Showing posts with label Journalists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Journalists. Show all posts

Sunday, September 18, 2022

The World Premiere of “Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman” at the Toronto International Film Festival

The World Premiere of “Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman” at the Toronto International Film Festival

"Elesin Oba, The King’s Horseman” coproduced by the EbonyLife Studios and Netflix premiered at the 2022 annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Saturday, September 10. But I am still waiting for the reviews of the  premiere.

How was the reception?
How did the audience react?
What of the reviews by the film critics and journalists?

Bella Naija simply reported that it premiered at TIFF with the Executive Producer  Mo Abudu,  Odunlade Adekola, the lead actor, Omowunmi Dada, and Deyemi Okanlawon and showed their photos.
That's all.
No reviews and no interviews.

Biyi Bandele who directed the film adaptation of Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka‘s play “Death and the King’s Horsemen.” unfortunately passed on suddenly weeks ago before the world premiere.

- By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima,
The Publisher/Editor, NOLLYWOOD MIRROR® Series


Thursday, October 7, 2021

AFRIFF Announces the Programme for the 10th Anniversary


AFRIFF Announces the Programme for the 10th Anniversary Edition


Press parley of the 10th anniversary edition of the annual Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) held on Thursday October 7, 2021 at Terra Kulture on Victoria Island, Lagos. The most dynamic and vibrant International film festival in Africa begins from November 7-13 at the Landmark Centre on Victoria Island, Lagos.

Jenny Alonzo, the Creative Director for the 10th Anniversary Edition of Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF) spoke at the event via a video message.

The Founder and Executive Director of AFRIFF, Chioma Ude introduced the members of the Organising Committee and announced the programme of events, including the opening film ,"Encounter" by Michael Pearce. The sci-fi mystery thriller is about " a decorated Marine who goes on a rescue mission to save his two young sons from a mysterious threat. As their journey takes them in increasingly dangerous directions, the boys will need to leave their childhoods behind." View the official trailer on 

https://youtu.be/mJzNtZlxaJk

The closing film is "Collision" by Bolanle Austen-Peters.

She also announced that AFRIFF has selected 1000 Nigerians to be trained on Animation and Gaming at the AFRIFF Academy with 15 of the best projects in animation to be sponsored by Disney for film productions.





Landmark Centre,
Plot 2-3 Water Corporation Road, Victoria Island, Lagos.



Thursday, August 26, 2021

VIFF Announces 2021 Festival Lineup

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY:

VIFF ANNOUNCES 2021 FESTIVAL LINEUP

Vancouver International Film Festival Celebrates 40th Edition

October 1 – 11, 2021

VANCOUVER, B.C. (AUGUST 26, 2021) Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) invites you to the official unveiling of the 40th edition’s programming and events on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. Roughly 110 feature films and 80 shorts will screen in Vancouver venues, with a selection of films also available online via the VIFF Connect streaming platform.

WHAT: Media are invited to attend either an in-person presentation of VIFF’s 2021 festival lineup and events or receive VIFF’s digital press kit, including the festival announcement and sizzle reel.

In-person: Following the unveiling of the 40th festival and event lineup, media are invited to stay for a special pre-festival screening of Albert Dupontel’s award-winning Bye Bye Morons, an official selection at VIFF 2021, alongside an audience of VIFF VIPs. 

Due to B.C. health and safety regulations, capacity restrictions are in effect for the in-cinema film screening. Please RSVP to Laura Murray at lmurray@mpmgarts.com by August 31 to book your seat.

WHERE

In-person: At the VIFF Centre located at 1181 Seymour St, Vancouver. There is street parking as well as an Impark lot off of Granville Street.

Online: On September 8 at 10am, media will be emailed the season announcement and a link to access VIFF’s 2021 press kit and sizzle reel. 

WHEN: Wednesday, September 8 at 10am.

Doors open: 9am, complimentary refreshments will be served.

Presentation and festival launch: 10am

Film screening: 10:30am to 12pm

Interviews in the VIFF Centre Atrium: 10:30am (for those media unable to watch the film)

Interviews in the VIFF Centre Atrium: 12pm (for those media who are able to watch the film)

WHO: Interviews will be available immediately following the festival launch at 10:30am and following the film screening at 12pm — in-person and by phone — with: 

Kyle Fostner, Executive Director

Curtis Woloschuk, Associate Director of Programming

PoChu AuYeung, Program Manager and Senior Programmer

Melanie Lemaire, Program Logistics Manager

Kinga Binkowska, Create Engagement Producer

Frances Bergin, Creative Engagement Curator

Tammy Bannister, Programmer & MODES Curator

To schedule an interview in advance, please email press@viff.org.

VIFF’s health and safety protocols — in strict compliance with provincial health orders — can be viewed HERE

With the generous support of these partners:

PressRelease_LogoStrip_18Aug


About VIFF | viff.org
Founded in 1982, the Greater Vancouver International Film Festival Society is a not-for-profit cultural society and federally registered charitable organization that operates the internationally acclaimed Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) and the year-round programming at the VIFF Centre. VIFF produces screenings, talks, conferences and events that act as a catalyst for the community to discover the creativity and craft of storytelling on screen. For its 40th edition, VIFF takes place both online and in-theatre, from October 1 – 11, 2021, showcasing the top international, Canadian and BC films along with creators and industry professionals from around the globe.

- 30 -

Media inquiries:
press@viff.org
Laura Murray | 
lmurray@mpmgarts.com | 604.418.2998
Ines Min | imin@mpmgarts.com | 604.440.0791
 
To schedule an interview in advance, please email press@viff.org.



Try Email Marketing with VerticalResponse!



Saturday, September 17, 2011

Top Nigerian journalists parley for Changing Faces



Top Nigerian journalists parley for Changing Faces

Faruk Lasaki’s romantic thriller Changing Faces attracted top journalists from the leading newspapers, TV channels and news websites Friday morning at the popular Ojez Restaurant and Entertainment Centre inside the National Stadium in Surulere, Lagos.

The news media parley commenced the publicity for the forthcoming screening of Changing Faces at the Silverbird Cinemas and other theatres in Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries from December 23, 2011.

Victor Akande, the Group Entertainment Editor of The Nation facilitated the event.

The Editors and Senior Reporters of the following Nigerian newspapers and TV Station were present.

1. The Guardian
2. The Punch
3. The Nation
4. This Day
5. Galaxy TV
6. Vanguard
7. Supple Magazine
8. Nigerians Report

Only four of the invited journalists were absent



Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Another woman journalist jailed for reporting rape allegations in Sudan


Sudan Tribune Sudanese female journalist in a protest against censorship (FILE)

25 Jul 2011 16:01 Africa/Lagos

Sudan / Another woman journalist jailed for reporting rape allegations

PARIS, July 25, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Amal Habani, a woman reporter for the daily Al-Jarida, was today sentenced to a fine of 2,000 pounds (600 euros) or a month in jail for reporting a woman activist's claims that she was raped by members of the security forces. As Habani refused to pay the fine, she was immediately taken to Omdurman women's prison, northwest of the capital, to begin serving the jail sentence.


Photograph of women protesting against rape in war torn Sudan.Credit: Rights Monitoring Organization.

Habani was convicted by Judge Modather Al-Rasheed of the Khartoum media court, who fined her editor, Saadeldin Ibrahim, 5,000 pounds (1,500 euros). Agence France-Presse quoted her lawyer as saying they were found guilty of publishing false information and violating journalistic ethics.


She is the second woman journalist working for Al-Jarida to be tried in the past three weeks for reporting human rights activist Safia Ishag's rape allegations. Fatima Ghazali was convicted on 5 July and was taken to Omdurman prison the same day. She was released two days later after paying her fine.


Seven other journalists and media contributors are due to be tried or are still the subject of judicial investigations for the same reason. They are Faisal Mohamed Salih, Babikir Omer Al-Garrai, Abdalla Al-Shaik, Mohamed Latif, Faiz Al-Selaik, Mohamed Osman and Dr. Nahid Al-Hassan.


More information: http://en.rsf.org/sudan-ten-journalists-hounded-and-18-06-2011,40485.html


Source: Reporters without Borders (RSF)


26 Jul 2011 07:40 Africa/Lagos


Regional Conference On Migration In Africa Promotes Circular Labour Migration

GENEVA, July 26, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Migration experts are meeting this week in the Ghanaian capital, Accra, to discuss how Africa and the European Union can benefit from organized labour migration.


The conference which opened yesterday, 25 July, 2011, has been organized by the IOM through funds from the EU's AENEAS 2006 programme, which provides financial and technical support for countries on migration and asylum. It is attended by officials from EU, Africa and Canada as well as major international bodies, such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Commission (SADEC)


The conference builds on a previous event which took place in 2008, during which IOM with funds from the AENEAS 2006 programme, launched a Labour Migration Project for West Africa (LAMIWA). The project aimed at reversing the negative trends of increased irregular migrations from Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal to Europe, with Libya as the main transit country.


The conference is assessing the overall benefits of the LAMIWA programme on the participating countries, namely Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Italy. It also aims to gain understanding of different approaches taken by regional bodies to labour mobility.


One of the key areas for discussion is circular migration - a scheme whereby migrant workers from Africa enter the European labour market for a limited period of time in line with specific country entry quotas and then return home once their contracts are over.


This scheme will benefit migrants and both origin and the host countries. The countries of origin will benefit from the skills and knowledge acquired by the migrant workers, technology transfer, unemployment reduction and the remittances. Host countries will have access to migrant workers willing to fill short-term labour market needs.


Through LAMIWA project, a pilot scheme for circular migration scheme is taking place between Ghana and Italy. As part of the scheme, an initial group of twenty selected Ghanaian migrant workers will depart later this week for Italy where they will spend three months working in the agricultural sector. IOM will provide pre-departure counselling, including information on contract and working conditions as well as return and reintegration assistance in Ghana upon completion of the contract.


Apart from initiating circular migration scheme between Ghana and Italy, the funds provided by EU's AENEAS 2006 programme, have enabled IOM to provide assistance to the governments of Ghana and Nigeria in drafting labour migration policies, and support for the two governments' efforts to reduce irregular migration in the region.


In addition, AENEAS 2006 funding facilitated IOM to conduct national assessment of labour migration policies, legislation and practices in Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Libya.


Source: International Office of Migration (IOM)


Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time

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20 Jul 2011




19 Jul 2011











Saturday, June 25, 2011

U.N. secretary-general commits to defending press freedom


U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

25 Jun 2011 10:06 Africa/Lagos



U.N. secretary-general commits to defending press freedom

PARIS, June 24, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Press freedom, particularly free expression online, will be a priority for newly re-elected U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. chief pledged today in a meeting with the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders.

The heads of both organizations said they were encouraged by statements made by the secretary-general in support of press freedom during the upheaval in the Middle East and North Africa.

"The uprisings in the Middle East have demonstrated that people all over the world are hungry for information and cherish their ability to communicate with one another," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. "This is a basic human aspiration grounded in international law."

The organizations asked Ban, who at the beginning of his first term pledged to support journalists working in dangerous conditions, to use his new mandate to expand support for press freedom everywhere. Ban assured the delegation that addressing individual cases of press violations is a priority.

"The Internet, as a space for the free flow of information and ideas, is inextricably linked to free speech and the development of our societies," said Simon. "U.N. member states have a responsibility to their citizens to keep it free." In 2010, more than half of imprisoned journalists were working online, according to CPJ statistics. The delegation asked the secretary-general to build on his message issued on World Press Freedom Day in May by addressing cyber-attacks, censorship laws, and restriction of the Internet through regulation or the use of state power.

"We urged the secretary-general to strongly defend the journalists and bloggers currently detained or harassed in countries such as Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Libya," said Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General Jean-Francois Julliard. "We asked him to do whatever he can to stop the repression and protect all those who want to use their right of free expression. We raised the crucial need to protect free speech online, reminding him that one Internet user out of three in the world does not have access to a free Web."

CPJ and RSF welcomed the appointment of a special rapporteur for human rights in Iran and asked for the secretary-general's assistance in the case of two French journalists who were kidnapped over a year ago in Afghanistan.


Source: Reporters without Borders (RSF)


Releases displayed in Africa/Lagos time

25 Jun 2011





24 Jun 2011










Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Mouka meets with top Nigerian bloggers and journalists

Mouka Limited, the leading manufacturer of mattresses and other household products of the polyurethane business in Nigeria met with top Nigerian bloggers and journalists in an interactive media parley at the head office on Monday November 22, 2010.


L-R: Mr. Youseff Edgar, Head of Production, Mouka Limited, Jude Abonu, Head of Commercial Mouka Limited and Mrs. Peju Adebajo, Managing Director/CEO Mouka Limited at the Media Parley to announce the End of year activities held at the Head Office yesterday.


Mrs. Peju Adebajo, the Managing Director/CEO was delighted to meet the bloggers and journalists she described as fellow stakeholders and partners in progress in the task of nation building. She told them the outstanding success story of Mouka Limited since 1972 when the company began operations.
“Our success has been largely due to the commitment and dedication of our numerous employees over the last four decades and our loyal customer base, and vast distributors’ network. Our numerous awards and industry recognitions also showcase the fact that we are a caring business, fully committed to the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of our dear country,” Mrs. Adebajo said.

.

L-R: Mr. Jude Abonu, Head of Commercial Mouka Limited, Mrs. Peju Adebajo, Managing Director/CEO Mouka Limited and Mr. Benson Osieme, Chief Financial Officer, Mouka Limited at the Media Parley held at the Head Office yesterday.


Mouka was the first foam company in Nigeria to get its laboratory certified to International Standards Organization ISO9001 in 1999.

Mouka is really giving back to the society in various ways. To practice its slogan of adding comfort to life, Mouka launched the 15 minutes interactive Comfort Zone, a weekly pan-Nigerian radio programme broadcast by many stations nationwide. Listeners share their personal experiences of comfort and the joys of using Mouka mattresses, pillows, etc.

There are sales promotion and distributor awards and rewards for dedicated customers such as the Mouka Point-Man promotion and the Mouka Winstanta. The company is also introducing Mouka Model Shops to boost customer care by giving customers a loving shopping experience at every Mouka Distributor’s shop in Nigeria.



From Left: Mrs. Peju Adebajo, Managing Director/CEO Mouka Limited exchanging pleasantries with some Bloggers at the Breakfast session with Bloggers at Mouka Head Office yesterday.


Notable Nigerian bloggers at the event were Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima of 24/7 Nigeria and Nigerians Report, popular Nigerian blogger and social entrepreneur Deolu Akinyemi was represented by Seun Lana who has her own blog PROCESS on WordPress, Biola Kazeem of Brandwork Nigeria and Bella Naija sent a representative named Chike.

They were taken on a tour of the Mouka production facility by the Production Manager Olubiyi Odunayo and other senior executives.

The event was coordinated by The Quadrant Company




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22 Nov 2010
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22:51 2010 WISE Awards Honor Educational Excellence
12:53 Nigéria / Libération des otages français / Déclaration de Michèle Alliot-Marie (17 novembre 2010)
00:13 SURF Division Launched by Audubon





Sunday, September 19, 2010

Eritrea / Journalists still hunted down nine years after September 2001 purges

17 Sep 2010 19:44 Africa/Lagos


Eritrea / Journalists still hunted down nine years after September 2001 purges


ASMARA, Eritrea September 17, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Eritrean authorities continue to gag all forms of free expression and recently arrested another journalist as he was trying to flee the country, Reporters Without Borders said today, on the eve of the ninth anniversary of the start of a brutal political purge in Asmara on 18 September 2001. The organisation wrote to the British authorities yesterday urging them to prosecute one of the purge's organisers, who now lives in Britain.


Journalist Eyob Kessete of state-owned radio Dimtsi Hafash's Amharic-language service was arrested at some point during the past summer as he was trying to cross the border into Ethiopia. It is not known where he is now being held. After his first arrest for trying to defect at the start of the summer of 2007, he was held in several prisons until relatives obtained his release in late 2008 or early 2009 by acting as guarantors.


The fate of around 20 other imprisoned journalists is still cloaked in the same oppressive official silence. There is still no news, for example, about Said Abdulhai, a journalist who was arrested during the last week of March. It is still not clear where Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaac of the now-closed daily Setit, who was arrested on 23 September 2001 in Asmara, is being held. A new collection of his writings, entitled “Hope – The Tale of Moses' and Manna's Love and other texts” is to be unveiled next week at Sweden's Göteborg book fair.


The September 2001 round-ups, the closure of all the privately-owned media and the arrests of the main newspaper publishers began a period of terror from which Eritrea still has not emerged because of the intolerance and paranoia of its leaders. Nowadays, there are no independent media, foreign reporters are unwelcome and journalists working for the state media must enthusiastically peddle government propaganda and, if they cannot follow orders, they have no choice but to flee the country.


Reporters Without Borders wrote yesterday to Scotland Yard's War Crimes Department to ask about the state of its investigation into Naizghi Kiflu, an Eritrean citizen resident in Britain. As information minister and presidential adviser at the time of the 2001 crackdown, he could be arrested and prosecuted under article 134 of the 1988 Criminal Justice Act, which punishes torture.


In May 2008, Reporters Without Borders issued a report entitled “Naizghi Kiflu, the dictatorship's eminence grise” that detailed the role he played in Eritrea's repressive apparatus. Read the report: http://en.rsf.org/eritrea-naizghi-kiflu-the-dictatorship-s-21-05-2008,27109.html.


Eritrea has come last in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index for the past three years. It is ranked 175th out of 175 countries. The onetime hero of Eritrea's liberation struggle, President Issaias Afeworki now oppresses his people and has become Africa's most ruthless dictator. He is on the Reporters Without Borders list of “Predators of Press Freedom.” More information: http://en.rsf.org/spip.php?page=predateur&id_article=37194.


Sign the petition for the release of journalists imprisoned in Eritrea: http://en.rsf.org/petition-for-release-of-imprisoned-journalists,37549.html.


Source: Reporters without Borders (RSF)



Tuesday, July 27, 2010

President Jonathan, I G Onovo and the Kidnapping Matter

President Jonathan, I G Onovo and the Kidnapping Matter

The ordinary Nigerian on a daily basis, earns less than 100 U.S cents, equivalent to 60 British pence, or roughly ₦140, which is less than a dollar.

A few weeks ago, at the University of Port Harcourt, something terrible happened to two students. For not being able to complete the remaining ₦100 on a cell phone debt, a student was beaten to death along with his friend by another group of students.

These are the realities in Nigeria at a time the nation is struggling to return to Nigeria the former MD/CEO of the Intercontinental Bank, Erastus Akingbola, an alleged escapee now in London.

While the ordinary Nigerian struggles to earn ₦10,000 monthly, Akingbola is reportedly allowed ₦1.4million naira for his monthly expenses while relaxing in his London residence. Assets of £83 million or $126 million belonging to Akingbola were recently confiscated by a London Court. A contrast between two extremes!

As these harsh differences between the very poor and the exceedingly rich continue, the nation now seethes with the new phenomenon of kidnapping.

The latest was a seven-day national ordeal which involved the abduction of four journalists who reported had an unusually large amount of cash in their possession. This terrifying development had an emotional toll to an already nervous nation.

I.G Onovo’s Psychological Warfare

The episode held the entire country spellbound, including the psychological warfare waged by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo.

The journalists owe their release to this man! In spite of the fragile state of the Nigerian Police Force, representative of a chronically distressed society, Onovo’s tactics and leadership worked against the captors of the now-released journalists.

It mattered little if the any of the nation’s security management had a useable tracking device, or if any technical assistance was sort from an international or outside security agency was forthcoming.

The President’s recent statement that it will soon procure contemporary security technology to help control criminal activities like kidnapping is a good thing.

The President also recently pledged to put the military to use against those who abduct individuals such as foreign oil workers and contractors, which is how kidnapping began. The President’s recent show broadside aimed at kidnapping, whose new targets now include wealthy and middle-class Nigerians is welcomed.

As you may be aware of, we now know why what could be called the Onovo’s Rescue Manual with all of its outmoded tactics as in house-to-house; bush-to-bush search was the best alternative to fight the current wave of abduction.

According to Onovo, the police currently lacks the “necessary equipment,” and it is no wonder that a report from the four journalists revealed that the captors had more “sophisticated” weapons and devices than a law enforcement body like the Police.

Types of Kidnapping

Truth be told, the Nigerian style of kidnapping is a felony that appears to be very distinct in its nature, features and operations.

The Nigerian style abduction, at least, at this time is mostly in the image of what could viewed as:

* Arranged kidnapping with systematic and sequential approaches;
* Unorganized Kidnapping with marks of irregularity as in the spur-of-the-moment or sudden kidnapping of any one;

* Media-driven kidnapping as in a highly hyped and published name of a person with sudden wealth, focused on by criminals;
* Ludicrous kidnapping with ridiculous and bizarre characteristics as in a father abducting a son to get reward from a rich relative;
* Sensational kidnapping with marks of high-level acts like abducting an infant child; Message-driven kidnapping with purported information and concerns about the painful conditions in a society;
* Chance kidnapping with marks of opportunity and probability that the targeted victim is the right target;
* Sadistic kidnapping with marks of severe brutality and possible extermination of the captive,
* Compensatory kidnapping with marks of pure business like dealings;
* Humiliating kidnapping slanted on dishonoring and shaming a powerful, politically or socially placed individual;
* Ritual kidnapping with marks of illicit customary characteristics; and
* Conspiratory kidnapping as in a collaborative arrangement between disgruntled officials and bandits.

The common thread that passes through each style of kidnapping is the moment-to-moment emotion of not being a moneyed person, and the penchant for sudden riches, in the manner of those who became wealthy suddenly through corrupt or fraudulent practices.

Feelings of Inequality

People in general, perceive the nation as an oil-based economy where money should go around especially among the laboring working-class Nigerians.

As such, there appears to be this psychological pressure for some Nigerians to become soft invitees to crime, leaving them open to a quick entry into the illegal world of abduction. It appears that some hungry students from higher institutions, a few university students and some poverty-bound police officers with free and dangerous weapons now operate in the abduction trafficking.

These vulnerable Nigerians read the News papers and see articles about alleged billions of naira stolen by their fellow Nigerians.

Just imagine what goes through the mind of a university dropout due to financial problems, what emotions are felt by an unemployed graduate or a police officer with a monthly belated salary ranging from ₦8,000 to ₦21,000, when news of politicians like Senator Saminu Turaki reportedly amassed extra-ordinary wealth.

Turaki, the ex-Governor of Jigawa State allegedly looted ₦6 billion of State money in one day. In one day!

Perhaps the President feels for those enormously rich Nigerians who have to result into extreme precautions like the use of expensive German shepherds and armored cars in an attempt to protect themselves, their cash, wives, and children.

Young men and women by their very nature have so much energy or oomph, and pray for a state of liveliness. But when, some of them cannot pay for a basic living, or even purchase adequate food, shoes or clothing their vulnerable spirit might drive them to criminality.

And the President was right, some of these rebellious young men and women make these heavily guarded Nigerians their possible targets.

In a complicated society like Nigeria where people have a little trust in the Police, and where police informants are reportedly frequently killed, it is easier for captives to identify quickly with their captors emotionally.

In the same vein, captives secretly pay for their freedom at all costs and as a result of fear, protect the captors’ identity, especially when many kidnappers appears better armed than the nation’s Police.

As long as Nigeria remains a giant risk internally and among nations the threat of cyclical crimes such as extortion or abduction leaves the nation in a security-based dilemma leaving people feeling vulnerable.

Needed Reforms

Pesidential executive orders are needed to address the perilous state of security in the nation.

All private GSM Telecommunication device operators should install circuitry to quickly point out and locate the origin, and place of an incoming call, thereby making any telephone-oriented crime easy to detect.

Instead of trying to start a new senior police college, it should be delayed for now and the money invested in security measures for routine police work. This could begin with setting ₦40,000 naira as the basic salary for an entry level police constable with secondary school certificate.

Bullet proof vests for the Police become vital as the streets, banks, rural and urban areas are becoming more and more dangerous for the patrol officer.

The government should work effectively towards more electrical power to reduce darkness that kidnappers and other criminals thrive in. With expanded electricity generation, what better way to reduce unemployment?

Authorities should also work towards communications’ enhancement for the police to increase the detection rate for kidnapping to those of Western countries.

Nigerian should establish State policing in the nation, since local authorities tend to work better in coordinating local-driven occurrences that include crimes of kidnapping.

The security crisis requires the authorities to provide a steady step and bold moves in a national battle against the new type of criminal.

~ By John Oshodi

John Egbeazien Oshodi, Ph.D is a Forensic/Clinical Psychologist and the Interim Associate Dean of Behavioral Science, North Campus, Broward College, Coconut Creek, Florida. joshodi@broward.edu



Monday, July 19, 2010

Nigeria Today: Kidnapped Journalists Released, Religious Violence Continues in Jos

Nigerian police arrest four over kidnap of journalists‎- AFP


LAGOS — Nigerian police have arrested four suspects in connection with the kidnapping of four journalists freed after being held for a week in the country's ...Nigerian Police Arrest Four Suspects in Kidnapping

Nigeria: Seven Killed in Fresh Jos Attack‎AllAfrica.com - Gonji Palang
... bows and arrows as well as amulets with which they unleashed terror on the unsuspecting residents The pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), ...

Muslim attack on Christian village in Nigeria kills 8: army‎ - AFP

Nigerian machete-wielding attackers kill 8 people‎ - BBC News

Priest's family killed in Nigerian violence‎ - ABC Online





Monday, May 3, 2010

World Press Freedom Day: We Must Continue To Report the Truth Without Fear




Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day.
~ Thomas Jefferson, 3rd president of US (1743 - 1826)




As we celebrate the World Press Freedom Day, let pause and observe a minute silence in honour of the three Nigerian journalists murdered‎ last month and other journalists, writers and human rights activists murdered in different parts of the world.

The gruesome murder of Deputy Editor Nathan Dabak, 36, and reporter Sunday Gyang Bwede of The Light Bearer and Edo Sole Ugbagwu the Judiciary reporter of The Nation newspaper did not cause any public uproar online or offline, most people were discussing the forthcoming FIFA World Cup coming up in South Africa and also betting on their favourite teams in the English Premiership. Only the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and some of their sympathizers came out to protest on the street.

Since the letter-bomb murder of the Founder and Editor of Newswatch Dele Giwa on October 19, 1986, other journalists have been assassinated and one of them Bayo Ohu of The Guardian newspaper was claimed to be a victim of armed robbers. But other journalists have received death threats and I was warned not to report a controversial case of billion dollar tax evasion by a multinational oil company operating in Nigeria. I reported the news with the facts and figures, because I am not afraid to tell the truth even if the truth condemns me as well.


My priority right now is to use the Internet for news and information that would be of great benefit to those who need the knowledge to improve their lives and appreciate the creations of God according to the Parables of the Sower and Talents by Jesus Christ who paid the supreme price on the cross for speaking the truth.

Millions of people continue to perish for lack of knowledge of the truth.

We must publish and report the truth to defend and promote justice and expose every injustice and vice.

Knowledge is power.

Those who have knowledge must share it with others in equity for the balance of power in the world so that no one would be at the mercy of another person, no matter their class, creed or race.


My mission is to report the truth and expose lies, to promote justice and expose injustice and to use the best resources to help as many people as God grants me the grace. And I am happy doing so.



~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima



Thursday, March 4, 2010

Breaking News: 4 M-Net SuperSport Journalists Kidnapped in Niger Delta

4 Mar 2010 12:52 Africa/Lagos


Journalists Kidnapped in Niger Delta / IPI Urges Immediate Release Although One Journalist Managed to Escape, Fears Remain over Two Journalists who Remain in Captivity


ABUJA, March 4, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Three journalists from the African sports network M-Net SuperSport were kidnapped in the Niger Delta Region on Monday, but one has since escaped from his captors and fled to safety, according to news reports. A fourth journalist was reportedly shot during the kidnapping and taken to hospital, reports said.

Cameraman Alexander Effiong “took a big risk,” M-Net SuperSport general manager Felix Awogu told Agence France-Presse. “He ran away from them and he is now back to us in Lagos.” No further information on his escape has been released.

Awogu also said that his network was in contact with the kidnappers, and that he was optimistic about the return of the other two abductees.

South African journalist Nick Greyling, and his three Nigerian colleagues, cameraman Alexander Effiong, commentator Bowie Attamah and an unidentified cameraman, were travelling to Owerri airport when they were stopped by armed attackers, News24 reported.

IPI Director Dadge said: “We urge the abductors to release the journalists immediately. Kidnappings, for ransom, or any other reason are unacceptable. Journalists are no exception.”

In July 2009, Reuters reported that 500 people had already been kidnapped in Nigeria, up nearly 70 percent from the whole of 2008. Hundreds of foreign workers have been kidnapped over the past three years in Nigeria.

IPI board member Hajiya Bilkisu Bintube, who is the editor of Citizen Communications, in Kaduna, Nigeria, told IPI: “There is a lot of activity by criminals, who are also sometimes supported by the government. They kidnap and then they share the ransom. It is often not related to the struggle of environmental groups anymore.”

The last recorded attack on a sports journalist in Nigeria was on 22 August 1998, according to the Canada-based International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), Ganiyu Salman, a reporter with the Sporting Tribune was assaulted by a staff member of the Shooting Stars sports club (3SC) football club during a pro-league match. The attack was sparked over a story titled “Baraje Unveils N4m (US$470,400) Juju deal at 3SC.”

Source: International Press Institute (IPI)


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Monday, February 8, 2010

Mr. Ben Kioko Briefs Journalists on Legal Issues of the AU

6 Feb 2010 11:35 Africa/Lagos


Mr. Ben Kioko Briefs Journalists on Legal Issues of the AU

ADDIS ABABA, February 5, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Mr. Ben Kioko, the Legal Counsel of the African Union Commission (AUC), addressed journalists on the status of ratification of treaties, instruments and conventions of the OAU/AU; the abuse of the principle of universal jurisdiction; and the Hissene Habre case. Within the framework of the 14th Ordinary Session of the African Union Summit, the issues were addressed during the press conference that took place on 31 January 2010; at the AU headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mr. Kioko, announced the 15 Members of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council. The five countries elected to serve for a period of three years as from March 2010 are: Republic of Equatorial Guinea – Central Africa; Republic of Kenya – East Africa; Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya – North Africa; Republic of Zimbabwe – Southern Africa; Federal Republic of Nigeria – West Africa.

The other ten members of the African Union Peace and Security Council were elected for a term of two years, as from 1st April 2010. They are: Republic of Burundi – Central Africa;
Republic of Chad – Central Africa; Republic of Djibouti – East Africa; Republic of Rwanda – East Africa; Republic of Mauritania – North Africa; Republic of Namibia – Southern Africa; Republic of South Africa - Southern Africa; Republic of Benin - West Africa; Republic of Cote d'Ivoire – West Africa; Republic of Mali – West Africa.

Concerning the former Chadian president, Mr. Hissene Habre, Mr. Kioko said that the trial is expected to start in the next few months, soon after the AU and the European Union have worked out the budget requirements and issues of procedure.

He also mentioned that a detailed plan to merge the African Court of Human and People's Rights with the African Court of Justice, and to mandate the new entity to handle serious offences like war crimes, would be presented at the next AU summit in July.

“The African judicial organs should be able to deal with cases relating to unconstitutional changes of government so that is also another axis we will be looking at to confer jurisdiction upon the African court”, the Director said.


Source: African Union Commission (AUC)


Thursday, February 5, 2009

Photo: PR Newswire and Publish2 Join Forces to Help Journalists Access and Share News Online


Andrew Hartman, Director, Online Services, PR Newswire, announces partnership with Publish2 that will enable members of PR Newswire for Journalists and Publish2 to utilize the services that each organization offers to the media community. (PRNewsFoto/PR Newswire) NEW YORK, NY AND RESTON, VA UNITED STATES 02/04/2009

5 Feb 2009 15:35 Africa/Lagos


Photo: PR Newswire and Publish2 Join Forces to Help Journalists Access and Share News Online

Partnership Brings 'Link Journalism' to PR Newswire for Journalists' Members; Introduces Publish2 Participants to PRNJ's Global Media Community

NEW YORK and RESTON, Va., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- PR Newswire and Publish2, a technology company dedicated to helping journalism survive and thrive on the Web, announced today a partnership that will enable members of PR Newswire for Journalists and Publish2 to utilize the services that each organization offers to the media community..


To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/36906/


(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090205/NY67064 )
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000306/PRNLOGO )


For PR Newswire for Journalists (PRNJ) members, access to Publish2's service provides powerful tools for managing their research, incorporating links into their daily workflow, and building their individual journalist brand by creating profile pages that showcase their work. Key to Publish2's platform is its unique "link journalism" technology. The system enables reporters to easily discover, save, and publish links to the most interesting content on the web. Those links can be combined with journalists' original reporting to create news hubs that help to drive audience engagement.


"The results of the Pew Research Center for People and the Press' December 23rd report confirmed what many in the media industry already knew: the Internet has surpassed print media as the primary news source for the majority of individuals," said Andrew Hartman, director, Online Services, PR Newswire. "As consumers increasingly turn to the internet for their news, there is mounting pressure for journalists to become more involved in online news and to keep audiences engaged. Our partnership with Publish2 offers members of PRNJ a unique opportunity to harness the power of Web 2.0 through 'link journalism' to enhance their research, reporting and overall online presence."


PR Newswire's award-winning, media-only Web site, PRNJ, serves as a trusted source of news and information for journalists from more than 27,000 organizations around the world, as well as for thousands of bloggers. Now available to members of Publish2, PRNJ provides a platform for reporters and bloggers to access news of interest to them through customized news feeds based on keywords, industries, subjects, companies or geographic regions and states. In addition, PRNJ offers reporters and bloggers access to news releases through more than 500 RSS feeds covering different subject matters and industries.


"PRNJ will add greatly to our community of journalists on Publish2 by introducing our services to journalists at its 27,000 media organizations," said Scott Karp, CEO, Publish2. "And our journalist members can now take advantage of PRNJ's comprehensive news release platform to help their research and reporting on the web."


PR Newswire for Journalists members who have accounts with Publish2 will easily be able to save or post a news release accessed via PRNJ by clicking on the "Save It" button that appears in the upper right hand corner of every news release. Publish2 users who click on a news release link within the Publish2 platform will be directed to PRNJ where they can access the release directly. If users are members of one site but not the other, they will be prompted to take a few easy steps to sign up for the other platform where they can begin publishing links and viewing their saved news releases.


About Publish2


Publish2 (http://www.publish2.com/) is a technology company dedicated to helping journalism survive and thrive on the web. Publish2's link journalism platform is powering the next generation of news gathering and news distribution. Journalists across the world use Publish2 to make research and reporting more efficient and effective. Major news sites and vertical niche sites use Publish2 for prominent link-aggregation features that increase traffic and engagement. Publish2 is based in Reston, VA.


About PR Newswire


PR Newswire Association LLC (http://www.prnewswire.com/) provides electronic distribution, targeting, measurement and broadcast services on behalf of tens of thousands of corporate, government, association, labor, non-profit, and other customers worldwide. Using PR Newswire, these organizations are able to reach a variety of critical audiences including the news media, the investment community, government decision-makers, and the general public with their up-to-the-minute messages in text and multimedia format.


Established in 1954, PR Newswire has offices in 14 countries and routinely sends its customers' announcements to outlets in more than 170 countries and in more than 40 languages. Utilizing the latest in communications technology, PR Newswire content is considered a mainstay among news reporters, investors and individuals who seek breaking announcements from the source. PR Newswire's leading services include ProfNet(SM), eWatch(TM), MEDIAtlas(TM), Search Engine Optimization, MediaRoom, MediaSense(TM), MultiVu(TM), U.S. Newswire, the preeminent policy newswire in the industry, Vintage Filings, the fastest growing Edgar filing company, and Hispanic PR Wire, LatinClips and Hispanic Digital Network, the foremost Hispanic communications services. PR Newswire is a subsidiary of United Business Media Limited, a leading global business media company that serves professional commercial communities around the world. For more information, go to http://www.unitedbusinessmedia.com/.


About United Business Media Limited


UBM focuses on two principal activities: worldwide information distribution, targeting and monitoring; and, the development and monetisation of B2B communities and markets. UBM's businesses inform markets and serve professional commercial communities -- from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewellery traders, from farmers to pharmacists -- with integrated events, online, print and business information products. Our 6,500 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, bringing buyers and sellers together, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.


For more information, go to www.unitedbusinessmedia.com

Contact:
Rachel Meranus
Vice President, Public Relations
PR Newswire
rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com
+1.201.360.6776

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000306/PRNLOGO
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090205/NY67064
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN5
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/prnewswire/36906
Source: PR Newswire

CONTACT: Rachel Meranus, Vice President, Public Relations of PR
Newswire, +1-201-360-6776, rachel.meranus@prnewswire.com


Web Site: http://www.prnewswire.com/


Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/146750.html
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/683182.html


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