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The Millennial’s Ala Initiative Program – What does it feel like?

By
Uchechukwu Ajuzieogu
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0

The Igbo people are an ethnic group native to the present-day south-central and southeastern Nigeria. They have tasted bad leadership by their own people and non-Igbos, they have also been devastated by the effect of the Civil War. Thus, the decay in the Igbo governance is nothing too positive to write about. With a booming new population facing up to meet the past of their ancestors, what is the future of the Igbo leadership system for the younger generations, given that the past and present has failed woefully?

In this article I explore unbiased, as to why the new generation of Igbos are taking it upon themselves to rebuild their zones and how they are actually going about that.

An Overview of the Igbos

The Igbo people are an ethnic group native to the present-day south-central and southeastern Nigeria. There has been much speculation about the origins of the Igbo people, as it is unknown how exactly the group came to form. 

Igbos are well known for their variety of soups, made from locally grown vegetables, fruits and seeds. The most popular Igbo soups are Oha, Nsala, Akwu, Okazi and Ofe owerri. The Igbo people have a traditional religious belief that there is one creator, called ‘Chineke’ or ‘Chukwu’.

The Igbo people are descended from Eri, a divine figure who, according to Igbo folklore, was sent from heaven to begin civilization. Another account presents Eri as one of the sons of Gad (as mentioned in the book of Genesis in the Bible) who traveled down to establish the present-day Igbol and. In Nigeria, Igbos inhabit an area referred to as Igbo land, which is divided into two sections along the lower River Niger. They live in most or all parts of five states: Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo, as well as minor parts of Delta, Rivers and Benue states. Small Igbo communities are also found in parts of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. The Culture Trip (May 22, 2018).

The Degrading Journey

A lot of people will say that the Igbos have a fair journey, but that is not really the truth. Why? The degrading journey of the Igbo people began after the civil war. Remember that it’s been 50 years since Nigeria’s brutal civil war calling for the secession of Biafra started. By the time it ended in 1970 over one million people had perished.

To make the matters worse, it was purported that at the start of the civil war, Igbos withdrew their funds from Nigerian banks and converted it to the Biafran currency. After the war, bank accounts owned by Biafrans were seized and a Nigerian panel resolved to give every Igbo person with an account only 20 pounds.

After the surrender of Biafra, some Igbos who had fled the conflict returned to their properties but were unable to claim them back from new occupants. This became law in the Abandoned Properties Act (28 September 1979). It was purported that at the start of the civil war, Igbos withdrew their funds from Nigerian banks and converted it to the Biafran currency. After the war, bank accounts owned by Biafrans were seized and a Nigerian panel resolved to give every Igbo person with an account only 20 pounds. Today, Federal projects in Biafra were also greatly reduced compared to other parts of Nigeria. In an Inter-society study it was found that Nigerian security forces also extorted approximately $100 million per year from illegal roadblocks and other methods from Igbo land, a cultural sub-region of Biafra in what is now southern Nigeria.Wikipedia (2014).

Regardless of the post war trauma, the leadership of the Igbo people is nothing too good to write about. Although distinguished men such as Sam Mbakwe, who was an Igbo politician and Governor of Imo State, southern Nigeria from 1 October 1979 until 31 December 1983. The Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, located in Owerri, the state capital, was renamed after him. In 1981, Sam Mbakwe set up Imo State University. Dr. Sam Mbakwe performed credibly as a Governor and someone else who took over his legacy is the person of distinguished Dr. Peter Obi.

Peter Gregory Obi is a Nigerian politician and businessman who was the vice presidential candidate in the 2019 Nigerian general election under the Peoples Democratic Party. He was also a one time Governor of Anambra State, and he performed remarkably well. He has been an advocate of good governance and has called to reduce the cost of governance.

Asides, there have been good governors who have tried their best, however these two humans are remarkable in bringing the dividends of the government to the people. So I have taken you on a road map of history, the question is what is the next generation doing to make sure there’s no repeat of bad governance in Ala Igbo?

Beautiful Igbo Women in traditional dancing attires, courtesy of Ikenga Chronicles

The Millennial’s Grab The Bull’s Horn

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you must have seen my tweets where I call out bad governance in the Igbo Land. Well, if you have not kindly followed me on Twitter. The reality that an educated Igbo man will leave ala Igbo and head to Lagos and other places to get a decent job is not a good development as I would always say. Can’t we have those things and facilities in Lagos brought to the Igbo land for the benefit of our convenience and prodigy? That’s a question all must reflect on, because it’s getting more risky as other ethnic groups show their triblism towards the Igbo people.

To this light, the Alaigbo Development and Accountability Initiative (ADAI), an NGO was born. This a nonprofit organization that promotes development and good governance in Igbo communities (Ala Igbo) across Nigeria. Talking about grabbing the bull by the horn, there numerous members of the Igbo community championing this cause. I have known some of them via Twitter. So who are these heroes and heroines?

Juliet Kego, has been leading the vocal narrative for positive change in the Ala Igbo development. Still don’t know who she is? Check her out on Twitter. Well, she’s’ a Wife, Mother, Poetess-Story-teller, Weaver of the Spoken-Written-Sung Words, Leadership Trainer, Financial Literacy Coach, Life Connoisseur, Entrepreneur, Social Enterprise Catalyst, Belly-Dancer, Advocate for Women & Girls, Student of the Sensual Arts, World Traveler and a citizen.

Another person leading the change narrative is Ifechideere. She’s on Twitter too so check her out. In fact, she is a historian and her countless threads on various historic facts has helped me push out some great content about the Igbo narrative too. Ifechideere has been logical and outspoken towards the plight of the Igbo people too. She also leads the Ala Igbo Initiative program.

Noble Igwe is also leading the narrative too. The chairman of 360nobs is a full fledged Igbo man and passionate to change the narrative too. Though, you might not know he’s fully pushing the Ala Igbo Initiative, he’s a dedicated husband and business man and he and everyone else only hopes for a developed Igbo land.

Where do we go from Here?

Well, you and I are not really going anywhere (we die here). Ala Igbo is our’s and as they say: “North, West, East and South; no place like Home.” After journeying with me through history, you’d best believe that the only place you can call home is a place where you are safe and a place where positive development strives.

In all, you can support the Ala Igbo Initiative project by checking the official website here. You can also see the outcome of the previous survey they had prior to the official project launch here.

Nigerian Politicians Are Responsible For The Trust Deficit In The System – Dare Adeoye

By
Rasheed Adebiyi
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Mr. Dare Adeoye is a Management and Development Consultant. He recenlty spoke on the reported dwindling trust level between citizens and government. He examined this issue  from a global perspective amidst other issues. Here are the excerpts

Tell us about yourself

I am Dare Adeoye, a Management and Development Consultant based in Osogbo, Osun State.

Globally, there seems to be an increasing level of distrust in governments by citizens. What do you think could have caused this?

Yes of course. There has been sort of distrust between citizens and their political representatives. Generally, I believe government should be an all inclusive thing. But the leaders, especially of the contemporary time are seeing it in a different perspective. They are seeing leadership as a discreet business that should not be revealed to the governed. This, to citizens, means that the government has something to hide. Even when eventually the government decides to address the citizens on any burning issue, it may be belated. Added to this is the mindset of the citizens that nothing reasonable is expected from the government since they are particularly detached from the governed.

Many people have said  liberal democracy is a scam especially in Sub Saharan Africa including Nigeria. Do you agree with this?

Yes of course. Democracy is not an African thing. We practice a monarchical system of government in Africa, which tends toward totalitarianism and autocracy. This suits an average African. In the African society, rulers rule without limit, opposition or dissenting voice. Rulers don’t willingly surrender their titles after ruling for a while or a stipulated time. They die on the throne. Democracy here is a fusion of the two and it has not been too helpful. That is why some schools of thought believe democracy is a scam.

Recently, especially at the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic, people tend to pitch tents with fake reports concerning the government. What are the underlying factors giving life to this?

The underlying factors for the thriving of fake news are nothing unconnected with the silence from the government. If there is uninterrupted and timely information flow from the government, I believe any other news from any source won’t thrive. Absence of information flow from the government and the zeal to be constantly fed with goings on will always give rise to fake news. It is in lieu of what people want to hear. 

Experts have said there would be a lot of changes in the post COVID 19 era, what are the lessons you think Nigeria should learn from this disaster?

Some of the lessons Nigerians should learn from the pandemic include preparedness for epidemic outbreak and for the citizens. There is also a need for effective and timely information management. Putting round pegs in round holes, that is, making use of our experienced professional medical practitioners to head the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 rather than a lawyer heading the team. Probably, we also an improved health care service delivery. I’m not too convinced this will be completely affected being what we are. Maybe a more efficient record keeping and data management on Nigerians.Voting for a younger, well equipped, knowledgeable and more proactive president in the next election will save us from the retinue of embarrassments the present leader has caused us. Reduction in over reliance on health excursion whereby a person who tested positive and has no case file in Nigeria, had his case file transferred from a medical facility abroad.

Do you foresee Nigerian leaders reflecting these changes after the pandemic?

I am not a prophet of doom but I doubt if they will change just like the proverbial leopard who hardly changes its spots.

Thank you for your time

It is my pleasure

Healthy Living Will Become A More Common Lifestyle After COVID 19 – Tega Adeyemo

By
Rasheed Adebiyi
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0

A healthy living expert, Mr. Tega Adeyemo, has predicted that people will pay more attention to their health and what makes them live a healthy life after the COVID 19 pandemic. The expert made this prediction in a chat with Tekedia to examine healthy living and how people should imbibe it for a healthier life. Here are excerpts from the interview.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Adeyemo Tega. I am the Chief Risk Officer/CEO of Petra Fruits Planet which is a social enterprise that advocates healthy living.  I started the enterprise in 2017. In the year 2014, I worked as a data analyst at Lautech Teaching Hospital Osogbo, at the Department of Anaesthesia. I saw how medical doctors who prescribe eating fruits abuse the intake of soft or carbonated drinks. It was so alarming! This increased my curiosity in finding out the relationship between what we consume and how such affects our health.

I designed and administered copies of questionnaires to doctors to see what they have to say about fruits. I discovered they listed fruits they like but I don’t see them eat fruits but see them consuming more and more soft drinks daily. I was concerned and passionate about doing something. I later got another job with a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) as a Program Officer on The Global Fund intervention on Tuberculosis, Malaria and HIV. This experience gave me more understanding on the importance of living a healthy life. I personally normally take anti malaria twice monthly and as I was also a victim of not living a healthy life. I resigned 3years after to start Petra Fruits Planet.

Today, since I started living on fruits I don’t have any need to take conventional drugs as I consume fruits daily. The awareness about fruits and vegetables is growing and people are now becoming conscious. The outcome of the research made me committed to sensitizing people on the importance and benefits of fruits, vegetables, nuts and roots. I have facilitated health sensitization using the platform of Petra Fruits Planet for individuals, groups and corporate organizations such as First Bank, Ecobank, Unity Bank, FCMB and Fidelity Bank in certain states across the Southwest.

You have always advocated the consumption of fruits and vegetables, why do you think this is important for a healthy living?

It is important to eat fruits and vegetables because they contain enzymes and are natural. It also helps our body to fight against inflammation and diseases. They have the potencies to also even cure diseases and other health challenges. Fruits and vegetables play a major role in detoxifying our body from toxins because they are life  foods. They help boost immunity even more than drugs. It is also encouraged to eat fruits and vegetables because their molecule properties have not been altered. Live foods promote healthy living. Sadly, what a larger percentage of the population eat is dead food. I am not discouraging people from eating the usual traditional foods such as local Eba, Amala and Fufu, but they should ensure a balanced diet and pay attention to heavily supplementing them with fruits and vegetables. Also, different fruits and vegetables have different nutritional benefits and could be used for curative purposes.For example, ulcer can be cured with cabbage juice. Another example is, beetroots, ginger and lemon.This is a combination that is good as a blood purifier/cleanser. So my point is varieties or combinations of different fruits and vegetables are meant to prevent/cure diseases.That is where the application comes in. There are certain fruits that can’t be combined together. A combination of  strawberry and grapefruit could lead to other complications.Then, it is also important to note that not all fruits are ideal for someone with ulcer. Having said all these, without a positive mindset and consistency, one might not get the desired results.

You advocate against consuming carbonated drinks. Why? What are the dangers? 

Carbonated drinks are not natural. They are not only pasteurized to give them shelf life, they also contain components that don’t do the body chemistry any good. The process of production of some of these carbonated drinks exposes those who consume them to dangers. For our body to function well, the body needs life food. What are life foods? Live foods are food that their molecular properties have not been altered. Live foods are rich in enzymes. And the body needs these enzymes to function well. It is advised that people take natural juice, smoothie and even eat fruits. This should be coupled with consuming a lot of water. That way people will be fine.

Your emphasis has always been about building immunity. How does this help?

Building our immunity helps keep the body in shape is important. As a matter of fact, the Coronavirus pandemic has clearly shown why we need a well and consciously built immune system. The immune system is the defence mechanism of the body. So, it helps the system to fight foreign invasion. On a personal note, I have seen how a healthy body can wade off basic health challenges that we encounter such as malaria.

Experts have claimed that the post-COVID 19 era will be full of changes. In terms of healthy living, what changes do you advocate or expect?

The change expected is that the consciousness of people about building a healthy body and changing lifestyle will improve greatly. In the course of the COVID19 panic, a lot of people started engaging in basic holistic therapy like steam inhalation which also helps to clear the airway and eliminate common cold and flu. Another change that is expected is that there will be an increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables. The society will start getting cautious of what they eat and even drink. And because medical experts have emphasized the importance of a sound immunity system in fighting COVID19 and other health related issues, there will be a dramatic change in lifestyle.

Tekedia Mini-MBA for Professional Associations

By
Ndubuisi Ekekwe
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0

If you are a leader of a business club, professional association, professional network, or student group, check out our Tekedia Mini-MBA curriculum. We want to work with you to serve your professional community with a customized  management system for your sector/industry. We will create a dedicated digital board where your members will learn, co-learn, co-share, and advance. Click and learn more.

 

https://www.tekedia.com/mini-mba-2/

Blockchain Technology: Origin, Advancement and Impacts on Industries

By
Adekunle Babasola
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0

In 2008, the world experienced a global financial crisis, it was recorded as a severe crisis for the economy worldwide. Banks failed the people, even the people who did not invest or acquire homes with mortgages. The problem lingers and collapses many investment banks. A massive bail-out was adopted including palliative monetary and fiscal policies to prevent the world financial system yet the crisis was nonetheless followed by a global economic downturn and a recession began. According to economists, the crisis was considered the most serious financial crisis since the great depression of 1930.

In response to the financial crisis now comes a Blockchain, which was initially created for a digital currency called “bitcoin” by a group or an individual under a pseudonym, Satoshi Nakamoto with a notion to digitized, decentralized, immutable public ledger that facilitates transactions without going through an intermediary (i.e. bank or a governing body).

Satoshi Imagined Bitcoin as a peer to peer transaction i.e. 3 fish for 10 potatoes. He wanted a real peer to peer transaction where an individual can trade without middlemen with trust and security, while also trusting that the assets are being transferred. Thereafter, blockchain as a platform has grown to be a technology that has found thousands of other applications, besides just Bitcoin, we could refer to bitcoin as an application on the app-store while blockchain is the smartphone. With such brilliance, “Satoshi” disappeared in 2011 but left a strong community to continue his work.

As predicted Blockchain will disrupt dozens of tech and non-tech industries. In 2016-2018 Blockchain and Cryptocurrency jobs postings were tripled and are expected to grow at an even higher rate in the future. Also, blockchain is regarded as the next revolutionary technology after the Internet, which will transform every part of life. its market capitalization of cryptocurrencies rose from $17.7B at the beginning of 2017 to $500B within a year. As of January 2018, venture capitalist and Initial Coin Offering “VC/ICO’ funds raised towards blockchain companies was around $1.2B.

Today, blockchain technology has given rise to hundreds of ventures that leverage blockchain technology across industries which include – Finance, Fintech, Supply Chain, Real Estate, Music & Entertainment, Sharing Economy, Government and others.

In finance – the Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) is faster, less expensive and cut out middlemen, more secure, more transparent compared to interbank transfer where banks act as the middlemen.

In the sharing economy, blockchain will replace the middlemen, such as Uber and Bolt, connecting drivers directly to the passengers, processing payments upon arrival, submission of positive reviews or expiration of 24 hours post-stay without complaint, and collection of reviews and rating (“reputation”). An argument can be made that there’s no need for these multi-billion-dollar companies that act as middlemen.

In real Estate – Blockchain will foster Smart (self-executing) contracts, Mortgage approval, financing verification, Reduction of fraud, Land title/property rights management, and Data.

In the Music Industry – with blockchain, the industry will experience IP Rights attribution, Royalty distribution, Speed of pay-out to musicians and Alternative sources of capital. Currently, HelloSugoi, Mycelia, Ujo Music, dotBlockchain are changing the ordinance.

“Internet of things” widely known as IoT. Supply Chain will be able to track locations of goods and times when they are shipped, track the conditions if it’s been kept at the agreed terms. Asset tracking will Record activity levels of assets and machinery. Healthcare will Enable the sharing and editing of medical records by various parties with different permission levels while encrypting their data. Smart appliances: Devices such as an oven, laundry machine, pot, AC, and car are connected on the blockchain to stop when the food is cooked, the laundry is finished. This saves energy and prolongs the life of appliances while keeping us informed.

In conclusion, Blockchain could be considered as the mechanic that will revolutionaries the world. The Internet changed the world and Blockchain is addressing some of the existing problems we still face across the board. 

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