Welcome to zicosystem's Blog: ECONOMIC AND POLITICS IN NIGERIA: WHAT MUST BE DON...

Welcome to zicosystem's Blog: ECONOMIC AND POLITICS IN NIGERIA: WHAT MUST BE DON...: Nigeria is the most endowed nation n the African continent and can be likened to the promised Land in the bible (Exodus 3:8) as a land flow...

ECONOMIC AND POLITICS IN NIGERIA: WHAT MUST BE DONE TO STAND AS A GIANT

Nigeria is the most endowed nation n the African continent and can be likened to the promised Land in the bible (Exodus 3:8) as a land flowing with milk and honey. The country is we'll endowed with abundant natural resources such as gold, bitumen, crude oil, limestone, iron ore, just to mention a few. These resources are well spread to over the entire land in a God-given proportion that represents the faithfulness of the Almighty God. Agriculturally, the Nigerian soil is highly fertile for the growth of a vast number of crops such as oil palm, cocoa, rice, cassava, rubber trees, tomatoes, etc. at industrial and export scales. In human resources, the country is abundantly blessed with a population of about 170 million people, making it the most populous nation of the black race on earth. This population is spread into different ethno-political divisions that reflect the strength of the people as a nation. This notwithstanding, the country seems not to be standing in her God given place in the world's economic and political scale. Of course, the Almighty God is a master planner and could not have made a dot of mistake in pacing all these resources in the land. There must be a reason why God has so blessed Nigeria.

For any country of the world, Nigeria is inclusive, to find out why she is blessed by God. She must first obey the very first command God gave to man as recorded in the book of Genesis 1:28 "...be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth and subdue it..." This simply means that anything that God has given you can be developed and used for the provision of your basic physical needs on the surface of the earth. As a nation, Nigeria must be abe to develop her God given resources to satisfy the economic needs of her people. As the popular saying goes, "Show me your friends and I will tell you whom you are", to every nation, this statement can be interpreted as "Show me the living standard of your people and I will tell you where you are economically". The question is what is the economic situation of Nigeria today? And what is her political direction towards a world standard economy?

To look at the economic situation of the country today, we may have to make reference to the recent report in several media house that Nigeria had become the largest economy in the African continent, having overtaken South Africa's economy. The CIA fact backs the report that: "Following an april 2014 statistical " rebasing" exercise, Nigeria has emerged as Africa's largest economy, with 2014 GDP estimated at US$ 479 billion. Despite its strong fundamentals, oil rich Nigeria has been hobbled by inadequate power supply, lack of infrastructure, delays in the passage of legislative reforms, an inefficient property registration system, restrictive trade policies, an inconsistent regulatory environment, a slow and ineffective judicial system, unreliable dispute resolution mechanisms, insecurity, and pervasive corruption.

This report however is based on some international statistics and the country's gross domestic product (GDP) but not on her per capital income. The report also states that poverty level is high and Nigerians live on less than two US dollars ($2.00USD) a day on the average. This value is below world's standard and it shows that Nigeria is rich but her people are poor. To majority of the Nigerian populace, the situation can be likened to being in the sea with so much water yet there is no water to drink. In the book of Revelation 3:1 the Lord said to the church in sardis, "....that thou has a name that thou liveth, and art dead." The earlier Nigeria realises this, the better, because the economy of a country is not just a measure of how much reserve she has in stock, but also a measure of the living standard of her people.

In the past few years, the government of the country has put more emphasis on privatization and public/private partnership as a means of getting people involved in economic development. This has yield enormous results in the national economic growth. The majority of the private sector and partnership investment have come from foreigners due to poor economic power and lack of technical know-how on the part of our citizens. To revive the economy and move it in the right direction, this trend must be checked by enabling a good percentage of the population through various economic policies that put Nigerians at a better advantage. At present, our economic growth does not reflect the strength of its population and it is a clear indication that a huge amount of its human resources are being wasted. A direct result of this is the varying degree of violence recorded in different parts of the country.

A very crucial factor to domestic economic growth and development of a nation is the political will of its government. Hence, the political direction of Nigeria must be redefined as a matter of urgency. Presently, the attitude of the government towards good political development in terms of creating continuity in governance and development of appropriate industrial bills have been very poor. To do this, the current political climate where nepotism, ethnicity, and religion are used as criteria for attaining a political office must be swept aside. When the politics of favouritism is played at levels where critical national decisions are to be made, thing are bound to crumble. Those who lead a country or section of it under the premise of favouritism and the so called federal character, derived from nepotism, ethnicity, and religion, exating mediocrity and abase excellence, are totally blind and as the Bible rightly says in Matthew 15:14, "..... They be lind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

Presently, the country is diseased with greed and corruption which has infected almost every nook and cranny of her nationality. This has led to different kind of atrocities being committed in the land, with the worst taking place in thee political environment. In the book of proverb 14:34 the Bible says "Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sins is a reproach to any people" of course, the current politics of self-will, greed, and acrimony being practiced in Nigeria can only bring the country down. To be placed in the right economic and political world scale, Nigeria must repent of her sins and seek for forgiveness from Him who holds the key to every nation and rules the heart of the king. God wants Nigeria to be one of the largest economies in the world that is the reason why He lavished her with so much natural resources and a good land flowing with milk and honey. No matter how deep Nigeria has gone in disgraced of God's commands and laws, if she and her citizens can come out and repent He will do what He promised in the book of Isaiah 1:6-19: "Wash you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes: cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgement, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: through your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD that spoken."

He (God) is faithfully that promised and will surely cause it to come to pass. Nigeria has a very bright future, all that is needed from her is obedience and her economy will blossom and her people made rich. God bless Nigeria.

Giwa Oladunjoye Victor
08138120674 or 08167858798
Zicosystem2010@yahoo.com
Zicosystem022@gmail.com

THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS DELIVERED ON THE 4TH NOVEMBER, 2015 ON THE OCCASION OF NAAS DAY FIESTA (2ND EDITION) AND INDUCTION OF HER NEW INTAKES MEMBERS INTO THE ASSOCIATION HELD AT ADETUTU ADEFARATI CIVIC CENTRE, AKUNGBA-AKOKO

Protocol:
The Staff Adviser,
The Guest Lecturer,
The Father and Mother of the Day,
The Patron and Matron,
Notable Dignitaries,
All NAASites from various Institutions,
Distinguished NAASites, AAUA,
Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen,
Preamble:
All thanks to Almighty God the Ommnipotent, Giver of life who counted us worthy to plan and fulfil one of the legacies laid down by our predecessor. Immediately we assumed office, we try our possible best in transforming this noble association to its peak of her glory on campus. This is one of our plan by conducting 2nd edition of NAAS DAY FIESTA & AWARD NIGHT today and to officially induct our brothers and sisters being offered admission during 2014/15 academic session into the association formally.
ESSENCE OF THE THEME:
The essence of this programme is to sensitize indigenous students most especially the newly admitted students (100 Level) on the existence of National Association of Akungba Students (NAAS) on campus and to honour one of our illustrious son on his robust contributions towards the growth and development of this noble association. I believe our stakeholders here present shall dig deep into the nitty gritty of the content.
Permit me to seize this avenue to inform all members on the position and challenges confronting our dear association on campus. Significantly, National Association of Akungba Students (NAAS) is one of the association on the campus of Adekunle Ajasin University and of course, she plays host to all other associations. However, this association does not recognise the virtue that divinity place upon her shoulder and as well yet to realize its worth and position amidst her contemporaries on campus. This could be view as its members does not see the essence and significance of pledging their individual allegiance to the growth and development of the association.
It is significant to note that the membership strength of this noble association is not encouraging as members find it difficult to attend meeting.
Consequently, I would like to implore all members to wake up from slumber and pledge their homage accompanying with the passion and the enthusiasm in order to move the association forward.
INDUCTION OF NEW INTAKES INTO THE ASSOCIATION
Permit me un behalf of the Ecos and entire members to tender our unreserved apology for not welcoming you viz-a-viz Freshers Orientation which is one of the highlights agenda for this association. We were unable to do this before now as a result of unfortunate abduction of our amiable regent which occurred on 3rd June, 2015, the day our freshers' orientation slated to hold. Thanks to almighty God for the released of our regent two weeks later.
It is with joy without bounds, that I officially welcome you to this citadel of learning, Adekunle Ajasin University, A 21st Century University properly called. There is no doubt that the journey so far has been hectic one as you have been roaming helter-skelter in pursuit of your academic excellence.
Be that as it may, I therefore want to use this avenue to congratulates you for your excellent performance in the AAUA POST UTME examinations that enabled you to join this great university. It is pertinent to note that today's event and other events on campus are designed to be ceremonial, nevertheless I have to emphasise on your primary assignment in school. Your primary assignment is studying and expected graduating from the school with flying colours.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I expect that you will be exemplary achievers, world champion, and trend settlers in your endeavours as you undertake your studies fully here at the university, including participating in school activities and professional associations like NAAS which will provide you with the opportunity to acquire leadership and personal skills, which you cannot get in formal class or lesson.
Furthermore, I wish to encourage you to enjoy your time and experience on campus, by interacting with people from different discipline of yours, instead of being cocooned in your discipline as you now know that university is a holistic experience. Martin Luther King Jr., once noted that "a intelligence plus character is the goal of a true education" implying that for one to be successful, self discipline is the key, I hereby urge you to abide by the rules and regulations that govern student conduct, because any gross misconduct may warrant untimely exit from school.
Today, we happily induct you formally into this noble association, with other orientation activities on campus. Am quite sure this orientation address will usher in the most unforgettable and rewarding experience in your life as you build your career in AAUA.
With those remarks, a blank of note of history is at your beck and call. Please start writing a remarkable memoir in pursuit of your academic career.
To all members, university life will accord you a lot of freedom, with its own social risks. I personally enjoin you to keep off activities that will not contribute positively to your future. Such activities includes: use of drugs, examination malpractices, sex abuse, cultism among others.
In conclusion, I on behalf of the entire NAASites, A.A.U.A Chapter appreciates our guest lecturer (Dr. G.B Ehinola), patron, staff advisers, stakeholders, all other invited guests and the entire NAASites for gracing the 2nd edition of NAAS DAY FIESTA for this year.
Thank you all.
LONG LIVE:
National Association of Akungba Students, AAUA Chapter
National Association of Akungba Students, National Body
Akungba-Akoko
AAUA
Akun ma wo no, Ere ee Rooo !!!
Your Freind,
Com. Giwa Victor O.
NAAS President
A.A.U.A CHAPTER.

Welcome to zicosystem's Blog: 7 STEP TO BAGGED OUT WITH FIRST CLASS IN HIGHER IN...

Welcome to zicosystem's Blog: 7 STEP TO BAGGED OUT WITH FIRST CLASS IN HIGHER IN...: Tertiary institutions is on the decline. Earning a First Class Honours is, invariably, a by-product of self-application. I do not believ...

The Impact of Terrorism In Nigeria: In view of the Recent Attacks by Boko Haram

Introduction

The word terrorism was first used in France to describe a new system of government adopted during the French Revolution (1789-1799). From that time on, terrorism has had a decidedly negative connotation. The word, however, did not gain wider popularity until September 11, 2001, when Osama Bin Laden masterminded a terrorist attack on United State

Terrorism is the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear for bringing about political change. All terrorist acts involve violence or—equally important—the threat of violence. These violent acts are committed by non-states armed actors Terrorists attempt not only to sow panic but also to undermine confidence in the government and political leadership of their target country. Terrorism is therefore designed to have psychological effects that reach far beyond its impact on the immediate victims or object of an attack.
.
Terrorism As A Political Act

Terrorism is by nature political because it involves the acquisition
and use of power for the purpose of forcing others to submit, or agree, to terrorist demands. A terrorist attack, by generating
publicity and focusing attention on the organization behind the attack, is designed to create this power. It also fosters an environment of fear and intimidation that the terrorists can manipulate.

Causes of Terrorism

Terrorism has occurred throughout history for a variety of reasons. Its causes can be historical, cultural, political, social,
psychological, economic, or religious—or any combination of these. Some
countries have proven to be particularly susceptible to terrorism at
certain times, as Italy and West Germany were during the 1970s.

Characteristics of Terrorism Planning and organization: All terrorists share one characteristic: They never commit actions randomly or senselessly. Every terrorist wants an attack to generate maximum publicity because media attention helps achieve the intimidation needed for terrorism’s success.

Target of Terrorism: Terrorism often targets innocent
civilians in order to create an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and
insecurity. Some terrorists deliberately direct attacks against large
numbers of ordinary citizens who simply happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Weapons of terrorism: Bombing historically has been the most common terrorist tactic. Terrorists have often relied on bombs because they provide a dramatic, yet fairly easy and often risk-free, means of drawing attention to themselves and their cause. Some of these weapons include

(a) Bombs.
(b) Firearms:
(c) Chemical and Biological weapons

The Act of terrorism in Nigeria For us in Nigeria what appears to be an act of terrorism can be traced to the October 1st bomb blast at the eagle square in Abuja .Today it has taken a new dimension. Nigeria as a nation is now at the mercy of a terrorist
religious group kown as Boko Haram. Just as if planned in rapid succession between October 2010 till now, we have had more than 25 explosions at different times to tell us that the issue of terrorism is very well alive with us.

The use of terrorism for political reason is a serious threat to international peace and security. While addressing the UN General Secretary on Wednesday 21st September 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan said that there has been an upsurge of terrorist attacks in some parts of Nigeria over the past few months. According to the president Goodluck,”the increasing use of terrorism in various religions of the world as a form of political action poses serious threat to international peace and
security. We must win the war against terrorism because it infringes on the fundamental rights of the people’s life and to live in safety”. The Activities of Boko Haram as an act of terrorism
Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the following bomb explosion in the following locations across the country. These include bombings in December 2011 in Jos, Platue State. Other noticeable bomb blast includes the 1st October 2010 at the Federal Capital territory, Abuja Eagle square. The severals of bomb explosions in Maiduguri, Borno State.The audacious bombing of the force Headquarters of the Nigerian Police force
represents a change in usual modus operandi of the groups who resort to this terror tactics in achieving their aims in Nigeria. This is because this was the first known incident in Nigeria that a suicide bomber has reportedly been used. Since then, the Country has recorded over three suicide bombing. The latest attack by the group known as Boko Haram (Western education
is forbidden) represents a sea change in the tactics and strategy by this group for main reasons. With the latest attack, Boko Haram has entered a new phase in its metamorphosis. It is now a full-blown terrorist organisation. For me, that is the most worrisome part. If you say you are fighting because of the extrajudicial killing of your leader, that can be debated and resolved one way or the other. If you say you want to Islamise
Nigeria, of course that is a pipedream. Nobody can Islamize Nigeria. We have passed that stage many years ago. We’re not going to go to bed one day and wake to discover that we are now called the Islamic Republic of Nigeria. For me, that pipedream is not worth wasting time and energy on. But I worry that Boko Haram has now fully transformed to a terrorist organisation—which means anyone anywhere can be the target. There is no boundary any more. If it happens in Maiduguri, happens in Abuja, it can happen in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu etc. who knows, if your house is the next target.

Firstly, the bombing had maximum impact and struck right at the heart of Nigeria’s security apparatus through the use of suicide bomber and secondly, they choose to strike at strategic locations of the nation’s security apparatus which is far away from their known North East, Maiduguri, Borno State base a distance of over 846 kilometer to Abuja. The group is notorious in the way it has varied its modus operandi of attacking vulnerable and defenseless targets including strategic government locations, commercial interest such as banks, customs post, drinking bars,
churches, higher institutions leading to unfortunate and untimely deaths and injuries of police officers, customs
officers.

The Impact of Boko Haram activities in Nigeria

The impact of the activities of the group called Boko Haram in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised. Their activites has paralised almost all sectors of the country’s activities.terrorism have impeded peace and progressive development Nigeria. It hinders political development, it affects rapid economic growth and it distorts socio-cultural equilibrum and lead to environmental deterioration. Many scholars have discussed its consequences according to their observation and background but for us to achieve comprehensive evaluation, we shall take briefly on the aspects mentioned as tus; political, economic, social and environmental consequences.

Political

what makes a nation state is the ability of a collection of people and nation to belong togrther within a geo- political environment as a nation. But with conflict, good and acceptable governament is not guaranteed as even elections into the government reflect the divisions. As it affects the voting pattern so it affects appointment,government policies conflic within countries (as we have now) misdirect these political bodies, divides them and hiners their performance.

Economic Impact

Literature on conflict has more patronage of discussion on economic consequenses (see Oluyole 1958; Lauer 1978, Ikpeze, 1997,) Conflict and war also leads to dislocation of people from
their base. This leads to disruption of economic activities. In Nigeria now the fear of Boko Haram is everywhere.Financial activities has been paralised as everyone live in fear. People are now scared of gathering together. Business activities has also not been left in this game of fear as everyone is standing with one leg, calculating where is the next target.

Social Impact

Social development has been described as the process by which the well- being of any society and it people is ensured through collective action Visa-a-vis the changes taking place in policies, economic and social life of the people (Akukwe 1978, Uzoegbunam 199, Okafor 1997). The typical social development programmes jeopadised by the activities of Boko Haram in the country includes the following; family welfare services, Health, Housing, community development,Youths service and women
development, Education. just like it is of the political and economic situation, internal conflict and infact conflict as a thing negatively hinders social development. Enumerating the
consequences of activities of Boko Haram on the earlier itemized social structures, we have;

i. Education: The education here western education which is more of formal training programmes acquired at both pre-primary, primary, secondary and tertiary levels in Nigeria. The major tarteg of the Boko Haram is to frustrate the western education which to them is a sin, Higher institutions has become a dreadful area a the group’s main target is western education. A practical impact of it is that notice were sent to some major higher institutions in the country. Hear in the University of Ibadan, so many people has has been traumatically been molested all in the name of searching. People, cars, have to que up at the gate for searching. Theacademic activites has been jeopardised. lecturers lives in fear.

ii. Agriculture and food supply: This is affected in many ways. Firstly, the land which is very esential for agricultural production has became battlefield or occupied by this group. Almost all parts of Borno state and other parts of the Northern Nigerial which formed the major food supply to the country has been fleed by
the peopla. Hunger and squalor therefore is imitent in Nigeria.

iii. Security: One of the “basic needs” of man according to igbo (1997) is security-freedom from poverty, want, diseases, hunger and danger…. and terrorism brings all these, most serious of them being security from danger. The attacks and bomb explosion causes not only death of the soldiers but also of innocent civilians. Life is full of insecurity and uncertainly under terror. Fear has become part of the people as everyone thinks of the next targeted area of the Boko Haram

Social amenities like schools,Houses, Hospital, Markets, Electricity etc has been greatly affected by these activities..
Family Welfare Services: Thse includes pre- marital counseling, single parent services, services for neglected and abused children and elderly human psycho-physical stability and development of individual and family unit.

Environmental Effects

The environment has always formed a central part of the development focus. The conflict has led to environmental degradation, poverty and hinderd rapid economic growth and development.(Nwanegbo 2004). The following are the consequences of the conflict on environment.

i. Pollution by war equipment (Bomb) on the environment by gases, chemical and toxics, Radio-actives

ll. Scaring away of forign and conervation experts.

iii. Refugee problems to neighbouring countries and cities and it’s consequences effect on their own environment like over population, destruction of their forests, over-cultivation and grazing of their lands, social and cultural breakdown, economic cost on the hos towns and countries etc. Chad, Benin Republic and the cities closer to Maiduguri will testify better. Whichever strategy the government decides to employ, all that matters is for this group to stop its violent campaign and just go away. Nobody is thrilled with its activities and their impact on the psyche of Nigerians and their foreign friends Wayforward President Goodluck Jonathan has assured that his government will bring the Boko Haram’s activities under control. Perhaps, for security reasons, he won’t say how, but do it, he must.

However, the question I want us to answer is how do we cure this menace, in Nigeria? How do we do approach it. It is not whether it is good or bad. Obviously, it is bad but we have to get ourselves out of this mess. The approach that can work better is that it is high time Nigeria government look for a way of negotiating with
this group. This looks like a solution that cannot work when we look at the activities of the Boko Hara. However, there has been relative peace when we look at the disarmament of Niger Delta than when President Obasanjo went into Udi and destroyed a whole of Udi. A critical look at terrorism will reveal to you that it has many phases and when you approach it from the violent angle, you may find yourself fighting a loosing battle. During the fight by America to Afghanistan, one of the terrorist, the Taliban made a comment. “Either way, we win because while America is fighting to stay alive, we are fighting to die”. America spent billions of dollars, until they came to realize that they are not fighting a physical battle. You cannot win an ideological war by military action. The Taliban said “they are fighting to live, we are fighting to win. When they kill us, we win, when we kill them, we
win, either way, we win”. Therefore, I am of the opinion that the Federal Government should look for modalities to negotiate with
the group removing whatever perceptions they have on the Boko Hara. This is because; the fight is all about changing their mindset. Let us try to do our homework thoroughly before some
fools control our mind set. Let us discuss our issues rather than apply violence. We are products of our varying experiences which others outside our context envy and feel should be a plus rather than a minus. We need to increase and encourage our jaw-jawing as distinct from war-warring at the highest level in the
deepening of our polity. What is convincing is that, with the democratically dispensation, a generation is coming that will demand and receive their rights in a civil environment. Our state of affairs is quite painful because we do not deserve or pray for the situation we are in now. We need peace in this county and until the acts of terrorism are eliminated, peace cannot be restored.

Written By Giwa Oladunjoye Victor
Department of History and International Studies
Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko Ondo State,
Nigeria
P.M.B 001
Email:zicosystem2010@yahoo.com
Gmail:zicosystem022@gmail.com
Phone no: 08138120674

Human Meat Found In McDonald’s Meat Factory

Human Meat Found In McDonald’s Meat Factory. McDonald’s
history is not a good one, and fast food restaurants already
are known to have a lot of mystery ingredients, but this tops
the list. Previously we brought you a report that detailed
disturbing audio admissions by a man that claimed
McDonald’s uses human meat as a filler in their 100% beef
hamburgers and the fact that McDonald’s has been accused
of using worm meat fillers.
Now, inspectors have allegedly found human meat and
horse meat in the freezer’s of an Oklahoma City McDonald’s
meat factory. Human meat was also recovered in several
trucks that were on their way to deliver the patties to the fast
food restaurants. According to various reports, authorities
have inspected factories and restaurants across the country
and have found human meat in 90% of the locations. Horse
meat was found in 65% of the locations. FBI agent Lloyd
Harrison told Huzler reporters, “The worst part is that it’s not
only human meat, it’s child meat. The body parts were found
across the US factories and were deemed too small to be
adult body parts. This is truly horrible”.
Cannibalism has gone back tens of thousands of years and is
still present today. In 2013 a North Korean man was
executed for killing his children for food. Today there are a
few tribes that still believe in eating human flesh as a
cultural practice. Here in America, people have obsessed
about eating human meat such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Albert
Fish. We have labeled them mentally ill. To be in denial that
this type of thing does not happen, would be foolish. Now
the customers of McDonald’s fast food restaurants want
answers! How long have they been using this human meat?
Where did they get the children from? Were they already
dead when brought into the factories? Authorities hope to
have all of these questions answered as they thoroughly
investigate all facilities. Get healthy fast by avoiding these
fast food restaurants all together!
sources:
dailybuzzlive.co

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7 STEP TO BAGGED OUT WITH FIRST CLASS IN HIGHER INSTITUTION

Tertiary institutions is on the decline. Earning a First Class
Honours is, invariably, a by-product of self-application.
I do not believe that anyone is pre-programmed to make a
third class, or a bare Pass, provided the individual was
qualified in the first instance to be admitted into the
university (even otherwise).

The class of degree a student earns in the university is also a
function of a point scoring system.
That is what is called the Cumulative Grade Point Average,
(CGPA) which is a weighted scoring system with maximum of
5.0.

You make a first class when you score a CGPA of 4.50 and
above upon graduation.
This article gives steps which if diligently followed will enable
every student who aspires to make a first class in school to
do so with ease.
Know Thyself: The problem with many students is they try to
‘copy-cat’. While it is good to learn from the method of
another high performer, it is important to know how to
adapt it. Some students don’t need to read for more than 3
hours a day before they pass, indeed do excellently well and
top the class. Some must read for at least 7 hours a day. I know First Class
students that watched football and participated actively in
campus religious activities. Some even get involved in
departmental politics. Its about knowing one’s self.
But for most First Class students I know, reading the notes
while still hot, and not waiting till they accumulate, is a
common denominator.
And Know thy teacher too: Knowing how to approach a
question in an examination is an art itself. How do you
organize your answers?
It goes beyond just picking the answer script and
writing down what you think is the answer.
Know what the lecturer wants. Does he want ‘lengthy story’?
Or he wants it ‘short and snappy’? You may have a clue into
this through your seniors who had taken the course earlier.
First class students study not only the course, but the
course-taker.
Get serious from the first day: It is common for students to
get carried away with the euphoria of gaining admission into
higher institution that they forget the major reason why they
are in school. It is essential to start building your grade point
from the first day so as to avoid playing catch up afterwards.
The first semester vis-à-vis the first year in school is usually
the easiest academically so its best you take advantage of it.
Attend Lectures: While attending lectures may not be so
important in your first year in school as most courses are
what you must have already learnt previously in your
secondary school and the large number of students in
lecture rooms in your first year may not make attending
lectures enticing however after your first year, attending
lectures must be a priority, this is enable you mark
attendance in class which may be the difference between an
A or a B, pick salient points which the lecturer may mention
in class and to pick instructions and tips which lecturers
usually give in class.
Begin Studying For Tests and Exams EARLY:
Between academics and your social life, time is not
something you will have in ample quantity throughout your
stay in University. One cardinal act you should always make
time for is studying early for exams. There’s nothing worse
than leaving all of the studying for the night before an
important test or exam. The stress causes you to panic and
you won’t perform as well as you normally would if you had
studied early enough. Studying a little bit during the
semester
will not only make you better prepared but will also remove
most stress you’d have if you leave your studying for the last
minute.
Early exam studying allows a student to identify
weak spots in their understanding and to prioritize their
studying accordingly. Just imagine studying until the early
morning of the day of your exam only to find you’ve
completely ignored a section that you have little or no
understanding in. Don’t let that happen.
Use Your Time Wisely in between classes as well as before
and after school. There are many opportunities to sneak in
some studying or homework that many students either don’t
realize or just don’t use. I’ve known people who would study
on the keke during the ride to and from school.
I’ve also known people that would combine the time waiting
for a lecture to begin with their study time! Just bring your
notes and instead of pinging or chatting endlessly with
friends.
You get a workout for your body and for your brain! Always
keep your notes handy and use any spare time for simple
review to make sure you’re on top of the material. All of
those small moments you fill with studying will really add up
to a solid understanding. You’ll discover that you will require
less studying when exam time arrives. That’s huge.
Obtain Old Exams Question papers and Assignments: from
your senior colleagues to procure a satisfactory idea of what
subject matter the instructors are most likely to test you on.
They are even more useful because you can attempt the
exam/assignment as a check of knowledge, identifying weak
areas that you must take into further consideration or re-
study.
I heard of a scenario where a guy was studying
gluconeogenesis in Medical Biochemistry and his senior
colleague of his happened to pass by. He appeared
interested and proceeded to supply him a couple of past
questions. One was “Gluconeogenesis is not necessarily the
reversal of Glycolysis. Explain”.
Propitiously, in the end of his semester examination, it was
asked exactly as he was given in Number 2. It was worth 10
marks.
One common tactic many students use for science
laboratory classes is to find a graded laboratory notebook
from a previous year.
Laboratory work is notoriously difficult with respect to time
limitation and what is expected from a student’s lab report.
Having a format to follow along with is a phenomenal help.
Knowing where to avoid mistakes is fundamental as well.
Optimistic Mentality : Some students die many times before
their academic death. How can a student gain admission
into a school and the first thing he hears is “you can never
make a First Class”, “they won’t give you”.
Well, I don’t believe this. This is what kills many students.
How can you go to battle with a defeatist mentality and
expect to win? Many First Class students defy these
“messengers of doom” and pursue their target optimistically.
As a Jambite, what you hear are stories of one Lagbaja that
shattered school records, or one Saka that effortlessly broke
any record breakable. You even hear of stories of students
that had graduated since the 1970s.

These are stories that motivate you, not some tale by
moonlight about a sadist lecturer denying you First class.
This is another very vital feature of First Class students. They
don’t believe cock and bull stories.
Put God first: Ultimately, God is very important. Always
remember that God is the owner of all knowledge and gives
only to those who he wishes to. Learn to always put God first
before every lecture, test or exam. He is the only one who
can see you through. The above are just helpful human
factors.

These are just the most important attributes one needs to
make first class. There are more factors to be considered
which may have been omitted. Feel free to share your
opinion in the comment section.

Nationalism in Africa - African Nationalism After World War II

The next significant event in the development of African
nationalism was World War II. Nearly two million Africans
were recruited as soldiers, porters, and scouts for the Allies
during the war. When these soldiers returned home, they
returned to colonial states that still considered them
inferior. Many veterans had expected that their dedication
to colonial governments would be recognized and they
would be rewarded accordingly. This was not to be, and
these soldiers returned home to conditions worsened by a
weak global economy. Because they had fought to protect
the interests of the colonial powers only to return to the
exploitation and indignities of colonial rule, these men
became bitter and discontented.

In 1945, the Pan-African Manchester Congress in England
marked a turning point because it attempted to address the
needs of all blacks. Pan-Africanism began to stress common
experiences of blackness and sought the liberation of all
black people around the world. African leaders became
more influential in the movement as they used it to attack
colonial rule, and the movement would become more
African-based after 1945.
Pan-Africanism proved very popular among nationalist
African leaders because it offered a way for them to
overcome both regionalism and ethnic divides by stressing
commonalities and a common oppression. By the 1950s,
Pan-Africanism had profoundly influenced almost every
African nationalist leader: Kwame Nkrumah, Kenyatta,
Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda (1964–1991; Zambia), Haile
Selassie (1892–1975; Ethiopia), Albert Luthuli (c. 1898–1967;
South Africa), and Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904–1996; Nigeria), all
were deeply affected by the movement.
Kwame Nkrumah is regarded as the father of "Africanized"
Pan-Africanism. Nkrumah detested colonial rule. Schooled in
the United States, he was deeply influenced by the African
American civil rights struggle, and began to emphasize the
similarities between those struggles and those of African
peoples. He argued that African workers and peasants
needed to reclaim their independence, and advocated the
use of force if necessary. For this to happen, Africans had to
shed their strong ethnic or religious identities and see
themselves simply as black or African rather than Yoruba or
Fante. Nkrumah's intense disdain for colonial rule, zealous
enthusiasm for independence, and the ideal of a United
States of Africa made him popular among Africans
throughout the continent. Nkrumah argued that they could
not look to any outside power for support, and believed that
foreign economic and political forces eroded African values.
He also disagreed with the idea of returning to "African
tradition." Instead, he argued that a new African identity
must be created out of Islam, Christian, and traditional
cultures.
Nnamdi Azikiwe was a prominent Pan-Africanist and an
important thinker. Unlike most Pan-Africanists, Azikiwe
rejected various aspects of Africa's past such as chieftaincy
and informal education. He also rejected Nkrumah's united
Africa, and advocated the use of colonial boundaries to
define nations. For him, a united Africa meant cooperation,
but not an actual unification of the continent. As Nigeria
achieved independence and rapidly moved toward
regionalism, Azikiwe abandoned his Pan-Africanist ideals for
regional politics.

Pan-Africanism reinforced notions of black pride, and
African history was used to foster a national identity. Many
nationalist leaders stressed past empires (for example, the
Mali and Asante), achievements (such as those of great
Zimbabwe and ancient Egypt), and leaders (Shaka Zulu [c.
1787–1828] and Emperor Menelik of Ethiopia [1844–1913]
among them) as a means to instill pride among African
peoples. By stressing the continent's successes throughout
its history, African leaders sought to convince their followers
of their own worth and that Europeans were not superior to
them. Again, the aim was to restore pride in Africa and
create a sense of unity that nations could use to foster
nationalism.

African women were major contributors to resistance to
colonial rule and the promotion of nationalism. Many argue
that women fared the worst under colonial rule.
Governments such as those in Rhodesia, Kenya, and South
Africa sought to restrict women's movement and even
banned them from urban areas. In rural areas, they were
often expected to maintain food production and raise
children while their husbands rotted in jails, migrated to
other areas in search of wage labor, or fought in wars (both
in World War II and various liberation struggles). These
women did not idly sit back and allow colonial governments
to impinge on their rights, and, in response to their harsh
situation under colonial rule, they organized protests,
boycotts, workers' strikes, and demonstrations. In Kenya,
Zimbabwe, Algeria, and other areas that attempted armed
struggle, women as well as men carried messages, spied,
and prepared meals. Overall, their impact on the
anticolonial and nationalist movements throughout Africa
was profound.

While Africans were widely successful in fostering
nationalism in order to overthrow colonial oppressors,
maintaining this unity after independence proved far more
difficult. African nationalism was overtly anticolonial. For
these nationalist movements, energy was concentrated on
gaining freedom rather than planning how to run a country
once freedom was achieved. Overthrowing colonial regimes
was quite difficult, so these leaders could not afford to
spend manpower, funds, and effort planning how to govern
their new nations if they were successful.

In Togo, Atakpame keeps Yoruba language alive

An ethnic group in Atakpame, Togo, hold on to a distinct
brand of Yoruba they inherited from their forefathers, writes
AKEEM LASISI, just back from the West African country
Denise Fantchede would have been a Nigerian but for an
accident of history. She would, most likely, have been an
indigene of Ile-Ife in Osun State. But she is a native of
Atakpame, a community in Togo and one of those whose
ancestors migrated to the West African country when tribal
wars raged in the 17th century.
Yet, the same history that changed the course of her descent
has made her multilingual.
Fantchede speaks French, which is Togo’s official language.
She speaks English, which she learnt in school and in
neighbouring Ghana. She is also fluent in Ewe, one of the
indigenous languages in Atakpame. Most importantly, her
mother tongue is Ife, which some scholars would call Ife
Togo, an ‘independent’ Yoruba dialect spoken by the
majority of Atakpame indigenes, who trace their origins to
Ile-Ife.
Like Atakpame, like Idanre
In terms of landmark, Atakpame shares some similarities
with Ibadan and Abeokuta. While the capital cities of Oyo
and Ogun States flaunt the Olumo Rock and Oke Ibadan as
their ancestral symbols, respectively, Atakpame, a
settlement town that is about 160 kilometres away from
Lome, the Togolese capital, defines its origin by seven
mountains that surround it.
Just like many other towns in Yorubaland, where myths are
explored to trace the people’s roots, Atakpame’s history is
not complete without reference to the mountains. According
to some elders of the town, the rocks played supernatural
roles when the natives were engaged in battles with other
ethnic groups. This is how Atakpame also shares
topographical and historical similarities with Idanre, Ondo
State, a town famed for the huge and acrobatic mountains
that surround it.
According to Fantchede, Ife Togo is widely used in Atakpame
because the people, who trace their descent to Ile-Ife, are
the dominant group there. She, however, expresses concern
over the future of the language because not many young
people speak it.
She says, “The number of young people who speak Ife here
is decreasing because of changes in the society and the fact
that it is not taught in schools. But I speak it any time I have
the opportunity to do so. Our elders also use it constantly.”
Strange bed fellows
As a result of the entrenched cross-fertilisation that Ife Togo
has had with French, Ewe, et cetera, it is easier for the
Yoruba in Lome, Cotonou and Ajase, among others, to
understand one another than for the immigrant Yorubas in
Lome to understand Ife Togo speakers in Atakpame – and
vice versa.
A Yoruba scholar, Dr. Felix Fabunmi, notes that a language
that is spoken by many people, such as Yoruba, usually has
dialects that may differ from one another. In a research he
conducted on Ife numerals, the lecturer at the Obafemi
Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, acknowledges Ife Togo, Ife
Benin, Tsabe, Ajase and Idaatsa, which he describes as
Yoruboid, being “the mother tongues of speech communities
whose forefathers migrated from Nigeria to Dahomey, now
Republic of Benin.” This invariably covers the brand spoken
in Togo, too.
Fabunmi notes in a study titled ‘Vigesimal Numerals on Ife
(Togo) and Ife (Nigeria) Dialects of Yoruba’, “Today, the
capital of Ife (Togo) is Atakpame. The Ifè (Togo) dialect of
Yoruba is spoken by approximately 90,000 people in
Atakpame and the speakers stretch from the Benin
boundary up to Atakpame in Togo.
“The majority of these Ife settlers migrated from Ija-Oku in
former Dahomey into the Togolese territory and
subsequently founded the city of Atapkame.
“There are several other early settlers or ethnic groups in
Atakpame, such as Fon, Ewe, Aposo, Kabrelosso and
Ketokoli, but the people of Seti, Jama and Igberiko are
predominantly Ife. Other Ife (Togo) villages where speakers
of Ife reside include Alabata, Okutaya, Efujaye, Oko Asade,
Asoko Ayepada and Yanmosile.”
Ife Togo is well tone-marked
Yoruba is a tonal language, comprising the high, mid and
low tones. That is how a word such as ‘odo’ can mean
different things as the tone changes. These include odo
(mortar), odo (river) and odo (zero). Also, ‘ere’ can be
translated as play, sculpture and profit in different contexts
and with different tonal marks, just as ‘agbon’ can be a word
for basket, coconut or wasp.
Investigation by our correspondent reveals that the Ife Togo
dialect retains the tonal property of the Yoruba language.
Apart from the inflexions that the natives interviewed
demonstrate in their speeches, words in the books that our
correspondent bought in Atakpame are duly tone-marked.
Perhaps the only difference is that the mid tone, which is no
more marked in the modern Nigerian Yoruba language, is
still marked in Ife Togo.
Indeed, our observation also shows that Ife Togo has not
responded to the series of orthographical changes that the
standard Yoruba has experienced, especially since the early
1970s. As a result, while Yoruba grammar now forbids the
collocation of two consonants in a word, which makes Offa,
Otta, Oshogbo and Ogbomosho to be written nowadays as
Ofa, Ota, Osogbo and Ogbomoso, Ife Togo still flaunts words
such as nwon (they), itsu (yam) and Atakpame itelf!
As another Yoruba scholar, Mr. Mudasir Alabi, however,
notes, Ife Togo is as rich as any other dialect of the
language. Based on his observation in some of the books, he
notes that what it may also have lost in terms of the words
that the standard Yoruba borrowed from English and other
Nigerian languages, it has gained through its relationship
with French and other languages in Atakpame and Togo in
general.
“But I could also see that Ife Togo uses phonological
symbols in its writing of Yoruba vowels and consonants like
‘o’ and ‘j’,” Alabi says.
Highly imagistic
Our correspondent further observes that the Atakpame
variant of Yoruba is also imagistic. A review of the Ife Togo
Bible and other story books bought by our correspondent
that it is deep enough to produce a rich literature and
writers the way the Yoruba Language has produced great
works and writers that include Wole Soyinka, Niyi Osundare,
Amos Tutuola, Olawuyi Ogunniran and Lanrewaju Adepoju.
Our investigation does not reveal any major writer in Ife
Togo, but we came across artistes, especially singers who
have popularised the language in their works. Among them
is Victor Star, who has released several albums, including
‘Nonu-Etse-Yeesu’, which can be translated as ‘Thank You
Jesus’.
“She is a very popular singer in Atakpame. Many people like
her and she uses Ife in most of her songs,” Fanknede says.
Our correspondent also visited a pharmacy shop operated
by Kujo Akpo, where Ife si the medium of communication
with customers.
Like the Red Sea
Nagbe Kotannoa is very proud of the exploits of the
forefathers of the Ife people of Atakpame. A historian,
culture promoter and musician, Kotannoa is, in Atakpame,
synonymous with the Tchebe traditional art, whose features
are largely traceable to what obtains among the Yoruba in
Nigeria. Particularly, he promotes the pole dance, a variant
of what the Yoruba call ‘ageere’. In different parts of South-
West Nigeria, ageere dancers entertain people at socio-
cultural events, just as some of them work with
masqueraders.
Kotannoa, who worked in collaboration with Emmanuel
Lambert to produce ‘Thebe: Danse Traditional au Togo’, a
book that documents the activities of Tchebe dancers,
agrees with the authorities that trace the history of Ife Togo
to Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
According to Kotannoa, he and his people were, in the past,
referred to as ‘Anago’. But they rejected the term because
they believe it is derogatory. So, they opted for Ife, which
describes both the people and the variant of Yoruba they
speak.
He says, “Ife people came from Egypt. But our ancestors and
scholars also noted that we first got to Ile-Ife in Nigeria. Our
fathers lived in Ile-Ife for many years. Many of them were
babalawos (native doctors) and hunters. The tribal wars
sacked them from Ile-Ife.”
Kotannoa adds that while some people stayed in Nigeria, the
Ife Togo’s forefathers left. First, they settled in Benin
Republic, but had to move on when another war broke out.
He narrates the exploits of the adventurers in the bush,
including their encounter with a strange being called Akuda,
who relished dancing mesmerisingly on top of a tree.
According to him, Akuda was a one-eyed, one-breasted and
a one-legged being. A spiritualist would later tell them that
anytime they had a problem, all they needed to do was to
dance Akuda’s Thebee dance. The ‘drug’ became so potent
for them that even when they wanted to celebrate any
season, Akuda’s dance was top on the menu. Of course, the
dance, till today, features in Ife Togo’s annual New Yam
Festival.
Kotannoa adds that when war eventually pushed the people
to the present location in Togo, which had yet to be named
Atakpame then, they met the Udu people, said to be of
Ghanaian origin. But they were later outnumbered by the
Nigerian migrants.
Eventually, a prominent tree called Atakpara, from where
the people get chewing stick till today, inspired a name that
all the tribes agreed could define them.
“Atakpara was adjusted to Atakparame until it was finally
shortened to Atakpame,” Kotannoa notes.
The Ife in Togo also pay homage to the seven mountains –
especially the Oke Ekpa, the way natives of Ibadan pay
homage to Okebadan (Ibadan Mountain) and the Egba
salute Olumo Rock in Nigeria.
Kotannoa explains that at a point the fight became heated,
the Mount Ekpa opened and allowed the Ife Togo people to
pass through to the other side. It closed as soon as the last
person crossed.
He adds, “When the enemies got there, the mountain
opened again, but immediately swallowed all of them. It
swallowed them like the Red Sea. So, whenever we want to
celebrate Odun Itshu – the Yam Festival – our men go to Oke
Ekpa to perform the ceremony,” Kotannoa enthuses.
He gives the names of the other mountains as Oke Ologbo,
Akposo, Omi Kosi, Agama, Aru Egidigbe and Batabali.
A visit to the mountains by our correspondent showed that
they surround the town, which corroborates Kotannoa’s
assertion that they serve as a wall of defence for the people.
Not much is, however, going on there, perhaps in terms of
the need to really turn them into tourist attractions.
Echoes of Oyo Empire
While official figures say Atakpamé is the fifth largest city in
Togo by population (84,979 inhabitants in 2006), sources
identify the ‘Battle of Atakpame’ as one of the major wars
the people fought in 1764. That year, the town had played
host to a clash between “the rebellious Akyem vassal state
with the help of Yoruba mercenaries of the Oyo Empire and
the Dahomeans against the forces of the Ashanti Empire
under their Asantehene , Kosi Oboadum.
“The result of the battle was a crushing defeat of the Ashanti
forces and the death of their Juabenhene (head of one of
the royal clans). The repercussion of this defeat by the Oyo
Empire was the destoolment of Kusi Obodum, who was
replaced by a much younger and charismatic Asantehene,
Osei Kwadwo Okoawia,” an online source says.
However, there are no indications that the Yoruba in
Atakpame in any way pay allegiance to or maintain any
relationship with the Oyo heritage in Nigeria. But our
correspondent saw sights and sounds of Yorubaland,
including ‘real’ pounded yam (and not mechanised poundo
yam), moinmoin and akara, which were on sale, as part of
the cultural heritage of the Ife Togo people that their
ancestors must have taken from Ife.
Here, names also have meanings
In Yoruba, as is obtainable in many other African languages,
most native names have meanings and are usually symbolic.
‘Babawale’ means ‘Our father has returned home’. That is
why it is usually given to a boy born after the passage of a
father in the family. Its feminine counterpart is ‘Yetunde’,
‘Yewande’ or ‘Iyabo’, names given to a girl born after the
death of a mother.
Atakpame people of Yoruba origin still keeps this tradition.
For instance, Kotannoa says his full name is ‘Afo-kotana’ or
‘Afo-kotan-ninu’, meaning when people talk or say
something, a lot is still buried in their stomachs (minds).
Also. Agounkey explains that his name literally suggests ‘Ma-
gun-mi-ke’, suggesting ‘Ma-gun-mi-ni-kese’ – ‘Don’t push me
too much’ or ‘don’t push me with your elbow’, or,
metaphorically, ‘don’t push me to the wall/‘don’t provoke
me’.
Playing politics with Ife?
Although Kotannoa concedes that Ife Togo is neither official
nor taught in schools, he believes that the language cannot
die. While this contrasts with Fentchede’s position, who fears
that a language not embraced by the elite is endangered,
Kotannoa says, “Ife already dominates other languages in
Atakpame. Even Udu people now speak Ife. But Ife people
don’t speak Udu.”
Experts have argued that it is not possible to separate
language from politics. So it seems for Ife Togo and the local
politics in Atakpame.
Since Ife people trace their roots to Ile-Ife in Nigeria, one
would expect that they would physically maintain their link
with their origin. But this does not seem to be so. Chatting
with Kotannoa, for instance, our correspondent wondered
why Atakpame did not send any delegation to Ile-Ife when
the new Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, was recently
installed. His response indicates that Ife Togo would
ordinarily want to oil its link with Yorubas in Nigeria, but
there are some political issues at home.
According to him, some politicians in Atakpame, at a point,
wanted to fly sentiments that the Ife Togo people were not
Togolese but Nigerians. Because this could weaken the Ife
Togo people’s chances, they, too, have learnt not to take
steps that their opponents could exploit to campaign against
them.
Church to the rescue
Recalling that it was Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther that
translated the Bible into Yoruba, it is interesting to find out
that a Christian organisation is in the forefront of the
propagation of Ife Togo in Atakpame. The group, the
Association Chretienne pour l’Alphabetisation et la
Traduction de la Bible en Langue Ife (the Christian
Association for Bible Translation and Literacy Programmes)
otherwise called ACATBLI, organises tutorials in the
language, with a focus on people who never had the
opportunity to acquire or learn it before.
As Crowther did, one of the main achievements of the non-
governmental organisation is the translation of the Bible
into Ife Togo. Titled ‘Iwe-Odaye Imole-Ikannyi’ (Iwe Idaye
Imole Ikeyin, that is The New Testament), the 635-page
publication is already in the hands of many people, with
ACATBLI’s Director, Kaleb Agounkey, saying only 2,000 copies
are now in stock, from the 11,000 produced in 2009.
The organisation’s literacy programmes are also being
supported with several other books it has published. Among
them are ‘Les Peuples Ife et Leur Origine’ – being a
comparative analysis of Ife Togo and an ancient Egyptian
language; ‘Obe Dictionnaire Ife-Francais’, which is an Ife
Togo-French dictionary.
While there are also several publications on different books
of the Bible, one other major lecture books produced by
ACATBLI is ‘Gbale-ee Tana o Gba Ona’ – ‘Gbale ki o to Gba
Ona’, literally meaning ‘sweep your home before you sweep
the road’. The idea here is to help Ife Togo people to protect
their identity even when they have to promote other values.
Agounkey says the project was started by partners who
came together in 1981. They began by developing the
phonetics and phonology of Ife Togo. The project covers
Bible translation, literacy and social development.
The director says the training that the centre gives to people
is not free, but it gets some funding from some
organisations, which it uses to settle some of the bills.
He adds, “When one of our partners who came from Sweden
went back to her country, she helped in getting some
funding from the Swedish government and other
organisations. We also work with Ife people who work in
other parts of Togo and Benin, because the area they occupy
is very large.”
Agounkey says ACATBLI teaches 3,000 people Ife annually
and it has, since the beginning of the campaign, trained up
to 25,000 people in the art of speaking and writing the
language.
“I am glad that a lot of people and the language are gaining
from our efforts. Other tribes have published and dedicated
their own New Testaments, but no one buys them.
“In our own case, many people, especially those from
different churches such as the Catholic, Anglican and Deeper
Life, use ours. Some congregations and a church like the
Deeper Life conduct all their programmes in Ife – their
sermons, songs and all. Many churches who conduct theirs
in French interpret it in Ife,” the director notes.
While ACATBLI holds some programmes at its centre where
it also operates a library and runs a printing section for its
publications, its men go round to teach the language in
various places. They also train leaders or representatives of
churches, associations and other groups, who go back to
teach their members. The challenges the institution faces,
the director says, include inadequate funding, apathy on the
part of the ‘new generation’ to work for God and health
hazards to which his workers are exposed when moving
from one place to another.
Nigerian films subtitled in Ife
Unlike Atakpame politicians, Agounkey hopes to network
with Nigeria. He will, therefore, welcome any initiative that
can make that happen. Specifically, he wants to work with
Nigerian film and music producers in such a way that
ACABTLI can translate their works into Ife Togo. He believes
there is a market waiting to absorb that.
But, while Agounkey is genuinely expecting that, some
pirates may have started reaping where they did not sow in
this regard. Our correspondent visited some film and music
shops in Atakpame, where he found out that several
Nigerian works are not only on sale, some of them have also
been translated or subtitled in French, Ife and some other
Togolese and Beninois languages – under very suspicious
circumstances.
Among the works sighted and bought by the journalist are
‘Ameka ye L’adem’ (featuring the likes of Funke Akindele and
Ini Edo); ‘Jalousie’ (Aki and Pawpaw) and ‘Flavi
Tiata’ (featuring Olu Jacobs and other Nigerian actors).
Stressful trip
By road, a trip from Nigeria to Togo ought to be fun-filled.
Ordinarily, it should give a traveller the opportunity to
experience three West African countries, with Republic of
Benin in the middle of the three.
He wants to sit by the window of the bus to see villages, see
people selling different things by the road side and have
access to one or two things he would like to buy. If he is a
nature freak, he wants to smell the flora and fauna of
different African towns and villages.
But that may really not be on an international route like the
Lagos-Cotounu-Lome. As this correspondent experienced, a
lot of fun killers are waiting for the dreamer almost
everywhere. First, how can a journey calculated to last six
hours, which eventually lasts 10 hours or more, spin excitement? Within Lagos, it took one about three hours to reach the bus terminus in Mile 2, the Cotounu-Badagry end of the geography, from the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway end the journalist took off from.

At Mile 2, we had to spend some four hours as the bus endlessly waited for passengers. Yet, when we eventually left Mile 2, we were filled with the hope that within six hours, we would be in Lome. But two hours after, the bus still did not get to Badagry, not to talk of Cotounu, as the road was
bedevilled by traffic jams.

Between Badagry and Lome, the bus had to stop many times, at checkpoints where the principal target of security. guys is money, money and more money. Even at the borders where Customs and other agents are waiting like hungry lions, many passengers had to part with various sums of un-receipted cefas.

The story was the same when this correspondent was returning from Togo. For one, be it at Seme or Cotounu- Lome boundary, West African borders are so rowdy, porous and corrupt that one could be tempted to think that the region is a million years away from civilisation.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): The Consequences and Challenges

Circumcision otherwise known as Female Genital Mutilation
(FGM) is the greatest crime committed by 'man' against
humanity and the most greatest atrocity ever committed
under the sun and most disastrous episode in
underdeveloped nations


Summer is here. By the end of the season, many children in
the United States and U.K. will have undergone FGM.
Despite the existence of laws and policies to safeguard
against FGM in the U.S., 50,795 women and girls across the
country are at risk of undergoing FGM
.
It is estimated that over 140 million girls and women alive
today have undergone some form of FGM
.
World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than
125 million girls and women alive today have been cut in the
29 countries in Africa and Middle East
where FGM is concentrated.
FGM Implications FGM includes procedures that
intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital
organs for non-medical reasons (WHO).
FGM is normally carried out on young girls from infancy to
15 years of age. The type of FGM performed depends on a
girl's culture and religious or geographical background.
WHO has classified FGM into four categories. A close scrutiny
of the types of FGM reveals a deep-seated fiendishness and
the gravity of the practice.
Clitoridectomy involves partial or total removal of the
clitoris and/or the prepuce while Excision entails partial or
total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or
without excision of the labia majora.
Infibulation requires narrowing of the vaginal opening
through the creation of a covering seal formed by cutting
and repositioning the inner or outer labia, with or without
removal of the clitoris.
In addition, FGM may include other harmful procedures, e.g.
pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterizing the
genital area.
In poor countries, the procedures are mostly performed
under poor hygienic conditions often with unsterilized
equipment, e.g. rusted blades/knives that can cause
infections.
In communities where large groups of girls are cut on the
same day as part of a socio-cultural rite, there are increasing
risks of HIV transmission through use of shared instrument
for a number of operations.
Also, when FGM procedure is done under a traditional
setting with no anesthetic or medical treatment, victims
often endure prolonged excruciating pain and extended
recovery time.
Ttreating women as a second class citizen is a bad
tradition." By President Barack Obama, Global
Entrepreneurship Summit Tour to Africa. Nairobi, Kenya. 26
July 2015. (Source: CNN News)
Immediate FGM complications include severe pain, shock,
hemorrhage (bleeding), tetanus or sepsis (bacterial
infection), urine retention and open sores in the genital
region and injury to nearby genital tissue that can also result
into secondary infections.
The long-term consequences comprise cysts, menstrual
difficulties, recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections,
increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn
deaths, possible blood-borne infections such as Hepatitis B
& HIV, scarring and keloid.
The damage to the urethra during FGM may lead to obstetric
fistula and urethral strictures.
For those who've undergone Infibulation, the need for later
surgeries to allow for sexual intercourse and childbirth
presents further health risks and complications.
The long-term emotional impacts and psychological trauma,
though immeasurable, are irreparable and life-long.
Infertility is another long-term consequence of FGM.
Ironically, in various cultures where FGM is practiced,
infertility is considered a woman's fault. Women with
infertility problems often experience isolation and exclusion
especially by community members notably in-laws.
Beyond the physical, emotion and psychological impacts,
lies the shame that FGM victims have to persevere. Many
women are embarrassed to seek regular genealogical check-
ups and medical treatments.
That was the case with a woman who endured abdominal
pain for 15 years but did not seek treatment from a doctor
due to shame.
FGM Challenges Ending FGM entails a little more than just
telling someone or a group to stop the practice. A clear
understanding of these challenges can help steer way into
achieving an end to the practice.
The first of a host of FGM challenges is the fact that many
victims may not necessarily be aware that they are "victims"
due to a young age or as a result of being entrenched into a
cultural belief.
Victims may not be aware of the source of the
gynaecological complications that they experience, e.g., a
woman may grow up believing that pain during sex is
normal. After all, that's all she has known.
Girls grow up knowing that FGM is part of their tradition or
identity and because they want a continuation of this into
the next generation, when they become parents, they are
more likely to have their children undergo FGM as well.
In essence, FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls
and women. In his speech in Nairobi-Kenya, US president
Barack Obama condemned FGM practice and stressed on
the need for gender equality: "Treating women as a second
class citizen is a bad tradition," he said, to the applause of
his listeners.
Complicity by health care professionals who perform FGM
legitimizes the practice by creating a false sense of security.
For as long as FGM is performed by a nurse or a medical
practitioner, it is perceived as "safe" and "mild."
Sometimes FGM is termed "female circumcision" or "female
cutting." These names make it sound as though FGM is
counterpart to male circumcision.
It is obvious that FGM is not simply a "female version" of
male circumcision. The social, physical, psychological,
emotional and the health implications of the two are
adversely divergent.
In 2012, The American Academy of Pediatrics published a
report
that concluded that the health benefits of newborn male
circumcision outweigh the risks. There are no such benefits
associated with FGM.
WHO also had a report that male circumcision can reduce
the spread of HIV. The validity of this finding remains
controversial, but if true, unfortunately women who undergo
FGM are unable to amass such gains.
That said, it should be noted that even though the health
risks associated with FGM far outweigh those linked to male
circumcision, the latter procedure is not without its share of
dangers.
Male circumcision has the potential to cause injuries to the
urethra as well. It can also cause excessive bleeding and
death.
National Health Service (NHS) reports that male circumcision
reduces sensitivity, i.e., that uncircumcised men experience
more pleasure during sex than their circumcised
counterparts.
Another FGM challenge revolves around the fact that
whenever FGM is simply dismissed as a cultural practice, not
too many people from outside of the culture where it is
practiced are likely to condemn it, due to fear of "meddling
in a people's culture."
Lack of actions at grassroots and political levels denies FGM
a platform as a health and social priority.
The secrecy surrounding FGM practices in certain cultures,
shields the practice from the outside world. It is this
confidentiality that sometimes allows for FGM procedures to
go undetected even in places with laws and policies to
safeguard against it.
In 2011, Kenya passed a law that makes FGM illegal and yet,
in some parts of the country, the practice persists. In those
areas, FGM practice is deeply rooted into the culture that
some lawmakers may find it difficult enforcing the law.
In many cultures, FGM is a respected tradition that's linked
to purity and community acceptance. Having a
"breakthrough" in such cultures may pose challenges as
well.
To date, there is no scientific evidence that suggests any
benefits of FGM.
Many FGM victims often find themselves subdued in a
societal/cultural/religious quagmire where on the one hand,
there exists a compelling need to sustain a "sense of
belonging" to their communities and on the other hand, they
are judged and obliged to conform to antiquated norms that
threaten and degrade the very existence for which they
strive.
There still exists enormous need to create FGM awareness.