Emailing: ZONING SYSTEM.doc

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Interesting article on TIME Mobile: Obama and Netanyahu: The Limits of U.S.-Israel Intimacy

Sent from TIME Mobile. To get the free TIME Mobile application on your own BlackBerry device today, visit http://app.time.com

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2002102,00.html?xid=rss-topstories-polar
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FRSC "speak out"

Campaigning against road accident should not be targeted at drivers alone as most of the passengers are partaker in the careless driving as well. Nigerians are always shy of telling drivers especially the commercial drivers to obey speed limit on highways,most of them enjoy the drive as long as it will shorten their journey no matter how fast the driver is going. Any passenger that complains intermittently in the journey is seen as coward or illiterate and are shouted down by co-passengers. The need to caution these drivers that are just racing on our highways daily to make as many trips as possible solely rest on us. Passengers can enlighten illiterate drivers about traffic signs as they drive along our roads,and also make sure they obey the speed limit in various type/part of the road they are. I wish the FRSC can launch a "SPEAK-OUT" campaign and get the passengers involved in saving their own lives. No driver will fail to heed the voice of the people if they are united in there demand to the driver to follow traffic rules. Don't keep QUIET in a commercial vehicle if the driver is toying with your life because he/she can keep u QUIET forever. Our destiny and survival is in our Hands.
Oludayo Folarin
oludayofolarin.blogspot.com
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OBAMA DRAMA

After 2yrs of Barack Hussien Obama as the first "black" president of United States Of America its seems their is no significant change in America,its widely believed that the emergence of Obama a black man, will change the PR of America and strengthening ties with the Arab world will be easier. The emergence of Obama brought hope to the African-Americans and other immigrants,they believe with his foreign background and African roots,succor has come the way of the oppressed and alienated Immigrants. The Arab world sees his emergence has a change from the normal American White christian choice of President thus regarding Obama as a believer in islam though he proves to be a practicing christian. "Hussien" didn't really feature in his names will campaign,it was a silent middle name that not many really knew until after his victory in 2009. I followed the 2009 election campaign and I believed that many voted Obama in because he was black and the Opposition was not tough enough. Any democrat would have won the election due to the unpopular wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Americans were tired of the unending war in Iraq which many thought was going to be a quick invasion by the sophisticated US marines and the fatality suffered in the hands of the Afghan Taliban is too much to bear. The inability of Allied force to find Weapon of Mass destruction inside Saddam's bunkers sealed off any chances of the Republicans to hold to power. This singular miscalculation by former Pres. Bush was the opportunity that brought the Democrats to power and it was a well calculated move by Democrats to push the Obama candidacy so as to win sympathy votes. The Bush administration had though foreign policy which was not famous with the Arab world and even labeled a region "axis of evil" . This policy brought a lot of heat on Americans,example is the terror attack on the World Trade Centre ,but the policy was having a good effect, countries like Iran and North Korea, who are enriching in Nuclear weapons came under heavy and hard sanctions sponsored by the Bush led America. North Korea actual got away with sinking South Korean war ship killing 46 sailors,they where torpedoed off the sea. North Korea also threatened war is punished for the act and asked that the result of the indicting investigation should not be debated in the scheduled UN security council meeting. Many people got carried away by the opportunity of having an African-American president with a closer ties to Africa rather than paying attention to his policies and manifestos. Nobody took interest in the current problems of America and Obama's constructive and meaningful solution to them,rather they took interest in his personality and majority African-Americans just want a Black man in the white house at any cost. The whole world was tired of American overbearing influence in the world and crave for someone that will make America more relaxed and friendly with her enemies,all they got in Obama. During his campaign, Obama promised to close Gitmo,withdraw all troops in Afghanistan and Iraq,he said he would sit with Iran to resolve issues and he also promised to deliver a strong and warning speech to the Arab world on Arab soil. Obama promised a new and better health plan and promised to bridge the gap between the rich and the middle class. After his inauguration, Obama is still pondering on how to execute all these plans he naively and arrogantly promised the electorates, Obama never understood how things really are in America and he lacks the knowledge of diplomacy and policy strategies. Bush might be regarded as a dumb leader but he never failed to toe the line of history and American Heritage in dealing with National and global issue. Iraq and Afghan war may not be justified but the response to 9/11 was well timed and welcomed, though the fall out was catastrophic but it was the necessary measure at that crucial time. The course in Iraq left a big political scare on the two major contributors to the invasion, Us and Uk. The labour party in Uk is a good ally of the ruling Republicans in the Us,both shared a similar view on wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,which cost both parties to loose in recent elections. These are one of the factors that brought Obama to White house and he seized the opportunity to sweet talk the world about unrealistic policy and diminishing America's heritage in the process. After 2yrs Gitmo is getting weaker and more complicated,the health bill was imposed rather than debated,he seems to be in opposition with the people. Obama's anti-Israel posture is a cause of concern for me,his inability to call Hamas to order and other anti-Israeli stands and comment are clear signs where his heart is. The Obama campaign group blamed the bush administration and Bush a big bashing from Obama during the New Orleans hurricane Katrina incidence. Bush was criticized for his slow response to the issue,Obama was among those pointing the blame finger at the Bush administration for neglecting the Katrina victims. The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has been described as Obama's Katrina. He was slow is responding to the biggest oil spill on American shore,he failed to implement his own solutions to stop the leak rather he left it in the hands of BP that never handled such task before. Obama couldn't take the heat of the oil spill and he's now directing the blame to Britain,we all know British owns BP,but the facility was built and maintained by Americans. He's making us all see the British as the cause of the spill,but we all know the financial gain from these wells are enjoyed more in America than in the uk. The best and first solution he rendered to the spill was to stop all rigging on American soil,a move seen as a radical and undemocratic. Will Obama ground all airplanes if one crashes in Washington?,just like he was super quick to label Nigeria a "Terrorist Country" because of the isolated case of Abdul Muttalab. I hope his economy advisers are enlightening him on the economical consequences of his stopping all rigging in America. BP's lack of quick response to the leak has caused the biggest oil spill in America proposing the largest ecological disaster in that region. Obama took the criticism to personal,he was telling a bunch of Michigan high school grads. not to join the blame game which he enjoyed doing in the Bush era and during the katrina issue and economic melt down saga. Obama himself was and very harsh in blaming the BP for the spill and even threatened a law suit against the British oil company,he recently has been visiting the affected areas after criticism poured in about his negligence and every visit has been an opportunity to breath down on BP's neck. Finally,I wish no to be misunderstood as a racist because I share Obama's ski colour, though a purer and more full blooded African than he is. I welcome his emergence as president because I respect every true and fair democratic transition of power anywhere in the world,but I don't subscribe to his ideas and candidacy. Obama is a man of great personality in American political circle and a charming man but leadership requires more than personality and looks. I hope this piece will be a way of letting it know that rich heritage and her position as the defender of the oppressed worldwide should maintain its status,we should not let the fact of having an African-American erode the real job at hand. There are too many tyrants out there wanting world domination through nuclear enrichment, and I don't wish to loose the privilege of sitting peacefully in my yard in my "developing" African country.

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MY EXIT FROM PUNCH

In my column in The Punch on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, I left an unusual footnote, titled, “The bile this time.” It was a subdued response to the wild allegations against me in the 7,000-word plus petition by the former Editor of the Punch, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, who was forced to resign by the Management of the company for conduct unbecoming of his office. My restraint was not because I could not defend myself or because I was guilty. However, I had to endure the wicked lies and fabrications against me because it was the fit and proper thing to do while the committee, set up by the Board and the company where I had worked for 21 years was trying to establish the truth.
The committee’s work is done. Its report, and that of the Management committee, done after six weeks of exhaustive investigation, which I could not have influenced in any way, did not indict me of any fraud.
The wicked lies have been out now for almost six weeks, recycled in various forms and in various media by informed, half-informed and grossly ill-informed commentators all masquerading as the guardian angels of a benighted profession. I am not writing this for the benefit of those who already think they know all and who will not let the facts get in the way of their next malicious post or article. I’m writing for the benefit of those – and thankfully there are still a number left out there – for whom fairness, balance and pursuit of truth mean a thing.
The Board Committee had the following specific terms of reference:

1. To probe advert surcharges for premium pages from 2006 to date
2. To consider any other issue in the petition in respect of which any person submits documentary evidence to the committee.

After three weeks of sitting, minus one previous of investigations by the Management of the petition, Mr. Steve Ayorinde could not produce a shred of evidence in support of his claim that I used my office to enrich myself. Or that I was on the payroll of politicians, banks and some public officials. He had two clear opportunities to do this in five weeks – first on March 8 when the company wrote him to supply evidence, and later when he appeared before the Board committee on April 3. On both occasions, he failed to substantiate his allegations. In fact, it is written that even the witnesses he cited “rebuffed” the committee; the chronicler could not muster the confidence of his own witnesses.
I voluntarily submitted my statement of account; IBTC Share Tender Form and UBA cheque number 80473333 dated September 27, 2007 in favour of Nigerian Motor Industries Limited  for the sum of N1.95million with which I purchased the car that Mr. Ayorinde falsely alleged was given to me as a gift; and three-year visa pages from my international passport for the committee’s inspection. I also submitted the original copy of my passport for citing.
And the surcharge pages? In his petition, Mr. Ayorinde gave the impression that Arik Air was the only company that published adverts on the early pages without paying a surcharge. This, of course, is incorrect. I must say that the charge that I had overstretched my authorised discretion in favour of the advertiser and that I did not fully disclose my relationship with the company, is regrettable. Yet, it is important to stress that neither the report of the Management committee nor the Board committee, nor yet the Board indicted me of any fraud either about the adverts or any other allegations by Mr. Steve Ayorinde. However, there were at least 23 other adverts in 2009, including full page colour adverts by Etisalat, First Bank, Zain, Globacom and the Lagos State Government for which surcharges were not paid but which also appeared on the early pages.
In his bid to throw the kitchen sink at me, Mr. Ayorinde was obviously not concerned about who else might have been in breach. The same Steve Ayorinde who told O’Femi Kolawole, in his book, titled, The gatekeepers, published in October 2009 but released in December 2009, that, “he (Ayorinde) opted to work in the daily edition (of Punch) with the man he had come to admire as one of the best in Nigeria’s contemporary journalism, Mr. Azubuike Ishiekwene,” is now singing a different tune three months later.

• Not a word about the misconduct that led to his suspension from office for three weeks in September 2009.
• Not a word about how he had lied to the management and sneaked off to London on a sponsored, image-laundering trip and then returned to lie again to his staff that he took the punishment to save two of his line editors.
• Not a word about how falling sales almost cost him his job in December 2009.
• Not a word about how he had brought his own career in Punch to grief by shopping for by-line among his junior staff on February 16, the event which led the Management to demand his resignation.
• Not a word about the fact that he was not a first-time offender.
• Not a word.

The cocktail of lies…
a) Musikilu Mojeed’s exit from Punch:
After Mr. Ayorinde’s false allegations were published on the Internet, there was a sustained effort to keep the flames of falsehood burning. And no firewood, however, wet, was spared. Mr. Mojeed left Punch in December 2008 over a dispute he had with his editor, Mr. Steve Ayorinde, at the time. He had filed a number of stories that were not used and had taken offence that he had not been given sufficient explanation for why his stories were not published. He wrote a petition against Mr. Ayorinde and only copied me. I investigated the matter and wrote a memo to the MD/Editor-in-Chief on December 30, 2008. In the memo I agreed with Mr. Ayorinde in some areas but also suggested how the matter should be handled in future. To my utmost shock and surprise, this issue was stood on its head, lapped up by a few commentators and presented as proof that my only job in Punch was to “kill” stories. Conveniently, those behind it only published Musikilu’s memo, leaving out the subsequent memo and the report of my investigations (copy via link) which would have shown clearly that Musikilu’s grouse was against Mr Ayorinde and not me.


b) The imaginary “suspensions” from work
On Tuesday, March 9 and Wednesday, March 10, I was in the office when I received phone calls from concerned friends who said they had read on the Internet that I had been suspended. I also read it on the Internet. But I did so right at my office desk at Punch! And on March 22 when I commenced my vacation, the word was out again! Azu has been suspended! I applied for my leave and it was approved by the Management. My leave certificate, with reference number PN/PS/2005/451/134 is dated March 22, 2010. I was not on suspension and never have been in my 21 years at Punch
c) “Refund” of N17million surcharge
It is a wicked lie that Punch has asked me to refund any money. How can I refund what I have not taken? Punch has said it is interested in asking advertisers whose adverts appeared on the early pages without authorisation to pay the surcharge for such adverts. I did not receive any payments for early pages and as far as I know the request for such payments – not refund – has not yet been made to the advertisers concerned.
d) The CNN/Multichoice judging panel
I have read in some publications that I was “removed” from the CNN/Multichoice African Journalist of the Year 2010 judging panel. That is untrue. After Mr. Ayorinde’s slanderous petition appeared on the Internet on March 5, I informed the Management of Punch of my intention to discuss stepping down from the panel with the organisers. I had a telephone conversation with CNN’s Vice President for Europe, Asia and Africa, Maggie Eales on Monday, March 8. On Tuesday, March 9, I wrote a letter to CNN/Multichoice (a copy is available here) announcing my intention to step down until I have been cleared of the allegations against me. I worked with organisers to select Ikechukwu Amaechi, the Editor of the Daily Independent, as the Nigerian stand-in.
e) Azu as the axe man of Punch
This is a very convenient label, especially since 2007 when the editors started reporting directly to me. I have been in Punch for 21 years and people conveniently forget that I did not always spend that time in positions where I could influence the retention or removal of senior editorial persons. Before I became executive director three years ago, at least 12 senior editorial positions had changed for various reasons and under different circumstances all of which I had absolutely no control over. The resignations of Mr. Yusuf Alli and Mr. Yomi Odunuga, both mentioned in Mr. Ayorinde’s petition, had nothing to do with me personally, whatever they may have privately been led to believe. The decisions taken were a collective one.
f) An era ends…
More lies are spreading already, and I wish to remind the purveyors that I am not unmindful of my rights under the law. They are saying I was asked to choose between sack and resignation. I laugh. I voluntarily retired my appointment with Punch on April 15, with the support and understanding of my family and friends who have stood steadfastly with me through this trying period. I know that a few out there wished for a humiliating ending – but this gracious exit is the Lord’s doing. For weeks, I watched Punch, the company where I have worked for 21 years take a needless bashing and the names of its key officers dragged in the mud. I do not wish to do anything that would extend this grief by one day.
At 45 years of age and after a combined 10 years of editing two of Punch’s leading titles, including Saturday Punch, which remains the flagship since I had the honour to edit it, I have decided to explore other opportunities and challenges that beckon. I have read that I “resigned,” or was “dismissed” from the services of Punch. I also laugh. My exit from Punch – and the records of my letter of retirement and the company’s letter of acknowledgement show this – couldn’t have been more dignified even if I had worked in Punch for another 21 years.
An era has ended; another begins…

Mr. Ishiekwene was until Thursday when he retired the Executive Director, Publications, Punch.

THE REAL QUEEN

I stumbled on “Moment with Mo” on NTA network service on Saturday 6th March 2010 and the guest was Queen Salawa Abeni, I showed good interest in the show because it was another opportunity in a long time to watch this self style Musician who never allowed her illiterate background to affect her career. She took it upon her self to educate herself despite her old age and she was never shy to show her improvement in learning the Queen English at any given time. The show went well with Salawa performing the show in Queens English. Her English was flawless and I was so moved at what we can achieve if we set our mind to it. Her use of English was very good and her confidence was spot on. She looked more confident than Mo who was interrupting her answers with the thought of helping her out with the answers. She didn’t buy this bail out as she revisited the questions and answered them in her own words and it was flawless to Mo’s expectation.
The lesson here is for our new generation artistes who can’t put a single sentence together without mixing it with penguin English and vernacular.
The crop of commercial music artistes we have now are drop outs and they hide behind the fusion of vernacular language and English of any immoral form in their music to hide their inability to speak the Queens English.
Illiteracy is not rampant only among indigenous musicians; it’s also noticed among most artistes from the suburb of towns and those that call themselves undergraduates. The general believe that Fuji and other indigenous musicians are illiterate is no more an established fact as many so called English hip-hop musicians who are young have trouble with proper English. A careful observation of English hip-hop artiste showed that they hide under the umbrella of cross over music to protect their improper and lack of Queen English. A popular twin in hip-hop scene is an example, they are rave of the moment but careful examination shows they cannot go 20 minutes with Queen English after graduating from the countries capital model university.
Salawa Abeni has today showed what made her a legend in the entertainment industry, her wiliness to improver and empower herself with what she lacked at her younger age. She schooled with her children and she was a laughing stock then, but now many young artistes that refused to take the advantage of the easier education we have now will ask someone next to them to interpret what Salawa is saying. Salawa Abeni was the star of the “Moment with Mo’s” special edition showcasing and celebrating Yoruba Divas in Nigeria music scene, the show paraded other indigenous Yoruba female artistes, but the beauty of it is that regardless of there genre they all spoke in flawless Queens English. This is a challenge to the male folks who I believe have a lot of proud university and O’level drop out basking in the glory of their unsuspecting elite fans praises while they fail to improve personally, Its time we accepted that the Queens English is our official language and we will like our role models to lead in propagating sound education among our younger population.

LAULAU SPENDING

ALABA DON PAY

Piracy is every artiste nightmare; it is simply defined as man’s most inhuman behaviour towards his fellow man. It has been compared to murder because it’s a form of stealing ones livelihood. Pirates are believed to reap what they did not sow and it is major crime in developed world. Government and private organisations are fighting hard to protect rights of its artiste. Piracy is globally condemned across Europe and a lot of European countries have signed treaties to fight piracy within and across there boarders.

In Nigeria, piracy is been tackled in different ways and it’s hard to differentiate between marketers and pirates. Recently, people that call the shots in entertainment industry and artiste of vast genre came together in Lagos and took part in a big rally to show their grievances towards the pirates, and they also asked the government to help them in combating piracy by shutting Alaba international market in Lagos which is regarded as the hub of pirates. Alaba was described as the pirates haven and closing it down will be the only way of minimizing or even eradicating piracy in Nigeria. The rally anchored in National theatre Iganmu where every body present at the occasion poured their minds about the negative impact of piracy in the industry and to the artiste personally. They generally concluded that closing down Alaba international market in Lagos is the government major contribution to war against pirates. Events in the music industry lately have made it difficult to differentiate between marketers and pirates. A look at the back page of CD jackets shows that majority if not all the marketers are located in Alaba International market and all CD jackets boldly print the marketers name and address. A visit to the market will show you that all the CD production, printing, packaging and distribution are all done there. Listening to lyrics of the ever-increasing young artiste and “waka pass” musicians in Nigeria will further confirm Alaba’s role in the music industry, it also shows its importance in their emergence as superstars. The slang “ALABA DON PAY” or “ALABA GO PAY” is every upcoming artiste anthem and the mentality is that; Alaba accepting your music is the key to success. It is no news that new artistes sell their works to Alaba producers/marketers for peanuts hoping the marketers will push their work across the country, which will in turn give them fame and will bring endorsements and opportunity to stare in concerts with good incentives organised by multinational companies. Timaya is an example and various artistes if not all did this when debuting. These same artistes now come around and call the same marketers pirates. It is also observed that the quality of packaging of the finished works makes it difficult for consumers to differentiate between pirated copy and original ones. I bought 9ice’s Gongo Aso album for 60 Naira when it came out, it was 20 Naira higher than a fake empty CD and 60naira short an original empty CD. I got it from the only person I know that sells Music CD in my area and I don’t think there was any medium stated by 9ice and his recording label /marketer to we fans regarding where to get an original copy, or is it another case like that of Timaya’s? It is a know fact that our artiste don’t make money from record sales and they are not even trying to change these development, they rather prefer to sell their works to Alaba marketers hoping to noticed in the process and the marketers who sees the business as a gamble will always be reluctant in investing in the works and always walk away short changing the naïve artiste. I don’t support pirates and I totally condemn piracy in all form, I believe the war against pirate is not honestly fought and I don’t see young artiste supporting the act. Old musicians who are protecting their royalties fight the war with more sincerity compared to the new generation artiste who just want publicity not album sales. The lack of good record deals and laziness of new breed marketers gave the ever-busy Alaba boys the upper hand, the unprofessional attitude of the artiste is the reason why Alaba will always smile to the bank while the artiste work hard on stage to make ends meet. In developed countries like the United Kingdom, U.S.A, artistes are more concerned about high record sales that determine the fortune and fame of the artiste. The Alaba marketers are inexperience and are in the business to make money, their distribution network is fast and unaccountable, Street hawkers and peddlers are used to move the CD’s around Lagos and beyond thus empowering the street boys to duplicate the CD’s and rake in money for themselves. The Alaba marketers produce certain number of the bought works and quickly push it to the market hoping to make profit quickly before the street boys take control, the street boys on their own part buys a little amount from the marketers and duplicate in large numbers to make their own gain. The Alaba marketers don’t complain about piracy because once an artiste sells them his work they simply make several copies and push it out once and will only print additional copies if the album is in high demand, but the street boys are always their to supply the needed additional copies. The artiste now cries foul when they see their CD’s flooding the market without getting any payment. There seems not to exist of any agreement on the number of CDs to be produced and the artistes entire work belongs to the Almighty Alaba music Mogul not pirate, who solely has the right to produce the works anytime and any quantity he/she wants regardless of the artiste consent. My view about the fight against piracy should not be misunderstood, am not writing this piece to support the work of pirates and am not an Alaba marketer neither do I own a recording label, but my observation about the fight against piracy in Nigeria is that we are fighting a faceless war. The man purpose of the fight is to preserve and protect the work of our talented artiste, but the question is; are the artistes helping themselves? And what is the marketer’s role in the fight. Have been buying CD’s for more than 20 years and I cant say of a particular CD I bought from a registered or legally accredited marketer, all I know is that I can get any recently released work through my car window in the streets of Lagos and Nigeria at large. Kenins Music is the only record label I know that advertises the works of its recording artistes and promotes them efficiently on radio and TV, but I don’t know how their works are been distributed, their promo don’t state the music outlets and stores that sell their works and thus we are back to the boys in “go-slow” who are ever ready to even sell an unreleased work of artiste. The unavailability of record stores is another step backward in checking the menace of piracy in our country, if record stores can spring up like call centres and barbing/hairdressing saloon their will no problem of distribution and we consumers can buy genuine works of artistes from such outlets in our areas.

Finally, I want PMAN and other music governing bodies and artistes themselves to learn from their partners in Nollywood who used Idumota has the hub for production, marketing and distribution their works. The filmmakers and the Idumota marketers are enjoying a pirate free business because the would-be pirates themselves do the bulk of moving the work around the country. Nollywood doesn’t complain about piracy because the marketers are very involved in the film production and sometimes even sponsors the entire film production and will in turn protect their investment. The Nollywood marketers to promote works deploy various avenues and one is on TV as it is been observed on our local TVs week in week out. Marketer’s sponsor’s programmes that advertise their ready works and also state the date, name and marketers address where the works can be bought. This moves provides a cover for protecting their investment and it very accountable and beneficial to the filmmakers as well. If Alaba is integrated as a legal avenue for music distribution in Nigeria and legal agreement exists between Alaba marketers and music producers we will make a meaningful success in fight against piracy. New artistes should desist from selling their works to Alaba marketers and record labels should create enough awareness about their artistes work and proper efficient distribution networks should be put in place to ease distribution of finished works. ”ALABA DON PAY” is a rhyme that should be abolished; the mentality should be washed away because the peanut Alaba pays will not give the best value for any artiste’s works. We have to do things like professionals if we want to get the best out of anything and qualified hands should be allowed to handle artistes work not an electronic merchant turned music marketer in Alaba. If ALABA PAID you, be sure you will work extra hard on stage to make it to stardom, but if we the consumers paid you, you are a superstar.

TALENT "HAUNT" SHOWS

The current crave for talent hunt shows in Nigeria is really alarming, every cooperate body and individual are all into talent hunt shows. Musicians themselves are even very well involved in organising talent hunt shows. Our local television stations are smiling to the bank judging by the number of talent hunt shows been aired every day across the country, its a good money making sector for the stations and they even shift their news broadcast further back to accommodate the talent hunt show which equally is viewers delight. The idea of the talent shows is to search and empower a newly discovered talented musician. Different methods are devised in selecting the winner by different talent hunt show organiser, but the goal is to discover a real talented individual among the rest and make him/her a superstar. But the question on everybody’s mouth is that are these talent hunt shows really producing real talents? And is it only the TV stations that are making profit from these programmes? And what is in it for the organisers? Modern talent hunt show originated form America and the American idol is the world leading and biggest talent hunt show in the world. It parades a well-experienced panel of judges consisting of Grammy/platinum award artistes, music business mogul and world acclaimed music producers. The programme over the years has produced talented musicians, platinum selling artiste and Grammy award nominees and winners. Jennifer Hudson is a product of American Idol and she has gotten a Grammy nomination and she’s a platinum selling artiste. The European version is the X-factor produced by one of the judges of American Idol Simon Cowell who is a music mogul recently called upon by the British Prime minister to produce a single to raise money for HAITI. X-factor has produced talented British artiste like Alex burke who has turned into international superstar after her exploit in the music talent hunt show.
The origin of Commercial Talent hunt show is Nigeria and the number of talent hunt show on TV makes you wonder how profitable this shows are to the organisers, and how profitable the shows are to the young boys and girls that scramble to appear on the shows. The real intention is to help and promote poor talented individuals by getting them a good record deal and rewarding them with monetary incentives to improved their social status and improve their standard of leaving so as not to waste their God given talents. The gain of the organisers I believe is in the record deal they sign with the artiste, which should be fees for promoting the artiste as it is done in other record label world wide. But the Nigeria factor has turned talent hunt show the other way round. The primary subject of the programme is the fee obtained from selling of forms to intending new stars, thousands of forms are sold across the country bringing in a very good figure and all what the intending superstars get in return is few seconds in front of the unqualified judges. The initial talent hunt show in Nigeria produced KCPRESH who until now are still struggling in the musical scene though they are said to be wealthy without selling high number of Cds. The duo are not in the music mainstream musically and what do you expect of the outcome of a group that were signed by the recording label owned by two of the panel of judges that screened them. The MTN project fame is the best-organised talent hunt show across the Continent and it is also a very profit-making avenue for the telecom giant, they make loads of money through viewer’s text messages which is the only medium 150million Nigerians can participate on the show. The products of the programme has not been too impressive with Omawunmi in slight exemption, other past winners are not visible musically though the telecom company is trying to keep them close in there various social events they are just not musically ready. The first flaw in talent hunt show in Nigeria is the money-oriented status of the shows, majority of the multinational companies and artiste engage in the programme to extort intending fame seekers who part with the all they have to obtain forms to participate in the show, telecom companies are partnered to extort the viewers in form of text messages sent to participate in the show and other companies fall over each other to get advert slot on the shows that is aired all across the country and even seen in close neighbouring countries. The biggest insult is given to the fame seekers by the composition of judges on the programme, and some of these intending judges are far better in music than the judges. All talent hunt show organisers commercialised the programme to the aspect of the judge’s compilation. The MTN project fame is the biggest and is sure to pay the judges more than other mushroom talent shows. The composition of these panel is commercially oriented and this explain why Joke Silva and Kwame who both are not relevant in music world, though the latter used to be a disc jockey it still does not allow him to judge a good entertainer. I am not familiar with the other woman, but I think Ty mix is the only right person on the board. I was also surprised when I saw Dede Mabiaku on board of judges of West African idol and I wondered is he a musician? This is someone that cannot release an instrumental single not to talk of a song since the death of his mentor over a decade ago. Should Dede be evaluating an artiste when he himself needs evaluation. Another talent hunt show organised by a certain Niger Delta artiste bankrolled by Delta state government is another show of shame and extortion. How can comedians like Bovi and others be judges to evaluate young talents? . Nollywood artiste are now judging musicians, people that will sent out of their churches if they intend to lead praises are now world acclaimed music scouts. Artiste like Olu Maintain, Konga, Durella, Rugged man, and so many lucky artistes we have now would never have made it if they had gone to such talent shows. There is no single product of Talent hunt show that has surpassed the fame and talent of self discovered Terry G, opportunist like Dede and others would have discouraged him. Many of our artistes enjoy good airplay time on radio stations due to what they have to give the disc jockeys on duty and thus they force their non-melodious music on us, music videos are been shot all over the world with the best equipment you can think of but our artiste are just riding on the economy crunch to impose their slang and revolutionary song on our youth. The likes of Sunny Ade and Obey got their music lessons from those they met in the scene and it applies to Orlando Owoh, Shina Peters and other legends in Nigeria music scene. Majority of the artiste we have now are using their financial power to gain popularity their pairs and listeners. Majority of them will never see fame if they were judged by well experienced panel of judges, or imagine can one of the best of Nigerian Musician compete with greenhorns on X-factor or American Idol. Am sure an artiste like Tony Tetuila or Konga will never make it past the auditioning stage. Or do you believe a serious music scout will invest in Olu Maintain’s singing style? . At least Omawunmi had to go out with a music scout/producer to attain little stardom after been a runner in African largest regional talent hunt. We cannot produce a single music star if the same mentality is implored in talent hunt shows, the idea of making money from contestants rather than carefully and professionally scouting for genuine talented individuals will further destroy the music scene and will greatly discourage the intending stars. Nothing good can come from talent hunt shows that parade the likes of Dede, Julius Agu, RMD, Stella Damasus, Saint Obi, Joke Silva, Jide kosoko and host of Nollywood actors. The regulators of programmes shown on TV and those that sanctions programmes that are deceptive to viewers should intervene and save the innocent contestants ripped off by these misleading talent hunters. Stop insulting intending stars and stop toying with their career by laughing, drinking and mocking behind the high table of inexperience you people sit on in the mushroom talent shows across the country.

PROUDLY NAIJA

Music industry in Nigeria kicked off on a very discouraging note, but has recently witnessed its best years. Last decade has been a very profiting one for Nigerian artiste, their talents and hard work were rewarded with good financial rewards. Musicians are now well paid for shows and are getting good deals from marketers and record labels. Our artistes are internationally recognized and they are the toast of the continent. Nigeria musicians dominate award recipients in various music awards organized in Africa and outside Africa. The hard work of home based musicians has paved the way for foreign based to be easily re-admitted into our local scene. The success and general acceptance of Nigerian based musicians prompted the exodus of young artiste in Diaspora into the country. Artistes like 2face Idibia, Olu maintain, Terry G, Biggiano, Ajasa, 9ice, Eldee and several other artiste made the Music industry easy for foreign based artiste like Dbanj, Banky W, Source Kid, Naeto c, Asa, Ikechukwu and several returnee to penetrate. The returnee artiste never went through the pain of walking round Lagos state looking for marketers like their home based counterpart did. They never had the problem of looking for sponsors to back their videos like 9ice had to use his WASC money to shoot his first video “little money”. Most of the returnee artistes are well backed up with lots of cash, they are either supported by their rich family of promoted by rich record labels which they own or owned by a fellow foreign returnee label owners like them. The influx of foreign based Nigerian musicians is on the rise as it is a fact that a Nigerian can only succeed as an artiste at home and nowhere else. The returnee artistes brought a new concept into the scene. Musician now gain recognition by flaunting their wealth, you need to live big to attract big deals. Big and sophisticated cars is the order of the day, our artistes can compete toe to toe with foreign artiste when it comes to cars, blings(very expensive diamond jewelries),and are fast catching up in the aspect of accommodation. A lucrative endorsement deal is every artistes goal in the entertainment, and they come with a very fat pay package. The foreign based or returnee artistes are the ones smiling to the bank with proceeds from such deals. The multinational companies and entertainment companies that present these deals are more comfortable working with the returnee artistes compared to the home made ones. Artiste like Terry G, Dagrin ,Cleva J, Ajasa, Essence rarely feature in any company’s brand endorsement compared to likes of Dbanj, Banky W, Naeto C and others.
Some home grown artiste has caved niche for themselves and can compete very strongly with artiste returning from wherever or based anywhere in the world. Artiste like Psquare, 2face, Face, Wande Coal,9ice have shown us that if you do good music anywhere in the world you would be heard worldwide. These artistes have used their local talent and content to gain international fame, they are the big and the authentic players in the growth of the music industry that the so called returnees are taking advantage of. The returnee artiste on their on part gave Nigerian music industry the anticipated good production and they geared up the home made artiste to raise their standard. The returnee artiste brought about the improvement in recorded music and they change the face of music videos in Nigeria. The music video shot in Nigeria are now international standard and they are aired all over the world in various media houses. The returnee artistes have made significant impact in the music scene, they have set a very high standard for home artiste and newcomers to try and attain. These standards have positively changed the reception and acceptance of locally made music. A disc jockey can entertain an audience for several hours without playing a foreign song, this can be attested to if you pay a visit to clubs in and around Lagos where our artiste’s songs are rendered all through the night. In a nut shell lets say both returnee and home made artiste are both major players in the increasing growth of the music scene. But we give special preference to the home made boys that suffered in the Lagos sun looking for record deals and all those that sold their possessions to shot music videos, to you all, you are the true hero’s of Nigerian music.
The bothering issue now is the recent hostility shown our home made artiste by these returnee artistes. I listened to some tracts by certain artiste questioning the mode of dressing and originality of the jewelries worn by home made artistes. Terry G’s claim as the “king of swag” and Mr bling bling has been queried by Source kid who labeled Terry G as faker and debunked his claims as king of swag. Another artiste in his track said Terry G dresses like a rainbow and says rubbish. I wonder if Terry G is more colourful than the world cherished soulja boy and lil Wayne, and those that said he says rubbish are still fans of Busta Rhymes, lil Wayne , Gucci mane whose lyrics are nothing better than Terry G’s. Wande coal has been called a Malu by another returnee artiste who maybe felt is been dwarfed by the home boys success in the music world. I guess if u physical attribute Wande coal to Malu then what are you going to call our idols Biggie and Fat Joe. I guess it’s more of jealousy or envy rather than principle. The Terry G’s , 9ICE ,Ajasa and other home made artistes are the foundation of the vibrant music industry, they should be given their due respect and not be rebelled against by the bunch of rich kid artiste who came into music for popularity. A recent celebrity basket ball event in Abuja sponsored by a leading distillery company was meant to feature musicians from across the country, but the attendance showed that we have A-list and fringe artiste. The street knows what it wants and we the audience will always give kudos to the boys that came from the streets of Iju Agege, Okoko, Mile 2, Ajegunle and other sub-urb to rock our radios and parties in Lekki, Aja, Vi, Ikoyi. Without you nobody will be here

OVATION RED XMAS CAROL

The celebrity studded ovation xmas carol was a good idea and a beautiful way Ovation is showcasing this year Ovation red and xmas carol rendition to be staged in Lagos sometimes this month. The song paraded the big weights in nollywood and the music industry, the producers claimed he worked with 100 celebrities but ended up shooting the video with as much as 30 celebrities. Majority of the invited stars could not wait for the video shoot due to various engagements they have to attend. The carol couldn’t have been better with likes of Wande Cole and Omawunmi leading the song and if I should grade it will score 60% .The song is enjoying massive air play on radio and TV, it’s the toast of all disc and video jockey this yuletide time.
The songs production, theme and message are aspect that the initiators of the song scored low, the songs theme is not clear, is it a Xmas carol or Ovation red Xmas carol party theme song? Ovation is mentioned more in the song than Christ, Xmas, Jesus and other Xmas songs attributes. Also haven listened to song on several occasions, I still can’t hear all what Wande Coal said in the song, I can’t understand most of the words in his lyrics and I don’t just know why he is speaking through his nose. The producers of this song should be aware that if it’s going to be a hit like the Skye banks “say yes” jingles it has to be graphically interpreted in form on text words running vertically across the screen so that we can all read and sing along. The other issue is why did they have all those A list celebrities on the big stage just dancing and singing the chorus instead of handing them all a part in the song. I would have loved to see few of my favorite artiste and nollywood stars singing together, imagine Terry G and Dare Alade sharing the mic. This is my expectation, artiste of different wavelengths streaming in a singular frequency. The artiste that got the top roles in the song are all not my favorites though I have mad love for omawunmi and Coal, I don’t know the other girl and I believe artiste like Terry G, Obesere and Dagrin should be featured in the song. I guess the producers were in a hurry to bring out the song and never had time to plan. Another Nigerian factor

99.9% REAL BEAT

Am an unrepentant fan of Rhythm 93.7 fm, I love everything about the sea side station, am a fan of silver group in general but the attraction came from the way rhythm 93.7fm changed the Nigerian music scene and increased the population that listen to Radio. Due respect to the then OGBC 2 fm in Abeokuta.This station now known as Gateway Radio was home for Kenny Ogungbe, JAJ “the Meccadon” or can, and host of other A list presenters in the 90s.Raypower rode on the back of OGBC and showed how private sector can run media house properly. Its emergency was the end of OGBC 2 and the birth of independent radio stations. Radio stations springs up nowadays like petrol stations which is fast becoming the only tourist attraction in and around Lagos. There are up to 50 government and privately owned radio stations in South-west Nigeria and there are up to 20 stations competing in Lagos and its neighbours; Abeokuta, Ibadan. The very wide coverage of these stations has made them the advertiser’s choice and they make more money in adverts than any other thing they do. The increase in adverts has turned most of these stations into public announcement medium, you hear more advert than songs nowadays, and this has been the same problem with all the existing fm radio stations in and around Lagos. The sudden emergence on BEAT 99.9fm is like the re-birth or the peak of modern Radio presentation. The BEAT 99.9fm probably learnt from everybody and took some lessons from foreign radio stations to launch a very interactive and highly infotainment Radio station. It is now the best station I ever listened to in Nigeria, probably its still new and the adverts are not flowing heavily yet. The BEAT 99.9fm combined good radio presentation; news and local/foreign music are well mixed. Each programme is accompanied by entertainment and social news that keeps you abreast with the global entertainment world. There News section is professionally presented that it still blends with the current programme on air. The Beat 99.9fm is the only station that keeps me lively from morning till evening, I leave my radio on even when am asleep. The powers behind 99.9fm should learn from their sister stations shortfall and try to maintain its very high standard. THE station blends all genre of song and you will never feel bored listening to the BEAT 99.9fm.Lets see how loud this BEAT will sound, but I thing it will never stop. Let the BEAT play on.

SENSE ON BOARD

Entertainment industry has witnessed a significant growth since Nigeria joined the world democratic league. Since the return to civilian rule, entertainment industry has attained a its original status as it is all over the world, artistes, print and audio media, entertainment industries, recording labels, radio stations and others have all seen financial success since THE khaki boys left. I guess we all know the reason for this success. Musicians can say what ever they want in the songs, and film producers can act any script they desire without fear. Contents of works produced by musicians and scripts of films are all subjects of screening by a body set up to regulate and pass fit for public viewing works done by artistes and producers. The body that screen what we see on TV has always looked like a body that never sit to view works of artiste, they just sit at home and decide to ban what they and there family don’t like. The Film and music census board or what are they called is an organization that should be scrapped and replaced by professionals. It is shocking how most of the films get to pass their screenings and music videos fail. The biggest shock off all is that cable companies like HiTV and DSTV are above their law. Local stations are barred from viewing certain music videos and same programme that runs on a cable company platform shows such music video to our admiration.
Am not against the content of our musical videos and films, but my displeasure is in the injustice done in stopping some music videos and films from been aired while some enjoy airtime, foreign music videos have no restriction unlike the locally produced ones. I am a frequently viewer of music programmes both on terrestrial and cable platform, and I have a very good knowledge of our local contents and that of foreign product. Terry G is one of the best young producer/singer and his well loved for his energetic dance performances on the stage and in music videos. His private life may not be that of a good youth ambassador but what he gave to music and his raise from Iju streets to stardom is a good example for youths to emulate. Majority of the older folks may see him as a bad influence to their wards due to his fashion sense and his energetic dance which are seen to be done under certain influence. We of the new school are very aware that Terry G is still morally better than the world celebrated stars like Lil Wayne, T.I, Fabulous and host of other foreign artiste who frequent the jail due to gun running, assault charges, and other misdemeanors. The new video of Terry G “free madness” which was released recently has been taking off the air due to certain reason that also caused Dbanj’s “Suddenly” and Tuface’s “enter the place” to be judged dangerous to viewers. The listed videos still enjoy air play on cable networks though the local stations are not permitted to air and it is also been well enjoyed by Nigerians in Diaspora. MTV still air these music videos all over Europe, America and Africa. I have watched this videos several and I still wonder why is they were been censored, “free madness” video has neither sexual content nor violent content. It was based on Terry G’s showcasing his barbaric dance steps which is in vogue, he brought his hood Iju to limelight by adorning its name in the background. Terry G never smoked in music video like Fela did, he was lyrical cleaner than King Sunny Ade when it comes to love songs, and sexual content is ZERO compared to beyouce’s last three videos which were sexually choreographed by her and her two very sexy dancers. The band might have got the booth due to the sexual content of the video, but is it as bad as the Fifty cent and Ciara’s duet? The two mentioned foreign music videos made it to no.1 on video chats across the local TV’s while there Nigerian counterparts got censored ,taken of the local scene completely, but they watch it on cable networks. The Tuface’s “enter the place” video was a masterpiece and it was the best video from the internationally know singer. The quality and the set were perfect and the cast was star studded, I didn’t see anything bad in the video if I have to compare it to majority of the foreign videos and some local ones. I have seen sexual stimulation at its highest and violence in its peak in most of the foreign videos on air. The Terry G’s video censor is more personal than the ethical reason or moral reason that will be given. There’s nothing wrong in showing your talent in whatever way or form you could, it might look extraordinary to others but it’s a gift to you from the creator. The sweat of these young artistes should not be wasted by few partial people who are not aware of recent development in the world, qualified and dedicated people should be allowed to handle the censor board. The creativity of these artistes should be encourage and not discouraged. Personality should not be an issue in judging the videos and let’s not introduce Sharia law. Please we need more sense on censor board.

COCKMENTRY

The recently concluded FIFA U-17 world club that took place in Nigeria was a big success judging by Nigerian standard and probably fair in the books of FIFA and foreign observers and journalist. The TV coverage was something that really amused me and I was very happy that we could local broadcast the competition to the entire country and indeed the world perfectly and with very clear signal. Though the broadcast rights generated a lot of controversy between NTA, DAAR communication and BON/OSMI .Daar communication was quick to let us know that it actually secured FIFA’s nod to broadcast the matches played in 5 centers on behalf of FIFA to the world, while NTA/BON/OSMI only secured the rights to beam it to Nigerians only. Daar’s broadcast of the competition shows that we are locally ready to showcase matches played in our league to our TV regularly and we can feed any foreign nation with signals from various stadiums across the country. The broadcast was flawless and I give kudos to DAAR communication that took it upon itself privately without government intervention to shoulder the broadcast responsibility, though the FG’s last minute intervention of upgrading NTA’s equipment from standard to High definition was another example of our unpreparedness. It actually didn’t materialize because they didn’t make it before the commencement of the competition. The matches were exclusively and comprehensively broadcasted all across the nation through BON/OSMI where the former is the association comprising of every TV station in the country including AIT which is an affiliate of DAAR communication. The difference between the matches showed on AIT and other BON/OSMI affiliated station is the commentary. Over the years, commentary of football matches involving Nigeria’s national teams on local TV were done by a prominent Nigerian who has over the years been the voice of football matches commentary. This commentator/s are affiliated to NTA and with the length of time spent on the job one would have thought they would have mastered the act over the years compared to western commentators or even their South African counterparts. Nigerian’s across the country weekly watch the English Premier League which is one of the best televised league/sport in the world are very familiar with world class match broadcast and reliable commentary. A good soccer fan will agree that you enjoy watching a soccer match with a good commentator anchoring the match. The commentator is like the manual book of a Soccer match, he/she is the guide of the viewers and he/she helps in identifying the players on the pitch and also helps in interpreting several laws and rules that guide the game when situation arises. Commentator’s gives in-depth analysis of teams and supply RELEVANT information to the viewers about the match and other factors related to it. Good commentary entails the commentator to give news of what is happening off screen to viewers who are focused only on the pitch cameras showing the actions on the pitch and also supply developing information from the side line and the fourth official. All this happen behind the camera and viewers can not see this because the cameras a mainly focused on the pitch unless an outside interference causes the cameras to focus elsewhere.

The commentators in the BON/OSMI studios are well know names in football match commentary and they have over the years failed to improved on their beer-palour commentary of matches broadcasted on BON/OSMI affiliated TV stations. Matches shown on AIT network has a foreign commentator and judging by the way he pronounces the names of Nigerian players and other teams one will know they are professionals. The commentators adds more fun to the match by his accurate and very relevant approach and information of the match been played. They accurate pronounce our team list and have a good and RELEVANT knowledge of every single player in the competition. They also have RELEVANT knowledge about history and culture of each host city where matches are played. All these facts are mentioned while matches are going on without deviating from the match itself. Our local commentators full all IRRELEVANCE, they don’t have an idea about other teams and when it comes to matches about Nigeria they discuss the match like a beer-palour setting. They run commentaries like they are been forced and they invite talk about irrelevant issue when the action in the game is not at its peak and quickly switch back to the match ONLY when Nigeria in attacking its opponents or in danger. Issue that does not concern the match are been freely discussed on air with their invited inexperienced co-commentator. An example was match involving an African country whose neighbors geographically are engrossed in a civil war, the commentator was discussing about the political issue of the country in relation with its disputed neighbour while the match was going on. This local commentators raise their voice on if the action is on the part of Nigeria and are completely quiet if its not favouring Nigeria .A match was played before the just concluded CAF champions league match involving Heartland of Nigeria and TP Mazembe, the commentator was actually analyzing the yet to be played CAF champions league match with his fellow co-commentators instead of focusing on the match at hand. Our commentators are killers of football matches and atimes you fall asleep just by listening to them doing damage to the action taking place on pitch. The football terms they use are only found in Nigeria Sports Dictionary, or how do you interpret words like “longish ball”, ”thorough pass” ,”a chester/header”. We did well in area of broadcasting the event to Nigerians and to the world and organization was good compared to what we know Nigeria for, though I have different view about our participation judging by the composition of our team which was rocked by age scandal, but I can still tell that with more hard work we can host any FIFA organized competition at any level ,but we really need to do away with these old commentators who refused to change and train new people to handle this very aspect of football match viewing.

EDO FOR SHOW

I stumbled on a rally staged by the Action Congress in Benin Edo state where the entire PDP elected chairmen and their entire councilors decamped to AC, the entire PDP machinery and chieftains defected to AC. The women leader, youth leaders and personal and official assistants of the former governor were also among the decampees,it was a total exodus of PDP members from the umbrella party to the broom party. I was amazed and shocked when the names and status of the decampees was read out loud by the overzealous moderator in a widely publicized event with a mammoth crowd at the venue. The governor was present and looked like it was his birthday. The new members from PDP looked a bit confused and their followers were there to cheer them up. It was a major blow for the PDP because the event showed that the PDP has lost all his members to AC in Edo state. Edo state used to be a comfortable haven for PDP in the past and opposition parties never really existed in the state. When the new members were called to make speeches on their new status as AC members they had nothing important to say. Judging by the body language and the pointless speeches made by the new member, you do not need an herbalist to tell you this people are in AC to gain the power they lost when Osunbor was kicked out of the government house. Edo has been a stable state since Igbinedion, though he never brought any meaningful development to the state, and the choice of Osunbor was a big mistake because he was never the people’s choice and even PDP party members in the state never supported his anointment by almighty PDP. The point of this article is how long will the smile on the faces of the AC members in Edo and that of the governor last? An example was that given by the former state chairman of PDP who also was among the decampees, in his speech he said they have been oppressed for to long and they needed freedom. Freedom from whom? his party has ruled the state for ten years and he has gain from and I believe his still gain from the PDP led Edo government. Another female chieftain new member who used to be a female PDP leader also said she and the entire Edo women are free from oppression victimization. They all took turn to speak about liberation. The governor danced and jumped through out the occasion and I wonder how long will the dance last. The case of the decamping chairmen and councilors can be understood because most of them are having problem with the state legislative arm and they need to join the AC to escape been suspended or removed. The entire occasion was a show of shame on the part of the Edo PDP and AC. It showed that politicians in Edo are all money seeking hawks. The AC has always been a party the envy and I believe the new members are wiser than the entire AC machinery in Edo. Edo people are watching their state becoming a one party state because of change in government. Why has anybody in the arena failed to see that this PDP decampees are in AC to continue to enjoy the central government they lost through the court verdict that removed PDP from power. Edo people failed to realize that this new members are in the party to continue the political ambition which was thwarted when Osunbor left. Oshiomhole is not a seasoned politicians and I believe he doesn’t know what tune his dancing to today. In what capability does AC in Edo want to admit these new members? How do they want to control the chieftains of PDP currently camouflaging in AC colour. What role will big shots and people who have lived maximally take in the fragile Edo Politics? The AC recently rebuked the PDP for celebrating the movement of some opposition members into PDP in a Northern state; their spokes person tongue lashed the PDP for making merry when the decampees were admitted into the PDP. The show of shame in Edo is the worst have ever seen in recent time. During the welcome speech of the governor, he talked a lot about Godfatherism and he tongue lashed ANENIH and other Godfathers in Edo. His speech was censored by NTA were I was monitoring the show whenever he talked about serving and past PDP stalwart in the Country. Although he never mentioned Anenihs name but he really dealt took him to the cleaners. The governor didn’t lay emphasis on the new members and his speech did not address the new members, he didn’t formally welcome them and he poured all praises on the crowd and working executive of AC in the State. Like the speaker before him Tom Ikimi, the governors praised and pledge his support for the President and federal legislative arm of the federal government. The crowd at the venue didn’t really reflect the large population of the state and it was dominated by PDP innocent members in the state who are as confused as their decamped chieftain whose main change is to survive under the newly Oshiomhole led AC party. At the end of the show, a reporter asked one of the AC Chieftain at the show how the party will fair with the new members without muscle flexing, he smiled and said everybody knows his duty and everybody will do what his elected to do. But those who left their lucrative post in PDP will not settle for sitting on the bench after been in power for 10years.Lets cross our hand and watch the EDO show as it unfolds. The recent resignation of PDP members present in the kitchen cabinet of Oshiomhole is a tip of the ice berg of what to come, as the Oba of Benin is now been dragged into this power brawl blowing across EDO

HOSPITALITY AND HOSTILITY

It’s no news that the president of the largest Black Country in the world and a top oil exporting country which also doubles as the giant of Africa prefers foreign health care to the one he provides for increasing population. President Umaru Yar’Adua recently took a trip to Saudi Arabia for medical check, rejecting treatment from the National Hospital run by the federal government, and various private health institutions in the Country. This came after his controversial journey to Germany sometimes last year for medical treatment. This act is a very good example of the rot in our health institutions, no thanks to the same government that should be responsible for our welfare. The message is that if you don’t want to die or get miss-diagnosed like Chief Gani Fawehinmi did, you need to look else where for good health care. Mr. President has shown and demonstrated that no matter how complicated your ailment is, you can get good treatment only abroad.

The rot in our health institutions is visible for all to see and Mr. President should have re-branded it by paying visits to one of the government’s hospital whenever his ailment arises.

Government hospitals around the country has turned to hostels or camps where sick people are given beds to die on, it has become a place to spend your final time on earth if you are poor. Our hospitals have virtually nothing, the pharmacies are there to sell pure water in form of drips, and drugs are not included in the hospitals shopping list. Attitude of nursing staffs in these hospitals kills faster than any ailment, they are the ones that will dictate who lives or who dies in their wards. The ethics of Nurses that work in these hospitals are questionable, they operate like they are trained to take care of prisoners of war. They seem to unleash there anger of poor pay, inadequate working environment and poor working condition on their patients.

The issue of decay in government hospitals and lack of medical equipments and shortage of medical personnel’s in these hospitals has been in the news for decades, most of us pay lips service to issue and few of us has physical and recent experience of it. I used to believe the decay has been blown out of proportion or the case was not has bad has it’s been represented in the media and from peoples experience. Have always subscribed to the private health sector and I have never used any of the governments hospitals until recently.

A family member was admitted into one of the public hospitals in southwest Nigeria, the hospital is not run by the state or federal government, and it is managed by one of the first Christian body that came to Nigeria pre-colonial era. The hospitals philosophy of treating patients first before demanding for money makes it look like a free hospital though it is not. The charitable action of the hospital by taking care of patients before demanding for financial settlements made it a beehive for people from the nooks and crannies of the state. The hospital is well stocked in terms of drugs and you can virtually find all prescribed drugs in their pharmacy. The environment is well planned though human interference is causing havoc in the premise. Majority of its patients are middle class earner and less privilege and it also cater for the rich and mighty. Its fees are relatively good compared to what you get in private hospital which provides the same treatment at exorbitant rates.

The main reason of this write-up is the hospitality and hostility observed in this type of health institution and other government owned ones.

It has come to a stage that government trained nurses that work in this particular health institution has turned services rendered to people as privileges, they treat patient like refuges, and most of government owned hospitals are refined refuge camps. The nursing staffs of these hospitals are very arrogant and have no professional ethics. They shout at patients when talking to them. They attend to patient like they are in a veterinary hospital.

A visit to government owned hospitals across the southwest states shows how fast the sector is crumbling. Relatives of patients are subjected to carrying their sick relatives who cannot walk person themselves from doctors office to anywhere around the hospital that the patient has to go. I saw people backing elderly ones from laboratory to theater rooms, pregnant women unable to work are carried by their spouses. This health institutions lack basic medical facilities to cater for people, and their staff are not even willing to work diligently due to their cry of been underpaid. Only a staff nurse attends to patients in 10 rooms present in the ward where my relative was admitted. The same staff nurse is responsible for all patient admitted into the ward, she is responsible for their care and any mistake by her cannot be rectified quickly because the doctor visits once in a day and it’s always in the morning. I have personal witnessed cases where the staff nurse on duty will prescribe wrong dosage of drug. There was a case where the nurse asked me to get a 300g drug for my baby instead of 100g, it was the timely intervention of my wife who happens to have a very good knowledge of medication, she was quick to challenge the nurse on the age and dosage consumption of the little baby which turned out to be a mistake on the nurses part. My brother’s son wasn’t that lucky or should I say was lucky, he got a wrong measurement of drug administered and had his body covered rashes. The staff nurse thought administering higher grams of medication in the absence of the recommended lower grams will do no harm. We both got lucky in both cases, but many patients have lost their life and loved ones in similar and other relative cases.

The present neglect of our health institutions by the executive arm of the federal and state government is a warning to the entire populace to look else where for qualitative health care. Surgeons and medical directors of our government’s hospitals are now liaison officers for foreign hospitals. We all know the saga of a Lagos teaching hospital medical officer and a patient who was directed to a hospital in India for surgery on her daughter, she felt she was extorted by the Lagos hospital medical officer. The medical officer of the hospital did not deny in his interview with the press that they suggested overseas surgical treatment to patient and even help them in making payment to the India hospitals. The woman in the report published by a major newspaper in Nigeria, said she met several Nigerian women with their children recuperating after surgical session mostly cases of hole in the hearth and other heart and respiratory system related ailments. She further praised the professionalism of the Indian health officers, she also talked about the advance medical equipment in the hospital and how neat and safe the atmosphere in and around the hospital was. She also said the cost was bearable compared to what you get in Private hospitals in Nigeria.

The idea of not been able to care for ourselves and running oversea to get medical help is disgraceful, it shows how far we are behind the world. If India with her very high population could take care of its civilians and also has time for Nigerian patients what then can we do? The various government health policies are business oriented and it’s only the money to be gained in executing the project comes to mind not the purpose that the institution will serve. It will not be a welcomed idea if our health institution goes the way of PHCN, NITEL/MTEL, NPA, NRA, and POLICE FORCE.

JOURNALISM AND POLITICS

Growing up in the streets of Abeokuta was fun, and spending our holidays in the then federal capital Lagos is the best period of the years. I grew up to know Nigeria as the Giant of Africa and a major supplier of cocoa. Revenues made from oil was not freely shared with the citizens like we have now, though wrongly and corruptly presented nowadays.

Information was freely shared through the print media because its very affordable though it is getting to be a luxury now, no thanks to our government. Very few television stations existed then, and those that existed were regional and few rich states had television stations. The national television was not even widely received.

The print media was the toast of those days, and any story in the news has no doubt. My father then used to send me to get him 5 newspapers with 1 Naira. We sit side by side reading the newspapers, though my primary interest then was the cartoons on back pages. The headlines were not of much interest because we believe its adults news. My father latter picks our land phone and calls his friend in Lagos reviewing the newspapers to him. They argue, laugh and even pray when analyzing what they read in the dailies. This act followed me to the University were i was the only student in ijebu-igbo campus of Ogun State University now Olabisi Onabanjo University on the list of the Local news agent. The list comprises of Pa Abraham Adesanya, the VC of OOU, and other notable citizens of the town.

Journalism and law was a better match than what we have now. Journalist are regarded as the whistle blowers, they are the only reliable police for the masses.

In the military rule, journalists are the only source of reliable news. The federal broadcasting stations are all caged by the Military juntas and their state counterparts are under the control of the state MILADS. Hand full of print media houses existed, and they are mostly situated in Lagos. Freedom of speech was not really free then, and rights of civilians were hindered. There were no bloging, web hosting and other electronic media then.

Democracy brought freedom of expression, and advance in technological growth in Nigeria’s media circle heightened information designation.

The Print media is entrusted with the task of passing reliable and true happenings to the entire populace, they are expected and believed to pass true graphical and text format news and events to us. The print media is not biased and not ethnically oriented. Views of all groups and people are all welcomed and presented in the dailies, there was equal audience to all ethnic groups and criticisms of any aspect of government and people was fairly presented. Journalist were respected and protected by law in the course of their duties. They cover wars, meet with people regarded as enemy of the states without getting hurt or prosecuted under the stipulated law guiding there duties. Journalist have died pursuing the truth and in the course of bringing qualitative and revealing news. Investigate journalism is the spirit of a good journalist and it’s the hallmark of journalism.

The entrance of modern Politics brought the biggest challenge to Journalism. In the Military era we all had a common enemy, and we spoke with one voice in fighting the Military reign which ended eventually after a long fatal and destructive battle. Various journalist were killed an s tortured in the line of duty by the military regimes, lives and properties perished in the struggle.

In present day politics, money is the mandate of our elected leaders and representatives. They have illegally acquired vast wealth that they run the society. Journalism was not left out in the slavery.

Today’s technological advancement in information designation has brought about big competition in the print media, and poorly funded media house finds it hard to survive in the current economic downturn. Politics in Nigeria is an avenue to acquire wealth and power and it come with criticism from the populace, politician use their positions to rub the people and use the media to fight back. Journalist are expect to be liberal and non partisan, they are expected to be fair in reporting issues concerning all political party and are not expected to have sympathy for any party regardless of their own interest or ethnicity. Journalist and media houses are expected to report to the people exactly what they know with no bias, they are the third eye.

What we have now is a new form of journalism where media houses and journalist are used as mouth piece of political parties, and they now work as the public relation officer of the party they benefit more from.

It is stale news that most media houses we have now belong to political bigwigs in Nigeria. This is very common in southwest Nigeria where past and present political post holders are publishers of multi billion media houses, majority of the print media houses belong to serving and retired politicians who use them has the mouth piece of their political party.

In south west Nigeria states, print media houses belong to serving governors, senators, past governors and serving government employees.

Journalists are now at the mercy of politicians to make ends meet, and majority of the mass communication students produced in our ailing tertiary

Institutions will do anything to get a job even if he/she has to lie and write a false story about thier publisher’s opponents.

For example, if you need to read about the excess and damaging reports about the ruling party in the country there are certain newspaper you will buy, and if you need to read about the opposition parties in the country you go for the ruling party’s loyal newspapers.

Political parties in Nigeria are affiliated with one or more media houses, it’s not strange or new that the Action Congress and other groups connected to it have their own medium of attacking the opposition in the form of media houses belonging to their chieftains. A very strong member who doubles as the main financier of Action Congress is reported to own media houses across the south western states of Nigeria. These media outlets are used to destabilize states that are not under their control and also use the media to defend their excess in states controlled by them.

The ruling party PDP enjoys favorable reports and criticism from media houses chaired by its vast and powerful members. Being the largest party in the country and Africa, its members are in every aspect and field of life in the country, its majority population ensures they have a loyalist in every media house and benefits directly and indirectly from the ruling party in form of monetary assistance and favors.

This issue brings the integrity of journalists that work in these organizations to test, are they in the job to make money or for its true course? Has investigative journalism turned to man –must –chop journalism that is popular nowadays?. Most media organization based in the North is ethnic oriented, and they not different from reading newspapers form middle east, this is why they are limited in circulation.

Media house are the war turf for politicians and barrage of lies, character defamation, vilification and smear of oppositions is what comes out of them daily. If you are a follower of the happenings in Ogun State politics, you will notice the unprofessional attitude of our print media. A newspaper that sympathizes with the state came up with a revealing graphics and story about events unfolding in the state, increasing tension in the states politics. Rather than carrying out good investigative journalism like the previous newspaper did, certain Lagos based newspapers on the pay role of the opposition allowed their front pages to be used for leverage. They purposely published super imposed pictures and doctored graphics of one of the principal actors in Ogun state political crisis. My 2 years old son knows that the pictures of the governor in occultist attire that dawn the front page of LIFE newspapers were doctored and not real, even before the owner of the original picture came forward to prove the media house wrong in using her work as a political leverage. Are these people turning the papers into something it ought not to be? Why will a media house allow money to spoil its integrity? And my son will grow up believing every story in Nigerian newspapers is paid for by politicians. Or what do you want him to make of all this money oriented and selfish journalist parading themselves as professional in our country. Paid adverts is the new form of passing information to people by the politicians and it is through this medium that feuding parties talk and attack each other. Pages of newspapers are filled with the projects embarked on by various state governors as if they are favors to the civilians.

This prompted me to ask what is being thought in School of Journalism if it still exists in Ogba? What is the moral ethic of a journalist? Are they made to swear to uphold the law and protect humanity like the lawyers and doctors do when they are about to start their practices? Do we have an independent disciplinary council for journalist like we do in the medical field? Should there not be more strict rules and laws that will prosecute errant journalist that report for material gains? Media houses that publishes unconfirmed and malicious story about people, groups and government should be prosecuted and have their licenses revoked. Publishers of such media organization should be banned from owning media house. The power of money and selfish interest as rubbished journalism in our country, we solely rely on foreign media houses for reliable and authentic news about our country. Its a shame that even out TV stations are subjected to their founders and benefactors. State TV stations are set up to propagate the work of the states they are situated and what we see on them is exactly what the state government wants us to see. Private TV stations are profit oriented and are up for grabs to the highest bidder if nothing the thought of its founder they report issues bothering the highest paying client. They are so sophisticated that they can even air an advert for Niger-Delta militants if the pay is good, and even if the militants are more generous with their loots they can have their vandalisation acts aired live. Presenters of certain political programmes on TV have turned themselves into analyst and professional political consultants. An example is the morning political talk shows on AIT and TVC every day, these presenters delivers the verdict of the discussion before the guest’s even starts debating the issue. There choice of invited analyst is biased and instead of listening and allowing the viewers to hear the analyst talk they interrupt when the speaker is not in line with there own objectives. I singled out TVC and AIT because their political talk shows are meaningless and not beneficial to the viewers, they are biased and it’s very easy to know their political stand in Nigeria, this in not professional.

Thank God for technology we know how professional journalism is done else where. Foreign media are fair in their reports, even to Nigeria’s news they are authentic and non partial.

Recently the TELEGRAPH a British tabloid made public expenses and financial claims of MPs in THE United Kingdom, and it cut across all parties. All party members were thoroughly investigated and their financial claims were made public, which led to resignation of many defaulters among them. This is journalism at its peak, and not money for hand back for ground politics that reigns in the Giant of Africa after Ghana.

Finally, the rule guiding news reporting should be upgraded and it will be nice to see journalist jailed for reporting false news with their publishers too. We can not solely rely of the efficient and always reliable foreign media for information, events like that of Ogun political crisis, Niger-delta crisis and other domestic uprisings are not given adequate coverage though the bit they say about them are more genuine than what we get locally. And the TV stations should learn from SILVERBIRD TV (TODAY ON STV) how to give their viewers a bright and happy morning rather than the harsh Political talk show with angry and frustrated presenters and panel of paid analyst.

Politicians should please release the media captive from their coffers and allow us to enjoy and have our trust in the only and ever available means of proper information designation.