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The fifth edition
of the Celebrity Reads Africa project and the biggest so far, took
place on December 18 at Terra Kulture in Lagos. This special edition
was meant to be a reading as well as career mentoring programme, as
students from select schools in Lagos were expected to be at the event.

Former FCT
Minister Nasir El Rufa; journalist and presidential aspirant, Dele
Momodu; hip-hop artist, Illbliss; RnB singer, Goldie; quirky TV host,
Denrele Edun; photographer, Kelechi Amadi-Obi; and comedian, Owen Gee,
were some of the celebs billed for the event.

However, of the 16
celebrities expected at the event, only eight of them showed up. These
were: artists Illbliss and Goldie; Denrele Edun; actress, Bhaira
Mcwizu; Beat FM radio presenter, Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi; TV presenter,
Seun Chukwuemeka; lecturer and author, Tosin Otitoju; and RnB singer,
Femi Adeyinka.

There were
students from Ace College, Ikorodu, and children from the Love On The
Streets project (LOTS), most of whom were of nursery and primary school
age.

Tosin Otitoju, a
lecturer in Engineering and Mathematics at the University of Lagos and
an author, opened the show by reading from her collection of poems,
‘Comrade’.

“I assume that in order to write, you have to read a lot,” Otitoju began.

“Reading can be an
integral part of being interesting. It helps you think. I am a lady,
and I don’t think a guy would have a chance with me if he didn’t read,”
she added humorously for the benefit of the teens in the audience.

Sex education

A spokesperson for
the initiative, Leaders with New Dimension (LEND), also chipped in some
vital information for the benefit of the teens. He read a piece about a
lad who was stunned by the news that his girlfriend was pregnant.

He asked the teens
how much they knew about their bodies. He disclosed that he works with
adolescents and that figures about the infection rate of sexually
transmitted diseases are alarming.

“Young people
should be responsible in what they do,” he advised and urged the
celebrities to talk to the students about adolescence, since they have
passed through it.

The closest anyone
came to talking about this issue was the remarkable poem recitation by
Dolapo Ogunwale. According to the poet, the poem ‘Breaking Chains’,
means letting go and not holding on to past hurts.

Bhaira Mcwizu gave
an interesting read from Asha Tyson’s ‘How I Retired At 26′. Bhaira,
who said her fondness for reading was shaped by her dotting mother,
also added that reading helped to expand her horizon. She advised the
children to make the most of their youth.

Seun Chukwuemeka,
before reading ‘Hadassah’, a work of Christian fiction by Tommy Tenney,
told the audience that the death of the reading culture is a global
phenomenon and not peculiar to Nigeria alone.

“Reading is
important. It transports you. I implore you. Start [small] and always
make sure you have a dictionary by your side,” she suggested.

Artiste Femi
Adeyinka, who is signed on to Kennis Music, told the students, “If I do
not read I cannot write my songs. I would not know certain words. I
probably could not sign a record deal and I could end up signing a bad
contract without knowing it.

“You read not just because you are in school, but because it’s an important part of life,” he added.

Singer, Goldie,
who bizarrely kept her dark glasses on even while she read, rendered an
excerpt from ‘The 50th Law’, a book by rapper, 50 Cent and writer,
Robert Greene.

“The greatest fear people have is of being themselves,” said the singer.

She went on to
name four people who stood out, by being themselves. She referred to
Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, and the originator of the social network
Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, who were regarded as nerds at school. There
was also talk show host, Oprah Winfrey, and pop singer, Lady Gaga.

“Yes, you are in school. You wear uniforms, but you have to stand out for yourself,” Goldie told the students.

Radio presenter,
Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi, read a humorous narrative about a lady in her
30s who is looking for a husband. She said that as a student, though,
she loved to read novels. She often got bored reading her school books
but realised that sometimes there was a price of discipline to pay for
the gains of success.

Illbliss read a proper book

Rapper Illbliss,
who came in with a huge hard cover copy of Chinua Achebe’s ‘Things Fall
Apart’ which he read from, admitted that the recent proliferation of
computer gadgets has a way of taking one away from books. He said that
at age 11 his father made him read ‘Things Fall Apart’ and summarise
it, to familiarise him with his roots. “Ensure that you read about your
history,” he said.

Denrele came in
dressed in his usual punk ensemble. He read from some random book after
revealing that he had misplaced the book ‘Dancing the Dream’ by Michael
Jackson, which he had intended to read from. Perhaps, Denrele forgot
that he already read from the same Jackson book at an earlier edition
of Celebrity Reads Africa.

Speaking about the
project, Bede Okoro, the founder and coordinator of Celebrity Reads
Africa, said the project has enabled them to form good relationships
with some schools and charity organisations in Lagos.

“2011 will see the launching of Celebrity Reads in the UK and Ghana,” he revealed.

They also intend to start a radio and television version of the project.

I was really
excited when I got a nomination to attend an interactive session with
you. I felt it was a wonderful idea that you were spearheading a
project, to get young Nigerians reading again. To the best of my
knowledge, it is the first time a sitting president will make an effort
to interact with young people at their level. I wasn’t sure what to
expect but made a mental note to be there anyway. Registration was
slated for 12pm but since I have a very annoying habit of showing up
early when I have appointments, I made it to EKO hotel around 10.30am.

Fortunately for me, the campaign had two sessions, the morning session
for the children and the one I was nominated for which was to start by
2.30pm or thereabouts. I made my way into the hall and sat quietly.
Soon enough, You and our very own Wole Soyinka, took your seats. After
acknowledging special guests in the hall, the programme kicked off in
earnest. You read from Chinua Achebe’s ‘Chike and the River’, while
Soyinka read from his book, ‘Ake: The Years of Childhood’.

Wrong crowd

I became
uncomfortable when I noticed the caliber of students present in the
hall: Atlantic Hall, Corona School etc. Using socio-economic
classification as a parameter, most of the schools there were of the
A-B category, with maybe a few C class representatives and in my head
I’m thinking, splendid idea, wrong crowd! The children seated in that
hall most likely had enough books to make a bookseller jealous, they
could compete with their mates around the world academically and
usually travel abroad for summer.

They need very little motivation to
read. Their parents are enlightened captains of industries and would
ensure their wards get the best education money can buy. They really
don’t have any hurdles to cross. Their parents already have their wills
written out, have a robust life insurance policy to take care of
happenstance and will be buried in Vaults and Gardens when they die.

The children who
need to hear the message are students of schools like Oke-Ira Grammar
School or JSS Nyanya where you’ll find 2000 students in JSS 2 alone
with half the class sitting on the floor. After school, they don’t kick
off their boots and watch cable TV, no! Their parents are hustlers;
plantain sellers, fabric merchants, petty traders, pure water hawkers,
you name it. When they get back from school, it’s time to work. They
pick up a tray of plantain or go to the shop to help the family keep
their head above water. They are the ones that need the hope your Bring
Back the Book campaign message brings because reading is the farthest
thing on their minds; the struggle for survival saps whatever energy is
left after a hard day at school where the class teacher would rather
sell buns and tasty-time than do her job. They are the ones that drop
out after JSS 3 due to lack of funds. A message like yours will help
them hope for a better tomorrow and strive to overcome the challenges
you overcame to be where you are today.

Wrong place

I also wondered why
a campaign about books and students took place in a 5 star hotel? It
would have been perfect if you interacted with the students in their
natural habitat-the classroom. Feel the heat they have to endure when
the sun beats the zinc roof above their heads, after which a stroll to
the school library, if there is any, will show you just how much work
there is ahead of us in terms of the quality of instruction being given
and basic infrastructure development in these schools.

The interactive
session with youths was a whole lot more fun than the morning session.
From Dbanj, Mo’Cheddah to Psquare, the performances were tight. I loved
the use of ICT to link other zones within the country and also give
them a chance to be part of the event even though poor audio output
marred the effort for the most part. The integration of music and
dance, which is an effective touch-point for young people, was a good
strategy. Joe Trippi, renowned to be one of the most sought-after
political strategists in the world, was at the event. His presence
helped register at the back of my mind that indeed, this was beyond
interaction, it was part of your campaign strategy to get us on your
side; you didn’t hide what you were trying to do and I thank you for
your sincerity.

Wrong speaker

TY Bello gave a
speech; and a young lady, Nana, can’t remember her last name now, spoke
on behalf of the North. Though she made sense to some extent, I did
notice one thing though: she spoke with a distinct American accent. My
conclusion: she didn’t school in Nigeria, so she probably wouldn’t
understand sitting at home for six months while the government and ASUU
try to resolve their differences, outdated libraries still stocked with
books my father read while he studied at the same university,
disgruntled lecturers who take out their frustration on you, standing
throughout a three-hour lecture with the lecturers using a public
address system to harass your eardrums and reading from the same lesson
note he’s been using for the past eight years. She might identify with
it, but it is only him that wears the shoes that knows where it
pinches. Toyosi Akerele gave a good account of herself, she spoke
fearlessly, and had me cracking up when she said ‘Why should an
85-year-old be so bent on determining a future he will not be a part
of…’ or something like that.

After your address
at the beginning of the event, I waited throughout the event for the
interaction to take place, sadly, it didn’t. Thinking strictly from a
business perspective, you lost a vital moment to sell your brand to a
captive audience. Talking about you as a brand, I ask: what is your
USP? Why should I vote for you and not every other candidate out there
promising Eldorado? The aim of the event is to generate goodwill for
you among the youths, but you see, you’ll need a whole lot more than
goodwill for the coming election because we are tired. Tired of the
lies, the failed promises, the corruption, the ineptitude, the
sycophancy, the grab-all-you-can-while-you-can mentality of people we
have trusted to lead us; and we want change! You are going to have to
convince a very powerful segment of the Nigerian population who have
become aware of the power of their vote and have vowed to make it count
come 2011, that you are the one for the job.

Wrong books

In the goodie bag
I got at the event were two books written by authors I have never met
with storylines I struggle hard to relate to. One was about the FBI and
the other revolved around 4 U.S Navy SEALS. All I could think of was
how much money Farafina or Cassava republic or Dada Books would have
made if you had chosen instead to give everyone in that hall copies of
book published by them.

Some suggestions

By virtue of the
job that I do, I have had to travel within Nigeria extensively and have
visited secondary schools in at least 30 out of the 36 states in the
country. One of such schools was a community school in Gidan Mai Akuya,
somewhere in Lafia. It was built and managed by locals. Out of
curiosity, I visited their library and found about 20 books in a school
populated by over a thousand students; SS3 students received lectures
in Hausa even though they were preparing for WAEC. It is no surprise
that WAEC failure rate is so high.

These are the kind of schools that
will benefit most from your project. Since plans are already underway
to distribute books worth billions of naira to schools, what mechanisms
have you put in place to ensure the books get to the end users? I ask
this lest we have the problem that plagues fertilizer distribution in
the country, where the product are hoarded from the farmers and later
sold at purportedly ‘subsidised’ rates.

I’ll suggest 2 approaches:

1. Code the books,
either by states, or geo-political zones or schools. That way, it will
be easy to track if the books end up in the market or someone’s
bookshop.

2. An independent
back-checking firm should conduct an audit and evaluation of
distribution by visiting school libraries and bookshops across the
nation, either systemically or randomly. That will help measure the
effectiveness of the BBtB campaign.

I honestly believe
that young people should drive the agenda for this country. We know the
future we want to see and where we want to go, allow us help you help
us get there. That’s what friends do.

Yours,

Naomi Lucas

Crown Troupe: Presents Bode Osanyin’s ‘Omo Odo’ directed by Segun Adefila – Terra
Kulture, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. 3pm and 6pm.
Today

The Contest: Dance production by the National Troupe of Nigeria – National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos. Today.

ANA Lagos: Association reads in honour of late Adolphus Amasiatu – Aina Onabolu
Gallery, National Theatre, Lagos. 3pm. January 8.

Green Summary: Exhibition by nine artists- Centre for Contemporary Arts, McEwen Street, Yaba, Lagos. Till January 21.

Please send details of art events 10 days in advance by SMS (07034086014) or email: culture@234next.com

Though the remains
of Fuji music legend, Sikiru Ayinde Balogun, aka Barrister, were buried
in his Isolo, Lagos sitting room, on the night of Thursday, December
30, it wasn’t exactly a unanimous decision. Barrister’s oldest child,
Dublin-based Razak, appeared not too comfortable with the idea of
burying his father that night.

“E wa ba broda mi
soro o, se o fe sun ti oku moju ni? Won ni won o ni sin won loni.”
(Come and talk to my brother, does he want to sleep next to the corpse
till day break? He is saying [Barrister] won’t be buried today), one of
the daughters of the deceased, with an Alfa (Muslim cleric) in tow,
said as she passed by.

Minutes before the
corpse eventually arrived at 24, Lamina Lawal Street, by 9.44pm,
another Alfa expressed similar sentiment, wondering why Barrister’s
firstborn, Razak, didn’t want the musician buried that night. King of
Fuji music, Wasiu Ayinde, the artistic chief mourner, reportedly, was
among those who prevailed on Razak to allow the Alfas lay Barrister to
rest.

Razak’s unhappiness
with the state of affairs, prior to the arrival of the corpse, was
evident as he seemed preoccupied with having an incidence free burial.
He politely declined to speak with reporters when accosted. “Gentlemen,
you all know what we have been waiting for since yesterday. It is when
it arrives and is laid to rest that I will be happy and you will also
be happy,” he said, promising to grant interviews as soon as the burial
was concluded.

Waiting for Barrister

The remains of
Barrister, who passed away at a London hospital on December 16, had
been delayed in the United Kingdom due to flight disruptions caused by
bad weather. Scheduled to return to Nigeria on Wednesday, December 29,
the arrival was the subject of much confusion, with spokespersons
giving conflicting information about the exact whereabouts of the
musician’s body and the Air France flight conveying it.

Thousands of fans
kept a two-day vigil at the Fuji maestro’s home as family members and
well-wishers waited, before his remains finally touched down at Murtala
Muhammed International Airport on Thursday evening.

A carnival-like
atmosphere prevailed around the deceased’s home, popularly known as
Fuji Chambers on Wednesday and Thursday. Though there was heavy police
presence on Wednesday to forestall breakdown of law and order from the
mammoth crowd, the numbers swelled on Thursday.

Men of the Lagos
State’s Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) squad joined regular and mobile
police in controlling the crowd which filled the whole of Lamina Lawal
Street on Thursday. Some fans who couldn’t find space on the street,
found alternatives on the fences of houses close to Barrister’s while
some climbed the decked roof of a two-storey building not far from Fuji
Chambers

While only
Barrister’s music was played on Wednesday while people awaited the
corpse, there were live performances and tributes on Thursday. Smart
traders also made brisk business selling souvenirs including CDs,
calendars, fez caps and polo t-shirts to the crowd including
Barrister’s extended family from Ayeye, Ibadan; Iwo in Osun State; and
the Salawe family of Lagos.

Performances

Ewi exponent,
Sulaiman Ayilara, popularly known as Ajobiewe, paid tributes to the
deceased in rich Yoruba lyrics before Ganiyu Sebutu, one of the three
anchors, gave a lowdown of Barrister’s albums and the history behind
each. The rough talking Akinola Eko, a KAI official, and Azeez
Abdulrahman, were the other anchors.

Tessy Yembra, who
danced to Barrister’s famous ‘Fuji Garbage’ video in 1988, entertained
waiting crowds with the dance again, 22 years on. She also disclosed
how she met the late musician. They met at Club Arcade after she
returned from Madrid, Spain, before Barrister requested that she dance
in the video. Yembra, who also danced for Shina Peters and some other
musicians, described Barrister as ‘father and mentor’.

The maestro’s
military past was recalled by a trumpeter blowing ‘The Last Retreat’
before Islamic musicians started a praise and worship session
(Asikiri). The Twins Alaka from Mushin opened the session with a female
singer coming next. Kutibi Anobi, head of all Muslim singers in Isolo,
involved the crowd in his own session. Another musician, Fatai Pele,
entertained the crowd with some songs from Barrister’s 146 albums.

Waka Queen, Salawa
Abeni, who was also at the house on Wednesday, was short of words when
called to address the crowd. “We must still thank God. It was his time
to leave. May Allah grant him Aljanat,” she said. Salawa ended her
address with ‘Ori Mi Ewo Ni Nse’, an old Barrister song.

Memories

Some members of the
public also testified to Barrister’s impact on their lives. Sakinat
Ajao, who started crying before she completed her speech said, “Alhaji
made my wedding day memorable in Iwo with his performance. We were
distraught when we heard Alhaji died…”

Sekinat Popoola
Williams, who made people laugh with her somewhat affected American
accent, told the gathering of her closeness to the deceased. “It’s not
only today that we will cry for Alhaji, we won’t stop crying because of
what he stood for. Alhaji is the only one who knows how to sing my
praise; no one can do it like him. When he starts praising me, I will
just kneel down and start crying.”

Grace Modupeola
Labaran and Akeem Olanipekun, both residents in the UK, also attested
to Barrister’s sterling qualities. The duo, who were among those who
received Barrister when he arrived in London after his operation in
Germany, said they were shocked at news of his demise. Head of youth in
the area, Abdulahi Yusuf, said they will miss Barrister because he
related closely with them and was their patron.

The musicians

The clearest
indication that it would not be a repeat of Wednesday’s no-show came
around 5pm when renowned musician and Barrister’s godfather, Ebenezer
Obey, arrived with Segun Adewale. The crowd, which the bouncers and
security operatives were having a hard time with, surged on sighting
them. Adewale later told reporters that his single, ‘Tribute to Ayinde
Barrister’ was released earlier in the day. Obey said Nigerians should
not be in a hurry to know what he will do for Barrister when asked.
“I’m going to surprise the world concerning Barrister, people should
just wait.”

Other Fuji
musicians including Ayinla Kollington, Saheed Osupa, Wasiu Alabi
Pasuma, Abass Akande Obesere, Sulaiman Adio Atawewe, and Askari Fuji
started arriving thereafter. Also in the train were Dele Abiodun, Shina
Akanni Scorpido, and Ayeloyun.

Some Alfas carrying
mats started sweeping the frontage of the house, which people were
still struggling to enter, around 8.54pm before the corpse was brought
in at 9.44pm. While the widows, children, and other relatives started
moving closer before the Alfas started praying over Barrister’s
remains, the pushing and shoving by the crowd struggling to get a
glimpse of the corpse intensified. Organisers were left no choice but
to shut the gates to the house.

Meanwhile,
relatives and others, who couldn’t hold themselves any longer, broke
down weeping. Husband to Barry Made, Barrister’s daughter, who sat on
top of Barrister’s Hummer jeep parked inside the house, kept repeating
‘Lai lahi…” Saheed Osupa, who had earlier betrayed emotions, also
joined those preventing the shoving crowd from disturbing the praying
clerics.

The corpse, which was still unpacked during the prayer session, was
lifted and taken into the sitting room for burial around 10.03pm,
finally closing the chapter on the life and times of Sikiru Ayinde
Balogun.

In exile, I missed
my mother and as I confronted the reality of life in America once it
dawned on me,I knew that it would be a long time before I would hear
her voice, not to talk of seeing her face again. The tyranny of
Nigeria’s telecommunication company’s ineptitude did not help matters.

Exile was a
physical and spiritual absence from home. When I first came to America,
I could not afford a telephone, there was a Nigerian in our apartment
complex that owned one ,he also owned a car. He charged us to make and
receive calls and also charged to give us a ride to the grocery store.
That was new to me, the concept of charging someone for doing them a
favor ,I couldn’t understand it, I am a bush man. I will live in
America for hundred years and not understand some of her customs.

My first telephone
was a baby blue affair that I leased from the telephone company. In
those days you couldn’t just buy a telephone, you have to lease it, my
family did not have a telephone in Nigeria too and so on some dark days
I would clutch the receiver wondering what it would be like to hear my
mother’s voice on the other end. It is a long way since the early
eighties, I have had an Internet account since 1993 and I joined the
first ever Nigerian list-serve ‘Naijanet’ in 1994. Dayo Ogunyemi, who
was then at MIT founded Naijanet in 1991. I still have goose bumps when
I remember some of the exciting and brainy things Nigerians did on
Naijanet and its dozen or so spinoffs, some of which became powerful
vehicles for pushing the agenda of the prodemocracy movement during the
Sani Abacha years of darkness. We now have the democracy years of open
looting and darkness but that is another story.

I am a digital
native. If it is not on the Internet you really have to pay me to go
get it. I have made some of the best friends on the Internet and
whenever I meet with someone in flesh for the first time, I am reminded
of the power of the spirit. It never fails; it is always as if we have
known each other for ever. Technology also makes it easier to be in and
out of relationships because people have more options and you have to
work harder to earn their attention. The world is suffering from an
attention deficit disorder because folks are suddenly finding out that
they don’t have to be with each other when they can simply reach out to
others with their fingers. I always half-joke that when I am driving
around with my children, the car is usually overloaded with their
friends coming in to the car via their cell phones’ monitors. They are
texting nonstop. They are on Facebook constantly. There are now 500
million people on Facebook – the equivalent of a subcontinent. It is
said that all Nigerians is on Facebook and from my perch, I think it is
only a slight exaggeration. I am amazed at how much Facebook and Skype
have empowered Nigerian women and children and offered them choices and
opportunities to express themselves in ways that they never could
imagine a few years ago. It is a good thing.

What the Internet
has done for Nigerian literature is phenomenal. I am enjoying myself
immensely. Traditional Nigerian publishing is virtually comatose, its
sole purpose being to trash the dreams and aspirations of talented and
gifted Nigerian writers. It just seems that all these “publishers” do
is staple together raw manuscripts without as much as editing a single
sentence. There are bright spots like Cassava Republic but I am almost
tempted to urge Nigerian writers to stop patronizing Nigerian
publishers. The products are mostly atrocious and unreadable. Do not
judge the writers until you have seen their true works on the Internet.
On the Internet, they shine. Many scholars wax eloquent about JP
Clark-Bekederemo’s classic 1960s poem, Ibadan: “Ibadan, running splash
of rust and gold – flung and scattered among seven hills like broken
china in the sun.” I have seen Facebook status pieces that would give
that great piece a good run for its money. Word for word, Nigerian
literature is being rescued from ineptitude thanks to technology and
the great efforts of some really passionate, visionary and hard working
Nigerians and friends of Nigerian literature. Collaboration among
Nigerian writers and artists is unprecedented thanks to technology. The
world seems to be one little globe sometimes.

Most evenings our daughter and her friend do their homework in our
kitchen. They chat about things teenagers talk about. Her friend’s head
stares at us from inside a laptop on the countertop, her voice filling
the house. Skype. I wish our daughter would ask our permission before
inviting friends over. At times like that, I almost miss when I did not
have to check laptops before changing into my pajamas.