A century of Nigerian women's support

Yinka Ojo

Nike Oshinowo is leading the search for a queen who would promote the history, diverse beauty, customs, unity and celebrate the rich cultural heritage Nigeria possesses.

The role of a woman in the society can never be overemphasised. In Nigeria, the heroics of Queen Fatima, who built the great wall of Zaria; Moremi Ajansoro and the liberation of the people of Ile Ife; the Abiola wives and their contribution to the democracy we now enjoy, serve as apt examples of the role women play, and can play, as a uniting factor in any society.

There is simply no culture in the world, present or past, where the role of a woman can be undervalued. It may appear like they are under represented in some or second-rated in others but like the backbone that is hardly praised for the beauty of the body, flourishing societies owe their success to the universal gift that is a woman.

Great warlords may erect statues in remembrance of themselves or name territories after their exploits but the place of a woman is in the things of the heart; the best of songs and most beautiful of arts. Their beauty has spurred nations to war and men to battle. In the 100 years of Nigeria's existence; a woman named it, and in just 15 years of its existence, her women staged the riot that stamped their position as a force to reckon with. Women sustain the family, train and support the leaders that have stared the ship of the nation at every point. HID Awolowo still remains the symbol of a political dynasty that shaped leadership in Africa as a whole.

As the nation marks her centenary, the search for a queen to serve as a symbol of everything a woman stands for has become a task close in prominence to the call for independence, the task of evolving a flag or an anthem. It is the search for an enduring queen to symbolise Nigerian womanhood. Let us all support the making of another dream to see us through the next century as we search for a queen that will rule for the next 100 years.

No trophy for suffering

Ade bent to press the spot just below his ankle for the umpteenth time and the resulting pain surged through him as usual. He is trying to grow stoic with each torturous step. He balanced his frame tenderly on the strong right foot and support it with a precarious stand on the painful right foot, he limped on.

“Don't you think you should consult a doctor on this leg, I think it's taking too long to heal and it seems to get bad sef” Jade, her sister, watched as Ade limped and groaned at intervals.

He popped two caplets of Ibuprofen and gulped it with a cup of water for the third time in the day and it was just midday.

Ahem! Clears throat. “It'll go. It will heal, I just need to endure a little more” he said.

“A little more till it's ripe for amputation abi?” his mother cut in.

“Ah ! God forbid o, what kind of wish is that?” He said frowning as he hanged the left leg resting on the right and leaning on the door frame. He was becoming increasingly pained and irritated with the sore which has refused to heal and spreading towards his knee.

“Iwo lo mon. I won't watch while you kill yourself in silence. I've told Daddy Ogunronbi about it and he promised to check on you after work today. If you like do like limpopo away and be absent when he comes around. Thank God you know everyone in my family, we don't have a 'gurugu' and you can see me too (she stretches her limbs to display health and fitness).

Ade has been enduring the pain for a year now but he has kept it to himself. It started as a little bump just below his ankle with a strange tingling sensation spreading to his knee and he could feel it up his to hips. Now the tenderness has spread all through his left leg. His family had thought it was an injury sustained from his pursuit of stardom through football. The extent of the pain became known about a week ago when he couldn't hide it any longer, the grotesque figure he cut while walking or standing gave him up.

Despite the nagging pain Ade has refused to visit any hospital, today will be different, he really wished to know what it was that was devouring his leg.

…................................

After careful examination, Ogunronbi, a senior nurse, removed his glove and looked straight into Ade's eyes with a hint of hopelessness.

“Ade, (he sighs) why have you kept mute over something as serious as this”?

Ade gave him the can-it-be-worse look.

“Okay, it has spread wide and you'll need to see a doctor. I hope it's not as bad as I think, but I can tell you this is very bad”

….................................

Only God knew what the old nurse told Ade's mum, but she was gloomy for the rest of the night looking at him like a living-dead. He would get to know as the doctor finished analysing the test results.

“You said you are 22 years old?” the doctor asked.

“Yes sir, by next week I'll be” Ade answered as calm as he could but anyone listening could tell anxiety in his voice.

“You are a very strong man...(taps his pen on the big x-ray result envelope) to have withstand such pain this long”

Ade looked down on himself with a little sense of justification and piety.

“But, it's a pity there is no compensation for suffering in silence. You'll have to celebrate your birthday without your left leg” the doctor paused a little for effect and continued speaking before Ade could say a word.

“We must ampuatate the leg immediately. So call me your mum”

Ade looked at his leg and muffled the scream roaring through his lungs as he limped out of the doctor's office.

“Oko mi, what did he say” the mum rushed to meet him.

“Ah! Maami aye mi ti baje o, they said they'll cut my leg” as he lounged to hold her he hit his leg against a gurney.

He fainted!

Dada, the devil wrestler, is dead!

Kenny felt she had escaped the troubles and crisis for the day as she helped her mum to dinner and looked forward to bed as her throbbing muscles craved rest and she strategised for the coming days in her head. But she knew it was the beginning of the rest of the day for her immediately she heard a rude knock on the front door, it must be a parent of one of the boys she dealt with, she thought to herself. It was a bigger surprise, Mr Dada was at the door!

Stepping into the living room she sighted 'the beast' with koboko and canes as if going for a masquerade show. Dressed in just her fluffy night wear, Kenny knew she had murdered sleep that night.

“Iwo, you think you can run away from my grip? Before you turn bad I will basterdise all your buttocks”

“Emi Charles O-o o layinka”, he stammered beating his chest. “Emi onamoloju iya e"

I just want to show you that evil has no hiding place with me. Egberun Saamu e ko le sa mo Olorun lowo. I will give you 25 strokes here on this centre table in the presence of your parents”

He quickly rearranged the centre table for the task and ordered the girl to lay flat on it as her parents watched in amazement.

Whip! Whap Whip! Whap!! whap!! the cane sang as each stroke made contact with her almost naked skin. Kenny tried to muffle the scream but Mr Dada was too adept in beating to miss the mark. After about 8 lashes she screamed in agony. Yeeeeeee! Mummmiiiii, yee, e gbami o! Aaaaaaaahhhh! Aye mi ti baje o!

“Don't worry, your life has not spoilt yet, but I'll spoil it for you if you dare come late to lesson tomorrow”

“Daddy, thank you. I must go now, I still have 4 other places to visit tonight. They are a group (stressing his last word) and I will show them that I Charles Olayinka will never condole any nonsense, over my dead body” he sauntered out the door as he barked order at his boys “Lanre, Tunde da? Oya let's go”

The news of the treatment melted on Kenny and her friends preceded them to school the next day, although no one was there, sighting the girls confirmed the story. Much as they try to fake the effect of the lashing they got the night before, their stepping betrayed them. None of them could sit comfortably in class. That was Mr. Dada for you, he wrestled the demon in every one of his students personally. He would never overlook the least act of deviance or rebellion.

Rumour had it that he was a black-belt karate fighter. I never get to ask him but seeing him fought the “Baba Cocoa boys” when his continuing education centre was at a primary school in Jabata, Oyo left me in no doubt. Alongside his friend, Broda Tunde, Mr. Tunde Owonikoko, they would fight and chase the boys out of the school premises. Mr Dada was fearless, bold and an excellent teacher. He literally opened our heads and poured integrated science into it.

Although a good teacher I would not have prayed to attend Mr. Dada's school if he had had one back then, for the fear of cane. He ran the Dynamic Continuing Education Centre, Oyo (DCECO0 with his friend. Theirs was a union made in heaven. Tunde Suulola was the one with business acumen, running the business aspect of the investment while Mr. Dada handled the pedagogy and discipline aspects, both were top-notch.

Mr. Dada taught Integrated Science at the junior secondary classes while Tunde Suulola taught Biology at the senior classes. The transition was smooth and it would be hard to attend DCECO from JSS to SSS3 and not pass Biology. They both made me love the sciences, especially Biology. Mr. Dada, as the pedagogical watch-dog could patrol the length and breadth of the school 50 times in a day, all between 3 and 6pm. Although with a squinted right eye, he was eagle-eyed.

Judging by his sight you could avoid or afford wrath. Those that knew his sight weakness always exploited it. While pointing at a defaulter or offender, be sure it wasn't you, if you judge by his sight you could think he was pointing at you rather than your classmate.

Woe betides you if Dada was around when a subject teacher pick a grouse with the class.

“Mr. Alao, they are making noise abi? Don't worry, you'll meet me as hard as a bullet, continue making the noise” In a space of 7 minutes he'ld be through with a class of about 30 students, two strokes of cane each.

No one would ever forget the bashing he gave Dare Akande and "Rocky". He caned them like he would kill them, we never knew he was wrestling the beast in them.

Mr Dada would beat you and ask your parents if you told them. "Se omo yin jise pe mo fi egba ba idi oun je?"

Exam period at the 'lesson' was much more fun and pressure than in school. If you could pass examination in DCECO you'll come out in flying colours in your school.

Mr. Dada shaped our lives greatly and seeing him after school was fun. As predicted or envisaged, his union with Tunde Sulola ended in catastrophe with the coming of women into their lives. Tunde went on to succeed as an educational businessman with fortune in external examinations and later a school. With the dwindling social value went the prospects of Mr.Dada as a strict disciplinarian and astute teacher.

If the liver ailment that killed him had come in person, I am very sure Broda Yinka would have wrestled it down. As death silenced his baritone voice of science teaching and quenched his thirst for quality education embroiled in discipline I wail in my soul, silently praying that his impact on our lives will be felt by those after us as we hope to keep his memories alive.

Rest on, my indefatigable teacher. If on your pilgrimage to yonder anyone raised doubt to your probity don't hesitate to come back to welcoming hands of loved ones.

Uniting Nigeria via the Unity Schools, scores apart

The ministry of education recently released the cut off mark for admission into Unity schools across the country and the disparity has generated so much controversies. Some people expressed their surprise that candidates from Anambra state have their cut off mark set at 139 (a decision the state has promised to challenge) while Adamawa students need to score as low as 64, Ekiti 119 and a Zamfara kid will be given admission with a score of 4 and 2 for male and female candidates respectively. A commentator described the ministry's decision as a debasing of the Federal character system while other respondents felt it was an attempt at promoting mediocrity, drawing back the nation's education system and one of the reasons for the fallen standard of education in the country. I object to every of the reasons above.

"Heaven I love thee"

     

             

                      Heaven I love thee

The abode of God                          My home to be

Not for your treasures                    I love you

Neither for the joy                         unending too

A lasting hope                               you are offering

After on earth                               an end to my suffering

                            Heaven I love thee

                                                                                                Ojo Olayinka

This is an attempt at depicting my love for heaven. No matter what and how you view heaven to be, from whatever perspective, it's all and the same.This poem is to be read as you wish.You can read from the first line "Heaven I love thee" through the dichotomous verses at once or from the first line through each verse separately. You can read as a continuum starting from the first line and through the verses whichever you choose to be the first. You can read following the same arrangement from bottom-up. You should try and read it at least in 12(twelve) to twenty different ways. You can try alternating the lines diagonally.I hope you'll get your muse of heaven reading this.

10 richest players at the 2013 Confederation Cup

As the 2013 FIFA Confederation Cup kicks off in Brazil, the biggest and the richest names, Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are not in the competition but there are couples of money bags around. Below is a list of 10 richest footballers that will dazzle the world in the next few days and hope to boost their earnings with a win.

1. David Villa (Barcelona) - £37m

David Villa’s fortune has been tied to his transfer in the La liga. He has benefited 15% of his £10 million transfer fees to Valencia in 2005 and £34m to Barcelona in 2010. Barcelona offered him a contract worth £94,000-a-week, with up to £814,000 a year on offer through bonuses.

The Spanish striker has been an important member of the Spanish side that conquered the world winning the World Cup and the European Championship.

As la Roja's all-time top goalscorer, Villa will hope to push further his goal tallies at the confederation cup.

The striker also rake in revenue from lucrative and long-running agreement with Adidas, and sponsorship agreements with Big Cola, Mahou, Maxibon and Gameloft.

2. Iker Casillas (Spain) - £30m

The all conquering Iker Casillas is the goalkeeper and captain of Spain. Although he was kept on the bench for a good part of the last season by Jose Mourinho, Del Bosquet dimmed it fit to bring the 30 million-dollar man to the competition.

The keeper has five Liga titles, two Champions League titles, a World Cup and two European Championship medals to his name, and at 31 he is already Spain’s most capped player having made 134 appearances for his country.

His current earning is from a £94,000-a-week deal and a further £488,000 a year in bonuses. Casillas enjoys several multi-million pound sponsorship deals with Adidas, Hyundai, Phillips, Head and Mahou. During Euro 2012 he also appeared in marketing campaigns for the likes of Iberd, Movistar, Chevrolet and Continental.

He boasts a £1.5m luxury mansion in northern Madrid and a three-story luxury mansion in his hometown of Avila.

3. Fernando Torres (Spain) - £25m

Fernando Torres has earned over 100 caps and helped his team to win a World Cup and two European Championships. He also picked up Champions League and FA Cup winners' medals with Chelsea in 2012 and the EUROPA cup in 2013.

The Spain international currently earn salary of $17m and has endorsements valued at $3m. Torres is ranked 72 among the Forbe's 100 richest athletes. The striker's fortune got a boost when he completed a record £50 million transfer from Liverpool in January 2011, that saw his weekly salary rise to £175,000 per week. He has endured a horrible spell at Chelsea since his arrival and will hope for better outing at the confederation cup.

4. Neymar (Brazil) £20 M

After several years in Santos, Neymar took the much expected move that boost his finances. The 21-year-old Brazilian superstar signed a five-year contract with Barcelona in May with a transfer fee of $74 million, after racking up 138 goals in 230 matches with Santos. Brazil is expected to make him the face of the 2014 World Cup. This will expectedly boost the striker's fortune even further.

“Esu Stadium”

Methodisti lo je'ko alagbon lo k'ewe, Idi ope lo sa'le je”

That's a song of victory, if you don't know. It simply means “Methodist ate the pap, Alagbon packed the wraps while Idi Ope picked the crumbs.”

It is a thing of pride to have graduated from a public primary school. If you don't have any stint at those LEAs and you are 30, then you must have missed important fun that trended in your generation. So this piece is a catch up for you and a reminiscence for those of us that rode on the back of those glorious days. We are proudly kpako! If you were butty in my time you were a 'borlor”

Every bird like to hear itself sing. So the song above could have the names of the schools mentioned inverted and disarranged. Trust me, that is the correct version, because I graduated from Akeetan Methodist primary School, Oyo. We are the Blues!

So many things were of fancy when we were in the primary school, although some were like rigorous routines but we endeavoured them diligently. The early morning devotion on the “line” as we call the assembly and the introductory greeting; “Class stand! Greet!” “Good moooorrrning ma” then the teacher would march in and peruse the class like a president inspecting a guard of honour. Then the roll call which usually starts from the Ades.

Okonjo Iweala can't stop politicians from spending - Sanusi

Despite her noble intentions at cutting the cost of governance and stabilising the nation's economy, the Minister of finance and Coordinating minister of the economy, Okonjo Iweala cannot win the war against politicians increased spending as the 2015 election approaches. This assertion was made by the Governor Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mallam Sanusi Lamido.

Lamido who gave this troubling submission in Lagos said increased government spending will keep the interest rate at the present benchmark of 12 percent and could spur increase in cash reserve requirement (CRR).

“Despite the best intentions of the finance minister, I don’t see her stopping politicians from spending money in 2014. She’s got all the intentions and all the commitments, but at the end of the day, she doesn’t approve the budget. So there is no way in an election year, when you are not going to have increased spending,” Lamido submitted.

Lamido pointed out that the federal government spending which hit over N2 trillion in four months will continue to grow especially now that it is spending huge amount of money in fighting terrorism and insecurity.

“So the point I am making is that if there is increased spending, what is likely going to happen will be higher interest rate. So people should not look forward to low interest rate at a time of increased government spending.

“There is higher risk of increasing the CRR than reducing it at this point in time. The central bank will have to respond in events of elevated spending."

Sanusi, the MPC members did not see any reason to reduce the benchmark interest rate at the last meeting, saying that “if we reduce the MPR, credit and lending to especially the real sector would go up.”

“ The CBN should not change rates for the sake of changing rates, we respond to situations. The government will spend more money; we will keep monetary policy very tight.”

Endings and beginnings

Whatever has a beginning must have an end, so goes the saying. But endings are rarely what they are, they usually usher in a new beginning, perfecting the cycle that is the shape of the world and things in it. Wednesday night at the Bernabeu was a perfect example of an end and a signpost for a new beginning. The day dawned for Mourinho on a sad note but it broke into a new beginning for Athletico Madrid who last tasted victory against the Galacticos in 1999.

It is obviously the end of the road for Mourinho in Madrid, however, it may open a new chapter in Chelsea's burgeoning history. Moyes is ending it with Everton to start a new era with Manchester United while Sir Ferguson is ending a 28 year long reign in the premiership to assume the geriatric role at the theatre of dreams.

Speaking of dreams, David Beckham feels its time to end his footballing dream and kick-start something new at 38. The English legend is bowing out with a Ligue 1 cup victory with PSG who would be witnessing the end of Carlo Ancelloti's reign at the French outfit, the Italian would probably move on to build a new constellation of Galacticos in spain.

Away from sports, err football, times are ending and people are finishing. Good times are ending for bad people and good people are starting to feel the heat of bad things, what a paradox life is. The FG is set to spoil and end the party for Boko Haram as the president declared state of emergency in three states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa. It sounds like a berth of fresh air in those areas, but for those hundreds and maybe thousands who would be casualties of war, its the beginning of the end...

The government may end the reign of terror with the bombardment but what beginning awaits the motherless, the fatherless, widows and countless orphans that will continue this cycle when the smoke settles?

Jonathan declares partial state of emergency in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa!

After unsuccessful declaration of state of emergency in some local governments in the restive North Eastern states, the raging and unending trend of terrorism has forced President Jonathan to declare yet another partial but state-wide state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

The declaration which was made by the President on Tuesday evening has rife opinion on the efficacy of the decision. The President announced that the civilian office holders will continue their constitutional duties while the military have their rules of engagement broadened.

"The troops and other security agencies involved in these operations have orders to take all necessary action, within the ambit of their rules of engagement, to put an end to the impunity of insurgents and terrorists" he said.

Some Nigerians who aired their opinion on the state of emergency criticised the continued stay of the governors in office, seeing it as an hindrance to the efficacy of the emergency rule.

GEJ's decision may have, however, been informed by the need to keep the ruling party's political structure in place and avoid political complications which may aggravate the already chaotic situation that necessitated the emergency rule.

Find below the full text of the president's address...