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NIGERIAN WATCH
June 2012
MONTHLY
To Inspire, Inform and Entertain
nigerianwatch.com
INSIDE
RINGING IN THE
CHANGES
News
- Special report: schools
and gangsta culture
- Brent & Enfield elect
Nigerian figureheads
- Iconic Africa Centre
set to close
! How the mobile phone is
revolutionising Nigeria
! Europe’s biggest black hair
and beauty show hits London
Features
- The bars to achieving
political diversity
- Meet Pa Lemoshe, as old as
Nigeria itself
Life & Style
- Sporty chic
- Community Watch
Business & Property
- Peacock Travel
- Abuja: the City with a plan
Education
- Family survival guide to
exam success
PAGE 9
The British Bank for Africa
Sport
- Arsenal’s Nigeria tour
EXCLUSIVE DETAILS
Big
Strong
Reliable
2
COMMENTWATCH
June 2012
Together we can grow better
NIGERIAN WATCH
Publishers
Tevin Jemide
Victor Omosevwerha
Akinjimi Akinola
Publisher/Managing Director
Maryanne Jemide
PR Director
Ilonka Omosevwerha
Managing Editor
Jon Hughes
Editor
Ayo Akinfe
Art Editor
Cathy Constable
Contributors
Obah Iyamu
Harriet Ogbeide
Chuk Ikeh
AJ James
Toni Adenle
Lorenzo Banfii
Chief Cartoonist
Harold Ogbeide
Office address
Nigerian Watch
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Fax: 020 7160 5232
Nigerian Watch is a monthly newspaper
owned by Green World Media Ltd.
Views expressed in this newspaper do not
necessarily reflect the opinion of the publisher.
All rights reserved. No part of the newspaper may
be reproduced in any form without the written
consent of the publisher.
W
elcome yet again to your monthly
dose of your favourite Nigerian
newspaper. We have to say how
overwhelmed we have been by the response so
far, and the warmth we have felt from the
community. It is the phone calls of support and
letters of prayers that keep us going.
Thank you all once again for all your kind
words, congratulatory tweets and encouraging
emails. It was a pleasure for us at Nigerian
Watch to publish our first edition last month. We
were filled with excitement while putting
together each section.
I am sure you will notice a major improvement
in this edition, as we have listened to both your
criticisms and praise. We will continue to ensure
we bring you the content and quality we know
you all richly deserve.
For the June edition we promise to continue
with the mixed sweet flavour of news, gist,
entertainment, and one of our favourite
categories, Madam Amebo.
This month we celebrate more Nigerians
doing extraordinarily well, including two
Nigerians who have been elected as Mayors in
London boroughs.
One of our key aims is to inspire the diaspora
in the UK by highlighting successful Nigerians
who have done and are excelling in their lives.
Nigerians all over the world always find a
way to work hard and strive to be successful
and we believe the more we know of each
other’s success, the more we all would want to
unite, encourage and progress positively.
One of the joys of publishing a newspaper is
finding extraordinary stories about our fellow
Nigerians in the UK.
It inspires us to go out and find more stories
of fathers, mothers, grand-parents and children
doing extraordinary things.
Not because they are based in the UK, but
because we believe by telling these stories,
exemplifying best practice in all areas of life,
helps all of us.
All of us at Nigerian Watch hope you enjoy
this edition of the newspaper, as the aim is to
inspire, inform and entertain you.
So, enjoy your June edition and we look
forward to producing next month’s edition,
which is already being put together
Once again, from myself and my staff – a
heartfelt thankyou for the feedback received
so far.
I hope you enjoy this month’s edition.
Maryanne Jemide Publisher / MD
ps... As always, don’t forget to let us know what
you think.....
NEWSWATCH
June 2012
3
LONDON’S HISTORICAL CENTRE OF
AFRICAN CULTURE SET TO CLOSE
By CHUK IKÉH
AFTER MORE THAN 50
YEARS The Africa Centre in
London’s Covent Garden is set
to close, following a secretive
decision by trustees to sell the
125-year lease on the iconic
venue to a commercial property developer.
While no official statement
has been made by the Centre’s
Board of Trustees over the
signing of the “option to sell”,
tenants have been asked to vacate the premises by the end
of the year, when the reported
£10million sale is likely to be
completed.
News of the sale agreement between the Africa Centre’s trustees and Capital &
Counties PLC (Capco) – a
UK-based property and development company focussed
on properties in the West and
West End of London –
emerged last year.
Save The Africa Centre – a
campaign set up in opposition
to the sale – first caught wind
of the move in March 2011,
via a leaked letter from Boko
Inyundo, a member of the
board of trustees.
Following a community
meeting earlier this year, the
campaign requested a consultation with the Centre’s board
of trustees, to which it received no response.
Having delayed the finalisation of the sale by over a
year, Save The Africa Centre
issued a statement saying,
“We acknowledge the loss of
38 King Street as the most important cultural heritage site
for the African Diaspora in
Britain. The letter of the law
approves of the sale and nothing can be done to stop it.”
Among ardent, high profile
supporters of the campaign
was South African Nobel Laureate, Archbishop Desmond
Tutu, who told the BBC in
June 2011, “You don’t think a
building can clutch at your
heart the way that one does.
“I do remember that when
you were feeling a little low
and homesick and everything
seemed so foreign – you’d have
this place [the Africa Centre],
it was so heart-warming.”
Capco currently owns
three principle estates in the
capital, including a sizeable
proportion of Covent Garden – the popular retail and
leisure destination – as well
Earls Court and Olympia
(EC&O). And it is part of the
the Great Capital Partnership – a joint venture with
Great Portland Estates – that
includes properties in soughtafter West End locations.
While there is still little information as to what will happen to the building after the
sale, a spokesperson for Save
The Africa Centre Dele
Fatunla has speculated that it
will probably be developed
into a large retail concept, designed to attract “high profile
clients”, in line with the economic make-up of the rest of
the area.
The Africa Centre has
served as a forum and a meeting place for leading African
philosophers, artists, writers,
“You don’t think a building
can clutch at your heart the
way that one does”
academics, politicians and
musicians since its inception
in 1961.
Over the past 50 years, it
has become an iconic cultural
landmark for Africans in the
centre of London. A statement issued by prisoners on
Robben Island and smuggled
out of jail in 1980 – in the
name of Nelson Mandela –
was released at the Centre by
the ANC.
Since 2006, The Africa
Centre has promoted a cultural programme managed by
Business of Culture that includes the acclaimed Screening Africa programme.
It has collaborated with
various organisations to
arrange events, covering all
aspects of culture, including
literature, film, fashion, theatre, art and music.
The Centre has also hosted
some of the most recognisable African and African diaspora writers, including
Nigerian author Chinua
Achebe, Ngugi Wa’Thiongo
and Alice Walker.
The Africa Centre is conducting a survey on where it should
go from here. Visit the website, show your support and fill
it in at: www.
africacentre.org.uk/join-us/
Please note, a full programme
of events will still be hosted by
the Africa Centre until December at least. Details as
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4
NEWSWATCH
Girl power reaps dividends
EIGHT Nigerian women received honours at the recent
Women For Africa Awards ceremony, in recognition of outstanding achievements by
African women.
Held at the Great Kensington Hall, London, the awards
attracted a host of stars and
dignitaries from Africa and
across the diaspora, as well as
600 guests.
Rainatou Sow of Guinea,
the founder and executive director of the charity Make
Every Woman Count, was
voted the most inspirational
African woman in the UK.
Nigeria’s Clare Eluka, the
founder of the world’s first allergy-free and candida-free
botanical luxury skincare was
voted the Best Female Educator in the UK.
Employment tribunal judge
Nike Balogun was voted
Africa’s Best Career Woman in
the UK, while Afrika Rising
presenter ad TV producer Lola
Ogunbadejo was voted the
Best Media Professional. Barbara Soetan, the founder of
social enterprise Elevation
Network, was named the Best
Young Achiever, while Tosin
Taiwo, the Afro-ethnic singer,
was voted the Best International African woman.
Olamide Davies, the chief
executive and founder of the
Miss Africa Tri-State pageant
in the US, was named International Humanitarian of the
Year. Mojisola Sonoiki, the
founder of the Women of
Color Arts and Film Festival
and May7ven, the singer and
daughter of Nigerian footballing legend Segun Odegbami, picked up recognition
awards, while Bola Olabisi
won a special women's award.
The Outstanding Mother of
the Year award was shared
between Atiti Sosimi of Nigeria, Niina Kabesa of the Democratic Republic of Congo and
Roucheon Iloyi of Zimbabwe.
Atiti is a mother of six who
runs a business and writes
books, Niina is a mother of
four who writes poetry, while
Roucheon has three kids, runs
the gospel rap group Royal
Priesthood and launched her
own jewellery line called Love
Royelle last year.
June 2012
NIGERIAN CARNIVAL UK TO
RETURN TO SPIRITUAL HOME
Preparations are underway
for this year’s Nigerian Carnival UK, which is returning
to its spiritual home in south
London.
Backed by sponsors Arik
Air and Lycamobile,
and supported by
Canuk, the annual celebration
of
Nigerian culture and heritage promises
to
be
the
biggest yet.
At the request
of the police – stretched
by Notting Hill and the
Olympics – the Carnival date
has been pushed back until
October, which means it will
coincide with British Black
History Month and Nigeria
Independence Day.
Arik Air has promised to
fly in performers and notable
guests from Nigeria for the
event. “Arik Air was
launched to connect London with Nigeria and support both communities,” said
Adrian Richards, Associate
Vice President of Marketing.
“The Carnival does just that
by showcasing the
talent and business prevalent
to both.”
Underlining the org a n i s e r ’s
drive to create
a lasting redletter day, it has
been announced
that Nigeria Football
Ambassador John Fashanu
is to be NCUK President.
Making the announcement,
Carnival founder Kashif
Jones-Laguda restated the vision: “To project the whole
of our diverse cultural antecedents before the world
and to celebrate the Nigerian
spirit on the world stage.”
Chairman of the Associ-
ation of British Nigerian
Councillors, Lambeth Councillor Ade Aminu, who has
been supportive of the Carnival since its inception in
2007, spoke about the importance of the Carnival.
“People often portray us
negatively but many, many
more Nigerians are making
positive contributions.
“We are participating
across all sectors of society
and doing good things in our
communities and we need to
celebrate that.”
Invoking President John
F Kennedy’s famous words –
“Ask not what your country
can do for you, but what you
can do for your country” –
the organisers exhorted people to get involved and support the event.
For further information and how to get involved,
contact
the
organisers at, www.nigeriancarnival.org
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
FLIGHTS
OVER the past few weeks more than 100
local government leaders from the Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) political party
have been visiting London on a series of factfinding missions.
The fledgling party is only seven years
old – arising out of a merger between several
smaller parties – and is considered to be both
progressive and pragmatic. It’s stronghold is
in the South West of Nigeria, where it controls the states of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun,
Edo and Ekiti.
The visits were organised to allow the
local government chiefs to witness management practices and structures used by Town
Halls across London.
The visitors were hosted by the ACN UK
chapter, who staged a gala dinner in their
honour at the Anedo restaurant in Deptford.
Welcoming his guests, ACN UK Chairman
Dr Ibrahim Emokpaire told the gathering,
“Local government is the most important
form of government because it delivers at
the grassroots, and that’s who we as a party
want to work with.”
He was followed by three speakers who
addressed key aspects of the ACN UK position statement.
Former party chairman Dr Philip Idaewor
spoke on the importance of universal health
care; Dayo Abinusawa, director of Knoorb –
a Cambridge based knowledge hub – spoke
on Nigeria’s potential to engage with the
global economy; and Daniel Fashe of the Educational Alliance spoke on harnessing the
power of the voluntary sector and tackling
youth alienation.
Nigeria’s aviation minister Stella Oduah is
still awaiting the National Assembly’s report
into alleged price-fixing by British airlines
BA and Virgin – before determing whether to
ban the airlines from landing in the country.
On May 25, aviation minister Stella
Oduah announced that she would wait for
the result of the National Assembly report
into the activities of the two airlines before
taking action against them. On April 25, she
gave them a 30-day ultimatum to reduce their
prices or face some sanctions.
The Senate and House of Representatives
began investigating the matter on May 17
and has yet to report.
Toyin Okpaise, the minister’s special assistant, told Nigerian Watch, “With regards to
the regional fare disparity, the National Assembly is yet to come out with its findings
and I am not in a position to tell you when
they will."
Meanwhile, on May 21, Mrs Oduah announced a wide-ranging package of reforms
in the aviation sector, including the building
of new international terminals in Lagos,
Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt, the refurbishment of existing airports and the establishment of seven perishable agro airports.
Under the plan, the minister expects revenue from the aviation industry to total
N120bn (£475m) by next year, representing
3% of gross domestic product.
As part of this process, the ministry plans
to float a new national carrier and is working
with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
ACN HERE TO LEARN Price-fixing fares
probe continues
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5
NEWSWATCH
June 2012
Town Halls elect Nigerian figureheads
The London boroughs of Brent and Enfield
have both elected Nigerians to be their
public face over the coming year. The
honorary position of Mayor is reserved for
councillors with a distinguished record of
service to their communities.
By AYO AKINFE
Kate Anolue took office as Mayor of Enfield on May 9, and Michael Adeyeye was
inaugurated as the Mayor of Brent a week
later. Both are Labour politicians.
The inaugaration ceremonies of both Mayors were
well attended, attracting
Nigerian civil society groups,
politicians, representatives of
the Nigerian High Commission and guests from Nigeria.
Mayor Anolue’s inauguration attracted a large continAnaka chiefs,
gent of
including a representative of
the monarch, while Mayor
Adeyeye’s event was attended
by
Senator
Babajide
Omoworare of the Osun East
senatorial district, representing the state governor Rauf
Aregbesola.
“As the first citizen of Enfield, I will represent the borough with dignity and I hope
to work to your expectation.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Adeyeye used his inaugaration to
encourage the Nigerian diaspora to engage with politics in
Britain. “This is a call to all other Nigerians to
take part in the politics of this country,” he
said. “It is a privilege and honour to be made
the first citizen of this borough. Of all the 32
boroughs of Greater London, Brent offers a
unique and special diversity and for a first generation immigrant from Africa like myself to
be appointed to this office is unique and shows
Brent’s diversity at its best.”
Senator Omoworare added: “I am proud to
be a Nigerian and this shows how versatile,
hardworking and deep Nigerians are. If a first
generation Nigerian can
emerge as the mayor of a London borough, it proves what
we can do if we harness our
human capital in Nigeria.”
He added that Osun State
will work with Brent Council
to see what ways they collaborate in areas such as training
and exchange programmes. "I
pray that God will give him
the strength to do his job and
we will collaborate with him to
see what we can offer him and
what we can offer Brent," Senator Omoworare added.
Both mayors promised to
use their year in office to better
the lives of the people in their boroughs and
work for charitable causes.
Mayor Anolue’s charities include Our
Voice, a parent-led organisation seeking to improve services for children with disabilities, Enfield Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Organisation
and E18HTEEN, a project helping to mentor
young people and, as a midwife, she also
pledged more support for the North Middlesex
Hospital maternity unit.
Mayor Adeyeye’s three chosen charities are
the Brent Association of Disabled People,
Rays of Sunshine Children Charity and the
Sickle Cell Society.
FIRST CITIZENS: Mayor of Enfield Kate Anolue (right) and Mayor of Brent
Michael Adeyeye proudly wearing their robes and chains of office
YOUNG COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS GET RECOGNITION BUT NEED MORE
Three young people and one youth
group have been honoured for their
work in the community at the Tayo
Shittu Foundation Recognition Awards
in south London.
The awards have been launched in
memory of the late Tayo Shittu, who
throughout a long career in local government was a vociferous champion on
behalf of the young and former Mayor
of Southwark.
Recipients of the awards were: James
Mitchell, who co-founded a non-profit
humanitarian art design organisation;
Emily Granger, a member of the
Bermondsey Youth Council; Martin
Hider, a volunteer rugby coach; and the
artists group Bede House Youths.
Councillor Michael Shittu, following
in his father’s footsteps, made a rallying
cry on behalf of young people.
“Over the years,” he said, “Our society has portrayed young people in a negative way. It should be noted that last
year’s summer disruption was dominated by reference to young people’s involvement even though it involved
people across the age group.
“Our approach to young people in
society needs to change and I am encouraged that many councils and voluntary groups are seeing this as a priority.
“It is important to recognise the
achievements of young people when
they do well, and likewise offer support
when things are not going so well.”
Utaka Foundation launched
Footballer John Utaka has
launched a children’s charity
called the John Utaka Foundation aimed at catering for
Africa’s mentally and physically disabled children.
Launched at the Hilton
Hotel in Paddington on May 9,
the charity also supports other
good causes such as One
Water, the non-profit water
company that provides wells
in developing nations, and the
Hearts of Gold Children’s Hospice. John Utaka said, “I have
always been passionate about
helping those who haven’t
had the best start in life, particularly young people. Children born with mental and
physical disabilities in Africa
often go without the basic
help that they need to get the
best start in their lives.”
6
NEWSWATCH
June 2012
SPECIAL REPORT: ‘MEDIOCRE’ SCHOOLS AND GANGSTA CULTURE
Is migrant education the answer?
Deep–seated concerns over the prevalence of
gangsta culture have been revealed in a
searing new drama from award–winning
playwright Ade Solake. In putting the
spotlight on the increasing vogue among
Nigerians for parachuting their children out
of London and into ‘Lagos’ schools, it raises
far–reaching questions.
Pandora’s Box (which has criminally shut
after a sell–out run at the Arcola Theatre Tent)
is a powerful drama. The play has many textures,
but it’s central question is whether Timmy
should be left in Lagos to complete his education, or return to London where he has become
involved with a street gang.
It was this question that fired debate over the
play’s opening weekend in May, where the matinee and evening performances were followed by
panel discussions.
These starkly showed that the African diaspora are increasingly angered, upset and frustrated with schooling in Britain, and its failure
to engage black youth, particularly boys as they
enter secondary school, which was identified as
being a critical stage in their development.
The evening panel discussion was led by Olu
Alake, president of 100 Black Men of London.
The panel included a young man who had been
sent back to Nigeria to complete his education,
Adeola Badejo, and a mother who had sent her
son home to Antigua to complete his, Linda
Hillaire. Joining them were Diane Abbot MP
and Professor Osita Okabuge of Goldsmiths
University. Among the 70-strong audience who
remained behind to partake in the discussion
was the mother whose story inspired the play
Waryla Abrahams.
Flagging up that what she was about to say
was coded, Ms Adams asked, “why would you
leave a person who doesn’t have respect for you
to teach your child?”
Here is a mother who was trying to do her
best by her child but found the major institution
in his life wanting.
“Education is all about expectation,” she continued. “Expectations for our black children are
so low here it means our children don’t believe
they can achieve.”
Here, the mother with high aspirations but a
low post code. It is a situation I recognise. Raising concerns with my son’s school I was met with
the offensive retort, “If you want a middle class
education, move.”
That’s exactly what African parents are doing
– to put their children out of harm’s way and reconnect them with the values of their country of
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From l-r: Olu Alake, Adeola
Badejo, Linda Hillaire, Diane
Abbot MP and Professor
Osita Okabuge
origin. Adeola’s story is typical. He was sent
home to complete his education after starting to
fail at school. At home he had all the airs and
graces but outside he was running wild.
Fortunately, the school alerted his parents.
Both professionals, they acted decisively and he
was sent home, attending both a very poor and
a very rich school in Lagos. Comparing his experiences between schools, he too raised the
issue of expectation.
“In my Nigerian schools everyone wanted to
be at the top of the class, the top of the school,
whereas I found schools here were very content
with mediocrity,” he said. And added, “Despite
the extreme poverty in Nigeria the value of education was clearly understood and embraced.
Everyone had high aspirations and a belief you
can be anything you want to be if you worked
hard enough.”
The other
key difference
was the attitude of people. “If I was
rude outside
when I was
here, no one
said
anything, it was
just accepted.
In Nigeria
that wasn’t
the case. Bad behaviour in public drew down a
ferocious response – it’s true, the ‘village’ brings
up the child there.”
Diane Abbot said that what she was hearing
was all–too depressingly familiar. “Teachers
here will lull you into a false sense of security
about your child – you have to be so vigilant to
get to the truth,” she said.
A school teacher in the audience agreed.
“The children who do well are those whose parents are heavily involved in their education.”
This raised the other pressing issue for many
parents, time-poverty. How do you keep a
watchful eye on your children and who they are
hanging out with when you are leaving for work
at before the school days starts and returning
long after it has finished? Especially with the closure of many after school clubs.
“Time is the critical issue. Lots of parents are
so stressed, really overworked trying to make
ends meet,” said Professor Okabuge. “In those
circumstances it is all too easy to lose sight of
what’s important. With children you have to
work with them every step of the way and our
society as it currently is doesn’t allow for that.”
A parent in the audience agreed, saying she
had worked part time until her sons were 12, so
she could keep them near and be there for them.
The moment when children enter secondary
school and come under increased peer group
pressure was seen as the critical time, when they
most needed support and guidance.
“That’s the tipping point, that’s when it all
changes,” said Ms Abbot. “That’s when the peer
group becomes more important to them than
their parents,” she added.
That’s when they are most vulnerable to being
sucked into a
g a n g s t a
lifestyle. Every
parent
lives
under
the
shadow of the
statistics that
reveal the cost
of failure; in
the numbers
of young black
men in jail, the
number
of
young black men being shot on the streets of
London, and dying in custody. That is the life –
and death – these parents clearly don’t want for
their children. “Until we as a community work
together, it’s going to be like this for a long time,”
warned Ms Abrahams, adding, “We need to find
a way to salvage our young handsome men.”
Understandably, with regard to such fundamental issues as institutionalised racism and
time poverty there were no neat solutions to be
had on the night. But Mr Olake asked that we
all consider, “what are our young people getting
in their countries of origin that they can’t get
here, and how do we create that here?”
It is a question that should excise all sections
of the community.
Let us know what you think at editor@nigerianwatch.com
‘Expectations for our
black children are so
low, they don’t believe
they can achieve’
Police accused of ‘corruption’ in Ibori case
BRITISH POLICEMEN who investigated jailed former governor of
Delta State, James Ibori, have been
accused of taking cash payments for
information.
Two Scotland Yard detective constables and a former detective inspector have been named as “key culprits”
in bribery allegations revealed to
British MPs.
The Home Affairs Select Committee was told about “apparent corruption right at the heart of New
Scotland Yard”.
The former inspector has denied
any wrong-doing and the two serving
officers have declined to comment,
the BBC reports.
The allegations surfaced during a
parliamentary hearing into the role of
private detectives.
7
NEWSWATCH
June 2012
During evidence from lawyer Mike
Schwarz of solicitors Bindmans, MPs
were told of documents which allege
that private investigation firm Risc
Management was involved in “wining
and dining and paying” officers working on the James Ibori case.
Ibori was sentenced to 13 years
imprisonment last month after pleading guilty to laundering millions of
pounds in the UK.
Schwarz, representing Ibori’s London lawyer, who was also jailed as
part of the case, said, “The key culprits appear to be the main players
who are the senior investigating officer, DI Gary Walters, and two of the
key investigators who are DC John
McDonald and DC Peter Clark.”
Schwarz told the committee there
were records that “show about half a
dozen payments totalling £20,000
over eight or nine months.”
The allegations were originally
made in an anonymous bundle of
documents sent to former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Paul
Stephenson, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission last
summer.
The two serving officers have not
been questioned over the allegations.
In October last year, the IPCC instructed the Metropolitan Police’s Directorate of Professional Standards
to conduct an internal investigation.
The paperwork included what are
purported to be detailed invoices and
expense ledgers from Risc Management, headed at the time by two former Scotland Yard detectives, Keith
Hunter and Cliff Knuckey.
THE MOST BEAUTIFUL
GIRL IN NIGERIA
All change at the top at High Commission
THREE senior officials from the Nigerian High Commission
in London have been given new assignments as part as
of the ongoing redeployment across the diplomatic corp.
Head of chancery Ambassador Ahmed Umar, head of
the political section Ambassador Akin Oyateru, and head
of the trade and economic affairs section, Ambassador
Bashir Musa have all been posted to new locations. Their
reassignment is part of the ongoing reshuffle that has
seen Nigeria nominate 88 new ambassadors. In December
2011, President Goodluck Jonathan submitted the names
of 56 career diplomats and 32 political appointees to the
senate for ratification as ambassadors.
At a formal send-off organised for the departing ambassadors, Nigerian high commissioner to the UK, Dr Dalhatu Tafida said that whatever he achieved during his
tenure must be put down to a collective effort, of which
the three officials were an integral part.
See CommunityWatch, page 27
LAST MONTH’S WINNER
Nigerian Watch competition winner
receives his business class tickets
Miss Cross River State Isabella
Agbor Ayuk has won this year’s
Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria
(MBGN) pageant.
This year’s event marked the
25th anniversary of MBGN and a
previous winner, Agbani Darego,
went on to become the first African
winner of Miss World, which is
where Ms Ayuk is now headed.
WIN
THE APPLE IPAD 3
with Nigerian Watch
The Apple iPad should need no introduction. It is quite simply the most desirable digital device
on the planet. Apple’s market-defining tablet computer combines the practicality of a laptop, the
enjoyable usability of an iphone and the technological brilliance of the human brain! The ultra
slim design is also extremely attractive.
The iPad has a sharp, high resolution touch-screen, which displays superb images and movies.
It also has two cameras for you to create your own superb images and movies. Everyday tasks
such as browsing the internet and email are pleasurable. The Apple appstore features a database
of apps that are educational, informative or entertaining. The latest version of the
iPad, The iPad 3, is the only one to have!
For your chance to win an iPAD, answer the following
question
What is the capital of Nigeria?
A. Lagos
B. Abuja
C. Kano
To enter text IPAD followed by a space, then
your answer (A,B, or C) first name and postcode to
82055 (ie: IPAD A Ayo E3 4BY).
The winner of the Arik competition in
last month’s Nigerian Watch is Frederick
Sanni from Peckham.
Here winner Frederick is pictured with
Arik Associate Vice President Sales Europe Simon Cook.
Text cost £1, standard network charges apply. Terms and conditions apply and are available at our website
www.nigerianwatch.com
Service operated by Nigerian Watch Competition. Customer helpline Tel: 0208 588 9640
Must have bill payer’s permission. 18+ only.
Start date 25/05/12 End Date 24/06/12
Entries after closing date will not be counted but may still be charged.
For free postal entries send your answer to Chartwell House, 292 Hale Lane, Edgware HA8 8NP.
8
NEWSWATCH
FARMING – A STORY OF NIGERIAN
MIGRANTS THAT NEEDS TO BE TOLD
Nigerian-born British actor
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
revealed the story of his adoption at a young age by white
English parents, when his
screenplay Farming was showcased at the Sundance London film festival last month.
The semi-autobiographical
film – a project backed by
Sundance Institute Labs – recalls an era in British history
in which it was almost commonplace for immigrant families to foster their children to
local parents as they sought financial stability.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje – who
is better known for his roles as
Mr Eko in hit hit US TV series Lost, as well as appearances in Oz and G.I. Joe –
performed an inaugural script
reading of the movie at a special Sundance event in London. He has been working on
the movie for five years, having won a Annenberg Film
Fellowship grant.
Asked whether it was
painful to write such a personal script, Akinnuoye-Ag-
By CHUK IKÉH
baje told Sundance: “It was
cathartic for me to write it,
and it’s a different level now.
On an emotional level, because it is my life and something that is personal that I’ve
written and lived; and on a
creative level, to put it in front
of an audience that comprises
your peers and counterparts
that grew up in your culture,
and would understand some
of the references that you’re
pointing to.”
Farming’s backers include
Ashley Walters, Marc Warren,
Minnie Driver and David
Harewood. The movie’s title
refers to the practice of informal fostering adopted by
many Nigerian parents in
Britain in the 60s and 70s.
In 1967, Akinnuoye-Agbaje himself was a product of
the practice, aged six weeks.
His Nigerian parents – who
immigrated to London to
study – gave him to a white
working-class couple from the
dockside community of
Tilbury.
Six months later, the
Tilbury dockers led strikes in
support of controversial, antiimmigration politician, Enoch
Powell.
Akinnuoye-Agbaje,
44,
hopes to begin filming the
movie later this year and said:
“I intend to make the film.
We’ll try to lock-in funding
and get on with a story that
needs to be told. And I think
judging from the audience reaction, it wants to be heard.”
ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE
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June 2012
CULTURE
AUCTION PUTS AFRICAN ART ON THE MAP
MORE THAN 70 works of art by Nigerian
artists featured in what is claimed to be the
world’s only commerical auction of Contemporary African Art.
The sale took place at Bonhams in London
in the last week of May, but at the time of
going to press there were no prices to report.
Naturally the commercial imperative has
driven thier interest in this area. “There has
been an explosion of interest in modern and
contemporary art from Africa and Bonham’s
Africa Now auction remains at the forefront
of the market, as the only sale of its kind in
the world,” a spokesman said.
The vogue for African Art is certainly
gathering pace around the world as reflected by growing media coverage.
Assessing the artists in the Bonhams catalogue The Daily Telegraph commented,
“There have been some significant record
prices recently. This month in New York a
work by El Anatsui has sold for $722,500
(£456,500) and a ceramic pot by Kenyan
born Magdalene Odundo, for $134,000
(£85,000), while in Lagos, a sculpture by Ben
Enwonwu has sold for £124,000. The African
market may be on a slow burner, but every
now and then it ignites."
The paper’s hot tips for collectors included sought-after Ghanaian sculptor El
Anatsui’s New World Map – a wall sculpture
fashioned from old bottle tops, estimated to
fetch £700,000. For those with shallower
pockets, there’s a quartet of postcard-sized
illustrations by the 90-year-old Ivorian artist,
Frédéric Bouabré, who is no stranger to exhibiting at the Tate and should draw between £1,500 and £2,000.
Tatchell in gay protest on Idaho day
NIGERIAN gay rights campaigners spent the International
Day
Against
Homophobia and Transphobia, known as Idaho Day,
protesting outside the High
Commission in London on
May 17.
Lesbian Gays, Bi-sexuals,
Trans-sexuals and Inter-sexuals (LGBTI) in Diaspora
used the occasion of Idaho
Day to protest against draconian Nigerian laws that
make gay marriage punishable by 14 years imprisonment. Anyone who helps
couples marry could face 10
years behind bars.
Known as the Anti-Same
Sex Marriage Bill, the law
was passed by the Nigerian
Senate in November and is
currently before the House
of Representatives.
Event organiser Yemisi
Ilesanmi delivered a copy of
LGBTI in Diaspora’s position paper on the same sex
bill. Veteran British human
rights and gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell joined
the protesters
9
NEWSWATCH
June 2012
MAYOR JOHNSON MUST BUILD TRUST WITH
BLACK COMMUNITIES, SAYS WOOLLEY
The director of Operation Black Vote
(OBV) Simon Woolley says recently reelected London Mayor, Boris Johnson,
must do more to reach out to the capital’s
black community, writes Chuk Ikeh.
Amid fears that poor weather would lead to
a low turnout of voters on 4 May, results
showed that Johnson led in 9 of the 14 London
GLA constituencies, scooping 1,168,738 first
and second preference votes – compared with
the 1,028,966 for the Labour’s Ken Livingstone – achieving a relatively narrow victory
and second term as mayor.
However, according to some press reports,
many of London’s black voters were in support
of Mr Livingstone. But an OBV roadshow
campaign, urging black voters across London
to go out and vote, found that support for the
Labour candidate was borne out of a concern
over Mr Johnson’s legacy of insulting remarks
over Africa, Africans and Muslims than a devotion to or affinity with Mr Livingstone’s
campaign policies.
“OBV congratulates Boris Johnson,” said
Mr Woolley. “As London’s new Mayor, Boris
Johnson must now demonstrate that he understands what it means to govern a multi-cultural
metropolis.”
He went on to declare that one of Boris
Johnson’s biggest resolves must now be to address the issue of poverty amongst Londoners,
Natural hair vogue stars
in cutting edge show
Europe’s biggest black hair
and beauty show opens in
London next week.
The two-day Afro Hair
and Beauty extravaganza on
June 3 and 4, at the Business
Design Centre Islington,
promises cutting edge fashion – no pun intended.
While the show features
scores of the most innovative new haircare and beauty
products, fashion is an integral part of the show.
A spokeswoman for the
event told Nigerian Watch,
“We want people to be inspired. Hair and beauty is all
about fashion, so cutting
edge catwalk shows are an
integral part of the event.”
The big trend this year is
the vogue for natural hair.
“There has been a seismic
shift in women choosing to
wear their natural hair texture and with this fast-growing sector causing a storm on
the internet, we have recruited a host of top brands
to give expert advice and
demonstrations,” she continued.
Among the star names
appearing at the event are
natural hair care gurus Jane
Carter, Talijah Wajid and Felichia Leatherwood.
Exhibitors are coming
from around the world to
display their wares, including Miss Jessie, Curl from
California, Sleek and Sensational.
A host of demonstrations
and masterclasses will also
be taking place.
For the first time this year
the show will feature a nail
and beauty bar – to capitalise on the fashion for 3-D
nails established by the likes
of Beyoncé and Rihanna.
For more details and
ticket, visit www.afrohairshow.com
as well as his relationship with London’s black
populace. “Big business is crucial, but equally
important is the challenge to address the half
a million Londoners that live in poverty, the
majority of whom will be African, Caribbean
and Asian. Given the bitter nature of this contest, if Mr Johnson is to be a successful Mayor
he must also begin to build co-operation and
trust with Black communities.”
SOCIETY
NAIJA PRISONERS
NO ONE WANTS
Nigeria is resisting pressure from the British
Government to accept the return of 300 of
her nationals who are currently held in jails
across the United Kingdom.
The repatriation of foreign criminals is a
policy supported by PM David Cameron and
pursued under bilateral prisoner exchange
pacts between countries.
WHile such pacts exist with many
Caribbean countries and Sri Lanka, Nigeria
has no such pact with Britain and and is reluctant to accept such an influx of prisoners.
The critical issue for both governments is
how much it costs to house prisoners.
10
OLYMPICWATCH
June 2012
DIASPORA UNDER STARTER’S ORDERS
FOR THE “BACKYARD OLYMPICS”
More than 60 leaders from the
worlds of sport, media, business and professions have
signed up to deliver the ultimate showcase for Nigeria during the up-coming Olympics.
Under the leadership of
Canuk chairman, Chief
Bimbo Roberts Afolayan, four
working groups – logistics,
mobilisation, media and publicity – have been created to
promote business, sport, culture, heritage and look after
HELLEN MANUFOR, who won a
bronze medal for netball at the
1998 Commonwealth Games,
playing for Britain, is just one
of the people volunteering to
help showcase Nigeria during
the London 2012 Games, as Director of RealDeal Promotions.
A graduate of the Chelsea
College of Arts, Helen will also
be acting as an assistant liaison for Nigeria’s netball team
in the forthcoming Games.
Looking for a bank that
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Team Nigeria.
The Nigeria UK Olympic
Committee (Nukoc) was
launched on 4 May at the
High Commission by acting
high commissioner Ambassador O.K. Lawal, in the absence of High Commissioner
Dr Dalhatu Sarki Tafida who
was out of the country on
business.
In his introductory remarks Chief Afolayan explained why Nukoc was being
launched.
“In my capacity as Canuk
chairman I have been repeatedly told by the London
Mayor’s office and others that
we are too inward looking,
and that we need to be more
visible as a community in our
engagement with others,”
Chief Afolayan said. “So, we
are going to seize the opportunity afforded to us by the
Olympics to attract international attention and foster
friendships, and counteract
the negative picture of Nigeria
with the many positives that
exist.”
Among Nigerians London
2012 is known as the “backyard Olympics” because at just
six hours away it is the closest
the Olympics will ever be to
Nigeria and Nukoc aim to
capitalise on that.
Officially launching the
Ambassador
committee
Lawal praised the sterling
work of Canuk under Chief
Afolayan’s leadership and
looked forward to a brighter
future.
“It has been widely acknowledged among my colleagues that you are doing a
very wonderful job here in the
UK, and seeing the very eminent people gathered here
today makes us very optimistic about the future of
Nigeria,” he said. “We are
going to see more change, pos-
itive change, and Nigeria will
move forward to the next level
with people like you supporting us. We now know good
things are coming out of
Jerusalem.”
Nukoc has subsequently
announced details of the first
event – a welcome gala dinner
for Team Nigeria – who arrive
in London on July 4 – and the
Nigerian Olympic Committee.
The dinner will be chaired
by High Commissioner Dr
Dalhatu Sarki Tafida.
Meanwhile, once Team
Nigeria are settled into their
UK base in Guildford, Surrey,
they will stage a number of
practice sessions, which will be
open to members of the public.
To keep up with developments and announcements
follow Nigerian Watch at
www.nigerianwatch.com or
sign up to our Twitter feed
@nigerianwatch
Countdown begins in Abuja
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NIGERIAN athletes gathered at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on May 2 to undergo biometric testing – a security requirement for the
2012 Games paid for by London.
In his welcome address, British Deputy High
Commissioner, Peter West said that the London
2012 Games – and this summer – will be a
proud moment for Britain.
“We will not only be staging what we’re determined will be the best Olympics ever, but
also celebrating the 60-year reign of Her
Majesty the Queen,” he told the athletes.
“It’s a very special time for our country. We
want to share that experience with our friends
in Nigeria. We want to build new and lasting
links between Nigeria and Britain.”
Mr West explained that he was at the Stadium to provide biometric facilities to those
Nigerian Olympic athletes who train at the
venue and to accompanying officials from the
Nigerian Olympic Committee.
He said we want to make such processes as
straightforward as possible for athletes arriving in London.
By planning ahead, completing applications
properly and submitting visa applications as
early as possible Team Nigeria should experience no problems at customs when they land.
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12
WORLDWATCH
June 2012
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of the Interior / U.S. Geological Survey
RIO SUMMIT on Climate Change, June 22-24
LAKE SHRINKAGE,
LAKE CHAD, AFRICA.
LEFT: DECEMBER 8, 1972.
MIDDLE: DECEMBER 14,
1987. RIGHT: DECEMBER
18, 2002 Persistent drought
has shrunk Lake Chad, once
the world’s sixth largest
lake, to about one-twentieth
of the size it was in the
1960s. Only 16 to 26 feet (5
to 8 meters) deep in
“normal” times, small
changes in depth have
resulted in large changes in
area. As the lake has
receded, large wetland
areas (shown in red) have
replaced open water.
Africa’s message to the world:
WE’RE READY TO GO GREEN
poverty and unemployment, especially of youth.”
Concern is also registered about
“the impacts that rising sea levels,
coastal erosion and unsustainable
fishing are having on concerned
communities, national economies
and sustainable development.”
Endeavours to address these
mounting issues are being hampered by the failure of the international community to fulfil its
pledges on helping Africa to
achieve sustainable development.
It highlights for example the failure of the G8 to meet its commitment – famously made at
Gleneagles in 2005amid Feed the
World protests – to double aid to
Africa by 2012 and last year’s fudge
over carbon targets, that has delayed a position being agreed until
2015.
Africa, the paper makes clear, is
best placed to pioneer sustainable
development and be an early
adopter of new technologies if only
the world would wake up to the opportunity.
“Africa, being in the early stages
of industrialisation has an opportunity to pursue sustainable industrial
growth that limits the environmental, social and economic costs of industrialisation and increases the
efficient use of energy and material
input.”
It concludes by calling for the
current obstacles that are preventing this being achieved be removed.
Once such obstacle that causes
deep concern is that despite its size
‘Africa has too little voice’ in international institutions such as the
world Bank, IMF, World Trade Organsiation and G20, which means
the contents specific needs are not
well taken into account.
It is the combination of these
problems that is causing instability
in the region and has led the US
based Think Progress organisation
to warn of conflict erupting in a report entitled Climate Change, Migration and Conflict in Northwest
Africa.
This report identifies an “arc of
tension” running from
from Nigeria
to Niger, Algeria and Morocco. “For
the United
States and the
international
community
this region is
critical because of its
Map describing the ‘arc of tension’ and migration routes between
potential for
nations that it is feared will intensify as the effects of climate change
future instabil- become more evident across the continent
ity,” it says, parThis is proposed in light of the
ticularly as a breeding ground for
economic constraints facing Amerterrorism.
ica and for fear of causing a backIt calls for a radical rethink on
lash among indigenous
how to improve the security of the
communities.
region. “A thorough review of the
It concludes by calling on the
relationship between defence, diplomacy and development is required,” US to lead efforts to coordinate development policies to establish a
it concludes. “The division of
more coherent approach to the relabour between these three
gion to ensure that “austerity measbranches of our foreign and secuures in developed nations do not
rity policy establishment must be
cripple foreign assistance proadapted to a new and rapidlygrammes” at this critical time for
changing post-Cold War environAfrica.
ment.”
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP
By JON HUGHES
Image courtesy of NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS
Africa has placed an uncompromising report on the table for the forthcoming Rio 2012 conference,
lambasting the international community for failing to deliver on its promises hampering efforts to pioneer
sustainable development across the
continent.
The Africa Consensus Statement
to Rio was drawn up by the ministers of all African States and pulls
no punches.
“We are deeply concerned that
Africa's progress towards sustainable development is being severely
compromised by new and emerging
challenges,” it states. “Chief among
these are the adverse impact of climate change, increasing water
scarcity, bio-diversity and ecosystem loss, desertification, hazardous
and electronic waste, low resilience
to natural disasters, the energy crisis, the food crisis, rapid and unplanned urbanisation resulting
from rural-urban migration, human
trafficking, migration and the
global financial and economic crisis. These challenges have led to the
spread of new diseases, worsening
WETLAND CHANGES, NIGERIA, ABOVE 1984.
NOVEMBER 2009
The Inner Niger Delta is the largest wetland in West Africa. The delta supports about one million people and a
variety of ecosystem goods and services, including a productive fishery, pasture for sheep and cattle. The
flooding that replenishes the wetland depends mainly on rainfall over the upper Niger River in the Guinean
Highlands. The image on the left shows how all these eco-system services suffer under long-term drought.
URBAN GROWTH, ETHIOPIA ADDIS ABABA, LEFT: 1973. RIGHT, 2007. Urbanisation has been driven mainly by
unemployment, poverty, and declining agricultural productivity in rural areas. According to the 2007 census, Addis
Ababa’s population stands at 3.4 million. This is projected to roughly double by 2020 – as are the major cities of
Nigeria. Twenty-seven percent of Ethiopia’s urban population lives in the capital city, and this has created substantial
pressure on the city’s infrastructure, housing, and urban services. Devlopment shown in blue.
GLOBAL ECONOMY
South Africa turns the screw on China
In an effort to further protect local manufacturing jobs, the South African government has announced heavy duties on the import of humboldt
screws from China, which are important to the
country’s mining, construction and agricultural
industries.
The move may be seen as a statement of intent by South Africa to control Chinese influence, and may anger China, which imports 500
tons of these screws a month – equivalent to
South Africa’s entire local output.
Brazil has already felt the strong arm of
South Africa push back on its trade after a 70
per cent tariff on Brazilian beef imports was
imposed, causing Brazil to report South Africa
to the World Trade Organisation.
But these moves may have far-reaching implications, with president Jacob Zuma under
heavy pressure to preserve South African jobs.
At 25 per cent, the country – one of Africa’s
economic powerhouses – has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world.
The introduction of the tariff may encourage some of Africa’s other leading economies
to block efforts from so-called BRIC countries
(Brazil, Russia, India and China) to capitalise
on Africa’s wealth of resources.
The move may, however, scupper the Doha
Round of trade talks, which aim to encourage
emerging economies to keep an open market.
CIVIIL UNREST
Nigeria to help reshape Guinea Bissau
Nigeria announced that it would be sending military and police forces into Guinea Bissau to aid
the country’s own troops and not as a counter
force. The announcement came at the 30th
meeting of the Chief of Defence Staff of West
African Countries in the Nigerian capital, Abuja,
during it which it was declared that representatives of the bloc would be deploying military
personnel in the troubled nation by 18 May.
“The troops we are sending are not a
counter force. We are not there to counter the
armed forces of Guinea Bissau,” said Air Chief
Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, Nigerian Chief of
the Defence Staff. He continued: “Rather, we
are there to assist them so that all the politi-
cal programmes that they have go ahead
without any hitch. Most of them will be
forces that have to do with engineering; we
are going to help the troops of Guinea Bissau
to become more professional.”
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of
West African States (ECOWAS) said that it
would not be intervening in the not-too-dissimilar political crisis in Mali until a request
was received from the Malian government.
Instead, it was declared that Burkina Faso
president Blaise Compaoré would be leading
diplomatic negotiations between military and
rebel groups in Mali to try and achieve
democracy there.
POLITICS
OBAMA SAYS ‘I DO’ TO SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
US President Barack Obama
made a controversial move in
the run-up to this year’s presidential election when he became the first sitting US head
of state to show his support for
same-sex marriage.
The announcement came
in an interview with American
news network ABC on 9 May.
“At a certain point, I've just
concluded that for me, personally, it is important to go
ahead and affirm that I think
same-sex couples should be
able to get married,” explained the President
13
WORLDWATCH
June 2012
Currently, only six US
states and the District of Columbia permit gay and lesbian
marriages – an issue that has
split the country almost
evenly in terms of opinion.
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after a campaign
event in Oklahoma, Obama’s
Republican challenger for the
presidency, Mit Romney, reacted quickly with his own
views on the topic, saying: “I
have the same view on marriage that I had when I was
the governor: I believe marriage is a relationship between
a man and a woman. I have
the same view I’ve had since,
well, running for office.”
But the president’s statement is likely to prove a substantial talking point outside
of the United Sates, particularly in Africa, where the president has enjoyed huge
support due to his Kenyan
roots, and where homosexual
relationships are, in many
countries, a social taboo and
a punishable crime.
When the Obama administration announced that LGBT
human rights would become
an integral part of US foreign
policy in December 2011, it
was met with negative response in Africa.
"Homosexuality here is
taboo; it's anathema to
Africans, and I can say that
this idea is something that will
be seen as abhorrent in every
country on the continent,"
said John Nagenda, a senior
adviser to Uganda's president
Yoweri Museveni at the time.
Currently, almost all of
Africa’s 54 nations ban homosexuality, with Nigeria’s senate recently agreeing a
proposed law banning samesex marriages, with a 14-year
jail term for those convicted.
On 18 May, Malwian President Joyce Banda said that
her country is considering revoking laws criminalising
same-sex relationships, claiming “"Indecency and unnatural acts laws shall be
repealed."
NOLLYWOOD LANDS STARRING ROLE AT
2012 AFRICA MOVIE ACADEMY AWARDS
by Harriet Ogbeide
Nigeria’s ‘Nollywood’ movie industry once again proved itself
to be the major player of
African cinema after scooping
up a host of accolades at last
month’s Africa Movie Academy
Awards (AMAA) in Lagos.
Nigerian films picked up 12
out of 25 gongs at the 8th annual ceremony – held at the
Eko Hotel & Suites in Victoria
Island – including the awards
for Best Short Film, Best Documentary and Best Film by an
African Living Abroad.
Meanwhile, both Nigeria
and South Africa – also a big
winner on the night – shared
the Special Jury Prize for Man
on Ground.
The evening turned out to
be a glamorous affair attended
by some of the biggest names
in African film, as well as some
notable Hollywood stars and
recognisable faces from other
professions. Top musical acts
such as Yinka Davids, Asa and
2Face Idibia were among
artists that delivered rousing
performances at the Expo Hall.
But one of the show’s main
attractions was Nollywood
sweetheart and Shattered actress Rita Dominic, who
claimed the Best Actress in a
Leading Role award for her
performance in the film, bedecked in an arresting pink
dress (pictured right).
Nollywood is the second
largest movie industry in the
world in terms of the volume
of films produced annually, behind India’s ‘Bollywood’ and
ahead of America’s notorious
Hollywood powerhouse.
Other winners included:
Best Short Film Braids on a
Bald Head, telling the story of
a day in the life of a Hausa
hairdresser in Northern Nigeria, and her longing for better
out of married life.
Best Documentary was
African Election, a political
documentary that unearths the
dark side of African politics. It
goes behind the curtains and
pulls the trousers down on bal-
lot tinkering and voter intimidation to show why Africa is
still learning democracy.
Best Film by an African
Living Abroad was Mystery
of Birds,an all-too-familiar
story of migration in search
of greener pastures.
14
GISTWATCH
June 2012
Madam Amebo
NOT A BUNDLE OF
LAUGHS FOR TV COMIC
WITH SHRINE FOR EX
They may have split up over a year ago, but
my girls say this comedian (Had I Known) is
still not over his ex, who is a popular singer.
Who can blame him? She broke up with him
after she had caught him cheating with another woman.
The bright young couple had been dating
for about three years and both families knew
each other really well. She was well liked by
his friends and family and there was even talk
of marriage. She had gone out of the city to
shoot a commercial and was supposed to be
away for a week, but the shoot finished earlier than expected.
She walked into the house and caught him
locked in an inappropriate embrace with another woman. Unable to accept the deception
she broke off the relationship. She has since
moved on and is seeing someone else but
“Had I known” still hasn’t moved on, and believes she’s the one that got away.
He can’t stop talking about her to his
friends and family, he has a section of his
wardrobe where he stores all the things she
didn’t take when she left him and other memorabilia from their relationship.
He keeps a scrap book of every news article where she has been mentioned and also
magazine covers with photos of her. He has
tried starting three relationships since they
broke up but none of them have worked out,
as he keeps telling his friends that none of
these girls compare to his ex. He has begged
her to come back but to no avail. I guess it’s
true what they say, “You don’t know what
you’ve got till it’s gone.”
THE TRAP THAT HAS
CAUGHT THE RAT
Can anything be as bad as a bad friend who
tries to cheat with your wife behind your
back? One Dagenham man recently found out
that a man who he thought was his friend
was no such thing.
His wife had been telling him about his
mate who was hitting on her and he refused
to believe it. Whenever he is not at home, she
said, his friend will come to the house and
constantly hit on her. It’s even worse because
the husband did not believe her. However,
after her constantly making the point, they
decided to set a trap.
He told his friend he would be away for a
weekend. Elated at the news, his friend decided to ring the wife. Unknown to him, his
friend was upstairs on the other phone listening to the entire conversation. Needless to
say the two gentlemen are no longer speaking to each other.
WOMEN ARE
GROWING WINGS
Being a mini cab driver has several advantages. One of them is that you may have a
fare to drop off close to your house and decide to pop in for a quick meal. This is exactly
what happened to one London taxi driver.
He went to work and his wife thought he
will be gone for the whole day. He decided to
visit home during office hours and was very
surprised at what he saw.
When he got home, he let himself in and
went upstairs to see his wife, who he
thought was asleep but alas, she was not. He
found her in the company of an unknown
gentleman and understandably went berserk.
To cool down, he decided to go back to work,
trying to avoid doing something he might regret.
By the time he got back, his wife, fearful
of what he might do, had taken their two
children and fled to Manchester.
LEKKI LIFESTYLE
Most Lekki families now have Filipino nannies, no longer Calabar house girls.
What has happened to Nigerian nannies?
It’s alright when it is all working out well. Apparently the Filipino nannies are very good.
They are like clockwork. You do not need to
tell them what to do.
But nobody is thinking about the children.
Are they happy with the nannies?
We will answer the question for the children. We have heard that when its closing
time and the children come out to meet their
nannies, the children are confused. All Filipinos look alike to them. How then do the
children discover which nanny is theirs? They
have to wait for the nanny to shout their
name.
Gents Hair cuts
Hair Relaxing
Curly Perm
Weave on
Bonding / Extension
Twist / Braids
Corn Roll /Ghana Corn Roll
and a lot more...
Got a story for
Madam Amebo?
1 minute from Burnt Oak
Tube Station
Send it to
amebo@nigerianwatch.com
We pay £20 for every story
that appears in print
Everyday for the
thief, one day for
the owner
Since MR G was released from prison and
went on the run, the police have monitored Mrs G, for almost a year – ever since
her bank reported large sums of money
being transferred and deposited into her
account. After his brush with the law, Mr G
stopped operating in his own name. Instead, he did everything in his wife’s name,
which led to he arrest.
Mrs G was in shock when she found out
the true extent of what Mr G had been up
to and how he had been funding their very
comfortable life with luxury cars, a seven
bedroom house and luxury holidays.
After a long trial Mrs G was given four
years. It was a very sad day for her as her
daughter was taken into care and Mr G still
was missing. After realizing that his plan to
hide all his ways under his wife’s name had
paid off, Mr G resurfaced.
As usual while Mrs G was serving her
time, Mr G returned to his usual flamboyant life style. When Bimbo met Mr G in a
night club, she knew she had to have him.
Bimbo’s eye tear reach back so she knew
just how to get Mr G. Before he knew it
she had moved into his knew flashy apartment and had packed most of Mrs G’s and
her daughters things into the spare box
room.
Unlike Mrs G, Bimbo got fully involved
with Mr G’s runnings and before long was
also rolling in money. Two years went by
really fast and Mrs G was due to be released from prison.
Mr G had been to see her a few times
and she threatened him the last time he
visited her that if he left her for another
woman, she would inform the police of
everything she knew about his dodgy dealings. He knew for sure that if she was to
do that he would end up in prison again.
So close to the time of her release from
prison, Mr G told Bimbo to leave his house,
Bimbo didn’t take it at all well. She had
tasted the good life and was not going to
let it go so easily. She tried everything in
her power to convince Mr G to reconsider
and leave Mrs G, but Mr G was not having
it. He knew Mrs G went down for him and
she wouldn’t blink an eye to wreak revenge if he crosses her.
Eventually Mr G was forced to throw
Bimbo out of his house three days before
Mrs G was released from prison. After several months of battling with the Social
Workers, Mrs G got her daughter back
from the foster parents she was living
with. Mrs G never forgave Mr G for running away when the police came to arrest
her and also for allowing Social Works take
their child.
To be continued
15
YOURWATCH
June 2012
Letters to the Editor
We’d love to hear from you. You can make sure Nigerian Watch is your kind of paper by letting us
know what you think, what you want to see in these pages and equally important what you don’t.
So put pen to paper and send your letters to:
what is going on back home. Personally, I
welcome this idea and I hope that the paper
will not die half way.
The Editor, Nigerian Watch, Chartwell House, 292 Hale Lane, Edgware,
Middlesex HA8 8NP
Or click away on your keyboard and email us at: editor@nigerianwatch.com
God bless. Lola.
Letters to be included in the next issue must be received by no later than May 20. The editor
regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published. Please include your full name, postal address
and contact telephone number. Names and addresses can be withheld, if preferred.
Letters may be edited for publication.
Dear Editor,
Greetings, I want to sincerely thank you people for your effort on Nigeria Watch newspaper. It is very inspiring and full of
information, God bless.
Positive and inspiring
Dear Maryanne, Our team at FaunteeWrites wish to send our
congratulatory message to you for the awesome work and vision that you have brought
us.
Nigerian watch news paper is a positive
and inspiring initiative, long awaited for.
Now Nigerians can get their voices and views
heard from a paper that has the interest of
the people at heart. We are proud to associate
with you. We wish you all the best and strength to
represent and recreate the positive image for
Nigeria. Truly, Faustina Anyanwu
Worthwhile and interesting
Dear Editor, May I congratulate you on having the vision
to launch this newspaper. It is no doubt a
worthwhile and interesting read. Secondly, I
am impressed by the standard of prose used,
and mostly free from grammatical and typographical errors.
Yours, Ade Lawal
Long may it last
Dear Editor,
Greetings and congratulations on the launch
of Nigerian Watch, which I believe will serve
as a greater means of keeping Nigerians
abroad up to date with information about
Inspiring and informative
Joyfully His,...Prayerfully yours, Andrew Ehis
At last, a paper for us
Dear Editor,
It is me great pleasure to know that there is
now a newspaper that caters for Nigerians in
the United Kingdom.
Noel Aiworo
Nigeria’s Nollywood constitution
Dear Editor,
During a recent visit to my parents, who live
south of the river my father, bless him, thrust
the maiden copy of Nigerian Watch in my
hand with the instruction, “Be a part of this
great effort.”
Apart from heeding my old man’s instruc-
tion, let me congratulate you and your team
on a very laudable project.
I have enjoyed reading your newspaper,
not least my good friend, Dele Ogun’s article
on Nigeria’s Nollywood constitution.
Thank you. Tony Ojolola
Congratulations
Dear Editor,
Congratulations, the hard work and long
hours have finally paid off. I wish you and the
team all the success you deserve and more.
May God bless the efforts of your hands too,
amen.
Christie Akumabor
Long live Nigerian Watch
Dear Editor,
I recommend Nigerian Watch to all. A good
job, please keep it up.
Ekemini Ladejobi
Well done guys and all the very best. Long
live Nigerian Watch.
Bisikay Ayedun
A big congratulations on the birth of your
newborn newspaper. May God help you nurture it to maturity and profitability.
Lawrence Adu
16
POLITICALWATCH
June 2012
SOAPBOX
We need to change the way we do
politics to achieve greater diversity
London Mayoral candidate Siobhan Benita says diversity suffers because arcane rules mean
that it is practically impossible for independent candidates to get their messages heard
WHEN I LEFT MY JOB in the
Civil Service at the beginning of this
year, to stand as an independent candidate in the Mayor of London election, Government was – and still is –
too male, too white and too privileged. One factor that motivated me
to throw my own hat into the ring
was my belief that we need more diverse public leaders in the UK. The
public have lost faith in traditional
political parties and now is the right
time for people from different backgrounds to bring their valid perspectives, experience and skills into the
political arena.
Well, the dust has settled on the
election. I was delighted with my result – to secure over 300,000 votes
and come so close to the established
Green and Liberal Democrat parties
was a massive achievement for me
and I am grateful to everyone who
supported me during the campaign.
That said, there was still an enormous distance between the two
“front runners” – Boris Johnson and
Ken Livingstone – and myself and
the other candidates. So, now that I
have caught up on some much
needed rest, I am reflecting on what
it was really like for me – an independent candidate – to try and make
a significant impact in the election.
The first point to note about the
mayoral process is that it is expensive
to stand as a candidate. In addition
to securing the support of 10 people
from each London borough, every
candidate has to submit a deposit
spend up to up to £420,000. As an
independent candidate with no party
backing or corporate support I simply didn’t have that kind of money to
spend. Instead, I relied on the help
of friends and family, all of whom
volunteered their time and professional skills.
I had a really fantastic core team
and we made full use of social media
channels – twitter, Facebook and an
informative website – to market our
messages and secure support.
There’s no doubt, however, that the
political parties spent a lot of money
on leaflets, poster campaigns, billboards and other advertising, all of
which does make it hard for an independent to compete on an equal
basis. It will certainly be interesting
of £10,000 to be eligible. Candidates
also need to provide a further
£10,000 to have their mini manifesto
included in the London Elects booklet. Although it’s not compulsory for
a candidate to do this, the booklet is
the only official document to be sent
to every voter across London so, in
my view, it would damage any candidate’s credibility not to be in it.
There are no exceptions to these
costs. In short, you need to be able to
raise £20,000 just to stand and unfortunately that, in itself, will prevent
the majority of people from putting
themselves forward.
And the costs don’t stop there.
During the official election period–
from the end of March until Election
Day, each candidate is allowed to
Siobhan Benita
to compare the accounts of the various campaign teams when they are
published later this year.
In addition to the high costs, I
knew from the start of the campaign, that my other big challenge
would be raising my profile and getting myself and my policies known,
especially as I would be competing
against Ken and Boris, two of the
most recognisable characters in London politics.
What I hadn’t foreseen was just
how resistant to change and new
voices some of the established election processes and organisations
themselves would be. Of the numerous hustings that took place, I was
only invited to participate fully in
three of them. Even the Fawcett So-
NIGERIAN WATCH
EE
FR
RUGBY BOYS
London
Nigerian
win
promotion
Schoolgirl’s
Olympic
dream
comes
true
WIN 2 Business Class
Return Flights to Nigeria
Page 11
NIGERIAN WATCH
May 2012
MONTHLY
To Inspire, Inform and Entertain
nigerianwatch.com
INSIDE
News
- Air fares row special report
- Yellow fever alert
- Ibori seeks to serve gaol
term in Nigeria
- MP’s witchcraft campaign
Features
- Why we need big baggage
allowances in a small world
- New calls for a Sovereign
National Conference
NIGERIA RISING
Life & Style
 It’s going to be a D’BANJ summer
- Spring fashions
- Relaxed hair care advice
- Unbeatable listings guide
 NIGERIAN IDOL to launch London audition
 A star is born in EMI’s Tina
Business & Property
- Diaspora bonds’ launch set
- Lekki: Naija treasure island
Education
- Advice on preparing your
child for entrance exams
PAGE 9
The British Bank for Africa
Sport
- Racing Eagles on the
starting grid
Big
Strong
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June 2012
ciety, whose very purpose is to promote women in public life, decided
to only invite the traditional political
parties to their mayoral debate.
I am extremely grateful to the organisations that did treat me fairly,
including Operation Black Vote, but
unfortunately they were in the minority and this meant that my policies and views were, more often than
not, unheard, untested and consequently unreported.
Without a shadow of a doubt
though, the biggest hindrance to my
campaign was the out-of-date broadcasting rules and inflexibility of colleagues at the BBC, SKY and ITV.
The rules broadly dictate that the
amount of coverage a candidate is
given during the election period is
based on the results of their political
party at the last election – a ludicrous and inappropriate measure for
a new independent like me who doesn’t belong to a party and who did not
stand in the last election.
These rules meant that, despite
being an official candidate, I was
given scant TV coverage compared
to the political party candidates and,
crucially, I was not invited to take
part in the main mayoral TV debates, which have a major impact on
the public perception of who the key
players are.
As if that wasn’t biased enough,
the rules also meant that I was the
only candidate who was not permitted an election broadcast – all of the
others (even the BNP) were automatically granted one simply because
they represented a political party.
It’s heartening to me that so many
commentators publicly criticised the
rules as a result of my campaign and
have called for them to be reformed.
That would be a wonderful legacy.
So, those are my reflections on
some of the difficulties of standing as
an independent candidate. I realise
reading this article through that readers might get the impression that it
was an entirely negative experience.
That’s very far from the truth!
Despite the particular challenges I
have included here, running in the
mayoral campaign was the best thing
I have done professionally.
I met so many inspirational people doing amazing things all over
London. I made new friends and fell
in love with the capital all over again.
I’ve been overwhelmed by supportive
messages since the 3 May with many
people asking me to stay in politics
and to run again in 2016. And if
truth be told, I enjoyed the campaign
so much that I am minded to do just
that…..
Siobhan Benita was a career civil
servant, working on transport, environment and local government policies before moving to the Cabinet
Office where she led major cross–
Whitehall reform and communications projects. In 2010 she founded
Tabelle, a network for women working in and with the public sector.
17
POLITICALWATCH
Respect breeds respect, as Ufuoma Anoho discovered on what
proved to be a life-changing trip to Benin City
What it means to be Nigerian
Nearly 180 million people, mainly
on the West African coast with a
considerable number in Diaspora,
proudly call themselves Nigerian.
To others, the mere mention of the
country evokes a variety of images:
some good, some not so good,
with the majority being simply unfair stereotypes. But for those of us
who bear this tag of nationality
with pride, what exactly does it
mean to be called Nigerian?
Must one have a direct connection to the soil by birth? Was it
through parentage? It’s a thought
that has occupied my now ageing
grey cells very often over the past
few years as our children being
brought up in Diaspora need to
have a connection to the motherland. So how could they claim to
be Nigerian and how could this be
defined? The following story explains how I obtained my own conclusions.
It was 2001 and I was visiting
Nigeria for the first time in nearly
10 years in the capacity of best
man for my best friend’s wedding. I
had just started to do well in my
career as an IT consultant and was
a bit flush with cash and young
enough not to be too prudent with
it. I had just started dating a beautiful young Dutch lady and thought
why not take her to Nigeria, all expenses paid and so on.
I must express that, having lived
in Israel for about five years she
was no stranger to living in a harsh
environment. What, with living in a
kibbutz and going into Tel Aviv on
a near weekly basis – with the continuous looming threat of being
bombed or similar – a week in
Benin City should seem a doddle.
So, before you could say “Naija
here we come oh” we were on a
plane to Lagos and then a domestic
flight from Lasgidi to Benin City –
the turbulence still gives me shudders and I’m sure there was just a
single layer of glass on the windows.
Anyway, we were obviously
soon safe and sound in the city of
red sand. We had booked into a
hotel and hired a taxi for the week.
The driver, whose name not just
for the sake of this story, I wish I
could remember was an extremely
nice fellow. Maybe having to wear
a top hat, waistcoat and tails in
sweltering heat affected my memory. My best friend owes me a lot,
as I must have lost about two
stone in sweat on that day alone.
Regardless, it was whilst in
Benin City (BC) that the basis of
this article bore fruit, during the
wedding preparations in BC.
It was a very warm evening and
we were at the groom’s parent’s
house. The women were in the
backyard preparing food for the
traditional wedding. There was a
huge cauldron of beef being
cooked above an open fire. I can
still remember the smells and the
glow of fire bouncing off of the
women’s faces, years of experience
and love going into their current
task. The grasshoppers were chirping away and the chatter of conversation added its own warmth to
the evening.
Then something happened. It
was something that I will never
forget. Out of nowhere my Dutch
girlfriend came outside and smiled
kindly at the women asking them
what they were doing. They could
tell she was genuinely interested
but still the look on their faces was
one of shock.
Firstly, why wasn’t this oyibo
woman indoors enjoying the convenience of air-conditioning instead of risking the sharp sting of a
mosquito? Secondly, why would
she give a flying fig about the nuances of cooking a whole cow at
ten o’clock at night?
She sat down next to them
seemingly oblivious to their surprise and kept asking questions.
The women explained what was
going on, showing her the years of
their experience. She listened; they
imbibed and bestowed even more
knowledge.
This went on for a while and it
was as though she was hanging on
their every word. I’m sure she
would have taking in-depth notes
A love of
humanity,
respect for
culture, desire
for knowledge;
these are the
qualities of
Nigeria
if there was a notepad handy.
And then something else happened that I will never forget. As
she got up to say goodnight every
single woman sitting around the
cauldron stood up to say goodnight to her. The gravitas of this
moment was not lost on me.
She had shown them a sincere
and deep respect for their culture
and tradition and they were returning this respect in droves. She
was young enough to be their
daughter or granddaughter but yet
they stood up to wish her goodnight. It was a powerful moment.
When I think about this now I
should have proposed to her on
the spot. Because in that moment
she exemplified what it means to
be Nigerian.
How? I hear you ask. Because
she showed respect for culture and
tradition, a desire for knowledge, a
love of humankind and its inherent
diversity, and a desire to learn from
the present to better the future.
And that future is oh so bright.
Whether that is by dint of birth
into our way of thinking or from
one’s own desire to learn from our
great nation’s way of life and
virtues. These are all qualities of
our people and our country.
We are now married and have
two beautiful girls. And though my
wife may not be Nigerian by birth
she continues to divulge what it
means to be Nigerian to my children. I find it poetic that this meaning of the word Nigeria, the name
itself coined by a European, is
being extolled in my very own
family by a European.
Until this day I am still yielding
the benefits of that warm evening
in Benin whenever I eat the Nigerian food that she cooks so deliciously.
Speaking of which, there is a
sweet smell coming from the
kitchen so bye for now and remember home, and this case Nigeria, is
where the heart is.
18
PROFILEWATCH
June 2012
Wetin my eye don see
Pa Gabriel Oluwatoto Lemoshe is as old as Nigeria
itself. Ayo Akinfe meets London's oldest Nigerian
and discovers the secret to a long life
At 98 Pa Lemoshe exudes all the
qualities that have served him so well
throughout his long, adventurous
life. Mild-mannered, modest, easy
going, he takes life as it comes.
Pa Lemoshe was born just twoand-a-half months after Lord Frederick Lugard amalgamated Nigeria
into one nation in January 1914.
Given that on average Nigerians
only live until the age of 48 years, according to the United Nations 2010
Human Index Report, to have lived to
98 is in itself a remarkable achievement. What makes Pa Lemoshe’s
story even more illuminating is the
fact that he came to the UK 71 years
ago, in 1941. The things he has seen
(wetin my eye don see).
Sitting in the terraced house in Arsenal that has been his home for the
past 40 years, Pa Lemoshe recalled
the journey that led to his being here.
Born to Moses and Rachel
Lemoshe, Pa spent
his early years
in Abeokuta and like most other children at the time, spent his infancy
helping his parents. His father was a
farmer and his mother a petty trader,
so it was not unusual for children
back then to start out life as farm
hands.
However, Pa’s parents were heavily
influenced by the Christian missionaries and their promises of education
and were keen to cash in on the decolonisation programme that promised upward mobility for engaged
natives. As such, they were eager to
get their son an education and so at
six months old, he was taken to St
Peter’s Parsonage in Ako, Abeokuta
where he was baptised and given the
Christian name Gabriel.
Pa Lemoshe continued working
on his father’s farm until he was
about 14 when he enrolled in primary
school. From there, he proceeded to
Saviours Boys High School in Lagos,
where the motto was
Non Nobis Solum not for ourselves
alone. Pa finished school
in December 1937
and his
school
leaving report tells us
simply that
he passed his
exams, was of ‘satisfactory’ character
and that he was ‘good at tugging’ in
athletics.
Ordinarily such young men – missionary-educated, English-speaking –
were destined for a career in Nigeria’s
burgeoning civil service. A desk job
didn’t appeal to Pa so in early 1938 he
signed on as a plumbing engineer
with shipping line Elder Dempster.
After a year of training he set sail just as World War II was erupting
and he immediately found himself
part of the Allied war effort.
“We left Ijebu-Ode in 1939 when
World War Two started,” he recalls.
“We took soldiers from Lagos to
Ghana for the war and from there on,
I ended up travelling around the
world for three years assisting with
the allied war effort.
“I would spend two weeks in England, then two weeks in Ghana, then
two weeks in the US, then two weeks
in Freetown. I was hired as a plumber
to work on the ships and it was my
job to make sure that the heating,
water and all the pipes were working
properly and effectively.”
A harrowing time with daily reports of merchant ships being sunk
by U-boats, hoping to isolate Britain
and Europe from much-needed supplies. “It was how it was,” says Pa
Lamoshe. “We trusted in God.”
Not unusual for young men at the
time, Pa Lemoshe had married before
WEDDING DAY Pa Lemoshe marrying his second wife Abiodun on Christmas Eve
strange land. With help from the
company he found lodgings in Holloway, where he set up home.
What he remembers most vividly
from that time is the cold.
“We had just come back from Virginia,” he recalls. “And the ships were
warm, but London – it was cold. At
the time, there was very little central
heating about. Only the ships tended
to have that. I was a plumber who fitted them, so I installed them at work
but had none in my house when I
came home. To keep warm, I had a
paraffin heater and we also had a
heater with a coin slot. I would get
back from work and put both on.
“And,” he adds, “sometimes I’d
keep my coat on.”
Social life was centred around the
Church and the Coloured Men’s Institute in Canning Town. This legendary institute opened its doors in
‘Not even Herbert Macauley has
a house that he can call his
own. We should be content...’
embarking and leaving Lagos but
while on his maiden voyage, he received the devastating news that his
wife had died.
After two years criss-crossing the
ocean Pa Lemoshe was offered the
opportunity to disembark. His engineering skills were required repairing,
refitting and fitting out boats in the
UK. Given that he was a widower
and England had always been seen as
the promised land where Nigerians
could improve themselves he thought
he would give it a go. So it was in 1941
that he found himself standing on the
dock at Tilbury. A stranger in a
1926 to meet the needs of black
sailors passing through London.
Both its name and purpose speak to a
time most of us would care to forget.
Despite there being large African
communities in London and Liverpool, these men and women by and
large lived parallel lives - apart from
mainstream society.
Pa Lemoshe was of course a member, like most black marine workers in
London at the time. It was the only
place to hang out with compatriots
and get news of home. Because the institute was close to the docks, it also
served as a handy place where
Africans could source food from
home.
Africans were a bit of a celebrity
breed in London back in the 1940s
and Pa Lemoshe recalls that most
places he went to, people just stared.
While working on ships and at
docks, Pa’s workmates could not pronounce his surname so they ended up
shortening it to Lem, which eventually stuck.
One of the things Pa Lemoshe recollects most vividly from over the
years was getting his drivers’ licence
in 1957 and being one of the first
Nigerians to drive a car in the UK at
a time when racism was rife.
The 50s weren’t a good time for
blacks in London. Just free of rationing but with houses and jobs in
short supply the English reacted
badly to a sudden influx of peoples
from the former colonies. This became symbolised by the Windrush
landings and resentment and racism
led to the Notting Hill riots erupting
in 1956. Of course the black community was astonished. Many had
helped the allies fight for freedom and
this was the thanks they got.
As a mature, skilled worker, by
then firmly established in his own
community, Pa Lemoshe was mercifully not subject to the animosity
aimed at the newcomers.
He recalls trying to cool heads,
and make the best of the opportunity.
“The best way to meet ignorance is to
rise above it, I’d tell the hot heads,” he
recalls. “Prove them wrong.”
So it was that he dedicated himself
to his trade. He was also spurred on
by his school motto – not for ourselves alone – as he supported family
back home.
“I was so busy back then that I remember I always used to greet my
work mates Happy New Year while
working on the ships,” he chuckles.
“We spent New Year’s day working
June 2012
back then. Everybody needed the
overtime to make ends meet.”
Despite these challenges, however,
Pa got on with his life and on Christmas Eve 1960, just a few months after
Nigeria’s independence, he tied the
knot with his second wife Abiodun.
He has lived in the same house for
40 years in which he has seen his children grow up. Pa has four surviving
children. One, Ranti, 65, still lives in
Nigeria, while Tunde,51, Bunmi, 48
and Tunji 42, are all in London and
check on him regularly. He has eight
grand children and two great grand
children.
When he is not welcoming visitors
or offering advice to younger Nigerians, Pa Lemoshe spends a lot of his
time helping out within the community. He is still very active within the
Egba United Society and now and
again visits the Nigerian Chaplaincy
on Baker Street, as well as the St
Benedict Church near his home.
He adds that working within the
community is important for him as he
is fearful young Nigerians have lost
the sense of decency that characterised his early years. Pa Lemoshe
looks on in angst as today’s Nigerians
show total disregard for the community and are only interested in material things.
“Back in our time, everybody was
fighting for a better society. Do you
19
PROFILEWATCH
BACK HJOME Pa Lemoshe
taking a walk during a
recent visit to Abeokuta
AT WORK After a life on
the ocean, Pa worked
on the oil rigs
THE BEGINNING
Pa Lemoshe’s
baptismal certificate
know that even Herbert Macaulay
does not have a house he can call his
own. Today people just want money,”
Pa Lemoshe says.
Macauley was the pre-eminent independence campaigner in Nigeria
and Pa was fortunate to meet him as a
young man. Something of
Macaulay’s selflessness obviously
rubbed off on Pa, as he points out
that not being so inclined to chase
money is part of the reason he has
had such a long and peaceful life.
“The young should shun unbridled materialism,” he says. “Strive for
better things and rewards will come;
that’s the secret to having a long and
happy life.
“Be content with what you have,
even if it is just one kobo. All fingers
are not equal, God has made it so, do
not covet what you cannot have.
“And,” he adds, “You should not
have any malice and have a clean
mind. Always eat and drink what
suits you but do it in moderation.”
Still with all his mental faculties
and in relative good health, Pa
Lemoshe still looks to the future with
optimism and enthusiasm.
He is certainly looking forward to
celebrating his 100th birthday, which
is sure to be a grand occasion for the
whole Nigerian community.
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20
FEATUREWATCH
June 2012
MOBILE PHONE HANGING FROM A TREE
In rural Nigeria, network coverage
usually exists, but is only available in
specific locations or is otherwise
unpredictable. Here in Angwa Zaria, one
of the villagers hangs his cellphone to a
tree that had the best signal in the area
in order to collect his text messages
The Future’s
BRIGHTER
The mobile phone
has brought riches
to Nigeria… and
promises more in
the fight against
corruption.
AJ James reports
We Nigerians love this technology; for us
and our families back home it is a lifeline that
has brought untold riches to our lives and
promises more. Any negatives – and there are
plenty – are dwarfed by the positives.
It’s hard to fathom what it was like just 30
years ago when phoning home was a nightmare. When I first came to England the
phone call home was the bane of my life.
And the bane of my pocket. And chilly.
Back then the nearest we had to a mobile
phone was a big red box at the end of the
next street down. This thing was a money–
eating monster.
WE LEARNT TO TALK FAST
The first time I used one came after I’d been
in Britain for three months. Writing that, it
seems an extraordinary length of time to go
without speaking to one’s parents, but it’s
how it was.
In my defence, I must point out that I had
just enrolled in university and had my head in
my books as well as being distracted by London life itself.
I couldn’t, however, ignore the message
that arrived from the chief in Lagos; ‘AJ,
phone home.’ Short but not sweet. This instruction came in the form of a letter but it
was not uncommon over the coming years for
it to be delivered in person by a visiting aunt
or uncle.
Phoning home then was not like it is now.
For one, the letter stated exactly when and
where I was to phone. ‘Home’ was not home,
but that of a kindly neighbour who actually
had a phone.
So at the allotted time, around 10.30pm I
recall, I headed out into a miserable evening
to do my duty – with £5 in coins in my
pocket. A handsome sum in those days.
By the time I had said ‘Hello’, the digital
display on the phone clicked down by £1 to
£4. ‘How are you?’ cost another pound.
‘Good. You?’ left only £2.
Frantically screaming that my money was
running out and demanding to know how
everyone was, allowed for Mama to say,
‘We’re fine… Oh, your Dad’s…’ and then
click, brrr, the line went dead.
We soon learnt to talk quick and get down
to business. While this was effective it wasn’t
good for the soul.
As I was being fleeced by the then British
Telecom the cell phone arrived. The rich and
famous were pictured everywhere talking into
these brick–like objects.
How everyone laughed. A common question at the time was, ‘Who are they talking
to?’ That was the level of understanding; as
they looked like walkie talkies they could
only be connected to other walkie talkies. But
this Emperor proved to have clothes.
The phones got smaller and more effective.
These were the days when Nokia, Motorola,
Ericson, BT Telnet, 1–2–1 and Vodafone were
battling it out for market share. And that was
good for us.
You could get yourself hooked up with
one of these things with the flimsiest documentation imaginable. All you needed was
some form of identity, no address required,
no credit checks involved.
Yes my people, it was that easy. So we
bought our phones and used them mercilessly.
After four weeks when the bill reached an
astronomical amount, the phone would be
cut off. No wa hala. All you had to do was repeat the process, buy a new sim and you were
back in business. Everyone was doing it, not
just us Nigerians.
A DIRECT LINE TO MY CULTURE
That period before regulations were tightened
up, I got my regular dose of mummy’s pampering and encouragements over the phone. I
think I must have spoken to everyone I knew
in Nigeria, including the roasted plantain
seller at the bottom of my road who became
a good friend as he always let me buy on
credit. I can still remember the first words he
said to me “Oga, how go dey go, e dey good
to hear your voice, how that side?”
I can recall how much pleasure it gave me
to hear those words – a direct line to my culture. That’s when I got the mobile phone bug.
It was still expensive but as more telecoms
satellites were thrown up into space more
providers emerged on the scene. Armed with
a calling card you could cut the costs dramatically, reducing the tariff from an international to a local one. I must have used
thousands of these things over the years and
my only regret is that I threw them all away.
Amazingly, many of the original cards are
today collectors items, with rarities costing
hundreds if not thousands of pounds.
It was the card innovation that saw the
mobile phone become big in Nigeria, although the humble card is slowly being retired in favour of the International SIM,
which does a similar job without the
scratching.
The advent in 2003 of GSM in Nigeria
sealed the deal. Today, it is estimated there
are in the region of 90 million mobile phones
active in Nigeria. That’s a phenomenal
amount, verging on 50% of the potential
market. It is believed 60% of the population
is within mobile phone coverage and 40%
own their own phone. Across Africa, approximately 30 per cent of the population possesses a mobile phone.
The benefits are legion.
Aside from the obvious advantage of facilitating communication, access to this technology is increasing income, improving health
and safety, making life more convenient, and
increasing the GDP of entire countries.
It is as Iqbal Quadir, director of MIT’s
Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship, said on the Discovery Channel,
“These communication devices are delivering
the fruit of the digital revolution to the poorest people in the world.”
Nigerian farmers are a prime example.
Before the mobile phone, farmers relied
on middle-men to set the price at market,
leaving them in a take it or leave it negotiating position.
Now farmers can amass their own price
intelligence, meaning they can sell at an optimum time and get a fair price.
Farmers are also the beneficiaries of a new
plan to counteract corruption and ensure
they receive what they are meant to.
The Reboot/Merrick Schaefer, World Bank
Here in the West the mobile phone is the
subject of many studies. Most of them
negative, with many social ills being blamed
on this technology. It is used for cyber–
bullying; people are becoming addicted to
it; it means we get no respite from work,
being on call 24/7. It strikes me that what
these reports are truly identifying is that
poor workmen blame their tools.
YOUNG WOMAN IN KWALI tests the mobile social accountability platform. In this test, the team observes that this
testing participant, like others, struggles with using the reply function on her handset.
June 2012
Earlier in the year the Nigerian Government announced plans to revolutionise the
distribution of subsidies using mobile phones
to allow farmers to purchase their own seeds
and fertilisers directly from the suppliers.
Up until now, the government purchased
and distributed the subsidised goods themselves, believing buying in bulk would drive
down costs. But leakage and corruption
along the supply line meant that only 11per
cent of the goods reached their intended recipient. E–vouchers, distributed by mobile,
should put an end to this.
MOBILE MONEY
On the horizon looms a further revolution
that promises to transform the lives of millions across Nigeria and the wider continent;
mobile money.
This latest innovation is only just emerging
and even in the UK is viewed suspiciously.
The main issue is security, prompting banks
to agree to underwrite people’s losses in a bid
to encourage confidence.
In Nigeria and across the developing
world, mobile money is viewed as being a
life–changer for countless millions. Another
mobile initiative allows those in the remotest
parts of the country to check on water quality – increasing conservation and purity.
With the Nigerian government keen to build
a cashless society, most providers want to get in
on the action. Indeed, the Nigerian Central
Bank has already issued licenses to deliver mobile banking to the first wave of providers.
FEATUREWATCH
Imagine that, being able
FISH POND FARMER IN ABACHA
Barrack shows the team how he
to send money home at the
uses his handset to communicate
click of a button, to
with potential buyers in the
whomever needs it, whencapital.
ever they need it – be it a crisis or a celebration. This
technology promises big economic benefits.
Pagatech is among the
first to offer this service. Piloted over 2011, Forbes magazine reported Pagatech
transacted US$1.6m in
40,000 transactions made by
32,000 users.
The company’s CEO
Tayo Oviosu is evangelical
about the benefits it will
bring to the economy, predicting, “The mobile payment industry will play a
huge role in the development
of the Nigerian economy. In
10 years, I believe it will have
made strong strides in transforming lives by bringing
universal access to financial
services, empowering the
most under–served segments
of our economy. Our servability to easily move money from the sender
ices will have spread to those households that
to the receiver as a key stumbling block to
are poorer and less connected to the financial
growing Nigeria’s economy. Symbolic of this
system.”
The key is putting money in the pockets of is the fact that 60% of all ATMs in Nigeria
are located in Lagos State.
those who need it most. He identified the in-
21
“Since the creation of money, the ability
to move it has been a fundamental cornerstone of economic activity. If we remove
these impediments, I believe we will see an increase in economic activity. Bringing financial
services to the masses is vital for the growth
of Nigeria’s economy.”
The regulatory framework put together by
the Central Bank has drawn on best practice
from various parts of the world where services similar to Paga are offered – India,
Kenya, Philippines, South Africa, and the
United States. To make sure the service is
available to all Nigerians, even those that do
not have formal identification documents, the
CBN framework allows for anyone providing
a name and a phone number to use the basic
services of Paga.
It’s incredible. Such things we take for
granted today were the subject of wild science fiction fantasies as I stood patiently in
the queue to use the public telephone. The
mobile phone has been a godsend to us in the
diaspora. Thanks to it, we are able to help
support our relatives, maintain friendships
and be involved in high days and holidays.
Such simple chit chats keep us in touch with
our culture and heritage, to the benefit of our
own self–regard and self–belief. And of
course the increased scrutiny the mobile
phone allows from the diaspora is to the benefit of Nigeria itself.
We Nigerians like to talk and we know it’s
good to talk. All ways round, the future’s
looking brighter.
To advertise call 0208 588 9640
or email sales@nigerianwatch.com
22
JUBILEEWATCH
June 2012
QUEEN ELIZABETH
Our remarkable relationship
Three years after being crowned Queen Elizabeth undertook a remarkable tour of Nigeria. Here
we celebrate the momentous occasion and the ongoing bonds that tie the countries together
British Pathe
One of the first overseas
visits made by Queen
Elizabeth shortly after
she was crowned was to
Nigeria, writes AJ
James.
Queen Elizabeth II with the Royal Fathers at the British High Commision in Abuja, Nigeria,
during her four-day official visit to the West African country in 2003
The cutting edge conference centre in Abuja,
where the Commonwealth Heads of Government
meeting was held in December 2003
Queen Elizabeth II meets local school children
inside the compound of the British Council, in
Abuja, Nigeria, on the opening day of the
Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting
©Press Association Images
©Press Association Images The Commonwealth Flag Project
OJI RIVER LEPROSY SETTLEMENT: The Queen is introduced to a blind Leper who gives ‘Loyal Greetings’, reported Pathe News.
The year was 1956 and
the Queen spent 10 days
touring the country. During that time there were
many staged events, but the
young Queen determined
to do the original walkabout.
Remarkably at the time
and flying in the face of official advice, she visited a
leper colony where she met
and mingled with Nigerians suffering from the condition.
It caused as much of a
stir at the time as when
Princess Diana visited an
Aids hospice.
The visit was a momentous event for Nigeria.
Wherever the Queen and
Prince Phillip went, thousands upon thousands lined
the streets to cheer her.
This was a time before
television when visits by
heads of state from around
the world caused much excitement.
Three years later the
revolution in Nigeria deposed the Queen, but of
course strong bonds between the two countries remained by virtue of the
Queen being head of the
Commonwealth.
It is in this role that she
returned, nigh on 50 years
later, when Nigeria hosted
the heads of Commonwealth Summit in 2003.
On this return journey
the Queen was to meet
some old friends – people
she had met as children on
her original visit.
Today the Queen, as she
has always done throughout the years, firmly maintains the importance of the
Commonwealth.
The Queen emphasised
this in her message to the
Commonwealth countries
on March 12, Commonwealth Day. In it the interconnectivity afforded by
today’s technology was cel-
23
JUBILEEWATCH
June 2012
FAREWELL: Over 2,500 horsemen from the northern province of Nigeria line the road fom
Kaduna as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in a Rolls Royce Silver Wraith pass on their way
to the airport, Nigeria, February 1956
Hiroshi/Flickr
‘INSPIRED’ PORTRAIT
ebrated by the Queen “for
the opportunities it offers
to understand and appreciate how others live. A remarkable insight we gain
from such windows on the
world is that, however different outward appearances
may be, we share a great
deal in common.
“The Commonwealth
offers a pathway for
greater understanding and
the opportunity to expand
upon our shared experiences in a wider world. A
world in which paths to
mutual respect and common cause may also be explored and which can
draw us together, stronger
and better than before.”
This portrait of the
Queen by Nigerian artist
Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy
was unveiled at Marlborough House in London
2002 to much acclaim.
“We are delighted
with the painting’s inspired depiction of the
Commonwealth, and its
dignified portrayal of
the Queen, who has
achieved so much in nurturing and encouraging
our family of nations,”
said the then Commonwealth Secretary Gen-
British Pathe
Little Folashade
Lawson, daughter of
Chairman of Lagos
Town Council, presents
the Queen with a
bouquet – she was to
meet the Queen again
when she returned for
the Commonwealth
Summit in 2003
eral Don McKinnon.
Chinwe said of her
painting, “The Queen is
a great communicator.
She’s observant, humorous, interesting and generous with her time. I
hope I have succeeded in
capturing some of these
qualities.”
The imaginary
panorama – of landmarks from the Commonwealth – behind the
Queen represents the
Commonwealth’s cultural diversity.
Queen Elizabeth II receives the President of Nigeria, Umaru Yar'Adua, at
Buckingham Palace in 2008
Roland Kemp/Commonwealth Secretariat
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
ComSec
LEFT: The Queen meets the footballer Kanu, a sports ambassador for Nigeria,
at the Heads of the Commonwealth summit in 2010
THE RELATIONSHIP CONTINUES: The Queen greets Nigerian President
Goodluck Jonathan as his wife greets Prince Phillip at a banquet dinner in
Perth on October 28, 2011
24
BUSINESSWATCH
June 2012
Nigeria’s Peacock struts
into the UK travel arena
A new kind of business
lunch hits the City...
Liverpool Street has its first ever Nigerian
restaurant following the opening of MamaPut Kitchen by IT analyst-turned-chef Osarague Fajana.
Targeting the affluent City clientele made
up of bankers, IT experts, office workers and
construction professionals, MamaPut is primarily a takeaway seeking to corner the lucrative lunchtime market.
Located at 66 Middlesex Street, Ms Fajana
hopes her restaurant will be as successful as
its Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Turkish
and Lebanese neighbours.
“Currently, Nigerian restaurants are just
for Nigerians and we need to break that
mould,” said Ms Fajana.
“Nigerian food is very similar to Indian
food and I am confident that people will find
they like it once they taste it, and keep coming
back for more.”
Most of the meals on the Mama Put menu
are around £4.99.
Looking for a bank to
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Union Bank UK plc
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Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority
Travel agency Peacock Travel
and Tours has opened a London office, as part of an aggressive drive to cash in on the
lucrative Nigerian-UK airline
industry.
A major player in the
Nigerian market for the past
10 years, Peacock has now acquired Association of British
Travel Agents (Abta) and an
Air Travel Organisers Licensing (Atol) certification. This
empowers the company to
issue tickets to any location in
the world from the UK.
Kayode Obijole, Peacock’s
assistant travel manager, said,
“We have been in Nigeria for a
long time and now that we
have Abta and Atol licences,
we can sell tickets to any part
of the world from the UK. As
long as there is an airline flying there, we have access to
that market.”
Peacock’s London offices
will also offer services in four
Ayo Akinfe
other areas in which the group
operates and it is hoping to
provide integrated vertical
packages for clients. Peacock’s
Hackney premises will also
host a college, a bureau de
change, a property and investment company and an aviation training centre.
Mr Obijole added, “We
now have offices in Nigeria,
South Africa and the UK and
want to use these three axis’s
to boost trade. We have a
niche in Nigeria and want to
expand on that, although our
activities will not be limited to
Nigeria.
“We have ticket stocks
from all the major airlines that
come to Nigeria, including the
likes of Arik, British Airways
and Virgin Atlantic. Peacock
is known for quality and we
hope to enhance and build
upon that reputation.”
Tosin Shobowale, a Peacock director, added, “We are
doing about 25 per cent of the
flights from Nigeria and we
hope to build on that. We will
also do a lot of ticketing to
South Africa and when you
add the other services we offer,
you will see that it gives us an
edge.”
Peacock has a group annual turnover of about
N3.4bn (£1.3m) and generates
about $2.5m a fortnight. He
added that he is hopeful that
by next year, the London office is earning about $2.5m a
fortnight.
“By the time we are fully
operational, we hope to see a
50 per cent increase in trade.
There are many airlines that
want to go to Nigeria but do
not know how to go there and
we can offer them that access.
If we can get more airlines to
fly to Nigeria, we can also get
them to offer cheaper flights.”
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Page 32
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Community Watch
Movie premiere and
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30
Health & Beauty
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June 2012
Dayo Israel
Le-Kafe Photography / L-Kafe.com
Fatima Jabbe,
Nollywood
Actress.
COMMUNITYWATCH
ASSASSINS RED CARPET PREMIERE LONDON
Daniel Sync/ www.SyncPHOTOSonline.com
Actors, artists and celebrities gathered at
Odeon Cinema on Greenwich Peninsular on
May 11 to grace the premiere of Nigerian film
The Assassin's Practice. Nollywood star Kate
Henshaw and budding actress Sarah
Akhokhia who starred in the film
were among the dignitaries
who turned out for the red
carpet do.
DJ Abbas, who helped organise
the event, was one of the entertainment industry giants who added
colour to the colourful occasion.
No content with just watching the
film's debut, after screening
ended, guests rounded off the
night with an after-event party
at a nearby club.
Daniel Sync
and Julius
Maada Bio.
From LtoR
CEO, Nollywood TV.
27
COMMUNITYWATCH
June 2012
Daramola Photo Studio
FAREWELL TO AMBASSADOR AHMED UMAR
Chief Adebayo Oladimeji, the founder of the Nigerian Council of Elders, Ambassador
Ahmed Umar and Mrs Mary Adeboju
On Friday the 11th of May 2012, The Holiday Inn Bloomsbury conran street in London paid host to guests and socailites at the send off dinner held in honour of
Ambassador Ahmed Umar.
The evening started with speeches about the outgoing
ambassador by different guests present. The Ambassador in
turn thanked everyone present. The night ended with
everyone taking to the dance floor.
The event was well attended
by very important dignitaries
from the Nigerian community in
the UK.
We at Nigerian
Watch would like to
wish ambassador
Ahmed Umar and his
wife Her excellency Hajia
Aisha Ahmed Umar all
the best in their future
endeavours.
Alhaji Abbas Sanusi Bayero, Wamban Kano, of Kano Emirate Council and other guests
Daramola Photo Studio
Ambassador Umar and his wife Hajia Aisha Ahmed Umar take a picture with high commission staff
Patti Boulaye posing
for a shot with high
commission staff
Mary Shittu and June Douglas
Patti Boulaye, Hajia Aisha Umar, Maryanne Jemide
and Ambassador Umar
Ambassador Ahmed Umar and Alhaji Abbas Sanusi
Bayero
To display
your event
here call
020 8588 9640
or email
sales@nigerianwatch.com
28
COMMUNITYWATCH
June 2012
ANNOUNCEMENTS
To place your announcements call 0208 5889640 Email: announcements@nigerianwatch.com
Or post to: Nigerian Watch Announcements, Chartwell House 292 Hale Lane Edgware HA8 8NP
BIRTHS
ENGAGEMENTS
AKINPELU
Best wishes on the occasion of the
birth of your daughter Sarah
Akinpelu. From Tony and Vicky
Agehdo.
ODOZI
Emmanuel and Stella Odozi. Congratulations on the engagement of
your son Stephen Odozi to Gloria
Oghogho. May God continue to direct and guide them both. From Mr
and Mrs Ilemolen
BIRTHDAYS
MARRIAGES
JEMIDE ALVIN, (June 25th)
The Jemide Sons, Daughter, inlaws and grand children would
like to say Happy Birthday to their
beloved father Mr Alvin Jemide.
We wish you many more years
ahead and a wonderful birthday.
IZUKANNE
Congratulations and best wishes on
the occasion of the marriage of your
son David to Sola Taiwo. From Mr
and Mrs Ejeomoh
ANNIVERSARIES
OGBEIDE PATRICIA, (June 15th)
Happy birthday to the best mum
in the world. May God continue
to bless you and give you long life
to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
From your children and grand children- Harold, Maryanne,
Lawrence, Osaro, Tinyan,
Isabel, Nicole and Kimberly.
MAMUDU
Happy 25th wedding anniversary
from Timothy and Nkenne. May
God continue to guide and protect
both of you and your family. From
The Bellos
CHANGE OF NAME
AKADIRI NIKKI, (June 27th)
Happy Birthday Mummy from
your boys! We wish you a very
long and healthy life!
OKOH ZARA, (June 2nd)
Happy birthday dearest Zara. Wishing you long life and prosperity.
Lots of love from Mum and dad.
MR MICHAEL JIMOH KUBEYINJE
April 6th 1932 – April 30th 2012
It is with deep regret that we the
Kubeyinje Family, sadly announce
the death of our dearly beloved
Husband, Father, Grand Father,
Uncle, Grand Uncle, and Brother
MICHAEL JIMOH KUBEYINJE (Age:
80 years),who passed away on
the 30th of April 2012 .
Papa, words cannot express our
immense feeling of loss, and total
sorrow at your departure. You will
be sorely missed by all who loved
you, and those whose lives you
touched in a remarkable way. Rest
in the bosom of the Lord Papa, till
we meet to part no more.
TALABI
I formerly known and addressed as
Modupe Stella Talabi now wish to be
known as Modupe Stella Jacobs. All
former documents remain valid.
Members of the public, Home Office
and Nigeria High Commission, London should please take notice.
AKINFE AMANDA, (June 20th)
Congratulations on your birthday
from the entire Akinfe family.
Here is to wishing you long life
and prosperity.
MR MICHAEL JIMOH KUBEYINJE
April 6th 1932 – April 30th 2012
NWABUDIKE BRADLEY,
(June 20th)
Happy 5th Birthday Bradley. May
God give you long life and prosperity. From your God parents Mr
and Mrs Jemide
ADIBE IFEANYI AND KIMBERLY (NEE EGBUNA)
Congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of your recent marriage.
From Greenvue Venue
We are sad to announce the passing away of our Husband, father,
grand father, uncle, Grand Uncle
and great grand uncle Mr Michael
Jimoh Kubeyinje. Uncle, we miss
you greatly but take solace in the
fact that we know you are resting
in the bosom of the lord. Adieu
papa. From your Niece Mrs Patricia Mogbeyi Ogbeide and Family
29
FASHIONWATCH
June 2012
GET READY, SET, GO
FOR SPORT-LUXE
By Obah Iyamu
With London 2012 just around the corner, it’s time to catch the
track fever. Forget the shell suit, this year sporty chic goes superstylish, super-cool and super-relaxed…
For some reason, this
pair of sexy heels or
summer we are relaxing.
even a structured
Whether it’s homage to the
blazer for a balancing
Olympics or the revival of
effect.
the 80s trend, sporty gear is
on this is far from the
Maxi dresses are a
summer must
have. The last couple
adidas sweat tops and
of seasons
the way forward. My take
bottoms that we all have in
saw them
our wardrobe – we don’t
come in boho
approve your looking
styles but this
overly sporty. We are going sport-luxe.
time around
Take the stripes out of your gym
gear and put them on tapered trousers and
they are less
fuzzy snd
for a super polished look (that is if you are
more mermaid. I love the
not one of those down to earth fashionistas)
whimsical feel in soft
sheer fabric and I am
put them on luxury silk trousers. Whatever
you choose, you have to look comfortable
craving one with an
and stylish. I am even putting stripes on my
asymmetric hem
bags and shoes.
because of its
The high top trainers are my favourite
versatility. Elevate in
and for the first time we are embracing this
trend fully. They are so unbelievably chic when worn
the evening with a
statement necklace or a clasped waist. Voila!
with rolled up trousers or jeans, so long as the hem
Denim jackets! We all start life owning
stays above the top of trainers. I love the Marants’ but
one. So all we need to do with this is dust
they are way too expensive so why not go for similar
them down and we are ready to go.
but cheaper styles. They
are presented in different
Thank goodness it goes with almost
everything from printed maxis to flirty skirts but the
modes, the newest ones
catch this time around, is the fit! One rule, the classic
come with a hidden wedge
denim jacket should be fitted not slouchy. A plain
for that extra sprout. I will
jacket in any colour with a vibrant print dress is a slam-
even be wearing my high
dunk.
tops with skirts and
Head to toe denim may sound really daunting but
dresses.
it’s super cool, I love a nice chambray dress in the
The backpack has
reared its lovely face
again, holding the sports
summer but the cool people are taking denim to a
they are wearing denim on denim again. The fail-safe
look to ransom. It will be
way to nail this, is to separate the rinse, the wash
replacing your totes,
whole new level. With the resurgence of the 80s trend,
and pattern. Pair a dark wash denim with a
cross-body, and
lighter shade – you don’t want to look
top handle bags
suited and
this summer for
booted in
sure.
denim.
We are loving
the cotton ones with leather accents on
buckles and clasps; the leather ones with
chain accents and all what not, but whatever
your style, there is a backpack out there for
you. Nail this trend with a bang by wearing a
30
BEAUTYWATCH
June 2012
I LOVE MY HAIR
Root2Tip haircare launched last year with a loan
from the Prince’s Trust, aiming to produce natural
hair care products especially for people with
Afro and mixed-race hair. Use daily to counter
problems such as slow hair growth, dry scalp, hairloss, dry hair and breakage.
I Love My Hair is one of many workshops at the
Afro Hair and Beauty Show 2012; a unique opportunity especially for mothers and
daughters, teaching them how to
make the best of their hair. Catch the Kinki Coli Kurli hairstyle
kids catwalk show for further inspiration.
Products are available at Pak’s (Finsbury Park) and online from
www.root2tip.com.
Want to make your lipstick last all day? Here’s how!
Lipstick is one beauty item many women can’t do without, which is why most of us end up
re-applying it up to six times a day. Follow these simple steps to get longer-lasting lip colour.
1
Prime Lips With A Concealer
Priming your lips will ensure that your
lipstick has something to ‘stick to’ and also
makes lipstick appear ‘truer to colour’ and
bolder.
Line Lips Lining lips not only makes lips
look tidier but it also prevents lipstick
from bleeding – an annoying problem of lipstick running outside of the lip line.
Blot With A Tissue After adding your
lipstick, blot your lips with a tissue and
re-apply your lipstick. Do this three times.
Blotting your lips down with a tissue re-
2
3
moves excess oils, while re-applying your
lipstick provides your lips with lots of layers, meaning more barriers to get through
before your lipstick rubs off.
Apply Lipcote Lipcote (£3.69) is a
fantastic product, designed to ‘fix’
lipstick. If you can’t get your hands on it,
powdering your lips with your favourite
translucent powder after applying your lipstick has the same affect as powdering your
face post foundation.
This serves to seal in your make-up, to
ensure it lasts twice as long.
4
THE TRUTH ABOUT
SKIN LIGHTENING
Using serums, lotions or creams to visually lighten the
appearance of one’s complexion is hugely controversial
for some but to others it gives confidence. Whatever
you think, beware the hydroquine says Toni Adenle
THERE ARE TWO KEY ISSUES relating to
the beauty ritual of skin care: one’s reasons
for lightening the skin and the chemicals used
in many of the products. Firstly, it has to be noted that although
many women choose to lighten their skin to
adhere to a western standard of beauty,
which deems ‘light skin the right skin’, there
are others who use lightening products to resolve beauty issues such as reducing hyper-pigmentation, diminishing the appearance of age
spots and camouflaging stretch marks. When used correctly, lightening products
can enable women to feel more confident in
regard to said problems, without dramatically
changing their appearance or putting their
health at risk.
The reason why the process of skin lightening has often been deemed risky, is partially
due to the dangerous chemicals used within
many whitening products. Chemicals such as
hydroquine may produce fast results but can
also be very dangerous.
Hydroquine, which is prominent in an astounding amount of lightening products,
is banned in the United Kingdom due to its
cell damaging nature. It is believed that hydroquine is a potential carcinogen, which
could increase the risk of developing
tumors, cell leukemia and increased skin sensitivity.
Studies have also proven that the chemical
can cause disfiguring blue black marks – a
process known as exogenous ochronosis. For women who wish to battle problems
such as hyperpigmentation without settling
for products containing hydroquine, there are
many natural alternatives available. Ingredients such as bearberry extract act as a botanical lightener, targeting unnaturally darker
areas for a more even complexion.
Lemons also act as a natural skin lightener,
as they contain vitamin C and citric acid, which
help to gently exfoliate skin and encourage
cell renewal. Squeezing lemon juice into your
favourite cleanser is an easy way to gradually
fade the appearance of dark marks, without
breaking the bank.
Coupled with ingredients such as shea butter or cocoa butter, users can expect an improvement in the overall texture and
appearance of their skin. Afro-Caribbeans have undeniably fought
an ongoing battle throughout time in
regard to their skin tone. Altering one’s appearance through lightening the skin has certainly been a symptom of colonialism in many
cultures.
It’s important for black women to remember that ‘black is beautiful’, but for those who
suffer from confidence-destroying skin issues
such as hyperpigmentation and acne scarring,
skin lightening, when carried out correctly,
can certainly provide a helpful solution in
many ways. But please read carefully the label
of any product you are buying. 31
TOWNWATCH
June 2012
ON THE TOWN
With Toni
MAY7VEN A THOROUGHLY MODERN MUSIC STAR
Since launching herself
upon an unsuspecting
world as a solo
artist three years
ago with the
triple-award winning single ‘Take
Off My Clothes/Bo
Aso La Ra Mi’,
May7ven has been
garlanded with accolades and awards.
Her risqué videos
and flamboyant stage
shows have seen her
likened to Beyoncé; her
innate drumming
skills have led others
to liken her to Cat, the
drummer lady who
drove Prince’s band The
Revolution during the
purple period. But
when you look at her
THEATRE
Belong
See review, page 33
Having sold out at the Royal
Court Theatre, Belong is transferring to Peckham. Bola Agbaje’s satirical play questions
our notion of home. Election
lost, speeches made and controversy stirred – Kayode’s hiding.
He’s not even answering the
door to the cleaner, and Rita is
not going to start getting out
the Hoover in her designer
heels. Escaping the political
heat in London he flees to Nigeria – a British MP and a selfmade man. Once there, he gets
caught up in a whole new power
game.
The Bussey Building, 133 Rye
Lane, Peckham, SE15 4ST
Egusi Soup
Last chance to catch the latest offering from award-winning playwright, Janice Okoh. Egusi Soup
is a fast, furious and funny new
intergenerational and cross-cultural Nigerian family comedy.
Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street,
Westminster, W1D 3NE.
Sun to Fri 8pm, Sat 3.30pm
and 8pm. Until 9 Jun.
www.sohotheatre.com
100% London
Hackney Empire and LIFT present Rimini Protokoll’s experimental 100% London; a living,
breathing portrait of the city starring 100 randomly-picked everyday Londoners, each of whom
represents 1% of London’s 7.8
million population.
CV – with her production, songwriting and singing credits – there is an
even better likeness to be drawn: she
is more like the Nigerian Madonna.
Here is a woman doing it for herself, as Madge did when she first
came on the scene with ‘Celebrate’,
and her stardom grew from the
dancefloor of New York’s clubs.
May7ven’s star is following a similar path to Madge’s. Her latest single,
10/10’ was launched appropriately on
May 7, and when she made a guest
appearance at Indigo 02, shortly
after the clock struck midnight on
May 6, it drew a rapturous response
from the audience. There was a clamour for more but the club promoters
wouldn’t allow it, much to May7ven’s
and the audience’s disappointment.
The next day, 10/10 was topping the
requests on Choice FM.
Like many young African artists,
May7ven – then known as May
Hackney Empire, Main House,
291 Mare Street, E8 1EJ.
Fri 29 & Sat 30 Jun, 7.30pm,
Sun 1 Jul, 5pm
FOR CHILDREN
War Horse
War Horse, based on the beloved
novel by Michael Morpurgo, is a
powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring
music and magnificent artistry.
South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company brings breathing,
galloping, full-scale horses to life
on the stage — their flanks, hides
and sinews built of steel, leather
and aircraft cables.
New London Theatre, Drury
Lane, WC2B 5PW.
Various dates, Until 26 Oct
2013
Yemisi Odegbami – started out
singing in the church, where her talent was quickly recognised. By the
age of 15 she was singing backing
vocals with some of the world’s top
performers, such as Beverly Knight,
Wayne, LuLu and Mary J Blige.
“Even then,” she recalls, “I was
wanting to definitely be up-front.”
Naturally, the offers came rolling
in from major record labels. But it
didn’t go well.
“I’ve been signed and dropped,
signed and dropped,” she says. “The
record companies had total control
and their own ideas of how to do
things but what they wanted me to
do wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
While the record companies saw
May7ven as another potential mainstream RnB star, she saw herself
somewhat differently.
“I wanted to combine African
music with RnB, to stand out as a fe-
From £15, suitable for 10+
www.reallyuseful.com/theatres/new-london-theatre
The Town Mouse and the
Country Mouse
The story tells of two cousins who
visit each other, both experiencing
exciting new sights and sounds.
Staged on a magical narrow boat.
The Puppet Theatre Barge, Little Venice, opposite 35 Blomfield Road, W9 2PF.
Various dates, until 15 Jul
Child £8.50, adult £10
Sutitable for 3+
The Tiger Who Came To Tea
The classic tale of the hungry
tiger is up for an Olivier Award as
the best family entertainment in
town. Dubbed a ‘modern classic’
male artist representing herself and
her roots,” she says. So she struck out
on her own.
“It was liberating,” she says,
adding, “Like, I could die my hair
blonde without having to ask permission!” Which she has done, and is as
much a statement of her independence as it is a dramatic look and
stage persona.
Taking such a stance was a big
risk, she explains.“They weren’t signing many artists at the time,”but she
adds: “You’ve got to take risks as an
artist, or else you’re not really an
artist.”
Out on her own, she did what a
growing number of young black
African artists who struggled initially
to get support are doing: she embraced the web.
“The web has changed everything,” she says. “I can do as much
for myself and marketing my music
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Open the door and enter a spectacular new world with Peter,
Susan, Edmund and Lucy as they journey through the magical
land of Narnia.
Adored by all ages, this major new
production of the classic Christian
allegory has been created by an awardwinning team. The first installment from
C. S. Lewis’ beloved ‘Narnia’ books, it
combines live theatre with Threesixty’s
ground-breaking surround video and
enchanting puppetry, performed in a
state-of-the art theatre tent.
Set against the backdrop of Kensington Palace, this exquisite
event makes for a magical summer experience in the park.
Threesixty Theatre, Dial Walk, Kensington Gdns, W8 4PT.
Various dates, until 9 Sep.
by the Indie and a ‘delight from
start to finish’ by Time Out.
Lyric Theatre, 29 Shaftesbury
Avenue, London, W1D 7ES.
Tues-Fri, 11-11.30am, Sat/Sun
10am and 12pm. Until 2 Sept
31 May – 23 June
‘funny, honest, bitingly dark’
Times
Tickets £10 in advance / pay what you like on the door
Set in the political heat of
Nigeria, Belong questions
our notion of home.
020 7565 5000 www.royalcourttheatre.com/local
Bussey Building, 133 Rye Lane, SE15 4ST
Opposite Peckham Rye station
32
TOWNWATCH
via social networking. Once you get a following the companies come calling.”
And this gives the artists much more licence to control what they do and how they
are projected. It has definitely led to more
originality than otherwise might have been
the case. Following the release ‘Take My
Clothes Off’, the underground but hugely influential dancefloor hit, May was crowned
the Queen of Afrobeat.
Lots of doors opened then. Not least
being a judge on Nigerian Idol.
But then
calamity struck and
May7ven was seriously injured in a
car crash, after the
driver fell asleep.
She was first treated
in Nigeria and then
flown back to the
UK for further help.
She says quite matter of factly, “You
can’t see the scars
now unless you’re
up real close.
“That whole experience opened my
eyes and changed
the way I look at
the world,” she
adds.
Not least, it gave
her a new lust for
life and determina-
Tales from the Shed
Children and performers go on a
theatrical journey together, and
along the way, meet characters
such as Can-Can the beautiful
bird and The Thing That Goes
Blurgh! Each show is different,
but all shows use the very best in
Early Years education practice to
creatively improve literacy, numeracy and communication skills.
Come and join a world where
everybody can share together, believe in the magic and make it
happen.
Chickenshed Theatre, Chase
Side, Southgate, N14 4PE
Most Fri/Sat. Until 14 Jul
Sutitable for up to 7.
www.chickenshed.org.uk
tion to succeed on her own terms. “We have
to be entrepreneurs now, that’s the only way
to get your music out there,” she says.
But she doesn’t have any immediate plans
to follow in the footsteps of say Tinie or
Dizzee, whose empires have diversified into
fashion and the like.
“Right now it’s about the music,” she says.
“I’ve got scores of tunes better than 10/10
stored on my mobile and I’m aiming to get
an album out by the end of the year.”
And, we can exclusively reveal, it will in all
likelihood be called
‘The Journey’, as “it’s
about my journey”.
The journey that’s
taken her from Abuja
to being the Queen of
Afrobeat and her latest starring role as the
benefactor of a music
and dance academy
for high school-age
children, “for the children with the talent
but without the resources to pursue it.”
May7ven, as you
probably figured,
takes her stage name
from her birth date.
People born on that
day are said to be creative, determined and
generous. That sums
up May7ven.
Horrible Histories: Barmy
Britain
Set in loathsome London, the
BSC proudly present the world
premiere of BARMY BRITAIN
following their acclaimed productions of Terrible Tudors, Vile Victorians, Awful Egyptians and
Ruthless Romans.
Garrick Theatre, Charing Cross
Road, WC2H 0HH
Wed-Fri 1pm, Sat 10.30 &
noon, Sun 3pm & 5pm
£10-£14.50, until 1 Sep
Suitable for 6+
CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES
Fairie Grannie
Enter a magical world where
baby dragons meet flower fairy
babies. Set in a nursery, Fairy
Big Dance Picnic
Come along and enjoy this fun, free event at the iconic Laban
building in Deptford. With dance and circus performers, face
painting, creative play areas, interactive inclusive activities there
will be something
for all the family.
With special
emphasis on
inclusive activities
for children the day
will include an
innovative multisensory tent
provided by Red
Octopus Movement
and Visual Arts
Company.
Catch a specially
commissioned
open-air dance
theatre performance with Protein Dance Company,
choreographed by Luca Silvestrini.
Laban, Creekside, Deptford, SE8 3DZ
Sat 23 Jun, from 12pm, free
Grannie will entertain with
magic tricks, stories, singing,
dancing and a spot of ventriloquism.
Lauderdale House,
Waterlow Park,
Highgate Hill, N6 5HG.
Sat 9 Jun, 11.30am-12.15pm
£4.50, £3 Concs. Age 2-6
Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
Join the Mad Hatter on a tour
around the gallery grounds. Listen and participate in stories from
Alice in Wonderland. In a creative
drop-in workshop, bring the characters to life by constructing simple cut-out puppets on sticks. Part
of Dulwich Gallery Special Diamond Jubilee Family Celebrations. Weather permitting.
Dulwich Picture Gallery,
Gallery Road, Dulwich,
SE21 7AD.
Tues 5 & Wed 6 Jun, 2-4pm
£5 per child
Animation Station
Come along to create fantastic
stop-motion computer animation, with BFI animator Joanna
van der Meer.
As above.
Sat 9 Jun, 11am-1pm
£3 per child
Comedy Club 4 Kids
Cracking entertainment for all
over the age of six. The best comedians on the UK and International circuit will be doing what
they do best, but without the rude
bits!
E4 Udderbelly Southbank,
Belvedere Road Car Park,
Southbank, SE1 8XX
Sat and Sun, 4:15pm. Until 7
July 2012
Part of the Udderbelly Fetsi-
BRITISH BLACK
MUSIC MONTH
British Black Music Month
(BBMM) kicks off on May 31
with a debate at Westminster
City Hall entitled ‘British Black
Music: How Far Have We
Come?’
“Although domestic black
music seems of late to have broken into the mainstream, we still
need to ask the question, and
provide some analysis as to
where we really are at,” says
BBMM organiser and founder
Kwaku. “Whilst not wishing to
pre-empt the debate, my view is
that we’ve come a long way, but
we are still way short of where
we ought to be, if it weren’t for
racism, lower expectations of
the selling potential, and comparatively lower marketing
spend on British black music.”
The events, which are mainly
centred in London, include a
‘Talking Copyright’ seminar,
half-day music industry courses,
and the Black Music Records &
African Crafts Fair. For more
details or to book visit :
www.BBM.eventbrite.com. This
year pan-Africans Marcus Garvey and Samuel Taylor Coleridge are being celebrated.
val. For details of other
events,
www.udderbelly.co.uk
RECOMMENDED
MUSICALS
Billy Elliott
Victoria Palace Theatre, Victoria Street, London
When: Matinees: Thursday
and
Saturday
2.30pm.
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm. Until 15 December 2012
Matilda the Musical
Venue: Cambridge Theatre,
Seven Dials, 32-34 Earlham
Street, WC2H 9HU
When: Matinees: Wed/Sat
2.30pm, Sun 3pm. Evenings:
Tue 7pm, Wed to Sat 7.30pm.
Until 17 Feb 2013.
Suitable for the over 6
Shrek the Musical
Venue: Theatre Royal Drury
Lane, Catherine Street, London, EC2B 5JF
When: Matinees: Thu/Sat/Sun
3pm. Evenings: Mon to Sat
7.30pm (Wed 7pm). Until 16
December 2012
Suitable for the over 5s
The Lion King
Venue: Lyceum Theatre, 21
Wellington Street, London
WC2E 7RQ
Matinees; Wed, Sat, and Sun
2.30pm. Evenings: Tue to Sat
7.30pm. Until 6 January 2013.
Children over 3 admitted
The Wizard of Oz
London Palladium, Argyll
Street, London, W1F 7TF
Matinees: Wed and Sat
2.30pm, Sun 3pm. Evenings:
June 2012
GO NORTH FOR AFRICA OYE
ABOVE: Dele Sosimi and the Afrobeat Orchestra. A prodigy of Fela
Kuti, Dele and the orchestra blend complex funk grooves, Nigerian
traditional music (including hi-life) and African percussion
Africa Oyé is the UK’s foremost celebration of African and
Caribbean music and culture in the UK. And it’s entirely free.
This year’s performers include the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra from Nigeria/UK, Yaaba Funk from Ghana, The Endless
Journey from Niger and many more. More than 40 stalls comprise the Oye village, selling everything from food and drink to
arts and crafts and fashion from all over Africa.
The setting is Liverpool’s spectacular Sefton Park, with its
famous Palm House and network of grottos and the Fairy Glen.
And of course as the City with perhaps the oldest African Community in the UK there are many restaurants and clubs serving
the community. Not to mention the Slavery Museum on the Albert Dock.
Oye Festival, Sefton Park, Liverpool, L17 1AP, 23-24 Jun,
free. For more information, visit: www.africaoye.com
Christian Louboutin
A retrospective of shoemaker Christian
Louboutin’s work, examining the
evolution of the French designer’s famous
red-soled shoes from the launch of his
label in 1991. The exhibition takes visitors
through every stage of the design
process, from initial drawing to
production. On show alongside
Louboutin stilettos, boots and sneakers
are objects and images reflecting the
designer’s inspiration, including art, architecture, cabaret,
fairytale and film.
Design Museum, 28 Butlers Wharf, Shad Thames, SE1 2YD.
Until 1 Jul
Tue to Sat 7.30pm. Until 28 October 2012
EXHIBITIONS
Charles Dickens: A Southwark Childhood
This exhibition explores Dickens’
experiences of the borough and
how key locations, such as the
Marshalsea Prison, St George the
Martyr Church and Mint Street
workhouse, influenced his novels.
Alongside the exhibition there
will be a lively events programme
for adults and families.
Cuming Museum, Walworth
Road, Southwark
Until 27 Oct
www.southwark.giv.uk/cumingmuseum
Victoria Revealed
Victoria Revealed explores the life
and reign of the eponymous
Queen – in her own words.
Inspired by extracts from the
Queen’s own journals and correspondence, and featuring displays
of personal objects and artworks
in the very rooms where she once
lived, the exhibition presents a
truly intimate account of Victo-
ria’s extraordinary life.
Kensington Palace, Kensington Gardens, W8 4PX.
Daily until 31 Dec
Designs of the Year 2012
The Design Museum’s Design
Awards, ‘the Oscars of the design
world’, showcase the most innovative and progressive designs
from around the world, spanning
seven categories; Architecture,
Digital, Fashion, Furniture,
Graphics, Product and Transport.
The Designs of the Year exhibition features British studio Barber
Osgerby, which won overall Design of the Year for their London
2012 Olympic Torch, along with
the other 88 shortlisted designs.
As above. Until 15 Jul
At Home With the World
At Home with the World will
highlight domestic objects which
have come from overseas or been
influenced by other cultures to tell
a fascinating story about how
many of the designs, decorations,
materials and social customs with
which we are familiar in our
homes today and which we con-
33
TOWNWATCH
June 2012
WHEN TWO WORLDS COLLIDE
Identity is not simply restricted to one’s race,
language or place of birth; this, of course, is
not an innovative assertion, no matter your
cultural or social background. But, for Nigerians or otherwise (both indigenous and inherent) Belong
neither attempts
nor claims to
break new
ground. Instead, it
serves to reopen
the inquest into
what defines our
identity, and what
happens when
these definitions
collide at equal
and opposite velocity.
Through a wellcalculated ensemble cast and a
well-executed,
double-edged script, Bola Agbaje manages to
portray the face-off scenario between Nigerians living abroad and those that shunned a
trip to the proverbial market in favour of staying home. Meanwhile, the sub-plot dips the
tip of the theatrical toes into the waters of
British and Nigerian politics.
sider to be ‘English’, might have
originated elsewhere. Geffrey Museum, Kingsland
Road, E2 8EA
Until 9 Sep, free
The Body Adorned: Dressing
London
The exhibition features hundreds
of stunning objects, including
adorned figures, early tattooing
instruments and headdresses, a
film installation by The Light Surgeons, several wardrobes of London residents, exploring why they
wear what they wear and urban
street portraits
taken
by
young people.
The Horniman Museum, 100
London Road, SE23 3PQ
Until 6 Jan, 2013, free
On the stage, a simple sliding of a door
takes us from London to Lagos in seconds,
while the inclusion of the sing-song Yoruba
language adds authenticity to the mix. The
characters feel true to life, allowing the audi-
ence to identify with the script and pick out
doppelgangers of Nigerians that they have encountered in their own lives.
Belong begins its journey satirically with
some insightful stop-offs along the way. These
secondary stories afford the audience an in-anutshell glimpse into the dynamics of a Niger-
British Art
This exhibition explores British
art through the theme of migration from 1500 to the present day.
Cutting a swathe through 500
years of history, and tracing not
only the movement of artists but
also the circulation of visual languages and ideas, this exhibition
includes works by artists from
Black Audio Film Collective as
well as recent work by contemporary artists.
Tate Britain, Millbank, SW1P
4RG
Until 12 Aug
ARTS
Scrap Tales: Making Art with
Discarded Materials
This six-hour workshop, spread
over two days, seeks to unlock
your innate creative
potential, resourcefulContinental Shift
ness and ingenuity. ToSix acclaimed poets – including two
gether with the artist
Poet Laureates, two Nobel Laureates
Romuald Hazoumè,
and a Gold Medallist – from six
you use discarded,
continents will read with Jo Shapcott
non-biodegradable,
and Poetry Parnassus curator, Simon
everyday objects to
Armitage. Wole
create
previously
Soyinka
unimaginable
art(Nigeria), Kay
works. A sculptor,
Ryan (USA),
painter, photographer
Seamus Heaney
and sound artist, he is
(Ireland), Kim
best known for his
Hyesoon (South
masques bidon (‘jerryKorea), Claribel
can masks’), which are
Algeria
often massed together
(Nicaragua)
in complex installaand Bill
tions. The plastic conManhire (New Zealand) will read from
tainers refer directly to
their collections. The readings are in
the illegal and dangerEnglish, Korean and Spanish.
ous black market trafRoyal Festival Hall, The Southbank
ficking of
petrol,
Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
which is transported
29 Jun, 7pm
(often by boys) from
www.southbankcentre.co.uk
neighbouring Nigeria
to Benin in jerry-cans.
Migrations – Journeys into
Hayward Gallery Room 2, The
Southbank Centre, Belvedere
Road, SE1 8XX
30 Jun & 1 Jul
FILM
BP Summer Big Screen:
Verdi’s Falstaff
The BP Summer Big Screens are
the perfect way to get to know the
Royal Opera House and worldclass opera and ballet. Screened
live from Covent Garden, Verdi’s
comic opera masterpiece is filled
with wit, humour and joie de
vivre. Old, large and lecherous, Sir
John Falstaff can’t resist the
ladies. But they can resist him, and
three of them plot to put an end
to his advances once and for all.
Trafalgar Square
Wed 30 Jun, 7.30pm, free
The Rooftop Film Club
Open-air film season of classic,
cult and recent releases. Films will
be screened five nights a week.
The June schedule includes The
Queen, Ghostbusters, The Big
Lebowski, Dazed and Confused,
and Shame.
The Queen of Hoxton, 1-5 Curtain Road, Shoreditch, EC2A
3JX
Mon/Tue/Wed/Sun, 9pm, £10
MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS
Duncan Mighty
Port Harcourt’s finest Duncan
Mighty heads out on his first UK
tour, also featuring Sierra Leone’s
superstar Shady Baby and Germany-based Nigerian Mekxo,
a.k.a Jude master.
Indig02, Peninsula Square,
SE10 0DX
Sat, 2 Jun, from £x
Wizkid
ian marriage, relationships with parents and
the differences between British and Nigerian
(or African, if you wish) culture. For Nigerians
raised or naturalised abroad, it accurately captures that sense of confusion that we often
feel, stemming from incomplete
affinity to an adopted land that has
been inherited from previous generations.
On the flipside, the play encapsulates the sense of protection of
identity felt by indigenous Nigerians, who are proud of their country
and wary of the dilution of its culture by outside traits.
When the two notions collide, an
inevitable cacophony of chaos and
confusion ensues; we’ve seen it
many times in reality but Belong
represents it in a way that genuinely tickles the ribs, provokes the
mind and, in its denouement,
brushes the heartstrings with delicate fingertips like a prized harp.
Having sold out at the Royal Court Theatre,
Belong transfers to Peckham at the The Bussey
Building, 133 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4ST.
Mon to Sat, 7.45pm, Wed & Sat, 3.30pm, until
23 June
Afrobeat superstar WizKid has
already made history books by
being one of Africa’s youngest
artists to have the fastest selling
album in Nigeria. Also performing on the night will be South
London rapper, Sneakbo featuring L Marshall.
HMV Hammersmith Apollo, 45
Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, W6 9QH
Sun, 4 Jun, from £X
Jazz Jam With Bukky Leo
Celebrated Nigerian new wave
saxophonist and composer Leo
leads a jam, with performers and
listeners alike welcome.
The Silver Bullet, 5 Station
Place, N4 2DH
Every Tue, 8.30pm-1am
Until 31 Jul
DANCE
The Dance WE Made
Ever wanted the chance to choreograph a professional dancer?
Dance Artist Tim Casson is inviting people from all over London
to do just that – no experience
necessary!
Various locations across London. Visit www.thedancewemade.co.uk for details
1pm Daily from 4 June until 17
July, free
Rowan Arts
William Trevitt and Michael Nunn,
founders of pioneering dance company Ballet Boyz, will explore with
psychoanalyst Luis Rodríguez de la
Sierra their role in changing the
perception of ballet within the
dance world and beyond.
London Met. University Graduate Centre, North Campus,
N7 8DB
Wed 6 Jun, 7pm, £10/£8 concs
Paper
Solo
@
Peckham
THE ASSASSIN’S
PRACTICE
Tipped by some commentators to be a
box office hit, Andrew Ukoko’s The
Assassin’s Practice premiered at the
Greenwich Odeon in May.
Featuring Nollywood stars Justus
Esiri and Kate Henshaw, the Assassin’s
Practice is an enjoyable two-hour
movie that sees Justin play the role of
Eviano, a failed stockbroker who contemplates suicide.
Upon reviewing his insurance policy
and noticing that his dependants will
get nothing if he takes his own life, he
hires a London assassin to do the job
for him.
This London assassin sends a psychotic English hit-woman (Eve Pearson) to do the job. When she arrives at
Eviano’s house in Nigeria Pearson
finds out she is by pure chance interrupting a robbery and chaos ensues, as
through the gun-smoke she also seeks
to psycho-analyse Eviano before getting the job done.
But there’s a fantastic twist in the
tale, which I won’t ruin for you by
printing it here.
Suffice to say Assassin Practice is an
exciting, modern and witty film, questioning one man’s endeavour to alter
fate, and what happens when you do.
The Assassin’s Practice is expected to
be released nationwide soon.
Library
Join Second Hand Dance for
Paper Solo, a delicate solo dance
that weaves its way around an intricately cut paper structure. Inspired by the organic patterns
found looking through the lens of
a microscope, the sinuously performed movements form a contemplative
and
evolving
Sat 9 Jun, 11am, 2pm & 4pm
We Love Tottenham!
Jo Meredith, two professional
dancers, and dancers and musicians from the Vale SEN school in
Tottenham come together to create a live dance and music event
celebrating the rich cultural diversity within Tottenham.
9th Wonder
Having first broken through as the producer for the group Little
Brother, alongside school friends Phonte & Big Pooh, this North
Carolina native has cut his own path through the world of HipHop. In the tradition of producers like DJ Premier, Just Blaze and
Kanye West, 9th Wonder has managed to build a bridge
spanning both the commercial and underground scenes.
Kicking proceeding off is the UK premiere of the ‘The
Wonder Year’, a documentary following a year in the life of
super producer 9th Wonder. The screening will be followed by a
Q&A with 9th Wonder himself and director, Kenneth Price.
Plan B, 418 Brixton Road, SW9 7AY
£8 Party only in advance | £12 Premier & party in advance
Wed 30 May, 7pm-2am
performance that absorbs its audience into a new and beautiful
world of detail.
Paper Solo is a performance
collaboration between choreographer Rosie Heafford and visual
artist and sculptor Josie Davis.
The piece will be performed in 3
libraries across South London as
part of Big Dance 2012 with supporting workshops in paper craft
and creative dance. Suitable for
families and people of all ages
and abilities
Peckham Library, 122 Peckham
Hill Street, SE15 5JR.
Sat 23 Jun, 11am, 2pm & 5pm
Free
Also at Canada Water Library,
21 Surrey Quays Road, SE16
7AR.
Crispin Place, Spitalfields London, E1 7DW.
Thurs 21 Jun, 1pm & 1.30pm
Free
Dance in Focus
Photographers from across London, under expert tuition from
Chris Nash, exhibit their stunning
photography of some of West
London’s finest dancers.
GLA, City Hall, The Queen’s
Walk, SE1 2AA.
From 25 Jun-15 Jul, free
Hats Off To You
Dance on Broadway hold its once
a year performance, exploring
dance styles and having fun
around a particular object. This
year it’s hats; the purpose of, the
history of, the making of and the
34
TOWNWATCH
June 2012
FESTIVALS WITHOUT THE TENT!
QUEENS DIAMOND
JUBILEE EVENTS 2-5 JUNE
Africa Utopia
It’s a long bank holiday weekend, so make the most of it
and royally celebrate with these
recommended events....
Africa Utopia is a month-long festival of
music, theatre, film, literature, dance,
fashion, talks and debates staged by the
Southbank Centre in conjunction with
renowned Senegalese singer and humanrights campaigner Baaba Maal, as part
of Southbank Centre’s Festival of the
World.
Throughout the festival there are per-
formances by iconic musicians, who share
Baaba Maal’s belief in the power of
music for social change.
You can also hear from writers who
provide insight into the reality of contemporary African culture.
Meanwhile an invited group of young
delegates – guided by ‘elders’ including
Baaba Maal and poet Lemn Sissay – explore how art projects can be mobilized
to bring about social change.
Purcell Room, The Southbank Centre,
Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX
3 to 28 Jul
Thames Diamond Jubilee
Pageant, Sunday 3 June
Nigeria Now
Over 1,000 boats will muster
on the River Thames in preparation for Her Majesty The
Queen to take part in the
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant. The formal river procession will be between 2-6pm,
starting upriver of Battersea
Bridge and finishing downriver
of Tower Bridge.
Part of Africa Utopia, Noo Saro-Wiwa,
author of Transwonderland, and Chika
Unigwe, whose latest novel Night Dancer
is published this summer, explore the
complexities of Nigeria, a country of
economic dynamism, corruption and a
geopolitical significance, and also giant
literary heritage.
As above, 4 Jul, 7.45pm
Big Jubilee Lunch, Sunday
3 June
AND GREENWICH AND DOCKLANDS
INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL+
The picture (left) tells you all you need to
know about the street dance and theatre
(and some stuff that defies definition)
spectacular that rocks Greenwich every
year. Many of the events are free.
See the programme at www.festival.org
If you’re not attending a local
street party, many London
Councils are staging community events where everyone is
welcome.
Barking And Dagenham:
Barking Abbey Ruins – Twilight classical concert and Big
Lunch Community Picnic
APPLE CART
The unashamedly child-friendly and slightly retro Apple Cart is back for its second year,
with a fun and colourful mix that goes beyond the music. Adopting a melting pot ethos,
no other event in the capital has Turner prize winners and world class magicians and alternative cabaret stars sitting happily alongside arena-filling comedians and music legends.
Noah and the Whale, Adam Ant and Kid Creole are headlining the music stage; and Sean
Lock, Rich Hall and Shappi Khorsandi deliver the laughs. But it’s all about the kids, for
who their are games, magic, a Penguin Books tent and much, much more. And the under12s go free. Adult tickets are £35 for the day. Sunday June 3 at Victoria Park, east London.
wearing of.... At least 80 residents
from the London Borough of
Lewisham aged from 4-84 years
will dance together in this showcase “Hats Off To You!”
The Lady Florence Hall, 21
Deptford Broadway, Deptford,
SE8 4PA.
Adult £5, child £3, under-3s
free
Sat 30 Jun, noon
Big Dance Bus @ Mini
Olympics
The customised Routemaster
comes complete with decks, DJ
and its own dancefloor, perfect for
showcases, portable raves and impromptu dance-offs. Expect local
companies, professionals and free
workshops for all to enjoy.
Southern Road Playing Fields,
Southern Road, Plaistow, E13
9JH.
Fri 29 Jun, from 10am, free
CLUBS
On the Real
With DJs Fatlip, Spin Doctor, Mr
Thing, Chris P Cuts and host MC
Prankster, plus Homeboy Sandman live.
East Village, 89 Great Eastern
Street, EC2A 3HX.
Fri 8 Jun, 10pm-3am, £7.50-£10
Silk City
Sexy Sundays
Old Afrobeats, smoochy music,
funky house, and Soca.
As above
Every Sun, 10pm-3am
My Desire
Featuring Hiplife, Kwaito, Bongo,
UG Jams, Lingala, with DJs Pee
and Que.
As above
Every 2nd Thurs, 10pm-3am
The Social Elite Party
The Social Elite Party for professionals and socialites, with DJs
Ladi and A-Star (Amour).
Steam Bar Hilton, 146 Praed
Street, Paddington, W2 1EE.
Every 3rd Fri, 10pm-3.30am
Xhale Fridays
A mix of styles with DJs Kigz
Romeo, Ladi, Elvin and Yemi.
As above
Every Fri, 10pm-late
Pulsations Night
Old Skool with DJs Lawrence,
Andre and Am.
The Railway Telegraph, 19
Brigstock Road, CR7 7JJ.
Every last Sat, 10pm-3am
Afro-Carnival Nite
Afro-centric themed night, promoting multi-culturalism in style,
fashion, glamour & afro-swag.
As above.
Every first Sat of the month
Deliquence
Seyi Shyne Entz & Niroko Onyx
present, with DJs Sean and Era.
Guvnor Bar, Bell Lane, Off
Dock Road, E16 2AB.
Every 2nd & last Fri of the
month, 10pm-4am
Mash up with DJs Wiley, MVP
and Guzzle.
Legacy Nite Club, 135 Finchley
Road, NW3 6JH
Every first Sat, 10pm-4am
Afrobeat and party classics with
DJs Era, MVP and Nyari.
As above. Every second Friday,
10pm-4am
DJs Era and Wavey J conduct the
dancefloor entertainment, featuring Afrobeats, slow jams, party
classics and hiplife.
Paparazzi
F.A.M.E.
As above
Every 2nd Sat, 10pm-4am
BANTU Saturdays
Urban contemporary jams with a
selection of hits from across
Africa. Every BANTU night includes at least one segment dedicated to a wide selection of
contemporary African music
along with the best selection of
Old Skool and the latest Hip Hop
and RnB. With DJs Que and
Clem, MC & DJ Goodie.
APT BAR, Aldermary House,
10-15 Queen Street, EC4N 1TX.
Every first Sat, 10pm-4am
City Life London
RnB, Hip Hop, Funky House,
Bashment, AfroBeats, Hiplife and
more. With DJs Era, French Kiss,
Sawman and Sharf.
Club 2AD, 2 Crutched Friars,
EC3N 2HT.
Every last Friday, 10pm4.30am
Premium Fridays
The maginificent 7 – DJs Ice, Kofi
Amah, Express, Selecta Aff, CommanderB,PnPFamily,andHardy–
mash up Pan-African genres.
The Alabar Lounge, 807 High
Road, N17 8ER.
Let people know
where you’re at so
they know where
it’s at with listings
in
Nigerian Watch
Call 020 8588 9640
or email
listings@nigerianwatch.com
Every Friday.
Purple Kiss Fridays
Ghana Finest MC Kenny, with
DJs Collo, Ritchie Ranx, Soljah,
Benzo, and Kat (Watford Finest).
Solar Nightclub, 2 Linton
Road, Barking, IG11 8HG.
Every Friday
VIP Fridays
African grooves and dance hall
vibes with DJs Wiley and Vjoj.
Club Laface, 169-171 Fore
Street, Edmonton, N18 2XB
Every Fri, 10pm-3.30am
London N8 9DJ.
Every Friday, 9.30pm–3am.
Black Velvet
Roblife, DJs Spark’s and Andy
Blixx rock the house.
Global Bar, 333 High Road Ilford, Essex IG1 1TE.
Every Thursday, 10pm–5am
Subsoul
Massive mix from Afrobeats to
ragga and lovers, with DJs Mac
Pro, Ritchie Ranx, and Soljah.
Live and Let Live, 264-266
Romford Road, E7 9HZ
Every Thu, 7pm-3am
Jazzie B and Spin Doctor have set
up home at the Social, recreating
their legendary Africa Centre
nights, with soul and disco to hip
hop and house and help from the
likes of Chris P Cuts, Aitch B, DJ
Lok and more. always seen the
West End as the epicenter of the
capital’s party scene.
The Social, 5 Little Portland
Street, W1W 7JD
Every Sat
RnB, Hiphop, Funky House,
Bashment, New Jack Swing,
Garage, Soul, Rare Groove.
Tamarai Bar, 167 Drury Lane,
Covent Garden, WC2B 5PG
Every last Sat, 10pm-3am
Putting a fresh twist on the ancient art of karaoke, HHK Lets
you get on the mic and act out
your rap fantasies to the fullest.
As above
Every Thurs
Smooth Thursdays
Diamond Noir Model Party
Certified Fridays
Mega line-up of floor fillers lead
proceedings. Featuring DJs Que,
Talent B2B, Blitzo (Keep it
Blitzo), Crazie (Crazy Sexy Cool),
San, Crazy (D-Squard Ents) DJ
and Drama (Dramatik Entz),
alongside MC & DJ Goodie, City
Vybez (whoa FM 90.4), 4Play
Sound (Flames FM), Mista Style
(Lightning FM 90.8),
Club 791 London Road, Thornton Heath CR0 6AW.
Every Friday, 10pm–5am
Hype Party
Mainsream dancehall grooves with
DJs Kigz Romeo and Darren.
Club 1853, Tottenham Lane,
Hip Hop Karaoke
Madd Raff
Every week, Madd Raff kicks off
with an exclusive dance session by
top dancehall instructor Safwaan
Shoshoni of Pineapple Studios.
Plus the very best in bashment
alongside a whole heap of guest
DJs and live showcases and performances.
It’s all about dancehall and
dancing – so whether you come
for the music, or to get down for a
weekly workout, have your whistles and your horns at the ready.
As above
Every Wed
Brent:
Free picnic in Wembley Arena
Square
Hammersmith & Fulham:
Picnics in Furnivall Gardens in
Hammersmith, and Bishops
Park in Fulham
Haringey:
The Big Jubilee Lunch at
Alexandra Palace, Sunday 3
June
Havering:
Romford Market. Diamond
Jubilee Romfest,
Greenwich:
Jubilee Picnic in East Greenwich Pleasaunce
Southwark
Bermondsey Carnival
International soul sensation
Alexander O’Neal headlines the
annual Bermondsey Carnival
this summer.
Waltham Forest:
Walthamstow Town Square’s
Diamond Jubilee Big Lunch,
Jubilee Beacons,
Monday 4 June
Thousands of beacons will be
lit around the world to commemorate The Queen’s 60 year
reign over the UK and as head
of the Commonwealth.
Check out www.diamondjubileebeacons.co.uk/pages/in
teractive_map_171898.cfm
to find the beacon nearest you.
Service of thanksgiving
and carriage procession,
Tuesday 5 June
If you missed out on catching
a glimpse of The Queen earlier
in the weekend, now’s your
chance as members of the
Royal Family will attend a national service of thanksgiving
at St. Paul’s Cathedral.
Afterwards the Royal Family
return to Buckingham Palace
by carriage, along a processional route, in time to see the
RAF fly past from the balcony.
WORDWATCH
June 2012
The World’s Literary Community
Unites for a Commonwealth Cause
Authors, wordsmiths or scribblers:
whatever you want to call ardent
writers, the act of marrying words
with imagination transcends time,
culture and tradition. And no literary committee believes in this notion
more than the Commonwealth
Foundation, as the bounty of prizes
it is offering this year exemplifies.
The Foundation, which is almost
as old as the queen’s crown, spans
54 countries, six continents, and almost a third of the globe’s inhabitants. A champion of pen over
sword, it rewards accomplishment
in the creative arts and seeks to influence those that make laws.
Once again this year, the Commonwealth Foundation is inviting
budding scribes to break out their
fountain pens and have a stab at
claiming one of the several honours
up for grabs. These include the
Kwani? Manuscript Project: a celebration of African novels and their
ability to simultaneously metamorphose and retain their essence with
the passage of time. The Kwani?
Manuscript Project is a shout-out
for unpublished fiction manuscripts
from writers from across the continent and in diaspora, building
upon the legacies of the likes of
Soyinka, Mafouz and Ngugi. The
best three entries scoop up cash
prizes of £2,270, £1,140 and £570,
as well as a publishing deal with
Kwani? and partnerships with top
international agents and publishing
houses, with winners being announced in December.
There is also the 2012 International radio Playwriting Competition – a collaboration between the
Commonwealth Writers, BBC
World Service and the British
Council and the only competition
of its kind in the world. Participants will submit a 53-minute-long
radio play on any subject to be in
with a chance of bagging a trip to
London to watch the play being
recorded, a seat at an award ceremony and the icing on the cake of
£2,000.
Previously, the competition has
served as a launchpad for the careers of people like Georgia’s
Lasha Bugadze – a 2011 winner.
Bugadze is currently enjoying the
inclusion of his play at New York’s
PEN Festival, while simultaneously
looking forward to the showing of
his version of Shakespeare’s As
You Like It as part of a festival at
the Globe Theatre and dotting the
‘Is’ and crossing the ‘Ts’ on a play
for Sloane Square’s Royal Court
Theatre.
Meanwhile, among this year’s regional winners for the Short Story
Prize – one of the topmost accolades alongside the Book Prize – is
Jekwu Anyaegbuna of Nigeria.
Africa’s champion, a qualified chartered accountant is a poetry and
prose specialist and a graduate of
the Farafina Trust International
Creative Writers’ Programme, for
which he was nominated by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Currently at
work on his first novel, his personal
story and nomination serve to further demonstrate the diverse backgrounds of entrants, and the
opportunities that these Commonwealth competitions offer.
For details on all 2012 competitions and how to enter, please visit
www.commonwealthwriters.org
35
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR
SOYINKA WRITING COMP
Nominations have opened for the
2012 Wole Soyinka special youth
writing competition that will mark
the Nobel Laureate’s 78th birthday
on July 13.
Organised by event management
company Zmirage Multimedia, 78
children from public and private secondary schools in the UK and the 36
states of Nigeria and the Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) will enter into
a writing competition. Last year’s
version featured 77 pupils from Nigeria and London who wrote an essay
entitled I love My Country.
Last year, prizes were handed to
winners at Professor Soyinka’s
Abeokuta home on July 14, during
which the children got to have lunch
with the Nobel Laureate. He also
spent about three hours chatting
with them in his amphitheatre.
This year’s 78 finalists will be
made up of two from each state and
the FCT, and four from the diaspora,
who will converge on Lagos for the
finals, which will take place at the
Muson Centre on July 13. Eligible
children must be in senior secondary
school and they must write an essay
of between 150 and 300 words on
the topic The Mind Of a Patriot.
Last year, three of the 77 finalists
were from London and flown to
Nigeria to meet up with their colleagues and Professor Soyinka. UK
based participants must have a valid
passport and be willing to travel to
Lagos between July 12 and 15.
First prize is a scholarship worth
N250,000 and a laptop, while the second prize is a scholarship worth
N150,000 and a laptop and the third
prize is a scholarship worth N100,
000 and a laptop, and all the participating schools will get desktops. All
finalists will get an all expenses paid
one week trip to Lagos for the finals
from July 9 to 15.
36
LEISUREWATCH
June 2012
TALES BY MOONLIGHT
The Affair of the Hippopotamus and the Tortoise; or, Why
the Hippopotamus lives in the Water
M
any years ago the
h i p p o p o t a mu s,
whose name was
Isantim, was one of the biggest
kings on the land; he was second only to the elephant. The
hippo had seven large fat wives,
of whom he was very fond.
Now and then he used to give
a big feast to the people, but a
curious thing was that, although every one knew the
hippo, no one, except his seven
wives, knew his name.
At one of the feasts, just as
the people were about to sit
down, the hippo said, “You
have come to feed at my table,
but none of you know my
name. If you cannot tell me
my name, you shall all of you
go away without your dinner.”
As they could not guess his
name, they had to go away
and leave all the good food
and tombo behind them. But
before they left, the tortoise
stood up and asked the hippopotamus what he would do
if he told him his name at the
next feast? So the hippo
replied that he would be so
ashamed of himself, that he
and his whole family would
leave the land, and for the future would dwell in the water.
Now, it was the custom for
the hippo and his seven wives
to go down every morning and
evening to the river to wash
and have a drink. Of this custom the tortoise was aware.
The hippo used to walk
first, and the seven wives followed. One day when they
had gone down to the river to
bathe, the tortoise made a
small hole in the middle of the
path, and waited. When the
hippo and his wives returned,
two of the wives were some
distance behind, so the tortoise came out from where he
had been hiding, and half
buried himself in the hole he
had dug, leaving the greater
part of his shell exposed.
When the two hippo wives
came along, the first one
knocked her foot against the
tortoise’s shell, and immediately called out to her husband,
“Oh! Isantim, my husband, I
have hurt my foot.” At this the
tortoisewasveryglad,ashehad
found out the hippo’s name.
Whenthenextfeastwasgiven
by the hippo, he made the same
condition about his name; so
the tortoise got up and said,
“You promise you will not kill
me if I tell you your name?”
And the hippo promised. The
tortoisethenshoutedasloudas
he was able, “Your name is
Isantim”,atwhichacheerwent
upfromallthepeople,andthen
theysat down to their dinner.
When the feast was over, the
hippo, with his wives, in accordance with his promise, went
downtotheriver,andtheyhave
always lived in the water from
that day till now; and although
they come on shore to feed at
night,youneverfindahippoon
the land inthedaytime.
Do you have a favourite Tale by Moonlight you recall from childhood? We’d love to print it.
Please forward to tales@nigerianwatch.com
PUZZLES
Solutions on page 47
QUICK CROSSWORD
NAIJAKU
Across
7 - Harsh (6)
8 - South African antelope (6)
9 - Grain store (4)
10 - Take someone's place (8)
11 - Refrain from (7)
13 - Burning (5)
15 - Smell (5)
16 - Clustered (7)
18 - Expression of gratitude (5,3)
19 - Golf pegs (4)
21 - Fabric associated with Scotland (6)
22 - Look through casually (6)
Down
1 - Penultimate round (4)
2 - Sanitise (13)
3 - Permit entry again (7)
4 - Chart (5)
5 - Documentation (13)
6 - Protect from harm or
destruction (8)
12 - Anniversary of when you are born
(8)
14 - Residential areas (7)
17 - Joining together (5)
20 - Simple (4)
WORKINGS
RELIGIONWATCH
June 2012
Acres of Diamonds
Within
T
here was a minister by the name of Russell
H Conwell, who years ago – in the 1890s
– preached what many consider to be the
world’s greatest sermon. It has been preached
more times than any other message; it has been
duplicated on tapes, written in books, and read
by people all over the world. It was so good, even
those who didn’t believe in God discovered it and
used it for the wisdom it contained. The title of
this sermon is “Acres Of Diamonds”, and the
message is this :
A man had a farm, but it wasn’t enough. He
wanted to be rich. He wanted to find great
wealth. So he sold his farm to travel around the
world in his quest for the great treasure he desired. In the meantime, the man who bought the
farm was out by the river one day. He happened
to look down just as the sun caught something
sparkling on the ground. He picked it up and
discovered it was a beautiful diamond.
That one diamond turned out to be one of
the most valuable diamonds in the whole world,
and the farm became the world’s most famous
diamond mine. All the while, the original owner
of the farm was traveling all over the world to
find his riches, but they were in his own backyard all the time; he just didn’t know it.
People travel all over the world to find their
place and purpose in life and to capture success. But all along it is right inside them, like a
treasure waiting to be discovered and used for
great things.
As you look into the mirror in the morning,
what do you really see looking back at you? A
winner or a loser? A success or a failure? A victor or a victim?
By
PASTOR DAVID-DAVID MAKOYAWO, PRESIDING MINISTER
World Repairers Global Network Ministries
In Pursuit of God, Repairing Lives, Restoring Destinies and Living A meaningful Life
Whatever picture you have of yourself today,
by applying the Bible-based principles in God’s
word, your life can be transformed from mediocrity to excellence, and you can
become the person of success
and top performance God created you to be.
There is no greater joy and
fullfilment than to discover who
God has made us.
True success in life is; To discover who we are; The purpose
of our being alive; Becoming
what God wants us to be; Doing
what God wants us to do; Possessing what God wants us to
have; Connecting with people
that matter to our life and destiny.
If we correctly apply the Bible-based principles we encounter in God’s word into our lives
we will not just be existing, but living in the
glory of our life.
ASK THE EXPERT
From child tax credits to National Insurance holidays, our
resident accountant addresses your financial concerns
Q
Last month the Tax
Office wrote to me
saying I would no
longer receive tax credits,
but I did nothing about it.
Now my wife is expecting
another baby so has reduced her working hours.
Can I get my tax credits
back?
A
You need to make a new
tax credits claim as soon
as possible, don’t wait
until the new baby arrives.
Your reduced family income
may mean that you qualify for
working and child tax credits already, and if you don’t, you will
at least have submitted a protective claim for 2012/13.
Under the new rules, from 6
April 2012 couples with children
must work at least 24 hours per
week between them, and one
member of the couple must
work at least 16 hours per week.
There are exceptions to the
rule if either you or your partner
is disabled, incapacitated or a
carer.
Q
I'm thinking of
starting a new
company. I was
told I will qualify for NIC
exemption. Is this true?
A
It depends where your
business is based. Businesses in the east and
south-east of England, or London, don’t qualify for the socalled NIC holiday.
The south-east region
stretches all the way up to the
Northamptonshire border, so
you need to be quite clear where
your principal place of business
is. Secondly it must be a new
business, not an existing business
that has been transferred to a
new company.
There are also some excluded
sectors such as road freight, coal
and export businesses. You need
to talk through the detailed rules
before you apply for the NIC
holiday.
Q
My business is VAT
registered but the
sales have dropped
back, so my turnover is
less than £75,000 per year.
Can I stop charging VAT
on my sales?
A
You must not stop
charging VAT until you
are given permission to
do so by the VAT office, or else
you could find yourself facing
stiff penalties.
You need to apply to deregister for VAT on form VAT7, and
send the completed form to the
VAT deregistration office in
Grimsby.
You must continue to charge
VAT on your sales until your application to deregister from VAT
is accepted, and this has been
confirmed by the VAT office.
ANY QUESTIONS?
Nigerian Watch has a panel
of experts on hand to
answer any questions on
any subject. If you have a
query, please submit it to...
expert@nigerianwatch.com
I therefore encourage you today, to prayerfully seek God’s face through His word and by
his Spirit to discover, know and understand
your God given potentials that
will reveal God’s glory on your
life; “And they glorified God in
me.” (Galatians 1, verse 24,
King James version).
As God told Jeremiah, in Jeremiah 1 verse 5; “Before I
formed thee in the belly I knew
thee; and before thou camest
forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a
prophet unto the nations.”
The word of God also encourages us to call on Him for
revelation of who we are, and to know what He
has deposited inside of us for greatness.
“Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and
shew thee great and mighty things, which thou
knowest not…” (Jeremiah 33, verse 3).
37
God always want to reveal what we don’t
know, that we ought to know; that will make
us great and mighty on Earth.
He also said in His word, “But as it is written,
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have
entered into the heart of man the things which
God hath prepared for them that love Him. But
God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit;
for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea,t he deep
things of God (Corinthians 2 verses 9-12).
As you prayerfully by the Spirit of the Lord
seek the face of the Lord through His word, you
will discover your own diamond acres within
you, come to appreciate and celebrate your
uniqueness, and to explore the greatness within
you. You are somebody; Uniquely unique;
Greatness is inside of you; Discover yourself.
Step out. Step up. Rise above every limitation into a new dimension; sometimes you need
to step out in order to find out who you are.
It’s a dawn of a new day! The whole world is
waiting for you to manifest your glory.
Think, Pray and Take Action.
38
PERSONALWATCH
June 2012
Dear Eki
For answers or advice on life issues, Write to Dear Eki, Nigerian Watch, Chartwell House, 292 Hale Lane,
Edgware HA8 8NP, or email: eki@nigerianwatch.com
Wise Words... DIVORCE
Going through a divorce is never
easy; it’s a highly stressful and
life-changing experience. You invested years in your marriage
with this person who you believed was the one, who you
thought you would grow old
with and suddenly it’s all over.
The questions that come to mind
are, what will people say?
What/How will I tell my family?
What will life be like without
him/her? Will I be alone forever?
You remember your parents,
who have been married for 35
years, and your grandparents,
who are still married, and wonder how they did it. You feel
ashamed, your marriage will be
the topic of gossip and known as
another failed marriage. You
start to look back at the past few
months, wondering where it all
went wrong, wondering how
you missed the signs. In some
cases, the signs where there but
subconsciously you closed your
eyes and pretended everything
was perfect.
The fingers start pointing and
people wonder who’s to blame.
All sorts of theories start going
round. People start making assumptions, there is tension between both extended families.
The story of your failed marriage
becomes a point of reference for
brides to be in your family.
The worse is still to come,
when you find out that your
other half has already moved on.
You run into them one day and
get a glimpse of your replacement, even more confusing you
find that the new partner is your
look-alike.
This is far more complicated
when there are children involved. They are caught in the
middle because they love you
both and are trying not to pick
sides. You let some discipline go
because you don’t want to seem
like the villain where the kids are
concerned. Finally, the divorce
goes through and you lose
everything or everything you’ve
worked for is taken from you.
How to Cope with Divorce and Heartbreak
• Don’t adopt bad/addictive habits When going through the
agony of divorce or heart break, you might see drink, drugs or even
food as a way out, but this offers only a temporary feeling of euphoria and usually has harmful effects on your health in the end.
• Don’t go through it alone Get support from trusted family members and friends; preferably people who will not judge or criticise you.
Isolating yourself is unhealthy, it increases stress and gives you plenty
of time to keep dwelling on your situation. If you are away from family or you don’t feel comfortable opening up to people you know, join
a support group where you can talk to others in a similar situation.
• Embrace your feelings You might feel angry, stressed, frustrated,
sad, angry, drained, and confused. These feelings are not a sign of
weakness, it’s normal to feel this way. Accepting these feelings will
help you move on, but it is very important not to get stuck as it may
lead to depression and prevent your progress.
• Explore new interests and meet new people. At times a divorce or break up also comes with losing some friends to your expartner. In this case, go out and meet new people, join a special
interest club, pursue new activities and interests, volunteer in your
place of worship or go travelling and sightseeing. Rekindle your relationship with that friend you really liked but stopped talking to because your other half said they were weird.
• There is life after a divorce or break up Now there are emerging
opportunities to start on a clean slate, building new hopes and
dreams to replace the old ones.
As time goes by, looking back on the relationship you will learn
from the experience. This will help you grow into a wiser person, understand how you relate to others, and highlight the areas you need
to work on; but more importantly it will aid you in examining your
reasons for choosing your ex-partner. You should be able to see where
you went wrong and take this into consideration when making your
next choice. Recovering from a breakup or divorce is rarely easy. Nevertheless, throughout the process, it is important to keep saying to
yourself that you will move on. But healing takes time.
JEALOUSY IS DESTROYING MY RELATIONSHIP
Dear Eki
I have been seeing this guy for a year now. To start with, it was a casual relationship but things soon
got serious and recently he proposed. Since then, I have begun to have these overwhelming feelings of
jealousy. These feelings are so intense they lead to jealous outbursts and even while they are happening I sometimes can’t believe the way I am behaving. I have became so suspicious that I asked that we
both exchange passwords to our social networking accounts. When he refused, I went on and on about
it until he finally agreed. My suspicion is now heightened when girls leave messages on his wall. The
most recent episode of a jealous outburst resulted in me breaking into his phone and deleting all the
numbers with female names. I know I might be over-reacting but I can’t stop myself. I have been hurt
in the past and don’t want a repeat. “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me”. But I
fear I may be driving him away. Please help.
Ada, 25, Bromley
Well, the first step is admitting there is a problem, which you’ve done. You say “Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame
on me”. That is not the right type of attitude to have in a relationship. It sounds like you are carrying baggage from your previous
relationship into this one. As humans, we tread with caution when we’ve been hurt by someone whom we trust, and sometimes the
person who suffers from our scars is the person in the next relationship. What you have to accept is that every individual is different;
because the other guy treated you badly doesn’t mean this new one will do the same. Apart from girls writing on his wall and him
refusing to give you his social networking account password, is there any other reason why you feel you should be jealous of the
other girls around him? You’ve got the ring honey, he asked YOU to marry him. Isn’t that proof enough that he wants to be with
you? You have to keep reminding yourself that he loves you and that he has asked you to marry him, and if you want the relationship
then you should do everything to make it work. The first step would be building your trust in him. The only reason you feel jealous
of these other girls is because you haven’t given him your trust. If you plan on going along with this marriage and spending the rest
of your life with this man, trust is absolutely key. Deleting emails and constant spying on your partner gets really tiring after sometime.
Food for thought, how will he feel if he finds out that he can’t trust you either?
I AM AFRAID OF
FLYING
Dear Eki,
I am afraid of flying. It hasn’t always been this way, it only
started last year. I am embarrassed to tell anyone because I
might seem weak. Now my wife
has asked me to take her to the
Seychelles for our 10th wedding
anniversary and it’s a long flight,
which I am not looking forward
to. My wife has been really good
to me, especially in the last few
years when we’ve been through
a rough patch, and I really want
to give her what she’s asked for.
The thought of getting on that
plane makes my feet and palms
go sweaty and I start feeling
queasy in my tummy. I don’t
know what to do.
Tibo, 39, Luton
The fear of flying is more common than
most people think, and the causes are
many and varied. For some it’s the small
tight space of the cabin; for others it’s the
idea of being up in the clouds with your
feet off the ground; for some others it’s
the idea of not being in control, not being
able to see where we are going. Statistically, however, air travel is still safer
than travelling by road.
To ease your anxiety, avoid drinking
coffee or other drinks with caffeine before
and during your flight. Another suggestion would be to focus on the destination
and all the things you plan to do when
you arrive. I find that helps take my mind
off things. I also suggest you discuss this
with your wife, to let her know how you
feel about flying. This way she can also do
what she can to keep your mind at ease
before and during the flight. You’ve been
together for 10 years, so I seriously doubt
she will take your fear of flying as a sign
of weakness.
For further information on overcoming a fear of flying visit, www.flyingwithoutfear.co.uk
I SUSPECT MY
GIRLFRIEND IS
CHEATING
Dear Eki,
I suspect my girlfriend is cheating, but I don’t want to confront
her because I am afraid she will
leave me. I don’t like admitting
it, but things haven’t been great
lately, and I am worried that if I
confront her, I’ll just give her a
reason to leave. I really love her
and don’t want to lose her. In all
honesty I can’t prove that she is
cheating, I just have this gut feeling that she is. Also all the usual
signs are there, like late meetings at work and her phone ring-
ing at odd hours, for which she
always leaves the room to answer. If I confront her and it
turns out I am wrong, that would
make me look really stupid. On
the other hand, if it turns out I am
right and she decides to leave me,
then I’ll lose her. I need advice.
GB, 30, Harlesden
If it turns out you are right and she is no
longer in love with you, are you really so
desperate that you would still want to
keep her? Things haven’t been great lately,
what have you done to work things out? I
believe the fact that there have been problems in the relationship might have a huge
part to play in your suspicions. It’s understandable for you to think that she is
cheating on you as maybe she is acting
distant. My advice is that you discuss this
with her; I place the emphasis on ‘discuss’
not ‘confront’ her. Let her know your
concerns ( about the late calls, etc).
If it were me, I would want to know if
she was cheating or not. If she is not and
you still love her like you say, I suggest
you go about working on the issues in
your relationship. Why don’t you do
something nice for her, like cook her nice
candle-lit dinner, or take her to a fancy
restaurant. If it turns out she is cheating
and she doesn’t want to be with you anymore, I say let her go.
You are probably better off without
her. I am just telling it the way I see it,
giving you my advice, the final decision is
down to you.
40
TRAVELWATCH
Dublin is the perfect place for a party at
any time of the year, but when the city is
celebrating Nigerian culture,then it is...
CARNIVAL TIME
What do Nigeria and Ireland have in
common, apart from Guinness? The
answer to that question must surely
be a love for a great party! And oh
my, do the Irish know how to party!
You needn’t look any further than St
Patrick’s Day, which turns both Ireland and the UK green.
This August sees the 3rd Nigerian
Carnival Ireland taking place in
Dublin, which brings two great nations and cultures together for a
weeklong party. The event, taking
place from 6th to 12th August, serves
to promote integration and celebrate
diversity and heritage by showcasing
and celebrating our rich culture.
FESTIVAL FUN
Head to the Draiocht Arts Centre,
Blanchardstown, for the NCI Arts,
Crafts and Photographic exhibition,
every day between 10am-5pm. If you
are a keen amateur photographer
yourself then why not enter the NCI
“Nigeria’s Culture in Colours” pho-
tography competition, with various
prizes on offer.
Throughout the week, expect exclusive performances and displays
from musicians and cultural troupes
from Ireland and Nigeria, as well as a
Nigerian Fashion Show and Film
evening.
Most activities take place in
Dublin, but the nearby town of
Navan plays host to the Children’s
Cultural Day and the Cultural Dance
Competition in the Solstice Arts Centre on Thursday 9th August.
And while you’re there, why not
take a short detour to Bective Abbey?
It was the second Cistercian
Monastery founded in Ireland in
1147. Or visit King John’s Castle, or
Trim Castle as it’s also known, built
around the same time in 1173. As the
largest remaining Anglo-Norman castle in Europe, it featured in the film
Braveheart and is well worth a visit.
Make sure you’re back in Dublin
on Saturday 11th August for the Car-
nival’s grand finale held in Phoenix
Park, the city’s historic walled city
park. The typical family fun day celebrates the sight, sound and taste of
Nigeria. It will showcase Nigerian
folktales, costumes, arts & crafts,
face-painting and old favourite
games like the sack race and opon
ayo. Children can also learn how to
pound Yam, braid hair or tie Gele.
If you’d rather explore Irish culture instead, then there is plenty to
do in and around Phoenix Park. It
features Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of Ireland since 1938. Open every Saturday
and free to enter, it’s a perfect opportunity to catch a glimpse of the for-
mal rooms and grounds that serve
Irish government affairs.
FURTHER AFIELD
On the other side of the park lies
Farmleigh, an incredibly impressive
78-acre estate that used to be owned
by the Guinness family. It is now in
hands of the Irish government, which
has restored the house and the
grounds to its former glory of gracious living and stylish entertainment.
Now it is used to accommodate dignitaries and hold official high-level government meetings. The estate is open
seven days a week and free to enter.
For the kids, a visit to Dublin Zoo
is a must. It recently welcomed two
June 2012
Asian lion cubs to its newly developed Asian Forests habitat, which
should delight the little ones. And
why not book your teenagers in for
“Teen Camp: a day in the life of a
zookeeper” on Friday 10th August?
If you’d rather explore quieter
parts of the country, Ireland has a
whole lot more to offer. The West of
the country has one of the most stunning coastlines, imposing sea cliffs
that rise up from the Atlantic and a
rugged countryside so wonderfully
desolate you cannot help but be in
awe of nature’s beauty.
The South is slowly becoming a
mecca for foodies as Ireland’s top
gourmet spot. Here you will find
fresh fish and seafood in abundance.
The East is defined by unspoiled
countryside, the green rolling hills of
Wicklow, also known as the garden
of Ireland to experience the Emerald
Isle to the full. The breath-taking
scenery features cascading waterfalls,
glassy lakes and pristine stretches of
beach. Perfect for a whole host of
outdoor activities including horse riding, golf and walking.
Ireland truly has something for
everyone so take a leap and join in
the fun.
Further details
Nigerian Carnival Ireland
6th to 12th August 2012
www.nigeriancarnivalireland.net
June 2012
41
EDUCATIONWATCH
A Family Survival Guide
for Exams Success
All across the nation families are preparing themselves for a long hard summer of exams. Don’t sweat it...
THE NEW WAVE OF SUNSHINE IS A sure
sign that the exam season is upon us. It is time
for students all over to showcase what they have
learnt.
Most people would swear by the mantra
that success is a result of preparation. However, not everyone is ready for the intense pressure and adrenaline associated with sitting
exams. If your child is sitting for those all important end-of-year exams or GCSEs, A–levels
and university exams, the coming weeks and
months is going to bring tension in even the
most serene of households.
Exam time is a trying time for the whole
family, and results are bound to suffer if parents and children have quarrels over studying
or don’t have strategies in place. With a bit of
preparation, plenty of hard work and mutual
support, improvements in results is inevitable.
A family survival guide for managing exam
pressure is a must. Use the following Get
Ready–Steady–Go tips to help the family survive this stressful period.
GET READY!
Structure Revision
It is never too late to start revising but be realistic and plan what can be achieved in the
time available.
• Draw up a chart or planner and write
down the dates and times of the exams.
Make the planner large. (A3 paper size is
good). Work out what needs to be done and
by when, and draw up a timetable (younger
children will need help with this but older
children only need guidance from you). Stick
the planner up on the wall so everyone can
see it. This helps to focus the mind.
• Target specific topics, cover them by ticking off what has been covered and then move
on. Analyse each revision session and work
out what went well and what can be improved.
• Write key points on sticky notes and
place them all over the house so that revision
is continuous.
• Make notes portable. Use small index
cards to make notes, adding diagrams and
colour to enhance a visual learning style.
Punch a hole at the top left corner and use a
treasury tag to insert through the cards. This
will hold related notes together. The great
thing about these notes is that you can put
them in your bag/pocket and take them anywhere. That way you can look at them on the
way to school or even when you’re out shopping!
STEADY!
Make revision effective
Make sure your child has a quiet space in
which to revise. If there isn’t one at home, ask
a friend or try the local library. Successful revision requires variety to ensure the information
sticks.
• Help your child work out when they are
at their brightest and most alert – morn-
ing or evening. Do most of the work at this
time. Most people have an energy low at
some point, so suggest that they go for a walk
or relax away from books.
• Do revision in short bursts. Forty to
forty–five minutes is about as long as someone can concentrate in one stretch. Then a 5–
minute break. Be warned that if the break
involves television, it can be hard to get
started again. Tackle a different subject after
the break.
• Get your child to turn off their phone
during revision. Keep a quiet household and
don’t interrupt them with background noise
during revision.
• Reinforce strengths. Make use of your
tutor, if your child has one. Try some past
questions against the clock and in conditions
similar to an exam. Ask the tutor to go over
mistakes and exam techniques rather than
teaching new materials.
• Last minute revision should focus on
what they know, NOT on what they don’t
know. It’s too late for new material so let
them go into the exam feeling confident
rather than nervous about the things they
don’t know.
• Stop early and don’t cram too late into the
evening before an exam. The night before an
exam is the time to focus on basic notes, diagrams and memory aids such as mnemonics
and making sure they have essential equipment such as pens and pencils and calculators
ready and packed. All night supermarkets are
a good source for stationery and spare batteries.
balanced meals and snacks. An ill–fed brain
will not work well.
• Ensure regular exercise. Don’t let your
child stop all activities. Exercise can pump
them up to do more work. Perhaps a family
walk would be helpful but try to resist using
this time to do more studying otherwise they
may not want to go out with you. However if
your child feels they can’t afford the time for
a walk, a relaxing bath may be just the ticket.
DEALING WITH EXAM ANXIETY
As a family talk about things honestly and help
your child get the exams in perspective. Remind
them of stress–reduction techniques – exercises
and breathing. And keep away from other anxious people. In extreme cases – if a child isn’t
sleeping, for example – seek medical advice.
GO!
Exam Day
• On the morning of an exam, try to avoid
wishing them “good luck”. Talking of luck can
raise anxiety levels. Exams are not a lottery,
they are an appraisal of information already
learned. Instead, say something like: “I hope
everything goes well.”
• Don’t spend too much time doing exam
post mortems. Your child is unlikely to remember every question in detail. Try instead
to look ahead to the next exam.
• Make sure your child leaves home with
a good breakfast. They can’t think on an
empty stomach.
• Make sure they leave in plenty of time
in case of delays.
• Go for a walk or listen to some relaxing
music, avoid other classmates. Now is not the
time to discuss work so just do anything else.
• Remind them to go to the toilet before
going into the exam – a full bladder is not
good for relaxing.
• What if everything goes wrong?
Remind your child that lots of well-known and
successful people didn’t do well at school but
went on to succeed in life.
Sylvia Watts–Cherry
Director, Advance Educational Services






 

PARENTAL HELP
Stop taking the exams personally. It’s not
about you. Your child has tried hard and believe it or not, your child will not fail to deliberately disappoint you. All children want to do
well!
• Be supportive of your child. Never say
that you worked much harder than they are
working. This is not helpful and probably not
true (memories play tricks on us all)
• Encourage without pressurising. Nagging causes rows.
• Don’t compare a child’s efforts to those of
an older sibling or classmates.
• Talk to other parents for useful tips or to
diffuse stress.
• Remind older siblings what it was like for
them sitting exams and encourage them to
offer support.
• Keep younger siblings occupied at revision time.
• Keep the television off. You can always
record important programmes for viewing
later.
• Make allowances. Recognise that children
who are worried about exams will tend to be
grumpy.
• Reassure them that you value their efforts
more than perfect results.
• Regular meals. Make sure your child has

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42
PROPERTYWATCH
June 2012
SPOTLIGHT ON
Dagenham
Historically a rustic village under the charge
of Essex, Dagenham is no secret to those
that know London; it has been on the map for
a long time.
Mostly undeveloped until about a fifth
of the way through the 20th century – when
the London County Council began advancing the expansive Becontree Estate – the
area’s population took a significant hike
with the relocation of the Ford Motor
Company from Trafford Park in Stretford
to a plant in Dagenham, the former home
of supplier, Briggs Motor Bodies.
By 1950, the 40,000 strong workers employed by Ford inevitably set up camp in
this Greater London offshoot.
These days, Dagenham is still predominantly a white working class settlement,
though its make-up has changed with the
times to incorporate other ethnicities, which
according to 2011 census make up around
a third of the borough’s population.
Both these and future residents are set to
benefit from the arrival of what is known as
the East London Gateway – the major new
development being put together since 2010
on the north bank of the River Thames.
The project will include a big deep-water
port as well as one of Europe’s largest logistics parks, which in turn will be served by
a positive flurry of roads and railways to
link the eastern corridor up with the rest of
London and the UK.
Dagenham, therefore, is poised become a
land of opportunity. With its acres of green
space and low population density, some
parts could almost moonlight as countryside suburbia.
Residents can find themselves in the heart
of the capital in half an hour by jumping
on the tube from Becontree, Dagenham
East and Dagenham Heathway, or surfing
the overground from Dagenham Dock.
For those that prefer to travel by bus, the
story is pretty much the same, with several
London bus routes meandering through it.
Meanwhile, house prices are nicely varied, providing options to suit most budgets
and spatial requirements. A number of
major brownfield housing developments
are already underway, and are forecasted
to attract tens of thousands of people to
the area.
HOUSING:
Dagenham boasts a broad
range of properties, which
are relatively low-priced
compared with their innercity equivalents.
On average, £230,000
could fetch a threebedroom detached house,
while semidetached, three
bedroom properties
are available for as
little as £187,000.
At the lower
end of the scale,
terraced houses generally go
for around the £167,000 mark,
while those that don’t need the
extra room can bag a flat or
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43
PROPERTYWATCH
June 2012
NIGERIA’S ONLY PLANNED CITY
Abuja is the purpose-built federal capital that was designed from a masterplan. It offers a welcome respite
from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the country
Arguably the most thought-out piece of governance in Nigeria’s history, Abuja is a purpose-built metropolis that nestles in the
country’s heartland. The new capital, which
took over the crown from economic hub Lagos
is designed to serve as a world class capital,
writes Chuk Ikéh.
Abuja carries an air that separates it from
other Nigerian cities. It has spawned from a
calculated blueprint and features a functional,
modern infrastructure that means it could
moonlight as some of its international counterparts.
In 1976, on the advice of urban designers,
General Murtala Muhammed’s administration
came to the conclusion that Lagos had become
too cosy and over-crowded, and that the capital needed to up sticks. It consequently assembled a committee to scout out possible
locations and after months of scouring the
country, consultations with local communities
and stewing over the numerous resultant options, the then greenfield site of Abuja was
selected.
Since the federal
capital’s official relocation on December 12
1991, Abuja has
grown into a thriving,
bustling city, and host
to some of the most
exotic architecture one
can imagine. This
comes as no surprise
given that Abuja was
constructed from a
template drawn up by
International Planning Associates, a consortium of three US
firms.
Today, Abuja has established itself as a
haven for those with disposable income – both
Nigerian and foreign – and is the natural home
for the nation’s politicians, businessmen, retired soldiers and returning diaspora. Wealthy
Nigerians employed in other parts of the country tend to keep a second home there, affording
them regular escapes from the hustle and bustle of megalopolises like Lagos, Enugu, Benin
and Ibadan. For Nigerians, Abuja has become
synonymous with serenity. It is also considered
to be one of the most affluent places on the
continent. Sprawled across 8,000 square kilometres, it is ideal for anyone looking for a piece
of the West African sunshine.
Abuja comprises three ‘phases’, which, in
turn, are divided into districts – each purposely
designed to ensure an abundance of green
spaces between them. Phase One has 10 districts, Phase Two, six, and Phase Three, 11.
However, many see Phase One as the place
to be. This is where the homes of the good and
the gracious can be found. Garki – in the city’s
southwest corner – is home to important public buildings and hotels. Area Two Garki is a
residential area as well as home to Abuja’s zoological garden and major shopping centre.
There, the price of a five bedroom duplex can
be as much as N400m (£1.58m).
Meanwhile, Wuse’s market is Abuja’s principal bazaar, and the district also houses the
Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Ibro International
hotel, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Houses in Wuse are a bit cheaping, going for
around
N130m
(£514,500).
Maitama District is
home to the wealthiest
members of Nigerian
society and has the reputation of being extremely exclusive and
highly expensive. It is
home to the Transcorp
Hilton Hotel, the
British High Commission and many European embassies. Many
of the houses on sale
around here are villas,
which come with swimming pools and can go
for as much as N900m
(£3.56m).
However, Asokoro District houses all of the
state government lodges and guest houses, as
well as the secretariat of the Economic Community of West African States. It is also where
the presidential palace, Aso Rock, is perched.
By virtue of this, Asokoro is the most secured area of Abuja. House prices vary depending on size but there are 10-bedroom
villas in Asokoro that come with boys’ quarters and swimming pools, and prices can go up
to N100m (£395,763).
Gwarimpa contains the largest single hous-
Abuja has become
synonymous with
serenity, and is
also one of the
most affluent
places on the
African continent
ing estate in Nigeria and indeed Africa – the
Gwarimpa Housing Estate. It provides housing
for the majority of the civil servants in the city.
A modest three bedroom bungalow would sell
for about N38m (£150,400) in Gwarimpa,
while to rent one would cost N1.5m (£6,000) a
year.
In addition, most landlords demand a minimum of two years' rent in advance. and will
not rent a property for less than this period. On
top of this, full payment is normally demanded
in cash upon the signing of the lease. Standard
commission for most real estate agents is
around10 per cent of the total rent.
Anyone wishing to enjoy the delights of
Nigeria while simultaneously maintaining the
tranquil serenity that suburbia offers and at the
same time retain some of the privileges often
taken for granted in Europe should head for
Abuja. At the same time, however, they should
consider the cost of luxury, and Abuja is a relatively big ticket.
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45
SPORTWATCH
Team Nigeria’s Olympic training facilities
Nigerian Olympic Committee
President Sani Endanusa and
Beijing Olympic Taekwondo
bronze medalist Chika Yagazie
Chukwumerije are pictured
visiting the state of the art
training facilities in Guildford,
Surrey, that are to be home for
Team Nigeria in the run-up, and
during the games.
“At previous Olympic Games in
Beijing and Athens we went there
to perhaps participate only,” said
the NOC President. “But this time
around of course we are competing. We are here to compete for
medals, gold medals.”
The pair visited the Surrey
Sports Park and Guildford Spectrum. The facilities include three
multi-purpose sports facilities, a 50
metre swimming pool, exercise and
well-being studios and a 60 metre
sprint sports track.
The Guildford Spectrum boasts
an international-standard 400m
running track.
NIGERIA’S JOYFUL RUNNER CARRIES A
TORCH FOR THE TRUE OLYMPIC SPIRIT
By AYO AKINFE
NIGERIAN MARATHON RUNNER Esther
Obiekwe is hopeful of achieving greatness that
goes beyond winning a medal this summer at the
London Olympics.
Obiekwe – popularly known as ‘the joy runner’ and ‘the running banker’ – will make history as Nigeria’s first ever Olympic marathon
runner when she takes to London’s streets on
August 5. She will also probably be the only
athlete who has paid her own way to the
Games, as she has not requested sponsorship
from the Nigerian authorities.
Unlike most other Olympians, Esther, 36,
and Nigeria’s number one ranked marathon
runner in the International Amateur Athletics
Federation, runs for more than just silverware.
She is a foster mother of two orphans and is
more interested in highlighting the plight of
the downtrodden than standing on the
podium.
A qualified banker with an MBA from the
University of Hull, England, Esther only
started running marathons two years ago. But
once she stepped onto the road, her talent became obvious. Last year, she set a personal best
of three hours 28 minutes at the Berlin
Marathon and is now set to take on London
alongside some of the world’s greats. But Esther is not at all fazed.
Recalling how she has been a fitness fanatic
since the age of 11, Esther explains that she did
not get her first coach until she was 31. “Until
two years ago, I was a fun runner jogging
around Banana Island in Lagos,” Esther says.
This, coupled with the fact that she has to
combine running with working and family life,
puts her at a disadvantage compared with elite
athletes who focus solely on athletics.
“I start training from 5am every day, running on the streets of Lagos before heading to
work at 8am. I run for joy and run to represent
all Nigerian women, to show we are strong and
resilient.
“I run to help to end the enslavement of
women, and to show how well we can handle
responsibility. I run for my children’s sake to
give them back their dignity,” she says.
Conceding that winning a medal in London
will be a tall order, Esther admits that she is
nowhere near the standards of the elite Kenyan
and Ethiopian women, who dominate global
marathon running. But she is critical of the notion that winning is important, believing that
it ignores the Olympic spirit.
“Of all the athletes that participate in London, only about two percent will win medals,
so does this mean the other 98 percent of them
wasted their time? I would think not.
“I am not there for a medal. I am going
there to celebrate and showcase that Nigerians
are capable of doing anything, and that with
hard work and perseverance, all is possible.
“The Olympics is a movement – a celebration of sport. Only a superficial look at the
Olympics would whittle it down to just
medals,” says Esther passionately.
She adds, “Elite runners are professionals
who eat, sleep and work at running. They have
teams of coaches, dieticians, altitude training,
multi-million dollar shoe contracts, the best facilities and the best technical support. They are
recruited at age 10 or 11, put into special
camps and groomed for this life.
“On the face of it, it can be daunting, especially in Nigeria where we have never had an
Olympic marathoner and where we do not
have the facilities. I do not have a single professional sponsor, my coach and I pay for
everything and we are even financing our costs
to go to London so we do not burden the Athletics Federation of Nigeria.”
Esther is particularly proud of the fact that
she recently ran in the Boston Marathon, making her the first Nigerian to do so in 20 years.
Boston is the world’s oldest and most prestigious race and participating in it complements
her repertoire of competing in the Dubai,
Berlin and Athens marathons.
Because she still works, Esther has not had
months of training and will only arrive in the
UK about two weeks before the games starts.
Luckily, London and Lagos are in the same
time zone, so there will not be any need to acclimatise. Either way, Esther will leave London
a winner.
46
SPORTWATCH
June 2012
Balls for Africa
It has turned out to be a happy ending to a torrid
term for Chelsea and Nigeria midfielder Jon
Mikel Obi after he helped his club lift their first
UEFA Champions League trophy in Munich on
19 May.
Mikel, who turned 25 last month, was a key
figure in the side that beat Bayern Munich 4-3
on penalties after extra time in a hugely anticipated game. The victory and consequent receipt of a winner’s medal means that Jos-born
star was able to end an unusual nine months of
football on a positive note.
His season began with the terrible news of
the kidnapping in Nigeria of his father, Michael
Obi, on 12 August 2011. Despite his concern for
his father’s wellbeing, the former Lyn Oslo
player elected to play on, but made an emotional plea for his father’s safe return, telling
Sky Sports News, “I’ve always tried to help
[Nigeria]. This is the time for the country to
help me. Whoever knows where my dad is
should please contact me.”
Thankfully, Michael Obi was discovered
alive in Kano on 22 August and his captors
duly arrested. However, on the pitch
things
remained
rocky.
A casualty of
Portuguese manager Andre VillasBoas’ tenure, Mikel
was an unused substitute in a string of
disappointing
losses for Chelsea.
But after AVB’s sacking and the consequent
appointment of former Blues midfielder
Roberto di Matteo, Mikel starred in 16 of the
club’s final 20 games, starting 14 of those.
Mikel played in Chelsea’s FA Cup victory over
Liverpool, before going the distance in the European cup final.
The strong finish to the season left Mikel
and his teammates all smiles – a stark contrast
to the beginning of the season. Speaking to reporters after the final, Mikel said that it was
“the best night of our lives.”
Getty Images
‘THE BEST NIGHT’
LET’S DO IT AGAIN – AFOLABI
BOXER OLA AFOLABI failed
by the narrowest margins to take
the WBO cruiserweight title from
German Marcus Huck when they
squared up for a rematch at the
beginning of May, in Erfurt, Germany.
But it wasn’t for dint of trying, as Afolabi had promised before the fight. He came out like
a steam train, showering Huck
with punches, leaving him with a
bloodied nose and floored – although the referee ruled that
Huck had slipped and not been
felled.
Seemingly angered by these
set-backs, Huck roused himself
and grew stronger as the fight
went on, to leave Afolabi reeling in
both the ninth and final rounds.
As during their previous
meeting, the fight went the full
distance and the judges could
barely separate the two fighters
when the final bell rang.
Two judges scored the fight
even at 114-114 and the third
gave Huck the winning scoreline
of 115-113.
Despite the setback, Afolabi
is already spoiling for a rematch,
taking a sideswipe at the judges
in the process..
“Would you like to see Afolabi vs. Huck 3?” he asked on his
Facebook page, continuing, “I
still think I won more rounds
without the knock down.
“Btw, one of the judges we
picked apparently got sick so
was replaced and guess which
judge had huck winning? Yep,
you guessed right.”
Nuga gets set to host international golf tournament
Members of the Nigerian UK Golf
Association (Nuga) have begun what
will be their most challenging year
since formation in 2004, as they prepare to host a major international
tournament in July.
Dubbed “The International
Event”, Nuga will host five Nigerian
golf clubs at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, between July
22 and 24.
This month, members of the association stepped up their training at
the Surrey Downs Golf Club in
Kingswood. It is the first time they
are hosting a major event since 2008
when they invited Nigerian clubs
over to Uckfield in East Sussex.
Nigerian golf clubs that will be
By AYO AKINFE
coming over to compete in the tournament include Ikoyi Golf Club,
IBB Golf Club, Ibom Golf Club,
Ikeja Golf Club and the Texas
African Golf Association.
Nuga team captain Ayo Oshowo,
said, “We alternate tournaments
every year and this year, it is Nuga
hosting the others. Last year, we
went to Nigeria to play all the others
and they hosted us separately but we
shall be hosting them together.
“Celtic Manor is the best place
for golf after St Andrews, and St Andrews is the home of golf,” he continued. “Usually, we just have men
and ladies playing in one team but
this year, we will likely have a separate event for each gender.”
Nuga has a revolving membership
of about 100 and about 40 of these
meet once a month to play each
other and stay in top shape.
“Golf is good for networking and
it is good for the mind. Nuga is there
for Nigerians to come together,” Oshowo added.
Nuga currently has two divisions
for its members. Division one is for
members with low handicaps, while
division two is for those still struggling and trying to improve their
game.
Pictured: Nuga Golf members practicing at Surrey Downs Golf Club
Arsenal tour
either be a sparkling Nigeria select 11 or the current Africa Cup
of Nations champions the Zambian ‘Chipolopopo’ national
football team, who upset the
odds when beating Cote D’ivoir
8-7 in a penalty shoot out.
Either contest makes for an exciting match, but of course all
Nigeria is hoping it will be a select 11. Football fans are expected to make the journey to
the national stadium from all
across Nigeria. Not least because the Supporters’ Club has
more than 5,000 members, with
chapters in 23 states. It is the
only foreign supporters club to
be officially recognised by the
club they support.
“It will be a great, great, tour,”
said, Mr Onyenuforo. “Great for
Arsenal and great for Nigeria.”
47
SPORTWATCH
June 2012
When Aresnal walk out to
the roar of 60,000 footballcrazy fans, we know it will
be to meet either an all-star
Super Eagles XI, or the surprise 2012 Africa Cup of Nations champions, Zambia.
Chipolopolo – the nickname given to the Zambian
side, meaning ‘the copper
bullets’ – proved their sharpshooting abilities when they
broke Ivorian hearts in a dramatic shoot-out victory in
the final. It was an extraemotional affair due to the
fact that the last time they
reached the final, in 1994, 18
members of the the squad
had been tragically in a
plane crash, as they took off
from Gabon a year before.
The prospect of a second
rendezvous with Arsenal's
Côte d'Ivoire star Gervinho –
Zambia or Eagles’ best
set to face the Gunners
especially as the latter’s miss
from the spot helped them
to the title – will excite the
Zambians.
But the idea of Arsenal
shaking hands in the tunnel
with anyone other than the
Super Eagles themselves – at
their own national stadium –
is almost unthinkable. There
are an estimated two million
Arsenal fans based in Nigeria
– probably their largest fan
base outside of the UK.
Based on this educated
guess, the next question regards who will play. New Eagles coach Stephen Keshi's
resolve to build a new squad
of players centred on homegrown talent - coupled with
the fact that many of Nigeria’s Premier League stars
will be involved in pre-season training with their own
clubs – means that we are
probably unlikely to see the
likes of Champions League
medalist John Obi Mikel or
Blackburn Rovers hot-shot
Yakubu Aiyegbeni.
But appearances from vintage Eagles, such as Jay-Jay
Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu
would raise rowdy cheers
from both sets of fans, particularly the latter for contributions aplenty in Arsenal
colours. And don’t write off
seeing West Brom’s
Odemwingie – rumour has it
he could be an Arsenal player
by then.
New pitch to leave a lasting legacy for Nigeria and Eagles
A new pitch is to be laid at the Abuja National
Stadium, as a result of Arsenal’s impending
pre-season tour.
At the beginning of May, as the tour was
being arranged, Arsenal groundstaff visited
the stadium.
Their report back to the club raised concerns about the safety of the team’s players
as the pitch was deemed to be “completely
dead and needs to be replaced”.
The grounds men also recommended a
fresh soil culture for the stadium, whose pitch
has gone four months without been watered.
It seems the potential loss of such a prestigious tour focused minds and resulted in
plans to relay the pitch before August being
enacted.
“After reviewing the recommendations of
our grounds men, we have resolved to
change the pitch of the Abuja national stadium,” a Nigerian representative of the organisers told AllAfrica.com.
He added, “We need to do this because we
don't want any kind of injuries to the Arsenal
players. We are committed to having the
Wenger boys here.
“That is why the groundsmen at the Emirates came here. So, the pitch you would see
in August would be same you watch week in,
week out at the Emirates.”
On how soon the works would start on
the pitch, the AllAfrica.com source, who was
also pivotal in the coming of Manchester
United, said, “We have two months before
the game and that is enough time for our
groundsmen to finish the job.”
JOHN UTAKA’S HITS HISTORIC DOUBLE
In a sensational finish to the
French football season, a late
brace of goals from Nigerian
international forward John
Utaka propelled Montpelier to
a historic first Ligue 1 title at
already-relegated Auxerre.
Montpelier simply needed a
point to be crowned champions
for the first time in their history,
after going into the game level on
points with Paris Saint-Germain.
However, the occasion looked
to have got the better of them
when Olivier Kapo headed the
home side into the lead after 20
minutes, to punish a series of
missed opportunities in front of
goal.
But the visitors
refused to lose their
compsure, and their
continued pressing
and tenacity paid
off just after the
half-hour
mark
when Souleymane
Camera’s ball into
the six-yard box
found Utaka’s foot
for an easy tap-in.
The goal – Utaka’s seventh of
the season – would prove to be a
turning point for the Super Eagles’
star and Montpellier.
Both sets of players were or-
dered off the pitch by the referee,
after an onslaught of makeshift
missiles were thrown onto the
pitch by Auxerre fans in protest
against their own board.
When the dust had settled and
the smoke and riot police had
cleared, Montpellier emerged reenergised.
From a corner, Auxerre ‘keeper
Olivier Sorin failed to clear the
ball, writing the script for Utaka
to chest the ball down, beat a defender and drill the championshipwinning goal into the bottom
corner.
The effort instantly propelled
Utaka to hero status in the south
of France – a much welcome accolade for a player whose spell at
Fratton Park, alongside fellow
Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu, was
mostly a hit-and-miss affair.
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
nigerianwatch.com
E IDE
OR INS
June 2012
M T
OR
SP
SPORT WATCH
IT’S GOONER BE A BIG ONE
OFFICIAL NIGERIAN ARSENAL FAN CLUB ORGANISE SPECTACULAR TOUR
THE more than 5000-strong official
Nigerian Arsenal Supporters’ Club are
set to give the Gunner’s supertars a heroes welcome, appropriately rolling out
the red carpet for what will be Arsenal’s
first ever visit to Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview the
founders of the club shared details of
the forthcoming tour with Nigerian
Watch. “All arrangements are almost
concluded,” said club spokesman Mr
Emeka Onyenuforo of the preparations for the tour in August.
Arsenal are scheduled to touch
down at Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos (MMIA) on 1
August.
After resting, the team are billed to
hold an open and interactive training
session at the city’s Teslim Balogun
By LAWRENCE OGBEIDE
Stadium. Before leaving Lagos on 3
August, a ‘red’ tie dinner will be held
in the team’s honour at the Eko Hotel,
Victoria Island, where they will be entertained by top Nigerian artists like
Bankyw and Asa.
Before heading to Abuja and the big
showdown, the Arsenal team are expected to detour via other States like
Akwa-ibom and Kwara. “We’re still finalising details of this stage of the
tour,” said Mr Onyenuforo.
Then it’s off to Abuja where more
than 60,000 fans are expected to pack
the National Stadium to see their Premiership heroes.
Their opponents will turn to page 47
ARSENAL
VISIT TO
LEAVE A
LASTING
LEGACY
– SEE INSIDE
Founders and current leaders of the official Nigerian Arsenal Supporters’ Club (from right to
left); Ugagu Kelechi, Emeka C Onyenuforo and Wale Akanni