Chicken, Egg. Egg, Chicken. These Tricky Things Called Priorities

I have a niggling head ache and it’s not even noon yet.
No, this isn’t about the name change of my alma mata because our issues run deeper than the name change and it is not enough to set off this ringing in my head. The labs have obsolete equipment, the libraries don’t have enough books but hey let’s ignore all that and skip right ahead to a name change!  We don’t have money for new library books but surely it wont cost a thing to carry out an entire re-branding of the institution. No, the issues with my old school are not my problem.  I’ve managed to narrow down the source of my headache to Nigerian agencies and their workforce.  Perhaps I should have titled this post “Work Ethics and The Nigerian People” but then my issues go far deeper than that.

In the course of my professional life, I’ve had to deal with staff of government agencies both in Lagos and in Abuja and one common thread runs through most of these agencies. “Zero Work Ethics”
I’m not sure what irks me more when I get to an office in Alausa but  it’s a cross between the fact that half of the tables are unoccupied because the staff have gone off on a frolick or the fact that the ones who are on their seats are wearing flip flops, either eating yam and palm oil or selling aso-ebi at their desks. When you walk into the office, it is business as usual. There’s no sense of urgency or a particular desire to work so whatever getting your file or the stamp of approval you’ve come for becomes a herculean task. It is akin to attempting to cross the Red Sea without the staff of Moses to help with the crossing( the staff in this case being The Long Leg of Knowing Somebody Up There).  It is even worse if you go on a Friday where every one all of a sudden becomes a muslim and the offices are cleared out by 12.45. Everybody has conveniently gone to the mosque. If you are lucky, some of them may stroll back around 3pm, if you’re not, then that’s it for the day. You have to come back the following week.

This is NOT news to anybody who has any business to do with any government agency but the part that gets me the most is that the people in these offices are you and me. They are our friends in church. We stand together to lift Nigeria out of the clutches of corrupt and oppressive rulers. They are our friends at the gym, who we complain to about the fact that the “government” is doing nothing about Boko Haram. They are our friends who we invite for 3-day long  week day parties and they tell us not to worry.. against all odds they’ll attend our events.

Can we take a minute to think about this every time we grumble about the fact that NEPA doesn’t work, or the fact that we can not be guaranteed of an effectively functioning conveyor belt.  Can we stop to consider that it is the collection of hard working ants that make a colony work productively and effectively. Are you doing your best at your job or are you slowly hoping that the ticking of the clock would hurriedly bring the 17th hour so that you can go home? Are you doing that which you should be doing and doing it diligently? Or, are you hoping that Mrs X will go on maternity leave so that you would quickly fall into the position for that training in South Africa that comes with estacode?
Sometimes we’re quick to blame “The Government”  for all our woes but this is not completely true – our problems run deeper and we really ought to stop putting the cart before the horse. And, I mean this in every facet of our society. If you work in customer care, be polite and courteous. If you are a trader/ business person get to your stall/office on time and be diligent in your work. We need to get our priorities right and fix our individual values; because then and only then would we be taking a step in the right direction. Maybe then, we can get this elusive change we keep making tee-shirts about! Maybe then, we can finally get the kind of Nigeria we keep singing about.
Maybe then, we can finally start heading in the right direction. Let’s figure out what our priorities are and FIX UP!

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Meet Chibundu Onuzo, 21-year Old Nigerian Faber & Author of “The Spider King’s Daughter”

In 2010, Chibundu Onuzo, a 19-year-old Nigerian undergraduate at the King’s College London made the headlines, from BBC to CNN, after signing a two-novel deal with revered British publisher of literary fiction, Faber & Faber, making her its youngest ever female author. She started writing The Spider King’s Daughter when she was 17, got an agent at 18, signed with Faber at 19, finished editing while 20 and got published at 21. When she started writing at ten, her first inspirations included English classics like Jane Eyre and David Copperfield, after which she discovered the rich literary tradition of Nigeria in her favourite authors – Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. In this exclusive interview with Gbenga Awomodu, Chibundu who has recently completed her first degree in History talks about her debut novel, published in March 2012, writing, faith, Lagos, Nigeria and much more.

Please tell us a bit about yourself – what you do; your education and where you grew up.
My full name is Imachibundu Oluwadara Onuzo – Oluwadara because my mother is Yoruba; Imachibundu because my father is Igbo. I grew up in a very quiet estate in Lagos. I know almost all my neighbours by name and in turn most of them know me as ‘one of Dr. Onuzo’s daughters.’ Both my parents are doctors and are still practising. My primary school was called Corona Gbagada. Our school anthem described us as ‘the centre of excellence’ a motto borrowed from my much beloved Lagos State. I then proceeded to Atlantic Hall where once a week we sang lustily, ‘We love thee o, Great Atlantic Hall.’ It was perhaps an attempt by the anthem writer to brainwash us unruly adolescents. After three years at ‘A-Hall’ as her alumni call her, I went to St. Swithuns, a school in Winchester, where I perfected my phonetics and shortened my name to ‘Chibs.’ I then went to University in London, King’s College, where I dropped my phonetics and lengthened my name once more to Chibundu. Now, on the cusp of graduation, as I prepare for the next phase in my life; perhaps, I will assume the name of Dara.

Could you share some of your favourite childhood memories, growing up in Nigeria?
Anyone with an Igbo father will tell you that Christmas meant going to the village and going to the village meant family, udala (or agbalumo) and masquerades. Unfailingly the masquerades came out on Boxing Day and me and my cousins would drive down to the village square to be scared out of our wits. There was the rare female masquerade, glittering with mirrors and very difficult to catch sight of. Then there were the dancing masquerades which raised small clouds of dust when they hit their wooden heads on the ground. Then last and scariest were the evil masquerades that chased people down and flogged them. Once I ran into a stranger’s house and hid under his table because maoun na bia (masquerade is coming).
And then I loved going to my maternal grandfather’s house in Isale Eko. He died before I was born but he left in his house, shelves and shelves of books. Every time we visited I would go to these shelves and rummage through them. Most of what I gathered was old and musty but books are more than the paper they are printed on and I gained many classics from this foraging of Baba’s shelves.

Chibundu during a reading at the Southbank Centre, London

What were your childhood dreams and aspirations?
I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. When I was growing up, it was assumed that if you were good at Maths you would be an engineer. If you were good at sciences, you would be a doctor and if you talked too much, you would be a lawyer. I was a very voluble child and so I took it for granted that I was destined to become a learned friend. I also dreamed of becoming a concert pianist. I played and still play the piano, but you won’t be seeing me performing at the Royal Albert Hall anytime soon.

Considering the common sentiment amongst many Nigerian parents who want their children to become lawyers, doctors, Engineers or Pharmacists, why did you decide to study History, and what was the initial reaction of your parents to this?
They disowned me and I’m now living with my adopted parents. On a more serious note, I think being the last born helped. My oldest sister is a barrister, my brother is an economist and my other sister is an engineer so my parents were more open to one child experimenting. Sometimes, wistfully I think if I had studied medicine, my parents would have had that invaluable collector’s item: a complete set of professional offspring. And for a while I did dabble with the idea of becoming another Dr. Onuzo but medicine of all the professions, is not one you enter lightly so I withdrew when I realised the matter was too serious for me.

Your debut novel, The Spider King’s Daughter, was published last March by Faber & Faber, UK. It must have been a really long process. How do you feel about that milestone?
Relieved. The publishing process does take a long time if you want to get it as right as you possibly can. Sometimes you feel that the day when you’ll hold a finished copy of your book will never arrive so we thank God it has come and we’re all alive to see The Spider King’s Daughter being read in as far flung places as Singapore and Dubai.

The Spider King’s Daughter touches on the cliche poor-boy-meets-rich-girl story. What (new) perspective do you bring to this concept in your novel for your readers?
All over the world, the rich and poor hardly meet on an equal footing, but in every region, there’s a particular flavour to this meeting of social classes. For example, in England as in Nigeria, people hire maids but to slap your maid in England is viewed as criminal assault whereas in our country, at best it would be frowned upon. So to find out why I think the social structure of Lagos adds its own twist to the ‘cliche poor-boy-meets-rich-girl story’, as you have termed it, I suppose you’ll have to read ‘The Spider King’s Daughter’.

When did you start writing poems and stories; and what are the special memories in the process of getting your first book published?
I’ve never really written poetry, at least not seriously; but I attempted my first novel when I was ten. It was about a group of white American children who went back in time and met some Native American children with whom they then proceed to have many adventures. It was very bad. What looms the largest in the publishing process was when my agent sent me an email saying she would like to represent the book. I actually dropped to the ground and rolled from one end of my living room to the other.

How do you plan to make your book accessible to readers here in Nigeria, aside online orders from Amazon and the likes? Any plans for a Nigerian publisher soon?
Fingers crossed for a Nigerian publisher. That’s all I will say for now.

Which writers have influenced your writing over the years?
Influence is a tricky word when it comes to assessing your own writing. I think only a reasonably objective third party can tell you what influences they can see in your work. There are some writers I particularly love reading though. Dickens for his liveliness and Tolstoy for the unflinching gaze he casts on his characters. There are no heroes with Tolstoy work, only human beings. Then, of course, the African great: Soyinka’s controlled flamboyance, especially in Ake, I read with envy and Achebe I read with the deepest respect. I almost feel the urge to kunle [Yoruba, meaning: kneel down in obeisance] whenever I see a copy of Things Fall Apart. And last, the new generation of writers who made contemporary Nigeria interesting again. No-one does Eko like Sefi Atta

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Chibundu & Chimamanda at the 2012 

Commonwealth Lecture

How and from where do you draw inspiration as a writer?
You never know. You’re just inspired. You see an image and it strikes you, you hear a snippet of someone’s life story and you immediately want to embellish it into a piece of fiction. Maybe it’s because of your childhood, or your Sunday School, or your primary two teacher that some things capture your imagination as an author more than others. It would take some serious unravelling to discover why and how something embeds itself into your subconscious and becomes the inspiration for a piece. It just does.

What inspired the SKD story – do you have any personal experiences woven in there; how did it come about?
When I was much younger, I interviewed a hawker for an essay competition my mother entered me for. This hawker was about twenty one (my age now) but she had been hawking for years and expected to continue hawking for many more years, if not the rest of her life. Even at that young age, I could sense that she felt trapped by her life which offered no opportunity of escape from the daily grind of hawking, but in the answers she gave me, there also seemed to be a lot of resignation. Also, whenever I drove around Lagos, I would often see hawkers running after cars. The owners hadn’t paid, but they’d collected what the hawker was selling. It’s not that they planned to steal from these hawkers; it’s just that traffic was moving and so if the hawker wanted to get his money, he had to run after them. It was too much to expect that the owner of a car would have enough courtesy to park and pay for what he or she had bought. Such images stuck in my mind and in retrospect, I can see that they were the germ for the novel.

Do you experience the writer’s block, and how do you handle it?
I experience writer’s procrastination. I sit at my laptop and play a game of solitaire to ‘focus my mind.’ Then I play another round, then another. Then I think, ‘why don’t I check my email?’ Then I realise I haven’t eaten anything in the last half hour, so I get up and go and have a look at what’s in the fridge. On my way, my phone rings. It’s my sister. One hour gone and I still haven’t eaten. Let me just boil some rice. Oh look, The Apprentice is on. What an interesting episode. Now time to get back to work but I’m feeling sleepy. I’ve been putting off writing this new chapter for days now but abeg man must sleep, body no be wood. I say to myself just before I fall asleep, ‘This procrastination of mine is getting bad. I’ll sort it out tomorrow.’

Given Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s trajectory in the literary world – and many people probably already see you in her mould, do you not sometimes feel pressured to accomplish more than she has done; any nominations for awards yet?
Most comparisons between myself and Chimamanda Adichie or any other Nigerian female writer who has an Igbo first name, are quite superficial and have little to do with our writing styles. I admire Chimamanda’s work for its vast scope which is paired with an intense detail in execution but the themes we write about are very different because what we find interesting about Nigeria is different because our backgrounds are different and so I can read her work, love it, but not feel any pressure about it.
But speaking of awards, earlier this year I was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize which is for debut novelists published in England.

Chibundu and other writers at the Longlist party for the Desmond Elliott Prize

In what ways do you seek to improve your writing?
I try and read widely. I’ve recently been given a kindle and I’ve downloaded dozens of free classics. It’s good to read contemporary fiction and keep yourself abreast of the new ways writers are finding to express themselves but at the same time, I think it’s important to also read those writers who are long dead but whose works still teach many lessons about the writer’s craft. I also try to take every chance I have to write as an opportunity to hone my craft. So for example when I blog, even though I do it for fun and make no money out of it, I read over my work, I edit it and I try to make sure my prose isn’t becoming sloppy. Every time you put your fingers to the keypad, even if it’s just an email, is a chance to improve your relationship with words.

In one of your blog posts, you talk about the state of origin issue, arguing that a Nigerian should be able to say, “I was born and bred in Lagos, so even though my parents originate from other states, I am a Lagos indigene as well.” How soon do you think this would be established, if at all it comes to pass?
The quote you’ve used isn’t a direct quote from my blog but the sentiment expressed in it, mirrors what I have said accurately. I find it incredibly saddening that a man with a Kenyan father, with a name like Barack can be President of the United States of America but if a Mohammed who has grown up in Imo state wants to be even a local government chairman in Oru West L.G.A., there would be such an uproar. People would tell him to go back to Kano, or Katsina or Kaduna if he wants to get into politics in Nigeria. Can you imagine if the American electorate had told Obama to go back to Kenya?
This doesn’t mean I dismiss our cultural heritage. The Igbo, Efik, Ijaw, Nupe cultures are all to be celebrated but it is not our ethnic identity that gives us a share in our polity. It is because I am Nigerian not because I am Yoruba or Hausa or Ibira that I can exercise my rights as a citizen in any part of the country I find myself in.
I’m not a prophet so I don’t know when it will come to pass but it must, if we are to begin to see lasting changes in our country.

What does your personal library look like; and which kinds of book are your favourites?
My personal libraries are the public libraries of North London. I still find it miraculous that I can walk into a building and leave with fourteen books for no fee at all. On trips to my local library, I usually gravitate towards books set in India and the Middle East even though I can’t explain my fascination for this part of the world. Of course, every time I hear that a new African writer has been published in England, I begin to scour the shelves for their title. Sadly, this doesn’t happen as often as I would like.

Sometime in 2010 when you first made the headlines, I found out you sang in a track titled “I Will Wait”, produced by London-based music producer, Tolu Okeowo. Could you tell us something about that too?
I sing and play the piano and I can usually do both at the same time. Perhaps because of this, it naturally followed that I would write my own music so the song “I Will Wait” was actually composed by me and on the track, I am the one playing the piano. Tolu and I went to the same church in London and we worked together on a soundtrack for a movie called ‘Holding On’ where one of my songs was used as the title track. So in about 2009 when Tolu decided he wanted to make a compilation album, he asked if I had any songs I wanted to submit. I played ‘I Will Wait’ for him, he liked it and it became one of the songs on ‘A Perfect Progression.’ You can download it from iTunes till date.

Chibundu distributing Christmas hampers alongside other church members

You are fond of saying, “We thank God!”, so much that in response to an interview you granted The Guardian UK last year, a commenter referred to you as being too religious. What is the connection between your writing and your faith?
My saying we thank God is not a religious habit I’ve picked up. It’s just giving honour where honour is due. You need patience to write a book, you need joy for when you don’t feel the writing is going well, you need peace when you’re worrying that it will never get published, you need humility so that when you have a little measure of success you won’t start thinking you’ve ‘arrived’ as a writer and all these, I believe, are the fruits that the Holy Spirit grows when He lives with you. And of course, I’m glad I can pray. I don’t know how other writers cope with rejection but as for me, I’m glad I can pray.

As a citizen living abroad, what is your take on Nigeria’s image and its national security issues at the moment?
I have no vested interest in seeing Nigeria portrayed positively. What I want to help build is a Nigeria that is actually a positive place. It’s because we are so concerned about having a good image abroad that so many atrocities are swept under the carpet and problems are downplayed. Things need to be aired and if our national news agencies out of a sense of misplaced national pride will not air them, then let CNN break the news to me that yet another massacre has occurred in a village in the North. Let BBC show me the thousands of people in Lagos that scavenge off a refuse dump to make a living.
As for the security issues, I have no original views on them. I want the economic inequalities that have fuelled this insurgency to be addressed and I want Muslims and Christians to present a united front against this menace.

Chibundu with a girl she sponsors at her mother's charity school, The Little Acorn Educational Foundation

 What is the role of writers in helping to effect the change we desire in our nation?
Mine is the same as yours and any man or woman you stop on the street. We have civic duties towards our nation that go beyond just paying taxes, even though that is always a good place to start. The government may not have done enough but neither have I. I’m expert at listing what’s wrong with Nigeria, less skilled at saying what practical steps I can take to help tidy up my own little corner.

What do you plan to do next after graduation?
Finish writing my second book and in doing so, work on my craft. Hopefully do a Masters in a degree that will enable me to effectively and efficiently assist with the development that is going on in this country.

Any other thing you would love to tell BN readers?
Thank you for reading all the way to the last question. Una don try.

Thanks for your time Chibundu.
My pleasure.

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Living Abroad: Do You Want To Vote In 2015?

Ever since Nigeria returned to a democratic government in 1999, major decisions shaping the country’s history have been determined by the leaders elected into power. This in turn implies that the country’s future is hinged on the electoral process, where citizens cast their votes and choose the leaders who should lead them as a nation.
For this reason and more, Nigerians living in the Diaspora have resolved to be a part of the 2015 general elections regardless of their location and have put forward a petition to the Federal Government.

At the 2012 Convention of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation in the Americas (NIDOA) – the umbrella organization for all Nigerians residing in North and South America, including the Caribbean – held at Holiday Inn, Arlington, Virginia; they put up a resolution to back the petition with one million signatures.
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary, Hon. Aminu Shehu Shagari said at the convention that even though he was fully in support of the bill on Diasporan voting rights, he believed the 2015 election was so important to the peace and stability of Nigeria that the government might not be willing to experiment with allowing Nigerians abroad to vote.
That remark attracted reactions from Nigerians at the venue who, in their various contributions, insisted that allowing Nigerians abroad to vote was long overdue, and government ought to have been making preparations toward that since the call predated the current administration.
Chief Temitope Ajayi, Chairman of Nigerian American Agricultural Empowerment Programme (NAAEP) disagreed with the view that voting by Nigerians abroad in 2015 may affect the integrity of the election, adding that such votes may even be more credible.
Ajayi said for instance, Nigerians living in US do not only have their passports, but also have social security numbers, which could aid easy identification and prevent multiple voting.
She said even though they live outside the nation’s shores, remittances from Nigerians abroad had not only been keeping their relatives at home going, such huge remittances had also been contributing to the development of Nigerian economy.
Secretary, Board of Trustees of NIDOA, Chief Gabe Okoye, therefore moved a resolution that a petition signed by one million Nigerians based abroad be sent to the Federal Government to demand their rights to vote in 2015 election. The resolution which was unanimously adopted also included that each signature should be accompanied by $1 donation, which would amount to $1million, to help facilitate lobbying for the realization of the voting rights.

Okoye said the petition to be signed would be posted online for Nigerians In the Diaspora to append their signatures.
The points raised here are definitely valid. However, Nigeria is still far from conducting free and fair elections within its shores, how feasible would it be to conduct the elections outside the country?
The general elections in Nigeria is already fraught with a number of problems and inconsistencies. Votes cast in the country are almost always contested with allegations of rigging which sometimes follows with violent protests and clashes among different groups.
But all these happen within Nigeria; elections to determine Nigeria’s leaders have never been conducted outside its shores. Is it right to say that Nigeria is ready to conduct elections outside its shores?
Are you a Nigerian living abroad? What do you think about the arguments raised here? Do you want to vote in the 2015 General Elections? And if yes, why?
Please share your thoughts.

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“How Laziness Saved My Life” a Ofili’s New Book

 

Two years ago,  author, speaker and BN contributor Okechukwu Ofili shared his stupidity with the world in the hilariously successful “How Stupidity Saved My Life“. Everything seemed to be going well for the engineer turned blogger turned speaker, but all that changed when he visited the doctor’s office for a routine check-up and was diagnosed with a life threatening disease. He later found out that his diagnosis was a result of over working himself at his job. After seeing other people getting burnt out from work, he decided to write his second book to show that contrary to popular belief, laziness can actually save your life! The result is the witty “HOW LAZINESS SAVED MY LIFE: A collection of radical business ideas for tired, overworked and frustrated people looking for an easier way to get stuff done”
How Laziness Saved My Life is a hilarious attack at the way corporations and businesses push themselves and their employees to the brink of stress. With chapters such as “Three Things I Learned From Getting Kicked In The Head”,“Why We Need Fewer Meetings and Managers” and “What Washing Underwear Taught My About Customer Service”. Ofili is able to poke fun at the work institution as we know it but at the same time he offers simple solutions for managers and entrepreneurs to help get the most out of themselves and their employees without killing anyone in the process. If you have ever been stressed at work or felt like strangling your manager then you need to get this book. But don’t take my word for it, after all I am just the author writing in third person…see what others are saying about it:

Grabs you from the first page and never lets you go…until you are done or NEPA takes light.
Okechukwu Ofili

The book is so intelligently written and wickedly funny, it is as if I wrote it myself.
Okechukwu Ofili

HOW LAZINESS SAVED MY LIFE is a must read for Managers and Business Leaders! Get a copy for your boss and one for your bosses cat…it’s that good!
Okechukwu Ofili

 
The book is currently available on Amazon at http://amzn.to/getlazy and at major Nigeria bookstores including Silverbird Lagos, Silverbird Abuja, Silverbird Port-Harcourt, The Hub Media Lagos, Laterna Lagos and Terraculture Lagos.

BONUS STUFF: To celebrate the release of his second book. Ofili will be giving away a Blackberry 9930, an Amazon Kindle Fire and other awesome prices (no kidding). All you have to do is take a simple picture. See the poster below for more information:

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Ofili is an award winning ninja motivational speaker, author, success coach and mind reader entrepreneur who blogs about life, success and entrepreneurial excellence. Follow him on BBpin:3300ED8F, twitter , facebook or subscribe to his blog for more success TIPS!” His latest book is titled HOW LAZINESS SAVED MY LIFE, to find out how it saved his life click amzn.to/getlazy

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Emmy Awards/Pulitzer Winning Producer Richard Spiropoulos Shares His Experience At The Silverbird Man of The Year Awards

Have you ever wondered how nice it would be if Nigeria has an equivalent of the US Library of congress?  Ok that seems a little bit like overreaching since we can’t boast of generating and supplying constant power to every home right but still it doesn’t hurt to dream does it?  It would be great to have a national archive where our children can read about the amalgamation of the north and south protectorates; a central data base where we can easily access video footage of speeches given by our past leaders. In writing this post I tried to check online for any information I can glean about the history of our great country and I came up short. I mean the bulk of what I found was Biafra related.

I

wondered who would tell our children about how the states were created, how we evolved from using the Queen’s Pound’s Sterling to the Nigerian Naira.
Richard Spiropoulos, a two time Emmy Award & Pulitzer winning Producer, FOX, CNN attended the Silverbird’s Man of The Year awards.He shares his take on the event and the effect of the dearth of  a national archive with us.
As I walked into the conference center at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island for the Silverbird’s “Man of The Year” awards, I realized I was horribly late. My amateurish miscalculation of “Nigerian Time” had caused this horrible faux pas and sadly my first foray into Nigerian journalism wasn’t off to a roaring start.
As I slunk into the shadows, I quickly put my camera together and right there it hit me; this room was alive and teeming with history.The screens around the room revealed rare and priceless footage from the aftermath of the Biafran war. But, it wasn’t this documentary that gave me this sense of history, it was the people in the room.



Living legends, figures in our nation’s history who had come forward at various times when Nigeria called and they were still doing so five decades later. I was in the same room with Generals Yakubu Gowon, Theophilus Danjuma and Muhammadu Buhari.
They were all being honored by Silverbird with Lifetime Achievement Awards for their unrelenting patriotism and commitment to the country.



It felt strange looking at them as young men, on the screens flashing on the walls around and then looking into their faces directly across the room as their eyes glazed over, lost in recollection. They had been there, when all hell broke loose and the country nearly fell apart. They were there when brother rose against brother. They were amongst the few left who had the keys to the vaults of our nation’s history.
I snapped out of my reverie for a second and turned to the photographer beside me to ask what I had missed and sadly, it turned out that I had missed a poignant ode to three of Nigeria’s founding fathers.Obafemi Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe and Ahmadu Bello were honored post-humously their sacrifice, passion, courage and dedication.
I started clicking away at the screens on the walls. A powerful documentary was airing. It was the first time   any of the those  images and video had ever been seen by anyone who wasn’t around during those dark days The footage was rare, priceless and riveting and most of it had never been seen in Nigeria.


It had cost Silverbird a fortune to get it. Some might argue that it was insane to have paid so much money to a film archivist from another country so we could learn the truth about our own. Some might even say it was borderline extortion, but either way we are not to be completely absolved of sin in this matter. Our blatant disregard for proper documentation of our past has led to our being forced to oay heavily to learn more of our fading history.
In that instant, a light bulb of realization went off in my head. This was a call to arms. It was a call for the nation to faithfully document its past and present, for the sake of its future. It was a cry to ignite our patriotic curiosity, to know and record the facts and to document them for posterity sake.
As one chief speaker, who had fought the Biafran War as a child, quoted, “When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground”.
So much knowledge and wisdom is lost forever unless they found ways to document their experiences and share their sagacity.
And so the speakers in the room, led by the fiery rhetoric of SilverBird founder and Media Mogul Ben Bruce beseeched the former and present leaders in the room to “Please hand us your memoirs”.
He recalled the lone radio voice of the Biafran war, the only voice that narrated events to the people as their worlds were blowing up all around them, a voice now lost, silenced forever because no-one ever pressed ‘record’.
Where were the videos that could have answered so many questions that we still have today about that war?
Why were there no Nigerian film archives?
Why were there very few videos saved during the presidency of General Buhari?
And why was there no account as to how Kingsway stores, one of the most amazing supermarket chains in all of Africa, suddenly collapsed?
It was mind boggling that we could have intentionally destroyed visual and written evidence of our nation’s past.
Another speaker at the event urged Generals Danjuma, Gowon and Buhari to do something quickly or deprive future generations of their treasured, hallowed recollections on the events that shaped our country’s history.
I think as a nation  we need to cultivate the habit of documenting events and saving them for the future to celebrate and remember the past. We need to celebrate our history.

Do you agree with Mr Spiropoulous? Let us have your thoughts on how we can preserve our history for the coming generations.

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So Why Did You Get Married, Six Men Shares Why

By Adeola Adeyemo

The buzz and excitement that surrounds weddings can be quite infectious and women tend to go overboard at the idea or prospect of a wedding. Marriages however, are no mean feat. They require a certain amount of dedication and commitment and this is probably why most guys are a little more less enthusiastic when it comes to the whole wedding thing. They tend to have a more overall sense of restraint when it comes to these matters.
BN decided to take a closer look at guys who took this huge step and why they did. They talked about their courtship and why they took the decision to spend the rest of their lives with their wives and I got to understand that people get married for very different reasons. We had fun during the interviews and to these awesome guys, I say thank you for sharing your stories.

Babajide & Damilola Familusi

FAMILUSI BABAJIDE, Fashion and Lifestyle Enterpreneur/Publisher FAB Magazine has been married for 3 years.
He dated his wife for 17 months and described the period as “an amazing time getting to know each other as we had opted to bare it all to each other. A mistake intending couples make in this time is that they do not take the time to ask the right questions in a bid to get more insight into the background and experiences of the other party.”
Did you know from the start that you were going to marry her? I did not know but my intention was very clear from the very first day. ‘I am not dating for the fun of it. I am trying to find my wife in you’.
I knew she was the one because of a major revelation into her person that I cannot disclose here but understanding my personality and hers and how they would work amazingly well together was key.
Why did you get married? I got married because I totally believe in God’s word that says in Genesis that ‘it is not good for man to be alone.’ I knew that I needed a partner that I would share my joys, travails, successes with. One who would adopt my vision as hers and be my strength and support in my weak areas.
What is the difference between your life as a bachelor and as a married man? The fact that you have an additional being to care for and love unconditionally totally changes your activities as family and time spent with family becomes increasingly important.
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Deji & Ese Falae

Deji Falae, a lawyer, politician and public officer in the service of the Ondo State Government has  been married for 13 years
How did you meet your wife?
My wife and I were introduced by a mutual friend while she was an undergraduate in the University of Lagos in 1993 and I was a Youth Corper.
 When did you know she was The ONE?
After the first date I was pretty sure I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her even though she wasn’t so sure about my intentions. She was very beautiful and had a comfortable “girl next door” appeal that I couldn’t resist.
Why did you get married?
Because I was and still am in love with her and everyone should have a companion to share the odyssey of life with.
What has changed for you since you got married?
Many things have changed, for one I’ve learnt to think in plural terms rather than singular which helps me to focus on the important things in life and for another I’ve learnt patience.
Tell us one thing you discovered since you got married that you wish someone had told you before now?
That’s a difficult one cos there are many things that one wishes one knew before getting married but I guess one that stands out is that women analyse situations differently from men, they tend to be more emotional and most men had to learn this from experience.
Where would you like to be stuck with alone with your wife?
Many places I guess but a picturesque island like Tahiti would be nice.

Taiwo & Chiz Peters

Taiwo Peters  is a Lagos based lawyer who is a father of two has been married for 5 yrs.
How did you meet your wife?
Chiz and I were introduced at a mutual friend’s get together in July 2003. Our friend was going through a match-making phase and decided she would pair up her different friends. I don’t usually go for such things but I decided to humour her nonetheless. I was actually supposed to meet another friend of hers but she never showed, likewise for Chiz (thank God!). So, we were both on the “waiting table” and we started talking and before you knew it, it was time for everyone to go. Because of how we met and how stubborn I could be, I immediately told myself that I wasn’t going to follow it up but as soon as I got home, I found myself sending a text message to make sure she was okay (or so I told myself).
When did you know she was The ONE?
The truth is that Chiz struck a chord with me from day one but I knew she was “the one” precisely two weeks after we started dating on the 12^th of January, 2004. I actually sent her a text telling her how I felt (I told her I loved her) and she was kind enough not to laugh in my face when next we saw. Needless to say, she put that bold statement to the test till I earned her trust and confidence.
Why did you get married?
I got married because quite frankly I was sick and tired of dropping her back home at her parent’s house. Whenever it was time for her to go home, we would always quarrel (which was a sneaky way to get more time with her; half bread and all that) and she would always end up getting home late. But more than that, I knew 100 per cent that I could never ever find someone as loving, funny, intelligent, hard-working, stylish, classy, sexy, God-fearing (to name just a few of her qualities) if I tried. In addition, she is as real as they come and does not have one pretentious bone in her body. Finally, I knew how much I needed her in my life. I don’t need many people in my life outside my family and close friends and I wasn’t particularly looking to add to my list, but knew I needed this lady.
What has changed for you since you got married?
Well, she doesn’t go home anymore for a start! So that is great (especially when we argue!). Apart from that nothing else has really changed. I knew two weeks after we started dating that I would spend the rest of my life with her (if she would have me) and I treated her like my wife in every ramification. We dated for four years before we got married, so there was little that could change apart from the “license” from God to “do and undo”. We have been blessed with two children so we are grateful to God that we have responsibly put that license to good use.
Tell us one thing you discovered since you got married that you wish someone had told you before now?
I went into marriage with my eyes wide open and with zero childish notions so I cannot say I have been surprised or had a “why didn’t anyone tell me” moment. No matter what, I will always love her and I was fully aware that there would be tough times to go with the good times. We have had our share of both but because we are friends first we always find a way through with God as our foundation.
Where would you like to be stuck with alone with your wife?
The location wouldn’t matter and that’s the God honest truth! We have a blast at home in front of the tv just as well as when we are on vacation abroad. So long as we are together, we would always make the most of where we are. We are partial to the cold though so anywhere with a cool temperature would be excellent.

Akingbemi & Temitope akiode

AKINGBEMI AKIODE, Sales Engineer, Swagelok Nigeria Limited has been married for 9 months.
He dated his wife for 7 years and described the courtship as “a period of knowing ourselves, marked with a lot of ups and downs, fighting and settlements, cracks and amendments, almost calling it quit but we made our way around the situation.”
Did you know from the start that you were going to marry her?
I knew from the start that I wanted to marry her that was the reason for approaching her in the first place, but I wasn’t sure if I will at the end because I didn’t know her too well as to know if she meets my criteria for a wife. This was settled during our courtship period.
Why did you get married? I got married for so many reasons but I will state just a few of them. I knew I had come of age and was ready to move on to the next phase of my life. I knew I love the woman I found because she met my requirements for what I call a wife material. I knew I will amount to a wicked person if I didn’t marry her at the time I did because she was not all together a young lady. I knew I needed a family of my own.
What is the difference between your life as a bachelor and as a married man? I now have someone to account to on how I spent my salary, how my day at work was, how we would raise our children and build our home. I don’t have to worry about what to eat since I now have a good cook as a wife.

Dapo & Tito Olasiyan

Dapo Olasiyan IT professional and full time geek has been married for 10 years
How did you meet your wife?
I actually met here at a party of a friend for the first time but we did not get together till a few years later but was crushing on her from the very first day
When did you know she was The ONE?
There was not a day or minute when it happened but a gradual growing awareness of contentment and happiness. Then it just became known that this is it for me.
Why did you get married?
I am a traditional person and believe in the stable family unit and also decided to show my commitment to her by taking the vows
What has changed for you since you got married?
Not being able to go out with the guys all night anymore! Hahahaha
Jokes apart I guess it made me grow up in some aspects and become more responsible
Tell us one thing you discovered since you got married that you wish someone had told you before now?
That I am not supposed to answer honestly to questions like “how do I look in this?”
Where would you like to be stuck with alone with your wife?
Hawaii!

Taiwo & Gloria Adeleke

TAIWO ADELEKE, Senior Regional Correspondent, NN24 TV has been married for 2 years.
He dated his wife for one year and described his courtship period as “a time when we got to know each other. We talked on the phone all though, I was in Abuja and she was in Adamawa.”
How did you meet your wife?
I met my wife at my friend’s younger sister’s wedding and that was the period I was really praying to God for a life partner.
When did you know she was The ONE? I knew my meeting with her was God’s plan. She was the first and only girl I took home and my parents were so glad to see her and received her with great love.
Why did you get married? I got married because it was the right time, because there was this undying love that surrounds us as a couple. I got married to my ever smiling , gentle, hardworking, mind blowing and God fearing wife, Gloria “Arike” mi because I love her so much and she love me likewise.
What has changed for you since you got married? I have learnt how to love more and show concern for other people’s weaknesses. As a married man, I learn more lessons in taking up challenges no matter how hard the situation may be.
Tell us one thing you discovered since you got married that you wish someone had told you before now? One thing I discovered since I got married is that one must be prepared at all times to handle any difficult challenges that comes with marraige because marraige is not just a bed of roses it is a period that our maturity, patience, trust, faith, love and hardwork are put to test at all times to handle. Union and prayer solve the ones that are beyond our capacity.
Where would you like to be stuck with alone with your wife? I want to get stuck with my wife  at a lovely Island in Ghana or South Africa.
What do you guys think? Please share with us. If you are a guy and you’re married tell us what made you take the bold step Why did you decide to take the bold step? And if you are not, tell us about your inhibitions.

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Farewell Mampi the Upville Housemate from Big Brother StarGame

By Damilare Aiki

Mampi & I.K Osakioduwa

Last Night, Africa said goodbye to Big Brother StarGame housemate – Mampi. The 25 year old Zambian R & B singer who was the first Upville housemate to be evicted from the hit show, was sent home after receiving the lowest number of country votes from Africa this week.
Here are all the details from the eviction
The show kicked off with a performance by Tanzanian hip-hop artiste Diamond Platinumz, after which DJ Umculo from Namibia’s Fresh FM kept the studio audience jumping through out the show with the best of African hits.
BBA host - I.K Osakioduwa then gave viewers the chance to see all the most memorable highlights in Upville including DKB throwing his weight around as Head of House, a surprise visit from DJ Euphonik and a wager victory and in Downville, where romance blossomed, Keagan shouting his way through the week as Head of House and then won this week’s Head of House challenge too. Soon after, viewers were also given the chance to hear from last week’s evicted housemates – Luke, Dalphin and Yadel.
Luke said that his time in the house had been “crazy” and quite unlike anything he’d ever experienced before and further said that he would miss Jessica as their relationship had bloomed and he’d felt like he’d known her for years. Sierra Leone’s Dalphin said her time on Big Brother StarGame had helped her learn how to live with other people with different characters and backed her friend Zainab to do well in Upville. Yadel said she had loved everything about the StarGame experience, especially Big Brother’s commanding voice. She insisted that her relationship with Alex was purely platonic and that she still had a boyfriend at home.
Then the moment of truth finally came, the Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo auditor delivered the results envelope to IK on stage and confirmed that its contents had been verified.  IK then took viewers into the house and asked Ghana’s DKB to reveal his ‘save and replace’ decision to the rest of the Upville housemates. After stating that his decision wasn’t personal, he broke the news that he has replaced himself with Lady May which prompted the Namibian to leap from the couch and shout “I knew it!”. IK then asked her, Mampi and Maneta to stand and revealed that she and Maneta were safe but unfortunately Mampi was evicted and asked to leave the Big Brother house.
When she finally got on stage, IK got chatting with her and asked about her beef with DKB and the most difficult part of life in the house. She said that she thought DKB had been interested in her and she was ready to leave as she had really missed her family during her time in Upville. On who she’ll be voting for, Mampi said it will definitely be her “spidermate” Maneta but thinks Zainab would win the grand prize of $ 300,000.
After she left, Buhle and the auditor from Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo joined IK on stage to start a random nomination of the Downville housemates. The first ball out of the cube bore the country name “Ghana”, meaning that Mildred and Keitta were the first randomly nominated pair. After letting the housemates stew through a dynamic dance performance on stage, IK shocked everyone that there would be a second random nomination. Buhle spun the cube and Botswana’s ball dropped into the container meaning that Edith and Eve join their Ghanaian counterparts on the chopping block this week.
The show ended with an exciting rendition of Moyo Wangu by Diamond Platinumz.

 So, who do you think will be safe next week? Air your views!

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