Census Bureau: Selected Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean Ancestry Groups Making Their Mark: Nigerians Outpace U.S. Educational and Occupational Levels
WASHINGTON, JUNE 28, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- About 61 percent of people with Nigerian ancestry age 25 and older had a bachelor's degree or higher — more than twice the U.S. rate of 28.5 percent, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report on Characteristics of Selected Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean Ancestry Groups in the United States: 2008-2012 released today.
This new report from the 2008-2012 American Community Survey covers the population who reported Sub-Saharan African ancestry — Ethiopian and Nigerian — and Caribbean (West Indian) ancestry — Haitian, Jamaican, and Trinidadian and Tobagonian. These ancestry groups were selected due to their relatively small populations and being under researched compared to their counterparts. About 2.5 million people in the United States identified as one of these ancestry groups, or around 0.8 percent of the total U.S. population. This represents an increase of about 2.1 million, or around 469 percent, since the 1980 Census.

About 61 percent of people with Nigerian ancestry age 25 and older had a bachelor’s degree or higher — more than twice the U.S. rate of 28.5 percent, according to a U. S. Census Bureau report on Characteristics of Selected Sub-Saharan African and Caribbean (West Indian) Ancestry Groups in the United States: 2008-2012 released today.
"Acquiring a college or other advanced degree was a major factor for many people of Nigerian ancestry coming to the United States, so it is not surprising that twice as many had a bachelor's degree or higher compared to all people and the other selected ancestry groups," said Dr. Stella Ogunwole, a demographer in the Population Division.
Every day more than 500 people come to Lagos to start a new life in Africa's largest megacity.
The immediate former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, once dropped the following bombshell so calmly it would have been easy to miss: he believes the city’s optimum population is 40 million.
~ Fashola, The Man Who Transformed Lagos - Matthew Green Of Financial Times - Politics - Nigeria
http://www.nairaland.com/3315702/fashola-man-transformed-lagos-matthew
Lagos, which is the smallest state in Nigeria by land mass has become the most populous and the most prosperous.
Lagos was the federal capital of Nigeria before losing the status to Abuja in 1991, but has become one of the fastest growing cities in the world as the commercial capital of Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa and the continent's largest economy boosted by the rapid development of Lagos state with a population of more than 21 million people attracting both local and global investors to become the richest state in Nigeria and fifth biggest economy in Africa as the largest megacity with the highest GDP.
Lagos is also the heartbeat of the continent for entertainment with the phenomenal Nollywood, the largest home entertainment industry in Africa and second largest home videos industry in the world after Bollywood of India and ahead of Hollywood in production of home videos.
The GDP of Lagos alone exceeds that of Kenya, East Africa’s biggest economy.
Lagos has more international five star hotels and multinational corporations than other countries in West Africa.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, Publisher/Editor of @247Nigeria, Nigerians Report Online, Talk of The Town By Orikinla and other blogs. He is the author of "Lagos in Motion: A Photo Album of Africa's Largest Megacity" distributed worldwide by Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other booksellers.
Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima also popularly known by his pen name "Orikinla Osinachi" started his writing career at 18 as a scriptwriter for the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Channel 10 in Lagos.
He became a project artist for the Johns Hopkins University's Population Communication Services (JHU/PCS) at 21; Art/Features Editor for the Kiddies World magazine at 24; Program Consultant for UNICEF Nigeria at 25; ; Curator of the first Art Against AIDS exhibition in Africa held at the National Museum and National Arts Theatre in December, 1993 in Lagos by the Nigerian Network of NGOs (NNNGO); Production Manager of "Money Wise" for Media Network on DBN TV in Lagos from 1998-2000 and also worked for Redemption Light, the official magazine of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in the office of the famous General Overseer, Pastor E. A. Adeboye. He started his King of Kings Books International publishing company in 2000 and became the Founder/Executive Director of the United Artists for Human Development (UAHD) Project in 2002; Founder/CEO of International Digital Post Network Limited( IDPNL) in 2009 and Screen Outdoor Open Air Cinema (SOOAC) in 2013.
He is a prize winning writer since when he won the first prize in the Pop magazine national essay competition at 13. His first book, "Children of Heaven" (collection of poems) was published by Krystal Publications Limited in 1987. His other books are "Scarlet Tears of London"(poems), "In the House of Dogs"(essays), "Diary of the Memory Keeper"( memoirs), "The Prophet Lied"(poems), "The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream"(essays and photographs); coauthor of "Naked Beauty" screenplay; Publisher/Editor of "The Language of True Love" and the popular NOLLYWOOD MIRROR®Series.
He is the Founder and first Festival Director of the Eko International Film Festival, Founder/Executive Director of Screen Naija One Village, One Cinema Project. He has registered a new international film festival, Zenith International Film Festival in 2015. He has been developing his iPost Nigeria mobile video sharing and eCommerce app for all users of smart phones in the world and also launched his Screen Naija YouTube Channel in 2016.
In 2016, he was given an award as one of the top publishers in Nigeria and included in the book on "Nigerian Top Executives in the Design, Printing and Publishing Industry" edited Elvis Krivokuca, MBA and he is also referenced in other books by leading scholars, including "Words Onscreen. The Fate of Reading in a Digital World" by Prof. Naomi S. Baron; Professor of Linguistics and Executive Director of the Center for Teaching, Research & Learning at American University in Washington, DC.
He is widely known for promoting and supporting the education, protection and welfare of underprivileged girls in Nigeria and other countries. He cosponsored and co- hosted the Nigerian premiere of the CNN groundbreaking documentary film, "Girl Rising" in 2013 and in 2015, "HE NAMED ME MALALA" documentary film of Malala Yousafzai, the young Pakistani girl education activist and youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner. He is the Founder/Executive Director of Girls United Together for Success (GUTS) Project.
He produced and directed his first major documentary film, "Lagos in Motion: Sights and Sounds of Africa's Largest Megacity" and published the photo book, "Lagos in Motion: Photo Album of Africa's Largest Megacity" distributed worldwide by Amazon and other booksellers.
His new book, "Bye, Bye Zimbabwe", a collection of his original stories will be published in 2017. He has been interviewed by Times International magazine in 1980; Radio Nigeria in 1983; West Africa magazine in 1984; NTA Channel 10 in 1993; BBC in 2003; ThisDay and others. And his artworks have been exhibited in Nigeria and in Japan since 1983.
Investing in Africa's Future: Opportunities for Youth
Africa Day 2017 Celebration
WASHINGTON, June 23, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (RRB/ITC) in Washington, DC came alive with music, dance and ceremony Thursday, May 25th in celebration of the 54th anniversary of Africa Day. Approximately six hundred attendees, representing the 55 countries of the African Union (AU) and the African Diaspora, observed in awe as the African Group of Ambassadors made a grand entrance into the atrium during a ceremony that began an evening of pageantry and joy. The evening was a culmination of day-long activities, which focused on AU's commitment to investing in its most important natural resource, its youth.
LINK TO SHORT VIDEO: https://youtu.be/p8-qtPgwpXE
Nigerian Women Are the Worst Enemies of the Education of Poor Girls
The European Union reported that Nigeria is the country where trafficking in human beings is most prevalent. This is a fact that cannot be denied.
From human trafficking of underage girls used as housemaids or hawkers of provisions on the streets to the teenage girls lured and kidnapped for baby factories or used as prostitutes in hundreds of brothels and thousands of others transported like sheep across the borders by sex traffickers; Nigerian girls have become the most endangered human species in the world.
The Most Lucrative Wireless Industry Opportunities on the Planet
LONDON, June 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
The U.S. wireless market is already mature, so giants like AT&T are looking south, where the revolution is still in the throes of profitability and billionaires are now being minted. But the best opportunity is a $75.6-billion niche market that forms the backbone of the wireless industry.
Few investors have even caught on to this segment yet, but three companies in this most profitable niche have already seen crazy 10-year returns, and combined they have risen to a market cap of more than $100 billion-and they're just getting started.
The fourth is the only entry point into this explosive market for companies like Frontier Communications Corporation (NYSE:FTR), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), Sprint Corporation (NYSE:S), Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR).
The market is cell towers, and the entry point is Tower One Wireless (CNX:TO; TOWTF).
This industry no longer suffers from skeptics, like it did when Ronald Reagan gave away tons of service provider licenses in the 1980s and major investors mocked wireless communications as something that had no mass appeal. Those who saw the future in this became billionaires.
The same thing is now unfolding in Latin America, but the playing field is fiercely competitive-except in this one special niche. Cell towers are the fastest and purest route to profit, and there are only four publicly traded independent cell tower companies in the entire world.
Youtap's portable new X8 device enables mobile money merchant payments instantly. MTN Benin and Youtap Launch MoMoPay Contactless Payments for MTN Benin Mobile Money Customers
COTONOU, Benin, June 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobile network operator MTN Benin and Youtap have launched MoMoPay, a contactless mobile payment service for MTN Benin Mobile Money users.
MoMoPay enables MTN Benin Mobile Money customers to 'tap and pay' for goods and services instantly and securely with their mobile devices. The service relies on near-field communication (NFC) technology developed by Youtap, a global provider of contactless mobile payments and financial services software. 
MTN Benin CEO Stephen Blewett and a Zemidjin motorcycle taxi driver display the MoMoPay tag and Youtap's X8 payment terminal at the MoMoPay launch event in Cotonou, Benin.
An innovative feature of MoMoPay is the ability for users to make payments and receive small change (rendu monnaie) from merchants directly into their MTN Mobile Money accounts, solving the problem of giving small change back to customers that many merchants face today.
MoMoPay is being rolled out to supermarkets, pharmacies, bookstores, restaurants and petrol stations in Cotonou and to Zemidjan motorcycle taxis, which are the main form of transport in the country. The service will be expanded to all parts of Benin.
Accenture Sets Goal to Achieve Gender Balanced Workforce by 2025
JAKARTA, Indonesia, June 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Accenture (NYSE: ACN) announced that it will achieve a gender-balanced workforce, with 50 percent women and 50 percent men, by 2025.
"We believe strongly that gender equality is essential for a high-performing, innovation-led organization," said Pierre Nanterme, Accenture's chairman and CEO. "Diversity makes our business stronger and more innovative and, most important, it makes the world better. With this new goal, we are sending an important message to our people and our clients that our future workforce is an equal workforce."
Currently, Accenture has 150,000 women, nearly 40 percent of its global workforce. Over the past several years the company has set milestones on the path to gender equality. These include:
Fincho: The Making of the First Nigerian Film in Colour By Sam Zebba
Sam Zebba directing "Fincho" in Nigeria.
Many people have read about Sam Zebba's "Fincho", the first film shot in colour in Nigeria in 1955 and post production was done in the United States of America and it was released in 1957. But majority of Nigerians and others have little or no knowledge about the great filmmaker, Sam Zebba who passed away in Israel on February 27, 2016.
I have decided to publish this comprehensive documentary report on him, comprising his own memoir on how he made "Fincho"; an article on him before he passed on and a memorial tribute written by David (Dudi) Sebba published by www.esra-magazine.com.
What Sam Zebba documented on the circumstances of the events that occurred during the making of "Fincho" can be a fanstatic movie. And publishing it on a Nigerian website is important in recognition of the Nigerian cast and crew. They have made history and we must remember them in the history of Nigerian cinema.
Fincho- Adventure in Nigeria 1955: Adventure in the interior of Nigeria
One night in 1954, at the home of my London relatives, Boria and Rena Behrman, Boria showed some 8mm color footage he had taken at their timber concession in Nigeria. The Behrman family had been in the timber business for several generations, still in the ‘old country’ (Latvia), and the Nigeria concession was a new extension of their UK firm, Finch & Company. What I saw there was formidable. Giant trees were being felled in the jungle and hundreds of bare-handed African workers were pulling the heavy trunks through the mud.
I realized that this could be a starting point for an extraordinary documentary and perhaps even more than that. For some time I had felt a strong desire to move from the short film, my medium hitherto, to full-length form. If I could find a human story to fit into the tree felling process, perhaps the chance of realizing this was here.
Boria generously said I could stay in one of the bungalows built for the white staff at the concession, and film whatever I wanted. Admittedly, it would be foolhardy to go script-less into the unknown, but therein lay the challenge. And so, toward the end of the Central African rainy season in 1955, equipped with a 16mm Arriflex camera, a portable sound recording device, and a reasonable amount of Kodachrome color film, I set out on a flight to Lagos, the capital of Nigeria at the time, and from there, mostly over unpaved and ill-maintained dirt roads, passing through two enormous clusters of mud huts, Ibadan and Benin City, to the Finch timber concession in the faraway Kingdom of the Olowo (Ruler) of Owo.
The best filmmakers and achievers in Nollywood and Kannywood are not the ones contesting for temporary posts for bragging rights in the local guilds or international associations, but those who are busy making movies and making waves in local and international competitions and attracting international investments in the Nigerian film industry.
From EbonyLife TV.
From Screen Naija YouTube.
From a Nollywood location.
With all the brouhaha and hullabaloo over Nollywood and Kannywood and the appointments of Managing Directors of the Nigerian Film Corporation and title chasers of the guilds and associations, Nigeria does not have a single film treaty with any country in the world and no film market.
United States District Court Enters Order Authorizing Ten Biafran Plaintiffs To Sue Fourteen Nigerian Defendants For Complicity In Torture And Extrajudicial Killings Under Color Of Nigerian Law Stemming From Peaceful Biafran Protests Against Ethnic And Religious Oppression
WASHINGTON, June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Statement of law firm Fein & DelValle PLLC:
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia entered an order on June 2, 2017 authorizing ten (10) Biafran Plaintiffs to sue fourteen Nigerian Defendants for complicity in the 2016 torture and extrajudicial killings under color of Nigerian law to retaliate for peaceful Biafran protests against ethnic or religious oppression. The next step in the litigation is to serve the Torture Victims Protection Act and Alien Tort Claims Act Complaint on the Nigerian Defendants.
The Biafran Plaintiffs are seeking millions of dollars of damages to compensate for their grievous losses and suffering. The case name is John Doe, et al v. Tukur Yusuf Buratai et al, United States District Court for the District of Columbia Civil Action No. 1:17-cv-01033. It has been assigned to United States District Judge Ellen S. Huvelle, appointed by President William Jefferson Clinton.
KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. KPMG started operations in Nigeria in 1978. KPMG is one of the biggest four auditing firms in the world. The acronym KPMG stands for Klynveld, Peat, Marwick and Goerdeler respectively.
KPMG is a professional service company and one of the Big Four auditors, along with Deloitte, Ernst & Young (EY) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
The salaries of the staff in Nigeria are below those in the KPMG offices in South Africa and overseas.
Below is Salary Structure of KPMG and how much they pay their Nigerian workers on Monthly and Annual Basis from a Nigerian website.
1. An intern working in KPMG is paid about N37,500 per month.
2. The company pays an analyst collects between N116,000 and 146,000 on monthly basis.
3. Senior analysts is paid between N2.17 million and 2.59 million on annual basis
4. Associates working at KPMG are also paid between N2.16 million and N2.35 million yearly.
5. Senior Associate with KPMG is paid around N5.57 million and N6.02 million on annual basis.
6. A Manager at KPMG collects between N12.6 million and N13.6 million per year.
7. A staff working as Audit Associate with this firm is paid between N144, 000 and N156,000 on monthly basis.
8. Audit Senior Associate collects between N241,000 and N258, 000 per month. while their annual total take home package ranges from N3.1 million to N3.32 million.
9. A Trainee IT Consultant with the firm is paid around N2.39 million and N2.62 million on annual basis.
10. Finally, KPMG salary for its Semi Senior Associate on annual basis ranges between N3.33 and N3.64 million.
Towercos to increase market growth of mobile towers in Sub-Sahara Africa, says Frost & Sullivan
Infrastructure sharing and outsourcing will lead to new growth opportunities
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remains one of the least connected regions in the world, with a mobile penetration of 82% compared to the 100% global average. In order to boost connectivity and increase network coverage, service providers will need to accelerate their investment in mobile towers, particularly in rural areas.
It is anticipated that growth will be driven by third-party tower companies (towercos), which will then lease capacity to mobile network operators (MNOs) as well as other providers of wireless communications services. MNOs are gradually becoming more open to selling off their infrastructure, or outsourcing its management to third-party providers, in order to focus on their core operations.
"Some MNO operators are concerned about losing strategic control and revenues when ownership of infrastructure is transfered to the towercos," said Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Lehlohonolo Mokenela. "To mitigate this, towercos should develop strong partnerships with MNOs in sale and leaseback deals, and invest in building a strong reputation and track record in infrastructure management."
Frost & Sullivan analysis titled "Sub-Saharan Africa Mobile Telecom Infrastructure Market, Forecast to 2021" estimates that the market for tower services in the region was worth $991.7 million in 2016, and is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.8% over the period 2016-2021, to reach $1,508.4 million by 2021. The study provides an analysis of the telecoms tower industry in SSA, highlighting trends in some of the leading markets in the region; including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania.
Reno Omokri’s assumptions and half truths are nothing new and his spurious allegations have been subjects of political gossip among Nigerians who don't need any book on the brazenly corrupt and incompetent administration of former President Goodluck.Jonathan and the abduction of the Chibok school girls on the night of April 14-15, 2014.
Both Omokri and his intellectually challenged boss are still bitter losers who continue to live in denial of the terrible consequences of their bastardization of democracy in the maladministration of the Nigerian government from 2010 to 2015.
They can tell their lies to ignoramuses, but not to those who were insiders of the former national ruling party, People's Democratic Party (PDP).
I was contracted to launch and manage the Transform Nigeria Network social media campaign for the reelection of Mr. Goodluck Jonathan. So, I was an insider.
The ongoing prosecution of the corrupt public officials in his government with shocking discoveries of millions of dollars hidden in soakaway pits, hidden in abandoned houses, in coffins and buried in other strange places should be enough to show the bizzare things done by Jonathan and his partners in crime.
How they looted the national treasury and shared the billions of dollars to rig gubernatorial elections in Ekiti state and Rivers state where they sponsored hired killers to murder many members and supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the bloodiest elections in the political history of Nigeria.
Then how can the Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces be so clueless about intelligence reports on the abduction of the Chibok school girls? When they should have been rescued before the kidnappers’ trucks left Chibok?
Reno Omokri accused former President of the US, Barack Obama of masterminding the electoral defeat of Goodluck Jonathan, because of his refusal to support gay marriage in Nigeria. This is political nonsense. A very stupid lie.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election, because of his corruption and incompetence.
Has anyone of the indicted military service chiefs denied the gross misappropriations of the revenue allocations of the Nigerian Armed Forces to buy arms for the war against Boko Haram?
Lest we forget, 11 parents of the missing Chibok school girls died afterwards and about 6 of the girls have been reported dead. So, anyone calling their abduction a scam is evil and wicked.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan sacked General Owoye Andrew Azazi (rtd), the National Security Adviser after Azazi said the PDP was implicated in the operations of the Boko Haram. And after his dismissal, Azazi was killed on December 15, 2012, along with Governor Yakowa of Kaduna state in a naval helicopter crash in Okoroba Village of Bayelsa State.
Read some facts on Azazi and Boko Haram on https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owoye_Andrew_Azazi.
Only idiots and ignoramuses will applaud Omokri and his shameless Otuoke drunkard who even failed to develop his own home state of Bayelsa whilst his equally shameless wife had their ill gotten millions of dollars stashed away in banks.
June 12 is unofficially MKO Abiola Day in Nigeria in memorial tribute to
Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, CFR (24 August 1937 – 7 July 1998), often referred to as M. K. O. Abiola.
He was a popular Nigerian Yoruba businessman, publisher, politician and aristocrat of the Yoruba Egba clan.
He ran for the presidency in 1993, and is widely regarded as the presumed winner of the inconclusive election since no official final results were announced. He died in political detention in 1998, after being denied victory when the entire election results were dubiously annulled by the preceding military Head of State of Nigeria, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida because of alleged evidence that they were corrupt and unfair.
MKO Abiola casting his vote during the presidential election on June 12, 1993.
The ill-fated presidential elections were held in Nigeria on June 12, 1993, the first since the 1983 military coup. The result was a victory for Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who defeated Bashir Tofa of the National Republican Convention (NRC). The two political parties were formed by the military government.
However, the elections were later annulled by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, leading to a crisis that ended with late Gen.Sani Abacha heading a coup later in the year to take over power from Chief Ernest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan who was appointed as Interim President of Nigeria by Gen. Ibrahim Babangida on August 26, 1993.
Gen. Sani Abacha.
Generals Babangida and Abacha before the political fiasco in 1993.
The annulment caused widespread street protests and political riots against the military government with many protesters killed by the Nigerian police and Nigerian Army.
Nollywood star and Goodwill Ambassador of UNFPA for West and Central Africa, Stephanie Linus signing the condolence register at the UNFPA Office in Lagos to mourn Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund.
(6 February 1949 – 4 June 2017).
Today, I remember a great man, a renowned global public health leader and a beloved father who passed on recently. Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, who until his death a few days ago was the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is someone whose contributions to reducing maternal mortality and promoting universal access to reproductive health always served as an inspiration to me. It’s sad that he is gone and I commiserate with his family and loved ones. He will always be remembered for his passionate and diligent service.
Federal Republic of Nigeria to Issue Diaspora Bond
ABUJA, Nigeria, June 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Republic of Nigeria ("Nigeria") announced today the commencement of a global offering of its first Diaspora Bond. Nigeria has filed a registration statement for the Bonds with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Application will be made for the Bonds to be admitted to the official list of the UK Listing Authority and to the London Stock Exchange plc (the "London Stock Exchange") for the bonds to be admitted to trading on the London Stock Exchange's regulated market.
The bonds will be direct, general obligations of Nigeria, denominated in U.S. Dollars. The international Joint Lead Managers are Bank of America Merrill Lynch and The Standard Bank of South Africa Limited and the Nigerian Joint Lead Managers are First Bank of Nigeria Limited and United Bank for Africa Plc. There will be a series of investor meetings in the United Kingdom, the United States and Switzerland commencing on June 13, 2017. Pricing is expected to occur following the investor meetings, subject to market conditions. Contact information:
Debt Management Office
The Presidency
Plot 447/448, Constitution Avenue
Central Business District
P.M.B. 532 Garki, Abuja – Nigeria
Tel: 234(0)8110000881-3
Email: enquiries@dmo.gov.ng
Stephanie Linus's Statement in Response To Allegations of Copyright Infringement on "Dry"
PRESS RELEASE
Character assassination is at once easier and surer than physical assault; and it involves far less risk for the assassin. It leaves him free to commit the same deed over and over again, and may indeed win him the honors of a hero in the country of his victims.
Alan Barth (1906 1979)
On the 19TH of May, 2017, I received a letter from one Rafiu Bello acting on behalf of one Daniella Madudu accusing me of appropriation of an original literary work that was allegedly stolen from her by Ms. Joy Ndidi (an allegation that has been roundly refuted), copyright infringement and all manner of impropriety as relates my movie DRY and demanding that I credit this Daniella Madudu with ownership of my work, pay the sum of N60,000,000 (SIXTY MILLION NAIRA) and royalties; or face a campaign of calumny(which by the way is already afoot) both home and abroad.
Naturally, my initial reaction was to ignore it as something so ludicrous as to be able to find firm footing in the mind of any normal or rightly thinking individual and only routinely passed it onto my lawyers at a later date and thought nothing more of it. They (my lawyers), as a matter of course responded to it.
That these persons have since gone ahead with their premeditated plan to defame me upon allegations they know to be baseless, spurious and glaringly untrue is no longer news as the media is presently awash with the fruit of their labour and ordinarily I would not have dignified it with a response but for the sake of posterity and lest my silence be termed an admission of any wrongdoing whatsoever, I will simply proceed to state the facts here, viz:
That since my undergraduate days at the University of Calabar, I have been very passionate and deeply concerned about Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF), the plight of the girl-child and sexual violence against the female gender.
That in 2006 whilst still on crutches as a result of my ghastly automobile accident from the year before, I volunteered with the Mercy Ships Aberdeen West Africa Fistula Centre (as it then was) in Sierra Leone all out of my own personal savings as this was and will always be a cause very dear to my heart.
That in 2007/08 I visited the Mariam Abacha Women and Childrens Hospital, Sokoto where I personally made donations to the victims of VVF.
That in 2008 I was invited by The United Nations and the Government of Liberia to participate in the anti-rape campaign, Stop Rape and the Liberia Fistula Project.
That through my non-governmental organisation, The Extended Hands Foundation and our numerous partners, over 150 women and young ladies across the country have successfully undergone reconstructive surgery and have gone on to live wholesome fulfilling lives free of the stigmatization and the sheer pain and discomfort that comes with VVF.
That I registered the script for my movie DRY with The United States Copyright Office on November 28TH, 2011.
That I registered the script for my movie DRY with The Nigerian Copyright Commission on July 27TH, 2012.
That my movie DRY was shot in the months of August and September, 2012 in Nigeria.
That the unofficial trailer for DRY was released to lend my voice in support of the Child Not Bride campaign.
That Ms. Joy Ndidis first ever contact with me was in 2013 (DRY was already a finished project at this time) and it was not until June 2013 that she was officially engaged to provide content and ad-placement for my personal blog, The Stephanie Daily for all of six (6) months and this she did from the comfort of her home.
That the so called original literary work of the Daniella Madudu, I was supposed to have appropriated in my movie has never been registered at The Nigerian Copyright Commission even as we speak.
These are easily verifiable facts that any half-hearted attempt at investigative and responsible journalism would have turned up if indeed uncovering the truth for the benefit of the public was the primary motive behind the malicious publication.
It is truly a sorry pass we have come to as society when all it takes to ruin a persons reputation overnight is the spewing forth of mere accusations just because he or she happens to be in the public eye.
I choose to speak out and address this vice that has suddenly become the norm in our society and the acceptable standard of modern day journalism. We used to be better than this as a people; my prayer is that we still are.
DRY is more than just a movie; it is a righteous cause for voiceless women and young girls who have suffered the most debilitating kind of emotional and physical abuse, and anyone who seeks to denigrate this painful sacrifice with a smear campaign, with the intent to make gain or attract cheap publicity, simply lacks wisdom.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all those that have shown tremendous support and spoken up these past few days to end these words the same way it began:
"An error does not become truth by reason of multiplied propagation, nor does the truth become error because nobody sees it. Truth stands, even if there be no public support. It is self-sustained. "
~ Mahatma Gandhi
Photo Credit: Sensus.
Real-time IoT Data in Smart Cities, Buildings, and Homes 2017 - 2022
Real-time IoT Data in Smart Cities, Buildings, and Homes 2017 - 2022
May 2017 53 pages Mind Commerce Publishing
Report ID: 4927546.
Overview:
Smart Cities represent a combination of technologies deployed in an urban environment to transform the administration and support of living and working environments. One very important aspect of smart city deployments is use of various Internet of Things (IoT) technologies for purposes of monitoring systems, automating processes, and gathering data.
As a subset of Smart Cities, Smart Buildings utilize IoT and other technologies to provide enhanced facility management as well as improved safety, comfort, security, and productivity for workers. Another important part of Smart Cities is Smart Homes, which represents Internet connected residences that provide an enhanced lifestyle for its occupants by way of home automation as well as enhanced information, entertainment, and safety services.
In the case of all Smart City elements, there is underlying support from IoT Platforms and IoT Data Management and analytics to provide control, automation, and enable better decision making. This research assesses the global market for IoT generated from Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, and Smart Homes. All purchases of Mind Commerce reports includes time with an expert analyst who will help you link key findings in the report to the business issues you're addressing. This needs to be used within three months of purchasing the report.
In the history of Nigerian cinema from when I started going to the movie theatres in 1970 (following my great father Sunday Eke, who loved movies) to date, I have not seen up to 20 Nigerian films that I can call great movies.
Francis Oladele produced "Kongi's Harvest" in 1970, directed by the African American filmmaker, Ossie Davis with the screenplay by Prof. Wole Soyinka adapted from his 1965 play of the same title. Oladele also produced "Bullfrog in the Sun" of 1972, the film adaptation of the great Chinua Achebe's two classic novels, "Things Fall Apart" and "No Longer at Ease" directed by Hansjürgen Pohland of Germany whom I contacted in 2012, before he passed away on May 17, 2014 in Mandelieu-la-Napoule (Alpes-Maritimes, France).
He was a member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1965. Oladele passed away on Monday, June 22, 2015.
The following are Pohland's emails.
Dear Michael Chima,
yes, My name is Hansjuergen , but also called JASON POHLAND.
I directeted this movie.
But I myself are looking for a print of the movie.
Where is Francis OLADELE now?
If you find one, please inform me, so we can secure the material.
Also if you find posters etc.
Good to have contact with you.
Best JASON
www.POHLAND-JASON.com.
Dear Michael Chima,
please give my best regards and wishes for his birthday to Francis:
If you get hold of a print try to make a file and send it to me.
The BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL has strong interest to show the film during
its festival.
Thank you for all the informations you wrote, very interesting.
Hope to see you in the future.
Warmest regards,
JASON
Scenes from "Bullfrog in the Sun".
"Shaihu Umar" in Hausa by Adamu Halilu, Epic Drama, Nigeria, 1976, 142', Hausa with English Subtitles" https://www.africanfilm.com/products/shaihu-umar
Dr. Ola Balogun, Nigeria's greatest filmmaker since 1970 to date, directed the first Igbo language film, "Amadi" in 1975 and the Yoruba language film, "Ajani Ogun" in 1976.
Dr. Ola Balogun as a young filmmaker directing one of his films.
Ossie Davis directed "Countdown at Kusini" in 1976, produced by Ladi Ladebo.
"Bisi Daughter of the River" in 1977 directed by Joseph Abiodun Babajide, aka "Jab Adu" and produced by Ladi Ladebo is one of the best films in the Nigerian film industry.
"The Rise and Fall of Dr. Oyenusi" - A Film by Eddie Ugbomah
Eddie Ugbomah (19 December 1940 – 11 May 2019) was a Nigerian film director and producer. He directed and produced films such as the Rise and Fall of Oyenusi in 1979, The Boy is Good and Apalara, a film about the life and murder of Alfa Apalara in Oko Awo, Lagos. The plots of some of his films are loosely based on real life events, The Rise and Fall of Oyenusi is based on the career of a notorious robber, Ishola Oyenusi.
Sociopolitical Representations in African Cinema: Paulin S. Vieyra, Djibril Diop Mambéty, Eddie Ugbomah and Ola Balogun in the Footsteps of Ousmane Sembène | Africa Development
Ola Balogun directed "Ija Ominira" in 1978 for Adeyemi Afolayan, popularly known as "Ade Love".
Chief Hubert Ogunde, the greatest dramatist in the history of Nigerian drama produced a great film, "Aiye" in 1980 directed by Ola Balogun who directed his own war film, " Cry Freedom" in 1981.
EFUNSETAN ANIWURA
The film adaptation of, a historical biography of Efunsetan Aniwura by Prof. Akinwunmi Ishola was shot on celluloid by the popular Yoruba dramatist Ishola Ogunshola in 1981 after the stage plays by Ishola Ogunshola's I Sho Pepper travelling theatre group in Oyo state, Lagos state and other places in the south west of Nigeria.
EFUNSETAN ANIWURA 1981, directed by Bankole Bello.was the only Nigerian film in the Official Selection for International Competition at the 1982 Festival of 3 Continents in France and later selected in 1986 special focus on Nigerian cinema at the same film festival." http://totnaija.blogspot.com/2018/01/retro-efunsetan-aniwura-classics-of.html
Adeyemi Afolayan's "Kadara" of 1980 and "Taxi Driver" of 1983 are classics.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
