Smile and Give Thanks

RMD Receives "Dike Oha na Nollywood" Title

Veteran Nollywood actor and Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Richard Mofe-Damijo (RMD), will be honored with the “Dike Oha na Nollywood” chieftaincy title at the 2014 4th Nollywood Igbo Film Festival in Asaba, Delta State.

The founder of the festival, Nze Harris Chuma said RMD deserves the "people's warrior" title, having paid his dues as one of the celebrated actors in Nollywood.

According to Chuma, the three–day festival which holds from August 27th through 30th is designed to “help film makers reach the broadest possible audience, enable the international film community and general public to experience the power of cinema and promote Asaba city in Delta State as a major filmmaking centre.”

Adichie, Feminism, and "Flawless"

If anyone has the skills to make a speech about feminism go viral, it’s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the Lagos-based writer whose ideas are as complex as her language is straightforward. Previously best known for her fiction, Adichie delivered a TEDx Talk in 2013 so nuanced and rousing, Beyoncé sampled it in her empowerment anthem “Flawless.” Titled “We Should All Be Feminists,” Adichie’s oration weaved together human stories from her youth in Nigeria with a complicated discourse about gender roles in the modern world and a literal textbook definition of “feminism,” which she read aloud about halfway through. Today, the speech comes out in eBook form, which you can purchase here. Reached by phone in Lagos, Adichie spoke to Vogue.com about the overwhelming success of her speech and what it means to talk politics with the whole world.

What was it like to have your ideas about feminism go so viral?

It felt strange and surprising. I had done one TED Talk and I felt that I had already said what I could, in fact, say, and I didn’t think I had anything else worth talking about. But then I also realized the one thing I cared about is gender, feminism. So I said, "Okay, I’ll do it." But I thought, This is not going to be popular, because it’s obvious that feminism for many people is a bad word, even if you believe in it, the word is off-putting. I thought seven people would care. I was surprised, but pleasantly so.

Is it always the goal of a writer to reach as many people as possible?

I don’t think in those terms. For this speech, it was an audience of mostly Africans, an audience I wanted to reach. I remember when I started off, just having a sense of push back, I knew that it was a subject that wasn’t popular, so when people stood up and clapped, that was success. My expectations had been low, so I was just surprised.

"When God Is Not Enough," by Rudolf Okonkwo

In the middle of Lagos- Benin expressway, before the Ore junction, sits a rusty disabled car with a partially burnt-out engine. It has been there for weeks, abandoned by the owner and by the state. There is no light where the car rests, yet thieves have managed to visit at night and extract anything of value in the car. Meanwhile, at their home in FESTAC, a patriarch and his family are preparing to travel to Onitsha. They have packed their luggage and taken them into their Honda Pilot jeep. They pray for God to grant them safe trip. The parents speak in tongues and the children sing choruses. Their neighbors and friends come out and wish them journey mercies. As they drive, they play gospel music and sing more songs and praises. Near the site where the rusty car rests, the patriarch of the family swings the car to avoid a pothole. By the time he regains control of the car, he is face to face with the disabled car. The last thing that comes out of his mouth before the car slams into the abandoned car is, God.

Over two hundred years ago, the French used to attribute everything to God. They revered their leaders as people chosen by God. They worshiped their clergies as men anointed by the Almighty, even as evidence mounted that these men and women of privilege were ruining the lives of the poor French citizens. In a sporadic uprising, the French society yanked off the yoke of ignorance and subservience and kicked out the so-called men and women handpicked by God.

Of Pentecostalism, Pastors, and Politics

Pastor Adeboye praying for President Jonathan

Keeping Pastor Enoch Adeboye’s Feet To The Fire

By Pius Adesanmi

Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the Daddy General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, has been in the headlines for all the right reasons lately. In August 2010, several newspapers quoted him as he declared war on election rigging and riggers.

"We shall resist election riggers in 2011", the famous preacher was reported to have fumed decisively. He ended 2010 on a grand note: Goodluck Jonathan went to beseech God at Daddy General Overseer’s feet, creating a famous photo-op in the process. Our internet commentariat went gaga for the wrong reasons, condemning Goodluck Jonathan for contacting God through the pastor’s intermission. Jonathan’s genuflection before God became the issue. Nobody paid attention to Pastor Adeboye’s iteration of his warning that election riggers would not be tolerated in 2011. He even fired a warning shot at Attahiru Jega and threatened to lead protests against fraudulent elections in 2011.

This is a heartening development. Pastor Enoch Adeboye is welcome to the Pastor Tunde Bakare corner of our collective struggle to take Nigeria back from the vultures in Abuja and the state capitals. What took him so long? Hopefully, his residency in this auspicious corner of the struggle shall not be temporary. For now, we shall pretend that we don’t mind the fact that Pastor Adeboye is spending too much time warning INEC and Jega instead of just kuku directly telling the scurrilous Presidents, state governors, ministers, senators, reps, chieftains, stakeholders, elder statesmen and such other ridiculous characters who regularly go to him for kneeling sessions and photo-ops that their irresponsibility and corruption will no longer be tolerated.

Culture: Key to Sustainable Development

The International Congress "Culture: Key to Sustainable Development" was held in Hangzhou (China) from 15 May to 17 May 2013. This was the first International Congress specifically focusing on the linkages between culture and sustainable development organized by UNESCO since the Stockholm Conference in 1998.  As such, the Congress provided the very first global forum to discuss the role of culture in sustainable development in view of the post-2015 development framework, with participation of the global community and the major international stakeholders.

While culture was absent from the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), integrating the cultural dimension into actions and goals in achieving sustainable development is an approach that is making its way on the international level. The Outcome document of MDG Summit, “Keeping the promise: united to achieve the Millennium Development Goals” (2010), emphasized the importance of culture for development and its contribution to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. Furthermore, the trend toward integrating culture into UN development policies is particularly visible at the level of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). Indeed, by January 2012, culture was included in 70% of UNDAF work plans worldwide. These figures are the result of an increasingly positive trend since the late 1990s, when only about 30% of UNDAFs included cultural entries.

Feature Film Languages and Cultural Diversity

Language of production in feature films, 2011

What do the offerings of the local cinema hall or multiplex tell us about cultural diversity in the 21^st century? According to new data from the UIS, the choices movie-goers make at the box office, as well as the language of film production, can provide a glimpse of the diversity of one of the most vibrant cultural industries.

At one end of the spectrum lies India, home of the world’s most prolific film industry, but no single language dominates it. In 2011, 16% of films were produced in Hindi. Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Bengali held the remaining shares, making India the most diverse country for language of production.

In South Africa, English was the dominant language (59%), followed by Afrikaner (32%), while African languages such as Zulu represented only 5% of production.

The Arab States and sub-Saharan African regions showed the least language diversity in film production. However, this is partly due to the lack of data about movies released on DVD. In Nigeria 75% of films are produced in local languages, such as Yoruba, Hausa and Bini.

Achebe: Africa 50 Years After "Things Fall Apart"

Is Religion Good or Bad?

Plenty of good things are done in the name of religion, and plenty of bad things too. But what is religion, exactly — is it good or bad, in and of itself? Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah offers a generous, surprising view.

Igbo People and Igbo Land

Olaudah Equina - Jaja of Opobo - Nri Obalike - Chinua Achebe
Philip Emeagwali - Pat Utomi - Chris Abani - Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Chimamanda N. Adichie - Chiwetel Ejiofor - Mikel Obi - Genevieve Nnaji

(From The World Igbo Congress) - Igbo people are among the largest single ethnic groups in Africa. They are based mostly in southeastern Nigeria constituting about 25% of the population of the country. Because the Igbo is daring, competitive, hard-working and enterprising, they can be found doing business in all parts of Nigeria, in Cameroon, Gabon, and Equatorial Guinea. 

These attributes brought success, wealth and power… as well as distrust, jealousy and outright hatred within the polity. The mass exodus of Igbo people from their homeland has continued unabated and the Igbo can indeed be found in very significant numbers in all parts of the world. Their language is Igbo. 

Administratively, Igbo people make up 100% of the five states of the southeast zone comprising Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo. The contiguous states of Delta and Rivers in the south-south zone also have very significant Igbo populations. Igbo is the language throughout Igbo land. Prominent cities/parts in the Igbo country include Aba, Awka, Owerri, Orlu, Nnewi, Mbaise, Nsukka, Enugu, Onitsha , Afikpo, Okigwe, Umuahia, Asaba, amongst others. 

The Miraculous Deliverance of Oga Jona

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

(By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie) - As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt it. A strange peace, a calm clarity. He stretched.  Even his limbs were stronger and surer. He looked at his phone. Thirty-seven new text messages – and all while he was asleep. With one click, he deleted them. The empty screen buoyed him. Then he got up to bathe, determined to fold the day into the exact shape that he wanted.

Those Levick people had to go. No more foreign PR firms. They should have made that article in the American newspaper sound like him, they should have known better. They had to go. And he would not pay their balance; they had not fulfilled the purpose of the contract after all.

He pressed the intercom. Man Friday came in, face set in a placidly praise-singing smile.

“Good morning, Your Excellency!”

“Good morning,” Oga Jona said. “I had a revelation from God.”

Man Friday stared at him with bulging eyes.

“I said I had a revelation from God,” he repeated. “Find me new Public Relations people. Here in Nigeria. Is this country not full of mass communication departments and graduates?”

“Yes, Your Excellency.” Man Friday’s eyes narrowed; he was already thinking of whom he would bring, of how he would benefit.

 “I want a shortlist on my table on Wednesday,” Oga Jona said. “I don’t want any of the usual suspects. I want fresh blood. Like that student who asked that frank question during the economic summit.”

“Your Excellency… the procurement rules…we need somebody who is licensed by the agency licensed by the agency that licenses PR consultants…”

Pastor, Don't Teach Me Nonsense

L-R: Pastors T.B. Joshua and Chris Okotie

(SaharaReporters)--Last week, in the first part of this article, I argued that pastors are not immune to error. Ecclesiastical impostors are having a field day dredging up fables that impoverish the spiritual, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing of many. In fact, in a bid to make Christianity a syncretistic, money-spinning, show biz religion, some Nigerian pastors have inadvertently become couriers of delusion. It is worthy of reiteration, if a pastor is swayed by the spirit of seduction, he will be Satan’s bait to those within the orbit of his authority. Doom looms when people uncritically accept theological nonsense.

There is hardly any catastrophe as huge as having a pastor that is Satan’s bait to his flock. It fosters satanic colonisation of the minds of weak-knead churchgoers. Baits do numb minds. They induce false happiness, senseless actions and blind loyalty.  It is safe to assume that was why some South African Christians eagerly ate grass under the instruction of their pastor, claiming it will get them “closer to God.” Generally, heresies have the effect of a lullaby, when dripping from the mouth of a respected preacher. Or better, tsetse-fly effect; causing the sleeping sickness of the soul. If a Christian starts listening to “doctrines of devils”, he would inevitably cultivate dangerous habits of the mind and become docile in Spirit, even though he may still be hyper-active in church.

Nollywood Celebrates BuNna Showroom Unveiling

L-R: Solid Films boss Uzochukwu Ezeanyaeche, Entertainment Express editor Azuh Amatus,
BuNna boss Azuh Chibunna, & movie star Victor Osuagwu

Famous actor and the Lagos State chapter chairman of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Victor Osuagwu, leading filmmakers, Uzochukwu Ezeanyaeche (Solid Films), Obi Madubogwu and editor of Entertainment Express and Sunday Express, Azuh Amatus, recently led a deluge of other entertainment personalities and celebs to the unveiling of upscale fashion and lifestyle outfit, BuNna, in the heart of Surulere, Lagos.

The one stop fashion showroom located on Agboyin Avenue opened for business last week Thursday, July 17 amid networking sessions and relaxation among friends, patrons, associates and well-wishers alongside endless flow of victuals.

Owned by youthful fashion connoisseur Azuh Chibunna, BuNna, with the pay-off, Fashion and Lifestyle Redefined, has the best of quality male fashion items money can buy. From Italian leather shoes to designer shirts, jeans, jackets, blazers, trousers, suits, contemporary natives and traditional attires, BuNna has them all in quality.

“We have redefined fashion and lifestyle at BuNna, so come let’s clothe and pamper you,” added Chibunna boss of the outfit that is currently the toast of entertainers and celebs.

"Nigerian Pastors Need to be Born Again," Etcetera

Etcetera

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, ye must be born again” (John 3:1-7). 

Pastors are supposed to be the conscience of the society. They are supposed to be God’s representatives here on earth. Like Elisha in the Bible, they are supposed to warn the people about the dangers of disobeying God and guide them to the path of righteousness. They are supposed to lead by example.

Today, some pastors are the problems of the society. The lifestyle of some pastors is contradictory to what they preach. It has got so bad that when a man introduces himself as a pastor, he attracts immediate suspicion. Scandals and controversies have eaten too deep into the church like an incurable cancer.

Like electric poles, churches are springing up all over the country and their general overseers or CEOs are fast emerging as the richest men in the country. Some Nigerian pastors represent their stomach instead of Christ. Churches have been turned into banks and business centres with branch pastors given targets for increased turnover by headquarters.

Most of these new breed churches only preach prosperity because preaching salvation will impact negatively on the church’s GDP. Some of today’s pastors, after their failed attempts at finding a means of livelihood, hire a classroom and start a church.

Yul Edochie Shares Success Tips with the Youth

Yul and wife

In a recent interview monitored by ShowbizPlus, the multiple-award-winning Nollywood actor, Yul Edochie, talks about getting married at the age of 22 and shares important lessons for success learnt from that experience.

When you got married where were you guys living?

I was living in Enugu in my father’s house that was where I started. You know I love the fact that we are talking about this. The young ones now see me living well and doing well and they want to be like me in a day, but it takes time. You need to be focused and not just focused, have passion in what you do. Believe in that thing whether or not you are going to die, keep doing it. You can’t make it in a day it takes time. I am happy we are talking about this it was crazy but I thank God I am fine.