees at any given time. Also, it is a “no-brainer” that this mammoth religious organization has the capacity for that – and more. So, I was both surprised and disappointed to discover that in that audience numbering into  hundred of thousands, there couldn’t be found interpreting services for the deaf and hard of hearing. I will never forget the rollercoaster of emotions of  embarrassment, indignation, and disappointment I experienced that day.

The matter got more ridiculous when it became clear that even the ushers were not sure whether or not there was provision for such special need. I still recall an usher walking me almost the circumference of that expansive auditorium asking for, I will say, a nonexistent section for the Deaf.

At the end of the stress and embarrassment, all I got were some pacifying words.

Although it’s almost a year since that encounter, I am still trying to grasp why one couldn’t find a deaf person in that huge crowd of worshippers. Even if there was, there was no sure way to tell. Furthermore, the various responses and reactions clearly showed that these people are not used to having deaf brethren in their worship meetings. One may therefore understand why they appeared clueless in such situation.

Years earlier, I had a similar experience at a branch of same church where I again happened to be the lone deaf person. After much frustration, I somehow took the matter to the head pastor. Unfortunately, nothing concrete came out of it.

PERTINENT QUESTIONS

At this point, some pressing questions arise. Why, for example, was there no single deaf person in those congregations? Could it be that no deaf person is interested in worshipping there? I don’t think so. Again, could it be that the church inadvertently threw them out through non-chalant attitudes – no provision for their language needs, for example? As if to validate this reasoning, among the three or so top church names in the country, this is the only one of which I have heard practically nothing about a deaf section/ deaf persons. Oddly enough, a friend once said that this particular church has a policy of not accommodating deaf worshippers – insisting on the power of God to heal all infirmities. Well, I choose not to believe such outrageous claim until it is proven beyond doubt. My position is that in the mix of things is a lack of vital information, proper enlightenment and correct orientation that could have made a world of difference.

By beaming a searchlight on possible reasons for the marked absence of deaf brethren in that congregation of believers, we will understand that this kind of thing don’t just happen. It follows the law of cause and effect – some of which we may not know. From the known, I offer a fact: “It is unreasonable to expect a people whose unique communication needs have not been provided for to happy in, or want to be in any type of gathering – not the least, religious ones. I write from experience.

Let’s be clear about it, this unsavory non-inclusion of a disadvantaged minority in our worship places isn’t limited to one big name church. It cuts across churches, mosques, etc.

Nor is the case being made only for deaf persons and sign language interpreting services. No! It covers just about every cluster of People with Disabilities (PWDs) whose rights and human dignity are being denied/trampled on one way or the other. Consequently, there’s a steady build up of a disgruntled set of worshippers who feel ignored disrespected and insulted. This is a dangerous trend that needs to be checked.

What’s more, if we will see it for what it is, this subtle injustice stands in stark contrast to the spirit and letters of the holy writs of all the religions.

CHARTING THE WAY FORWARD

In recommending the way out of the present quagmire, we need to be fair.

“He that comes to the table of equity must come with clean hands”.

We need to acknowledge that this subject of inclusion is a knotty one – complex and complicated. It should be mentioned too, that either side could be at fault in this matter. Most often than not, the conflicts, dissatisfactions, blame trading and grudge bearing driving the “Inclusion narrative” have their root in a lack of enlightenment on the subject of disability, ignorance, ‘far off the mark' assumptions and speculations, differences in perspectives, poor awareness level, prejudice and other indices of human failings and  limitations.

Personally, I hold the belief that people are basically good (more so, from the context of places of worship where godliness and piety is the norm) and wouldn’t just go about hurting feelings and infringing on rights of PWDs. You see, when good humans derail and offend in this matter, it’s often because they don’t know how to navigate this rather tricky terrain, so rife with sensitive egos, stereotypes and fragile emotions. Notwithstanding, in law, as they say, ignorance is not an excuse. So, here’s the home truth: “our places of worship need to invest on getting educated and enlightened on the subject of Disability and PWDs. Both leaders and laity need it.

Expert knowledge and advice should be sought from Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and other reliable sources.

Recommendations should be implemented with efficiency.

Special trainings and seminars should be held.

There should be brainstorming sessions where experts in various fields of human endeavors bounce off ideas on the way forward.

An important caveat though: the people in the eye of the storm, namely, PWDs, should be carried along every step of the way.

Despite being a minority, the case of these marginalized persons is worth all due attention. And I’m convinced our religious stakeholders are fair-minded enough to grasp the substance of the parable of the shepherd with a hundred sheep leaving the ninety and nine to seek the one that went astray.

Enough of this subtle non-inclusion.

Current Affairs: Ondo State House of Assembly

The Ondo State House of Assembly 

The Gains of Integrity in Nation Building

Mrs. Adebimpe, standing by her Toyota Camry, stares at Tade straight into the eye. 'Are you trying to deny the fact that you cheated me by reducing my #1000 worth of petrol? She asks angrily. Tade stares at the floor ashamed and playing with his fingers. The Petrol station manager who had been watching from a reasonable distance all along, strolls to the scene and testifies that he actually noticed from the screen view how Tade had stopped the flow at 85 litres instead of completing the 125 litres which is commensurate to the #1000 naira that she paid. Tade had also manipulated the daily account in the sales book. He needs no prophet to tell him that it's time he kissed his job goodbye.

The quality of being honest and having and having strong moral and ethical principles and values cannot be over emphasized.

Signs of people who lack Integrity includes;

Excessive selfishness i.e considering just your comfort and happiness at the expense of others.

Insincerity and lies in the sense that your intentions don't even match the results.

Frequent compromises in order to gain temporary wealth and recognition.

However, the gains of integrity will convince you that it pays to actualize it.

Integrity earns you trust, influence and great opportunities to work with people.

It saves you from scandalous implications because your good name is priceless and valuable.

Integrity will also influence or help you make wise life decisions that will lead and land you somewhere safe.

With Integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide

With Integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt

While staying home and staying safe, keep a right attitude and do the right thing even when it's hard!



Image from Google Images

5 Facts You Need to know about Body Physiotheraphy in Nigeria

Physical Therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is a field in the medical profession which involves the maintenance and restoration of health through physical examination, diagnosis, prognosis, patient education, physical intervention, rehabilitation, disease prevention, and health promotion. 

Physical Therapy is conducted by Physical therapists who are also known as Physiotherapists in many countries. Speaking about the emergence of body physiotherapy in Nigeria, the first meeting held by the Society was held on 28 November 1959 in Lagos at a physiotherapist's home. Within a short period (1961-1962) the society was recognised by the Federal Government and other Regional Governments. It was the only body that had the power to negotiate with the governments. Therefore the In addition to clinical practice, other aspects of physical therapist practice include research, education, consultation, and health administration. Physical therapy is provided as a primary care treatment or alongside, or in conjunction with, other medical services.

Nigeria Society of Physiotherapy (NSP) is the embodiment of Physiotherapists in Nigeria, is a member of the World confederation for Physical Therapy (WCPT) and a leading member of the WCPT Africa Region (WCPTA).  Physical therapy addresses the illnesses or injuries that limit a person's abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs use an individual's history and physical examination to arrive at a diagnosis and establish a management plan and, when necessary, incorporate the results of laboratory and imaging studies like X-rays, CT-scan, or MRI findings. PT management commonly includes prescription of or assistance with specific exercises, manual therapy, and manipulation, mechanical devices such as traction, education, electrophysical modalities which include heat, cold, electricity, sound waves, radiation, assistive devices, prostheses, orthoses, and other interventions. In addition, PTs work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility before it occurs by developing fitness and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles, providing services to individuals and populations to develop, maintain and restore maximum movement and functional ability throughout the lifespan. This includes providing treatment in circumstances where movement and function are threatened by aging, injury, disease, or environmental factors. Functional movement is central to what it means to be healthy.

With all the explanations given above about physiotherapy, mind you lets not forget about what Body Physiotherapy entails. 

Read: Biography of Actress Kehinde Bankole

Body physiotherapy is defined as the treatment of problems of the muscles, joints, or nerves, especially using exercises or by rubbing or moving the affected body parts. Mind you there different types of body physiotherapy functioning for different parts of the body and this includes: sport physiotherapy, rehabilitation and pain management. The best among them all is orthopedic physiotherapy. 

Therefore, the 5 facts about Body physiotherapy in Nigeria are listed below: 

1. Physical Therapy Eliminates The need for Surgery

Physical therapy can not only relieve pain, but completely reverse some conditions or stop them from progressing, eliminating the need for surgery. For many patients, the thought of surgery is overwhelming; it can be expensive, uncomfortable and inconvenient, especially when an extended recovery period is required.

2. Physiotherapy Prevents and Manages Obesity

Physiotherapists can play a role in educating client about weight lost by assessing and planning an exercise program which focuses on energy expenditure modification through exercise. Fitness is also associated with more desirable clinical outcomes in many instances

3. Physiotherapy is Drug-Free

Non-surgical/drug free treatment physiotherapy is a medical treatment for the problems of joints, muscles or nerves by physical methods such as massage, heat treatment, exercise rather than drugs or surgery.

4. Physiotherapists are Health Care Givers

They participate in global health work beyond direct patient care, including advocating for and developing rehabilitation programmes.

5. Physiotherapists can help improve your general body functional performance

Physiotherapists supports people at all stages of life to recover from injury, reduce pain and stiffness and maximize function and quality of life, incorporating physical, psychological, emotional and social well being. 

Brain Drain: Causes, Consequences and Conditions for its Exit

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has identified the intractable insecurity situation in Nigeria as one reason why most professionals leave the shores of the country in droves for greener pastures.

The Rivers State governor maintained that welfare of doctors and other professionals are not primarily the sole reasons for brain drain in the country. He noted that because of the looming unemployment situation in the country, most people now opt going outside of Nigeria for the dream job they required.

Even when some of professionals are employed within Nigeria, governor Wike insisted that such persons are not provided with the requisite equipment to use in their various organisations and industries.

"When you talk about brain drain, it is not only associated with the medical profession. So many people leave this country because of unemployment. So many people have left this country because of insecurity. So many people have left this country because where they work the equipment is not there.

"It is not only just because of welfare, that is why you see brain drain, no. It is not correct. Even professors in the university in the various faculties of law, faculties of engineering most of them leave because the tools to work are not there.

“But you are lucky you (RSUTH staff) have the tools here. So, clap for us first that we have provided the basic things. Today, you're lucky, you're working in a teaching hospital where you can find the equipment, at least, to make your job easier for you. So, it is not as bad as where the equipment are not there."

Governor Wike reiterated that it was out of grateful heart that he thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for the release of 13% derivative fund arrears, from 1999 to date, that was never paid by previous administration to States in Niger Delta.

He wondered why saying thank you is an offense and a particular governor feels offended over the thank you said to President Buhari over the release.

The said governor, according to governor Wike had gone in national television to say that money spent to do a 3km road in his State would be used to construct more than 15 flyovers elsewhere.

“Simply because I said you people should thank President Muhammadu Buhari for releasing 13 percent arrears to us. I did not abuse anybody. Did I? All I said is please thank him, that if he did not release this arrears to me and some of our states, it may have been difficult for me to even talk about building a Renal Centre, Cancer and Cardiovascular centre, Basic and Clinical Sciences faculty, House officers quarters. I don’t think saying thank you is an offence.

"On television, I heard one of the governors said in his state to do 3 kilometre road will do more than 15 flyovers. Rivers State, is it not Niger Delta State? Don't we have riverine areas in Rivers State? Amayanabo of Opobo said since he was born, he has never driven by road to Opobo.

"The day he drive by road to Opobo, he said, God is it possible that in my own time I will not go through the river again, I am now driving by road to Opobo. That is a major riverine area. By the grace of God this December (2022) we are going to commission the first phase of Trans-Kalabari Road. That is a major riverine area.

Speaking further, governor said, "I didn't know that people are sick about the flyovers I do. Okay, sorry. I don't want you to be sick again. I won't do again. Instead of you to appreciate and ask somebody how are you doing this, and justify what you're doing.

"I have turned the state capital around using a major construction firm like Julius Berger Nigeria PLC. If you know you have the capacity, if you know you have what it takes go and take Julius Berger and see whether you can pay salary."

Governor Wike pointed to how determined he was in creating the space for medical education that led to the establishment of medical college at the Rivers State University (RSU), which hitherto was not in existence before he assumed office.

"To tell you it is not just flyovers, look at the health sector alone. As at the time we came, this State had no medical college, only the University of Port Harcourt had, and you see how competitive being a federal university. How many of our people get admission to read medicine and other related courses."

About a 100 students of Rivers origin, he informed, at the PAMO university of medical sciences are also placed on State government scholarship, and who upon graduation, are to gain automatic employment into government establishment.

Governor Wike said while equipment are provided, and medical facilities upgraded, the manpower gap is also being filled.

The governor maintained that the current congestion that is experienced at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) is being addressed.

He explained that in the coming days, the Gynecology department will move to the Mother and Child Hospital and other departments moving to their dedicated facilities like the Maxillofacial and Kersely Harrison Hospital.

Speaking on the projects, Governor Wike urged Nigerians to seek medical assistance from the Renal/dialysis Centre because it has the best equipment and personnel to offer requisite services.

There is already an ongoing arrangement, governor Wike hinted, towards an effective management of the centre to ensure sustainability.

Governor Wike also advise the house officers to imbibe maintenance culture so that they can always keep the quarters clean and maintain the structure.

In his speech, Chief Medical Director of Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Friday Aaron said the two projects inaugurated are signature of the genuine love of governor Wike for the State.

Dr. Aaron recalled that the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG) was already constructing a Renal Dialysis Unit and governor Wike noticed that if allowed in its form, will be limited in the service it will offer.

The CMD said governor Wike directed an expansion of the unit into a world class centre that will diagnose renal cases, perform dialysis and do transplant of kidney. This, he said is because the governor believes that Rivers people deserve the best.

In his address, commissioner for health, Prof. Princewill Chike said the Renal Centre is one of the best in Nigeria that has been provided by governor Wike for his love for the health sector.

The centre, he pointed out, is a one storey building that has lift that can take 13 person per time.

According to him, there are also doctors and nurses call rooms, water treatment unit, and a 6bed space dialysis area.

Prof. Chike also informed that on the first floor, there are two theatres, one is for where kidney donor and recipient are kept, with equipment to ensure the marching of the kidney.

He said the second theatre is where the transplanting of the kidney is done and the situation properly monitored.

Prof. Chike said there is 100kv standby generating set and 30kva inverter with 6 solar plates to ensure regular power supply.

The chairman, Nigeria Medical Association, Dr. Ebi Robinson commended governor Wike for building the Renal centre and equipping it with latest state of the art medical equipment that will enhance the productivity of doctors in the hospital.

Editorial: Slaying Begins at Home

In our world today, the concept of slay queens means

Advocacy for Youth Involvement in Governance puts much Emphasis on Age, not Capacity - Ekpa Stanley Ekpa

Ekpa, Stanley, Ekpa a practising lawyer and Director of the Development Watch Initiative shares in this interview, his thoughts on youths, governance and leadership
 

NNI: Can we meet you?

Guest: My name is Ekpa, Stanley Ekpa. I am a lawyer and a Master’s in Leadership Studies student at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna. I specialize in Development Law. I am currently the Editor-in-Chief, Nigerian Corruption Cases Law Report, and Nigerian Democracy and Development Report. I serve as the Executive Director, Development Watch Initiative. I have peculiar interest in Good Governance, Leadership, Development Law, Social Inclusion and  Nation building.

NNI: What defines social development and impactful leadership for you?

Guest: Social development is achieved when people become the primary factor in a society or a nation’s development processes. The promotion of the inclusion of all components of the society – empowering  the poor, vulnerable, minorities and giving hope and opportunities to the  voiceless citizens. While impactful leadership is the ability to translate collective aspirations and priorities into significant and sustainable solutions for the development of our  community, people and the world.


NNI: In building a society where the quality of things we do defines us, how responsible is leadership?

Guest: Everything revolves around leadership, from building strong and efficient institutions to building infrastructures, leadership is the undercurrent that provides the water of hope and opportunities for creating the equilibrium for the quality of things that define us both as a people and as individuals. Unfortunately, you cannot get quality leadership unless you have quality citizenship. Good citizenship that works through the entire circles of development of the nation – upholding the right value system, ensuring that the right leaders are elected, and holding the leaders accountable. This is the easiest way to prompt responsible leadership and ensure social development.

NNI: How have you managed leadership positions with other duties?

Guest: Leadership, or rather taking responsibility for my immediate communities has always been everything about me. Yes I have. Though in most cases it is very tough, but in all the cases, it gives me a unique opportunity to understand the diversities that the two tasks presents in proffering personal and social solutions from two dimensions.


NNI: It is usually said that a leader must be a follower. Is this realistic?

Guest: It is a truism that has it’s realistic result in practice. A good follower is passionately committed and deeply involved, giving him the chance to develop empathy,  compassion and keen interest in the common situation and need of the people, community or organization. When such follower transcends to leadership position, it becomes easy to make significant impact given his or her understanding of the need of the community and his or her imbued leadership savvy. More importantly, such leader leads sometimes from behind, by positioning and delegating responsibility to others and supervising their works, results and impact.

Read also: Biography of Actress Kehinde Bankole

NNI: Is leadership a mix of different skills? What exactly makes up complete leadership?

Guest: Leadership is a mix of infused skills and discipline for impact. Great leadership is about the creative balance between visions, strategic planning, collaboration and inclusion, performance and results, accountability, disciplined character of excellence, tolerance, and communication.

 

NNI: What inspired your book, Youthocracy, ''Leadershift'' for Development?

Guest: The advocacy for youth involvement in socio-political governance and cultural revolution was taking  an unnecessary emphasis on age and not the capacity of the emerging leaders to proffer creative and sustainable solutions for the world’s complex challenges, particularly in Africa, hence, I felt the need to champion a new thinking in the desire to usher in a new generation of leaders.

For the past three decades, African leaders have failed to build a continent that provides the opportunities for inclusive prosperity and security.  If the Africa Agenda 2063 would be actualized, it means that it is the young people whose future the agenda seeks to protect that can build it, not the generation that failed the continent for the last sixty years.

Hence, the crux of the discourse and philosophy of the book is on how to identify, build, galvanize and leverage a new generation of leaders for the development of their communities. How to get involved, win elections and do the work you elected to do right other critical issues that the book addressed.

NNI: By global trends, there is a call for youths to take leadership. How best can a youth position himself to be worthy of leadership?

Guest: First, leadership is not a tea party particularly if you are out to solve problems and make impact through leadership. But positioning yourself as a worthy option for for leadership consideration is even more challenging in developing electoral climes like Nigeria. However, to every problem there is always myriads of available solutions.

To me, building capacity either by learning or participation starts by  building your personal leadership brand, building creative values of social solutions, building a strong network of like minds,  being a problem solver no matter how small the solution, and working through the ladder to strategically position for great leadership.

On a more practical note, one can either position for leadership by leaning on the shoulders of great leaders through positive god-fatherism, or disrupt the political space to make a way for himself. The latter is more difficult a means, for it requires working beyond the limit line.

NNI: What is the measure of good leadership? Do you think social impact  can be measured?

Guest: Good governance is measured on the scale of social impact. The aggregate dividends of your leadership as enjoyed by the people. It is easy to measure  leadership impact because it is about the people and the community. The result of your leadership can be felt either negatively or positively by the people. Though social impact takes time to materialize sometimes but it is never hidden when it finally arrives.

By measuring good leadership I do not mean state sponsored billboards and media propaganda, no, I mean an impactful result that can be felt by the deaf, and seen even by the blind.  I would have loved to use such economic indicators like GDP, inflation among others but in the end analysis, when the people are hungry and  left behind without social security, we have failed the society.

 

Read: Family Plays a Great Role in Language Appreciation - Olagunju Modupe

NNI: What do you do at the Development Watch Initiative?

Guest: We are a citizen sector initiative that is committed to engaging the citizens to make inputs in the development processes of their constituencies and holding their leaders accountable. We promote citizens’ participation in monitoring the implementation of Nigeria’s developmental projects, budgets and policies from the local government level to the national level. Currently we are working on the COVID-19 REPORT, which is a comprehensive insight and report on Nigeria’s response, policies, palliatives and impact.

We have other programmes running, like our  ”Enterprise Clinic” which exposes students across Nigerian academic institutions to job, entrepreneurial and leadership skills and opportunities. Our next training circle is slated for Sokoto, Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Anamabra, Rivers, Abuja and Cross River. We also have the Get Involved Challenge, Constituency Development Town Halls, among other projects.


NNI: What is your view on Global Youth Development and growth? Do you think we are making progress?

Guest: Yes, we are making progress. The United Nations has continued to create broad opportunities for the involvement of young people in actualizing the SDGs 2030. Domestically, the Not Too Young To Run Act 2018 has given much impetus and limited  opportunity for young people to participate in the political space, as the huge financial requirements and commercialization of our politics continue to hinder their chances. Notwithstanding this, the 2019 general elections witnessed an increase in the number of elected young people to local governments, state assemblies and federal Parliament. Many young people have been given appointive positions both in the political and corporate sectors.

So, to me I think we are making progress, it is now within our arms as young people to get strategic and position ourselves through creative common council of like minds, support ourselves and collectively make our societies work for the next generation.

NNI: How did you achieve the fusion of your  personal brand name ''Ekpa Stanley, Ekpa'' into your love for promising leadership and sustainable development?

Guest: I realized early in life that there is an inseparable relationship between law, leadership and sustainable development. This prompted my interest to study law even when I didn’t understand the proper places of these concepts and factors in social development. It was however my late mother that taught me the value of a man’s name. Ever since, I have tried my best to approach everyday of my life with sincere commitment to how my work (law, community organizing and leadership) would significantly impact my community, country and humanity.

I cherish my brand “Ekpa, Stanley Ekpa” so much that I work everyday to grow, improve and leverage it as a reliable source and Centre for national inclusivity, development solutions, cultural revolution and an ideological stand point for Nigeria’s future generations.


NNI: What is your advice to fellow young individuals?

Guest: My advice is very simple – young people must have the sense of ownership of their communities, be creative, resilient, and resolved to succeed against all odds and challenges. It is a tough and difficult world, but if you remain on your lane and timeline without comparing yourself to other people’s standards for success, your chances are high that you will become even more the person you aspire to be.


 

NNI: What should we expect from you in the near future? Any intention to go into full time politics? Any bigger plans?

Guest: (Laughs) Well, I am a very intentional person. I know that the only way to build the kind of country we aspire for is to get involved politically, and I know for certain that I will go into politics. And if by full time you mean committing and applying myself to my constituency and humanity without compromise, then I can assure you that I will do that full time without regret.

I believe this is my time to prepare myself for competence, leadership savvy and excellence in statecraft. I am confident our generation will turn things around but we must be prepared for the great task, for we must not fail Nigeria and the next generation of Nigerians. We are called to fix and provide hope, opportunities and direction for the new Nigeria.